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Basically, the people running the self defence class I train at are friends with some local farm owners and use their land for archery, learning horse riding basics, etc. They decided to organise a summer camp for any regulars at the class, and it was incredible. From Friday night until this afternoon was almost constant exercises and games in woods and derelict buildings; they did a stellar job of organising it and keeping things moving.

We learned to make fires to cook our food, and keep them burning all day while doing other things elsewhere too. We slept under the stars on the second night. We explored a disused railway tunnel. I found out I'm not a bad shot with crossbows and air rifles, which I hadn't used before. We practised martial arts inside cars. I dodged knives that were being thrown at my head. Really, not aimed high or to the side, they stuck in the board right behind where my head had been. Once you're looking at someone's body for intent, it's not that hard to get out of the way, but it still makes you nervous!

This is a summary of the sneaky game I typed up for another forum. The hooded camo gear we wore for it also really added to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. vibe. I mentioned that to the main organiser, and yes, he knows the game :)

First game (1 hour) I was a guard, which was *fun*. We had radios and split into three patrols to secure a derelict farmhouse with a courtyard, large outbuilding and barn attached; cue lots of communication and investigation of strange noises. One really nice game design constraint was that the radios didn't have earpieces, and beeped every time the channel cleared. This meant that, as guards, radio comms were a huge advantage, but also revealed all of our locations at quite long range whenever we used them.

We didn't know our objectives or where the thieves team were coming from, just that "there were reports of people entering the building" and we had to protect it. It turned out they were hunting for a bottle of vodka and some shot glasses the organisers had hidden in the house :D

At one point, we'd been patrolling around the compound for about 40 minutes and as we went by a passage to the courtyard I thought I heard someone sniff inside. Doing a sweep of the courtyard and all the rooms I could get to through it was amazingly tense. We hadn't been given any information on how the other team had been briefed or what their intentions were, for all we knew they were going to bag and tag us or something.

One guy on our team was ex-mountain rescue as well as a lot else besides, and did an excellent job of patrolling along a dark route where he could move without skylining. As a result he nabbed a couple of thieves who were laying in the grass thinking noone could see them; instead, they didn't see or hear him coming to get them and the first they knew of it was when he had both of their collars :)

In the second game we switched to thieves, and our objectives were to get photos of three specific things without getting caught. Unfortunately the game had to be cut to half an hour, so we were only partway through executing our plan when it ended, and only got one of the three shots.

The wild horses and roosting birds also gave us some great tip offs as to where and when thieves were on the move :)

It was a phenomenal weekend. I ache all over and am bleeding in several places (not throwing knife related).

Edited by Nachimir

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I just spent the weekend on a farm...playing sneaky games at night in an adjoining disused farm. It was excellent...there were wild horses around :tup:

I see you've taken a liking to Equus.

Hah, no. Sorry. It sounds like loads of fun, apart from the bit where there were knives being thrown at you.

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Sorry if this wasn't meant to be the thread where I post little things that don't deserve their own thread.

So I wanted to download 6 files today, at the same time, each slightly over 1 GB in size. I started downloading on Firefox, which went fine, but after a while it crashed. I restarted the downloads, and watched the process. As soon as the downloads started, the memory footprint started growing at the exact same rate the files downloaded. It looked as if it was caching the full downloads in RAM (in addition to on disk) without regard to the actual file size. Pretty soon it reached 1,5GB and crashed. So I installed Chrome and tried the same thing, and the Chrome process grew a couple of megs, but remained at 40MB, so I've now switched. Now you know.

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Sorry if this wasn't meant to be the thread where I post little things that don't deserve their own thread.

So I wanted to download 6 files today, at the same time, each slightly over 1 GB in size. I started downloading on Firefox, which went fine, but after a while it crashed. I restarted the downloads, and watched the process. As soon as the downloads started, the memory footprint started growing at the exact same rate the files downloaded. It looked as if it was caching the full downloads in RAM (in addition to on disk) without regard to the actual file size. Pretty soon it reached 1,5GB and crashed. So I installed Chrome and tried the same thing, and the Chrome process grew a couple of megs, but remained at 40MB, so I've now switched. Now you know.

Lol. This should be in the "No life" thread.

I kid!

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It sounds like loads of fun, apart from the bit where there were knives being thrown at you.

Pssh :)

Anything dangerous was, of course, voluntary and stressed as such. Refreshingly without peer pressure too.

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That sounds great, Nachimir!

Except the throwing knife bit. I'm a little worried about the throwing knife bit.

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New episode in my flat-renting saga: The guy I was (and still am) hoping to share with learnt last week that he's losing his job. I asked him whether this would affect the whole thing, and he said he was going to think about it. We seem to be working on the assumption that it will still happen, and I hope it does, but obviously if his financial situation can't support it he has to consider that. Then again, he does have to live somewhere. It does kind of feel like the universe is making every effort to ensure I never make any progress in my life, though.

Well that's obviously untrue. Any stagnancy in my life is my fault and mine alone.

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So I was down in London last weekend for an anime convention. It was smashing. The convention, I mean. London was fine and all, but bloody hot, and expensive. I liked the ice cream though...

And I found this at the convention. And it was good!

31722_10150200892085386_556800385_12709750_7757098_n.jpg

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With this, are you talking about the thing that person is holding which would then be you, or are you just talking about the cosplayer?

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I don't know which is worse - the fact you refer to her as 'this' or the fact you want her as your wife.:tdown:

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The actual cosplayer. I wish she was my wife :(

It's a girl?!

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MCM Expo! I was there...

Video GAMES:

gditf2.jpg

(I am not in this photograph. The closest I came to cosplay was wearing a t-shirt with Donald Duck on it.)

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I don't know which is worse - the fact you refer to her as 'this' or the fact you want her as your wife.:tdown:

Bad semantics I guess. Or something.

Also hoorah Nevsky! Good times!

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Since there are a few Kendo and other martial artists here, I've been asked to post this; my girlfriend's club is holding a Summer Kendo festival and seminars, open to all clubs and practitioners wherever you may be from. Entry is free.

http://www.msmas.org/news2.php?id=366

They want to make it a big thing, national if possible. I'm sure they'd be happy to help organise travel and accommodation if you contact them.

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Two sword kendo style is so awesome and insane... cool seminar! I doubt I'll be able to attent, bit out of reach, but it's a great incentive.

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On the lighter note, being in the midwest kind of sucks for a standup comic fan like myself, the scene is pretty much dead as far as live performances go, but I just found out one of my favorite comics, Brian Regan, is performing in a suburb of the city I live in tonight, so I got the night off work and I'm going! should be a blast.

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One more day. One more exam. One more exam. God. I can't wait for this year to be over.

Because my summer is going to rock so hard it'll make Led Zeppelin seem like Justin Brieber. Come hell or high water, nothing will stop me.

</OTT rant>

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Because my summer is going to rock so hard it'll make Led Zeppelin seem like Justin Brieber. Come hell or high water, nothing will stop me.

</OTT rant>

You need to lose that last bit, if you're going to make it a reality. All out!

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MCM Expo! I was there...

Video GAMES:

gditf2.jpg

(I am not in this photograph. The closest I came to cosplay was wearing a t-shirt with Donald Duck on it.)

I too, was there! I spent the vast majority of my time hiding in the Press area, simply because it had seats and free food. 'Twas a good day.

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I too, was there! I spent the vast majority of my time hiding in the Press area, simply because it had seats and free food. 'Twas a good day.

'Twas a good weekend.

Aw, but half the fun is being out there, thinking you're losing your mind as you stuff you hands in your pockets, as best to avoid feeling up a 16 year old in a homemade Bayonetta costume.

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