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New Abortion Laws in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, March 22 2005 05:56 Profile #31
I think what the gist of these abortion statistics do is make a strong case for education regarding and the use of contraceptive measures. I don't have a source but I remember reading in more than one place that the majority of abortions in the U.S. occur in the "red states" in the U.S., where (in theory) moral values matter more. "Abstinence only" education fails, helping to foster the very practices these conservative grandstanders condemn. Can't face the shame though, oh no - gotta hide it! The reality is though that it's likely everyone has or will have sex before marriage if they can help it, vow to abstain or no - the difference in premarital sex rates between "promise keepers" and other individuals is statistically insignificant.

Am I on my "blue state" high horse? Yes I am. :) Seriously though, when people blind themselves to reality, they aren't helping anyone.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Terri Schiavo in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, March 21 2005 12:02 Profile #4
quote:
Originally written by The Stew Boy:

Uh, I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no idea what this poll is about.
Terri Schiavo has been in a "vegetative" state for fifteen years. Her doctors consider her legally braindead. She breathes on her own, but requires feeding and water tubes in order to remain alive. Her husband, citing a conversation they had prior to the circumstances leading to her current state, claims she would not have wanted to "live" like this, and is trying to get the tubes removed and let her die. Her parents disagree.

The Florida state courts have ruled in favor of the husband. The governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, tried to intervene, but his executive order was also countermanded in court. The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to take the case. Now, the U.S. congress has passed a bill that the President has signed allowing for the case to be taken to federal court.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
DwtD: second fight with vampire lord in Blades of Avernum
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, March 21 2005 08:52 Profile #0
I'm having difficulties taking him down when he has that blue crystal thing. Normally, I'd just pump up and whack him to death with melee characters, but it seems as though now everyone takes 130+ points of damage, and then he gets six attacks or so. I don't have any invulnerability potions left. Any ideas/gimmicks?
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Terri Schiavo in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, March 21 2005 07:51 Profile #0
This poll duplicates one that I saw on the Wall Street Journal, but I'm curious to know what the community thinks about this issue. At its core are several issues: Right to life, custody issues, states' rights issues, the role of the judiciary, political grandstanding. In other words, it's thick with possibilities.

Let's keep it civil.

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 50 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

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Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Wolfowitz to rule the World Bank? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Friday, March 18 2005 13:37 Profile #3
Dude, cool out. The Iraq war was a bad move, but I don't know that my government is going to "kill all the remaining poor people." I'm no fan of the current administration or Paul Wolfowitz's policies in general, but my government and nation aren't that wicked, and it's debatable how much total influence Wolfowitz would ultimately have as well as how effective the bank's been in its mission anyway.

Do you know how the World Bank works? Learn about it here.

[ Friday, March 18, 2005 13:39: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Wolfowitz to rule the World Bank? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Friday, March 18 2005 11:48 Profile #1
I guess you missed his whole "I have a mandate - I have political capital, and I intend to spend it" press conference shortly after the start of his second term.

Probably not a great thing for the developing world, but at least he's out of DoD.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Friday, March 18 2005 07:11 Profile #42
quote:
Originally written by Solomon Strokes:

Point of clarification- Wizards' Star Wars mod is most definitely d20 by now, and uses 3.0 or higher.
Ah, but the original version was d6, created by West End Games back in the day.

IMAGE(http://www.starwars.pl/rpg/sbooks/weg40001s.jpg)
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Friday, March 18 2005 05:20 Profile #40
Or they're in their early twenties or older. :)

Greyhawk was reborn as a formal setting, but it was the default setting for all the first AD&D modules. The original Temple of Elemental Evil, which I'm fairly certain was released before Dragonlance, incorporated deities and demigods (St. Cuthbert and Iuz) from the Greyhawk setting.

The Greyhawk campaign setting was notable for being less magic-filled and grittier than the Forgotten Realms, where +3 swords grow on trees and every bartender is a 25 lvl mage with nothing better to do (serious balance issues in that campaign) - more "realistic," if you will.

The original Dragonlance trilogy spawned out of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's AD&D campaign, from what I understand. The rules for the formal setting came after.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, March 17 2005 09:45 Profile #31
The first formal (and technically, the default) D&D "setting" was actually Greyhawk, created by Gary Gygax. Dragonlance followed - I may still have the original 1st Ed. Dragonlance manual somewhere. I remember it limited level progression to 18 levels, and magic use depended on the moons. Also, it was the first time specialty priests were introduced.

