2010

2010 was probably the most fucked up year in my entire life.

However, there were 2 months that I can undoubtedly admit that were one of the best.

[food] Homemade muesli ist krieg!

[soak before eating]
milk
oatmeal
wheat/oat bran

seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, flax
walnuts

fruits: apple, bananas, mandarins
dried fruits: raisins, apricots, cranberries

+ also if u're a bourgeois badass:
almonds, honey, tahini

Nutrition meaning

[music] Pearls of modern metal 2

The Few Against Many

Dirge Within

The Blackout

Downstait

Emphatic

[music] Pearls of modern metal

First - some videos of lately discovered awesome underground bands you've probably never heard of before:
Psycho Choke, Canobliss, Drone, Across the Sun

and maybe not so very modern and undeground, yet still awesome :
Volbeat, Hypocrisy

later - Fall's yammer about music in general:

New header

I was thinking some time before about creating an image that would symbolize stuff related to me and my interests, but just today I decided to set is as a header. Just a shallow draft of most things that define me. Mutable and incomplete, but may stand as a little outline of what to expect on this blog. Not hard to guess what particular image means, I hope.

If you don't like it - gtfo. My skills at graphics are equal almost 0 so I'm proud of it anyway.

Why 0 blogging for so long time? Was just busy spending time on having fun doing other things and I'm sure that's all you need to know.

[PHP] Cheat sheet, part 1 - basics

I know there are dozens of similar stuff on net, but none would be as good for me as one made by myself. Created while reading (mainly) a brick called PHP and MySQL Web Development: Vademecum.

[book] "Flow" by M.Cikszentmihalyi part.1

Generally, I'm bored with books about happiness, success, improving your life, etc. However, believe me or not, I find 'Flow' unique and even better than the famous 'Secret' by Rhonda Byrne. Difference starts with the authors. Rhonda is a television writer and producer, Mihalyi is a psychologist who sacrificed 20 years of his life for learning about emotional state known as Flow.

[psychology] Make your goals S.M.A.R.T.E.R.

How many times you've set your goals you later never really achieved? I bet everyone did experience that. There is no doubt that planning increases people effectiveness in various life fields, but only a smart plan can keep you on the track when your initial enthusiasm declines.

There is a simple and catchy rules set called S.M.A.R.T.E.R. which can help turn your day-dreams and fancies into attainable goals.

[NeverWinter Nights] Mini-review

Played few hours with a gnomish sorcerer (was thinking about a monk too but I wanted to discover spell effects). Bad impression of NWN from the past was forgotten a bit, but the more I played, the more they were waking up.

Positives:
+ 3rd D&D
+ stylish interface
...and that's all of I could think I'm afraid.

Now down to the negatives:

[Gothic 3] Resisted 40 min.

Getting straight to the point: Gothic 3 is a fail. Constantly I've had a feeling that it's rather a product, than a game (in a meaning of art). Product that should attract with the mark and his sparkly packet - the graphics. By the way, 3rd's graphics doesn't even look 'gothic', reminds me of kinda WoW or other shitty mainstream RPGs - they're too damn shiny. But still, it isn't worst about it.

[film] T is for Twilight and trivial

I am supposed to say that it's amazing how such a trivial crap like Twilight Saga can achieve such a popularity. But I won't. Why? It's actually quite easy to see and understand why Twilight is so adored by people *and especially* by teenage girls. Probably you'd automatically think 'Edward' as a response at first. Yeah, but I'd get to him later. First, look at the main character - Bella. She is a true symbol of nowadays teenage girls, the target of the Twilight products. Beginning from the appearance. They couldn't choose a prettier actress for her role because not every girl could equate to her then.

[life] Play D&D and end as a pick-up artist

PUA? NLP? AFC? Sarge? Neg? Peackock? Sounds familiar? Not?

Mystery (founder of pick-up artists community) claims that he was a "late bloomer" and spent the early years of his life playing Dungeons and Dragons, and that his limited success with women until his early twenties led him to go to nightclubs every night and try different ways to attract women. He states that years of observation and trial and error led to the system he teaches for meeting women.

[psychology] builder, negiotator, explorer, director - who are you?

I've just finished Why Him, Why Her by Helen Fisher. 

> born 1945 
> anthropology professor, human behavior researcher at Rutgers University, studied romantic interpersonal attraction for over 30 years
> currently the most referenced scholar in the love research community

More than with parts about love, my attention was attracted with her view of personality types division.

[blogs] (un)originality that kills

Once I've had a mood to look for interesting blogs of people from my region. So I've fled by tens pages of them and the ones which took my attention I could count on the fingers of my hand. Why is that? No, I'm not a nerd. Sometimes I like to read texts completely unconnected with my interests, provided it's written in a interesting way. So what's the point?

