Again, EA seems to miss the point. What's so cool about the chat system in Mass Effect isn't really the quick selection of a general approach. It's the fact that the characters actually have believable reactions. Watching the videos, I'm amazed at the fact that the characters show actual emotion. And I'm not talking about the standard sneer in Halo, the generic fear, but the fact that eyes shift, bodies hunch, flinch, eyelids move and twitch.... it's the whole package.
Yeah, we're gonna see the Mass Effect system reused in... uh... the Sims? skate? But it's not gonna work unless people put the effort into making the rest of the interaction believable.
Another sign that EA just doesn't get it anymore. They should just give up and become a bigger version of Pop Cap. They're almost there anyway.
If you want (almost) commercial-free radio, tune to Public Radio. I feel abused any time I tune to another station and have a 30% chance of stumbling into a commercial. Since there's a wide range of quality in Public Radio stations, I recommend KQED. Stay away from Public Radio on satellite - it sucks. Instead, listen on http://www.kqed.org/.
Another reason I like them: I can control how much I pay them. If I like them a lot, they get a lot. If they suck - well, they don't get a penny. Honestly, my time is far more valuable to me than my money. I'll gladly fork over cash for the sake of not having to listen to insipid ads.
Sigh... don't waste your time on him. He's a first class troll. I haven't figured out if he's really retarded or just trolling, but it's a waste of time to have a reasonable discussion with him. Though he's fun to watch if you just want to see his contortions. Kinda like a train wreck.
The same reason a lot of other people were rendered to other countries: because government employees were notified that you presented a risk. Apparently, you still think that they are always right. I suspect this will change the first time you get an incorrect parking ticket or a wrong collection claim sent to you, or have your passport mislabeled as "lost".
In the meantime, I don't think hubris means what you think it means.
As someone else said, rewarded behavior gets repeated. And you're entirely correct in what behavior gets punished, and what behavior gets rewarded: anything short of "we shot everyone in sight just in case they were the killer" gets people out of trouble, but a response of "we didn't know this was a killer on a suicide mission, and treated this like a regular murder case" requires lawsuits.
In a democracy, we get the government response we deserve. And unfortunately, over 50% of Americans deserve an autocratic government that locks people up "just in case". Splendid.
See I wouldn't get deported to Syria [or whatever] because I'm not a traitor.
You truly, seriously, don't get the problem. It isn't up to you to decide who's the traitor. It's up to the friendly person across from you, acting on input from a lot of people you have never met or seen. Good luck to you if you ever get picked up. I won't raise a finger to help you.
This ain't funny, this is insightful. Someone with mod points please rectify this. The romans already knew that the circus was a critical part of keeping the population calm. The current government understands that as well.
I actually see it as the other way around: most representatives are acting to represent their constituents. The problem is, they are acting to represent the most basic wants and fears of their constituents, such as bread and circus, safety, unemployment, health, children, etc. I'm always astounded by how many people actually believe the dog and pony shows politicians put on.
Here's a nifty quote I like to remember when talking to people like you. "Sure there are outliers" and "it's just a few people who got mixed up" and "they were being stupid anyway" are just variations of "It wasn't me, so I don't have to worry." Because you weren't unlucky enough that a known terrorist happened to use your name while boarding a flight, because you weren't unlucky enough that you weren't identified by some hapless guy on a street looking to make a quick buck, because you weren't unlucky enough that you didn't fit the completely arbitrary criteria for what a terrorist is, you think that it isn't a problem.
Here's the problem you're overlooking: the criteria ARE arbitrary. That's what the term "security theater" means. Everyone who complains about the current state sees that and is worried that these arbitrary criteria might be applied to them one day. This is the time to fight back - not when your ass is sitting in a police van headed to god knows where.
Furthermore, no one is complaining about airport security, except to point out that it is a rather silly exercise. What people are truly worried about (and that includes me) is the completely arbitrary and CYA approach that puts EVERYONE at risk of being arrested and have their lives turned upside down.
If you can't see that.... gimme your name, cuz I'll just laugh if they ever come for you.
It still happens, even without access to a shrink-wrap machine. Blame lazy or unmotivated employees for not checking the content of returned boxes. I'd actually advocate opening all boxes in these stores on-site so that this can be addressed on the spot.
This wouldn't be a problem if Best Buy (and Fry's, for that matter) would check that returned boxes (shrinkwrapped or not) contain the product in question. The problem is with the store, not with asshole customers who found a way to game the system.
However Evolution isn't PART of the scientific method, because it hasn't predicted ANYTHING.
The theory of evolution has predicted plenty of things. Primarily, intermediate stages that were confirmed when their fossils were found. There's a handy little ocean critter that provides, quite literally, a perfect timeline of intermediate stages. It's also quite handy at predicting what the next dominant flu strain is going to be.
Can you tell me what is the difference between creationism and evolution?
Creationism, by definition, cannot be disproven. Evolution can be shown to be wrong (and, to be honest, we have come a long way since Darwin).
