clyde

Ralph Nader writes about the strong-arming his party experienced while running as an independent. https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/03/25/ralph-nader-why-bernie-sanders-was-right-to-run-as-a-democrat/

I'm interested in seeing how the VR-integration works out, though I don't know when I'll be getting a high-end headset or which brand it will be.

I like the look of it, but really it just makes me want to play the Trackmania2 Stadium demo some more. Edit: On a related note, there is an unofficial GiantBomb server currently up and populated.

I recorded this on the way home from my job.

I've been playing my melodica at my job lately which is interesting and nice. Mostly what I do is play major and minor chords in variating keys and paying attention to how they share notes. So for instance, Cminor shares C and E flat with Gsharp major. I am having fun moving around the keyboard and mixing chords this way. Have you looked into the "circle of fifths"? I think it is related to modulation, but I'm not sure.

If you have a GearVr, I recommend trying out the AltSpaceVR app. There are a few environments that have activities to do while you chat. So you can play disc-golf, air-hockey, and some other stuff while you chat. Interestingly there are people in there who are using the Vive pre and possibly Oculus devices. Disc-Golf is actually pretty good. I also had a good time playing a few rounds of trivia in Oculus Social. When I first went into the room, everyone was silent, but I started talking about why I was picking the answer I was picking. I think two of the people were annoyed that I was announcing my answers during a trivia game that they wanted to play in silence, but the room quickly replaced them with a group who enjoyed that style of play and we were laughing and having a good time. It's pretty intense chatting in VR, it's like being at a party and you don't know anyone.

Good info.

I enjoyed that tournament a lot. I wouldn't have spent a week focusing on that table without it and now I have a satisfying familiarity with it.

Nick's Stardew Valley story was wonderful. I haven't played it, but I love the idea of games allowing you to be depressed in a game world without requiring extrapolations about the player's life outside of the game. They should include a feature where the longer you stay in bed, the more anxious your character becomes; they could provide visualizations of the house going into further disrepair than it actually is and of towns-folk being angry with you even when your relation-stats are actually positive. I love the idea of two simulated worlds, the perspective of the player-character that affects visual style and music, and a simulated reality that sustains itself independent of the player.

Pinball FX2 is on that list. This is fantastic news.

What does the server list look like on PC for people who actually own the game? I have about 4 servers available to me. I'm now playing on the Doritos Official server? Also how do y'all feel about the field-upgrade system? Do people tend to play as squads?

This could easily become the most sought after Christmas toy this year if Elmo doesn't show up (if if he doesn't talk).

Cm0nster doesn't appreciate my advice, but I really don't let the ball hit the slingshots much anymore. I've developed certain paths on the table (often involving the upper right flipper) that pretty much eliminate the slingshot volleys. It's made a huge difference for me since the right outlane is not as much of a problem. So now it's just a matter of getting better at the modes and figuring out how to light extra-ball (I still haven't figured that out).

I plan to get 32mil tonight after I get home from my job. So make sure to get at least 35mil.

This is two super-skillshots, and a bunch of partially finished modes. I don't think I completed any of them in this a playthrough, but I might be mistaken. The mode where she says "Guys always think they can just beat a girl up... they finally learn... after the third time" feels like it is rather high-scoring. Actually I think I completed that one once and then just got a lot of hurry-up points the next time. I've started to avoid the exploding-barrel mode, the force of the blasts is just so dangerous for a few of the barrels in the center. If I start the mode, I try to finish it, but I try not to start the mode. The method I've developed is similar to the method I have on other tables, I try to activate both kickbacks first and then complete as many modes as I can. There are a lot of shots I still have trouble with on this table (mostly the Jail-shot and that captive ball on the right side). During this playthrough, I was successful in a Duel where the pop-up target was in the left orbit; I hit the target and the ball bounced straight down the center drain.Maybe next time I will try to hit that target by going up the right orbit.

AMD just announced a new headset that doesn't require a pc(?). In the demo, it maps the room and adds augmented reality stuff to it. I'm starting to think teh headset market is going to be creating significant revisions rapidly for a while. The headset is called Solon Q (I think, the stream stopped when I loaded this page.)

Slight update. It's been a good day at job. I'm slightly interested, but I'm not willing to purchase it to find out whether or not I'll enjoy it in this particular case. I loved Fairie Solitaire and I enjoyed Deadman's Draw though.

1. Is there a store-front in VR? 2. Is there some sort of media browser through which you can browse 360 photos or 3d models? 3. Can you do the thing where you can edit an Unreal project in VR yet? 4. What's an example of a piece of software that has impressed you? 5. Are Google Tilt Brush results exportable? If so, what formats? 6. Have you played any driving games? Are you experiencing any motion sickness?

I just beat my Tomb of the Mask highscore.

Samsung is developing a pair of headphones that simulates motion in your inner-ear. http://vrscout.com/news/samsung-entrim-4d-vr-motion-headphones/

So I got an urge to play some BF3 and ended up shopping for BF4. During my browsing, I discovered that I can play for a full week without paying for the game so I'm on day 1. My initial impressions are that this game has a much cleaner look than BF3. I like how the shapes seem to be sharper and there is so much more color. Also the water-effects, lighting, ans reflections in the campaign look really impressive. I was also astounded by the weather becoming stormy on one of the levels, it brought back the actual experience of a fast coming storm on a tropical island. They did a great job with that. The gun-feel seems pretty much exactly the same. I prefer the COD style of movement, aiming, and firing (maybe because I play with a controller?); I was hoping that BF4 movement and shooting would have gone more into that direction. I've only played a few of the maps, but I already prefer them to the maps in BF3. They seem to have much more visual and physical cover density. They feel like more interesting spaces in general to me. I'm constantly surprised by how much of the buildings I can explore. I haven't experimented with destruction much. I'm playing on PC and I hate the process of finding a server in browser. I suspect that the fact that I am on "game-time" (the demo) and the fact that I have no DLC are compounding to make finding a variety of servers more difficult. Even with BF3 though, it seems difficult to just find a server that rotates through all the maps with no special rules. When I do find one, there tends to be complaints of hackers. Last night in BF4 someone was killing a person every 2 seconds or so with a grenade. It was weird. Anyway, if I do decide to get BF4, I'll be getting whatever version gives you all the maps (I think it's called "premium"?). It's neat to see a game that just feels like a much etter version of Battlefield 3 since I enjoy BF3 so much. It's like BF3...2. I recommend looking into Rainbow Six: Siege. R6:Siege is bringing something significantly different to the multiplayer-shooter genre. I was really into COD 4 through Blackops2 (skipping a few) and I was really into Battlefield 1943 and BF3. Think of how different those two series are from each other. COD is constant sprinting with the ultimate goal of lining up a kill-streak to bolster snowballing map-control. Battlefield is more of a walking-simulator where there is always the threat of a vehicle or sniper pinning you down. R6:Siege has more of a COD gun-feel and the scope of the maps has been condensed for one main dynamic, one team barricades a room and the other must breach it in a few minutes. R6:Siege differs not only beause of smaller scope, but also the much higher sense of lethality. If you get killed early in a round, you can't do much for your team but call out positions with cameras and spectation. Anyway, it feels really fresh especially once you internalize the maps and how gadgets and character-abilities interact.

I've been getting 15-18mil regularly, just waiting for that special game. I found out that activating a kickback once they are both activated gives you 1mil. Also I'm starting to really learn how the ball returns; some of the ball-returns can reliably send the ball to be trapped by either flipper depending on whether or not I do a dead-flipper pass. This is very helpful during all these timed modes.

What a twist it would be if Rubio announced his support for Sanders. https://twitter.com/joesonka/status/708674789943218177

I heard about it. Watched some video clips.

How great would it be if you could pair a Pandora or Last.fm station or whatever to your custom-track list? The ads would suck, but still tht would be pretty cool. Especially if players could get rid of the ads.