So we got together for the first time last night and had a blast! All we did was some character creation and general discussion, but it was a really great time. It was awesome to finally meet some of the people I've talked to and with online for the last five or six years. And Google Hangouts worked better than any of us expected.
There is still plenty of room to get in on the game, if you;re interested. We're going to play at least once a month and maybe more, depending on everyone's schedule. It isn't a very high-pressure game or anything, so if you can't make it once in a while, it won't be a problem.
Just leave a comment or e-mail if you know the address and we'll be happy to add you.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
Showing posts with label www. Show all posts
Showing posts with label www. Show all posts
Friday, October 28, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Showtime, Starz Pull Programming from Netflix Instant
Shortly after Netflix announced that it is developing original programming, both Showtime and Starz announced that they are changing the availability of their programming on the website's Instant service. Showtime pulled all of its original content, and Starz announced that it would delay its original programming from streaming on Netflix Instant for up to 90 days after airing.
Starting this summer, all of Showtime's current programs will be removed from Netflix Instant, but canceled series will remain available. Showtime launched its own streaming service, Showtime Anytime, last fall. Netflix' contract with Starz is set for renegotiation next year, and the network said it plans to delay movies 90 days, as well.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Starting this summer, all of Showtime's current programs will be removed from Netflix Instant, but canceled series will remain available. Showtime launched its own streaming service, Showtime Anytime, last fall. Netflix' contract with Starz is set for renegotiation next year, and the network said it plans to delay movies 90 days, as well.
© C Harris Lynn, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Dan Slott Debate
In case you are unaware, Amazing Spider-Man writer, Dan Slott, defended himself against allegations that he is a "hack" -- someone in it only for the money and furtherance of his own career, showing no regard to the medium or form. An anonymous poster in some forum accused him of such and Slott's clever retort was, "FUCK YOU!!!!"
'Cuz he's a writer.
I don't know who Dan Slott is so, if I've read him, I had no major reaction to his work; had I really enjoyed his work or really hated it, I probably would remember his name. It was a publicity stunt engineered by Slott and/or his friends or editors. But, since it's here, we may as well treat it as though I thought it were real (I do not). IOW, sure, I'll bite:
I think it's fine for someone to anonymously call him a "hack," or basically anything else, and if he were pleased with his work, I don't think he would have taken it the way he did. Of course, it can be hard to maintain under even the best circumstances and, as cellphones become more prevalent and more people come online, there is more of this kind of behavior today than ever before. After a certain point, and most of us have reached it, you stop caring whether or not the comment is sincere.
At any rate, it's just as okay for Dan Slott to defend himself however he pleases -- of course, meaning online in silly communiques and what-not, not IRL. He would have made more progress if he'd engaged the writer on a higher level -- asking him to define the term, or include some other examples -- but it's just as cool to be angry. I don't care.
I'm still not reading Amazing Spider-Man. I can't afford it, anyway.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
'Cuz he's a writer.
I don't know who Dan Slott is so, if I've read him, I had no major reaction to his work; had I really enjoyed his work or really hated it, I probably would remember his name. It was a publicity stunt engineered by Slott and/or his friends or editors. But, since it's here, we may as well treat it as though I thought it were real (I do not). IOW, sure, I'll bite:
I think it's fine for someone to anonymously call him a "hack," or basically anything else, and if he were pleased with his work, I don't think he would have taken it the way he did. Of course, it can be hard to maintain under even the best circumstances and, as cellphones become more prevalent and more people come online, there is more of this kind of behavior today than ever before. After a certain point, and most of us have reached it, you stop caring whether or not the comment is sincere.
At any rate, it's just as okay for Dan Slott to defend himself however he pleases -- of course, meaning online in silly communiques and what-not, not IRL. He would have made more progress if he'd engaged the writer on a higher level -- asking him to define the term, or include some other examples -- but it's just as cool to be angry. I don't care.
I'm still not reading Amazing Spider-Man. I can't afford it, anyway.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Bluewater Biographies Tackles Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg this December
In December, Bluewater Productions is publishing a 48-page, giant-sized comic book biography based on the life of Mark Zuckerberg: Creator of Facebook, priced at $6.99. Written by Jerome Maida and penciled by Sal Field with cover art by Michal Szyksznian, it will be available from comic book stores and online retailers.Who is the real Mark Zuckerberg: The young billionaire creator and CEO of Facebook, who recently donated a generous $100 million to public schools in Newark, or the cold-blooded businessman who walks over people to get what he wants, as he is portrayed in the critically-acclaimed movie, The Social Network? The answer, of course, lay somewhere in-between, and Bluewater Productions is filling that gap by exploring the website's founder in the comic book medium.
