Month: January 2014

By Thomas Holbrook II

Ironically, the subject matter is brought up again in the same week.  Is it the contents of the latest podcast episode?

Maybe something about GMO’s and bees?  Bitcoin?

Unfortunately, it’s a subject involving something that’s less important than all of the above.  I of course am speaking of Justin Bieber.

Or rather, the petition to have him deported.

To make a long story short as to why said petition is up, here’s a link that will give you an idea of what’s going on.  Something about drugs, alcohol, and other things.  To shorten it even further, I have five words:

Are you fucking kidding me?!

We have the controversy surrounding the NSA and wiretapping.  There’s that chaos over in the Ukraine.  But no!  Let’s focus on yet another celebrity having a breakdown.

At least when Alex Jones and Kurt Nimmo had their petition to deport Piers Morgan, there was an actual purpose to it (hint: if you say it was to deport Morgan, then you haven’t been paying attention).

There are more important things out there, and that’s why this petition makes this week’s Friday Epic Fail.

By Thomas Holbrook II

One of the most popular games I remember playing was Mike Tyson’s Punchout.  Seeing my older step-brother, my dad, and others play this game made me want to give it a shot.

I wouldn’t get the chance until well after the NES’s popularity started to dwindle in favor of newer consoles.

In either event, Tyson himself was on the cover, and was even featured at the end of the game.  As the final boss, he was aggravating, especially in the first round.

One wrong move, and his uppercut would send Little Mac flying!  Believe it or not, Punchout existed long before Tyson endorsed a port of it to the NES.  Hardcore Gaming 101 has more details about the series, including information on the arcade edition.  So which game did you use to play growing up, and on which console?  Feel free to sound off in the comments section.  😉

January is almost over, and it’s already been an interesting ride this year.  2014 is turning out to be an interesting year.

New ideas are emerging as well as a changing geopolitical landscape.  While this isn’t the change many were supposed to “believe in,” things are definitely not going to be stagnant.

Unix

• Bridge Linux:  Every now and then, a new Unix-like OS enters town.  This distro uses Arch as its base and comes in a variety of desktop environments.  There is a 32 and 64-bit edition.  Dalton Miller, the founder of the project was recently interviewed by DistroWatch.
• Bitcoin and TigerDirect: The online electronics retailer is now accepting Bitcoin as payment.  As mention of the digital currency goes more mainstream, it will be interesting to see what happens next.
• David Gerwitz recommends Chromebooks: Gerwitz of ZDNet has recently started recommending Chromebooks for everyday users.  The big reasoning according to him is that, “For people who don’t need all that Windows has to offer, for those who live in their browsers, Gmail, Facebook, and such, for those who write simple documents and need simple spreadsheets or presentations, for those who just need to get something done quickly and easily, the Chromebook is an ideal choice.”

Overlooked Pop Culture

• CNN US Edition Covers Bieber instead of Ukraine: During the unrest in the Ukraine, a Reddit user caught the front page of CNN’s website (U.S. Edition), where Justin Bieber was front and center.  There seems to be a trend of people getting tired of celebrity “scandals.”
• GMO Tobacco Virus Killing Bees?: This article from InfoWars links to a study from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science in Bejing.  It will be interesting to see how science finds a way to overcome a virus that allegedly jumps from plants to animals.
• From the Fuck the Police Files: The Smoking Gun recently reported on a Pizza Hut Manger who spit on the food of a deputy who had busted her for riding in a car with someone who might have been drinking.  In Tennessee, it’s an automatic DUI.  She lost her job, and the cop probably lost some of his faith in fast food chains.

By Thomas Holbrook II

I’ll be up front about this.  I don’t care about Miley Cyrus and her twerking, let alone her song “Wrecking Ball.”  So she’s rebelled against all the blind Hannah Montana fans and Disney.

I can totally understand that.

But acting a fool on a piece of construction/destruction equipment is not going to help matters, especially when other celebrities try to cash in.

For instance:

Hulk Hogan is sponsoring a web hosting company with a litany of various features.  I’m not so sure a man in his 60’s wearing a thong is the right thing to do in terms of marketing, but whatever floats his boat, right?

Let’s see, I can either go with a hosting company that has a bunch of features at a competitive price or one that’s sponsored by a creepy dude wearing hair extensions, a thong, and sporting a less fertile sex organ due to steroids.

I’m thinking I’ll pass on Hostamania.

But it gets worse….. much worse.

At least it was an actual porn star who wasn’t shrunk by steroids.  Still, a fat dude in his tighty whiteys exploiting such a horrible song is bound to leave one sleepless at night, and not in a pleasurable way.

So you see, it’s not the song from Cyrus herself that makes things so painful.  It’s creepy elderly men wanting to get their rocks off while younger kids are busy throwing up.

Thanks Miley.  No.  Really.

Note: Featured image from here under this license.

By Thomas Holbrook II

When I was in grade school, I didn’t always have access to the Internet.  The household would only get a video game console when the price dropped low enough for them.  The main outlet for entertainment was broadcast TV.

We had about four to six whopping channels.

One of the shows that I remember quite well was Renegade, starring Lorenzo Lamas.

I watched the show for the martial arts and gun toting action.  The ladies watched him, because he was a stud on a bike.

Lamas played the role of Reno Raines, a former cop who was framed for murder.  He joins Bobby Sixkiller, uses Clint Black as a pseudonym, and becomes a bounty hunter while trying to clear his name.

Dutch Dixon, the crooked cop turned Federal Marshal, is the main villain in the series.  He’s absolutely horrible as an individual, and it makes for an interesting series.

The series ran for 110 episodes, and is actually available as a box set.

Though the show may be seen as very corny and blown out of proportion by today’s standards, I remember seeing this guy’s impressive kicks and his motorcycle.

I thought to myself, “Wow.  This dude is tough as nails!”

Plenty of guest stars including Jesse Ventura have made appearances in various episodes.

Anyway, here’s the opening theme.

By Thomas Holbrook II

I remember the good old days of relying on Microsoft.  I used everything from Windows to Office.  I even used Visual Basic for a while.

The problem is that said software costs several hundred dollars in the U.S. alone.  Even the subscription model can get expensive after a while.

That’s why so called “software piracy” has run rampant throughout the years.  While many would love for companies and individuals to be compensated for the work done, bending them over and violating their hind quarters without so much as a happy reach around was not a good incentive to be “moral and ethical” about installing software.

Then again, this is the same organization that referred to ACTA as a treaty, when in fact it wasn’t.  Since they do tend to act like a mafia, it shouldn’t be too surprising.

So there I was on my lunch quietly scrolling through Facebook when something showed up on my feed that caused me to die a little on the inside.  The big push is for people to turn others in for cash rewards.

This reminded me of another ad that got trolled.  Instead of an actor who was blown up to look like Hercules through the magic of photo editing, we have, “Hey!  Snitch on others you know for money!  Yeah!   Money!”

Needless to say, the ad didn’t go over well.

From being called scum to being asked if they’d pay for a person’s software if they turned themselves in, is a clear demonstration that the people at the BSA are not the brightest stars in the sky.

Why in the world would they pay for an ad on Facebook?

Who knows.  Maybe they just want to throw everything out there and see what sticks.  At the end of the day, BSA is this week’s Friday Epic Fail!

It isn’t too far into 2014, and we’re already experiencing some interesting turn of events.  Thomas Holbrook II is now writing for Muktware once again.  His focus will be on Chromebooks, Chrome OS, and other topics, such as civil liberties online.

Speaking of civil liberties, that is one topic that will see coverage in this week’s links.  We have the usual developments in free and open source software, but also from a few other fronts as well.

Unix

• Don’t Blindly Trust Open Source, verify it: Mozilla Calls for Protection from NSA Spying (Muktware.com): Swapnil Bhartiya, founder and editor of Muktware, writes about the NSA and how the availability of a project’s source code isn’t immune from tampering, especially if developers don’t pay enough attention.
• ZaReason’s Zeto a Part of their Latest Offerings (ZaReason): Though the company has been criticized for their tablet, the California-based company keeps quietly releasing new products, such as the Zeto.  It’s powered by the newest generation of Intel processors as well as powerful NVIDIA graphics.
• Ars Technica on Verizon vs FCC (Ars Technica): The courts have invalidated most of the Net Neutrality rules put out by the FCC.  ISP’s can’t be treated like phone companies.  Only time will tell whether ISP’s will start to throttle traffic in order to prevent competition throughout various Internet-based industries.

