@ Action News

Argon -- Editor

Please don't forget to read the bulletin board. Enter +read from anywhere.

Spindizzy.com Back In Business

Spindizzy.com splash page.After working hard to obtain the 'spindizzy.com' Internet address, I was informed this week, that the present owners have renewed their ownership of the domain.

Several years ago, when attempting to get the spindizzy.com domain for our website, I discovered that the name had been obtained by a company or group accociated with 'wake boarding', which seems to be surfing on the waves produced in the wake of a boat. Several months to perhaps a year ago, the site was 'hacked' and the splash page was replaced by a message saying, well, 'You've been hacked'. Interestingly, the page that the hackers put on the spindizzy.com space was produced on Front Page. The hacker's message on the webspace remained up for quite a while. So, assuming that the owners of the domain didn't have enough interest in the site to remove the hacker's message, I placed a request through Network Solutions to obtain the name when the present ownership expired.

Apparently, the owners of spindizzy.com got in under the wire, and renewed their registation through March 14, 2004. Interestingly, the page up now, is links to other wakeboarding sites, and an email link to sales@spindizzy.com. There is no independent information other than the splash page.

But we still have SpinDizzy.org and SpinDizzyNews.org. Yay!

SpinDizzians Found To Call Tech Support Less

Tech Support Professional taking abuse.A nationwide study by The Stanley Institute for Internet Service Call Studies, found that residents of SpinDizzy Muck called tech support far less than users of other MU systems.

By surveying the users of many different mucks and other interactive chat and role play data bases, it was found that users' abilities to diagnose and intellegently converse with tech support personell were directly related to their favorite MU. Although there were exceptions, the results seemed to corellate directly between the difficulty of the use of the MU and the users' ability to explain their problem, describe symptoms, follow directions and report results to the tech support professional.

MU Users vs. Ease Of Tech Support Professional To Deal With

Number 5 AOL Users

Inability to understand that both phone line and power cord must be plugged in and active. Most common question, "How do I find the porno?"

Number 4 SteriodMuck

Most callers complaining about weak keyboards that don't stand up to their beating on it in frustration. Most common question, "Why can't I see a picture after punching the monitor?"

Number 3 MucusMuck

Thankfully cold germs don't travel over the phone line. Most common question, "Does the computer have a virus or do I?"

Number 2 PronMuck

I don't think we even need to go into what's clogging up the mouse with these users.

Number 1 TwinkMuck

Callers attempting to 'powergame' their way into the queue. Most common complaint, "I will cleave you with my +12 sword of cleaving if you don't fix my problem NOW!

Art Ambush!

Model with no artist.Well, the much advertised Art Ambush scheduled for last week didn't draw the crowd I'd hoped. Mouser was only able to stay for a few minutes, and KevMan stopped by a few times, leaving GrumpyBear and me to wait for the anticipated rush of participants.

Perhaps it was the time, or the day, but for whatever reason the Art Ambush didn't happen. Perhaps a different day and / or time will attract more folks. As explained earlier, the Art Ambush requires no talent, or even a scanner. An idea is offered, and participants are asked to 'illustrate' it. This can be done by drawing and scanning, or writing, or interperative dance if that's your thing.

Anyway, get in touch with me, (Argon) and let me know if you'd like to have me try another Art Ambush and when would be convenient for you. It's a fun event and I'd like to give it another shot.

Argon

The Story of Lemurpunzel

Suri in her rocket.Lemurpunzel was a Lemur. She lived in the capsule at the top of a model of a Gemini-Titan, made of purest zinc. Every morning she would open the doors of her capsule, and sit sunning herself, while she groomed her wonderful Deluxe Adjustable Tail, which was the longest in the world.

One morning she was sitting enjoying the sunshine, when down below she heard someone call, "Lemurpunzel, Lemurpunzel, let down your tail!" Lemurpunzel looked. It was Saddam Hussein. He wanted to oppress her, and steal her zinc.

"Nope!" she said. Hussein wandered away, grimbling.

A few minutes later he returned, dressed in a cheap Wallaby costume. "Lemurpunzel, Lemurpunzel, let down your tail!"

Lemurpunzel looked. "Bzort!" she exclaimed, believing that it was a Lemur dressed in a Wallaby suit.

She pitched her Deluxe Adjustable Tail over the edge, and began to extend it as fast as she could. Longer and longer it got, as it began to pile up on the ground around Hussein like a coil of rope. Faster and faster the tail piled up, until Hussein was standing in the middle of a tail-coil as high as his eyes, with no way to get out.

