Autechre: Quaristice

January 29, 2008

Autechre - Quaristice

The new album is due out 03/03. The release date was announced a couple of weeks back, but I’ve not heard much else. As of today, Bleep has the album available for download in FLAC and MP3 formats.

How to ruin your child's life

January 28, 2008

Well, you can start by giving him or her a really stupid name. The Atlanta Journal has published a database of the most common baby names in Georgia.

Some are truly horrendous. I'm pretty sure that if you name your child Chancellor (as 78 people did), he'll spend most of his primary school years being beaten up for his lunch money. Naming a girl Heaven-Leigh is a sure-fire way to ensure she'll grow up to be a stripper, but six parents did just that.

Mass Effect and virtual pr0n

January 24, 2008

Mass Effect

I've come to realize something very sad about myself.

I can't even get laid in a video game.

Apocryphal Mall Ninjutsu

January 19, 2008

Mall Ninja in the wild.

Mike Rolfs was kind enough to send along a link to the original mallninja.com, archived at the Wayback Machine. Take a moment to stroll down memory lane with the men who keep our shopping malls safe.

HB89: the Director's Cut

January 17, 2008

After a great deal of controversy and a bit of editorial input from our Governor, HB89 has passed in the Senate. Bear in mind, though some sites have reported it as such, it is not state law yet. It still has to be signed, which will likely be in May.

What's interesting is that, along with a watering-down of the NRA's proposals, Rep. Bearden managed to get a great deal of stipulations from HB915 inserted into the bill.

TF2: the Sniper

January 3, 2008

Now, back to the Sniper. Sure, everyone wants to play the Sniper. It's a class designed for the antisocial gamer. Sit on a hill, line up the scope, and nail someone who never saw it coming from half-a-mile away, right?

Not in this game. Most of the maps have you moving quickly, and at close-quarters. The Sniper's usual methods are actually a liability here. He needs to get solitary and keep his distance, and that's a hard thing to do in TF2.

TF2: the Pyro

January 2, 2008

Speaking of the Pyro, he's an odd one. His flamethrower is not only incredibly gratifying ("I'm on fire! Doktorr!"), it's a devastating weapon that covers a wide area. In a way, he's the opposite of the medic. The Medic dispenses a short-range defensive buff to teammates, while the Pyro spits out a close-quarters dose of pain to the opposition.

TF2: the Medic

January 1, 2008

Next, let's consider the Medic. Your team does have one, right? If not, get one of the 4 guys playing Sniper to switch. More on that later.

You have three sets of classes: offense, defense and support. Use your Engineers to lock down vulnerable areas in your base, and leave the offensive stuff to the classes meant for it. That means Heavies and Soldiers. They take point, which means soaking up damage, and the Medic's place is at their side.