kate

Each month, Table Tech covers gaming aids you can use to take your game to next level. This week, we take a look at Obsidian Portal, a campaign website hosting service.

In our busy lives, finding time to get to a table and roll dice can be tough even as a player. And if you’re running a game you’re even more pressed for time. As campaigns mature, the notes, maps, NPC sheets and other documents can slowly grow into a small mountain. If you’re hyper-organized then maybe you’ve got a system for managing it all. But if you’re like me and have a…ah…non-traditional info management style, then it can be a lot of work keeping track of everything. Enter Obsidian Portal, a service for hosting campaign websites.

Setting up a website for your campaign is a great way to share information with you players and create a single point of reference that they can look at in-between sessions. Signing up on Obsidian Portal only takes a couple of minutes and a free basic membership has access to a limited number of tools (and adventure log, wiki, and logs for characters and items) and a small amount of storage space. Upgrading to a paid membership enables the campaign calendar and event notifications and a range of other features that could largely replace your paper campaign journals. Paid memberships also allow you to have as many campaign sites as you want. The paid benefits are quite nice, but you can definitely do well even with just the free site.

Of all the features on the site, I find the wiki is far and away the most helpful. With some effort, the wiki can become a sort of ‘world bible’ for your campaign, allowing your group to have a quick reference when trying to remember that one magic item shop owner’s name, or what the name of the Chief Buy Guy’s evil macguffin is called. It’s also a handy tool for you as a game master to use keep track of all the people and place names you have to come up with, and can even help you generate new ideas.

In terms of downsides, their paid membership is 10 bucks a month, meaning unless running games is a core hobby for you, you may want to look elsewhere if you need something easier on the wallet. I don’t think they’re asking for too much given the quality of the service or the feature set, however. Either way, Obsidian Portal is a great tool you should look into.

You can check out Obsidian Portal for yourself here, and check out their official blog, Words in the Dark, as well as their Haste Podcast.

Campaign to raise US$38,000 for fantasy anime film based on short

Singer, musician and occasional actor/author/jack of all trades Gackt has had a long and successful career on the Japanese music scene, and also enjoys considerable popularity abroad. During an overseas trip recently, he encountered an unsettling example of what he claims to be blatant racial discrimination in a Parisian hotel. But just what happened?

According to an account written in his own words on his regular “blogazine”, Gackt spent one night in Paris recently while en route to Italy. The airport hotel operates a morning buffet, to which a hungry Gackt arrived early to partake of, without any members of his staff or entourage with him. Upon entering the completely empty dining room, Gackt claims that upon selecting a comfy seat at a table near the entrance with a prime view of the outdoor Parisian scenery, he was instead directed to a seat further back in the dining hall.

“I much preferred my original choice of seat, which offered a very nice view of the outside,” explains Gackt. However, not wanting to cause a fuss, the singer obeyed the maître d’s instructions and took the seat he was assigned to, despite the fact that the entire dining room was empty.

▼ Gackt peforming “Vanilla”, a staple of your average karaoke repertoire.

Shrugging the incident off, Gackt set about tucking into a hearty breakfast (where does he put it all?), but then, he noticed something else that struck him as unusual. A Caucasian guest entered the dining room and took the seat which Gackt originally wanted, to no comment from the maitre’d. Then, another fellow customer of Asian descent entered the restaurant and was immediately sent to the back near where Gackt was seated. A couple who Gackt reports as being of Chinese ethnicity then entered the room and were also sent over to his section. In fact, Gackt reports that all the visibly Asian customers who entered were sent to the back, while whites were seated near the front close to the windows.

Gackt writes: “Ahahahahaha! What completely blatant racial discrimination! It’s so obvious, isn’t it? I was so shocked at being subjected to such an obvious display of discrimination that I could only laugh.”

But that’s not all he did! On a mission now, Gackt left the restaurant and returned two minutes later. This time, he confidently strolled towards a table by the windows. Again, the maitre d’ attempted to usher him over to the back of the room, but this time, Gackt was ready.

“Why do I have to go over there?” he asked politely. “Please explain the reasoning to me.” Oh, did we mention that Gackt apparently speaks French?

We assume that the maitre d’ left the superstar alone at that point, as Gackt’s story ends here, but he does close by saying: “There is no point in getting angry when incidents of this nature occur. But it is also pointless to feel annoyed without saying something about it. It’s better to laugh it off and firmly refuse to stand for the nonsense.” Wise words, indeed!

Gackt’s fans were quick to weigh in, pointing out that perhaps Chinese customers with their unfortunate reputation for inappropriate behaviour abroad might have prompted the hotel staff to attempt to seat unruly Chinese (or, for simplicity, simply any Asians) away from Western guests. That’s still awful, though, and we reckon Gackt’s response was perfect.

Source: Livedoor News via Itai News
Main Image: Flickr © James Whitesmith

Origin: Singer Gackt claims he was victim of racial discrimination in Paris hotel, handled it with class
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Related Stories

• The little test that’s blowing Japanese netizens’ minds
• Oh boy, that’s pretty racist: Vine Japan edition
• “I think I love you…”: Romantic confessions from around the world
• That’s the Power of Music – It Really Does Bring Joy to the World!!
• The ultimate spork that’s just for eating ramen

"Yelp is very concerned about what will come out in this documentary."

In the restaurant world, Yelp is notorious for manipulating the order and appearance of its own listings. It's a practice that's certainly controversial — and debatably legal. And now someone is looking to examine it on film. Through her Billion Dollar Bully documentary, filmmaker Kaylie Milliken will explore how Yelp allegedly takes advantage of small-business owners. This is Milliken's first-ever documentary, but it's already receiving quite a bit of attention, especially ahead of its fall release date. Grub called her up to discuss her inspiration, what it actually means for Yelp to "manage reviews," and how the company is fighting back.

