Just today I got Stupid Poisoning.

It's like food poisoning, except it only occurs in people stupid enough to look at some sausages they know are probably expired and go "well, only ONE of them is green. The rest should be okay."

I am an idiot.

So, a mission and a half into Deus Ex 1, I have about fifteen flares, and they're basically useless, AFAIK. They don't really distract guards.

In Splinter Cell, they're used to distract sentry guns. In DX, said guns are controlled by security cameras if they spot you. So in one room with a tricky camera I go "wait a minute..." and GUESS WHAT.

It's almost enough to make one ignore the fact that a man who's basically cyborg Jack Bauer after raiding Neo's closet can't throw a three-ounce road flare more than three feet.

Nail tapping, if you must know.

ME, 2002: Oh wow, that's a weird fetish. I can't believe anyone would be into that!
ME, 2012: Oh wow, that's a weird fetish. Well, as long as it doesn't involve anything with a pulse.