Why an alternative to facebook is needed

Why an alternative to facebook is painfully needed

Back in September 2014, a new social media network called Ello made his entry talking about ad-free alternatives to some of the big players of the field (facebook, myspace, etc ...), but more that that Ello promises that the personal information will never be sold to any third parties.

The problem is that viewed from a platform like facebook - a registered user is 'the product' - everything he does is scrutinized, and tracked and recorded so every post that is shared, every friend or every link followed is then sold to advertisers.

Being spied upon is it seems the new trend, the natural way of living with surveillance cameras at every corners of the cities, and where mobile devices are following your every moves...

So when people launch a new social media network that basically says “You are not a product,” its manifesto attracts new people.

The fact that Ello after a few research ended up - being a $435,000 company in venture capital, closed-source code, and a centralized structure appeared to be in contradiction with his pro-independence manifesto.

It just happened not to be what people looking for freedom would be interested in.
Not the anti-facebook we were looking for.

The need is still there, though ...

Dungeon crawl stone soup (roguelike) a mixed review

The Quest for the "Orb of Zot"

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is an open-source, single-player, role-playing roguelike game of exploration and treasure-hunting in dungeons filled with dangerous and unfriendly monsters in a quest to rescue the mystifyingly fabulous Orb of Zot. 

Yeah, right .. this isn't what the game is like at all. No dear reader, this game is madness incarnated - this game will get you addicted and looking into every irc, forums and even wiki for weeks in order to get passed some curses or find out what the heck is wrong with this particular wand you just found or how to drink from fountains, or why the priest has disappeared in the next release of the game? or which is better Vehumet or Sif Muna ? or what a 'gourmand amulet' will do for you, or how to defeat an invisible monster ... - and you will have to face your old ghosts too in that insane game. You will lose your sleep and possibly your sanity.

Okay, I'm exaggerating a tad bit, but in a nutshell ... this isn't a "normal" game ; but more like a Universe you are entering into - you can from the first seconds in the game starts to feel that something is a bit odd - when you have to select your character's race and class among the 24 different species and the 27 "background" as they call it. Another hint about the difficulty of the game is that it has several "Tutorials" included.

I've tried Minotaur gladiator, Spriggan conjurer, Troll berserker ... the game is very well balanced - each player will have to find in himself what his type of gameplay fits the best.

But "Crawl" is freakin' hard - even after watching many youtube videos on great skilled player - you will get killed over and over, you have to be sharp, to be focused, to be prepared, to be disciplined ... and maybe, maybe one day you will grab the Orb and escape with it... that's if you're lucky.

Tips

Now some tips, learn your keyboard shortcuts (q for quaff, z for spell casting, a for special actions, d for drop, f for throwing things, ' for swap between your short range and long range weapon etc ...) - learn how to create macros, learn how to counter spells, which potions are to use when you are surrounded, which god to worship etc ...

https://crawl.develz.org/wordpress/howto

Learn how to play with Zoopy Joobles ;  He is one of the best player (he's very humble and has an amazing voice) - Following the saga of Zoot the Air Elementalist will keep you on the edge of your seat for about a dozen of hours ...which is about the average time of a Crawl game.

How to play where to play

The game is free and available on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux - and Online too with various servers :
Europe
US

Ow! and I almost forgot, of course you can save your game (by pressing "S") - but once your character is dead ... no reload, you have to create a new one and start from scratch again ... it's not a bug, it's a feature -- that's the kicker.

Cosplay and porn - the mix was inevitable

Cosplay glamour

Cosplay is a slippery field it seems, it's basically fans dressing themselves as their idols – the iconic wonder woman, Emma frost, Witchblade, Street fighter Cammy, or any sexy and powerful characters from movies, comics, anime or any sort of fictions...
It has no rules, no professionals (and yet some are getting closer to professionals makeup artist, or movie costumes maker, or actors …) - it used to be a field when the newbie enthusiast could have fun posing pretending to be cammy or black cat – that was back in early 2000s ; now cosplay is evolving and a gap is slowly but surely distancing the early fun type newbie and the self-called "professionals" like Yaya Han, because few are making money out of cosplay...

 

 Cosplay porn

And then on top of this … enter the pornstars … and many of them.
And big shots too, like Tori Black (above) cosplaying "wonder woman" because of parody films  – or "Phoenix Marie" cosplaying "Ms Marvel", or the talented Tanya Tate who clearly is enjoying herself cosplaying a variety of characters like Green Lantern or Emma Frost and is trying to attract (?!) a geek fandom.

It was inevitable, because cosplay is a bridge between fantasy and real life - between the glamour World of Superhero - and the business of porn. Think of the excitement of a male convention prepubescent geek, taking a selfie, having the signature and a little chat with Tanya Tate ... to understand the phenomenon.

But nobody can argue that female superhero costumes weren't the bait for this to happen in the first place.

I mean Siri cosplaying "Power girl" was not an accident.

or Pornstar April O'Neil cosplaying April O'Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Some say that it's sign of the "end of time" ... we'll see about that.

Phoenix Marie as Ms Marvel
Tori Black as Wonder Woman(NSFW)
Tanya Does San Diego Cosplay - Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors

5 Ways to Make Money Fast Using Online Resources (with a $200 Investment)

With a mere $200 to invest and capitalize on online opportunities to make money quickly, there are several strategies that can potentially yield a good return on your investment.We will explore 5 ways to leverage online resources with a starting investment of $200 to boost your earnings.

