Not to come off as a brown-noser, but that was one of the most well-written and well-thought out arguments I've ever read. You've summed up the core of my beliefs in a way I could not. You've just earned yourself +1 fanboy. =)
Whatever happened to America's battlecry of "Give my liberty or give me death?" I'd rather die a free man than live in fear of being watched forever.
That reminds me, I have this magic pebble here that wards off elephants! How do you know it works? Do you see any elephants around here? =)
I'm just waiting to see how far the USA and EU will take this. Yes, both of our socities have gotten apathetic to all of this, but even apathy has its limits. How long until the people get tired of getting pushed around and start to push back en masse? Maybe I'm being idealistic and naive, but it's the only hope I've got that someday soon, Bush will pull a total fuckup out of his ass (As he's known for doing), and his support will get so low he'll be dragged out of office (either literally or metaphorically. Though literal is prefered), if only to send a message to future politicians that this kind of idiocy and manipulation will no longer be tolerated.
Your cartoon scientists just reminded me of a couple of obscure ones...
Anyone remember The Angry Beavers? Two recurring characters were a tall, buff man and an old man whose skin seemed to be several sizes too large. They always wore labcoats and the taller man would always exclaim "We're scientists! See? See? White coats." (Or when they became eco-scientists, green coats)
"If this succeeds, we might just win that Prize of... Sciencey... Peace thingy!"
I'm not entirely sure you can say Nintendo is really in the backseat. I mean, in the last few years, you can definitely say the majority of the vocal gaming community sided with Sony, whereas Nintendo and Microsoft were always regulated to 2nd or 3rd place in the opinions... But on the other hand, when you step away from the hardcore crowd, Nintendo is the ONLY company of the three to actually walk away with more money than they started with. You can argue Sony sold this, or there are x units more shipped, but from a purely financial perspective, Nintendo is still king.
And if you even ignore profit, Nintendo has a number of good reputations. It's known for products that simply don't break. I've heard plenty of stories of consoles and gameboys getting hit be vehicles, falling out windows, and even being frozen and they still work. Whereas I've had so many complaints of Playstations (1 and 2) breaking for no real reason.
So, maybe it's unfair really to compare Sony and Nintendo. Over the past few years, it's become perfectly clear Nintendo is different. It's not in the same race. It goes after different demographics with different technology with different goals in mind (In Nintendo's case, this sums up to saying trying to create products that can appeal to everyone but still turns a profit, whereas Sony's business model seems to be to aim for the already tech savvy no matter the cost.).
Is it just me, or has the line between Republicrats and Democans blurred even further? Or have they just finally decided to merge together? Republicans want a bigger government and spend, spend, spend... Democrats now try to move more towards "traditional family values" and censorship...
Politicians like this are an even bigger disgrace to the human race than usual. I can't wait for Hillary to get thrown out on her ass.
Actually, I love the GCN controller, too. And they're sturdy, too. I've broken PS2 controllers easily, but I've had my GCN controllers longer. Other than needing the occasional cleaning with alcohol, they work as well as the day I got them.
And am I the only one who did a spit take when he read this headline? Solid Snake? Jesus Christ, Nintendo, I get it. I swear, I will be standing in line to get a Wii, whenever it is released. Really. You don't need to persuade me anymore.
Actually, Gyakuten Saiban already has 2 (GBA) sequels in Japan. Our Phoenix Wright was just the remake of the first GBA game on the DS.
I've also played the first case of Gyakuten Saiban 3 via a fanmade translation patch, and I know you play as [*spoiler*] Mia, as she defends Phoenix in her second case. I've also heard in that game, or possibly the second, you get to play as Edgeworth and Maya.
Wait a second, they're releasing Phoenix Wright 2? Oh dear Lord... As if the first one didn't have me glued to my DS. My poor wallet weeps.
It's never been a better or a worse time to be a college gamer.
As for the Wii, I've never been this excited about the launch of a system. I'm a Nintendo loyalist just because I've always found Nintendo's games to always be the most pure fun. I've always also bought and played the other systems, too, and often loved them, but the steep price tag for what just feels like PS2.3... Well, it reminds me of a Simpsons commercial.