You do realize that Occam's razor is not a predictive theory, but rather a heuristic employed when looking at competing ideas? QED is mind-boggling in its complexity, but no one would dream of applying occam's razor to it and replace it with the old approach of "light is instantaneous."
You seem to focus on the negative - what else is there in our body of knowledge that is wrong, but thought to be true? By definition, this is not a known quantity. I'd rather focus on the positive - science allows us to change our positions when facts demonstrate that old positions are untenable.
I'd rather be often wrong and learn than sometimes wrong and never learn.
EA, for all its shovelware titles, is still raking in $3 billion in revenue - far more than anybody else. Going downhill in this case referred to their road to oblivion as a publisher.
Riccitiello paid off some friends and himself with his acquisition. Bioware and Pandemic aren't worth $840 million, since their total accumulated revenue since inception has barely been higher.
Riccitiello made gobs of cash, his buddies made gobs of cash, and Bioware and Pandemic will be gutted for the sake of efficiency. There's nothing else here. If anything, this will only be the milestone where EA will have started to go downhill.
Goodbye Bioware. I hope the founders made enough money to start from scratch again.
Fake names of famous americans. I'm sure the T. Kennedy used by one known terrorist wasn't an accident. Imagine the lockdown that occurs if terrorists just start flying while using the names of many famous americans. It's either complete grid-lock and a reevaluation of the system, or it's complete gridlock forever. Either way, terrorists win.
You know, when even Slashcode tells you to cool your heels, you might want to take that suggestion seriously and spend some time on introspection. But I'm sure your puberty-addled brain is too cool for that.
Again, thanks for providing entertainment on an otherwise lousy day.
Snicker. Actually, you did debunk yourself. First, by relying on a publicly editable article to prove anything. Second, your second "proof" clearly states that that's the median price in 2005 in Salinas in general, not the price of that particular house. Third - do you really think Wikipedia has the up-to-date price of a specific house available? In a general article about the area? Wow, you really are incredibly gullible. I have that bridge, you know....
So, sorry Bruce, but you're not qualified to make that statement with any authority
You're making the mistake of judging the validity of a claim based on the person's authority. Even Wikipedia, your favorite source, has info on that. Just make sure to read the article in its entirety. Your comment would in fact be far more helpful if it would actually dissect his theory. Because, quite frankly, if we're going by authority is the prime criterion for when anyone should say anything, you'd only be allowed to talk about the lint in your navel.
Slashdot Mirror
Considering I have a hard time understanding your post, could it be because they couldn't understand your guidelines?
Again, EA seems to miss the point. What's so cool about the chat system in Mass Effect isn't really the quick selection of a general approach. It's the fact that the characters actually have believable reactions. Watching the videos, I'm amazed at the fact that the characters show actual emotion. And I'm not talking about the standard sneer in Halo, the generic fear, but the fact that eyes shift, bodies hunch, flinch, eyelids move and twitch.... it's the whole package.
Yeah, we're gonna see the Mass Effect system reused in... uh... the Sims? skate? But it's not gonna work unless people put the effort into making the rest of the interaction believable.
Another sign that EA just doesn't get it anymore. They should just give up and become a bigger version of Pop Cap. They're almost there anyway.
If you want (almost) commercial-free radio, tune to Public Radio. I feel abused any time I tune to another station and have a 30% chance of stumbling into a commercial. Since there's a wide range of quality in Public Radio stations, I recommend KQED. Stay away from Public Radio on satellite - it sucks. Instead, listen on http://www.kqed.org/.
Another reason I like them: I can control how much I pay them. If I like them a lot, they get a lot. If they suck - well, they don't get a penny. Honestly, my time is far more valuable to me than my money. I'll gladly fork over cash for the sake of not having to listen to insipid ads.
See?
Dance, monkey boy! Dance!
Sigh... don't waste your time on him. He's a first class troll. I haven't figured out if he's really retarded or just trolling, but it's a waste of time to have a reasonable discussion with him. Though he's fun to watch if you just want to see his contortions. Kinda like a train wreck.
In the meantime, I don't think hubris means what you think it means.
I wish I had a stack of mod points for this.
As someone else said, rewarded behavior gets repeated. And you're entirely correct in what behavior gets punished, and what behavior gets rewarded: anything short of "we shot everyone in sight just in case they were the killer" gets people out of trouble, but a response of "we didn't know this was a killer on a suicide mission, and treated this like a regular murder case" requires lawsuits.
In a democracy, we get the government response we deserve. And unfortunately, over 50% of Americans deserve an autocratic government that locks people up "just in case". Splendid.
You truly, seriously, don't get the problem. It isn't up to you to decide who's the traitor. It's up to the friendly person across from you, acting on input from a lot of people you have never met or seen. Good luck to you if you ever get picked up. I won't raise a finger to help you.
That's where the danger lies: a few mistakes by the wrong people too interested in CYA, and off to Syria or Egypt you go.
You know what? I won't cry if you do. You apparently don't care if anyone else goes.
This ain't funny, this is insightful. Someone with mod points please rectify this. The romans already knew that the circus was a critical part of keeping the population calm. The current government understands that as well.
I actually see it as the other way around: most representatives are acting to represent their constituents. The problem is, they are acting to represent the most basic wants and fears of their constituents, such as bread and circus, safety, unemployment, health, children, etc. I'm always astounded by how many people actually believe the dog and pony shows politicians put on.
Here's a nifty quote I like to remember when talking to people like you. "Sure there are outliers" and "it's just a few people who got mixed up" and "they were being stupid anyway" are just variations of "It wasn't me, so I don't have to worry." Because you weren't unlucky enough that a known terrorist happened to use your name while boarding a flight, because you weren't unlucky enough that you weren't identified by some hapless guy on a street looking to make a quick buck, because you weren't unlucky enough that you didn't fit the completely arbitrary criteria for what a terrorist is, you think that it isn't a problem. Here's the problem you're overlooking: the criteria ARE arbitrary. That's what the term "security theater" means. Everyone who complains about the current state sees that and is worried that these arbitrary criteria might be applied to them one day. This is the time to fight back - not when your ass is sitting in a police van headed to god knows where. Furthermore, no one is complaining about airport security, except to point out that it is a rather silly exercise. What people are truly worried about (and that includes me) is the completely arbitrary and CYA approach that puts EVERYONE at risk of being arrested and have their lives turned upside down. If you can't see that.... gimme your name, cuz I'll just laugh if they ever come for you.
It still happens, even without access to a shrink-wrap machine. Blame lazy or unmotivated employees for not checking the content of returned boxes. I'd actually advocate opening all boxes in these stores on-site so that this can be addressed on the spot.
This wouldn't be a problem if Best Buy (and Fry's, for that matter) would check that returned boxes (shrinkwrapped or not) contain the product in question. The problem is with the store, not with asshole customers who found a way to game the system.
The theory of evolution has predicted plenty of things. Primarily, intermediate stages that were confirmed when their fossils were found. There's a handy little ocean critter that provides, quite literally, a perfect timeline of intermediate stages. It's also quite handy at predicting what the next dominant flu strain is going to be.
Creationism, by definition, cannot be disproven. Evolution can be shown to be wrong (and, to be honest, we have come a long way since Darwin).
You do realize that Occam's razor is not a predictive theory, but rather a heuristic employed when looking at competing ideas? QED is mind-boggling in its complexity, but no one would dream of applying occam's razor to it and replace it with the old approach of "light is instantaneous."
You seem to focus on the negative - what else is there in our body of knowledge that is wrong, but thought to be true? By definition, this is not a known quantity. I'd rather focus on the positive - science allows us to change our positions when facts demonstrate that old positions are untenable.
I'd rather be often wrong and learn than sometimes wrong and never learn.
EA, for all its shovelware titles, is still raking in $3 billion in revenue - far more than anybody else. Going downhill in this case referred to their road to oblivion as a publisher.
Riccitiello paid off some friends and himself with his acquisition. Bioware and Pandemic aren't worth $840 million, since their total accumulated revenue since inception has barely been higher. Riccitiello made gobs of cash, his buddies made gobs of cash, and Bioware and Pandemic will be gutted for the sake of efficiency. There's nothing else here. If anything, this will only be the milestone where EA will have started to go downhill. Goodbye Bioware. I hope the founders made enough money to start from scratch again.
Fake names of famous americans. I'm sure the T. Kennedy used by one known terrorist wasn't an accident. Imagine the lockdown that occurs if terrorists just start flying while using the names of many famous americans. It's either complete grid-lock and a reevaluation of the system, or it's complete gridlock forever. Either way, terrorists win.
Nice job, Shrubby.
Dance, monkeyboy! Dance!
You know, when even Slashcode tells you to cool your heels, you might want to take that suggestion seriously and spend some time on introspection. But I'm sure your puberty-addled brain is too cool for that. Again, thanks for providing entertainment on an otherwise lousy day.
Wow. You truly are entertaining. Here, have some more rope. I'm sure you can find an entertaining way of hanging yourself again.
Snicker. Actually, you did debunk yourself. First, by relying on a publicly editable article to prove anything. Second, your second "proof" clearly states that that's the median price in 2005 in Salinas in general, not the price of that particular house. Third - do you really think Wikipedia has the up-to-date price of a specific house available? In a general article about the area? Wow, you really are incredibly gullible. I have that bridge, you know....
You're making the mistake of judging the validity of a claim based on the person's authority. Even Wikipedia, your favorite source, has info on that. Just make sure to read the article in its entirety. Your comment would in fact be far more helpful if it would actually dissect his theory. Because, quite frankly, if we're going by authority is the prime criterion for when anyone should say anything, you'd only be allowed to talk about the lint in your navel.