Hello everyone, after a really long absence I returned and thought I would check with everyone to see if the group is very active these days, and if people find value in it or have concerns. Feel free to drop a message here even if it's just to say hello or say you find value in the group.

Thank you kindly,

Hawk

Everyone,

Just posting this for added visibility. It appears that a service many sites use (such as Discord) suffered a compromise and leaked data. This could include passwords. I suggest anyone that uses a website that makes use of CloudFlare frequently change your passwords immediately (I know one person who's already had someone try to login to their account on one site).

Thanks and be safe,

Hawk

With all the news posts lately I figured I would post something interesting and just plain fun. Source: Imgur Link [imgur.com]

Red Dead Redemption: Seth’s Gold
A great homage to classic western films, Red Dead Redemption: Seth’s Gold incorporate various aspects of the successful game by reenacting a memorable scene from its rich storyline. Paired with excellent costume designs and superb special effects, Seth’s Gold is a perfect glimpse into the critically acclaimed game’s chaotic world.
Youtube Link


The Brothers Rapture
Anchored by the game’s provocative and morality-based source material, the Brothers Rapture produced a beautiful yet brutal story within the world of BioShock. The film intelligently creates an inescapable atmosphere with the help of impressive special effects accompanied by a creative storyline.
Youtube Link


Portal: No Escape
Here’s a short that’s as ingenious as it is compelling. Widely seen as the most well-known and celebrated fan-made Portal film, Portal: No Escape is significant for its professional level of production, narrative heft and ingenious camera work. It’s the rare gem that succeeds both viscerally and intellectually, showcasing the skills of director Dan Trachtenberg.
Youtube Link


Uncharted: Ambush
After dedicating three months to preproduction and four days for shooting, director Martin Sofiedal was able to concoct this brilliant short that scored him a job offer from Naughty Dogs, the developers of the game on which the film is based. If Naughty Dogs adored the film that much, then it’s surely a worth a watch.
Youtube Link


Croft
Before Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, there was Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. This independently produced short throws you head-first into a hostage situation, where Lara Croft will risk everything to save a young girl who’s being held captive in the mountains by a group of mercenaries. A sleek upgrade from the two mega-budgeted movies starring Angelina Jolie (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, 2001; Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, 2003), Croft is a gripping, action-filled short that keeps you on the edge of your seat for all 20 minutes.
Youtube Link


Human Revolution
Based off the video game Deus Ex Human Revolution, director Moe Charif focuses on one key aspect from the game. Adam Jensen works in the security department of Sarif Industries, a company known for their advancements in human augmentations. Adam's ex girlfriend Megan Reed, a scientist for Serif Industries, gets picked up by a secret organization and forced to work on a particular project. The story revolves around Adam Jensen as he attempts to track down Megan and an enemy he didn't account for.
Youtube Link


The Splinter Cell
At first glance, this seems like an actual product of Hollywood, due to the crisp production and stunt coordination. Even more impressively, it stays true to the widely acclaimed game Splinter Cell, by delving into the background of the main protagonist (Sam Fisher), showing us how he has developed into the powerhouse special forces operative that fans of the franchise have come to love. This is a superb example of what a future Splinter Cell film should strive to look like.
Youtube Link


Dead Island: No Retreat
Here’s a gripping and emotional film, with zombies thrown in—and, no, it’s nothing like The Walking Dead. Dead Island: No Retreat is, however, just as riveting. Directed and written by YouTube sensation Clinton Jones, this fan film is everything one can hope for from a zombie-packed nightmare.
Youtube Link


Hell of a DayZ
This is a relatively short fan film based off the video game DayZ. Because it's so short, the film focuses more on the most dangerous predator in the zombie filled world, man. Featuring two men as they live day-to-day, we realize that zombies really are not the biggest threat but the conflict of others trying to survive what's left of a corrupt world.
Youtube Link


Dead Space
Set in outer space, Dead Space is a meticulously crafted short that takes an exhaustive look at the survival horror game of the same name. Not for the faint of heart, the film contains no dialogue, choosing rather to rely on the delicately constructed sound design and impressive production. All of which leads to a nail-biting climax that leaves you sweaty and short of breath.
Youtube Link


Fallout Nuka Break
If you enjoyed the Fallout video game series then Fallout Nuka Break is a must watch. The film goes over a small group, one member of which comes from his unique vault. This group struggles to live in a desolate world while meeting new characters along the way. Fallout Nuka Break became so popular that the creators went on to make a full series containing seasons of online episodes.
Youtube Link


Watch Dog
Based on the award-winning, open world video game of the same name, Watch Dogs gives an exciting take on what a film adaptation would and most likely should look like. The film explores many of the game's thought-provoking elements such as the character's hacking ability, making for an authentic experience.
Youtube Link


Link's Shadow
This film is called Link’s Shadow, and it’s an impressive fan-made short film inspired by the classic video game franchise The Legend of Zelda. The creators CorridorDigital have included the synopsis:

