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- Nis
- Registered User
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Member for 17 years, 7 months, and 12 days
Last active Thu, Apr, 7 2016 11:01:29
- 2 Followers
- 5,334 Total Posts
- 166 Thanks
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Jul 29, 2011
Nis posted a message on Taking a final closer look at the leylines.Leyline of Vitality does have one thing going for it: it's the only Leyline that works with multiples. Doesn't really make it good enough for tournament play but it is something interesting about it.Posted in: Double Dippin in Chandra's Halfway House -
Jun 30, 2011
Nis posted a message on Uril, the Miststalker ("Combo-ril" V1.0)Spirit Mirror + Goblin Bombardment works as long as you sacrifice the Reflection token before your turn. Spirit Mirror has what is known as an intervening if clause; the clause is checked both before the trigger would be put on the stack and before the trigger would resolve. If you control a Reflection when your upkeep begins then Spirit Mirror won't even trigger.Posted in: dvdira Blog
Given that, something like Awakening Zone might work better. It will give you ramp when you need it and fuel for Bombardment when you don't. -
Apr 6, 2010
Nis posted a message on Uril, the Miststalker [EDH]I've been toying with Blessing of the Nephilim in my Uril EDH deck. Big pump for W.Posted in: reaper0grim Blog
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Mar 12, 2010
Nis posted a message on Braids, Cabal MinionIf you're going strictly by the official EDH ban list, Braids is banned as a general.Posted in: Musings
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Mar 4, 2010
Nis posted a message on Total rating in danger!It depends on your rating and your opponents' ratings. Beating someone at 1600 while you're at 1800 gives you very little points. Being beat by the same person costs you a lot of points.Posted in: BassmanARW Blog
If your FNM is full of people with much lower rankings than you it might not be worth your time to play in that FNM. The amount of ratings points you might earn might not be acceptable to the amount you might lose. -
Feb 23, 2010
Nis posted a message on Most massive FAIL in programming historyJamie Foxx and Morgan Freeman (and McConaughey to a lesser extent) have some awards under their belts. They're still big names in Hollywood. Jason Reitman is also getting lots of buzz over Up in the Air and given the Oscars will be just a few days later I can see why he and Freeman are hitting the circuit.Posted in: Random Rants
Lisndsay Vonn, Shaun White, and Apolo Ohno I imagine will discuss their performance at the Olympics which, while not exactly topical a few weeks after their performances, aren't out of left field.
Chelsea Handler and Meredith Viera really strike me as odd though. Don't these two already have shows of their own?
I wouldn't say the guest list is horrible. It's trying to keep pace with current events and some of the guests are big names at the moment. I, however, won't watch any of it because I'm not a fan of Leno anyway. I might TiVo the one night to see the Reitman interview since he's actually a pretty funny guy in interviews. -
Feb 19, 2010
Nis posted a message on Legendary Artifact Land Enchantment Creature Land PlaneswalkerGenju of the Realm makes it legendary.Posted in: bert Blog
Out of the four supertypes (Basic, Legendary, Snow, and World) only Legendary and Snow can be added to objects.
Out of the ten types two are completely out the question (Plane and Vanguard), two are exclusive to non-permanents (Instant and Sorcery), and one currently can't be added to an object (Tribal). The five left (Artifact, Creature, Enchantment, Land, Planeswalker) are already in use.
For land subtypes the five basic land types are already represented. Desert, Locus, Lair, Power-Plant, Mine, Tower, and Urza's can't be added to an object.
For artifact subtypes Contraption, Equipment, and Fortification can't be added.
For enchantment subtypes Shrine can't be added. Aura might be able to be added with some sort of Licid and copying of an activated ability shenanigans. Can't really see how to do that but it could be possible.
For planeswalker subtypes only one can be represented. There isn't any way to add a planeswalker subtype so...
For creature subtypes Amoeboid Changeling or Wings of Velis Vel (or a myriad of other Lorwyn things) can bestow all of them.
So taken all together this is the final result:
Legendary Snow Artifact Enchantment Land Creature Planeswalker - Plains Island Swamp Mountain Forest Advisor Ally Angel Anteater Antelope Ape Archer Archon Artificer Assassin Assembly-Worker Atog Aurochs Avatar Badger Barbarian Basilisk Bat Bear Beast Beeble Berserker Bird Blinkmoth Boar Bringer Brushwagg Camarid Camel Caribou Carrier Cat Centaur Cephalid Chimera Citizen Cleric Cockatrice Construct Coward Crab Crocodile Cyclops Dauthi Demon Deserter Devil Djinn Dragon Drake Dreadnought Drone Druid Dryad Dwarf Efreet Egg Elder Eldrazi Elemental Elephant Elf Elk Eye Faerie Ferret Fish Flagbearer Fox Frog Fungus Gargoyle Giant Gnome Goat Goblin Golem Gorgon Graveborn Griffin Hag Harpy Hellion Hippo Homarid Homunculus Horror Horse Hound Human Hydra Hyena Illusion Imp Incarnation Insect Jellyfish Juggernaut Kavu Kirin Kithkin Knight Kobold Kor Kraken Lammasu Leech Leviathan Lhurgoyf Licid Lizard Manticore Masticore Mercenary Merfolk Metathran Minion Minotaur Monger Mongoose Monk Moonfolk Mutant Myr Mystic Nautilus Nephilim Nightmare Nightstalker Ninja Noggle Nomad Octopus Ogre Ooze Orb Orc Orgg Ouphe Ox Oyster Pegasus Pentavite Pest Phelddagrif Phoenix Pincher Pirate Plant Prism Rabbit Rat Rebel Reflection Rhino Rigger Rogue Salamander Samurai Sand Saproling Satyr Scarecrow Scorpion Scout Serf Serpent Shade Shaman Shapeshifter Sheep Siren Skeleton Slith Sliver Slug Snake Soldier Soltari Spawn Specter Spellshaper Sphinx Spider Spike Spirit Splinter Sponge Squid Squirrel Starfish Surrakar Survivor Tetravite Thalakos Thopter Thrull Treefolk Triskelavite Troll Turtle Unicorn Vampire Vedalken Viashino Volver Wall Warrior Weird Whale Wizard Wolf Wolverine Wombat Worm Wraith Wurm Yeti Zombie Zubera Chandra -
Feb 19, 2010
Nis posted a message on Legendary Artifact Land Enchantment Creature Land PlaneswalkerHit Chandra with Thermal Flux:Posted in: bert Blog
Legendary Snow Artifact Enchantment Land Creature Planeswalker - Plains Island Swamp Mountain Forest Elf Saproling Sliver Spirit Chandra -
Feb 17, 2010
Nis posted a message on I would like to thank the Academy...I actually enjoyed The Reader. It was an interesting look into coping with having been a monster and learning that you once loved a monster. Besides the hokey end I thought the movie was fine. I liked it much more than Slumdog Millionaire but not nearly as much as Milk.Posted in: Random Rants
As for this year I can't have much of an opinion. My movie going opportunity dropped off greatly so out of the ten nominees I've seen only District 9 and Up. -
Jan 14, 2010
Nis posted a message on The Top 10 Keyword Abilities Ever - #2Green isn't just the creature color; it's also the color of creature combat. Flying, being an evasive ability, encourages avoiding creature-on-creature violence which doesn't jive with green's philosophy of only the strong survive. Green doesn't need abilities that prevent creatures from pounding on each other but rather needs abilities like provoke that force creatures to get into the fight.Posted in: Improbable Things
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Dec 10, 2009
Nis posted a message on The Top 10 Keyword Abilities Ever - #8Are you using autocard? If not, [card]Fog[/card] = Fog.Posted in: Improbable Things
EDIT: I see you used it for things like Cosmic Horror and Giant Growth. If you want to use autocard but use text other than the name:
[card=Fog]No damage for you![/card] = No damage for you! -
Nov 23, 2009
Nis posted a message on I'm seriously considering a murder rampage...Hollywood has been this way for years. Popcorn flicks that capitalize on the latest fad have been made for longer than anyone on this site has been alive. Does this mean the demise of American cinema? I doubt it. If From Justin to Kelly didn't cause Tinseltown to implode then any new schlock that's made won't.Posted in: Random Rants
The reason these movies get made is because they will make money. The big studios don't care about quality but about dollars. As long as butts are in theater seats the studios are happy and will continue to make these movies.
