Circvs Maximvs

100 Greatest Musical Artists of All Time

Advocatus Diaboli — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:46:48 GMT

VH1's 2010 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time

"....of all time!" -- Kanye West

Spoiler:

Who's missing? What listed artists seriously don't belong here?

Professional Opinions - Database Certification

Sidereal Knight — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:47:11 GMT

The situation at my place of employment is rapidly becoming untenable, for a variety of reasons. I'm restarting my job search, but it seems that my web application programming background and skillset are not in high demand in central Indiana at this time. As the Love Monkey and I have no desire to move, I need to consider other options.

One idea I had would be to change specializations and move into database development and management. I have a fair amount of development experience, albeit not the ones often mentioned in job ads around here (MySQL and Sybase).

If I were to make this move, I would need additional training and/or certification in one of the "big name" database systems. Off the top of my head, the leading candidates are Oracle and Microsoft SQLServer. I have heard good things and bad things about both.

So I turn to CM for input: which one seems more useful and/or marketable? Which one is the better product? Is certification worth it, considering that I am highly unlikely to get "real life" experience other database systems in my current job?

Teh Funney Stuff White People Like (with science!)

Nareau — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:52:36 GMT

http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/th...e-people-like/

This is a pretty entertaining analysis of over 500K OKCupid profiles, broken out by race/gender/religion. The description of white men pretty much sums up who I think Dark Jezter is. I also find it funny that latinos apparently really like Forrest Gump.

Hey reveal!

guyjin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:28:14 GMT

Have you considered getting a tatoo on your ear?

reveal's Daily Trivia 9.9.10

reveal — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:27:45 GMT

Why do some Jews empty their pockets and toss the contents into a river or stream on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish New Year? Answered

L'Shanah Tovah, Mistwell.

Xyxox — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:27:23 GMT

Happy 5771.

First pictures of Captain America!

Klaus — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:47:27 GMT

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...ng-London.html

The article then proceeds to score a FAIL when they said the costume had a *cape* (which was there just to cover the costume between shoots).

And here are a couple of Red Skull's goons:

BioCurious: A Hackerspace for Biotech. The Community Lab for Citizen Science

jasin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:46:20 GMT

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...-the-community

Thoughts?

Elsewhere/Universal Proof of a Global Conspiracy

3catcircus — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:52:04 GMT

U.N. Looks to Take Charge of World's Agenda

:tinfoil: aside (and there appears to be plenty of it in the article), I find it rather disturbing that the UN is seeking to circumvent national sovereignty and to destroy the middle classes of said sovereign nations.

The question then, is what are governments (those entities who have that pesky sovereignty that the UN dislikes so much) going to do with the position papers that were briefed at this little UN group-hug?

NFL Predictions for 2010

JC — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:19:02 GMT

Conference winners, wildcard teams, Superbowl matchup/winner & MVP are typically what we do here. Throw in as many other predictions as you like!

NFC:

East
Yet again the best overall division in the league.

Giants (11-5) Return to respectability on defense and a well balanced offense.
Cowboys (10-6) Tons of talent, loaded on offense but again held back by a bad head coach.
Eagles (9-7) As much as Reid loved to throw with McNabb he'll do it even more with Kolb. Coupled with a talented group of targets the offense should be fine. The defensive will still be in transition.
Redskins (7-9) Shanahan + McNabb should be enough for 3+ more wins than 2009.

North

Packers (12-4) They become an elite offense this season.
Vikings (10-6) Had everything go right last season but are still a good team with a crappy head coach.
Bears (8-8) Lovie's last chance to keep his job. Culter's 3rd new offense in as many seasons.
Lions (5-11) Suh will be fun to watch. Team on the rise but still way too many holes.

South

Falcons (11-5) No team has won the NFC South in consecutive season in forever. This year is Atlanta's turn with an improving roster and a favorable schedule similar to what the Saints had in 2009.
Saints (9-7) Still have Brees and that excellent offense. Defense is aggressive but shaky.
Panthers (7-9) Gutty team that can run it but questions everywhere else.
Buccaneers (2-14) Seriously lacking talent.

West
I hate the NFC West so much that they barely deserve this blurb.

49ers (10-6)
Cardinals (7-9)
Rams (4-12)
Seahawks (4-12)

AFC:

East

Patriots (10-6) The defense isn't abysmal but Brady and WRs will need to carry the load again. Two years removed from major knee surgery should do Brady well. And Moss is in a contract year.
Jets (10-6) Excellent defense but the offense is average at best. And teams will be gunning for them.
Miami (8-8) Improving team that in a different division could get double digit wins.
Bills (1-15) Ugh.

North

Ravens (13-3) Year 3 for Flacco and a deadly offense with balance. Defense is no longer elite but it will be enough to stop opponents when they need to assuming they cut back on the yellow laundry from last season.
Steelers (9-7) So many questions with Roethlisberger suspended for the first four games and a defense that should return to form with Polamalu healthy. Big questions at RB with health concerns.
Bengals (8-8) A healthy defense will do them well along with a returning run game that will be solid. Palmer is no longer a quality QB until he proves otherwise.
Browns (5-11) Delhomme @ QB? Yikes. Still rebuilding under Holmgren but still seasons away.

South

Colts (13-3) Still elite as long as Manning is at QB.
Titans (10-6) Solid on both sides of the ball.
Texans (7-9) I'm not buying the hype. They still have a great passing attack but I'm not sold on D or the running game.
Jaguars (4-12) MJD is the offense. And his health is a question mark after being shut down from all football activity during the pre-season.

West

Chargers (9-7) Weak conference and someone has to win. Rivers is a top QB but their are massive questions on defense. Plus, year 4 of Norv.
Chiefs (8-8) My sleeper pick and most improved team for 2010. Offense will be more than respectable and they have a very favorable schedule coupled with a weak division.
Broncos (6-10) Without that great start spurred by the week one miracle win this was an average team. They'll take a step back this year.
Raiders (5-11) They finally have a real QB but the rest of the team is a mess.

Playoffs:

NFC
Wildcards: Minny & Dallas
Conference Champion: Green Bay

AFC
Wildcards: Tennessee & New York Jets
Conference Champion: Indianapolis

Super Bowl Champion: Indianapolis

MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Most improved team: KC

Did the open playtest make the Pathfinder fans more opposed to house rules?

jasin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:02:47 GMT

Both times when I suggested making changes to the Pathfinder rules, I was surprised not only by the amount of the resistance, but also the way it was phrased.

Now, the amount might have been simply because my ideas sucked. :D But while some of it was "no, you're wrong because of this thing and another thing", a lot of it seemed to merely state a general unwillingness to tamper with the rules. Adjusting the encounters in published adventures, adjusting the players' play style, adjusting the GM's style all seem to be considered preferable to adjusting the rules.

And then, there was the comment that prompted me to start this thread: "I still think this is more of something you should solve by yourself instead of trying to change the game that thousands of players tested into the ground."

Are Pathfinder fans less likely to resort to house rules than 3E fans were, at a similar point in that game's lifetime? If so, is it because many of them took part in the playtest, and in some way consider the game partly their own work?

I miss the early 3E mindset, when people were buzzed on OGL, and were posting new classes, house rules, and tweaks all the time. The OGL isn't the fresh new thing it was back then, but I hoped for Pathfinder to bring some of it back, and I haven't really seen that it has. This is why I was glad to see Belen making significant changes to the action economy. What is a good place to read about people tinkering with Pathfinder? How's the Paizo house rule board?

If the Example of Play actually reflected your shitty game

big poppa k — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:44:07 GMT

Found on SupTG

Quote:

Y'know, every time I read the corebook for an RPG, they always have an example of play. Usually goes like this.

"Here is an example of play that doesn't get into the rules (we'll leave that for a later chapter) but rather demonstrates roleplaying. The DM is Chris, John is playing Urthden, a Human Fighter, Giles is a Dwarven barbarian, Gwen is an Elven Ranger, and Billy is playing a Human Wizard! They've just come to the entrance of Malik Hur, a terrible tomb of a lich that buried eons ago!

Chris: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its immobility.
Billy: Blast! How shalt we get through this door? King Darod and his Kingdom are depending upon us to retrieve the cure!
Gwen: Don't worry, I have an idea! Remember earlier when we were interrogating that skeleton? He mentioned that the water moves when the stone strikes it...
John: And that stones move when water touches them! Brilliant! Alright, I'll go and grab some water from that creek that Chris mentioned earlier-"

And on and on in perfect harmony. Who has ever REALLY played a game like that? ITT we write more realistic game session transcripts.

Quote:

DM: You're at the crypt. There's a door.
John: I open the door.
DM: Can't there's no handles or anything.
Billy: I fucking break it down then, I thought it was implied if the door doesn't open the first time we BREAK IT DOWN.
Giles: Hey, hey can I lockpick the door?
DM: We-
John: No, you're a goddamn barbarian *Snort*, that, that's like me rolling to cast magic missile.
DM: Hey! HEY! Pay attention. Anyway, the doors made of stone.
Billy: I can break stone.
DM: What.
Billy: I can fucking do it, I have a magic +1 hammer, it doesn't break.
DM: So you're going to spend all day hitting a chunk of stone with your hammer.
John: Yeah, and by my measurements, if my calculations are correct, and assuming this door is like, two feet thick, it'll take thirty two hours to bust down, we can do this.
Giles: Hey, hey, hey, I have an axe, I can, I can help!
Billy: No, no you friggin' can't, it's a plain axe and you made a shitty barbarian so, like, you'd make it worse.
DM: Look, maybe GWEN might remember that interrogation- Wait, where's Gwen?
Billy: She showed up one game, and hasn't come back you've been playing her character dingus.

Quote:

DM: Alright, the man with the rifle looks at you angrily.
Zack: Probably jewish.
DM: He says "What the hell are you doing on my farm?"
Daniel: How much HP do you think he has?
DM: You can't ask that.
Daniel: Well, does he have armor?
DM: No.
Zack: Hey guys, have a look at this thing I got on my mobile phone.
Tom: Hey, that's awesome. Gimme that.
Daniel: I covertly draw my pistol and shoot him in the head.
DM: Why?
Daniel: He's got money and he's in my way.
DM: That's stupid.
Tom: I agree. Daniel, you're a fag.
Daniel: Total 18, 16 to hit, 15 damage.
DM: ...He doesn't see you... you hit him, he dies.
Zack: Ha, the jewish guy died.
Daniel: I loot his body.
DM: A young boy runs out of the house and sees you searching the corpse on the ground. He looks at you in horror.
Daniel: I shoot him too.
DM: No, you can't do that. It's against your alignment.
Daniel: Chaotic Neutral.
DM: That's not what CN means.
Daniel: My character acts on an impulse. He doesn't realise what he's doing until it's done.
Tom: So, I heard Daniel was a fag.
Daniel: What? Well, you're fat.
Tom: Oh, you did not just say that. Right, I shoot Daniel. Roll for initiative.
Daniel: It's on, fatass.
DM: Goddamn it, both of you shut up. You can't fight unless your characters have some reason to.
Daniel: Well fine, I just shoot the kid then.
DM: There are other people who heard the shot, too. They'll see you.
Daniel: Well, I point at Tom and say he did it.
Tom: Oh, you bitch. That's a motivation. I shoot Daniel in the head.
DM: You don't actually say that, do you, Daniel?
Tom: I got a 19. That's a hit. Damage... 19.
Daniel: What the fuck? I'm on low HP.
Tom: Ooops. Oh well, I loot your body.
Zack: Wait, what happened? I was just doing stuff on my mobile.

Quote:

DM: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its immobility. There's an inscription written in Druidic.
Gwen: Oh! I got this!
John: *sigh*
Billy: *sigh*
DM: It says you must discard all clothes and be pure upon entering this temple.
Gwen: Oh okay, well yeah, my elf disrobes.
DM: An incubus appears.
Billy: I try to talk to him.
DM: He ignores you and talks to Gwen's naked elf.
Billy: *sigh*
John: *sigh*

Quote:

DM: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its immobility.
Billy: Blast! How shalt we get through this door? King Darod and his Kingdom are depending upon us to retrieve the cure!
Gwen: Don't worry, I have an idea! Remember earlier when we were interrogating that skeleton? He mentioned that the water moves when the stone strikes it...
Billy: I pee on it.
John: I also pee on it.
Gwen: Wait, how does a skeleton talk anyway?
DM: The door opens. And I hate you. I hate all of you with the very fibre of my being.

Quote:

DM: Okay, let's see those character sheets.
Billy, you have a high elf half-celestial barbarian and you rolled 3 18s...
John, you can't be a stonechild rogue, this is level 1 and you're not allowed anything from that book.
Gwen, your playing a pixie... Cool, so John, just go with half-orc rogue and Billy, if you don't mind dropping the template, we can roll with a barbarian elf. Gwen you're fine, as always.
Billy & John: *begin fight with DM*
-hour later-
DM: You enter a tavern.
Billy: I talk to the bartender.
DM: He says what'll you have?
Billy: Pleasurable company for the night and grog.
John: Who else is in the bar?
DM: It's packed, about 12 people, mostly human.
John: I talk to each one. Hello!
DM: Arg.

