I know how to improve Exid

Throw away everything except the house beats and the chick that raps.

How I would manage the Thunder

Russell Westbrook takes season off to recover, comes back in 2014 with a 5" higher vertical.

Kevin Durant gets Lasik, comes back with an 8% increase in efficiency.

OKC tanks this season without KevBrook for the 2014 draft.

CAN'T FAIL

I would say yes to that dress

Fair Point

"One technical thing - the Eastern Med is pretty crowded, will the USN want to take an Ohio that close to a Udaloy on patrol, then use 154 Tomahawk launches to provide a datum in a confined area?" 

People might be taking for granted an appearance by the USS Break Shit - Get Out herself.

That's the money shot

The Red Comet Kick:



Char Aznable's most famous attack in Gundam history

Profound

Excerpt from Scott Aaronson's Who Can Name the Biggest Number?

Turing continued to explicate his machine using ingenious reasoning from first principles. [A paper tape], said Turing, extends infinitely in both directions, since a theoretical machine ought not be constrained by physical limits on resources. Furthermore, there’s a symbol written on each square of the tape, like the ‘1’s and ‘0’s in a modern computer’s memory. But how are the symbols manipulated? Well, there’s a ‘tape head’ moving back and forth along the tape, examining one square at a time, writing and erasing symbols according to definite rules. The rules are the tape head’s program: change them, and you change what the tape head does. 

Turing’s august insight was that we can program the tape head to carry out any computation. 

Just as we can classify words by how many letters they contain, we can classify Turing machines by how many rules they have in the tape head. Some machines have only one rule, others have two rules, still others have three rules, and so on. But for each fixed whole number N, just as there are only finitely many distinct words with N letters, so too are there only finitely many distinct machines with N rules. Among these machines, some halt and others run forever when started on a blank tape. Of the ones that halt, asked Rado, what’s the maximum number of steps that any machine takes before it halts?

Conclusion? The sequence of Busy Beaver numbers, BB(1), BB(2), and so on, grows faster than any computable sequence. Faster than exponentials, stacked exponentials, the Ackermann sequence, you name it. Because if a Turing machine could compute a sequence that grows faster than Busy Beaver, then it could use that sequence...The Busy Beaver sequence is non-computable, solely because it grows stupendously fast—too fast for any computer to keep up with it, even in principle.

In 1984, A.K. Dewdney devoted a Scientific American column to Busy Beavers, which inspired amateur mathematician George Uhing to build a special-purpose device for simulating Turing machines. The device, which cost Uhing less than $100, found a five-rule machine that runs for 2,133,492 steps before halting—establishing that BB(5) must be at least as high. Then, in 1989, Heiner Marxen and Jürgen Buntrock discovered that BB(5) is at least 47,176,870. To this day, BB(5) hasn’t been pinned down precisely, and it could turn out to be much higher still. As for BB(6), Marxen and Buntrock set another record in 1997 by proving that it’s at least 8,690,333,381,690,951. A formidable accomplishment, yet Marxen, Buntrock, and the other Busy Beaver hunters are merely wading along the shores of the unknowable. Humanity may never know the value of BB(6) for certain, let alone that of BB(7) or any higher number in the sequence.

We’ve seen that progress in notational systems for big numbers mirrors progress in broader realms: mathematics, logic, computer science. And yet, though a mirror reflects reality, it doesn’t necessarily influence it. Even within mathematics, big numbers are often considered trivialities, their study an idle amusement with no broader implications. I want to argue a contrary view: that understanding big numbers is a key to understanding the world. Imagine trying to explain the Turing machine to Archimedes. The genius of Syracuse listens patiently as you discuss the papyrus tape extending infinitely in both directions, the time steps, states, input and output sequences.

At last he explodes. "Foolishness!" he declares (or the ancient Greek equivalent). "All you’ve given me is an elaborate definition, with no value outside of itself." How do you respond? Archimedes has never heard of computers, those cantankerous devices that, twenty-three centuries from his time, will transact the world’s affairs. So you can’t claim practical application. Nor can you appeal to Hilbert and the formalist program, since Archimedes hasn’t heard of those either. But then it hits you: the Busy Beaver sequence.

You define the sequence for Archimedes, convince him that BB(1000) is more than his 10^63 grains of sand filling the universe, more even than 10^63 raised to its own power 10^63 times. You defy him to name a bigger number without invoking Turing machines or some equivalent. And as he ponders this challenge, the power of the Turing machine concept dawns on him. Though his intuition may never apprehend the Busy Beaver numbers, his reason compels him to acknowledge their immensity. Big numbers have a way of imbuing abstract notions with reality.

