Neil Gaiman Does Batman

DC has provided Newsarama with the covers to Batman #686 and Detective Comics #853, the covers to 'Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?' by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert. Kubert provides variants for both issues - his sketch variant for Detective #853 is not shown, but is the pencil version of the displayed image. The two issues are due in stores in February.

300 RPG Text Files

That's right. I said *text* files. This looks back to the internet when there weren't GUIs, websites or search engines. Hell, sometimes you'd get an address for some great file on to to find out that it wasn't actually even there.

So, let's turn back the clock and see what there was out there.

[via Zachary's RPG Blog II]

Social Media and the Dorkland Landscape

Yes, I am out there. In more ways than one.

Flckr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_helton/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/seraphimchris
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dorkland
Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/dorkland
Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/user/seraphimchris
Second Life: Walton Vieria

I'm also on Facebook but I am going to make you work for that one. I'm not as connected to things as some people are but I've still got a list. Come by and say hello if you'd like.

Edit: And since I received a request from someone, I joined Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1729131

Actions Spoke Louder than Words: The Courage of Zoia Horn

As the first librarian to actually be jailed because of her beliefs in intellectual freedom, Zoia Horn is in an elite group among library workers. Horn recalled the events culminating in her 20-day stint in the Dauphin County Jail during her presentation, “From the Harrisburg Seven to the PATRIOT Act,” held in the Knight Library Browsing Room on Thursday, June 30. According to Horn, the FBI contacted her in January 1971. They were seeking evidence of a plot allegedly conceived by Philip Berrigan. Berrigan, a Catholic priest and anti-war activist, was serving a sentence in a nearby federal prison for burning draft files at the time. According to prosecutors, Berrigan (from his jail cell) and six others, known as the Harrisburg Seven, were planning to blow up heating tunnels beneath Washington, D.C., and to kidnap Henry Kissinger, President Richard Nixon's national security adviser.

'I'm the Doctor': David Morrissey is hot favourite to be new Time Lord

A sneak preview of the Doctor Who Christmas special has increased speculation that David Morrissey will replace David Tennant in the coveted role of the Time Lord.

Deadworld and Renfield Signed By Framelight Productions

Film production executive Jeffrey D. Erb and entrepreneur Robert L. Robinson, Jr., both Philadelphia area businessmen, announced today that they have created a new film production shingle, Framelight Productions, LLC. Erb and Robinson, who partnered together in three previous companies, Xportical, Supply Marketing and Kindred Media Group, identified a niche in comic book films and joined forces to bring special titles to the silver screen.

Framelight plans to produce six to eight films over the next five years in the $20 to $100 million range, focusing on strong stories populated with powerful characters.

The first properties optioned by the company include 'Deadworld,' published by Caliber Press and Image Comics in association with Desperado Publishing, and created by Gary Reed; 'Renfield' published by Desperado and Image Comics and created by Gary Reed; '1001 Arabian Nights' and 'Sins Of The Fallen,' both published by Zenescope, 'Dr. Deth With Kip And Muffy,' published by Marvel Comics and created by Larry Hama; and one other soon to be announced.

Official blames loss on 'brainwashed' kids

Makes her sound like a "bad guy" from a Scooby Do cartoon...

A county treasurer who lost her bid for a fourth term last week to a 20-year-old Dartmouth College student from Montana blames her failed candidacy on 'brainwashed college kids.'

Topps Shuts Down WizKids

The Topps Company is announcing today that it is closing down WizKids, its core hobby gaming business, and temporarily discontinuing the WizKids product lines. Topps CEO Scott Silverstein commented, 'This was an extremely difficult decision. But in light of the current economic conditions, we feel it is necessary to align our gaming initiatives more closely with Topps current sports and entertainment offerings which are already being developed within our New York office.' WizKids is based in Seattle, Washington.

Zombie! Organize!! Robotacus Video

Oh, this video is highly NSFW due to language. Forewarned.

240 Free Albums, Tracks and Links for Music Mashup Lovers - AUDIOTUTS

A mashup is a piece of music formed by mixing elements of at least two existing songs together, usually by combining the acappella part of one song with the music track of another. If you're at all interested in sampling, or if you're curious about this fascinating and controversial musical genre, these 18 albums, around 200 tracks and extra bonus links should provide plenty of inspiration!

Unexplained with George Noory on the Sci-Fi channel

Bravely, Unexplained with George Noory, steps out of the light and into the darkness. From executive producers George Noory, Carol Sherman and Jeff Androsky of Natural 9 Entertainment, Unexplained explores the realm of paranormal phenomena, time travel, alien abductions, conspiracies and other facets of the unexplainable.

George Noory is the host of the radio program Coast to Coast AM. His show is the most listened to overnight radio program in North America, heard by nearly three million listeners each week on approximately 500 stations in the U.S. and Canada.

Mattel Layoffs

Mattel Inc. said Thursday it is cutting about 1,000 positions worldwide because of the economic downturn that is clouding the holiday outlook for toymakers.

Mattel, which makes Barbie, American Girl and Fisher Price products, among others, said the positions amount to three per cent of its worldwide workforce and will reduce its professional and management staff by eight per cent.

Blog@Newsarama: Alexz Johnson is Saturn Girl in Smallville

As a big Legion of Super-Heroes fan, this gets a big old W00t!! from me.

A fan site for Alexz Johnson has confirmed the Canadian pop singer and actress will play Saturn Girl in an upcoming episode of Smallville, written by Geoff Johns.

