Recent Posts

2926

Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?

« Last post by Renegade on August 05, 2013, 10:42 AM »

I've finally started reading "Tragedy and Hope" by Carroll Quigley:



https://en.wikipedia...iki/Tragedy_And_Hope

You can download it for free here:

http://archive.org/d...s/TragedyAndHope_501

I've heard and read a lot about it, and it sounds fascinating.

It will take me a while as it's around 1,300 pages. So far, it's really good. Extremely well written and simply packed with information.

2927

Living Room / Apple vs. Samsung Goes NUCLEAR!

« Last post by Renegade on August 05, 2013, 10:27 AM »

"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."

Yeah. It's kind of like that. Thermo-nuclear 666 on crystal meth while riding rabid undead unicorn-dragon hybrids...

http://www.zerohedge...s-unprecedented-veto

See if you can spot, on the chart below, why over the weekend Barack Obama (aka the Anti Patent Troll-In-Chief) intervened directly in the ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Samsung on behalf of the Cupertino company (which makes its products in FoxConn facilities in China), resulting in an unprecedented veto of a decision from the US Interantional Trade Commission - an outcome not seen since 1987.

Additional links to more info on the topic at the link above. Just make sure to bring your holy water...

2928

Living Room / Re: Worth Reading: Trevor Pott's editorial on NSA PRISM and its real ramifications

« Last post by Renegade on August 05, 2013, 10:13 AM »

Some levity and fun on the topic:

7 Things Edward Snowden Should Do in Russia

http://world.time.co...-russia/?hpt=hp_bn18

2929

Living Room / Re: BREAKING: Half of TOR sites compromised, including TORMail.

« Last post by Renegade on August 05, 2013, 09:48 AM »

And since I'm in predictive mode, the next steps will be something like this:

-40hz (August 05, 2013, 05:56 AM)

I think you're bang on or close enough for it not to matter about any details.

I think we will see a similarly dismal future for "law" enforcement, food, over-criminalization, and a host of other things best left out of the Living Room.

Do you read any alternative media?

2930

Developer's Corner / Re: Nerdy Data - source code search engine

« Last post by Renegade on August 05, 2013, 04:55 AM »

Need to search?

http://code.ohloh.net/

Done.

2931

Living Room / Where/how do you mostly watch movies/videos?

« Last post by Renegade on August 05, 2013, 04:15 AM »

A couple movie/film threads are quite active, so I figure this might be an interesting poll.

Me? On a computer.

2932

Living Room / Re: Worth Reading: Trevor Pott's editorial on NSA PRISM and its real ramifications

« Last post by Renegade on August 05, 2013, 12:50 AM »

^^ I thought the point was for them to hide the facts from everyone?

2933

Living Room / Re: BREAKING: Half of TOR sites compromised, including TORMail.

« Last post by Renegade on August 05, 2013, 12:46 AM »

So boys and girls and all you hip cyber types out there...

Are we still so convinced that big government is clueless and without the resources to get its message across about exactly who owns the web?

-40hz (August 04, 2013, 06:26 PM)

Hey 40hz, did I mention how much I really, Really, REALLY hate it when you're right about these things?

Just in case...

I really, Really, REALLY hate it when you're right about these things. Really.

Still, it looks like a hosts/clients compromised, and not the protocol itself, which is a consolation, if small.

2934

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 11:24 AM »

Wait, did you just call me old? I'll have you know I didn't get Basic D&D until Christmas of 1983 which means I had to buy my original cover PHB used. That makes me a kid compared to most of the other Champions players I know. I'm certainly not old enough to remember any version of Deities and Demigods with Cthulu in it.... if something like that existed.... which I wouldn't know.....

Just get off my lawn!

-Vurbal (August 04, 2013, 11:08 AM)

Hahahahaa!

I have an original Deities & Demigods with all that in it. Though I bought it well after it came out - found it in a store one day and snatched it up real quick.

(I also have Chainmail in my collection.)

2935

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 11:21 AM »

2936

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 11:06 AM »

And I'd like to see At the Mountains of Madness get made so badly that I don't think I really care who (within reason) makes it at this point.

-40hz (August 04, 2013, 10:54 AM)

I was kind of hoping that it would get made well!

