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The News
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U.S. public transit improvements will be a tough sell |
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Written by CultureNation
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Tuesday, 03 November 2009 18:11 |
It won't be enough to just lay down lots of track and hope people will get aboard trains and subways. It also will mean discouraging the use of cars and making cities less comfortable.By DAVID LAZARUS|August 05, 2009|LATimes It's hard to appreciate how truly pitiful our public transportation system is until you spend some time with a system that works. Over the course of two weeks in Japan, I rode just about every form of public transit imaginable -- bullet trains, express trains, commuter trains, subways, street cars, monorails and buses. Nearly every ride was smooth, on schedule and affordable. The only glitch came when a major thunderstorm forced one train I was taking through the mountains of Kyushu to be delayed for safety reasons. Anguished railway employees repeatedly apologized for the inconvenience and said there'd be no charge for the remainder of the trip. So I have to wonder: Is it possible we could ever have anything even remotely similar here? "It can happen," said Martin Wachs, director of transportation, space and technology for Rand Corp. in Santa Monica. "But it will only happen over a long period of time and will require a number of policy changes." Specifically, it won't be enough to just lay down lots of track and hope people will leap aboard trains and subways. You also have to discourage the use of cars -- which most Americans won't stand for -- and make our cities considerably less comfortable. Good luck with that. Los Angeles County is attempting to improve its public transportation with tax money from Measure R, which was approved by voters in November. The half-cent sales tax increase is intended to raise as much as $40 billion for a laundry list of projects, including a long-awaited "Subway to the Sea." However, sales tax revenue is way down because of the crappy economy, and it's an open question when work will begin on many of the projects on the Measure R wish list -- and where the money will be found to finish that work once it gets started. California faces similar funding issues now that voters have approved Proposition 1A, which allows the state to borrow nearly $10 billion to get the ball rolling on a high-speed rail line between Southern California and the Bay Area. The planned 800-mile system would, in fact, cost tens of billions of dollars more than that. How much more, nobody knows for sure. Similar projects are planned or have been proposed nationwide. Brian Taylor, director of UCLA's Institute of Transportation Studies, said the hardest part isn't constructing the infrastructure for a world-class public transit system. It's creating the necessary incentives to get Americans out of their cars. "We now keep the cost of driving as cheap as we possibly can," Taylor said. "As long as we do that, we won't be able to make public transportation work." He said investments in transit projects need to be accompanied by policies designed to make driving costlier and thus make public transportation more attractive. These policies include significantly higher charges for parking virtually wherever you go and the increased use of toll roads. New York demonstrates the viability of this notion. Who'd even consider the hassles of driving and parking in Manhattan when you can take the subway instead? Taylor also believes that gas taxes need to go way up, with much of the money used to fund transit resources. Higher prices at the pump could be offset by a modest reduction in sales taxes. The net result, he said, would be more limited use of cars for everyday activities and increased ridership of public transportation, which, in turn, would help generate revenue for additional transit projects. This is a big part of the formula that the Japanese used for their system and also is the one pursued by most European countries. "If we don't put these policies in place here, people will look at our current investment in public transportation 10 years down the line and say what a waste it was," Taylor said. "And then we'll start investing again in roads." David Boyce, an adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University, said another key piece of the puzzle is land use. Americans prefer low-density communities and large lots for their homes. This may be swell from a quality-of-life perspective, but it's an enormous challenge for public transportation, which requires relatively large numbers of people moving from point A to point B on a daily basis to be profitable. To address this, Boyce said, construction of new rail networks must be accompanied by a commitment to higher-density cities and suburbs in the form of more condos and apartment buildings near transit hubs. It also requires dense clusters of office buildings and retail outlets that represent the jobs and stores people want to reach. The way things currently stand, jobs and homes are spread so far and wide, it's almost impossible to imagine getting around many metropolitan areas without a car. As a result, public transit is perceived by many people as impractical and inconvenient. "It's not a lost cause," Boyce said. "We can turn this around. But we need to address land-use issues if we're going to do it." I hate to be cynical, but I simply can't imagine political leaders at the local, state or federal level telling voters that they support a big increase in gas taxes, sky-high parking fees and high-density neighborhoods. So don't hold your breath for a public transportation system that rivals what our friends abroad enjoy. It's not going to happen -- at least not until a majority of us agree that we're prepared to accept the trade-offs necessary to bring about such a wholesale change in how we live and travel. Until then, we'll always have Paris. And Tokyo. |
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The History of Transformers on TV |
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Written by CultureNation
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Monday, 22 June 2009 10:23 |
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The Transformers are back on the big screen with next week's release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to the blockbuster 2007 film. In anticipation of that sure to be huge film, IGN TV is taking another look back at the History of Transformers on TV. We originally ran this feature in 2007, before the first live-action film, but you'll note some changes and additions to the piece – reflecting what's occurred since for the Robots in Disguise on television, who continue to be a hugely viable franchise.
