Sometimes life imitates art, rather than the other way around, and the 2001 video game “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon” stands as a prime example. The game, although dated by contemporary standards, did one thing: It accurately predicted the eruption of hostilities between an expansionist Russia and Georgia.
From The Bulletin
“The BBC reports on a scientific community still holding to flat earth theories. From their article: ‘Are there any genuine flat-earthers left? Surely in our era of space exploration — where satellites take photos of our blue and clearly globular planet from space, and robots send back info about soil and water from Mars — no one can seriously still believe that the Earth is flat? Wrong. Flat earth theory is still around. On the internet and in small meeting rooms in Britain and the US, flat earth believers get together to challenge the ‘conspiracy’ that the Earth is round.’”
via Slashdot
If you get a chance, and the time (it’s an hour and fifteen minutes long), check out this video of Randy Pausch’s last lecture he did before he died. It’s not important whether you know who he was or what he did before watching.
Erick Wujcik, author of our beloved TMNT roleplaying game, along with alot of other books for the abysmal Palladium line of RPGs passed away earlier this month after a long bout with cancer. While I didn’t follow his work closely, I know that we all had great fun with the TMNT RPG, and it pretty much is the sole reason we discovered RPGs outside of D&D, so I think he deserves at least a little bit of our respect.
Besides, without him we wouldn’t have had anything as creative as a nitroglycerin-laden, artifically intelligent, murderous van run amok!
http://forums.palladium-megaverse.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=90372
Go to the Time site here and vote to make Stephen Colbert the #1 most influential person in the world. Can’t have some Korean pop star beat him out!
Saturday, March 8th, 2008
The weather was horrible but it didn’t stop the droves of people from attending the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards. The Canadian ballroom in the Royal York was packed as hundreds of performers and fans huddled together like cows to the slaughter. Everyone bright eyed and blissful with the promise of music to come.
Even I stood there in Awe as the first band took that stage, not ever hearing them or at least the song they opted to play; They where Amazing, with my Camera in hand I tried to edge closer and closer to get that perfect picture. Being denied access about halfway by a rude enforcer at the VIP area. That is, however, until Christy worked her magic and using her XM connections and social prowess snagged not 1 but 4 VIP passes and as many drink tickets her little hands could carry.
The night was very formulaic, award, award, DJ, band, rinse and repeat. And every bit of the night was just as entertaining as the bit that came before it. Awards were presented by the Bands, Miss Canada, Kyle Gass a veritable cornucopia of who’s who. We stood inches away from the Giant that was Majormakers lead vocalist. They won best website.
But the highlight of my night was Tokyo Police Club, they took the stage after the awards and they blew the lid off the Royal York . They played some music from their new album that will be released April 22nd as well as a full set from their current release. They had the crowd clapping as the steadied my belief in the genre. I hope the next time they are playing we have the opportunity to go see them.
After Tokyo Police Club the New Pornographers came on stage, I snapped a couple of pics but we didn’t stay for the entire set. We wanted to beat the masses to the coat check. Coats in hand it was just a matter of a quick subway ride home. Still pumped from the night I could barely sleep.
An Amazing end to an Amazing day.
Click the link below to see all the pics I shot from the show.
Joseph’s Flickr Page
*EDIT: I originally said Attack in Black blew the lid off. While they played they where not the highlight. It was Tokyo Police Club. They have a new album on the 22nd called Elephant Shell.
It’s with great sadness that I report today that Gary Gygax, the creator of Dungeons and Dragons has passed away at the age of 69. Gary was the creator of the game, it’s premier personality and figurehead, as well as it’s ardent defender and one of it’s most colourful characters. I never got the chance to meet him, and have rarely played first edition AD&D, but I still have immense respect for the man that started it all.
I was never a great fan of his Lejendary Adventure stuff, which his company had sent to our meagre little gaming site (The Montreal RPG Hub), way back in the day. Despite that, however, I would read his posts on ENWorld’s forums (there as Col_Pladoh) with great fascination. I rollicked at his brief-but-awesome guest appearance on Futurama. Quite simply, I respected and revered this man. It’s a terrible shame that he’s passed on.
The news was broken by this post on the Troll Lord Games’ forum. You can find more discussion on ENWorld. UPDATE: You can also read this (quite nice) article at CNN. UPDATE AGAIN: Wizards of the Coast has a dedication to Gary on their D&D page. ANOTHER UPDATE: There’s this documentary about D&D that was done awhile ago that’s pretty interesting to watch. At the end of it, however, they have a few interviews with Gary about inspiration and such. They’re very interesting. Check them out here and here.
This also gives GM’s day a whole new meaning.
RIP Gary.
Sunday, members of a group called ‘Anonymous’ gathered outside the central Phoenix Church of Scientology to protest.Wearing face masks, purple latex gloves and dressed all in black, members held signs in front of the church.
You know precisely of who they speak. They do things for the lulz.
In Norway there’s no tradition for fireworks arranged by the city. It’s too cold in January to gather downtown for the celebrations, so everyone just goes out into their gardens or a nearby open spot, launches their rockets and then heads back inside. The result is a view like this, with fireworks shooting up from absolutely everywhere at midnight on January 1.
via Gizmodo
Curt | 
08 13th, 2008| 