Bits and Pieces Seen from the Darkened Shadows

Dark Shadows (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I haven’t been blogging much lately but I have been skulking and observing in the darkened shadows of anonymity that surfing the Internet offers. In my previous post I questioned the decision of the Dispatch/Argus on their changes to their QCOnline formats. So far I have not noticed any unacceptable limitations on my accessing their website, as a newspaper subscriber, other than my previous login no longer works for posting comments on their articles. That is as much my fault as theirs as I have chosen not to re-register a name with their new partners in monitoring their comment section. I have noticed that they seem to have experienced a decrease in their comment sections since the change. When doing a 25 comment search the log often has to go back two days to find 25 comments. That probably means less work for their comment moderators – though I am unsure how it will effect their revenue share for advertisement royalties with what seems a considerable amount of lessened comment area traffic.

I have to admit I am glad the Republican Primary is tailing off – it was getting to be pretty much a sleep-inducing repeat of the Clinton/Obama Political Wars of 2008: sans any birther issue. I can’t say I am a fan of any of the finalists and since Gov. Huckabee (the only individual of any party that truly interested me) did not run; My vote still belongs to anybody but fellow Illinoisan, the False Prophet Obama.

After setting my all-time record length as a Grumpy Curmudgeon, this month, my diverticulosis lessened up enough I took in a movie. I went out to the Moline Great Escape and saw the Hunger Games. I liked it! It nicely combined action with drama while attempting a Rod Serling like approach of including morality narrative as part of the storyline background.

Before the movie there were the usual movie trailers of upcoming events attempting to seduce the theater patrons back for new movies. It looks like another banner summer for Marvel Comics in the movie industry. Their were trailers for two of their comic books that have been turned into movies. The Avengers as well as a new Spiderman release are due out soon. There was also a trailer for the late 60′s soap opera Dark Shadows that has been made into a movie.

Okay, I have been a Dark Shadows fan since the early 1990′s. I was introduced to the original 1960′s series and the 1990′s remake of the original when the Sci-Fi channel first came on the air in 1992(?). For the first several years of Sci-Fi Channel’s birth they played Dark Shadows daily sometimes they played they re-aired the same episodes in the morning as well as the evening. This came in handy when power outages interrupted my VCR recording sessions. I had looked forward to the upcoming Dark Shadows movie when I heard the original rumors. I was less excited when I heard it would star Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton. If what I have been reading on the Internet and what little I could tell from the trailer are true indicators – my building dissatisfaction is warranted. It looks as if Burton is turning what was a classic Gothic Soap Opera Drama into a Campy production. That does not please this Dark Shadows fan. Plbttt! It also makes me waver considerably at the idea of choosing to pay to see it at a movie theater, where it will cost mega-bucks – when I can just wait for it to come out in DVD and watch it from the comfort of my home for less money.  I was saddened to read that the original actor that played Barnabas Collins, Jonathon Frid, had died on April 14 of this year.  He along with several of the other original series actors played party guests in a scene from the upcoming movie.

On a blogging note the last few weeks has seemed like Akismet must be running overtime for the load of SPAM I have found in my Spam section of the blog. Much of it from the same loons. What a waste of time for everyone -including the loony SPAMMERs- as the garbage never even sees the light of day.

Related articles

• ‘Dark Shadows’ actor Frid dies (timesleader.com)
• Jonathan Frid, Original Dark Shadows Star, Dies at 87 (thehollywoodgossip.com)

Quad-Cities Online – Stupid is as Stupid Does Management Decisions

I have previously mentioned that I was a carrier for the Moline Dispatch when I was a kid back in 7th and 8th grade. My parents and other kin had been subscribers for years before that. Some of us still are. Some like myself, even have their Internet service through the Dispatch/Argus’ Quad-Cities Online branch. So I am more than a little perturbed at their recent decision to involve a third-party into the mix. If I had wanted to take the blonde instead of the red-head to the dance, I would have sought her out in the first place.  It seems as a way to increase revenue they have made the decision to start charging for access to their journalism articles. Okay – I get that many whom read the QC Online stories are not subscribers, so they want to get a little pocket money from the readers for their journalistic efforts. I disagree with their thinking, perhaps it will work or perhaps all it will do is alienate non-subscribers whom visit their website and are potential customers for their advertisements.  They will not know how it will effect the bottom line of net revenue until they experiment. But I am already a subscriber to their paper and Internet services. Supposedly this new deal is designed to not effect access for their regular full-time subscribers. However – their decision does effect those of us that are already full-time subscribers. The following is part of the information explaining the new online access requirements-

Beginning Tuesday, April 3, QCOnline.com.com will go to a “metered” system, where users will have access to the full site for up to 7 articles (or “clicks”) during a 30-day period. After viewing 7 articles, you’ll need a subscription to access most articles and our archives.

If you’re currently a Dispatch or Rock Island Argus 7-day print subscriber or have a digital subscription, you get unlimited digital access at no extra charge. Just click  to register and select the “Total Access for 7-Day Print Subscribers ” option.

You will be asked to create a Press+ account by giving an email address and creating your own password. We will link you to a QCOnline.com account number, and telephone number to your Press+ account, and you will receive full access to all content as you are signed in. Once your account has been created, you can log in from any computer. You will not need to enter any card information if you are a current Dispatch/Argus 7-day home delivery subscriber. It takes only seconds and you’re in. Existing digital subscribers should select the same option.

If you are a Weekend-Plus Dispatch/Argus subscriber you can add unlimited online access for a small additional charge….

So according to this information –despite my already subscribing to their newspaper and their Internet service– I must now register with a third party called Press+ just to use the service I am already paying for. Huh! What a large load of BS that is!!! I actually wandered through the registration section and to sign-up I have to register my name, actual delivery address, my phone number as well as my e-mail address to this third-party in order to use the service I am already paying the Dispatch/Argus for. Now that is a crock of stinking $hit, now matter how they spin the information!!! Quite frankly – my name and other personal information is no business of a third-party to my media transactions. It is just one more weakening link opportunity that allows loons to break into your personal information. Plus as always if you read the fine print in the terms of agreement – you are agreeing that Press+ plus is not liable for any nasty results to your life that may come from your releasing your personal information to them. So unless those of us QCOnline/Dispatch/Argus subscribers are willing to gamble their personal privacy on the integrity and security of Press+ with our personal information – the QC Online Internet services will be of little to  – no use, when it comes to reading and commenting on their journalistic labors. I suppose, like other subscribers, my next decision will be to determine how to proceed with my Online and newspaper subscription -especially- since the idea of offering up personal information to a separate entity, than the one I am doing business with, is not a risk I am currently willing to take.  I suppose it is time to weigh my Internet media options.