Linky Roundup

OK, it turns out that I’m way too busy prepping D&D and playing Battlefield to spare brain cycles on you lot for the minute, so here’s a load of other people’s stuff for you to read and watch and enjoy.

Enjoy!

Trolocat!

Care of Das MutterBoing

Terrifyingly, Awfully Brilliant Harry Potter Fanfic

Lib Dems are Behind Debate on #DEBill

Odd Russian(?) Children’s Cartoon
Not sure about this, but it appears to be about an abusive relationship between a wolf and a rabbit. It has robots and a fantastic soundtrack.

Thanks to Coilhouse

Robot Unicorn Attack! Play this!

Deus Ex 3 Trailer

Squee!

Tags: linkdump, my god I can't think of anything to write, video

Saving 6 Music

The BBC and I are no longer as close as we once were. First there was that whole homeopathy thing, and now they’re threatening to kill off 6 Music. Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC and all round twat has been steadily decreasing the cultural value of the once-proud institution, and now he is recommending the closure of 6 music and the Asian Network by the end of 2011.

For the last 6 months or so I have been listening to podcasts of some of the finest new music, and classic, iconic songs from people that actually understand music. Radio 1 is at best an infuriating alternative and at worst a festuring turd polished up and sold to you as popular music. You’re not 3008, I won’t poke your face and it’s definately not Bonkaas, it’s shit. FACT.

The report states: “Given the strength of its popular music radio offering from Radio 1 and 2 and the opportunity to increase the distinctiveness of Radio 2, the BBC has concluded that the most effective and efficient way to deliver popular music on radio is to focus investment on these core networks.” I tend to agree more with Eddie Argos; “The record buying public shouldn’t be voting.”

Surely the whole point in championing new, independant, music is precisely that it isn’t yet popular since the record labels hosting the talent can’t afford the publicity and air time for a radio 1 heavy rotation that seems to go hand in hand with chart success. Some songs I’m not going to like despite how many times you play it, ok. I think the RATM thing over Christmas showed that there IS a musical revolution happening, sick of Scowell’s chokehold on our music, and this is  why 6 music is so important.

Luckily the gallows are not on the horizon (metaphorically and musically) for 6 Music just yet and there is plenty we can do to help save it:

• Listen to it. Pretty obvious really but some estimates already suggest thet the listening audience has already doubled since the news first broke. If you can listen to it through the iPlayer, even better, as this is one of the key measures of the stations success
• Sign the petition to BBC Chief Sir Michael Lyons.
• Use 36 Degrees’ template to contact the BBC trust
• Email your thoughts to :-

srconsultation@bbc.co.uk
michael.lyons@bbc.co.uk
richard.tait@bbc.co.uk
jeremy.peat@bbc.co.uk
mehmuda.mian@bbc.co.uk
david.liddiment@bbc.co.uk
janet.lewis-jones@bbc.co.uk
rotha.johnston@bbc.co.uk
patricia.hodgson@bbc.co.uk
alison.hastings@bbc.co.uk
anthony.fry@bbc.co.uk
diane.coyle@bbc.co.uk
chitra.bharucha@bbc.co.uk
trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk

• Change your twitter avatar using the twibbons.
• Join the Facebook group

And if none of this works?

Turn off your radio…

Tags: 6 music, bbc, campaign, music, Musics What I Like, rant, save 6 music

Neptune’s Pride – Neil’s (backstabbing) Game

As you see this, gentle reader, the editorial staff of Stuporcollider and 60% of our readership (plus guest) prepare for the commensment of a war to end all wars. Or, more likely, a conflict to start a lot of arguments and recriminations. This will be an ulimate battle to the death, eight players, one galaxy. Only one race will survive to rule…

You didn’t guess it?? Well we’ll be taking part in a premuim game of Neptune’s Pride. If you’ve not caught news about this online multiplayer RTS, that’s probably because it’s still in Beta and even when it is finally at v1.0 will doubtless remain a fringe game, with hardcore participation but shallow mainstream penatration. That said, inital reports have not been unappealing and, lets be honest, we’re at the fringes anyway. If you’ve ever played Risk then add to that mechanic some simple technology trees and a trade system and you’re pretty much where the game seems to lie. NP’s scale, however, is completely none-terrestrial. You venture through the stars of a random or systematically constructed galaxy to find and conquer your fellow players.

One of the main features, and one I like the sound of, is the pace of the game. It’s an RTS (so’s not turn-based) but traveling from star to star takes a number of hours. The game is played through your chosen interweb browser, so you can log-in and check you progress a few times a day, set what you want your dudez to do and leave them to their jobs. This allows for a lot of tactical thinking and games that last weeks.

Obviously the size and power of your fleets influence greatly your success, but there’s also the opportunity to form (and there for break) alliances with other players. This, I think, is where the beauty of the game could be. I can envisage some exploration, a bit of combat/trade and then a whole lot of backstabbing and subterfuge… I can hardly wait…

And with that, the e-mail has arrived telling me that the game is afoot…

I intend to post  ”every now and then” with comments on the game itself and coverage of hostilities, for as long as I survive. So check back for fighty talk and feedback soon. I’m now off to plan how best to eradicate everyone else from my universe!

Tags: games, gammonator, multiplayer, Neptune's Pride

The Mesopotamians

Yeah, updates. I remember them. They were awesome.

Turns out my brain only functions in the sun. In that one tiny respect, I am just like superman. To tide you over, here are TMBG being great. The basts.
For additional greatness, see The Doctor

Tags: video, We Suck At Updates

Ramblings of a wannabe writer

No, not mine.

An old chum of mine, Russ (aka @DiscoMcDisco), has just started getting people to help him finish his first novel via the wacky world of the interweb. He’s a good sort, and is probably going to show us up in our own efforts to churn out some written word. Despite that, there’s plenty of downloads and character stuff for you to read over at Ramblings of a wannabe writer.

Get to it!

Tags: friends, shameless cross promotion, writing