Slashback: Segwait, Farscape, Leg-pulling 264
You knew this had to be too good to be true. Joe Ryan from AmericanTower.com writes: "Please note that the information posted Wednesday regarding sites American Tower has for sale is not accurate. American Tower Corporation has a limited number of surplus towers for sale. The list of sites can be accessed through our sites for sale list at http://www.americantower.com/mainweb/SitesForSale.asp. These are the only towers that are for sale. Please also note that these Surplus sites are sold on a strictly "as is-where is."
Thanks for the correction.
If the site you are inquiring about is not on the "Sites For Sale" list, then it is not for sale."
Despite all the lobbying, the wait is on. dgreno writes "Like many other Slashdot readers, I stations signed up with Amazon.com to be notified when the Segway Human Transporter would be available for sale. Today Amazon sent me an email which included the following, "We've recently learned from our supplier that the item you requested to be notified about, Segway Human Transporter (also known as "Ginger" or "IT"), will not be available in the foreseeable future." I guess the sidewalks are safe for a while longer."
Don't they like devoted fans?
$nyper writes "I just wanted to let everyone know that there is major backlash against the Sci-Fi channel from fans about the
cancellation of Farscape. They appear to have miscalculated the Fans. For the past few days Sci-Fi's main office has been inundated with faxes, e-mails, and phone calls to keep the show alive for its 5th season. CNN Headline news also ran a story on the effort yesterday. What it boils down to is that at $1.5 million USD per episode the greatest science-fiction show on television is too expensive for Sci-Fi to produce. Even the top
Executive at the Sci-Fi channel (Bonnie Hammer, Executive Vice President and General
Manager), which is one of Farscape's biggest fans is currently only operating in figure head mode and is being made to keep quiet. Most think she would speak out in favor of the show but is worried about the status of her job at the moment. If you have any questions about what you can do to help out, just pop over to
Farscape World for the best information.
There is also a website setup for detailed up to the minute information about
the struggle to save Farscape over at the main Save
Farscape site including information being supplied under the table y a
Sci-Fi channel mole. :)
After all the coverage Sci-Fi has stopped the construction crews assigned to tear down the sets and have re-entered
negotiations regarding the show. The Jim Henson company that is responsible for the show's creation is also currently courting executives from Showtime and UPN about moving the show to another network for the 5th and future seasons."
This will not be made into a Dummies book for a few years yet. dsyu writes "Follow-up to a previous article -- the good folks at the X-Box Linux Project have posted step-by-step instructions on how to install SuSE 8 on your XBox."
The Nigerian Spam saga wends ever onward. An anonymous coward writes "'Mike Aba' and 'Obi Azuka' are the fake names used by a Nigerian criminal who tried to defraud me. As soon as I read the "DEAR FRIEND" of the first e-mail, I knew it was a scam, but for fun I decided to mislead the criminal into believing that I was falling for his scam. You can read the exchange of e-mails here. This type of fraud is known as the Nigerian Fee scam. Unfortunately, gullible people do fall for this scam. Hopefully this page will alert more people and make criminals like "Mike" less successful."
Re: Segway (Score:2, Funny)
Farscape... (Score:4, Interesting)
I really wish more serial shows would move to commercial free tv, I'd be happy to pay for it.
Re:Farscape... (Score:5, Insightful)
Each has a somewhat unique point, but Farscape's was most off-kilter: the characters live in a realm defined more by the fantastic than the scientific. The characters are of strange colors and shapes, there are robots and sentient bacteria and living ships, and an almost magical feel permeates the screen.
Farscape is a sci-fi show that should be destined to be a classic, and the reason why is because it focused much much more on the fiction than the science.
Re:Farscape... (Score:2, Interesting)
The show, now, is no where near as well written as it was for most of the first season. There are some occasional ringers, but there's too much crap to make it worth watching.
Re:Farscape... (Score:2)
There is a difference though. Farscape had real potential, and the first few shows were incredibly good. Of course, I don't watch Friends either.
Re:Farscape... (Score:2)
I found Farscape to be too far out there, almost as wierd (but not as good) as the Far Side comic.
Just too wierd for me maybe.
Points, Pedestals, and Appeal (Score:5, Insightful)
On the other hand, I do agree with some of the observations on what makes some of the mentioned SciFi shows interesting. It might be worth noting that none of these shows are without criticism. But each show does have some appeal - whether it appeals to you personally or not is a matter of personal taste.
So the question was asked: what is appealing about Farscape?
Star Wars has lost its impact between the older and newer movies even as it has held on to its theme of "good vs. evil". What it didn't hold on to was its core heros. The first trilogy was not about individual characters, but rather a group thrown together by chance. Each character contributes to the bigger-than-oneself events around them and, ultimately, challenge an Empire.