[food] Recipe: protein cocktail

Found somewhere on sfd.pl, translated and modified a bit.

We take
0,5 l of milk
0,5 glass of yogurt
2 whole raw eggs, including yolk
1 whole egg whites (raw)
10 dkg of sliced fruits [recommended: bananas]

[investing] Something new

:-). Yes, Folmi's enthusiasm is back because he has just discovered his new playground - market investing. Few weeks ago one psycho test proved that my personality suits this activity, so I asked myself why don't give a try. Computer games bored my lately anyway and in addition I've put an interest in investing and generally in passive income time before so it seemed to be a good turning point for starting to do something fo' real.

How-to-get-started sites lead me to Plus500 - free World's Trading Machine, where I could play for a test with virtual money. So I would learn how it all works. Suddenly reading about market becomes very interesting once you've earn your first $ ;) I'm at the very beginning, but what I've learned so far:

[Gothic 2] The beast is slayed

Days played: 20
Hours: about 50

It definitely wasn't a speedrun, I was slowly enjoying the game - what my character screen proves anyway. I've played Gothic 2 more than 10 times and even this time I've discovered few new things: small quests, events or dialogs, like:

[games] CRPG ASSAULT

Discovered 30 new titles of so called 'medieval fantasy role-playing games' from MobyGames browser and add them on the list  + preparing to play "all-those-games-I-couldn't-play-before-due-to-weak-PC-and-lack-of-time", which are:

[PHP] quick start

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor is a widely used, general-purpose scripting language that was originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document - but it doesn't mean you can't view .php sites offline.

Back to blogging...and to life?

Looks like a quite long break from blogging, huh? In some part it's my laziness to blame, but the fact is I was quite busy lately because of struggling to end a PHP book (850 pages), breaking up with girlfriend, faling to commit a suicide (ok, not serious ;)), striving to start a new life, leaving everything and going to Posen, working there as a bricklayer (very nerve-healing!) and coming back to gf.

Uff.

Well, that's how my last month looked like more or less.

[quotes] "W leju po bombie" by A.Sapkowski

Będzie wpis w całości po polsku, więc się cieszcie :D

W leju po bombie - IMO najlepsze opowiadanie ze zbioru "Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna" (obok tytułowego opowiadania). Można podpiąć pod SF, choć jest bardzo realistycznie. Pewien młodzian opisuje drogę do szkoły, podczas której zastają go na ulicy jakieś zbrojne zamieszki. Zajebista narracja, beka co chwilę. 10/10

Moje ulubione fragmenty:

[food] Eggs are GOOD for cholesterol

Why People Say Eating Lots of Eggs is Unhealthy? Eggs contain high amounts of cholesterol. 1 large egg has about 200mg cholesterol and 5g of fat. Almost half of that fat is saturated fat.

The logic is that since eggs are high in cholesterol, a high egg consumption will increase your blood cholesterol. So by cutting eggs from your diet, your blood cholesterol will decrease. This, however, isn’t how your body works.

[food] Goodbye chewing gums? =(

Conscience from Sweatshop Union raps:
"(...) And our souls will be numb if we take this beating
Harass your brain with aspartame, MacDonald's beef, and acid rain"

Aspartame is the second most widely used artificial sweetener in the world. It is found in more than 6,000 products including carbonated and powdered soft drinks, hot chocolate, chewing gum, candy, desserts, yogurt, and tabletop sweeteners, as well as some pharmaceutical products like vitamins and sugar-free cough drops. More than 200 million people worldwide consume it. The sweetener has been used for more than 30 years, having first been approved by the FDA in 1974. Studies of the carcinogenicity of aspartame performed by its producers have been negative.

Quote from medicalnewstoday.com article. More on youtube, also in polish.

[music] Short METAL genres introduction

If you think that metal genres division is too complicated this post is for you. Take with a grain of salt.

[life] New Age introduction

In 2008 I've became interested in New Age movement because its philosophy turned out to be close to mine.

The New Age is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks "Universal Truth" and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of Occultism, astrology, esotericism, metaphysics, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature. New Age spirituality is characterized by an individual approach to spiritual practices and philosophies.

Some of its principles:
> everything in the world is connected with each other, is a unity
> everyone is equal, they have no master or guru
> energy = absolute = god (impersonal)
> eclectism and equality of all cultures, religions, etc.
> but the fall of catholic church is inevitable ;)
> movement doesn't command anything anyone, human's greatest tool is free will
> there was no start and end of the world, whole matter passes through every possibilities and the cycle goes on - which is going to take a looooot more time than our life, here
> life on Earth is only a transitional state

More here.

[gym] HIIT vs aerobs

Hight Intensity Interval Training is 3x more efficient than aereobic training. Why?
All because of the phenomenon called Afterburn. 20min of appropriate HIIT work out burns the same amount of calories as 60min of aerobs.
It also means that shorter lasting intervals are less likely to cause muscle mass decrease.
Fat is burned during physical exertion but mostly during regeneration. Conclusion?
Greater physical exertion = greater regeneration = more fat burned.

