Fasa Studios Announces its Closure (X360)

The developers of Shadowrun are shutting down their studio.
By Patrick Joynt Sept. 13, 2007

On the official Shadowrun forums, FASA studio head Mitch Gitelman announced that FASA has closed its doors for the last time. Without citing reasons, Gitelman said that, “Today was the official last day of employment for those of us who had not moved on to other positions within Microsoft Game Studios. While the rumors have been circulating forever, we chose to wait on an official announcement because we didn’t want people’s attention distracted from our last product, Shadowrun, a game we love.”

He also points out that the team was aware of the upcoming studio closure even while they got Shadowrun’s three updates out the door. Addressing concerns that the long-rumored closure of FASA would end support for the game, Gitelman also announced that Shadowrun’s Technical Support Manager and Community Manager will be kept on the job “…while people continue to play our game.”

Although we certainly didn’t see eye-to-eye with FASA on its latest creation, the team’s enthusiasm and love for it was clear from day one. This is also the studio that brought us MechAssault and Crimson Skies, two legitimately wonderful games. We’re not sure if a moment of silence over Xbox Live is the appropriate response, but we’re certainly sad to see this go from semi-official rumor to official announcement.

Smashing Pumpkins - Pomp and Circumstances

When I was born I lost
When I was freed I fought
Now that I'm loved I'm caught
Between the rest and this tragic mess
An invited guest

Torn, broken and frayed
Oh don't we face
War, sunshine and grace
Oh won't you stay
For a while
We can fail in style
I can hold your smile
For a while

What was once new now gone
What was once praised now wrong
As they go, we can say we know
But what do we know
But warm sunshine and graves
Don't we see
What's bitter to taste

Torn, broken and frayed
Don't we face
War, sunshine and graves
Won't you stay

'Cause I won't tell
I won't tell a soul
That I'm mad as hell
Torn, broken and frayed
I'm torn, broken and frayed
No, I'm cold, worn out and shamed

Love

Doubt thou the stars on fire
Doubt thou the sun doth move
Doubt truth to be a liar
But never doubt
I love

My Other Half...

once a long long time ago, all people had four legs and two heads. and then the gods threw down thunderbolts and split everyone into two. each half then had two legs and one head. but the separation left both sides with a desperate yearning to be reunited. because they each shared the same soul. and ever since then all people spend their lives searching for the other half of their soul.

10 Most Shocking Movie Deaths of All Time

‘Final Destination 2′ To ‘Return Of The Jedi’: 10 Most Shocking Movie Deaths Of All Time
Bourne and Spidey seem immortal, but sometimes the stars do bite the dust!
by Larry Carroll

Pioneering movie sleuth Charlie Chan once referred to death as “the one appointment we all must keep … and for which no time is set.” Unfortunately, in the years since, Hollywood has too often forgotten the second part of the equation. We’ve all had to sit through boring blockbusters knowing that Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Angelina Jolie and most other A-listers always make it out alive — at least, until the end of the movie. With that in mind, we wanted to take a moment to remember a few of our dearly departed movie characters who took a bullet (or a knife, or a shark bite) simply so that we’d have that tiny voice in the back of our heads saying, “Yeah, maybe Jason Bourne could die after all!” If death really is an appointment, here are 10 shocking demises that have made the waiting room worthwhile (of course, spoilers ahead!).

“Deep Blue Sea” (Samuel L. Jackson)

Movies like “Shaft,” “S.W.A.T.” and “Snakes on a Plane” made money by putting the A-list star into phony danger, teasing the audience with deadly situations that everyone knew he’d escape. But at the risk of placing the words “Renny Harlin” and “genius” closer together than they should ever be, it was the flashy Finnish filmmaker who had enough guts to kill off Sam the Man just as the “Blue” plot was getting going. “You’ve seen how bad things can get, and how quickly they can get that way,” Jackson says during the scene, taking charge of the imperiled characters. “So we’re going to pull together and find a way to get out of here!” Then, out of nowhere, a genetically enhanced shark jumps up behind Jackson, making a meal of the monologue-ing megastar.