Farscape also has a core group of disparate characters thrown together by fate. And this group also challenges greater powers than themselves. Though in this case, our central core of heroes aren't always agreeable witch each other. And while it is sometimes a frustrating plot device - it also has a ring of truth for all but the most structured group environments.
I also find the human character Crichton interesting. The character goes from being one of the top in his field (scientist and astronaut) to fish-out-of-water baggage. He then adapts to the oddity around him. Eventually, he gains the respect of his fellow fugitives and begins to thrive in his new surroundings. In effect, Crichton adapts to and overcomes the insane situation he is thrust in to... with a bit of irreverent insanity of his own.
It might be worth noting that the Farscape world itself has some appeal. There is a different look to the show. Often animatronics and puppets are used to give the Farscape world a more alien feel. Subtle oddities such as biological ships and the human-like Sebatian race's deadly susceptibility to heat add to a fantastic, unique world.
That's not to say Farscape is beyond criticism. Overall, I really enjoy the writing behind the series. Occasionally, there is an episode that seems to... slip. And unfortunately, the latest season seems to be slipping more often than not. I hope Farscape picks the pace back up. Or is mercilessly put out of its misery.
I can understand why there is some shock at Farscape's popularity. It took me awhile to become a fan of the show. But once I started watching, I found more than enough to appeal to me.
Re:Points, Pedestals, and Appeal (Score:2)
But I suppose its, in part, a change in the times. For some reason, people are attracted to shows filled with people who don't like each other. Could it be an effect of divorced, split families we have?
However, you're not going to see me admit that choice in television programs is entirely subjective, even accounting for taste. I mean we have to award shows for *something*, there has to be some measure for the greatness of a program.
Even so, I would be hard pressed to determine if, say, The Hitchhiker's Guide is better or worse than The Outer Limits. They seem to be different not in degree but in kind, they achieve different ends.
So which of the listed examples are comparable? To answer that, you must ask what the point of Farscape is...what is its end. Is it supposed to be a fantasy rather than science fiction? Then maybe it isn't comparable to Star Trek or Star Wars, and not my taste in genre at all.
But if its supposed to be a science fiction series, get rid of it.
Re:Points, Pedestals, and Appeal (Score:2)
Re:Farscape... (Score:3, Insightful)
In fact, I've been wondering why I haven't seen more about it on Slashdot. Perhaps no one knows about it, or maybe it truly is disliked by the sci-fi crowd.
Re:Farscape... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Farscape... (Score:2)
All I get from the link is sorry these pages are only for viewing in the US or something like that. (My redirection limit has been exceeded so I can't go back and give the exact text).
What exactly is Odessey 5?
And why is it such a security risk that us subversive Canadians must be kept from it
Re:Farscape... (Score:2)
And why is it such a security risk that us subversive Canadians must be kept from it
Well, I can't tell you what it is, 'coz I've not really read much yet, but I can tell you that Google is your friend [google.com] (you want to be clicking on those cached [216.239.51.100] links if, like me, you're outside the US =).
Oh, and here's [tvtome.com] a few [ugo.com] more [209.61.190.23] links [scifi.com] about it [imdb.com]...
HTH, etc... (=
Re:Farscape... (Score:3, Interesting)
I'll give you and the other SD-ers the background
A space shuttle, the Odyssey, is up in orbit. The crew consists of Robocop (Peter Weller. Sorry, Pete -- had to give that reference!), his 22-year-old son, a news reporter, a geneticist and a couple of other astronauts. The news reporter is filming a special from the shuttle when something weird happens -- they lose connectivity with the Earth. One of the astronauts looks out the window and sees the Earth imploding. Oh crap, better strap ourselves in! Anyhow, the shuttle survives the implosion and starts drifting around when they run out of oxygen -- almost. Naturally, some alien with a fancy-shmancy ship picks them up and saves them. He doesn't know why the Earth imploded, but he's seen it happen all over the galaxy. In order to find out what's what, he tells them that he can send them back in time -- but NOT their physical bodies. Only their "information patterns" can go back -- their souls/consciences/whatever-you-wanna-call it. So poof, they're 5 years in the past and they need to figure out why the earth will blow up in the future.
The show is great, IMO, and has some wonderful characters. It's also neat to see how these people try to do things slightly differently the second time around. For example, the news reporter mentioned above has a son who died of cancer in the first timeline. In this new one, she tries to convince doctors that her seemingly non-sick son will die of cancer in the near future. Lots of fun subplots like that.
