New Vintage Rail Poster For Sale – 1879 “The Burlington Route” (Chicago–San Francisco) Map
This has long been a favourite old railroad map of mine, and I’ve finally got around to digitally restoring it. Despite its age, the original scan from the Library of Congress was actually in pretty good condition – a few large discoloured areas took the most time to correct – and the map didn’t take too long to prepare for print at all. There are some ink registration problems caused by primitive 1870s printing technology, but this is still a superbly detailed map, packed full of useful information for the traveller of the day.
23″ wide by 9″ tall prints on a 24″ x 10″ sheet (0.5″ white margins all around) are available for purchase in my on-line store for just $21 plus shipping.
The panel schedule for New York Comic Con has begun to take form, but we already know of at least one panel that hasn’t made the cut: a “Black Cosplay” panel submitted by Jessi Green, known by her cosplay alias, Butterfly Samurai. The panel proposal featured several other black women cosplayers as co-panelists (pictured above from left to right, starting with Jessi Green): The Venus Noire, Princess Mentality, and Maki Roll.
In an email interview, Jessi Green had this to say: “We all feel that at least getting a reason as to why our submission was rejected was of utmost importance since we have the credentials to put on an amazing panel.”
According to Green, New York Comic Con often hosts a recurring panel about cosplay diversity, and it seems likely that they’ll do so again this year. However, none of the four panelists from the rejected “Black Cosplay” panel have been asked to appear, nor have they received an explanation as to why their panel got rejected.
Our panel was composed of women who have really gone out of their way to help people feel included at conventions – Jessi is the reason I felt comfortable cosplaying in the first place, Maki has an irrepressible spirit and unstoppable voice, and Josephine is passionate about representation and inclusion. Between us, we have over 15 years of experience navigating this subculture as women of color.
I think this panel would have been valuable, especially at such a large show like NYCC, because our stories about our experiences could have reached a lot of people – some of which may have even been still at home, not sure if they’d be welcome at the con.
Josephine, a.k.a. The Venus Noire, wrote:
I would hope that if they notice the lack of black voices in their programming they would want to make a change, and a good first step would have been to have a black cosplay panel. The experience that black cosplayers face is unique; often times dealing with racism as well as the sexism that runs rampant in online communities, having to work twice as hard to get half the recognition, dealing with microaggressions online and at conventions. It’s definitely a lot, and a panel would be a great way to talk about some of those things.
The beginnings of the idea began last February with the #28DaysofBlackCosplay hashtag, “a project that was 100% for us, by us,” says Chaka Cumberbatch.
It really helped to strengthen the community while demonstrating that Black people do cosplay, and they cosplay well. But there are still so many Black nerds at conventions who feel left out, cast aside or invisible.
Green also cited the hashtag collaboration as a source of inspiration, and elaborated:
We want to take this positivity off the internet and bring it to conventions to continue to voice awareness about Black cosplay as well as share our own personal experiences … I have run panels before, so it is not like I was new to this. Josephine presented the idea to us, and we jumped at the opportunity to try to pull this off.
Green still hopes to hear back from NYCC about their decision:
Conventions should be a lot more clearer on their submission guidelines. If they only want big names to run panels, then say that. If you need a certain number of web hits, Facebook likes, etc. then it’d be nice to know – especially when you’re legit, but getting rejected. How can I improve myself so that these conventions choose me if they do not tell me what was wrong in the first place?
Other conventions have set a high standard when it comes to covering topics like these. “Two of my favorite conventions whom I feel don’t get near enough recognition for their dedication to creating safe spaces for these types of conversations to happen are Geek Girl Con and NakaKon,” says Cumberbatch. “There are panels about body positivity, sexuality, the realities of being a geek girl in what is still very much a boy’s club, and cultural diversity in fandom. These two conventions really should be commended for the work they’re doing to make the con scene more accessible and inclusive for everyone.”
“I really think it’d be worth discussing why a show like NYCC didn’t think this discussion would be of value to their attendees, and what that means about the con’s demographics or mission as a whole,” Cumberbatch went on.
I’ve reached out to NYCC’s programming directors to inquire about their decision to reject this panel, and I will update this post should they send me a response.
