Do I look that bad in a lab coat?

stolen from finch

My life

At least I neva wonder why ppl call me a geek.
This is my life exactly





How many of you mention the advantages of your +2 ring of Charisma during steering council?

Trust me... when some of the people display the effects of their -4 Wis. stats during offensive meetings, having "unarmed strike" and "fury of blows" is worth its weight in gems (5d12 at least).

Motivational Posters

U.S. infantry: future weapon?

The U.S. defense has released the knowledge that it is planning on re-testing the last Aberdeen results.

The results of the test will lay heavily on the choice the U.S. defense picks for it's next outfitter contract as a small arms rifle. Though the official statement is "yet to be stated".

In Oct. 2007 ten of each type of rifle were used to fire 6,000 rounds each, for a total of 60,000 rounds per rifle type, the rifles were fired in extremely dusty/windy/moist conditions. (the test chamber's called the "dust bowl")
The guns and the results were:

H&K's XM8 (the the "x" signifying it's still never been released)
127 stoppages






F.N.'s S.C.A.R. (damn French)
226 stoppages





H&K's 416 (changed from HK16 due to wanting to avoid possible copyright infringements)
223 stoppages






Colt's M4A1 (only american company jockeying for the position, and the current issue of army dum-dum's)
882 stoppages
(shown with a forward handle)





Colt got a "re-test" sanctioned due to scoring 307 jams in the exact same test about 4 months before.
It shouldn't matter, Germany is top of the gun game.


On a side note: Bushmaster (who makes the M4 replica you can buy at Academy or Walmart) won it's court case against Colt. With the judge declaring that the "signature shape", "design", and the name "M4" now being "generic". With bushmaster simply being slapped on the hand for false advertising.
Step one for any company wanting to take on the man. That aside bushmaster sucks

The Bushmaster M4

Flight of the ConChords

These guys mostly suck but I thought these two were pretty funny
..this is the greatest love song EVA!







I'm not a large water-dwelling mammal
Where did you get that preposterous hypothesis?
Did Steve tell you that, perchance?
...Steve.

E. Gary Gygax: This one's for you

Todays the day we all shed a tear and lift our pints in your honor bro.
You were a visionary, an inspiration, and a god among us mere mortals. May your eternal mansion be rolled for on a 20 sided and your harem always play classical music.


...with sword in hand I raise my fist, wipe the beer off my barbaric jaw, and salute thee.
"Rest easy old friend, we'll be along shortly"





I wonder if he'll get to the pearly gates and St. Peter will ask him to roll a save-vs-hell.
Since Chick Publications made so much hype calling D&D "Satan worship" an all that crap, Gygax removed all "devils" and "demons" from the full second edition, making the world think that Christians believe "if you don't see it it won't exist". I wonder what version the Almighty is gonna be playing with him.

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

This game is what a true D&D game should be like.
The game has no ending you just stop playing when you've had enough. There is a main storyline however that you can accomplish by the time your level 4. (Don't! When you close oblivion gates you can collect Sigil stones to add magic abilities to your weapons and armor.)
The land is VAST, and the side quests are unlimited.
This game is a DM's dream come true.
Unlike many D&D style games this game utilizes rogue abilities quite a bit. I played a sword swinging barbarian (shocker, huh), yet many a time I dropped off my sheets of heavy armor for light robes and snuck around in the dark with a dagger and a spell scroll.

Story Line: Which one? Like I said it's true D&D. You can join the mages guild and do 50 quests and missions for them; dito for fighters guild, assassins guild, different town watches, vampires, and hundreds of others (fighting to arena champion was fun).
Didn't give it more points cuz there was ZERO plot twists. Even tho it kinda sets you up for a few of them

Fun Factor: there's enough variety to entertain for a while. You physically have to pick locks and swing sword/ax combos while trying to get your shield combo's in. You collect ingredients and brew/invent your own potions. Decent game all around. Only thing i didn't like was the lack of decent magical item loads. You unlock weapons as you get higher levels but they should have put more into it.



Graphics: Too many choices on exactly how you want to model your face!
All in all not bad. You need a half decent computer to run the game anyways so you'll probably enjoy the graphics. Decently filled in houses and dungeons.




Weapons: ARRGG!!!!
Frustrating!
Theres only 1 type of weapon in each material category and they get boring. If I'm gonna wait till level 18 to get an obsidian weapon they should have put more time and effort into a few different types of them (not just Obsidian: dagger, short sword, longsword, claymore. In the sword categories) You can add customized stones to your weapons (eg: +6 fire damage or -50 to stamina etc). Was disappointed to say the least.

