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The ESRB Gets An 'F'
GamePolitics reports on a failing grade given to the ESRB by the National Institute on Media and the Family. The report card did not look good for the ratings board, which almost immediately fired back at the organization. From that article: "The reality is that publishers understand that retailers largely choose not to stock AO-rated games, and so in the interests of producing marketable games, publishers will oftentimes revise and resubmit a game that was initially assigned an AO by raters in an effort to produce an M-rated game. When this happens, the process starts again from the beginning, and each new version of a game is reviewed independently. The call to issue more AO ratings has little to do with rating accuracy, and more to do with NIMF's real agenda, which is to destroy the commercial viability of games it deems objectionable. Unlike NIMF, ESRB's job is to be a neutral rater, not a censor."
Why can't there be more Christians like you?
me=athiest, and tired of having my rights trampled
If you cannot keep politics out of your moderation remove yourself from the Mod Lottery.. NOW!
There are, but we just don't make the news.
They do describe what the game contains-- or at least highlights. Turn the game over, and generally towards the bottom of the case it says something like "realistic blood and gore" or whatever. Point this out to the parents.
As for a new system with more details, where are you going to place them? The back of a game is pretty much standardized. Summery of the game, images of the game, capabilities of the game (eg. 2 player, requires memory card), and copyright information. Can't put it on the front either-- that's reserved for the game image and other logos. So where does this go? A binder for people to look through? I doubt any parent would be willing to spend more time buying a dumb game for their dumb kid.
The movie ratings? What about the game ratings - If you look at the back of each game it describes (using one of the generic descriptors shown below) what is in the game.
* Alcohol Reference - Reference to and/or images of alcoholic beverages
* Animated Blood - Discolored and/or unrealistic depictions of blood
* Blood - Depictions of blood
* Blood and Gore - Depictions of blood or the mutilation of body parts
* Cartoon Violence - Violent actions involving cartoon-like situations and characters. May include violence where a character is unharmed after the action has been inflicted
* Comic Mischief - Depictions or dialogue involving slapstick or suggestive humor
* Crude Humor - Depictions or dialogue involving vulgar antics, including "bathroom" humor
* Drug Reference - Reference to and/or images of illegal drugs
* Edutainment - Content of product provides user with specific skills development or reinforcement learning within an entertainment setting. Skill development is an integral part of product
* Fantasy Violence - Violent actions of a fantasy nature, involving human or non-human characters in situations easily distinguishable from real life
* Informational - Overall content of product contains data, facts, resource information, reference materials or instructional text
* Intense Violence - Graphic and realistic-looking depictions of physical conflict. May involve extreme and/or realistic blood, gore, weapons, and depictions of human injury and death
* Language - Mild to moderate use of profanity
* Lyrics - Mild references to profanity, sexuality, violence, alcohol, or drug use in music
* Mature Humor - Depictions or dialogue involving "adult" humor, including sexual references
* Mild Violence - Mild scenes depicting characters in unsafe and/or violent situations
* Nudity - Graphic or prolonged depictions of nudity
* Partial Nudity - Brief and/or mild depictions of nudity
* Real Gambling - Player can gamble, including betting or wagering real cash or currency
* Sexual Themes - Mild to moderate sexual references and/or depictions. May include partial nudity
* Sexual Violence - Depictions of rape or other sexual acts
* Simulated Gambling - Player can gamble without betting or wagering real cash or currency
* Some Adult Assistance May Be Needed - Intended for very young ages
* Strong Language - Explicit and/or frequent use of profanity
* Strong Lyrics - Explicit and/or frequent references to profanity, sex, violence, alcohol, or drug use in music
* Strong Sexual Content - Graphic references to and/or depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including nudity
* Suggestive Themes - Mild provocative references or materials
* Tobacco Reference - Reference to and/or images of tobacco products
* Use of Drugs - The consumption or use of illegal drugs
* Use of Alcohol - The consumption of alcoholic beverages
* Use of Tobacco - The consumption of tobacco products
* Violence - Scenes involving aggressive conflict
Oh, these were copied off the ESRB site.
Right, so you've seen where the "M-rating" box EXPLAINS AND DETAILS EVERYTHING IN THE FUCKING GAME? God dammit, even someone who claims to work in a video and video game rental store doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. From the "GTA: San Andreas" box purchased the day it came out: "Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs"
Ex nihilo nihil fit.
"there's a part of the bible that speaks about eating non-kosher food"
The part you are referring to can be found in the Old Testament in the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 11. One of those infamous chapters that people try to use to prove the bible contains flaws... after all, what rabbit chews it's cud?
1 And Jehovah proceeded to speak to Moses and Aaron, saying to them: 2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'This is the living creature that YOU may eat of all the beasts that are upon the earth: 3 Every creature that splits the hoof and forms a cleft in the hoofs and chews the cud among the beasts, that is what YOU may eat.
4 "'Only this is what YOU must not eat among the chewers of the cud and the splitters of the hoof: the camel, because it is a chewer of the cud but is no splitter of the hoof. It is unclean for YOU. 5 Also the rock badger, because it is a chewer of the cud but does not split the hoof. It is unclean for YOU. 6 Also the hare, because it is a chewer of the cud but it does not have the hoof split. It is unclean for YOU. 7 Also the pig, because it is a splitter of the hoof and a former of a cleft in the hoof, but it itself does not chew the cud. It is unclean for YOU. 8 YOU must not eat any of their flesh, and YOU must not touch their dead body. They are unclean for YOU.
9 "'This is what YOU may eat of everything that is in the waters: Everything that has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas and in the torrents, those YOU may eat. 10 And everything in the seas and the torrents that has no fins and scales, out of every swarming creature of the waters and out of every living soul that is in the waters, they are a loathsome thing for YOU. 11 Yes, they will become a loathsome thing to YOU. YOU must not eat any of their flesh, and YOU are to loathe their dead body. 12 Everything in the waters that has no fins and scales is a loathsome thing to YOU.
13 "'And these are what YOU will loathe among the flying creatures. They should not be eaten. They are a loathsome thing: the eagle and the osprey and the black vulture, 14 and the red kite and the black kite according to its kind, 15 and every raven according to its kind, 16 and the ostrich and the owl and the gull and the falcon according to its kind, 17 and the little owl and the cormorant and the long-eared owl, 18 and the swan and the pelican and the vulture, 19 and the stork, the heron according to its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat. 20 Every winged swarming creature that goes on all fours is a loathsome thing to YOU.
21 "'Only this is what YOU may eat of all the winged swarming creatures that go upon all fours, those that have leaper legs above their feet with which to leap upon the earth. 22 These are the ones of them YOU may eat of: the migratory locust according to its kind, and the edible locust after its kind, and the cricket according to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its kind. 23 And every other winged swarming creature that does have four legs is a loathsome thing to YOU. 24 So by these YOU would make yourselves unclean. Everyone touching their dead bodies will be unclean until the evening. 25 And everyone carrying any of their dead bodies will wash his garments, and he must be unclean until the evening.
26 "'As for any beast that is a splitter of the hoof but is not a former of a cleft and is not a chewer of the cud, they are unclean for YOU. Everyone touching them will be unclean. 27 As for every creature going upon its paws among all the living creatures that go on all fours, they are unclean to YOU. Everyone touching their dead bodies will be unclean until the evening. 28 And he who carries their dead bodies will wash his garments, and he must be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to YOU.
29 "'And this is what is unclean to YOU among the swarming creatures that swarm upon the earth: the mole rat and the jerboa and the lizard according to its kind, 30 and the gecko fanfoot and the large lizard and the newt and the sand lizard and the ch
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips
I'm gonna do this with just the Gospels. If I went Old Testament on you it would be a lot more definitive, but: A) I don't really like or agree woth the Old Testament, and B) I'm tired after a long day at work. So:
1. Serve God first (not the flag, not your boss, not the IRS, not your family)
And then we have Luke 10:27. "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself". God and your neighbour, all in the same breath. What do you think that means?
2. Don't have anger towards God. If life is bad, you didn't prepare properly.
Job would beg to differ, I'm sure.
3. Don't worship logos, fads or ipods err idols.
Can't find those "ipods" in th KJV. Still, I'd have to agree.
4. Set aside one day a week to do God's work.
Mark 2: 27. "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath"
5. Respect your parents
Like 14:26. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple".
6. Never kill -- no war is just
Matthew 10:34. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword". Who knows what he intended to do with that sword.
And I'm not even going into the Old Testament here. I can get you at least 10 quotes advocating killing (not the least of which is the famous "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live").
7. Don't cheat on your spouse
I'm not going to touch this one. My wife reads Slashdot.
8. Don't steal - Taxation is theft, currency inflation is theft
Do I really need to do this? Oh, for the sake of completeness...
Luke 20: 22-25. "Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's."
So it appears good ol' JC supports taxes. I can't say what he thought about currency inflation, but I'm pretty sure he didn't sweat it a lot.
As for stealing... why should anyone need to steal? You just need to ask... Luke 10:30 "Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again."
9. Be honest with all your words and actions
Hard to argue with this one in this context (altough the Old Testament is also full of sneaky holy men... but still).
10. Don't be jealous or control what isn't yours - Zoning laws are wrong, business regulations are wrong, slavery is wrong (the draft)
I'm gonna give you this one mainly because I've actually grown bored with this exercise. If you're really intersted, check out Deuteronomy and Proverbs... the god in the Bible is not only into zoning laws and business regulations, he also tells you how to eat, work and have sex. Oh, and he permits slavery too.
You know, if you are serious about being a Christian, you should really open up your Bible and read it. And think for yourself.
And please, spare me the "the devil can also quote the Bible". You pull out that one, I pull it right back at you, and we go nowhere fast. Plus, it's just plain lame.