(Sorry - that was just such a wonderfully low-hanging dangling participle that I had to pick it~! )

2937

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 11:03 AM »

I'm wondering why people are advocating Del Toro for a Lovecraft film... I've seen some of his work, and he's good, but Lovecraft?

-Renegade (August 04, 2013, 10:23 AM)

It wouldn't make any more sense to to Hellboy like Lovecraft than to do Pan's Labyrinth like Hellboy. A lot of the design elements just made me think he was a fan. Since At The Mountains Of Madness is his dream project that seems right.

Have you seen The Devil's Backbone? It's a ghost story, so not exactly the same, but between that, Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth I'm satisfied he can do it. He hasn't put them together in a single film but he hasn't done Lovecraft yet. Given how giddy he is about it and his refusal to do it unless he gets to make it right he's probably our best shot at this point. Based on what he's said, though, it's a very long shot.

-Vurbal (August 04, 2013, 10:47 AM)

Ok. I'm starting to see why there now. I've not see Pan's Labyrinth or The Devil's Backbone. I'm just not into subtitles. Been there - done that - tired of 'em. It's got to be one DAMN good flick for me to bother with subtitles.

2938

Living Room / Re: Slower Planes And Charging For Bathrooms

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 10:37 AM »

...is answered by "No Attendant, I will be pissing in this water jug here!"

-TaoPhoenix (August 02, 2013, 10:13 AM)

For those considering this option, I recommend that you practice first and that you be acutely aware of the volume of your chosen container.

While aircraft mini-wine bottles measure around 170 ml and aircraft water bottles might be as large as 330 ml, you may find that during practice a 500 ml bottle is still insufficient.

-Renegade (August 03, 2013, 02:55 AM)

You say insufficient. I say economy urinal.

-Vurbal (August 04, 2013, 06:02 AM)

I think the important question here is do they have a drain in the floor of the aircraft?

-Stoic Joker (August 04, 2013, 09:04 AM)

They could pull out the carpeting an run gutters down the aisle. Don't expect them to provide a squeegee though.

-Vurbal (August 04, 2013, 10:34 AM)

Like I said before - a bigger bottle and none of that's a problem!

Oh, and decent aim... doesn't help if you can't aim worth a toot.

For those with difficulty aiming, I suppose bringing a funnel could work.

2939

Living Room / Re: Facebook 15 second auto-play ads

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 10:34 AM »

I abandoned FB games a very long time ago.

The only FB games that I've played since were ones that I actually worked on. Kind of nice to get paid for playing games as opposed to paying to play them.

2940

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 10:27 AM »

Oh, for Lovecraft fans (especially old AD&D players):

Spoiler

THE BEAST
He exists
THE BEAST
On the astral plane
THE BEAST
He has the availability
To enter our universe

(solo - The Cretin)

THE BEAST
Psionic attack
THE BEAST
Chaotic evil
THE BEAST
Highly intelligent
And unpredictable

THE BEAST
Gaping cunts
THE BEAST
Pulsating penis
THE BEAST
In this shape he'll mate
With mankind to create the spawn

THE SPAWN
They will breed
THE SPAWN
With human beings
THE SPAWN
They will turn this world
Into man's worst nightmare

THE BEAST
He will rule
THE BEAST
Ore his spawn
THE BEAST
They will be his servants
In a burning world of doom

(2nd solo - Cretin
3rd solo - Anus
4th solo - Cretin
5th solo - Anus)

THE BEAST
400 hit points
THE BEAST
Strength 25
THE BEAST
Charisma - 7
If you meet his eye you'll die

THE BEAST
Multiple attack
THE BEAST
Monk bard nil
THE BEAST
Giant mass of legs
Feelers and stalked organs

(6th solo - Cretin
7th solo - Cretin/Anus)

2941

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 10:23 AM »

I'm wondering why people are advocating Del Toro for a Lovecraft film... I've seen some of his work, and he's good, but Lovecraft? Doesn't seem to fit him. "Hellboy" was kind of, well, juvenile. That kind of theme is just nowhere near Lovecraft's darkness. "Blade II" on the other hand had a bit more darkness that leans towards Lovecraft's nightmares, but it was still pretty juvenile in comparison. Lovecraft digs deep into timeless occult themes that transcend cultures and warps them into boundless horrors that truly would drive one mad.