Call of Duty 4

Theres a reason this game was given the "game of the year" award for 2007
This game is fast paced, covers a wide variety of game play, and is designed to never be thrown in the "Boring" category. This is also one of the first FPS' that doesn't have HP. You're wearing Kevlar so when you get hit it knocks the wind outta you. Getting hit too many times in a row without stopping to catch your breath= asphyxiation.

Story Line: You follow the lines of a USMC and an SAS operative.
The story mostly happens in Iraq but has a few flashback missions. No plot mind blowers but the story in an integral part of the game play




Fun Factor: As part of different military operations you can't exactly do whatever you want mostly because you're off to save the world (or a stranded tank) and you don't have the option have fooling around. But theres so much to this game that is amazing. They copy real tape footage of those satellite planes as you provide cover for troops. Theres even a mission where all you gotta do is snipe 1 bad man, but you gotta take wind factor, Coriolis effect (the fact that gravity doesn't affect the path of a long distance bullet as much as it does something that's touching the earth. In other words shooting someone a mile away when he's standing still makes it trying to shoot a moving target), and bullet flight time into account. Only downside is: it's too short, I wanted to keep playing and playing.

Graphics: Schweet. Not an overkill but they fleshed it out pretty nicely. They also used a sweet graphics engine. You won't be blown away like you will be with "Crysis" but you will say "niiice" a few times.




Weapons: Tons of them, realistic, fun. GET SOME!







All in all "Game of the year"



Wikipedia on Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis: The coordinate system that is used to specify the location of the point of firing and the location of the target is the system of latitudes and longitudes, which is in fact a rotating coordinate system, since the Earth is rotating. For small arms, this rotation is generally insignificant, but for ballistic projectiles with long flight times, such as extreme long-range rifle projectiles, artillery and intercontinental ballistic missiles, it is a significant factor in calculating the trajectory. During its flight, the projectile moves in a straight line (not counting gravitation and air resistance for now). Since the target is co-rotating with the Earth, it is in fact a moving target, relative to the projectile, so in order to hit it the gun must be aimed to the point where the bullet and the target will arrive simultaneously.

When the straight path of the projectile is plotted in the rotating coordinate system that is used, then this path appears as curvilinear. The fact that the coordinate system is rotating must be taken into account, and this is achieved by adding terms for a "centrifugal force" and a "Coriolis effect" to the equations of motion. When the appropriate Coriolis term is added to the equation of motion the predicted path with respect to the rotating coordinate system is curvilinear, corresponding to the actual straight line motion of the projectile.

Hellgate: London

Lets face it: everyone played "Diablo 2", we all loved it.
We all stayed up till 2 in the morning re-killing one of the boss monsters hoping he'd drop that rare sword or whatever.
So if you want to play a Diablo 2 game that has guns as well as swords then this is the game for you.
I personally couldn't play it beyond the first few nights (in all fairness to really get a taste, otherwise I would have quit 2 hours in).

You can pick from 3 major Class types: shooter, swordsman, and mage; which have 2 subcategories each (shooter: sniper or engineer, sword: lithe/2 swords or pure defense shields guy, Mage: summoner or caster)

Story Line: Hell is taking over, one dimension at a time. They met resistance in ours.
Which boils down to: go here shoot all these demons, go there shoot all those ones, repeat steps 1 and 2.



Fun Factor: 100% RAILED!!!
Start at point "A", kill all baddies as you walk down the hall till you reach point "B". New level loads, repeat process. You enter Stations and have 7 areas sprouting off each one but they're all "shoot your way from point "a" to point "b")
Reasons why I gave it 2 of 6: like diablo 2, monsters are are rolled for from a table appropriate for your level. Even though there are only 4 types of levels (destroyed city, dungeon, sewers, building) the monsters can be different each time you re-enter. Boss monsters which re-appear after a time will load randomly rolled loot. That and you can totally customize your weapons (think gems on diablo 2 swords only more intricate) . The only fun I had was sitting in town tinkering around with making better and better machine guns. You enter Hell at different points, which is a flat stone courtyard with a broken rail running around the edges EVERY SINGLE TIME!!

Graphics: Decently done. They spent alot time fleshing out the game. Some monsters you fight are 25 feet tall, some are tiny. The game also adjusts the graphics (if your playing on a vista machine) to accommodate your card (a.k.a.: turning up the graphics when theres 3000 monsters running around so that you can lag like a monkey, or dumbing it down when your in a room talking with a lone guy... which genius added this factor can help himself to a full serving of kick-in-the-pants)

Weapons: The only fun part of the game! Nuff' said!
All futuristic, and theres no such thing as ammo (even in the assault rifles)
Almost worth d.l.'ing just to fool around with them.... almost.
The sniper weapons are completely useless in this game due to all your encounters happening around you. The game was designed for sword and close range gun users, they shouldn't have bothered with long range stuff.