Indeed, one could define science as reason’s attempt to compensate for our inability to perceive big numbers. If we could run at 280,000,000 meters per second, there’d be no need for a special theory of relativity: it’d be obvious to everyone that the faster we go, the heavier and squatter we get, and the faster time elapses in the rest of the world. If we could live for 70,000,000 years, there’d be no theory of evolution, and certainly no creationism: we could watch speciation and adaptation with our eyes, instead of painstakingly reconstructing events from fossils and DNA. If we could bake bread at 20,000,000 degrees Kelvin, nuclear fusion would be not the esoteric domain of physicists but ordinary household knowledge. But we can’t do any of these things, and so we have science, to deduce about the gargantuan what we, with our infinitesimal faculties, will never sense.

Who can name the bigger number? Whoever has the deeper paradigm. Are you ready? Get set. Go.

Omgomgomg

TTS is back with new costumes!

So the main character in Slam Dunk

He's a 6'3" center.

This is what he looks like (#10) standing with the cast:

Hey, that's pretty similar in height to Russell Westbrook, OKC's 6'3" PG.

This is what he looks like (#0) standing with the cast:

What am I doing?

Girl.

You doin' too much makeup.

You went right past Vogue territory and straight into Trailer Trash.

To whoever made this..

You suck, and all your explanations are wrong.

For fucks sake, the gravitational equation (eqn 2) and charge equation (eqn 4) are of the exact same form, you're not even internally consistent in your shittiness.

So I've been playing Sim City 4 a lot

I think I would avoid committing crimes there too.

I hope it doesn't snow a lot here.

All in all a good use of $5

Series 1: Houston vs OKC

NBA Playoffs are about to start and 8th seed Houston and 1st seed OKC are matched up in the first round, which is expected to be a great series.

The Houston Rockets are a rising star in the West, they are the youngest and least experienced team in the league. Everyone was expecting a rebuild year, but they've managed to pull through to the playoffs and exceed the performance of every team in history with comparable ages and experience.

Oh yeah, and captain James Harden was traded to Houston at the beginning of this season from OKC because they didn't want to pay out a max contract for him. So he's got a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.

The Rockets play a game reminiscent of D'Antoni's offense, a system that famously brought the Steve Nash captained Suns into the conference finals in 2004-2006. Also there was something called Linsanity, you may have heard of it.

It's a tempo based offense where they won't shoot with great efficiency or make good ball stops, but other teams that aren't used to the same high paced play won't be able to keep up..and older teams might just collapse from all the running.

Problem: OKC is also a team of young players and they'll be perfectly happy to match Houston possession for possession.

Contrast to Houston, OKC is actually a defensive minded team with the (sometimes) elite defender Perkins being virtually a zero on offense and elite defender Sefelosha being able to score spot up 3s at a decent percentage but otherwise also a nil on offense.

So it is scary that in the regular season OKC was consistently ranked up top in offense. OKC's offense revolves around the Westbrook-Durant Iso System. Westbrook is ludicrously fast while also being able to hit bad shots at a respectable percentage. Unguardable Kevin Durant and his lanky frame is faster than anyone who's bigger than himself while being able to shoot around anyone faster than himself at a deadly efficiency. That makes them a mismatch in more than 90% of all one-on-one situations and carried them to 1st seed in the West.

As for the coaches, Scott Brooks is a coach who commands great respect from his players but doesn't know how to run plays and makes stupid rotations, compared to Houston's McHale who commands great respect from his players but doesn't know how to run plays and makes stupid rotations = EVEN MATCH.

Houston actually has a decent chance at pulling through in a 7 game series, but in the first game they were outscored 120 - 91. That's very troubling not only because of the point delta but because for such an offensive minded team, 91 points is a pittance. If OKC defenders have their offense solved, then there isn't much else going for the Houston team. The only thing to do now is wait and watch and see how they adapt.

Obvious source is obvious

Some thoughts:
-None of the squadrons in Korea are standing down, including the A-10s
-B-2s are active, no surprise there
-Interesting that the F-15Cs in Kadena aren't fully mission capable; I guess that tells you how much they respect the NK air force
-I'd be surprised if the Lancers aren't kept combat ready
-Lolol 18th Aggressor Squadron is grounded

...but you wouldn't have heard of her!

 Her voice is like a feather.

And she charmingly can't dance at all.

Dat court vision

Russell Westbrook drives and gets to the net going 3 v 1.

