Zombie Lane launched on Google+

Google+ has opened up a whole new world for zombie haters. Zombie Lane™, new and hilarious look into the zombie phenomenon from Digital Chocolate, a leader in cross-platform social games, is among the first games launched on Google+.

Zombie Lane is currently recruiting brave players in the quest to defend and take back control of their neighborhood from endless waves of zombies determined to eat their brains. Players and neighbors go into survival mode, forced to protect their homes and families from hordes of the rotting but ambulatory dead.

Created specifically by Digital Chocolate to take full advantage of the social features on the Google+ platform, players can customize everything about their characters as well as gift items and share coins between friends or even visit their friends neighborhoods to help in the fight against zombies. Zombie Lane players can purchase weapons from the market or gather materials from around their home to assemble super weapons, like the powerful flamethrower that provides unique firepower. Just be careful! All that takes energy and in early play it is easy to exhaust yourself!

Zombie Lane is from the makers of other social gaming hits including Millionaire City™, Army Attack™ and MMA Pro Fighter. Digital Chocolate will be implementing a steady wave of enhancements and new content to Zombie Lane in coming weeks.

To get started playing Zombie Lane, Google+ members should visit https://google.zombielane.com/?src=zigp. Look for Mena, she’s there. Max Brooks and the guys at the Department of Zombie Defense would be so proud!

Area 5 celebrates @KingNorthmanA5

Last night was @KingNorthmanA5′s death day and the glitterati and political-elite of the supernatural world were out in force to celebrate the Turning of the vampire King of Norway. The invitation-only fete, organized by @Scarlett_Area5 and @PamR_Area5, was the resounding social success of the summer.

Eric Northman is a fixture in Louisiana society, as owner of the popular club Fangtasia and vampire Sheriff of Area 5.  His influence goes far beyond that, both in terms of geography and species, as the guest list shows. Joining his loyal followers from Area 5 were representatives of the fae (ok, one, @Fae_Celeste was a gift to Eric from Scarlett), Weres, humans, demons and even witches. Fellow Sheriffs, @RomanLucious (accompanied by his lady @Tammyjo__) of Mississippi’s Area 2 and Godric, @SheriffArea_9 of Texas attended. Vampire royalty was well represented by Louisiana’s own king @WTCompton while Andre Paul, @KingBigDaddesty, King of Arkansas and Maude, Queen of Minnesota also made the guest list.

As impressive as the creme-de-la-creme of vampire society is, this party had a very personal feel and it is obvious Northman is well-loved by his progeny. His newest Childe, @TrinityBodare attended with her husband @CaptainRaynes1. They were also accompanied by @TamaraLanglee. Elder Childe Pam Ravenscroft had her hands full helping to organize the event but still managed to find for a lengthy tete-a-tete with King Bill. Scarlett, whom Northman referred to as his bonded during the evening, certainly went to great lengths to see that his party was an amazing event. One can’t help wondering, however, why she was seen leaving in the company of @LF_Snow, whom, it had been rumored was flirting earlier in the week with Pam….

The gifts alone put Northman among the most envied of vampires ranging from a fae to original artwork to a red Aston Martin convertible to a free vacation in Biloxi. One might wonder who is trying to buy his favor or, perhaps, buy their way out of trouble.

By all accounts the party was a hit from the Russian Blood Cake to the music of the night. Should we start looking forward to next year…?

The Darkness Surrounding Fandom

I suppose I have been fairly lucky when it comes to dealing with fans of True Blood. Since I have never truly played a TB Sookie, most people don’t pay me any attention. But I’m sadden to see that several of my favorite TB-fan sites have had to make recent posts due to the scarier side of the fandom.

We all have preferences, whether it’s book vs. show or Eric vs. Bill. In the end, we are all human. We all have opinions and as the old saying goes in comparing opinions to a certain less than appealing body part, all of them stink. That being said, I find it disheartening to scroll through one of the four lists I follow on Twitter and watch people get attacked.

If it were RP-drama, I’d usually stay out of it. Unfortunately, it happens and really the best policy is to walk away. But these attacks that are increasing in quantity and severity are not between role player vs. role player. The incidences I am referring to are the attacks from fans of the show on role players.

You know, we are raised on the saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. As childish as that may seem, these words of wisdom are a great guideline on how we should all try and behave with one another. We should all try to have respect for one another, even if you don’t like the person/character. Respect is a two-way street and disrespect on stream is just an unnecessary waste of 140 characters.

For those of you who follow RP accounts and don’t actually understand the differences between one Sookie vs. another, or one family vs. another, here’s  a good tid bit to follow: Regardless of who the character is, there is a human on the other side. A person, who just like you, loves this show and/or the books. A person with feelings and a life outside of RP (though it may not seem like it as often as some of us tweet, myself, included).

Finish reading the rest here: The Darkness Surrounding Fandom.

Dragon Age Legends among first Google+ games

“We’re very excited to be among the first games launching on Google’s new social project. It’s an honor to join Google in celebrating the birth of their gaming platform on Google+ by expanding Dragon Age Legends to an even wider audience,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-founder of BioWare and General Manager of the BioWare Label at EA. “Dragon Age Legends raises the quality bar for social network games. By bringing the franchise to Google+, we’re able to connect and entertain Millions of existing and new fans within the rich, immersive Dragon Age universe!”

Having raised the hackles of gamers in July by denying access to individuals not using their “real” name, Google+™ appears to be offering an olive branch of sorts by making Dragon Age Legends, the popular dark fantasy RPG from Electronic Arts Inc. one of the first games available through the fledgling social network. Dragon Age Legends, developed by BioWare San Francisco, is the only game of its kind on Google+. It reportedly became available on Thursday, 11 August, 2011, however, as with all things related to Google+, not everyone has access to it because “We’re currently testing with a small number of Google+ users.”  So much for the olive branch.

The game sounds great. BioWare and EA have reportedly reinvented the Dragon Age franchise for social play on Google+. What that means is that they have created a game blending tactical combat, progression and exploration of the Dragon Age universe in a way specifically designed for gameplay using the Circles and Hangouts that are the hallmark of Google+.

Dragon Age Legends for Goggle+ puts players back into the Free Marches, the primary setting of Dragon Age II which debuted in March 2011 for the Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 systems as well as the PC. Google+ players will take on challenging quests as part of an engaging storyline that allows them to earn loot, share rewards and grow their kingdom alongside those of their Google+ friends and connections.

Dragon Age Legends includes a gratifying character customization and upgrade system that allows players to defeat demons and Darkspawn to become a legendary hero within the Dragon Age universe. Players will also test their mettle against their friends in player versus player combat in the Guild arenas. Unfortunately for those role-players adventuring on Facebook as well as Google+, the two universes are not compatible, although both are tied to the player’s EA account, according to the Dragon Age Legends FAQ.

For more information on Dragon Age Legends, and to play the game, visit www.dragonagelegends.com or http://www.plus.google.com. If you haven’t already, you can join the Dragon Age community at social.bioware.com.

Chiptease

When you buy a bag of chips thinking that it will be full of chips but when you open the bag it’s barely full.

Platonic Relationship

When a woman officially declares a man to be in her ‘friend zone’.

Bon Temps detectives under investigation

All has not been well with the Bon Temps Sheriff’s Department recently. First Deputy Kevin Prior was involved in a car accident that the department called suspicious. Now it seems the troubles run deeper as two detectives, Alcee Beck and Lucas Grant, have come under investigation for corruption.

Alcee Beck in an undated undercover photo

Alcee Beck worked for Atlanta PD for nine years. During that period, he was investigated 22 times, mostly on charges of brutality and false arrest. In every case the accuser backed down so nothing ever stuck. Beck had an excellent arrest record and solve rate, so the department had no choice but to let him keep his job. Then in late 2009 he shot and killed a drug dealer. The man had been working as a police informant and was unarmed at the time of the shooting so naturally there were lots of questions. Beck saw the writing on the wall so he resigned to keep from being fired. He began working for Renard Parish in early 2010 when he was hired by the Parish Police Jury to replace Andy Bellefleur who had been named Sheriff. Atlanta, fearing a lawsuit, never mentioned Beck’s checkered history to the hiring committee.

Beck was a model officer for the first 14 months of his employment in Bon Temps. Then the department started receiving complaints of brutality, mostly from vagrants and drug dealers. Sheriff Bellefleur followed up on the complaints, but just like in Atlanta none of the accusers wanted to go on the record. About two months ago motorists began complaining about being harassed by Beck, saying he was extorting money for non-existent traffic violations. By this time Sheriff Bellefleur had had enough. He contacted the state police and asked that an internal affairs officer be sent to investigate Beck. They sent Lucas Grant, a 15 year veteran of the state police.

Lucas Grant

The investigation on Detective Grant is still in progress, but indications are that he was corrupt, and used his position to gain access to other corrupt police officers and profit from their illicit schemes. The sheriff’s department dispatcher, Rosie Bonham, apparently overheard one of Grant’s and Beck’s plots and was murdered by them.

Grant was supposedly surrendering when he grabbed Deputy Kenya Jones as a hostage, holding a gun to her head. He was shot dead by Deputy Kevin Prior. A female accomplice was fatally shot by Sheriff Bellefleur in the same gun battle. Her role in the matter is still under investigation.

Both Beck and Grant are alleged to have been complicit in the near-fatal auto accident of Deputy Kevin Prior. Deputy Prior has recovered and is back at work with the Bon Temps Sheriff’s Department.

Beck may have changed his appearance to elude capture

Alcee Beck remains at large, his whereabouts unknown. The Bon Temps Sheriff’s Department is asking that anyone with information on the whereabouts of Beck contact them immediately. They also warn the public that Beck is presumed to be armed and should be considered very dangerous.

Microwave Inflation

When the cooking time of food needs to be adjusted to account for a weaker or stronger microwave.

Gate Massage

A TSA pat-down with a “happy landing.”

Boner Shock

Expressions or actions performed that causes your boner to go into “shock” or go back into the flaccid stage.