TV: "Gamestation 256, it's slightly faster... to the MAX!" Bart: "Awww, Gamestation 256?! And I'm stuck with this stupid Gamestation 252!"
I love my Final Fantasy and Metal Gear as much as the next gamer, but right now the price is just too much for a college kid, but the thought of the new Mario, Zelda, Resident Evil... Crap, I just had a geekgasm.
Well, also notice AIDS is at an all-time high, while pirates are at an all-time low. Not only were pirates protecting us from global warming, they also prevented AIDS!
Don't give credit to a non-believer like Mr. Thompson.
I couldn't agree more. I'm the rare exception to the rule. I never really looked for boobs as a teen (correction: Real boobs. As in, in person. Pr0n is unrelated, and I never really looked for much of that, either).
In general, as a teen, I was rather disgusted by/afraid of/confused by/etc. my peers at school. Thus, I avoided social scenes as much as possible. (A/.er avoids social situations? Alert the authorities!) Sure, I WANTED some female companionship, but I found the girls near me to have little to nothing in common so I just stuck to my Internets and video games.
What I can tell you now is that that was a terrible mistake. Sure, it was fun, but I'm in college now and my lack os social skills has been a great handicap. Boys need to chase boobs. Silly and immature, maybe, but you need to crawl before you can walk. If you don't look for girls, learn to talk to them when you're young, when will you learn to have a realistic and mature relationship with one? If you don't make your mistakes when you're young, you just end up making them later.
Okay, this isn't perfect. Problems can arise. If a boy ends up too successful in this pursuit of girls, he could end up a father early. Or a number of other bad scenarios. But that's just a fact of life: If you want to get anything, you need to take risks. Bad things can and will happen, sometimes terrible, life altering things. But who are we to deny teen boys their awkward and confusing, but important social development because a small minority may get hurt?
Sorry to rant, but perhaps South Park put it best (paraphrased). You can't just keep your kids away from other kids and love because bad things can happen. You can't just hide a boy from girls until he's 18 and expect him to know how to get a girl and treat her properly. Mistakes are painful, but they're a part of growing up. When you try to deny kids the chance to make mistakes, you deny them the chance to learn and mature.
"The object of a President is not to wield power, but to draw attention away from it." -Douglas Adams
"...Oh, and titties. That's a GREAT way to draw attention, too." -Me
Well, I guess you could say I "liked" Shinji because I was sympathetic with his problems. He was confused, lost, and essentially unsure of anything. I know how that feels, and I know how hard it is to snap out of that mindset. I'm also constantly yelled at because I apologize too much, even when I'm not at fault. And I can care too much about what people think of me. (Though I have most certainly improved on all accounts since I first saw Eva about 4-5 years ago)
So, maybe "liked" is the wrong word, but I still use it because he was a nice guy all the same. It's not like Asuka tried to help him really beyond telling him to just "snap out of it" and "be a man." Though we also then learned how screwed up she was, too.
But it's been too long since I've seen the show in full. I've been in therapy for a while, and I'm not stupid enough to watch EVA while depressed, lonely, and/or on medication. It's just... not good for your mind...
I haven't seen the movies for that precise reason. Personally, I was shocked that people didn't like the ending to the series. I loved it. Really, the series was more about how these characters thought and acted than it was about giant robots and Biblical references (IMHO, anyway).
But then again, I also actually liked Shinji, so I know I'm in the minority. (Sure, he did complain a lot, but I consider going from lonely schoolboy to robot pilot fighting to save the human race with little say in the matter to be a fairly good reason to complain.)
That's because terrorists make money in the "regular" porn business. What did you think those sexy co-eds took their tops off for money, did you?
Remember, everytime you masturbate to porn, a terrorist beheads an infidel. Won't somebody PLEASE think of the Heathens?!
But in all seriousness, these guys are just your typical ambulance chasing sacks of crap who should be disbarred. In fact, I can think of a number of problems in America that would get so much better if we could disbar lawyers who file frivilous lawsuits... Either that, or just use them as anchors. Whichever is easier and/or more entertaining.
