Like many music fans who buy shedloads of CDs, I have a code of ethics around downloading. If I'm curious about an artist or track, I'll probably go get it from a torrent site somewhere, but if I really like it, I tend to buy the physical CD too. Yes, I want to reward the artist, but I also want to have it in high-quality audio. So, every now again I purchase a few titles that have ended up on my hard drive, and on Friday I finally added Sigur Rós' ( ) and Roísín Murphy's Overpowered to the list of albums that have passed muster and deserve purchasing.

Except I just started ripping now and realise that I have an empty Roísín jewel case. No CD. It's in HMV Cork I guess. Did I keep the receipt? Of course I didn't. Oh well, it was a 2 for €15 deal, so no major loss. And I'd imagine that the album will be re-released shortly with her cover of Slave To Love tagged on, so maybe it's not all bad.

And it's worth the €7.50 for the nutty photographs alone.

I decided to have lunch at the Acorn in the Town of Elon.  The network here is run by the university and they no longer have public access wi-fi.  There are two computers which I think do not require log in on but they are awkwardly positioned.  I decided to stay off line for the moment.  I'm working on the Alpha 400 for the moment.  I'm learning to get used to it. The typing is not to bad when you can get yourself to not touch the touchpad by hovering your hands in a correct position.

Knowing that the computer can not handle endless numbers o'f session forces me to concentrate on each one more completely finishing it more before saving and going to the next one. 

Sometimes a by product of having a system that can handle so many multiple sessions is that the byproduct is I spin off tons of seperate documents for even just a small fraction of a thought, and tons of webpages, since its faster to keep setting one up while another is loading in the background then I work through each tab and browser one webpage load at a time moving to the next step in the next task.  Somehow when getting to some new material or tasks one forgets the everyday routine ones started at the beginning until one maxes out the memory resources of the machine, often dozens of sessions opened at one time.  Then to do a proper pull out and shut down can take quite a long time as one finishes that which can be finished, and takes note of what needs to be taken note of for later, and save whatever web pages need to be saved for later.

I don't feel like the Alpha 400 is hampering my productivity because the changes in  style necessary to the machine are not really necessarily bad for my productivity.  I must account for my personal prejudice which gives me an incentive to adapt.  I like little computers, I want them to be available, I know that I need to demonstrate that they are useful.

However I know those who have other computers will often want to gravitate to other machines especially before being accimated to this one.  Users who have experience with other computers but no access to them might be frustrated with what they can or can not do with a more limited computer.  Many users who don't have other access may not know what they are missing as the machine has quite a bit of functionality

These are things I use alot so far: AbiWord - A Word compatible  wordprocessor.  I save my files either to the internal flash drive, my 4GB USB key drive or my 1GB SD chip.  I use the wi-fi signal widget and the BonEcho, A Firefox driven WebBrowser optimized for small linux machines.  Particularly I like the Bookmark function on the browser which I use to point to webpages I've saved and may need to refer to quickly, as they seem to pull up well and quickly that way.

This is new for me as I've never been a bookmark or favorite user very much in the past, but this is a way of avoiding navigating through the File Manager for pages I might need to quickly present.  I wonder if this practise will help me on my computing when off the Alpha 400.

Video optimization is a bit of an issue, many will not accept the distortion and glitchiness when scrolling through a document. The screen resolves itself in just a flash and for many others this will not be a problem, as they will be happy they can edit text and if one is not picky the video is adequate.

I am not sure if the spellcheck function of abiword is loaded up.

Wow I'm going to learn about computer in this project.

The question looms about wether it is worth it to fix problems for a non-standard processor when the cost of a more powerful standard processor like the atom will probably be available in some time for cheap. 

For me the question is more abstract because for me the opportunity to learn about aspect that would otherwise be resolved and therefore less interesting will definitely help me personally wheter the goal of popularizing a free inexpensive or affordable portable computer is achieved through this model.

Having powerful machines is not an excuse for bad or inefficient code.  The amount of computing power we have today is extrordinarily huge and from the perspective of computers of old not well utilized for this reason.

That our technology at any point of physical power will be further optimized by good coding processes at every level of development will not change and therefore a useful skill.

