Morning Discussion

Oh hells fucking yes

Anyone else tried Ritual Coffee (Roasters)? I think they're only around the S.F. Bay Area right now, but out of sheer inanity I got a Latte from their retail, walked over and put a bit of chocolate brandy syrup (a product I've not seen anywhere but the Napa Valley so far) and stirred it up.

That was the best fucking mocha I've ever had. Just... fucking perfect. Better than Peet's Coffee or small independent places or anywhere. If you enjoy coffee go to Ritual Coffee Roasters and try this shit.

Somedays I really hate that I do anything with computers.

Forefront Client Security server won't work on Server 2008 64bit. I wrestle with getting the server reloaded with Server 2003 and then realize I burned enterprise when I needed to burn standard.

Office 2010 makes you click on five hundred things to print now.

We switched to Exchange UM at our location, so no one knows how to read instructions and can't figure out anything, even though I sent out emails as far back as a month ago letting them know about this.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Anyone gotten their $20 GC from Amazon for Pre-ordering RDR yet?

WinChatty borked for anyone else?

Quintessons = Ferengi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=notxXm9_FzE#t=4m8s

More Corrine Yu interview stuff, beware the silverlight http://www.techreport.com/discussions.x/18950

Those who don't normally read it (and for shame!) might never the less enjoy todays Penny Arcade: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/

oh god the face :D

Alright cool i just dropped my Droid and cracked the screen on the front. a small hairline crack by the back button. whats a good heavy duty case for the droid, this is the 3rd time this week I've dropped it.

Is there a server more reliable than shackchatty.com?

http://shackchatty.com/ is b0rked :(

Anyone else holding out for RDR on the PC? I have a PS3 but would prefer to play this on the PC for the shackbattle goodness.

I know there is quite a bit of dislike here for the penny-arcades... but for those few that like it, the 4th panel video they put up today was quite good

FUCK ME

So I went on Amazon earlier to pre-order RDR for the 360, used the search function to find Red Dead Redemption xbox 360, clicked the link for the xbox 360 version, but I guess it takes you to a product page for both versions, which defaults to the PS3 version of the game. Apparently I did not notice this so I just got an email with the code to unlock the Golden Guns on the PS3. great. So now I get to order the 360 version and no pre-order bonus. cry for me shack.

tldr; :(

I just had a dream about Diablo 2 where I spent the entire time waiting for it to patch. I didn't even get to play before I woke up. Fuck you subconscious.

So I (re-)posted this earlier:
First track off Nas+Damien Marley's new album
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyY70LE2D-Y

now that I grabbed the album I can say there are like 3 really strong tracks and the rest is sorta whatever.
I really loved 'As We Enter' and 'Nah Mean', and I think 'Count Your Blessings' is a good track. The rest, eh.

What good voice to text programs exist?

I am recording interviews for my thesis research and would love to make the transcribing process really easy.

The original Bioshock pitch:

http://irrationalgames.com/insider/from-the-vault-may/

"Good morning, class." reminded me of this cheech and chong skit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhG__-Ql8_I


SHUUUUUT UUUUP!!!

MUSIC MEN

Has any of your heard Gogol Bordello's newest album?

http://www.amazon.com/Trans-Continental-Hustle/dp/B003GF4FOI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1274455107&sr=8-3

Pretty different than their previous stuff. Way catchier (if that's possible), and less frenetic. A lot of influences from Manu Chao in this album, from what i understand.

Definitely check it out if you're into their other stuff, or if you like gypsy punk at all. I'm really enjoying the album, and it's growing on me the more i listen to it.

Also, if you have a chance to see these guys life, go do it. They put on an incredible show. So much energy.

Your Rock Band DLC for next week is nearly the whole of Pantera's "The Great Southern Trendkill"

* “The Great Southern Trendkill”
* “War Nerve”
* “Drag the Waters”
* “10’s”
* “13 Steps to Nowhere”
* “Suicide Note Pt. II”
* “Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath)
* “Floods”
* “The Underground in America”
* “(Reprise) Sandblasted Skin”

(Suicide Note Pt. I is not included)

http://www.rockband.com/news/pantera-dlc

RDR Impressions and Story (Minor Spoilers)

So, despite my apprehension about the game's apparently slow pace (at least compared to GTAIV) I decided to trust the ShackHypeHiveMind and go out and purchase a copy of Red Dead Redemption for some single-player entertainment.. (my Live account expired a while ago so no multiplayer for me unless I renew it :/)

Ok, quite a bit of riding around and listening to dialogue. I want to get to some damn serious combat already!!

So anyway, after some Bonnie missions and just generally getting a feel for the game controls and environment, I'm just cruising back to the ranch, shooting some wildlife, picking up feathers and eyeing the scenery when I come across what looks to be a sheriff of some kind, with a nasty leg wound. Two prisoners had just broken out and fucked him up, and he needs me to round em up and dispense some Wild West justice. Sweet. Eager for some action, I hop on my horse, Spartacus, and from the kick in his trot he already knows the situation is about to get hairy.

I catch up to one of the dirty criminal bastards and hogtie him, leaving him in the grass to dispense some extra justice later while I catch the second guy. I turn west to catch up to outlaw #2, toss my rope around him and let Spartacus go wild while the poor bastard gets dragged through the brush. I thought I had a bad mouth but you should've heard this guy. Every profanity possible, about how he was going to fucking kill me and cut my scalp off. After about a good mile of dragging, kicking and screaming, we get back to the injured lawman who sent me on this mission. I figured I could turn this beat-up motherfucker in, say the other one got away and then go back to his hogtied body just around sunset to enforce some real law.

Apparently the lawman isn't satisfied with this, as the game won't let me deliver only one prisoner. Oh well, I mumble to myself, guess I'll have to make new plans for sunset. I ride back to the first prisoner, still hogtied in the grass, throw him on Spartacus's back and bring him in.

This is when the story gets ugly. The injured lawman apparently can't control himself and puts a bullet in each of the two prisoners' heads. Are you fucking kidding me, man? I could have done that 30 minutes ago and gone out hunting or some shit. Spartacus is tired and weary, and my six-shooter is rusting away in its holster, eager to see some action.

Am I the righteous vigilante, or am I a dirty murderous scoundrel just as bad as the two bandits lying in pools of blood before me? I stop and watch a rolling tumbleweed which seems to ebb back and forth along the landscape as I weigh the two options in my head. My mind is made up. The answer is, I'm neither good nor evil. Somewhere in between.

I take out my revolver and put a bullet in his good leg. I think to myself as he squirms in pain, would this have been as fun of he hadn't crossed me? ...Yes, probably. And I'll be able to look at myself in the mirror knowing that I didn't kill an innocent man. Well, provided he survives. I'm sure some other righteous wanderer will take care of him.

It's about 5 o'clock and my business here is done. Looks like I'll have some hunting time before the sun goes down. I whistle for my horse and when he comes near, the horseshoe brand said "fresh" and had a dice logo engraved on it. I thought for a minute, could this horse be rare, but I thought nah, forget it, yo home to Bel-Air! I rode up to a house, about 7 or 8 and I yelled to Spartacus, yo homes, smell you later! Looked at my kingdom, I was finally there! To sit on my throne as the prince of Bel-Air.

What's the best (free) profiler for .NET applications? I'm generating an XML file and it's taking way longer than it should and I wanted to figure out where the bottleneck was.

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/District_9/70113005

District 9 is now on Netflix Instant Watch \m/

Final Fantasy XII

Fuck. Demon wall again?!

Square Enix has been hype a "history-changing" announcement that came out today:

http://www.destructoid.com/square-enix-s-history-changing-mindblowing-announcement-174216.phtml

For a fucking WEB BROWSER GAME
As D'toid says "Never fucking talk again", Squeenix PR.

I need more on this game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFHKIFDjk9I&feature=related

Just more, more screens, more videos, more everything. When is it even out?