“This is an open-ended contest, but if you’d like some ideas, ask yourself what Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, or Gandhi would make if they’d had access to 3D printing.”

The deadline for the contest is September 1st and they’ll announce winners on the 4th. They are looking for designers to build things that will help, not harm, people.

The winner of best project will win a Type A Machines Series 1 3D Printer and the runner-up gets a simpler RepRap Prusa Mendel 3D printing kit.

With all the press attention on 3D printing is the gateway to firearms anarchy, it’s refreshing to see someone take a different path. By backing 3D printing engineers into a corner, DefDist and the government are simply using fear to achieve competing goals. The results will be both needlessly draconian legislation and a variant of the Streisand Effect that will spread these arguably faulty plans far and wide. When the government outlawed DVD decryption code you could buy a T-shirt with the code printed on it. The same will happen in this case, although this code, when run, could take off fingers and give legislators more ammunition for a full crackdown on home 3D printing.

Let us know if you enter and good luck. We need more weapons against poverty and fewer weapons against each other.

[Image via Thingiverse]

Want to see an advance screening of Now You See Me on Thursday May 23rd at 7:00pm at Bow Tie Palace Theater in Hartford? Keep reading to find out how you can download FREE tickets to the screening!

Download and print your FREE tickets to see Now You See Me from Gofobo.com

About Now You See Me:

Now You See Me pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against “The Four Horsemen”, a super-team of the world’s greatest illusionists. “The Four Horsemen” pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.

Opens in Theaters Friday, May 31, 2013.

Rated PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FROM GOFOBO!!

(*please note, passes are not guaranteed seats for the screening, and are valid on a first come, first served basis. Please plan to arrive at least 60 minutes early for your best chance to get seats!)

Find out where our street team is hanging out in Central Florida for your chance to win!

These days, she’s also living life with cameras around her at all times. As she explained to Charlotte station The New 103.7, ”I am doing a docu-series. It’s less dramatic than a reality show, and it’s gonna be on CMT around September.”

The show will follow Cassadee on her journey from The Voice through the following months of recording, radio tours, and her debut as opening act on Rascal Flatts‘ upcoming summer tour. “I want to show the fans the nitty gritty of [making music].”

Part of her journey includes another hurdle: Winning over the country world after jumping in from the punk-pop world. She had been a member of the band Hey Monday since 2008, but on The Voice she won over fans and mentor Blake Shelton with a series of country songs, including a cover of Miranda Lambert’s “Over You.”

“People are a little hesitant,” Cassadee says of her transition to country, “but for the most part I think, on the show, I proved to a lot of people that as long as you’re real, you’re genuine and you’re singing songs you connect with, then no matter what genre people will embrace you.”

Read more on Radio.com

[listicle id=80363]

To enter, visit Facebook.com and click the “Like” button and enter your information. You can enter once per day through Friday, May 24th.

Click here for the complete rules. Mobile users, visit here.

Watch “The Big Bang Theory” weeknights at 7 p.m. on CW50 May, 20 through 31 for your chance to win a fantastic VIP trip for two to San Diego Comic Con or other great prizes.

Watch for Sheldon’s special shirt then go to BigBangContest.com to enter.

“The Big Bang Theory” is on weeknights at 7 and 10 p.m. on CW50.

It’s never too early to start preparing your child to be a beauty queen…. at least, that is what mum-to-be Jenny Oliver thinks.

Crazy pageant mother in question – Jenny Oliver from Blackpool, UK.

At seven months pregnant, she’s already entered her unborn daughter, tentatively named “Ella” into her first Bonnie Baby pageant.

“With my dance skills and her sister Jess’s knowledge of pageants, there’s no way she won’t win the prize for bonniest baby… It was only a tenner to enter her and I believe you should start them young. Ella will do so much better in life with all that experience under her belt… She’s only going to be three months old but she’ll have a bit of fun on the day… Walking down the catwalk with my gorgeous baby will make me feel a million dollars – even though I’ll still be carrying my baby weight and wearing baggy clothes. I hope she wins – it would be fab to have a baby sash and crown to add to the collection. I have so much planned for her.”