In fact a lot of arguments can be made in this regard as to why a slightly less powerful machine might be better for learning and for students than today's overpowered and inefficient machines.

I'm going to save this post to USB drive now and upload it to minilini.wordpress.com later on today when I have internet access.

A. Demonology Warlocks would be so darn Pet focused that the Hunters would re-roll.

And here is why...

Fel-Bat

Appearance: Take the standard Bat model, make it nice and large, add a green flame affect on the eyes and wings, some nice fangs and a few spines,  then have it leave a really obvious trail of green wisps as it moves.

Goal: A pet that has a primary purpose to hinder others, and a limited defense ability.

Powers:

- Swoop affect to get to a mob quickly and cancel the current action. Not a stun, but an interrupt.

- A screech like an owl to stun those within short range, but has a long cool down. Like the Tauren stomp that will help the Warlock get away from the nasty that is hurting him.

- Flame trail would do minimal damage to anyone who passes through it, or too close to the bat.

- Raid buff which assists with Spirit regen or Spirit buff.

Superior Voidwalker

Appearance: Take the basic Voidy, add some token shoulder, spine, head, and claw areas in grey/white, then cover it in purple and grey plates over the rest of the body.

Goal: Give the big blue blog a major upgrade in terms of armour and health, and set the guy tanking properly. Make this creature altogether tough against Shadow damage, but conversely not really able to affect Shadow creatures.

Powers:

- Taunts as per now, but improved via increased threat generation from shadow potency.

- Remove the Sacrifice ability. Not needed in a Tank.

- Add a mana return ability much like Paladins when it get healed. To keep it casting when its mana pool runs low.

- Allow it to absorb damage from a target, like the Sacrifice pally ability. Good if you already have a tank, but they are a little under spec.

Abyssal Worm

Appearance: A bloated sweating, blotched skin, mount of wiggling fatty puss. No sensory organs, a huge mouth lined with tiny serrated teeth. Revolting sores and to move like a shambling caterpillar.

Goals: Something different that reflects the fact that all demons are not bipedal, don't have wings, or are not particularly appealing. Could act as another range damage pet, but with a few multi-mob abilities.

Powers:

- Cannibalize almost anything to recover health, by spewing bile onto it and sucking up the dissolving mass. An in combat and out of combat health regen.

- Disgorge tiny puss covered worms that crawl toward a target. Each is a mini-pet that targets a particular mob. Like the trees from healers, snakes from hunters, etc. Used to keep a mob busy for  short period of time as it swipes at them.

-  Vile Spew of acidic bile to all creatures in a cone affect.

- Detonate itself to apply a poison DoT damage all within a reasonable AoE.

- Raid wide increase to hit for both spell and melee.

Feline of Disaster

Appearance: A small black cat that follows the Warlock. Perhaps a red gleam in its eyes and a skittish nature.

Goal: The infernal familiar of a Warlock that binds as much of its power to the Warlock.

Powers:

- Stealth when not in combat, and hasn't attacked.

- Breath of Weakness to reduce strength and movement of a target(s).

- Gives an additional dodge bonus to the raid, and a base miss change on atacks made against the Warlock.

La ex frontwoman dei Mòloko (oh come mi mancano!) Roisin Murphy sforna il quarto singolo dall'album Overpowered ovvero "Movie Star" che è uno dei pezzi più musicalmente "venduti" dell'album,molto da finocchio glamour di terza categoria.

La canzone è comunque orecchiabile anche se avrei preferito una "Primitive" o meglio "On & Off" tuttavia lei è sempre ineccepibile bella,brava e con stile da vendere altro che Merdonna!
Ah alla Santa Amy verrà finalmente data la chance di apparire nel museo delle cere Madame Tussauds di Londra...conto di tornarci ad Agosto e magari vi scatto una foto^^

Out in Dustwallow Marsh with Bupu and Verity (priest and paladin respectively) we were on the trail for some Murloc heads to satisfy some ogre, and had one of those moments where two people simultaneously decide for themselves that they will pull the next group of mobs which just turns out to be two separate groups and, before you know it, we're surrounded by about ten to fifteen Murlocs.

