Category: The Magazine

19 Years Ago

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

Based on work by Michael Foran / CC BY

I was in high school walking back to class from a restroom break when I heard the news of the twin towers being struck. The day went from being normal to surreal in a matter of moments.

Learning the rest of the day was going to be out of the question.

At one of the computer classes I was in at a vocational school that was partnered with my high school, we watched the news. We were in awe and terrified as the twin towers came down.

I was emotionally numb about the event for several days.

When the numbness began to wear off, I became uneasy as the Patriot Act was passed into law. The next thing I knew, talks of Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction entered the news cycle.

The former Iraqi President was dealt with more swiftly, even though he had nothing to do with 9/11, than Osama bin Laden.

Today is a reminder of the thing that we have forgotten.

We must not let fear prevent ourselves from speaking up. Traditional media has had too many failures in the past, which is why there is so much distrust now. Crying wolf one time too many has its price.

Due to circumstances in my life and too much negativity, I stepped away from this project as the motivation was just not there.

I’ve concluded that the time has come to bring back The *Nixed Report.

There will be plenty of discussion of things that are not always for the faint of heart. At the same time, I’ve learned that a hard price is paid for taking things too seriously. When people say they get four hours of sleep a night or less as they grow less and less sane, it should be obvious that they are about to crack.

While not everything in life is a joke, being able to laugh is important; even if it’s at ourselves occasionally.

The magazine will be returning next week and will be on sale. The first issue will be free for everyone, and copying will be encouraged. I want the word to get out.

The idea will be to sell copies as well.

They can either be purchased off the website directly or through various crowdfunding platforms such as Patreon. Since choice is important when it comes to media consumption, multiple platforms will be available as well.

Publishing again for the sake of it isn’t a part of the mission statement.

The website, the magazine, and other media published will also serve as teaching tools as well so that others who want to know how to build an independent media venue will have a place to start. A store front with tools, supplies, and learning materials will also be provided as well in the future to help fund this project and help others learn about media creation.

Finally, having fun will be of the utmost importance.

If I don’t enjoy doing this, then there won’t be any point to it. I’m looking forward to rebuilding this brand into something better. Stay tuned.

P.S. Fuck Paul Isaac Jr.

Feedback Solicited

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

I want to make things brief. After such a long time, I made the decision to bring this media venue back. Before doing so, it’s prudent to know what people want in regards to media consumption.

Let’s face it; a lot of venues have lost trust over the years for a variety of reasons.

For that reason, I want to know a thing or two about some of your thoughts. What would be a reasonable price for a subscription? What would convince you to pay for any sort of media and/or news?

Those are the things I need to know to better serve the audience in the near future.

Equipment Acquisition and Site Update

RCA 10 Pro Edition
This tablet currently runs Android KitKat.

By Thomas Holbrook II

The first tablet that I’ve ever owned was a Viewsonic gtablet.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t Google certified, so the official app store was not accessible.  I eventually gave it up and wouldn’t own another one for about four years.

I now am the proud owner of an RCA 10 Pro Edition Tablet, and it has the following specs:

  • 1.5 GHz Quad Core Cortex A9 processor
  • Android 4.4 KitKat
  • 1 GB DDR3 RAM
  • 16 GB of internal storage
  • 32 GB microSD card (upgrade)
  • 0.3 Megapixel front-facing camera and 2.0 Megapixel rear camera
  • Micro USB
  • Keyboard folio case
  • Battery life of up to six hours
  • 10″ diagonal screen (1024×600 resoltuion)
  • The usual features of a multi-touch capacitive screen (with auto-rotate)
  • 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
  • Headphone jack
  • Mini HDMI port

The best part is that I have access to the Google Play store.  Although some apps are incompatible with this tablet, I am looking forward to putting it to good use.  With that said, I would also like to take the time to explain what’s been going on with the website.

I’ve been meaning to convert the existing PDF magazines to a web-based format.  In the middle of that, life happened.  Some things come to an end so that others can begin.

A door on one chapter of my life has closed and thus another opens.  The world headquarters for this media venue has been moved back to Warrensburg, Missouri.  This means that Shaggy and I will have an easier time getting together for podcast episodes and other potential projects.

This also means that converting the remainder of the PDF’s to a web-based format will take a bit more time.  More than copying and pasting is involved.  I have to place images in the correct order and add bonus content to entice readers to subscribe to the magazine.

Yes, you read correctly.

Though the online version will remain free for all, there will be a few extras for those who subscribe:

  • Exclusive content, such as video episodes embedded via HTML 5
  • No insertion of Google Ads
  • Other bonuses and incentives as they become available (think exclusive copies of independent films, music albums, and more)

Those who subscribe will get a CD-ROM in the mail with the digital magazine on it.  It’s a throwback to what was once done in the late 1990’s.

Having specific printing equipment for glossy looking magazines would be very cost prohibitive, while having each issue as an individual PDF would only work well as long as the file size remains relatively small.

A web-based format that’s published on CD-ROM would be the best of both worlds as individuals can easily make copies to give away to all their friends.  Yes, I want you to make copies and give them away so that others know we exist!

Once all the existing issues are converted over, I will begin working on the newest issue.  It won’t be perfect as it will be a work in progress.  In fact, it will always be as such.

Still, I am looking forward to this endeavor.  With that said, I shall now conclude this post and begin to celebrate my 32nd birthday.  Have a wonderful afternoon, everybody.

We Interrupt This Broadcast

By Thomas Holbrook II

fuzzy imageIt’s been a while since the last post, and I owe everyone here an explanation as to what’s been going on.

First of all, I have some awesome news.  I’m no longer single as a special lady has entered my life.  I’ve been busy getting things ready for when I move in with her.

She is the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life.

I’ve also been writing for Muktware again as I need to brush up on my writing.  It needs work, but I’m not giving up.  Broadening my horizons will only help me at this point.

However, I should have been keeping up with posting here.  The website is in need of a redesign, and I also have a confession to make.  Every time I begin thinking of ways to raise money so I can keep the site up and running, I would simply stop because I’d feel guilty.

I’m of two minds in terms of alternative media.

On the one hand, I recognize and understand that expenses have to be covered in order for a venue to exist.  This requires time and money.  Unfortunately, because I have to pay bills, I lack time at the moment.

On the other hand, it bothers me on a deep personal level to sell things or ask for money.  That’s why I ask for money as the last thing on the investing page.

After all, many of us are still struggling at the moment and we want to stand on our own feet in many cases.

The problem is that I need to get over that and change my attitude.  Too many times, things with potential never realize it because those who initiate these things are too scared of themselves to try.

I’ve been too scared of myself to try, and for that, I owe all of you an apology.  I will do better, and if some are turned off by solicitations for resources, the Internet is a vast universe.

There are plenty of other sites to visit.

There are some things that need to happen, because if I don’t do them, I won’t be able to take The *Nixed Report to the next level:

  1. All the digital magazines need to be converted to HTML.  While PDF is wonderful in terms of consistent look and feel, HTML is much better in terms of allowing for advertisements among other things, which brings me to the next point.
  2. I need to quit being scared of asking for money.  Others do it all the time, and if I can put ads on the site, then I can very well start a crowdfunding campaign for equipment, site costs, and more.
  3. In order to bring in more revenue, I’ve started freelancing at Muktware, a wonderful website that covers free and open source software.  Swapnil is an amazing editor, and he knows just when to step in and offer constructive criticism.  Another way is for me to do another initiative, Angelcoven.  Angelcoven will be a social media and online consultation group that I am forming in order to help others build and maintain an online presence; it’s been one of my dreams for a long time.

Issue #8 is Now Available!

An unopened Zip disk and Red Hat 5.2
Steven Tompkins really outdid himself with this find.

The newest issue of The *Nixed Report digital magazine is now available in PDF.  This is the second issue that was created and edited using Google Drive.  This is a technology-focused issue, so Overlooked Pop Culture won’t be as prevalent.

In this Issue

  • ./: Steven Tompkins acquired an old ZIP disk (never been opened) and a copy of Red Hat Linux 5.2
  • DistroJourney: Fedora 20 is the first stop for this year’s journey.
  • Low Power Revolution: We take a look at the ARM-based Samsung Chromebook and Steven Tompkins’s Raspberry Pi.

The magazine may be downloaded here.