Monday, February 25, 2008
"No Country for Old Men" Wins Big at Oscars.
The 80th annual academy awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, took place last night in Hollywood (where else?). The top prize, Best Picture, went to the crime flick No Country for Old Men. Directorial brothers Joel and Ethan Coen won best director honors for the film.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Indiana Men's Basketball Coach Kelvin Sampson Resigns
He never even finished his second season as Indiana University's men's basketball coach, but amid scandal Kelvin Sampson has resigned as head coach. Kelvin and the university were under NCAA investigations into Sampsons' alleged violations of his NCAA imposed probation stemming from text and phone call violations while he was Oklahoma's men's basketball coach. The (Indiana) university was also conducting its own investigation into Coach Sampson's alleged violations. His resignation is effective immediately and will be given $750M from Indiana in return and will not be able to sue the university. Assistant Coach Dan Dakich is interim head coach.
The Indiana Hoosiers were 22-4 overall this season with an 11-2 record in Big Ten play and were tied for first place in the league
The Indiana Hoosiers were 22-4 overall this season with an 11-2 record in Big Ten play and were tied for first place in the league
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Fox News' Bill O'Reilly Makes a Vile Remark on his Radio Show about Michelle Obama.
Listen at the 30-second mark.
EDITOR'S NOTE: These remarks from Bill O'Reilly are nothing short of disturbing, sick, and racist. He should apologize and be suspended or even terminated. This is unacceptable and unprofessional.
EDITOR'S NOTE: These remarks from Bill O'Reilly are nothing short of disturbing, sick, and racist. He should apologize and be suspended or even terminated. This is unacceptable and unprofessional.
New York Times: Senator McCain (R-AZ) had Relationship with Lobbyist.
With the republican presidential nomination unofficially clinched, Arizona Senator John McCain has now found himself in the middle of a scandal. According to the New York Times, John McCain had an improper, romantic relationship with a lobbyist during his presidential run in 2000. Both the senator and the lobbyist are denying any romantic encounter. Senator McCain and his wife have criticised the newspaper for the story and are calling it "gutter politics". The New York Times has endorsed Senator McCain for the republican president nomination.
Fidel Castro, after 49 Years of Rule, Steps Down as President of Cuba.
I know this is a couple of days old. I had other, more essential tasks to do and thus did not have the time to post this.
Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba for nearly half a century, has stepped down as president. He has been in control of Cuba since the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1959. Cuba is one of the last solid communist nations in the world. His older brother, Raul Castro, is supposedly gonig to replace Fidel as leader of Cuba.
Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba for nearly half a century, has stepped down as president. He has been in control of Cuba since the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1959. Cuba is one of the last solid communist nations in the world. His older brother, Raul Castro, is supposedly gonig to replace Fidel as leader of Cuba.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Jack Thompson Threatens NIU with Lawsuit.
Source: GamePolitics
Anti-game activist Jack Thompson has threatened the investigators of the Northern Illinois University shootings if they do not go into the killer's video game playing. He is citing the Illinois Freedom of Information Act as his reason.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This act by Mr. Thompson is dispicible, low, and vile. He is in no position to demand anything from the investigatiors, whether he is legally allowed to or not.
Anti-game activist Jack Thompson has threatened the investigators of the Northern Illinois University shootings if they do not go into the killer's video game playing. He is citing the Illinois Freedom of Information Act as his reason.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This act by Mr. Thompson is dispicible, low, and vile. He is in no position to demand anything from the investigatiors, whether he is legally allowed to or not.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Commentary on Jack Thompson Faulting Games on the Northern Illinois University Killings.
