Randox

The actual layout of Reddit irritates me. I much prefer my forums in the format that tip it (and every other forum I use) uses. I'm starting to get a cold, and its at the worst possible time (well, its always a bad time). It seems to be a combination of seasonal and sleep habbits. Unfortunately, the only way to reverse the cold is to make my days really short (ideally no more than 14 hours awake), and right before all my midterms with more work, I'd like to right now have a few days with more hours, not less. But I also don't want a cold during midterms, and I'm only up to a mildly sore throat, so I am hoping I can push that back to mild congestion (there is a specific sequence to this that I am all to familiar with). On the plus side, with 2 colds a year (or more), I should exhaust all the possible colds by the time I'm 60 (they are essentially an allergy to a set of viruses that are among the least dangerous ones that can actually infect you, and some people never get colds because they lack the 'allergy').

Left my pop culture cave long enough to notice that my arguably favourite band produced an album while I wasn't looking (that would have come out just after I started listening to them in 2012). I fell in love with this band for the music itself, and only noticed after at least an entire month how angry the lyrics were, and by then I didn't care. And oddly enough, while I am pretty fickle and will change my favourite band month to month, I always end up coming back to this one. Anyway, this song jumped out at me, and I don't know why (they don't even break out the saxophones for it):

The maximum time frame for a human staying awake without any sleep is roughly 70 hours. Beyond that you start to take microsleeps, which are exceptionally dangerous because they come without warning and you might not even be aware of them. You ability to self evaluate your own mental condition becomes worse the longer you've been awake, and is easily influenced by chemicals (and by extension, state of mind). Even a Eugeroic which would be able to make you feel well rested for a couple of days strait becomes a problem, because even though you mind is just fine, your brain (and your body) are still physically tired, and even though you might not be able to feel it, a physically tired brain is simply not capable of matching the performance of its well rested self (that said, a Eugeroic certainly does massively enhance performance in the face of sleep deprivation. It's more of a problem for things like driving I think). I wasn't saying you can't play RuneScape for 48 hours strait. That's perfectly reasonable. What I meant was you would probably get more done by the end of the weekend if you sleep for a few hours at some point, because by day two your reaction time and ability to concentrate are going to be diminished, which means you wont be working as fast as you can.

As a point of interest on the playing for 48 hours strait, unless your super man or being prescribed a Eugeroic for narcolepsy or another major sleep disorder, then your chances of being able to productively play RuneScape for a full 48 hours are pretty much non existant. You can stay awake that long with the help of stimulants yes, but you'll be in pretty out of it (which here translates to sucking at a point and click game) unless your stimulant of choice is crack (and if it is, then your probably not reading this).

Yeah, it kind of just occured to me that since I have all the data points, I could just take the average (1.695), rather than integrate (which is also more accurate since I don't have a perfect line of fit for the data). Never underestimate my ability to make simple problems complicated :lol:

My assumption would be that they have a continuous function and pull from it in intervals. The beauty of it is that the area under that curve would be almost identical to its stepped version (since the high on one side of each point is roughly countered by the low on the other). Looking at a scatterplot of the data, that might not be the case, and it might be 3 piecewise functions. Or it could be a 5th (or higher) power polynomial, though in that case I might model it as a piecewise. Or if I can get minitab to spit out the equation of the regression line, it has a cubit with a 99.7% match which would be close enough. I might also be able to come it another way (with statistics instead of 'math' and get what I need that way. EDIT: Wait a second, I see how this works now. That's just uncanny that the line fits that well. It would probably help if I actually knew what a regression line was :lol: EDIT2: Still toying around, but here would be a good estimate using cubic form: y = 2.881 - 0.1802x + 0.005924x^2 - 0.000065x^3 where y = xp multiplier and x = minutes since start. And looking at those numbers, the cubic part isn't even all that importan. It is a very small number and if you just use the quadratic form your pretty close. No point finding the other 2 powers, at least not right now.

Awesome. Saves me some time. I am realizing that I have not constructed an equation from data for a while. Now I need to take a look at it and decide what sort of function to model it with. So many choices, though a polynomial would probably be the easiest to adapt since I work with them so much, and also because that's probably what they used. But a polynomial over a polynomial might work better (forget what they are called, I just remember the 3 forms of them). Now I have something to do this afternoon, and something to play around with in minitab :D

Don't suppose anyone has the equation for xp decline (as a function) from the previous weekends? I'd love to run the exact numbers, and I might see if I can get the equation anyway if no one has it.

