I am not satisified with the current mods for the Source engine. Not one that I have seen can provide me with a decent Grappling Hook (or Ninja Rope). So, I have decided to spur things along by offering a 'Bounty' of real money. I think US$100 should be enough to get things moving.

The first person to demonstrate a working and reasonably bug-free mod (pre-existing or made from scratch, no new media is necessary) for the Source Engine that meets the following criteria will be awarded the money by paypal (international) or bank deposit (for Australians).


So. the criteria are as follows:

* Must be toggleable between Disabled, Off-hand (ie usable while another weapon is active), and as a weapon. (via server cvar)
* Launch speed of hook must be controllable via server cvar
* Hook trajectory should be affected by gravity
* Rate of retraction and extension must be controllable via server cvar
* Damage of hook (impact and drain) must be controllable via server cvar
* Player-hooking must be toggleable via server cvar
* Skybox-hooking must be toggleable via server cvar
* Control system:
Press +hook_launch to launch hook.
Releasing +hook_launch before the hook engages cancels the hook projectile.
After engaging, rope retracts as long as +hook_launch is still held.
After +hook_launch is released, rope length remains constant.
Rope shortens while +hook_retract is pressed, rope lengthens when +hook_extend is pressed.
Pressing +hook_launch again while the hook is engaged cancels the hook.
* Rope minimum length should be about half player height.
* Hook and NPC interaction: must not instantly kill NPCs unless hook impact damage is set higher than NPC health. Hook must stay connected after NPC dies and goes to ragdoll mode. (live NPCs in Source can't be moved by phys objects, sadly...)
* Hook must "weld" to phys objects, doors, platforms, other players etc. Must move with any object it is welded to.
* Hook must affect objects that take physics input.
* Hook must NOT pull players in a simple straight line (must avoid classic CTF grapple behaviour) -- IMPORTANT
* Hook must be able to utilize "energy" system - ie hooks can not be used indefinetely when energy draining is enabled.
* Hook energy drain rate must be controllable via server cvar.
* Rope should be elastic enough to prevent jerking and 'spazzing' on moderately laggy servers.
* Falling damage cap / modifier must be controllable via server cvar
* Hook mod must be usable in multiplayer AND singleplayer
* Code for this hook mod must be made public, to be shared with the entire modding community.


I don't think this is too difficult for any sufficiently motivated coder.
If I have left anything too ambigious or unclear, please let me know and I'll correct it.

Huzzah! I have successfully managed to use Network Booting (PXE) to install Red Hat from a working XP pc. I'll record the details here for future reference.

Firstly, a few links:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/philippe.jounin/tftpd32.html - Essential program! http://www.deadsquid.com/~longman/index.php?p=36 - His situation was very similiar, and provided many helpful links.
http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php - Ignore all the jargon, all I needed was the pxelinux.0 file.
http://www.linux-mag.com/2002-10/netbooting_01.html - Some handy reference info.
http://linux.duke.edu/doc/pxe-Quick-Start.ptml - Some more handy info, but intended for specific users.

So anyway. On the XP computer, I downloaded the Fedora Core 4 DVD iso, copied the files from \images\pxeboot\ (from the .iso) and pxelinux.0 (from SYSLinux) to folder 'boot' under the tfptd32 working directory, created an empty file tfptd32.ini in the same dir as the exe, then ran Tfptd32.exe.
Set the base directory to the working dir of tfptd32, filled in the other dhcp info, pointed "Base file" to boot/pxelinux.0. Ticked "PXE compatability", "Translate UNIX names" and "Allow / as virtual root".
Set up a basic FTP server (I used the TypSoft FTPServer) serving the FC4 iso (mounted, of course) to anonymous users.
Enabled PXE on the target pc, and put it before the HD in the boot order. Started the target pc, and proceeded to install Redhat FC4.


Sounds too easy now... I've probably missed something. There's so much bullshit out there about network booting, made me think it was hard (I can hardly use make or compile stuff :( )

Fedora looks nice, though. Maybe it could go on the family PC...