Listless at first with that resigned sense of "We're not going to survive this!", we quickly gained some kind of consciousness, Verity hit Consecrate, I dropped a Magma Totem (my favourite totem) and burned most of my mana on Chain Lightning and Shocks while Bupu threw out the DoTs and heals. Before you know it, we were surrounded by about ten to fifteen dead murlocs. Like a water slide on a hot day, "Let's do it again!". Turns out that shaman, priest and paladin actually makes for a pretty shatterproof team.

Totems, though. Oy vey. Where does one put them all? My action bars are desperately in need of a serious reorganisin', I have my most common totems easily reachable but as soon as I need some of the more situational ones, I'm lost. The best hint I've had so far is to make a bunch of castsequence macros to set down combinations of air, earth, fire and water but I'm not keen on the idea, when I tried that with my warlock's DoTs it was fine for some of the time but lacked any real flexibility to make it worthwhile.

So I'm thinking about bringing the numeric keypad in for the job, a 3x3 block of keys with air, earth and fire taking a column each and... finding somewhere else for the water. It's then simply a matter of having various three-figure codes to suit (almost) any situation. It sounds pretty good in theory, but that theory has a wicked sense of humour sometimes... We'll see.

Unfortunately, with the 'success' of the nerf squad in getting barbarians and guardians nerfed (the last 2 patches), they are crying louder than ever for the priests to be powered down. I don't know if Funcom really did listen to the nerf squad. The barbarians and guardians had 1 hit kill power in PvP. Arguably, that is too overpowered for a game that emphasizes PvP. The timing of the fixes makes the nerf squad think they truly did have an impact on Funcom's decisions.

Considering the PoM and ToS are my main two characters, I have a lot to worry about right now. I really enjoy the current state of both classes. It's nice to play a healer that can dish out the damage. It's nice to play a healer that is very well rounded. They reminds me of one of my favorite characters, my trader from Anarchy Online before Funcom nerfed traders into the ground.

The problem is the combination of AoE (area of effect) nukes and healing. In the case of the PoM, add in powerful crowd control in the form of repulse (point blank AoE knockdown). This allows the ToS and PoM to solo level faster than many of the other classes. There have been a few youtube videos and plenty of 'stories' of priests who kill a dozen mobs at a time.

The nerf squad fails to realize that this solo leveling is only one small aspect of the game. Group PvE, raids, group PvP, sieges, PvP mini-games...these are all significant aspects of the game and much of it occurs after all the leveling is done. While the priests do well in some areas, they definitely do not deserve to be called overpowered.

• In group PvE, both classes are healers. Neither class compares when it comes to pure DPS. They are far too squishy to risk unleashing their area attacks with regularity, unless they want to spend most of the game dead and waiting to be resurrected.
• In group PvP, everyone targets the healers first. No amount of HoT's or the 1 minute cooldown emergency heal is going to save a priest who is getting focused fired by several opponents.  The three healers only get 50% of the benefit from their own HoT's.  ToS and PoM are in light armor, have small health pools and their primary source of healing only does 50%.  The ToS is especially vulnerable because they lack some of the powerful crowd control abilities that the PoM has.
• Even in 1 on 1 PvP, the priests have their weaknesses. Against some classes, it's an easy battle. Against others, they are literally unable to dish out enough damage to kill them. Some classes can kill the priests in a matter of seconds.

Level 80 priests are reporting that healing does not seem to scale as quickly as damage output and the size of the health pool. Currently, there are no items in the game that boosts healing power. That is not a good sign for future expansion. As more and more people reach level 80 and participate in raids, everyone's damage output is going to increase with better itemization, while the priests become more and more vulnerable.

Because of the somewhat misguided impression that ToS and PoM are so powerful, a lot of people are rerolling as priests. Some people think this is a bad thing. I disagree. In most MMORPG's, there is always a lack of healers. Is it such a bad thing to have a lot of healers playing this game? In any case, most of these people rerolling as priests will discover soon enough that their new class isn't as overpowered as they hoped. They will discover that healing in groups isn't what they want to do. In the end, it will be the people who enjoy playing healers who will stick it out and things will go back to normal.