There are some things in life we can never predict. We can never predict where we may live or what job we have ten years from now. We may never be able to predict who we marry. We may never be able to predict what kind of children we have and how they turn out, whether they may turn out to be criminals or the president of the United States. Sadly, we may never be able to predict when someone goes on a rampage at a college campus and killing unfortunate victims. This is what happened at the Northern Illinois University yesterday. A gunman, who was an honors graduate of the university, went on a rampage killing five students before turning the gun on himself and commiting suicide. It was yet another shooting on a school campus. This nation has had too many of these campus shootings over the years...and by too many, I mean not one campus shooting should ever have happened. Sadly, we can never predict with complete accuracy when these shootings occur. These, unfortunately, are spontaneous. No one ever knows for sure when these sick acts of violence unfold.
However, we can predict with great accuracy this one sad fact. Whenever shootings occur, when gunfire rings out across a school or college campus, there will be those who capitalize on these kinds of tragedies. One of the most infamous and notorious of these massacre chasers is an attorney from Miami named John Bruce Thompson, better known to gamers as Jack Thompson. He has once again in an interview on Fox News faulted video games for the massacre that ended the lives of five innocent victims. He has, for the second time in less than a year, blamed video games for a shooting before any facts about the shooter were revealed. The shooter, according to local police, was a 27-year old honors graduate of NIU with an unknown mental condition. He, according to police, was not taking his medicine and began to act erratically recently.
I can not say for certain that the shooter's condition led to the massacre, but the fact that the shooter had some sort of mental condition along with the fact that he was off his medication should eliminate any possibility that video games were a cause of the shooting.
I am sickened, but not suprised, that Mr. Thompson would capitalize on a serious and sad massacre to push his agenda. He has taken yet another tragedy and, instead of waiting for all of the facts about the shooter to be known, he tried to fault something that has nothing to do with the tragedy. The shooter was suffering from an apparent mental condition. He was off of his medication. Does this not tell Thompson and anyone else who blames the games for these tragedies that the mental health of the killer is the real red flag for this tragedy? I would think that instead of faulting video games, any other kind of entertainment, or popular culture as a whole, we would look at what went wrong with the killer, especially if the killer was an honors graduate.
Silly me. When it comes to those who ignore the factors that are usually the cause of these campus shootings, they choose to go after entertainment, especially video games. These are the kinds of people that are wrapped up in their own ideology of a society that shuns free thought, free speech, freedom to think however the hell we want to think and to think whatever the hell we want to think. When people like Jack Thompson blame video games for campus shootings, they have an agenda. Their agenda is to stifle the content in video games and even an attempt to ban video games altogether. We have seen this again and again. They do not care if they are proven wrong. When an investigation panel, assinged by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D), found out that Virginia Tech shooter Seung Hui Cho did not play violent video games, Jack Thompson still claimed violent games were the cause of the April 2007 tragedy. Lyndon LaRouch accused the panel of a cover-up. To them video games are the cause of campus shootings. Do not try to convince them otherwise. They will not listen their critics and may stoop to McCarthyistic levels in their response to their critics.
I understand that we want to prevent campus shootings.These are tragedies that should never happen. We all want to know exactly how to prevent these sick and terrifying acts of violence and murder. However, when we have those who look for a scapegoat that had nothing to do with the massacre and stick with that scapegoat even when proven wrong and accuse their critics of being "on the take", we do not move forward in the steps needed to prevent further massacres. Cho was not found to be playing violent video games. Despite that finding by the Virginia Tech panel, Thompson and LaRouch still accuse video games for the shootings that took place ten months ago. Does this not sound dangerous? We are trying to find out how to prevent campus shootings and we have those who bring up something that was not a factor in the shooting. By the way, if the "theories" of Mr. Thompson and other anti-game activists were true, then why aren't campus killings widespread? Why don't we have campus shootings taking place at all of our nation's schools, colleges, and universities? More than half of this nations' people are gamers like myself. We need to make all campuses safer and blaming things that are repeatedly found not to have been a factor in these shootings does not help.
