[ 
Mood: Happy ]
Though not listed on the DC website, Amazon is offering Showcase Presents Ambush Bug Vol. 1 for a March 10, 2009 release.
Although the entry doesn’t list the exact contents, the book will apparently be some 488 pp. 488 pp of Ambush Bug all between two covers! I can’t wait.
Cheeks, hang on! We’re comin’, buddy! We’ll be there soon!
GADZOOKS! was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon
The PC Pro Blog ruminates about the world’s smallest functional computer, The Space Cube, that measures around two inches square:
| Quote: |
| There’s a surprisingly capable CPU packed away in the tiny chassis with a top clock speed of 300MHz. It’s arrived with us clocked at a slightly more modest 200MHz,but a simple jumper built in to the case enable the processor to be clocked up to either 250MHz or the full 300MHz that it’s capable of.
It’s fair to say that the Space Cube isn’t overloaded with storage space, either. Sixteen megabytes of flash memory is included on-board, and the OS – a version of Red Hat, the popular Linux operating system – runs off a 1GB CompactFlash card that slots into the side of the Space Cube. There’s also 64MB of DDR SDRAM that, admittedly, doesn’t even match up to the lowliest of netbooks – let alone a desktop PC. |
Sweet…
| Quote: |
| Most intriguing, though, is the Space Wire port. It may sound like a mere science fiction fantasy, but this incredibly thin socket is a crucial part of the Space Cube’s armoury. That’s because it’s a type of proprietary interface use by the ESA, NASA and JAXA when the Cube actually goes into space. It’s useful for connecting various sensors and processing units to the Space Cube, as well as the complicated-sounding Downlink Telementary Sub-Systems, which sounds like something more akin to Battlestar Galactica or Star Wars than anything used in real life. It turns out that Space Wire is also used as a common interface for linking together modules and electronics that are often designed in different institutions. |
Wonder if it comes with tiny Borg?
The Space Cube Arrives was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon
| Quote: |
|
Cher ‘to play Catwoman’ in next Batman film
The 62-year-old singer and actress is reported to be in talks to play Catwoman opposite Christian Bale in the third Batman film from British director Christopher Nolan. |
We’ve gone from Lee Meriwether, Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Halle Berry to Cher?!?!?
The article goes on to claim:
| Quote: |
| A studio executive said: “Cher is Nolan’s first choice to play Catwoman. He wants to her to portray her like a vamp in her twilight years.
"The new Catwoman will be the absolute opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry’s purring creations.” |
This is absurd!
The piece further claims that Johnny Depp as been cast as The Riddler.
This is the first I’ve seen or heard of either of these rumors. Let’s hope at least the Cher one is false.
Hopefully the most absurd rumor ever! was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon
[ 
Mood: Cool ]
Magdalena Yoder runs a B&B in Pennsylvania. Being of Mennonite descent, she has decided to name her B&B PennDutch Inn. She offers an "Amish Lifestyle Package" for her guests where they can clean their own rooms.
Into this world comes a weekend full of guests for hunting season. A senator, his wife and staff, a group of anti-hunting activists and a journalist. Add to that Magdalena’s divorced and vain sister, and the elderly Amish cousins who help run the Inn and you have a rich cast of characters.
It is really too bad that author Tamar Myers doesn’t use them better. Magdalena is bitter, jealous and judgemental of all around her. This makes her a completely unsympathetic main character, which in turn makes it difficult for the reader to get invested in the book. So I found this book to be a little on the meh side. I will give the next one a chance, but if it falls flat, to the curb this series goes.
Like many of the culinary mysteries out there are recipes in the book so you can cook what the characters eat. Your choice to include the arsenic or not.
Apparently, the Apple TV runs inordinately hot, reaching 44° C (111° F). There is no off switch for the device and the only only way to power down is to unplug it.
I see that as a big, wasteful, and potentially hazardous flaw.
(The Roku Netflix Player doesn’t have an power switch either but it doesn’t run hot.)