All in all they should have put less time in the choices of which chin you want and more time in making the levels funner. This game has sooo much potential to have been the greatest game ever made, but we demand more from a game since Diablo 2. This game should have been a Diablo 2 mod, not the game that we've been waiting a year for its release.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadows of Chernobyl

You play a man who wakes up with no memory of who he is, but has a tattoo telling you to whack some unknown guy. The setting is in the post Pripyat disaster, where radiation has twisted some animals and scared away normal civilization.

Story line: There are so many factors fighting over dominance of the different zones that you can choose to work with anyone (or no-one). Every Tom, Dick, and Ivan has a side quest for you which makes for practically unlimited play, and the ending has a twisted end movie (Something I'd have written as opposed to that Captain America plop). You fight only people and slightly mutated animals (not bizzare alien looking weirdos)


Fun Factor: Arena play AND arena decisions let you do whatever you want. You'll decide to finish the main storyline and end the game before you explore everywhere. This game was designed to cater to the user. You can enter a "mad max" arena and battle for prestige (moneys a joke in this game, why pay for it when you can off someone and get it for free). That or join both sides of a faction war and help them battle each other out. Only downside is having to re-clear popular faction hangouts. Not rating it 6 0f 6, because you spend the entire game using the shoelace express (No vehicles or planes).

Graphics: Not a lot of extras. Houses are filled with mostly models you can't interact with. The general landscape (inside and out) seems rather bare. Not alot of extra trees and non essential stuff added (It may be how Chernobyl is in rl, who knows)



Weapons: The only game I've played where you actually need to check the condition of your weapons. That and a game that ammo actually has weight!
Before you embark off on an area that doesn't tend to use the weapon your using you need to see what you can drop to see how you can carry more ammo (Bullets are heavy son!). WIDE variety on the weapons PLUS finding ways of salvaging and combining/ upgrading gun parts.


All in all: re-playable

Crysis

Since I play a host of games, heres the skinny on them (to judge download-worthy or not).

Crysis:
This game is basically part deux of FarCry. The game has the same feel, you spend a lot of time hiding in the jungle and busting up little barracks scattered over a Korean island. You end up fighting a modern day attempt of an invasion by aliens.

Story line: a spec op's soldier in a new suit that can do special power ups. You can choose with a drag of the mouse: strength mode (high jumps or Arnie melee), speed mode (run faster then you can zoom on a Bushnell $800 scope), cloak mode (insta-invis man), or bulletproof armor.



Fun Factor: Arena play lets you choose your own approach to any scenario (since you can only carry 2 rifles you can snipe out the million man march or rush in), areas aren't hack and slash, but are needing small amounts of planning, and using all your suits different abilities in combos. Only serious downside is getting caught in a giant asteroid for 3 levels.



Graphics: AMAZING! Tons of detail, just like FarCry but even better.
Huts are filled with junk you'd find in any given Korean barracks.
When you fly a plane the distant dogfights can affect you.





Weapons: Everyone carries the same things, you can snipe with a silenced U.S.P. handgun.
The complete lack of attention is in stark contrast to the amount dumped into graphics.
2 assault rifles (AK type 56, G36), 1 shotty, 1 pistol, 2 long range rifles, 2 heavy machine guns (1 is the alien one), 1 smg, and a l.a.w. make the games arsenal.

My Christmas Joke

Joseph and Mary are in the stable, the angels are glowing all over, the place reeks like sheep poop from the shepherds clothes, and the newborn babe is sleeping.

The wise men are making their dramatic appearance; when as one of them walks in he hits his head against the stable roof. "Jesus Christ" he says, and Joseph turns to Mary and says "Quick write that down; it's better then Greg".

Taxes

Sydney Smith (June 3, 1771 - Feb. 22 1845):

Taxes upon every article which entres into the mouth, or covers the back, or is placed under the foot. Taxes upon everything which is pleasant to see, hear, feel, smell or taste. Taxes upo warmth, light & locomotion. Taxes on everything on earth or under the earth, on everything that comes from abroad or is grown at home. Taxes on raw materials, taxes on every fresh value that is added to it by the industry of man. Taxes on the sauce which pampers man’s appetite, & the drug that restores him to health; on the ermine which decorates the judge, & the rope that hangs the criminal; on the poor man’s salt & the rich mans spice; on the brass nails of the coffin, & the ribbons of the bride; at bed or board; couchant or levant, we must pay.

The schoolboy whips his taxed top; the beardless youth manages his taxed horse with a taxed bridle on a taxed road; and the dying Englishman, pouring his medicine, which has paid seven per cent, into a spoon that has paid fifteen per cent, flings himself back upon his chintz bed which has paid twenty-two per cent, and expires in the arms of an apothecary who has paid a license of a hundred pounds for the privilege of putting him to death. His whole property is then immediately taxed from two to ten percent. Besides probate, large fees are demanded for burying him in the chancel. His vertues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble, & he will then be gathered to his fathers, to be taxed no more.

While he may have been describing England a couple hundred years ago, the old song never changes.

An update??

Due to my D&D blog, I've totally neglected this one.
My D&D blog died... who would have thunk it huh?

So: Back to random senseless knowledge.
Heres some famous last words.

"I don’t feel good."
- Luther Burbank (1849-1926)

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..."
- General John Sedgwick (1813-1864)

"Ask her to wait a moment - I am almost done."
- Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855), when informed that his wife was dying

"Show my head to the people, it is worth seeing."
- Georges Danton (1759-1794), to his executioner

"Don’t let it end like this. Tell them I said something."
- Pancho Villa (1877-1923)

Short attention span?

We had our first D&D game!
It was short... real short (2 an 1/2 hours). But, the campaign has begun.
I had to dumb down the battles because there were only two adventures instead of the usual 4, and every other crossroad was met with the responce "I attack Mike... Mike roll for initiative".
Tom is a elven wizard with mind staggering dex, who never really used his spells (screw ray of frost when I can just use my quarterstaff); Mike is a human monk with really lousy HP.
They fought goblins, orcs, and each other. Never looted an nearby chest and couldn't care less about eq.
I had to babysit them through half of it and let them butcher the rest.... I've never had so much fun!




... Up till now I had always thought elves were known for their beauty... I guess theres unshaven pimply ones too

We did it, we did it, we did it, hooray

We finally bought the d&d experience.
I'm proud to announce that once a month from now on there will be a group d&d game at our house.
I'll be the DM... and so far theres gonna be 5 other players. I'm Jack's overflowing joy.

Gyre and Gimble in the Wabe

I love Carroll. His work has blown generations away.
But let's be real-on-us, I doubt he expected a nonsense poem added as a attempt at humor to be a cult monolith over 100 years later.

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

'Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!'

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought--

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'

He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

Long time

I haven't updated this in forever. I found a new hobby and as such all lame ones get put aside.

..odd how even though I haven't posted since the world cup I still check every day for new posts.

Fatherland 0 - Pizzaland 2

Well I was shocked. I'd even grown that special moustache to go with my red armband in celebration. Can't win them all I guess.

... in the end it wasn't so bad; dissapointment goes good with beer.

S.o.a.D

To the fan who didn't see this coming... YOUR WEARING MY PANTS AN SITTING IN MY CHAIR .... oh wait, thats me.

In May of 2006, the band announced they were going on hiatus. Guitarist Daron Malakian has confirmed the break will probably last a few years, but insists that the band is not splitting up. He tells MTV, "We're not breaking up. If that was the case, we wouldn't be doing this Ozzfest. We're going to take a very long break after Ozzfest and do our own things. We've done System for over 10 years, and I think it's healthy for us to get away from it for a while and come back to it later on. So, this is probably going to be... well, it's not a farewell tour, but it's going to be a little while before we go out again." He adds, "I'll always be a member of System Of A Down. That will never change. There isn't a rule that says you have to make records constantly, like clockwork, to continue being who you are." Malakian claims that he needs a break from the band because he wants to live his life more. He has written the majority of the songs for the band for ten straight years.

Guitarist, Daron Malakian, says that he knows some fans aren't happy about the group taking a long hiatus after completing this summer's Ozzfest. But Malakian told Launch Radio Network that taking time off from SYSTEM for other projects is necessary for the group to stay fresh.

"I know a lot of people get into bands and stuff, but you've gotta remember inside the bands there's artists, and there's itches and things that you wanna get done, or have some kind of freshness in your life," he said. "So it's never been about, like, 'Hey, let's consistently shoot out SYSTEM records and make the biggest money in the world,' you know what I mean? For us, it's more about being creative and being able to be creative.'"

Earlier, drummer John Dolmayan told Launch that he and his bandmates expect to enjoy themselves: "Well, it should be a lot of fun," he said. "They usually are. It's kind of like, we call it, like, 'rock and roll summer camp.' It's gonna be good to be out there and it'll probably be a lot of the same crew members that have been on it. So for us it's always a good time."

Malakian is forming a new band called SCARS ON BROADWAY and plans to work on its debut album this fall. Malakian told Billboard.com that SYSTEM bassist Shavo Odadjian is likely to be part of the group.

Odadjian is also planning to collaborate musically with the WU-TANG CLAN on a new album.


Ozzfest kicks off in Seattle on June 29 and will wrap up on August 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"A tear for you and a tear for me Petronius"