News & Not News Megathread

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Walter said:
That's gotta be a joke. I refuse to believe people are that stupid.

Yeah, I think everyone knows who Billie Joe Armstrong is. They wouldn't confuse him with this Neil fella.
 

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
gY524.jpg

A part of the president's speech prepared in case of an accident during the Moon mission.
 

Vampire_Hunter_Bob

Cats are great
School shooting on the first day of School in Perry Hall, Baltimore County:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-perry-hall-high-shooting-20120827,0,970506.story
The victim, whose identity was not revealed, was taken by a Medevac helicopter to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in critical condition, authorities said. Police also declined to identify the suspect, whom witnesses said was grabbed by a guidance counselor and a teacher, who were able to wrestle the gun away from him and perhaps prevent further harm.

Read somewhere else that the victim is special-needs and is currently in critical condition. Aside from the 1 shot victim there are no reports of deaths or other injuries.

http://twitchy.com/2012/08/27/hero-of-the-year-perry-hall-guidance-counselor-jesse-wasmer-tackled-shooter/
As Twitchy reported earlier today, there was a shooting at Perry Hall High School in Baltimore County, Md. Numerous Twitter users are reporting that a brave, unarmed Perry Hall guidance counselor, Jesse Wasmer, tackled the suspected shooter.

Billy Wiseman @Billy__Wiseman
Wasmer is a hero and deserves a raise and a medal or some shit
 
Life and death in Aleppo
This photographer managed to capture some pictures right before a tank assault in Syria. The pictures are very intense.
I was filming a feature on life on the frontlines of Aleppo, Syria. I was camping out with the men of Noor Den al-Zenke batallion, who man a two-block stretch of back streets that now forms the final line between government troops and opposition forces.... On this morning, the men were relaxed and joking around as they cleaned their area from a tank attack the day before. That time, they had been prepared and the tank had fired too short. This time, the assault came with little warning.
Source => http://www.globalpost.com/photo-galleries/planet-pic/5718451/life-and-death-aleppo-photos
 

NightCrawler

Aeons gone, vast, mad and deathless
File sharing is now legal in Portugal

http://www.webpronews.com/file-sharing-is-now-legal-in-portugal-2012-09

http://torrentfreak.com/file-sharing-for-personal-use-declared-legal-in-portugal-120927/

“From a legal point of view, while taking into account that users are both uploaders and downloaders in these file-sharing networks, we see this conduct as lawful, even when it’s considered that the users continue to share once the download is finished.”

The prosecutor adds that the right to education, culture, and freedom of expression on the Internet should not be restricted in cases where the copyright infringements are clearly non-commercial.

In addition, the order notes that an IP-address is not a person.

The ruling explains that the person connected to the IP-address “is not necessarily the user at the moment the infringement takes place, or the user that makes available the copyrighted work, but rather the individual who has the service registered in his name, independent of whether this person using it or not”

This means that the account holders connected to these 2,000 IPs are not necessarily all copyright infringers, similar to orders we’ve seen in the United States previously.

Finally, the prosecutor ruled that even if file-sharing for personal use would be seen as illegal, the artists themselves should explicitly declare that there are not authorizing copying for personal use.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I'll be weathering Hurricane Sandy over the next few days. Where I live in Annapolis, MD is within the cone of impact as of Monday morning, but the eye won't be within 50 miles of me. Will probably just get a lot of rain, wind and power outages. Typical for a coastal region.

Anyone else preparing for the big show? :daiba:

If you're a dork and like to track these things, Google has a useful map with live data on it here: http://google.org/crisismap/sandy-2012
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Yea I'm also preparing for Sandy. It's like last year all over again! I'm hoping we don't lose power for as long as we did then (almost a week). At least I've got plenty of reading material backed up.
 

Gobolatula

praise be to grail!
My folks and my brothers went out to New Jersey for my cousin's wedding. They were supposed to be back tonight but now they're stuck out there for a few more days. What a pain.
 
My office building is downtown Manhattan and has no electricity. I live away from the water/ coast and the building is sort of on this slope. I've had electricity throughout, 50 homes in my borough caught fire. DirectDK lives closer to the water so I hope he's doing ok with the electricity.

