Nope. This is an article published in 2009, when the scandal became widely known to the public. It's just describing events which happened in the past.
An Exciting Turn of Events (POD 1999, Tech/Pop Culture)
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September 11, 2001
Acting Mayor Mark J. Green has proved fairly popular with the city’s Democrats, banking off of his reputation as a thorn in the side of his predecessor Rudy Giuliani during his time as the city’s first Public Advocate, and was expected to be re-nominated as the Democratic candidate in next year’s election, so no other major candidates emerged to challenge him, until Bloomberg joined the race unexpectedly in February.
Bloomberg pulled from his personal fortune into the campaign, spending $19 million on ads seeking to not only persuade party members to vote for him, but also urging independents to register as Democrats in order to vote for him. Bloomberg, as a moderate, has framed himself as someone who can appeal to New Yorkers of all political views, and has tried to convince swing voters that picking the Democratic candidate will be their best shot at having a voice in New York, given that the Democrat will be more likely to win.
As the primary have shown, Bloomberg’s strategy of mass advertising and getting independent voters to register seems to have paid off, with Bloomberg pulling in 49.5% of the vote, narrowly beating out Green’s 47.6%. Bloomberg is now the favorite to become mayor, as Republicans have done poorly in most general election polls conducted thus far.
BLOOMBERG EKES OUT NARROW WIN IN TIGHT DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY
A very competitive race to become the next mayor of New York had its first test at the ballot box in this morning’s primaries, with billionaire Michael Bloomberg winning the Democratic nomination for mayor.
Acting Mayor Mark J. Green has proved fairly popular with the city’s Democrats, banking off of his reputation as a thorn in the side of his predecessor Rudy Giuliani during his time as the city’s first Public Advocate, and was expected to be re-nominated as the Democratic candidate in next year’s election, so no other major candidates emerged to challenge him, until Bloomberg joined the race unexpectedly in February.
Bloomberg pulled from his personal fortune into the campaign, spending $19 million on ads seeking to not only persuade party members to vote for him, but also urging independents to register as Democrats in order to vote for him. Bloomberg, as a moderate, has framed himself as someone who can appeal to New Yorkers of all political views, and has tried to convince swing voters that picking the Democratic candidate will be their best shot at having a voice in New York, given that the Democrat will be more likely to win.
As the primary have shown, Bloomberg’s strategy of mass advertising and getting independent voters to register seems to have paid off, with Bloomberg pulling in 49.5% of the vote, narrowly beating out Green’s 47.6%. Bloomberg is now the favorite to become mayor, as Republicans have done poorly in most general election polls conducted thus far.
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bin Laden was behind the failed gas attacks from February mentioned earlier. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is in Chechnya at the moment.
October 9, 2001
MACROMEDIA ACQUIRED BY REALNETWORKS IN $1.4 BILLION STOCK SWAP
Seattle-based Internet media service RealNetworks announced its acquisition of multimedia application developer Macromedia yesterday. The deal is expected to strengthen RealNetworks’ position in the online video market, with Macromedia’s Flash Player being the main competitor for playing video files from the Internet.
In a statement to shareholders of both companies, RealNetworks CEO Ron Glaser stated that he expects the buyout to create change in the video player market, speaking of the many innovations which have been made both companies. “The acquisition of Macromedia will allow us to further expand our online multimedia presence,” he said.
Glaser also added that he expects to integrate many of Macromedia’s products, including Shockwave and the aforementioned Flash, into Internet Explorer, which has been developed by RealNetworks ever since it was divested by Microsoft in order to appease antitrust concerns. Flash, which is primarily a tool for animations, is more versatile than RealPlayer and is used on many websites, so its integration into Explorer will give Explorer a further advantage over its competitors. Macromedia’s users are also expected to benefit from having access to a traditional media player in RealPlayer to complement the services used by Flash, and it is expected that future versions of both applications will combine some of their features.
In the combined company, Macromedia’s San Francisco offices are expected to remain, but will likely be downsized as many employees are brought up to Seattle in order to work on RealNetworks’ upcoming products. Macromedia’s CEO Rob Burgess will join RealNetworks’ board of directors along with retaining his duties at the Macromedia headquarters for the time being.
The market responded positively to the announcement, with RealNetworks’ stock price rising $9.02, or 9%, to $106.18, and Macromedia’s stock price rising $2.32, or 8%, to $31.91.
Well this is a shocker, without Flash I would not know of anything in Adobe's Creative Suite.
OK... I'll start doing TL Q&As so that I can flesh out my TL more.
You can ask about anything which you would expect to have happened by October 2001, from the real world or as a follow-up to an event mentioned earlier, and I may answer it if I can come up with an idea or already have an answer.
For example: the Dodgers won the 1999 World Series against the Indians. (though I probably won't have any other info on sports)
You can ask about anything which you would expect to have happened by October 2001, from the real world or as a follow-up to an event mentioned earlier, and I may answer it if I can come up with an idea or already have an answer.
For example: the Dodgers won the 1999 World Series against the Indians. (though I probably won't have any other info on sports)
Nice...Did mets loss in 2000 against yankees? won it against them? other team? we failed in playoffs?
As I said, I haven't really put much thought into sports. However, I'll give this one a shot. The Yankees beat the Braves. The runners-up in each division were the Diamondbacks and Mariners. (The year before, the runners-up were the Braves and the Athletics.)
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November 6, 2001
New Jersey and Virginia, the two states which hold gubernatorial elections the year after presidential elections, both have term-limited Republican incumbents. In New Jersey, Democrat Jim McGreevey, Woodbridge mayor and nominee in the previous election, won by 58% over Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler. In Virginia, Democrat Mark Warner won by 53% over Lieutenant Governor John Hager.
BLOOMBERG WINS NYC MAYORAL ELECTION, DEMOCRATS GAIN IN GUBERNATORIAL RACES
This year’s off-year elections were good news for Democrats, with big wins in three of the most watched races of 2001. First off, Democrats scored a decisive win in New York, with billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg winning 59% against Republican Herman Badillo’s 39%. Bloomberg’s strategy of appealing to independent voters seems to have paid off, resulting in the largest margin of victory for a mayor since 1985, when Ed Koch won an astounding 78% of the vote.
New Jersey and Virginia, the two states which hold gubernatorial elections the year after presidential elections, both have term-limited Republican incumbents. In New Jersey, Democrat Jim McGreevey, Woodbridge mayor and nominee in the previous election, won by 58% over Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler. In Virginia, Democrat Mark Warner won by 53% over Lieutenant Governor John Hager.
It's been way too long, but I've finally got another update! Don't expect them to come out very frequently, though, given that I haven't devoted that much time to this timeline and there's probably pretty good reasons for that.
November 12, 2001
Microsoft and Apple both released new OSs this year as part of recent overhauls of their core OS designs, with Windows X+ being the second system based off of the NT kernel and Mac OS X being the first OS from Apple with a Unix-based core. Given the fierce competition between the systems, it is no surprise that both have a bevy of new and improved features which attempt to outdo each other.
As for why both operating systems contain the letter “X,” the reasons on each side are different. Apple adopted its name first, with its announcement in 1998 that it was revamping its OS. The “X” in Mac OS X is pronounced “10” in official marketing materials, as it is the 10th major version of Mac OS to be released. Microsoft adopted the “X” name in late 1999 as part of a strategy to integrate company-wide branding after the name of Microsoft’s XBox console was chosen. (The “X” in XBox comes from the DirectX family of APIs which are used in Windows and in the console.) The new Windows logo also prominently features an “X” in the center. However, to avoid confusion with Apple’s product, it was named X+, thus emphasizing that it is part of an improved operating system.
In order to present themselves as the next steps in home computing, both systems have made numerous design changes from their predecessors. Mac OS X incorporates a taskbar along the bottom and sides of the screen, while Windows X+ similarly adds a sidebar which allows users to access different types of files various “hubs.” Improvements in monitors have been addressed by the myriad graphical improvements in OS X and X+, which have much crisper user interfaces than their predecessors.
The sales numbers certainly seem to suggest that tech companies have recovered from their slump in 1999. While Apple still has not come anywhere close to Microsoft’s market share, the company’s sleek designs and the press from the release of OS X have managed to draw in a new crowd of Apple aficionados, some of whom have visited the company’s retail stores, which opened earlier this year and thus far have been quite successful. Microsoft has also seen a boost in sales from the release Windows X+, and is expected to earn even more following the upcoming releases of the XBox gaming console next week and the OTG tablet PC in February.
November 12, 2001
BATTLE OF THE Xs: APPLE AND MICROSOFT HIT IT BIG WITH THEIR NEW OSs
Microsoft and Apple both released new OSs this year as part of recent overhauls of their core OS designs, with Windows X+ being the second system based off of the NT kernel and Mac OS X being the first OS from Apple with a Unix-based core. Given the fierce competition between the systems, it is no surprise that both have a bevy of new and improved features which attempt to outdo each other.
As for why both operating systems contain the letter “X,” the reasons on each side are different. Apple adopted its name first, with its announcement in 1998 that it was revamping its OS. The “X” in Mac OS X is pronounced “10” in official marketing materials, as it is the 10th major version of Mac OS to be released. Microsoft adopted the “X” name in late 1999 as part of a strategy to integrate company-wide branding after the name of Microsoft’s XBox console was chosen. (The “X” in XBox comes from the DirectX family of APIs which are used in Windows and in the console.) The new Windows logo also prominently features an “X” in the center. However, to avoid confusion with Apple’s product, it was named X+, thus emphasizing that it is part of an improved operating system.
In order to present themselves as the next steps in home computing, both systems have made numerous design changes from their predecessors. Mac OS X incorporates a taskbar along the bottom and sides of the screen, while Windows X+ similarly adds a sidebar which allows users to access different types of files various “hubs.” Improvements in monitors have been addressed by the myriad graphical improvements in OS X and X+, which have much crisper user interfaces than their predecessors.
The sales numbers certainly seem to suggest that tech companies have recovered from their slump in 1999. While Apple still has not come anywhere close to Microsoft’s market share, the company’s sleek designs and the press from the release of OS X have managed to draw in a new crowd of Apple aficionados, some of whom have visited the company’s retail stores, which opened earlier this year and thus far have been quite successful. Microsoft has also seen a boost in sales from the release Windows X+, and is expected to earn even more following the upcoming releases of the XBox gaming console next week and the OTG tablet PC in February.
December 8, 2001
The XBox will not be released in Japan until June 2002, where it will be sold as the Sega Aurora. Sega has modified the console's design in order to appeal to the Japanese market, with the Aurora being taller and thinner than the XBox and gray instead of black.
In contrast, the GameCube has been out since September in Japan, but only came to North America three weeks ago. During the first week of the Christmas shopping season, the GameCube seems to have outsold the PS2 aa a result of its novelty, though the XBox seems to have come out on top. However, Nintendo does not seem likely to retain dominance for very long, as new PS2 games such as Grand Theft Auto III are still outselling the GameCube's launch titles, the most popular of which so far has been Mario's Mansion Mystery.
MICROSOFT, NINTENDO FACE OFF AGAINST SONY
Now that the XBox and GameCube have been released in North America, the next generation of the Console Wars is about to get started. The PS2's early entry into the market has given it the advantage for now, but it may have to face steep competition in the coming years, as the GameCube and XBox are projected to sell about a million units by the end of the year, based on promising early sales numbers.
The XBox will not be released in Japan until June 2002, where it will be sold as the Sega Aurora. Sega has modified the console's design in order to appeal to the Japanese market, with the Aurora being taller and thinner than the XBox and gray instead of black.
In contrast, the GameCube has been out since September in Japan, but only came to North America three weeks ago. During the first week of the Christmas shopping season, the GameCube seems to have outsold the PS2 aa a result of its novelty, though the XBox seems to have come out on top. However, Nintendo does not seem likely to retain dominance for very long, as new PS2 games such as Grand Theft Auto III are still outselling the GameCube's launch titles, the most popular of which so far has been Mario's Mansion Mystery.
Are the technical specs and console lineup for the Xbox and gamecube about the same as otl's?
December 14, 2001
While ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was guaranteed to be a hit like its source material, adapting the magic (both metaphorical and literal) of the books would be quite the task for any director. Fortunately, Steven Spielberg is not just any director, and “Harry Potter” proves to be a capable adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s best-selling novel, with plenty to inspire youthful wonderment yet still managing to hold up on its own merits as a story.
Harry Potter, played by newcomer David Jones, is the child of wizards raised by his miserable aunt and uncle after his parents were killed in an attack by a dark wizard which Harry miraculously survived. He knows nothing of magic until he is summoned to the magical school of Hogwarts. Spielberg uses a mix of special effects, sets, and filming on location to create a whimsical atmosphere for the school, which has such marvels as talking paintings and moving staircases, while still providing suitable dark and Gothic elements to suggest the dread lurking in the future. Harry makes fast friends at Hogwarts, foremost of which are Ron Weasley (Hugh Mitchell) and Hermione Granger (Emilia Clarke), who both belong to Harry’s Gryffindor house, along with typical enemies such as the snobbish bully Draco Malfoy (William Moseley). That the child actors give endearing performances should come as no surprise considering Spielberg’s general success with directing children in films such as “E. T.” and “Jurassic Park.”
