Lack Of Compfused Content

To all my fellow Compfuseder's out there, I want to publicly apologize about the sporadic addition of content to the Compfused website. As previously explained, the individual who originally maintained this site, Ben, no longer works for the company that owns this site, leaving the site to me. While I am doing the best that I can, I simply cannot spend as much time as I would like to on finding and posting content. I mean, who wouldn't love a job where you get to scour the web for funny/interesting videos all day? I know I would. Unfortunately, that world doesn't exist.

There are other reasons why I am not able to spend as much time as Ben did on the site, and I can't really tell you much other than the Powers-That-Be have made it clear that Compfused isn't very high on the priority list. Which means I can pretty much only get to it when I have nothing else to do.

However, this doesn't mean I ignore the site altogether. I'm constantly on the lookout for new content, and you can help! If anyone who actually visits this site wants to help keep fresh, new content up, then feel free to email me links! You can send your suggestions to either support@compfused.com or submit@compfused.com. I can't guarantee that I'll use what you send because we do have guidelines of what can and cannot be posted, but the more submissions that are sent in, the better chances there are that we can keep this site up and running.

I want to close this post with a big Thank You to those few Compfuseder's out there that have spoken up and sent emails to me about the lack of new content (y'all know who you are). It's people like you that show me there are people out there that do care about this site. So thank you.

Now, on with the show!

James@Compfused

Attention SeaMonkey Users!

It has come to my attention that viewing videos on Compfused with the SeaMonkey browser gives you the "squishing" experience in this recent blog post. Compfuseder Theo has graciously shown me a way to fix this. First, you have to install the Firefox plugin for Windows Media Player. Then, paste the "np-mswmp.dll" file from the Firefox plugin directory into the SeaMonkey\plugin directory. I hope this resolves the issue for you SeaMonkey users!

FTR, I'd never heard about the SeaMonkey suite until Theo contacted me, so my thanks to him!

James@Compfused

The Digg.com HD-DVD Fiasco

Normally I would provide a link for a story like this, but the original posts are buried so far on Digg that I'm tired of looking for them. But here's the gist: Someone posted an article at Digg.com that contained a code used to break encryption on HD-DVD discs, giving anyone with the time and knowledge (which is about, oh, 80% of internet users these days) the ability to crack and copy these high quality DVD's. This article, of course, became hugely popular and drew the attention of the Powers That Be, and they came down with great vengeance and furious anger in the form of lawsuits big enough to bury Kevin Rose and his wonderful little website. At first, the proprietors of Digg tried to control the situation, deleting articles and banning users in compliance with the Powers That Be.

And this is where things got good. There was such an overwhelming response that Kevin Rose finally made a stand against the Powers That Be, and not only allowed Digg users to continue to post the code, he supported them. And this, my friends, is how revolutions start.

It is this kind of support from the technological community that we need in order to stop these money-hungry corporate big-wigs who think they own the world. They seriously need to realize that when it comes to technology, they are full of fail. They can't win. As long as they continue to wage their war against technology, they will fail.

They. Will. Fail.

They will fail because the technological community is always going to be two steps ahead of them. For every encryption scheme and DRM lock they produce, the tech community will have 30 workarounds. They just can't win.

Now, before you all get up in arms, I do not support the illegal activities such as downloading, copying, and distributing. I am against it not because I don't want to lose my job, I honestly don't think it's right. Sure, the system is screwed up and those people that should be compensated for their work (i.e. the artists, writers, etc., the same people corporations like the RIAA claim to defend) are a lot lower on the totem pole than they should be. Yes, I understand and agree that corporations like the RIAA are only out for themselves and want to fill their own pockets. The system, my friends, is messed up.

But that doesn't mean we should turn to illegal activities just because our world isn't perfect. No, what needs to be done is we need to make these huge corporations realize that working together is a lot more productive than fighting against each other. And it's people like Kevin Rose and Digg.com that are paving the way for this realization to happen. What could Kevin do? He was literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. The only way for him to contain the outburst would be to shut the site down, and that's too much like giving in. So he did the only thing he could do; he opened the floodgates personally. Chances are, he knew full well what was going to happen when he did so. He went down fighting, and for that, he has my utmost respect.

