by GothNinja | Jun 29, 2010 | Media, Politics
My commute too and from the office is currently being sound-tracked by podcasts of geek based American radio shows. And I will say for the record that on the whole I am really enjoying them, they are very informative and entertaining. I just feel I have to mention the absurdity of this mornings podcast.
Basically the presenter was discussing a news story of the time (The podcast was a couple of weeks old). The story in question was :-
Veteran White House journalist Helen Thomas has quit her job after she was captured on video saying Israelis should “get the hell out of Palestine” and suggesting they go “home” to Germany, Poland or the United States.
Now the podcast presenter was defending her, saying she was correct, and in response to one comment of “What would the outcry be if she had said that all the blacks should get out of America and go back to Africa” he made a big point of explaining that was different, and that the problem was the Israelis had gone to the country populated by another people and forcibly taken over that country. And that was what was wrong with the whole thing.
There followed a tirade on how occupying some other people country forcibly was very wrong. And all I could think of was. “But you are an American??? you are a people made up from the peoples of lots of other countries, who went to a country already populated by a native race, and forcibly took over that country, locking away the natives in small reserves.” So basically everything bad he was saying about Israel was things America were guilty off. I was wondering if he thought that the Americans should leave and return to the countries they were originally from?
It amused me, so I thought I would Share….
GGN
by GothNinja | Jun 28, 2010 | Entertainment, RockTheLAN, TV Shows
This Article was 1st posted @ rocktheLAN.com on Mon, 2010-06-28 13:31
The release date for the fourth season of “The Guild” has been announced as July 13th.
Now it is possible that this means nothing to you, Maybe you have never heard of the Guild, Or heard just bad things about it, or just that you saw the logo in this post and thought. “Nope. Not for me!“. Well Read on dear Reader, allow me the chance to change your mind!
The Guild is a Comedy Web Series, written by Felicia Day (Yes her from Doctor Horrible). Its a series about a group of Gamers who play WoW as a guild. And get themselves info some very odd situations. The best part is its broadcast on Xbox-Live, Zune, MSN, etc before being released on youtube and its own website http://www.watchtheguild.com/.
So put simply it is a Free web comedy you can watch on your xbox, and its about a group of geeky gamers and the problems that can cause in the real world. What’s not to like? Season 3 even had the Internets Wil Wheaton playing a evil character (Is anyone else spotting the tendency to put him as the badguy? it’s like he’s an English actor :o))
I will admit to having heard a few reasons not to watch the show, and I will address them here.
Reason: “I don’t play WoW, So I won’t get it!”
Answer: I have never played WoW either and I still enjoy the show. You don not have to be a WoW player to “get it”. Any internet gamer who plays multiplayer games should find themselves recognising situations and people, wether your an WoW Guild, A FPS clan, or whatever. Its more about Gamers and less WoW specific.
Reason: “Its got that red head from Buffy in it. I hate Buffy”
Answer: Seriously ? You refuse to watch a very funny show because you did not like Buffy? Madness, Yes Felicia Day had a part in the final season of Buffy, but why hold that against her. She’s an intelligent woman (she writes the guild shows, the comics, etc), She is a real life gamer, and if i dare to be sexist a nice bit of eye candy!.
Reason: “I don’t really have the time”
Answer: WTF? the episodes are like 10 minutes long if that. you can watch a whole season in under two hours. You can make time for that. And all the back episodes are online for you RIGHT NOW!
Now that we have dealt with the negative people out there, I suggest everyone else go to http://www.watchtheguild.com/the-guild/auto-tune-the-guild/* and go watch the Season 3 recap.
And on a final note we here at Rock The LAN Three-Ninjas would like to wish Felicia Day a Happy Birthday for today.
GGN
*: Note Auto Tune the Guild Link is No longer working.
by GothNinja | Jun 18, 2010 | TV Shows
The IT Crowd Season 4 Pre
mier airs next Friday, and the nice guys at Channel 4 have put up the 1st episode a week early as a treat for us. Unfortunately its only available for people in the UK. (Or anyone in the US with access to a UK IP/VPN/Proxy) So here’s a mostly spoiler free review.
The official episode writeup is as follows:
“Jen wants to stretch herself in the workplace so applies for the post of Entertainment Manager. But when she finds out that amusing her boss Douglas’ business connections has its darker side, she has to turn to Moss and Roy for help.”
The IT Crowd kicks off its new season with a classic episode, Roy is devastated after his long term girlfriend leaves him without even saying goodbye, Moss is busy creating the soundtrack to a D&D evening, and Jen wants a new challenge as company Entertainment Manager. Everyone keeps telling her that she is not suited for the job, but she is convinced otherwise. After all, how hard can it be to just take visiting businessmen to the odd show or cultural events?
At this point you know its going to go wrong, especially as people keep hinting the old entertainment manager was basically a pimp. And when she is asked to “entertain” three businessmen who are expecting a week of drinking, wenching, and down right debauchery.
quote: “You took us to something called the vagina monologue, and its just women talking, its false advertising.”
At the same time Douglasis trying to give back his “Shit head of the year” award, he won after a lovely interview with a womans magazine where he described women as beingessentially no different to radiators . along with other sexist views.
quote: “I like my women like I like my toast, Hot and consumable with butter”
I am going to leave it here so I do not give away the ending, or any of the other bits. I will say, this was a very funny episode, and the cast were on fine form. And if the rest of the season is as good as the 1st episode we are in for a good one. so to the writers & actors I say “Eiffel Tower“
I’ll leave you with the wise words of advice. “Have you tried turning it off and on again?“
by GothNinja | Jun 15, 2010 | Goth, Friends
I was talking to a friend recently, and for some reason I can not recall the conversation drifted to pulling, Helping friends pull, and things you can do. It was one of them weird conversations that just seem to jump from tangent to tangent with not visible pattern.
During this part of the conversation I pointed out that I’d never been any good at being a WingMan. In my mind, I see great ways to help the guy get the person he wants, there’s just some cosmic force that always takes my great plans and twists them slightly so they are doomed to fail. To prove my point I gave the following story as an example, and I’ve decided to share it with you dear reader.
I leaned against the wall enjoying the loud music that was blasting out from the several walls of speakers set about the room. I had a cold beer in my hand, and there was nothing I needed to be doing for a while, so I could take a minute to just enjoy the moment and the beer. An elbow banging into my side interrupted my contemplation of the girl dancing in front of me. “WOW!” a voice said in time with the elbow. I looked at the guy standing next to me as he pointed across the dance floor to a rather cute goth girl dancing on her own on the opposite side to us. “WOW!” he said again, “Have you ever seen someone so awesome?”
I should really set the scene. It helps with the general idea of what happened, and how it all came about if I explain a few things first. I also think that the possibly high alcohol content in my blood may help my defence. “Well it can’t hurt right?”
University exam season had just finished, and some friends of mine from Aberystwyth Uni were throwing a “end of exams, plus Triple Birthday Party!” Party. My last exam had been early that morning, and I’d shot straight from the exam down to Aberystwyth to help set up the room ready for the party. We had got the use of a pub’s basement area for the night, It was a large room, with a dance floor, seating area, and chill out area. It was perfect for a student party.
I’d had a couple of cold beers with the DJ, as we set up his equipment, the speakers, and tested it all out. Its thirsty work you know, lugging about all that equipment, running out cables, getting it all set up just right. My main role of the evening was to be door man checking tickets at the start of the evening, then a bit of DJing to give the main DJ a break. (Beer Count: 2 pints during setup)
One of my friends, who was also one of the three people celebrating their birthday at the party had her sixteen year old brother up visiting for the party. It was his first time at such a party, since they came from a small welsh village, and as he’d met me a few times while I’d been visiting his sister, he was spending the evening hanging out with me. This was handy since he was too young to get served, I was getting him a drink in my round, then going to bar with his money for his round. (Beer Count: 5 or 6 pints). A couple of hours into the party, one of the other “Birthday People” and myself decided the ration of “hot girls” to everyone else was a bit on the low side and something needed doing about it. That something was a quick pub crawl around Aberystwyth handing out tickets to every cute, or interesting person we met on the way. (Beer Count: Well and truly unknown) . I’d not long got back to the party, got a round in and was enjoying my drink when my friends brother spotted the to quote “girl of his dreams“.