[ Thursday, March 17, 2005 11:59: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, March 17 2005 06:58 Profile #29
quote:
Originally written by I'm Late, I'm Late, For:

Oh, the youth of today! :P
Indeed. O tempora, o mores! :)

[ Thursday, March 17, 2005 06:58: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Thursday, March 17 2005 05:21 Profile #27
quote:
Originally written by EviL_TiM:

Thanks everybody. Whats scary is that I've actually played some of these games recently- there are versions of rogue and Ultima 1, 2, & 3 for Palm OS. I agree, Dungeons and Dragons does look somewhat stupid, and although it's probably somewhat fun I doubt it's anywhere as fun as computer RPGs. Many of the early RPG's you mentioned are technically strategy, but I suppose that back then that was the closest they got to RPG.
Way to pass judgment before giving something a shot. Never mind that cRPGs are the natural decendents of D&D and other PnP RPGs.

I weep for your generation.

[ Thursday, March 17, 2005 05:22: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, March 16 2005 10:38 Profile #23
quote:
Originally written by VCH:

Blocks, Lego I loved them. But D&D just sounds horribly drawn-out and boring.
There is a strong correlation between the game's quality and the game master's creativity, the players' level of cooperation, and everyone's imagination.

quote:
Originally written by Waffle Guy:

my uncle plays it, i tried to get him to stop but he just wouldnt
Why would you try to stop him from doing something he enjoys? Does he try to stop you from playing video games? What would you think if he did?

I'll agree that from some perspectives, D&D is pretty dorky - it's why I'm somewhat in the closet about it myself - but it can be a really good time, and at least promotes some level of social interactivity, which I think is especially valuable to people who otherwise don't get out much. Like anything else, it should be taken in moderation, but it's definitely not harmful.

[ Thursday, March 17, 2005 05:18: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Vampire killing in Blades of Avernum
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, March 16 2005 09:16 Profile #13
It was the fight started from the outdoors. Radiant Shield? Would I have that spell by now? Can it be casted from the map?
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
RPGs in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, March 16 2005 07:37 Profile #20
quote:
Originally written by Order Up:

The first sucessful RPG for PC if im correct was called Doom, shortly followed by the as-popular, Doom 2, and Ultima Online following shortly afterwards.
You are not correct.

Re. D&D, there are a lot of rules, but most of them exist purely for fairly resolving conflicts. Decisions concerning what rules to use ultimately lie with the game master, or story teller. The basic rules are relatively simple - every new player I've interacted with has picked up the basic rules within one session. I think the most recent incarnation is a bit more complicated than it used to be, but ultimately the games only requirement is a willingness to use one's imagination.

In terms of worth, I think that D&D definitely surpasses television, and probably most computer games. But then, I liked playing with blocks when I was growing up, as well as make believe. Go figure.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Walk of Game in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, March 16 2005 05:26 Profile #13
I think even the original Quake wins hands down in a comparison with Halo.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
cehck tihs out in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Wednesday, March 16 2005 05:23 Profile #121
Topics evolve. The current one, I would say, is appreciably more interesting than its topic of origin.

Actually, Aran, the President has arguably little to no impact on foreign exchange. Some of his policies carried out may have an impact, but the reality is that our vastly in the red balance of trade is the likely culprit.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Walk of Game in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, March 15 2005 13:03 Profile #2
I saw this topic's title and immediately thought "Walk of Shame." I suppose the "Walk of Game" could also be defined as being seen leaving one of the few remaining arcades after blowing $5.00 on Gauntlet Legends.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
cehck tihs out in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, March 15 2005 13:00 Profile #115
That's AU$4500. At today's exchange, that's about US$3558 or so, which is close to what most U.S. public universities charge for in-state tuition. The real deal is the repayment scheme, as well as the fact that uni isn't a four year show there, but three years, I believe.

(Man, I didn't realize just how bad the U.S. dollar had depreciated - four years ago you could buy an Australian dollar for $.65 or so.)
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
cehck tihs out in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, March 15 2005 12:24 Profile #113
wOOt!

[ Tuesday, March 15, 2005 13:01: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Vampire killing in Blades of Avernum
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, March 15 2005 09:37 Profile #0
This is just a general strategy query. I'm playing Diplomacy with the Dead currently, and have run across a group of five vampires. I managed to defeat them with the help of an invulnerability potion and a heroic brew, and many, many reloads. Are there any strategies that make them simpler, especially that could stop them from spawning other vampires?
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
cehck tihs out in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, March 15 2005 09:27 Profile #106
The FAFSA does suck my butt. My favorite part of it? Graduate applicants coming right out of college never having worked a day in their lives but all of the sudden counted as "independent" have an estimated family contribution (EFC) of $0/yr. Work for a year or two after college, earning anywhere from $26k to $35k a year (which isn't much to save on), and your EFC is suddenly ~$9000/yr, for just you. The best part is that you tell them exactly how much you have in savings. Where do they think this money comes from? Should we earn it while pursuing our degree? Why is a recent college grad any less able to front as much of a contribution as someone actually paying their way in the world?

Yeehaw!

I would like to point out that federal loans aren't that bad a deal. The rates are very, very low (recently below the rate of inflation) and if you qualify for subsidized loans, even better. The real bummer is when your EFC is high enough (see above) that you don't qualify for enough loan money.

[ Tuesday, March 15, 2005 09:28: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Nonfiction Books You Are Reading in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, March 15 2005 06:56 Profile #3
I just finished reading "Fair Not Flat," by Ed McCaffery. It's about his proposal to move the U.S. entirely to a progressive consumption-based tax as opposed to the current income tax. I found his arguments to be very compelling, and recommend the book to anyone with an interest in the U.S. tax system.

[ Tuesday, March 15, 2005 06:57: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
cehck tihs out in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Tuesday, March 15 2005 05:23 Profile #103
quote:
Originally written by VCH:

Do SATs count for any portion of ones high school mark? In Canada we have government exams which count for 40% of your grade 12 mark and now 30% of grade 10 and 11 marks. It seems odd that Uni's would simply look at SAT scores and accept or decline based on one test. School is not supposed to be relevant. It is intended to broaden the mind. Take most Calculus for example it doesn't even have a use in the real world. But some day it might. Sure most of school is bull****. However its not meant to be relevant. My calculus 3 teacher summed it up quite nicely, that 90% of math has no use. One is not smarter after leaving University. they may posses more knowledge. But the raw intelligence level will not increase past age 20. As that is when ones brain stops building neural pathways. Motivation goals and so on account for any differences in intelligence beyond age 20.
I don't know if I was smarter when I graduated, but I did realize that I was able to think things through more methodically and reach better decisions more rationally. I chalk this up to the "liberal arts" process. I could have majored in anything and arrived at the same point; the Classics for me was just the way I had the most fun getting there. Acquiring knowledge is a only one part of the university experience; learning how to apply it is the other.

I would say that there's definitely a use in the real world for Calculus, if you're planning on going into programming, engineering, certainly physics, and other sciences.

As far as the SAT goes, universities also consider GPAs, give a lot of weight to class rank, and also actually do look at extracurriculars, what you intend to study, and even your essay when making a judgment. This I learned all about as a study abroad coordinator back in the day, as well as in my interaction with a lot of friends who work in admissions.

EDIT: Thuryl - does Australia still defer loan repayments if you're poor? And is education there still (relatively) cheap (like AU$2000/year or something)? Oh, and is summer break up for you yet? :P

EDIT 2: Happy Ides of March, everyone.

[ Tuesday, March 15, 2005 05:32: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
cehck tihs out in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, March 14 2005 13:49 Profile #86
For undergrad, thinking I wanted to study music, I applied to Lawrence University (Appleton, WI), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), Otterbein College (near Columbus, OH), University of Evansville (Evansville, IN), and the University of Kentucky. I'm pretty sure that I didn't aim high enough, although all had solid music programs. I ended up attending Lawrence, the best out of the bunch, though it was also the most expensive. I ended up with a degree in Classics.

For grad school, I wanted an affordable education suitable for a career in the Foreign Service, so I specifically only applied to the University of Kentucky, as KY is my home state. I got in without any problem.

I'm currently on pins and needles waiting to hear from law programs. I've applied to Georgetown U., G.W., George Mason U., American U., and Catholic U. All of these programs are in the DC area because my fiancee lives here and I'm rather attached to her. :) So far, I've been rejected by Georgetown (the LSAT didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped, and recent increases in applications culled my application), admitted by American and Catholic, and I'm waiting to hear from Mason and G.W.

My advice to any and all? If you're planning to go to college/med school/law school/etc. and you currently find school easy and boring, don't shoot yourself in the foot by not caring, thinking it doesn't matter and not getting good grades. If I could change anything about my high school/undergrad experience, it would be to go back and put in the extra five to thirty minutes a day it would have taken to get A's, because it makes a huge difference in terms of a.) where you can get in, and b.) how much money they may throw at you to go there. In these fields, the name of your school WILL make a difference, unfortunately. By being unable to get into a top 25 law program, I've pretty much excluded myself from being elligible to work in any of the top firms in the nation, which means a lower earning potential. Money isn't everything, but it's a shame that I closed doors to it by just being lazy. From my perspective, it wasn't worth it.

[/end rant] :P

[ Monday, March 14, 2005 13:50: Message edited by: andrew miller ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Are you a game addict? in General
Drew
By Committee
Member # 4233
 written Monday, March 14 2005 10:40 Profile #7
I was stuck for the longest time in Khoth's laser maze in ZKR before I realized I had invulnerability potions to use (cursed efreeti!), which actually kept me off away from Blades. Now that I'm past that stopgap, however, I'm back to playing whenever I can. Diplomacy with the Dead will be done soon, and then - the other scenarios!

And to think I purchased my mac to reduce my gaming...
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00

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