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Link Roundup 7/25/2013

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A huge, huge list of writing resources. It just keeps going and going.

http://cannonbarrage.tumblr.com/post/56442195378/massive-writing-resource-database

What comics freelancers got paid in the 70’s. This may make you feel better . . . or worse. I’m not sure wish.

https://twitter.com/JimZub/status/360407411703566336/photo/1

What is known – and unknown – about XBox Indie development. Lots of unknowns, I’m afraid, but it’s not entirely dismal.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/196948/What_we_know_and_dont_know_about_Xbox_One_selfpublishing.php

A book on Superman’s creators sounds like a great read for comics, fans, writers, and historians. May be worth picking up.

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/173240-super-boys-by-brad-ricca/

Skillbridge is trying to be a freelancing site for serious high-level stuff. This should be interesting to watch – and may provide some opportunities, or start a crash of pay rates.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/25/skillbridge-dorm-room-fund/

Facebook stock surges. By 25%. I certainly didn’t see this coming.

http://mashable.com/2013/07/25/facebook-stock-ipo-price/

Blackberry lays off 250 people. It may be time to give up. Finally. Again.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/25/blackberry-lays-off-250-employees-from-its-new-product-testing-and-rd-department/

For you makers, a dress made from a book.

http://boingboing.net/2013/07/25/dress-made-from-a-book.html

– Steven Savage

More Link Roundup!

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Bryan Cranston cosplayed as himself at ComicCon and wasn’t recognized.

http://www.businessinsider.com/bryan-cranston-heisenberg-mask-2013-7

Then it got weird…

Hugh Jackman did, too, and got criticism.  “Too tall.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/hugh-jackman-wolverine-comic-con-2013-7

Spat between CBS, Time Warner Cable may see New York, LA, and Dallas subscribers losing the network and its subsidiaries (incl. Showtime).

http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/cbs-chief-moonves-time-warner-cable-can-afford-to-pay-us-more-1200566843/

Twitter uses real users for fake tweets to promote new ad platform; gets caught.

http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2013/07/23/twitter-fakes-real-users-tweets-to-promote-ad-platform/

Want to write?  Draw!

http://mathiex.blogspot.com/2013/07/wri-draw-your-story.html

Sketching out characters, settings help keep details straight and in an easy to reference manner.

Conservative MP wants “opt in” for online porn for Canadians, mirroring similar legislation in the UK.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/07/23/mb-joy-smith-anti-porn-bill-winnipeg.html

Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan-St. Paul (north part of Winnepeg) hasn’t been following the fall-out from PM Cameron’s idea. It’s not going to fly here.  (Well, it’s not flying in the UK, either.)

Yet another Sharknado article.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2013/07/absurd-sharknado-triggers-feeding-frenzy-for-schlock-movie-fans.html

For $1 million dollars and a cheese fest of a movie, The Asylum is getting a lot of press.  Sure, only a million people saw it on SyFy, but is there any other movie getting this much attention this summer?  The Atlantic Wire has a graph of the tweets (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/07/sharknado-was-only-thing-worth-talking-about-last-night/67109/); fittingly, it looks like a dorsal fin.  Marketing departments at other studios must be wondering, “WTF?”

Five Writing Exercises That Will Make You More Creative

http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-writing-exercises-that-will-make-you-more-creative/

– Steven

And In Your News Of Geeks and Erotica . . .

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Been some saucy geek news today.

The producer of the 50 Shades of Gray Film is looking to produce a Gran Turismo film.  Yes, the video game.  No, I don’t get it.  However it is interesting diversity-wise – and I expect Gran Turismo is intended to focus on the Fast and Furious love out there.

Porn-blocking British MP gets hacked, threatens reporters, seems generally technically illiterate.  Seems to be heading for a nasty meltdown, this person is clearly not that self-aware.  Still the law may affect policy in Britain and other countries so I’d follow this.

Google Glass will be in a porn film.  But not used for it.  Yeah, my only surprise is it took this long.  Important warning to product developers of how these things can get viral in unexpected ways.

– Steven