Shared posts

23 Apr 13:38

The rise and fall of AMD: How an underdog stuck it to Intel

by Cyrus Farivar
Grathkolb

This is interesting for a number of reasons.
I didn't know AMD had been around since the 60's, I also didn't know they had been making chips since the 80's (I know first knew about them in the 90's), and I didn't know they'd been struggling since the early 2000's, since that was the AMD Athlon X2 days which was an excellent chip.

Now it seems no one is buying AMD since the "i" series is so superior to everything AMD is putting out, so much so that Intel has slowed down their R&D since they're so far ahead of AMD.

Aurich Lawson

In part one of this two-part series, we look at the evolution of AMD from a second-source supplier for companies using Intel processors towards CEO Hector Ruiz's ideal of a "premium" chipmaker that could sell to the likes of Dell and Intel.

On June 10, 2000, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) wanted to party—and party big. The company’s CEO, Jerry Sanders, arranged to rent out the entire San Jose Arena (now called the HP Pavilion) and then paid big bucks to bring in Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, the husband-and-wife country music superstars.

Employees “could bring anybody, your wife, your kids, your friends—it was big doings. There were celebrations, gifts and awards,” recalled Fran Barton, who served as AMD’s chief financial officer from 1998 to 2001. The boss even got in on the fun. “[Sanders] was on a high wire, he did a unicycle ride. It was totally Hollywood. He could really put on a show when he wanted to put on a show.”

Read 52 remaining paragraphs | Comments

22 Apr 12:48

If you give kids cigarettes, Superman will @#$%ing murder you

by Rob Bricken
Grathkolb

Love the animation for this.

Today is the 75th anniversary of Action Comics #1 and the creation of Superman! And if celebrating the birth of the most iconic superhero ever with an animated PSA where he throws a local cigarette-distributor named Nick O. Teen into orbit is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Thanks to my buddy Chris Cummins for the tip.

22 Apr 12:28

Anime World Order Show # 114 – Demonstrate This Kissing Or I'll Crush All of You

by animeworldorder@gmail.com (Anime World Order)
Grathkolb

I always had a fondness for Mike Reynold's voice. I was super happy we were finally able to interview the guy.

It has finally come to pass. After all the years of idle chatter, we have finally sat down to interview the man, the myth, the LEGEND~! that is Mike Reynolds. For decades, Mike's voiced tons of "old man" characters in anime as well as done work for Power Rangers, VR Troopers, and the like. Visit www.animeworldorder.com for full show notes and supplemental links.
16 Apr 12:42

AMIAYA Release Event at ROBOT RESTAURANT

by Patrick Macias
Grathkolb

Every single thing I see about this place makes me unsure if it's the best or worst place in the world. This video still has me unsure.

Probably the best video I've seen come out of the Tokyo ROBOT RESTAURANT (besides mine, of course). Bonus points for screaming mascot at start...

03 Apr 17:02

Showa Gamer

by mattalt
Grathkolb

Yes, old article I know, but still interesting.

Showa_gamer

In this room, 2012 is 1992.

My pal Andy has constructed the ultimate shrine to Showa-era (1980s and early 90s) gaming in his spare bedroom, where nothing made after 1995 is allowed inside (ignore that iPhone) and the blips of 8- and 16-bit soundtracks fill the air. Complete with tube TV (a surprisingly difficult to find commodity in this day and age) tatami mats, and cartridges by the bagload. The only concession to modern technology are custom-made AV cables for top-notch video quality. Currently online: Famicom, Super Famicom, and Sega Mega Drive. Coming soon: PC Engine.

02 Apr 19:55

thebagatellecardclub: izabeau: odendaikon: cover illust by...











thebagatellecardclub:

izabeau:

odendaikon:

cover illust by Naoki Urasawa

“THE BEATLES MATERIALS” vol.1 The Beatles

Amazon.co.jp

fuck, this is cool.

GLORIOUS

02 Apr 19:53

arkhane: Star Wars 80s High School: Luke Binary Sunset, Leia...

01 Apr 20:53

failure to con

Grathkolb

I could write an article similar to this but shorter about cons that failed in Florida. Failed anime cons seem to be a way of life here.

Here's some stories about failed conventions of the past that I've been to, or close to, or heard about.

EX-CON (1986)- local Atlanta area guy went from a failed comic book company to a failed convention. I knew him from the failed comic book company and wanted no part of his convention, which was OK by him, as he was firmly in the driver's seat for this ego trip. He sold memberships, sold dealers tables, invited guests, printed flyers, booked hotel space. The weekend of the convention, the hotel kindly informed him that he wasn't anywhere near making the room block he promised and that unless he paid for the meeting space in advance in cash, his convention wasn't happening. Convention didn't happen, but I understand there were some cool parties in the already-reserved rooms. A friend of mine in high school bought a membership and bugged me constantly about getting a refund. FAILURE: no reason for this con to exist, no reason for anyone to attend. Prime example of convention for the sake of organizer's ego.

OUTWORLD (1996)- Castlegate. This goth-vampire-white wolf games style convention was at first started by a local fan guy who wanted us to run the anime room. His contact information was a telephone number at his job, which was at Waffle House, at which he was no longer employed when I called. The convention actually happened, and we actually did run the anime room, which was sparsely attended. All in all not a total failure- the 300 or so people who showed up seemed to enjoy themselves - but was there any need for this show to exist? Not really. We spent Saturday night shooting darts at each other and annoying the LARPers. FAILURE: not really a failure, but not enough of a success to impel anyone to want to do another one.

STARCON & COMICS (1995)- organizers of Atlanta Fantasy Fair decided to put on a show that was basically Atlanta Fantasy Fair under another name so as to cut one of Atlanta Fantasy Fair's owners from their share of the profits. Sadly, these were the people that were responsible for turning AFF from Atlanta's largest convention into a shell of its former self, and what Atlanta's con-going audience wanted was not a repeat of the failed AFF but what we were doing down the street on the same weekend, which was AWA. FAILURE: spent a lot of money on unattractive guests. Pretended their failed convention model would somehow magically work THIS time.

ATLANTA COMIC-CON (2001-2003) - This Duluth-based convention was started by a guy who ran comic book shops in Roswell and Atlanta. Started off fairly large in the Gwinnett Civic Center and the hotel nearby. Of course they had to have an anime room and they asked us to run it. The anime room was sparsely attended. The convention itself had decent attendance but totally spent way too much money on the convention center, guests, ancillary stuff like T-shirts, etc. Next year the attendance was about the same, if not a little less. Year after that they were in half the space at the convention center, attendance was even less. FAILURE: starting off way too big their first year with a vastly too ambitious program in a vastly too expensive convention center. Too many Hollywood wanna-be players (the guys who directed "Free Enterprise"?), too many people flown in from across the country, not enough badges to pay for it all.

EDITED TO ADD: Seriously, "Atlanta Comic-Con"? That's the name you're going with? Because that's about as painfully generic as you can get without a plain white box and a sans-serif font.

CON NO BAKA: (2005) Much has been written about this 2006 show. An anime/gaming con in a blank spot on the convention calendar, in Anime North's hotel, the hotel management pulled the plug Saturday night when it became obvious that there was no way CNB would be able to pay for Sunday's meeting space. The convention's failure is a classic case of Con Chair Myopia, inability to delegate, hands-on disease, willful blindness, whatever you want to call it. Chair ignored reasonable estimates of attendance and booked much more meeting space than was required, insisted on micro-managing details that should have been left to subordinates, and generally made everyone realize this convention existed so that the con chair could say "I ran a convention". FAILURE: Pretending your 300-person convention is a 1000 person convention will not magically make it a 1000 person convention, and if you actually are going to pretend your convention will get 1000 attendees, don't insist upon doing EVERYTHING yourself, so that when the shit hits the fan you aren't in the con office stapling program books by hand.

JURASSICON (1996?) - I remember seeing advertising for this convention circa 1997-1999 in Atlanta. Did it ever happen?

ATLANTIS -(1994?) I remember seeing advertising for this convention circa 1994-5 in Atlanta. Did it ever happen?

WEAPONSCON was an Atlanta 1987 show started by Atlanta SF fan legend Irv Koch and a like-minded group who felt that the weapons policies of conventions were infringing upon their personal freedoms. Poor babies. At this show, if you arrived without a weapon, they'd pin a paper dagger to your shirt. In practical terms their weapons policy was (a) no automatic weapons -big deal, that's the de facto 'weapons policy' for America, (b) all swords and things had to be peace bonded - again, what most other shows were doing; (c) if you did decide to bring a real firearm you couldn't bring ammunition for it into the show, which highlights the fan community's genius for taking something normal people would consider common sense and enshrining it into law, and (d) you have to listen to an important speech by America's foremost libertarian SF author on why everybody should be able to carry whatever firearms they wanted all the time everywhere, CASE CLOSED!! FAILURE: I wouldn't call this show a 'failure', in that it probably made money and accomplished whatever it was the organizers set out to do, unless it was to convince other conventions to loosen up on their weapons policies, which hasn't happened, and for good reason. Unless you like seeing granny-lady blood spilled on your convention center floor.

ATSUICON (2007) - I wasn't at this show, but reportedly the convention spent way too much, got in way over its head, and on Saturday night held a mass meeting of all the attendees to inform them that the convention was $12,000 in debt and that all 1000 attendees needed to pony up $12 each or the convention would be shut down. The beauty part is that apparently the attendees fell for it. There never was another Atsuicon, which is a very good thing. FAILURE: poor money management skills. Seriously, all their guests were local Texas voice actors or local Texas fan wanna-be guests, their programming was the same old stuff you see at every other anime con, and the cheapest ticket price was $28, $45 at the door. If they did 1000 attendees they had at least $30,000 to play with, not counting selling dealers tables. What the hell did they blow all that money on?

So, what have we learned. Conventions fail for many reasons. Poor money management, ego trips, failure to delegate, insanely optimistic attendance projections, simple bad luck. A complete lack of understanding or purpose lies at the bottom of many of these failed shows - why are you organizing this convention? Why do you expect people to pay money to attend? Is it because it's a convention and has to exist for its own sake? Because that is so not true. History proves it.

There's an existential crisis at the heart of many of these failed shows; they're doing it because they saw others do it and they want the social credit or the respect or the (imaginary) profits they think others are getting from running conventions. What they don't understand is that if you don't love the holy beejeezus out of whatever it is you're starting a convention for, you've ALREADY FAILED. Nothing will repay the time and sweat and blood and tears you'll spend on this project.

There's an organization failure, too. In that you don't need that much organization. Do you really need badges, program books, T-shirts, con suites, video rooms, panels, costume contests, all that nonsense, just because you want to hang out with people who like what you like? Do you have to have a convention for this? Usually you don't. The kids these days are just saying the hell with everything and gathering casually for meetups, photoshoots, World Hetalia Cosplay Daze, you name it, they don't need the convention model to get together. Let the t-shirts and the cosplay chess come when it needs to be there, and not a moment sooner.

In conclusion. We don't need any more fan conventions. We're full up. Host a meetup or a photoshoot or a book club or a picnic or a family reunion instead.
01 Apr 16:54

Kiss-sui: The Works of Ayumi Tanaka: Tentacle Darling: Artist Hours

by cujunga
Kiss-sui: The Works of Ayumi Tanaka: Tentacle Darling: Artist Hours:

ayumichu:

The Tentacle Darling exhibition was successful and fun! I feel proud of myself for having my first big art show! I had 16 oversized pieces and 8 smaller paintings.

For now, here are the times that I will physically be in the B1E gallery welcoming guests:

Artist Hours:

Sunday, October…

29 Mar 15:05

Proposal to “cut a bitch” gets selected for Google Glass program

by Casey Johnston

Google’s process for awarding pairs of Google Glass to everyday normal folk (who happen to have $1,500 to spare) may not have experienced the most thorough of vetting processes, per tweets highlighted by Slate and Gizmodo writer Sam Biddle. At least one entry proposed using Google Glass to “cut a bitch,” and that contestant was initially contacted by Google’s official Glass Twitter account as eligible for a Google Glass purchase.

Google started a Twitter contest back in February to award the chance to own an Explorer edition of Google Glass. The company invited people to explain their innovative uses for the Android headwear and attach the hashtag #ifihadglass.

The contest attracted plenty of worthy entries, though some were less than savory. At least one Twitter user, @Nikki__Graziano, was awarded the opportunity to purchase Glass for her proposal to “cut a bitch.” Several more facetious tweets rounded up by New York Magazine were selected as well. According to Slate, Google could not explain the rationale for selecting Graziano’s proposal except to say that an independent panel, not Google employees, chose the 8,000 contest winners.

Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments