HTTP Proxies can be used for good or evil, and are generally a good thing to know about. Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the high level of what they are, where they're used, and how you can mess with your friends with them. Google has restructured under Alphabet, likely as a giant middle finger to ridiculous European regulation. The rapid rise of cord cutting and ad blocking accelerates with possible devastating (and deserved) consequences. Scotland hilariously bans "genetically modified crops." Linux servers make too little entropy, which itself is ever more crucial to secure operations. North Korea targets Rym with its new time zone. We've also upgraded the GeekNights production systems to Windows 10 with basically no problems. Don't forget to come see us at PAX Prime and CHIFOO!

It's the GeekNights Lightning Round! Tonight, rather than a single topic, we tackle several in a row with a one-minute time limit! credit cardsISISplanned parenthoodshaving my headwater bottlesdiamond industrybest skills and practices for being an informed nerdobesity/HAEShopes/dreams/wishes for a Settlers of Catan Movie or TV ShowGoBoston's olympic bidthe whole Uber/Lyft/Whatever paradigm, medallions, regulation, deregulation, etc...favorite ghost stories, urban legends, and/or mythological creatures?gardeningyogurtpolitical pollsthe FIX protocoldoughnutskids' bathroom toysChinese American foodmugging, pickpocketing and other street crimethe Singularitysolderingkitchen technology - fridges, microwaves and other kitchen appliances.anger management2016 Republican primaryguaranteed incomesocks Don't forget to come see us live at PAX Prime 2015!

Conrad Kreyling, founder of Date Nighto who once saw a ghost, joins us to talk about the mad odyssey of founding a game studio, making visual novels, and life in general. Starfighter, Hustle Cat, and now more newly announced titles! SDGQ 2015 is over, with an epic Chrono Trigger finale. Battle for Wesnoth (which we've discussed on GeekNights before) desperately needs developers. Scoville is pretty good. Join us at PAX Prime 2015, where Jo (also from Date Nighto), three other smart people, and us are going to talk about games!

Vampire Hunter D (1985), the OAV that was Rym's first anime, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, the fantastic manga, are the topics of tonight's GeekNights. Otakon 2015's attendance dropped substantially, and we speculate on what this means in light of near across-the-board drops for many other anime/fan conventions, nonetheless contrasted by growth in other cons like Anime Boston 2015.

When services disappear, they often disrupt. Tonight on GeekNights, we consider dead, dying, end-of-life, deprecated, and dilapidated services in light of Google blocking access to their unsupported auto-complete API and Nintendo dropping their Nintendo TVii service (if anyone even knew it existed). Windows 10 day is tomorrow (we're upgrading all of our devices). You should buy an SSD if you don't already run the OS on one, upgrade, then use the new install media to re-install on the SSD. Trust us. Windows 10 Home will force Windows Updates. This is a good thing. Oleogustus joins sweet, savory, sour, bitter, and umami as a fundamental tongue taste. Pentaquarks were observed in LHC experiments. Some people are failure canaries. Come see us live at PAX Prime 2015! We'll be there in style!

Belts are the fascinating topic of tonight's GeekNights. Lately we wear these things. But first, you would do well to share your salaries with your friends. You will never escape ads, which are largely fraudulent, and may not even be morally justifiable. Don't forget to come see a bunch of smart people (and also us) at the Primest of PAXes.

The Jackbox Party Pack is what impressed us enough to talk about it tonight on GeekNights. It fulfills the promise that Nintendo has so long ignored, and works surprisingly well using smartphones as 8-player game controllers. Shenmue III is actually happening thanks to a 6MM Kickstarter, and we expect to to be just like I and II. (It was a different time in those Dreamcast days). Professional Counter-Strike players flat-out admit to using performance enhancing drugs, and equipment failure issues at the EVO 2015 Street Fighter IV championship show the slow but steady progress of professional esport evolution.

Lost Cities somehow escaped our baleful gaze, so tonight on GeekNights, we review Reiner Knizia's Lost Cities. It's a fantastic two-player game. In other news, if you look older, you probably are (effectively) older. Cold Express wins the Spiel des Jahres 2015, Twitch Plays Pokemon has a sad successor, and the button is no more. We will be live at ConnectiCon 2015!

Rym is considering buying a new PC to replace his i7-920 from 2009. Despite even a ridiculous spec being pretty reasonable, it's worth it to hold out until fall for skylake. Thunderbolt 3.0 will use USB-C connectors, bringing a grand cable unification. So get used to this guy. Scott brings us a review of the Livewedge video streaming device. Don't forget to come to ConnectiCon if you live anywhere on the Northeast Coast: it's an amazing con, and there isn't much else like it.

Furniture is the topic of tonight's GeekNights. But first, Rym explains why there wasn't an episode on Tuesday (but happily, it will rise from the dead thanks in large part to @tresi), and Apple has thrown the baby out with the bathwater banning ALL instances of the rebel traitor flag in the App Store, including historical, cultural, and other entirely benign uses (e.g., a Civil War simulation game). We also talk about doctors and the hypochondrium, but hopefully neither one of us is dying. Check out our video of Bad Games from PAX South, as well as snippets from it on Go, MOBAs, and Racewalking!