“Smokin’ Aces” (Ben Affleck)

It’s easy to kick the “Gigli” star while he’s down, but give credit where it’s due: Affleck took a role in Joe Carnahan’s bullet-ridden action flick that was so small it wasn’t even David Schwimmer-worthy, and then got killed off quicker than a chubby chicken at Colonel Sanders’ house. To a nation of filmgoers still smarting from “Surviving Christmas,” watching him die was as cool as it was therapeutic.

“Psycho” (Janet Leigh)

Like so much else in cinema, you have to credit Alfred Hitchcock with blazing the trail. After starring in films such as “Little Women,” “Angels in the Outfield” and “Touch of Evil,” the beautiful Leigh was well-known to audiences as a Hollywood leading lady. For “Psycho,” Hitch cast Leigh hoping that fans would fall into the trap of thinking she was safe. Then he killed the sweet-smiling actress off with a shower scene so brutal that it still shocks today. But Leigh would get the last laugh: For her 45 minutes onscreen, she was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe.

“Executive Decision” (Steven Seagal)

It may be hard to believe now, but there was once a time when Steven Seagal was a major Hollywood A-lister. So imagine the shock of buying a ticket to this 1996 thriller and barely having the time to dig into your popcorn before seeing the star get sucked out the door of a fighter jet. In any second, we’ll cut to the shot where he’s flying through the air, deploying his parachute, right? Right? Um, congratulations, Kurt Russell, you’ve just become the default hero of the movie.

“Pulp Fiction” (Phil Lamarr)

He’s the only non-star to make this list, although there have been dozens of other brilliant nameless-actor deaths over the years (White Boy Bob from “Out of Sight” comes to mind). But when “Pulp Fiction” was in theaters, one of the reasons it was worth seeing multiple times was because you’d know to sneak a peek at the audience as Vincent Vega (John Travolta) looked into the back seat to ask his freaked-out associate Marvin for an opinion. “Oh, man, I shot Marvin in the face!” Remember how high you jumped the first time you saw it?
“Final Destination 2″ (Ali Larter)

Not only did she have to suffer through the worst character name in the history of movies (that’s a subject for another article), but Clear Rivers was also one of the unlucky souls who made “the list” after avoiding Death in the first installment of the “FD” horror series. As the only survivor from the first flick, and a recognizable actor, the soon-to-be “Heroes” star seemed to be the human face of the franchise. But no sooner had a new group of death-dodgers convinced her to help them than Clear emerged from a self-imposed stay in a rubber room and blew up all over the camera! Oh, and a Best Death honorary mention also goes to Amanda Detmer, the actress hit by a bus in the first flick’s most shocking moment.

“Return of the Jedi” (Yoda)

To an entire generation, the physical manifestation of wit, wisdom and warmth was not Plato or Mark Twain, but a 3-foot-tall, 900-year-old Muppet. George Lucas introduced the breakout Jedi master with “The Empire Strikes Back,” and years later he resurrected the character with mixed results for his prequels. But for millions of young fans, the little green guy’s heart-tugging “Jedi” death was a moment of national mourning. Meanwhile, our parents watched, wondering if we’d cry half as much when they passed.

“Doom” (The Rock)

We know, you didn’t see it. In fact, you might even still think the Rock was the star of this movie. But the film did pack one truly joyous punch: When the action escalated, the “Walking Tall” hero suddenly went from ass-kicker to alien appetizer. The Rock also gets major points for shooting a great wink to the crowd before he bites it, screaming, “Wait! I’m not supposed to die!”

“L.A. Confidential” (Kevin Spacey)

For a few years, Kevin Spacey had a lot of fun exploiting audiences’ perceptions of his star status. First came “The Usual Suspects,” which had him listed seventh on the movie poster to maintain a doozy of a secret; next was “Seven,” in which he was unbilled so he could sneak unannounced into an early scene. Following his “Usual Suspects” Oscar win, the detective drama “L.A. Confidential” was hyped up as his first true leading-man role. All that changed in a matter of seconds, however, when Spacey’s Jack Vincennes was shockingly rubbed out just as the mystery was beginning to unravel. Some guy named Russell Crowe then jumped in to pick up the slack.

“Scream” (Drew Barrymore)

When Wes Craven set out to spoof the horror sub-genre he had helped create, the director also wanted to pay tribute to his own inspiration, Alfred Hitchcock. Appropriately enough, he started “Scream” with a terrifying phone conversation between a movie-savvy killer and Drew Barrymore. It was the perfect setup for a generation that had preferred “Freddy 3″ to “The 39 Steps” and, sure enough, unsuspecting audiences fell hook, line and slasher. Forty years after Hitch had pulled his “Psycho” stunt, Barrymore was dead 10 minutes and 53 seconds into her own movie. The perceived star had pulled a Janet Leigh — and another classic was born.

This report is from MTV News.

Guitar Hero 3 Tracks

Tier 1:
Foghat- Slow Ride
Poison- Talk Dirty to Me
Pat Benatar- Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Social Distortion- Story of My Life

Encore: Kiss- Rock and Roll All Nite
Co-op Encore: Beastie Boys- Sabotage

Tier 2:
Mountain- Mississippi Queen
Alice Cooper- School’s Out
Cream- Sunshine of Your Life
Heart- Barracuda

Boss: Tom Morello- Guitar Battle
Encore: Rage Against the Machine- Bull’s on Parade
Co-op Encore: The Strokes- Reptilia

Tier 3:
The Killers- When You Were Young
AFI- Miss Murder
The Who- The Seeker
Priestess- Lay Down

Encore: Rolling Stones- Paint It Black
Co-op Encore: Red Hot Chili Peppers- Suck My Kiss

Tier 4:
Black Sabbath- Paranoid
The Sex Pistols- Anarchy in the UK
Sonic Youth- Kool Thing
Weezer- My Name Is Jonas

Encore: Pearl Jam- Evenflow
Co-op Encore: Blue Oyster Cult- Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll

Tier 5:
The Dead Kennedy’s- Holiday in Cambodia
Scorpions- Rock You Like a Hurricane
Aerosmith- Same Old Song and Dance
ZZ Top- La Grange

Boss: Slash- Guitar Battle
Encore: Guns N Roses- Welcome to the Jungle
Co-op Encore: Bloc Party- Hellicopter

Tier 6:
Santana- Black Magic Woman
Smashing Pumpkins- Cherub Rock
White Zombie- Black Sunshine
Tenacious D- The Metal

Encore: Stevie Ray Vaughn- Pride and Joy
Co-op Encore: Matchbook Romance- Monsters

Tier 7:
Slipknot- Before I Forget
Disturbed- Stricken
Queens of the Stone Age- 3’s and 7’s
Muse- Knights of Cydonia

Encore: Living Colour- Cult of Personality

Tier 8:
Slayer- Raining Blood
Eric Johnson- Cliffs of Dover
Iron Maiden- Number of the Beast
Metallica- One

Boss: Lou- Guitar Battle
Encore: The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Bonus Tracks:

An Endless Sporadic- Impulse
Backyard Babies- Minus Celsius
Bret Michaels Band- Go That Far
Die Toten Hosen- Hier Kommit Alex
Dragonforce- Through the Fire and the Flames
Fall of Troy- FCP Remix
Gallows- In the Belly of a Shark
The Hellacopters- I’m in the Band
Heroes del Silencio- Avalancha
In Flames- Take This Life
Kaiser Chiefs- Ruby
Killswitch Engage- My Curse
LA Slum Lords- Dow
Dave says:
LA Slum Lords- Down N Dirty
Lacuna Coil- Closer
Lions- Metal Heavy Lady
NAAST- Mauvis Garcon
Prototype- The Way It Ends
Revolverhead- Generation Rock
Rise Against- Prayer of the Refugee
Scouts of St. Sebastian- In Love
Senses Fail- Can’t Be Saved
The Sleeping- Don’t Hold Back
The Stone Roses- She Bangs the Drums
Superbus- Radio Song

------------------------------------------------

I'm actually excited about this game even though I didn't really care for the previous two GH games. I guess it's because there are more songs on this one that I know, lol.

Another Gay Hating Cocksucker

Arrest Clouds Idaho Senator's Future
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 3:25 AM EDT
The Associated Press
By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Idaho Sen. Larry Craig is a conservative Republican who has voted against gay marriage and opposes hate crimes legislation that would extend special protections to gay and lesbian crime victims.

In the wake of Craig's guilty plea on misdemeanor charges stemming from complaints of lewd conduct in a men's restroom at the Minneapolis airport, his political future is in question.

The three-term senator, who has represented Idaho in Congress for more than a quarter-century, is up for re-election next year. He hasn't said if he will run for a fourth term in 2008 and was expected to announce his plans this fall.

A spokesman, Sidney Smith, was uncertain late Monday if Craig's guilty plea would affect his re-election plans.

"It's too early to talk about anything about that," Smith said.

A political science professor in Idaho said Craig's political future was in jeopardy. And a spokesman for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, Hannah August, said Craig's guilty plea "has given Americans another reason not to vote Republican" next year.

The married Craig, 62, has faced rumors about his sexuality since the 1980s, but allegations that he has engaged in gay sex have never been substantiated. Craig has denied the assertions, which he calls ridiculous.

The arrest changes that dynamic, said Jasper LiCalzi, a political science professor at Albertson College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho. He cited the House page scandal that drove Florida Rep. Mark Foley from office.

"There's a chance that he'll resign over this," LiCalzi said. "With the pressure on the Republican Party, he could be pressured to resign. If they think this is going to be something that's the same as Mark Foley — the sort of 'drip, drip, drip, there's more information that's going to come out' — they may try to push him out."

Already Craig has stepped down from a prominent role with Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. He had been one of Romney's top Senate supporters, serving as a Senate liaison for the campaign since February.

"He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision," said Matt Rhoades, a Romney campaign spokesman.

According to a Hennepin County, Minn., court docket, Craig pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge on Aug. 8, with the court dismissing a charge of gross misdemeanor interference to privacy.

The court docket said Craig paid $575 in fines and fees and was put on unsupervised probation for a year. A sentence of 10 days in the county workhouse was stayed.

Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, which first reported the case, said on its Web site Monday that Craig was arrested June 11 by a plainclothes officer investigating complaints of lewd conduct in a men's restroom at the airport.

Craig said in a statement issued by his office Monday that he was not involved in any inappropriate conduct.

"At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions," he said. "I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously."

Craig joins other GOP senators facing ethical and legal troubles.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, is under scrutiny for his relationship with a contractor who helped oversee a renovation project that more than doubled the size of the senator's home.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., acknowledged that his phone number appeared in records of a Washington-area business that prosecutors have said was a front for prostitution.

Craig, a rancher and a member of the National Rifle Association, lives in Eagle, Idaho, near the capital of Boise. He was a member of the House for 10 years before winning election to the Senate in 1990. He was re-elected in 1996 and 2002.

Last fall, Craig called allegations from a gay-rights activist that he's had homosexual relationships "completely ridiculous."

Mike Rogers, who bills himself as a gay activist blogger, published the allegations on his Web site, www.blogactive.com, in October 2006.

Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, an advocacy group, on Monday called Craig a hypocrite.

"What's up with elected officials like Senator Craig? They stand for so-called family values and fight basic protections for gay people while furtively seeking other men for sex," Foreman said.