Overlooked Pop Culture

• Fukushima Radiation Hits San Francisco? (Kill Your TV YouTube Channel):  According to a test with a Geiger counter, radiation levels at a San Francisco beach were discovered to be at abnormally high levels.  Is this from Fukushima?
• Superbabies? (Mail Online): A Chinese firm is apparently trying to see if one can map the genes of those who are especially skilled in Math.  Imagine picking out the smartest embryos and combining other good genes with them.  Interesting indeed.
• Daniel Bryan Has a Concussion? (24Wrestling.com): Though not seen on WWE’s website, it seems that Daniel Bryan suffered a concussion during the cage match from the last Monday Night Raw.  Again, no official statement has been made on WWE.com.

The magazine industry is still going fairly strong today.  Going to any major general retailer, book store, or grocery store, one will always notice the magazine and/or book sections.  The captions of the covers can grab the attention of everyone, as the whole publication screams, “Please buy me!”

Unfortunately, some disasters can occur.

Without commas, one might assume that the cops would pursue Rachael Ray for killing her own family with PETA not far behind.

In short, commas save lives.

Magazines aren’t the only victims of such simple oversights.  Movies can also be the unwitting victims, especially in retail outlets as pictured on the right.

Ok, so are we hunting for whales or are we afraid a certain sexual organ is shrinking?  Are we talking harpoons or sperm count?

Remember kids, sticker placement is important.  Very important!

Speaking of which, it’s come to our attention that there are times in which ejaculating will help put out fires, according to the closed caption on the left.  Granted, this was shamelessly swiped from Buzzfeed, but that’s ok.

They have a history of shamelessly swiping content from everyone else.

So remember kids, pay attention when doing any type of captions, no matter the medium.  By the way, if anybody knows where the first two images came from, we’ll gladly link to the original source.  Just let us know in the comments section.

By Thomas Holbrook II

On Old School Raw, several legends made guest appearances.  “Double A” Arn Anderson, Sgt Slaughter, DDP, Booker T, and others would help bring back some wonderful memories of WWE.  The one pleasant surprise that ended the show was none other than Jake the Snake Roberts coming out with his customary bag to the dismay of The Shield, a faction that imposes it’s own “brand of justice.”

There was more to him than the giant snake.  His ring psychology was so effective, his mic work so extraordinary, that physique didn’t matter.  Here’s a rare piece of footage of him in WCW.

There was more to him than the giant snake.  His ring psychology was so effective, his mic work so extraordinary, that physique didn’t matter.  Here’s a rare piece of footage of him in WCW.

The intellectual villain has been a rarity in professional wrestling, and nobody has matched him to date in my humble opinion.  I remember his brief feud with Sting and to this day, it’s a shame that it wasn’t lengthy.

So who is your favorite wrestling legend?  Feel free to sound off in the comments section below.

The new year has started off right with more dedication to this site, including having some links ready for everybody to check out each week.

Have a link you want to see here?  Feel free to drop us a line in the comments, on any of our social networking places (linked to the left), via phone (660-474-0345), or by e-mail (thomash2@thenixedreport.com).

Unix

• Fedora Project: Sponsored by Red Hat, version 20 of this Operating System is the first stop on this year’s Distro Journey.
• Is Microsoft Grasping at Straws? (FOSS Force): Ken “helios” Starks asks the question of whether Microsoft is on their last legs regarding competition against Free and Open Source Software.  From mentioning the aQuantive buyout to Rockstar, Starks paints a picture of a company that has grown desperate.
• Razer’s Project Christine (MaximumPC): Those who are seasoned veterans when it comes to upgrading PC’s may have had their fair share of nicks and cuts on their hands and fingers.  Razer is apparently wanting to change all of that by creating a modular gaming system that lends itself to easier upgrades.

Overlooked Pop Culture

• The British Punk Band that Fooled Reagan, Thatcher, and the CIA (The Daily Beast): Crass, a British Punk Band conducted a prank in which a fake phone call between then President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher caused quite a stir.  American intelligence blamed the soviets, while the British blamed Argentine spies.  The lead singer is disturbed to this day that governments were so easily fooled.
• On News Sources and Bias (Bonnie Kristian):  The argument is made that there is no way to get rid of bias in news or the media in general.  The blog post links to sources that they pursue on a regular basis.
• Decapitated Sex Toys Prompted Police Probe (The Smoking Gun): A Florida woman’s ex-girlfriend had apparently cut off the heads of a few dildos, prompting her to contact the police.  Due to lack of evidence, the case was eventually closed.  Of course it wouldn’t be Wednesday Weekly Links without something really weird like this.