Why do you do this Mr. Thompson? Why do you ignore the mental health of the killer and instead bring up the "video games made him do it" card, thus capitalizing on a serious tragedy in which five innocent people are dead just to push your agenda and to make yourself a bigger media whore? You may sugarcoat it as protecting the public or acting in the name of God, but gamers, including myself that you put down, humiliate, insult, and defame have followed you throughout your so-called crusade and we know better than that. While you are out on your "media tour", why don't you stop by Chris Matthews' show instead of a channel that is known to sensationalize these acts of violence? And speaking of Fox News, did you, Fox News, not learn anything from Jack's lies? Did you not learn ANYTHING from the recent "Mass Effect" controversy? I look forward to the day when both of you, Fox News and Jack Thompson, learn from your past distortions. I am not holding my breah though. One more thing to Fox News: Why do you name Jack Thompson a "campus shooting expert"? He is an expert in something. That something is being a massacre chaser and if he is a "campus shooting expert", then I am an expert...in quantum physics.
I once heard this quote: "Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it". I don't know who said that or when, but when Jack Thompson and other anti-game activists capitalize on the killings at the Northern Illinois University, I can't help but to think of that quote. They have done this before and have been proven wrong. They did not learn from the past. They are doomed to repeat it. They will be doomed to repeat it again until they learn from the past. I hope that happens someday...but I am not holding my breath.
Good night, and good luck.
However, we can predict with great accuracy this one sad fact. Whenever shootings occur, when gunfire rings out across a school or college campus, there will be those who capitalize on these kinds of tragedies. One of the most infamous and notorious of these massacre chasers is an attorney from Miami named John Bruce Thompson, better known to gamers as Jack Thompson. He has once again in an interview on Fox News faulted video games for the massacre that ended the lives of five innocent victims. He has, for the second time in less than a year, blamed video games for a shooting before any facts about the shooter were revealed. The shooter, according to local police, was a 27-year old honors graduate of NIU with an unknown mental condition. He, according to police, was not taking his medicine and began to act erratically recently.
I can not say for certain that the shooter's condition led to the massacre, but the fact that the shooter had some sort of mental condition along with the fact that he was off his medication should eliminate any possibility that video games were a cause of the shooting.
I am sickened, but not suprised, that Mr. Thompson would capitalize on a serious and sad massacre to push his agenda. He has taken yet another tragedy and, instead of waiting for all of the facts about the shooter to be known, he tried to fault something that has nothing to do with the tragedy. The shooter was suffering from an apparent mental condition. He was off of his medication. Does this not tell Thompson and anyone else who blames the games for these tragedies that the mental health of the killer is the real red flag for this tragedy? I would think that instead of faulting video games, any other kind of entertainment, or popular culture as a whole, we would look at what went wrong with the killer, especially if the killer was an honors graduate.
Silly me. When it comes to those who ignore the factors that are usually the cause of these campus shootings, they choose to go after entertainment, especially video games. These are the kinds of people that are wrapped up in their own ideology of a society that shuns free thought, free speech, freedom to think however the hell we want to think and to think whatever the hell we want to think. When people like Jack Thompson blame video games for campus shootings, they have an agenda. Their agenda is to stifle the content in video games and even an attempt to ban video games altogether. We have seen this again and again. They do not care if they are proven wrong. When an investigation panel, assinged by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D), found out that Virginia Tech shooter Seung Hui Cho did not play violent video games, Jack Thompson still claimed violent games were the cause of the April 2007 tragedy. Lyndon LaRouch accused the panel of a cover-up. To them video games are the cause of campus shootings. Do not try to convince them otherwise. They will not listen their critics and may stoop to McCarthyistic levels in their response to their critics.