But totally misses a wide open kickout to Kevin Durant.

Why does OKC's offense look like a mess even when it's going right?

Cool story bro

The Aviationist has a cool article up about the flight demonstration that sold the F-14 to Iran:

After the F-15 had finished its display, everyone was waiting for the underpowered F-14A demonstration: the Tomcat’s TF-30 engines would have not given to the aircraft the same thrust to weigh ratio of the Eagle.

However, during the F-15’s performance, Evans and Romano burned down a great quantity of fuel and now they had only 2,500 pounds of remaining gas: while this little quantity was only sufficient to accomplish their flight demonstration, 2,500 pounds was also one eight of the Tomcat’s  internal fuel capacity and thanks to this fact the Tomcat had the same thrust to weight ratio of the Eagle.

At this point the F-14 had one thing that the F-15 didn’t have: variable geometry wings that would have made the difference for the grace of the flight demonstration.

Funny that flash ended up selling the bird, guess the Shah wasn't big on energy-manoeuvrability diagrams.

The F-14 actually did have another thing going for it though: the AIM-54 Phoenix long range missile. To this day, it remains a capability gap.

What's with this picture anyways? There's no way that's a real combat loadout right? This must for Macross battles!

"大丈夫ですか?"

I bet she learned how to pitch from Jessica.

On the other hand..

All the people complaining about Russell Westbrook hogging the ball or how he should've been traded over Harden also have no idea how the team works.

Russ is an elite point guard, top 5 in the league. Harden is not.

OKC doesn't have a lot of shooters, and their big man is basically a zero in the paint offensively. If they can train Ibaka to be a consistent post threat, it would go a long way to relieving some pressure. Until then, they need Westbrook to put up the volume numbers.

Westbrook needs to be fearless, and he needs to be a constant drive threat. It doesn't even matter that he takes more shots than Durant, because Durant's stats are only as good as they are because he is selective with his shots. Someone else needs to chuck the ball the rest of the time and I'd rather have it be Russ than Perkins, Ibaka or Sefolosha.

That's not to say Westbrook doesn't have problems. Sometimes his court vision narrows to a laser beam. And sometimes he tries to drive through a lane that's obviously going to collapse into a 3 on 1 or even 4 on 1 (no joke). That's not bravery anymore, that's just stupidity.

But then again, it's still not entirely his fault. Because what the hell are his teammates doing just standing around spectating?

The more fundamental problem is that Scotty Brooks's playbook is so thin that its contents can fit on a business card. Until they learn to move the ball, they are going to lose to teams that can shut down Durant/Westbrook isolations. There aren't that many that can (which is why they're doing as well as they are), but the real contenders, the teams that OKC actually need to focus on beating, can do it consistently.

Westbrook's bricks are easy to laugh at, but they're just the most obvious symptom.

Looks about right..

OKC is up to their old tricks again.

Westbrook running down the clock with a million dribbles, tries to drive with 2 on 1, and then jacks up a brick jumper.

No ball movement whatsoever; no cuts, no screens, everyone else on the team stands around and watches.

And is that Perkins choking someone out? 



I haven't actually seen them play in a while, but watching for half the season, it doesn't look like they're going to improve much by playoffs.

Some people think that OKC has a good chance at a championship this year based on their record.

Those are people who don't actually follow the team, because this kind of playstyle is going to get them killed by the Heat every. Time.

Temptress Episode

Apparently this is what passes for a siren in Taiwan..
OH WELL! NO ARGUMENT FROM ME!

This is a good idea

Looks like Golden State is setting the new standard for basketball jerseys.

 
But now what will I see hot Tiffany in?

The Sons of Martha

The sons of Mary seldom bother, for they have inherited
   that good part;
But the Sons of Martha favour their Mother of the 
  careful soul and the troubled heart.
And because she lost her temper once, and because she
  was rude to the Lord her Guest,
Her Sons must wait upon Mary's Sons, world without
  end, reprieve, or rest.
It is their care in all the ages to take the buffet and
  cushion the shock.
It is their care that the gear engages; it is their care that 
  the switches lock.
It is their care that the wheels run truly; it is their care
  to embark and entrain,
Tally, transport, and deliver duly the Sons of Mary by
  land and main.