Quote:

Chris: The Crypt awa-
Billy: Crypt?
Chris: Yeah, the quest for the king.
John: No, we're not doing that quest.
Chris: . . .But... You said you were.
Gwen: Naw, I've already seduced the prince into a marriage. . .
Billy: And really, his country's starving and his army's shitty so-
John: We're going to KILL the king.
Chris: What.
-hours of arguing, skull duggery, complaints, and moral decay later-
Chris: The King, his sword clattering to the ground from nerveless fingers collapses on the throne, looks up and words dribble from blood drenched lips, "You, you who were to be our last h-hope, you have damned us and yourselves if yo-"
Billy: Gay.
John: I hit the guy with two fireballs, why's he still talking?
Gwen: CAN WE GO BACK TO ME IN THE TREASURY

Next week.

Billy: Chris, when's the next game.
Chris: I have classes. Weekend classes.

Quote:

Chris: The crypt-
Billy: WHERE'S MAH BUNNEH I LIKE MAH BUNNEH
Gwen: I ATE YOUR BUNNEH
JOHN: "Lawl"
BILLY: WTF I ATTACK YOO
DM: Shut up guys! God. Anyway, as you gaze at the stone door, your eyes tracing the visages of the foxmen, in the ritual dance of the rising star, your companion Fenix Ninetails softly whispers, "My destiny-
Giles: I AM GETTING THE FUCK OUT OF HERE

Quote:

Chris: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its immobility.
Billy: Aw fuck.
Gwen: What?
Billy: It's a TALKING door.
John: What language was it speaking in?
Chris: Uh. It was-
Giles: It taunted me! My dwarven rage grows! I attack it!
John: He rolled a nineteen, what's the AC on the door?

Quote:

Chris: The terrorist defeated, John leaves his clone behind and rides into the sunset with Gwen, as Giles and Billy follow behind.
John: Man I'm going to have sex?
Chris: What?
John: It's what happens, hero rides off in the sunset, cue chick bow wow.
Billy: Wait, I rode off with Giles.
Giles: Uh oh.

Quote:

DM: The guards haul away Giles and-
Billy: Fuck him
DM: Wha?
John: Yeah all he did was hold us back, weirdo druid.
DM: So you just want to leave your only healer?
Billy: Yeah, can we fight now?
DM: A-
John: And did you finish my custom template?
Giles: Does this mean I have to reroll.
Billy: No, get out Blackleaf dhur-hur-hur!
John: Who?
Giles: *sigh* DM?
DM: The lvl:60 guards return, "Turns out we did have information about you two after all..."
John & Billy: RAILROAD!

Quote:

DM: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its immobility.
Billy: Using Mordencieden's Door Retardation and Quickening Bigby's Cockblock Keychain I unlock the door.
DM: Right.
Giles: I-
Billy: I then prepare my psionic headband for any oncoming attacks, preparing my sword, I walk forward.
Gwen: Uh-
DM: A dire lemur appears!
John: Oh, well I cas-
Billy: Firing my Brain Blasting Bolt of Illiteration at the dire lemur he explodes into a pile of nothingness.
Gwen: Is that even poss-
DM: Fantastic! Okay guys well that wraps up tonight! Great RP, Billy, you get XXX xp. Giles, Gwen, John, you three really need to speak up more, XX xp.

Quote:

Chris: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its immobility.
Billy: Got stoneshaping.
Chris: Oh... Alright, well you bend open the door-
Billy: Why do that? I'll collapse the crypt. How much xp do I get for killing everything in the dungeon.
Giles: Asshole. There's probably treasure down there.
John: Asshole. Why'd I bother with getting alchemy if I can't blow shit up?
Gwen: Asshole. I wanted that exp!
Chris: WE'RE GOING BACK TO CoC.

Quote:

Chris: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its immobility.
Billy: We're way past this.
Chris: Sorry, sorry. Anyway, you get to the prison, where the chained maiden awaits.
Gwen: Oh lord.
Chris: What?
Gwen: Misogyny much?
Chris: OH COME ON, it happens, sometimes you meet captured princes or peasants, it's just a fluke.
Gwen: And what's she wearing?
Billy: I'd like to know too. And make sure she's wearing LESS.
Chris: Well, uh, she's... Naked, cringing in fear attempting to cover herself, fear and despair in her large eyes.
Billy: Well, a promise is a promise.
Giles: dood wat
John: Why is no one paying attention to my crit to sexify?
Gwen: Fuckers.