"This is a fascinating story," says Maida. "I enjoyed researching it, because it's extremely compelling. Think about it: Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire on the planet and [has] created something that has already had a profound impact on the world -- yet, hardly anyone knows much about him. It's amazing!"
The road to success, Maida says, was not preordained, nor was it always a smooth ride. "Mark was offered loads of money at a young age and turned all his suitors down because, deep down, he knew he had higher goals than to work for someone else.
"Bill Gates offered Mark $1 million dollars while Mark was still in highschool, and Mark turned it down. I mean, how many high school kids will ever be made an offer like that? Very few. And how many would have the confidence to turn it down and pursue their own path? Very few, if any. But that's what Mark did."
Of course, he wasn't able to do everything on his own. He received help, to various degrees and in different capacities, from others, and few of these business relationships ended well.
"Rightly or wrongly, Mark dealt harshly with some people on his way to where he is today," says Maida. "As we see, [many people believe he betrayed them]. I try my best to be fair here; no one is totally innocent in this story, [and] I try to represent each of the major players' points of view."
"Bluewater is looking to tell unique stories -- not just those of celebrities," said publisher Darren G. Davis. "The first biography one-shot we are doing is about Father Yod and The Source Family, and Mark Zuckerberg will follow the next month. These books are not only good reading... [they] are also being used in schools and libraries. ”
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Massachusetts Just Got Hella Dumberer
Massachusetts, the state of retaads what thought an Adult Swim advertisement was a bomb and extorted money from Cartoon Network, has now defied the First Amendment of the Constitution by declaring the Web, comic books, and all artwork (including statues) pornographic in nature and aimed at children. Though the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and ACLU have both challenged the new law, which is Constitutionally nullified from Jumpstreet, Massachusetts officials intend to uphold the law vigorously across the entirety of the Internet.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Thursday, April 01, 2010
SimTV
Will Wright, creator of The Sims and several Sims-x games, is moving to TV, but he's leaving the writing of the show up to the viewers! Wright and partner, Albie Hecht (former president of Nickelodeon and Spike TV), are developing The Creation Project for Current TV, as well as accompanying software, StoryMaker Engine. The show will be plotted by viewers using the StoryMaker Engine, which runs on computer and mobile phones, then voted on by viewers; the plot with the most votes will be developed into two half-hour episodes.
The Creation Show is only the working title and there is no real information on the software, but what's even more confusing is the "two half-hour show" bit. I only watched Current now and then, largely because it had no schedule and most of it just seemed like home movies of kids doing... nothing, but that was at least 4-5 years ago. Still, "two half-hour shows" from one poll-voted plot sounds like they are either intentionally trying to be obtuse hipsters or are unintentionally being obtuse hipsters.
Current is a cable/satellite news network featuring user-generated content. It has something to do with Al Gore and at least some of its programming is available online (though, if it wants to truly be "hip," it would be simulcast online).
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The Creation Show is only the working title and there is no real information on the software, but what's even more confusing is the "two half-hour show" bit. I only watched Current now and then, largely because it had no schedule and most of it just seemed like home movies of kids doing... nothing, but that was at least 4-5 years ago. Still, "two half-hour shows" from one poll-voted plot sounds like they are either intentionally trying to be obtuse hipsters or are unintentionally being obtuse hipsters.
Current is a cable/satellite news network featuring user-generated content. It has something to do with Al Gore and at least some of its programming is available online (though, if it wants to truly be "hip," it would be simulcast online).
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Ghostfacers Coming Soon
Mega-hit Supernatural, now going into its sixth season, has spawned its first spinoff: Ghostfacers is headed directly to the Web and will air on both the TheWB and CW sites, premiering on the former. The three-minute episodes are being produced by Wonderland. Ten episodes are planned, with more sure to follow if the webisodes prove anywhere near as popular as the TV show which spawned them, which was recently greenlighted for a sixth season. Production is already underway.
The Ghostfacers are a team of ghost-hunters who document their escapades. The comedic team debuted in the first season of Supernatural and returned in a full episode in the third season. They proved quite popular with viewers, though they do not get along well with the Winchesters - in fact, they spawned their own convention in London!