I am not satisified with the current mods for the Source engine. Not one that I have seen can provide me with a decent Grappling Hook (or Ninja Rope). So, I have decided to spur things along by offering a 'Bounty' of real money. I think US$100 should be enough to get things moving.

The first person to demonstrate a working and reasonably bug-free mod (pre-existing or made from scratch, no new media is necessary) for the Source Engine that meets the following criteria will be awarded the money by paypal (international) or bank deposit (for Australians).


So. the criteria are as follows:

* Must be toggleable between Disabled, Off-hand (ie usable while another weapon is active), and as a weapon. (via server cvar)
* Speed of hook must be controllable via server cvar
* Rate of retraction and extension must be controllable via server cvar
* Damage of hook (impact and drain) must be controllable via server cvar
* Player-hooking must be toggleable via server cvar
* Skybox-hooking must be toggleable via server cvar
* Control system:
Press +hook_launch to launch hook.
Releasing +hook_launch before the hook engages cancels the hook projectile.
After engaging, rope retracts as long as +hook_launch is still held.
After +hook_launch is released, rope length remains constant.
Rope shortens while +hook_retract is pressed, rope lengthens when +hook_extend is pressed.
Pressing +hook_launch again while the hook is engaged cancels the hook.
* Rope minimum length should be about half player height.
* Hook and NPC interaction: must not instantly kill NPCs unless hook impact damage is set higher than NPC health. Hook must stay connected after NPC dies and goes to ragdoll mode. (live NPCs in Source can't be moved by phys objects, sadly...)
* Hook must "weld" to phys objects, doors, platforms, other players etc. Must move with any object it is welded to.
* Hook must affect objects that take physics input.
* Hook must NOT pull players in a simple straight line (must avoid classic CTF grapple behaviour) -- IMPORTANT
* Hook must be able to utilize "energy" system - ie hooks can not be used indefinetely when energy draining is enabled.
* Hook energy drain rate must be controllable via server cvar.
* Rope should be elastic enough to prevent jerking and 'spazzing' on moderately laggy servers.
* Falling damage cap / modifier must be controllable via server cvar
* Hook mod must be usable in multiplayer AND singleplayer
* Code for this hook mod must be made public, to be shared with the entire modding community.


I don't think this is too difficult for any sufficiently motivated coder.
If I have left anything too ambigious or unclear, please let me know and I'll correct it.

(inspired by this comment.).

If a device were created that could take common raw materials and transform them into almost any object (given a physical example to work from), what would become of the manufacturing industry? Would they fight tooth and nail to have it outlawed, ignoring the benefits it could bring? Such a scenario seems more and more likely to me as time goes on, it appears corporations in the Western world only grow in power, greed and short-sightedness. (Not that they are unique in that regard, but they are very good at it.)

It is all too easy to imagine a world where the USA outlaws such machines and the products produced by them, while nations such as India, Africa, Russia and China embrace the technology and vastly improve the quality of life for their citizens. All in the name of Capitalism. (in fact, I doubt it would be a complete ban: the government would see far too much gain from allowing the police and military to replicate weapons and vehicles, while denying civilian access to the technology in the name of the War on Terror. I would bet real money on some conservative crying out "But think how many terrorist bombs could be made with these devices! We cannot allow such anti-American acts!" to thunderous applause.)

Do you agree? How else might things progress after such a radical invention is created?

Im Se Ri Ou S, Is Nt Th Is Gi Vi Ng Yo Ua He Ad Ac He?

Ij Us Tf Ou Nd It Wh Il Er An Dg Oo Gl In G.

On Ly Pr Ob Le Mi S, Im No Ts Ur Ew Et He Rt Ob Re Ak Up Th Et Wo Le Tt Er Bl Oc Ks Wh Er Et Th Er Ea Re Sp Ac Es... Th Ou Gh It Wo Ul D Ma Ke It Ea Si Er To Re Ad (As Th Es E La St Se Nt En Ce S De Mo Ns Tr At E).

Gah! a Slashdot user that uses Windows?! Heresy!