Quote:

DM:Kay your standing outside the crypt.
Chris: I'm gonna shoot it with my melta gun. It has AP 1
DM: This isn't 40k Chris.
Chris: Yeah, I know, but this fucking sucks, it needs guns.
DM: You don't get a melta gun.
Chris: So how're we supposed to open the door?
DM: I don't fucking know, you tell me.
Chris: Can we play 40k
Billy: Jesus, Chris, shut the fuck up.
Chris: No, this is bullshit, we spend half the game fucking talking and not fighting anything.
John: Oh shit, my girlfriend is phoning, talk amongst yourselves for half an hour.
Chris: Can we play 40k while he's on the phone?
DM: Seriously Chris, shut the hell up.
Billy: Right, I'm opening the fucking door.
DM: How?
Billy: Uhm...dunno, cast a spell or something.
DM: Oh for...fine spell works the fucking door is open.
Chris: Can there be a bloodthirster behind it?
DM: No Chris, there aren't any of them in this game. Stop being a retard.
Chris: Then I'm going to go get a pizza, screw this.
DM: So you're just leaving Billy to wander the crypt on his own?
Billy: I step into the cave, slip down a chasm and die. Lets just play fucking 40k.
Chris: I brought my Tau and my Necrons. Who wants to play me?

Quote:

DM: You have arrived at the crypt, a large stone door blocks your way.
Chris: The Big Cojones!
Billy: Finally, after all this questing, the Big Cojones will not escape again!
DM: Your here for a cure for the king, remember?
Giles: Is there any obvious way to open the door?
DM: None that you can see
Chirs: Stand back citizen, this is no time for any door opening shenanigans, that would only alert the Big Cojones to our arrival!
Billy: HAH! The Big Cojones is no match for our power! With his death the mountains for trasure will be ours!
Chris: We need a disguise, everyone put on those skeleton skulls we got earlier to act as masks, a perfect plan!
DM: you were supposed to interrorgate those skeletons, not defile them..
Billy: Disguises are all well and good but we need to act with suprise on our side. I shall smash this door into nothing in but a single attack!
Chris: No, I think you'll find that I'LL smash the door in.
Billy: Thats it! I've had it with your petulant ways, DRAW!
*Rock paper scissors*
Billy: Curse you ROCK!!!

Quote:

Chris: Hey, Gwen you up for the RPG tonight?
Gwen: Uhm... No, I'm sorry, I'm busy... Y'know, studying.
Chris: Alright, how about tomorrow night?
Gwen: I'm, uh, well, it's a BIG exam.
Chris: When...When are you free then?
Gwen: Look, uhm, can we talk about this later Chris, I really don't know it's all so stacked up...
Chris: Oh. Kay.

-- the game --

Chris: The crypt awaits before you, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its goddamn immovable bulk.
Billy: Uh, alright, can you play Gwen's character and have her use that ring-
Chris: No, she says no. Says she's busy.
Giles: Oh Jesus.
Chris: Know what else? She turns to you all, and rips off the mask to reveal she's the lich all along.
John: What? But I remembe-
Chris: SHE'S REALLY FUCKING GOOD AT MANIPULATING YOU, YOU STUPID LITTLE BASTARDS.
Billy: . . .Well, I ask
Chris: TOO LATE! SHE TEARS OUT YOUR HEEEEEEEEEEARRRRRRRRTTTTTT

Quote:

Chris: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you-
Billy: FOUL DOOR! I'LL NOT BE SO CRUELLY TAUNTED BY SUCH AN ENCHANTMENT!
John: Oh god, Billy's off his meds again...
Gwen: STOP TOUCHING ME JOHN.
BILLY: MY NAME IS HUGE

Quote:

Chris: The crypt awaits before, a large stone slab of a door taunting you with its immobility.
Billy: *Snrk*
Chris: What, what fucking is it?
John: Well, we were just wondering.
Chris: About?
Giles: What's the damage for getting a heart torn out?
Chris: FUCK YOU FUCK YOU ALL GET OUT OF MY FUCKING ROOM FUCK YOUUUUUUUU

Happy New Year!

Mistwell — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:16:04 GMT

L'Shana Tovah! Happy New Year 5771!

YouTube - The Four 4 Traditional Shofar...

YouTube - Shofar Profético

Chuck Season 3

Kerrick — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:01:42 GMT

I know the new season hasn't started yet, but I found an article on Syfy.com listing a whole slew of stars who are appearing in the new season. I figured it'd be easier simply to just start the Season 3 thread early rather than post a random thread for one article.

NFL 2010: Week 1 [Vikings @ Saints]

JC — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:13:56 GMT

NFC Title Game rematch!

Saints are favored by 6 at home.