The websiodes will be complemented by gag-reels, behind-the-scenes interviews and footage, and more. The series is being co-written by the stars, A.J. Buckley and Travis Wester, and produced by McG, Eric Kripke, and Phil Sgriccia of Supernatural.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The Ghostfacers are a team of ghost-hunters who document their escapades. The comedic team debuted in the first season of Supernatural and returned in a full episode in the third season. They proved quite popular with viewers, though they do not get along well with the Winchesters - in fact, they spawned their own convention in London!
The websiodes will be complemented by gag-reels, behind-the-scenes interviews and footage, and more. The series is being co-written by the stars, A.J. Buckley and Travis Wester, and produced by McG, Eric Kripke, and Phil Sgriccia of Supernatural.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Friday, December 11, 2009
ELI ROTH USED TO BE A GIRL!
Well, kinda...
Horror director and Inglourious Basterds star, Eli Roth, told the New York Post he worked as a sex chatroom chick back in college. He says they hired men instead of girls because men knew what other men wanted to hear. He also said he became proficient at chatting with multiple people and could type up to 120 words per minute... one-handed.
According to Roth, there were even magazine ads for him... er, her. He said the majority of the people with whom he chatted were scientists and professors, as this was 1991. He did not reveal his nom de porn.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Horror director and Inglourious Basterds star, Eli Roth, told the New York Post he worked as a sex chatroom chick back in college. He says they hired men instead of girls because men knew what other men wanted to hear. He also said he became proficient at chatting with multiple people and could type up to 120 words per minute... one-handed.
According to Roth, there were even magazine ads for him... er, her. He said the majority of the people with whom he chatted were scientists and professors, as this was 1991. He did not reveal his nom de porn.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
e-Mergency
Remember back in the early 1990s, when all those nimrods (the ones who brought us the dotCom Boom, and later, the dotCom Bust) put "e-" in front of everything that had to do with the Internet? It was e-insipid, but so are those e-people. Most of them went on to manage American banks and auto makers. Anyway, that's what inspired this e-post.
If you have tried accessing The Cyberculturalist since, like, flipping Wednesday of last week, you've noticed it goes straight to a "parked" page on the registrar. That's because, for whatever reason, Google thought it was "spam" and suspended it. This happened without notice or warning, like I say, sometime Wednesday or Thursday morning.
About that same time, I received a fraudulent e-mail saying I'd made a purchase from Cartoon Network and needed to send my banking information to confirm. But, if I hadn't made the purchase, then I needed to download the attached program and run it to clear my account. Heh. "Clear my account" it most certainly would have!
I mention this because Google doesn't tell you why, nor how, they came to the conclusion that your site or blog was spam, they just suspend it and they're done. "Fuck you, whores!" Google says before it cracks the whip and forces you back to creating content to which it can lay claim.
However, I was having issues with the domain because it was registered one place and hosted on another. Long story short, that's why you landed on the old man page whenever you clicked one of the old links. I tried like hell to fix it - even called for technical help from my host - but could never figure it out. I had some idea I was going about the whole thing wrong (I was), but... it was just confusing because of the order in which things had been done and the fact that my host didn't want to help me set it up correctly through my registrar and vice-versa. Having worked technical support, I both understand and hate that: OTOH, the tech might not know my registrar's configuration and so forth; however, he's probably just trying to end the call. Like I'm really going to sue someone or whatever... Of course, there are a lot of assholes out there (look at how many people work for Google!), so I'm also certain somebody would.
Anyway, once Google told me I'd done a bad thing, well then figured out I hadn't, it erased all my settings. I tried correcting the whole mess myself, but couldn't figure it out any better at that point than I could before... I had company for the weekend, so I let the whole thing drift until today; I'm working on that right now.
After this, I have to call around to find the best price on DSL. Yay! I already know it's going to cost a pretty penny, though - my excitement is tempered by this knowledge.
Lucky for me Google's spam recognition is just as good as its search algorithm!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
If you have tried accessing The Cyberculturalist since, like, flipping Wednesday of last week, you've noticed it goes straight to a "parked" page on the registrar. That's because, for whatever reason, Google thought it was "spam" and suspended it. This happened without notice or warning, like I say, sometime Wednesday or Thursday morning.
