Stuff I like: Frozen Synapse

Words can just barely describe how much I enjoy this game.

Multiplayer strategy game. Five-second increments. Random (Procedural?) map generation. Easily accessible. Simple, utilitarian user interface. This is Frozen Synapse.

Man, do I suck at this game. It's all sorts of neat and interesting, though- rockets, shotguns, machine-gunners. Snipers, too, though I haven't seen many of those available to me. The entire game is very much a predict-what-your-enemy-will-do affair, but they're practicing the same voodoo brainmagic that you are. With several different game modes and a new map every single time you pick the game up and play, it's a pretty slick apparatus for unfreezing your synapses.

I grabbed it while it was on a Steam sale the other day for a measly $3.74. Worth every unspent penny, for sure.

Low-Content: Gentlemanly Attire

Click for larger, higher-resolution version. Courtesy of Art of Manliness

Click for larger, higher-resolution version. Courtesy of Art of Manliness.

Two rather-important things for the gentleman to know these days: how to dress and how to dress.

Of Interest: Evil Week; Related: More Laptops!

[ http://lifehacker.com/evil-week/ ]

Goodness, gracious. All sorts of slightly disturbing lifehacks- but things that are important.

I'm particularly interested in [ this ] article about bypassing OS X security- because if the guide's online and I could do it- there are many people out there who could do it (and do it better).

Related: After much deliberation (and frustration when dealing with certain software that my machine struggles to keep up with), I'm looking at new workstation-class laptops.

Particularly of interest are the Lenovo W520 and Macbook Pro 15 (or 17). I'm still wary of Apple after they decided to revoke access to about $80 of iTunes purchases, but everyone I've asked about their MBPs is absolutely pleased with their laptop - sometimes fanatically so.

I'm also wondering about relevance to the current age of graphics and gaming and processing- I work with Computer-Assisted Design software like Dassault Système's SolidWorks. When I try to render anything complex on my T400 (an excellent laptop in its own right), the lag and application hangs are barely tolerable.

I can't really justify dropping ~$2,000 on a laptop that I'm only going to use for a few years, though, so I'm trying to look ahead. If I buy one of these high-end machines right after Christmas sales, I'll probably get an excellent discount.

I'm not really sure if you can compare the Quadro 2000M (NVIDIA)  and the Radeon HD 6770M (ATI/AMD), though. Both come with high-end Intel quadcore processors (i7-something). 1920x1080 resolution on a (preferably matte) 15"+ screen is required. I cannot abide small screens.

Iunno. I'm still looking around, I guess.

Crosspost: 1984 Propaganda

Recently threw these together. 1984 is a pretty well-written book about a dystopian future (that has already been realized) . Check this post out over on visceralnadir, my artblog.

Stuff I like: "Physics simulators"

In my case, this is just a fancy name for "powder games".

Check out Powder Game. Simple design, simple simulation, easy for first-time users.
Then take a gander at The Powder Toy. The newer versions are much more complex and offer many options not seen elsewhere (in such a package, anyway). Inside are the normal powder staples- explosives, liquids, plants, virii, and the like- but it also introduces special sorts of walls and electricity. It is, in fact, capable of simulating a nuclear reactor, should you have the ingenuity to build one safely. Bonus points if you don't use "Wall".

I'd recommend the Powder Game for those not interested in installing anything (or navigating a more complex interface), and The Powder Toy for anyone who likes to tinker with physics sims.

Low-Content: Nicki Minaj, et. al.

Nicki Minaj is another one of those artists I like (and can't exactly place why). Her music videos set the interest in stone. Be warned, this is all the "atrocious pop music" that all the hipsters make fun of.

Of Interest: The Collapse of the American Dream

Explained in animation! An excellent watch.

The rundown:

Money = Debt

The Federal Reserve isn't actually part of the government.

We do best with money backed by actual capital - gold, for instance.

The IRS and FED appear to be synergistic in nature.

The FED orders the US Mint to print money.

The FED loans this money out to other banks at interest.

(Note that there isn't a requirement for more gold/capital to exist)

The loans go to borrowers at higher interest.

The loans get paid back (one way or another).

The money then goes to the owners of the banks.

---

The animation has a lot of history written into it, and a bit of conspiracy theory, too.

In short, one of the most striking points for me was something said by Jefferson -

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their  currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks…will deprive the people of  all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."  

I'm concerned about this nation's well-being.

Notes on pending network expansion:

Just some ideas about what's to come:

- Do-it-yourself electronics, rants, and raves.
- Exotic Virology
- Fashion (most likely of the feminine variety)

...and if you'd like to join, just send me a message.

Benefits of joining include:

- Superbly-equipped co-workers
- Cross-promotion opportunities
- Social media plugs on your behalf

...and more important things, like:

- Instant wish fulfillment
- Regular Caribbean cruises
- Your own PET DRAGON.

Admittedly, those last three are a complete falsehood.

But the "what's to come" and employee benefits- those are all real.

Let me know what you think!

Stuff I like: L4D(2)

You (and three others) are a survivor during a rampant infestation of violent zombies. Their numbers are significantly greater than yours, many have superhuman talents, and the fight to survive will be a difficult one.

This is a game that I enjoy but cannot play well (much like every other FPS), and it makes for entertaining multiplayer. To illustrate:

SPANG.