Guard Dog

It makes sure that the killer doesn't get the chance to make more victims. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I agree. Tookie Williams will not be killing anymore convienience store employees. Or ochestrating any more attacks on prison guards. Or sending anymore orders to the Crips. Ted Bundy will not kill any more college students. Tim McVeigh will destroy no more buildings. To quote Ron White In America, we have the death penalty. And we USE it. If you come here and kill someone we will kill you back. It's our policy.

Anyone heard why they are switching the show to Sunday night? I hope it is not in ratings trouble.

I believe that is our nature. If you are a creationist then you believe we were made in God's image but fell. Yes we did, hard and far. If you are an evolutionist then we are animals descended from animals and how could you expect any better from us? But those of us who are able to move beyond our base instincts deserve to be protected from the ones who don't. I'll agree the death penalty is not effective as soon as Ted Bundy kills another college girl, Tim McVeigh blows up another building, etc.

I have to agree with what some of the others posted. Romance is a small part of charachter development. If a charachter does not develop in a story but a romance is bolted on anyway, it really doesn't work well. I would rather have a group of well fleshed out believable characters than a romance option. Or both if it works for the story. The only RPG that hit all aspects IMHOP was Torment.

They were the best of the bad. That did not make them good.

You been drinking today Volo?

I would change my stance on the death penalty if we could reform our prisons. If all murder convicts were kept in total isolation, 8X6 cells with no windows 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year with no TV, no books, no human interaction of ANY kind (their meals will be slid through a slot in the door) for every day until they die of natural causes, then I will go along with abolishing the death penalty. In the US, prisoners get cable TV in their cells for free. Free use of a library (with tons of legal materials). A free college education if they choose, It's B.S. If it were up to me, if you have a 5 year sentance you would spend evey minuite of that 5 years in that 8X6 cell with no one to talk to, no liberal psychobable about "reforming" you. I guarantee you one thing, no one who served time will want to go back.

Wow, when this was first announced almost two years ago I was impressed at the teams ambition, now I'm awed at their persistance and ability. I hope the develpers in the biz take notice of what you guys have done here. For any who desire to get into game developing this should certainly be on your resume. Team Gizka, we salute you!

they made a particular point in saying that he was playing Ghost Recon (A violent video game) you know. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah, I noticed that too. They are already setting up his insanity defense. Disgusting.

Currently reading Cesar's Way, by Cesar Milan. It is a MUST read if you own dogs!

Just because the public wants it does not mean it's right or wise. Yes they want up to pack up and leave Iraq now but by and large do not understand the terrible consequences of that action. By and large the public wants the US government to pay for healthcare and point to other nations that do. But they don't even understand why it doesn't, can't, or even comprehend the damage it would do to our nation and society to change our system enough to allow it. We tend to elect people because we hope they are better informed about things like this than we are and if you do and those people decide based on the best information they have that a war is needed to defend the best interests of the nation then you should support that until you find out otherwise. And if it means serving and fighting, so be it.

As bad as it is, if it is ever enacted it IS legal. Would you go to jail, Canada, or the the service? The shortest route is to just go in, do your two and get it over with. I think the jail term is longer and I don't believe Canada will welcome dodgers again. Which would any of you guys take?

Jeez, that was intended to be a tounge-in-cheek comment. You guys are taking that too literally! But you are correct. Any heartache with the fiscal discipline (or lack therof) in the current government has nothing to do with the causes of the revolution. Thats why I added a second paragraph so I did not make a connection between two seperate thoughts. Anyway, let me say for the record I do NOT advocate armed insurrection against the US govt. The problem with forums is sarcasm often does not translate well!

Figuratively speaking of course!

The big point of contention was that the colonies did not have representation in Parliament. Tax was the match that lit the powder keg but the powder keg was no autonomy or representation in what was becoming an increasing hostile govenmnent in England. I find it ironic that our forefathers threw out the British over a 3% tax rate yet now we vote for politicains that have created a bloated, over reaching govenment that is crippling us with taxes, most of which the Constitution grants it no authority to levy. About time we got out our muskets again and lined up on the Boston Green.