What inspired you to make this documentary?
I used to use Yelp a lot, and then I was at my physician's office one day — and this is a physician that I have immense respect for — and she began to tell me about her experiences with Yelp. The more she told me, the more shocked I became. I didn't want to believe a lot of what she told me, because I found Yelp to be so useful. I thought, If what she's saying is true, then that's not a site that I should be using at all. I went home and began to research it, and the more I dug, the more I found. Her story was not unique at all. I started to ask friends about advertising, filtered reviews ... and they didn't know anything. My associate producer and I had been thinking about various documentaries for a while. The more I spoke with people, I realized it was a story that needed to get told.

Yes! I think it's clear to people that there are issues — like the Yelp user who comments and rates a restaurant based on the bathroom alone — but few realize how much Yelp is encouraging unfair practices. How is Yelp trying to corner these businesses?
Businesses feel helpless because once you are put on Yelp, you do not have the option to come off of Yelp. And a business is often not the one to put itself up there. Then, the business starts getting phone calls from salespeople at Yelp, offering to help them spread the word and advertise. Even if a business has customers who are happy, and those happy customers choose to leave reviews, those good reviews aren't necessarily going to get seen. If the happy customer doesn't use Yelp extremely often as a reviewer, that review is going to get buried. No one is going to see it.

Often, there will be a negative review written, and the same method should work: If you don't leave reviews regularly, the review won't be seen. But that is not the case. The negative review does get seen, and the business can't get itself off Yelp. Yelp says it's the public's right to know about this business. Then, the business starts getting phone calls from people at Yelp who say, "Hey, we can help you manage your reviews." That's the key word: "manage." A lot of businesses hear that as Yelp will help them get rid of their bad reviews. They sign up under that false assumption.

I'm under the impression that Yelp staffers are trained to word things in ways that don't actually make sense to business owners. For example: "ad impressions." Many business owners don't actually understand what "ad impressions" are, and they don't understand the contracts they're signing.

And I've heard that if business owners say they don't want Yelp to "manage their reviews," they're flooded with negative ones. Is that true?
Yes — that's what tons of businesses say happen. If they tell Yelp they don't want to be involved, or pay, then all of the sudden, their bad reviews start popping up and their good reviews get filtered away. And Yelp constantly says, "It's our algorithm!" It also seems to come at extremely convenient timing. Business owners speak with a Yelp employee, they decline their services, and then their good reviews are gone.

Have you tried to interview anyone at Yelp?
Very early on, I had the idea for a documentary, but I was taking on a different angle. I contacted someone at Yelp, and they agreed to speak with me at that time. But they also said that I was not allowed to use that interview in the documentary itself. Then, it took on a different form, and I contacted them again to ask them for their side of the story. I'll reach out to them again at the end of making the film, but I'm not that hopeful. Once all the fund-raising is done, we'll be traveling quite a bit for the interviews — business owners, as well as legal experts.

What do you think is the biggest common misconception about Yelp?
I would probably say relying on what you see in the star ratings as to whether you think it's a decent business or not. There are so many businesses with two and half stars, and they aren't a two-and-half-star business. If a lot of people look up their favorite business on Yelp, they would probably be pretty surprised by the negative comments. So many people continue to rely on that star rating anyway. It's hard not to, because if you do a Google search, the first site that pops up is Yelp. It leaves a horrible first impression.

Also: This isn't just impacting restaurants. It affects so many types of businesses. Even doctors! And doctors can't reply to negative reviews, because they're bound by HIPAA laws to keep things confidential.

Has Yelp attempted to silence you?
They've tried to do some character assassination. I did a CNBC interview, and a few hours before, they told me they were bringing on someone from Yelp. It was the VP of communications. That's interesting, because they sent out a pretty big person to argue with me: I run a grassroots organization, and this is my first film.

The Yelp person said I was bitter and brought up the fact that I used three different accounts on Yelp, and left my husband — an attorney — reviews. Which is true! I did that five or six years ago. First of all, I don't think I'm alone in doing that — a lot of people want to help when someone is starting a new business. When he represented me in a legal matter, I left a legitimate review, and the next day, it was gone. I thought, My account must not work. It must have been the first review I ever left. I made another account and I left another review, and it was gone. And I did it again. They were all getting filtered out. I do think there should be a filter in place, because you don't want things like that to happen.

But then Yelp released a press statement that said I had a conflict of interest because I have a history of trying to mislead consumers. Not accurate! Yelp also released a bunch of screenshots showing my three usernames, as well as my husband's business. What got to me is that there was no reason to release my husband's information. It goes to show that Yelp is very concerned about what will come out in this documentary. Otherwise, they wouldn't bother with me — someone who hasn't released anything on my own before. I read this quote somewhere: "If you're going to shoot the messenger, it's probably because the message is true." That's a good analogy.

Read more posts by Sierra Tishgart

Filed Under: billion dollar bully, movies, news, yelp

cubewatermelon:

Let’s Speak English #60!

They can also be called Gashapon, please don’t fight me on this.

My general rule now is that if I’m 90% sure I’ll be happy no matter what comes out, I am allowed one purchase ;0

Mouse Guard LEGO display built by the archLUG LEGO builder group for Emerald City Comic Con.

More photos here: http://davidpetersen.blogspot.com/2015/03/mouse-guard-lego-display-eccc.html

 Some surprising and delightful licenses this month.

 I’m glad to see Planetes back in print. Miracles are still possible.

The Line-Up is a monthly rundown of new anime, manga, light novel, artbook licenses, streaming/broadcasting announcements, crowdfunding projects, anime/manga projects, and live-action anime/manga adaptions.

New Licenses in the U.S.

• Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ – Sentai Filmworks
• Black Clover – VIZ
• Bloody Mary – VIZ
• A Certain Scientific Accelerator – Seven Seas
   It was only a matter of time. Accelerator is possible the most popular character in the series.
• The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan – Funimation
• The Eden of Grisaia – Sentai Filmworks
• Fairy Princess Minky Momo (dub movies) –  William Winckler Productions
• Final Fantasy Type-0 Side Story – Yen Press
• A Girl on the Shore – Vertical Inc.
   I welcome more Inio Asano work!
• Girls Bravo – VIZ
• Guardian Ninja Mamoru – Sentai Filmworks
• Honey So Sweet – VIZ
   :DDD I love this sweet shojo romance!
• Horimiya – Yen Press
• Irregular at Magic High School – Yen Press
   :(
• Irregular at Magic High School (light novels) – Yen Press
• The Labyrinth of Grisaia – Sentai Filmworks
• My Little Monster – NISA
• Ninja Slayer – Funimation
  I have heard this is the only anime anyone should care about.
• Parasyte -The Maxim- – Sentai Filmworks
• Planetes – Dark Horse
  WOW! I just assumed this would be out of print forever.
• Ratman – VIZ
• The Rising of the Shield Hero (manga) – One Peace Books
• The Rising of the Shield Hero (light novel) – One Peace Books
• Rose Gun Days Season One – Yen Press
  That reminds me that I should try playing the visual novel this is based on.
• Show by Rock!! – Funimation
• Windy Tales – Sentai Filmworks
   Whoo this is a surprise! A series many probably aren’t familiar with, but with a very unique style.

New Crowdfunding Projects

• Space Dandy deck-building card game – Seven Seas
   It is so unexpected! I love it!
• To All the Corners of the World anime film – MAPPA
• Tohoku post-quake support Vocaloid manga – SSS

New Streaming or Broadcasting Announcements in the U.S.

• Crunchyroll Anime adding Kite, Inferno Cop, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, Donyatsu, Nisekoi S2, Gunslinger Stratos, Plastic Memories,  I Can’t Understand What My Husband is Saying 2nd Thread, The Eden of Grisaia, The Labyrinth of Grisaia, Ace of Diamond S2
• Aniplex Channel adding Nisekoi S2, Gunslinger Stratos, Plastic Memories
• Funimation adding The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, Show by Rock!!, Ninja Slayer, High School DxD BorN, Seraph of the End
• Hulu adding Nisekoi S2, Gunslinger Stratos, Plastic Memories, The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, Show by Rock!!, Ninja Slayer, High School DxD BorN, Seraph of the End
• Daisuki adding Nisekoi S2, Gunslinger Stratos, Plastic Memories
• MangaBox adding That’s Life When You’re a Woman
• Weekly Shonen Jump USA adding Black Clover

New Anime and Manga Projects in Japan

• 2nd Series of Ace of Diamond Revealed
• Triage X Manga Bundling OVA
• TV Anime Announced for Venus Project Idol Franchise
• More Tamogotchi! Anime Revealed
• Pastry Manga from The World God Only Knows‘ Manga-ka Starting
• Novels Genocidal Organ and Harmony Getting Manga Adaptations
• One-Punch Man Anime Green-lit
   OH YEAH!
  
• 3rd Season Announced for Yuru Yuri Anime
• New Cardfight!! Vanguard Manga Starting
• Film and Another TV Series Announced for Hamatora
   Cautiously excited.
  
• TMS Entertainment Making Train Shorts
• Maria the Virgin Witch Manga-ka Beginning New Series
   I would assume you would call him the author of Moyashimon but I suppose Maria the Virgin Witch is the newer title. 
  
• Attack on Titan: No Regrets Creator Drawing One-shot
• Funabashi Mascot Getting TV Anime
• Anime Green-lit for A Chivalry of the Failed Knight Light Novels
• New Sci-fi Manga Starting by 2001 Nights Creator
• Heavy Object Light Novels Anime Green-lit
  As a Index fan I look foward to this. I am cruious how his other series read. 
  
• Unaired Anime Episode Bundled with High School DxD Novel
• Anime Announced for Monster Musume
• Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Game Getting Manga Adaptation
• Strike the Blood Getting OVAs
• Anime Adaptation Green-lit for BL Series Dokyusei
• New Kaiketsu Zorori Movie Revealed
• Seven Deadly Sins OVA Bundled with Manga
• Movie with Original Story Announced for Yowamushi Pedal
   Thank goodness we don’t have to miss this series for too long! Glad to hear this is an original story being written by the manga-ka.
  
• Wakaba Girl Anime Revealed
• New Aquarion TV Series and OVA Announced
  After Evol I am actually pretty excited about this. 
  
• Studio Trigger Working on Show for Ultra Super Anime Time Block
• 2nd TV Anime Green-lit for Miss Monochrome
• Anime Bundled with Autobiography Sanzoku Diary Manga
• Akatsuki no Yona Getting OVA
• New Manga Series Dr. Ashura Announced
• Haikyu!! Getting 2 Complication Movies
• OVA and 2nd Season of The Testament of Sister New Devil Coming
• Milk Morinaga Launching New Manga Series
• Wake Up Girls! Getting 2 Movies
• 7th TV Anime for Jewelpet Franchise Announced
• Food Manga Wakako-zake Anime Green-lit
• High Speed! Manga Adaptation and Anime Film Announced
• Manga-ka of Children of the Sea Starting New Series
   Sounds like another beautiful and philosophical work.
• Masaaki Yuasa Working on New Film
• New Steins;Gate Anime Announced
• Anime Revealed for Chaos;Child Game
• Two One-shots Coming for Knights of Sidonia Manga
• The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan OVA Bundled With Manga
• Anime Green-lit for Drifters Manga
   This seemed like another series that was mostly just a mater of time before it got animated. 
  
• Mizuki Sakakibara Launch New Manga Haira no SP -Ryubatsu-cho Chosa Shikkobu Dai-3-Ka
• Boy and the Beast Anime Film Getting Manga Adaptation
• Spin-off OVA Revealed for Tokyo Ghoul
• Naruto Spin-off Manga Announced
• Anime Bundled with Paradise of Innocence Manga
• More TV Anime Announced for KanColle”
  It seems that ship girls are here to stay.
• New Hatsune Miku Shojo Manga Starting
• Tomoko Ninomiya Drawing One-shot Manga for Live Action Film Gunjoiro no, Toori Michi
• Manga Adaptation Announced for God Eater Game
• New Aikatsu! Manga Beginning in Ciao
• Baby Love Manga Getting One-shot Sequel
• New Yu-Gi-Oh! Spin-off Manga Starting
• 2nd Season Announced for Noragami Anime
• Cyborg 009 Anniversary Anime Coming

New Live Action Adaptions of Anime and Manga

• Movie Coming for 80s Manga Yarukkya Knight
• Two Films Announced for BL Manga Seven Days

Filed under: Anime, Editorials, Industry, Line-Up, Manga

For anime music fans, the appeal of the songs is more than just their connection to the shows they serve as anthems for. Over the years, anime songs have evolved into a genre in and of themselves, often employing fast, even frantic tempos and an even greater proportion of young female vocalists and electronic sounds than Japanese pop music in general.