That moment when your looking at your test, and you realize what you did wrong, and how obvious a mistake it actually was. I couldn't find anything wrong with the following code during the test, and I didn't spot it after until I put the program in the computer and ran it, and then after seeing the answer I spotted the mistake after about 3 seconds of viewing the code. Not seeing the obvious mistake cost me 10% on a test. public class test2 { public static void main(String[] args) { int celcius = 100; double farenheit; farenheit = (9/5) * celcius + 32.0; System.out.println(farenheit); } } It should have returned a value of 212, and it returns a value of 132 because the 9/5 are both integers, and thus the resultant is also an integer. Of course, had I been on a computer writing my own code I would have realized the mistake had I made it myself in a matter of seconds :wall:

It would be a very different world without our capacity to lie and deceive, and one I am not sure I could totally comprehend, though I suspect it would be a much more productive and fair world. However, we do not live in a perfect world, and it is not reasonable to expect people to stop trying to get an advantage as a whole, which means the whole will have to put up with the baggage that comes with it, such as lines forming before a store opens on boxing day and spicing up your resume. Since the ends are are essentially maintaining a level battlefield (in this case ever sine the first ass hat exaggerated his online dating profile), then yes, the means are justified, as it is a case of survival, and an option with a minimal impact on others compared to some of the alternatives (like a career in larceny).

My stance on the whole providing incentive to play extended hours is that it's not Jagex's responsibility, nor should it be. Either your young enough that someone should notice you've turned into a computer vampire and intervene, or your old enough to be responsible for your own actions. The other thing is that being awake for 48 hours strait is not really all that dangerous, as long as you don't need any significant mental abilities after the first 12 hours or so, and as long as it doesn't happen frequently, the long term health effects should be non existent (long term sleep deprivation/excess will certainly shorten your life though). If you take it as a given that bonus xp is going to happen (because Jagex wants money, and this is obviously a good way to get members or they wouldn't keep doing it), then they did choose a good duration. Longer and the damage to the games economy and sense of achievement would really start getting out of hand, and shorter would see a tonne more people staying up all night rather than splitting the work over two days. EDIT: I'll concede that the decision to not have a sliding bonus is questionable, though for me not because of the incentive to stay up longer, but because of the effect this will have on the game, which will probably be several times over (in terms of xp gain) the previous iterations.

Congratulations Xena. I offer you this Dilbert Strip as welcome to the leader position:

Sorry, that came out really wrong. I see it as virtually the same situation as a resume. While everything on the resume is (hopefully) factually correct, it is not honest. If you want a chance at an interview, then your cover letter will be a measure of your writing talent and ability to make your experience and abilities fit the ones the employer is looking for, and your resume will list an inventory of your talents, how much you can brag about yourself, and your ability to exaggerate. It's not lying (or again, it really shouldn't be), but it is probably not a 100% honest representation of yourself, but rather a collection of your best qualities slightly exaggerated. You do this because resumes are how people pick who to interview, and when you go to said interview, you probably dress well and take some extra care with your personal grooming, and you probably make alterations to your behavior to ensure you make as good an impression as possible. My point being, at least as I see it, you don't have to lie to deceive. Omission and exaggeration (putting your best foot forward) are deception, and also necessary skills for regular social interaction. And I didn't know it had a formal name. I know it in economics simply as a logical fallacy, where people assume what is good for the individual is good for the whole. If we we're given a proper name for it, I've forgotten what it is, though I might look through my notes and see. The one that frustrates me the most is people lining up early to get into places, which is only necessary because people line up early :wall:

I'm sort of cool with it. I figure you have to have the flashiest profile for your actual personality to be given a chance during the chat, so it's legitimate. I do agree with Omar on this. If one person spices up their profile, everyone has to or else they are at a disadvantage, and at the end of the day I don't mind, even if I think its just making everything more difficult for everyone for no reason (people are silly). However, I do not agree that its not a form of deception. I'm sure you are very well aware of how important first impressions are Muggi, and that telling someone that your profile is misleading will do diddly to correct a false impression. Your profile opens the door, your personality seals the deal (or doesn't).

I've heard that advice before. I've never tried it, but it can't be worse than paper towels, and the 10,000 little pieces they leave behind.

I've made some mental breakthroughs in calculus, and I'd really like a time machine so I can go back to highschool and explain some of these things to my past self. I was able to do the math, but my comprehension was not complete, and I didn't even know it. How annoying, but also a cause for great joy. In other news, statistics is making even less sense than it used to, and I should probably just read the textbook for once. I developed an aversion to math textbooks in grades 7-9 because all three of them were spectacularly terrible. The science text books were marginally better, but we weren't allowed to take the ones that didn't suck home because they didn't have a french version (welcome to the department of education, which apparently has a real life gateway to the 'meeting duh-mension'). Also, my midterm season starts next week. Two next week, and two the week after. Not that bad.

