Links

Quick Links

Give 'Em A Click

Audacity:

Audacity is a freeware program meant for my fellow audiophiles. It functions on Windows and Linux, and Ubuntu also has an Audacity download that people can check out. It's great for sound file conversion and they've recently come up with a new pack of codecs to download and a beta version. I prefer sticking to non-betas, not that I'm scared, but I'd like a fully-functioning version with limited problems if you get my drift. (Back to top.)

Axer Industries is the home site of J. Axer, a talented artist and fellow resident of DeviantART. He's quite talented and has a wonderful website complete with an extras section for stuff like wallpapers and shop. I'm not on par with his talent, but it's obvious he's an inspirational man. I love his sentient animal hybrids, they're fun and well-colored with a ton of personality. (Back to top.)

The Blackblood Alliance:

The Blackblood Alliance is the pet project of a collective of artists from deviantArt. When politics and breeding result in a coup amidst the dire wolves of Inaria, what would the Blackbloods give for redemption? Would you take the chance when you're summoned by the Alpha? Hopefully, the Blackblood wolves will figure it out before it's too late. (Back to top.)

DeviantART:

This is one of the largest artistic communities on the web and growing everyday. I joined May 26, 2006 and have managed to put up a few deviations myself. They've placed options for copyright protection on artwork, so it may be less of an issue...still, you're responsible for putting the copyright on your work in the end. I do. (Back to top.)

EverAfter:

The pet project of Endling from DeviantART, EverAfter can best be described as what would happen should the fairy tales we grew up with ever decide to crossbreed with the movies Donnie Darko and Silence of the Lambs. There's been talk about Endling purchasing his own site to show the comic on, but until that time the link for it can be found here. Well-drawn, slightly psychotic, but still capable of making you think...you'll never look at fairy tales the same way after visiting. Haaaaaaa.... (Back to top.)

The GIMP:

Like most of the artistically-inclined (or wannabes), I've also looked for new and exciting (read cheap) methods of making art. So when I discovered the GIMP, I was as giddy as anyone could be. I forgot to add this link earlier, so I've been aware of its prowess and power for a few years now, even before I got my hands on a scanner and Photoshop. If you can't afford the software of Photoshop, then try this...or Pixia (featured below). Sweet software without the outlandish price tag...and a new version is coming soon. (Back to top.)

Grim Tales From Down Below:

One of Endling's friends, Bleedman, also has an art project. The cool thing about Grim Tales... is that most of the characters in the strip you've already seen before. Seriously, there are cameo appearances of a magnificent sort from The Nightmare Before Christmas' Jack Skeleton to Billy and Mandy of the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and even a few Spawn characters show up for the ride. This is a beautifully-drawn, well-written strip that demands attention and will probably make you fall out of your chair a couple of times from amusement...or surprise. (Back to top.)

Ill Will Press:

Where can you find a potty-mouthed squirrel named 'Foamy' with 'Squirrelly Wrath' and questionable intentions? Here, that's where! I was introduced to Ill Will Press about a year and a half ago and came to appreciate the questionable, but thought-inspiring, rants of a Flash-animated squirrel. Fair warning, if you can't take racy humor or profanity, then this isn't the link for you. New animations are out every two weeks or so like clockwork...I'm still trying to figure out how he does it. (Back to top.)

KeepVid:

This is an alternative website to Vixy, used for converting video files. Unlike Vixy, KeepVid has the ability to drag a button to the toolbar of your resident browser for easy access when you find something you like on Putfile, YouTube, etc. There's no membership required for this site either, so it's a nice alternative to the Vixy and sometimes downloads three to five times faster depending on the source. (Back to top.)

Lackadaisy Cats is set in the Roaring 20s of St. Louis, MO. This web comic is what happens when you let kitties act out the days of Elliot Ness and Prohibition. While historically based this webcomic is completely fictional, but still very well-drawn with a sharp sense of wit. Started in late-September 2006, you'll sit with baited breath between each update...I do. By the way, I made this avatar, but Tracy J.B. owns the characters. (Back to top.)

Photobucket:

Photobucket is free image-hosting service featured on-line. It's actually nice and unlike Imageshack you get to pick your user name and password immediately, which makes it easier to remember where your album is. You can even divide your images into folders, which makes keeping track of everything a snap. You get about a gigabyte or so of space and bandwidth, but I haven't come anywhere near that in the four years I've been using it. Still, should you need more, you can pay for it. Nice. (Back to top.)

Pixia:

This is another freeware program on par with the GIMP and Photoshop, but great because it also introduces tools that the other two don't quite have. Another high point is that it comes in a variety of languages with communities in each the last time I checked: Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish and Spanish. I haven't attempted in-depth usage with this program, but I have done basic messing with it and it's nice. Highly responsive to graphic tablets, I actually liked the brief period I've spent experimenting though the layout takes some getting used to. For the record, this is freeware but some people have been selling the software on disks -- they shouldn't be and don't buy it if you've seen it! (Back to top.)

Putfile.com:

This is, in my opinion, the follow-up to YouTube and MySpace. I'm not proud to say this, but your Songs of the Month section is actually stored someplace in here. (Back to top.)

Strays is another comic project from a duo of artists on deviantArt. The webcomic follows Meela, a young, plucky heroine with a tragic past and an uncertain future, as she latches on to a bounty hunter of her own kind. Throw in a plethora of snafus and a couple of misadventures and you've got a tale that seems to be evolving into a heck of a ride. (Back to top.)

Sugar Bits:

It seems that Mr. Bleedman just can't get enough of comics...and I hope he never does. Sugar Bits takes some of the Grimm Fairy Tales we knew as children and puts twists on them both modern and macabre, but with a hint of amusing garnish to make a wonderful delivery. This strip is the newest of his larder of gorgeous imagery and is updated every week or so. (Back to top.)

Transformers Movie Website:

While still the website for the first live-action movie, the Transformers website has been updated slightly. The official title of the second movie has been added to the site, although no previews have appeared...though I sense they may be close. (Back to top.)

Ubuntu:

Derived from the African word meaning 'Humanity to others', Ubuntu is actually a very good operating system that also has the distinction of being free -- even upgrades and add-ons are free. It's upgraded every six months or so, supported for two to three years, and has an active on-line community for people with questions or those that want to beta-test newer versions. I love Ubuntu, but haven't used it since my last laptop died. Mark my words, as soon as Vista becomes too unruly, I'm headed back for Ubuntu. (Back to top.)

UltimateNetNut.com:

The Ultimate Net Nut is actually a follow-up to Ill Will Press mentioned above. If there's a Foamy episode you've missed, chances are high that it will be here for a brief period of time. Might I recommend watching Squirrel Banter, the Foamy Rants, and Inner Demons? (Back to top.)

VG Cats is a great website, especially for video game fanatics and people that love kitties (who doesn't?). I actually agree with Mr. Ramsoomair's views on G4TV...that channel went downhill faster than a go-kart with weights in its nose. It was the only channel I would watch for a while, which makes the betrayal hurt all the more. Oh, and he also makes wallpapers and icons...the link picture is an icon available on his website under the Misc option. (Back to top.)

Vixy Online FLV Converter:

This is an excellent website for conversion of online media and, unlike most media websites, it doesn't require membership or signing up for any mail-outs which can get annoying in a big hurry. Most conversions are fairly quick, five to ten minutes depending on media, quality, connection and length. But this site can convert not only problematic Flash files (.flv) but to formats usable by Windows, Mac, and PSP; it also does MP3s. You might need Audacity (featured above) to cut out the white noise and clean up some static, and occasionally save MP3s so Windows Media Player will recognize the full length. Arigato, Vixy. (Back to top.)



	Quick Links Audacity \| Axer Industries \| Blackblood Alliance \| DeviantArt \| EverAfter \| The GIMP \| Grim Tales From Down Below \| Ill Will Press \| KeepVid \| Lackadaisy Cats \| Photobucket \| Pixia \| PutFile.com \| Strays \| Sugar Bits \| Transformers Movie Website \| Ubuntu \| UltimateNetNut.com \| VG Cats \| Vixy.net Give 'Em A Click Audacity: Audacity is a freeware program meant for my fellow audiophiles. It functions on Windows and Linux, and Ubuntu also has an Audacity download that people can check out. It's great for sound file conversion and they've recently come up with a new pack of codecs to download and a beta version. I prefer sticking to non-betas, not that I'm scared, but I'd like a fully-functioning version with limited problems if you get my drift. (Back to top.) : Axer Industries is the home site of J. Axer, a talented artist and fellow resident of DeviantART. He's quite talented and has a wonderful website complete with an extras section for stuff like wallpapers and shop. I'm not on par with his talent, but it's obvious he's an inspirational man. I love his sentient animal hybrids, they're fun and well-colored with a ton of personality. (Back to top.) The Blackblood Alliance: The Blackblood Alliance is the pet project of a collective of artists from deviantArt. When politics and breeding result in a coup amidst the dire wolves of Inaria, what would the Blackbloods give for redemption? Would you take the chance when you're summoned by the Alpha? Hopefully, the Blackblood wolves will figure it out before it's too late. (Back to top.) DeviantART: This is one of the largest artistic communities on the web and growing everyday. I joined May 26, 2006 and have managed to put up a few deviations myself. They've placed options for copyright protection on artwork, so it may be less of an issue...still, you're responsible for putting the copyright on your work in the end. I do. (Back to top.) EverAfter: The pet project of Endling from DeviantART, EverAfter can best be described as what would happen should the fairy tales we grew up with ever decide to crossbreed with the movies Donnie Darko and Silence of the Lambs. There's been talk about Endling purchasing his own site to show the comic on, but until that time the link for it can be found here. Well-drawn, slightly psychotic, but still capable of making you think...you'll never look at fairy tales the same way after visiting. Haaaaaaa.... (Back to top.) The GIMP: Like most of the artistically-inclined (or wannabes), I've also looked for new and exciting (read cheap) methods of making art. So when I discovered the GIMP, I was as giddy as anyone could be. I forgot to add this link earlier, so I've been aware of its prowess and power for a few years now, even before I got my hands on a scanner and Photoshop. If you can't afford the software of Photoshop, then try this...or Pixia (featured below). Sweet software without the outlandish price tag...and a new version is coming soon. (Back to top.) Grim Tales From Down Below: One of Endling's friends, Bleedman, also has an art project. The cool thing about Grim Tales... is that most of the characters in the strip you've already seen before. Seriously, there are cameo appearances of a magnificent sort from The Nightmare Before Christmas' Jack Skeleton to Billy and Mandy of the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and even a few Spawn characters show up for the ride. This is a beautifully-drawn, well-written strip that demands attention and will probably make you fall out of your chair a couple of times from amusement...or surprise. (Back to top.) Ill Will Press: Where can you find a potty-mouthed squirrel named 'Foamy' with 'Squirrelly Wrath' and questionable intentions? Here, that's where! I was introduced to Ill Will Press about a year and a half ago and came to appreciate the questionable, but thought-inspiring, rants of a Flash-animated squirrel. Fair warning, if you can't take racy humor or profanity, then this isn't the link for you. New animations are out every two weeks or so like clockwork...I'm still trying to figure out how he does it. (Back to top.) KeepVid: This is an alternative website to Vixy, used for converting video files. Unlike Vixy, KeepVid has the ability to drag a button to the toolbar of your resident browser for easy access when you find something you like on Putfile, YouTube, etc. There's no membership required for this site either, so it's a nice alternative to the Vixy and sometimes downloads three to five times faster depending on the source. (Back to top.) : Lackadaisy Cats is set in the Roaring 20s of St. Louis, MO. This web comic is what happens when you let kitties act out the days of Elliot Ness and Prohibition. While historically based this webcomic is completely fictional, but still very well-drawn with a sharp sense of wit. Started in late-September 2006, you'll sit with baited breath between each update...I do. By the way, I made this avatar, but Tracy J.B. owns the characters. (Back to top.) Photobucket: Photobucket is free image-hosting service featured on-line. It's actually nice and unlike Imageshack you get to pick your user name and password immediately, which makes it easier to remember where your album is. You can even divide your images into folders, which makes keeping track of everything a snap. You get about a gigabyte or so of space and bandwidth, but I haven't come anywhere near that in the four years I've been using it. Still, should you need more, you can pay for it. Nice. (Back to top.) Pixia: This is another freeware program on par with the GIMP and Photoshop, but great because it also introduces tools that the other two don't quite have. Another high point is that it comes in a variety of languages with communities in each the last time I checked: Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish and Spanish. I haven't attempted in-depth usage with this program, but I have done basic messing with it and it's nice. Highly responsive to graphic tablets, I actually liked the brief period I've spent experimenting though the layout takes some getting used to. For the record, this is freeware but some people have been selling the software on disks -- they shouldn't be and don't buy it if you've seen it! (Back to top.) Putfile.com: This is, in my opinion, the follow-up to YouTube and MySpace. I'm not proud to say this, but your Songs of the Month section is actually stored someplace in here. (Back to top.) : Strays is another comic project from a duo of artists on deviantArt. The webcomic follows Meela, a young, plucky heroine with a tragic past and an uncertain future, as she latches on to a bounty hunter of her own kind. Throw in a plethora of snafus and a couple of misadventures and you've got a tale that seems to be evolving into a heck of a ride. (Back to top.) Sugar Bits: It seems that Mr. Bleedman just can't get enough of comics...and I hope he never does. Sugar Bits takes some of the Grimm Fairy Tales we knew as children and puts twists on them both modern and macabre, but with a hint of amusing garnish to make a wonderful delivery. This strip is the newest of his larder of gorgeous imagery and is updated every week or so. (Back to top.) Transformers Movie Website: While still the website for the first live-action movie, the Transformers website has been updated slightly. The official title of the second movie has been added to the site, although no previews have appeared...though I sense they may be close. (Back to top.) Ubuntu: Derived from the African word meaning 'Humanity to others', Ubuntu is actually a very good operating system that also has the distinction of being free -- even upgrades and add-ons are free. It's upgraded every six months or so, supported for two to three years, and has an active on-line community for people with questions or those that want to beta-test newer versions. I love Ubuntu, but haven't used it since my last laptop died. Mark my words, as soon as Vista becomes too unruly, I'm headed back for Ubuntu. (Back to top.) UltimateNetNut.com: The Ultimate Net Nut is actually a follow-up to Ill Will Press mentioned above. If there's a Foamy episode you've missed, chances are high that it will be here for a brief period of time. Might I recommend watching Squirrel Banter, the Foamy Rants, and Inner Demons? (Back to top.) : VG Cats is a great website, especially for video game fanatics and people that love kitties (who doesn't?). I actually agree with Mr. Ramsoomair's views on G4TV...that channel went downhill faster than a go-kart with weights in its nose. It was the only channel I would watch for a while, which makes the betrayal hurt all the more. Oh, and he also makes wallpapers and icons...the link picture is an icon available on his website under the Misc option. (Back to top.) Vixy Online FLV Converter: This is an excellent website for conversion of online media and, unlike most media websites, it doesn't require membership or signing up for any mail-outs which can get annoying in a big hurry. Most conversions are fairly quick, five to ten minutes depending on media, quality, connection and length. But this site can convert not only problematic Flash files (.flv) but to formats usable by Windows, Mac, and PSP; it also does MP3s. You might need Audacity (featured above) to cut out the white noise and clean up some static, and occasionally save MP3s so Windows Media Player will recognize the full length. Arigato, Vixy. (Back to top.)