connecticut
Latest
Comcast plans 8 new HD stations for Connecticut
We're not sure what got into Comcast (though we hear Verizon may know...), but the cable carrier is apparently aiming to boost its HD lineup in the area in a huge way. Reportedly, Comcast is looking to add eight new high-def channels in the Hartford, Plainville, Vernon, Seymour, Waterbury, Old Lyme and Norwich systems, with the first three receiving their newcomers by August 7th (with some filtering in as early as July 22nd) and the rest of 'em getting gifted by August 12th. So, what channels are we talking? SNY HD, Disney HD, ABC Family HD, Science HD, TLC HD, AMC HD, The Movie Channel HD and Showtime Too HD. Huzzah![Thanks, Erik]
Conn. State Sen. Slossberg wants confirmation of GTA IV rape scene
Go ahead and Google: "Connecticut State Senator Gayle Slossberg." Now, just imagine how different that page is going to look once news spreads that Sen. Slossberg (D) wants confirmation of the rape scene in Grand Theft Auto IV. The New Haven Advocate reports that Slossberg admits she's never played GTA IV and still needs to confirm the "rumored" rape scene. Apparently, that's not going to stop her from being afraid of the game corrupting children, thus prompting her to introduce legislation requiring better warning labels.We're not going out on a limb and saying there isn't a rape scene buried under all that code -- remember what happened last time? But Slossberg does have a serious problem. She seems a bit confused as to what to put on these warning labels, telling the newspaper: "I mean what would it say? 'This game will make you a sociopath'?" Best of luck, Sen. Slossberg! A Google search of your name will never be the same again.[Via GamePolitics]
Cox bringing handful of new HD channels to Rhode Island
Hot enough for you, New England? If you've been scrounging for any reason whatsoever to remain indoors, take a listen at this. The latest Cox New England newsletter has informed its recipients that USA HD, Bravo HD, SciFi HD and AMC HD are on the way (along with one other), and our tipster in Rhode Island was able to confirm. Additionally, CNBC HD was mentioned in the pamphlet, so we'd cautiously assume that it too will surface in the near future. Sadly, no launch dates were given for any of the stations.[Thanks, Allan]Update: RI can expect these on June 18th; CT / MA will have them June 25th. Thanks everyone!
70 Orc Hunter running for Connecticut legislature
More politicians are coming out of the WoW closet. Jeanne Stevens is a WoW player -- with a 70 Orc Hunter, a 58 Troll Shaman, and a 53 Blood Elf Rogue -- and a Republican running for the Connecticut state legislature. And she freely admits it in a new interview with Wandering Goblin, as covered by our sister site, Massively. Her hunter is balanced between marksman and survival, her shaman specs elemental (close to my heart!), and her rogue climbs the assassination talent tree. Will she be able to master the beasts in her political race? (Okay, you go ahead and insert your own shaman or rogue wordplay here.) Maybe she'll hold some in-game speeches or rallies. She could hold forth on top of Orgrimmar's bank, or maybe lead a raid to Stormwind as a metaphor.Is it surprising that a Republican chooses Horde? I think you could make a case for either faction going with either political party. Personally, I love to see that she's middle-aged and a woman, which defies Blizzard's assumptions about the majority of WoW gamers. She also chooses pirates over ninjas. I'm not sure there's a political comment there, but I'm sure someone will show me the light.[Thanks to Wandering Goblin via Massively.]
Lvl 70 Republican specced legislative candidate LFG
There's usually a wide chasm between video games and the politicians who make decisions that affect the sale and content of said games, so whenever we hear of a civil servant with a ludological streak, it warms our heart. Sure, their trysts with gaming are usually not major aspects in their lives, as a majority of their free time is spent appeasing constituents and kissing babies. However, a Republican candidate for the Connecticut legislature recently outed herself as having an extreme fondness for World of Warcraft, evidenced by her main character: a Level 70 Orc Hunter.Jeanne Stevens, the aforementioned WoW fiend, is a mother of four and a local business owner in addition to being a legislative hopeful, making us wonder where she finds the time for late night excursions into Zul'Aman. We guess it helps that her father, uncle and kids are all suckling WoW's luminescent teat as well. We only hope that Stevens' story inspire other political figures to reveal their own gaming tendencies -- we hear Cheney can five-star "Psychobillly Freakout" on Expert.
