Sly's Friends

Subject:	lists and lists
Time:	06:57 pm
Current Mood:	contemplative

http://tools-for-thought.com/2008/08/08/somedays-research-and-edgework-three-strategies-for-dealing-with-ambiguity/

Another article on clarifying the Someday/Maybe lists. I think it's very reasonable that (according to the author) "thoughts related to uncommitted projects will continue to hover at the edge of our attention and scatter our focus." But I never do a proper job with the someday list, as I'm too greedy and afraid to miss something important, it grows to the monstrous proportions and prompty becomes intimidating and unusable. I think that such work requires more conscious efforts, not just the free-association kind of throwing all your fantasies together. This first step is rather favoured by the motivation books, especially those which treat the readers like children (unleash your inner child!)

I do well with a small number of well-defined tasks, but for the time being, I lack the large picture. Will it kill me if I spend a few days/weeks on properly thinking it over??

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August 27th, 2008

[billysands]
randomquestions

Current Music:	as time goes by
Current Location:	limbo
Subject:	GANGSTER FLICKz
Time:	11:14 am
Current Mood:	creative

1)Do you like gangster movies?
2)What is your favorite gangster flick
3)favorite scene
4)favorite gangster,real or fictional example-bugsy seagle and Henry Hill were real gangsters so was al capone, the corleone family was fictional so was tony mazetti(voiced by ray liotta) from vice city in fact he was a cartoon
cartoon gangster
i mention this because some fictional charactors become so legendary, like Tony Montana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Montana
or Don Corleone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito_Corleone
we sometomes might blur the concept of real and fictional
5)Which charactor in fiction seems most real to you?
for example is this bogart who is real or rick blaine who is fictional but legenday?

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August 26th, 2008

[billysands]
randomquestions

Current Music:	celine dion
Subject:	You mean like Democrats?!
Time:	11:05 am
Current Mood:	hung over

I'm marginally a democrat ,but I've swung across the political spectrum over the decades,I supposse I'm more of an Independent
I've voted for Democrats mostly since 2001 but this year,I'm having problems
I was for Hillary Clinton,I guesse I'm one of those bitter centrists angered at how she got burned and genuinely doubtful of Obama's ability to lead..
-The American political spectrum leaves little room for Manuver you only basically get two choices, unlike some societies where multiple parties exist.
1)Have you decided who you will vote for? Feel like sharing why?
2)Does the USA need more than two parties?
3)Is there another political system you prefer?(any comments from those outside the US?)
4)Any favorite political parties either historical, regional, or foreign?
( i believe myself to be a radical centrist )

comments: 28 comments or Leave a comment

August 26th, 2008

August 25th, 2008

[sagacious_wolf]
randomquestions

Subject:	The possibilities are endless.
Time:	06:18 pm

An alien species lands. For the sake of argument let's keep them as the seemingly standard little green men. You are the first person to encounter them.

What do you say/do to try to convey that you are peaceful, or conversely how do you go about killing the alien if you fear they're hostile?

What do you do if said alien is not anthropomorphic at all, but rather shares little to no similarities to humanity?

I personally would point try to communicate with simple math. Use two fingers, 1+1=2 see where that goes.

If the alien is not anthropomorphic, I for one welcome our new alien overlords.

comments: 8 comments or Leave a comment

August 25th, 2008

[vulpinephoenix]
randomquestions

Subject:	What do you believe?
Time:	01:18 pm

Is there anything that you believe in? Is this something that everybody believes or is it just something that only a handfull of people believe?

What are your beliefs?

I don't know if I believe in anything. . .

comments: 29 comments or Leave a comment

August 25th, 2008

August 24th, 2008

[billysands]
randomquestions

Current Music:	sinead o'connor o-Oró Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile
Subject:	the battle of-
Time:	04:58 pm

The Easter Rising (Irish: Éirí Amach na Cásca) was a rebellion staged in Ireland in Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was an attempt by militant Irish republicans to win independence from Britain. It was the most significant uprising in Ireland since the rebellion of 1798.

This is a bit like another randomquestions question asked
a few questions back but it one I'm curious on if you could go back in time
( Read more... )and participate in any event in history..what would that event be and why?

comments: 9 comments or Leave a comment

August 24th, 2008

[squeaky]
announcements

Subject:	Site Issues
Time:	04:09 pm

The site was down due to excessive database timeouts. I have corrected them and gotten the site back up. We apologize for the downtime. I am also taking time this afternoon to try to track down some of the comment loss bugs.

comments: 27 comments or Leave a comment

August 24th, 2008

August 23rd, 2008

[billysands]
randomquestions

Current Music:	george thorogood if you dont start drinkin
Current Location:	home
Subject:	NAME YOUR 4 FAVORITE BARS AND WHY-MINE LOCATION AND CONVENIENT HAPPY HOURS
Time:	05:57 pm

Name your four favorite bars and explain why..

( i get so bored when i'm broke and sober )

comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment

August 23rd, 2008

[surreal]
randomquestions

Time:

02:56 pm

Hi, I'm your maintainer here. This is an off-topic post, so forgive me. I just want you to comment here with an answer to this question:

What should I change about this asylum to make it better?

This doesn't mean I'll change anything, but who knows, maybe someone has a good idea.

comments: 6 comments or Leave a comment

August 23rd, 2008

August 22nd, 2008

catness

Subject:	new monitor
Time:	11:55 am
Current Mood:	bouncy

Woohoo! I've organized myself an LCD monitor :) At least until the SO gets his computer fixed (his motherboard got fried up or something), but seeing that he's waiting for money - he might be able to just buy himself a new one then. Meanwhile, doesn't make sense for a new monitor to stay unused while I'm suffering with an ancient monstrousity :)

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August 22nd, 2008

[billysands]
randomquestions

Current Music:	men at work
Current Location:	the corner of delerium and tremen
Subject:	the magic leprechaun
Time:	01:22 am

Alright Its time to enter the world of delusions and make believe
its two am and your thirsty..you reach under the bed for the bottle of Jamesons
but its empty..but to your amaZement out pops a magical leprechaun thats lives in the empty bottle & by drinking it all you've freed the miserable little
creature..who informs you you've had enough..but as a reward he'll grant you
three wishes.. a car of your chosing..a destination of your chosing and a member of the opposite(or same hes a liberal tolerant leprechaun) sex of your chosing..
1)which car do you pick?

my pick
2)which place do you pick?

i'd go here
3)What male female or animal do you pick?
if anyone picks a sheep i think they should be banned
OR do you ignore the leprechaun because you're obviously experiencing hallucinations and the dt's and head down to the 24 hour liquor store on the corner..to make the leprechaun go away?
ALright now admit it..thats an original question..i deserve money for that one.

comments: 9 comments or Leave a comment

August 21st, 2008

catness

Subject:	on the way
Time:	09:35 pm
Current Mood:	hopeful

Guess who's writing again, and is less than 10K away from the goal? ;) Not meaning, of course, that the story will be completed - will need to wrap it up, to go back and tie all the loose ends, to normalize the style, and then probably I'll thoroughly hate it and exterminate it ;) No... LOL... I'll find something to keep, it doesn't have to be 100K as the final version, just the intermediate goal, to fulfill the promise I made to myself. I'm sure I can do it. (Especially if the cats will wake me again at night and I wouldn't be able to sleep... insomnia is very favourable for making up stories ;)

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August 21st, 2008

catness

Subject:	symbolics
Time:	03:02 pm
Current Mood:	amused

I've seen this book, "Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich" by William L. Shirer in our bookstore for quite a while, I've already browsed it in Russian translation on lib.aldebaran.ru so it doesn't make sense to buy just yet (anyway on amazon it's twice cheaper) But it has a nice fat swastika on the cover, and I was always wondering when somebody would complain about it ;) or am I too paranoid and we actually have freedom of speech? So, today the swastika was neatly covered with a price tag ;) Kind of nice to know that the world meets your expectations, being not any better than you imagine it.