I'd think that one of these fellows would do a better job:

• Terry Gilliam
• Ralph Bakshi
• Gregory Hoblit (Directed "Fallen", probably one of the best horror films of all time)

Bakshi has a twisted enough imagination to make things work. "Fritz! Fritz! They've killed Fritz!" - Hilariously twisted scene in "Wizards".

Terry Gilliam can warp darn near anything. He's an artist.

What would be a really messed up Lovecraft movie would be Quentin Tarantino. That would be... dunno. A sensory assault. He'd either bomb horribly, or produce the wildest version ever.

2942

Living Room / Re: Slower Planes And Charging For Bathrooms

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 10:00 AM »

yes, but the reality seems to be different - the Europens getting less than claimed, the US version getting much more - at least is was for the expample given last year (according to the links I gave). I have no idea why this was the case - doesnt make any sense to me, but there you go.

-tomos (August 04, 2013, 09:46 AM)

I'm skeptical of US mainstream media. It's legal in the US to lie in the news.

Also, any car can get better/worse mileage depending on a variety of factors.

But... you also have the problem of the manufacturers lying... There are no easy answers and finding out the truth is at best difficult.

2943

Living Room / Re: good Videos [short films] here :)

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 09:58 AM »

Get ready to have your mind blown wide open with some really sexy stuff! FARMERY!

The 5 minute video is on Vimeo:

http://vimeo.com/54183115

Super.Cool.

Spoiler - you may enjoy it better if you just watch instead of peeking

They grow and sell food in the same location.

2944

Living Room / Re: Slower Planes And Charging For Bathrooms

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 09:41 AM »

(Anyone remember the Volkswagen example? European versions of the exact same model have far higher fuel efficiency, etc.)

-Renegade (August 03, 2013, 09:50 PM)

yes - I remember posting info that repudiates that ;-)
(this for the third time I believe )

-tomos (August 04, 2013, 09:15 AM)

I just checked again for the current Passat. US version at vw.com gets 22 mpg vs the Passat at the German site getting 57.4 mpg.

2945

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 07:39 AM »

This is cute!

2946

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 07:35 AM »

"Memory" by Lovecraft would make a wonderful short film. I don't know why nobody has ever seized on that as it's one of his most beautiful works.

2947

Living Room / Re: New software obfuscation method - possible end to need for SW patents?

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 07:00 AM »

"You write your software in a nice, reasonable, human-understandable way and then feed that software to our system," Sahai said. "It will output this mathematically transformed piece of software that would be equivalent in functionality, but when you look at it, you would have no idea what it's doing."

-xtabber (August 04, 2013, 06:23 AM)

Obfuscation is the lowest form of software protection. It's akin to the kind of cipher that you used to solve in grade 2 with simple letter substitution.

If the system works, this just means that the code is not retrievable from the program itself, but, the computer must still be able to follow the instructions in the code, or the program won't be of much use.  That means that the functionality of an "obfuscated" program can still be recreated by capturing what it does when it is executed or interpreted.

A bigger speed bump perhaps, but still just a speed bump.

-xtabber (August 04, 2013, 06:23 AM)

It sounds like you're asking about the dumping problem for decrypted code. Is that right?

2948

Living Room / Re: The Free Videos Thread

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 05:42 AM »

Here's a massive archive of around 600 videos submitted to an online film contest.

CAUTION - There's a lot of conspiracy history stuff in there, so might not be fun for some people.

http://www.infowars.com/paulrevere/

2949

Living Room / Re: Facebook 15 second auto-play ads

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 02:27 AM »

YouTube has been doing this for a long time, but they turn the audio off. There's nothing worse than pumped up obnoxious volume suddenly blaring.

Coincidentally, yesterday I was thinking about creating a "World's most annoying web page" and blaring audio was a cornerstone of my imagined design.

2950

Living Room / Re: August 4th is 1984 Day!

« Last post by Renegade on August 04, 2013, 01:35 AM »

Dear Big Brother,

By "Cheerios" do you mean "Soma"? And are you having an identity crisis? Please forward the EMP and schematics on to me and I will assist you to the best of my Alpha ability in remedying your temporary condition.

Faithfully yours,

Renegade