Every patch, I cross my fingers and hope that Funcom doesn't ruin the priests...at least not before I have a chance to reach level 80 first. :) I've been burned badly by Funcom before, but that was years ago. I've talked to a few people who played Anarchy Online recently and they insist that Funcom has been very good about making logical and balanced changes to the game. Since there is absolutely nothing that I can do to change the outcome, I'm going to have fun playing my 3 healers and hope for the best.

A picture of my Tempest back when she was in her 30's. She was bugged with a permanent flaming aura and invisible chest armor. Was quite a sight to see running around town. :)

E esse parece ser o ano do renascimento do Trip Hop. Além do Portishead (e de Róisín Murphy, Morcheeba, Supreme Beings of Leisure etc.), Tricky (Adrian Thaws) lançará também novo trabalho.

Produzido por ele mesmo, "Knowle West Boy" terá treze faixas. Sai no dia 7 de junho na Inglaterra, e dia 9 de setembro no resto do mundo. Veja a tracklist do álbum abaixo:

1. Puppy Toy
2. Bacative
3. Joseph
4. Veronica
5. C’mon Baby
6. Council Estate
7. Past Mistake
8. Coalition
9. Cross To Bear
10. Slow
11. Baligaga
12. Far Away
13. School Gates

идея: започни от primitive!!, премести се на overpowered и parallel lives..отново се върни на номер шест - primitive. и още няколко също толкова добри - sweet nothings, foolish, modern timing, off & on..offf, off and on. все пак може да си спомниш и за мокрите пуловери и да добавиш едно от най-обърkващите загвалия на песни - where is the what if the what is in why question mark, cannot contain this, bankrupt emotionally, day for night, forever more и Времето Е Сега..което вероятно е най-голямата истина на големите истини.

9ти май - редакция - ввсе още не мога да й се наситя, макар че я въртя почти все ден..

1. The Pyro is overpowered. The Pyro moves way too fast, and the range of its flamethrower is too large. The flames can reach so far ahead of it, and it is impossible to not be flamed while running and gunning as a Soldier or Engineer. I believe that the Pyro should be able to be set ablaze. I also believe 175 HP is a bit too much, and perhaps it should be made a bit slower, at the same speed of soldiers.

2. Sticky mines are also overpowered. One sticky mine takes away 66% of a level 3 sentry's HP; and two kills just about every class anywhere near them unless they were boosted by a medic. Also, the ability of Demomen (which I recently figured out was short for Demolitions Men) to do an überjump by rocket jumping with two stickymines (which is fair enough, gives the class an edge over others) does not take away much HP from the Demoman himself. This is all balanced, but the fact remains that even with one stickymine, a Demoman seems to be able to propel himself higher than a Soldier. Perhaps this is because one can place a mine anywhere they want, but this seems to be a disadvantage.

3. I have mixed feelings about crit rockets. If i'm a Soldie and get a crit, it's a kiss from an angel. If I'm anyone else, it's like the devil himself is trying to stop me. None of the other crits (with the possible exception of stickymines yet again) are as effective as killing a player as a crit rocket. And speaking about over powered shots, how is it that a headshot does not kill a heavy unless it's fully charged? >:(

Well, there you have it. My rant on TF2. Don't even infer for a second that I dislike the game. I absolutely love the game.

Enjoy your gaming,

da10x

Love from the TF2 Team <3

Everything is fabulous

De singles 'Overpowered' en 'Let me know' zijn dansplaten van formaat. Ware het niet dat la Murphy niet zoveel poen heeft als de grote diva's, dan zou men kunnen spreken van wereldhits.

Fabulous Roísín

Het concept: 'fabulousness in everyday life', in de clips geeft de Ierse op het eerste zicht alledaagse locatie's en situaties een ultra-glamoureuze toets. Kitch-effecten in 80s discostijl en futuristische/ Barbarella-achtige outfits met koningshuiswaardige hoeden maken het plaatje af. De kleding maakt ze overigens voor een groot deel zelf.

B-kantjes niet vergeten 

De exentrieke dame heeft de neiging om een karrevracht aan b-kantjes te produceren. Wil je het volledige gevoel van de plaat volledig beleven zal je even aan het downloaden moeten slaan. Een van die gigantische missers is 'Off and on', een aanstekelijk, sexy en verslavend dansnummer dat makkelijk een top 10-plaats had kunnen halen!

