This will no doubt change as the game is updated, class stats are tweaked by Bioware and play style changes – but I am loving the Sith Sorcerer class and thus far this seems like the most fun tree to play. I am liking the healing from periodic (damage) spell effects in PVP – though I don’t, yet, want this character to be a healer so I’m only focusing on those boosts to myself. Affliction + Carrying the Huttball.

Build is shown after the jump link:


 
 
 
 
 

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Now, this Infinite Temperature claim got me thinking – why would they make such a claim? My first thought was; Why does it say that on the panel? The dryer is already here, in the basement, why are they trying to sell me on this idea now? Mind you, it’s not my dryer, I didn’t buy it, a family member did. But I did realize, these things are on display in the store. Walk in, they are all lined up – each year their control panels get more fancy, the logos more pronounced, the buttons more sleek – they sell appliances much like they sell cars. Minus the test drive. But does anyone believe the dryer is possible of getting to infinite temperatures? Did the chemist in my family fall for this – or were they sold, as I hope, on another more realistic feature?

These questions led me to ask myself – has the Internet, and online shopping, made us smarter consumers? Can Maytag really get away with making such a claim now considering it is trivial for someone to fact check a salesman’s claim with their cellphone right there on the spot? Not everyone is carrying an Internet-capable phone, and even those who do don’t always pull up Wikipedia when they are out shopping to check practical physics and the limitations of the universe. Some people must fall for this.

Well Golly Darling, This Dryer Can Reach Infinite Temperatures!
Do you offer in-store financing sir?

I only have to mention, before going further, the irony that the dryer itself isn’t that good. It takes a few full runs to keep things from getting moldy – though the vent hose is about a mile long, and everyone is too lazy to fix it.

The question remains – are consumers smarter now? Or rather – are they buying smarter, wasting less money? With crowd-sourcing tools like online reviews, the spread of general knowledge, sites like The Consumerist, Rip-Off Report and the myriad of others - do they make more informed opinions and fall less and less for sales-speak and a wink?

I would like to hope so. Anyone with a iPhone or Android can scan a barcode in-store and instantly get more information on the product, reviews and competing prices. There are certainly times when you need an item right now and there are some things that we really don’t want to bother with getting shipped to the door. I imagine as a people we still like to get our appliances from a local store – I’d think in most cases the cost savings from an online appliance competitor is eaten up in freight fees (UPS will not bring a dryer into your home). Thinking of all the computer parts I’ve purchased over the years however, or small consumer electronics, I can only imagine that competition from such girth of retailers a has made it harder and harder to push up prices more than an item is worth.

Beyond competition there are those elements I discussed above – reviews and access to more consumer publications (blogs) and forums. There are brands I simply turn my nose up at because I have heard enough people complain in forums that they rarely work as intended or at times could be outright dangerous to operate. When I am researching something to buy or just doing some “online window shopping” I inevitably end up at Amazon even if I know I won’t buy from them. Their user reviews of products tend to be the best – beyond just books. I wouldn’t buy an electric razor without seeing what the crowd says at Amazon first.

Typically you’ll see how many people have issues and can seriously weigh the strengths and weaknesses of a product (as well as some humor and creative writing). As far as computer parts and accessories go, the same is true with Newegg, even if I know my local Target has the best price on that particular computer mouse. And in the case of Newegg, the companies are now paying attention and will respond publicly to consumer complaints of outright product failure. It’s nice to see if a company steps up when someone cry’s “Lemon!” (and they fix it). And this is starting to show that more than ever the companies are tuned in to what consumers are saying – it seems the day is almost gone that a company can put out a product they know to be complete crap and get away with it.

In the case of razors (or rather, trimmers) I had a unique experience. Years ago someone gave me a gift of a fine Remington beard trimmer. It worked great, never pulled hairs and was an essential part of my grooming routine. I don’t have the skin to shave or the patience, so it was a thoughtful gift and I loved it, loved it, loved it. After years of charging past it’s recommended time and maybe being dropped in water once or twice it gave up the ghost. Shopping around in the usual stores was a failure. I couldn’t find it anywhere. In a pinch, on vacation, when it died, I reluctantly bought what the local mega-drugstore had to offer. It was 103 degrees and humid on that fine Florida day, and I needed a shave. Badly.

The trimmer I bought, from a respectable brand, was atrocious. It pulled hairs, took three times as long to do the job and left my face feeling somewhat raw. The results looked like a blind man who maintains his own lawn. After putting up with it for a week or two, and it’s very short lifespan I went to Google with the model number of my previous trimmer. To my horror they stopped making it and replaced it, with what the Amazon sages claimed, was an inferior product. Eventually I found an online retailer similar to good ol’ Big Lots and ordered one up from their discontinued section of wares. The box was beaten and dusty, but things were back to the way I like them. As a Virgo, I despise change, much like Rainman.

In that time Philips Consumer Electronics had purchased or merged with Remington and eventually reintroduced my beloved trimmer. The one I purchased from a cobwebbed warehouse had failed, due to my mishandling, and I was almost giddy to see they had acquiesced to consumer demand. The color is different, but it’s my favorite item again.

Surely a boring and long story about a product that seems silly – but to me, and it seems others, it is not. The masses were upset, they wanted their product back. I searched and searched and there was no substitute – the online wisdom was this cheap trimmer was the best you could really get and the alternatives were not worth settling for. The company capitulated, as smart companies do, and revived the product – all the while I had used the wisdom of the crowd to stay away from the poor Wahl and even Philips alternatives. I wasn’t going to be tricked again by limited selections and claims on packaging. Despite what the competitors said, they did not offer “The Best Trimming Experience Money Could Buy” (not an exact quote… of course). This was years ago, before Twitter and Facebook – before people were as connected as they are now. Consumers are not shy about simply saying “AVOID!” when they feel ripped off. Today, it’s all getting better for us, it seems.

Hopefully we all stop falling for infinite claims that are impossible to achieve. Which reminds me – are my clothes dry yet – and I could use a trim, sigh, again.

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Not willing or unable to keep up with the news in Egypt, Tunisia or Yemen by watching Al Jazeera’s (new, freely available) Adobe Flash feed? Want to give Al Jazeera a break for offering such a valuable (and high quality) feed for free? Use the link below to play the audio from the Al Jazeera’s English feed on your PC or on your Television’s set-top box (Roku, Boxee, Google TV, Apple TV) – maybe even your mobile phone (Android & iPhone compatible) or tablet device (Sony Dash?). Perfect for listening in the office while you work or while you complete other tasks on your PC or around your home.

• Al Jazeera English Live – Audio Only Feed (Streaming MP3 Format)

The best source for news in or affecting the Arab world.

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He told eonline.com via text message about the rumors swirling about him, “Believe nothing. I will never speak about any of this as long as I’m alive. You’re all gonna have to keep towing the same redundant line, guessing wrong.”

“BTW, two wars are in an endless state of sorrow. Egypt about burned to the ground, and all you people care about is my bulls***?”

“Shame shame shame.”

Sad thing is, he’s right…

via Charlie Sheen thinks the media focus on his troubled life is pathetic | AHN.

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First up we have a list of ten things you shouldn’t say or discuss at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner from Dave Bry (article titled, My Sister’s Apple Cake – which is a misnomer as his sister’s apple cake is a Better Homes & Gardens apple cake, he admits).

Besides mentioning to not bring up the dreaded job search, Dave suggests avoiding even the topic of popular music – which given his example, I definitely agree with the sentiment. Music is always a tricky topic to broach with people who have varied interests or gasp, don’t know shit about music (or Prince);

Because people have different opinions about things. Someone at the table may be a professional musician, and wonder aloud why the musical artist Prince inspires such love and devotion from his fans since, this person might say, "his singing is always off key!" Due to your own feelings about Prince, which run counter to those just expressed, and the consumption of many glasses of wine during the recitation of a Native American prayer, you may blurt out an answer to the posed question by stating, enthusiastically, that Prince is simply the “baddest motherfucker in the world.” There may be be children at the table, ages twelve, nine, four. An aunt may tell your wife, who she’s sitting next to, that, “That’s not okay.”

As far as bringing up the most recent books you’ve read, or those which have captivated you (you know, the ones you are always begging people to read) Dave has simple advice – don’t bother – because? …

You haven’t read enough of them. You don’t understand the few that you’ve read.

There is always someone at the ol’ turkey eating contest that agrees. To avoid these face-palming situations I’d suggest reading the entire article: The Awl – My Sister’s Apple Cake by Dave Bry

If you enjoy Bry’s writing and sense of humor I’d suggest reading the public apology he has posted to his step-nephew for a slip-up he made to him a few years ago. Here is the setup;

We were in the kitchen at our mutual aunt’s house in Boston. I’d just arrived, after a long drive with my wife and my kid and my mother. You and your folks had gotten there the day before. We were both up from New York, but I hadn’t seen you in a few years. Not since you were much shorter, and much less opinionated about socio-economic matters. Or at least less colorful in the expression of your opinions.

Seems that the step-nephew had turned into a little bastard, though Bry admits that this likely stemmed from his frustration with “[being] totally miserable, trapped in Boston with your parents for four days instead of smoking pot with your friends and masturbating in the privacy of your own bathroom.” Yes, understandable that the kid would be a little rough around the edges.

I guess you’ll just have to read the article (Public Apology: Dear Step-Nephew) to find out Bry’s response to being called “fucking bourgeois scum” by this rebellious teen on a Boston Thanksgiving day.

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“I thought there was a correlation. Its amazing how many dumb fucks are also dumb, fat fucks.”

via Excess Fat Diminishes Brainpower | The Onion – Americas Finest News Source | American Voices.

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Impressively spacious and unbeatably reliable, the Antec Three Hundred is an unbeatable enclosure. Despite its eminently portable frame, the Three Hundred has enough room for an NVIDIA 8800 series graphics card, as well as six hard drives and a standard ATX motherboard. A cable management compartment keeps your system organized and the airflow unobstructed. A 120mm rear fan and 140mm top fan ensure that the case runs cool even when playing the most demanding games, while the sleek black finish gives it an extra stylish edge.

Micro Center – Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case THREE HUNDRED. Price is $54.39, save $13.60

This is from the MicroCenter weekly ad. My favorite place to shop for computer parts because they are competitively priced and an actual brick-and-mortar store to browse around in.

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Olivia Munn - Espionage Correspondent

Praise Allah, Jesus and L. Ron Hubbard! Olivia Munn, the sexy German-Irish-Chinese goddess looks to be a new corespondent on The Daily Show. This has to be groundbreaking for her, to get on another channel than G4, even if it is Comedy Central. Don’t get me wrong, Attack of the Show is great, her and Kevin Pereira are great together – but any time we get to see more of her and people start asking for more only good things can happen.

Apparently though, this is not her first appearance on the show, I just had no idea. Excuse me while I continue to overreact.

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Every Haiti Earthquake photo you wanted to see on Twitter (Twitter Search link, find the latest updates) – http://bit.ly/58eX5U

January 12, 2010 11:23:20 PM
from TwitBird iPhone

Forget CNN and the rest. This is going to be your best way to find out what is going on first hand during this Hatian earthquake crisis. The next best bet is this Google Live search for “earthquake” – it will give you tweets and news stories as they come in.

Update: Here is an excellent resource, PicFog – think images sourced from the cloud (I guess). I’m sure this page will generate a good view of the current events.

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I love the entire set of warnings in the instruction set, especially since it starts with: Do NOT save deleted messages on the server. It gets fun in part three, my emphasis.

Do NOT save deleted messages to your [Gmail]/All Mail folder as some clients will try to empty this folder and ultimately fail. This can lead to delayed mail access or excessive battery consumption on a mobile device.

via Recommended IMAP client settings – Gmail Help.

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