Scientists Create Synthetic Cell

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Link

I am awestruck.

Quote:

There are still a few tricks to work out, such as how the original ancestor cells successfully split in two without spilling their precious genetic cargo – but come on.  These guys just replicated what took a planet and millions of years in a couple of terms with less than ten dollars of glassware.  Awe and wonder are deeply subjective quantities, but I can say for a fact: if you are not impressed by this work, you are wrong.

Rhythm Game Radio

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http://www.radioio.com/channels/guitar-heroes

From the site:

If you play a plastic guitar connected to your TV, you’ll love this innovative station that plays songs featured in popular video games, by the likes of Metallica, Rush, Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses and Kiss. Tune in and turn into a guitar hero!

Prince Caspian

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Saw it last night.  Read the book a while back.   There are quite a few liberties taken here, certainly the castle raid.  The last battle was about 1 page in the book and last 15 minutes in the movie.  A lot of the religious allegory is missing to the point where the message seems to be “only kids can believe in God”.  Makes it sound like the tooth fairy.  I guess the older you get the easier it is to notice such things, which is sort of the point.

To go off track for a minute, why do religious groups have trouble with The Golden Compass and not this?  Amazing.

Is it good?  Yup, it’s a 3 star movie.  The BBC version is better though and that’s a TV show!

Oh, forgot to add; Tuesdays at my cinema are horrid.  The moved the automated ticket machines around, half are broken so there’s lines of 40 people waiting to use one machine.  Redonkculous.

Clean Up!

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Finally a free weekend!  Well, free is a limited word in this case.  The GF and I, along with the mother-in-law (suppose), we tore up the garden-ish area in the backyard.  Took down most of a tree too.  Started near 9am, finished near 4.

A truck full of trees/shrubs and 8 bags for the curb.  To say I am exhausted is an understatement.

Final result, move flowers, no rhubarb, tomatoe and beans are planted.  Been trying to get this done for years, so glad it’s done.  No for some sleep…

Age of Conan

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Ok, it took about 3 hours to get everything up and running but the box has sound and wifi!  Finally got a bit of AoC in there and I am pleasantly surprised.  Meeting with Valeria in the first bit was a nice touch.  The graphics are something else, very vivid and clean.  Now granted, I only have WoW to compare to so it’s definitely a step up.

Downside is the leveling scheme.  I’m only 14 but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to acquired skills per level.  Sometimes I’ll get 2, other times I’ll go 3 levels without anything.  Also, I think combat casting is broken.  I put in 80 pts a long time ago and haven’t been interupted since (6 levels ago), yet there’s more than 60pts that I can now put in.  Seems odd.  Also, glass canon is the word for a Demonologist.  It would appear every class can take multiple enemies (the goal of the game from what I see) with some effort.  I cannot take 2 even level characters at once, the damage is simply too low.  I need to find a new angle!

Oh, and the Beerfestival this weekend was a blast.  Glad everyone was able to make it!  Pics inc.

Posted in AoC

Box is Up and Running

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Took about an hour to get it all together.  I’ll have some pictures up later.  With a chassis fan, cooling fan, CPU fan and Video card fan, the box makes a ‘wooshing’ sound as the air leaves.  Cold air as well!  I’ve reduced the speed on the chassis fan and will most likely replace it with a silent one.  It’s the only one running on a dry bearing – meaning when I stop that fan, all I hear is air, when it runs, I can hear a slight hum.

Also, oddly, there isn’t integrated wifi on the board.  Didn’t realize this wasn’t a standard, especially at the price range!  So that means, I’m going shopping I guess.

End Game Raiding

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As infrequent as possible, I post World of Warcraft related items. This one is a doozy.

Context:

  • The ‘Death’ figures are Warlocks.
  • The Water Coolers are Mages (as Water is how classes regain spell casting power and Mages are the #1 source)
  • The robots are Priests (aka Heal-Bots).
  • The drunkards are paladins.  They are an all around use class with no use.
  • The snipers are Hunters.  The /AFK item means away from keyboard, where players can just let their characters auto-attack for crazy damage
  • The tank is the Warrior, designed to absorb as much damage as possible
  • The cat is a Druid, one of it’s shapeshifting forms.
  • The pirates are Rogues under the effect of Deviate Fish, which changes their physical appearance
  • The BOSS is covered with dots, signifying Damage Over Time spells

A nice picture/commentary about end game raiding.  Everyone has their designated slot and not a whole lot of room for movement.  I thought it was funny because I’ve been there.

Posted in WoW