Saturday, December 27, 2008

Dorkland! on Facebook

I've added Dorkland! to a blog network on Facebook. If any of you readers are on there and would like to follow this blog via Facebook then click through on this link.

Send me a message through there if you're a reader and on Facebook and would like an add on there.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Game Geeks #86 Ghosts of Albion RPG by Eden Studios

The latest Cinematic Unisystem game, set in a Victorian world created by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden. Can't wait for the the print version to come out.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Bettie Page dies at 85

Bettie Page, the brunet pinup queen with a shoulder-length pageboy hairdo and kitschy bangs whose saucy photos helped usher in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, has died. She was 85.

Page, whose later life was marked by depression, violent mood swings and several years in a state mental institution, died Thursday night at Kindred Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had been on life support since suffering a heart attack Dec. 2, according to her agent, Mark Roesler.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Super Surfer Girl

Green Ronin Announces 3rd Era (Green Ronin Publishing)

An interesting decision and I am going to be watching this closely. To me one of the more interesting parts is the fact that a major player like Green Ronin is going to be pursuing having any of their product that is available through Lulu rather than traditional distribution channels.

Green Ronin Publishing announced today that it would keep its classic d20 System titles available under its new 3rd Era brand name. The process began this week with the re-release of six books in PDF format and will continue on a regular basis until all the titles are updated.

'The status of the old d20 logo is now unclear,' said Green Ronin President Chris Pramas, 'so we created a new logo to replace it. This will keep PDFs of our back catalog available. We're also going to offer Print on Demand editions through Lulu, so gamers who want hard copies of difficult to find products like the Book of Fiends will be able to get them.'

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Twitterspeak: 66 Twitter Terms You Don’t Need to Know

Never read a twiller? Having twissues with your twerminology? Welcome, then, to the unforgivable abuse of the English language that some call Twitterspeak.

Tennant out of Hamlet for surgery

Actor David Tennant will not be returning to play Hamlet 'before Christmas' because of a back injury, the Royal Shakespeare Company says.

The 37-year-old, who is scheduled to have an operation on Thursday for a slipped disc, said: 'It is hugely disappointing for me.'

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Chicago Tribune Bankruptcy means bloggers beware

Today in news, the Chicago Tribune filed for bankruptcy in order to 'restructure it’s debt'. They also own properties like the Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, and many others. Any marketer worth their weight knows that traditional media is on a slow decline, and some time in the future there will be a influx of job loss. This industry has many, many well trained, talented individuals in their employ.

So what is going to happen to all these people who are out of a job when the new media revolution completely comes full circle ? I’m sure the majority of the will bounce back, and be scooped up (quickly) by other areas of industry who have similar needs. So ... what about the journalists?

Red Circle

Sunday, December 07, 2008

I'm Thinking About My Doorbell

Bettie Page 'Critically Ill' After Heart Attack

Bettie Page, a 1950s pinup known for her raven-haired bangs and saucy come-hither looks, was hospitalized in intensive care after suffering a heart attack, her agent said Friday.

'She's critically ill,' Mark Roesler of CMG Worldwide told The Associated Press.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Hipster, please!: Nerd News in Brief

It's been another huge week for geeky news, but before we get into this veritable wealth of nerdstuff I'd like to comment on recent developments at The Wizrocklopedia. You see, Lizz just announced her retirement. After years at the helm, she is passing the mantle of editor on to Freya and Dinah so that she can pursue other avenues. Lizz will still be acting webmistress, but other than that her 'Pedia-related activities will be limited.

I've got an enormous amount of respect and appreciation for Lizz because of all the work she does for the WRock community and, moreover, simply because of the really genuine person that she is. She's a class act, and I am thankful to count her, along with folks like Ant, Matt, Church, and Jason, as a like-minded cyber-sibling. So while I'll miss having her around ye olde Internets, I wish her the best in all her endeavors.

Sad Kermit

We have all seen stars rocket to dizzying heights in the prime of their careers, heights that baffle and amaze the likes of us. But many of the same stars that we point at in awe are only to be dragged off of their trajectory by tragedy into a gold dusted tailspin downward, finally to be burned up alive by the same velocity that once took them skyward.

We have all seen stars rocket to dizzying heights in the prime of their careers, heights that baffle and amaze the likes of us. But many of the same stars that we point at in awe are only to be dragged off of their trajectory by tragedy into a gold dusted tailspin downward, finally to be burned up alive by the same velocity that once took them skyward.

We all remember the joy we shared with our families when we were kids. Wrapped in blankets in front of the television; we inched ourselves as undetectable as possible towards the screen in a vain attempt to avoid the inevitable warning issued as the question: "Move back! Do you WANT TO GO BLIND?". It was all an effort to ensconce ourselves in the palpably magical world that was crafted through the collaboration of Jim Henson and a huge cast of Muppets more than fifty years ago.

Although it would have been impossible without the Muppets, Jim was the mortar that bound this disparate cast together and kept them on a true course. When Jim Henson passed away worlds were lost. And Kermit, who Jim had mentored in the art of vaudville since his creation, who Jim had treated as a son, was lost as well...

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Major Reorganization at Random House

After months of speculation, Random House, the world’s largest publisher of consumer books, announced a sweeping reorganization of its publishing divisions, including the resignations of the heads of two of its largest groups.

Irwyn Applebaum, publisher of Bantam Dell, an imprint that publishes authors including Dean Koontz and Danielle Steel, and Steve Rubin, publisher of Doubleday Publishing Group, which represents authors including John Grisham and Dan Brown, are stepping down from their posts.