About that same time, I received a fraudulent e-mail saying I'd made a purchase from Cartoon Network and needed to send my banking information to confirm. But, if I hadn't made the purchase, then I needed to download the attached program and run it to clear my account. Heh. "Clear my account" it most certainly would have!
I mention this because Google doesn't tell you why, nor how, they came to the conclusion that your site or blog was spam, they just suspend it and they're done. "Fuck you, whores!" Google says before it cracks the whip and forces you back to creating content to which it can lay claim.
However, I was having issues with the domain because it was registered one place and hosted on another. Long story short, that's why you landed on the old man page whenever you clicked one of the old links. I tried like hell to fix it - even called for technical help from my host - but could never figure it out. I had some idea I was going about the whole thing wrong (I was), but... it was just confusing because of the order in which things had been done and the fact that my host didn't want to help me set it up correctly through my registrar and vice-versa. Having worked technical support, I both understand and hate that: OTOH, the tech might not know my registrar's configuration and so forth; however, he's probably just trying to end the call. Like I'm really going to sue someone or whatever... Of course, there are a lot of assholes out there (look at how many people work for Google!), so I'm also certain somebody would.
Anyway, once Google told me I'd done a bad thing, well then figured out I hadn't, it erased all my settings. I tried correcting the whole mess myself, but couldn't figure it out any better at that point than I could before... I had company for the weekend, so I let the whole thing drift until today; I'm working on that right now.
After this, I have to call around to find the best price on DSL. Yay! I already know it's going to cost a pretty penny, though - my excitement is tempered by this knowledge.
Lucky for me Google's spam recognition is just as good as its search algorithm!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Image United Online Chat Event!
In celebration of IMAGE UNITED's highly anticipated debut on Wednesday, November 25th, every single creator including Image founders Rob Liefeld, Jim Valentino, Erik Larsen, Marc Silvestri, Todd McFarlane, and Whilce Portacio, along with Image partner Robert Kirkman, will unite for a one time only online chat event Tuesday, November 24th at 7pm to 8:30pm EST."Since IMAGE UNITED's announcement we've received a tremendous amount of requests for appearances of all creators involved in stores and conventions all across the planet," Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson said. "By teaming up with Newsarama for this once-in-a-lifetime event, we're bringing every creator directly to the readers. This is our thank you for the massive support the Image Comics fan base has already given the project."
On Tuesday evening, November 24th at 7pm EST, the night before issue #1 goes on sale, Newsarama will welcome all seven creators in a 90-minute online interview/chat hosted by Vaneta Rogers, writer of Newsarama's recent "Image United Weekly" interviews, and every single comic book fan from around the world are invited to attend. McFarlane, Liefeld, Silvestri, Valentino, Larsen, Portacio, and Kirkman will all be there live, and together in the same (virtual) room, to answer your questions about Image Comics' past, present, and future, and, of course, IMAGE UNITED.
The IMAGE UNITED live online chat event, a 90-minute virtual panel, begins on Newsarama November 24th, 2009 at 7pm EST.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Melancholy Monday
Hey, you nerds!
Well, I cleared-off the GeoCities site. It's the last day for the old site, which served us so well for so many years - about 10, to be... well, when are we ever exact here? I joined Yahoo! in 1997 and already had a GeoCities account - again, estimated (it may have been 1998) - but I hadn't put anything on there, really. I think I had a little page with a few pictures or something, maybe some kind of "introductory" text, but I wasn't really planning on doing anything with it.
Fear the Outside had a Google PR of 8 in 2006. That's pretty good! Especially since I hadn't done anything with it in over a year. While the content was good (duh), the formatting was shite. There were hardly any pictures past the Table of Contents... it was just a general mess. But I also didn't have Internet throughout most of 2004-2005, so what little I did get published was a minor feat.
Anyway, I had all this stuff on CD, but we all know how my luck has been, so I went ahead and saved it all again, just in case. Of course, I haven't even looked at any of this stuff in 3-4 years, and I really didn't even know half of it was there! I have an entire department of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay material that I, to this day, do not recall ever creating! I did create it - my unmistakable stench is all over it - I just don't... I don't even remember when I was into WFRP! Not that into it. Apparently it was sometime in 2002-2003.
Anyway, it's made me a bit wistful - just kind of... melancholy is the only word I think captures it. You know, just a little nostalgic and the like. So much has happened since then that it's flatly impossible for me to recall some of this stuff, so it's interesting, but depressing.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Well, I cleared-off the GeoCities site. It's the last day for the old site, which served us so well for so many years - about 10, to be... well, when are we ever exact here? I joined Yahoo! in 1997 and already had a GeoCities account - again, estimated (it may have been 1998) - but I hadn't put anything on there, really. I think I had a little page with a few pictures or something, maybe some kind of "introductory" text, but I wasn't really planning on doing anything with it.
Fear the Outside had a Google PR of 8 in 2006. That's pretty good! Especially since I hadn't done anything with it in over a year. While the content was good (duh), the formatting was shite. There were hardly any pictures past the Table of Contents... it was just a general mess. But I also didn't have Internet throughout most of 2004-2005, so what little I did get published was a minor feat.
Anyway, I had all this stuff on CD, but we all know how my luck has been, so I went ahead and saved it all again, just in case. Of course, I haven't even looked at any of this stuff in 3-4 years, and I really didn't even know half of it was there! I have an entire department of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay material that I, to this day, do not recall ever creating! I did create it - my unmistakable stench is all over it - I just don't... I don't even remember when I was into WFRP! Not that into it. Apparently it was sometime in 2002-2003.
Anyway, it's made me a bit wistful - just kind of... melancholy is the only word I think captures it. You know, just a little nostalgic and the like. So much has happened since then that it's flatly impossible for me to recall some of this stuff, so it's interesting, but depressing.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Google Set to Infringe, Yet Again
I had to stop by briefly to let y'all know I am closely following the Google book deal and will be examining it in more detail over to The Cyberculturalist. I was all for the idea at first - the free exchange of information and all - but Google has literally... their attitude is that of a sneaker pimp's! Time and again, large companies have specifically asked them, "What about Point 1? How about question B?" and, time and again, Google has come up with a slick dodge instead of a solid answer.
Now the DOJ is in it, claiming Google could assume rights to works whose copyright holders are unknown or hard to find. I don't know how they could do that, because those terms generally mean the work is now in the public domain, regardless of when it was last published. It's stuff like this that have me scratching my head and biting my tongue. Tho jutht thit thtill... Thorry.
Ahem: Sorry.
So just sit still while I sift through it all, because there's no way in Hell I want Google claiming ownership of any works produced by anyone outside of Google. Furthermore, Google employees and the company itself should be working on nothing but search and search-related matters, because Google is a search engine.
This hulking monopoly is laying claim to every, single piece of information known to Man. That's so not being "melodramatic." If the DOJ is correct in their allegation, then we're going to have to stop Google, period.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Now the DOJ is in it, claiming Google could assume rights to works whose copyright holders are unknown or hard to find. I don't know how they could do that, because those terms generally mean the work is now in the public domain, regardless of when it was last published. It's stuff like this that have me scratching my head and biting my tongue. Tho jutht thit thtill... Thorry.
Ahem: Sorry.
So just sit still while I sift through it all, because there's no way in Hell I want Google claiming ownership of any works produced by anyone outside of Google. Furthermore, Google employees and the company itself should be working on nothing but search and search-related matters, because Google is a search engine.
This hulking monopoly is laying claim to every, single piece of information known to Man. That's so not being "melodramatic." If the DOJ is correct in their allegation, then we're going to have to stop Google, period.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
SEE! Jessica Drew Jiggle IN MOTION (With Her Tig-ol Bitties)
New York, NY (August 19, 2009) – If the pages of Marvel Comics could move, what would they look like? Wonder no more! Marvel Comics announced the launch of its first ever original motion comic, Spider-Woman. The legendary, Eisner-award winning Brian Michael Bendis wrote the story of Spider-Woman, with art by Eisner Award winning artist, Alex Maleev (Daredevil and Stephen King’s N. Mobisodes). The first episode of Spider-Woman will be available on iTunes beginning today, with additional episodes released every two weeks.Marvel provided a sneak-peek of the first episode of this exciting new comic to a throng of fans at the “Marvel Digital Comics…and Beyond!” panel at San Diego Comic Con.
There will be five episodes of Spider-Woman, each running 10-12 minutes. The first episode will be available exclusively on iTunes for 99 cents for the first two weeks. After the first two weeks all episodes will cost $1.99. This is the first time an original Marvel motion comic will be made available for fans to download and own.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Spreety TV on Yo PC
Even as network TV moves into the digital realm, more TV watchers are moving on to TV on their PC. As regular readers know, my satellite was turned-off before I moved and I have yet to have it turned back on, even though I am now unable to watch any TV at all! That's because I can watch Burn Notice online now. And that's really all I need, most weeks.