Can we just stop for a minute? Goodness. I feel stressed reading that. What about you? THIS POOR CHILD DOESN’T EVEN EXIST YET. I suppose they will start fitting her for a “flipper” the moment after her first feeding.

I have so many questions when reading this:

1. What if she doesn’t arrive on her due date.

2. What if her skin doesn’t take to spray tans well?

3. What if she doesn’t look good in nappies?

4. What if Ella is a boy?

There are too many unanswered questions here, and I feel stressed for a life that is even yet to live. What the hell is happening with the world?

It is worrying enough seeing toddlers dressed up in pink frills, covered in makeup and encouraged to be swoon-worthy in front of judges at teeny beauty pageants but its positively scary to think unborn babies are being lined up for a childhood spent being judged on how they look.

I rest my case.

x missfitz

For those of you multimedia people out there, I asked my pal Teagen to take a ton of photos of a contest I entered a while back, and together we rolled them all into a little animation. I think it turned out pretty well, don’t you?

Also, I like music. Who doesn’t? So, here’s one of the tops hits from my playlist for you to enjoy while you browse. (If it’s not showing up, try reloading.) Remember, it’ll only play while you stay on this page!

Followers on Facebook:

100: I will give away my autobiography, I Want Control*.

200: Free hardback copy of The Accursed People (limit 1)

Followers on WordPress:

400: A personalized note from me. (limit 10)

other prizes will likely  include:

An autographed copy of The Accursed People (limit 1)

Free giveaway to include First Hunt*

An Acknowledgement in future novels (limit 5)

One-on-One chat with me over Skype

An autographed paperback of any my other novels

*Kindle only

**Also, in order to assist me in achieving this, you can request business cards to give to your friends, families, neighbors, or strangers; just let me know and I will send you a small packet (25-50). I can also arrange for bumper stickers if you would like to put one on your car. Or both. Up to you.

Starting 5/17/2013- 200 Followers on WordPress:                   I will activate a free giveaway, including The Source of Magick*

*Kindle only

While all styles of short fiction are fair game, we can’t consider nonfiction or poetry submissions. Due to time constraints, Flavorwire can only accept entries via email and will be unable to provide feedback on individual stories. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but only previously unpublished work will be eligible; entrants must notify us immediately if a story is selected for publication elsewhere.

http://winningwriters.com/contests/sports/sp_guidelines.php

The Spinsters have been asked to participate in a birthday celebration, which you know we love. Bring on the cupcakes and candles! Last year, Match.com—the favored online dating site of our own dear Kate—launched Stir events. With Stir, singles no longer have to wade through online profiles, trying to decipher just how interested in cats that cute surfer guy is, or whether a mutual love of Tolkien is enough warrant a whole dinner. Instead, Match.com plans its own singles events, everything from hiking to bowling, and invites its local users to come and mingle. Happy 1st Birthday, Stir!

Whether you’re just nervous about meeting one-on-one (in which case, we recommend Kate’s ax murderer awareness protocol) or don’t want to waste precious prime time TV hours on individual dinner dates, Stir is the answer. They offer a huge range of activites around the United States, from large-scale happy hours at local hot spots, to more intimate events like cooking classes and tequila tastings. As of their one-year anniversary this month, Match.com’s Stir has already hosted an impressive 2,850 events! That’s 14 events each day, 75 events a week, 320 events per month! Kittens, some of those events are ghost tours. Sign us up!

Match has collaborated with over 1,200 venues and partners—including House of Blues, Banana Republic, Sur la Table and Warrior Dash—along with local gems in each city. Match is throwing singles events in over 80 cities across America – including events in Anchorage and Honolulu! Y’all, over 225,000 singles have attended a Stir event to date. Statistically, that means an intriguingly-bearded (or skirted – Match also hosts GLBT Stir events!) architect is probably tasting hot sauce near you right this very night. Online dating, you are so very, very tempting!

Even better, in celebration of the Stir anniversary, Match.com is offering the opportunity for singles to create their own Stir event. If your event is chosen, you’ll work with the Match.com Stir planners to bring it to life. Whether your ideal is a group trip to Disneyland (Hello, romantic Space Mountain cuddling!) or a feminist book reading, Match can bring it to life. All you have to do, in order to fulfill your wildest mountain climbing with interesting singles fantasy, is visit Match.com’s “What Stirs You?” Contest Page now through Tuesday May 28^th, 2013 and tell Match what you think would make for the perfect singles event to be entered to win. Entries will be judged based on quality, creativity, uniqueness and geographical relevance.

