Filed under: Matt Gagnon
Here’s an early shot from Favreau’s Iron Man movie. Doesn’t look too bad, eh? What we have here is Tony Stark’s first Iron Man design, circa Vietnam. What you can’t see is the intravenous drip feeding Stark’s alcohlic brain with enough Jack Daniels to confuse a T-Rex.
Filed under: /afk
EDIT: The link was hijacked and has been removed. Google it for more info.
I may want to apologize for my ill-placed pun at the end of this post, but for now, let’s roll with it.
For those of you who are fans of World of Warcraft (WoW), you may have already heard about this story. Nonetheless, allow me to illuminate the tale of this lovely lady of the night.
In WoW, characters eventually earn the right to purchase a mount to increase their movement speed. For example, a Blood Elf rides a Hawkstrider, which is similar to a Chocobo from Final Fantasy lore. Yes, I am a gamer!
With the release of The Burning Crusade (TBC), the expansion for WoW, players will be able to purchase new flying mounts to cruise around Outland. One can only imagine the dimension that this adds to the game for the average WoW fan.
Here begins the crux of our conversation. There are mounts and there are epic mounts. Of course, the difference is more than simple semantics. Regular mounts increase movement speed by 60% while epic mounts increase speed by 100%. So in essence, epic mounts are uber; which is to say, super cool. Imagine if you will, flying around the entire end-game zones on an epic flying mount. You are a god among men. There is one setback, the epic flying mounts are cost prohibitive (5,000 gold), forcing many to spend countless hours collecting gold or spending a grip of real world cash to buy online gold. So, what is a hapless and desperate adventurer to do?
A recent story has surfaced about a WoW Prostitute who ‘allegedly’ sold her wares in exchange for enough gold to buy her epic flying mount. Can we really fault this lady for being direct about her gaming needs. Keep in mind, she probably blew the mind of said gamer who may have embarked on his first quest into the Lair of the White Worm. Frankly, I think we should encourage the way that this lady is spreading love throughout the world of Azeroth.
And so you see, the title of my post comes around full circle. There will be no apology.
Greg Stuetze
Filed under: /afk
OOW is proud to announce a new alliance with respect to our documentary feature “/afk”. We have procured the expertise of an accomplished professional editor and will be utilizing much of his talent as we near completion on this much anticipated film. He brings with him many years and countless hours of editing experience along with a genuine respect for the subject matter of the film.
Adding him to our team will keep our production schedule on track, which means the film will be complete by the end of this year.
Keep checking back as we will have an Official /afk Trailer available in the next few weeks.
If you want to be apprised of future /afk developments, please contact me to join the /afk Mailing List.
Filed under: Matt Gagnon
Our Internet compound returns. Getting right down to it, the local gas company is performing mysterious constructions on my street this week. I have awoken to the lovely sound of a jackhammer mercilessly destroying asphalt directly outside of my apartment for seven straight days. Good times.
I continue to sail the treacherous waters of The Arts, as ever. Docking in different mediums and evading/fending off rogue pirates. It’s been a good year so far, all said. Plenty of irons in the fire.
Here’s some random bits and pieces for your eyes and souls.
Pat on the Back Action
I put my journo hat on for a hot minute in the March/April issue of the excellent MEAN Magazine. I wrote a piece on the inimitable James Jean, one of the comic industrie’s most prominent fine artists. It’s a nice little two page piece with plenty of James’ gorgeous art. Check ‘er out, if you’re so inclined.
Homie Action
My friend Mark Sable’s issue of Supergirl dropped this week. Issue number 16. You should be able to find this at your local purveyor of comics lit. It looks a little something like this…
Fan of NBC’s HEROES? Travel on over to NBC.com and you can read Heroes webcomics for free. That’s right, your Yankee dollar is no good at the NBC website. My friend Pier wrote the comic about Eve and co-wrote the story set in Vietnam. You will find these comics under the unintentionally condescending header of “novels.”
Other Things I’ve Seen Today Action
Rad. I will see this film tomorrow.
Nice to be back. Feels good in here.
-Matt
Filed under: Eternal Boy Scout
There is a progression that one makes as a man. It can be summed up through fabric and stitching in the form of ranks and merit badges. You begin your trek by earning the right to be called a simple Scout, a plebe by all accounts. You memorize a bit of key scouting information and doctrine and you earn your right to be among their ranks. Secret handshake is optional.
Your identity begins to take root as you taverse the trials of the Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class. Each step requires more exposure to life and the acquisition of more merit badges. There is a myth that must now be destroyed. Underwater basket-weaving is nowhere to be found in their knowledge base. A vicious rumor. Wilderness Survival works well with Environmental Science as long as you do not have a bear trampling your camp. Beware! Do not spill food on your sleeping bag.
When you reach the rank of Star, you are rising above the masses. By this time, you have been a Patrol Leader for some period of time and have had a chance to lead your own group of Boy Scout initiates. As the banker for your patrol, you may have had the opportunity to create your own social hierarchy while on your various trips. Perhaps, the Hershey’s candy bars were intended solely for the patrol royalty, of which you preside as king. Do not let this go to your head. You are a Boy Scout and must rise above such base acts, although these lessons do carry universal application outside of your Troop.
Life is the rank you acquire next. You are asked to experience more of the same, accept more responsibility, earn more badges and tie more knots. The Bowline is my personal favorite because it can be used to separate the novice from the Scout whose star is on the rise. You see, it’s called the ‘King of Knots’ for its strength and inability to slip or jam. And, because it’s king it’s hard to tie, but that is not what makes it the elite knot. While it’s called a Bowline the actual word is pronounced Bo’lin. So, should one want to tie this knot there is more than one way to humiliate him in the process. After all, life has an occasional humiliation and a Life Scout must ‘Be Prepared’ for this situation. Damn, I’m good.
To become an Eagle Scout, you will endure your most difficult task and in my opinion, gain practical experience with which you can apply to much of your life. You will organize a service project and come face to face with bureaucracy in all of its splendor. Imagine, if you will, trying to organize young boy scouts with the intention of painting a mural of the continental United States for one of your community schools. Yelling is a must at this point. You may have to untangle a pair of brothers who are fighting over who will wield the sponge brush. And, everyone wants to paint your home state of Arizona. When the service project is complete it is you who will be able to take all the credit. Again, a powerful life lesson to say the least.
But, you will not become an Eagle Scout until a board of review hears your plea and can vouch for your personal integrity and commitment to living by the guidelines held so dear by the organization. It’s at this time that you really need to focus on concealing any of your personal faults. Within the troop, there is an unspoken code that forgives any indiscretions. Twisty-tying someone in their tent thereby forcing said someone to shit their pants is written off as camp hijinx. All incidents of throwing knives, brandishing ninja stars and starting fires are forgiven. And with pride, your Troop shares in the glory of having assisted another boy scout in his quest for the rank of Eagle Scout.
It’s simple to see how the life of a scout mirrors the trials of everyday life. An Eagle Scout is well-prepared to communicate effectively with his environment. He is a superb negotiator and an even better salesman. He can secure your cargo, lead you through treacherous woods and make it home in time to cook dinner. His skills are innumerable and his senses keen. The next time you meet a scout, don’t be intimidated. We are simply men, just like you.
Greg Stuetze
Filed under: Uncategorized
Herein begins the spreading of our ideas through the careful use of 5 vowels and 21 consonants. We will be using linking verbs on occassion. Additionally, the presence of adverbial clauses and prepositional phrases will certainly be felt in a matter of time. Grammar is our mantra and we will obey its dogma. Please feel free to comment accordingly and with proper sentence structure.