Republican legislative candidate speaks about her 70 Orc Hunter
Politicians proclaiming their love for World of Warcraft is not a new thing, but in a recent interview with Wandering Goblin, we get treated to some information on the playing style of Jeanne Stevens, Republican candidate for the Connecticut legislature.In this interview, Stevens reveals that her three Horde characters -- a 70 Orc Hunter, a 58 Troll Shaman and a 53 Blood Elf Rogue -- are a way for her to relax in her mostly PvE playstyle. She also brings up some wonderful points regarding parenting and gaming. "Parents need to start parenting!" she says. "You are the adult. You are responsible for what happens within your home. If you don't like the content of a t.v. show, game, book, etc., don't allow it in your home – that is your choice – you get to be the legislator, you make the laws of your home." We couldn't agree more, and it's certainly refreshing to hear someone in such potential legislative power say something like that.
CT State Representative nominee is a WoW player
If you're in Connecticut's 101st District, and you're a strictly single-issue voter (as in, you want a candidate that plays World of Warcraft) then the choice is clear: Jeanne Stevens. Yes, the Republican nominee for State Representative, as reported by the Shore Line Times, is not only a mother of four, a former Assistant District Attorney, and a mean cupcake maker -- she's also apparently a WoW player.To be completely objective here, we should say that we don't really know who your candidate of choice is -- unfortunately, we have no idea if Stevens' incumbent opponent, Deborah Heinrich, is a WoW player or not. For all we know maybe she, too, has wandered Azeroth with the rest of us. If that's indeed the case, you Connecticutians will have to make your choice based on something else. Politics, we guess. Not really our thing.But we do know this: the local press up there should be asking the tough questions. Does Heinrich, in fact, play WoW? And if so, what class and level are the candidates? And the most important question for both: Horde or Alliance? If the Shore Line Times can't find out, maybe we'll have to put our own 15 Minutes of Fame feature on the trail. If these potential State Representatives can't bring down Hogger, then why would we want them running a whole state?[Via WorldofWar]
DISH Network opens up HD locals in Hartford, CT / Portland, ME
This day last week, DISH Network brought HD locals to Norfolk, Virginia. Today, it's doing the same for Hartford-New Haven, Connecticut and Portland-Auburn, Maine. If you'll recall, neither of these two markets were included on DISH's master list of Spring rollouts, but for whatever reason, it's showing New England some serious love. No mention is made of what channels are being made available, so we'll cautiously assume that the Big Four (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX) will be ready for viewing in glorious high-def.
AT&T's U-verse swallows more of Hartford, Connecticut
AT&T already gifted current U-verse subscribers in the Nutmeg State with high-def versions of The CW and MyNetworkTV, but now even more folks in Connecticut will have the opportunity to tune in. Post-expansion, over 230,000 living units in parts of 80 communities in the state will have access to U-verse TV and internet, but an undisclosed amount of homes in the greater Hartford area are now in range. Unfortunately, no real details beyond that are dished out, so if you call Hartford home and have a hankering for fiber, we suppose your best bet is to just phone up AT&T and hope for the best.
Mischievous teen arrested for turning camera into taser
Regardless of what the UN / Taser thinks, the fuzz around Clinton, Connecticut aren't too fond of taser-like weapons being in the hands of teenagers. Case in point: a 14-year old with a certain knack for wandering around the intarwebz and filling his brain with all sorts of hacktastic methodologies managed to stumble upon directions (what, these?) for transforming a vanilla disposable camera into something "capable of zapping people with an electrical charge." School Resource Officer Kyle Strunjo even said that the improvised weapon was "potentially capable of a 600-volt shock," though it wasn't actually used on anyone before it got swiped by the boys in blue. Chin up kid, you've got a future waiting for you yet.[Image courtesy of DIYLive, thanks Ninad]
Comcast adds Animal Planet HD, SciFi HD in Connecticut
Barely a month after we heard that Comcast SportsNet New England was headed to certain areas in Connecticut, Comcast has went and added a new pair of high-def options in most areas of the state. As of this morning, both Animal Planet HD (193) and SciFi HD (217) were viewable, and according to a local company employee, there's more where this came from "in the coming weeks." Hang tight, Connecticut -- it sounds like more high-definition programming is on the way.[Thanks, Erik]
AT&T adds The CW / MyNetworkTV to U-verse in Connecticut
Unfortunately for folks hoping to see U-verse spreading to another area, that's not the case today -- however, subscribers in select parts of Connecticut are being gifted with a couple of new HD channels sure to bring a smile to their faces. As of today, AT&T is adding WCTX HD (MyNetworkTV), WNET HD (PBS) and WTXX HD (The CW) to the U-verse lineup in the New Haven and Hartford areas. Additionally, WPIX HD (CW-NYC) and WWOR HD (MyNetworkTV-NYC) are said to be hitting other areas of Fairfield County. Oh, and for those considering the switch, picking up the nearly 50 HD channels on U-verse still costs just $10 a month.Read - AT&T U-verse TV Expands Local HD Channel Lineup in New Haven, HartfordRead - AT&T U-verse TV Expands Local HD Channel Lineup in Fairfield County
Comcast SportsNet New England HD heading to areas of Connecticut
Barely two weeks after Comcast SportsNet Northwest took Oregon by storm, along comes news that Comcast SportsNet New England will be doing the same in select areas of Connecticut. According to papers that Comcast filed with the DPUC, the aforementioned station will be "added to the Expanded Basic tier on channel 199 in the Hartford, Plainville and Vernon systems, and 779 in the Old Lyme system." Best of all, each region will receive the channel in glorious high-definition. Keep an eye out on February 6th -- in case you couldn't guess, that's the date it's supposed to go live.[Image courtesy of DailyNewsTribune, thanks Erik]
Kill Jim Liebowitz mocks all sides of gaming politics
Both sides of the video game violence divide are mocked in the satirical Kill Jim Liebowitz. The video tells the tale of Jim Liebowitz, an anti-games Republican senator from Connecticut who is obviously a composite of Jack Thompson and Joe Lieberman, and how the video game Kill Jim Liebowitz messes with his life. Violent video game creators are also mocked as the developer of Kill Jim Liebowitz explains that any similarity to Liebowitz is coincidental and you don't have to kill Liebowitz in the game if you don't want to. Soon after there's a scene where a man in the background is using a Wiimote -- in a way we wish would actually be that satisfying -- to eviscerate the Liebowitz character to very dramatic sounds. The developer even makes a great causality argument equating video games to corn bread. Following an attack on Liebowitz blamed on the game the developer says, "These kids love cornbread. Should we ban cornbread? I love cornbread."So, what happens at the end? Watch the video and find out a potential fate for violent video games.[Via GamePolitics]
Connecticut offering up voting lessons on video
Not to anyone's big surprise, e-voting is apparently not the most straightforward process in the world, but Connecticut's Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz is going so far as to release a 90-second video clip that demonstrates how to correctly place a vote using a vanilla optical scan voting machine. Yep, this means you'll be able to surf on over and download a 1.5-minute instructional video that will purportedly "lure young voters to the polls," and while Bysiewicz did admit that those who could operate an iPod could likely figure out a voting machine, she's hoping that "providing voting information through a familiar mechanism" will somehow encourage the younger sect to get their vote on. We know, all of this is worthless sans a vid, right? Never fear, it's waiting to put you to sleep after the jump.
Best Buy sued over shady intranet site
Tsk, tsk. Looks like Best Buy will indeed be paying up for the misdeeds involving that dodgy intranet we saw a few months back. Connecticut's attorney general announced a lawsuit against the big box retailer and accused it of "deceiving customers with in-store computer kiosks and overcharging them." Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was quoted as saying that the store "gave consumers the worst deal with a bait-and-switch-plus scheme luring consumers into stores with promised online discounts, only to charge higher in-store prices." The suit seeks "refunds for consumers, civil penalties, court costs, a ban on the practice, and other remedies," and while Best Buy spokespersons are vigorously denying the allegations, Connecticut's consumer protection commissioner even said that there was "certainly an element of deception here." Reportedly, the in-store kiosks were somehow an "alternate way to get information about products," but when that information ends up costing your customers more than they should be paying, we doubt the judge will look kindly upon it.