Time to end the stereotype that aerobs are the best ways of burning fat.

[gym] Fat burners - ABS vs a6w

ABS and a6w are both exercises sets, which carve abdominal muscles.

ABS is more efficient than a6w, because is more exacting, 'wiser' planned and not so long and monotonous at a time.
Secret of the program isn't only excersise collection, but the way they collaborate which each other: reciprocal influence is grater, than as if excersises were done individually.

[food] Brain boost

Functioning of brain can be improved by eating:

[video] Living 1 year in conformity with the Bible

Agnostic, liberal and reporter, Arnold Jacobs tells how he struggled to live one year in conformity with all injuctions of the Bible. It turned out to be very difficult or even impossible. But the experiment brought also surprising results.

Funny as hell :D especially when you reach the Jehovah's witness and whiskers part xD

[food] Protein sources comparison

a key to body-builders' diet arrangement

[life] Reasons to leave Poland

Beside abstinence, another question I'm being constantly asked and on which I'm becoming being bored to reply constantly the same answers. So I made this short and clear, universal reply.

[games] MMOs I recommend

[food] Eating sweets calms you? FAIL

Topic dedicated to my sweetheart ;)

Eating sweets in order to calm yourself is a vocious circle. Not even they don't lower the stress, but they lead to a greater stress and other negative feelings. Why?

[life] Why I don't drink alcohol?

Topic very on time, because I'm going to a party tomorrow ;>
I haven't drink even a drop since 27.09.08. Proud of it :D and Non, je ne regrette rien. Had some good time while being young, pretty and dumb, but that was enough. After one party I've just started to think deeper why people drink. Made myself a cold composition of advantages and disadvantages of drinking and my rational nature won. At first I decided to just cut back a little (as many times before ;), but after some time it turned out I don't want and don't need to drink at all. So...yeah, that was my own, unconstrained decision.

So why I don't drink?

[IwD2] Drow vs Svirnfeblin

Some sub-races in Icewind Dale 2 are significantly more powerful than the core races present in AD&D Third Edition; these sub-races must earn more experience points than others before leveling up. Two most powerful of them are Drow and Svirnfeblin.

[IwD2] Who's the mastah?

Looking for the strongest items in the game, I was inspired to think who might be the greatest munchkin in Icewind Dale 2. Talking about HoF mode, solo.

At first, I thought it'd be a 'clean' sorcerer, but I've made few experiments with class combinations and singled out my new munchkin winner:

1lv Paladin - for Cera Sumat (strongest weapon in game), saving throws from Charisma
4lv Fighter - for Dwarven Ogre (belt, str +6), hit points, feats, specialization
25lv Sorcerer

[HoMM3] Why I love "Wake of Gods" mod

following mightandmagic.wikia.com :
"Heroes of Might and Magic 3 In the Wake of Gods is a free fan-made expansion to Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death. Making of this add-on began on February 2001 because WoG's creators were disappointed with the map editor that shipped along with the original HoMM III. These fans then began creating their own improvements to the map editor, which gave more flexibility in map making, but it was only when members of the WoG team came up with ERM scripting that WoG slowly began taking shape. The Event Related Model (ERM) gives the mapmaker the capability to change the function and appearance of any standard map object in the game, for example, a chest could be altered to give more gold/experience than usual. More complex scripts can also be written to create completely new objects, or modify or enhance the rules of the game. With improved tools at their disposal, the makers started building a whole new game on the top of the old HoMM III."

[Morrowind] Mini-review

I used to play Morrowind quite much, but when I returned to the game lately I became quite dissapointed after few hours. However, before I dish out this cRPG I'm going to create a clear statement showing what pleased me and what didn't.

[HoMM3] My deadly strategy

For me works well even on the highest difficulty level.

Town preferred: Dungeon, why?
- magic whirl (restores mana + mana x2)
- heroes from Dungeon learn mainly Power and Attack skill
Main hero: Gunnar (logistics - mobility is a key to success)

Tactic is quite typical and logical:

[Gothic 2] ALL in-game chest codes REVEALED

Is there anyone that wasn't irritated while attempting to break into those chests' padlocks and wasting his picklocks? I doubt. That's why I created this list that includes every chest code in the game. Well, almost every, because, in fact, a part of chests in Gothic 2 are not worth visiting.