I don't have basic cable TV so I wasn't up to date on the happenings of the storm/ when what was going down. I would go down for long 3/4 hour walks, strong wet wind and sit in a few spots, get wet, come home to cook and watch Boss/ movies. I also drew a bit with brush and ink on Japanese paper after months all thanks to the hurricane.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
We lost power for about 36 hours. Was only bad at night—very cold. The next day, right as we were about to start going through the fridge items, the power came back. So really, no big deal at all for Maryland. Looks like some other areas got wrecked though. PICS: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/10/hurricane_sandy_the_superstorm.html

The biggest storm ramification for me was the loss of Internet for 2 days :magni: But now it's back.
 

Infinte

They see me rollin', they hatin'.
I have seen other pic from the aftermath and I hope guys are ok.

I usually avoid things coming out of the RPG Codex but this article regarding the recent fiasco with quite well known gaming journalists taking part in an advertisement for a videogame so they could join a contest to win a free PS3 at an event celebrating journalistic quality, after some other writers rushed to point out the stupidity in it they ended up getting getting their peers snapping at them with excuses such as "It was a hashtag, not an advert. Get off the pedestal" and one of the defenders(who also is a gaming journalist) turned out to be a person who had a ringing endorsement for the new Tomb Raider game and after some digging turned out to be working for Square Enix and that wasn't even the whole fiasco.

Here is the whole article: http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8579
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Infinte said:
that wasn't even the whole fiasco.

Here is the whole article: http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8579
Yeah, I've been following it. Not much of a fiasco, though. I do think there were some bad seeds here, but stuff like this happens all the time. People just for some reason picked this one thing to get upset over. But it doesn't reveal anything people didn't already know—these press guys are susceptible because they already function _as_ an arm of marketing.

What I found the most interesting about this whole argument were a few press guys acting indignant, saying they absolutely weren't affected by marketing events, and the free loot they get, and times they go out drinking with game companies does nothing _at all_ to sway their opinions.

That being said, it's important to clarify that they aren't "video game journalists." They're the enthusiast press. The difference being that there is no investigative wing for them. They operate in the private sector, as consumer advocates. They're held to different standards than mainstream journalists because it's a totally different industry that serves different needs.

Also, speaking as a journalist, much of what I write about relies on access to documents that are open to the public, as it's the public sector. I can expect to get information that's unfiltered. However, the sources video game writers rely upon come directly from marketing agencies. That's life in the private sector. Many of them have to, in a sense, play ball with marketing to get their day job done. So, people shouldn't expect the same qualities as mainstream journalists from these guys.
 
Saw this story on a local sports show and thought it was pretty badass. I love these kinds of stories.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/11/10/4402663/special-needs-senior-scores-honorary.html said:
Special-needs senior scores honorary TD in Aledo's 58-6 win over Fort Worth Trimble Tech

ALEDO — It didn’t count for one of Aledo’s eight touchdowns Friday night against Fort Worth Trimble Tech. But the moment counted for something memorable for Aledo special-needs student Vincent Mercer and his fellow Bearcats seniors.

Before the start of the second quarter of Aledo’s 58-6 victory against the Bulldogs, quarterback Pate Davis lined up and handed off to Mercer, who took the handoff and ran 40 yards through the Trimble Tech defense untouched into the Bearcat Stadium end zone. It was Mercer’s first chance to take a snap in a game.

“Vincent’s been part of our team, and he’s kind of been an honorary captain,” Aledo coach Tim Buchanan said. “He’s been involved with this senior class for years now. We wanted to give an opportunity for Vincent to be not just a guy who stands on the sidelines but actually go out and run a play.”

Buchanan said Trimble Tech coach Dwayne Henry and the Bulldogs players were just as eager as the Aledo players to take part in the special play.

“I called [Henry] last week and asked for his permission to do it and started going through the story and telling him about Vincent, and before I was even finished, he said, ‘Coach, I’ll let him run a play,’” Buchanan said. “As much as it meant to Vincent, it meant more to our football team to see him be a part of what they do every week.”

Next up for Aledo (9-1, 7-0 District 7-4A) is Cleburne in a Class 4A Division I bi-district game next Friday at Newsom Stadium in Mansfield.

Willie Gibson and Jess Anders paced the Bearcats’ offense against Trimble Tech (1-9, 0-7). Gibson made two acrobatic touchdown grabs in the second quarter while Anders rushed for 132 yards and two scores.

Aledo’s defense got the Bearcats on the board early. Tyson Mauser snagged a Trimble Tech pass and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown on the Bulldogs’ third play from scrimmage.

The Bearcats added to the lead a short time later on their first offensive play of the night. Aledo forced a punt on Trimble Tech’s second series. On first down at Aledo’s own 46, Baker Roberson took a handoff, cut left and rumbled 54 yards for a score and a 14-0 lead.