Anyway, I got this tip from PC Mechanic's "tip of the day" email (it's a decent tips newsletter, apart from all the ads)
Opening GPedit.msc from the Run dialog, selecting "Local Computer Policy" > "Administrative Templates" > "Network Branch" > "QoS Packet Scheduler" then "limit reservable bandwidth".
Enable it, then set the bandwidth-to-reserve setting to 0%. It says it's not enabled, but it's active by default. I don't think it affects incoming bandwidth, but on my 128kbps out connection, eMule went from 8kB/s max (before choking) to 9kB/s.
I know I should be getting around 12kB/s, it must be poor line quality (Speedtouch 510 wouldn't be the problem, would it?)

"There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or a corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute nor common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back, for their private benefit." - Robert Heinlein

Just thought I'd stick that in here, packrat instinct being what it is.

Personally, I reckon that Determinism is correct but there is no problem for Morality, in that from our perspective (within the predetermined system) there is no practical difference whether the system is fixed or is influenced by truly random events.
So the problem of Free Will is moot, as only observers outside the system (which we, by definition, could not reach) could discern the outcome.
Relatedly, quantum effects could just be the outcome of unknown interactions at unobservable levels. The whole question of randomness when dealing with vacuum fluctuations and the Casimir effect, could be due to particles cris-crossing our slice of a higher-dimension universe, and thus determinable with the appropriate information on their behaviour (from outside the system, of course).

On a rather more fantastical note (but sadly incompatible with the previous paragraphs), I think my notion of time travel (however it is accomplished) presents an interesting scenario. It depends on the branching version of the Parrallel Universes theory (coincidentally the same one which would allow Quantum Immortality..), and allowing energy transfer between said universes. Put as simply as I can, it would involve the mass being sent back in time transferring its equivalent energy and information to a universe earlier along the same 'branch', splitting it off at that instant. Since the mass could no longer access the exact branch it came from, the Grandfather paradox (and friends) are eliminated.


Can you tell I've been reading Wikipedia? :)

Eh. 1) This story was rejected a while ago, doesn't seem like anyone else has succesfully submitted it, so I'll post it here for kicks. 2) There's no "Science" category for the journal topic. 3) It would be nice to have a reason code for rejected submissions, such as 'Reason #14: Boring' or 'Reason #23: Not suited for Slashdot'.

Michael Longo, a physicist at the University of Michigan, suggests that a satellite going around the Earth can change its orbit by proper gymnastic alteration of its shape, without the need for any external force other than gravity. This proposition has been previously made by invoking the properties of curved spacetime at the heart of general relativity which predicted a very tiny effect (Science, 28 February and 21 March 2003), but Longo shows that Newtonian physics predicts a much larger effect.

Consider, he says, a dumbbell in Earth orbit. The outer mass feels slightly less gravity than the inner mass. If the masses are pulled together the differential force on the separate masses will cause the center-of-mass of the dumbbell to move inward slightly. How slightly? For a 100-meter-sized dumbbell in a highly elliptical orbit, the object's perigee (the point of closest approach to Earth) can move inward 1 mm on each pass. In effect, the satellite could use solar energy or other stored energy to change its orbit, without the need for propellant. (Longo, American Journal of Physics, October 2004.)


This is where those words came from. They have a newsletter, it's nifty if you like this sort of thing.

This is the Michael Longo dude's paper on the subject, however the American Journal of Physics requires cold hard cash for the privilege of reading his words.

As I understand it, this allows acceleration without reaction (against other mass or energy). Where does the energy used for movement go? Does it react against the orbited partner? I'd like to see if tricky, counterintuitive things like this could be amplified to useful scales.

From BBC News:

"Heartbroken animal rescue worker Linda Mercer hugs this tiny puppy just before it had to be put to sleep after being kicked around by a group of youths.
A passer-by walking near Temple Park leisure centre, South Shields, rescued her when he saw her being thrown about.
He took the six to eight-week-old Labrador cross to St Francis Animal Rescue, in South Shields.
Vets found out she had suffered brain damage and been blinded and decided it was kindest to put her down.
The man took the puppy home where it kept falling over and would not eat and so on Monday he took her to St Francis Animal Rescue.
The puppy, who was called Maddy by animal rescue workers, was put on a drip and given injections but then started having fits every 10 minutes and vets advised the kindest thing would be to put her down.