L = press left while opening chest, R = press right

~~NEW WORLD~~

KHORINIS, LOWER TOWN & PORT

Masters (Bosper, Matteo, Thorben, Harad, Constantino) - L R R L R

Daron, Zuris - L R R L R L L

Andre, Ruga - R L L R

Barraks - R L L R R R

Lehmar - L R R L R

Brahim - L L R R L R

Bromor - R L R R R R

Ignaz - L L

East gate tower - R L L R R L

South gate tower  - R L L R R L

KHORINIS, UPPER TOWN

Going from right side to left:

1 house - R R L R R L

2 house - L L R R L L

3 house - L R R L R L L

4 house - R L R R

Lord Hagen - 8x R

5 house - L R R L

 

THIEVES’ GUILD

"Dark room full of rats" - R R L L R

Cassia - L R L L R R

Ramirez (from left) - R R R L L R , L L L R , L R R R L L

Closed room - R R R L R R R L R L R L R R L L L R R L

 

BEACHES

1 - R L L R L L

2 - R L L R R L L L R R R

 

ISLAND - R L L R R R L

 

 

ONAR’S FARM

Bennet - L R L R R

Onar - R R L L

Maria - L R L R L R R

Lee (at night) - R L L R R L

Khaled (from left) - L R R R L , R R L R L L R

 

MONASTERY

Gorax - L R

East Mages Room (from right) - L R R L L R , R L R L R

West Mages Room (from right) - R L L R R R L , L R L L R R R

Vault - R L R R L R

Pantry - L R L R R L

CAVES

Cave of bandits (west from town) - R L L R

Cave of molerats under the bridge - L R L L L

Cave of orc near the town - L R R L R

Cave on the way to Black Troll - L R R L R

Cave behind the doors, near the Ring - L R R R L

Cave near the Pyramids (from left) - R L L R L R , L L R R L L R

Cave near Onar’s Farm (from right) - L R R L L L , R L R R L R

Cave of zombies near Dexter (from right) - L L R R L , R L L R R L , L R R L R L R L

Sagitta (from right) - R L L R , L L R R

Secret Distillery - R R L R L

 

OTHER

Orlan’s Inn - R R L R L

Safe near the bridge - R L L R R L

Dragomir (from right) - L R L R , R L L R L L R

Pyramids, big - R L L R R R L , small - L R L R L R

Grom - L R R L

Elvrich (from left) - L R L R R L , L L R R R L

Under Dexter’s Bridge - L R L R L

Dexter - L R L R R R L , L R L R R , L R R L L L R R

Pass - L R R L , R L R R L

Saturas - L R R L R R L

 

 * * * * *  * * *

~~OLD WORLD~~

 

CASTLE

Main building:

Garond - R L L L L R

level up (from left) - R L L R L , R R L R L R L , L R L R R R , R L L R R R L , 6xR , R 6xL

Angar - L R

Milten - L R L R

Warehouse (from right) - R L L R R R L , L R R L R , L R L R R L , L L R R R L

 

CAVES

Bandit cave - L R

North Mine - R L L L

South Mine - R L L R L R

Marcos - L R

Olav - L L R R

 

OTHER

Pass - R L R

Ice Dragon - L R

Stone Dragon - L R R L R L L R , L R L

Tower near swamps - R L L

Cavalorn’s Hut - L R R

Talbin (from left) - L R R L , R R L R L

Old Xardas Tower - R L L R

Sunk Xardas Tower - L L R R L L R

 

 * * * * *  * * *

 ~~JARKENDAR~~

PIRATES

Jack Aligator- R L

Skip - R L R R

Greg - L R R L L L

SWAMPS

(from right) - R L L R

Secret pass connecting canyon and swamps (from right) - L R R L R , L R R L R , L L R R R L , R L R R L R

Juan - L L

Over the ladder - R R L R R L

Inn, closed room - R R L R R R , L L L R R L L R

Estaban - L R R L R L L R L , L L L L R L

Houses of dead slaves - 6xR

Temple - R L L R R L L

Mine (from right) - R L R R L L R L , L R R L R

 

CAVES

Cave on the way to pirates’ camp (from left) - L R R L L L , L L R R R L

Cave in the Canyon - R L L R R L

Cavity in the rock - R R L L , L R R L R

Cave of goblins - L L L R R R

 

OTHER

Bandits' tower - L L R R

Orcs’ tent in Canyon - L R R L L L

Ruins in Canyon - R R L R L R L

Ruins near Eremita’s hut - L R , L R L R L L L

Ruins on the south (from left) - L R L L , R L , second ruins: R R L R R R L L

Hello World

I've been writing my own journal since 2007, but I've never published such things before. I've decided to change it, because blogging might be more pleasant than writing just for yourself. Also I'd like to keep all my net stuff in one place: links, recommendations, own articles, thoughts, projects and so on. Another reason = independent learning of english, so yeah...go ahead and let me now when I fuck up something in my english :D

PS: Customizing blog here was easier than I tought it'd be, everything is very intuitive. What can I say more... subscribe and stay tuned as I think about my further posts and prepare for quite concise writing style ;)