EdwardKnoxII

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showth...?threadid=28296 WHAT IS MARVEL KNIGHTS 2099? Marvel Knights - founded in 1999 - has been a symbol of cutting-edge quality not just for Marvel, but for the entire industry. Now, on the fifth anniversary of this imprint, Marvel is shooting 100 years from the start date for a special event - Marvel Knights 2099. These five one-shots are set in a familiar time for longtime Marvel fans, but will turn the future upside down, just as Knights did for classic characters over the past five years. MARVEL KNIGHTS 2099: DAREDEVIL #1 Written by Robert Kirkman Penciled by Steve Epting Cover by Pat Lee Samuel Fisk carries on his shoulders the burden of a legacy that has lasted over 100 years. He struggles to balance his life with the duty he has accepted in order to continue the works of those that have come before him. Samuel Fisk is Daredevil! 32 PGS./MARVEL PSR …$2.99 UPC: 5960605629-00111 MARVEL KNIGHTS 2099: BLACK PANTHER #1 Written by Robert Kirkman Penciled by Kyle Hotz Cover by Pat Lee T'Challa is gone, but Wakanda stands strong. The vibranium mines are still active and it remains one of the richest countries in the world. T'Challa left no heir, and since his passing a succession of Wakandans have attempted to claim the throne. Doctor Doom of Latveria has turned his sights on Wakanda; an invasion is imminent. But where is the Black Panther? 32 PGS./MARVEL PSR …$2.99 UPC: 5960605631-00111 MARVEL KNIGHTS 2099: INHUMANS #1 Written by Robert Kirkman Penciled by Cliff Rathburn Cover by Pat Lee After the mutant registration act being reinstated spurred a battle between mutants, super heroes, and the government, it was clear to the Inhumans that anything more than human... was not welcome on Earth. So they left for a life amongst the stars, but after an over-fifty-year journey they have arrived at their destination... but where could they be? 32 PGS./MARVEL PSR …$2.99 UPC: 5960605633-00111 MARVEL KNIGHTS 2099: PUNISHER #1 Written by Robert Kirkman Penciled by Pop Mhan Cover by Pat Lee Cassondra Castle is old, her time is coming to an end, but there are still plenty who need punishment. Her son Franklin has never known her terrible secret... he never knew where she spent her evenings... but someone has to pick up the torch... someone has to continue the legacy. Franklin's life is about to change drastically. 32 PGS./MARVEL PSR …$2.99 UPC: 5960605632-00111 MARVEL KNIGHTS 2099: MUTANT #1 Written by Robert Kirkman Penciled by Khary Randolph Cover by Pat Lee Registered mutant 2099, Chad Channing, is a mild-mannered high school student at Baxter High. He takes his mutant gene suppression pills every morning and his parents couldn't be more proud of him. With the mutant threat neutralized the world is a safer place, crime is down, a Sentinel is on every corner, and life is pretty much perfect. But all that changes when Chad finds a secret basement located under the Baxter Building that houses the living brain of rebel leader Reed Richards. 32 PGS./MARVEL PSR …$2.99 UPC: 5960605634-00111