The show's technical plots focus on a lot of different science. The Sentients, artifical lifeforms that are believed to be behind this destruction, use all sorts of ways to subvert humans into doing their dirty work : gene therapy, Internet attacks, particle accelerators, religion, computer AI, nanotech, etc. Obviously things get slightly distorted since they only have 45 minutes to explain things, but for the most part it's refreshing to watch a sci-fi show that takes place in the real world, using current technology (real and theoretical) to flesh out the plots.
One more thing, we find the acting to be top-notch. Peter Weller is wonderful as the take-no-crap head of this group of 5. Sebastian Roche plays a great cocky geneticst with a penchant for sex. Yadda-yadda. To sum it up, we've yet to see a character or actor on the show that made us say, "Send him/her back to acting school."
Poke around on Google or follow the links someone else posted. If you can find a way to visit the Showtime website, do it. It's fun to poke around in there.
Re:Farscape... (Score:2)
A great cocky geneticist who likes sex. Man, sometimes it's just too easy to make fun of other people's comments here at
how do I know that no one is watching Odyssey 5? (Score:2)
Re:Farscape... (Score:2)
Re:Farscape... (Score:2, Interesting)
Actually, Farscape is the only reason I have Sci-Fi. If they continue with the cancelation, I'll likely be dropping it. If HBO or whomever picks it up, I suppose I'll be putting my money there instead.
Of course, now that I think about it, the cable companies usually make you purchase channels in packages, these days. Basic gets you hardly anything, Standard gets you up through TNN or something, and the next tier up gets you the rest. And in order to get HBO or any of the other movie channels, you need to have at least Standard, if not the digital cable tier these days. Just another way for the cable company to pile on extra fees...
woah, this turned into a rant somehow... go figure.
Re:Farscape... (Score:2)
I agree with you 100%.
My wife has been after me to cut back, for instance revert to "basic cable". As soon as I found out about the cancellation I told her and then said that I didn't need "extended services" (the package that has Sci-Fi channel). I will likely subscribe in January for the end of the season, and then unsubscribe when the series ends.
My wife was in shock (she claims I'm a TV junkie but thats the only show I watch on Cable that I'd really miss). She also asked if there was anything she could do (email/fax/letter). She isn't a sci-fi fan but liked the show (she would watch it with me).
And they claim their not targetting outside their core audience. I wonder what spouces and others are getting drawn in.
BTW don't forget to let the cable company know why you are dropping the package (ie. because Sci-Fi channel canceled Farscape. This will get back to them and will put pressure on Sci-fi Channel).
You mean, they finally did focus groups for It? (Score:2, Insightful)
Did someone finally figure out that those who are most likely to use it, those without a car, usually don't have the 3000 to pony up for one of these things? (Excepting a few people in Boston and NYC, but the sidewalks are so crowded as it is! not to mention trying to take it on a subway...)
if Farscape moves to Showtime (Score:2, Funny)
Sexscape: Newer, Harder, and Faster
Re:Firefly vs. Lexx & damn you sci-fi channel! (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm bitter cuase Sci-Fi cancelled Lexx, damn you Sci-Fi Channel! Plus Jos Wheaton kinda fsck'd up Buffy too, so I hope he doesn't screw up Firefly with morals and ethics and stuff. Keep it to the sex and aliens, I get enough preaching from Star Trek.
Jos should've called the TV buffy version, "Daria The Vampire Slayer", cause Sarah just doesn't convey the stuck-up cheerleader role well. Buffy the movie was funny, Buffy the TV show is too serious, though slightly campy.
Actuallym the Seqway is on track. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Actuallym the Seqway is on track. (Score:2)
Re:Actuallym the Seqway is on track. (Score:2)
This just in ....
Fucked Company [fuckedcompany.com] doesn't really care one way or the other, it's just another reason to post pictures of Pud on Ginger [fuckedcompany.com] and develop their trolling skills.
In other words, does anyone really think any media source has *the* inside scoop on Segway production?
Nigerian David Lee Roth (Score:4, Funny)
Sorry it's on geocities, but hey...
http://www.geocities.com/scamjokepage/ [geocities.com]
Nigerian Spam Variation (Score:2)
the link is: jesus.doomed.us/spam.html
The spam:
CHIEF PATRICK OLADOKUN
EMAIL:patrickoladokun2002@lycos.com
FAX: 234-1-7597267
Sir,
URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP
First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, which is of mutual benefit. This is by virtue of it's nature of being utterly confidential.I am sure and have confidence of your ability, and reliability to prosecute a transaction
of this great magnitude.
