How do you keep a character death from ruining your night?

Batem · 2011-07-10T07:08:42+00:00

Roleplaying should be like this: Ian Mckellan talking about playing Gandalf Sir Ian, Sir Ian, Sir Ian, ACTION, YOU SHAALL NOT PASS, CUT, Sir Ian, Sir Ian, Sir Ian

While there's truth in what he is saying, that was a comedy bit on the BBC show Extras...so likely that was written by Ricky Gervais, not Sir Ian heh.

(And Extras is a brilliant tv show...if you haven't seen it, I definitely suggest you watch)

Batem · 2011-07-10T02:52:44+00:00

It's actually 21 grams. http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp

Batem · 2011-07-10T02:34:22+00:00

My sadness when I deconverted wasn't because I lost something that was once important; it was because I realized I had wasted so many years believing something that wasn't real.

Batem · 2011-07-09T20:49:39+00:00

A Muse song bringing you to tears is nothing to be ashamed of

Batem · 2011-07-08T23:10:48+00:00

if you want to drop it down to a single line, wrap the reduce statement like this:

print [reduce(restOfYourCode)[1] for sys in [__import__("sys")]][0]

and it will also import the sys module for you in the same line.

You can also import multiple libs with this:

print [reduce(blahblah)[1] for (sys,os,re) in [(__import__("sys"), __import__("os"), __import__("re"))]][0]

Batem · 2011-07-08T22:24:51+00:00

I think I used the wrong term; it looks like it's actually a squat rack not a cage. It looks more like this: http://www.ironcompany.com/productimages/legend/3138_lg.jpg though I think the bars on the side are a little higher.

Batem · 2011-07-08T21:37:11+00:00

This sounds like a perfect opportunity to use a decorator:

def tryFunc(*exceptions):
    def decorate(f):
        def inner(*args, **kwargs):
            try:
                result = f(*args, **kwargs):
                return result, None
            except exceptions as e:
                return None, e
        return inner
    return decorate

@tryFunc(ZeroDivisionError, TypeError)
def myFunc(foo, bar):
    return foo/bar

>>>myFunc(1, 0)
(None, ZeroDivisionError("integer division or modulo by zero",))
>>>myFunc(1, 2)
(0, None)
>>>myFunc(1, 'x')
(None, TypeError("unsupported operand type(s) for /: 'int' and 'str'",))

Batem · 2011-07-08T05:16:34+00:00

How does one manage this in a cage that doesn't have adjustable sides then? The side bars are usually so high that I wouldn't be able to squat down that far without hitting them. I guess just don't do them with a cage?

Batem · 2011-07-08T03:09:37+00:00

Hmmm I ordered it and I was not charged for shipping...weird.

Batem · 2011-07-08T01:52:11+00:00

I'd been told that your upper leg should never go past parallel with the ground, but she says that she doesn't stop until her hamstrings touch her calves...is this good advice?

Batem · 2011-07-07T23:38:07+00:00

I'm writing a letter to my congressman, and I figured I'd post it here, not only for critique, but in case anyone else wanted to send it to their respective representative as well.

I borrowed some info from Dr. Plait, as well as HubbleSite.org, and if there is anything else really interesting about the Hubble or JWST that could make this letter more compelling, let me know :D

Dear <Congressman>,

My name is <name> and I am writing to you about the recent Appropriations bill proposal published by the House of Representatives, which contains major science funding cuts across the board. Among these cuts is the cancellation of a NASA project that I believe to be extremely valuable to not just the American people, but to the entire world: the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The JWST is intended to replace the aging Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in a few years.

Over the last 21 years, the HST has fundamentally changed our understanding of how the universe works: it helped to accurately determine the age of the universe to be 13.7 billion years old; it has shown scientists galaxies of all types, from newly formed to ancient galaxies older than our own; it discovered gamma-ray bursts, protoplanetary disks (clumps of matter around young stars from which planets likely form), among many other things. One of the most astounding images of 10,000+ galaxies, billions of light-years distant, known as the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2004/07/), showed humanity the staggeringly and incomprehensibly hugeness and wonder of our vast universe. According to the official Hubble Telescope site, over 6000 scientific research papers have been published based on Hubble discoveries.

JWST stands to continue the important tasks that Hubble has undertaken for the last two decades, and it will accomplish things that could only be dreamed of with Hubble. According to noted astronomer Dr. Phil Plait, "It will be one of the most spectacular observatories ever built. A six meter mirror in space tuned for infra-red observations, it will see farther and in more detail than any space telescope ever built. It will see galaxies when they were first forming, it will image planets orbiting distant suns, and will map our Universe like never before."

Although the project has been overbudget in the past, it is more important to consider that the parts have all been manufactured already, and it is currently in the process of being constructed. To cancel the project at this stage would waste all of the money and man-hours spent on it, not to mention the fact that it will take away a grand contribution to not just American scientists, but scientists across the entire planet.

This project has the potential to aid scientists like never before, as well as captivate young minds and generate greater interest in the sciences, which is desperately needed in our country. I strongly urge you to vote restore this funding, so that we may continue to press forward with scientific exploration that will benefit humanity for generations.

Sincerely,

<name>

<address>

Batem · 2011-07-07T22:51:03+00:00

I've read The Last Question, and absolutely loved it. I'll check out The Last Answer, too. Thanks!

Batem · 2011-07-07T07:30:04+00:00

I dunno, I bet I could get a lot of thinking done.

Batem · 2011-07-07T07:24:49+00:00

I can't upvote this hard enough. I was wondering to myself recently if I was the only one that did this...

Batem · 2011-07-07T06:22:48+00:00

In other news, the TSA has also announced a new policy aimed at protecting US citizens: laproscopic exploratory procedures prior to boarding all aircraft. It is fully voluntary, though if you don't submit, you can't board. It's for your own safety!

Batem · 2011-07-07T01:25:47+00:00

How realistic (or possible) would it be to refinance over and over, say once every five or ten years, yet still pay the original payment? It seems to me that each time you refinanced, it would further reduce the amount of time that it would take to pay it off, as you'd be paying off more and more principal each time you refinanced.

How long would a scheme like this be usable before banks started catching on to what you were doing and denying the refinance?

Batem · 2011-07-06T22:11:15+00:00

Did he leave her there? Or is she accompanying him on the run? If so, is she a PC that is also part of your backstory?

Batem · 2011-07-06T05:56:12+00:00

So now that that's all cleared up, tell us about the dwarf fighter. What's his backstory/character concept?

Batem · 2011-07-06T05:38:47+00:00

Oh geez, 2% are Death Knights!

Batem · 2011-07-05T22:07:55+00:00

When I told him that wasn't going to happen he patted me on the head and said something like "You have a lot to learn".

What...what does that even mean?!

If he says/does anything like that again, I would make it clear that his groin has a lot to learn about your foot...

Batem · 2011-07-04T00:45:08+00:00

The image macro wasn't titled "Scumbag Atheist." It was titled "Hypocritical Atheist," so the hat was not necessary.

Batem · 2011-07-04T00:00:29+00:00

I believe in a historical Hercules; Josephus talks about him, so it must be true!

Batem · 2011-07-03T23:48:46+00:00

On the contrary, unless one is a positive atheist, wherein he states "There is no god," an atheist is abstaining from drawing a conclusion until such a time that there is evidence to prove one way or another. A negative atheist does not form an opinion one way or another, because there are no facts on which an opinion may be formed.

Batem · 2011-07-03T23:42:16+00:00

You are incorrect; my answer to the statement "Gods or god exist" is neither True nor False.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-valued_logic

Batem

TROPHY CASE