So now that there are certain baselines the anime music scene has established for itself, it’s time for the hardware end of the musical experience to catch up, which is the promise made by these new sets of earphones specifically designed for listening to anime songs with.

From the consumer’s standpoint, the anime music experience has changed a lot in the past few decades. During the mid and late ‘90s, anime music was still a fringe part of the Japanese music industry. The producers of popular anime would release singles of their opening and ending themes on undersized mini CDs, and more often than not, the performers were one-hit wonders, fading away into obscurity as soon as the anime series’ popularity itself dried up.

That’s no longer the case, as the still-expanding ranks of otaku in Japan have proven themselves to be a viable, self-contained economic ecosystem. Anime vocalists, and not just those who also do voice acting work, are able to find steady work thanks to the unprecedented amount of anime being produced and related live events being held these days.

As such, fans can now spend more time than ever before listening to anime songs, and when they do, manufacturer TDK hopes they’ll do it with a pair of earphones from the company’s new neo:n Tune series.

TDK says it developed the earphones based on what it determined to be five major anime song characteristics:

1. Fast tempos
2. Many mid-pitched notes in the music
3. Distortion in medium-tone sounds
4. High-pitched vocals
5. A large number of synthesized sound sources

All three models in the line are designed to be comfortable to wear and produce a clear anime song sound that makes the vocals easy to hear. The top-of-the-line neo:n03 earphones, seen above and directly below, are even hinged to let you position them just right.

▼ The 3,218-yen (US$27) neo:n03 is available in white/green, black/blue, and red/black versions.

The neo:n02 model forfeits the bendable design, but is more compact, plus a little cheaper at 2,138 yen. It continues with the line’s theme of a futuristic, heroic, robotic appearance.

▼ There’s also a bit more variety in terms of color.

Finally, the most affordable option is the 1,706-yen neo:n01.

All of the neo:n Tune models and colors can be ordered here from online retailer AppBank Store.

Source: AppBank Store
Top image: AppBank Store (1, 2) (edited by RocketNews24)
Images: AppBank Store (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) (edited by RocketNews24)

Origin: Otaku ears-New line of earphones is designed specifically for listening to anime songs with
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Related Stories

• Norwegian metal singer covers Japanese pop songs galore
• Vocaloid’s new automated composer set to simplify songwriting
• Want to make music, but can’t play an instrument? Casio app turns your hums into full tracks!
• Japanese pianist stuns us with faithful representation of Mario Kart music and sound effects
• Better than barbershop: Amazing a cappella renditions from Street Fighter and other classic Japanese games

Visitors to Fukushima Prefecture will soon be able to visit Kuso to Art no Museum – Fukushima Sakura Yugakusha, or the Museum of Fantasy and Art – Fukushima Sakura Yugakusha. The museum, which officially opens April 1, was founded by a subsidiary of animation production house Gainax, which will also be setting up an anime studio at the same site under the name Fukushima Gainax.

The goal was to establish a facility that would introduce the world to anime from Fukushima Prefecture. Said Fukushima Gainax President and Fukushima native Yoshinori Asao, “I want people (around the world) to know the good points of Fukushima Prefecture and Japan.”

The museum houses exhibits on the anime production process, as well as original drawings, and hopes to draw in 30,000 visitors a year. It was built on the site of the former Sakura Junior High School, which closed in 2012 due to low enrollment. The museum and the studio are both currently hiring for jobs like museum curator, accountant, and production assistant, so if you’re looking for a chance to work with Gainax, this is your chance.

For pictures from the museum’s preview event, spring cultural festival, and collaboration with Osaka University of Arts, check out Fukushima Gainax‘s Twitter.

Source: Asahi Shimbun; additional images from Fukushima Gainax

More from Anime News Network

• Bandai Namco Opens Rights to Pac-Man, ’80s Game Properties
• Aisawa Riku Manga Wins 19th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize’s Top Award
• Manga Artists Express Admiration for Live-Action Adaptation of Kite

Origin: Fukushima Gainax’s anime museum opens in April
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Related Stories

• Free Admission – Twelve of Tokyo’s Best Kept Secrets
• Japanese homebuilder offers virtual reality tour of your new home while you’re still designing it
• Beautiful Creation by Japanese Architect! This Could Be your Dream Home – If You’re a Goldfish!
• “The Life and Sex Museum” Welcomes You, But Remember It’s Not a Sex Museum!
• Fukushima Mother to Reporter: “I Wish My Daughters Were Never Born”

Miley Cyrus, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and former NBA star Charles Barkley are just a few of the high-profile figures condemning a law signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Thursday, which critics say will give businesses the option to discriminate against LGBT customers on religious grounds. Here's a roundup of notable people and groups that have joined the rising backlash, including athletes, celebrities, leaders of Fortune 500 companies, and even city and state governments:

Athletes: A few days before Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Jason Collins, the first openly gay active player in the NBA, tweeted his opposition, asking whether he would face discrimination when he visits Indiana for the NCAA's Final Four. Barkley, who has urged the NCAA to pull the tournament out of the state, said in a statement, "Discrimination in any form is unacceptable to me." The NCAA has indicated the games will go on as planned, but President Mark Emmert said the league was concerned about how the law might impact student-athletes, and that it would "closely examine" how the bill "might affect future events." In a joint statement on Saturday, the NBA, WNBA, Indiana Pacers, and Indiana Fever said they would "ensure that all fans, players and employees feel welcome."