The episode, titled 'Legion,' also features Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad. The three come from a future where Clark is the greatest hero.

Oh, and if you aren't already reading it, check out the Legion of 3 Worlds mini that is one of the Final Crisis tie-ins. Both Legion stories are scripted by Johns, who is a solid writer who puts in a good story.

Free Urban Fantasy Tale Written by Monica Valentinelli

Welcome to Book One of The Violet War urban fantasy series. Feel free to read, comment and provide feedback on anything you read here.

Book One is titled, Argentum. This title does carry some significance and weight to the overall theme of The Violet War series, which will be explored more as new chapters and pieces to this story are revealed.

Sorry About The Gap

Hello readers. Sorry about the gap in posting there, I had a sudden family emergency with my grandmother that required that I travel back to Indiana and take care of things with her. Unfortunately that meant no internet while I was gone (outside of crappy mobile internet) and no updating the blog but now I'm back.

Once I'm back in my head again the posting will start up like before.

Star Trek Image

Feral cities - The New Strategic Environment

Imagine a great metropolis covering hundreds of square miles. Once a vital component in a national economy, this sprawling urban environment is now a vast collection of blighted buildings, an immense petri dish of both ancient and new diseases, a territory where the rule of law has long been replaced by near anarchy in which the only security available is that which is attained through brute power. Such cities have been routinely imagined in apocalyptic movies and in certain science-fiction genres, where they are often portrayed as gigantic versions of T. S. Eliot's Rat's Alley. Yet this city would still be globally connected. It would possess at least a modicum of commercial linkages, and some of its inhabitants would have access to the world's most modern communication and computing technologies. It would, in effect, be a feral city.

Geoffrey McKinney's CARCOSA

This is an original "old school" supplement that is being independently produced and published. I'm supposed to be receiving a PDF of the supplement so that I can review it. I'm really looking forward to it.

Supplement V: CARCOSA contains little that you haven't seen elsewhere. Cthulhu Mythos, Space Aliens, Lake Monsters, sorcery, ray guns, human sacrifice, etc. None of this is unique to Carcosa. I do trust, however, that the particular mixture thereof is unique and intriguing.

Phil RetroSpector - Back To Virginity

Phil RetroSpector - Back to Virginity from Phil RetroSpector on Vimeo.

Swords and Wizardry

So, the other day I found a "new to me" retro clone of OD&D called Swords and Wizardry. This game is brought to us by one of the people responsible for OSRIC, another retro clone built under the OGL that emulates the AD&D experience instead.

Not a big game by any stretch of the imagination, which is a plus to me, Swords and Wizardry does a good job of emulating that old school fun that was OD&D. I miss my little booklets, stolen by some visitor to my apartment god only knows when. But I got hours and hours of enjoyment out of that game, which lead into almost 30 years of gaming now.

Frankly, I haven't had the chance to read the rules that thoroughly yet. But, what I have seen I do like. I am probably going to get around to ordering an actual print copy so I can really give the game a reading. What I have seen so far makes me want to read more and (more importantly as a litmus test for an RPG) it makes me want to game. So, for now I wanted to share the existence of this with everybody and I will post more when I have a chance to digest the game more thoroughly.

Interview with Jason Fried of 37signals

It's A Remote World We Live In

I want to talk about interconnectivity and the internet, and for a change I want this to be an interactive topic. Talk to me here, through Twitter or through Facebook...but talk.

Here's the question: With the level of interconnectivity available there days: internet, cell (and smart) phones, and all of the other little things.... Is face to face still the best method for collaboration?

I do expect some skewing of results since the people who will bother to respond are going to be online people but I would still like to hear what you have to say.

If you see this post as it cascades through my various online faces, I would like to hear from you. I want to know your thoughts. I know that this is unusual for this blog, as I don't usually look for interactivity though this place. Most of these things are "fire and forget" types of posts that I think someone might be interested in as I meander through the internet and the world.

Right now, though, I'm looking for discourse. I'd like to hear what you have to say, even if you don't know me or we've never spoken before.

Buzz Rickson's Black N-1 Deck Jacket

Early in 2003, best-selling novelist William Gibson released a groundbreaking new book, PATTERN RECOGNITION. This absorbing and masterfully crafted novel is set in the period immediately following “9-11”, featuring a high-tech., super-hip, cyber-chic, anti-fashion sophisticate, Cayce Pollard, as the heroine. Brilliantly woven within the many pages of cutting-edge prose Mr. Gibson has crafted is the one object more valued by Cayce Pollard than any other she owns – the Black Buzz Rickson’s MA-1 Flying Jacket.

Judge sentences rap music fan to Bach, Beethoven

A defendant had a hard time facing the music. Andrew Vactor was facing a $150 fine for playing rap music too loudly on his car stereo in July. But a judge offered to reduce that to $35 if Vactor spent 20 hours listening to classical music by the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.

Vactor, 24, lasted only about 15 minutes, a probation officer said.

It wasn't the music, Vactor said, he just needed to be at practice with the rest of the Urbana University basketball team.

'I didn't have the time to deal with that,' he said. 'I just decided to pay the fine.'

[via Audio Porn Central]

On Parched Farms, Using Intuition to Find Water

Phil Stine is not crazy, or possessed, or even that special, he says. He has no idea how he does what he does. From most accounts, he does it very well.
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'Phil finds the water,' said Frank Assali, an almond farmer and convert. 'No doubt about it.'

Mr. Stine, you see, is a 'water witch,' one of a small band of believers for whom the ancient art of dowsing is alive and well.