News Brief Archives

News Briefs from 2000

02-18-2001 There are now some Klingon models up. I hope to place some Romulan and other models up during the holiday weekend. After the first wave of models are online, I'll start putting my Battletech designs in the wargames section. A report on the Weirdo Zone Army is nearly complete, all I have to finish is an organization chart. 02-21-2001 The Weirdo Zone has now moved its domain space to Angelfire. I shall leave the original Geocities index page a) just in case I can't redirect my domain name and b) for anyone who actually uses the Geocities address on their browser. On other news, I'll have a description of the Weirdo Zone Army up once I finish the pictures. Some Romulan models are ready to put up, and a description of Reaver phenotypes will be ready once I actually do the text. If you encounter any problems, let me know by clicking the contact button below. I will methodically purge my pages of old Geocities pop-up scripting to avoid Java errors. Any Java errors of the index page that have to do with ImageChange commands I want to hear about immediately. I thought I had this thing licked... 02-22-2001 Howdy, web denziens. This is the Supreme Emperor reporting from his Angelfire headquarters. The official address is now www.angelfire.com/scifi/weirdozone but we are keeping the front page at www.geocities.com/alrijil active. Update your links if you wish. Romulan models are up and ready for the browsing in the models section. The miscellaneous ones are next. 02-23-2001 Other models are up on the Star Trek Models section. The Universe reports are almost done. I'm going to put up some stories soon as well. 02-24-2001 More Federation models are up.

03-02-2001

A briefing on Reaver phenotypes is up in the Universe section. A file on the infantry of the Weirdo Zone is forthcoming.

03-13-2001

Reports on the Infantry of the Weirdo Zone and the Weirdo Zone Exploratory Services are up in the Universe Section. Suit up, troopers!

03-15-2001

Reports on the Infantry of the Weirdo Zone and the Weirdo Zone Exploratory Services are still up in the Universe Section. A survey has been set up to improve our feedback capability. The Visual Index buttons have been changed from .jpg to .gif format, cutting the bandwidth required for each in half! This page should load faster as a result. The survey marquee is a temporary measure at best, I hope. The Visual Index console shall expand as this site does. A Site Map will probably be coming soon.

03-16-2001

There are two more Federation starships up in the Models section, the U.S.S. Sun Tzu and the U.S.S. Kursk.

03-16-2001

There are two more Federation starships up in the Models section, the U.S.S. Sun Tzu and the U.S.S. Kursk.

There are also two more Klingon starships up in the Models section, the D-10 Riskadh and the D-12 K'T'Rika.

03-19-2001

The Deep Stuff Section now contains short stories and a novella, all written by ME! Read if you want, but don't rip off (when you see the "Legalistics" warning screen, you'll understand)! The Battletech portion is now better! New 'Mechs have been added and all entries have been updated with maximum speed, armor level, and year. Loading times have been improved. There are also BattleTech designs, designed by ME! See the work of TME Industries! TME-01 through TME-04 are currently operational, and nearly a hundred more await. (I wanted to use an exclaimation point, but they're overused already.)

03-25-2001

TME-06 through TME-10 designs up on the Battletech Design page. The list has also grown (now 102 designs!)--it'll take a while to get it all done.

04-8-2001

There's good news and bad news today.

The bad news is, I discovered, that FASA Corporation, makers of BattleTech, is closing up shop. However, BattleTech is being sold to a company called "Wizkids, LLC" run by Jordan Weisman, the creator of BattleTech. Nothing to fear there, MechWarriors. Secondly, Iron Crown Enterprises, makers of Silent Death, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is shutting down. The status of Silent Death is unknown. However, the British juggernaut Games Workshop, Inc. is still flying the Union Jack and steaming strong. It is a sad day for American wargaming.

The good news is that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the US Army's think-tank, is currently working on "Exoskeletons for Human Augmentation." The Army hopes to equip grunts with a mechanical exoskeleton which will allow them to:

Carry heavier packs
Carry heavier and better ballistic armor
Use heaver and larger-caliber weapons
Move faster
Jump extraordinary heights and distances

Is anyone thinking "power armor?" Heinlein's Mobile Infantry is closer to fruition than we may have once thought.

Hmm... end of an era versus the beginnings of power armor... fair trade.

TME-011 through TME-30 up on the designs page. No one is taking the survey. How can I hear your voice if you don't speak up?

04-15-2001

TME-31 through 40 up on the BattleTech designs page, and the D-7A/X Experimental Cruiser and D-13 Bringer of Pain dreadnaught are operational in the models section.

04-29-2001

I was really busy these last two weeks, with statewide CATS testing and all. TME-41 through -60 are up on the BattleTech designs page, the directory structure of which has been completely revamped. The links section has been reorganized into a rating system (for the good sites). In the Models section, all of the model lists have been expanded and the D-8 K'T'Kara (Bringer of Destiny), G-2 Go'QuwLa (Heavy Lifter), S-11 Bird of Prey, and V-11 Stormbird are operational. The cover I designed for the 2001 issue of Juggernotes is in the Projects section, and a report on Weirdo Zone Armor Forces is in the Universe section. Because of all the recent changes, please report anything amiss by clicking the button below.

05-6-2001

CATS testing is over. The SAT is over. Now all that remains are AP Government and Literature/Composition tests. TME-61 through -70 are up on the BattleTech designs page. Ideas for more Deep Stuff essays have popped into my head and I am readying them now. A report on the artillery forces of the Weirdo Zone is being prepared, as are reports on Panzermensches and Weirdo Zone Army regimentation.

05-13-2001

CATS testing is over. The SAT is over. The AP tests are over. All of the standardized tests are over! Whoo-hoo! TME-71 through -80 designs are up on the BattleTech designs page in the Wargames section. The Weirdo Zone Artillery Forces report is on the Universe page; the Universe page links list has also been expanded to include some reports I have nearly completed as well as some I plan to do.

Year 2000 news brief archives have been stored away to reduce file space. They can be accessed through the new link on the Archive page.

06-10-2001

Sorry for not updating in a while, but school ended and only now have I had the time to get everything in order. There's some new stuff in the Universe and Deep Stuff sections, a link to the Worst Web Page Ever (made by me) in the Links section, and TME-81 through -90 are up on the Battletech design pages.

I am planning on revamping (again) the Index page to cut down on load time. The sound files will be moved to somewhere else, a new bar along the right hand side will show links to updated things, the preview window will be cut down in scope (smaller picture = less bandwidth) and the left-hand buttons will be revamped to reduce the load-time on those as well. Expect a more Star Trek LCARS-like display.

06-21-2001

TME-91 through -100 are up on the design page. I won't be updating the site for seven to eight weeks because of two trips I have to take in immediate succession. For five weeks I get to go to Centre College (one of the more *cough* prestigous colleges in central Kentucky) for the Governor's Scholar Program (the most *cough* prestigous academic honor in Kentucky). After that, I return home and get to spend the night at my house before proceeding to Washington, D.C. for the late summer Global Youth Leadership Conference. After a week in Washington the program skips northwards to the UN Building in New York City for another week; after that I return home, get a TB test for volunteer work at a hospital, take a Red Cross training class for aforesaid volunteer work, begin aforesaid volunteer work, and then have my senior year of high school begin. Whoo-hoo!

I plan to launch the new index at the end of the summer.

07-28-2001

I have returned from GSP and will leave out for Washington, D.C. tomorrow. While I do have pictures, essays, stories and several more TME designs, it will be at least two more weeks before I can even think of putting them up. I have enough new TME designs to carry me into next year (I think) and I will upload them as quickly as possible when I get back. I have about 50 pictures, a hyperlink to a website, five essays and two fictional stories from this experience, and I am proud to say that the Weirdo Zone will not run out of content for a while.

I plan to launch this new index at the end of the summer.

08-18-2001

All of my Summer Tripping is done, and I have completed the Super-Fast Visual ÜberIndex! It loads in only nine seconds on a 28.8 kbps modem as opposed to fifty-nine seconds on the previous additions. Not only that, but it has been made more user-friendly with a "Recent Upgrades" section which will include links to most of the changes or additions I make.

I am still waiting for all of my summer pictures to be developed and I have not had time to transcribe any of my material into HTML. However, TME designs 101-110 are up on the BattleTech designs page (which is getting far too large...)

I have decided to nearly eliminate music from the Weirdo Zone website. As I update pages, music will be taken off (except where I want to keep it for effect). It looks like the Angriff! and Warhammer 40,000 pages will keep their music for quite a while at this rate (but no one goes there anyway, so who cares?).

I have eliminated the survey, as no one was using it and it was a logistical nightmare.

08-24-2001

My senior year of high school has commenced; I have met my teachers (the ONE new one I have; the rest I have had in previous years) and worked out my schedule (no library aide for me--I get to be a science aide!). TME designs 106 through 110 are up on the designs page, and reports about Weirdo Zone Military Services and WZ weapon technology are in the Universe section.

09-07-2001

I have finally uploaded my pictures from the Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program! However, this has come at the expense of uploading additional TME designs. Global Young Leaders' Conference pictures should be up by the end of next week, but don't bet on it.

09-07-2001

This is the first update of the Weirdo Zone since the bombings on Tuesday. Everyone here--my family, friends, and myself--express our deepest regrets and outrage at the unprovoked attacks upon civilians in the World Trade Center towers. We are equally outraged at reports of "backlash" being taken against Islamic Americans. While everyone is angry and saddened as we are we urge a moderate course. Someone must and will pay for this vile deed, but we must limit our righteous indignation to those truly responsible.

As upright American citizens we urge our peers to withhold their spite and rage until the culprit is found, and we declare solidarity with those innocents of the Islamic faith. Islam is not terrorism--Muslims are good people just like Christians and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists who believe in fellowship with their fellow humans. These crimes were perpetrated by demagogues and scoundrels who pevert religion to their own evil ends.

May God bless America and the world, and my religion no longer be an excuse for deluded fanatics and their cowardly leaders for brother to wage war against brother. May God have infinite mercy upon the souls of all, for God knows we need it.

* * *

On the website front, TME designs -111 through -120 are up on the TME Designs Page, the GSP pics are still up in the Projects section, and some new 'Mechs I painted up are on the Wargaming Page. All can be reached through the links above.

09-19-2001

Well, not much to say except TME designs -121 to -125 up on the designs page in the Wargames section and the Dry Creek Testing Page up in the Projects section.

9-20-2001

TME Designs -125 to -130 up on the Designs page, I've added a link to the Links page, I found the "Tim on Honor" essay I lost during an upgrade (it's been missing for upwards of six months, probably!), I finally got the Mechadance picture up on the Projects page (although Mechadance won't be ready for a long time) and a new overview on the Thaurian Concordat is up on the Universe Page. The next update will probably be dedicated to Star Trek models and some more WZ information.

10-27-2001

TME Designs -141 to -150 are up and operational on the BattleTech designs page. Only 6 more to go and then I can hash out some of those rules I've been letting lay waste for so long... maybe I'll even spruce up the Warhammer 40K sections with better pictures and everything... The Angriff! section should stay pretty much the same (I'll need to get my friends over so I can do a battle report) and I may expand the Wargames Section by adding subsections on MechWarrior and Star Wars RPG stuff (I'm writing a MechWarrior RPG scenario right now based loosely on the movie Ravenous, it should be pretty cool).

An essay about how I think the Universe works is on the Deep Stuff page, and it's a keeper--it has already been insulted by a friendly Fundamentalist I met while web-surfing a few weeks ago. Controversy is the founding principle of all open thought.

A report on the WZ Navy is up and running in the Universe section, and I've added pictures of the various vessels used by the Navy to the Combat Vessel pages. I was going to include them earlier, but, due to an unforseen war across the pandimensional expanse, I had to rush out the Combat Vessel reports.

Mechadance is still kicking and the MUSIC WORKS NOW, TOO! I had accidentally set it up to look for the files on the hard drive (C:\) which, of course, wouldn't work because your computers didn't have the files where I said they'd be (sorry!). The Java now links properly to the music addresses and so will now work.

11-22-2001

Sorry for the lack of recent updates, but I've had to work on an English term paper on fairy tales and how they (and their revisions) reflect the times when they were written (or revised). You can expect to see a summary of that on the Deep Page once I get it done.

Anyway, there is a new portion of the Deep Page dedicated to things I've decided to support; some are deep and some are not. A new link on the Link Page is notable because it actually uses the official button graphic of the website. This is because the site in question, Planet of Broken Glass, is the best source of information on that twisted 'toon, Invader Zim, with an unparalleled amount of stuff (at least that I can find).

The last TME designs (for now) are up and running on the Battletech Designs page and a report on the Weirdo Zone's new Galaxy- and Universe-smashing weapons technology, the Tiamat Project, is on the Universe Page.

Also, for anyone who wishes to link to this site using a banner, use the WZ Flag banners at the bottom of the screen flanking the "Contact" button.

Not only that, but my 2001 Halloween costume has come to be immortalized on the Weirdo Zone Infonet Database! Cower in fear, puny humans, for the Cylon has arrived!

12-10-2001

I apologize again for the lack of recent updates. Time has been slipping through my fingers with preparing for my Air Force ROTC scholarship, going every single weekend to yet another Speech and Trauma tournament, filling out scholarship applications, and the like. For human interest, let me just say that I am a bit underweight for ROTC and so have begun a bulk-up program in order to gain weight (in the immortal words of Cartman, "You won't laugh at me when I'm all big and buff!" If I remember correctly, he resembled the Horta when he was through...) and, unfortunately, the reverse effect has occured...

Anyhoo, I've got reports on WZ political parties and the WZ service uniform up on the Universe page. I suppose I'll reconstruct the WH40K section over Christmas break or something like that...

12-20-2001

I'm getting back into the swing of things thanks to an accidentally forgotten Speech and Drama permission slip, the lack of which has caused me to miss a tournament somewhere in the bowels of Kentucky (behind the pancreas and by the spleen, I think). A dreadfully important essay on Crimes Against Humanity committed by the Argentine Junta is in the Deep Stuff section; click on the Recent Upgrade list on the right-hand side of the visual index to jump to it.

A busted link to the ÜberIndex from the Projects page has been fixed.

The contact button below has been fixed so it now sends to my new MSN account instead of to my old AOL account (AOL sucks!).

The Winter Testing data of the Dry Creek Water Analysis page is up and running.

All the pandimensional stuff has been moved to the new Extradimensional Exploration Division page.