Something else to think about everyone. Hypothetical scenario here. After the collapse of the Weimar government in Germany in 1933, Hitler became the new Chancellor and he immediately set aside the Treaty of Versailles and began arming for war. Suppose the "Big Three" had then taken military action against Germany. After all they violated the terms of their peace agreement and Hitler was promising to reannex territory now independant or owned by other nations by force. It was twenty years after the war ended so conscription would be a must and they (the allies) would have been attacking a sovreign nation. But it would have been a short fight. At the time it would have appeared like an unjust and unnecassary war and many of you would have then looked at such a conflict as you do Iraq now. But looking at it through the prisim of history, how many lives would have been saved? How would the world be different? If you had fought in 1933, perhaps your younger brothers or sons would not had had to fight in 1940. Sometimes an "unjust" small war now is better than a "just" big war later. Just something to think about.

Not to wander off topic too much but on the note of a citizens duty to pay taxes I had an idea. In 1997 I was cosidering a run for the US congress and one of the platform ideas I floated to my party manager was a bill that would make 20 year or more veterans of the US Armed forces exempt from federal income tax for life after their 20 year anniversary. If you've given your country 20 years or more of your life (and in US history there has never been 20 consecutive years without some kind of military action so most 20 year vets have seen combat) then you've done all that could ever be expected for your countrymen. It got a lot of traction in a political party that was already working to eliminate federal taxes anyway. I would love to have run with it.

I got this nickname after an... ah... incident that happened while I was in the military. It just stuck.

I just realized I was a little OT in my post. Two answer the question, yes if drafted I would go. I would not begrudge any who would not. Loyalty and love of country must never be forced. As long as it's given freely, it will always be sincere.

A little background on me. I served in the USMC from 1989-1995. During that time I participated in a number of actions including Desert Shield/Storm. With that said, there are two things stated here I agree with wholeheartedly. First, barring an event with the scope of WW2 a draft is the absolute worst thing that could be done to the USA and it's military. It would erode public support without which no war effort could succeed be it just or unjust, necassary or needless. Second, it would fill the ranks of the armed service with unmotivated, undisciplined people. It would drag down performance and be devastating for morale. Bad morale is a cancer. It kills a unit slowly from within. One could argue the US military today is the most effective fighting force in the history of man. The reason why is not just the technological advancement, its the professionalisim and espirit-de-corps of the soldiers, airmen, sailor and marines. It will never happen. Not without a major confontation with a major world power and I think WW2 was the last of the great wars. I spent my entire military career training to fight against Soviet tactics. Never once had to face them. Two more things. Sorry Raven, women cannot be drafted. Draftees are nearly always sent into the army for a 2 year stint in the infantry. Second, when we left Kuwait in 1991 we ALL thought "We'll be back". By not finishing off Iraq then, Bush 1 left us with another war to fight. Whatever you think of Bush 2 and Iraq, right or wrong, the war MUST be won. Or 10 years from now we'll be back there again.

I'm curious, how do some of our Canadian members feel about Quebecs nationalist aspiriations? Quebec is the industrial heart of Canada and I wonder if they ever did break away how well the remainder of Canada would survive. Also is language really at the root of the issue? I live in South Florida and there have been a number of attempts to make Spanish the official language for local governments particularly in Dade (Miami) County. I always point to the situation in Canada as an example of why this is a bad thing. When one group/region/political entity begins to divorce itself culturally from the whole, national identity will be inevitably lost and a schisim is only a matter of time. It's a little different in Canada because the French heretige in Quebec predates the nation itself whereas the spanish influx in South Florida is a relatively recent thing historicly speaking.

It is ok to kill trees and animals when necassary. my house is made of wood and I'm no vegetarian. It is wrong to do these things recklessly or wantonly because even plant and animal life have value. But if Sand asserts that life begins at cognition (which in a human higher brain functions begin to kick in arounf 9-14 months) Then he is equating human infants with animals. Somehow Sand i don't think you meant that. BTW Sand, check out my post 237. i answered some points you made last night.

That was totally out of line Lucius.

I know this thread is WAY off topic, but doesn't this beat the hell out of discussing what you are wearing, watching, listening to, etc, etc, etc. The threads in the Way Off Topic forum are usually not this good. Thanks to the mods for the latitude here!