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August 20th, 2008

[sagacious_wolf]
randomquestions

Subject:	Eris, guide my mind.
Time:	11:33 pm

This one's unoriginal, but I love the book it comes from.

If you could fight one historical figure, who would it be, and why? (Assume for the purposes of the question that pacifists and such are fair game, after all as long as it's hypothetical what does it matter?)

My choice would be Hermann Melville, because I'm pretty sure the guy lost his mind from his time spent living among a tribe of cannibals and so he had to be a hell of a fighter.

comments: 8 comments or Leave a comment

August 20th, 2008

[billysands]
randomquestions

Current Music:	GOLDEN EARING TWILIGHT ZONE
Current Location:	STATE OF INTOXICATION
Subject:	IS THERE ONE QUINTECENTIAL 80'S VIDEO THAT SUMS UP THAT DECADE FOR YOU?
Time:	10:50 pm

IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE VIDEO FROM THE 1980'S MTV GOLDEN AGE WHAT WOULD IT BE?

comments: 42 comments or Leave a comment

August 20th, 2008

[vulpinephoenix]
randomquestions

Subject:	Random Question
Time:	01:47 pm

When is the last time you experienced a slight shock from static electricity? Did you see the spark or did you just feel it?

The last time I experienced a slight shock from static electricity was a couple years ago. I remember it happening a lot more when I was younger.

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August 20th, 2008

catness

Subject:	German IF
Time:	04:38 pm
Current Mood:	okay

Why hadn't I stumbled upon it before? Ausflug am Wochenende nach München - Play the interactive text adventure game that introduces students to the German vocabulary and culture necessary to navigate a train station while in Germany. Could've saved me a lot of effort with the parser commands!

Currently playing Starrider. But it's getting kinda boring, so lately I'm using a lot of hints.

Meanwhile, found a list of German IF-games, hopefully I'll be able to find something to my liking. (Note! it doesn't count as gaming, it's for educational purposes! ;)

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August 20th, 2008

August 19th, 2008

[sagacious_wolf]
randomquestions

Subject:	It is in debate that humanity finds the true path to enlightenment.
Time:	11:13 pm

One person sees the color "green" as what is generally accepted as the color "green" and so calls it "green."

Another sees the color "green" as what is generally accepted as the color "orange" (as well as seeing orange as orange) and so calls it orange.

These two people meet and stare at a tree. One comments on how lovely the "green" tree is, and the other comments on how lovely the "orange" tree is.

Who is correct?

comments: 39 comments or Leave a comment

August 19th, 2008

[billysands]
randomquestions

Subject:	addictions and nuerosis
Time:	09:33 pm

I'm addicted to several things..the internet,movies, and the most vexing political history.Right now I'm watching MUNICH
AND I think to myself how of history is different groups that hate each oters guts over religion race historical grudges bla bla how much of history
is made of of this crap?Killing and revenge?
THIS
produced this just as this was a catalyst for this
which however ending for the most part with this.

Will there ever be a resolution like that in the middle east?
Does violence toward you justify violence for retribution, how far would you go?

comments: 24 comments or Leave a comment

August 19th, 2008

catness

Subject:	Inkscape
Time:	06:35 pm
Current Mood:	curious

Trying out Inkscape - an open-source scalable vector graphics editor - as a way to draw interactive fiction maps. I know it's bit ass-backwards but I've never found an IF-mapping tool which I'd like. At least Inkscape has some features which make it a lot more convenient for drawing maps than the GIMP:

- the drawing area is unlimited, you can extend the picture indefinitely in any direction (running into the edge of paper/drawing area is an eternal problem with the maps)

- Inkscape provides simple geometric primitives usable for maps, such as rectangles, ovals, lines and curves (in GIMP, it's pain in the ass)

- every element of the picture is an object which can be edited and moved separately any time! no need to use layers! it's also easy to select the objects as a group and move them together, for example if you need to move a whole part of the map to create space for something else

- very convenient to zoom in/out with mouse wheel

It takes time to get used to Inkscape's interface, especially after GIMP - I'm used to have tool menus in separate windows all over the screen, and one-window interface feels weird - but this is supposed to be better, the multiple windows is one of the things users find so frustrating in GIMP.

