Facebook Profile Trends: Cartoons from the '90s on the Rise

The need for television entertainment is strong; however, a blast to the past can sometimes be stronger. With the marriage of television and the Internet, the union has created a new way to portray oneself. For example, many people who use Facebook will use an avatar instead of a real photo of themselves. The same is true of many other social networking websites as well. However, on Nov. 16, an unofficial "Facebook Cartoon Profile Picture Week" began. The trend apparently started in Cyprus and Greece and hoped to erase "human photos" for that time.

Why Cartoons from the '90s?

Cartoons from the '90s were some of the greatest cartoons ever made and most of those same shows are still going strong today in 2010. In fact, of the 20 most popular '90s cartoons of which include "Pinky and the Brain" (1995 to 1999), "King of the Hill" (1997 to 2009), "SpongebBob Squarepants" (1999 to present), "Family Guy" (1999 to 2002 and 2005 to present), "Futurama" (1999 to 2003), and "Beavis and Butt-Head" (1993 to 1997), 19 of them still run at least once a day on any given cable channel. While most of these popular cartoons were aimed towards the "older generation" of the time, many were cross overs geared towards teens and young adults. Some, such as "Animaniacs" (1993 to 1998) and "Bobby's World" (1990 to 1998), were aimed at elementary school children and typically had a moralistic purpose.

The original '90s cartoon

The original '90s cartoon, though it did not start in the '90s, is The Simpsons; the longest running cartoon in prime time network television history. This cartoon started Dec. 17, 1989, and set the bar for all cartoons to come. This popularity created the "need" for people to become "Simpsonized," or a way to make a cartoon rendering of themselves using Simpsonize Me as a base for the resulting avatar. Another popular cartoon,South Park (1997 to present), also has its own cartoon conversion website called "South Park Studio." Using the same concept as the Simpsonize Me website, users can create South Park characters of themselves using various features of the cartoon characters married with their own features.

Since these two websites popped up in the late '90s, other sites began to offer the same services, and software people can download and use on their computers, although most are not based on specific cartoon characters. For instance, AvatarGenerator.org is a website anyone can go to and pick a cartoon avatar and then edit it based on personal preferences. With the availability of most services free, it is easy to pretend to be someone, even if only online. The freedom to be someone else for a time is liberating and another of the reasons the Facebook '90s cartoon avatar trend is on the rise, not to mention that most of Facebook's users now were the targeted audiences of '90s cartoons.

November Nine - A Strange Way to Run a World Championship

The World Series of Poker is recognized as the World Championship of Poker. It brings together the best poker players from countries all around the world to compete in all the variations of Texas Hold'em Poker. But it is not your ordinary championship. It is, in fact, quite unique.

Red (2010)

Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Mary Louise Parker, John Malone Marco Popovich of the Helen Mirren Kaer 


Adapted from WildStorm / DC Comics of the same name. The cartoon of three volumes, published in 2003 and 2004, prepared by the Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner painting. Tells the story of Frank, Joe, Marvin and Victoria senior CIA agent until retirement, but they know the secret, so that they become the CIA's number one target.One day, a well-equipped even assassins broke into Frank's house, and with intent to kill him. Decision can not sit still, he gathered a few old friends strike first, they are across the United States, came to CIA headquarters, they will open in American history ... a big conspiracy ...
Original comic is quite bloody, but a few old movie theater in the interpretation of bone, the point was more comedy then. Perhaps because John Malkovich's sake, and even seem "Chiyan battlefield" like an action version of "Burn After Reading." The film as well as in the U.S. drama "Weeds," Mary Louise Parker in the lead, with a few old movie Biao play the same stage of bone.

Wii and NetFlix - Teaming Up to Take Over

WiiFlix.com is proud to confirm that the partnership between Nintendo and Netflix has come to fruition. The Wii now becomes the 3rd game console to allow for the streaming of movies and other video programming over the Internet. This is a Major step for all that have the Nintendo Wii considering that only Xbox360, and PS3 carried this feature. All that is required is a Wii console, a broadband connection and a subscription with Netflix for the service which is currently priced at $9 per month.