Check out Spreety TV Online : Watch TV Shows Online Free, when you want to see them. Pause them, rewind, replay scenes, and more - all the convenience of DVD/DVR without the expense or hassle! Check it out now - for free!
Check out Spreety TV Online : Watch TV Shows Online Free, when you want to see them. Pause them, rewind, replay scenes, and more - all the convenience of DVD/DVR without the expense or hassle! Check it out now - for free!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
An Old Person's Guide to Acronyms
So I'm whizzing along in my little AD&D throwback when I keep seeing posts about "OD&D." Being 34 and having played RPGs, and AD&D in particular, since I was about 10 or so, I naturally assumed this meant Oriental Dungeons & Dragons. Because, you know, that's what it used to mean! Apparently, it now means "Original D&D." And not even that; it actually means Original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
For those of you what do not know, there is a huge difference in all of these. Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a very basic game - insofar as any roleplaying game can be considered "basic" - comparatively speaking, anyway (compared to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, I should clarify). It deals with all of the same concepts and has a lot of the same material, but it is handled differently; while spells, monsters, items, et.al. may have the same names, they are not the same items and do not work the same way in both versions.
AD&D is exactly that: an advanced version of Dungeons & Dragons. It brings all sorts of extras, errata, and further details to the entire game and milieu. In D&D, you have a warhorse; in AD&D, you have a warhorse with barding and equipment that has its own characteristics, can be exhausted and/or fatigued, needs at least 3x more food and water than you each day, and so on. Basic D&D is very much a game, where AD&D is more concerned with roleplaying and character immersion - that is, getting so "into character" and the game itself that you develop the suspension of disbelief writers strive to create and maintain.
Oriental Dungeons & Dragons is also a misnomer since, once again, it is actually Oriental Advanced D&D, but for decades, you knew that when you saw the "O" in front of the D&D, it referred to Oriental. Now, thanks to the Interweb, OGL, SRDs, TSR's collapse and purchase by Hasbro, et.al., OD&D means "original AD&D," which refers to the 1st-Ed ruleset.
When you used to have to call BBSes to network with others over the computer and you went into chatrooms - and this remained true well into the AOL days - "AFK" is what you typed whenever you would be Away From Keyboard, that is, you would be unable to respond for an extended period but you were coming back. "BRB" meant BathRoom Break, denoting that you would be AFK for just a few moments. Now, everyone just uses BRB to mean "Be Right Back" - whether that means [in a few moments] or [next week].
Get this one: "FTW" now means For The Win.
Now how many times do you think I've said "FTW" and someone else has thought, "FTW? WTF does he mean by that?"
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
For those of you what do not know, there is a huge difference in all of these. Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a very basic game - insofar as any roleplaying game can be considered "basic" - comparatively speaking, anyway (compared to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, I should clarify). It deals with all of the same concepts and has a lot of the same material, but it is handled differently; while spells, monsters, items, et.al. may have the same names, they are not the same items and do not work the same way in both versions.
AD&D is exactly that: an advanced version of Dungeons & Dragons. It brings all sorts of extras, errata, and further details to the entire game and milieu. In D&D, you have a warhorse; in AD&D, you have a warhorse with barding and equipment that has its own characteristics, can be exhausted and/or fatigued, needs at least 3x more food and water than you each day, and so on. Basic D&D is very much a game, where AD&D is more concerned with roleplaying and character immersion - that is, getting so "into character" and the game itself that you develop the suspension of disbelief writers strive to create and maintain.
Oriental Dungeons & Dragons is also a misnomer since, once again, it is actually Oriental Advanced D&D, but for decades, you knew that when you saw the "O" in front of the D&D, it referred to Oriental. Now, thanks to the Interweb, OGL, SRDs, TSR's collapse and purchase by Hasbro, et.al., OD&D means "original AD&D," which refers to the 1st-Ed ruleset.
When you used to have to call BBSes to network with others over the computer and you went into chatrooms - and this remained true well into the AOL days - "AFK" is what you typed whenever you would be Away From Keyboard, that is, you would be unable to respond for an extended period but you were coming back. "BRB" meant BathRoom Break, denoting that you would be AFK for just a few moments. Now, everyone just uses BRB to mean "Be Right Back" - whether that means [in a few moments] or [next week].