Corporate leaders: Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff tweeted on Thursday that the tech giant was canceling programs that would require customers or employees to travel to Indiana. The San Francisco-based company bought the Indianapolis-based ExactTarget for $2.5 billion last year. Angie's List is putting a campus expansion project in Indianapolis on hold, while Yelp's chief executive Jeremy Stoppelman said it would be "unconscionable" for the company to maintain or expand "a significant business presence in any state that encouraged discrimination." Apple's chief executive Tim Cook wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post opposing the legislation, saying that it "rationalize[s] injustice by pretending to defend something many of us hold dear." The chief executives of Gap and Levi's have also since spoken out against the law in a joint statement.

Celebrities: Ashton Kutcher, Star Trek actor George Takei, Larry King, and columnist Dan Savage have all criticized the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, while Miley Cyrus went as far as calling Pence an "asshole" on Instagram. The band Wilco announced that they were canceling their May 7 show in Indianapolis because of the law, which they described as "thinly disguised legal discrimination." Parks and Recreation actor Nick Offerman said Tuesday that he was scrapping a scheduled stop in the city as part of his 2015 summer tour.

State and city governments: On Monday, Connecticut became the first state to join the boycott, with Gov. Dan Malloy signing an executive order prohibiting the use of state funds for travel to Indiana. Washington state soon followed, with Gov. Jay Inslee banning administrative trips there. San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland have made similar pledges, while Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has called on Indiana's general assembly to repeal the law or add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

Conventions: Gen Con, a gaming convention that brings an estimated $50 million to Indianapolis annually, has threatened to pull out of the state. "Legislation that could allow for refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees will have a direct negative impact on the state's economy, and will factor into our decision-making on hosting the convention in the state of Indiana in future years," chief executive Adrian Swartout wrote in a letter to Pence before the law was passed. On Monday, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees announced that it was pulling its women's conference out of Indiana due to the "un-American law" that "sets Indiana and our nation back decades in the struggle for civil rights." The Disciples of Christ, which has been based in Indianapolis for nearly 100 years, is also weighing the option of moving its biennial convention elsewhere.

I had a potential client that asked me to stop by their office for a consultation on redesigning their current website. When she offered to show me her current site this is what she did (and I wish I was exaggerating): opened Internet Explorer which defaulted to google.com, and in the Google search field, she typed in “Yahoo.com”, clicked search, and in the results, clicked the Yahoo.com paid ad, then, in Yahoo’s search box, entered her website’s URL, clicked search, and in Yahoo’s results, clicked the third link from the top.

Me: Do you do this every time?

Client: How else do you expect me to find my website!?

It's applying to hold a "reopening" event in Madison Square Park in early May.

The April agenda for Manhattan's Community Board 5 gives a vital clue as to when the original Madison Square Park Shake Shack might finally reopen following its top-to-bottom renovation. On the list for the board's Parks and Public Spaces meeting on April 2 is an application to "hold 'Shake Shack Reopening'" in the park on May 8, from noon to 8 p.m.

A Shake Shack representative tells Eater that despite this listing, "we haven't announced any reopening dates," and "it's all TBD." Still, whether or not festivities take place that exact day, this does seem to confirm that the burger stand that started it all should be open again by early May. That's a bit behind schedule – when Shake Shack closed back in October, it predicted that renovations would take five months. But after a long, snowy winter, those five months have come and gone and it's not quite ready to go yet.

Clearly, the Shack team is planning something big for the grand reopening. They're never ones to miss a stunt, usually one involving huge-name chefs, so count on long lines and who knows what else when that opening does roll around.

McDonald's has an idea to help rejuvenate its brand that maybe won't be a total dud: breakfast for dinner. The AP reports that for the first time ever, the chain will toy with extending breakfast beyond the customary 10:30 a.m. cutoff that has for years been the bane of late risers everywhere.

The testing begins next month, when customers at certain San Diego locations will be able to order hash browns and "some" breakfast sandwiches. The move is part of an effort to please people who, according to the company, want to eat breakfast foods "outside the typical morning hours that they are served." (So, everyone?)

The question really is, what took so long? The chain has maintained for years that its grills are just too small to accommodate breakfast sandwiches during burger hours, but apparently desperate times call for desperate measures, so execs are trying to figure out a way to give customers what they've been asking for for years. Who knows? Maybe one day it will be possible to order a dinnertime McMuffin with kale and cage-free eggs, if that's your thing.

[AP]

Read more posts by Clint Rainey

Filed Under: breakfast for dinner, fast-food breakfast, mcdonald's, the chain gang

Robert Sietsema remembers the East Village staple, one of the many victims of last week's explosion.

Certainly less heart wrenching than the human toll – 22 injured, four critically, and two killed – were other aspects of last Thursday's East Village disaster. Smoke hung in the air for days as Second Avenue remained closed to traffic. Hundreds were displaced from their homes as a pile of smoldering rubble spilled across the street. Many long-standing businesses were shuttered, both as a result of the explosion but also due to the complete cessation of foot traffic through the area. Even curiosity seekers stayed away. The entire economic impact on the area won't be known for a while, but when it is finally analyzed, the result will be accounted a financial disaster of the first magnitude.

The impact on restaurants, which thickly populate the neighborhood, was particularly severe. Three were quite literally destroyed by the explosion and subsequent fire (one was already vacant), and at least 10 more remained closed on both sides of the avenue and on 7th Street days later. These included such prominent historical and cheap-eats institutions as B & H Dairy, Moishe's Bake Shop (both important Jewish landmarks), Jimmy's No. 43 (a foodie shrine), and Paul's Da Burger Joint, which our own Nick Solares once described as "an honest-to-goodness bargain." Most of these will doubtlessly reopen, but can they survive in the long run?

Perhaps saddest was the complete destruction of Pommes Frites, a certifiably excellent eatery. Luckily no one who was working or dining there was hurt. (The premises wasn't destroyed by the explosion next door, but engulfed in flames so that the building eventually collapsed.) Pommes Frites rode into the city in 1997 on a wave of french fry adulation, at a time when its double-frying technique was part of a Belgian food fad. At one time it boasted three branches, then dwindled to one. And now none. This original branch miraculously persisted through the low-fat and low-carb crazes, when eating a meal of french fries was considered a crime against nutrition.

