Recent posts

#11

Off the Record / Re: Elon Musk: Always A Douche

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 11:55:40 AM

Neil has a point, the right doesn't have a monopoly on vapid stupidity and useless spam, they just have a strong competitive advantage at the moment in the USA. My hope is that it gets big enough to keep all the contributors I care about and not so big that it gets drowned in the Gresham's law of internet crapola.

#12

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by Barrister - Today at 11:46:26 AM

And while Christian prayer can sometimes be obvious, it really doesn't have to be

And in fact it shouldn't be.  Matthew 6:5-7.  Mind you, there are advantages to corporate prayer, but there is no showy requirement. 

I don't know about "shouldn't be".  I can think of lots of moments of Christian prayer which might be obvious, but not showy.  THink a Catholic making the sign of the cross, or an athlete kneeling on the sideline.

There is something a little bit unsettling about some islamic prayer.  There seems to be this modern sensibility in certain circles of getting a large group of muslims together and praying right in the middle of the street.  It seems to be done as a sign of strength (or some might say intimidation).

But that hardly justifies banning all public displays of prayer.

#13

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by Neil - Today at 11:39:51 AM

Trudeau has often had issues with finance ministers.  It's odd how finance ministers tend to feel a little more personally responsible for the financial state of the country. 

That said, I really do wonder if Freeland is really planning on spending the entire wilderness period of the Liberal Party in Parliament.  She's got a lot of options, and seems to be held in reasonable regard in the upper echelons of the global policy talking class, despite how poorly things have been going for Canada in recent years.  And given that Joly is putting out ad pieces in American liberal papers and trying to secure the lightweight elements of Trudeau's alliance, her succession to the leadership is by no means secure.

#14

Off the Record / Re: Elon Musk: Always A Douche

Last post by Tamas - Today at 11:39:44 AM

Also the American right has shown itself to be morally and intellectually bankrupt so not sure said absence is a negative.

Indeed. Even the so called moderates and small c conservatives have nothing to show for the past 20 years than to stand aside while the far right takes over their space.

#15

Gaming HQ / Re: Path of Exile 2

Last post by frunk - Today at 11:02:03 AM

So I think you have to double the act to get how defensive minded you need to be compared to PoE.  In PoE I'm usually maxing my resists and starting to build my defensive layers around Act 4.  In PoE 2 it's tough to max resists by Act 2, but you do need to focus on getting them as high as you can.

#16

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by viper37 - Today at 10:48:37 AM

Trudeau's office at odds with Freeland over spending
Gifted link.

Relations between the Prime Minister's Office and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland have chilled as tensions grow over the push for politically strategic spending measures such as the GST holiday, multiple sources say, risking the minister missing her pledge to keep the deficit at or below $40.1-billion.

The sources say the idea for a sales-tax break on items such as toys, video games, Christmas trees and alcohol was driven by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), as was the pledge to send $250 benefit cheques to working Canadians who earned an income of up to $150,000 last year.

The Finance Department viewed the $6.28-billion plan as fiscally unwise, with one source saying Finance officials described the GST holiday as making little economic sense. The sales-tax break has passed in the House of Commons, but the future of the $250 rebate remains unclear, with opposition parties making support for it contingent on it going to more people.

The Globe and Mail spoke to 10 government insiders, high-ranking Liberals and former senior Finance Department officials.
The Globe is not identifying the sources who were not authorized to speak publicly about the tensions between Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau's office and Ms. Freeland and her department.

Five senior Liberal Party veterans and three political staffers confirmed that tensions have risen between Ms. Freeland's office and the PMO over spending. Two of them said it is more pronounced since the summer, but a third source said they couldn't characterize just how serious the divisions were. Others described the relationship as "healthy tensions" between the Finance Minister and PMO, and noted that it's common across governments.

While it is not unusual to have tensions between finance ministers and the PMO, one senior Liberal said the current dynamic appears to be similar to what happened with Ms. Freeland's predecessor, Bill Morneau, before he departed the government in 2020. Mr. Morneau quit amid a public rift with Mr. Trudeau and his office following months of behind-the-scenes pushback from the former finance minister on the level of pandemic spending.

None of the sources are suggesting, however, that the current tensions would lead to the same result as Mr. Morneau. Ms. Freeland has insisted that she intends to stay around and run in the next election. She has denied suggestions that she has been looking for work in the private sector.

[...]

#17

Gaming HQ / Re: Path of Exile 2

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 10:22:17 AM

Yeah, with everything except the witch, I took nothing but defensive nodes.  Not as necessary with the witch because of all of the minion defence surrounding her, but even still, I raced to mind over matter and have the spirit passive skill that allows me to pick up shield boosts.

Your description of how you played the warrior makes me want to go back and try a two hander rather than relying on my meagre blocking skills 

#18

Off the Record / Re: Archaeologists do it in ho...

Last post by Tonitrus - Today at 10:18:11 AM

Well guess what?

I tried to find a history of ownership before I posted...and failed. 

#19

Gaming HQ / Re: Path of Exile 2

Last post by FunkMonk - Today at 09:57:27 AM

I'm still only lvl 21 with my starter, a 2-hander warrior. The idea is to go double 2-hander Titan eventually, or 2-hander with shield.

I've found focusing on defenses is vital when leveling. In poe 1 you could basically ignore defensive nodes until maps. Not so now. So I'm stacking armor, life, resistances, stun threshold, and focusing on my dodge roll timing. So I'm dying much, much less now, and when I do it's because of an obvious mistake I made, like being too greedy and getting surrounded by mobs or trying to lazily trade hits with a boss when they are almost dead.

I'm also exploding packs with the mace strike (basic default) skill linked to brutality and 50% more stun buildup. I'll hit one mob with that, almost always get a prime for heavy stun, and hit it with Boneshatter linked to increase AoE and 40% more damage on low life enemies. That with Herald of Ash deletes packs in two hits 99% of the time.

For bosses I'm using Perfect Strike after they get stunned. So I'm bashing them with whatever, I'll stun them, then unleash Perfect Strike. Usually kills the boss after a few hits with Perfect Strike linked to various damage supports, or faster attacks for QoL.

Game is fun yall

#20

Off the Record / Re: Elon Musk: Always A Douche

Last post by mongers - Today at 09:53:59 AM

If home of the left means absence of the idiotic right, I'm OK with that

This.