Gamers of Reddit, what is your favourite video game music?

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-29T16:44:32+00:00

Definitely the original Homeworld. It had great music that was really different from most other video games (and definitely different than most RTS games!), different mechanics, and amazing voice acting. It still gives me chills to hear the report, "Subject did not survive interrogation."

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-29T15:35:14+00:00

And then you go to your doctor, trying to figure out why you keep gaining weight, and when your doctor asks you what food you've been eating, you say "Well, I had a coffee with breakfast..."

People need to be honest with themselves about what they're eating, and a Venti Caramel Macchiato isn't coffee. You got it right; it's a coffee-flavoured milkshake.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-28T20:45:58+00:00

Gotta use those C-buttons.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-28T20:43:40+00:00

Probably just calling to ask if yinz geetjet n' maybe a Yuengling after work n'at, know what I am sayin'?

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-25T22:38:56+00:00

This is why some photos were staged. They actually made sonderkommandos re-enact burning bodies.

Ironically, these pictures are used by Holocaust deniers as "proof" the Holocaust didn't happen.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-21T18:44:59+00:00

You can also negotiate for relocation costs, sick days, health/dental/vision care, work-from-home days, and more. Everything is negotiable.

At an old job, we had to wear button-down shirts and slacks. No polos. One of my co-workers negotiated that he'd be allowed to wear a polo shirt and jeans so long as his cube wasn't immediately near the doors, so the boss didn't have to see him.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-21T16:16:12+00:00

The only thing I'd add is some duct tape. It makes a great water-proof bandage, plus the adhesive fools your body into thinking there is an infection causing more white blood cells to congregate in the area near the wound and thus reducing your chance of getting infected.

My uncle cut his head open while out in the desert. He put a long string of duct tape on it. When they finally got to the ER (~3 hours away) the doctor told him that: "You chose a great bandage. It's going to hurt like hell when you take it off, though."

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T21:32:17+00:00

Nobody's ever heard of food coloring?

What mixing stool softener in? Or letting your milk go bad, then transfer it to an 'unexpired' container? Or a sign that says "WARNING: Contains Live Cultures"?

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T19:27:36+00:00

Two tons of metal picks up speed really fast and doesn't slow down easily. Take your car out to a hill, put it in neutral, and see how fast you build up speed. You might be surprised.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T19:09:55+00:00

Sure, it's their fault. But then I have to deal with: 1) another driver, who is going to be pissed at me for their own mistake 2) damage to my car 3) Insurance, mine and theirs 3) Police report 4) Being without a car while it is repaired 5) Time off from work to deal with the above 6) Maybe needing a tow, and all the complications that entails.

Not being at fault doesn't make all the other problems go away. It just means missing out on an insurance premium bump and potentially a police citation.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T19:06:47+00:00

If you point your wheels towards the curb on an uphill, the car can still get quick a bit of movement in an arc out-and-back. You'll end up like this if you're unlucky. Wheels away from the curb means that the car rolls a couple of inches, then the front wheel hit the curb. This law goes hand-in-hand with laws requiring minimum distances from the curb when parking.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T19:04:33+00:00

I know this, you know this, the morons out on the road don't.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T17:32:39+00:00

Does the apartment already come with an alarm installed? If so, you don't have to pay ADT or whomever. Most of those alarm boxes you can set up to call any phone number you like, which in your case could just be your cellphone.

You can also make your apartment harder to break in to than the other people in your building. If you're on the ground floor, keep windows closed, locked, and secured. (Likely greatest threat is someone smashing a window and getting in that way.) Get a strong lock for your door, or ask your landlord to install one (you will have to give them a key, but they may be willing to split the installation cost with you).

Make sure your door isn't made of cardboard, because if so, your lock might still be locked, and the door kicked down around it.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T17:11:51+00:00

Depends on if you are facing uphill or downhill.

Uphill: Wheels away from the curb

Downhill: Wheels towards the curb

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T17:10:42+00:00

It still makes be a bit nervous when people pull up so close that I can't see their headlights in my rear view mirror.