http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/ FABIAN NICIEZA: FORCE OF X Who says you can't go home again? Certainly not writer Fabian Nicieza, who is teaming up with artist Rob Liefeld once more for the return of the popular '90s title X-Force. The new series is scheduled to begin this August as part of Marvel's X-Men: ReLoad Wave 2. ComiX-Fan recently caught up with Nicieza to find out more about the revivification of the fan-favourite mutant strike team. COMIX-FAN: First and foremost, how did the new X-Force series come about? FABIAN NICIEZA: My involvement began with a phone call. Rob called and asked if I wanted to have some fun and I said, "Let's go!" Before that, I don't know the exact details. I think Marvel and Rob began discussing this a little while ago and worked out their deal. Once that was pretty much hammered out, Rob called me. CXF: How's it feel to be "going home" with X-Force? FN: It's been a lot of fun. You'll hear that word a lot from both Rob and I in the interviews we do, because that's basically our goal. We think it's a relatively safe bet that we won't win any Eisner Awards, but while we won't get accolades, readers will get some popcorn, a cold soda and one of those zany curly straws. Anyone who is in the mood for good old-fashioned snarling action, twists and turns, angst and anguish, well, then they're going to enjoy this book in the same way that everybody needs a Big Mac once in a while. It ain't exactly healthy for you, but you want it, you need it, so you get it! CXF: What's it like teaming up with Rob again on the characters that you both are arguably best known for? FN: I would never have done this five years ago, since I was in a mode to distance myself from that whole early 90's X-stuff, but now that I've outgrown the need to outgrow the work, I'm having a very relaxed, enjoyable time. Rob and I always clicked when it came to talking about character and story and stuff in general. Things got weird when the Image start-up was going down because I was a Marvel guy and there were scheduling issues and stuff like that, but the work was always pure for us – pure goofy sugar-coated cereal – but pure nonetheless. It feels that way again. No bull, just a confident sense that we know these characters, what makes them tick and how to approach this particular kind of book. CXF: Do you think you can catch lightning in a bottle a second time with the new series? FN: Nah. Totally different circumstances. That lightning was Rob's freshness – and the bottle was a WHOLE LOT of 10-14 year old readers. Those readers – the ones still buying comics – are now in their mid-twenties. Of those, many have probably outgrown this kind of book, while the remainder will buy it – and most assuredly like it – for nostalgic value. We have very realistic expectations for this title. Many will buy it simply because they want to hate it, many more because they want to relive their youth. Whatever the reason, is fine with us, as long as you’re buying it! If we can get NEW 10-14 year olds, well, it'll be lightning for them, because it's rocking fun stuff. That demographic – ugh, I just said demographic – always seems attracted to this kind of work. I had company at my house a couple months ago and one of Rob's colored art pieces from the new X-Force book happened to be on my computer screen when a bunch of kids wandered into my office – well, the twelve year old boy was IMMEDIATELY drawn to the screen – that's the kind of effect I think Rob's work has on that particular age group. He had – and still has – the knack then for attracting that just-pubescent male hormonal adrenaline drive. Lots of readers disregard that and don't disrespect it, just because they're no longer that target audience, but they shouldn't, because anyone who does this for a living knows how damned hard it is to attract that audience now. You want to talk about lightning in a bottle? I'm sure EVERY publisher would love to find a way for comics to so strongly break through the clutter of all the entertainment stimuli bombarding young teens today to achieve the circulation we averaged back then. And I'm not just talking Hefty-bag, winky-dink or embossed boob covers, I'm talking AVERAGE circulation in the four to six hundred thousand range for a few years, not a few months. CXF: The series was originally announced as a mini but is being solicited as an ongoing. Can you clarify which it is? FN: I have no clue. I figure it's a monthly comic until it stops coming out. Then it'll be a limited series. CXF: That seems to be your standard answer to that sort of question. So with Hawkeye recently suffering the "ongoing turned extended limited" fate, are you concerned at all that X-Force might end up the same way? FN: Apples and oranges. My standard "every monthly is a limited series whose length has yet to be determined" answer applies to new books like Hawkeye, but my "I have no clue" answer is because I don't know the exact details of Rob's contract. I know it calls for him to draw a certain number of issues, but I don't know about renewing or rolling it over, plotting only vs. plotting & drawing, etc. So when you ask me if it is an on-going or not, well... I have no clue. CXF: Will there be any tips of the hat to that other X-Force team that "stole" their name? FN: I don’t think so. At least not in the first three issues. I don't really think most readers think of them as X-Force, but rather X-Statix. Let's be honest, not to denigrate that work, since it was frickin' fun satire, but when anyone who has read comics in the last fifteen years thinks of X-Force, they think big thighs and open snarling mouths! CXF: What familiar faces can fans expect to see in the reformed X-Force line-up? FN: The usual suspects. Cable. Domino. Shatterstar. Cannonball. Meltdown. Warpath. Sunspot. Feral. I haven't heard a lick about Rictor, but I hope he gets in there eventually. You'd have to ask Rob. He's driving the car. I called shotgun. CXF: Can you foresee any scheduling problems with Cannonball being in Uncanny X-Men and Sunspot, Warpath and Feral (and Rictor) being X-Corps members in different branches around the world? FN: Nope. We make mention of all of that within the context of the first couple of issues. It's a big sandbox, let's all share the toys. This storyline is being presented as a MISSION, not a life choice. When the mission is over, we'll see where it all shakes out. CXF: What of Cable being in both X-Force and your other current series Cable & Deadpool? FN: Because of the original scheduling delays for the Cable & Deadpool book, our continuity {with X-Force} got a bit wonky. I know lots of readers and suit and tie types don't care as much about that, but some of us like to keep it organized, without getting all Felix Unger about it. So X-Force #1 takes place after the next arc of CDP (for reasons that will become apparent to any reading both books). I don't want to say too much more, since it would give away some story points for CDP's next arc, which is called "The Passion of The Cable," but at least now everyone can file that in their mental notebook and it will prevent them from losing sleep. And back to X-Force, we'll be meeting some new characters and new villains as well. CXF: Can you tell us a bit about them? FN: I'll only say we have a new character who is a hunter/tracker type who has quite a bit of experience with Cable's past... and his future. We also have a new villain – a very dangerous threat to humanity and especially mutants – called the Skornn. Remember what I said about how everyone needs a Big Mac once in a while? Well, to the Skornn, humans are Big Macs. And mutants are filet mignon... CXF: And the villains? FN: I will say no more than I already have. Unless you offer to bribe me. CXF: Okay, I'll bite, so what can you be bribed with? FN: You can get Marvel to publish Hawkeye #9 through infinity. That might be a good start... Or a good condition original Mego Superman or Robin figure. Or a cheap way to fill out my Ostrander/Mandrake Spectre run. Or... CXF: Okay, okay. So, ultimately, what do you hope to achieve with the all-new, all-different X-Force? FN: I don't want to speak for Rob or Marvel, but I do think we hope to achieve world peace. Help the average comic industry professional to lose about twenty pounds... Okay, fifty... Regrow hair where long lost hair should be growing. Speed up the course of time so Lindsay Lohan becomes legal. Oh yeah, and have some fun...