However, take heart. You won't see these big budget flicks win any respected awards because the industry recognizes these movies don't deserve respected awards. New Moon isn't supposed to win a notable award but just win a lot of dough.
Furthermore, movies like this are not trying to pull any true emotional response from the audience nor advance the art of cinema because that's not what they are made to do. New Moon exists to make money plain and simple. It's not a noble goal in any way but it does allow smaller, more meaningful movies to get made. Just grin and bear it as much as you can and enjoy the truly beautiful movies that are quietly released alongside the blockbusters.
Last point. While The Dark Knight is a wonderful movie don't mistake it as anything short of another cash-grab by a movie studio. Superheroes rake in big bucks at the cinema and the Batman franchise has been making paychecks for many, many years. The studio was just lucky that Christopher Nolan cares enough about his craft to envision more than just another action movie about a guy in tights. They're even more lucky that Nolan cast some talented actors who also take great pride in their work and put up some memorable performances. Remember, it wasn't too long ago that Batman was just another summer big-flick made by and starring people who just wanted another piece of the money pie quality be damned. -
Oct 20, 2009
Nis posted a message on Stupid parents might kill us all...Furthermore, even if vaccines do cause autism (not that they do), you have a moral obligation to get your kid vaccinated for the goodwill of society. Smallpox remains exceedingly rare because of vaccinations; enough kids without vaccinations and controlled diseases like smallpox might just become wild again.Posted in: Random Rants
Now that I have a new baby I can understand parents' trepidation at getting your child vaccinated when you hear a lot of reports linking vaccinations and autism. At the same time, though, I understand it's all just fear trying to get the best of me by playing on my paternal instincts. -
Sep 21, 2009
Nis posted a message on the end of friends...I find it better to never discuss politics with friends. It creates too much drama if somebody can't separate a good-natured, spirited debate from emotional talking points.Posted in: 1-800-cyanide line
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We did cover that. Romney won independents but he lost moderates. It's a fine but important distinction. Independents might favor one party or the other instead of being truly in the middle. Moderates favor whoever appears closer to the center.
Even if all of those 4 million had voted for Romney he still would have lost the popular vote and probably the electoral vote given that he was over 100 EVs behind Obama. Romney didn't lose the election because Republicans didn't vote for him; he lost because he had a very weak ground game and wasn't palatable enough to moderates.
I brought up Kennedy because I hope you'd fall into my trap! </sarcasm>
Really, though, Kennedy is a great example because when was he nominated and confirmed? During the last year of Reagan's presidency. So again, if Obama nominates a moderate like Kennedy, should Senate Republicans stick to their guns or accept the olive branch?
That's been modus operandi since 2010. Not because they disagreed with Obama but because that's what they promised their constituents in gerrymandered districts.
It's not about bending over. It's about recognizing good political plays. If Obama nominates and well qualified, moderate candidate who could swing either way like Kennedy should Senate Republicans hold firm and refuse to confirm just to appear strong and idealistic? If their goal is to avoid a liberal justice, not confirming a moderate like Kennedy fails that goal.
Obama can't nominate a liberal if he expects confirmation. That's obvious. I don't think Obama wants a drawn out fight but rather another confirmed nominee for his legacy.
But if Senate Republicans make the
nominationgeneral election a referendum on the SCOTUS, and Sanders or Clinton wins the general election, it would be political suicide to refuse confirmation on every candidate for longer than a few months. If they make the rules and then refuse to abide by the results then they are petty and people will vote them out in 2018. The long game here does not favor Republicans.The problem is that it makes the Senate Republicans look petty. Even though they could go with the process and stonewall any nominee, saying that it shouldn't even get to that point makes it look like they're crying, "Since it's not us who get to nominate someone we don't want anybody to." That comes off as childish. Let Obama do his job and then do yours by rejecting all the nominees.
Now I know why they don't want Obama to nominate someone. It's not about getting a chance for a Republican president to do it (because frankly none of the Republican candidates have a good chance at winning the general election), but because they don't want to appear obstructionist for a whole election year. They don't want the presidential election to become a referendum on how the Senate just can't work with a Democratic president. They don't want to be painted as petulant children who take their ball home when things don't go their way. Stonewalling for a year will result in lost seats and the potential to lose the Senate.
But let's say Obama gives in and doesn't nominate anybody. And then let's say Sanders wins the election (very unlikely) while Republicans retain the Senate. They can't not confirm his nomination for four years. Right now they're gambling: giving up a moderate nomination from Obama with the risk of getting very liberal nominees from Sanders (or just slightly less liberal nominees from Clinton). Given the crop of Republican candidates that's a pretty risky bet.
What I'd like to see just for the show is for Obama to appoint himself as a recess appointment. Imagine the gnashing of teeth that would cause in the Senate. Granted that will never happen but it would make for some interesting events.
Maybe we're reading the articles differently. I read both articles (yours and mine) as saying those who like Trump, really like Trump, but not that his support is strong across swaths of people. I'm not exactly sure about what the charts in the article you link show (what's the X axis show? Percentage? Number of responses?), but I believe it's saying that among respondents, if you were a white male with less than a college education you like Trump.
I concede the point. I blame my failing memory and possibly getting confused over moderates vs. independents. Romney might have won the independents, but for those who identified as moderates, he tanked.
Nope. If you like Trump, there's a better than fair chance you're an older white male with less than a college education. If you're anybody else, there's a fair chance you don't.
Romney didn't win independents. That's why he lost. He won the nomination on the backs of party elite and by sticking it out while the Republican base cycled through not-Romneys.
A presidential candidate must win a nominal portion of independent voters to win the election. There is just not enough support from your base to counteract an opponent who can mobilize his or her own base and appeal to large swaths of the middle. McCain learned that the hard way.
Touché.
You didn't read the article I linked above. Trump is very much disliked right now. You can't win the election without the support of the middle, and the middle unfavorability rating completely cancels out Republican favorability. And that's before taking into Democrat unfavorability. People begrudgingly vote for the politician they dislike less; Trump is the most disliked of all by far.
It's possible that Trump could pivot back towards the middle should he win the nomination, but he's got a long way to go after putting himself so far outside of mainstream thought.
Look at the Endorsement Primary. Who is getting endorsements and at what rate is a better predictor than polls at this time. Rubio has been on a tear since November while Bush (the biggest establishment candidate) has stalled (although Graham's recent endorsement might lead to more for Bush). Rubio has made himself out to be the establishment alternative to Trump and Cruz although he's closer to Cruz than he is to Bush or Christie. Nice bit of political maneuvering by Rubio.
And now for more math! tldr: The early primaries favor Cruz and Trump, but as long as Rubio meets certain percentage thresholds, his path to the nomination is much easier because of the later primaries.
tldr; Any sort of poll on the general election now is worthless.
Some after Iowa, most of the rest after New Hampshire. We're close enough that any candidates already on the bubble will hold out until Iowa just in case they can get a bounce. After New Hampshire there will likely be just a few candidates left.
That's unfortunate. I'm not sure how SuperEasyJson handles parsing; some parsers are just more efficient. The manner in which you use the file can affect speed as well. Streaming the json, i.e. deserializing an object at a time, should be faster than deserializing the whole file into memory. Maybe compare SuperEasyJson to another parser like libjson. SEJ's own readme states that it's not designed for speed or memory efficiency but rather simplicity.
It's still really early into the campaigning season. Trump and Carson are stars that burn brightly but will eventually burn out. Like I said way back, when the field begins to thin those up-for-grabs voters are likely not going to coalesce behind Trump or Carson. It happened last time in 2012 when there was a good number of candidates and it will happen again this year. The only reason this year seems different is because there are so many Republican candidates in the ring.
That's a whole 'nother ball o' wax. The Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House are both pretty powerful positions. It's likely neither would want the nomination.
Absolutely. Not much can be done about that though.