I understand that we want to prevent campus shootings.These are tragedies that should never happen. We all want to know exactly how to prevent these sick and terrifying acts of violence and murder. However, when we have those who look for a scapegoat that had nothing to do with the massacre and stick with that scapegoat even when proven wrong and accuse their critics of being "on the take", we do not move forward in the steps needed to prevent further massacres. Cho was not found to be playing violent video games. Despite that finding by the Virginia Tech panel, Thompson and LaRouch still accuse video games for the shootings that took place ten months ago. Does this not sound dangerous? We are trying to find out how to prevent campus shootings and we have those who bring up something that was not a factor in the shooting. By the way, if the "theories" of Mr. Thompson and other anti-game activists were true, then why aren't campus killings widespread? Why don't we have campus shootings taking place at all of our nation's schools, colleges, and universities? More than half of this nations' people are gamers like myself. We need to make all campuses safer and blaming things that are repeatedly found not to have been a factor in these shootings does not help.
Why do you do this Mr. Thompson? Why do you ignore the mental health of the killer and instead bring up the "video games made him do it" card, thus capitalizing on a serious tragedy in which five innocent people are dead just to push your agenda and to make yourself a bigger media whore? You may sugarcoat it as protecting the public or acting in the name of God, but gamers, including myself that you put down, humiliate, insult, and defame have followed you throughout your so-called crusade and we know better than that. While you are out on your "media tour", why don't you stop by Chris Matthews' show instead of a channel that is known to sensationalize these acts of violence? And speaking of Fox News, did you, Fox News, not learn anything from Jack's lies? Did you not learn ANYTHING from the recent "Mass Effect" controversy? I look forward to the day when both of you, Fox News and Jack Thompson, learn from your past distortions. I am not holding my breah though. One more thing to Fox News: Why do you name Jack Thompson a "campus shooting expert"? He is an expert in something. That something is being a massacre chaser and if he is a "campus shooting expert", then I am an expert...in quantum physics.
I once heard this quote: "Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it". I don't know who said that or when, but when Jack Thompson and other anti-game activists capitalize on the killings at the Northern Illinois University, I can't help but to think of that quote. They have done this before and have been proven wrong. They did not learn from the past. They are doomed to repeat it. They will be doomed to repeat it again until they learn from the past. I hope that happens someday...but I am not holding my breath.
Good night, and good luck.
Jack Thompson Faults Video Games in Northern Illinois Shootings (as usual) in an Interview on (where else?) Fox News.
Watch this.
He said this before an investigation was finished. He actually said this before the press conference was underway. Jack Thompson, in my opinion, is nothing more than a massacre chaser. Also, Fixed News did not learn anything from Jack's lies about a video game connection with the Virginia Tech massacre and their own debacle with "Mass Effect". This was a student, who according to police, was off his medication for a condition. Not to mention the shooter was 27 years old.
Does Jack Thompson and Fox News not have any shame...at all?
He said this before an investigation was finished. He actually said this before the press conference was underway. Jack Thompson, in my opinion, is nothing more than a massacre chaser. Also, Fixed News did not learn anything from Jack's lies about a video game connection with the Virginia Tech massacre and their own debacle with "Mass Effect". This was a student, who according to police, was off his medication for a condition. Not to mention the shooter was 27 years old.
Does Jack Thompson and Fox News not have any shame...at all?
Gunman Kills Six, Including Himself, in Rampage at Northern Illinois University.
Source: AP/MSNBC
Yet another campus shooting occurred yesterday at the Northern Illinois University. The gunman was Stephen Kazmierczak, a 27-year old honors graduate of NIU. He opened fire at Cole Hall , eventually killing five students and then took his own life. A motive is not confirmed, but local law enforcement is saying that Kazmierczak was not taking his medication for a condition and was acting erratically recently.
My heart, thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to the injured and to the freinds and families of those who died.
Yet another campus shooting occurred yesterday at the Northern Illinois University. The gunman was Stephen Kazmierczak, a 27-year old honors graduate of NIU. He opened fire at Cole Hall , eventually killing five students and then took his own life. A motive is not confirmed, but local law enforcement is saying that Kazmierczak was not taking his medication for a condition and was acting erratically recently.
My heart, thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to the injured and to the freinds and families of those who died.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Barry Bonds Failed Steroid Test in 2001 According to Feds.