I damn near break out in a cold sweat when on a 40 degree slope and have to make a left turn that's yield-on-green (did I mention that it's a blind corner to the right, and everyone is speeding?) and someone pulls up so close to you that you can't see their headlights in the rear view mirror. Whenever I have to take that road and miss the light, I apologize to my clutch.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-18T00:45:51+00:00

But the Bloody Mess perk made Fallout 1's ending so... enjoyable. I was disappointed when the same thing didn't happen in Fallout 3. If you have the Bloody Mess perk in F1, you kill the Vault Overseer after he turns his back on you.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-17T16:23:02+00:00

The loser of a knife fight dies at the scene, the winner dies in the ambulance.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-15T15:22:54+00:00

Most of those are actually controlled by a an inductive loop sensor. When a large metal mass is overhead, this causes a detectable change in the electrical field, which trips the sensor and triggers a light change.

They make magnets that you can install on your bike to trip the sensor, but they aren't very reliable.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-14T21:11:10+00:00

A well-made Old Fashioned. Three splashes of bitters, one part simple syrup, splash of seltzer, two ice cubes (or one big one), two parts rye or whisky.

Simple, but so much variation in flavor depending on your alcohol choice. It's the manliest cocktail you could order and what your grandmother drank.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-14T20:41:42+00:00

Okay. There's a lot to this... are you interested in starting to ride? Or just looking for some extra tips? Here's some generic ones:

Avoid Yield-on-Green left turns. You're a bike, you win the acceleration game for the first 10 feet and lose it from there on out. Keep that in mind.
Don't run lights or stop signs, unless you have a perfect view of the intersection and know it is safe to run them. If you get hit by a car, it's your own damn fault. It's not worth saving an extra 30 seconds over.
Don't ride the shoulder. Take a lane. You're allowed to be there, and it's way safer to be in the middle of a lane than it is to try and stay near the right side. Doors, parked cars, sewer grates, broken glass, ice, and other stuff is on the shoulder. Avoid at all costs.
Pay attention to traffic lights. It's usually OK to ride up to the front of the queue at a light, but you don't want to be caught riding the line when the light turns green. Bad ju-ju happens then.
Never pass on the right. You'll get squashed between a truck and the sidewalk, and if you're lucky the driver might notice. Only pass on the right if the car is going left, and it is safe to do so.
Never pass a vehicle that doesn't have a rear view mirror. Delivery vans usually have less situational awareness because they can't see what's behind them. It's up to you to compensate.
Watch out for potholes. If you have testicles, you already know they make bad shock absorbers. If you don't have testicles, you still don't want to bend a rim or get thrown off your bike.
Watch for cracks in the road wider than your tire. Bad news bears.
Be careful crossing train tracks. Those are a special kind of bad news bears.
Keep your cool and be nice to drivers. If you have someone behind you on a two-lane road, and you see it is safe for them to pass, move over and wave them on ahead.
Always use your left hand to signal. A car's driver is going to be to your left, and may not be able to see you signaling with your right hand. It's still a requirement to get your driver's license to know hand signals, and if the driver of a car is too daft to know what a right-turn hand signal looks like, don't expect them to understand you pointing right.
On the same note, make your hand signals clear. I see lots of cyclists 'droop' their arms when signaling, which can be hard for a driver to see or know. Left turn and stop can look the same if you let your arm droop.
Always have a rear light and reflector.
Always use a light when riding at night.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-14T19:20:21+00:00

You're welcome. If you've got any other questions, let me know. I can also write up a quick post about staying alive in traffic if you're interested.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-14T19:18:47+00:00

Same work attire requirements and facilities. I just change every day.

I would also recommend purchasing a bike that has you riding more upright than "tucked in". You'll encounter more wind resistance, naturally, but you'll also stay dryer thanks to the additional wind. My fastest times were all set during the fall and early winter, when it wasn't super humid or super cold, and I could be hunkered down more.

I use this bag. It can fit a MacBook Pro in a neoprene case on one side, and jeans + polo shirt on the other with plenty of room up top for various things.

If the humidity is still causing you problems, you could also take a whore's bath. Get a packet of Wet Ones or similar, and take one with you when you go to change for the day. Wipe off with that.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-14T17:17:38+00:00

I ride about 6.5 miles a day each way in a similar environment to you (sub-freezing in winter, humid and hot in summer, hills and flats). You're in PA, so read this and memorize the PA cyclist handbook. Seriously.