Smart pop

In 'Checking on me' horen we haar op een wel heel swingende manier klagen over een obsessief lief. Dát is de Roísín sound: onder het laagje afgewerkte killerpop vinden we doordachte, scherpe en soms kinky teksten terug. 'Dear Miami' is een uitstekend voorbeeld: mogelijk de kilste song over opwarming ooit.

Voor ieder wat wils 

Hoewel deze plaat minder persoonlijk klinkt laat ze de fans van haar eerste klepper niet in de steek. In 'Scarlet Ribbons' stelt ze haar vader gerust en in 'Body Language' schud ze ieders menselijkheid wakker. Haar gevoelige kant komt in die nummers goed tot uiting.

Genoeg superlatieven: pak die dweil, doe die afwas en zet haar plaat op. Je zal nog nooit zo fijn het huishouden gedaan hebben!

Roisin Murphy - Overpowered - EMI - 2007

Si alguien echaba de menos a la guapa irlandesa que por los 90 firmaba éxitos bailables para todos bajo el pseudónimo de Moloko, ahora vuelve a tener la oportunidad de recuperarla pero con la experiencia del trabajo bien hecho y de una larga trayectoria. Como el mejor vino, según han ido pasando los años, Róisín Murphy ha ido madurando, perfeccionando un sonido que muchas han intentado pero en el que demuestra ser la reina cada vez que publica un nuevo trabajo.

Overpowered (2007, EMI) contaba con el posible miedo de ser su segundo trabajo en solitario, la presión de superar su maravillosa presentación con Ruby Blue (2005, Echo) y de seguir diferenciándose del resto con sus canciones. Al principio llegó el anticipo de cómo iba a sonar, de por dónde iban a ir los tiros. El single Let Me Now (2007, EMI) enseñaba a una Murphy que dejaba de lado su paso con el gran Herbert, con la mezcla de jazz, funk y house, para potenciar de nuevo este último género como lo hiciese con Moloko. Un single triunfal, pegadizo, y directo a la pista de baile. También estaba bien acompañado con algunos remixes variando más a la pista si cabe.

Pese a contar con un tema tan pegadizo, el elegante sonido de su presentación se echaba de menos, algunos esperábamos una continuación por todo lo alto, un posible Bodily Functions (2001, Studio !k7) pero a la irlandesa, con Murphy sustituyendo a Siciliano en la parte vocal. Ya la llegada de Overpowered destapó cualquier incógnita. ¿Había algo que sonase a lo soñado? No. Todo lo que había era baile, puro baile.

La canción que abre el disco decepciona en comparación con los grandes hits que firmó con Moloko, pero “You Know Me Better” rompe con cualquier esperanza de ver a la rubia bajo un jazz modificado para ella expresamente y la lleva al house más pegadizo en el que el funk sigue estando presente. Genial a la hora de encauzar la canción con su voz hacia el terreno que quiera, así “Checkin' On Me” se adueña de la influencia de las grandes del soul y se hace con el tema entre subidas y bajadas como si fuese Diana Ross. Y ya para rematar después del single inicial continúa “Movie Star” con la potente base, con los juegos de ella consiguiendo unos agudos geniales y un resultado final de lo mejor del trabajo.

No sólo se dedica a romper el esqueleto a quien quiera atreverse a bailar sus canciones, “Primitive” la baja el tempo en un tema más oscuro, “Dear Miami” sigue con cierto aíre apagado en el que la base y las dobles voces son perfectas; como el final donde “Tell Everybody” mezcla de nuevo el funk con su voz y “Scarlet Ribbon” firma la más lenta e intimista del trabajo. Un trabajo con una calidad de nuevo asombrosa, recuperando la estela de Moloko, de su gusto por el house y sobre todo por la elegancia, aunque esto no se transmita igual a la hora de elegir la portada.

para Retro Música

Róisín Murphy - Let Me Know

Η πάλαι ποτέ τραγουδίστρια των Moloko κάνει σόλο καριέρα (είναι το 2ο άλμπουμ της) εδω και 2μιση χρόνια. Προσωπικά νομίζω οτί το φόντο των moloko της πάει πολύ. -ως φόντο.