FIRST Robotics champion crowned, Dean Kamen elated
Tossing up autonomous robots into the galaxy to perform a variety of prototypical tests is intriguing to say the least, but a trio of high-school teams were able to bring robotic competition a bit closer to home as they took home the gold in the highly-anticipated FIRST Robotics corrivalry. Cooked up by Dean Kamen (you know, the Segway inventor) in 1989, the challenge garnered entrants from a whopping 23 countries this year, and teammates from Bobcat Robotics from South Windsor, Connecticut, Highrollers from Las Vegas, Nevada, and Gompei and the HERD from Worcester, Massachusetts were able to craft the most dexterous and successful machine. Their creation reportedly excelled at "completing simple -- albeit goofy -- tasks such as shooting balls or stacking inner tubes," but we can already imagine the evil potential these innocent bots already posses. Apparently, "thousands of screaming high-school participants" were in attendance to witness the unveiling of a new champion, and if the popularity of this contest is any indication, we could be seeing these uber-intelligent, entirely autonomous robot armies being constructed an awful lot sooner than previously expected hoped.
PS3 shooter may have been running scared
The Norwich Bulletin has obtained court documents in the case of the Putnam, Conn. PS3 line robbery that show one of the suspects may have been trying to flee a murderously jealous ex-con. Seriously.Alleged robber Andrew Patnaude said in a signed statement that a Mr. Mayheu "stuck a gun, a long-barreled revolver, in [Patnaude's] face," two nights before the robbery because Patnaude had begun dating Mayheu's girlfriend while Mayheu was in prison. What the article doesn't tell you is that the girlfriend just recently woke up from a coma believing she was her evil, half-twin Bernice.The article also reveals portions of a 911 call made by victim Michael Penkala and testimony from a second suspect, William Robertson, who said he reluctantly took part in the robbery to help Patnaude. Because if you're not willing to help with armed robbery, what kind of a friend are you, really?Previously on "PS3 Line Shooter Theatre":Initial reportsMore about the victimTwo suspects arrestedThird suspect arrested
Safe sex UCONN video game up for bids
The University of Connecticut has opened up bidding for developers to produce a Safer Sex Video Game. Although there was a mandatory pre-proposal teleconference to begin the process last week, we're talking about academia here, so everything is negotiable. To start, there is a 43-page document to download, which includes all the requirements for the project and qualifications for bidding.Safe sex games are nothing new, especially as educators look for other outlets to communicate sexual education messages in countries with strict sex education policies, like the U.S.'s "abstinence only" programs.The Europeans have taken a far more in-your-face approach to getting out safe sex messages with advertisements -- like the one seen above (minus our puritanical black bars) -- and games like Iffy Stiffy, Scratch My Box and Catch the Sperm.[Additional info from IGDA Sex SIG]
Did video games lose it for Lieberman?
Was support for video game regulation a significant factor in Joe Lieberman's primary loss to Ned Lamont in yesterday's Democratic Connecticut Senate primary? That's the theory put forth by one blogger, who says that the young children who remember Lieberman from the 1994 video game hearings are now of voting age and out for revenge!We're not buying it, though. For one thing, 18- to 24-year-olds are a historically unimportant voting bloc -- only 36 percent of them voted in the 2000 presidential election (though this group is growing: 47 percent voted in 2004). For another, exit polls (.pdf) show that issues like the war in Iraq and Lieberman's close relationship with Bush were foremost on voters' minds -- video game issues don't even make a blip.Despite the loss, Lieberman has announced he will still be running as an Independent, which means his vociferous calls for game regulation might yet continue to ring through the Senate. Even if he does lose in November, other Senators like Hillary Clinton have shown they are more than willing to take up the cause.