The Transformers (1984 - 1987) We'll be talking about many Transformers TV shows in this article, but let's face it, this is the Transformers series for the majority of the fans of the characters, and certainly for those who grew up during the 1980s. The Transformers was part of an aggressive push of new animated series that tied in with toy lines, and was easily one of the most popular, if not the most popular of all. There was a Marvel comic book that launched at the same time as the cartoon that shared some similarities in the set up before going in very different directions. But unlike Hasbro's other huge toy line at the time, G.I. Joe, where the comic book is probably considered the most "genuine" version of the story, it's the cartoon that stands out most of all for Transformers fans. Many central conceits simultaneously introduced on the cartoon and in the comic became core elements of the characters in most of the later incarnations. Some of the most notable of these elements are the Transformers' home planet Cybertron; their crash landing on Earth millions of years ago; and the Autobots' friendship with a teenage boy with the last name Witwicky ("Spike" in the cartoon, "Buster" in the comic). The Transformers was an extremely popular cartoon at the time it first aired, with plenty of kids quite thrilled to have animated adventures about the very cool robot toys. Beginning with a voiceover that presented the story as something huge and mythological ("Many millions of years ago, on the planet Cybertron…") the show struck a chord with a Star Wars-fueled group of kids who loved stories about aliens caught in an intergalactic civil war. The cartoon also served to make icons out of many of the main characters of the series, including Bumblebee, Soundwave, Jazz, Ravage and more. However, the standouts were probably Megatron, Starscream and of course, Optimus Prime. Megatron and Starscream made for a terrific villainous pairing, with the ruthless and evil Megatron (voice over veteran Frank Welker) constantly fending off the power hungry plotting of Starscream (voiced by Chris Latta, who would also become very familiar as the voice of Cobra Commander on G.I. Joe). As for Optimus Prime, as silly as it sounds, the giant robot who could transform into a truck became a huge hero for kids growing up on the cartoon, who loved to see his brave acts and hear the comforting voice of Peter Cullen intoning "Autobots, transform and roll out!" Viewed 25 years after its debut, The Transformers is hardly what we could call great television. The stories are fairly simplistic and repetitive, consisting of variations on the same storylines, most of which center on Megatron attempting to get some new weapon or source of power (or create an occasional Space Bridge to Cybertron), with many of the same beats occurring time and again. But kids certainly weren't troubled by how many times Megatron would yell "Decepticons, retreat!" or Spike and Bumblebee would get into trouble, or that the fight scenes are, well, kind of lame actually. They just enjoyed seeing giant robots change into other things and then fight each other. And to see how important these characters were to a certain generation, just bring up the 1986 spinoff/continuation of the cartoon, Transformers: The Movie, to anyone who saw it when it first came out, and see the amusingly touched reactions of those who remember crying when Optimus Prime died. As we mentioned, The Transformers would have a huge influence on nearly all of the future versions of the characters. The current live-action Transformers movies are obviously filled with a ton of elements from the series, including Shia LeBouf's character Sam Witwicky, a variation on the cartoon's Spike Witwicky. And fan demand went a long way towards ensuring that the man who is Optimus Prime to most Transformers fans, Peter Cullen, would reprise his role in the films. If nothing else, you have to treasure a TV show that has the line "Grab onto your crank shift, I'm shifting into overdrive." The Transformers are back on the big screen with next week's release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to the blockbuster 2007 film. In anticipation of that sure to be huge film, IGN TV is taking another look back at the History of Transformers on TV. We originally ran this feature in 2007, before the first live-action film, but you'll note some changes and additions to the piece – reflecting what's occurred since for the Robots in Disguise on television, who continue to be a hugely viable franchise.
Various Generation 1 Japan-Only Series (1987 - 1990) Following the end of the U.S. Transformers series in 1987, a new animated series entitled Transformers: Headmasters began airing exclusively in Japan. The series picked up where the third season left off -- the U.S. show's fourth season, "The Rebirth" story arc, didn't air in Japan. The titular Headmasters in the Japan series differed from the ones introduced in the U.S. series' fourth season; in the Japan version the Headmasters were made up of Cybertronians who left Cybertron years ago and settled on a planet called Master. To survive in Master's harsh climate, the Cybertronians built large bodies called Transtectors, to which they attached themselves as heads. Transformers: Headmasters aired for 35 episodes, completing its run in 1988. A month after Headmasters completed its run, a new Transformers series started up with the rather ridiculous (when translated to English) title of Transformers: Super-God Masterforce. The series reimagined the Headmasters as human beings who combine with Trastectors to become Transformers, and oddly used recognizable robots from the previous series -- such as Optimus Prime -- but giving them different names. In Optimus Prime's case, he was known as Ginrai, a human trucker who would transform into a Prime-like Transformer. Transformers: Super-God Masterforce ran for 42 episodes, ending in 1989. The '80s Japanese Transformers series continued to diverge from the U.S. series in style and story, and hit an apex of totally crazy titles with the 1989 series Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers Victory. Drawn in much more of an anime style and utilizing loads of stock footage and a large number of clip shows, the animation quality of Transformers: Victory (as the series is commonly referred to by fans) left a bit to be desired. The series ran for 38 episodes, finishing its run in December 1989. The Japanese-exclusive run of late '80s animated series ended in 1990 with the extremely short-lived (and disappointingly boring-named) Transformers: Zone, which aired just one episode before being cancelled. Zone focused mainly on the Micromasters Transformers. Transformers: Generation 2 (1993 - 1995) Transformers: Generation 2 was essentially a non-series that began airing to help promote the line of Generation 2 toys and comics that came out at the time. The show itself was a rehash of the original 1984 series, presented as though the stories were recordings of historical events by the "Cybernet Space Cube." The only other considerable differences between Generation 2 and the original Transformers series consisted of a computer-generated title sequence and some occasional CG scene transitions, usually featured the Cybernet Space Cube. Beast Wars: Transformers (1996 - 1998) The most popular Transformers program outside of the original 1984 Generation 1 series would have to be Beast Wars. Emmy-winning (for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation in 1997) computer-generated graphics helped to create a new take on the existing Transformers world. Taking place in the same universe and timeline as the original series, the show took a drastically different approach with the series by focusing on the battle between the Maximals (descendants of the Autobots) and Predacons (descendants of the Decepticons) - while Optimus Prime and Megatron were fast asleep on the Ark. Based on the Hasbro toy line of the same name, Beast Wars featured some of the best writing and story development in a Transformers series with the help of Larry DiTillio (executive story editor for Babylon 5) and Bob Forward (writer for X-Men: Evolution and G.I. Joe). Following Optimus Primal/Optimal Optimus (not Optimus Prime) and the rest of the Maximals as they battled Megatron (not the Megatron) and the Predacons, these two teams battled it out for Earth's supply of Energon. Although the basic story of the series was similar to that of the older series, Beast Wars had no problem spicing up the show with new storylines and situations which the new Transformers would have to fight their way through. One notable aspect about Beast Wars was that it was the first Transformers series to kill off a main character within the course of the program - poor Dinobot… at least he got a valiant end. The Transformers are back on the big screen with next week's release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to the blockbuster 2007 film. In anticipation of that sure to be huge film, IGN TV is taking another look back at the History of Transformers on TV. We originally ran this feature in 2007, before the first live-action film, but you'll note some changes and additions to the piece – reflecting what's occurred since for the Robots in Disguise on television, who continue to be a hugely viable franchise.