The adult actors, most of which are pulled from the vast array of respected English performers, give an air of respectability while never putting on an excessively serious tone. Peter O'Toole portrays the Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore, who mostly resembles the traditional Merlin archetype but clearly has his own ebullient personality. Alan Rickman gives another memorable performance as the stern and intimidating potions professor Severus Snape, and Judi Dench and Robbie Coltrane bring life to the roles of Professor McGonagall and the groundskeeper Hagrid respectively.
Spielberg has proven his ability to conjure up thrills through action and suspense, and for the most part this film is no exception to that. The film still has legitimate flaws: there are more than a few awkward slapstick moments, which may amuse children but prove tedious to adults, and the game of Quidditch (a wizard sport played on broomsticks) favors spectacle over substance. However, the special effects do an excellent job of bringing Rowling’s descriptions of magic to life, such as the giant troll which gets set loose in the girl’s bathroom and the many magical puzzles which comprise the film’s climax.
“Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone” seems destined to be placed among Spielberg’s blockbuster classics, such as “Jaws,” “E.T.,” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” However, there are still three more Harry Potter books out, with three more on the way, and it remains to be seen whether Spielberg will stick around for six more films, or give the job over to another director as he did with last summer’s Jurassic Park III. Given that film’s contentious critical reception, any director who fills in for Spielberg may have quite the challenge.
Author's Note: Happy new year! So far, I've covered ~3 years in about 2 years of real time. That's not a great pace, and it probably won't improve that much, but it's something.
FILM REVIEW: "HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE"
While ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was guaranteed to be a hit like its source material, adapting the magic (both metaphorical and literal) of the books would be quite the task for any director. Fortunately, Steven Spielberg is not just any director, and “Harry Potter” proves to be a capable adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s best-selling novel, with plenty to inspire youthful wonderment yet still managing to hold up on its own merits as a story.
Harry Potter, played by newcomer David Jones, is the child of wizards raised by his miserable aunt and uncle after his parents were killed in an attack by a dark wizard which Harry miraculously survived. He knows nothing of magic until he is summoned to the magical school of Hogwarts. Spielberg uses a mix of special effects, sets, and filming on location to create a whimsical atmosphere for the school, which has such marvels as talking paintings and moving staircases, while still providing suitable dark and Gothic elements to suggest the dread lurking in the future. Harry makes fast friends at Hogwarts, foremost of which are Ron Weasley (Hugh Mitchell) and Hermione Granger (Emilia Clarke), who both belong to Harry’s Gryffindor house, along with typical enemies such as the snobbish bully Draco Malfoy (William Moseley). That the child actors give endearing performances should come as no surprise considering Spielberg’s general success with directing children in films such as “E. T.” and “Jurassic Park.”
The adult actors, most of which are pulled from the vast array of respected English performers, give an air of respectability while never putting on an excessively serious tone. Peter O'Toole portrays the Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore, who mostly resembles the traditional Merlin archetype but clearly has his own ebullient personality. Alan Rickman gives another memorable performance as the stern and intimidating potions professor Severus Snape, and Judi Dench and Robbie Coltrane bring life to the roles of Professor McGonagall and the groundskeeper Hagrid respectively.
Spielberg has proven his ability to conjure up thrills through action and suspense, and for the most part this film is no exception to that. The film still has legitimate flaws: there are more than a few awkward slapstick moments, which may amuse children but prove tedious to adults, and the game of Quidditch (a wizard sport played on broomsticks) favors spectacle over substance. However, the special effects do an excellent job of bringing Rowling’s descriptions of magic to life, such as the giant troll which gets set loose in the girl’s bathroom and the many magical puzzles which comprise the film’s climax.
“Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone” seems destined to be placed among Spielberg’s blockbuster classics, such as “Jaws,” “E.T.,” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” However, there are still three more Harry Potter books out, with three more on the way, and it remains to be seen whether Spielberg will stick around for six more films, or give the job over to another director as he did with last summer’s Jurassic Park III. Given that film’s contentious critical reception, any director who fills in for Spielberg may have quite the challenge.