1. Create a Niche Website or Blog:

Invest the  $200 in creating a niche website or blog focused on a specific topic that you are passionate about. Research profitable niches with good audience demand and low competition. Use your investment to purchase a domain name, web hosting, and a professional theme. Once your website is live, monetize it through affiliate marketing, sponsored content, or ad networks. Focus on creating quality content, driving traffic, and optimizing your website for search engines to increase your chances of generating income.

2. Start an E-commerce Business:

With $200, you can start your own e-commerce business by leveraging popular platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Research profitable product niches (once again) and find reliable suppliers. Use part of your investment to purchase inventory, set up your online store, and cover marketing expenses. Utilize social media platforms and digital advertising to drive traffic and generate sales. With effective marketing strategies and a quality product, you can quickly recoup your investment and scale your e-commerce business.

3. Invest in Stock Trading:

Consider using a portion of your $200 to dip your toes into the stock market. Open an online brokerage account and educate yourself on stock trading strategies and techniques. While stock trading involves risks, careful research and analysis can help you make informed decisions. Start by investing in low-cost stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to diversify your portfolio and potentially generate returns. Remember to approach stock trading with patience, discipline, and a long-term perspective.

4. Create and Sell Digital Products:

If you have skills in graphic design, writing, or programming, invest your $200 in creating digital products such as e-books, online courses, or software applications. Platforms like Udemy, Gumroad, or Etsy allow you to sell your digital products to a wide audience. Invest in tools or software that can enhance the quality and presentation of your products. Market and promote your creations through social media, email marketing, or partnerships to maximize your sales potential.

5. Flip Domains or Websites:

Invest your $200 in buying undervalued domain names or existing websites that have potential for improvement. Use platforms like Flippa or Sedo to find attractive opportunities. Conduct thorough research to identify domains or websites with good traffic, revenue potential, or potential for rebranding. Invest in improving the quality and visibility of the domain or website and then sell it at a higher price. This strategy requires patience, negotiation skills, and good market analysis to make profitable flips.

In conclusion, with a $200 investment, you can enter the online world and potentially make money. Whether you choose to create a niche website, start an e-commerce business, invest in stock trading, create and sell digital products, or flip domains and websites, each strategy requires dedication, research, and continuous learning. Remember to manage your investment wisely, stay focused, and adapt to changing market trends. Investing in your online venture can lead to significant returns and open up new opportunities for financial growth.

Hannah Minx

Hannah Wagner (better known by her stage name Miss Hannah Minx; born Oct. 1990) is an American vlogger known on Youtube for her Kawaii anime look and proportions (notice the frequent use of top down photo like the one above).

Her extensive cosplay in Japan, her informational videos about Japanese culture, and her JWOW (teaching a Japanese Word of the Week)/JPOW (Japanese Phrase of the Week) made her one of the most successful Youtube account.

She is actually so successful that many popular vloggers have made parodies of her characters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCPNPm1nlq0
Controversies, parodies, hateful comments nothing seems to stop Hannah, why?

Because Hannah Minx is quite a package of win

What are her angles? Japan, cosplay, teaching Japanese to the mass and being a geek with a big heart.

In my blog I've made some articles on famous cosplayers, and I wanted to add Miss Hannah Minx - even though she's not really a conventional cosplay girl ; because of her enthusiasm.

You can tell whatever you want about her characters or her videos, but you'll never get bored.


YouTube - MissHannahMinx's Channel
http://www.youtube.com/bonusminx
http://misshannahminx.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/HannahMinx
https://www.facebook.com/MissHannahMinx

Now absolutely nothing to do with the character above - I just fund a fantastic t-shirt :

My next article will be about .. the invasion of pornstar in the cosplay milieu.

Exodus from Tumblr

"No Thanks"

As of today (Jan,28 2014) you log into your tumblr dashboard and you are welcome with a "new Terms and conditions (ToC)" popup with a long list of legal updates - and also it was expected since Yahoo acquisition, this might be a bad omen for tumblr users.

Although most tumblr audience first reaction are positive, while they're having fun reading the new TOC because it seems hilarious in many ways - it's not the point - many users already have noticed image removal in their old posts with a laconic message : "This image has been removed for violating one or more of Tumblr’s Community Guidelines."

And while we can understand tumblr.com is expanding and trying to keep his viewer safe of seeing NSFW material "accidentally"- this is ironically coming at the period of time where freedom of speech and internet neutrality are endangered.

So what is the alternative, if you don't want to click "agree"?

Alternative

A nice alternative to closing your tumblr account and stop tumbling, is to jump ship and start on another platform - which looks like tumblr 2 or 3 years ago (even with the occasional crashes).

Introducing soup.io a tumblelog very similar to tumblr - but still young and fresh and with a Term and services in German only and on one page only!

To open a soup.io account is really easy (made in matter of minutes) - the very good and nice feature is that you can IMPORT your tumblr account very easily -

Simply  go into "option" and "Automatic imports" (see below) you select tumblr and put your tumblr name and press "add" - and this will just transfer the content of your tumblr.

You will find a more in depth review of soup.io on that blog
http://ratryoshka.blog.com/2012/10/17/comparing-soupio-and-tumblr/

Basically soup.io design are a lot simpler - and his active community is currently around 40,000 (*) users (compared to estimated 30-50 millions active users for tumblr).

(*) Although the number of registered accounts on soup.io is a little above 2 millions (with around 5000 groups) 

But that might actually be a bonus - to stay off the mainstream ...