Those french fries – the only thing the restaurant served – were a particular favorite of late-night diners, who crowded into its narrow, strangely Tudor premises long after midnight and formed long lines out the door, even in bad weather. Picturesquely served in absorbent paper cones, the fries were fat fingers of potato glistening with grease, absolutely delectable when eaten seasoned only with salt, or sluiced with any of 50 or so sauces, of which my favorite was called Especial: an artery clogging combination of mayo, ketchup, and raw onions. Get a batch of Pommes Frites' fries and your hair would smell like grease for days. On the cheap-eats dining scene, there was nothing quite like it, nothing that would fill you up so completely and deliciously at such a low price.

And the location was perfect. Here's hoping Pommes Frites reopens soon (it has tweeted that intention), in an equivalently excellent spot. Until then, we'll miss you Pommes Frites.

By Caitlin Moscatello

Ohio Rep. Teresa Fedor (D) called on other lawmakers to shut down a bill that would make it illegal for a woman to get an abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. Supporters of the "Heartbeat Bill," as it's been called, do not want to allow for exceptions to the ban in cases of rape or incest. (They do, however, include exceptions for instances when the mother's life is in danger.) During the debate over the bill, Fedor became so frustrated with her colleagues, she publicly shared her own rape and abortion story for the first time. Watch the video below:

 

"I heard all these stories that just fit your scenario and I respect that, but you don't respect my reason, my rape, my abortion," said Fedor. "And I guarantee you there are other women who should stand up with me and be courageous enough to speak that voice…. What you are doing is so fundamentally inhuman, unconstitutional, and I've sat here too long."

She continued, "You deserve my lecture right now. I dare you to walk in my shoes and walk after I leave this chamber…. This debate is political, purely political, and I understand your story, but you don't understand mine."

"It is a personal decision, and how dare government get into my business…. I don't want government in my business. I want my freedom. I fought in the military for that freedom," she said.

Toward the end of her speech, Fedor calls out a lawmaker across the aisle. "I see people laughing. I don't appreciate that. On the other side. And it happens to be a man who's laughing. I don't know if it's about what I'm saying, but this is serious business right now, and I'm speaking for all of the women in the state of Ohio who didn't get the opportunity to be in front of that committee and make this kind of statement. I urge you to defeat this bill."

 

Related Links

 

In late 2013, major corporations such as Walmart, Nordstrom, Lowe's, Macy's, and Safeway began bankrolling the Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers' Compensation (ARAWC), a group that pushes legislation aimed at making it harder for workers hurt on the job to access lost wages and medical care.

But you wouldn't know it by looking at ARAWC's website. Sometime after Thursday, when Mother Jones published an article naming the major corporations financing ARAWC, the lobbying group removed a page from its site that listed its current members. Mother Jones recovered a version of the page that was cached earlier this month:

According to ARAWC's membership application, full and founding members pay $25,000 a year to join. Sponsoring members, such as Whole Foods and the Great American Insurance Company, pay $10,000 a year.

We've asked a spokesman for ARAWC why the group removed its "current members" page and will update this post with any response.

Update March 30, 6:20 p.m. EDT: A spokesman for ARAWC wrote the following in an email: "The Current Members page on the ARAWC website was previously scheduled to be taken down, because it did not reflect our current membership. It is not a big issue like some are making it into. Many lobbying organizations do not list their members at all. I expect the page to be re-posted at a later date."

Netflix has begun streaming The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (under its Japanese name Yume to kyôki no ohkoku ), a documentary that focuses on the acclaimed anime production company Studio Ghibli, and its directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata with the producer Toshio Suzuki. It was filmed during the time of the production of Miyazaki's The Wind Rises and Takahata's Princess Kaguya. 

 

The documentary is directed by Mami Sunada, who is famous for her 2011 documentary film Ending Note that focused on her father dying from cancer, and recently filmed the promotional video for Yumi Arai's "Hikoukigumo," which was used as the theme song for Miyazaki's The Wind Rises.

 

DIRECTED BY: Mami Sunada

 

FEATURING: Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata

 

SYNOPSIS: Granted near-unfettered access to the notoriously insular Studio Ghibli, director Mami Sunada follows the three men who are the lifeblood of Ghibli – the eminent director Hayao Miyazaki, the producer Toshio Suzuki, and the elusive and influential “other director” Isao Takahata – over the course of a year as the studio rushes to complete two films, Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises and Takahata’s The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. The result is a rare “fly on the wall” glimpse of the inner workings of one of the world’s most celebrated animation studios, and an insight into the dreams, passion and singular dedication of these remarkable creators. Plus you get to meet Ushiko, the adorable Studio Ghibli cat!

RUNNING TIME: 118 mins

WEBSITE: http://www.gkidsfilms.com/kingdom/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GKIDSfilms?ref=hl 

 

via FilmspottingSVU

------
Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.

cropped leggings 

[x]

“Is it centered? Make sure it is… but not too centered.”

buy this print!

When I was signing books in Frankfurt, someone asked me to draw The Enchantress, and I had never heard of her, so he produced a picture, and I asked questions about her while I drew. It turns out I think she is pretty great.

The brand new German edition of my book is available from Zwerchfell Press, with a pretty great title: OBACHT! LUMPENPACK

When people think of Japanese food, most think of sushi, sashimi or even some of the more popular Japanese comfort foods like okonomiyaki or udon noodles. If you’re a tourist, however, you’ve likely never experienced one of Tokyo’s most popular dishes: monjayaki. But don’t feel bad; even some Japanese people who don’t live in the Tokyo metropolitan area (75 percent of the population) have never tasted it. This is one reason why Tsukishima Monjadori, a street with over 100 monjayaki restaurants, ranks in the top five sight-seeing spots in the capital for Japanese tourists (FYI, the other four are Harajuku, Tokyo Disneyland, Odaiba and Tusukiji Fish Market).