Yeah it's for 90 days which is something I don't get for your lower midcard wrestlers that Vince had no use for and with no WCW around.

Funny you should say that. In one of the Weapon X issues Mr. Sinister showed up looking for some blood samples of Colossus so he could bring him back. I hope it doesn't happen. Besides when it comes to lives Colossus had one of the shitty ones I've ever read. His brother is thought to be dead but, he finds out he isn't. Then his brother kills himself and a few Morlocks but, they really went to another world. His sister is trapped in Limbo comes back older then becomes a child again and dies. The KGB kills his folks. He cheats on Kitty and they break up. He goes bad then changes his mind and becomes good again and tries to get back with Kitty. After all the shit Colossus has been thru it's best that the poor guy stays dead.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5295636/?GT1=3584 Lewinsky feels betrayed by Clinton Former intern disappointed by portrayal of relationship in book LONDON - Monica Lewinsky says she feels betrayed by Bill Clinton’s failure to acknowledge how he destroyed her life in his newly released memoirs. In an interview with British broadcaster ITV to be shown on Friday, the former White House intern best known for her affair with the 42nd U.S. president says she was disappointed at how their relationship is addressed. “I really didn’t expect him to talk in detail about the relationship,” she said, according to a partial transcript of the interview provided by ITV. “But what I was hoping, and did expect was for him to acknowledge and correct the inaccurate and false statements that he, his staff and the (Democratic National Committee) made about me when they were trying to protect the presidency,” she said. In response to Clinton’s recent remark to U.S. news show “60 Minutes” that he had the affair “for the worst possible reason — because I could,” Lewinsky said she “was really upset” when she first heard it. “I have spent the past several years working so hard to just move on, and to try and build a life for myself,” said Lewinsky, 30, who has been a spokeswoman for diet company Jenny Craig and host of the reality TV show “Mr. Personality.” Lewinsky, who told her own account of the affair in the 1999 book “Monica’s Story,” said she reluctantly spoke out about Clinton’s tome “My Life” because he tried to rewrite history. “He says he was proud of the way that he defended the presidency, at my expense,” she said. “In the process he destroyed me, and that was the way he was going to have to do that, to get through impeachment,” Lewinsky added. “I was a young girl and to hear him saying some of the things he was saying today — it’s a shame.” Lewinsky insists during the ITV interview that she had a relationship with Clinton even though he never uses the word in the book, instead opting for “inappropriate encounter” on page 773 of the 957-page autobiography. “This is something that I never wanted to talk about publicly and I know he wished had never become public. But this was a mutual relationship, from the way it started all the way through,” Lewinsky said. Her affair with Clinton while he was in office and his subsequent denials of it led to his impeachment in December 1998 after a lengthy and expensive investigation by independent counsel Ken Starr. Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.

Mordecai wants Holly to go to hell. Which is something alot of smarks have been telling Holly for years.

Hmm not to make excuses but, I wonder if it has to do with Smallville getting a new time and day this past season. Really I didn't like it on Wednesday at 7. Tues at 8 seemed so perfect for some reason.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06/23/be...e_boy_cd_virus/ Beastie Boys CD installs virus By Thomas C Greene Published Wednesday 23rd June 2004 11:18 GMT A new Beastie Boys' CD called "To the Five Boroughs" (Capitol Records), is raising hackles around the Web for reputedly infecting computers with a virus. According to a recent thread at BugTraq, an executable file is automatically and silently installed on the user's machine when the CD is loaded. The file is said to be a driver that prevents users from ripping the CD (and perhaps others), and attacks both Windows boxen and Macs. The infected CD is being distributed worldwide except in the USA and UK, which prevents us from giving a firsthand report. However, according to hearsay, we gather that the Windows version exploits the 'autorun' option, and that the Mac version affects the auto play option. On Windows, when a CD is loaded, a text file called autorun.inf is read, and any instructions within it are executed. In this case, the machine is instructed to install some manner of DRM driver that prevents copying. We haven't seen either the .inf file or any of the executables, so we can't say how or at what level it accomplishes this - or if indeed it actually does accomplish this. But assuming that the unconfirmed reports are accurate, we have here a media company infecting users' machines silently with a file that affects a computer's functionality, without first obtaining informed consent: a likely violation of pretty much every jurisdiction's anti-hacking laws. It's possible to foresee criminal charges being brought at some point: after all, having a good reason for spreading malware has never been much of a defence in court. And a file that alters a computer's functioning without the owner's informed consent is the very definition of malware. Because this malware can be transferred from machine to machine on a removable disk, and requires user interaction to spread, it is, quite simply, a computer virus. (A worm, on the other hand, is distinguished by its ability to spread without user interaction.) CD virus protection Let's look at the ways this autorun business can be defeated. It's quite easy to disable autorun in Windows by holding down the Shift key when loading a CD. Unfortunately, this has to be done each time the CD is played. However, it's easy to insert the CD once with the Shift key depressed, and then simply rip the tracks to the hard disk. You can then use the CD in other devices, and listen to your corresponding MP3s or whatever on your computer. You can also disable the autorun "feature" on your Windows machine permanently so that this and other CDs infected with viruses won't affect you in the future. To do this, go to the Start menu ==> Run, and type in the command regedit. Your registry editor will launch. Navigate to the following key, and edit as shown: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CDRom and set Autorun DWORD=0 It might be necessary to create the value, thus: Data Type: DWORD Value Name: Autorun Value: 0 As usual, you must reboot your Windows box for the changes to take effect. Disinfection The above procedure assumes that you haven't previously installed the suspected Capitol Records virus, or a similar one from another fine entertainment conglomerate. But if you have, you will need to find and uninstall the malware first. The autorun.inf file on the CD will likely indicate the name of the relevant file(s), the locations where they're installed, and any registry changes made. Armed with that information, go to the Windows 'uninstall' utility: Start menu ==> Settings ==> Control Panel ==> Add or Remove Programs ==> Change/Remove. Look for any program files referenced in the autorun.inf file and uninstall them. If no related programs are listed, you will need to launch the Windows Search Companion and search for any files named in the autorun.inf file and delete them manually. Be sure to activate the options in the "more advanced features" dialog allowing you to search the entire disk (search system folders, search hidden folders, and search subfolders). Now, a word of caution: if the Capitol Records virus has updated a library file or driver, deleting it might affect your system's functioning, and you might need to re-install Windows to put things right again. (Carefully log the time needed to do this and include it in your criminal complaint.) However, deleting a foreign executable file is safe, so long as it's not one you actually need. So be careful about file name spellings so that you don't accidentally delete an important file that's spelt similar to the one you wish to be rid of. ® Thomas C Greene is the author of Computer Security for the Home and Small Office, a comprehensive guide to system hardening, malware protection, online anonymity, encryption, and data hygiene for Windows and Linux.

http://www.kryptonsite.com/smallvillespoilers.htm Season 4 currently rumored to be starting on October 6, 2004 on the WB Added 6/15: Casting breakdowns have gone out for the role of Lois Lane! The character is set to appear in the first 4 episodes of Season Four, to "investigate Chloe's death." Casting Call Goes Out For Lois Lane A casting call has gone out to agents for the role of Lois Lane, a "recurring guest star for the first four episodes" of Season Four. The breakdown describes Lois as "caucasian, smart, beautiful, urban, headstrong, and no-nonsense." It says she was an Army kid who moved around every two years. She lost her mother at a young age and helped to raise her young sister, which made her mature beyond her years. Her father, Sam Lane, is a "high-ranking general" in the U.S. Army. Lois has no room for small talk or superstition, and she has a long history of defying her father and asserting her independence. The breakdown says that Sam always wanted a son rather than a daughter and thus raised Lois to be hard as nails, like a perfect soldier. Lois hides her vulnerability with sarcasm and wit... much like her cousin, Chloe. At this point in her life, Lois is in her early twenties and has no interest in journalism. She's in Smallville to investigate the death of Chloe. (We still don't believe Chloe is dead, so don't worry!) Breakdowns have also gone out for the role of Jason Teague, who is in his early 20's and "incredibly handsome and sexy." He was raised a rich kid in Metropolis. He likes to escape to far away places every summer, and this time it happens to be Paris. "Jason is the guy everyone wants as his best friend," the breakdown says. Jason is a football player who is always looking to spite his parents. He's currently pursuing a degree in education at Metropolis University. Jason could be from a Caucasion or Latino background, and the role is a "series regular." Added 6/14: A new possibly ongoing character is coming to Smallville. The character is Jason Teague, an American college junior who is "charming, broad-shouldered," and will definitely serve to open Lana up a little bit. The two of them meet in Paris, and he may be coming back to the "leafy little hamlet" with her. They have a great time in Europe, racing through the Alps on a motorbike, seeing the Notre Dame, and more. (Oh, and those of you who are snarking that it'll be on a Vespa and not a real motorbike - go to the head of the class!) - Apparently Lex is going to come visit Lana in Europe. Guess that means he'll be okay "I feel like I'm not the person he said goodbye to. I've changed so much," Lana says. One might even be able to gleam that over the summer Lana had developed some feelings for him. Added 5/28: Tom Welling told reporters at the WB Upfronts that everyone will be returning, except for Sam Jones III, who may show up from time to time in guest spots. Added 5/20: All indicators imply that all seven of the show's regular cast will survive the finale cliffhangers... unless, of course, they're trying to trick us! How they'll pull this off is anyone's guess! - Two things we can tell you: Lana will return from Paris with possibly a new style, and Lionel will look harder-edged than before now that he is in prison and his mane has been removed. Added 5/19: Michael Rosenbaum talked to SCI FI Wire about Lex Luthor's potential journey into evil. "The great part is that fans embrace the character," he said. "He's not just going from good to bad right away. It's the journey to try and prevent the inevitable." - Michael also confirmed that Lex will be taking a darker path. "Lex is just trying to stay focused and do the right thing," Rosenbaum said. "But he keeps going and drifting off. The powers that be—one of them being his father [John Glover as Lionel Luthor]—just push him further and further to the dark side. That's where they're heading. People always say, 'Oh, what's going to happen with Lex? We saw a little sparkle in his eye.' There's always that, and there's always finding out the truth. I think the finale is very important." - Tom Welling appeared on some news stations on May 18 to talk about Season 4. In the brief clip, Tom talked about Season 4 having "a new love interest," "a new power," and of course, Clark and Lex's friendship taking a turn. Added 5/18: Updated: An interview with actor Michael McKean online at USAToday.com said this: "McKean is set to appear as Edna through September, before joining the cast of the WB series Smallville, which includes his wife, Annette O'Toole." Unfortunately, though, it seems the interviewer misunderstood. While Michael will likely be returning as Perry White, there are currently no known arrangements for him to be a regular on Smallville... although they are talking about having him appear in Season 4 on a "semi-regular" basis! The more Perry White, the better for us! Let's hope it happens! - Executive Producer Al Gough has said in interviews that he'd like to bring Lois Lane or Jimmy Olsen on to the series. However, there are no definitive plans, and the development of a Superman movie project may get in the way. - Also because of movies... specifically next year's "Batman Begins," it is very unlikely a young Bruce Wayne will show up on Smallville. - Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Annette O'Toole, John Schneider, John Glover, and Allison Mack are all listed on the WB's website as coming back next season. The only name missing, of course, is Sam Jones III, who left in the episode "Forsaken."

Question. But, don't alot of your bigger indy feds offer contracts nowadays like ROH, CZW, etc. I know TNA does. Or were you talking about something else?

Well look at the people that Long has managed and you'll see why. The only decent wrestler that he has managed was D-Lo. Jazz. True. I forgot about her. Also, have you noticed that almost of the people that Long has managed have either been fired (D-Lo) or have been injured (Mack, Jazz, Henry)? So, for you Jindrak haters if Long's luck holds up one or the other should be happening to Jindrak sooner or later.

I think we have gone over this a hundred times. If the WWE paid so much more the indies then someone like Spanky wouldn't have left. But, there was more then just money for him leaving. I mean look at were Paul London is. He sometimes wrestles on the C-show (SD is the B show) and is a very low carder so I doubt that he is getting paid that much compared to working indy dates. If he was upper midcarder and WWE was selling shirts, etc with his likeness on it then I could see your point. And hell people like Raven said he is making just as much if not more then when he was with WWE. I hate how people act as if the WWE is really the only game in town and if you're not working for them you're break and not making any money.

Well look at the people that Long has managed and you'll see why. The only decent wrestler that he has managed was D-Lo.

Here's a move that went out of fashion for awhile. A wrestler using a powerslam as a near fall and the fans BUYING it as one. That is until Goldust came back and started using it and once he did the fans started to buy it as a near fall again. At least when he did it anyways.

He does shit like this and yet there were people a few weeks ago saying that he would make a great booker for the WWE and turn SD around. Yeah right.

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread...?threadid=14286

Brock Lesnar To Be Featured On SportsCenter This Sunday ESPN to do feature on Lesnar.... ESPN's SportsCenter will have a feature on Brock Lesnar's attempt to make it to the NFL this Sunday at 9:30AM ET. The feature will likely include comments from Lesnar as well as NFL scouts and coaches. Credit: PWInsider.com

This is alittle old but, I thought this was interesting. I hope they don't decide to punish Eddie and Chavo Jr. for what Chavo Sr. But, seeing who Eddie has been feuding with I doubt they can hurt him even more.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...torumblewithwwe Media Kitchen Ready To Rumble With WWE World Wrestling Entertainment's selection last week of Media Kitchen to handle planning and buying is part of a drive to lure former fansómen who loved the franchise as teenagersóback to the ring. "Every meeting I go to, there is someone that says, 'Oh my God! I used to be the biggest fan.' " said vp of marketing Daniel Levi. "There's still an emotional connection between that person and WWE. We want to get them re-engaged." Media Kitchen, the media arm of MDC Partners' Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners in New York, joins Kanter International in Philadelphia on WWE's $8 million account. Kanter was hired last year to work on brand strategy. WWE handles creative in-house. Media Kitchen will help tout the client's two weekly TV programs, Spike TV's Monday Night Raw and WB's Smackdown!, as well as promotions like its "Raw Diva" search, a quasi-beauty pageant that kicks off July 19. The shop bested four other finalists, Havas' MPG and Publicis' Optimedia, both New York; and independents Harmelin Media in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and JL Media in Union, N.J. Instead of pursuing viewers outside its demo, WWE will troll familiar waters for current, former and would-be fans. Kanter's first task was to find out where onetime Hulk Hogan fans spend their time and money. Among the results: videogames. "We know from our research that there is a big crossover between videogamers and wrestling fans," said Levi, noting both lure men with "action, fantasy escapism and the ability to control that kind of an outcome." -- DEANNA ZAMMIT

Latest On Futures Of Steve Austin And Goldberg What are these two guys up to? -Steve Austin has opted to not work for Dreamstage Entertainment in Japan, despite a lucrative offer. Austin is worried that if he can't draw in Japan, it will hurt his status with WWE. - Meanwhile, Goldberg continues to work for Dreamstage. As of now, it doesn't appear as if Goldberg will return to WWE anytime soon, if ever. Credit: PWTorch.com

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/s...sp?story=532650 Bhutan grapples with influence of TV wrestling violence By Justin Huggler in Delhi 18 June 2004 Television only came to the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan five years ago. Until then it was banned, for fear of the corrupting influence it might have on the country's Buddhist way of life. Now, after five years of unrestricted viewing, the influence of the small screen on a country that has been described as the "last Shangri La" has its leaders worried - especially by American wrestling. The choreographed fighting of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is being blamed for rising violence and plans are being considered to stop it being shown. Television and the internet were allowed for the first time in 1999, to mark King Jigme Singye Wangchuk's silver jubilee. The decision was taken after thousands filled the main square of the capital, Thimphu, to watch a special showing of the 1998 World Cup final in France on a giant screen. In those early days the only broadcaster allowed was the BBS - the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, a national service. But after six months, global broadcasts were allowed and that, according to Bhutanese interviewed for a BBC programme called TV Invasion , is where the trouble started. Bhutan lies among the wild peaks of the Himalayas, wedged between China and India. Most of the country is without paved roads. Even where there are good roads, the terrain is so untamed it can take two hours to travel 40 miles. About 70 per cent of Bhutan's 800,000 people still live without electricity. The country only opened up to foreign tourism in 1974 and since then travellers have brought home stories of an unspoilt landscape of 24,000ft peaks and a traditional way of life. So the arrival of international television came as something of a shock to many. When WWE wrestling was first shown in Bhutan, it perplexed the people, who did not know that the violence depicted was carefully staged. The country's only newspaper received several letters from Bhutanese children asking why men were beating each other up. And now there are reports of increasing violence in Bhutan's schools, with children copying wrestling moves they see on television. But many are sceptical about the influence of television on previously isolated communities. A study in St Helena, which only allowed television nine years ago, found no link between television violence and children's behaviour. Dorji Ahm, a Bhutanese youth worker who spoke to the BBC, was dismissive of wrestling's influence. "The violent channels are CNN and the BBC," she said. "There, you know this is not a movie, this is reality." But there are also fears that Bhutan's traditional culture is being eroded. "Young people are now much more in tune with what is happening around the world," Shockshan Peck, who has studied the influence of television in her country, told the BBC. "The more we learn about the world the more we lose our own culture." Bhutan is the last survivor of the independent Buddhist states of the Himalayas. Tibet is under Chinese occupation, while Sikkim has been annexed by India.

WWE News: Test, Steiner, HBK, Ace, More Lots of WWE news items..... - Tajiri is currently taking time off to be with his wife in Japan. His wife recently gave birth to a baby boy. - Both Test and Scott Steiner have been medically cleared to return to the ring but WWE has no plans to use them anytime soon. WWE is planning to just let Scott Steiner's contract run itself out. - Some are now rumbling that Shawn Michaels hiatus may extend past Summerslam. - Christian's back spasms have gotten much better but he is still a few weeks away from wrestling again. - At this point, many feel that Christopher Nowinski will never be able to wrestle again due to his concussion syndrome. - There is some talk of adding a second WWE training ground outside of OVW. One potential spot is the Trax training center in Connecticut. WWE is also looking to team up with a New England based indy promotion to serve as a developmental area. - Word backstage is that Johnny Ace's power and respect backstage continues to grow. - P.J. Wilson, the tag team partner of Harry Smith (Davey Boy Smith's son), had a private tryout with WWE recently. Wilson plans to go to college before joining WWE but has apparently been told by Vince McMahon that he has a job waiting for him. Credit: PWTorch.com Final WWE Smackdown Rating Down again.... Smackdown finished with a 3.0 rating this week, down from a 3.1 last week. The good news for the show is that it opened with a 2.4 for the first quarter hour and increased throughout the show, with the last quarter hour doing a 3.5. Credit: PWTorch.com WWE Notes: PPVs, Summerslam, Ric Flair Some WWE notes..... The following news items are courtesy of Adam Lebow: Due to a contractual conflict, WWE Canada announced that they will not be showing the two new WWE PPV's - The Great American Bash and the non-titled RAW PPV (Halloween Havoc) - at Famous Player locations. Instead, Cineplex Ideon Cinemas will be exclusively carrying these PPVs for $11.95 (CDN) + TAX. Cineplex will also be showing the other 12 PPVs that are shown at Famous Players theatres. The only PPV that isn’t $11.95 + TAX is WWE SummerSlam which is $19.95 + TAX. WWE will be hosting a SummerSlam Brunch on August 15. It will be at Planet Hollywood and will have two sittings, a 10am and a 12pm (noon). Tickets are $30 (CDN) will net proceeds going to the Variety: The Children's Charity. Tickets are currently available only via telephone at (1)-416-596-STAR(7827) ext. 206. No superstar details have been announced, however being that it is a dual-brand PPV, odds are it will have some big names from both Monday and Thursday nights. TSN has announced that Ric Flair will be doing a one-on-one interview with Nature Boy Ric Flair that will air on July 21 at 6 pm et. TSN is encouraging fans to send questions that they want Landsberg to ask Flair by emailing [email protected]. Ric Flair will also be in Toronto promoting WWE SummerSlam which will take place August 15 and you can expect him to plug that on the OTR interview as well.

that's my favorite Family GUy joke of all. Oh whoa what a shock.

Well reading this topic I couldn't help but, think of that Kurt Cobain line from the Family Guy. Peter: "Lois, you can't quit. What if Kurt Cobain had quit?" Then it flashes to an animated Nirvana onstage with Kurt saying, "Thank you and remember, say no to drugs." Backstage, a record executive says to Kurt, "Great concert Kurt. The label's excited about your seventh album." Kurt, standing next to Courtney Love, replies to the executive: "Oh, you remember my wife, Courtney Love?" Executive says, "Who??" Flash to Courtney scowling. Ouch!!