'Learn lesson'

Ms Mercer, who has worked with St Francis Animal Rescue for 15 years, said she had been devastated by the incident.
She said: "It was the most dreadful thing I have seen in all my rescue time, and I have seen some terrible things.
"This was a tiny baby that hadn't even had a life. It will stay with me for a long time.
"I want people to see what has been done. I would like to think someone will learn a lesson from this."
St Francis Animal Rescue was set up around 25 years ago and cares for and rehomes homeless animals and helps people in the community by offering a neutering service, to reduce the number of unwanted animals.
It is run by volunteers and relies on donations.
Northumbria Police said they were trying to find out what happened to the dog and were making inquiries in the park.
They are appealing for anyone with information and the puppy's owner to contact them."

That is the kind of shit that really gets my back up - the picture is just so depressing.
I'd love to tear those fucks apart, but it's frustrating knowing that I can't and they'll probably never be caught.

For the record, "NORMALCY" IS NOT A FUCKING WORD! IT IS "NORMALITY"!

That is all, thankyou.

This is for all the peeps who've had the same trouble as me, who know how to use Google, and are bloody fed up with people that don't post HOW THEY GOT IT WORKING after they start threads like "xp is teh brok0red, help me!!!!!!!".

Anyway, basically I run XP Pro on an Intel mobo (D845PESV). (Keep in mind this is a gaming pooter, Linux has no place on it :). I have five harddrives and a DVD-RW, 2 of the hd's run off a 3ware 7000. The problem was that after installing the Intel Inf utility and the latest Application Accelerator, XP conveniently decides to drop the secondary IDE channel and would have nothing to do with reinstalling it properly.

So I set off onto the intarweb, and stumble through the rambling forums which may or may not contain relevant information. After a while, at the end of one of the posts, I find someone mentioning Daemon Tools (which I don't have, I use Alcohol 120%). So I uninstall that, restart, then lo and behold XP "finds" the IDE channel again. After that, checking all is well, I gingerly reinstall Alcohol, and it fucking works fine.

So you know what? Fuck Intel. I'm getting an AMD next time.

Preface: I am a talentless git.

Something that has recently reccured to me, is that there are very few 3D engines that can represent things like the Good Doctor's telephone booth / living quarters / transportation device, that was bigger on the inside than the outside. As in seamlessly joining two disparate and overlapping physical spaces while simultaneously keeping them seperate (whew!).

I suppose this is where I try to explain myself... From a map-maker's point of view, it would require making at least two arbitrary areas (like the inside and the outside of the phonebooth) as distinctly seperate areas, then joining them with a portal.
The render engine would have to give special consideration to this portal, so that lightmaps and entities etc transition seamlessly between the two joined areas.
This is obviously an enormous complication, putting a burden on any visibility / ranged detection algorithms to take the areas adjoined by the portals into account. It becomes even more devious when the portals are odd shapes, at different angles, or have direct line-of-sight to each other. So it's easy to see why this sort of feature is so rare.

On the other hand, imagine how much this would completely pwn minds. Geometry that would weird out H.P. Lovecraft becomes possible... Mile-long corridors that can be walked around in moments! Rooms that have doors that open into the same room! Truly bottomless pits! Matrix Reloaded-style doors that change destinations depending on how they're opened! The Tardis! Monsters that swallow players whole, making them fight their way through the innards! Doors that you come out of upside-down! Gardens that exist independently for each character that enters! One closet for hundreds of rooms!
Now if that doesn't interest you, you are dead inside.

Here in Australia, new release games (pc/console) are usually $100, when they're US$55 RRP.
Go to a currency site like xe.com and you'll find that we're being ripped off $20.
I for one, am not qoing to buy any games more than $80, no matter how good they may be (I'm looking squarely at you, Valve and iD)

#9687280

This is where I got my latest .sig:
It would be cool if my remote control had a moot button... But what would it do?
I guess it would be pointless, really.

Props to DrunkenTerror for that little nugget. It tickled me in just the right way.