Cobain Mustang

Whether or not you are personally a fan, you cannot deny Kurt Cobain's influence on American pop music. Even today, he and his band, Nirvana, continue to be a driving force in the music industry, and inspire would-be musicians the world over. Now, you can get your own kurt cobain mustang- a model based on the late musician's instrument. Many have their own models, but few are as well-known as Kurt Cobain. Impress your friends and improve your sound with one purchase!

Making a Murderer

Making a Murderer

If you haven't seen at least the first few episodes of Netflix' Making a Murderer, you are out of the loop. Online reaction to the series, documenting the cases of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, has been harsh and vocal. An online petition to pardon Avery even prompted a response from the White House, which said they had no jurisdiction over the case.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Making a Murderer is a 10-part docuseries on the Steven Avery murder conviction in Wisconsin. It makes the case that Avery was set-up by the Manitowoc police, and betrayed by many lawyers, judges, and lawmakers with political aspirations and ties to the local cops. Others - including the disgraced state prosecutor, Ken Kratz - say evidence that wasn't presented in the documentary "proves" Avery committed murder, days before he was set to receive a half-million dollar settlement from the state for an unjust rape conviction years earlier.

It's hard to watch. In fact, I had to take frequent breaks between episodes, and found myself yelling at my TV. Honestly, I haven't even finished the last episode - it just upsets me too much. Obviously, I cannot say with authority that either or both of the men are innocent, but I can say that this entire mess was a grave miscarriage of justice from the start. Wisconsin's current Governor is unlikely to do anything to help the victims, but similar documentaries have helped the wrongfully convicted in the past.

Making a Murderer is available on Netflix.

© Copyright 2016, The Cyberculturalist

2015 Internet Items of Note

I rarely do end-of-year "round-ups" or "looks back." There's no single or specific reason I haven't done more - in fact, there have been several years when I meant to do so and simply forgot! However, 2015 proved just how mainstream Cyberculture has become, with fads and trends making their way onto the news, and into everyday lives.

The Dress

In particular was The Dress. While it already seems years behind us, The Dress was a (very) brief debate across social media as to the correct color of a particular dress, sparked by a single Tumblr post. The debate was discussed on radio and TV talk shows, reported on by national news outlets, and had celebrities weighing-in. Even scientists got in on the act. The dress in question went on to sell a record number of units.

Rise of the Drones

Due to a number of worldwide events regarding drones - from being used to deliver contraband into prisons, to near-collisions with aircraft, and more - drones were all over the news, and seemingly all across the skies, in 2015. Congress eventually passed an Act regarding the small craft requiring owners to register their drones with the FAA.

Chinese Sprout Trend, 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Fans worldwide fretted and argued over the latest Star Wars film all year long. The Force Awakens didn't even open until mid-December, but it managed to break all previous box office records once it did, and rack-up overwhelmingly positive reviews. 

The Ashley Madison Affair

Ashley Madison has long been the target of derision, being a match-making site for married people, but in July, hackers exposed their users after the site refused to close. Some members found themselves victim of online extortion schemes, and worse, but Ashley Madison claims to have added some 4mn new users since the incident.


The Art of Printing Guns

Cody Wilson made news when he 3D-printed a working firearm. He stirred even more controversy when he offered the instructions online for free. Gun Control has been a hot-button issue in America for a long time, and it has recently come to a head with President Obama announcing an Executive Order meant ot tighten restrictions on those allowed to purchase firearms legally.

© Copyright 2016, The Cyberculturalist

I Bought All the Sims 3 Expansion Packs

The Sims 3

After getting suckered into buying Seasons on Origin (without realizing it would not load on Steam), I discovered a sale on The Sims 3 expansion packs on Steam later that same week. I only had a couple x-pacs on my Wishlist, so the plan was to purchase those - only those... that plan failed. I wound up buying the entire line of The Sims 3 expansion packs.

I had planned to review them on a case-by-case basis, but that plan also failed, as I purchased several at the same time. The thing about The Sims expansion packs is that they add more than just the theme of the pack. For example, University Life adds colleges, and everything else the name implies, but it also adds new interactions, as well as smart phones with social networking. (At least I think University Life is where that last bit came from.)

I've had Late Night, Ambitions, and Showtime for a few years now, but because of all the computers I've lost, I haven't kept-up with any of my Sims, so I started fresh games. Although I backed them up, I played so much over the holidays that my archives are already out of date. I have enjoyed those x-pacs immensely, although I despised being turned (into a vampire), which happened to two of my Sims. ¹  And while watching your Sim perform a show is fun once, it's repetitive as hell after that.

Seasons adds storms and weather patterns, as well as its namesake - and is a lot of fun in those regards - but the festivals are a bust. Pets is an absolute blast, although the animals generally need more attention than they should. World Adventures, and some aspects of Supernatural, almost make it an entirely new game. It's a great change of pace, but also more difficult to keep up with skills and the like. Into the Future was the last expansion pack I bought, but the only major change I noticed was the addition of Plumbots.

Actually, I just realized that I lied: The reviews for Island Paradise were so bad that I refrained from purchasing that particular x-pac.

There was a thread on the Steam boards, asking which three expansion packs players would suggest (if you could only have three). I am still exploring the new content, but Pets and Supernatural would definitely be on my list.

¹ You can get a potion at the Science Lab to revert your Sim back to Human.

© Copyright 2016, The Cyberculturalist

Happy New Year, 2016

Here's wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year!

© Copyright 2016, The Cyberculturalist