Monjayaki is simple but complicated: it has just a few easy ingredients and can be made in under three minutes yet it requires instructions to make, and even eat, properly. It helps to know, for example, that monja is not usually eaten with chopsticks, and that there’s a good reason why.

Read on to learn more about this unexpectedly delicious fare: watch a how-to video showing you how to make it, check out photos that show you how to eat it, and get tips from a master monjayaki chef.

I first met monjayaki chef Yasutami Ōhashi (who goes by “Tommy”) when I came to Japan in 1994. At that time he was running a restaurant in Okayama City called “Hibachi,” where he served a varied menu of Japanese izakaya favorites such as braised fish, gyoza, and edamame, accompanied by lots of draft beer. Tommy cooked in the middle of the restaurant, surrounded by a counter which could seat up to 20 customers. Whenever you went into Hibachi, he’d immediately introduce you to the person sitting next to you giving both parties just enough information about each other to pique a conversation. Tommy knew that getting people to talk to each other was central to creating a friendly atmosphere where people would want to come back not just for the great food, but also to socialize.

▼Master chef Tommy Ōhashi is going to teach us how to make monjayaki.

In November of 1999, Tommy became the first person to introduce monjayaki to Okayama through his restaurant called Taiyo no Jidai (太陽の時代). It was so successful, he now has four restaurants, (two in Okayama City, one in Kurashiki, and one in Takamatsu) all specializing in monjayaki.

Taiyo no jidai means “sunny era” and refers to the new century we were about to enter when he started his endeavor. “People were trepidatious about the new century,” said Tommy. “They were worried about Y2K and some thought the world was going to end! I wanted people to be happy and optimistic about the future so I called my restaurant Taiyo no Jidai so people would have something bright to look forward to in the new year and the 21st century.”

Ingredients

Although the ingredients for monjayaki vary, Tommy treated me to three different dishes he makes at Taiyo no Jidai: 1. mentaiko (cod roe) & mochi 2. seafood & green onions 3. eggplant & cheese. These each arrived in separate metal bowls.

Underneath the main ingredients in the bowl were shredded cabbage and a liquid made by combining wheat flour (komugiko) and fish broth (dashi). “Monjayaki first became popular after WWII, ” Tommy explains, “because during the war when food was scarce, the easy mixture of flour and dashi was a cheap way for families to eat.” He then gave me his first tip to making tasty monja.

Tip #1: To make the best monjayaki, use the highest quality flour.

▼Tommy uses the same flour used to make cakes.

Next, he gave me a plate and one special utensil: a tiny spatula.

▼Plate and small spatula, called a moji-bera which means “word spatula.”

 ▼The teppan grill, the same as is used for okonomiyaki, is embedded in the middle of the restaurant table.

“Pencils and paper were also hard to come by during the war so children used the grill like a chalkboard to practice writing their letters in the flour and water mixture” Tommy said while pouring the mentaiko and mochi mixture onto the heated plate. “They’d draw letters with the small spatula. This is why the spatula is called moji-bera, or ‘word spatula.'”

With the monja on the grill, it is now time to use two bigger spatulas to beat it up! With a spatula in each fist, you cut up the ingredients rapid-fire by pounding the spatulas onto the grill thereby cutting up the ingredients (see video for action shot).

And Rocketeers, you can rejoice because this is one time when it’s okay to play with your food–in fact, it’s encouraged! Monja is surely the only Japanese food that allows you to get rid of stress, practice your drumming, and hone your culinary skills all while at the dinner table!

▼Go ahead, get your stress out, practice your drum roll!

When the ingredients are chopped small enough to make the monja a runny liquidy paste, let it rest to cook on the grill. After several more minutes, it’ll still be gooey but this time it’ll be ready to eat.

▼Monja on the grill, finished cooking and ready to eat!

You’ve probably noticed that monja is not very aesthetically pleasing: it would not win a culinary beauty contest. You could even say it looks kind of, well, sick. If you’ve ever gotten drunk on shots of tequila, you know what I mean. This unappealing visual was a big barrier for me the first time I ate monja. So I tried eating it with my eyes closed, which helped. But I eventually overcame the association with drunken tequila nights by thinking of dogs. Yes, dogs. When dogs throw up, they eat their vomit. Some people say this is instinct, but I don’t think so. I think dogs eat their vomit because…it’s delicious!

Monjayaki tastes best when it is piping hot, so eat it straight off the teppan plate with the moji-bera. There is a special technique, which brings us to Tommy’s second tip.

Tip No. 2: The proper way to eat monja is to pull off a portion with the moji-bera and press down on it to get the piece to stick to your spatula…

Then turn over the spatula and put it straight in your mouth.

The plate is there only if you need it, such as when the monja has been sitting too long on the grill and is burning and you want to get it off the grill quickly. Speaking of burning, Tommy has another tip for us now.

Tip No. 3: Don’t waste the okuge! It tastes good with beer.

▼Okuge is the burnt stuff on the hot plate, located around the perimeter of the liquid.

The fun in monjayaki is definitely in the creation of it on the grill and sharing the food among friends and family.

Here is a video of the entire process, which even shows you when and how to add the flour and dashi liquid:

Now you know how to make the perfect monjayaki. But Tommy has another tip for us!

Tip No. 4: You can make dessert monja!

This is a specialty of Taiyo no Jidai restaurant, and isn’t available anywhere else that I know of, but Tommy shows us that the same technique can be used to make a delicious strawberry dessert.

▼Strawberries and cream is just one of the dessert monja served at Taiyo no Jidai.

▼Yep, you’re gonna throw that beautiful concoction straight onto the grill!

▼And mix it and beat it up just like regular monja.

All that’s left to do is eat it with the moji-bera. The warm dessert melts in your mouth and tastes just like it has been baked in the oven–amazing!

There you have it, straight from the master chef who brought monjayaki to Okayama and started us all off with a sunny monjayaki 21st century. So Rocketeers, get to work making your own monja and be sure to let us know if you come up with something original and amazing that we just have to try!