The selected winner will have their idea re-created by the Match.com Stir Events team in their city, and will receive an invitation to attend the event along with ten of their singles friends – all at no charge! In addition, the winner will also receive a free six-month Match.com subscription. Sweet! So, my darling cream puffs, what are you waiting for? I know you have great ideas for Stir.

Countries aren’t allowed to vote for their own singer/group and the top votes are assigned points, with the most getting 12 points. Think American Idol except you can’t vote for the contestant from your own state (if your state makes it to the finals) and there are points and lots of other differences… okay think of any song contest and then try to relate. There are a lot of scandals (take a look at this article posted in the Copenhagen Post with the Top 10 Scandals of the ESC) and a lot of people I’ve talked to in the past can’t stand the ESC. For some reason, Europeans love to hate it (or love to love it, there is no middle ground).

I guess I’m really indifferent. There are a lot of studies behind it and I’m sure there are a lot of drinking games associated with it, too. Let’s take a look at Denmark’s contribution to this year’s ESC, “Only Teardrops”…

Not bad, eh? Supposedly Denmark is a favorite in this year’s competition, though that really doesn’t say much. I’m going to relive one of my favorite ESC moments involving Denmark, which I think is great indication of Danish humor.

This guy caught a lot of slack for saying that (and if I remember correctly, it was later edited out). American “prude”-ism aside, was that really funny? I guess to a Dane.

So enjoy your Eurovision weekend everyone! If you get the chance, try and catch a little bit of the show. Maybe it’s not Danish culture specifically but it’s a part of being here in Europe that makes it fun and unique. May the odds be ever in your country’s favor (that is, if they’ve made it to the final round and were even participating in the first place)!

It’s easy to win. Just listen for the cue to call. When you hear it, be the 19th caller at 312-946-4995, and you’ll pick up the tickets and qualify for an incredible package that includes: a $500 Home Depot gift card, passes to the US99.5 backstage barbecue the night of the show, and products from Johnsonville.

The grand prize winner will be selected from the 15 qualifiers and announced over the air by Lisa Dent & Ramblin’ Ray Monday morning at 7:10 a.m., and they have 10 minutes to call back and claim their prize. If we don’t hear from them, another winner will be selected (and so forth) until the prize is claimed.

*Must be at least 18-years-old to enter.

For official rules, click here. Good Luck!

Right when i’m trying to figure out how i’m going to get the funds to do up our new dream home, my fave website iProperty, creates a fairytale themed contest with a 10K cash prize…

CAN YOU SAY DESTINY!!??

All you need to do now, is Vote for me!!

A new gold contest has begun on Youtube, don’t miss out on this great opportunity to acquire gold to buy the new Iron Men.

To learn how to enter the contest, you can click on the image or watch the following video.

Today I’m thrilled, stoked, and elated to share with you an anthology that I know many of you will get behind. Not only that, but it’s edited by a fellow SSP author and dude that I always seem to run into at every con I ever go to, though until recently I’ve been too intimidated to actually like, y’know, talk to him. All kidding aside, Michael West is a great guy and you should check out all his fiction. But enough of singing his praise – let’s get to the bloodsuckers!

Kindle   Softcover

What would you do if you had unlimited power and eternal life?

 Would you…go back to high school? Attend the same classes year after year, going through the pomp and circumstance of one graduation after another, until you found the perfect date to take to prom? Would you…spend your days moping and brooding, finding your only joy in a game of baseball on a stormy day? Or would you…do something else? Anything else?

The authors of this collection have a few ideas; some fanciful, some humorous, and some as dark as an endless night. Join us, and discover what it truly means to be “vampyre.”
Edited by Michael West
Foreword by Michael West

“A New Life” by J. F. Gonzalez
“What Once was Flesh” by Tim Waggoner
“The Darkton Circus Mystery” by Elizabeth Massie
“Robot Vampire” by R. J. Sullivan
“Beneath a Templar Cross” by Gord Rollo
“The Weapon of Memory” by Kyle S. Johnson
“The Excavation” by Stephen Zimmer
“Skraeling” by Joel A. Sutherland
“Dreams of Winter” by Bob Freeman
“Dracula’s Winkee: Bloodsucker Blues” by Gregory L. Hall
“I Fuck Your Sunshine” by Lucy A. Snyder
“A Soldier’s Story” by Maurice Broaddus
“Rattenkönig
” by Douglas F. Warrick
“Vampire Nation” by Jerry Gordon
“Curtain Call” by Gary A. Braunbeck

Michael West is the critically-acclaimed author of The Wide Game, Cinema of Shadows, Spook House, Skull Full of Kisses, and the Legacy of the Gods series.  A member of the Horror Writers Association and Indiana Horror Writers, where he serves as President, West earned a degree in Telecommunications and Film Theory from Indiana University, and since that time, he has written a multitude of short stories, articles, and reviews for various on-line and print publications. He lives and works in the Indianapolis area with his wife, their two children, their bird, Rodan, their turtle, Gamera, and their dog, King Seesar.

His children are convinced that spirits move through the woods near their home.

***

Today I’m lucky to have a guest post by Bob Freeman, author of Dreams of Winter, which is in the anthology.

Bite Me: A Short Discourse on Vampires by Bob Freeman

“I like my creatures of the night a little nocturnal. My next big novel was going to have a vampire. Now, I’m probably not. They are everywhere, they’re like cockroaches.” — Neil Gaiman

It is no secret that vampires have been largely defanged, their mystique unceremoniously scuttled by Young Adult authors writing their angst-ridden Gothic fantasies for lovelorn teenage girls.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. It is a force to be reckoned with, to be sure. There is an audience for this vampire-lite branding, and more power to them. It’s a money making machine, and we’ve all got to eat.

That I prefer my creatures of the night to have a bit more bite should come as no surprise, but even I was first enthralled by the likes of another angst-driven bloodsucker — Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows fame.

For all the vitriol spilled toward writers such as Stephenie Meyer and L. J. Smith, they were certainly not the first to ravage the vampire’s dark nature.

Remember when Bela Lugosi’s Dracula appeared alongside Bud and Lou in Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein? From Sesame Streets’ The Count to General Mills’ Count Chocula, or The Munsters’ Grandpa for that matter, the vampire has been used for comedic effect for the greater part of the 20th Century, much to my personal chagrin.

For every Near Dark there is a Love at First Bite. Show me ‘Salem’s Lot and I’ll point you toward Vampire’s Kiss. Drag out Let the Right One In and I’ll expose you to Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

Vampires, as much as I hate to admit it, are not sacrosanct.

And maybe that’s the best thing about these bloodsucking fiends. They’re versatile as hell. They’ll scare the crap out of you, have you rolling on the floor in laughter, or make you weak in the knees.

There’s a vampire out there for everybody — be it ghoulish revenant, campy dark jester, or star-crossed soul-mate.

So, take a deep breath. I get it. Sparkly vampires aren’t your blood type. They’re not mine either. But it’s a big graveyard we’re playing in. There’s room enough for everyone.

Let Meyer, Smith, and their ilk play over there in the well-manicured Garden of Memory, while you and I do our dark business in the overgrown boneyard.

When the sun comes up, let them prance about with their sparklers and their rings of Vervain, while we embark on a dance of death and our vamps burst into flame.

 — Bob Freeman is an author, artist, and paranormal adventurer who hails from rural Indiana. His short story, “Dreams of Winter” appears in the Seventh Star Press anthology Vampires Don’t Sparkle, edited by Michael West. He can be found online at http://occultdetective.com

***

A great post by a great author! He makes a lot of good points about the genre, doesn’t he? I know as a writer, I love the fact that vampires are so versatile (though my personal tastes seem to gravitate to The Lost Boys type rebels or American Vampire’s Skinner Sweet, who’s so completely vile but also hilarious.) What about you? What kind of vampire do you prefer?

***

You can check out info on this and other anthologies by Seventh Star Press in the following places:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/seventhstarpress

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/7thstarpress

Website:  http://www.seventhstarpress.com

Blog:  http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com

There’s also a tour-wide giveaway going on, and you can access the Rafflecopter for that HERE