Barry Bonds, the all-time home run leader, is one of many baseball players who are suspected of steroid use. The accusations now may be a reality. According to federal agents, the former San Fransisco Giants slugger failed a steroid test in 2001, the same year in which he broke the single-season home-run record, which was broken three years prior by Mark McGuire.
UPDATE: The date on which Bonds' failed the drug test was a typo. Barry Bonds did fail a steroids test in November of 2000, not 2001. Nevertheless, a failed steroid test is not good news for Barry Bonds period.
UPDATE: The date on which Bonds' failed the drug test was a typo. Barry Bonds did fail a steroids test in November of 2000, not 2001. Nevertheless, a failed steroid test is not good news for Barry Bonds period.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The Writers' Strike Comes to an End.
The hollywood writers' strike, which began in November of last year, is now at an official end. The strike, which halted production on television shows and movies, was the result of a dispute over profits for the writers of the shows and movies that can be dowloaded on the internet. The writers demanded a share of the profits from the shows and films, but the producers would not budge. The strike, which resulted, is now settled with the writers getting what they demanded.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Call Letters the FCC Will Not Issue
This is for comedic purposes:
The Call Letters, which are three or four letters assinged to a radio or TV station that begin with a W east of the Mississippi River or a K west of the Mississippi, are from the Federal Communications Commission. These letters are determined based on location, such as KLRT (Fox's Little Rock affiliate), which could stand for Little Rock Television. They could be based on their origin, such as WNDU (NBC's South Bend, Indiana affiliate), which stands for Notre Dame University.where they got their start. However, There are certain call letters that the FCC will not issue.
HERE ARE THE CALL LETTERS THE FCC WILL NOT ISSUE
KWTF* / WWTF / WTF
KBS / WBS
KUNT*
KGTA / WGTA
KCOK / WCOK
KPEE / WPEE
KFOS / WFOS
KPOS / WPOS
KXXX / WXXX
KKK / WKKK
WWWF / KWWF / WWF
WWWE / WWE / KWWE
*These call letters were actually used, but were later chamged.
The Call Letters, which are three or four letters assinged to a radio or TV station that begin with a W east of the Mississippi River or a K west of the Mississippi, are from the Federal Communications Commission. These letters are determined based on location, such as KLRT (Fox's Little Rock affiliate), which could stand for Little Rock Television. They could be based on their origin, such as WNDU (NBC's South Bend, Indiana affiliate), which stands for Notre Dame University.where they got their start. However, There are certain call letters that the FCC will not issue.
HERE ARE THE CALL LETTERS THE FCC WILL NOT ISSUE
KWTF* / WWTF / WTF
KBS / WBS
KUNT*
KGTA / WGTA
KCOK / WCOK
KPEE / WPEE
KFOS / WFOS
KPOS / WPOS
KXXX / WXXX
KKK / WKKK
WWWF / KWWF / WWF
WWWE / WWE / KWWE
*These call letters were actually used, but were later chamged.
Fox News Calls Republican Arizona Senator and Presidential Candidate John McCain a Democrat.
Source: Fox Attacks
When a republican politician questions the policies of this administration or is being investigated for pedophilia, Fox News will more than likely label them a democrat. This happened when disgraced REPUBLICAN Florida congressman Mark Foley was investigated in the Congressional Page scandal. Fox did it again when REPUBLICAN senator Arlen Specter from Pennsylvainia questioned the testimony of former US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during the lawyer firing scandal. Fox News did it again with REPUBLICAN senator John McCain. McCain, who objects to an immediate end of the Iraq War, something that Senators Obama (D-IL) and Clinton (D-NY) want to do, objected to the use of torture to get information from captured terrorists and backed the immigrant amnesty bill. He was labeled a Democrat by Fox News. This is the third time this (joke of a) news channel. Does this tell you that Fox News is neither fair nor balanced?