Get this one: "FTW" now means For The Win.
Now how many times do you think I've said "FTW" and someone else has thought, "FTW? WTF does he mean by that?"
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ashton Kutcher: King of Twits
Yes, Ashton Kutcher (aka, Mr. Demi Moore) beat CNN's Newsbreak in the Great Twitter-Off. The Weirding began covering the race over to The Cyberculturalist because it really is an historic development within the Cyberculture, though not quite momentous enough to warrant an Oprah Winfrey Show and Anderson Cooper's live coverage... but whatever. Now that The Almighty O is officially a Twit - proving husbands everywhere right, some 20 years later - Twitter is officially an entertainment-related subject. Not to mention played-out.
As a sidenote - and one which, on the one hand, makes me LOL, and OTOH, makes me ashamed for doing so - Britney Spears tried her darndest to get in on the whole thing. I mean, that's kinda harsh - to get cliqued-on by the "cool crowd" on fucking Twitter.
And a whole lot of celebrities are taking to the service as it becomes the newest buzzword to hate. Why, exactly, I cannot say. Neither can newscaster, Katie Couric: "I don't think anybody gives a rat's ass whether I am about to eat a tuna sandwich. I don't even care."
Nor can John Mayer, who called the service "...inherently silly and inherently dumb. It’s one step away from sending pictures of your poop." Yes, John Mayer. Which I find interesting largely because I wouldn't even know what the hell a John Mayer is, had he not dated Jennifer Aniston (or not, whatever).
I will have more on Twitter as it concerns both the Cyberculture and communications over to The Cyberculturalist, and probably even Weird Ink (I loathe the concept of random IMs being referred to as "microblogging"), but it is very much the current site du celebre, so seeing posts about it here are basically unavoidable.
At the end of the day, Ashton Kutcher got 1 million Twitter followers before CNN and Oprah Winfrey "tweeted" for the first time on TV (it smelled faintly of roses) - and she yelled at everyone! - and Twitter is now officially a part of Cyber history, regardless of the fact that it serves no real purpose, introduces no technology nor forwards any, and will soon be abandoned by everyone who is rushing to create an account.
And all because of The O.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
As a sidenote - and one which, on the one hand, makes me LOL, and OTOH, makes me ashamed for doing so - Britney Spears tried her darndest to get in on the whole thing. I mean, that's kinda harsh - to get cliqued-on by the "cool crowd" on fucking Twitter.
And a whole lot of celebrities are taking to the service as it becomes the newest buzzword to hate. Why, exactly, I cannot say. Neither can newscaster, Katie Couric: "I don't think anybody gives a rat's ass whether I am about to eat a tuna sandwich. I don't even care."
Nor can John Mayer, who called the service "...inherently silly and inherently dumb. It’s one step away from sending pictures of your poop." Yes, John Mayer. Which I find interesting largely because I wouldn't even know what the hell a John Mayer is, had he not dated Jennifer Aniston (or not, whatever).
I will have more on Twitter as it concerns both the Cyberculture and communications over to The Cyberculturalist, and probably even Weird Ink (I loathe the concept of random IMs being referred to as "microblogging"), but it is very much the current site du celebre, so seeing posts about it here are basically unavoidable.
At the end of the day, Ashton Kutcher got 1 million Twitter followers before CNN and Oprah Winfrey "tweeted" for the first time on TV (it smelled faintly of roses) - and she yelled at everyone! - and Twitter is now officially a part of Cyber history, regardless of the fact that it serves no real purpose, introduces no technology nor forwards any, and will soon be abandoned by everyone who is rushing to create an account.
And all because of The O.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Fox' Friedman Fired Over Leaked Wolverine Review
Longtime Fox columnist, Roger Friedman, and the network "agreed to part ways immediately" following Friedman's posted review of the leaked X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie. Roger Friedman was a Fox correspondent for 10 years and their chief entertainment columnist. In his review, he admitted to having seen the workprint online and said it "exceeds expectations at every turn." Of course, the workprint is an illegal release which even the FBI is investigating.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Friday, April 03, 2009
LOOK OUT!
Marvel is now streaming the classic 1967 Spider-Man cartoon on their site. Every Thursday, a "new" episode will be posted, starting with the very first one, available now!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Wolverine Workprint All Over the Web
A "workprint" (unfinished footage, edited together in the general sequence it will appear in the final release) of the summer blockbuster with Hugh Jackman, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, has been released all over the Web. Since the incomplete movie hit the Web, over 75,000 copies have been downloaded and redistributed. The film was set for release May 1st.
