by Blogbot

This Thursday March 7th on SuicideGirls Radio our show will explore the world of online activism, and the legal issues computer-based activists are facing. Hosts Nicole Powers and Moxi Suicide will be joined in studio by @Brian Knappenberger (@KnappB), the director of the documentary We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists. Infamous online personality and cyber security expert Andrew Auernheimer (@rabite) a.k.a. Weev, will also be joining us via Skype from an East Coast location permitted under his bail conditions. Auernheimer is awaiting sentencing on March 18 having been convicted of embarrassing a publicly listed corporation by a judge and jury that were painfully unaware of how the internet works [for real]. As such, Auernheimer is just one of many victims of the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a piece of legislation so ancient it predates the hyperlinked internet as we know it and so absurd it’d be laughable were it not for the fact that good people are languishing in jail because of it. A malicious prosecution/persecution under the auspices of the CFAA is also credited with being a contributing factor in the death of digital activist and Demand Progress founder Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide earlier this year.

You can now listen – and watch – the world’s leading naked radio show live on Thursday nights from 6 til 8 PM at our new state-of-the-art all digital home: TradioV.com/LA.

You’ll also be able to listen to our podcasts via Stitcher – download the app now!

If you have questions for the SG Radio crew or our guests, you can call in during the live broadcast at: 1-855-TRV-inLA (1-855-878-4652)

For updates on all things SG Radio-related, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

*UPDATE*
The recorded Livestream of our March 7th, 2013 show can be viewed here and below. You can also tune in via the @Stitcher powered podcast.

Video streaming by Ustream

[..]

by Alexander Hinkley for Examiner

This week’s SuicideGirl gamer of the week is Brewin. She is a beautiful brunette that likes racers, puzzle games, and talking trash online.

Is there a story behind your SG name?

I came up with Brewin as a play on the Boston Bruins. I love hockey. It’s one of the only sports I enjoy watching. I’ve also lived in Boston for the last few years of my life so I feel as if it fits perfectly.

Tell me about your tattoos. How many do you have and where are they?

I currently have 10 tattoos, but some are on the large side. My left arm is dedicated to Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. Under my left boob it says, “East Coast” which I got right after I shot my first set as a hopeful for SuicideGirls. On my right side I have a clipper ship, which was my first tattoo. On my hips I have cat prints and in between them there’s a rose. On my right hand ring finger I have “S&M” with a diamond. My best friend has the same one on her finger. My left thigh currently has a purple wolf head getting stabbed by a butter knife bleeding butter with the saying “Feel the Wrath of My Butter Knife” going around it. It’s been an ongoing joke with my bother who has the same quote on his arm. Lastly I have a pig and chicken on my feet. I grew up on a boat so drowning has always been my biggest fear.

How did you first become a SuicideGirl?

Becoming a SuicideGirl was somewhat of a process for me. I knew from when I was 12 and I found SG that I wanted to be one of the girls. It took me a while to have enough courage to officially apply. I would try to win their Facebook contests hoping to get flown out to LA to shoot, etc. Rambo Suicide found me through that and encouraged me to try actually shooting a set. One of my really great friends who I hadn’t talked to in years was a photographer and I hit him up. We shot my first set in a warehouse that I used to hang out in years earlier ironically. That set wasn’t bought, but because of that Sean found me and told me to come out to LA and shoot with him. So I did! And it has been the best journey ever since.

So you’re also a gamer. What is your favorite genre of video game?

I use to really be into first person shooters but I realized I get too stressed out and I’m really bad at them. I think I was only into trash talking grown men on Xbox LIVE. However, any racing game and I’m in it to win it. I also love puzzle games or anything that can be tied into problem solving.

Which series is better, Forza or Need for Speed?

Out of those two I’d go with Need for Speed. The racing game I can still play forever is Burnout. I like crashing cars more than actually racing them, even though I will kick ass in both!

You never seem to hear as much about puzzle games as some of the other genres. What are some of the best ones out there?

My favorite puzzle game is the Professor Layton series. They’re challenging yet simple. Their storylines are cute and the actual puzzles make you think. I spend 90% of the time playing the actual game and the other 10% looking up the answers I can’t figure out online.

