bobo the hobo writes: In the corner of the internet where people care about DNS, there is a bit of an uproar at Google's application for over a hundred new top-level domains, including .dev, .lol, .app, .blog, .cloud and .search. Their application includes statements such as: "By contrast, our application for the .blog TLD describes a new way of automatically linking new second level domains to blogs on our Blogger platform – this approach eliminates the need for any technical configuration on the part of the user and thus makes the domain name more user friendly." They also mention limiting usage of .dev to Google only: "Second-level domain names within the proposed gTLD are intended for registration and use by Google only, and domain names under the new gTLD will not be available to the general public for purchase, sale, or registration. As such, [Google's shell company] intends to apply for an exemption to the ICANN Registry Operator Code of Conduct as Google is intended to be the sole registrar and registrant."
Cover of Volume I, No. 49 of Harper’s Bazar (now Harper’s Bazaar), showing hairstyles (1868) Post Civil War Hairstyles
Harper’s Bazaar- is an American women’s fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”
Aimed at members of the upper -middle and upper classes, Bazaar assembles photographers, artists, designers and writers to deliver a “sophisticated” perspective into the world of fashion, beauty and popular culture on a monthly basis.
My laptop's display just quit after I tripped and dropped it. I'm reluctantly in the market for one. What's good? (Overbey on block for this thread j/k)
What could make the Lenovo/SuperFish scandal worse than it already is? This could:
Craig Ferguson, the guy whose recent talk show departure was a slightly overshadowed by a certain conservative immortal on Comedy Central, has lined up his next acting gig. He’ll be starring in The King Of 7B, ABC’s upcoming comedy pilot about an agoraphobic recluse who leaves his apartment for the first time in 11 years because he sees a woman who could be his soulmate moving in down the street. Former Daily Show and Colbert Report executive producer/writer Ben Karlin will be the showrunner. If King Of 7B gets picked up, it’ll be Ferguson’s first regular acting role since he left The Drew Carey Show (he has popped up in various places since then, but nothing on the level of whatever his character was named on that show). We don’t see actors become talk show hosts and then go back to acting very often ...
"Instead of trying to turn a girl character into a guy, or a white character into a black character or latin character, I think people should stop being lazy and start making an effort in Hollywood to develop their own mythology. ... (Minorities) should start focusing on making that a serious priority. It's not about taking Catwoman or Superman or Green Lantern or whatever these characters are and trying to make them fit into whatever cultural background you are. I think it should be more creative than that and people should stop being lazy. ... Stop trying to take what's already there and fit a culture into it."
Say it ain’t so, Michelle Rodriguez. Turns out the Fast & Furious star is suuuper over all that rampant Hollywood colorwashing. Wait…what?
Here’s what Rodriguez told TMZ after they asked her if she’d be playing the Green Lantern:
I think it’s so stupid for everybody — because of this whole, you know, ‘minorities in Hollywood’ thing…But it’s so stupid, it’s like, stop stealing all the white people’s superheroes. Make up your own, you know what I’m saying? Like, what’s up with that?
It should be noted that the accompanying video is a sight to behold. There are potentially some layers here, including potential sobriety (or rather, uh, lack thereof).
But c’mon, Michelle, don’t play us like this. You don’t have to star in Green Lantern, but it takes a certain kind of blindness not to be able to see that the whitewashing of roles has been a long-accepted practice in Hollywood that’s run rampant for a whole lot longer than any attempts to get people of color in roles originally considered white. Think of it this way: There are a whole lot fewer cases like Michael B Jordan getting cast in Fantastic Four than there are Scarlett Johansson getting cast in Ghost In the Shell or all the good guys in Exodus being played by white people. No one’s stealing anything when PoC are cast in formerly white roles; they’re simply confronting that the way things have historically been doesn’t necessarily have to be how it stays — especially when that history kinda sucked for a lot of people. If the talking raccoons aren’t stealing roles then neither are the actual humans just vying for a spot at the table.
