You missed his point and you made a bad one yourself.
You are attempting to say in your comparison, that Muslims just yell and scream about killing, while Israelis actually kill. This is incorrect. Many Israelis have been killed by Muslim attacks. The difference is that while Muslims kill Israelis and Israelis kill Muslims in roughly equal numbers, ONLY the Muslims have large demonstrations take place on a regular basis where people chant and scream to kill the other side. You simply do not see large Israeli demonstrations with Jews screaming bloodthirsty chants to kill Muslims.
In other words, the Muslims are largely the agressors, while the Israelis are largely on the defensive. Fortunately for the Israelis, they are significantly better fighters than any of thier enemies, and have historically trounced them in every straight up military fight. Which is why many of the Muslims have turned to Terrorism. They can't compete any other way.
Blatant Anti-Semitism in a government has historically indicated a tendency to unprovoked war and attacks from said government. All GWB is saying is that it's yet another reason to ensure that the loonies over there don't get thier hands on any nukes. Basically another straw breaking the camel's back. It's not the only reason, but it's a darn good one.
All your reaction says to an outside observer is that you don't like GWB and will take any reason, no matter how ridiculous, to attack him. Basically it makes you look unreasonable and immature. I'm sure you didn't mean for it to come out that way, but it does. In the future I would recommend that you temper your emotion with some rational thought when discussing matters of world politics.
Showing images of Mohammed or any Prophet is only prohibited by the Wahabbi sect of Islam, and that particular stricture is nowhere to be found in the Qu'ran.
Above I present to you the NUMBER ONE reason why totalitarian regimes have been allowed to survive around the world. The number one reason why millions of innocent people have died and continue to die in lands without freedom, and the number one reason why Liberal thought is inherently dangerous. The lack of a belief in the desire of humans to be free, and the lack of a belief in Freedom, Liberty and Democracy as the greatest concepts and forms of government in human history.
Somehow, despite centuries of evidence and libraries of books written on the concepts of the basic human yearning for Freedom and Liberty, there is a strain of thought that still survives. It hides in the shadows and mewls "Well, maybe they don't believe like we do, we shouldn't judge them, it's not our place...".
Look, I know I'm not going to earn many mod points for this response, I'll probably get rated a Troll. But the OP is NOT insightful! Just the opposite, it's the LACK of insight and depth of thought that drives posts like that. Here we have a Chinese journalist that yearned for Freedom. As such he was trying to join a dissident party group. They aren't a Terrorist organization and have never been linked to violence. That journalist is going to probably be imprisoned for a long long time, and the OP has the gall to say, "Well, we shouldn't judge..."
OF COURSE we should judge! It is not only the right, but the RESPONSIBILITY of every Freedom and Liberty loving person to hold any and all governments accountable for thier actions, thier laws, and the way they govern!
To do anything less is nothing short of cowardice and collaboration with those who would steal our freedom for thier own power and enrichment.
I can't count how many speed traps I've hit on I-75 going over 120 MPH... now all they have to do is mount a stickyball launcher to a portable radar in the bushes to tag my car as I blaze past... sucks.
Translation: I'm an irresponsible, immature person with more engine than brains. I don't like that the big bad Po-leece might be able to ruin my fun by enforcing the law. Wah!
More of a concern, is if/when game developing companies become hooked on Ad revenue to support thier games, at what point will we see the decline of some gametypes?
Think about it. If in-game ads will look out of place and be ineffective in a game, say a medieval RPG, and in-game ads are the only viable way to support a game, who's going to make a medieval RPG? Basically all games will be boiled down to contemporary settings where the ads won't look out of place. No more EVE Onlines, no more WoWs, No more Age of Empire's. Just a game world littered with nothing but GTA and EA-Sports style games.
Frankly, I don't want to have my choices limited by the "Ad-Effect". Rather than bending over and taking it up the butt, I think gamers need to band together and fight in-game ads. Register your complaint with the developers. Boycott games, and make sure the company knows it's the inclusion of ads that is causing the boycott. If you already own the game, find ways to block or remove the ads, and then make sure to go to the game web-forums and let them know that the ads aren't being seen. The point is to make it as unprofitable as possible to make games with ads. It's the only way to fight them, hit them in thier pocketbooks.
I do. I run with D2A on Emerald NC. On Thurday nights we run NCA (New Conglomerate Alliance) night starting at about 9 PM. Teamspeak, while not required, is highly recommended, as most communication is going on there, and not in text chat. We usually join up with Sturmgrenadier and Army of One and kick some serious ass all over Auraxis! You can look for me, I'm Bishounen.
You can't get it at Target, it's only being sold online as a Digital Download. Basically, the download is free, you just have to get an SOE account (also free) and subscribe to Planetside. That's it, all from the comfort of your Computer chair. Not sure how they are going to run the Free year setup. Probably an "Upgrade" button on the game launcher that takes you to the subscriptions page at SOE.
Only someone who has never had to organize and stratagize a team of 40 players to take down all the boses of molten core over a 2 - 3 day period can say that it's all just random dice rolls.
Nope, I've never had to do that. I've only had to organize and strategize OVER ONE HUNDRED players in an all-out battle for control of an entire Continent! This was just one battle in the course of a single evening's play. The scale of battle in Planetside is simply so far and away greater what you would experience in any RPG, that trying to compare them as you are is nothing short of laughable.
Oh, and we don't have hit-points, weapons stats and random number generators determining who wins the battle. It doesn't matter if we bring 10 BR24 players or 10 BR6 noobs. If the noobs are faster and better organized with better planning and leadership, they will win handily. You really can't say that in any RPG. A high level player will always defeat a lower level one. (Unless the high level player is AFK, of course) So there really isn't much strategy involved. Just show up with your high level players and click the "Attack" button enough times. You'll win. It's all just a matter of the random number generator (dice) and the equations related to your character stats.
No need to wait. They have free week and free month trials you can get right off of the Planetside homepage. But if you will be busy, you can wait for the free play program (Incidentally, this is known to current players as the "Fodder" program. Hee hee!)
Those of us that play SOE's Planetside know that this is an attempt to create another Planetside-style MMOFPS using the Star Wars franchise as a backdrop. Months before SOE announced changes to Star Wars, Several of the lead developers from Planetside and SOE execs made a public "teaser" at an SOE Convention that their next MMOFPS based off of many of the concepts from Planetside was going to be coming by the end of the year. When the Star Wars Patch came out, those of us in Planetside who had been watching knew what it was.
Now, I do NOT think this is a bad thing. The reason I play Planetside is because I can't stand the boring level-grind that is EVERY MMORPG out there. When I get online to game, I want to have to work for my victories, not dice roll for them. I say 'Bravo Sony' for having the courage to step out and do something DIFFERENT for once, and to move away form the EQ-WOW-COH-Etc. level grinders that are smothering the MMO market today.
"The MMOFPS, it's an elegant game style from a more civilized time. Not as crude and random as a dice-roller MMORPG." (with apologies to Obi-Wan)
I dunno. Personally, I think it's going to be alot more fun for the lardasses to watch the teenage girls play DDR than the other way around. I suspect this will be just another reason to sit around. Not a reason to get up and move.
Of course, I would prefer to watch women play RRR, but that's just me.:)
I really wish people would think to add that before posting links. It doesn't affect me, I'm the admin. What am I gonna do, write myself up? But others may not be so lucky. Please be considerate when posting links, mark them as NWS or not!
I have personally experienced Massive's advertising in my favorite game, Planetside. Apparently SOE is using Planetside as a test bed to see if it can viably put advertising in all it's MMO games. I wrote up a full report on my blog. Here's a link my article:
It also includes information on how to block the advertising. (at least Massive's advertising) I'm sure there are just as easy ways to block advertising from other ad agencies.
Personally, I think that's the best way to deal with these ads. Block them at your PC using the method I describe. Once the game companies cannot collect stats on the gamers, the value and marketability of the ad service drops off precipitously. Once that happens, the ads go away. No money, no annoying and intrusive ads. Simple, really.
I really don't think that that is necissarily (sp) at cross purposes to my idea. The main complaint of the ISP's is that since (in most cases, not all) the municipal wireless is being run by a large city that the ISP's already compete in, the local government will snag all the primo wireless locations for itself and leave the ISP's out in the cold. Given the track record of governments around the world and at home, I'd say that fear is not entirely unfounded.
My own local township is going through a scandal relating to the town workers union's insanely high benefits, all paid at the taxpayer's expense. I can just imagine if the same people that brokered that deal were in charge of a municipal wireless project. Yikes!
Ultimatley, I don't like monopolistic behavior. Whether by Big Corporate or Big Government. What Bell South is doing just smacks of monopoly behavior. But, what some municipalities want to do also smacks of the same thing. Either way, I hope the FCC and Congress looks out for the best interests of the citizens first. That is why We, The People put them there in the first place, after all.