“She does look interesting. You want to meet her?” I grabbed his shoulder and dragged him with me across the dance floor, ignoring his mumbled objections and the rising tone of panic in his voice. She stopped dancing as I came to a stop in front of her, I introduced myself, my tongue tied companion, and asked her name. Introductions been done, I mentally took a step back and let him make his move. I waited, and waited, and slowly realised I may have to do more work in my self appointed role of WingMan!
‘ok, this is not going well’ I thought, and asked “Drinks?”. “err yes, err its my round I think, errr do you want a drink?” he nervously asked her, ‘YES!’ I shouted in my mind, ‘its a start, he’s offering her a drink’. I quickly asked what everyone wanted, and wandered off to the bar slowly to give them a chance to talk… When I returned with the drinks, they were just standing there not speaking ‘Rats! I need to do something’.
The something I decided to do was to relocate the three of us to some comfortable seats to the side of the dance floor where it was quieter and easier to talk. ‘WOW, that’s a brilliant idea’ I thought to myself in response to the suggestion my mind had just given me to help break the ice. “Hold my drink for a minute will you?” I asked her, “I’ll be right back”. I looked about for the guy I’d done the pub craw with, and wandered over to him. “Hi Dave, You got that purity test on you?”
While we had been on our pub crawl handing out tickets, we had made a side stop at a computer lab and printed out a couple of copies of the 500Q purity test for fun and games at the party. Now my mind’s suggestion had been to grab a copy of the test, and convince the girl to sit it. This should give information of how easy she was, what she had done, what she was willing to do, and create many openings for flirting. “What could go wrong?” What indeed.
A short while later, and she’s sat in between us sitting the test. She is not hiding her answers so its easy to see what she has done, not done, and willing to do. ‘USE IT AS AN OPENING’ I’m shouting in my mind to the lad on the other side of her, ‘YOU ARE MISSING A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY!!! DO SOMETHING’. I sigh, this is not working, so I try coughing and pointing to her results, I try miming what he should say to her.”So you never done that?” I ask, “Really? never”. I wiggle my eyebrows at him, and point at her with my eyes for him to offer to rectify the situation. ‘SIGH’.
A short time later as she was nearing the final few questions, I grew desperate. His window of opportunity was closing, and getting smaller and smaller. I had to act, and act fast. I leaned across the girl sliding under her arms so I could still see the paper she was using to mark her scores. With my head resting in her lap, I looked up at my friends brother, “You idiot. She’s almost finished and you’re missing your chance” He just growled at me, ‘Humm maybe he didn’t understand me, I’ll try again’ “Look, she’s just marked she’s never done that, its a perfect time to ask her about it, you could even offer to help her rectify the situation” He growled more. “Come one, the point of the purity test is to laugh at those with the highest score, and see how easy people are for the end of the night.” He looked at me with hate in his eyes. “Shit, you really never done that but want to?” I asked her in shock at her latest answer. She just patted me on the head. He muttered and looked away.
It was at that point I decided the situation was not going to get better with any amount of help, so I stopped helping. We laughed and joked about the test, and the questions for a bit. All the while with my friends brother just sulking, then I was called away to cover the music for a while, leaving them alone. As I was playing some music, I spotted they were just sitting there not talking, then after a while she got up and walked off to dance. And that was the end of that.
Personally I think I created an unbelievable amount of once in a lifetime openings for the lad. But maybe I was wrong, and its truly just another example of my inability to play the role of the WingMan.