The 20th-Century Fox movie opens with a Rising Sun Visuals title card, but bears neither timecodes nor watermarks from any controlling studio. Green screens and wires attached to the actors are visible in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine workprint release that can be found and downloaded online. Reviewers note the movie "looks awful" without the special effects, and the general consensus is that "...you're still going to have to go see it in the theater to fully experience the full movie." Rising Sun is a visual effects company from Australia which is also involved in the Terminator: Salvation movie. Who released the workprint, or how it was done, is unknown.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine was set to be a summer blockbuster contending with others, such as the aforementioned Terminator, as well as the Star Trek, relaunch. There is no word as to whether or not this Web-release will affect any of the plans, however both Terminator and Star Trek have already started work on sequels.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
The 20th-Century Fox movie opens with a Rising Sun Visuals title card, but bears neither timecodes nor watermarks from any controlling studio. Green screens and wires attached to the actors are visible in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine workprint release that can be found and downloaded online. Reviewers note the movie "looks awful" without the special effects, and the general consensus is that "...you're still going to have to go see it in the theater to fully experience the full movie." Rising Sun is a visual effects company from Australia which is also involved in the Terminator: Salvation movie. Who released the workprint, or how it was done, is unknown.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine was set to be a summer blockbuster contending with others, such as the aforementioned Terminator, as well as the Star Trek, relaunch. There is no word as to whether or not this Web-release will affect any of the plans, however both Terminator and Star Trek have already started work on sequels.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
SweetIM
I am a computer guy, not a phone guy; if you can't get in touch with me via IM, e-mail, or landline, then I am unavailable (or unavailable to you, but all the same). I do not "text," nor do I "drunk dial" - I do not even own a cellphone! I am a computer guy and I love it.
I spend a whole lot of time in IM, at least when I am not busy, and I used to spend a lot more. Since I started the website and got to work on it in earnest, I do not have the time to chat that I once did, but I still manage to talk pretty regularly - even while working. I use the original IM - AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) - because it has all of the features I need without a bunch of bells and whistles I don't, and though everything AOL does is bloated, it is nowhere near as large and wieldy as some of the other IM programs out there. Still, there are certain things AIM does not allow me to do that I wish it did.
That is what SweetIM is for!
Once installed, the application toolbar lets you add all sorts of fun things to your IM sessions with a click of the button. Smilies, winks, video winks, emoticons, sounds, and more - clicking any one of the buttons opens a whole world of IM fun that you can share with whomever you are talking to.
And SweetIM is 100% safe. In October, 2008, SweetIM was certified by TRUSTe as a Trusted Download Product. So you know you and your IM buddies are protected and SweetIM is not another, fly-by-night toolbar service filled with tracking cookies, spybots, and so forth.
Just follow any of the links provided to install with your favorite messenger, including YIM, AIM, ICQ, Mozilla, Explorer, and MSN Messenger, and check it out for yourself. For as much time as I spend in IM, a program like this is exactly what I need to help pass the time!
I spend a whole lot of time in IM, at least when I am not busy, and I used to spend a lot more. Since I started the website and got to work on it in earnest, I do not have the time to chat that I once did, but I still manage to talk pretty regularly - even while working. I use the original IM - AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) - because it has all of the features I need without a bunch of bells and whistles I don't, and though everything AOL does is bloated, it is nowhere near as large and wieldy as some of the other IM programs out there. Still, there are certain things AIM does not allow me to do that I wish it did.
That is what SweetIM is for!
Once installed, the application toolbar lets you add all sorts of fun things to your IM sessions with a click of the button. Smilies, winks, video winks, emoticons, sounds, and more - clicking any one of the buttons opens a whole world of IM fun that you can share with whomever you are talking to.
And SweetIM is 100% safe. In October, 2008, SweetIM was certified by TRUSTe as a Trusted Download Product. So you know you and your IM buddies are protected and SweetIM is not another, fly-by-night toolbar service filled with tracking cookies, spybots, and so forth.
Just follow any of the links provided to install with your favorite messenger, including YIM, AIM, ICQ, Mozilla, Explorer, and MSN Messenger, and check it out for yourself. For as much time as I spend in IM, a program like this is exactly what I need to help pass the time!
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