In any case, it's useful to get acquainted with a new tool, I might use it later for something else. So far I'm probably using less than 1% of the functionality, seeing from the menus. The only thing I dislike is the ugly GTK-based interface, but it's not that essential.

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August 19th, 2008

catness

Subject:	energy drinks
Time:	12:11 pm
Current Mood:	curious

Just read an article about Red Bull drink being potentially deadly, because of the high amount of caffeine and taurine. The article is somewhat inconsistent: first, it claims that even one can of the drink is already dangerous because it can provoke cardio-vascular diseases; then it mentions that the amount of caffeine is the same as in one glass of strong coffee, but the main problem is with people who use more than 2 cans per day; and finally, that the real danger is mixing it with alcoholic drinks. From that, I can conclude that drinking Red Bull without alcohol is not any more dangerous than drinking strong coffee (and I do drink at least 2 cups of coffee per day). Btw I've tried Red Bull but was disappointed as I haven't noticed any effect - wonder if the effect from coffee is partly psychological, because of the smell and the taste being already associated with boosting energy? But mixing it with vodka sounds like an interesting idea! (I googled it up, and it seems to have its merits), thanks for the tip lol :)

(the original article is in Russian, here's a similar one but mostly about cocktails)

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August 18th, 2008

[vulpinephoenix]
randomquestions

Subject:	XD what???
Time:	01:56 pm

I'm not really hip on internet lingo, and don't really pay attention to it. My one reason for keeping an online blog is to keep me sharp on my writing skills, and practice writing. However, I keep coming across this thing "XD" on every other post, but have no idea what it means.

What is XD?
Where did it originate?
Are there different purposes for using XD?
Do you use XD?

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August 18th, 2008

catness

Subject:	commitment to instability
Time:	07:57 pm
Current Mood:	contemplative

Was thinking why I wouldn't include "buy a house" into the list of personal goals. Of course I'd be pleased to have a house (with a garden), but then, I'd be pleased to have many other things, such as a castle in Bavaria, or a controlling block of shares in Google ;) I just don't see it as essential for my well-being, at least if it comes at the expense of the truly essential things such as the feeling of personal freedom when spending money on books and munchies.

But there's more. Renting an apartment contributes to the feeling of everything being just a temporary stage, so there's still hope for the future (at least emigration.) I suppose not wanting to be officially married is for similar reasons. I don't want to have a feeling of "growing roots" and securely attached/committed to the present. Yet this hope is just an illusion, as the only thing I ever do about the future is whining. I start to suspect that I simply don't value real life enough to attribute more importance to it than to my "inner world" (RL has to provide the minimum of comfortable physical environment as a prerequisite for daydreaming, and everything else is non-essential). On the other hand, it could be exactly because I'm too disappointed in real life that I seek the escape in other directions. Being permanently in flux is a vicious circle, as stable as it can be! ;)

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August 18th, 2008

August 17th, 2008

[angelsandghosts]
randomquestions

Time:

08:16 pm

Why is it easy for guys to move on when a relationship ends? I really don't understand it. A day after breaking up with my boyfriend it seems he moved on, i found a photo of a half naked girl on his phone. He thought i would get mad about it but no not really because he wasn't my boyfriend anymore. I had to see him one last time, a way of confirming we were over for me. one last hug, kiss and of seeing him.

comments: 8 comments or Leave a comment