deanb

So I'm doing kinda dandy at the moment (beyond the upcoming Xmas job as an elf sorting out packages for Xmas for all the kiddies and bills for the adults), setting in a few foundations for potential future employment. Had two half days at Newcastle College today after putting my name down for interest in an adult learning course couple weeks back at a jobs fair. Been filling forms and assessments, aced the literacy, numeracy and IT assessments but as expected had stumbling blocks on the "empro" (employability) stuff. This should lead on to starting a part time course in January. As part of past two days session I was directed to an opening within the college doing pretty much what the course would aim towards, so fired off an application for that, which given how many boxes it ticks I'm rather hyped for (compared to the "applying cos I have to" ones that you do 99% of the time), so fingers crossed on that. Though the application process itself was a pain in the arse, filling out an oddly formatted word documents. Would have prayed for an online application and personality test by end of it. Which contrasts sharply with an application I did last week where it was in 5 steps and pretty much just had me upload my CV, used this to auto-fill the following pages of information, then hit okay at the end and I was done.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20251939 So an initially dick move today on This Morning by Phillip Schofield got trumped by the fact dick move was done to Cameron and he completely fucked up the response. There's a bit of bother in the news of late about paedophiles, especially high profile ones like Jimmy Saville and the rumoured "No 10 paedo ring". Well Schofield presented Cameron with a list of names of alleged paedophiles, which Cameron tactfully didn't look at and put down (no sarcasm, he did do right in that) then proceeds to say: Wait what, where did the gays suddenly come into this? WTF. My current thinking in discussion with housemate on the matter is that Cameron's brain was engaged into the gay marriage thing, since there has been a newly appointed Archbishop and Cameron's aim for gay marriage by 2015 clashes a bit with the church, so maybe he was expecting and prepared for questions on that and his brain just spieled out first thing to mind in the shock of what had just been thrown at him. Cos if you remove the "particularly against people who are gay and" it becomes a perfectly fine and dandy sentiment.

Actually the AAA title is all the console has going for it given Netflix, living room web browsers, media streaming n Free2Play stuff is the domain of tablets and phones too. (Though on the Netflix front consoles do have an edge, unless you've a Smart TV/BD Player). It's the "B-game" that's the one dying off on consoles (though getting a fair boost on PC, Farm Sim 2013 wouldn't be a Charting game on console, let alone number 2), though consoles could do with winning it back, and a strong digital strategy and reduced cost of entry/production can help with that (cos it's not worth stocking these games on shelves). It especially helps fill in the quite periods between the blockbusters, helping the consoles maintain a consistent gaming profile that side-features like Netflix would harm/make fuzzy.

Yeah Ethan has established that

The readers arewn't unique devices though, and banks hand em out like they're going out of style. I had three at one point. And yeah it's likely NFC will gain ground, but a huge issue is for those without phones and you're still having to put a PIN in anyway. Also issue of perception too, a card is something folks are used to having, they're small and simple, and don't run out of battery. I don't see it taking over for a while though, at least in UK. Sure there's plenty of NFC phones, and contactless cards (my bank even has stickers as a halfway house too), but the readers are near non-existent. I'm in a city atm and I ain't seen a single one (though it says McDonalds have them and I've not been in a McDs for a fair while). Still I go in Greggs often enough and you'd think they'd be great place to just swipe n be done.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20250441 Mastercard are to be releasing a card that combines with the capabilities of a CAP Reader meaning you won't need the separate device anymore.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/10/02/162163801/obama-s-secret-weapon-in-the-south-small-dead-but-still-kickin Pretty neat article to read.

Oh, I guess it might just only be showing EU places if it's on the "EU version" of the site I guess. Dunno why Steam seems to be about the only site capable of doing a global store.

http://www.gamefly.co.uk/Download-BioShock/5001055/?adtrackingid=cmju510 Bioshock - Free. ( I think it's not available to NA though)

http://www.origin.com/news/whats-coming-in-the-next-origin-update The Twitch support is pretty neat. Been saying that needs to be something Steam n consoles should have for some time now. Jumplists n non-Origin games a bit of housekeeping catch-up though.

Still kinda worrying we're still only just getting info on the online component trickling out as the launch approaches in a few weeks. It's stuff that, especially after being slammed for it on the Wii, should have been hammered down and blasted out to media months back if not a year back.

First part of my post was at TFG and his "lump the freaks together", your posts wasn't there til I posted, hence the addition of "edit:"

i think it's more of a "by our powers combined". a lot of the equality issues tend to be very closely aligned and discrimination is fairly similar too. I also don't think LGBT was coined externally of the group. Edit: mentioned asexual the first time around.

A apparently can also be Androgynous, but I feel that's more a body shape/style than an orientation. I always kinda figured "queer" in this sense, and how I've normally heard it used, to mean "doesn't fit in any of the venn diagram above, but definitely not hetro".

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvB3msfJYdk

http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/the-wii-u-is-here-first-images-and-impressions Some initial impressions from PAR.

I think it's LGBTAQ at the moment. (Lettuce, Gherkins, Bacon, Tomato, Asexual/Ally, Queer)

Ah. That explains so much.

He just hasn't warmed up to the Commander yet you mean.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-06-ever-wondered-what-the-author-of-the-witcher-books-thinks-about-the-games Eurogmaer have had an interview with Andrzej Sapkowski, the guy who wrote the Witcher novels. Seems he's not a huge gamer, and doesn't care much for the games. Though from what I've been reading externally he actually was involved a fair chunk with at least the first Witcher game, it would exist if not, but he's now getting back into doing the books and obviously the Witcher games are a sort of sequel that'd clash with any plans he has to piggy back on the much wider global fame the Witcher game series has brought his books. Still a decent read either way.

Beeb had one of the Republican Strategists on and he was very open on the fact that the Republican party had clearly dropped the ball in going for "Angry white man over the economy", a tactic that apparently usually works for both parties. They needed to change their stance, though not their polices*, to engage latino voters, and they especially fucked up in ignoring the young voters Obama had mobilised in 2008. IUt also didn't help for the Republicans that Romney was their "not worst candidate and that he only gained momentum in the past month with the debates and the republicans should have gotten him out sooner to dispel the "big evil corporate demon from Bain Capital". *for example they retain current stance on immigration, but instead of having an old white republican male giving this, they have a younger latino republican pushing the issue. p.s it was a couple hours ago this was on, quotes are not direct. Trump is funny cos as far as I'm aware Obama won both Electoral and Popular vote (though by a minute margin ). Also he's got the legal right, money, and view points to be able to run for president himself, so why the fuck doesn't he put his money where his toupee is and run? Oh yeah, cos he's a nutter. Oh and Boris Johnson thinks it's all well and good Obama got four more years but he would very much like the US to pay their congestion charges.

Creepy! I'd say that it's because as Ethan has pointed out many times he likes to play RPGs as women because he feels those are characters he can most closely associate with*, but given Kaiden is bi it could go either way on this. *and he's a perv that spends the whole game looking at their butts.

It seems everyone has now called it for Obama, including BBC. So well done US. Sound like it's still a Republican House though and all the issue that seems to entails (though BBC coverage has noted apparently Americans like it that way with the whole check n balances thing). (And good news on LGBT Senator) edit: https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/266031293945503744/photo/1

Yeah BBC just spent a bit discussing those rape comments. The BBC hub if anyone is interested btw: http://www.bbc.co.uk...canada-15949569 Might be able to watch our live feed, might be region locked though. No adverts, and non-US so no lean (or much need for one). edit: Seems it's not region locked, so have at it.