What is your console of choice?

I love my Xbox 360, but at the moment mine is across the country so I’ve only been playing my DSi. Oh the sweet moment I reunite with my Xbox will be the best of days.

If you could pick one game as your all-time favorite, just one, what would it be and why?

Crash Bandicoot, hands down! It was the first game I ever had and I still love it. I’m 22 now and I still haven’t been able to get past the second island. I’ve even bought multiple copies of the game so that when one would freeze on certain levels, I could switch the disks out. It’s honestly just so much fun and still is the hardest game I own – to me, at least.

Do you believe in the separation of “hardcore” and “casual” gamers?

I believe that! I would classify myself as a “casual” gamer. I play for fun every now and then. I appreciate all the new games that have come out, but I always stick to my favorites. I totally respect the “hardcore” gamers though; the people who stand in line for midnight releases and go home to play a game until they beat it. Hot damn.

Would you ever date someone who played video games professionally?

Of course! That sounds like an awesome job!

Tell me something about yourself related to video games that nobody else knows.

I have NEVER beat a single game. I just can’t. I have a bunch of games and each one I don’t know how the story ends. I usually stop playing one game once I get another.

Related Posts
SuicideGirl Gamer Of The Week: Squeak Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer Of The Week: Bounty Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Bixton Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Renesme Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Elea Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Arroia Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Frolic Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Milloux Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Fraise Suicide

by Nicole Powers

“How could this have been here since the ‘50s and nobody know?”
– Jules Stewart

Jules Stewart is the mother of a certain Twilight star, but to even mention that almost does a disservice to her latest project, which is an edgy and challenging example of independent filmmaking at its finest. Having spent three decades working in Hollywood as a script supervisor, with a résumé that spans 30 films and over 50 TV shows, Stewart knows a thing or two about what makes a good story and how to avoid the grind of tired and traditional screenwriting formulas. Consequently, K-11, which she co-wrote with Jared Kurt, is a compelling and very unique take on the prison drama. The highly accomplished film, which features an extraordinary ensemble cast, also marks Stewart’s directorial debut.

Read our interview with Jules Stewart on SuicideGirls.com.

by Zach Roberts

Eros Hoagland is a photojournalist. His portfolio includes Afghanistan, Iraq, El Salvador, Haiti, Rio and Juarez. He’s seen the shit that you don’t want to – but need to and his memories are tagged NSFW.

Basically if it’s dangerous and there’s things to photograph, he’ll be there sooner or later. He’ll tell you he’s not an action photographer. It’s more about the aftermath for him. He’s been shot at however, well, he’ll say something to the extent that guns have been fired around him.

When I caught up with him via cell phone he was walking the streets of Tijuana, about 10 minutes into the conversation he starts laughing saying he just spotted a tattooed and pierced ‘SuicideGirl.’

I’ve seen his work in magazines and on news sites but as with most photographers, the photos don’t ever get attached to a name and a face – just a listing of the agency, maybe a last name. So when I heard that HBO was doing a series on photojournalists called Witness, in part on a guy named Eros Hoagland, I did a quick image search and re-discovered his work.

It’s not what you’d think; colors are drained, sometimes down to black and white. He shoots a lot with an iPhone. “I could give a shit about what other people think about what cameras I use.” He tells me cell phone shots allow him to get more real moments. “People don’t even know… their body language is completely different. The iPhone erases all of that.”

I’m not sure if Apple would want to use this as an endorsement. Hipstamatic might want too though. He says there’s “something very interesting about the way it compresses layers.” Indeed, he’s convinced me to go back to the app and drop Instagram.

Eros is not your traditional combat photographer, he’s more of a combat photo-essayist. He lays out a scene…there’s abstract shots, people’s faces are often obscured. He tells a story…”I’m not there to tell you what’s happening, I’m there to show you what I saw, what’s happening to me…you can come upon your own conclusion.”

One of the big dangers photographing in a place like Juarez – outside of direct violence – is the effect that you might have on the people after their photo is taken. Someone’s photograph showing up in a paper might endanger that person’s life, so Eros works abound that, shooting them in shadows, or with a slight blur. He’ll also do this for stylistic reasons, “[It] helps me convey a sense of mystery,” he explains. “I like people to look at pictures and say hmmm what’s going on here.” And they do. His photos convey the feel of the moment better than even video might (which he does as well).

His work from the Mexican border is coming together as a book called Reckoning at the Frontier. Some of the photos you see here will be in it. Reckoning at the Frontier will be more than just a portfolio book, he’s brought on a writer, Myle Estey (CNN, Global Post, VICE), who’s worked extensively in the borderlands to add essays and context to the photos.

Before we lost connection on our cells (me in Alaska, Eros in Tijuana) he said that he’d love to photograph SuicideGirls in his journalistic style, so if you’re in the San Diego area hit him up!

Related Posts
Right-Wing “Non-Profit” Religious Group And Koch Brothers Team Up To Target Voters…And Use Light Switch To Circumvent IRS Tax Code For “Glory Of God”
Occupy Rising: The American Spring Is Here
#D17 – Sitting on the Group W Bench – Arrested for Committing Journalism
Occupy Wall Street: The Cleansing of Zuccotti Park

by Nicole Powers

“I’m not cynical about clicktivism.”
– Cory Doctorow

I was recently fortunate enough to spend some quality time with Cory Doctorow discussing topics related to the plot of Homeland, the thrilling follow up to his contemporary classic novel Little Brother (which serves as a primer on civil rights in the digital age). Our conversation spanned 90 minutes and ran into excess of 17,000 words, so the need for brevity dictated that I had to edit our interview heavily. However, Doctorow has an avid following, and rightly so. Hence I figured those of you that enjoyed the first installment of our interview might appreciate this second bite at the apple.

In the first part, we discussed Burning Man, which is where the action in Homeland kicks off, and the student debt bubble, which serves as a backdrop to the book. In part two, our conversation delves further into the post-Occupy politics of Homeland. In Doctorow’s book, our hacktivist hero Marcus Yallow, having been forced out of the education system due to financial pressures, gains a position as a tech guru for an independent political candidate. Our discussion therefore naturally turns to the limitations of two party systems, the potential social media has to transform the political landscape, the pros and cons of clicktivism, and the perils of online activism, which is especially poignant given that Aaron Swartz contributed an afterward to the book.

Read part two of my interview with Cory Doctorow on SuicideGirls.com/.

Cory will be embarking on a multi-city US book tour starting on Tuesday, February 5th, which also happens to be the release date for Homeland. See below for a full list of dates:

Cory Doctorow – 2013 Homeland Book Tour
Tuesday, February 05 – Seattle Public Library Central Branch, Seattle, WA
Wednesday, February 06 – Powell’s Books, Beaverton, OR
Thursday, February 07 – Booksmith, San Francisco, CA
Friday, February 08 – Borderlands Books, San Francisco, CA
Saturday, February 09 – The Leonardo, Salt Lake City, UT
Sunday, February 10 – Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ
Tuesday, February 12 – Times Square Marriott Marquis, New York, NY
Thursday, February 14 – Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH
Friday, February 15 – Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL
Saturday, February 16 – Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC
Sunday, February 17 – Dekalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Monday, February 18 – Square Books, Oxford, MS
Tuesday, February 19 – Booksellers at Laurelwood, Memphis, TN
Wednesday, February 20 – Octavia Books, New Orleans, LA
Thursday, February 21 – Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX
Friday, February 22 – Book People, Austin, TX
Saturday, February 23 – Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nashua, NH
Saturday, February 23 – RiverRun Bookstore, Portsmouth, NH
Sunday, February 24 – Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord, NH
Monday, February 25 – Busboys and Poets, Washington DC
Tuesday, February 26 – Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA
Wednesday, February 27 – South Broadway Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM

Full details can be found here.

by Alexander Hinkley for Examiner

Squeak is this week’s SuicideGirl gamer of the week. She is a sweet, shy girl who not only really loves comic books, but also is into video games. I spoke with her about which games she likes most and she also shared what she believes is the meaning behind the name “SuicideGirls.”

What is the story behind your SuicideGirls nickname, “Squeak”?

Anyone who has ever met me in person can tell you that, haha. I have a high voice…which only gets higher and squeakier as I get more nervous or shy. (And being an introvert with social anxiety, it happens quite a lot!) I got the nickname back in High School and I guess it just stuck. I sort of embraced it eventually and made it my SG name.

How did you first get into modeling?

I started modeling when I was about 14 years old. At the time, there were no internet agencies. You had to be with an agency or have some kind of actual representation. I worked for a local modeling agency for a couple years before branching out on my own. Going independent gives you more freedom, but the money is no where as good as when I had an agency.

You have a lot of sets with different hair colors. Blue, pink, red, blonde…which is your favorite look?

Hmmmm…well I guess I like them all in their own way. I tire of hair color pretty quickly and I am always excited to try something different. Although I love doing bright colors, it is not always fun (or convenient!) to stand out. The advantage to going blonde is that I can sort of blend in a bit easier…so I always seem to eventually return to my natural blonde color. At least for a bit.

What are some of your all-time favorite games?

Well, nostalgia often plays a big part in what I pick as far as my “favorites” go. The first series I ever played were the Kings Quest games on my grandmother’s Tandy computer. So I was sort of raised on RPGs. When Baldur’s Gate came out in the late 90’s, I really experienced my first great love. I probably played that game for two years straight; over and over again, I still compare every single RPG I play to Baldur’s Gate.

I also love Silent Hill 2. I’ll never forget the day I finished it and watched the ending where you find out what sort of man James really is. It blew my mind. The overall atmosphere and game play was incredibly surreal and enjoyable. Not to mention Pyramid Head! What an awesome bad guy.

Lastly, I’d have to go with Halo. I know it is sort of a cliché nowadays, particularly amongst Xbox users, but you have got to give credit where credit is due. The first Halo game had an amazing storyline and the Halo series has had such a huge impact on the younger generation of gamers. Every time I see some kids bouncing around and shooting on Call of Duty or Left 4 Dead, I immediately know they were raised on Halo. They play every FPS like they are Master Chief and in low gravity. It cracks me up.

Which system do you prefer?

I am definitely an Xbox fan. I have most of the other systems as well; Wii, Playstation, etc…but I always go back to Xbox. I think it has to do with the size of the controller; I like a big controller. What can I say? I’m a “Size Queen!” Haha!

What are you currently playing?

I’ve been going back and forth between Halo 4 and Red Dead Redemption. I have a stack of RPGs piled up next to my computer that I hope to get around to when I have more time.

How’s Halo 4 stack up to previous games in the series in your opinion?

The storyline is great! Much more akin to the first Halo as far as that sort of thing goes. I enjoyed Halo 2 and 3 but the storylines and boards didn’t grip me enough to play them over and over again. I ended up finishing them and just putting them away. But I think I will most likely play through Halo 4 a few times before moving on.

It is also visually stunning. I am usually not too picky about graphics in games other than RPGs, but Halo 4 is definitely going to be setting the bar higher in the FPS realm.

Do you prefer playing games online or offline?

Offline. I take things way too personally. When I lose against a computer, I get a bit frustrated, walk away for a while, and then come back and try again. When I lose against a person, I am angry for days and fantasize about going to their house and kicking them hard in the shins before running off into the night. I just wasn’t designed to play well with others.

Are you into motion gaming at all?

A little bit. I was really into Wii when it first came out and then later got the Kinect. By then I started to lose interest. I work as a fitness instructor and aerialist, so by the time I get home at the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is jump around in front of my console. Sitting is so much better.

Related Posts
SuicideGirl Gamer Of The Week: Bounty Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Bixton Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Renesme Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Elea Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Arroia Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Frolic Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Milloux Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Fraise Suicide

A.J. Focht

The biggest news of the month is that J.J. Abrams, director of the recent Star Trek films, is now set to take us to a galaxy far far away. Disney has signed Abrams on to direct the 2015 Star Wars: Episode VII. While many fans were thrilled to hear this news, there are those who fear this move crosses the streams. Either way, the internet is already being plagued with bad jokes about light sabers and lens flares.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation was abruptly delayed last year, but you can now catch a four minute preview of the movie in theaters. There’s a four minute 3D preview at the start of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. The teaser is just a taste of things to come when the movie releases on March 29.

More information is coming out about the 2015 Justice League movie. It looks like only five members have made the final cut, and it’s just about who everyone would expect. Superman, Batman, the Green Lantern, the Flash, and Wonder Woman are rumored to be the core group of heroes. There is still a slight chance Aquaman or the Martian Manhunter could make an appearance, but most likely only as cameos. The one hero with the least possibility of making a cameo appearance would be Hawkman.

The Batman franchise is DC’s hottest property, and there has been talk of rebooting the series since before Christopher Nolan had a chance to even wrap up his trilogy. Now that Nolan’s Batman series has ended, DC and Warner Bros. are working Batman into their upcoming Justice League movie. Whispers of a series reboot haven’t gone away, though. Batman On Film speculates that the Batman series reboot could be in theaters as early as 2017.

Sequel to X-Men: First Class, the X-Men: Days of Futures Past will be following one of the most famous X-Men comic story arcs. The comic storyline involves an older Kitty Pride from a dystopic future transferring her consciousness to her past self to stop the events that lead to the Sentinels hunting down the mutants. This being the case, director Bryan Singer has the opportunity to combine the characters from the 1960’s storyline in X-Men: First Class with the original X-Men trilogy. Both Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart signed on to play the elder counterparts of Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. Now, Singer has announced that three more members from the cast of the original X-Men trilogy have joined the fray. Appeasing comic fans everywhere, Ellen Page as Kitty Pride was one of those three. The other two returning characters are Anna Paquin as Rogue and Shawn Ashmore as Iceman. Days of Future Past is set to hit theaters on July 18, 2014.

Possibly the oddest gossip to fall into the rumor mill this month is that both Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey have been asked about their availability for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy project. They may both be in line for the role of Rocket Raccoon, or one may be in line for the gun-toting raccoon and the other for his partner the sentient tree, Groot. Guardians of the Galaxy is set to hit theaters August 1, 2014.

Marvel may just be entering their ‘Phase 2’, but they are already planning for the future beyond that. Guardians of the Galaxy is the only new title being released during Phase 2, the rest being sequels. Marvel plans to expand their properties during ‘Phase 3’ and have confirmed that both the long awaited Edgar Wright Ant-Man movie and the Doctor Strange film Stan Lee has been pushing to have made for years are on the docket. Kevin Feige noted that Phase 3 is when things are going to get strange, which means who knows what else Marvel has in store for us once they wrap up their current cinematic ventures.

The CW’s Arrow keeps adding classic DC icons to the show’s lineup. To make things even better, many of the actors they have chosen to go with have other sci-fi and nerd roots. John Barrowman who plays Malcom Merlyn on Arrow and Captain Jack on Doctor Who and its spinoff Torchwood is now being joined by another former Doctor Who cast member, Alex Kingston, who played the Doctor’s wife, River Song. Kingston will be playing the part of Laurel Dinah Lance’s mother on Arrow. Kingston isn’t the only new addition. Spartacus actor Manu Bennett has been cast in the major role of Slade Wilson. Wilson’s alter ego, Death Stroke, has already appeared on the show, but it looks like Manu Bennett will be the man behind the orange and blue mask.

I don’t think anyone would disagree that we could replace some of these teenage vampire shows on television with more zombie action. Walking Dead is one of the best shows on, but it alone doesn’t satisfy my craving for brain eaters. Well it looks like we may all be in luck. After being passed up by CBS and Syfy, Amazon is in negotiations to distribute a Zombieland TV show via its streaming platform. Better yet, director of acclaimed B-movie Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Eli Craig is in talks to direct the series.

Finally, Doctor Who fans can now get back to their roots, since BBC America will being airing classic episodes of the show. They are going through the Doctors in order, airing a serial special each month. They have already begun with the four-part serial, “The Aztecs” that aired last weekend.