I don't know what the future holds for Digg. I do think that this whole thing is going to blow over, it's going to get old and people aren't going to care, and it's just going to disappear. But for a brief moment, we had a revolution on our hands. And we need more of them.

James@Compfused

A Changing Of The Guard

My fellow Compfuseders, I have some sad news to impart to you. Your faithful leader, Ben, is no longer with us. He has decided that computers are now the bane of existence and spends his time quietly tending sheep in the northern pastures of North Dakota. He will be sorely missed.

Fear not, however, for I, James@Compfused, will be taking the reins and doing what I can to make Compfused better than before. This will entail a period of transition, and I ask for your patience. It may take a while for us to find and post new content as we take control over the site, but we will most certainly continue to provide you with the best the 'Net has to offer. And sometimes the worst as well.

The emails still work and will still be checked continuously. I hope this transition can go smooth for all of us.

Your (new) faithful leader,

James@Compfused

Mock Metal Group Spinal Tap to Reunite

Original story posted at http://my.freeze.com/stories/Entertainment/D8ONKI6O0.shtml

NEW YORK (AP) - Spinal Tap is back, and this time the band wants to help save the world from global warming.

The mock heavy metal group immortalized in the 1984 mockumentary, "This is Spinal Tap," will reunite for a performance at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the Live Earth concerts scheduled worldwide for July 7.

The original members of Spinal Tap will be there: guitarist Nigel Tufnel (played by Christopher Guest), singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). Rob Reiner, who both directed "This is Spinal Tap" and played the fake documentarian Marty DeBergi in the film, will also be in attendance...

...

Reiner spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday to explain the reunion of Spinal Tap—a band always known more as a parody of rock 'n roll excess than environmental awareness.

"They're not that environmentally conscious, but they've heard of global warming," said Reiner, whose other films include "When Harry Met Sally" and "Stand By Me." "Nigel thought it was just because he was wearing too much clothing—that if he just took his jacket off it would be cooler."

Spinal Tap has reunited several times since the film, but hasn't for a number of years. For the band—whose last album was 1992's "Break like the Wind"—the occasion warranted a new single: "Warmer Than Hell."

Reiner provided a sneak peak at the lyrics: "The devil went to Devon, it felt like the fourth degree/He said, 'Is it hot in here, or is it only me?'"

The director said the new short film explains what the band has been doing with their lives lately. Nigel has been raising miniature horses to race, but can't find jockeys small enough to ride them; David is now a hip-hop producer who also runs a colonic clinic; and Derek is in rehab for addiction to the Internet.

Read the Full Story Here

What Would George W. Bush Do?

Forget Jesus. Let's all get little W.W.G.W.B.D? bracelets and bring in a new trend in let-me-force-my-views-upon-you fashion.

Create Your Own Fantasy Character Contest

Yesss, Another Contest!

This one's a bit more involved than the last South Park Character contest; this time we're going all out, using HeroMachine 2.0 on UGO. Check it out and fiddle around a bit; then come up with a character to enter into the contest!

How To Enter:

1. Go to HeroMachine 2.0 Presented by UGO website


2. Create your Fantasy Character


3. Save a jpg or gif image of your completed character
   
   Hint: you'll need to take a screenshot


4. Submit your character, your character's name, and your name (for credit) to this email address.
   

Contest Entries:
Click on Thumbnail Image to view larger version.

	Fantasy Character Name: Scissor Sister Kelly Submitted by: Ben@CompFused
	Fantasy Character Name: The Bull Milker Submitted by: Mike@CompFused
	Fantasy Character Name: Captain Emo Submitted by: James@CompFused
	Fantasy Character Name: Thor Submitted by: Phillip
	Fantasy Character Name: RockStar Jenny Submitted by: RockStarJenny
	Fantasy Character Name: Tempest Submitted by: Shane M.
	Fantasy Character Name: Sir Isaac Newton Submitted by: Steve
And so RockStar Jenny is having a VERY slow afternoon, so she's going to town on these things...
	Fantasy Character Name: Allen the Amish IT Guy Submitted by: RockStarJenny
	Fantasy Character Name: The Foreigner and Squirrely Submitted by: RockStarJenny
	Fantasy Character Name: Blogger Boy and Blogger Bat Submitted by: RockStarJenny
	Fantasy Character Name: Kid Ginger Submitted by: mike@compfused
	Fantasy Character Name: Manbaby Submitted by: mike@compfused
	Fantasy Character Name: Bareback Mountain Brad Submitted by: ben@compfused
	Fantasy Character Name: Ganjareaper Submitted by: Sepi
	Fantasy Character Name: Battered Husband Man Submitted by: Kutan
	Fantasy Character Name: Dark Fire Submitted by: Mc Crossan
	Fantasy Character Name: Jewverine Submitted by: Justin
	Fantasy Character Name: She Man Submitted by: Josh
	Fantasy Character Name: Ninja Hide Submitted by: Josh
	Fantasy Character Name: Ketti Submitted by: Mike
	Fantasy Character Name: Blead the Juggalo Ninja Submitted by: Kyle
	Fantasy Character Name: Valiente Submitted by: Alex
	Fantasy Character Name: Thuper Steve Irwin Submitted by: Brackish
	Fantasy Character Name: Self-Inflicted Hotheadess Submitted by: Ellie
	Fantasy Character Name: Dr. Jones Submitted by: Nick
	Fantasy Character Name: Colonel Klang Submitted by: FonZ
	Fantasy Character Name: Revenger and Shade Stalker Submitted by: Frith
	Fantasy Character Name: Sabre Submitted by: Byron
	Fantasy Character Name: Rayna Submitted by: Justin

Finally, Firefox Is Fixed!

Firefox Users: remember last fall when Windows Media Player 11 was released and all the sudden all your WMP videos in your FireFox browser looked like shite? (see below)



The awesomely kind folks at Port 25 have cfound a Windows Media Player FireFox plugin, released [finally] by Microsoft, available as a FREE download. I've tried it out on my browser, and lo' and behold, I can now view CompFused videos in FireFox without any "squashing"!!!

I know we have tried to provide some useful tweaks and fixes through us and comments by helpful CompFuseders on these posts. Many have reported success afterwards.

However, I'd say this is the ultimate update that you should install. It's easily done in 4 steps:

1. Download the plugin


2. Close FireFox


3. Install the plugin


4. Open FireFox

It's that simple! Thanks again and HUGE props to the fellas at Port 25 for the great find.

Virginia Tech School Shooting

Read the full story of this bizarre incident Here on CNN.

Also, follow this story as part of a CNN Special Report.

Here's a video shot from a student's mobile phone from outside the building where gunshots were being fired:


Virginia Tech School Shooting - Click Here for more great videos and pictures!

We're Removing Some Content

Update: 04/19/2007
-------------------
This has been removed.

Viacom is a bunch of jerks. CompFused blog submitter James originally spoke on this piece of action back in March. Now, the Powers That Be think it'd be a good idea that we remove content of the same from CompFused as well; to avoid gaining enough attention from money mongers like Viacom, and the lawsuit that could result because of that.

Could we take a stand, saying our clips actually help promote the shows and don't really take revenue away from the original content creators? Sure. Can't we say that we are frontrunners in author promotion as we do everything we can to point out and provide a link to the original creators' websites? You bet. But at this point, the thought of a $1 billion lawsuit scares the heebie jeebies out of us. We are completely satisfied running away with our tails between our legs.

Unfortunately, this is something every media website will be facing sooner or later; so let's all just deal with it and get through as friendly-like as possible =)