Beast Era Japan-Only Series (1998 - 1999) In 1998 and 1989, due to the time-consuming process involved in dubbing and airing Beast Wars in Japan, two series -- Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo -- were created and aired exclusively in Japan. Both series utilized traditional hand-drawn animation (as opposed to Beast Wars's CG) and were aimed at a much younger audience, instead of Beast Wars's darker plots that even included the deaths of several Transformers. Beast Wars II ran for 43 episodes, while Beast Wars Neo ran for 35 episodes. Beast Machines: Transformers (1999 - 2000) Airing from September of 1999 to May of 2000 this short-lived sequel to Beast Wars drew heat from the Transformers community for its portrayal of many of the characters and the history and timeline of the series. Using the same characters from Beast Wars, Beast Machines took a more serialized approach with its storytelling by focusing more on full season stories which took Optimus Primal and the Maximals back to Cybertron to fight Megatron and the Vehicons. While this series has many purist Transformers fans angry at the program's take on the lore of the series, many less enthusiastic fans have learned to accept this story-driven series - as it isn't as bad as many of the Transformers series which have aired since. Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 - 2002) Generally considered a filler series between Beast Machines and Transformers: Armada, Transformers: Robots in Disguise was brought over and dubbed from the Japanese program Transformers: Car Robots. This series worked separate from the main Transformers universe storyline, and instead opted to give an updated version of the Transformers story. Using an anime style of animation, Robots in Disguise unfolded over 39 episodes - as Optimus Prime and the Autobots fought the evil Megatron and his Predacon and Decepticon forces. Apart from Transformers: Generations 2, Robots in Disguise was the most obvious Transformers series attempt at cashing in the brand with the toy line and merchandise. Transformers: Armada (2002 - 2003) A much debated re-imagining of the Transformers franchise, Armada was a co-production between Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara, airing from 2002-2003. Once again Hasbro was taking the toys created by Tokara and developing a storyline for American audiences. This series was not a continuation of the original 1980s show, but a new continuity and mythology all together. However, many of the core elements remain. There are still Autobots fighting Decepticons, Optimus Prime and Megatron are still leader of their respective factions. Many other familiar characters appeared in the series, including the God-like Unicron. The key concept introduced in this series were the "mini-cons" - human-sized robots that, when combined with the larger transformers, would give them a power boost. It was the mini-cons that the Decepticons and Autobots were warring over here, as opposed to the "energon" of previous incarnations. Love it or hate it, the series was successful - producing 52 episodes as well as the two sequel series Energon and Cybertron. The Transformers are back on the big screen with next week's release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to the blockbuster 2007 film. In anticipation of that sure to be huge film, IGN TV is taking another look back at the History of Transformers on TV. We originally ran this feature in 2007, before the first live-action film, but you'll note some changes and additions to the piece – reflecting what's occurred since for the Robots in Disguise on television, who continue to be a hugely viable franchise.
