Batgirl 1st Appearance

Come on, you know you want to look.

Hail Eris!

All Hail Discordia!

Former ‘10th planet’ officially named Eris

A distant, icy rock whose discovery shook up the solar system and led to Pluto's planetary demise has been given a name: Eris.

The christening of Eris, named after the Greek goddess of chaos and strife, was announced by the International Astronomical Union on Wednesday. Weeks earlier, the professional astronomers' group stripped Pluto of its planethood under new controversial guidelines.

Never Forget

We will never forget the day that the moon left its orbit and those astronauts were lost.

Closer To Slash

What happens when you combine Star Trek with Nine Inch Nails' Closer? Click on the video above and find out just how wrong it would be. By the way, this isn't safe for work...just in case I have to explain that to you.

Superman Is A Dick

While trying to find something that would give me an idea what to do with tonight's game session I discovered something else: Superman is a Dick!

Wikipedia: Lamest edit wars

Once again the Internet comes through with arguments over the dumbest things.

Wikipedia: Lamest edit wars

Occasionally, Wikipedians lose their minds and get into edit wars over the most petty things. This is to document that phenomenon. This page isn't comprehensive or authoritative, but it is designed to show the 'worst-case' result of people attaching so much importance to some trivial detail that they are willing to engage in the lame pastime of edit warring over an even lamer cause.

ArtHaus Acquires Big Eyes, Small Mouth RPG

I'm not overly surprised by the news, not since I saw that some of the Guardians of Order BESM-related properties had been transferred to Arthaus on the DriveThruRPG.com website. I had hoped that it would be Mongoose who ended up with this, bu it would appear not to be the case.

Regardless, it is good news for BESM fans. I wish that it had been released as a softcover, at least, though. That price is a bit too rich for my tastes.

ArtHaus Acquires Big Eyes, Small Mouth RPG

Fans of Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM) will be thrilled to learn that the 3rd Edition of this award winning role playing game will be released by ArtHaus in January 2007.

Previously published by Guardians of Order, BESM is designed to be a multi-genre anime and manga game and can accommodate nearly any setting or time period. The rules are simple to use and thus do not include an overwhelming amount of specific detail, with the task resolution system and combat engine designed to capture the fast-moving nature of anime and manga action. This element is one of the central strengths of the game, making BESM ideal for either the novice or experienced role-player.

Fun With Google -- Confidential, Do Not Distribute!

I picked this up from Boing Boing and found it humorous. Is it dorky? I'll leave that one to you.

Apparently there are people in business world who think that marking something as "Confidential" and then putting it out on your website will keep anyone from ever finding it.

Fun With Google -- Confidential, Do Not Distribute!

[via Boing Boing]

TV star Steve Irwin killed while filming

The Crocodile Hunter hunts no longer.

TV star Steve Irwin killed while filming

Television star Steve Irwin has been killed while filming an underwater documentary in Queensland.

The 44-year-old, who was dubbed 'The Crocodile Hunter', was killed by a stingray barb through the chest while diving off Port Douglas.

Local diving operator Steve Edmundson said: 'Steve was hit by a stingray in the chest. He probably died from a cardiac arrest from the injury.'

Police confirmed that paramedics were flown to nearby Low Isles, where Irwin was taken to be treated, but he died before they arrived.

Irwin, who runs the world famous Australia Zoo, is survived by his wife Terri and their two young children Bindi Sue and Bob Clarence.

Speaking to Sky Television, Queensland Tourism Minister Margaret Keech said: 'It's a dreadful loss for the tourism industry and for nature conservation.'

'Everybody who met Steve was impressed with his energy and his enthusiasm,' she said.

Irwin made almost 50 'Crocodile Hunter' documentaries, which earned him worldwide acclaim for his dare-devil stunts with animals.

First Taste Is For Free

If you haven't checked out the comics of Brian Wood, you need to do so right now. I haven't gotten any of his DMZ series yet (but I keep meaning to pick up the first trade) but his Demo, Channel Zero and Couscous Express books have been among some of my favorite comics of the last few years. Plus he did the design work for Warren Ellis' incredible mini-series, Global Frequency.

Now, DC/Vertigo Comics are offering you a free taste of Wood's DMZ comic. The first issue is available from their site as a PDF download. Don't ever believe the hype about anything, and don't just believe what people are saying online. Check it out with your own eyes and figure it out for yourself.

First Taste Is For Free

From indie comics icon Brian Wood (Demo, Channel Zero, GLOBAL FREQUENCY) and up-and-coming Italian artist Riccardo Burchielli (John Doe) comes the first volume of DMZ, collecting the first 5 issues of the series about the ultimate embedded war journalist trapped in a most unlikely war zone: the streets of New York City.

In the near future, America's worst nightmare has come true. With military adventurism overseas bogging down the Army and National Guard, the U.S. government mistakenly neglects the very real threat of anti-establishment militias scattered across the 50 states. Like a sleeping giant, Middle America rises up and violently pushes its way to the shining seas, coming to a standstill at the line in the sand — Manhattan or, as the world now knows it, the DMZ.

Matty Roth, a naïve young man and aspiring photojournalist, lands a dream gig following a veteran war journalist into the heart of the DMZ. Things soon go terribly wrong, and Matty finds himself lost and alone in a world he's only seen on television. There, he is faced with a choice: try to find a way off the island, or make his career with an assignment most journalists would kill for. But can he survive in a war zone long enough to report the truth?

EDIT: Picked up the first DMZ trade when I went to the comic store for this week's pick-up. Only $9.99 for the first five issues of the book. I have to say, that's pretty impressive and I wish that more publishers would give you the first taste/trade for cheaper to get people involved in picking up the collections. If I had known it would have been this cheap, I would have picked it up sooner. Brian Wood's writing is as strong as it has been in the other books of his that I have read.

If you are a fan of Brian Wood, this book is for you. If you aren't a fan of Brian Wood...why aren't you? If you like non-super hero books with intelligent writing, you should check out this book. If you want a comic book that is different from what all of the other people are doing, this book is for you. Brian Wood writes in a cyberpunk sort of mode, without it actually being cyberpunk. Which means that there isn't any cyber involved. If you have read any of the DryCo books by Jack Womack then you will know exactly what I am talking about. If you haven't, you should probably head out to the library or your nearest used bookstore right now. Don't worry. I'll wait.

Basically, I am saying that this is a comic that you should check out and check out soon.

[via Warren Ellis]