I don't think it'll ever happen, but we can dream, can't we:) And seeing as how the destruction of Gondolin was told in less than two pages, PJ can improvise the battle as much as he wants without putting out the purists. The fight between Fingolfin and Morgoth alone would be worth the price of admission!
Peter Jackson has the encouragement and the studio backing to do the Hobbit. What he does not have is the legal right to film an adaptation of the book. Those strings, I believe are still held by the Tolkein Estate. And judging from the fact that Christopher Tolkien disowned his own son for supporting Peter Jackson's efforts w/ LOTR, I don't see him giving a green light to do the Hobbit any time soon.
It was around 1996 that the big "Truth in Sentencing" craze hit the US. The general idea of it is that convicts serve at "least" 80% of their sentences. You'll also see that overcrowding is *much* worse now than in 1986, even w/ the new prisons being built.
Nope, there is no such thing as Parole in the Federal Prison System. He can get time off for good behavior, but for a 3 year sentence, he won't get more than 4 months shaved off.
Then I assume you have no problem with meth, cocaine, marijuana, or any other drugs either? There is nothing wrong with them, it's just when people become *addicted* to them that there is a problem?
The drugs themselves, no. The problem I have with "illegal" drugs are the crimes that occur during their production and distribution. Alcohol is regulated, marijuana is not. Look at the Netherlands. They have one of the most liberal drug policies in the world, and their addiction/drug related crime rate is a fraction of what it is in the US. OTOH, do I think it's wise to ingest any substance that can kill you instantly, heck no.
So you don't think the toll alcohol alone takes on America is too high?
I can think of 17,419 families in 2002 that would disagree with you. Alcohol related deaths account for 41% of all traffic deaths each year.
I belong to one of those families who has lost a friend to a drunk driver. Was it the alcohol's fault?? NO!!! It was the fault of the idiot who chose to drive while intoxicated.
I would be very surprised if less than 41% of that abuse wasn't related to drug and alcohol abuse.
Again, you prove my point!!! Alcohol Abuse. There is a galaxy of difference between someone who consumes alcohol responsibly (the majority), and someone who abuses it.
I also think that if we didn't have alcohol already, and a company tried to release it as a product and it was found to cause 17,419 deaths a year and all of the other "side-effects" that it would never be approved by the FDA or any other government organization.
30,000 people were killed by guns last year alone. Neo-Nazi's and Klansmen are still allowed to vomit their ugly rhetoric. Self proclaimed "theologians" are allowed to bilk their followers out of millions in donations while hiding behind their tax-exempt status. That's the cost of living in a Free Society. And as angry as these things make me, it's a cost I am 100% willing to bear.
"Something for nothing" robs people of their work ethic, skews their reality, and often ruins them for life.
Offer me $100,000 for doing nothing! I'll take my chances:)
And I doubt the drivers of those 17,419 cars that killed people in 2002 chose to go out and kill someone. That decision wasn't made in the car, and it wasn't made in the bar. It was made way back when they chose to take their very first drink.
Gotta disagree with you entirely there. The decision was made when they *chose* to get in the car in an inebriated condition.
Drink if you want, but I choose not to. My point is simply that the cost is too high.
I have absolutely no qualms for your decision not to drink, or to live in a (mostly) dry state. I know many people who stay sober for just about every reason imaginable, from the simple (Against their religion) to the downright horrifying (molested by a junkie relative). But to suggest that we need to ban alcohol outright... sorry, you'll have to pull the Warsteiner from my cold, dead hands before I let that happen!
And I think it is too high for most or even all addictive things. Most would laugh at an argument that pornography is... addictive.
Not at all. Face it, anything that causes us pleasure can be addictive!! How many sports-addict husbands do we have in this country (the term "football widow" mean anything)? I've known more than my share of "attention" addicts. Sports, shopping, sex, porn, drugs, alcohol, religion, video games, food, hobbies - if someone enjoys it, someone has the potential to become addicted to it. In turn, that someone has the potential to ruin their life (or someone else's life) over it. A responsible person knows the risks when they get involved. A responsible addict gets the help they need when it becomes a problem.
But go to a prison and ask all of the molestors, rapists, and serial killers whether they l
But it isn't religion per se, that is the nature of man
Just like it is the nature of man to become addicted. There's *nothing* inherently wrong with alcohol or gambling, it's how people handle it.
No good is brought to the world by either
Bah! I'm willing to bet that clearly half of the people in this country were conceived in the heat of a passion that was enhanced by the effects of alcohol, myself included. And I consider myself to be a "good" thing in this world.
There are plenty who can hold their acolhol, but far more who can't.
Again, Bah!! In virtually *every* situation that I have been in that involves alcohol, from bars, concerts, parties, weddings, etc. The majority of people involved were just out to have a good time. The "drunken asshole", while he is present is the minority.
Most addictive things leave a wake of broken homes, broken hearts, broken bank accounts, and broken people.
Don't stop at banning drinking gambling and pornography!!! Look at how many people are addicted to consumerism. How many people are losing their homes and families because they have credit card debt that is out of control?? Ban the Mastercard!! Ban the Shopping Malls!!
The price to society is simply too high.
And of course, you have the wisdom to mandate this.
the money then goes to companies that are arguably mafia-like.
Huh???? Which mafia-like companies are you referring to?? The Hilton?? State Lotteries? Sorry pal, this ain't 1960. Licenced gaming has done an admirable job in distancing itself from its Mafia roots. If you'd study your history, you'd see that it was the 18th amendment that allowed the Mafia to gain a foothold in the first place!! That's what happens when you try to legislate morality!!
The little money that ends up in education coffers is small consolation to the kids in broken homes or poverty because of a parents gambling addiction.
I live in Arizona, which allows Indian Gaming. There is at least one tribe where each member gets profit sharing of the casino's cut. IIRC, this was to the sum of $30,000 per member. Not to mention that for the first time in modern history, many of the tribes are becoming self-sufficient. Schools, hospitals and other vital services that we take for granted are finally being built. 100% of this funding comes from gaming.
I happen to be a social drinker, and I do occasionally gamble. I am also a very proud Godless Secular Humanist. And sir, I can guarantee you that my family is just as loved and cared for as yours is. I don't need some church to tell me how to behave. I don't need some government legislating how I should act. If you need your government or pastor to tell you "don't get drunk and beat up your wife", that's your problem, not mine. And that's precicely why my blasphemous, heathen ass will never step foot into the state of Utah. Anyone who comes knocking on my door to take my rights away (guilty pleasures as they are)is going to get a lesson in the 2nd amendment - right between the eyes!!
there isn't enough alcohol (the greatest source of child abuse and spouse abuse ever known to man), gambling (the greatest source of wasted lives ever known to man)
Hmmm, ya know that if you substitute "religion" for both "alcohol" and "gambling", the logic still makes sense.
Before you mod me down, ask yourself: How many people have died because "My god's got a bigger schwanse than his god"? How many husbands have beaten (or raped) their wives because their "holy" book gives them the authority to do so? It's not the alcohol, it's not the gambling, it's not the religion. It's the asshole that uses alcohol, gambling and religion as an excuse for being an asshole!!
*WOW* I thought I was the only one who'd remember "LHX Attack Copter". I got a shareware demo version from my subscription to Big Blue Disk. Which would probabally place the date to around 1988-1989.
how do you reconcile this fact with your statement that women can exert themselves for longer
Being a husband (and a father) I'd love to see any guy out there endure childbirth for 12-16 hours. It's been proven that women have a much higher tolerance for pain and greater endurance over the long term than men.
Actually, Iron Maiden was a very heavily punk influenced band. Their music in the late 70's/early 80's bridged the gap between British Punk and NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal). It was the punk scene that helped Maiden break into the mainstream. If you listen to their first albums with Paul DiAnno, you'll definitely hear a *lot* of punk influence.
No, they were crippled by Saddam diverting the funds from the UN's "Oil for food" programs to build up his own affluent palaces.
But 10,000 civilians died
Guess what, hippie! That's what happens when you have a psychopathic dictator embedding military targets within heavily populated civilian centers. It's a tactic used to stir up outcry when the death toll starts rolling in, and you bought it; hook, line, and sinker. It doesn't matter how "smart" your weapon is, if it hits an Anti-air unit that so happens to be on the roof of a school, you're going to have civilian casualties.
How many more than 10,000 would be dead right now had Saddam still be left in power? The man had a "Minister of Rape" on his payroll for shit's sake!! The man was a butcher and a monster, and the Iraqi people will be in much better shape in the long run without him.
Gotta disagree with you there. Diablo 2 came out in summer 2000. It had no 3D accelleration, and couldn't display in resolution greater than 640x480. Dated graphics can be looked over simply by a game being "fun". Just look at the sales of the lates Tetris title. Even on modern consoles, it's not all that flashy, but people buy it anyway. Compare that to the masses of games that are flasy, gorgeous, visually impressive, but about as much fun as plucking your nose hairs.
I would rather see an anticipated title come to market 12 months late and be solid than have it be released on time and suck because of bugs and underimplemented features. Lets face it, the cost overruns of a game coming out late can easily be recovered if:
The game itself is good
Users aren't turned off right away becuase of bugs and other annoyances that are the hallmark of rushed titles
For example: Let's look at a case where the title released "on time" but sucked ass. The definitive example of this was Ultima 9. This was supposed to be Richard Garriot's 'swan song' for the Ultima series. The final chapter in a very successful and much loved 20 year old franchise. Immense pressure from the EA suits forced Garriot (against his pleas) to make sure U9 "shipped by Christmas". It met the delivery date expectation: at the expense of the consumer's expectations. The game was virtually unplayable. Bugs ranging from annoyances to full blown "quest killers" were rampant. Add that to the fact that you'd need a fully "state of the art" (+$2500) system to even load the thing. U9 entered the marked at $60 dollars. I never even saw it hit the $9.95 rack. It just disappeared.
Now for a company that consistantly delivers late, we need look no farther than Blizzard. Starcraft, Diablo (1 & 2), Warcraft 3 were all "vapor" for many moons. They also rank as the most successful titles in PC gaming history, with longevity and replay value that is unsurpassed. WC3 is nearly three years old, and it still sells for $40+. Diablo 2 debuted in 2000, and was on the top 10 seller list no later than 6 months ago.
As a consumer, I'm not going to spend my $50 on crap or a mediocre product. If I'm curious about a game, I'll wait till it hit's the $10 rack anyway (about 4-6 months after the release date - gotta love the irony). But if it's a hot title from a company with a record for Quality out of the box, not after "patch1.4", I'll drop the $50.
I was told in school internet meant INTERnational NETwork.
If I were you, I'd find that instructor and ask for your money back. I can see some clueless MBA teaching an "Intro to Business Computing" making such a foolish statement. Do you mind telling what class this was, and for what degree??
Sorry, you're wrong. Nike has a horrible reputation for using child labor in 3rd world countries that pay no more than pennies per day. This kind of exploitation can and does happen even today. And it's unethical corporations that reap the monitary rewards from it.
Not to sound presumptious, but I assume you are insuring only yourself, again assuming you are a single male. Were I single, I could get 100% of my premiums covered by my employer, and only have a modest co-pay. However, I have a wife who is of prime childbearing age, and a son who likes to skateboard.I have to bear a percentage of the cost of their premiums - which have shot up about 80% in the past two years. I can guarantee that the catastrophic coverage for them would be much higher than $75/mo. Also, do prescription purchaces count against your deductable??
Keep in mind, however that we also have to pay for our own health care (the costs for which have skyrocketed in the past 4 years). Our cost of living is generally higher than in Europe. The paycheck may look big when we get it, but it evaporates really quickly.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't think it'll ever happen, but we can dream, can't we :) And seeing as how the destruction of Gondolin was told in less than two pages, PJ can improvise the battle as much as he wants without putting out the purists. The fight between Fingolfin and Morgoth alone would be worth the price of admission!
Peter Jackson has the encouragement and the studio backing to do the Hobbit. What he does not have is the legal right to film an adaptation of the book. Those strings, I believe are still held by the Tolkein Estate. And judging from the fact that Christopher Tolkien disowned his own son for supporting Peter Jackson's efforts w/ LOTR, I don't see him giving a green light to do the Hobbit any time soon.
you'll begin to notice that STAR WARS is a really crappy third grade movie.
What fucking crack are the mods smoking to call this skanky troll "interesting"?? Can we get a meta-mod in aisle 7 please????
It was around 1996 that the big "Truth in Sentencing" craze hit the US. The general idea of it is that convicts serve at "least" 80% of their sentences. You'll also see that overcrowding is *much* worse now than in 1986, even w/ the new prisons being built.
Nope, there is no such thing as Parole in the Federal Prison System. He can get time off for good behavior, but for a 3 year sentence, he won't get more than 4 months shaved off.
The drugs themselves, no. The problem I have with "illegal" drugs are the crimes that occur during their production and distribution. Alcohol is regulated, marijuana is not. Look at the Netherlands. They have one of the most liberal drug policies in the world, and their addiction/drug related crime rate is a fraction of what it is in the US. OTOH, do I think it's wise to ingest any substance that can kill you instantly, heck no.
So you don't think the toll alcohol alone takes on America is too high? I can think of 17,419 families in 2002 that would disagree with you. Alcohol related deaths account for 41% of all traffic deaths each year.
I belong to one of those families who has lost a friend to a drunk driver. Was it the alcohol's fault?? NO!!! It was the fault of the idiot who chose to drive while intoxicated.
I would be very surprised if less than 41% of that abuse wasn't related to drug and alcohol abuse.
Again, you prove my point!!! Alcohol Abuse. There is a galaxy of difference between someone who consumes alcohol responsibly (the majority), and someone who abuses it.
I also think that if we didn't have alcohol already, and a company tried to release it as a product and it was found to cause 17,419 deaths a year and all of the other "side-effects" that it would never be approved by the FDA or any other government organization.
30,000 people were killed by guns last year alone. Neo-Nazi's and Klansmen are still allowed to vomit their ugly rhetoric. Self proclaimed "theologians" are allowed to bilk their followers out of millions in donations while hiding behind their tax-exempt status. That's the cost of living in a Free Society. And as angry as these things make me, it's a cost I am 100% willing to bear.
"Something for nothing" robs people of their work ethic, skews their reality, and often ruins them for life.
Offer me $100,000 for doing nothing! I'll take my chances :)
And I doubt the drivers of those 17,419 cars that killed people in 2002 chose to go out and kill someone. That decision wasn't made in the car, and it wasn't made in the bar. It was made way back when they chose to take their very first drink.
Gotta disagree with you entirely there. The decision was made when they *chose* to get in the car in an inebriated condition.
Drink if you want, but I choose not to. My point is simply that the cost is too high.
I have absolutely no qualms for your decision not to drink, or to live in a (mostly) dry state. I know many people who stay sober for just about every reason imaginable, from the simple (Against their religion) to the downright horrifying (molested by a junkie relative). But to suggest that we need to ban alcohol outright... sorry, you'll have to pull the Warsteiner from my cold, dead hands before I let that happen!
And I think it is too high for most or even all addictive things. Most would laugh at an argument that pornography is ... addictive.
Not at all. Face it, anything that causes us pleasure can be addictive!! How many sports-addict husbands do we have in this country (the term "football widow" mean anything)? I've known more than my share of "attention" addicts. Sports, shopping, sex, porn, drugs, alcohol, religion, video games, food, hobbies - if someone enjoys it, someone has the potential to become addicted to it. In turn, that someone has the potential to ruin their life (or someone else's life) over it. A responsible person knows the risks when they get involved. A responsible addict gets the help they need when it becomes a problem.
But go to a prison and ask all of the molestors, rapists, and serial killers whether they l
Just like it is the nature of man to become addicted. There's *nothing* inherently wrong with alcohol or gambling, it's how people handle it.
No good is brought to the world by either
Bah! I'm willing to bet that clearly half of the people in this country were conceived in the heat of a passion that was enhanced by the effects of alcohol, myself included. And I consider myself to be a "good" thing in this world.
There are plenty who can hold their acolhol, but far more who can't.
Again, Bah!! In virtually *every* situation that I have been in that involves alcohol, from bars, concerts, parties, weddings, etc. The majority of people involved were just out to have a good time. The "drunken asshole", while he is present is the minority.
Most addictive things leave a wake of broken homes, broken hearts, broken bank accounts, and broken people.
Don't stop at banning drinking gambling and pornography!!! Look at how many people are addicted to consumerism. How many people are losing their homes and families because they have credit card debt that is out of control?? Ban the Mastercard!! Ban the Shopping Malls!!
The price to society is simply too high.
And of course, you have the wisdom to mandate this.
the money then goes to companies that are arguably mafia-like.
Huh???? Which mafia-like companies are you referring to?? The Hilton?? State Lotteries? Sorry pal, this ain't 1960. Licenced gaming has done an admirable job in distancing itself from its Mafia roots. If you'd study your history, you'd see that it was the 18th amendment that allowed the Mafia to gain a foothold in the first place!! That's what happens when you try to legislate morality!!
The little money that ends up in education coffers is small consolation to the kids in broken homes or poverty because of a parents gambling addiction.
I live in Arizona, which allows Indian Gaming. There is at least one tribe where each member gets profit sharing of the casino's cut. IIRC, this was to the sum of $30,000 per member. Not to mention that for the first time in modern history, many of the tribes are becoming self-sufficient. Schools, hospitals and other vital services that we take for granted are finally being built. 100% of this funding comes from gaming.
I happen to be a social drinker, and I do occasionally gamble. I am also a very proud Godless Secular Humanist. And sir, I can guarantee you that my family is just as loved and cared for as yours is. I don't need some church to tell me how to behave. I don't need some government legislating how I should act. If you need your government or pastor to tell you "don't get drunk and beat up your wife", that's your problem, not mine. And that's precicely why my blasphemous, heathen ass will never step foot into the state of Utah. Anyone who comes knocking on my door to take my rights away (guilty pleasures as they are)is going to get a lesson in the 2nd amendment - right between the eyes!!
Hmmm, ya know that if you substitute "religion" for both "alcohol" and "gambling", the logic still makes sense.
Before you mod me down, ask yourself: How many people have died because "My god's got a bigger schwanse than his god"? How many husbands have beaten (or raped) their wives because their "holy" book gives them the authority to do so? It's not the alcohol, it's not the gambling, it's not the religion. It's the asshole that uses alcohol, gambling and religion as an excuse for being an asshole!!
Thanks. The Sprite I was drinking shot out my nose when I read that :)
*WOW* I thought I was the only one who'd remember "LHX Attack Copter". I got a shareware demo version from my subscription to Big Blue Disk. Which would probabally place the date to around 1988-1989.
Wow, and AC called me a pussy. Pardon me while I shit myself.
Being a husband (and a father) I'd love to see any guy out there endure childbirth for 12-16 hours. It's been proven that women have a much higher tolerance for pain and greater endurance over the long term than men.
Actually, Iron Maiden was a very heavily punk influenced band. Their music in the late 70's/early 80's bridged the gap between British Punk and NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal). It was the punk scene that helped Maiden break into the mainstream. If you listen to their first albums with Paul DiAnno, you'll definitely hear a *lot* of punk influence.
No : !(++good)
Hmm, that's doubleplus ungood...
No, they were crippled by Saddam diverting the funds from the UN's "Oil for food" programs to build up his own affluent palaces.
But 10,000 civilians died
Guess what, hippie! That's what happens when you have a psychopathic dictator embedding military targets within heavily populated civilian centers. It's a tactic used to stir up outcry when the death toll starts rolling in, and you bought it; hook, line, and sinker. It doesn't matter how "smart" your weapon is, if it hits an Anti-air unit that so happens to be on the roof of a school, you're going to have civilian casualties.
How many more than 10,000 would be dead right now had Saddam still be left in power? The man had a "Minister of Rape" on his payroll for shit's sake!! The man was a butcher and a monster, and the Iraqi people will be in much better shape in the long run without him.
Gotta disagree with you there. Diablo 2 came out in summer 2000. It had no 3D accelleration, and couldn't display in resolution greater than 640x480. Dated graphics can be looked over simply by a game being "fun". Just look at the sales of the lates Tetris title. Even on modern consoles, it's not all that flashy, but people buy it anyway. Compare that to the masses of games that are flasy, gorgeous, visually impressive, but about as much fun as plucking your nose hairs.
For example: Let's look at a case where the title released "on time" but sucked ass. The definitive example of this was Ultima 9. This was supposed to be Richard Garriot's 'swan song' for the Ultima series. The final chapter in a very successful and much loved 20 year old franchise. Immense pressure from the EA suits forced Garriot (against his pleas) to make sure U9 "shipped by Christmas". It met the delivery date expectation: at the expense of the consumer's expectations. The game was virtually unplayable. Bugs ranging from annoyances to full blown "quest killers" were rampant. Add that to the fact that you'd need a fully "state of the art" (+$2500) system to even load the thing. U9 entered the marked at $60 dollars. I never even saw it hit the $9.95 rack. It just disappeared.
Now for a company that consistantly delivers late, we need look no farther than Blizzard. Starcraft, Diablo (1 & 2), Warcraft 3 were all "vapor" for many moons. They also rank as the most successful titles in PC gaming history, with longevity and replay value that is unsurpassed. WC3 is nearly three years old, and it still sells for $40+. Diablo 2 debuted in 2000, and was on the top 10 seller list no later than 6 months ago.
As a consumer, I'm not going to spend my $50 on crap or a mediocre product. If I'm curious about a game, I'll wait till it hit's the $10 rack anyway (about 4-6 months after the release date - gotta love the irony). But if it's a hot title from a company with a record for Quality out of the box, not after "patch1.4", I'll drop the $50.
If I were you, I'd find that instructor and ask for your money back. I can see some clueless MBA teaching an "Intro to Business Computing" making such a foolish statement. Do you mind telling what class this was, and for what degree??
Ask them how they like my job.
Maybe if the poor, victimized record stores (e.g. Virgin, Warehouse, et.al) would stop charging $17.99 for a CD, they wouldn't have this problem.
Sorry, you're wrong. Nike has a horrible reputation for using child labor in 3rd world countries that pay no more than pennies per day. This kind of exploitation can and does happen even today. And it's unethical corporations that reap the monitary rewards from it.
How is this a Troll??? It is %100 truthful!!!
Not to sound presumptious, but I assume you are insuring only yourself, again assuming you are a single male. Were I single, I could get 100% of my premiums covered by my employer, and only have a modest co-pay. However, I have a wife who is of prime childbearing age, and a son who likes to skateboard.I have to bear a percentage of the cost of their premiums - which have shot up about 80% in the past two years. I can guarantee that the catastrophic coverage for them would be much higher than $75/mo. Also, do prescription purchaces count against your deductable??
Keep in mind, however that we also have to pay for our own health care (the costs for which have skyrocketed in the past 4 years). Our cost of living is generally higher than in Europe. The paycheck may look big when we get it, but it evaporates really quickly.