Author's Note: Happy new year! So far, I've covered ~3 years in about 2 years of real time. That's not a great pace, and it probably won't improve that much, but it's something.
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(Note: the date is not a misprint, this is another case of an article from the "future" being used to talk about the past.)
December 1, 2009
With the bursting of the dot-com bubble in 1999, the Internet began its shift from being seen as just a cool new craze to being a part of everyday life alongside movies and television. It is thus not surprising that the modern-day “meme” culture of the Internet started to emerge, as online-original creators could now become known to millions of people.
As increasing internet speeds allowed more detailed images to be posted online, many webcomics made it big in the first two years of the decade. Perhaps the biggest hits in this time were Mike Chapman’s Homestar Runner, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins’ Penny Arcade, and Matt Brown’s Mild Language and Menacing Action. While all 3 comics were comedic in tone, they differed in material: Homestar Runner contained various zany antics coupled with whimsical observations, Penny Arcade catered to gamers, and MLMA’s comedy typically revolved around spoofs of popular media. However, all managed to achieve viral status just the same, attesting to the wide range of comedic tastes on the Internet. Penny Arcade’s success in particular could be attributed to the growth of the online gaming community.
Comics were not the only original internet works to go viral. The simply named webcomedy.com and its short but sweet comedic articles hit the scene in 2000 and became a destination for many aspiring internet comedians. And as RealPlayer Flash (Macromedia Flash before 2001) grew increasingly common across computers, it became a useful tool for animators to share their works online. While Newgrounds was one of the first websites to become successful off of Flash animations and games, many of its creators branched off to create their own websites to share and collaborate on extra content. The most successful of these, at least in terms of spawning a community and memes, was probably Aaron Premo’s Flashstash, founded in June 2001.
Internet forums were quite numerous during this period, and many of them developed their own inside jokes. While many of these jokes have died off, 2001 saw the birth of 3waats on a Pokémon fan forum. In case you haven’t stumbled across 3waats before, the term stands for “3 words at a time” and refers to stories written using only three words at a time. Even as small chat forums have gradually given way to big companies like Scour, the tradition remains alive and well, spawning such variants as “spookywaats” (involving scary stories) and “waatthef***” (in which users try to make the story as bizarre as possible.)
December 1, 2009
Excerpt from 2000s: THE DAWN OF THE INTERNET MEME
2000-2001With the bursting of the dot-com bubble in 1999, the Internet began its shift from being seen as just a cool new craze to being a part of everyday life alongside movies and television. It is thus not surprising that the modern-day “meme” culture of the Internet started to emerge, as online-original creators could now become known to millions of people.
As increasing internet speeds allowed more detailed images to be posted online, many webcomics made it big in the first two years of the decade. Perhaps the biggest hits in this time were Mike Chapman’s Homestar Runner, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins’ Penny Arcade, and Matt Brown’s Mild Language and Menacing Action. While all 3 comics were comedic in tone, they differed in material: Homestar Runner contained various zany antics coupled with whimsical observations, Penny Arcade catered to gamers, and MLMA’s comedy typically revolved around spoofs of popular media. However, all managed to achieve viral status just the same, attesting to the wide range of comedic tastes on the Internet. Penny Arcade’s success in particular could be attributed to the growth of the online gaming community.
Comics were not the only original internet works to go viral. The simply named webcomedy.com and its short but sweet comedic articles hit the scene in 2000 and became a destination for many aspiring internet comedians. And as RealPlayer Flash (Macromedia Flash before 2001) grew increasingly common across computers, it became a useful tool for animators to share their works online. While Newgrounds was one of the first websites to become successful off of Flash animations and games, many of its creators branched off to create their own websites to share and collaborate on extra content. The most successful of these, at least in terms of spawning a community and memes, was probably Aaron Premo’s Flashstash, founded in June 2001.
Internet forums were quite numerous during this period, and many of them developed their own inside jokes. While many of these jokes have died off, 2001 saw the birth of 3waats on a Pokémon fan forum. In case you haven’t stumbled across 3waats before, the term stands for “3 words at a time” and refers to stories written using only three words at a time. Even as small chat forums have gradually given way to big companies like Scour, the tradition remains alive and well, spawning such variants as “spookywaats” (involving scary stories) and “waatthef***” (in which users try to make the story as bizarre as possible.)