Half-Life 2 update:

Some thoughts from my recent playthrough of Half-Life 2 (still in progress):

– I hate fast zombies. More than headcrabs, manhacks, and antlions put together.

– I wish I had a gravity gun. Since they don’t exist (yet,) I’d settle for a laser-guided RPG. How about it, Santa?

– I know a few kids who would stay in line if I had some antlion pheropods. Mwa, ha, haa…

– BUDDHA is my friend.

– This is an absolutely amazing game. Still. The SOURCE engine continues to amaze me with its balance of realism and performance. The level design, art design, animation, sound design, scripting, and pretty much everything else combine to make this game the gold-standard which ALL adventure-FPS games should aspire to. And it still threatens to empty my bladder/bowels from time to time.

More later. Still have a few more levels to play through. Right now I’m having trouble figuring out the best places to put my sentry guns to keep the Combine from storming my cell block and pwning my arse…

Scientists to Climate Conference: “Have the Courage to Do Nothing”

A group of climate scientists/global-warming skeptics pointed out several dangers inherent in acting on false research and hype when it comes to global warming and man’s alleged contribution to it.

HERE’S the article (clicky.)

It makes for a good read (or a good skim, if you’re short on time.) The points the scientists raise amount to reasonable concerns, and actually make sense, which pretty much guarantees that they will be ignored, ridiculed, and/or buried. (The points, not the scientists… I think.)