They say to mountains, "Be ye removed." They say to
  the lesser floods, "Be dry."
Under their rods are the rocks reproved-they are not
  afraid of that which is high.
Then do the hill-tops shake to the summit-then is the 
  bed of the deep laid bare,
That the Sons of Mary may overcome it, pleasantly
  sleeping and unaware.
They finger death at their gloves' end where they piece
  and repiece the living wires.
He rears against the gates they tend: they feed him hungry 
  behind their fires.
Early at dawn, ere men see clear, they stumble into
  his terrible stall,
And hale him forth a haltered steer, and goad and turn
  him till evenfall.
To these from birth is Belief forbidden; from these till
  death is Relief afar.
They are concerned with matters hidden - under the
  earthline their altars are-
The secret fountains to follow up, waters withdrawn to
  restore to the mouth,
And gather the floods as in a cup, and pour them again
  at a city's drouth.

They do not preach that their God will rouse them a
  little before the nuts work loose.
They do not teach that His Pity allows them to drop
  their job when they dam'-well choose.
As in the thronged and the lighted ways, so in the dark
  and the desert they stand,
Wary and watchful all their days that their brethren's
  day may be long in the land.

Raise ye the stone or cleave the wood to make a path
  more fair or flat - 
Lo, it is black already with blood some Son of Martha
  spilled for that!
Not as a ladder from earth to Heaven, not as a witness
  to any creed,
But simple service simply given to his own kind in their
  common need.

And the Sons of Mary smile and are blessed - they
  know the Angels are on their side.
They know in them is the Grace confessed, and for
  them are the Mercies multiplied.
They sit at the Feet - they hear the Word - they see
  how truly the Promise runs.
They have cast their burden upon the Lord, and - the
  Lord He lays it on Martha's Sons!

-Kipling 1907 

Blue Submarine No.6

Pros:
1) Great atmosphere
2) Great soundtrack
3) Great concept art

Cons:
1) Gonzo

The thing about..

..Kobe Bryant (Lakers guard) is that he never passes

..Kevin Durant (Thunder forward) is that he has flailing noodle arms

..D'Antoni (Lakers coach) is that he doesn't coach defense

..Blake Griffin (Clippers forward) is that he dunks too much

..Dwight Howard (Lakers center) is that he can't make free throws

..David Stern (NBA commissioner) is that he hates the Spurs

..the Raptors is that they always lose at the buzzer

..Lebron James (Heat forward) is that his hairline keeps receding

..Carmelo Anthony (Knicks forward) is that his wife tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios

..Jeremy Lin (Rockets guard) is that all the Asians love him

It's easy to tell who can sing in the group

(They're the ones with proper mikes: TaeTiSeo + Sica)

These girls will sing unsupported depending on the intensity of the performance (e.g. if there's a lot of dancing involved or if they have to do several acts in a row). Everyone else performs either partially or fully supported.

For anyone who's never worked with audio equipment before, here are some things about microphones: if it's not right in a performer's face, it's not being used properly; if the top isn't directed at the mouth, it's not being used properly.

If you hear the premix mike tracks from live performances, Taeyeon is fucking loud; she's got real pipes.

(Well okay, all of them can sing "above average", but most of them aren't there on account of their singing abilities)

Their new album dropped on New Year's, performances at that time were fully synced, presumably to get them familiar with the live choreo first.

They haven't gotten all the live vocals nailed for I've Got a Boy yet. Probably because the dance for it is more physically intensive than normal.

(The choreo is from Nappytabs, if anyone cares)

Someone posted their planking time

It really wasn't very impressive.

But in the process of proving it, I did figure out a 3-step program for improving plank times.

Step 1: Set laptop in front and put on a Korean music video

Step 2: Start the plank

Step 3 (this is the important one): Fill your soul with envy for Taecyeon's abs

Happy planking.

New Years Medley

Someone told me yesterday that Carly Rae was going to perform at Celebration Square. Good thing I had Twitter and can immediately clear up any misunderstandings.

I read an article about how New Years Eve is bound to end in anti-climax and disappointment.

It's true, all night interviewees were asked whose performance they were anticipating the most, and the answer was always Taylor Swift. Then the ball dropped and there was still no T-Swizzle.

We had to put on Youtube videos of her to scratch that itch.

By 2am we're watching old Chinese dramas. That's perfect, I need to get this stuff out of my system at least once a year.

"You know that image that's like, yes, I know some of those words? That's how I feel when seeing Chinese subtitles"
"我..什么..什么..什么..是..什么..什么..什么.."
"在..什么..什么..什么.."

I ended up in some super Asian photos yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm anticipating or dreading when they surface on Facebook one day.

So I found out that this cover was made today and that means my year is off to a great start. Good thing I have Twitter so I can immediately know if something like this happens.

Happy New Years.