We are top Officials of the Federal Government Contract review Panel who are interested in importation of goods into our country with funds which are presently trapped in Nigeria. In order to commence this business,we need your assistance to enable us transfer funds into your account. As members of the Contract Review Panel set up by
the Government of Nigeria to review all contracts from 1983 to the present,we have identified a lot of inflated contract funds which are presently floating in the Central Bank of Nigeria ready for payment.
By virtue of our position as Civil Servants and members of this Panel, we cannot acquire this money in our names, in this regard I have been delegated by my colleagues of the review Panel to look for an overseas partner into whose account we would transfer the sum of US$21,320,000.00
(Twenty -One Million, Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) hence we take the liberty to write you.
The money will be shared as follows:-
1. 20% for you the account owner
2. 70% for us (The Officials)
3. 10% to be used in settling taxation and all local and foreign expenses.
Please note that this whole process will take between 7 to 10 working days from the date of receipt of the following information by Fax
signed and stamped letterhead with a transcribed"Text" which we would send to you upon receipt of your reply with a letter of interest. The above information will enable us write letter of claim, and Job description by using your
individual/Company name to apply for payment for the above stated amount. Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter using the above Fax number.
Detailed information of this pending business transaction will be sent to you as soon as I hear from you.
Yours faithfully,
CHIEF PATRICK OLADOKUN
--
I never saw this type of spam/scam before until he pointed it out to me a few days ago. But it has been forwarded to uce.gov so hopefully they can catch this idiot.
The measure of the love we give is in the hearts that others show.
Re:Nigerian Spam Variation (Score:2)
Chris Beckenbach
Scapers unite (Score:3, Informative)
If you like Farscape, it is easy to show your support for the show by going to Save Farscape [savefarscape.com]. You can help by doing something as simple as logging on to irc.scifi.com and lurking in #farscape. It's not too late for Farscape. We are having an impact. This is a populist movement and you can be a part of it.
Peace out.
Re:Scapers unite (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Scapers unite (Score:2, Informative)
The Register says Segway A-OK (Score:5, Informative)
Amazon goofed up, there's actually no new news regarding segways and when they'll be available.
Re:The Register says Segway A-OK (Score:2)
And Debian on Xbox too! (Score:5, Informative)
the nigerian scam thing.. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:the nigerian scam thing.. (Score:4, Insightful)
I think most folks would agree that an image of a thing is not the thing. Of course, there's the whole "simulated child pornography" thing which goes the other way, but it's unclear how far that will fly in the courts. And, fake passports being much less of a hotbutton issue than child porn, I daresay this guy can sleep well at night.
Now, trying to *use* the image for anything would be a whole different story.
Cheers
-b
Re:the nigerian scam thing.. (Score:2)
Re:the nigerian scam thing.. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:the nigerian scam thing.. (Score:2)
On April 16, 2002, the Supreme Court (of the US) overturned the "simulated child pornography" ban. So even that is once again legal. Not only that, but that case should serve as a tidy precedent to protect fake murder images and fake speedometer images.
However, the passport thing is different. He went beyond simulating a crime to trying to convince someone the image was a real passport. That's fraud. He might have a defense if the judge who tries his (hypothetical) case is a Trekkie. :)
IANAL, in the US or in Nigeria.
Re:the nigerian scam thing.. (Score:2)
Nice document (Score:4, Funny)
photoshopped Passport they provided.
But - they got his place of birth wrong ? I thought he was from Iowa, he only worked in outer space ?
Re:Nice document (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Nice document (Score:2)
photoshopped Passport [haxial.com] they provided.
But - they got his place of birth wrong ? I thought he was from Iowa, he only worked in outer space ?"
I predict an amusing story from customs soon.
best SPAM email conversation ever (Score:5, Funny)
Re:best SPAM email conversation ever (Score:2)
Re:best SPAM email conversation ever (Score:2)
Re:best SPAM email conversation ever (Score:2)
I get a dozen of these a day (Score:2, Flamebait)
Basically, the scam market is a commons. There's nobody to prevent them from using up the commons with their letters, and so they have.
-russ
a better variation of the "scamming a scammer" bit (Score:5, Funny)
Long but funny. Make sure to read to the end.
Re:a better variation of the "scamming a scammer" (Score:2)
Long but funny. Make sure to read to the end.
The last email in that exchange is one of the funniest things I've read in many years.
Just about pissed my pants!
Someone mod it up please!
Re:a better variation of the "scamming a scammer" (Score:2)
But you did not answer my question in regard to whether I need to travel to The Congo. I saw the movie "Congo" and it was very frightening. I would be afraid of the gorillas if I travelled there.
