blog, changelog: 0.8.17 was released in 2013, not 2012
make binary: allow custom config flags

For example, to cross-compile from my OS X laptop for Raspberry Pi, you would
do something like:

  $ make binary BINARYNAME=node-v`python tools/getnodeversion.py`-linux-arm-pi \
      DESTCPU=arm CONFIG_FLAGS="--dest-os=linux"
buffer: fail verbosely on all bad offset values

offset === -Infinity used to fail silently
buffer: consolidate write assert tests

Assert tests for all write methods have been consolidated to a set of
three functions that can be called as needed. This prevents unnecessary
duplication of assert checks.
buffer: consolidate read assert tests

Incorrect offset values could still get past pre-existing assert checks.
They have been updated to prevent this from happening. Also have been
combine into a single arguments check function.