I'd say that's about right for here in America, too. Though, personally, I'd swap the country music albums, as much as I hate them, for car commercials. Usually they look like they're designed by someone who spent too much of their time in college studying post modern art that they forgot they're selling a car, not a 3-D modelling program.
This is why I refuse to buy almost anything I haven't researched and/or sampled beforehand. I'll be damned if I'm going to be persuaded by some lying ads. (I've known some awesome products to have horrendous ads, and some horrendous products that have had [though rarely] good ads. Better to look into reviews first)
And I'd like to make a special mention for drug ads. Let me say this: If you have to ask your doctor if you need a drug, you don't need it. If you're so sick that you need medication, your doctor should (in an indeal world) be the one to tell you. I'd like to see pharmaceutical ads off advertisements altogether, before they make this already paranoid generation into hypochondriacs.
It frightens me as well. Call me paranoid and give me a tin-foil hat if you must, but after the Patriot Act (Ugh, I just opened a can of flamebait on myself, didn't I? The Patriot Act is going to be Godwin's Second Law of Internet debate) and a number of other speeches by the current administration, I don't feel they care very much for our civil liberties.
I really don't want to sound like the stereotypical radical nut ("George Bush doesn't care about black people!"), but I truly feel this way. I mean, don't get me wrong. I've never trusted any administration in any country, but the current government has been showing some pretty blatant disregard for liberty. And I always try to avoid the slippery slope, but how far is it from a document that does away with a need for search warrants and black listing people who even LOOK for certain data, regardless of intent, to putting pressure on dissenting pages online?
On the other hand, I do see the need for a defense against virus attacks in information warfare. But how far does it go to get to the point where your defense is worse than your enemy's offense?
While I realize making the switch mandatory would likely be unconstitutional, pardon my minor rant here, I don't get the feeling the current administration would care very much whether it was or was not. At least I should say that they would try to do it, anyway. Obviously the courts could strike it down, but I would prefer that it not even get to that point.
And it is true artists and the courts are willing to fight such allegations, but I can still imagine many smaller artists, such as photographers, moving under the pressure, not having the money or the willpower to fight a court battle over it when a switch to a new domain would likely be unwanted, but much cheaper than an actual fight.
I couldn't agree. I simply chose an art site as a single example, but medical sites are indeed just as fair game to be called "porn" by certain fundamentalist groups. It is indeed foolish to think that one could possibly hope to study medicine and not be able to look at a naked body.
Though one thing I do not quite understand is where these socieites have gotten the notion that nudity is inherently sexual. Considering that many, many socieites do not consider nudity to be such an "evil" as it is often perceived to be in the West and Middle East, we can pretty much assume that it isn't an inherent human notion (Nor do I remember there being a commandment or Bible verse on it, though I'm not so well read on my religious tomes). Or even what is acceptable and what isn't... I think I'm going to try and do some further reading on this.
Well, the problem with that is, does this count for ONLY porn? If so, who decides "this is porn, and this is not?" In New York City or Las Vegas or another major city, what constitutes as pornography will likely be higher than, say, a rural community in the Bible Belt. Whose definition do we use? And if it's not just porn, and it's just "offensive" sites, well, that's even worse.
Of course, this is just if the switch from.com to.xxx is mandatory. If it's not, and it's only encouraged, that leads to another problem. Say, for instance, I have an art site with nude models. It's not porn. It's nothing worse than looking at, say, Michaelangelo's David. But now some little boy gets on the big, scary Internet and finds my site. His mom walks in and sees it and blows her top. I'm at fancypantsart.COM! How dare I peddle my smut on a.com when I should know full well I need to be on.xxx like the other filth-fests. A few angry calls later, and I might be pressured to move my domain.
It sounds good on paper, but it's ugly no matter how you look at it.
Slashdot Mirror
Not to come off as a brown-noser, but that was one of the most well-written and well-thought out arguments I've ever read. You've summed up the core of my beliefs in a way I could not. You've just earned yourself +1 fanboy. =)
Whatever happened to America's battlecry of "Give my liberty or give me death?" I'd rather die a free man than live in fear of being watched forever.
That reminds me, I have this magic pebble here that wards off elephants! How do you know it works? Do you see any elephants around here? =)
I'm just waiting to see how far the USA and EU will take this. Yes, both of our socities have gotten apathetic to all of this, but even apathy has its limits. How long until the people get tired of getting pushed around and start to push back en masse? Maybe I'm being idealistic and naive, but it's the only hope I've got that someday soon, Bush will pull a total fuckup out of his ass (As he's known for doing), and his support will get so low he'll be dragged out of office (either literally or metaphorically. Though literal is prefered), if only to send a message to future politicians that this kind of idiocy and manipulation will no longer be tolerated.
Hey, a boy can dream, can't he?
Your cartoon scientists just reminded me of a couple of obscure ones...
Anyone remember The Angry Beavers? Two recurring characters were a tall, buff man and an old man whose skin seemed to be several sizes too large. They always wore labcoats and the taller man would always exclaim "We're scientists! See? See? White coats." (Or when they became eco-scientists, green coats)
"If this succeeds, we might just win that Prize of... Sciencey... Peace thingy!"
I'm sure they make enough to get by when they pick-pocket future clients as they're being loaded into the ambulance.
I'm not entirely sure you can say Nintendo is really in the backseat. I mean, in the last few years, you can definitely say the majority of the vocal gaming community sided with Sony, whereas Nintendo and Microsoft were always regulated to 2nd or 3rd place in the opinions... But on the other hand, when you step away from the hardcore crowd, Nintendo is the ONLY company of the three to actually walk away with more money than they started with. You can argue Sony sold this, or there are x units more shipped, but from a purely financial perspective, Nintendo is still king.
And if you even ignore profit, Nintendo has a number of good reputations. It's known for products that simply don't break. I've heard plenty of stories of consoles and gameboys getting hit be vehicles, falling out windows, and even being frozen and they still work. Whereas I've had so many complaints of Playstations (1 and 2) breaking for no real reason.
So, maybe it's unfair really to compare Sony and Nintendo. Over the past few years, it's become perfectly clear Nintendo is different. It's not in the same race. It goes after different demographics with different technology with different goals in mind (In Nintendo's case, this sums up to saying trying to create products that can appeal to everyone but still turns a profit, whereas Sony's business model seems to be to aim for the already tech savvy no matter the cost.).
Is it just me, or has the line between Republicrats and Democans blurred even further? Or have they just finally decided to merge together? Republicans want a bigger government and spend, spend, spend... Democrats now try to move more towards "traditional family values" and censorship...
Politicians like this are an even bigger disgrace to the human race than usual. I can't wait for Hillary to get thrown out on her ass.
Actually, I love the GCN controller, too. And they're sturdy, too. I've broken PS2 controllers easily, but I've had my GCN controllers longer. Other than needing the occasional cleaning with alcohol, they work as well as the day I got them.
And am I the only one who did a spit take when he read this headline? Solid Snake? Jesus Christ, Nintendo, I get it. I swear, I will be standing in line to get a Wii, whenever it is released. Really. You don't need to persuade me anymore.
Actually, Gyakuten Saiban already has 2 (GBA) sequels in Japan. Our Phoenix Wright was just the remake of the first GBA game on the DS.
I've also played the first case of Gyakuten Saiban 3 via a fanmade translation patch, and I know you play as [*spoiler*] Mia, as she defends Phoenix in her second case. I've also heard in that game, or possibly the second, you get to play as Edgeworth and Maya.
Dammit, I need these games now.
Wait a second, they're releasing Phoenix Wright 2? Oh dear Lord... As if the first one didn't have me glued to my DS. My poor wallet weeps.
It's never been a better or a worse time to be a college gamer.
As for the Wii, I've never been this excited about the launch of a system. I'm a Nintendo loyalist just because I've always found Nintendo's games to always be the most pure fun. I've always also bought and played the other systems, too, and often loved them, but the steep price tag for what just feels like PS2.3... Well, it reminds me of a Simpsons commercial.
TV: "Gamestation 256, it's slightly faster... to the MAX!"
Bart: "Awww, Gamestation 256?! And I'm stuck with this stupid Gamestation 252!"
I love my Final Fantasy and Metal Gear as much as the next gamer, but right now the price is just too much for a college kid, but the thought of the new Mario, Zelda, Resident Evil... Crap, I just had a geekgasm.
Well, also notice AIDS is at an all-time high, while pirates are at an all-time low. Not only were pirates protecting us from global warming, they also prevented AIDS!
Don't give credit to a non-believer like Mr. Thompson.
I couldn't agree more. I'm the rare exception to the rule. I never really looked for boobs as a teen (correction: Real boobs. As in, in person. Pr0n is unrelated, and I never really looked for much of that, either).
/.er avoids social situations? Alert the authorities!) Sure, I WANTED some female companionship, but I found the girls near me to have little to nothing in common so I just stuck to my Internets and video games.
In general, as a teen, I was rather disgusted by/afraid of/confused by/etc. my peers at school. Thus, I avoided social scenes as much as possible. (A
What I can tell you now is that that was a terrible mistake. Sure, it was fun, but I'm in college now and my lack os social skills has been a great handicap. Boys need to chase boobs. Silly and immature, maybe, but you need to crawl before you can walk. If you don't look for girls, learn to talk to them when you're young, when will you learn to have a realistic and mature relationship with one? If you don't make your mistakes when you're young, you just end up making them later.
Okay, this isn't perfect. Problems can arise. If a boy ends up too successful in this pursuit of girls, he could end up a father early. Or a number of other bad scenarios. But that's just a fact of life: If you want to get anything, you need to take risks. Bad things can and will happen, sometimes terrible, life altering things. But who are we to deny teen boys their awkward and confusing, but important social development because a small minority may get hurt?
Sorry to rant, but perhaps South Park put it best (paraphrased). You can't just keep your kids away from other kids and love because bad things can happen. You can't just hide a boy from girls until he's 18 and expect him to know how to get a girl and treat her properly. Mistakes are painful, but they're a part of growing up. When you try to deny kids the chance to make mistakes, you deny them the chance to learn and mature.
I can say this with all honesty:
Looking at a breast has never, EVER made me want to shoot someone, slash someone, burn someone, etc.
Listening to Jack Thompson talk and knowing he's allowed to breath the same air as actual human beings, however, has. Well, only him, really, but...
So I say we ban Jack Thompson from this plane of reality. Won't somebody think of the children?!
"The object of a President is not to wield power, but to draw attention away from it." -Douglas Adams "...Oh, and titties. That's a GREAT way to draw attention, too." -Me
"What's the matter, Amy? Did you swallow your cellphone again?" -Leela
Well, I guess you could say I "liked" Shinji because I was sympathetic with his problems. He was confused, lost, and essentially unsure of anything. I know how that feels, and I know how hard it is to snap out of that mindset. I'm also constantly yelled at because I apologize too much, even when I'm not at fault. And I can care too much about what people think of me. (Though I have most certainly improved on all accounts since I first saw Eva about 4-5 years ago) So, maybe "liked" is the wrong word, but I still use it because he was a nice guy all the same. It's not like Asuka tried to help him really beyond telling him to just "snap out of it" and "be a man." Though we also then learned how screwed up she was, too. But it's been too long since I've seen the show in full. I've been in therapy for a while, and I'm not stupid enough to watch EVA while depressed, lonely, and/or on medication. It's just... not good for your mind...
I haven't seen the movies for that precise reason. Personally, I was shocked that people didn't like the ending to the series. I loved it. Really, the series was more about how these characters thought and acted than it was about giant robots and Biblical references (IMHO, anyway).
But then again, I also actually liked Shinji, so I know I'm in the minority. (Sure, he did complain a lot, but I consider going from lonely schoolboy to robot pilot fighting to save the human race with little say in the matter to be a fairly good reason to complain.)
That's because terrorists make money in the "regular" porn business. What did you think those sexy co-eds took their tops off for money, did you?
Remember, everytime you masturbate to porn, a terrorist beheads an infidel. Won't somebody PLEASE think of the Heathens?!
But in all seriousness, these guys are just your typical ambulance chasing sacks of crap who should be disbarred. In fact, I can think of a number of problems in America that would get so much better if we could disbar lawyers who file frivilous lawsuits... Either that, or just use them as anchors. Whichever is easier and/or more entertaining.
Nah, launching can be easy, too. Just outsource your space divison to Elbonia. Just stay clear of any French embassies...
I'd say that's about right for here in America, too. Though, personally, I'd swap the country music albums, as much as I hate them, for car commercials. Usually they look like they're designed by someone who spent too much of their time in college studying post modern art that they forgot they're selling a car, not a 3-D modelling program.
This is why I refuse to buy almost anything I haven't researched and/or sampled beforehand. I'll be damned if I'm going to be persuaded by some lying ads. (I've known some awesome products to have horrendous ads, and some horrendous products that have had [though rarely] good ads. Better to look into reviews first)
And I'd like to make a special mention for drug ads. Let me say this: If you have to ask your doctor if you need a drug, you don't need it. If you're so sick that you need medication, your doctor should (in an indeal world) be the one to tell you. I'd like to see pharmaceutical ads off advertisements altogether, before they make this already paranoid generation into hypochondriacs.
But have you ever stopped to picture your parents having sex to create you?
That IS one Hell of a biological weapon... (Instant, irreversible blindness)
It frightens me as well. Call me paranoid and give me a tin-foil hat if you must, but after the Patriot Act (Ugh, I just opened a can of flamebait on myself, didn't I? The Patriot Act is going to be Godwin's Second Law of Internet debate) and a number of other speeches by the current administration, I don't feel they care very much for our civil liberties.
I really don't want to sound like the stereotypical radical nut ("George Bush doesn't care about black people!"), but I truly feel this way. I mean, don't get me wrong. I've never trusted any administration in any country, but the current government has been showing some pretty blatant disregard for liberty. And I always try to avoid the slippery slope, but how far is it from a document that does away with a need for search warrants and black listing people who even LOOK for certain data, regardless of intent, to putting pressure on dissenting pages online?
On the other hand, I do see the need for a defense against virus attacks in information warfare. But how far does it go to get to the point where your defense is worse than your enemy's offense?
This is what I get for not hitting the "preview" button. I meant to say "I couldn't agree more."
While I realize making the switch mandatory would likely be unconstitutional, pardon my minor rant here, I don't get the feeling the current administration would care very much whether it was or was not. At least I should say that they would try to do it, anyway. Obviously the courts could strike it down, but I would prefer that it not even get to that point.
And it is true artists and the courts are willing to fight such allegations, but I can still imagine many smaller artists, such as photographers, moving under the pressure, not having the money or the willpower to fight a court battle over it when a switch to a new domain would likely be unwanted, but much cheaper than an actual fight.
I couldn't agree. I simply chose an art site as a single example, but medical sites are indeed just as fair game to be called "porn" by certain fundamentalist groups. It is indeed foolish to think that one could possibly hope to study medicine and not be able to look at a naked body.
Though one thing I do not quite understand is where these socieites have gotten the notion that nudity is inherently sexual. Considering that many, many socieites do not consider nudity to be such an "evil" as it is often perceived to be in the West and Middle East, we can pretty much assume that it isn't an inherent human notion (Nor do I remember there being a commandment or Bible verse on it, though I'm not so well read on my religious tomes). Or even what is acceptable and what isn't... I think I'm going to try and do some further reading on this.
Well, the problem with that is, does this count for ONLY porn? If so, who decides "this is porn, and this is not?" In New York City or Las Vegas or another major city, what constitutes as pornography will likely be higher than, say, a rural community in the Bible Belt. Whose definition do we use? And if it's not just porn, and it's just "offensive" sites, well, that's even worse.
.com to .xxx is mandatory. If it's not, and it's only encouraged, that leads to another problem. Say, for instance, I have an art site with nude models. It's not porn. It's nothing worse than looking at, say, Michaelangelo's David. But now some little boy gets on the big, scary Internet and finds my site. His mom walks in and sees it and blows her top. I'm at fancypantsart.COM! How dare I peddle my smut on a .com when I should know full well I need to be on .xxx like the other filth-fests. A few angry calls later, and I might be pressured to move my domain.
Of course, this is just if the switch from
It sounds good on paper, but it's ugly no matter how you look at it.