Anders broke off a 31-yard run on Aledo’s third series and followed it with a 2-yard touchdown plunge as the Bearcats built a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

Gibson scored twice in the second quarter to blow the game open. On Aledo’s first drive of the second quarter, Davis went deep on second-and-7 at the Trimble Tech 37. Gibson stretched out his arms as he sprinted into the end zone to get his hands on the slightly overthrown pass. He juggled the ball for a moment but eventually secured it for the touchdown and a 28-0 lead.

Gibson’s next catch came as the final seconds ticked off the clock in the second quarter. His 20-yard grab at the back of the end zone made it 35-0.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/11/10/4402663/special-needs-senior-scores-honorary.html#storylink=cpy

For anyone who is interested, Aledo went on to win the next game but lost the one after that so they're out of the playoffs.
 
Just a sad way to go for someone I had a lot of respect for. American Sniper is a great book by the way, anyone looking for a good read should try it.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272697/Deadliest-sniper-U-S-military-history-Chris-Kyle-shot-killed-point-blank-veteran-suffering-PTSD-Texas-gun-range.html#axzz2JqdcnhG2
 
Hope everyone is okay from the Nemo storm if you live in New England. I'm from Western MA and we already got about 16 inches of snow, and our county put out a warning yesterday that from Friday until Sunday morning they will fine anyone who is driving unless it's an emergency. >_< Stay safe!
 
Friday evening I had a series of emergency messages from either my weather app or T-Mobile and the news made it out to be this monster storm like the world was going to end. The one that hit the east coast 3 years ago around the time the new Tron movie was released was worse than Nemo, at least for NYC.
 

Th3Branded0ne

I'll be back.
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/national/meteor-hits-russia-according-to-officials

MOSCOW - A meteor streaked across the sky and exploded over Russia's Ural Mountains with the power of an atomic bomb Friday, its sonic blasts shattering countless windows and injuring nearly 1,000 people.
The spectacle deeply frightened many Russians, with some elderly women declaring that the world was coming to an end. Many of the injured were cut by flying glass as they flocked to windows to see what the source was for such an intense flash of light.
The meteor -- estimated to be about 10 tons -- entered the Earth's atmosphere at a hypersonic speed of at least 54,000 kph (33,000 mph) and shattered into pieces about 30-50 kilometers (18-32 miles) above the ground, the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement.
Amateur video showed an object speeding across the sky about 9:20 a.m. local time, just after sunrise, leaving a thick white contrail and an intense flash.
"There was panic. People had no idea what was happening," said Sergey Hametov, a resident of Chelyabinsk, a city of 1 million about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of Moscow.
"We saw a big burst of light, then went outside to see what it was and we heard a really loud, thundering sound," he told The Associated Press by telephone.




Wow!!! :magni:
Check the link for videos
 
http://news.yahoo.com/nra-title-sponsor-nascar-cup-race-texas-190035805--spt.html said:
NRA title sponsor for NASCAR Cup race in Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The National Rifle Association is taking its relationship with racing to a new level as the title sponsor of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

The deal with Texas Motor Speedway comes at a time when the NRA is involved in a renewed debate on gun violence in the wake of the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

"It's not about politics. It's about sports marketing," TMS president Eddie Gossage said Monday after the announcement of the one-year agreement with the NRA that includes a renewal option.

The April 13 race at Texas, the first scheduled night race in the Cup Series this season, will be known as the NRA 500.

This is not the NRA's first title sponsorship in NASCAR. The group sponsored the second-tier Nationwide race last September at Atlanta, which like Texas is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc.

"They saw it was obviously a very attractive sports marketing opportunity and seized it. That's what it's all about," Gossage said. "It's about putting on one of the great sporting events in America. I know in Atlanta last year they saluted a lot of the people that make America free. They are going to salute American freedoms and American families with this race. That's their plan so it seemed to be a good fit."

NASCAR said in a statement Monday that "race entitlement partnerships" are agreements directly between the track and the sponsor though NASCAR reserves the right to approve or disapprove those sponsorships.

"The race sponsor for Texas Motor Speedway's April event falls within the guidelines for approval for that event," NASCAR's statement said.

Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president and CEO, expressed his excitement about the deal in a video message played during the track's media day. Gossage said LaPierre wasn't able to attend because of a scheduling conflict.

"The NRA 500 is the latest announcement in the long history of a growing partnership between the NRA, Speedway Motorsports and the NASCAR community," LaPierre said. "NRA members and NASCAR fans love their country and everything that is good and right about America. We salute our flag, volunteer in our churches and communities, cherish our families and we love racing. On April 13, we'll all come together at Texas Motor Speedway."

The sponsorship does seem like a natural. It's been a tradition at TMS that the winner of the Cup race gets to fire off a six-shooter in victory lane. And the winner of the pole gets a rifle as a prize.

At the Cup season-opening Daytona 500, Michael Waltrip drove a Toyota with a paint scheme supporting a relief fund for victims of the Sandy Hook shootings.

The Newtown-emblazoned car of Swan Racing was unveiled by NASCAR chairman Brian France in a news conference at Daytona, part of a one-race arrangement for the team. France and his wife announced they would donate $50,000 to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund, which the NASCAR Foundation would match.

Sprint Cup rookie Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won the NRA American Warrior 300 at Atlanta last September, has no issue with the NRA sponsoring NASCAR races.

" The NRA is our core fan base, and we all have guns, and all us racers love to go out and shoot. It's part of who we are," said Stenhouse, the only Cup driver at TMS media day. "Anytime you have a sponsor that embraces their market and who their core customers are, it's great for us.

"I was able to win the NRA race in Atlanta and those guys were great to work it," he said. "They take their stuff serious, they're concerned with the tragedies that we've had throughout the nation.

"I think they do a great job at working from their side to help things as well. I think it's a great partnership here at Texas."

Gossage said the NRA has been a generous supporter of Speedway Children's Charities, donating more than $500,000 to the charity's Texas chapter since 2000. He said the group has also had past sponsorship with signage at the track.

NRA officials first expressed interest last fall to Texas officials about sponsoring the track's spring race. The event previously had Samsung Mobile as a title sponsor since 2002, but the company didn't renew its contract after last April's race.

Without a title sponsor, Texas had been promoting next month's race as the Texas 500.

"We've had other (sponsor) offers but a lot of people wait and expect you to drop your price. That's not something we do. We're not going to be a discount speedway," said Gossage, not revealing specific details. "They were willing to meet the price. They afford us some great marketing opportunities as well with their membership to reach out to them and try to bring their members to attend the race here."

Gossage said TMS and the NRA reach similar audiences and that he expects a lot of tickets will be bought by NRA members and people who support the group's position.

"Obviously we know the NRA well and I can tell you from just looking at the demographics, I can tell you from the social media that I've been sitting here monitoring since that announcement was made, it's probably 99 percent supportive. Some wildly supportive," he said. "The public, it doesn't seem to be they're going to have any issue with it, and I'm not sure why anybody would think they would.

"Like I said, know your demographic and we pride ourselves on being good at what we do," he said. "So we know what we're doing and who we're partnering with."
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
http://home.web.cern.ch/about/updates/2013/03/new-results-indicate-new-particle-higgs-boson
“The preliminary results with the full 2012 data set are magnificent and to me it is clear that we are dealing with a Higgs boson though we still have a long way to go to know what kind of Higgs boson it is,” says CMS spokesperson Joe Incandela.
The first true fruits of the Large Hadron Collider have been borne, but it'll be some time before it is studied to the point where the data will make any sense to laymans (like me), I think. Still, it seems like mission accomplished! :ubik:

A video on the findings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaRHSRrgphg
 

Vampire_Hunter_Bob

Cats are great
Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart, has just passed away. A great writer of Literature who will most certainly be missed.
http://www.avclub.com/articles/rip-chinua-achebe-author-of-things-fall-apart,94176/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=standard-post:headline:default

Born in Nigeria, Achebe began writing as a college student, inspired partly by his sense of the woeful inadequacy of Western authors’ depictions of Africans and African life. He was still in his twenties when, writing in English, he completed Things Fall Apart and began submitting it to London publishers, many of whom rejected it out of hand, based of the assumption there was no market for sophisticated fiction from what was still called “the dark continent.”
...
Achebe, who used the success of his writing career to travel widely through Africa, took the whole continent as his canvas, but his strongest work also has a human dimension to it that makes it accessible and affecting to readers worldwide. John Updike wrote that Achebe’s true recurring subject was “baffled and broken African fathers.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Roger Ebert is dead at 70 after a battle with cancer.

http://www.suntimes.com/17320958-761/roger-ebert-dies-at-70-after-battle-with-cancer.html

I respected his reviews, even if I didn't always agree with them.
 
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