DecentURL (EDIT now defuct)
I remembered this site (and went searching for it) while reading Bruce Schnier’s monthly Crypto-Gram newsletter. He was using tinyurl.com, and although his practice was better than most (using the shortened URL after the long one, in case the long one got broken by the email client), it still reminded me of the ambiguity of shortened URLs. If you have the choice, use an URL shortener that gives others a better idea of what they’re clicking.
I hate GoDaddy with a burning passion. Not only do they have a !%$@* stupid name, but their advertising is lame and tasteless, their website sucks, they poach domain names, and their actual hosting service is some of the worst Unix-based hosting you can get. I suppose you get what you pay for, but in some cases I have to deal with their crap, because clients have bought services from them. I’ve tried to use CakePHP with GoDaddy a few times, and each time makes me hate them more and more. It was the first comment in this blog entry that provided the insight. For future reference, this is what seems to work:
In the .htaccess in the main CakePHP directory root, add forward slashes to the beginning of both RewriteRules:
RewriteRule ^$ /app/webroot/ [L]
RewriteRule (.*) /app/webroot/$1 [L]
In the .htaccess in app/webroot, add a forward slash to the lone RewriteRule:
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php?url=$1 [QSA,L]
Theoretically, your CakePHP application will work now. I make no promises, though.
I read an interesting article today regarding completing programming projects. The gist of it was that big, huge projects tend to stagnate – you lose your motivation because the end is never in sight. To successfully complete projects (this guy says), a good idea is to choose more manageable goals that are able to be accomplished quicker.
I see a parallel application to this principle in video game design. As opposed to having a player move quickly from (game-related) task to task, the whole game is rather jammed together, with only feeble attempts at breaking it up. Since the game seems to stretch on, and not have a discernible end, when the player hits some boring spots, they quit.
This has been my experience with the past two games in the Legend of Zelda franchise, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. They weren't designed in a way to hold my interest for the duration of the extended time necessary to play them. These games were everything one could have wanted; basically the same as the previous entry, but bigger and longer. However, the tried and true method of simply adding more "stuff" to sequels isn't really enough for me.
The newest Zelda (Phantom Hourglass) succeeds because it is short and clever. A contributing factor (to a lesser extent) is the unbelievably accessible control system.
The game doesn't extend Zelda lore by any means; it begins (presumably) after the end of Wind Waker, with Link attempting to uncurse Tetra after she boards an ominous Ghost Ship. After being (presumably) transported to an alternate reality, Link is informed that the only person who can save Tetra is the Ocean King, but that he must help revive the Ocean King's power first. He does this by confronting a baddie entrenched in the basement of a mysterious Phantom Tower, which drains the life force of people entering it. To counter this life-draining process, Link is given the Phantom Hourglass, an artifact that allows him to remain undamaged while sand still remains in it. Link doesn't have all the items he needs to get to the bottom of the tower, but he finds maps that lead him to other dungeons where he can collect these tools.
This game deviates from its ilk mainly by use of the Nintendo DS touchscreen to control Link. Holding the stylus on the screen will cause Link to run to the point you touch. Tapping an enemy will make Link attack it. Touch a point on the screen to fire an arrow there. It seems more simplistic than previous games, but also goes much faster. This means that many battles are not so much about manual dexterity, but rather finding and exploiting an enemy's weak point. Let's face it, Zelda is known for enjoyable puzzles, not great combat, so anything that can emphasize the puzzles more is a good deal. Game design elements that are taken from previous games are also given a "touch" overhaul, which make their reuse more bearable.
Phantom Hourglass is short. You don't have time to get bored with the new game elements before the game is over. And that is freaking great. I can definitely recommend this game as a "must buy" for your DS.
Gamasutra article. Dwarf Fortress is a very deep RPG/simulation game, with two different game modes. In the first, "Fortress Mode," you direct a group of vaguely autonomous dwarves in building a (what else?) fortress and defending themselves against various enemy creatures. In "Adventure Mode," you take control of an adventurer, who is able to explore the world that you created in Fortress Mode.
The game is appealing, yet also fairly off-putting, due to its complexity. It definitely doesn't seem like something that the casual player can pick up and completely understand in a few play sessions. The learning curve is exacerbated by the ASCII graphics; each entity in the game is represented by a special symbol that the player must memorize.
However, there are definitely quite a few hardcore fans out there. I imagine that once the player becomes familiar with the game, he or she is able to appreciate the insane amount of detail that is packed into it. I hope that one day I'll be able to overcome my initial apprehension of this game and give it a shot.
ZOMG, this list of Kirby hats is amazing. If you can recognize each one without resorting to looking at the legend, you are more of a dork than I am. Congratulations!
Also, VG Cats is, in general, pretty good. I recommend you!