I think a more generally accepted usage of arrogance goes beyond self confidence, real or otherwise. Arrogance refers to someone who treats other people as their inferior, someone who believes themselves to be better, or worth more, than others. It is not an attractive trait, at least not to people with a healthy level of self esteem.

I think MMO's in general have a negative rep, even compared to other forms of gaming. Most people in lets say from 30 and down (the average age of gamers is someplace around there) play computer games, but the MMO's excepting WoW have never been mainstream (with the younger generations), at least not in North America or, as far as I know, Europe. So while the stigma for a lot of gaming is on the decline, MMO's seem to have been left as the 'weird' fringe games. The most accepted are the browser and app games (think iPhone and facebook), then you've got all your 'normal' games (racing, action, strategy, and so on), and then you have your fringe games like MMO's and most of the indie games, with the difference being that indie games lack most of the negative stereotypes that every other genre has been collecting for decades. And I think at the end of the day, stereotypes are still a large part of it. As some genres become more mainstream, they shed some of their stereotypes (and if your an online multiplayer, especially with voice chat, add new ones). MMO's don't have enough of a presence I find to really shed any of the old stereotypes, so they just attached the new one about online communication and called it a day.

Parents are the same way with the summer and winter rims, at least for the SUV. It protects the nicer summer rims from salt damage, and I feel like the winter rims might be a bit smaller (almost certain they are narrower, and might be slightly smaller diameter as well). I think the car has two sets as well.

Well that's not creepy at all.

I'm not going to complain about some motivation to finish off herblore, and farm while I am at it (going to grow my herbs cause that's how I roll. Also, I'm cheep). I also plan on thoroughly enjoying not being in a time induced panic to get certain things done by certain times.

It's not just you. Having a little trouble with the proportions here myself. Impossible waist size aside though, she is quite beautiful.

Totaly forgot about defense drones. Okay yeah, I'd expect evasion to be just as effective against teleport bombs then, since the difference would be bombs can't be shot down. And if your flying an engi ship, and you still have an all engi crew when the option to enter mantis space comes up, you should probably not choose that option :P

Today I realized that of all the courses I take, economics are probably the oddest sounding for anyone who just wandered in and sat down out of the blue. I miss one macro class and the first 10 minutes of the next class sound like the professor is just making up works and acronyms. I also got around to looking at my mouse, which has been wearing out for like a month. It turns out that the whole problem is just the plastic underneath the button wearing down, so I stuck a few strips of tape over the switch and under the button itself to make up the lost plastic, and the mouse now works like new, if not better (I have 5 layers of tape in there, probably could have gone with 3 or 4). I had assumed it was the switch that wore out, and I'm sure it might some day, but the tape will probably hold for another year (age of the mouse), if not longer, before I need to open it up again and add more. So yeah, mouse will be sticking around for a while.

I consider at least one upgrade to oxygen and medbay to be important, not only for the extra hit before the system goes down and the hull takes damage, but because there are situations where being able to refill your shit with oxygen or getting your crew healed quickly will be the difference between victory and a much harder victory (or no victory at all). However, they are not systems that should have priority on power. I normally keep 1 for oxygen, and maybe 1 power on deck for medbay, and the rest I take from engines/shields/weapons on an as needed basis. I also normally try to get at least one into the helm, since it presents a really easy way to take out my evasion if I lose it. Helm is however the last system I will pull crew away from, so it only happens if something else needs to be repaired to prevent death, or if I can lose evasion without risking my shields being overpowered. If I end up venting a lot of the ship to put out fires, I like to be able to refil the ship as fast as possible, especially if I am still in combat, since losing oxygen with 25-50% oxygen levels (because you just vented half the ship or more) is an emergency that requires immediate attention or everyone is going to start dying, but losing your O2 above 90% oxygen levels is something you don't need to deal with until the end of the fight (sooner if you need to vent after you lose O2). Likewise, if a crewmember takes a huge hit while I'm still in a fight, he needs to get back from medbay ASAP because my ship will have poorer performance until they return. Evasion is a god send while you take out the final bosses missile weapons, and will in general make your life easier on the trek there. Evasion is your only defense against missles (not sure what effect if any it has against teleporter weapons), and is your first line of defense against lasers. You want your shields to be under as little strain as possible to deal with beams and ion cannons. I've brought ships to the boss with maxed engines and 3 or 4 shields, and they are all but invincible against the first boss. Transporters can drop the missle weapon pretty quickly, as can a system bomb (system bombs are win), and at that point its doubtful you'll take much if any damage. If you can take down the missiles again on the second form before you get droned to kingdom come, its about the same. You stand a fair chance of keeping your shields online and they will save you from the evil beams. Unfortunately, you only get that kind of money on easy mode :lol: