I'm not sure how many folks here know Loren Wiseman, the Traveller guru-in-residence over at SJGames. He had a quadruple bypass last week... Reposted from http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php? ... stcount=54]here, with his permission:

Quote:For those who want the gorey details:

Recent Events

I hope the medical professionals among you will forgive my if I bowdlerize a few things.

SUNDAY (1 August)

On Sunday August 1st, I was feeling a little tired and decided not to do my usual Sunday afternoon shopping trip and to postpone my laundry expedition until the next day. I decided that I did need to take out the trash (ccollection day is Mondays), so I loaded up the bin and wheeled it to the curb.

I dropped it off and had turned to walk back to my apartment door when my right calf began to tingle. After a step or two, every single muscle in my right calf siezed up, and I could not move my right leg. I took a few feeble hops on my left leg and was rewarded with a sudden wrenching pain in my right calf -- worse than any muscle cramp I've ever felt, and the second worst pain ever. Fortunately, one of my neighbors in the fourplex I live in saw my distress, helped me to my porch, and called 911.

One of the paramedics in the responding ambulance turned out to be my newphew, Galen Wasem, who knew the family medical history and something of my own -- Galen made a joke of the coincidence, saying that if I had wanted to see him at work we could have arranged a ride-along -- I needn't have gone to all this trouble.

He noticed that I was cold and clammy, not hot and sweaty on the 100-degree day, took a blood sugar level and started an EKG. He then declared that he was going to treat the incident as a potential heart attack and I was off to the hospital. I expressed my concern was that the leg pain was a DVT (deep vein thrombosis), which can cause a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism, and Galen acknowledged that might be true, but insisted that my EKG showed problems as well, and that had to remain his main concern.

The ER doctors said he had made the right decision, ordered a series of tests (mostly for my heart, but they did do an ultrasound of my right leg (which eliminated the DVT possibility). Still, my only pain was in my leg, and I felt nothing out of the ordinary in my chest. I was placed under observation and underwent a series of tests. I began receiving the first of a series of calls from friends and family, which I will not cover in detail.

MONDAY (2 August)

The next day (Monday), it was decided to do a catheterization exam, a stress test, and some other procedures. The calf had recovered almost completely-- stiff, no pain , but my blood pressure and glucose levels were very high. My bloodwork further showed that I had indeed suffered a heart attack and the treadmill and other tests gave the doctors the information they needed for a diagnosis. Diabetes had caused poor circulation in my legs, triggering a cramp. It and high blood pressure masked the crushing chest pain typical of a heart attack, which was why I had felt nothing. I spent Monday recovering from the cath procedure. Last time I had to spend 8 hours flat on my back with a 40-pound sandbag on my hip -- things have improved: no sandbag, and only 6 hours with one leg immobile.

TUESDAY (3 August)

The cardiac surgeon who talked to me said there were several variables, but but he thought there was a good chance that the damage to my heart muscle was repairable, but that he could not be certain until he went in -- he proposed surgery to install one or more bypasses, and explained what was involved. For the first time in my life I heard the words: a little under two percent chance of death" in connection with my immediate future. Most of that, it seems, is in connection with general anaesthesia). Aside from a few minutes after the cardiac surgeon's briefing, I went into the operation feeling very confident that I would emerge alive and unharmed. I had confidence in the skills and professionalism of the people who would be performing the operation, and confidence in western medicine in general -- the thought of dying didn't occur to me as a real possibility. I joked with the prep staff and the anesthetist about this being a huge operation, how it was my first time under a general, and how I had saved all my operations up to get them over with in one fell swoop. It seems kind of odd to me thinking back on it that I didn't more have more concerns.

WEDNESDAY (4 August)

Wednesday morning I was awakened early for several blood draws (something I was becoming increasingly used to as time passed), and I was eventually taken down to get shaved and prepped for the operation. They drew blood (almost as an afterthought, it seemed) to type and crossmatch my blood for the operation, and installed an arterial and a central line for the surgery. The arterial line seemed to give the most trouble, and popped out once -- as I watched the spurting arterial blood washing across my palm for the second or two it took to secure things, I remember thinking that this was more of my own blood (15-20 cc) than I had ever seen in one place before. I was wheeled into the surgery area, and the anesthetist told me that he was going to give me the first of a series of injections to knock me out, and a few seconds later, I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, it was late afternoon, my breathing tube was out, and I was in the recovery area. Everything had gone well. I had a large (but closed) incision on my chest, and seemingly innumerable tubes, wires, and drains coming out of my abdomen (and a foley catheter coming out somewhere else). One of the nurses recited a list of everything going in/coming out, and said many of them might come out as early as Thursday if all went well. The operation had gone smoothly, with no complications, and I was recovering well. I spent the rest of Wednesday in the recovery ward, and was transferred to s special section for cardiac paients as Wednesday turned to Thursday.

After going home, I would have odd dreams that I can only attribute to subconscious memories of the operating room.

THURSDAY Through SUNDAY (5-8 August)

I spent the next couple of days having tubes/wires, and such removed from my various bodily cavities, and by Friday I was encouraged to begin doing "laps" of my end of the ward as a means of exercise. I was increasingly visited by roving bands of people in white coats, and by physical, occupational and respiratory therapists. By Sunday, the last of the connections with the outside world had been removed, and I was told I might be able to go home Monday if all went well.

During these days, I had to request light duty pain medications several times for general body aches and some quite signifcant pains. Aside from the incision scar and the holes for the various drains and such, I had been poked dozens of times for blood draws of various sorts, and my arms and legs were covered in spreading purple bruises. I remarked to oneof te nurses that I looked like I had been worked over with a tire iron. I found I could remain comfortable and (relatively) pain free if I did not move. However, since breathing involved moving, remaining still was not conducive to long-term survival.

MONDAY (9 August)

The wee hours of Monday morning saw an episode that must be familiar to many patients in my condition: I ran out of blood. The technician tasked with drawing a few more ccs for various pre-release tests was unable to locate and skewer a suitable vein, and my RN was called. Then the charge nurse. At intervals of 30-45 minutes, calls to higher levels of authority were made, and additional experts added to the retinue in my room. I had remained (mostly) still through several hours of repeated insertions into my skin, some of them involving quite convuluted schemes to capture a vein large enough to provide the needed blood. Finally, someone at a lesser level of authority than the surgeon general achieved the desired result. I was praised for my cooperative attitude and called "a trooper" . . . I anounced that I had just been tortured for several hours (albeit for my own good) and demanded cookies. Oatmeal raisin if possible. At least three.

As the group broke up, the charge nurse told me I would get cookies. Within the hour I had three graham crackers (which were a sign of the nursing staff's bona fides, I was told) and at lunch I got a large oatmeal raisin cookie.

I was discharged later in the afternoon, and driven home by my nephew the paramedic.

My recovery continues. My medical bills are currently at $6,200 and counting . . .

http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=126 ... tcount=640]Shadowjack finishes off Sailor Moon R with his usual staid and sober take on things...

(Okay, how did Minako get that many dice in her pool?)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

As much as I do love Astrosynthesis for it's gaming potential, Celestia has got it beat for showing an accurate map of the solar system.

To that end, here's a nice picture of the inner solar system as of the start of Chapter 2 of Legend of Galactic Girls, including most of[1] the asteroids claimed in the wiki. Enjoy.



[1]"Most of" meaning out of 42 claimed rocks I don't have data for 14 of them, plus the assortment of space stations, etc. These will no doubt come in time.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

This may have come up before, but I don't recall it.

MIT builds Archimedes's Steam Cannon - and makes it work. "In fact, the solution is so simple, effective, and dangerous that we have decided not to disclose the details." But there is a video.

Since real science can make a steam cannon work, imagine Kohran and Doug using steam-friendly Sakura Taisen science to build one...

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.803
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Light's Retribution: Level 50 Natural Brute
Primary Power Set: Kinetic Melee
Secondary Power Set: Energy Aura
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Body Blow

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
  
• (3) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
  
• (3) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
  
• (5) Kinetic Combat - Knockdown Bonus: Level 35
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
  
• (5) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 50
  
• (7) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (7) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
  
• (37) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
  
• (40) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge: Level 35
  
• (40) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
  
• (9) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (9) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 50
  
• (11) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Jumping IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Ragnarok - Damage: Level 50
  
• (36) Ragnarok - Chance for Knockdown: Level 50
  
• (37) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (37) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (43) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
  
• (11) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Adjusted Targeting - Recharge: Level 50
  
• (13) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (13) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (15) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff: Level 50
  
• (15) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Regenerative Tissue - +Regeneration: Level 30
  
• (17) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery: Level 50
  
• (17) Numina's Convalescence - Heal: Level 50
  
• (36) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (39) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Obliteration - Damage: Level 50
  
• (19) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (19) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (25) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (50) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (50) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage: Level 50
  

• (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 50
  
• (21) Performance Shifter - EndMod: Level 50
  
• (21) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (40) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy: Level 50
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
  
• (23) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (23) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (25) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (43) Red Fortune - Endurance: Level 50
  
• (43) Red Fortune - Defense: Level 50
  

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%: Level 30
  

• (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (27) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
  
• (27) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (29) Devastation - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
  
• (29) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 50
  
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
  

• (A) Doctored Wounds - Recharge: Level 50
  
• (31) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (34) Doctored Wounds - Heal: Level 50
  
• (36) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (46) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
  
• (33) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (33) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (33) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (34) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (34) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 50
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
  
• (42) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
  

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
  
• (39) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
  
• (39) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
  
• (42) Kinetic Combat - Knockdown Bonus: Level 35
  

• (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 50
  
• (42) Performance Shifter - EndMod: Level 50
  

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff: Level 50
  
• (45) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (45) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (45) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (46) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (46) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up: Level 50
  

• (A) Miracle - +Recovery: Level 40
  
• (48) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod: Level 50
  
• (48) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (48) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 50
  

• (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
  

• 12.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
  
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
  
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
  
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
  
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
  
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
  
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
  
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
  
• 17.4% Defense(Smashing)
  
• 17.4% Defense(Lethal)
  
• 4.25% Defense(Fire)
  
• 4.25% Defense(Cold)
  
• 4.25% Defense(Energy)
  
• 4.25% Defense(Negative)
  
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
  
• 14.9% Defense(Melee)
  
• 5.5% Defense(Ranged)
  
• 5.5% Defense(AoE)
  
• 10% Enhancement(Heal)
  
• 67% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 72.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  
• 15% FlySpeed
  
• 269.9 HP (18%) HitPoints
  
• 15% JumpHeight
  
• 15% JumpSpeed
  
• MezResist(Immobilize) 12.7%
  
• MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
  
• MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
  
• 9% (0.15 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 64% (4.01 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 5.04% Resistance(Fire)
  
• 5.04% Resistance(Cold)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Energy)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Negative)
  
• 15% RunSpeed
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.75%
  
• 22.5 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  
• 3.75% Defense(Smashing,Lethal), 1.88% Defense(Melee)
  

• 10% (0.63 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 16.9 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.75%
  
• 22.5 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  
• 3.75% Defense(Smashing,Lethal), 1.88% Defense(Melee)
  

• 10% (0.63 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 16.9 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 4% (0.07 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 2.52% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  
• 15% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 2% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Energy,Negative)
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 12% (0.75 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 28.1 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
  
• 6% Enhancement(Heal)
  

• MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
  
• 3% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  
• 3.75% Defense(Melee), 1.88% Defense(Lethal), 1.88% Defense(Smashing)
  

• 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed
  
• 28.1 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
  
• 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
  

• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  
• 2% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 3% Defense(All)
  

• 12% (0.75 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 33.7 HP (2.25%) HitPoints
  
• 3% DamageBuff(All)
  

• 10% (0.63 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 16.9 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  
• 4% Enhancement(Heal)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%
  
• 16.9 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
  
• 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 10% (0.63 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.75%
  
• 22.5 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  
• 3.75% Defense(Smashing,Lethal), 1.88% Defense(Melee)
  

• 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed
  

• 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed
  
• 28.1 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
  
• 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 2.5% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 2.5% Defense(Melee), 1.25% Defense(Lethal), 1.25% Defense(Smashing), 2.5% Defense(Ranged), 1.25% Defense(Energy), 1.25% Defense(Negative), 2.5% Defense(AoE), 1.25% Defense(Fire), 1.25% Defense(Cold)
  

• 16.9 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
  

How is it?

http://games.slashdot.org...Lineage-II-Too-Addictive
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

Wil Wheaton makes an 8-year-old fan's dream come true -- 21 years later.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I remember this was mentioned on this board: http://www.usfj.mil/manga/

well there is a translation, warning, site NSFW; http://www.wakachan.org/os/res/46712.html

it's clear that Japan and the USA are united by their great hatred of carrots

USA-kun is too cute.
E: "Did they... did they just endorse the combination of the JSDF and US Army by showing them as two lesbian lolicons moving in together and holding hands and talking about how 'intimate' they were?"
B: "Have you forgotten so soon? They're phasing out Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Well, we just finished Burnout Paradise (plus the Island DLC), and I'm hunting for a new video game.
First, a bit about Burnout Paradise - this game was awesome. We would pass the controller around - with the open world and the nonlinear event-based gameplay, this worked VERY well. After you got a few attempts or a few events, you would hand the controller over. It was shiny enough that it was fun just watching, so the nonplayers and waiters didn't feel too terribly bad.
Please to be consulting this video.


So what's next?
I'm trying to find a game that meets the following criteria:
Pickupable. I've got 'skate.', and the control scheme is too complicated to just hand off the controller to someone, especially someone who's unfamiliar with the game. Burnout was awesome, you have gas brake boost and e-brake.
Shiny. I have to have a game that can hold interest while _not_ playing, and I don't have any idea of a game other than Burnout that does this.
Depth. Burnout lasted for months as the target of concerted attention from several gamers. There were races, marked man, road rage, stunt run, time rules, showtime rules, smashes, billboards, and just blasting around town.

Driving is fine and all, but I've no real compelling interest in driving vs any other kind of game.
So, suggestions?
And, I highly reccomend Burnout Paradise.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies