Geek Strand Bits & Bytes: Kindle for Mac, News from Myrtle Beach’s Cyberwar Front

Kindle for Mac released

I fell in love with my Kindle as soon as I got it for Christmas. It is to the point where I have to resist buying Kindle versions of real books sitting on my nightstand, waiting to be read.

My girlfriend has also fallen in love with my Kindle, despite her initial resistance to the idea of virtual books. She has absconded with it to the furthest reaches of the world. She reads even more than I do, and it is much easier to pack a Kindle for a trip to Denver than five or six paper- and hardbacks in a carry-on.

Kindle for Mac screenshoot

Kindle for Mac screenshoot

This has created a little bit of an organizational rift between us. We have to negotiate custody times and be sure to have alternate reading material available for when the other has the Kindle.

This is not as bad as it sounds. I have had my Kindle software on my iPod Touch for longer than I have had the actual Kindle. And I do have those books on my nightstand.

So, I was able to make due, until my iPod decided to drowned itself one day, cutting off my access to our growing Kindle library. Since I haven’t been able to replace the iPod yet, or get another Kindle for that matter (We are both convinced that we need to be a two-Kindle household, but have yet to convince or bank accounts of the extra expense), I have had to wait patiently for my turn.

Fortunately, Amazon.com, which has released Kindle software for the PC and the iPhone/iPod, has recently released a Mac version.

The Mac version, much like the other Kindle version, lets me access all my Kindle books, keep the page count synced so if I read some chapters on the Kindle while my girlfriend is at work, I can continue from where I left off on my MacBook Pro or iMac, and vice-versa.

Of course, as everyone knows, reading on the computer screen is the optimum situation, but it does quite well in a pinch.

You can learn more at www.amazon.com/kindle

News from the Cyber-Front

In the last Geek Strand, I reported about all the flagging and attempts to censor the Myrtle Beach Craigslist. Since that report, there have been some new developments. Shortly after releasing my column, the folks at www.blackbikeweeks.com contacted me and informed me of their experiences in this Grand Strand cyberwar.

According to blackbikeweek.com, they have had people sign up under false names and send out false messages that the Memorial Day Bike Rally has been canceled, give out false dates and generally spread misinformation about the event. They claim that this is also happening on FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites.

So, check your sources and make sure who you are getting your info from is the real deal.

Meanwhile, over on Craigslist, things have changed since my expose of the attempts to censor the free list. Growing frustrated with the flaggers who have been taking down any posts about bike week or that disagree with the powers-that-be in Myrtle Beach, someone has started the web site www.neverflagged.com.

Similar to Craigslist, neverflagged.com offers free, paid and featured ads, but promises that ads will never be flagged indiscriminately. Complaints about ads will be handled fairly and judged according to the terms of use (obscenity, libel, criminal stuff), meaning just because you don’t like what someone is saying isn’t enough to get it deleted—You know, that whole First Amendment thing?

Check out www.neverflagged.com for the uncensored rants and raves for the Myrtle Beach area.

Christopher Huff is a self-confessed and unrepentant geek who as been living, writing and playing on the Grand Strand for several years. You can learn more about him and his writing at www.piratejournalism.com. Comments can be sent to chris@alternatives.sc

Published in: on March 26, 2010 at 14:09  Comments Off  
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“Puttin’ on the Beard” brings burlesque-style music and comedy to Myrtle Beach on March 20.–UPDATED

UPDATE- Check out pics from last night show: Putting on the Beard @ flickr

Local comedian Boz “The Buzzman” Martin’s “Outrageous Comedy-Music Revue” promises an evening of classic entertainment combining modern improv comedy, classic burlesque-style acts and some of the hottest names in local music.
Martin is a stand-up comedian who has appeared regularly at the Comedy Cabana and other clubs. He is also a singer and actor.

Boz "The Buzzman" Martin

Boz

“I have appeared in over 65 theater productions since college, mainly in lead roles.” Martin said. “Many of them were musicals. As a singer, I primarily sing the blues/soul and beach shag with a little bit of classic rock.”
Martin has become a promoter and producer of burlesque revival shows, including acclaimed shows like the “Unlucky at Love: Friday the 13th before Valentines Day” show in Columbia, S.C.
“I am very much about promoting comedy and burlesque-style variety shows,” Martin said. “This show has fewer burlesque-style elements than people have come to expect from me, but it promises to be a great night of comedy and music.”
Martin explained the thought process behind the show’s unusual name.
“In the 70′s I had a friend who was an Airman at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. He hated hate having short hair and no hair on his face, and he couldn’t wait to get out of the service and let it all grow out. After he was discharged, he “went hippy” like the rest of the guys in our group, letting it all grow out.. After that became much more like himself, he said. He called that feeling of self-assurance ‘Puttin’ On The Beard,’” he said. “Thanks to the way my friend from back in the day used it, it evokes self-empowerment for me, the sense of overcoming limitations and obstacles. “Puttin’ On The Beard”, to me, means putting on the mantle of a winner.”
James Knight will be joining Martin for the show, bringing his own style of comedy to the show.
“James is an actor specializing in comedy and musical performances,” Martin said. “He is inventive and unpredictable. Shock-and-Awe Comedy.”
Martin said one of Knights acts will be “Improvisational Tragedy.”
“Think of improv comedy combined with Hurt Locker,” Martin said. “It will be a very serious piece of comedy.”
In addition to improv sketch, there will be several other comedy bits throughout the show.
“These black-out sketches will be little bits like you have seen on Johnny Carson or Mad TV,” Martin said.
However, one act will bring in the MTV generation.
“We are going to be having a “Shimmy Down the Pimp” contest based on Pat Benatar’s ‘Love is a Battlefield” video,” Martin said. “It is going to be fun and quick, and to encourage contestants, we are going to offer discounted admission to any one who comes dressed in 1980s Pat Benatar style.”
For music, the bands include Sick Stooges and Jazz ETC.

Grand Strand favorite Sick Stooges will be one of the many guest acts at “Putting on the Beard” on March 20.

Grand Strand favorite Sick Stooges will be one of the many guest acts at “Putting on the Beard” on March 20.

“The Sick Stooges have quite a following,” Martin said. “They are a classic rock cover band and are one of best bands around.”
“The ‘ETC’ for Jazz Etc. is blues, soul and classic R&B,” Martin said. “Authentic is the best way to describe them. I will get to do a couple of songs with them. I think this is their debut at Drink!”
The show is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 20. at Drink! on 8th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach. Admission is $8.
“Members of my Facebook Fan Group “Boz The Buzzman’s Shameless Self-Promotion” will get in for only $5,” Martin said.

FAQ:
What: Putting on the Beard Comedy-Music Revue.
Where: Drink!, 503 8th Avenue N., Myrtle Beach
When: March 20, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
How Much: $8 at the door. Some discounts available
Why: Comedy (Boz the Buzzman, James Knight), Music (Sick Stooges, Jazz ETC.)

Published in: on March 12, 2010 at 17:13  Comments Off  
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Cyberwar comes to Myrtle Beach

Freedom of Speech = Disturbing the Peace in Myrtle Beach

Freedom of Speech = Disturbing the Peace in Myrtle Beach

Which statement is true?

A) Obama’s cyber-czar claims that there is no cyberwar.

B) The news is reporting that the hacking assault on Google was an amateur plot by Chinese school kids.

C) Myrtle Beach Anti-Biker partisans allow fair debate and discussion on Internet.

None of these statements are true. Okay, two of them may contain a sprinkling of truth on them to cover up government shenanigans, but the third one is completely false.

Craigslist has been controversial for several reasons, primarily because the anonymity it provides for its users can provide a perceived layer of protection for those offering shady services. Prostitution scandals across the nation have led to some minor changes in the way the Internet classified service runs its adult sections, but still the privacy of the users is a protective shield.

I have had a lot of success with Craigslist. I found my motorcycle on the list for a great price and then later found accessories for the bike worth hundreds of dollars for only $40. I have arranged D&D club meetings and sold my Porsche via the free listings offered on Craigslist. I recently scored some great Star Wars collectibles for a great price from a fellow collector looking for some extra holiday cash.

Because of that success, I monitor various local Craigslist feeds, particular the “motorcycle,” “video and photography” and “toys and hobbies.”

About a week ago, I noticed a post from someone looking to set up a meeting for those supporting Bikers’ rights in Myrtle Beach. A little bit later, the old one was gone and a new ad was posted. This went on (and is still going on) for several days, the poster now explaining that someone(s) kept flagging his post as offensive or inappropriate. Because of the nature of Craigslist, it only takes a simple click to mark a listing and have the ad removed. There is no arbitration or decision-making. Craigslist pulls the ad and sends the poster an e-mail explaining what happened and says, “If your posting was wrongly flagged down (2% of flagged ads are) please accept our apologies and feel free to repost.”

Apparently, this started in the “Rants & Raves” section of the Myrtle Beach Craigslist, and the biker, constantly getting his posts flagged started posting under the Motorcycle wanted section to spread the world. The anti-biker censors followed him.

Moreover, they are not restricting themselves to the supporters of the motorcycle rallies. Anyone challenging the goings-on in Myrtle Beach has their listing quickly flagged. One poster, who compared the tactics to that of Soviet and Chinese policies on Free Speech, has his comments quickly flagged.

“…the bad guys are the ones who can’t face the truth. They have to censor and criminalize anything that doesn’t fit in their narrow definition of how things should be. In the old USSR, they use to ship them off to Siberia. In China, they would just slaughter them wholesale and run over them with tanks, and jail anyone who googles freedom…” begins the post titled, “How do you tell who the bad guys are?”

The post doesn’t mention Myrtle Beach directly, although it does provide some vaguely worded examples to support its thesis.

Of course, the real proof of the thesis is the ad was quickly flagged and removed.

This is not to construe that the Myrtle Beach government or other organizations are doing the censorship. No, more likely, it is a bunch of “citizen supporters” who have been manipulated into acting as “unofficial agents” of the anti-Myrtle Beach movement.  (Yes, I mean anti-Myrtle Beach. This is bigger than just Bike Week. They destroy the Pavilion, the bike rallies and the marathon. They drive off conventions and festivals. They tax and scare off any kind of tourist that doesn’t fit into their narrow, elitist definition of what they want in Myrtle Beach.) These are probably people with little else to do but cause trouble for the hardworking people of the Grand Strand.

Ironically, these people are now aiding and abetting the same ideals here at home that they went overseas to fight against. They support segregation, censorship and fascist tactics used by the likes of Hitler, Stalin and Mao Tse Tung right here in America’s Favorite Family Beach.

Of course, tanks haven’t smashed over the homes in Atlantic Beach yet, but those afraid of open debate and different opinions are doing their best to destroy Free Speech in Myrtle Beach and the World Wide Web.

Christopher Huff is a self-confessed and unrepentant geek who as been living, writing and playing on the Grand Strand for several years. You can learn more about him and his writing at www.piratejournalism.com. Comments can be sent to chris@alternatives.sc

Published in: on March 12, 2010 at 17:05  Comments (2)  
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All is not wonderful in Tim Burton’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland

The clues were there all along.

Large or Small, Alice fails to impress in Tim Burton's Wonderland sequel.

Large or Small, Alice fails to impress in Tim Burton's Wonderland sequel.

When I first heard that Johnny Depp was playing the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” I was slightly interested.

But then little things started to bother me.

First was the March release date. A March release date for a big name movie usually means it tested badly and the studio didn’t think it could compete with the summer box-offices brutes.

Nevertheless, Watchmen rocked, even though the general movie-going audience didn’t get it, and it was a March release, so I was still giving it a chance.

Then I saw the animation. Particular, the Red Queen’s bulbous head. There was just no reason for it. It completely turned me off of the film.

Then I saw it, and I found that it was worse than I thought.

In case you don’t know, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) was a little girl when she went through the looking glass and fell into the first rabbit hole discovering the magical world of Wonderland. At age 19, she has forgotten her adventures and convinced herself it was only a dream. However, running away from a would be suitor, she loses herself into the magical realm, now turned dark and scary under the evil Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) rule.

Some vaguely exciting adventures occur. No, that’s a like. After some boring adventures, Alice must face her fears, fulfill the prophecy and deal with some rather creepy romantic overtones between her and the Hatter.

The writing was terrible; an insult to Mr. Carroll.

Depp was under used and did a Scottish accent to show when the Mad Hatter was being madder than usual.

Alice was cute, but uninspiring.

The animation struggled between silly and overdone.

The 3D was abysmal. I don’t know if there is a real difference between “Disney 3D” and the “Real 3D” other movies use, but the 3D work in “Alice” was pitiful. Gag attempts to “jump out” of the screen were stymied and terribly contrived. Two years ago, in “Beowulf” a spear almost took out my eye. You could see the notches on the brightly lit blade and felt like you had to duck. In “Alice,” we have returned to the dark ages. Everything was dark, smudgy and flat.

Dark. Smudgy. Flat.
I can’t think of any other three words that describe the movies effect on the audience. Enter into un-Wonderfulland at your own risk.

Published in: on March 10, 2010 at 18:31  Comments (1)  
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