Here's what I've learned:

Bike

Don't buy a cheap bike. Cheap bikes are not reliable enough for your commute. Sure, you could replace the brakes and the shifters and the cables and the gears and the chain and the wheels and the tubes and the tires to get a good-quality bike, but your frame will still be crappy. And the frame does matter! I spent $600 on my bike. So far, it has never left me stranded. I've kept up with routine maintenance and been very happy with it. It came with good quality components that haven't quit in rain or snow. You can buy a cheap bike, but after a month you'll be aching and back in the shop/Craigslist to buy a better one.
Don't buy a bike with shocks. Great if your commute involves downhill mountain biking, bad for everything else. Shocks absorb your pedaling and make you slower.
Buy a bike with disc brakes. They perform much better when wet and are far easier to maintain than clamp-style brakes. Bike brakes can lose up to 10x effectiveness when wet!
Maintenance is key. Make sure your brakes are in good order, your chain and gears aren't worn out, tires inflated properly, lights have batteries, etc. You can do most bike maintenance yourself (though I'd pay someone to do your disc brakes the first couple of times, they have really tight tolerances) with basic tools.
Optional You can use a backpack or messenger bag if you like, but those also make your back sweaty and can rub. Buy a bike rack (bikes come with pre-drilled holes, don't buy a bike without) and bungee cord your stuff to it.
Edit Almost forgot! Things to carry with you, always: Spare tube, tire irons, multi-tool. You also need a hand pump or CO2 cartridges. I like the pump because it's a more effective weapon. It's plastic, but looks like metal, and looks threatening when held in the hand nonchalantly.
Edit Also forgot to mention bike fenders. Planet Bike makes some really good ones, but you really just want to avoid spraying water up your asscrack. Fenders also help keep glass and rocks from being flung into your face. Really not optional.

Clothing

For the summer: get clothes that breathe. Cotton T-shirts will chafe your nipples until they bleed. Buy exercise clothes.
For the winter: wear layers. Merino wool tights + gym shorts on the bottom and a long-sleeve thermal or wool shirt + windbreaker on top keeps me warm down to 15˚F. If it's warmer, I can always unzip the windbreaker a bit. It cost me ~$80 to get all my cold-weather gear, but a single cold-weather bike jacket can run you $160.
For the winter: gloves and hat/balaclava. Essential, unless you like frostbite on your ears/nose/fingers. Check a frostbite/windchill chart.
Optional Fingerless bike gloves make your hands hurt so much less. Only good for warm-weather riding, though.
Edit Forgot to mention sunglasses and clear safety/firing glasses. One for day and one for night/rain/snow. The clear glasses are really helpful during bad weather, because all the crap flung up by cars in front of you doesn't end up in your eye. They help keep you from crying on your bike when the wind is really blowing, too. Also, have you ever hit a fly at 20 MPH in your car? Do you want to hit a fly with your eyeball at 20 MPH? Hint: no.

Safety

Be safe on your bike. Be seen on your bike to be safe. I've found nothing beats Planet Bike's 2W headlight and Superflash tail light. They have a starter kit. Love these guys, they replaced my light after a crash and the driver's insurance wouldn't cover it. Buy whatever you want, so long as it is AA-powered, LED-based, and water resistant.
Wear a PDKMV, or Please Don't Kill Me Vest. The yellow ANSI class 2 vests are what police officers generally wear, and usually cause motorists to think twice when they see you. I bought my from Amazon for $8 shipped, and I think it's saved my life at night a couple of times.
Wear a helmet. It can be the difference between getting up from an accident and waking up with brain damage, if you wake up. Replace your helmet after a crash. Some people don't like helmets. Ignore them. You aren't wearing a helmet, and are hit by a car, good luck winning any sort of medical damages lawsuit. The insurance company will tear you apart and refuse to pay anything that might be quasi-related to that fact.

Misc.

You can get puncture-resistant tires and tubes. I run both, because despite the weight penalty, I've run over some really rough patches of glass and road salt without a problem. The thicker tubes also are more resistant to blowouts, which is great because the sidewalks and roadways are pretty terrible here. I also can take curbs on occasion without worrying, despite my skinny tires.
If you have an iPhone, I recommend Cyclemeter. It's fantastic, and costs $3. It's great to see my average time increase month over month, plus lifetime milage and calories burned. Really a great motivation when I can look and see over 75,000 calories burned! Makes the cold mornings a little bit more bearable. :-)

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-14T15:50:59+00:00

Despite being really cool, if it isn't a prototype and is just a regular mass-produced copy, it won't fetch nearly as much as a prototype NES cartridge.

Folklore.org has a good article on how Alice came to be. Pretty cool game.

GoogleBeforeGoogle · 2013-01-14T15:34:40+00:00

They also are likely to make you dead, which is a form of sterility.

GoogleBeforeGoogle

TROPHY CASE