Πολύ καλή δουλειά ολόκληρος ο δίσκος - με κομμάτια που ακόμα δε παίζονται παντού, και δε ξερω γιατί.

Ακούστε το γνωστότερο overpowered αλλα κυρίως το Let me know που παίζει δυνατά για το top 100 του billboard.

Overpowered

Let me know_

Deze keer eens geen bespreking van een hardstyle of jump cd maar wel de prachtige cd van Róisín Murphy. Met Overpowered brengt de frontvrouw van Moloko een hoogstaand album uit. De titel song was een succes in België en ook de tweede single uit het album "Let me Know" scoorde goed in de hitparades. Róisín Murphy's derde single zal in het voorjaar uitkomen en "You Know me Better" genaamd zijn. Buiten deze drie singles bevat het album nog een aantal hoogstaande songs zoals o.a. Movie Star, Dear Miami, Cry Baby, ... Een heel afwisselend album is het geworden van Róisín Murphy en zeker de moeite om aan te schaffen.

Titel: Overpowered
Artist: Róisín Murphy
Stijl: Pop - Dance - Disco House
Jaar: 2007
Beoordeling: **** 1/2
Tracklist:

1. Overpowered
2. You Know Me Better
3. Checkin' On Me
4. Let Me Know
5. Movie Star
6. Primitive
7. Footprints
8. Dear Miami
9. Cry Baby
10. Tell Everybody
11. Scarlet Ribbons
12. Body Language
13. Parallel Lives

Róisín Murphy - You Know me Better [photoshoot] (2008)

So the nominations for the Choice Music Prize, awarding the best Irish albums of 2007, have been announced. Nialler and I got seven of our predicted ten correct which isn't a bad score. The three neither of us guessed were David Geraghty, Kila & Super Stanley 800. Although, I had considered David Geraghty, I would have never predicted Kila or Stanley Super 800.

It's an interesting list and fairly wide open. The smart short money will probably be on Cathy Davey. The gambling man, however, might risk a punt on Stanley Super 800 to sneak up from behind and snatch the gold medal. I do think it's a shame that neither So Cow or Mumblin' Deaf Ro have been included, if not hugely surprising.

The prize will be announced on February 27th in Vicar Street.

Anyway, here's my possibly totally incorrect guess at the shortlist:

Cathy Davey - 'Tales of Silversleeve'

Delorentos - 'In Love with Detail'

Super Extra Bonus Party - 'Super Extra Bonus Party'

Róisín Murphy - 'Overpowered'

Mumblin' Deaf Ro - 'The Herring and the Brine'

Adrian Crowley - Long Distance Swimmer

Dry County - Unexpected Falls

Future Kings of Spain - Nervousystem

The Flaws - Achieving Vagueness

Hooray For Humans - Safekeeping

A? a? Ain't it coooool? (Nu mă întreba de ce lungesc vocalele. Nici eu nu ştiu exact.) Doamne, doamne ce le cântă tanti Roisin. Trebuie neapărat să descarci albumul ăsta. E nou nouţ, lansat acum la sfârşit de an 2007. Ba chiar e unul dintre cele mai bune chestii pe anul asta. Foarte stylish album, Goldfrapp-esc aşa. Avem chiar şi colaborare cu Groove Armada pe Let Me Know. Piesa asta are şi clip. Go figure. Doar e Groove Armada, nu?

E funky. Groovy. Ba chiar roar (ca deh. It's Roisin Murphy we're talking about. Roisin Murphy care a făcut şi piesa asta:

ce paranteză lungă :D. Aşa. Şi-apăi dacă piesa asta nu e roar, nimic nu e roar). E shiny. E Overpowered!

Aşadar.. Unde vroiam să ajung? A! Să te conving să descarci albumul. Sau măcar să asculţi Primitive. Şi Let Me Know. Şi Dear Miami. Şi dacă după ce asculţi astea nu-l descarci... Ce să zic. N-a fost să fie. :D Come back next year, eh?

Pezzi da procurarsi inqualchemodo: You know me better, Let me know, Movie star, Off and On.

Di seguito Let me now