A fan-freakin-tastic summer just got turned up to 11 for Megan Rapinoe. Normally, winning the World Cup would be the highlight of someone's year, but she just one-upped that in a big way:
Yes, that's right: Rapinoe just got engaged. Her incredibly talented girlfriend, er, fiancee Sera Cahoone apparently popped the Big Question, and as you can tell from the picture, celebrations are in order.
Congratulations, Megan and Sera. May you find all the happiness in the world.
Don't mind Seattle Mariners pitcher Fernando Rodney. He's just enjoying the game in Colorado—by himself. Hiding in the bushes. You know what? He looks rather devious, like he's spying on someone.
Or worse. Do you think—nah, he isn't peeing in the bushes. Major League Baseball has top-notch facilities for the players to use. Yeah, of course he isn't answering nature's call as he watches baseball.
This guy just loves the wilderness. He's channeling his inner Wordsworth. Maybe a brief walk in the artificial wild that is Coors Field will get him out of any funk he may be in.
'the most enjoyable part is how carefully worded the press release is to placate all the haters, complainers, and knee-jerk reactionists'
Eye of the Lion
"The Pennsylvania State University (commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU) is a public, state-related research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855, the university has a stated threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education offered through resident instruction and online delivery. Its University Park campus, the flagship campus, lies within the Borough of State College and College Township. It has two law schools, Penn State Law, on the school's University Park campus, and Dickinson Law, located in Carlisle. The College of Medicine is located in Hershey. Penn State has another 19 commonwealth campuses and 5 special-mission campuses located across the state. Penn State has been labeled one of the "Public Ivies," a publicly funded university considered as providing a quality of education comparable to those of the Ivy League. Annual enrollment at the University Park campus totals more than 45,000 graduate and undergraduate students, making it one of the largest universities in the United States. It has the world's largest dues-paying alumni association. The university's total enrollment in 2009-10 was approximately 94,300 across its 24 campuses and online through its World Campus." (Wikipedia)
Opinion/Notes: The lock-up of the old logo was its weak point, making it really hard to discern what was going on inside that shield, even at large sizes. The wordmark took too much prominence and the line created a lot of non-beneficial whitespace on the right. The old (and new) logo depict the Nittany Lion Shrine that is the university's mascot and, according to Wikipedia, is the second most photographed landmark in Pennsylvania, behind the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It's very important to know that that's what the logo is because otherwise that's one dead-eyed-looking lion, which was my first thought. After seeing the sculpture, the logo is a great rendering that has been solidly drawn (literally and metaphorically). It's been nicely integrated with the shield too, creating a harmonious relationship. The typography is okay but perhaps the hard slab serif could have been softer to match the icon. Overall, a definite improvement but the most enjoyable part is how carefully worded the press release is to placate all the haters, complainers, and knee-jerk reactionists.
Select Quote: The updated mark focuses on the head and face of the Nittany Lion Shrine in a more contemporary and engaging way, continuing its heritage and providing the same sense of stature as the sculpture. A slight curve at the top of the shield makes it more distinctive, while reflecting the shape of the lion. Additionally, the lion is now positioned to look forward and connect with the Penn State name.
The Nittany Lion Shrine on campus.Logo detail.Readability comparison with old logo.Various logos, before.Various logos, after.
Last month, Scott Walker, the current Governor of the state of Wisconsin, was the 17th (and probably last) Republican to announce his candidacy for the 2016 Presidential election. (The Democrats only have 5 candidates). Aside from Hillary's logo, Walker's has drawn the most attention for its similarity in concept to that of America's Best, an eyeglass and contact company with 400 retail locations. The logo and identity was designed in-house, at Scott Walker Inc..
Comparison with America's Best logo.
I'll tackle this first as it's probably clouding everyone's judgment of what is possibly one of the best executed campaign logos of the 2016 Presidential election. The argument is clear: both use the American flag as a starting point to create an "E". It's a clever concept but it's not exactly groundbreaking nor does it require a Ph.D. in conceptualizingness to come up with it. This is not a knock on either America's Best nor Scott Walker Inc. but to point out that it is humanly possible for two people or groups of people to arrive at a similar solution, especially when either the name or the subject is "America". Look! America's Best also uses blue type on a white background! I bet they copied that too, right? No. It's America. It's obvious.
For the record: I am not a Republican. I did not get paid by Scott Walker, Inc.. And I have no stake in clearing the name of anyone associated with this logo. What I think we need to see here is that someone who knows very well what they are doing did this logo for Scott Walker. Whether they saw America's Best logo and directly or indirectly copied it is impossible to judge — America's Best isn't Target, or Walmart, or Nike, it's a company with very limited visibility and there are only two retail locations in Wisconsin so I doubt the Scott Walker designers were driving past it every single day. But, hey, let's say they did, they at least showed how to do it right because everything about America's Best logo is so poorly done you have to wonder whether they need some contact lenses of their own.
I asked the team at Scott Walker Inc. if they wanted to comment on this issue but they opted not to answer. I don't blame them, I don't think they need to defend the logo.
Process and rationale.Logo detail.Logo structure.Variations.Slogan.
I'm sure haters are going to claim that Scott Walker Inc. did all these graphics after the controversy in order to make it seem like they came up with it. Save it. Concept aside, which is good, the execution of this logo is very good. Of all the underlying grids we see, the dark blue "Construction" image is perfect. The use of the baseline grid should get you all hot and bothered and it shows the lovely relationship between the thickness of the letters and the simplicity of the "E"-flag. Even the choice of Interstate, which is also an obvious one when it comes to things-that-need-to-look-American, has been elevated with the right choice of weight, kerning, and sizing. The logo downsizes to "WALKER16" quite nicely and obviously the social media icon boils down to the "E"-flag. So, believe what you will on plagiarism, but this is a finely tuned logo that makes the other Presidential candidate logos look like chumps.
Taking its cue from the fast food and clothing industries, Verizon is announcing a new set of rate plans with just four sizes: Small, medium, large and extra large.
The new plans, which go into effect Aug. 13, aren’t necessarily cheaper nor are they more expensive. Instead, there are just fewer variables.
You've heard the news about honeybees. "Beepocalypse," they've called it. Beemageddon. America's honeybees are dying, putting honey production and $15 billion worth of pollinated food crops in jeopardy. Recent numbers indicate that the tide is turning for our stinging friends. Was Beepocolypse all buzz?
Writers at Vice Media have voted to unionize, said people familiar with the matter, giving organized labor its biggest foothold yet in digital media newsrooms.
The writers will be joining the Writers Guild of America. The number of employees who have voted to unionize was not immediately clear. Writers account for less than 10% of Vice’s 700 U.S. employees.
Tice Ledbetter was flying his drone over a pier on Pacific Beach in San Diego which caught the eye of an annoyed fisherman below, who then cast his line at the drone, successfully hooking it. Ledbetter posted a follow-up video showing him removing the tangled fishing line from the drone’s propeller.
'Boudreaux is a mutant thief and assassin with multiple powers, including ... the ability to tolerate the attention of smug New Orleans charmsters for up to minutes at a time'
'Tatum is also executive producing, which puts him in a prime position to find an actress willing to pretend to share his inexplicable Gambit-love'
Fox has named the female character who’ll be appearing alongside Remy LeBeau in Channing Tatum’s upcoming Gambit movie, with the equally accent-afflicted Bella Donna Boudreaux sharing screen time with the card-throwing cajun thief. Created by Jim Lee and Scott Lobdell in 1992, Boudreaux is a mutant thief and assassin with multiple powers, including astral projection, plasma blasts, and the ability to tolerate the attention of smug New Orleans charmsters for up to minutes at a time.
There’s no definitive news yet on who’ll be playing Bella Donna in the planned film, although multiple young actresses have their names on the short list for the part. Léa Seydoux from Blue Is The Warmest Colorand the upcoming James Bond filmSpectre has been rumored to be circling the role for some time, but she’s apparently got some competition for the job of looking on adoringly while ...
The premiere of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is roughly a month away, and Colbert has stayed in fighting/hosting shape with a lunchtime video series that saw him staying in touch with the common man and arguing with Neil deGrasse Tyson over Klondike bars. Confident in his interviewing skills even in the more earnest setting of the Late Show, we all moved on to wondering who would be the first person(s) to sit across from Colbert’s new desk.
Greg Rucka, in an interview with StarWars.com, spoke about the tone and overarching theme of his upcoming comic Star Wars: Shattered Empire. It’s not all roses and celebration after the Battle of Endor. For him, that’s when the Galactic Civil War really gets underway. He even cites some real world events as inspiration for how he’s laid out his story, which is supposed to pave the way to The Force Awakens.
Rucka echoed a bit of the Star Wars expanded universe when he brought up the fact that the end of Return of the Jedi doesn’t necessarily mean the war is over. In fact, after the Emperor’s death is when some of the most dramatic, important events of the Star Wars universe take place. The Empire essentially has to double down and dig in to protect what they do have after the Emperor’s death sends waves throughout the galaxy.
It’s in this grim determination that Rucka finds a type of drama that is vacant at the end of Return of the Jedi.
The Empire still has resources. The Empire still has an enormous fleet. They may be in disarray post the Battle of Endor, but to think that in that vacuum people aren’t stepping up…
There’s a Moff out there who’s like, ‘Right. I’m emptying the bank accounts, I’m changing my name, and I’m going to Aruba.’ You know there is. But for every Moff who does that, there are five who say, ‘Like hell am I leaving this post. We’ve got stormtroopers for a reason. You get out there and you shoot every last one of these upstart insurgents, these terrorists, and you make clear to them that the rule of law still stands.’ So it does get ugly.
We already know that Shattered Empire will center around two characters previously unknown to the Star Wars universe: Shara Bey, a pilot, and her husband Kes, who is infantry. They’re both “very tired veterans” in their own right, so to get to the Battle of Endor and find out that the war is only just beginning makes for some interesting dynamics.
When it comes to real world influences on the war to come, Rucka cites Arab Spring, North Korea, and the Soviet Bloc, three situations in which communications were/are stiffly controlled by those in power.
Who controls the airwaves? The Empire does. So, the Rebellion can be jumping up and down, and screaming at the top their lungs, ‘Palpatine is dead!’ But I guarantee you, that message didn’t reach 70 percent of the galaxy. It’s a rumor. It’s a whisper.
It’s going to be incredibly interesting to see how Rucka pulls this book off, because don’t forget: this is mostly new ground. The expanded universe is reset, so it’s all trail blazing from here on out. With the heavy influences mentioned above, this already seems like a story that really shouldn’t be missed.
Get ready to dig in to the real fight when Star Wars: Shattered Empire launches September 2nd.
Kate Beaton is on tour this fall for Step Aside, Pops!
New York, NY: Wednesday, September 16th, at 7pm Housing Works Bookstore Café in conversation with Alexandra Zsigmond, Art Director for the Opinion section, New York Times This event is free and open to the public. Arrive early to ensure entry!
Bethesda, MD: Saturday, September 19th + Sunday, September 20th Special guest of Small Press Expo Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, 5701 Marinelli Road Signing and panel schedule to come. SPX admission is $15 Saturday, $10 Sunday, or $20 for a weekend pass; available on-site.
Toronto, ON: Tuesday, September 22nd, at 7pm Toronto Reference Library in conversation with Emily M. Keeler, Books Editor at the National Post Free tickets required. Reserve yours here beginning August 25th at 9am
Montreal, QC: Sunday, September 27th, at 7pm Rialto Hall w/Librairie Drawn and Quarterly Tickets are $5, or free with the purchase of Step Aside, Pops from Librairie D+Q. Purchase yours here or in store beginning August 21st at 11am, at which time the book will be available for pre-purchase.
Columbus, OH: Special guest of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, Cultural Arts Center, 139 W Main Street Panel discussion Friday, October 2nd, at 7pm The Wexner Center for the Arts in conversation with Craig Thomspon, moderated by Jeff Smith Ticketed event.
Lionsgate and Hasbro have announced they’re combining forces on a big screen My Little Pony movie written by series producer Meghan McCarthy and starring Pushing Daisies‘ Kristin Chenoweth as as a new character.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-President Erik Feig said of the project,
We are pleased to partner with Hasbro to bring their brands to audiences in new and exciting ways. Meghan McCarthy and the ‘My Little Pony’ cast are a very talented and cohesive team whom we’re happy to be working with and we’re excited about the addition of the very talented Kristin Chenoweth, as we explore new aspects of these characters and new story opportunities for the franchise.
In the movie, a new dark force threatens Ponyville, and the Mane 6 – Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity – embark on an unforgettable journey beyond Equestria where they meet new friends and exciting challenges on a quest to use the magic of friendship and save their home. The My Little Pony movie will feature all new music with the Mane Six characters voiced by Tara Strong, Cathy Weseluck, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain and Ashleigh Ball. Jayson Theissen is directing. Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis are producing the film with Meghan McCarthy and Michael Vogel co-executive producing.
The philosophical view known as panpsychism has ancient roots, with its earliest adherents being pre-Socratic thinkers. Simply stated, it is the notion that all matter and energy is sentient.
Over the years, different groups of humans have learned how to prevent or treat malaria by using quinine. It seems, though, that none of us are as advanced as sparrows, which have been regularly using quinine to treat themselves during malaria outbreaks for thousands of years.
Now, what about those bartenders who light the peels on fire? It’s not a run of the mill trick, but you’ll certainly see it from time to time. “Good cocktail bars don’t do that,” Derek insists. “It is mostly for flare. In my opinion, it overwhelms the nose of the drink. You’ll never see it in my bar.”
Have you ever been at a bar and noticed your bartender twisting a piece of citrus rind before they drop it into your drink? It’s called “expressing” the peel, and it’s not just for show.
The endless goodbye continues apace as we prepare to load Jon Stewart into a rocket-powered spaceship coffin and launch his body into the stratosphere. (Quitting a popular TV show isn’t easy.) But many of the comedians Stewart has inspired and befriended over the years want to send one more shout-out to the guy who made hearing about the news sightly more tolerable in the 21st century. Mashable reached out to a bevy of folks that have known, been helped by, or even just outright influenced by The Daily Show host over the years. Some of their messages are sweet, some are silly, but all of them are heartfelt. There’s a bunch of great people here—Sara Benincasa, Ron Funches, Jen Kirkman, and numerous others—but Darcy Michael’s might be our favorite.
After appearing in a small role in An Adventure In Space And Time, the BBC’s dramatization of the beginning of Doctor Who, Reece Shearsmith will now be making the jump to actual Doctor Who in what Deadline is calling “a special episode.” Mark Gatiss wrote the episode, and he refers to it as “very scary,” but that’s all we know about it except that it will be a part of the show’s new season that starts on September 19. However, this casting announcement is especially notable because Shearsmith played Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor, in An Adventure In Space And Time.
Now, as cool as it would be, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Shearsmith is playing the second Doctor. Deadline says the episode will be “special,” but Gatiss only says it will be “scary.” We assume that if one of the other Doctors were going to ...
Hi everyone, I am a Portland Native who now lives in the Vancouver where I operate a Bitcoin business (a co-location center for mining operations). I'm here to talk to you about magic internet money /r/Bitcoin.
I did a search in /r/Portland and noticed a bunch of Bitcoin topics from like, 2 years ago, but not a lot of new conversation. I attend the meetups from time to time and other groups who talk about it a lot and have even seen some "Bitcoin accepted here" stickers in windows.
I am curious if anyone here operates small businesses that accepts Bitcoin (or would like to accept Bitcoin) or just uses it in their daily lives (again, 'or would like to'). What are your experiences with B2B usage and accepting it from customers?
I personally use Bitcoins in my business to buy infrastructure from Overstock and TigerDirect. I also use it in my daily life for making purchases online. I've yet to make an in-person Bitcoin purchase (for my personal stuff, for my business I have).
My business, really only has a few customers that used old-timey money and we only do old-timey transactions to pay rent and bills. Taxes were actually easier than you'd expect given the Bitcoin-as-property decision made by the IRS.
Anyone have or know of a nice coffee shop or food cart where I can buy something delicious?
I'd also like to offer my experience to answer any questions people might have regarding Bitcoin or other currencies. Lets keep it about usage and not too technical.