As for the “make up your own” argument — it’s hardly as if people of color aren’t present and working in Hollywood, making spaces for their stories. But it shouldn’t be a revolutionary concept to not expect every individual to do their own heavy lifting when it comes to being represented in the culture and media they’re a part of. Superheroes of color exist, obviously, and are being made and brought to the public, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t space within that whitewashed history for some change.
Not every person of color in Hollywood has to be a beacon fighting for the representation of their fellow minorities onscreen. But it’s pretty disappointing when they actively decry something that might actually make Hollywood better for a lot of people.
UPDATE: Rodriguez responded to her comments in a post on her Facebook on Saturday:
That's pitcher Preston Brown giving an interview from the dugout, and those are his teammates hanging out in the frame for a sec, then backing off acting all disgusted without him noticing. Brilliant.
OR could it have been Brown playing the prank, ripping a foggy stinker in the middle of an interview without missing a beat? What if it was that!?
Either away, according to the 28th Amendment, all of them except for Brown dealt it.
We have net neutrality for the same reason that copyright terms will be extended indefinitely forever and the Defense Department will keep being forced to buy incredibly expensive planes that don't actually work: Because a large industry had a strong opinion on the subject.
“I think every woman in our culture is a feminist. They may refuse to articulate it, but if you were to take any woman back 40 years and say, ‘Is this a world you want to live in?’ They would say, ‘No.’”
“Potential 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) inexplicably told a conservative audience on Friday that President Barack Obama lacked a military strategy to confront ISIS because he feared upsetting Iran, a country that has actually committed itself to defeating the terrorist group.
Speaking before the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, Rubio told radio and TV host Sean Hannity that “if we wanted to defeat them militarily, we could do it. [Obama] doesn’t want to upset Iran.”
Referring to the United States’ ongoing negotiations with Iran to contain that country’s nuclear program, Rubio continued, “In [Obama’s] mind, this deal with Iran is going to be the Obamacare of the second term, and he doesn’t want them sending military to the region because they think the region belongs to them.”
There’s just one problem: Iran has been fighting ISIS just like the United States and has publicly urged America to take a larger role in the operation. Obama has even sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggesting anti-ISIS cooperation.”
This story is a few months old, but it serves as a reminder of how the entire horrible thing was created and perpetuated. This was never about anything other than harassing and attacking people.
"A set of IRC logs released Saturday appear to show that a handful of 4chan users were ultimately behind #GamerGate, the supposedly grass-roots movement aimed at exposing ethical lapses in gaming journalism. The logs show a small group of users orchestrating a ‘hashtag campaign’ to perpetuate misogynistic attacks by wrapping them in a debate about ethics in gaming journalism."
Remember, if you’re on the same side as Adam Baldwin, you’re on the wrong side.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will do everything possible to bring to justice those who committed the "vile and cynical" murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.
watson & holmes is lovely, but necropolis is now on my radar. it is my entire radar now. get this comic book off my radar how am I supposed to see the airplanes
Yes, if you were wondering, that is the most hipster title I could think of, because nothing says classic hipster more than talking about underground comics.
There’s a lot of hidden gems in the wide world of comics publishing, and the smaller the press, the less likely readers are to stumble on them. To further guide you on your path to comic book expertise, here are some of my favorite finds from off the beaten path. Enjoy!
Watson & Holmes, by Karl Bollers and Rick Leonardi Published by New Paradigm Studios, ongoing
We’re all up to our necks in adaptations of the World’s Smartest White Dude, but most of them are more re-hash than reimagining. This one is different enough to feel fresh and familiar enough to satisfy those of us who cut our mystery-loving teeth on Doyle’s detective.
Far from the foggy streets of Victorian London, Watson & Holmes takes place in present-day Harlem, with the characters and mysteries updated to suit both the setting and the tastes of a different range of readers. The series was originally intended to be a four-issue digital mini, but a successful crowdfunding campaign let super-tiny publisher, New Paradigm Studios, expand the first arc into five gorgeous printed issues, now collected in a paperback collection called A Study in Black. Volume two, a series of one-shot mysteries, met and passed its Kickstarter goal this fall and is set to be released in TPB on March 1.
Tiny twelve-year-old me spent many a delighted hour curled up with a two-inch-thick collection of Sherlock Holmes stories that had the ugliest brown cover and was heavy enough to be weaponized. Not-so-tiny grown-up me loves nothing more than a great story, an interesting adaptation, and stunning art, and Watson & Holmes delivers on all fronts.
The bad news is that the first TPB volume is currently listed out of print, so you may need to shop around if you want to find a copy. The good news is that you can get the issues in digital through Comixology. The New Paradigm website is out of date and a little lacking in content, but you can follow them on Tumblr and Facebook for info, news, and updates.
Necropolis, by Jake Wyatt Publisher unknown, upcoming
This isn’t even out yet, and I can already guarantee you it’s going to be mind-blowing.
In between freelancing as an artist for Marvel, Necropolis is Jake Wyatt’s first big solo adventure, and it looks a-freaking-mazing. The text is epic poetry in the grandest tradition without being bombastic or overwritten, an impressive achievement on its own; but the art is what’s going to make this book shine. The vibrant palette and dynamic panels bring stunning life to Wyatt’s mythic designs.
I stumbled on Wyatt’s art a few years ago and have been insanely excited about Necropolis since he posted the first few pages on Tumblr. As of November, the books is still on track for publication this spring “-ish,” but that’s the only news update since Wyatt announced he would be taking a break from Marvel to work on it full-time. That, and the fact that it will be published in both English and French, is everything we know.
You can see more of Wyatt’s art on his Tumblr and DeviantArt, both of which have been pretty quiet recently, and he occasionally posts progress photos from Necropolis on his Instagram.
Fingers crossed we get this one on our LCS shelves soon.
The God Machine, by Chandra Free Published by Archaia and Titan Comics, ongoing
This is another one that will immediately hook you with the art. Then it will reel you in with the weird, haunting story and keep you on the line with characters that remind you of high school in a good way. The God Machine is all of the best things to be found in goth comics, bringing together tragedy, horror, and humor in a way that is immensely satisfying and kind of makes you want to binge-watch The Crow TV series.
What really drives The God Machine forward is Free’s art, blending anime-inspired design with rich colors and fluid style to create a surreal landscape where even the real-world scenes seem disjointed and unsettling. Reading this book feels a little like falling down the rabbit hole, if the rabbit hole led to an upper circle of Hell, instead of Wonderland. Free’s influences are obvious, but her style is entirely her own, eye-catching and unmistakable.
The first volume was released by Archaia, and the long-awaited second volume will be published by Titan Comics. Titan will also be putting out a new edition of volume one, which is currently out of print. Alas, there are no release dates set, but both are projected for 2015-2016. So, soon, but not soon enough. Thankfully, volume one is still available in digital via Free’s website.
As an added bonus, I’ve had a chance to meet Free a few times at conventions, and in addition to being a fantastic creator, she also friendly and gracious, with super cool style and the best hair you’ve ever seen. Like any good self-promoter, she has a presence on pretty much every social media platform, so check out the Links page on her site to find her art and updates in your preferred format.
Rainbow in the Dark, by Comfort Love and Adam Withers Self-published, complete
One of the cool things about going to conventions is finding things that never would have crossed your radar otherwise.
I discovered Comfort and Adam at a Dragon Con panel about, appropriately, indie comics, which also featured Chandra Free. Rainbow in the Dark was still ongoing at the time, so it was a while before I picked it up. Then I read it all in one day and bawled my eyes out.
Rainbow in the Dark is three volumes of relentless love and hope and pop music references, and if you think that sounds like a vapid pile of teenybopper fluff, you couldn’t be more wrong. As it happens, I already have a list prepared titled Reasons You Should Read Rainbow in the Dark.
*ahem*
It’s deals with how finding freedom also means claiming responsibility for your actions.
They save the world with the power of love and togetherness. I shit you not.
The character designs are amazing.
The hero is adorable, and she rocks this amazing ’80s girl rock look.
Her girlfriend is a super hot Indian punk chick.
All the character designs. All of them.
The art is beautiful and always right on pitch.
Did I mention the character designs?
The creators are very nice people, and I have bought literally every book they’ve produced so far.
I reiterate: girl rock lesbian protag and her kickass punk girlfriend.
The first few pages are done in muted grayscale that steadily unfold into bright, stunning, doesn’t-exist-in-nature color, tumbling you into a story full of song lyrics, car chases, and soul-eating monsters. Though the story takes a lot of grim turns, Rainbow in the Dark is unapologetic in its positivity, and the metaphoric triumph of love over indifference is so thinly veiled, it’s not really even a metaphor.
There are certainly critiques to be made, some of which are valid and some of which rest on the idea that stories have to be “realistic” to be any good, and it’s appeal will definitely be stronger for different readers. I’d say, if you’re a fan of Pacific Rim or Gillen and McKelvie’s Young Avengers, Rainbow in the Dark is definitely for you.
Because it’s self-published, the only way to get Rainbow in the Dark is directly from Comfort and Adam, which has the cool factor of seeing your money go right to the creators. You can get the entire series in digital or paperback at their website, which also has a free download of the first issue, or get the complete series omnibus through Amazon. You can also do what I did, which is find them in the Artists Alley at a convention and chat while you get your books signed, which may not be the most cost-effective option, but it’s a lot of fun.
Like everyone else on this list, Comfort and Adam are on various social media sites, most of which are typically 75% art and comics and 25% pictures of their many cats. Many cats.
As you might have noticed, reading mini-press and self-published comics requires a little more work and dedication than just sticking with the Big Two, and release schedules are even less reliable. The upside is a lot of variety and a closer connection to creators, which can make a lot of difference when you’re deciding which stories you want to give money to.
Unlike books from higher-profile publishers, these are less likely to come up as recs from your trusty LCS owner. A good way to find new underground titles is to stay connected with readers and creators who like the same things you like through fan circles, conventions, and, yes, through Tumblr.
If that sounds like something you’re into, then you know what you need to do next?
Jordan West is an obsessive writer, dedicated cosplayer, and fake geek girl living in Minneapolis. Specialties include ultra angsty fan fiction, feminist commentary, and co-captaining the WTF Comics Club. Follow Jo on Facebook for ongoing hijinks.
Jessie Tarbox Beals is known as America’s first female news photographer because The Buffalo Inquirer and The Courier hired her as a staff photographer in 1902. Although rarely hired again as a staff photographer, her freelance news photographs and her tenacity and self-promotion set her apart in a competitive field through the 1920s. At a time when most women’s roles were confined to the home and most women who ventured into photography maintained homelike portrait studios, Jessie called attention to her willingness to work outdoors and in situations generally thought too rough for a woman. She excelled in photographing such news worthy events as the 1904 world’s fair as well as documentary photography of houses, gardens, Bohemian Greenwich Village, slums, and school children.
We #celebratephotography here at Adafruit every Saturday. From photographers of all levels to projects you have made or those that inspire you to make, we’re on it! Got a tip? Well, send it in!
If you’re interested in making your own project and need some gear, we’ve got you covered. Be sure to check out our Raspberry Pi accessories and our DIY cameras.
Necropolis, by Jake Wyatt
Rainbow in the Dark, by Comfort Love and Adam Withers
As you might have noticed, reading mini-press and self-published comics requires a little more work and dedication than just sticking with the Big Two, and release schedules are even less reliable. The upside is a lot of variety and a closer connection to creators, which can make a lot of difference when you’re deciding which stories you want to give money to.
