"For that matter, I can't play competitive online games of any kind- I'm going to get owned by the 15-year-olds who do nothing but play every non-school moment"
It isn't that you can't play, you don't want to because you lose.
Anyway, if you actually play those competitive games, you will quickly realize that the 15-year-olds, despite playing alot, generally suck. If you use your brains a bit, you can outwit them easily. They rely on their reflexes, not brains.
"A Civ game should not have more graphics requirements than Morrowind!!! WTF!!"
WTF are you talking about? First, lets assume you meant Morrowind Oblivion. Per their site, the minimum requirements for Morrowind Oblivion are :
Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows XP 64-bit 512MB System RAM 2 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor 128MB Direct3D compatible video card and DirectX 9.0 compatible driver; 8x DVD-ROM drive 4.6 GB free hard disk space DirectX 9.0c (included) DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card Keyboard, Mouse
The minimum system requirements for Civilization IV are:
Operating System:
Windows® 2000/XP Processor:
1.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon processor or equivalent Memory:
256 MB RAM (Windows 2000) / 512 MB RAM (Windows XP) Hard Disk Space:
1.7 GB Free CD-ROM Drive :
4X Speed Video:
DirectX 9.0c-compatible 64 MB video card with Hardware T&L support ( GeForce 2/Radeon 7500 or better) Sound:
DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card DirectX®:
DirectX® version 9.0c (included) or higher
Hmm, 1.2 ghz vs 2 ghz, 64 mb vs 128 mb video memory, and so on.
Looks to me like the system requirements for Morrowind are much higher than Civ IV. In fact, they recommend at least a 3.0 ghz processor for Morrowind.
And you missed the point 100%. A paper ballot does provide a mechanism to recount, and verify the votes. Sure, they couldn't verify that OldeTimeGeek voted one way or another, but they could count your vote again. With an entire electronic system, you get the results of the count by the electronic voting machines, and that is it. No recount, no way to verify that it counted the votes the way it should, nothing. This is the number (correct or not) end of story. At least with paper, there can be a checks and balances on the machines. Want to verify that a certain machine in a certain precinct was working correctly? Count the paper ballots. With all electronic, there is absolutely no way to verify that machine worked properly or not.
One more thing. You say you protest copy protection by stealing the games. So, do you inform the companies you are stealing from that the copy protection is the reason you are stealing from them? How do they know you are not just a common thief, rather than some high and mighty crusader against copy protection? Oh wait, you are just a common thief, regardless of your own justifications.
Well, either deal with Starforce, or don't play the game. Hating Starforce is not justification for stealing the game. And people wonder why companies are not producing games for the PC anymore, and are concentrating on the consoles.
"They can't wiretap ME, but they can wiretap the enemy."
Another point, under the provisions of the PATRIOT act, you would never know whether or not they wiretapped you, so how can you say with such authority that they would never wiretap you?
"The faster this war gets over, the faster we can get back to normal life."
The thing you seem to forget is that this war will never be over. Under what conditions would you consider the war on terror to be over? Osama dead? All terrorists dead? All muslims dead? The middle east a smoking crater?
When you fight a war against an idea, that war will never end. So you are advocating vastly expanded presidential and governmental powers during wartime, when we are fighting a war that will never end. So essentially granting these expanded powers indefinately.
Russia never occupied Iran. We gave those weapons to Iraq during the Iran/Iraq war. The whole "Enemy of my enemy is my friend" kind of thing. Iran was our enemy, Iraq was Iran's enemy, so Iraq is our friend.
I have an original Mac Mini (1.42 ghz, 512mb RAM), and as far as I am concerned, WoW is unplayable on it. Sure it runs, but the frame rate is so slow (all graphic options on low or off, 800x600) that it is unacceptable, at least to me. I could run around, though it was like a slide show, but combat was impossible.
"yeah, I saw some jerk reading the newspaper while driving on my way to work last week"
That is nothing. I once regularly commuted 2 hours each way in Los Angeles traffic, and you wouldn't believe the things I have seen other drivers doing. Reading a newspaper while driving is one of the lesser offences. How about reading the newspaper and eating a bowl of cereal while driving? I saw that often. Putting on makeup, while talking on the cell phone, and driving? Common.
Learned the benefits of defensive driving during those years. Also learned about the levels of stupidity my fellow man is capable of.
"with TiVo deciding for me how long I'm allowed to keep my shows, and showing me those lovely advertisements while I'm browsing the channel lineup, and not allowing me to record more than one show at a time, and suddenly forcing me to not skip commercials"
I have a Tivo and none of the above apply. I can record two shows at once, keep recordings as long as I want (I have many that are over 2 years old), no advertisements in guide, and can skip all the commercials I want.
Which Tivo are you talking about? Not one I have ever seen.
It is much worse than that. In most counties in Southern California, fewer than 20% of the residents of the county can afford to purchase a home in that county, at today's prices. Some counties, like San Diego, it is less than 10%.
I live in the inland empire, 40 miles east of Los Angeles, in what is considered a middle class town. A single family home cannot be found for less than $350,000 here. And $350k will get you a 50 year old, 700 sq ft house. Anything resembling a 3 bed, 2 bath, 1500 sq ft will run $450k-$500k.
So your 3 month old Nano stopped working the second the ipod video came out?
You will get years of use out of your Nano. New ipod don't make the old ones obsolete and nonfunctional.
I just think you are pissed because you always want the "top of the line" and now you don't have it. Nevermind, the Nano was never top of the line to start. In fact, isn't the present Nano identical to yours? So what has changed? What the hell are you bitching about?
There is no way that they could update a nano to ipod video functionality with a firmware update. Get a clue.
So, you buy a Ford Mustang. Next year's model has a bigger engine. Do you go screaming at Ford for a free upgrade to the newer engine? Do you call your present car a piece of crap? Do you blame Ford for coming out with a car with a bigger engine, and call them retarded?
Grow up. Just because there are newer ipods out doesn't make your 3 month old one a piece of crap.
So why do we even bother teaching English in schools? The kids already know the language, so things like sentence structure, grammar, spelling are just a waste of time. Improper usage is here to stay!
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"For that matter, I can't play competitive online games of any kind- I'm going to get owned by the 15-year-olds who do nothing but play every non-school moment" It isn't that you can't play, you don't want to because you lose. Anyway, if you actually play those competitive games, you will quickly realize that the 15-year-olds, despite playing alot, generally suck. If you use your brains a bit, you can outwit them easily. They rely on their reflexes, not brains.
"A Civ game should not have more graphics requirements than Morrowind!!! WTF!!"
WTF are you talking about? First, lets assume you meant Morrowind Oblivion. Per their site, the minimum requirements for Morrowind Oblivion are :
Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows XP 64-bit
512MB System RAM
2 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor
128MB Direct3D compatible video card
and DirectX 9.0 compatible driver;
8x DVD-ROM drive
4.6 GB free hard disk space
DirectX 9.0c (included)
DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card
Keyboard, Mouse
The minimum system requirements for Civilization IV are:
Operating System:
Windows® 2000/XP
Processor:
1.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon processor or equivalent
Memory:
256 MB RAM (Windows 2000) / 512 MB RAM (Windows XP)
Hard Disk Space:
1.7 GB Free
CD-ROM Drive :
4X Speed
Video:
DirectX 9.0c-compatible 64 MB video card with Hardware T&L support ( GeForce 2/Radeon 7500 or better)
Sound:
DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card
DirectX®:
DirectX® version 9.0c (included) or higher
Hmm, 1.2 ghz vs 2 ghz, 64 mb vs 128 mb video memory, and so on.
Looks to me like the system requirements for Morrowind are much higher than Civ IV. In fact, they recommend at least a 3.0 ghz processor for Morrowind.
And you missed the point 100%. A paper ballot does provide a mechanism to recount, and verify the votes. Sure, they couldn't verify that OldeTimeGeek voted one way or another, but they could count your vote again. With an entire electronic system, you get the results of the count by the electronic voting machines, and that is it. No recount, no way to verify that it counted the votes the way it should, nothing. This is the number (correct or not) end of story. At least with paper, there can be a checks and balances on the machines. Want to verify that a certain machine in a certain precinct was working correctly? Count the paper ballots. With all electronic, there is absolutely no way to verify that machine worked properly or not.
One more thing. You say you protest copy protection by stealing the games. So, do you inform the companies you are stealing from that the copy protection is the reason you are stealing from them? How do they know you are not just a common thief, rather than some high and mighty crusader against copy protection? Oh wait, you are just a common thief, regardless of your own justifications.
Well, either deal with Starforce, or don't play the game. Hating Starforce is not justification for stealing the game. And people wonder why companies are not producing games for the PC anymore, and are concentrating on the consoles.
Nice attitude. Heck, your kids don't need violent video games to become assholes. Just listen to Dad!
"They can't wiretap ME, but they can wiretap the enemy." Another point, under the provisions of the PATRIOT act, you would never know whether or not they wiretapped you, so how can you say with such authority that they would never wiretap you?
"The faster this war gets over, the faster we can get back to normal life." The thing you seem to forget is that this war will never be over. Under what conditions would you consider the war on terror to be over? Osama dead? All terrorists dead? All muslims dead? The middle east a smoking crater? When you fight a war against an idea, that war will never end. So you are advocating vastly expanded presidential and governmental powers during wartime, when we are fighting a war that will never end. So essentially granting these expanded powers indefinately.
Russia never occupied Iran. We gave those weapons to Iraq during the Iran/Iraq war. The whole "Enemy of my enemy is my friend" kind of thing. Iran was our enemy, Iraq was Iran's enemy, so Iraq is our friend.
Nickel City is actually a chain. There is one here in So Cal where I live. $5 to get in the door, then all games are a nickel.
Fine, only doctors can use cell phones in theaters. Unless you can prove that you are a doctor ON CALL, you must relinquish your phone at the door.
Ok with you?
Could you please cite a source for that "98% of people don't give a shit about DRM" statistic you quoted? A source other than your ass, of course.
Looks to me that you will be holding out for a long long time...
I have an original Mac Mini (1.42 ghz, 512mb RAM), and as far as I am concerned, WoW is unplayable on it. Sure it runs, but the frame rate is so slow (all graphic options on low or off, 800x600) that it is unacceptable, at least to me. I could run around, though it was like a slide show, but combat was impossible.
I am sorry, but I refuse to listen to anyone that has "Make Money Now!" on their website.
"yeah, I saw some jerk reading the newspaper while driving on my way to work last week"
That is nothing. I once regularly commuted 2 hours each way in Los Angeles traffic, and you wouldn't believe the things I have seen other drivers doing. Reading a newspaper while driving is one of the lesser offences. How about reading the newspaper and eating a bowl of cereal while driving? I saw that often. Putting on makeup, while talking on the cell phone, and driving? Common.
Learned the benefits of defensive driving during those years. Also learned about the levels of stupidity my fellow man is capable of.
Gotta say that the easiest solution for you would be a modded Xbox with Xbox Media Center.
"with TiVo deciding for me how long I'm allowed to keep my shows, and showing me those lovely advertisements while I'm browsing the channel lineup, and not allowing me to record more than one show at a time, and suddenly forcing me to not skip commercials"
I have a Tivo and none of the above apply. I can record two shows at once, keep recordings as long as I want (I have many that are over 2 years old), no advertisements in guide, and can skip all the commercials I want.
Which Tivo are you talking about? Not one I have ever seen.
It is much worse than that. In most counties in Southern California, fewer than 20% of the residents of the county can afford to purchase a home in that county, at today's prices. Some counties, like San Diego, it is less than 10%.
I live in the inland empire, 40 miles east of Los Angeles, in what is considered a middle class town. A single family home cannot be found for less than $350,000 here. And $350k will get you a 50 year old, 700 sq ft house. Anything resembling a 3 bed, 2 bath, 1500 sq ft will run $450k-$500k.
So your 3 month old Nano stopped working the second the ipod video came out? You will get years of use out of your Nano. New ipod don't make the old ones obsolete and nonfunctional. I just think you are pissed because you always want the "top of the line" and now you don't have it. Nevermind, the Nano was never top of the line to start. In fact, isn't the present Nano identical to yours? So what has changed? What the hell are you bitching about?
There is no way that they could update a nano to ipod video functionality with a firmware update. Get a clue.
So, you buy a Ford Mustang. Next year's model has a bigger engine. Do you go screaming at Ford for a free upgrade to the newer engine? Do you call your present car a piece of crap? Do you blame Ford for coming out with a car with a bigger engine, and call them retarded?
Grow up. Just because there are newer ipods out doesn't make your 3 month old one a piece of crap.
So why do we even bother teaching English in schools? The kids already know the language, so things like sentence structure, grammar, spelling are just a waste of time. Improper usage is here to stay!
Sounds like someone is worried about getting found out.
So you don't think infertile couples should be allowed to marry?
Do you have any idea how polluting a oilfield is? A oil refinery? A coal mine? A coal burning power plant?