Linden Lab doubles-back on approved skins

Linden Lab's governance team has started removing vendors for Second Life skins (that is, avatar textures) that are intended to portray teens and juveniles. It is not exactly clear why the action is suddenly being taken, as Linden Lab themselves approved the skins which have underwear 'baked in' to avoid any licentiousness. All in all, the affected skins are less lewd than a K-Mart kidswear catalog.

However, since the vendors depicted the skins 'as is' (that is not completely clothed, so that you would be unable to see what you were trying to purchase), Linden Lab has unexpectedly reneged on previously granted approval and is now acting to remove them. The removals that we are aware of have been appealed, and those appeals have been rejected.

The only comment available from Linden Lab about the removals is 'Real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depictions of sexual or lewd acts involving or appearing to involve children or minors are never allowed within Second Life.' -- which does not appear to describe any of the materials removed. The Lab declines to discuss anything related to enforcement actions or content takedowns, as a rule.

Friday, November 28, 2008

A Historical Overview of the "Archie Superheroes" Part One

I always liked the "Archie Suerheroes," and I was introduced to them via the Red Circle Comics relaunch of the very early 1980s before DC Comics did the revamp of the characters with !mpact Comics a few years later on. Some great characters by some of the great creators (Simon and Kirby just to name two), and it looks like DC is going to take another swing at publishing them. Should be interesting.
While a great deal has been written over the years about Archie Andrews and his pals the same cannot be said about Archie Comic Publications' superheroes. Few people seem to know that not only Archie Comic Publications get its start-under a different name mind you-in 1939-as a publisher of superhero comics but that it was one of the more innovative comics publishers in the industry. This article is an attempt to rectify that and while space limitations prevent me from going into a great amount of detail I hope that I can at least cover the more important points regarding Archie Comic Publications' superhero history.

Did You Know

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

This isn't a review.

I picked up the new CD (Who Killed Amanda Palmer?) by Amanda Palmer, the singer and primary songwriter for the band The Dresden Dolls. This was a great CD, musically very tight, and a pleasure to hear after the disappointment of the Dresden Dolls' last release Yes Virginia, which was to me a bit of a quality slip from their first release.

The Dresden Dolls are a great band, full of wild and creative energy, and this new release from Palmer shows how that energy and creativity thrives when brought under the focus of a really good producer. Who Killed Amanda Palmer? was produced by Ben Folds (of Ben Folds and the great 90s group The Ben Folds 5). I think that the best producers are those people who are themselves musicians because the understand how the process of being a musician and creating an album works, and in this case I think that Folds' contribution was to bring this wild creativity into a focus where it could really thrive and Palmer could create some of the best music of her career to date.

Frankly, this isn't a departure from the music of the Dresden Dolls. Which, for me, was a good thing because I like their music. If you don't like Palmer's work with them, you probably won't like this new CD either. No amount of producer's polish is going to change things that dramatically. But if you like good, strong, quirky songwriting with instrumentation of pianos, cellos, and a more cabaret sort of feel then I would suggest checking the CD (and the others by the Dresden Dolls) out.

This new CD does, however, raise the bar more than a bit for both Palmer and the Dresden Dolls now. I think that expectations for future music should be raised up as well. This is a good, solid CD and shows what she is capable of doing with a good set of musical tools.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

It's Been Five years

Because of real life, I missed the anniversary of this blog. Five years....who would have thought it? Here's to the next five years.
Pushing thru the market square, so many mothers sighing
News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in
News guy wept and told us, earth was really dying
Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying
I heard telephones, opera house, favourite melodies
I saw boys, toys electric irons and t.v.s
My brain hurt like a warehouse, it had no room to spare
I had to cram so many things to store everything in there
And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people
And all the nobody people, and all the somebody people
I never thought Id need so many people

A girl my age went off her head, hit some tiny children
If the black hadnt a-pulled her off, I think she would have killed them
A soldier with a broken arm, fixed his stare to the wheels of a cadillac
A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest, and a queer threw up at the sight of that

I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour, drinking milk shakes cold and long
Smiling and waving and looking so fine, dont think
You knew you were in this song
And it was cold and it rained so I felt like an actor
And I thought of ma and I wanted to get back there
Your face, your race, the way that you talk
I kiss you, youre beautiful, I want you to walk

Weve got five years, stuck on my eyes
Five years, what a surprise
Weve got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Five years, thats all weve got
Weve got five years, what a surprise
Five years, stuck on my eyes
Weve got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Five years, thats all weve got
Weve got five years, stuck on my eyes
Five years, what a surprise
Weve got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Five years, thats all weve got
Weve got five years, what a surprise
Weve got five years, stuck on my eyes
Weve got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Five years, thats all weve got
Five years
Five years
Five years
Five years

[lyrics of Five Years by David Bowie

Saturday, November 22, 2008

McDonald's sued over nude photos

A US couple is suing McDonald's for $3m after nude photos of the woman, which were on her husband's mobile phone, ended up on the internet.

Phillip Sherman says he accidentally left his phone, with the photos, at a McDonald's in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Scientists Say Copernicus' Remains Found

Researchers believe they have identified the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus by comparing DNA from a skeleton they have found with that of hair retrieved from one of the 16th-century astronomer's books.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

DC sends Superman into space and gives Batman his last rites


Dan DiDio of DC Comics talks about Superman leaving 'Action Comics' (and Earth), the revival of 'Adventure Comics' and major changes in Gotham City that will mean 'a close to the existing lore ... the last rites of Batman.'

Star Trek HD Trailer

I love the comments of people on this video. I like the look and hope that it revitalizes the franchise because it really needs it.

NEW Watchmen Trailer