Comment Re:The threat is way overblown... (Score 1) 290
I often remark how it feels exactly like being on welfare.
Comment Re:The threat is way overblown... (Score 2) 290
This, out of the 30 something federal workers I work with 1 will be furloughed. I guess you could call us mission critical, we work on an airfield that supports 0 aircraft.
I would lowball half of federal workers could be eliminated with 0 consequences to the government (probably more like 80%).
Comment Re:Meet the new boss, same as the old boss (Score 2, Funny) 646
I agree with you. The erosion of freedom in this country is disgusting, but the federales have been illegally monitoring for some time now. This legislation will help them feel much better about themselves.
Isn't that what really matters?
Comment Meet the new boss, same as the old boss (Score 4, Insightful) 646
At least they are trying to make it legal. I'm sure the TURRISTS won't just use standalone encryption.
Comment NOAAport for weather data (Score 1) 386
If you have an interest in weather it's fairly easy and cheap to start receiving NOAAport broadcasts (which include model data, satellite imagery, radar data, surface observations, etc). Most of the data is going to be overkill if you aren't a meteorologist though.
http://www.geo-web.org.uk/noaaport.pdf
Comment Re:Not this again... (Score 1) 861
I was worried for a second, had to check my sabnzbd backup folder to make sure I got this from usenet.
Comment Re:Some of us were waaaaay ahead it seems. (Score 2, Informative) 502
I still have basic cable but rarely use it. Most shows I'd like to watch are posted to usenet within 30 minutes of airing.
Automatic feeds to download what I like in 720p. Don't feel too bad about it since I keep basic for cnbc.
Comment Was already slow enough during business hours (Score 1) 96
I work in a mission critical (yeah, not really so much, it's weather) field on an Army post. The network is already pretty much unusable during the 7am, noon, and 3pm rushes without youtube.
Luckily being associated with spoiled chil.. pilots we have a non-government cable drop in the office.
Comment Re:Government protest? (Score 5, Funny) 178
It's a similar procedure, but when you go down to the local public security bureau with your letter of guarantee they shoot you in the head and harvest your organs.
Comment Burn baby burn (Score 1) 464
Just set the pile on fire to spite all crybabies. Then point to this thread when little johnny the orphan asks for new socks.
Revisiting the "Holy Trinity" of MMORPG Classes 362
A feature at Gamasutra examines one of the foundations of many MMORPGs — the idea that class roles within such a game fall into three basic categories: tank, healer, and damage dealer. The article evaluates the pros and cons of such an arrangement and takes a look at some alternatives.
"Eliminating specialized roles means that we do away with boxing a class into a single role. Without Tanks, each class would have features that would help them participate in and survive many different encounters like heavy armor, strong avoidance, or some class or magical abilities that allow them to disengage from direct combat. Without specialized DPS, all classes should be able to do damage in order to defeat enemies. Some classes might specialize in damage type, like area of effect (AoE) damage; others might be able to exploit enemy weaknesses, and some might just be good at swinging a sharpened bit of metal in the right direction at a rapid rate. This design isn't just about having each class able to fill any trinity role. MMO combat would feel more dynamic in this system. Every player would have to react to combat events and defend against attacks."
Comment Re:About time (Score 5, Insightful) 261
So cutting 2% of their income vs freeing up 30% of server resources equates to a loss of profit now huh? I wonder what happens when all those farmers just make new accounts.
I guess you weren't around when they were spending tons of money on new hardware/pissing off the playerbase removing bookmarks/anchored containers to reduce database load.
Comment About time (Score 2, Insightful) 261
They shouldn't pat themselves on the back too hard over this. The playerbase has been pushing for it for years.
Comment Re:Check Out PlanetSide (Score 1) 89
Planetside is an awesome game but it's really really old now, also full of cheaters (client side hit detection/cone of fire is an awesome idea c/d).
WTB Planetside2 without SoE.
US, Russia Reach Nuclear Arsenal Agreement 413
Peace Corps Library writes "The United States and Russia, seeking to move forward on one of the most significant arms control treaties since the end of the cold war, announced that they had reached a preliminary agreement on cutting each country's stockpiles of strategic nuclear weapons, effectively setting the stage for a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start), a cold war-era pact that expires in December. Under the framework, negotiators are to be instructed to craft a treaty that would cut strategic warheads for each side to between 1,500 and 1,675, down from the limit of 2,200 slated to take effect in 2012 under the Treaty of Moscow (PDF) signed by President George W. Bush. The limit on delivery vehicles would be cut to between 500 and 1,100 from the 1,600 currently allowed under Start. Perhaps more important than the specific limits would be a revised and extended verification system that otherwise would expire with Start in December. The United States currently has 1,198 land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-based missiles and bombers, which together are capable of delivering 5,576 warheads, according to its most recent Start report in January, while Russia reported that it has 816 delivery vehicles capable of delivering 3,909 warheads. 'We have a mutual interest in protecting both of our populations from the kinds of danger that weapons proliferation is presenting today,' said President Obama."