When a republican politician questions the policies of this administration or is being investigated for pedophilia, Fox News will more than likely label them a democrat. This happened when disgraced REPUBLICAN Florida congressman Mark Foley was investigated in the Congressional Page scandal. Fox did it again when REPUBLICAN senator Arlen Specter from Pennsylvainia questioned the testimony of former US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during the lawyer firing scandal. Fox News did it again with REPUBLICAN senator John McCain. McCain, who objects to an immediate end of the Iraq War, something that Senators Obama (D-IL) and Clinton (D-NY) want to do, objected to the use of torture to get information from captured terrorists and backed the immigrant amnesty bill. He was labeled a Democrat by Fox News. This is the third time this (joke of a) news channel. Does this tell you that Fox News is neither fair nor balanced?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Mitt Romney (R) to Suspend Presidential Run.
Mitt Romney has suspended his presidential campaign according to NBC News. He won seven states during his run and was a close second place to Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in the number of delegates. John McCain is the presumed front-runner, but has to stay ahead of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) and congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) to get the party nomination.
Bobby Knight Resigns from Texas Tech.
A shocking announcement was made late Monday evening when Bobby Knight, Texas Tech's mens basketball coach, resigned. He was the coach of the Red Raiders for six seasons and compiled a winning record as coach. If this is his retirement, Knight leaves a prolific and controversial career. He won three national championships at Indiana University, including an undefeated season in 1976. He was also noted for his outbursts, including tossing a chair in a game against Purdue in 1985. However, Bobby Knight will be more known for his accomplishments than his infamous eruptions.
Monday, February 4, 2008
New York Giants Win Super Bowl XLII.
With Eli Manning's arm and the front seven of the Giants defense led by Michael Strahan, the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots magical season with the score of 17-14. The winning score came with less than a minute left in the game when Giants QB Eli Manning threw a touchdown pass to WR Plaxico Burress. Eli Manning was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLII.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
The Outlet Picks New England Patriots in Tonight's Super Bowl XLII.
The biggest night in not just football, but in all of sports and American Culture is here. The NFC champion New York Giants take on the AFC champion New England Patriots in tonight's Super Bowl. The Giants are coming off of an incredible run in the playoffs, pulling off two forth-quarter comebacks led by Giants quarterback Eli Manning. The Patriots are coming in tonight with a perfect 18-0 record and looking to finish it off.
The Outlet picks New England to win tonight and finish off a perfect season.
Go Patriots!
The Outlet picks New England to win tonight and finish off a perfect season.
Go Patriots!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Website of the Week: Video Game Director's Cuts.
First off, I apologize for a lack of a WOTW last week. I was hammered down with school work. With that out of the way...
A fun thing to do in flash is taking sprites and making hilarious and vulgar short movies out of them. No one does it better than Randy Solem, founder and manager of The Outlet's Website of the Week, Video Game Director's Cuts. This wesite features 40+ sprite-based spoofs on classic video game series and other movies sent in by fans. These flash movies, especially the Mario movies, are funny as hell. Check it out.
Website of the Week: videogamedc.com
First off, it should be noted that these flash movies ARE NOT ACTUALLY DIRECTOR'S CUTS. The site's name is a spoof on his own films. Also, Randy Solem makes some, if not most, of the funnies flash movies ever. He is the Monty Python of sprite-based flash movies.
A fun thing to do in flash is taking sprites and making hilarious and vulgar short movies out of them. No one does it better than Randy Solem, founder and manager of The Outlet's Website of the Week, Video Game Director's Cuts. This wesite features 40+ sprite-based spoofs on classic video game series and other movies sent in by fans. These flash movies, especially the Mario movies, are funny as hell. Check it out.
Website of the Week: videogamedc.com
First off, it should be noted that these flash movies ARE NOT ACTUALLY DIRECTOR'S CUTS. The site's name is a spoof on his own films. Also, Randy Solem makes some, if not most, of the funnies flash movies ever. He is the Monty Python of sprite-based flash movies.
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