“Three hunters in a forest discover that they have trapped a demon – Dark Link! An epic battle ensues as they try to prevent the murderous demon from reaching their village. The elder clansman gathers his mana and casts a beacon in to the sky, hoping to summon Link to save them.”
Youtube Link


Metroid: The Sky Calls
Though brief, Ranfall’s fan-made film Metroid: The Sky Calls, is a well-executed piece that’s really got us thinking about how badly we want an entire film dedicated to the world of Nintendo’s famous sci-fi shooter. While it would be awesome to see Samus taking out alien baddies on the big screen, the above short will have to do for now.
Youtube Link


Last Of Us
This is another fan film that follows closely to the original story of The Last of Us. For those unaware, the story follows two key characters, Joel and Ellie. The world is currently in shambles after a fungus virus outbreak has claimed so many lives and turned them into zombie like creatures. Our little fan film here follows the two in the hostile world and the trials they must go through. Furthermore, the film has received a sequel by the same creator, Iron Horse Cinema Productions.

Part 1: Youtube Link
Part 2: Youtube Link
Part 3: Youtube Link


Enjoy!

See for article: Website link [www.npr.org]

Copied here for ease of reading, I haven't had time to read it myself but from what I heard it's a great program:

'I'm A Trans Owner Supporting Trans People'

The lunch rush was supposed to end hours ago. But in the heart of Los Angeles, this fast-food restaurant, El Pollo Loco, is still buzzing. General manager Kristy Ramirez glides between the registers and the massive grill, surveying hundreds of pieces of chicken. But she's not too busy to greet regulars like Vickie Parker.

"Thank you, mama," Ramirez tells Parker, who replies, "Thank you, sweetie."

Ramirez has worked for El Pollo Loco for four years and knows many of the regulars. She's loyal to the company because it gave her a chance that no one else would consider, since she's transgender. For that, she thanks Mendelsohn.

Workplace discrimination and stigma are some of the reasons that trans people have an unemployment rate that's twice the rate of other Americans.

Mendelsohn was moved, and she started to reach out to other trans people looking for work.

"Currently, we have 8 to 10 percent of our total workforce is transgender, out of about 150 employees," she says.

Then she had a thought: Is there a way to get other restaurants to follow her lead?

'This Is A Civil Rights Issue'

Earlier this year, at a conference of the California Restaurant Association, Mendelsohn was chatting with other association members at a hotel bar — including her longtime friend Jot Condie, who heads the group.

Condie heard about the workplace discrimination that trans people deal with.

"I considered myself, as a person, somebody who had my head in the sand when it comes to what they're really going through," Condie says. "This is a civil rights issue."

Condie says he was convinced to have the Restaurant Association back Mendelsohn's big idea. "To me it wasn't like, 'Whoa are you serious?' To me it made sense," he says.

The idea was this: Mendelsohn would start a program connecting trans people looking for jobs with restaurants looking for workers.

The association has 22,000 members, large enough that it could make a real difference.

The first big step happened in late August at the Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo in downtown Los Angeles.

The association sponsors this event every year. Vendors from around the country try to entice the 10,000 attendees to try new fare — sticky buns, pot stickers, spring rolls.
"The word's just gotten out that I'm a trans owner supporting trans people," Mendelsohn says.

In 1988, before she transitioned, Mendelsohn bought her first El Pollo Loco franchise. She just happened to like their menu. "I didn't go to college to figure out which restaurant!" she says, laughing.

She acquired several more stores by the time she transitioned in 2004. Now she owns a total of six El Pollo Locos in Southern California.

But it wasn't until 2012 that she hired her first trans employee. That person told her how hard it was to get a job.

And one floor up, the association hosted a seminar where Mendelsohn gave restaurateurs their first taste of the new California Transgender Workplace Project. "Take a seat. We're here today for the new normal," she told them, as she gave an intro course on the basics of trans people — call it Trans 101.

She explained how to join the project and be certified as trans-friendly. Mendelsohn also tells people that a state grant will pay for the first 60 hours of a new hire's wages as an incentive.

Back on the expo floor, though, there's some skepticism.

Some attendees say this program for trans people sounds like a good thing. "I don't see why they can't work the way everyone else is entitled to work in this country," says Grant Theim.

But then he hesitates. "You know, I still think that there's a majority of people out there that might have a problem with being served by somebody that's transgender."

That concern initially worried Mendelsohn, too. But she was surprised — in the years she's had restaurants staffed with trans people, customers have been overwhelmingly supportive.

And when they aren't, she says bosses should be prepared to stand up for their employees.

"You know, you always hear the thing, 'The customer's always right'," she sayss. "In my restaurants, the customer's always right unless they attack you personally."

And with more trans people visible in the workplace, it could change the way all Americans view them, one order at a time.

Couple links to the story:

More History Made: First Openly Trans Person Addresses Dem Convention [www.advocate.com]

First Transgender Speaker at Major U.S. Party Convention [www.upi.com]

Originally posted by Sarah McBride:

"My hope is that anyone who is watching, any young girl whether they are cisgender or transgender, gay or straight, they can understand that they can be successful, that they can be independent, they can be seen, they can be respected as the equal humans that we all are,"