Things you discover while researching an article was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon
She already gets into far too much trouble with the Home Shopping Network.
| Quote: |
| 29% of Internet Users have Purchased from Spam, According to New Research from Marshal
London, 19 August, 2008 – 29 percent of internet users have purchased goods from spam emails, according to new research by Internet security company Marshal. The most commonly purchased items include sexual enhancement pills, software, adult material and luxury items such as watches, jewellery and clothing. |
Why My Mother-in-law Cannot Have Email was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon
[ 
Mood: Distorted ]
So Thursday night saw me join my City of Heroes Supergroup, the Strippers of Paragon City for a little smashing of bad guys. But there was a problem. I didn’t recognize many of the other characters’ names. Something had happened.
NC Soft had cracked down on the Srippers as being innappropriate.
But why? We have been around for two years and are a little infamous on the Justice server. Heck, our photo was on the front page of this website.
Near as anyone can figure out it stems from the last SG night. The Strippers sponsored a costume contest in honour of our second anniversary as an SG. We think a disgruntled loser complained. Or maybe the broadcast of the contest offend someone.
Whatever happened, justice was swift. The group’s name was gone. Any of the supergroup characters that were present during the costume contest had their names taken away. They also lost all their costumes. There was no warnng. There was no appeal. The message was labled "final notice".
And here I was upset that I missed the costume contest.
Strippers was started as a parody of the physical representation of women in the comic genre (and in the game). Our tongues are firmly planted in our cheeks. The SG has at least two, if not more, women with strong feminist leanings. Yet NCSoft did not ask about this. They did not even want to talk.
Now I know this is NCSoft’s world and they set the rules, but their reaction was a little harsh for me. The costumes are made from pieces that the developpers make available. (There is a mini-skirt with holes cut out of the back and front.) The body types are also at the developpers command. Why freak out if you make this stuff possible?
The message I got is clear.
You can look like a skank, but don’t draw attention to yourself.
Paragon City got a little darker that night.
This comes from ICv2:
| Quote: |
| The World Science Fiction Society, which sponsors the Hugo Awards (and the annual World Science Fiction Convention), has added a category for Best Graphic Story to the awards. “Any science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form appearing for the first time in the previous calendar year” will be eligible. |
SWEET! It’s about time.
Hugo Award for Graphic Novels was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon
[ Mood: Happy ]
Barak Obama is a political superstar and friend of Oprah. He is also a published author. The Audacity of Hope is his second book.
The book is divided into two parts. Part one includes an overview of the American political landscape and a the US Constitution. Part two lays out Barak’s political philosophy.
I found the book fascinating and quite a good read. I know there are many who find Barak an oportunist and two faced, but I found that Obama was trying to walk a very thin line. He was trying to explain his beliefs but understand why the other side feels the way they do. In essence, he is attempting to widen the tent, arguing for a return to the time of bipartisan co-operation, when things actually got done in Washington. This is in contrast to what happens now, where the sides pick positions and do not play well together.
There is a tendancy to portray Barak as a messianic saviour, or as the radical rightwing loonies believe, the antichrist. I think this comes from the fact that he is preaching hope, unlike the overtly negative campaigns of the past. The Premiere of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty did that up here, and defeated a right wing, conservative government hands down. People, especially Generations X and Digital, are tired of the idiological nastiness. They want hope, that they can change the world, that we can get along, that we can have a better life.
Esentially, this is what Barak is selling. You can debate his sincerity, as you can debate the sincerity of any politician, but you can not deny the appeal of the message to a battle weary public.
I would encourage you to read this book. It is good to know what a man thinks.
On Thursday night, I am moderating this panel for the Writers’ League of Texas:
Beyond the Strip: Inside the World of Comics, Manga, & Graphic Novels
One of the hottest areas in publishing is comics, graphic novels, and manga. Paul Benjamin heads up a panel of writers and artists in the field to offer an insider’s look at the popular art form and the creative process. Panelists include Scott Kolins, Alan Porter, Tony Salvaggio, and Matt Sturges, and “Geeks With Books” columnist Rick Klaw will moderate.
August 21, 2008 7:30PM
Spiderhouse
2908 Fruth, Austin, TX
Hope to see everyone in the Austin area there!
Beyond the Strip: Inside the World of Comics was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon