firehose

saveflowers1:

Art by Clara Powers Wilson (1907) from FAIRY TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE.

Want to give a ten-minute microtalk about game criticism? Submit below. If you need ideas, check out the prompts underneath the form. We’ll let you know whether or not your proposal has been accepted by February 20th.

“NBC has the Olympics. It’s kind of a big deal,” O’Brien said last night in the monologue of his late-night show on Time Warner Inc.’s TBS. “NBC will finally get to show somebody who is OK passing the torch.”

Castles & Chemo: The IndieGoGo© Collection is the first in a series of fantasy adventures based on cancer, chemotherapy, and their effect on all of us. Originally run during fundraising events, these adventures are now available for your home game!

Johnny Depp will show his villainous side in his next film project. The movie star has signed on to play James 'Whitey' Bulger in the biopic “Black Mass,” according to Deadline. The movie will tell the true story of Bulger, an infamous Boston kingpin who worked as an FBI informant. When the partnership soured, Bulger became one of the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted fugitives, and was arrested in 2011 after 16 years on the run.

The Justice Department on Monday will instruct all of its employees across the country, for the first time, to give lawful same-sex marriages sweeping equal protection under the law in every program it administers, from courthouse proceedings to prison visits to the compensation of surviving spouses of public safety officers.

(via Twitter / sc_mo: Calling all dragon-slayers …)

Robert Kingett is a gay game journalist. He’s also fully blind in one eye, suffers from cerebral palsy, and stutters. That can make life difficult, and gamers aren’t known as the most welcoming bunch. But disabilities and prejudice haven’t stopped Kingett from playing games (he’s “weirdwriter” on PlayStation Network and “weirdwriter11″ on Xbox Live) — or being an inspiration to others. He’s a motivational speaker, a critic, and an advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities. He lives in Chicago, is involved with campaigns like the accessible Netflix project, describes himself as popular and versatile — “a Rubik’s Cube” — and sounds incredibly confident given his challenges.

@ibogost: "Yessssss. RT @pessimism: @ibogost This seems like something right up your alley: http://www.butwithbitcoins.com/hn ."

the United States taxes earned income abroad, which means that all medalists will be taxed for their prizes. According to ATR, those in the top tax bracket (39.6 percent) — like, say, Shaun White or any Team USA hockey player — will pay $9,900 on a $25,000 gold medal — while those in the bottom tax bracket (10 percent) will pay $2,500 for a gold. Many developed nations do not tax Olympians for their medal prizes. On the other hand, others such as Great Britain don't give their medalists cash prizes at all.

I understand we live in a culture where everyone, especially women, are highly sexualized and judged by their appearances and that there’s only so much any push-back against this will do. I know that if I go to a bar there’s a chance someone will say something offensive, and at the very least will think something offensive. But to actually hand me a tangible card indicating I’ve been ranked and approved by you is a step backwards for humans. And before anyone launches into a misogyny-fueled tirade about how I was not the recipient of this card, a short anecdote: I was once at a bar that actually falls within Yelp’s frat area of Portland when I was approached by two very drunk men who (as a form of compliment?) suggested I should be on the Chive.

Minibar is a new iOS app that allows New Yorkers to order wine or spirits to be delivered their door in 60 minutes or less. And best of all, delivery is free! Just enter in your zip code and confirm that you are of age to imbibe and you’re ready to go.

Minibar delivers wine + liquor to your door in under an hour. Drinking is fun. Let us make it easy.

Minibar also offers reviews, recipes and recommendations on their blog, on their Facebook page and via Twitter.

via BetaBeat

i don’t get how a woman can “invade” a space meant for women. 

Knights of Badassdom is finally coming to VOD next week, and it's about damn time. This horror comedy is about live action role-playing gamers who accidentally stumble across a real spell book, with hilarious performances from fan favorites like Peter Dinklage and Summer Glau. The real mystery is why we had to wait so long to watch this great flick.

Read more...

Today I washed my jeans. It’s the first time I’ve done so since I bought them in July, and yes, I’ve worn them every day.

schwit1 writes "According to the Inspector General, NASA and HP Enterprise Services have encountered significant problems implementing the $2.5 billion Agency Consolidated End-User Services (ACES) contract, which provides desktops, laptops, computer equipment and end-user services such as help desk and data backup. Those problems include 'a failed effort to replace most NASA employees' computers within the first six months and low customer satisfaction,' the report states (PDF). It adds that NASA lacked the technical and cultural readiness for an agencywide IT delivery model and did not offer clear contract requirements, while HP failed to deliver on multiple promises."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The New Yorker

tealtiger:

davvvd:

one does not simply ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ into Mordor

Octopus Pie is a webcomic that, since 2007, has been supported by a dedicated, enthusiastic readership. The life of a freelancer, however, is not consistent pay-wise. Often I need to prioritize freelance work, mail-order sales, and convention travel over making comics. If you become a patron, you will give me the breathing room I need to focus on the comic. I will be able to upgrade my ancient hardware and run my home office more efficiently. And I will be able to pay for health insurance, which... if you're an American, you know how this is.

Cape. 1912, French. 

House of Worth.

Source: Met Museum.

this is why I don’t shop online

The sequel to Agricola is here, and it's the heaviest and most expensive game we've ever reviewed. A titan of the table.

There's no question. Caverna: The Cave Farmers is the most fun you're going to have managing animals, minerals and vegetables. But should you buy it? Paul and Quinns stand... divided.

Read More

 

Who the hell reads this?

On Feb. 6, more than 2,000 delayed passengers stormed check-in counters at an airport in Henan province, smashing computers and equipment, in response to the airport’s five-hour long shutdown because of snow. Photos posted online show police trying to calm angry crowds. Chinese state media described the incident as a “riot.” One passenger’s comment circulated online (registration required) said, “This is how crazy travelers who have gone through multiple delays can get.”

The Henan incident is only the latest civil disturbance over airline service in China, and specifically poor customer service. Henan Radio said that airport patrons were fed up not only with the delays, but the staff’s attitude. ”There were not enough seats and passengers had to sit on their luggage eating instant noodles. The airport staff were indifferent and said ‘I don’t know’ to questions asked of them,” the radio station said on its microblog. The airport reportedly resumed service later on Feb. 6, allowing the passengers, many of whom were returning from their Chinese New Year travels, to finally board their flights.

China has been building a modern domestic airline industry to service what is expected to be the world’s largest aviation market. The total number of airports in China is expected to reach 244 in 2020, compared to 80 in 2011, with the help of state funding. In August, China’s aviation authority announced it would grant rebates of up to 433 million yuan ($70.7 million) for airlines that operate regional services.

As the aviation industry has expanded so have the crowds—but not the air space that planes are allowed to fly in, in part because China’s military still commands most of the skies. Delays, naturally, have ensued. In 2012, Chinese airlines took off and landed on time on average only 74.8% of the time with Beijing Capital believed to have the worst delays of the country’s main airports.

Officials have instructed airline staff to take better care of delayed passengers and offer food, accommodation, and most importantly explanations for the delays. Travelers complaining (registration required) on online message boards say airport staff distractedly perform security checks and continually check their phones instead of attending to customers. In January, Shanghai’s Pudong airport took three days to unload (link in Chinese) the luggage for 10 arriving flights. Some airlines say that inexperienced passengers who don’t understand the logistical issues involved are the real problem.

The net result is more angry flight-goers. In 2008, over 30 passengers protested the delay of their flight at an airport in the city of Kunming by sitting on a runway (link in Chinese), blocking the path of other planes. Last July, passengers in Dalian refused to leave an airplane that had landed two hours behind schedule until they were compensated for the delay. Eventually police had to remove them. Last summer, there were over two dozen fights at airports.

Jennifer Chiu contributed additional reporting.

sarahjane-and-thedoctor:

jaggedrain:

princess-olaf:

Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Goodman, Matt Damon and more read mean tweets

It’s B-e-n-e, dickhead…

Oh Ben. Never change.

Seriously though. Watch this. All these people are fabulous and sassy. So much sass. Lots of sass, older sass, all the sass.

OMFG…I’m crying I’m laughing so hard…the look on his face was fucking PRICELESS!!!

Heh.

	Courtney shared this story from Tiny Subversions:
	Really what this means is Darius is a stay-at-home cat parent now.

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February 5, 2014 was my last day working at Bocoup. Leaving was my decision, and was entirely amicable: I’d been there three years and felt I’d learned a lot, and that it was time to flex my development muscles in other contexts. I wish my former coworkers nothing but the best.

So what’s next for me?

Feb/Mar/Apr

I’m taking it kind of easy for for the next three months. Here are the things I have planned:

• I’ll be working part-time on The Colbert Report’s TV production software. It’s a custom web application — the core editor is based on etherpad-lite, so it supports real-time collaboration. They’ve used it internally for a year now, and they’re forming a new company to bring the software to other shows. I’m really excited to help them out!
• In case you didn’t know, I am writing a book about the game Jagged Alliance 2. I’ve interviewed a whole bunch of the original dev team, and the book tells the story of how the game was made. It’s a close look at a game that focuses on the material realities of game game development, including some analysis of the game’s source code. I’m hoping to use my extra time to finish up the book!
• Travel! I’ll be in San Francisco March 16-23, and I’ll be in NYC during IndieCade East (Feb 14-16) and probably also a bunch of other times as well.
• I’m going to try some slightly-larger-than-normal weird internet projects, to see how that goes.

May and Beyond

Work-wise I’m pretty set for Feb/Mar/Apr, but if you’d like to be in touch about full-time work, I’m available starting May 1 and in the meantime am open to chatting with a team, interviewing, or whatever. You can contact me at my first name (dot) my last name at gmail.

Chris Kluwe and Tony Gonzalez are taking their former teams to task. Meanwhile, Johnny Manziel is flying up draft boards.

Chris Kluwe and his legal representation aren't taking the news that Minnesota Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer will be retained lightly. Kluwe contends that Priefer played a significant role in the punter's release from the team, which Kluwe says was due to his open stance in support of LGBT rights. The St. Paul Pioneer Press contacted Kluwe's lawyer, Clayton Halunen, who said that legal action will be brought against the Vikings:

"It's unbelievable to us. It shows that the Vikings are not sincere about this supposed investigation, that it's a mere charade, and at the end of the day they're going to cover up this... It's just a matter of when we begin litigation. That's the only question in my mind now. Do we immediately file suit or do we wait and see if we get the confirmation we get from their supposed investigation?"

It could be an ugly offseason in Minnesota.

Tony Gonzalez unhappy he wasn't traded

ESPN The Magazine will be rolling out a feature on tight end Tony Gonzalez that includes his candid thoughts on this past season with the Atlanta Falcons. Perhaps chief among them is the fact that he was unhappy with the organization for not trading him to a team with a chance to win the Super Bowl at the trade deadline:

"You trade me to a team that needs me, that wants to make a serious run in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. You get something in return for a guy who you know won't be here next year. And the season isn't going anywhere anyway. That's rational." At the trade deadline, Gonzalez sat at a restaurant with his wife and waited to hear which team it would be. When that call never came, he was not happy.

The sentiment isn't surprising, though it goes against what he has said publicly in the past. Gonzalez also said something about Matt Ryan not being "elite," which you can choose to use for your own #hottake purposes.

Johnny Manziel the consensus No. 1 QB?

So said Mel Kiper in a conference call with NFL Draft reporters. Kiper said that among people he has spoken to in the NFL, more prefer Johnny Manziel to other top quarterback prospects like Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles.

The Cleveland Browns have been open about their interest in taking the Texas A&M quarterback with the No. 4 overall pick. According to Kiper, Manziel likely won't fall that far. Both the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars are in the market for new franchise quarterbacks, and one of the two teams isn't likely to pass on Johnny Football.

Michael Bennett wants to re-sign with the Seahawks

Michael Bennett was a pivotal part of the Seattle Seahawks' defense this past season, leading the team with 8.5 sacks. His one-year $5 million contract will end in March, however, and the defensive end is expected to earn a much more lucrative long-term deal as a free agent.

There is no doubt a long way to go in the negotiation process. For now, Bennett is saying the right things. Via the Daily Herald:

"I want to be back here 100 percent. I love the team, I love my teammates," Bennett said. "Pete (Carroll) does a great job of letting us play, so I want to be a part of that. I know we can go back and win a Super Bowl again with all these guys. It's a business, but I definitely want to be back."

SB Nation's Super Bowl coverage

• Michael Vick wants to start (and 6 more storylines to follow)

• The best pics and GIFs from Seattle's Super Bowl parade and celebration

• Matt Ufford's NFL offseason survival guide

• Bois: Denver's Super Bowl whoopin' in historical context

• Ufford: "Deserve" had nothing to do with it | Godfrey: NFL always wins