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Getting political in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, February 12 2008 08:37 Profile #82
Context says that he would require people to meet some sort of threshold for being informed before they could vote. There's enough controversy as it things stand regarding elected officials redrawing congressional districts; we don't need partisan politicians defining who a qualified voter is.

If someone is scared of what the electorate is thinking/not thinking about when they vote, that person is completely free to try influencing them himself. The solution is more dialog, not a smaller, "more qualified" voter population.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Getting political in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, February 12 2008 06:51 Profile #79
quote:
Originally written by Nick Ringer:

So few educated, carefully considered decisions are actually made behind the curtain that I'm just about to piss myself in fear. Everyone, write Congress about passing legislation that requires voters have more than a pulse.
Hmm - how about no? And who would determine the criteria for the right to vote, anyway?
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
2008 Movies you're looking forward to in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, February 12 2008 06:39 Profile #1
The only preview that's interested me lately was for "Hancock," actually. Will Smith is a bit overexposed, but it looks genuinely entertaining.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Getting political in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, February 12 2008 04:32 Profile #76
quote:
Originally written by Excalibur:

Mexico is already attacking us in a stretching the truth sort of way. Their president encourages people to come to the U.S. and send back money to the government. He also says that anywhere Mexicans are is Mexico.
By that rationale, the US has been attacking most of the rest of the world for decades.

[ Tuesday, February 12, 2008 04:33: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
What have you been reading recently? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, February 11 2008 17:29 Profile #6
quote:
Originally written by Nija:

The great sniper makes a typo! This must be preserved!
Grow up.

[ Monday, February 11, 2008 17:29: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Getting political in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, February 11 2008 17:19 Profile #71
Japan has a fully blinged-out US Army base in Okinawa, and the US presence in South Korea is also substantive. These concentrations of friendly foreign forces in its backyard probably serve to mitigate Japan's need to build up its own army.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Getting political in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, February 11 2008 15:29 Profile #67
Dunno. I'm voting for Hillz in the primary tomorrow. Obama has been winning lots of small states; the big ones, however, have been going to Hillary, for the most part.

[ Monday, February 11, 2008 15:30: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
What have you been reading recently? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, February 11 2008 15:22 Profile #2
I recently read "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne on a lark. Completely silly given what we know these days, but still a very enjoyable adventure tale.

I also recently read the graphic novel version of "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman. I have to say, I actually preferred the movie version.

---

You know, having read three works by Gaiman - "Neverwhere," "American Gods," and "Stardust," I'm finding myself a little underwhelmed by him, and not understanding what all the hype is about. He's okay at telling what happens, but not very good at describing it. "Tristram and Yvaine had many adventures on their way back to Wall." Great. A lot of that detail would have been nice to flesh out the story a bit further. I think this problem may come from the fact that he got his big start with "Sandman," which had great artwork to describe all the details he omits.

[ Monday, February 11, 2008 15:25: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
[PPP] Alas, friends, we look toward uncertain times in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, February 11 2008 09:18 Profile #1
Has anything that's been posted in recent days really merited preservation to begin with? I certainly think it's great that you've been doing this, Aran, but I'm pretty sure we can part with what most assuredly has largely been dross.

[ Monday, February 11, 2008 09:19: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Scope of Ethics in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, February 11 2008 05:02 Profile #31
...or rather that pareto-optimal results are impossible to predict. I don't think we can get around the fact that people will almost always make decisions based on imperfect information.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Scope of Ethics in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Sunday, February 10 2008 16:39 Profile #25
Well then, why don't we throw utilitarianism and Pareto-efficiency in as objective guidelines?
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Scope of Ethics in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Sunday, February 10 2008 13:46 Profile #23
quote:
Originally written by Diprosopus:

Even if the GR is at the historical roots of those ideas, it's such a vague and poorly formulated rule that it probably shouldn't be our justification for any law, custom, etc.
What is a better basis? Being able to do what you want so long as you don't interfere detrimentally with what other people want to do seems a good way to maximize personal liberty and minimize risk of injury, at least in the abstract.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Scope of Ethics in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Sunday, February 10 2008 12:05 Profile #20
quote:
Originally written by Diprosopus:

Anyway, the golden rule is such a blithely ineffective moral code that it's no longer worth discussing, and religion is a total non-starter for any discussion about ethics, so this tangent is over.
Is it? It's what informs the basis for natural liberty, rights, and law, which is at the core of social contract theory. If you're looking for the extent to which "ethics" extend or should extend, this is where you start looking. Basic Hobbes v. Locke stuff. I find Hobbes more convincing, but it isn't really otherwise all that relevant in a well-established society.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Spiderweb Demographics 2008 in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, February 7 2008 00:21 Profile #113
quote:
Originally written by Taliesin:

IMAGE(http://stylusmagazine.com/pbw/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/Kool-AidMan.jpg)
FYT

[ Thursday, February 07, 2008 00:21: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Spiderweb Demographics 2008 in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, February 5 2008 07:29 Profile #89
quote:
Originally written by Taliesin:

So next time my "Paulhead" teacher starts ranting about the income tax, I'll have a question... muahaha!
I believe the formal term is "Paultard."
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Nothing's gonna change my world... in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Saturday, February 2 2008 19:08 Profile #20
Exposure to radioactive materials generally isn't a good thing though. My grandpa died from cancer owing to exposure to uranium in one of the diffusion(?) plants that were operating after WW2.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
*gurgle* in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Saturday, February 2 2008 19:06 Profile #11
Yomp - they're still selling the IWD collection in stores. It's also pretty big.

Frankly, I don't think you should be soliciting cracks of software, even if it isn't Jeff's games, on this site. That sort of behavior tends to get folks banned.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
What's Going On? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Saturday, February 2 2008 17:39 Profile #10
The whole idea about posting a news link is having something to say about it. Value added, dude.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Spiderweb Demographics 2008 in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Saturday, February 2 2008 11:20 Profile #79
True, but it does carry consequences.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Vacation in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Friday, February 1 2008 14:42 Profile #7
Or thank Mormons for God!
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Homeland : The Stone of Night is now officially a freeware game in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Friday, February 1 2008 05:20 Profile #75
Long live the fighters.

[ Sunday, February 03, 2008 12:40: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Spiderweb Demographics 2008 in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Friday, February 1 2008 05:15 Profile #73
I think it has more to do with having reproduction be demystified and being forewarned about disease. The rub is that instructors seem to feel so darned awkward about it because of the puritanical roots of our society as well as certain interest groups that want to keep it in the mystifying, so to speak, in the benighted belief that it will prevent kids from doing it.

I certainly know that nothing would have prevented my hormones in high school from driving me to distraction in school. What kids need is straight talk on the matter, something along the lines of:

1. This is how sex works.
2. Unprotected sex makes babies.
3. You DON'T want a baby now.
4. If you have sex anyway, these methods reduce the risk of pregnancy.
5. These methods are not foolproof.
6. Sex also can transmit horrible, horrible diseases. <lots of images>
7. While certain prophylactics can help prevent the spread of disease, they are less foolproof than methods for preventing pregnancy.
8. If you choose to have sex, BE CERTAIN to use prophylactics, and...
9. Be certain you know the full history of your partner.
10. Also, here are laws that make it illegal to copulate with someone under age 18. Here are the consequences.

I think that's pretty straight forward. To a certain extent, I think it's a losing battle trying to prevent teens from doing everything in their power to hook up, hence the emphasis on prophylactics and the practical problems with intercourse. I think that "true love waits" and abstinence only programs engage in dangerous wishful thinking. In general, I believe that even though it often makes the world seem a bleaker place, more knowledge is always better than less.

[ Friday, February 01, 2008 05:17: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Homeland : The Stone of Night is now officially a freeware game in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, January 31 2008 08:46 Profile #65
Right - I just wanted to address a common misconception concerning the First Amendment. :)
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Homeland : The Stone of Night is now officially a freeware game in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, January 31 2008 06:11 Profile #63
You actually don't have a first amendment right to free speech on this forum - the first amendment only protects your speech from the government's interference, and this is a private forum - but I thought your points were good, Nioca.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Spiderweb Demographics 2008 in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, January 30 2008 10:59 Profile #56
This board needs to get laid, big time. There's a time and a place for everything, folks - and that's college, where it seems most of you (predominantly white protestant males) are. Put down the mouse, pick up the phone, and call that hot girl you're distracted by in your Intro Comp Sci classes!
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00

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