Streaming will be achieved using what Netflix terms an "instant-streaming" disc. These discs are set to be mailed out in April of 2010 just in advance to the official launch of the service. Nintendo asserts that using a disc as opposed to hard coding within the console allows for a more robust and dependable transmission. Once set up, the Wii motion controller can be used in the same fashion as a typical DVR remote control.

The $9 per month price point is sure to be attractive to users who previously were using Xbox to stream Netflix at a base cost of $50 per month. Netflix is also sure to benefit by becoming accessible to the over 25 million households which currently have a Wii. This move is consistent with Netflix's strategy of being device neutral attempting to widen their reach to as many consumers as possible.

Just over 15% of the 100,000+ Netflix library is available for streaming. This low percent is attributed to the delay between DVD release and allowed access for streaming. As this delay time continues to decrease it is projected that a larger percent of the aggregate Netflix library will be able to be streamed. Although the Wii will always be used primarily for gaming, the addition of streamed movies provides of a useful added benefit which will only serve to increase the Wii's already massive popularity.

Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had

Links from http://www.classperformance.com/movie/

Front of the Class was viewed by over 12 million people. Thank you Hallmark Hall of Fame for sharing my story.
The movie is based on the true story of Brad Cohen, a young man diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome who defies the odds to become a teacher.

Brad is played in this Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation byJimmy Wolk (The Spiral Project); young Brad is played byDominic Scott Kay (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End). Brad’s parents are played by Patricia Heaton(Everybody Loves Raymond) and Treat Williams (Everwood).

Mysterious WikiLeaks founder revels in whistleblowing role

倫敦，2010年10月23日（法新社） - 維基解密阿桑格狂歡創始人朱利安在軍事機密洩露舉報人通過他的網站，但他自己的生活是籠罩在神秘之中。

擁有一批近40萬機密文件被發表在網站上週五，聲稱除其他事項外，美國軍方掩蓋了酷刑和虐待的伊拉克人被伊拉克安全部隊。

他們還認為，數百名平民被打死，美軍檢查站後，以美國為首的入侵推翻薩達姆侯賽因 2003年。阿桑格的瘦長，開庭在新聞發布會上週六在倫敦，捍衛了釋放的文件為契機，以顯示“真理”的伊拉克戰爭。身著深色西裝清醒，白襯衫和條紋領帶，他講得很慢，因為他一連說出故意數字和細節埋在文件 - 聲稱，例如，維基解密曾透露說先前未公開的15000名平民死亡，伊拉克。

最新發布的有關文件後，一批約 90,000記錄有關美國在阿富汗戰爭中的作用發表的秘密網站，七月，水泥阿桑格的聲譽視為洪水猛獸的五角大樓。阿桑格駁斥指控強姦他在瑞典取得對抗，聲稱他是一個骯髒的詭計的受害者運動。

週一，39歲的澳大利亞前電腦黑客，他否認了許可證申請居住和工作在瑞典，因為他未能達到要求。他已向瑞典移民局申請居留許可 8月18日，但兩天後，他提出他的申請媒體報導揭示了兩個婦女向警察提出的指控強姦和性騷擾。該探測器在瑞典繼續，雖然它沒有酒吧他離開該國。阿桑格數量創下了一個勺子，從伊拉克到冰島，甚至在他的主人中風阿富汗他一躍成為全球關注的焦點。


維基解密出版了近77,000名美國機密軍事文件上的戰爭在阿富汗7月23日。儘管一浪的批評，他已經瀕臨滅絕的生命 - 特別是在名字已被左未編輯 - 出版阿桑格堅持的重要組成部分是維基解密'的目標帶來革命性的新聞。

“我們正在創造一個新的標準新聞自由，”他在一次訪問中告訴法新社斯德哥爾摩，並補充說：“這樣做，我們希望開放在世界各地的記者。”

阿桑格可以算得上是冠軍的透明度，但洩露一點自己和自己甚至拒絕給他的出生日期。他不停地移動，跳躍，從資金，資本和逗留在支持者和朋友的朋友，並說保密自帶的領土。

“我們在處理與其他組織，不遵守規則。我們在處理與情報機構，”他說。

什麼是已知的是，他出生於 1971年在澳大利亞東北部磁島，並在他早期的生活與他的母親住在這裡。阿桑格形容他的童年作為游牧民族，參加 37個不同的學校。在墨爾本長大，在20世紀 90年代，他發現了一個新的天賦：黑客。但他沒有去新的興趣無所遁形，他被指控的罪名有30宗電腦罪行，包括警察和美軍入侵電腦。

他承認大部分的收費和罰款後僥倖逃脫。

阿桑格說，他當時擔任安全顧問，研究員在新聞，開始了自己的IT公司。

2006年，維基解密誕生了。

“它開始作為一個十幾人之間的合作從人權，新聞和技術”的背景，他說。
“我們有三個目標：自由記者，通過建立與非，揭露弊端，創造和保存的歷史記錄。”

冰島首都雷克雅未克的發源地是維基解密的第一個全球獨家新聞，圖形視頻美軍阿帕奇直升機在巴格達襲擊，炸死兩名路透社2007名員工和一些其他人。

由於阿富汗的文件發表後，阿桑格保持了低調。

現在，他拒絕提供手機號碼，並說他懷疑澳大利亞當局已凍結他的銀行帳戶。

China activists plan whistleblower site to spur reform

HONG KONG — Chinese activists are planning to launch a whistleblowing website modelled on WikiLeaks in a bid to expose state secrets and spur political reform, the South China Morning Post reported Friday.

The activists, who are using social networking sites like Twitter to mobilise and call on people to upload classified information to their database, said it plans to launch "Government Leaks" on June 1 next year, the daily said.

The site's founder -- identified only as "Deep Throat" -- said the website would go online just days ahead of the 22nd anniversary of the bloody June 4 crackdown on democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen square.

"I think that by making government secrets open we can promote democracy in China," he told the English-language daily.

"This is a fight against the dictatorship, and to return the right to information to the people. I believe it will advance China's political reform."

"Deep Throat" said that he had originally wanted to team up with WikiLeaks, but that emails sent to the website had bounced back undelivered.

"Government Leaks has no relation with WikiLeaks, but you can call us the copycat version of WikiLeaks in China," he told the paper, adding that the site would continue to approach WikiLeaks for help.

A team of experts has been enlisted to run the China-based site, including journalists, editors, lawyers and hackers, who will safeguard against likely attempts by government censors to shut it down, the site's founder said.

The website is expected to anger Beijing, which heavily monitors Internet traffic and restricts freedom of speech.

Beijing operates a vast system of web censorship, sometimes referred to as the "Great Firewall of China". It blocks access to any content the government deems unacceptable, ranging from pornography to political dissent.

A number of leading Chinese bloggers have voiced their concern about Government Leaks, saying it could expose whistleblowers to severe punishment.

"In the worst case the informer could be prosecuted for illegally possessing state secrets," the paper quoted blogger "Zola" as writing.

Alice Xin Liu, who writes for the Beijng-based blog Danwei, said the new website would likely fall flat.

"On a practical level I don't see it working," she told AFP.

"I don't think every day people or those without the technological knowledge would be willing to put themselves on the line. The risks are simply too great."

Government Leaks' founder said his group would avoid using normal email channels to communicate with informers and was studying the use of high-security technologies to receive sensitive information.

"Deep Throat" said he was inspired by the US Watergate scandal of the 1970s, which eventually led to the resignation of then president Richard Nixon, as well as the recent success of WikiLeaks.

"Deep Throat" was the pseudonym of an informant -- identified three decades later as a senior FBI official -- who leaked sensitive information about the Nixon administration's involvement in the scandal.

WikiLeaks gained widespread notoriety in July when it published nearly 77,000 classified US military documents on the war in Afghanistan, provoking the wrath of the Pentagon.

The site is expected soon to release some 400,000 secret military reports on the US-led Iraq war.

Founded in 2006 by Australian Julian Assange, WikiLeaks first grabbed headlines when it released a graphic video of a US military Apache helicopter strike in Baghdad in 2007 that killed two journalists and a dozen civilians.

In September, Assange, 39, was accused of rape in Sweden. He dismissed the allegations as part of a "smear campaign" aimed at discrediting WikiLeaks.