Suddenly the tail reached the end of its length, and stopping with a sudden snap it jerked Lemurpunzel out of her capsule. Down she fell, straight onto Saddam Hussein who was staring up at her from below.

Hussein broke her fall, but her fall broke Hussein. At first Lemurpunzel was sad, because she thought she'd smashed another Lemur, but when she realized what had happened she began to prunkle.

Lemurpunzel reeled in her tail, and climbed back up to her capsule. The End.

Weekly Survey

Fursuiter being netted.This week, Argon told folks, "This week, rather than a survey, I'm asking for captions to this picture Mouser posted to be published in @Action News. The image is /furnet.jpg " (On the Right--->)

  • Terry chirps, "When hunting the white-helmeted blue-jacket, a plush leopard makes an effective lure."
  • Gilead -- "Governor, what do you plan to do about the 'Meerkat Babies' situation in our state?"
  • Morticon -- "We have you now, Godzilla!"
  • Butterfluff -- "They can only see movement, so if I am very very still, they will lose track of me and go away."
  • Adara -- "This is what George W calls us about because he thinks it a missle being hurled at him during the first of a series of terrorist attacks?"
  • Massassi says, "Leopard feels stupid after netting fishermen, not fish."
  • Olivia looks at the picture. "The new Wild Kingdom show really has a low budget."
  • Carlos says, "How about... "Fools! With my nose covered, there's no way they can see through my perfect spotted camouflage!"
  • Massassi says, "99, 100. Coming, ready or net! :)"
  • Olivia says, "While Jim wrestles the giant spotted cat, I'm safe in the truck looking at his Mutual of Omaha insurance policy, seeing if he's covered for this."
  • Rosey_Raccoon says, "Now that the cat is darted, the men can approach and neuter the beast... Claw my wallpaper, will you? HA!"
  • BarterGarter --"SWAT team effectively subdued the rambuncous Wildcats fans before the hangover lifted."
  • Ba'ar -- Hey! There's a human in here! and another one... 'Animal keepers are now rounding up specimens for the world's first Fursuit Zoo."
  • Friskyfox captions, "Little did the men in the white helmets know that it was only a ruse, that is, until they saw the trap fall upon them!
  • Boki squalls, "Sleep in comfort with the new Gawker-B-Gone pest repellant net!"
  • Austin -- "Well, I don't know *how* he got the drop on us, Ted. He's a *toy*!"
  • Bones -- "Midnight_Rose takes a nap after ridding herself of some pesky humans..."
  • Furi says, "Shrink ray successful. Tokyo saved from giant leopard menace by anthropomorphic Metalls."

Role Play Etiquette

Writing a letter. To all who may read this:

As a fur who is a dedicated lover of RP's I want to say the following: It's really annoying when people are wanting to RP, but aren't really dedicated to doing it. Like... For example, a friend of mine was in a scenario elseMU where she was asked to RP, and she agreed. She was RPing with them, and she was typing 10-15 line poses and such, and RPing about a dozen characters, and the other person she was RPing with would respond with less than a handful of words. It frustrated her to no end, as it does with me. Especially because it was the other person who wanted to RP in the first place (and there's a 2nd part to this which I will address in a minute).

If you want to RP with someone, please be really dedicated to what actually doing it, maybe try to match pose-lengths with whoever you're RPing with, or whatever. But please don't get into something if you aren't willing to put some effort into it! It's no fun when you're doing all the work and it's just being minimized by those whom you are with. Thanks for reading this, and please be more aware of your RP habits!

BAI BAI,
Bones

The Doze Garden

Bartergarter hires Friskyfox and Austin to deliver fresh baked pizza!

The Doze Garden Comic Strip

Guidelines and Procedures for Submitting Articles

Submitting a story or artwork for @Action News is easy! Just send it to newspaper@spindizzy.org or qmail or page Argon about it.
@Action News is published weekly on or after 12:01 AM Eastern Time on Sunday. Most any type of story or article will be accepted. Generally, we'd prefer things that aren't out and out lies or flames about other folks, and have a basis in the reality of SpinDizzy. Things that occur in public areas are fair game. The things reported don't have to have actually happened, (any more than anything that happens here does) but make sure you don't overstep the social boundaries and rules of interaction that we have. These are pretty broad guidelines, but we expect good sense to apply.

Thanks! Argon, Editor @Action News