The Commodore 64 Returns

By Rob Bricken in Nerdery, Tech
Thursday, Mar. 18 2010 @ 3:57PM
No -- really. As a series of keyboard computers, even. Let me let Engadget give you the details.
As President and CEO of the newly minted Commodore USA, [Barry Altman]'s spent the better part of a year crawling through the arcane red tape necessary to get the rights to the Commodore name. And now? With any luck, later this year the company's monumental advertising campaign will have had its effect ("something like you've never seen in your life," as Altman described it to us on the phone this afternoon) and you'll be able to have your very own keyboard computer with the Commodore logo slapped on for good measure. Presumably based on the Cybernet ZPC-GX31, the exact configurations and pricing will all be spelled out soon enough.
The most advanced computer in my home until the day I left for college was an Atari 7800, so I'm not one of the nerds losing their shit over this. However, I know many, many people who still speak of the Commodore 64 with reverence, plus, I had two friends in grade school specifically on the basis of them owning Commodore 64s. So, to you who are shrieking with delight, pop the champagne, crack open a beer, whatever -- this is worth celebrating. And thanks to Kelly S. for the tip.
Tags: Computers

To Boldly Go Where No Microbe Has Gone Before

By Rob Bricken in Nerdery, Tech
Thursday, Mar. 18 2010 @ 12:00PM
From Trek Today:
In what certainly has to be the smallest scale ever for a science-fiction ship model, two scientists have constructed the USS Enterprise in a one-billionth scale. The scale model of the Enterprise is so tiny, that it can only be seen by an electron microscope.
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Scientists Takayuki Hoshino and Shinji Matsui of the Himeji Institute of Technology, located in Japan, used a focused ion beam to cut out the model, using a process called chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The CVD process used phenanthrene gas to etch the tiny 8.8 micrometer USS Enterprise
Fun fact: If you thought anything even slightly like "Sure it's a 1:1,000,000,000-scale, but it's kind of a shitty 1:1,000,000,000-scale Enterprise" upon seeing this, you are a huge, huge nerd. Thanks to everyone who sent me the tip.

Bill Paxton: The Pinball Game

By Rob Bricken in Movies, Nerdery
Thursday, Mar. 18 2010 @ 10:27AM
hero2_large.jpg

I believe the phrase you're looking for is "OH MY GOD IT'S FULL OF PAXTON." Ben Heckendorn made the above, fully functional masterpiece based on the works of Bill Paxton, including everything from Aliens to Big Love. It took him five years and he built almost everything from scratch, and programmed the damn thing. Also, it is a PINBALL MACHINE BASED ON BILL FUCKING PAXTON. I CANNOT FUCKING BELIEVE IT. Please, please, go to Ben's site to see videos of the game in action, more pictures of the machine, and even how you can make one yourself if you really, really love Bill Paxton. Or, possibly, are Bill Paxton. (Via Kotaku)

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Learn a Valuable Lesson

By Rob Bricken in Cartoons, Nerdery
Thursday, Mar. 18 2010 @ 8:59AM

Mainly, that Splinter probably gave them their weapons to do things other than cause environmental damage which momentarily incapacitates the bad guys. I mean, a giant rat hands you two katana, I doubt he's planning on you using them to cut pizza and fling the slices into the faces of your opponents. They're swords, man. They're really sharp for a reason.

6 Undeniable Similarities Between Nerds and Sports Fans

By T.J. Dietsch in Daily Lists, Nerdery
Thursday, Mar. 18 2010 @ 8:06AM
nerd cosplay.jpg
Let's be honest gang, much as the 12-year old-versions of ourselves who got stuffed into lockers by guys in letterman jackets might hate to admit it, there aren't that many differences between comic book/sci-fi fans (from here on known as nerds) and sports fans. Plus, if you think about it, it's not the jocks who can tell you that former Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb held the record for most stolen bases at 892 until 1977 when Billy Hamilton came along and broke that record, but the guys who watched all the games at home or played team manager for the school team. Heck, some of us collectors even got our start with sports trading cards before moving on to those rad Marvel Super Heroes cards and eventually comics. So, with that in mind, we'd like to not only bring people together, but also make insulting broad generalizations about both by looking at the six ways nerds and sports fans are alike in increasing levels of obsessive nerdiness.

Daily List suggested by Guphynda.
Tags: Cons, Cosplay, Sports

Cylons Are Pedophiles

By Rob Bricken in Nerdery, TV
Wednesday, Mar. 17 2010 @ 5:00PM
Look, I understand this troubled little girl is actually leading them on, what with her come-hither looks, her gallivanting about, singing about how she wants a "Robot Man" and her lingering -- and wholly inappropriate -- kisses. But robots are not supposed to act upon these things. It's a good thing Chris Hansen had a shitty original Starbuck costume, or this little lady would be in real trouble. Thanks to Baltin for the tip.

Video of Porn Stars Playing Dungeons & Dragons

By Rob Bricken in Nerdery
Wednesday, Mar. 17 2010 @ 4:07PM

I told you a few weeks ago about the truly fabulous blog D&D with Porn Stars, written by Zak Sabbath, and the upcoming tie-in show "I Hit It with My Axe." Well, the first episode went online this afternoon at The Escapist, and seriously, porn stars playing D&D is such a fabulous concept that it needs to be shared with one and all, so I put the episode above. Sasha Grey guest stars, you meet the party, it's all keen. io9 has a great interview with player Satine Phoenix, and Zak Sabbath has two fantastic posts on the show, one of which mostly consists of what D&D rules he'll be using, with assorted gems like "Racial bonuses will be 3.5. Gnomes will be treated as dwarves, only midwestern and possibly homosexual."

So that's all well and good, but I didn't want the titillation of watching porn stars play RPGs make anyone ignore that Zak Sabbath's blog is basically the best website on the internet. His thought on role-playing, corraling players, creating a fantasy world, the give and take of DMing is insightful, borderline brilliant at times, and always entertaining. Seriously, if you can read this post, titled "Conan Knew More About Cimmeria Than Howard Did" and not come away enriched, either about RPGs in specific or storytelling in general, I... I'll just be shocked, is all. Read it. Please. I can't recommend it enough.

Oh God the Na'Vi Are Proselytizing

By Rob Bricken in Movies, Nerdery
Wednesday, Mar. 17 2010 @ 12:00PM

The crazy, multiple-Tivo-owning pastor was right! Those horrible hippie-pagan-Eastern Buddhist satanists are now trying to convert the masses to their diabolical Avatar lifestyle of tree-loving, hair tentacle sex with animals, and satan worship! And they're using ChatRoulette to do it, which is technology, which is also evil, or maybe it's not evil, I can't really remember! Man, thanks to everyone who sent in this dire news. I think I'm going to seek some spiritual solace with a nap, and maybe possibly a beer.

Evil Dead, in Clay, in 60 Seconds

By Rob Bricken in Movies, Nerdery
Tuesday, Mar. 16 2010 @ 5:00PM

A Disturbingly Goofy Movie

By Rob Bricken in Cartoons, Nerdery
Tuesday, Mar. 16 2010 @ 11:21AM

This person -- and countless, countless friends -- recreated the opening of A Goofy Movie in live-action, shot for shot. I have five questions for those responsible:

• Why?
• Was A Goofy Movie your first choice?
• No, seriously, why?
• Wouldn't a heroin addiction have taken up less time and been more respectable?
• Were there any off-camera romances? (Via /Film)