All the US Telecoms have benefitted over the years from thier status as "Common Carriers". From reduced regulation to reduced tax burdens. Now they want to play both sides of the fence? I'm a big capitalist, but that's just not right. Frankly, I think the FCC should simply revoke the common carrier status of ANY ISP that tries to pull this BS. It should be done retroactively to the date of ISP's incorporation or founding, whichever is earlier. The retroactive tax bill can then be calculated, and the ISP should be forced to pay the entire thing in one LUMP SUM.
Just the threat of instant bankruptcy should be enough to knock some sense into these twits.
Notice especially the words "declare" and "war". They are important. No such declaration has been made about the Iraq conflict.
Yes. Let's take a look at that, shall we? Here is the text of the Sept 14th 2001 "Joint Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force".
Joint Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force September 14th, 2001
To authorize the use of United States armed forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.
Whereas, on Sept. 11, 2001, acts of despicable violence were committed against the United States and its citizens; and
Whereas, such acts render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad, and
Whereas, in light of the threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by these grave acts of violence, and
Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,
Whereas the president has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States.
Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short Title
This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for Use of Military Force"
Section 2. Authorization for Use of United States Armed Forces
(a) That the president is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2011, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.
(b) War Powers Resolution Requirements
(1) Specific Statutory Authorization -- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.
(2) Applicability of Other Requirements -- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.
Oops! Looks like this whole thing is covered under the Presidential WAR POWERS resolution. Yep, it's a WAR.
The Iraq WAR (not "conflict") is covered under this resolution under section (a) above, as a state harboring terrorist groups.
Again, please stop speaking from a position of ignorance, you just make yourself look foolish.
Slashdot Mirror
You missed his point and you made a bad one yourself.
You are attempting to say in your comparison, that Muslims just yell and scream about killing, while Israelis actually kill. This is incorrect. Many Israelis have been killed by Muslim attacks. The difference is that while Muslims kill Israelis and Israelis kill Muslims in roughly equal numbers, ONLY the Muslims have large demonstrations take place on a regular basis where people chant and scream to kill the other side. You simply do not see large Israeli demonstrations with Jews screaming bloodthirsty chants to kill Muslims.
In other words, the Muslims are largely the agressors, while the Israelis are largely on the defensive. Fortunately for the Israelis, they are significantly better fighters than any of thier enemies, and have historically trounced them in every straight up military fight. Which is why many of the Muslims have turned to Terrorism. They can't compete any other way.
Blades in Cells are usually a Bad Thing. Apparently Cells in Blades are a good thing! Go figure...
Ummm yes. He is serious.
Blatant Anti-Semitism in a government has historically indicated a tendency to unprovoked war and attacks from said government. All GWB is saying is that it's yet another reason to ensure that the loonies over there don't get thier hands on any nukes. Basically another straw breaking the camel's back. It's not the only reason, but it's a darn good one.
All your reaction says to an outside observer is that you don't like GWB and will take any reason, no matter how ridiculous, to attack him. Basically it makes you look unreasonable and immature. I'm sure you didn't mean for it to come out that way, but it does. In the future I would recommend that you temper your emotion with some rational thought when discussing matters of world politics.
Actually, NO. that isn't correct.
Showing images of Mohammed or any Prophet is only prohibited by the Wahabbi sect of Islam, and that particular stricture is nowhere to be found in the Qu'ran.
Yep, and who was it being done by? Muslims and criminal groups linked with Islamic Terrorist organizations. Are we sensing a trend yet?
Q: How do you know you're blinded by Political Correctness? A: When you try and defend a religion that defines true followers by thier extremism.
Cartoon is published that accuses my religion of supporting terrorism and violence.
I protest that characterization by calling for or comitting acts of terrorism and violence, both in the real world, and on the internet.
Nope, no hypocrisy here!
You want me to PAY YOU for protection against the very problems your bad design made possible?
Gentlemen,
Above I present to you the NUMBER ONE reason why totalitarian regimes have been allowed to survive around the world. The number one reason why millions of innocent people have died and continue to die in lands without freedom, and the number one reason why Liberal thought is inherently dangerous. The lack of a belief in the desire of humans to be free, and the lack of a belief in Freedom, Liberty and Democracy as the greatest concepts and forms of government in human history.
Somehow, despite centuries of evidence and libraries of books written on the concepts of the basic human yearning for Freedom and Liberty, there is a strain of thought that still survives. It hides in the shadows and mewls "Well, maybe they don't believe like we do, we shouldn't judge them, it's not our place...".
Look, I know I'm not going to earn many mod points for this response, I'll probably get rated a Troll. But the OP is NOT insightful! Just the opposite, it's the LACK of insight and depth of thought that drives posts like that. Here we have a Chinese journalist that yearned for Freedom. As such he was trying to join a dissident party group. They aren't a Terrorist organization and have never been linked to violence. That journalist is going to probably be imprisoned for a long long time, and the OP has the gall to say, "Well, we shouldn't judge..."
OF COURSE we should judge! It is not only the right, but the RESPONSIBILITY of every Freedom and Liberty loving person to hold any and all governments accountable for thier actions, thier laws, and the way they govern!
To do anything less is nothing short of cowardice and collaboration with those who would steal our freedom for thier own power and enrichment.
I can't count how many speed traps I've hit on I-75 going over 120 MPH... now all they have to do is mount a stickyball launcher to a portable radar in the bushes to tag my car as I blaze past... sucks.
Translation: I'm an irresponsible, immature person with more engine than brains. I don't like that the big bad Po-leece might be able to ruin my fun by enforcing the law. Wah!
More of a concern, is if/when game developing companies become hooked on Ad revenue to support thier games, at what point will we see the decline of some gametypes?
Think about it. If in-game ads will look out of place and be ineffective in a game, say a medieval RPG, and in-game ads are the only viable way to support a game, who's going to make a medieval RPG? Basically all games will be boiled down to contemporary settings where the ads won't look out of place. No more EVE Onlines, no more WoWs, No more Age of Empire's. Just a game world littered with nothing but GTA and EA-Sports style games.
Frankly, I don't want to have my choices limited by the "Ad-Effect". Rather than bending over and taking it up the butt, I think gamers need to band together and fight in-game ads. Register your complaint with the developers. Boycott games, and make sure the company knows it's the inclusion of ads that is causing the boycott. If you already own the game, find ways to block or remove the ads, and then make sure to go to the game web-forums and let them know that the ads aren't being seen. The point is to make it as unprofitable as possible to make games with ads. It's the only way to fight them, hit them in thier pocketbooks.
I do. I run with D2A on Emerald NC. On Thurday nights we run NCA (New Conglomerate Alliance) night starting at about 9 PM. Teamspeak, while not required, is highly recommended, as most communication is going on there, and not in text chat. We usually join up with Sturmgrenadier and Army of One and kick some serious ass all over Auraxis! You can look for me, I'm Bishounen.
You can't get it at Target, it's only being sold online as a Digital Download. Basically, the download is free, you just have to get an SOE account (also free) and subscribe to Planetside. That's it, all from the comfort of your Computer chair. Not sure how they are going to run the Free year setup. Probably an "Upgrade" button on the game launcher that takes you to the subscriptions page at SOE.
Radant, Is that you?
m v
I thought you'd be linking to GreyFlcn's ad.
http://www.marcopolo.me.uk/PSMovies/PS_AD_LARGE.w
Only someone who has never had to organize and stratagize a team of 40 players to take down all the boses of molten core over a 2 - 3 day period can say that it's all just random dice rolls.
Nope, I've never had to do that. I've only had to organize and strategize OVER ONE HUNDRED players in an all-out battle for control of an entire Continent! This was just one battle in the course of a single evening's play. The scale of battle in Planetside is simply so far and away greater what you would experience in any RPG, that trying to compare them as you are is nothing short of laughable.
Oh, and we don't have hit-points, weapons stats and random number generators determining who wins the battle. It doesn't matter if we bring 10 BR24 players or 10 BR6 noobs. If the noobs are faster and better organized with better planning and leadership, they will win handily. You really can't say that in any RPG. A high level player will always defeat a lower level one. (Unless the high level player is AFK, of course) So there really isn't much strategy involved. Just show up with your high level players and click the "Attack" button enough times. You'll win. It's all just a matter of the random number generator (dice) and the equations related to your character stats.
No skill, just number crunching.
No need to wait. They have free week and free month trials you can get right off of the Planetside homepage. But if you will be busy, you can wait for the free play program (Incidentally, this is known to current players as the "Fodder" program. Hee hee!)
Those of us that play SOE's Planetside know that this is an attempt to create another Planetside-style MMOFPS using the Star Wars franchise as a backdrop. Months before SOE announced changes to Star Wars, Several of the lead developers from Planetside and SOE execs made a public "teaser" at an SOE Convention that their next MMOFPS based off of many of the concepts from Planetside was going to be coming by the end of the year. When the Star Wars Patch came out, those of us in Planetside who had been watching knew what it was.
Now, I do NOT think this is a bad thing. The reason I play Planetside is because I can't stand the boring level-grind that is EVERY MMORPG out there. When I get online to game, I want to have to work for my victories, not dice roll for them. I say 'Bravo Sony' for having the courage to step out and do something DIFFERENT for once, and to move away form the EQ-WOW-COH-Etc. level grinders that are smothering the MMO market today.
"The MMOFPS, it's an elegant game style from a more civilized time. Not as crude and random as a dice-roller MMORPG." (with apologies to Obi-Wan)
Now I'll never get that Cat-girl sex slave I've been wanting!
I dunno. Personally, I think it's going to be alot more fun for the lardasses to watch the teenage girls play DDR than the other way around. I suspect this will be just another reason to sit around. Not a reason to get up and move.
:)
Of course, I would prefer to watch women play RRR, but that's just me.
<juvenile joke mode>
You mean, like beavers?
</juvenile joke mode>
WARNING! Above link is NOT WORK SAFE!
I really wish people would think to add that before posting links. It doesn't affect me, I'm the admin. What am I gonna do, write myself up? But others may not be so lucky. Please be considerate when posting links, mark them as NWS or not!
I have personally experienced Massive's advertising in my favorite game, Planetside. Apparently SOE is using Planetside as a test bed to see if it can viably put advertising in all it's MMO games. I wrote up a full report on my blog. Here's a link my article:
- and-videogames.html
http://wearyman.blogspot.com/2005/08/privacy-lies
It also includes information on how to block the advertising. (at least Massive's advertising) I'm sure there are just as easy ways to block advertising from other ad agencies.
Personally, I think that's the best way to deal with these ads. Block them at your PC using the method I describe. Once the game companies cannot collect stats on the gamers, the value and marketability of the ad service drops off precipitously. Once that happens, the ads go away. No money, no annoying and intrusive ads. Simple, really.
Actually,
I really don't think that that is necissarily (sp) at cross purposes to my idea. The main complaint of the ISP's is that since (in most cases, not all) the municipal wireless is being run by a large city that the ISP's already compete in, the local government will snag all the primo wireless locations for itself and leave the ISP's out in the cold. Given the track record of governments around the world and at home, I'd say that fear is not entirely unfounded.
My own local township is going through a scandal relating to the town workers union's insanely high benefits, all paid at the taxpayer's expense. I can just imagine if the same people that brokered that deal were in charge of a municipal wireless project. Yikes!
Ultimatley, I don't like monopolistic behavior. Whether by Big Corporate or Big Government. What Bell South is doing just smacks of monopoly behavior. But, what some municipalities want to do also smacks of the same thing. Either way, I hope the FCC and Congress looks out for the best interests of the citizens first. That is why We, The People put them there in the first place, after all.
Funny,
All the US Telecoms have benefitted over the years from thier status as "Common Carriers". From reduced regulation to reduced tax burdens. Now they want to play both sides of the fence? I'm a big capitalist, but that's just not right. Frankly, I think the FCC should simply revoke the common carrier status of ANY ISP that tries to pull this BS. It should be done retroactively to the date of ISP's incorporation or founding, whichever is earlier. The retroactive tax bill can then be calculated, and the ISP should be forced to pay the entire thing in one LUMP SUM.
Just the threat of instant bankruptcy should be enough to knock some sense into these twits.
Notice especially the words "declare" and "war". They are important. No such declaration has been made about the Iraq conflict.
Yes. Let's take a look at that, shall we? Here is the text of the Sept 14th 2001 "Joint Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force".
Joint Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force September 14th, 2001
To authorize the use of United States armed forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.
Whereas, on Sept. 11, 2001, acts of despicable violence were committed against the United States and its citizens; and
Whereas, such acts render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad, and
Whereas, in light of the threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by these grave acts of violence, and
Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,
Whereas the president has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States.
Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short Title
This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for Use of Military Force"
Section 2. Authorization for Use of United States Armed Forces
(a) That the president is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2011, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.
(b) War Powers Resolution Requirements
(1) Specific Statutory Authorization -- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.
(2) Applicability of Other Requirements -- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.
Oops! Looks like this whole thing is covered under the Presidential WAR POWERS resolution. Yep, it's a WAR.
The Iraq WAR (not "conflict") is covered under this resolution under section (a) above, as a state harboring terrorist groups.
Again, please stop speaking from a position of ignorance, you just make yourself look foolish.