Oh man, that's classic. =)
Funniest Nigerian Scam table-turning I've seen yet (Score:5, Funny)
Realtime revolution. (Score:5, Informative)
I'm a regular of the #farscape channel on irc.scifi.com, and it has been incredible. Here's a java chat link [scifi.com] for the lazy. Random stars and makers of the show have been showing up there at least once a day, sometimes several visits throughout the day, to give encouragement to the fans. The channel grew to consistently hold hundreds of users, maxing out at 700 at a time. Here's a quick rundown of some of the news converage that we've gotten:
E! Online [eonline.com]TV Guide [iwon.com] (again [tvguide.com])
CNN [cnn.com]
Wired [wired.com]
BBC [bbc.co.uk]
Its turning out to be a story not just about a bunch of SciFi geeks crying about a lost show, but a protest against corporations directing culture through actions they don't have to justify. I mean, they killed their #2 show after having already made the commitment to the year. I don't consider myself the protesting type, especially over a TV show... but I wrote a letter, linked to it from my site and sent a few emails because I think the people who make and watch the show aren't out of line to demand what was promised to them.
Re:Realtime revolution. (Score:2)
Re:Realtime revolution. (Score:2)
By the way, CNN Headline Hotwired covered the story again tonight. A link to low-res video captures of all four segments is on the Save Farscape [wdsection.com] site. You really only need to watch #2 and #4, as they're kind of repeats of each other.
Re:Realtime revolution. (Score:2)
Lather, rinse, repeat. How frustrating.
Re:Realtime revolution. (Score:2)
Directing Culture??? Thats a bit OTT is it not. Corporations are not about promoting culture, they are about making money. Period. If the show made money in sufficient quantity they would keep it alive.
Personally, I'd rather they bin it than continue on a cheapo budget.
Re:Realtime revolution. (Score:2)
Kintanon
Re:Realtime revolution. (Score:2)
Advertising Revenue: $3.0M
ROI 100%
ST:TNG Repeat Production Costs: $.1M
Advertising Revenue: £1.0M
ROI 1000%
Return on Investment is better on the shitty repeat. Farscape doesnt have to lose money to be economically unattractive.
Re:Realtime revolution. (Score:2)
It just can't fathom how making 1.5million a year in profit is unattractive, what are they going to replace the show with? more reruns? I guess there is a higher profit margin on reruns... Heck! They could run reruns of Farscape, keep the 3 millin in revenue and have only 1% of the production cost! It's brilliant! Even if they are assholes.
Kintanon
Re:Realtime revolution. (Score:2)
Thats the whole point here. You don't get the revenue until you've sunk the production costs on making the show. For another network to take this on they need confidence that they have the audience, and that they CAN make the show.
What if, having made half a series ($9M) your audience turns out to be 20% down on expectations, your now making 130% not 200%. And thats just on the first show out, next week could be down ANOTHER 20% on expectations because you expected it to grow and it didn't... this is risky stuff.
The audience could be UP 20%, then your a commissioning genius and you get babes and porches sent to your home. Down 20% and your wondering wether to leave the show on your CV.
SF is particularly risky because most people don't watch it. You make a show like 'The worlds scariest DIY bikini babes' and pretty much anyone but Ned Flanders will have a look at it. You have potential access to 95% of the audience. With SF its probably more like 10 to 20% - you won't get many sticky flickers.
WTF? (Score:3, Interesting)
Anybody else find that a little weird, especially considering that a number of Fox's moneymaker shows ended?
(don't bother me with 'Futurama was saved too!' posts, the RERUNS were saved, there's still no word on new episodes.)
Re:WTF? (Score:3, Insightful)
It was no less 'ground-breaking' than Farscape. In both cases we have recycled plot lines, cliched romance, absurd situations, a setting where everything in space is weird for no real interesting reason, and poorly animated creatures.
The difference is that Futurama is a parody. Heh.
Nigerian Scammers (Score:2, Insightful)
One thing they do not seem to be is stupid. Sure, they suck at english, but they aren't going to ever give you their real info. I'm sure they get some patsy to go get the money transfers for them, using high quality fabricated documents such as the ones linked to. They probably wind up scamming those people too.
This guy [brianwizard.com] has written an e-book that is supposedly about his experience baiting the scammers and going as far as to actually follow it through to the end. I have not read it.
You have to think for a minute... If these guys were really that stupid as to give you real info about them just because you trail them along for a little while, don't you think law enforcement would have stopped them by now?
Re:Nigerian Scammers (Score:2)
Of course that means they haven't been exposed to that much western/popular culture.
And on the 9th September.. (Score:4, Funny)
Xbox chips (Score:3, Interesting)
The company I work for, SST, has a chip that was at one point supposed to be in the Xbox. That fell through, but the chip still works. So even though my company only deals in volume -- maybe 100,000 chips an order -- we've been flooded with calls from script kiddies wanting to chip-mod the Xbox. I guess our chip will let those in Europe play US content, among other things. The Sales people here are amused. The latest was a kid who wanted "5-10 sample chips for a school project." Uh-huh.
Re:Xbox chips (Score:2)
Funny yes, and most likely a modder, but friends of mine used to request free chips all the time when we were in college and they really did use them for school projects. I personally co-designed a digital voltage meter that plugged into a gameboy, so who knows what that guy could be doing that requires a mod chip
Segway info? (Score:2)
My favorite Segway quote:
Many people believe the Segway will revolutionize the ways people get hit by cars.
--- Tina Fey, SNL Weekend Update
Seems a bit pricey... (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't know much about TV show production costs, though, so (is this)/(is this not) a lot of money for one episode? I get the feeling that it really is, though all the stuff in the show is evidence of where it goes.
Realistically, I don't think the advertisements during Farscape have been pulling in anything close to $1.5 million. The rest has to be coming from them, so no wonder they want to cancel it.
Re:Seems a bit pricey... (Score:2)
These days the big money in TV production comes from syndication and mechandising
I know from talking to managers in local SF&F genre shops that Farscape merch just does not sell well. The magazines tend to go to pulp. It just doesn't work. If you compare it with shows like Buffy, Charmed, Angel &c where the merch flies off the shelves it just can't compete.
Syndication tends to kick in around Season 4-5 of a series, the networks like to have at least 100 episodes so they can show them often without starting over too often. I guess that when Sci-Fi started hawking it around for syndication they got turned down or the networks weren't prepared to pay as much as Sci-Fi wanted. The producers of shows use the money from current series to fund production on new series, this means that if a show isn't pulling in the cash then they have to pull the plug.
To be absolutely honest I hated Farscape, I hope that Sci-Fi will use the money saved from not trying to save that show to make better shows.
Stephen
Segway email a mistake (Score:3, Informative)
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-957746.html?tag=fd_
Nigerian fraud story reminds me of one thing: (Score:2)
Your alias says you're Captain Jean Luc Picard
Of the United Federation of Planets
Cause he won't speak english anyway
Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people
So meet me at the mission at midnight
We'll divvy up there
Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistol
So I get the Pesos
That seems fair
Wrong captain, but close enough.
The Refreshments kicked ass (Score:2)
I Stopped Expecting Much from Sci Fi Years Ago (Score:5, Insightful)
USA, on the other hand, to me, never seemed to be about anything but profit. They seemed to pick shows only for ratings, not because the people running the network were interested in a particular type of show or because there was any emotional motivation -- all they ever seemed to care about was profit. This kind of network, at least to me, always seemed to have no other identity or image other than "Aren't we cool with these cool shows? We've got the top ten," or something like that.
While Sci-Fi has an image, it has seemed to me for a long time that the network was about money, and nothing else. That the people behind it were doing SF, but that the endeavor was more about money than the subject matter. I really liked The Invisible Man -- for once there was a show about an invisible man that wasn't contrived -- it didn't always boil down to "We're in trouble and the only thing that can save us is invisibility." It actually had interesting characters and a complex world. I understand it was making the numbers in the ratings, but still canned.
I stopped watching Sci-Fi years ago EXCEPT for shows I could record and watch later. I got fed up with 4 minute commercial breaks. I was frustrated with watching Hercules or Xena re-runs (I didn't watch them when they were first aired). Remember, both shows have an overall story arc and the characters change. Sci-Fi started with airing episodes in reverse order and, later, when they were airing the shows daily, they'd cut them off at the end of the quarter when their schedule changed -- without reaching the series end. When they started re-airing the shows, I started watching again and -- guess what? They cut them off before the end of the series and at the end of the quarter again!
If these guys (the Sci-Fi staff) were running NBC in the late 1960s, let's face it, Star Trek would have been killed after 2 seasons (I know -- with the 3rd season, that may have been a blessing!). Look at other classics -- not SF, but Dick Van Dyke was cancelled after year 1, then the producers talked them into keeping the series and it had a great 5 year run overall and was as profitable as a TV show can be. Decisions like this can not always be made based on the numbers, but at Sci-Fi, it is, has been, and always will be about nothing but the numbers.
I stopped watching Sci-Fi several years ago. A friend talked me into I-Man, and let me see his tapes of the show each week. I do watch Stargate, but when that ends, I won't bother with Sci-Fi. I'm tired of 4 minute commercial breaks. I'm tired of getting into a show and seeing the re-runs cut short. I'm tired of getting into a show and seeing it cancelled before it's ready to go.
USA networks doesn't care about any show. All they care about is the bottom line. I've seen episodes of Farscape and find it impressive, but I'll be damned if I get involved with any more shows on Sci-Fi. It's clear to me they dont' give a tinker's dam about the viewers/fans. Only the buck.
Farscape will be much better off if it can move to Showtime and be the 3rd show for Sci-Fridays.
Re:I Stopped Expecting Much from Sci Fi Years Ago (Score:2)
When Cheers went on the air it started with some of the lowest ratings for any show. Guess where it ended up?
I suspect people like this (the network execs) are cut from the same cloth as the Decca record agents who turned down the Beatles. It takes people willing to take risks and with vision to run these companies, not just accountants.
Number of Microwave sites, by state (Score:3, Informative)
As seen in the Excel Spreadsheet
Re:Number of Microwave sites, by state (Score:2)
Okay, okay, yes, I know. Spacing them 50 miles apart is a lot harder when all you've got is a bunch of funky-shaped little landmasses in the middle of the ocean, 2300+ miles from the nearest continent. Oh well.
Of course, we have our own collection of cool toys on a hill [hawaii.edu] to play with... almost makes up for it.
Re:Number of Microwave sites, by state (Score:2)
Re:Number of Microwave sites, by state (Score:2)
Re:Number of Microwave sites, by state (Score:2)
Re:Number of Microwave sites, by state (Score:2)
Re:Number of Microwave sites, by state (Score:2)
Everything's bigger in Texas. (Score:2)
Take a look. Texas has more towers for sale than Minnesota, Utah, West Virginia, Washington, New York, New Mexico, Nevada, and Illinois combined. But this doesn't tell us too much on the face of it.
Let's just look at Washington. According to the 1990 census [census.gov], Washington has an average of 73.1 people per square mile, while Texas has an average of 64.9. So they're pretty close in terms of population density.
Texas (261,914 sq.mi) is 3.9 times as big as Washington (66,581), so it seems reasonable to expect 3.9 times as many towers for sale in Texas.
But that's not what we get. Washington has 6 towers for sale. Multiplied by 3.9 gives us 23.4 towers expected for Texas. But Texas has 72 towers for sale, 3 times as many as predicted.
It seems that you'll get the same result for any state of similar population density. Texas has 3.3 times more towers per person than West Virginia, for example, even though West Virginia has roughly the same population density as Washington.
So why does Texas have 3 times as many towers per person as Washington or West Virginia? I don't know. Maybe someone else does. Is the market for microwave towers worse in Texas than in Washington for some reason, or was there a need for more towers to begin with? (It's not all academic. If the market for microwave towers in Texas is worse for some reason, you might be justified in offering a significantly lower bid on one.) It's worth looking in to.
James T. Kirk (Score:3, Funny)
For shame!
Slashdot editors have a Star Wars bias...
Amazon sent "Ginger" email in error (Score:2)
Greetings from Amazon.com.
You recently received an e-mail from us regarding the Segway Human
Transporter (also known as "Ginger" or "IT"). This e-mail was sent
accidentally by an automated system and the information in it is
incorrect.
In fact, there is no new information on Segway's
availability. Consumer versions of Segway Human Transporters are
currently being piloted in various communities throughout the U.S.
The Segway HT is expected to be released to the general consumer
market in 2003.
We apologize for the confusion. We will keep your e-mail address on
our list of customers who wish to be notified about this item.
Meteorite Hits Girl (Score:2)
>The odds against being hit by a meteorite are
>billions to one - but a teenager in North
>Yorkshire may have had one land on her foot.
BAH! Landed on her foot! Bullshit! If she still has a foot, then a meteor did not land on it. I think someone threw a lava rock at her and her parents (trying to make her feel better) lied to her and said that it was a meteor. I bet she gets beaten up at school a lot.
I quickly concurred.
Darn! (Score:3, Funny)
The point is getting missed with Farscape. (Score:4, Informative)
by moving the timeslot)
Forget the success of SG-1. (Farscape viewers
killing time watching SG-1 until Farscape comes
on)
The important thing is, they took an escape clause
out of their contract to get out of season 5
while the show was still drawing a huge crowd.
They moved the show to 10pm and that destroyed
viewership with fans that have social lives.
They effectively mismanaged the hell out of
the show, then backed out of their season 5
commitment when they tried to demand a lower
amount of money for the show, and EMTV said
no. Despite what anybody thinks, the show has
at least 1 million viewers in the USA alone,
and countless fans overseas. Recent numbers
are starting to make it look like even the
nielsen numbers are wrong (like that's never
happened before) and there are probably even
more fans. Also, it's looking like at least
50 percent of those fans are women. And I'm not
making this stuff up. This was reported on
CNN Headline news 3 days in a row.
How hard would it be for them to actually
try to figure out who their viewing audience is,
attract sponsors based on that audience, and
make a ton of money? Not very hard at all.
Especially now that due to massive amount of
national, and international coverage, interest
in the show will be higher than it's ever been.
They'd be idiots to let this kind of opportunity
to slip by them. They couldn't hope for better
publicity than this for a show. The good news is
there are several other interested parties that
KNOW the type of advertiser dollars that can
be made off this show. To quote Reney at
CNN Headline News:
"College educated, professions, typical incomes $50,000 - $150,000. Technologically inclined, and extremely computer literate. I would think that advertisers would jump all over that."
And my favorite quote:
"But Nina Lump is talking, she is the web mistress of the Save Farscape website at Farscape.wdsection.com. I spoke with her today and she said that site and a related one have had over 600,000 hits since yesterday"
And that's just the net savvy viewers. I
personally blanketed the area I live in with
500 flyers today. I hit video stores, I hit
skateshops, gas stations, malls, you name it.
Most of the people I talked to were NOT on the
net, and most of the people I talked to did
not know the show had been cancelled.
The point
is that SciFi said they'd carry the 4th and 5th
season, they mismanaged the hell out of the show,
they backed out of their 5th season obligation,
and they were not going to tell anybody until
march. There are plenty of people saying some
genuinely misguided things about what's going
on here. I recommend you all take the time
to read the information at http://www.savefarscape.com
before making guesses
about what's REALLY going on.
Secret Service and Nigerian Scams (Score:3, Informative)
Won't Watch Sci Fi Again (Score:2)
Re:I hope this isn't true (Score:4, Informative)
So it looks like this is legit. What could be going wrong? Testing poorly in marketing? Needs to be redesigned to be more sexy, or easier to learn how to use?
Re:I hope this isn't true (Score:2)
Re:I hope this isn't true (Score:2)
Re:I hope this isn't true (Score:2)
oh joy.
Re:I hope this isn't true (Score:3, Informative)
Greetings from Amazon.com.
You recently received an e-mail from us regarding the Segway Human
Transporter (also known as "Ginger" or "IT"). This e-mail was sent
accidentally by an automated system and the information in it is
incorrect.
In fact, there is no new information on Segway's
availability. Consumer versions of Segway Human Transporters are
currently being piloted in various communities throughout the U.S.
The Segway HT is expected to be released to the general consumer
market in 2003.
We apologize for the confusion. We will keep your e-mail address on
our list of customers who wish to be notified about this item.
Sincerely,
Amazon.com Customer Service
http://www.amazon.com
Re:Showtime? UPN? (Score:2, Interesting)
I kind of hoped that HBO would pick Farscape up so that they could push the shock factor a bit farther without resorting to crap like the "Coup by Clam" episode. I'm worried that if Sci-Fi backs down and hangs on to it the show is going to completely burn out anyway... it feels like at least as far as this season has gone they're on the plot decline already, which is unfortunate because there is still so many concepts they can toy with when their world doesn't have to bear any resemblance to the world as we know it (like Star Trek: Voyager did when they were stuck in the Alpha Sector).
On the other hand, it is cool to see that the fans can occasionally get their way. Your plan intrigues me, although I think a better deal would be to pay Henson $40/fan and get the DVDs for the next season directly shipped to us instead of broadcast. I'd do it.
Re:Saving Farscape the right way (Score:2)
Re:Tower Sale (Score:2)
I can't help but wonder how helpful the American Tower staff will be if I call, though. I get the sense that they want to sell these towers to carriers and other businesses, not to the average John or Jane Doe.
BTW: Anyone have any idea where the rumored $25,000 average price tag came from? Because if $25,000 is the average, then that means a significant number are probably selling for less than $25 grand. I don't want to overpay. : )
Re:Tower Sale (Score:3, Informative)
Isn't that like calling a car salesman a liar when he tells you that they don't have a certain model and you reply "Well it's for sale SOMEWHERE!"
I actually have gotten in touch with them. Their problem is that the link in the original story is a link to the map of EVERY site American Tower owns, not just the surplus ones they were selling. Oh, I'm sure they will sell you one of those non surplus towers - but your gonna pay a shitload more than $25K, since they are working towers and American Tower makes money off them.
These are cash on the barrelhead, WYSIWYG, no deposit no return transactions. Demo the tower because you don't want to pay for the upkeep of the signal lights? Do it yourself. Find some surplus equipment that you want out of the bunker? Better start lifting weights.
If you're still interested, download the spreadsheet, then go to Mapquest and plug in the latitude and longitude. Most of these are in the MOFN, and there towers aren't tall enough to be useful, so that's why they are selling them as surplus.