Taiyo no Jidai has four restaurant locations in Western Japan:

Okayama Prefecture:
3-13-56 Omote-Cho, Okayama City 700-0822
1-17-2 Aoe Kita-ku, Okayama City 700-0941
619-2 Shimosho, Kurashiki City, 701-0112

Kagawa Prefecture:
4-20 Kajiyamachi,
Two Feet Bldg,
2F, Takamatsu 760-0028

Feature image courtesy of Taiyo no Jidai. All other images © Amy Chavez/RocketNews24

Origin: Monjayaki, the popular Tokyo dish you’ve probably never heard of 【RocketKitchen】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Related Stories

• We made monjayaki with a Pon de Monja doughnut!
• How many do you know? 12 delicious foods in Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores
• Enjoy buttered potato, muscat, or Japanese pizza…doughnuts
• Costco Japan’s bulgogi bake is a melting pot of deliciousness
• We try eating insects — they don’t taste like chicken

Pixar's RenderMan software has been used in the creation of all its films, as well as blockbusters like "The Lego Movie," "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Interstellar."

The "Project to Pierce the Moon With the Spear of Longinus" crowdfunding campaign opened an English page for international backers. Backers not residing...

Yeasted, cake and everything in between.

New York is filled with doughnuts, but not all are created equal. There are far better ones out there than the average breakfast street cart, you just have to know where to look. So here's a guide to the best of them, from Bay Ridge to Harlem and all places in between. Whether you go for a classic glazed or something more high-end and out there, you'll find what you're looking for below. So without further ado, here are the 14 best places to get some deep fried goodness.

Does it take itself out of the box, too?

Pasta giant Barilla understands that people these days don't have time to make their focaccia from scratch, or to painstakingly boil water for prepackaged spaghetti. That's why the company has introduced Pronto, a new line of pastas that don't require the cumbersome step of boiling water ahead of time.

According to an instructional video, the Pronto process is simpler: Add 3 cups of cold water to a pot, add the pasta, turn the stove on high, then give the pasta 10 minutes with a perfunctory stir every now and then. As it cooks, the pasta absorbs the water, all of it, which is kind of nuts, but which also eliminates the need to drain the pasta.

Once the water is gone, you're supposed to pour sauce directly over the pasta. Barilla maintains you can still enjoy the noodles al dente, or whatever your preferred doneness is, although going unsaid is how the final results compare to "traditional" noodles. Maybe take a wait-and-see approach to this new line before ditching your traditional linguine.

[Gizmodo]

Read more posts by Clint Rainey

Filed Under: mac and ease, barilla, food innovations, no-boil pasta

flamingo-chan:

Char no Nichijou volume 3 cover. Release date set to 26th of March

Manga’s official website

Ryuugamine Mikado is the protagonist of the light novel turned anime, Durarara!! His story is that he decided to from a “gang” online on a whim called the Dollars, and due to its lax rules for membership (if there were truly ever any at all), it becomes a social phenomenon both on and off the internet. Mikado himself is not a very strong-willed individual, he rarely ever actually has to act upon his role as the anonymous founder of the Dollars, and even then he is not a leader in the traditional sense.

Ryuugamine (竜ヶ峰) is literally “dragon’s peak.” Mikado is more complicated.

The term “mikado,” generally written either as 御門 or 帝, refers to the Emperor of Japan or his estate, but is an extremely archaic and obsolete term. However, while Japan had long since dropped that particular term, probably since at least the 13th century, Western texts still continued to use it well into the 20th century. In other words, in current context, “mikado” has connotations of misunderstanding and mislabeling. Mikado the character’s name is written as 帝人, which literally means “emperor man” but is more a way to make “Mikado” look like an actual Japanese name.

In other words, “Ryuugamine Mikado” is very fitting when you think of the Dollars, with its enormous reach and influence, as the “dragon” and Mikado himself as its misunderstood and illusory “emperor.”

—

If you liked this post, consider becoming a sponsor of Ogiue Maniax through Patreon. You can get rewards for higher pledges, including a chance to request topics for the blog.

Jason Thompson, author of Manga: The Complete Guide and tabletop gaming guru, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the production of card game Mangaka: The Fast & Furious Game of Drawing Comics. Playtested at conventions, art schools and game shops, Mangaka aims to offer a game that "combines the fun of making comics (and sharing them with your friends!) with the strategies of a great card game." 

 

The premise is described

Challenge your friends and your creativity in a battle against time! Start by drawing three Theme Cards to determine the subject of your comic. With over 180,000 possible combinations, you'll never run out of ideas. Then, you and the other players must draw comics and express your Themes before time runs out. Fleeting Trend Cards add another dimension of strategy: your fickle readers this round may demand Science Fiction, Fantasy, Shojo Manga, Sports, Destruction or any one of 52 Trends. Each round brings more Panels to draw and Trends to chase than the round before. When the final round ends, the winner is the one with the most Fame Tokens…but every player ends the game with a comic of their own creation.

Mangaka: The Fast & Furious Game of Drawing Comics will challenge your speed, memory and creativity in a fast-paced game of endless possibilities! But don’t worry even if you've never drawn a stick figure in your life—your cleverness, cunning and storytelling ability will matter much more than your ability to draw.

 

 With a deadline of May 25th, 2015 set, $4,000 has already been raised towards its $25,000.

 

 

 

-------
Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.

 

Chief Arino Shinya and the Game Center CX team will be appearing on the Super Mario Bros. 30^th Anniversay Special Stage at the Nico Nico Super Conference 2015 on April 25 and 26, 2015 at the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall in Chiba City, Japan.

 

<a href="http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/1427205679">【ニコニコ動画】レトロゲームを愛する男、課長『有野晋哉』がニコニコ超会議に降臨します！</a>

 

Some combination of live-play and clips from the numerous showdowns Chief Arino has had with various Mario games over the years is planned. The advertisement above promises “the birth of a new legend...maybe”.

 

More information can be found at the official Nico Nico Super Conference home page here.

 

Source: My Game News Flash

 

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.