Transformers: Energon (2004 - 2005) With Energon, Hasbro and Takara returned Transformers to computer-generated animation, albeit a much different style than Beast Wars, making use of cell shading. Energon continued to tell stores in the world established by Transformers: Armada. Airing from 2004-2005, the series picks up 20 years after Armada and the "war of the mini-cons." Now, the Autobots and Decepticons are working together to mine Earth and the solar system for Energon - their power source. This series produced another 52 episodes, again split into 13 episode like Armada. The series ended with a climactic battle that sees Megatron transform into Galvatron (as first seen in the Generation 1 Transformers movie), who then plunged into a newly created sun rather than be controlled by the consciousness of Unicron. Transformers: Cybertron (2005 - 2006) Another computer generated and Anime-influenced series set in the world introduced in Armada, Cybertron aired 52 episodes from 2005-2006. The transition from the previous series was a rocky one however, as the Japanese counterpart was a split from the world of Armada and something of a full reboot. It was in the process of dubbing into English that the series, at least for American audiences, was shoehorned into the existing continuity. This series marked the last time Gary Chalk would perform as the voice of Optimus Prime - a role he'd inherited from Peter Cullen and performed since Armada (as well as playing Optimus Primal in Beast Wars. Cybertron is also the last of the Hasbro/Takara co-productions. Transformers Animated (2007 - 2009) Launched in the wake of the hugely successful first live-action film, Transformers Animated, produced by Hasbro and Cartoon Network, was a bit of a curiosity – attempting to appease several fanbases, with varying levels of success. There was clearly a very kid-oriented tone to much of it, starting with the more cartoony (for lack of a better word) designs of the characters, and extending into story decisions, such as making Optimus Prime a young, semi-uncertain rookie, rather than the experienced commander we're used to – and yes, there was a precocious little girl in the mix, though she'd turn out to be a precocious little robot girl. On the other hand, there was a lot here to amuse old school fans as well. The TV-Movie pilot included classic footage from the original series (though this series was in its own continuity) and familiar story beats would be used in new ways, from Starscream's attempts at leadership to the creation of a Space Bridge to Cyberton. And the show wasn't afraid to go for darker moments, including the death of several significant characters in Transformers history. There was also some fun voice casting at work, as some of the originators of these characters from the 1980s returned to once more portray the characters, including Susan Blu ("Arcee"), John Moshhitta, Jr. ("Blur") and Judd Nelson, who reprised his role as Rodimus from Transformers: The Movie. Unfortunately, for fans of this series, it seems last month's Season 3 finale is now the series finale, as Hasbro has said Transformers Animated is over. But if the past quarter of a century has taught us anything, it's that there will be a new Transformers series in the not too distant future. |
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Bush to Protect Vast New Pacific Tracts |
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Written by CultureNation
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Monday, 05 January 2009 21:21 |
 Sissie Brimberg/National Geographic/Getty Images Saipan, part of the Northern Marianas, which are among the islands, reefs, waters and parts of the Pacific Ocean floor that President Bush will designate as marine national monuments WASHINGTON — President Bush will designate vast tracts of American-controlled Pacific Ocean islands, reefs, surface waters and sea floor as marine national monuments on Tuesday, limiting fishing, mining, oil exploration or other commercial activity, White House officials said Monday. The protected zones, including parts of the deep Mariana Trench and a string of largely uninhabited reefs and atolls near the Equator and American Samoa, include a total of 195,280 square miles, an area larger than the states of Washington and Oregon combined. The islands, atolls, reefs and underwater mountain ranges offer unique habitat to hundreds of rare species of birds and fish. Among them are tropicbirds, boobies, frigate birds, terns, noddies, petrels, shearwaters and albatrosses, according to environmental groups who pushed for the protection. It is also the habitat of the rare Micronesian megapode, a bird that incubates its eggs using subterranean volcanic heat. The president’s action, which requires no Congressional or other approval, builds on the designation two years ago of the 139,000-square-mile Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the northwest Hawaiian Islands under the federal Antiquities Act. Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, said Mr. Bush’s action would preserve huge ocean areas for future generations and would not conflict with military activities or freedom of navigation. “With the designation of the world’s largest marine reserve in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2006, and now these three other sites, George W. Bush has done more to protect unique areas of the world’s oceans than any other person in history,” said Joshua Reichert, managing director of the Pew Environmental Group. The declaration came after two years of study and relatively modest opposition from commercial and recreational fishing groups and some officials in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, who feared it would throttle future economic development. The Central Pacific islands and atolls are known as the Line Islands, extending nearly 2,000 miles and including Johnston Atoll; Howard, Baker and Jarvis Islands; Kingman Reef; Wake Island; and Rose Atoll. They are remote and largely uninhabited. Most became American territory under the Guano Islands Act of 1856, which allowed sea captains to claim islands that were rich in guano — bird and bat droppings — which were used to make fertilizer and gunpowder. In the western Pacific Ocean, the declaration includes the marine waters around the Northern Marianas, including the Mariana Trench, the deepest canyon in the world. Some officials of the Marianas complained to the White House that protecting the islands and waters would limit economic opportunity for islanders and strip them of their authority to regulate their resources. But others welcomed the decision. Diane Regas of the Environmental Defense Fund said the designation had both short-term ecological benefits and a longer-term favorable impact on global warming. “If we can keep that area untouched,” Ms. Regas said, “it will provide an unparalleled scientific resource and a huge investment in improving the planet’s resilience to climate change.” - NYTimes, By JOHN M. BRODER, 1/5/2009 |
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Springfield 25: The Top Simpsons Supporting Characters |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 30 December 2008 19:48 |
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One of the many things that makes The Simpsons great is the show’s mammoth cast of supporting characters. With The Simpsons Movie slated for release this Friday, Apropos of Something proudly presents the Springfield 25, counting down the top supporting characters in Simpsons history. Feel free to share your own choices (as well as any favorite episodes, quotes, or whatever) in the comments section. Enjoy! 25. Snake Memorable Quote: “Yoink!” Random Trivia: Robert “Snake” Jailbird was a professor of archaeology before turning to a life of crime. |  | 24. Rich Texan Memorable Quote: “Son, I represent a group of oil tycoons who make foolish purchases. We already bought us a stained glass bathrobe, and the world’s fattest racehorse! And now, we need your ice man.” Random Trivia: The Rich Texan has an heiress daughter named Paris Texan. |  | 23. Mayor Quimby Memorable Quote: “All right, settle down, people. We are all upset by Mr. Burns’ plan to block out our sun. It is time for decisive action! I have here a polite but firm letter to Mr. Burns’ underlings who, with some cajoling, will pass it along to him or at least give him the gist of it.” Random Trivia: The character of “Diamond” Joe Quimby is based in part on “Diamond” Jim Purcell, a corrupt police chief during the 1950s in Matt Groening’s hometown of Portland. |  | 22. Fat Tony Memorable Quote: “I am not so much disappointed, as I am blinded with rage.” Random Trivia: Fat Tony is a competent violinist, as seen in the episode “Insane Clown Poppy.” |  | 21. Waylon Smithers Memorable Quote: “Uh, no, they’re saying ‘Boo-urns! Boo-urns!’” Random Trivia: In Smithers’ first appearance (”Homer’s Odyssey”), he was accidentally made African-American by the animation studio. With tongues planted firmly in cheek, the producers insist that Smithers had just returned from a Caribbean vacation prior to the episode and should be considered “suntanned.” |  | 20. The Sea Captain Memorable Quote: “Yarr, it begins. The dolphins are upon us and only this old sea dog knows how to stop — Yarr!” (two dolphins jump out of the water and rip him apart) Random Trivia: The Sea Captain’s actual name is “Captain” Horatio McAllister. On separate occasions, he has admitted to not being an actual captain, as well as claiming to “hate the sea and everything in it.” |  | 19. Chief Wiggum Memorable Quote: “This is Papa Bear. Put out an APB for a male suspect, driving a…car of some sort, heading in the direction of, uh, you know, that place that sells chili. Suspect is hatless. Repeat, hatless.” Random Trivia: Clancy Wiggum became Springfield’s Chief of Police when the former Chief got fed up with the job and decided to give his badge to the next person he met (i.e. Wiggum). |  | 18. Grampa Simpson Memorable Quote: “Now, my story begins in nineteen-dickety-two. We had to say ‘dickety’ ’cause the Kaiser had stolen our word ‘twenty.’ I chased that rascal to get it back, but gave up after dickety-six miles…” Random Trivia: In addition to being a member of the secretive Stonecutters, Grampa Simpson is also an Elk, a Mason, a Communist, and President of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance. |  | 17. Disco Stu Memorable Quote: “Disco Stu likes disco music.” Random Trivia: Stu had a budding career as a sea captain (calling himself “Nautical Stu”) before Marge introduced him to disco music. |  | 16. Itchy & Scratchy Memorable Quote: “They fight! And bite! They fight and bite and fight! Fight fight fight! Bite bite bite! The Itchy and Scratchy Show! Random Trivia: In the Simpsons universe, Itchy and Scratchy first appeared together in a 1928 cartoon short titled “Steamboat Itchy.” |  | 15. Groundskeeper Willie Memorable Quote: “There’s nary an animal alive that can outrun a greased Scotsman.” Random Trivia: Willie’s archenemy is the Irish Groundskeeper Seamus. |  | 14. Lenny and Carl Memorable Quote: “You know, I was hexed by a troll once and a leprechaun cured that right up.”
“Hey, you know what’s even better is Jesus. He’s like six leprechauns!”
“Yeah, but a lot harder to catch. Go with the leprechaun.” Random Trivia: Both Lenny and Carl hold Masters of Physics degrees. |  | 13. Professor Frink Memorable Quote: “Unshrink you? Well that would require some sort of a ‘re-bigulator,’ which is a concept so ridiculous it makes me want to laugh out loud and chortle…but, aaahh, but not at you, O holiest of Gods, with the wrathfulness and the vengeance and the bloodrain and the ‘Hey, hey, hey — it hurts me!’” Random Trivia: Professor Frink is named after John Frink, a Simpsons writer and producer. |  | 12. Nelson Muntz Memorable Quote: “Shoplifting is a victimless crime. Like punching someone in the dark.” Random Trivia: Nelson once attended Space Camp with classmate Martin Prince, and the two became close friends. Nelson had to abandon the friendship upon returning to school, however, in order to maintain his “bad boy” image. |  | 11. Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel Memorable Quote: “Hey, you know what? I could call my ma while I’m up here. HEY, MA! Get off the dang roof!” Random Trivia: A partial list of Cletus Del Roy Spuckler and Brandine’s children includes: Tiffany, Heather, Cody, Dylan, Dermot, Jordan, Taylor, Brittany, Wesley, Rumer, Scout, Cassidy, Zoe, Chloe, Max, Hunter, Kendall, Caitlin, Noah, Sasha, Morgan, Kyra, Ian, Lauren, Q-Bert, Phil, Condoleezza Marie, Rubella Scabies, Gummy Sue, Birthday, Crystal Meth, Dubya, Incest, International Harvester, Jitney, and Witney. |  | 10. Krusty the Clown Memorable Quote: “Kids, we need to talk for a moment about Krusty Brand Chew Goo Gum-Like Substance. We all knew it contained spider eggs, but the hantavirus? That came out of left field. So, if you’re experiencing numbness and/or comas, send five dollars to: Antidote, P.O. Box…” Random Trivia: Krusty once hosted the Krusty Komedy Klassic (KKK) at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. Needless to say, the show wasn’t a success. |  | 9. Moe Szyslak Memorable Quote: “Well, why don’t you invite him over to dinner? Turn him from an enemy into a friend. Then, when he’s not expecting it… Bam! The ol’ fork-in-the-eye!” Random Trivia: Before becoming a bartender Moe played “Smelly” on The Little Rascals, as well as pursuing a professional boxing career — initially under the name “Kid Gorgeous,” followed by “Kid Presentable,” “Kid Gruesome,” and eventually “Kid Moe.” |  | 8. Apu Nahasapeemapetilon Memorable Quote: “Thank you, come again!” Random Trivia: Apu and his wife Manjula are the proud parents of octuplets: Anoop, Uma, Nabendu, Poonam, Priya, Sandeep, Sashi and Gheet. |  | 7. Milhouse Memorable Quote: “We started out like Romeo and Juliet, but it ended up in tragedy.” Random Trivia: Milhouse is one of only a small handful of Simpsons characters (including his parents) drawn with eyebrows. |  | 6. Troy McClure/Lionel Hutz (tie) Memorable Quotes: “Hi, I’m Troy McClure. You may remember me from such self-help tapes as Smoke Yourself Thin and Get Some Confidence, Stupid!” “Homer, I don’t use the word ‘hero’ very often, but you are the greatest hero in American history.” Random Trivia: Actor Billy West based the voice of Futurama’s Zapp Brannigan in large part on Phil Hartman’s performance as Troy McClure. Lionel Hutz is also known by the aliases Miguel Sanchez and Dr. Nguyen Van Falk. |  | 5. Ned Flanders Memorable Quote: “I’ve done everything the Bible says — even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!” Random Trivia: Ned’s habit of inserting nonsensical phrases like “diddly” and “doodly” into his sentences is the result of psychological conditioning to suppress his childhood rage. |  | 4. Sideshow Bob Memorable Quote: “Attempted murder? Now honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel Prize for attempted chemistry?” Random Trivia: Sideshow Bob has a tattoo reading “Die Bart Die,” which he once helpfully explained to the Springfield parole board is German for “The Bart, The.” |  | 3. Comic Book Guy Memorable Quote: “Inspired by the most logical race in the galaxy, the Vulcans, breeding will be permitted once every seven years. For many of you, this will mean much less breeding; for me, much much more.” Random Trivia: Comic Book Guy’s actual name as Jeff Albertson, a name purposefully chosen by the producers to upset fans hoping for something less generic. |  | 2. Ralph Wiggum Memorable Quote: “Me fail English? That’s unpossible!” Random Trivia: The Bloodhound Gang “Ralph Wiggum” in 2005, a song with lyrics comprised almost entirely of quotes from the character. |  | 1. Mr. Burns Memorable Quote: “Listen, Spielbergo, Schindler and I are like peas in a pod. We’re both factory owners, we both made shells for the Nazis, but mine worked, dammit! Now go out there and win me that festival!” Random Trivia: Mr. Burns’ Social Security Number is 000-00-0002 (he remains bitter at Franklin D. Roosevelt for snatching up 000-00-0001). |  |
Honorable Mentions (Single-Appearance Characters): Frank “Grimey” Grimes, Poochie, Sherry Bobbins, Hank Scorpio, and Lyle Lanley. |
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Written by CultureNation
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Friday, 19 December 2008 11:59 |
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Before the Half-Life 2 episodes or Siren: Blood Curse introduced the concept of downloadable episodic content to the masses, Ritual Entertainment released the first of a planned nine downloadable chapters for SiN Episodes. While releasing games through Valve’s Steam system in 2006 was both fairly pioneering and ambitious, it might have been wise if they’d waited to see the sales figures before proclaiming to everyone and their mother that they’d be making a further eight instalments. How it was set up for a sequel
After defeating a giant mutant with Colonel John R. Blade, the leader of HardCORPS (no sniggering), you board a helicopter before being ‘treated’ to a preview of the next chapter that, peskily, they’d never get down to making. You never get to bring the hurt to Elexis Sinclaire - the main baddie the Colonel is obsessed with - and you never really get to learn about her mutagenic ‘U4’ drug. Oh well…
 Will we ever get closure?
Is ‘no’ a strong enough word? How about ‘no effing way with a cherry on top’. The developers have already admitted on a podcast that most of the Ritual team who made the game has been disbanded - mainly because SiN’s sales were poor and, you know, it was utter pap. Still, they might have got the formula right if they’d been allowed another eight cracks at it.  Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Sells 250,000
 Capcom has revealed that downloadable game Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix has sold over 250,000 units since its launch on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in November.
These results have apparently broken both day-one and week-one sales records for console downloadable content, and will also likely break 30 day sales records as well, according to comments made by Capcom spokesperson John Diamonon on community website Capcom Unity.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is a remake of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, created by U.S. company Backbone Entertainment. Also involved in the project were Canadian comic book creators Udon Entertainment, who designed the new high-resolution 2D artwork. Similarly, fan collective OverClocked ReMix were brought in to create the newly arranged music.
In thanking the development and marketing teams involved Diamonon also praised the hardcore Street Fighter community “who kept this game relevant for the past 15 years and spread the word to the entire gaming industry that Street Fighter is still the 'best around'!"
According to Diamonon, the game is likely to become Capcom's highest-grossing digital title ever, especially as a European release for the PlayStation 3 version has still yet to be arranged. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 19 December 2008 12:03 )
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