BruceVC

https://www.pcgamer.com/yes-cyberpunk-2077-has-something-to-say/ Here is a more positive view of the game, Im not sure how true it is ?

Yes it still has an relevant purpose but that is for people linked to Islamic extremism, you cant send someone like Trump there?

I hear you but without debating the semantics of who is responsible for the Oz lockdown measures what is the real debate should be "has it effectively stopped the virus spread " ? That should be the most important factor in how we reflect on our numerous governments measures and plans and if they are indeed draconian. This is a good example of " the end justifies the means" ...its not often we should look at policies in this way but this is IMO definitely an acceptable example to support that aphorism

I appreciate your interest and views in certain historical events, some of them I have also researched. Like the terrible reality of the Boer concentration camps which also lead to the deaths of black women and children, not just Boer women and children, as many black people helped the Boers against the British as they lived on the Boer farms and the British were considered their enemy as well Also I have a direct family connection with the Second Boer War as basically all my family, on my dads and stepmoms, side came to SA with the British army in 1899 to fight the Boers. They were simple soldiers of course and they had nothing to do with the architecture and creation of the Concentration camps. This was Kitchener's idea and its an ongoing debate if the intention was the eradication of the Boer women and children or, as I believe, it was about getting the Boers to surrender as the war was dragging on and the Boers prudently would not face the British in open battle but used effective guerilla warfare tactics But either way the outcome was ghastly and inhumane and thousands of Boer and black women and children died, so I would never deny it happened. I am just asking if it was intentional ? https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/women-and-children-white-concentration-camps-during-anglo-boer-war-1900-1902 https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/black-concentration-camps-during-anglo-boer-war-2-1900-1902 But Gothfuscious more importantly you have raised before your concerns with the Oz perceived Corona response being draconian Yet Australia is considered one of the few countries that is not overwhelmed by the virus. So you see the pattern and corollary? If you live in a Democracy, like most of us, its important to have laws like your government has implemented to ensure compliance from citizens. That seems to be the most effective way to address the virus spread until the vaccine is available So forced quarantines in hotels with guards I can understand is unsettling but its has been very successful in ensuring your country hasn't been ravaged by the pandemic. Trust me most of us would accept that reality any day as opposed to our current realities with the virus spreading exponentially So as I said previously you guys should be thankful your government has implemented certain laws and enforced regulations because the alternative is much, much worse

Exactly, when many governments try to implement something like detention camps to address the huge numbers of illegal immigrants it can easily be mischaracterized by referring to them as Concentration Camps " when in fact they nothing like that You want to know about irony, in SA we have a crisis with illegal immigrants coming from about 5 failed African countries whose corrupt leadership has destroyed any economic opportunities and future for their citizens. So millions of people come to SA illegally and we cannot stop them because we have porous borders But their is a solution, you know any country can apply to the UN and get funding for what is known as Refugee Camps that you see in the ME and conflicts like Syria. But in SA some people in government think this is " un-African and goes against our values " Except for the fact throughout Africa you find these refugee camps that many governments use and no one accuses these governments of being " un-African " .....only SA gets labeled like this https://africa-facts.org/africas-biggest-refugee-camps/

I am very surprised anyone would advocate Trump being banished into the desert? I am sure its unconstitutional that kind of punishment but more importantly banishment is suppose to be punitive , Trump is very industrious and he would end up creating some sort of " Trump Super Desert Casino " Remember Vegas, never forget Vegas I think Melania is very attractive so I would be fine with that

Which state do you live in Comrade ?

Well I hope we get a choice to play a male Witcher, I enjoyed playing Ciri but I always prefer RP a male because I can identify with that gender

Possibly with people both genuinely concerned and the overreaction But I doubt it as the red scare was about the Cold War and the global clash of civilizations, Democracy vs Dictatorships. Communism was a global, established threat that almost every country was dealing with either through proxy wars or internal, real ideological movements The global right-wing definitely doesnt have the resources or presence or support like the USSR so I dont think we should be too concerned

Is anyone watching some of the new video footage about the rioters that got into the main room? You can see the Cosplay guy and others demonstrating utter contempt for the Capitol sanctity. They also end up doing some bizarre group prayer ??? But a few things are patently clear, they genuinely believed they had moral high ground , they were following Trumps instructions and they did believe most Senate members had " betrayed " the US Democracy There was even 1 Capitol policeman who was trying desperately to restrain them by pleading with them and you hear him and the ex-colonel saying things like " guys you must respect this room ".....which made no difference Its worth watching

That was a good read and the article raises some valid concerns primarily around the intolerance of people who believe their view is right and if you dont agree the discussion should be shut down because you must be a " bigot " or right wing We must be all be aware of this and try not be part of the problem raised exactly in the link

Geez Barti, I have never known you to be so belligerent and steadfast before .....I understand the frustration but we dont want to overreact and suggest such a draconian response ?

I must be lucky somehow in SA because there are several series on DSTV or Netflix that I am enjoying that include American Gods, Blue Bloods, The Stand ( the book by Stephen King is highly recommended as books always are if you enjoy reading ), A Confession, Manhunt : Deadly Games, Bordertown ( a Finnish produced crime series and very entertaining ) and then Lilyhammer

Very few things more unsettling than taking down Xmas decorations, then you know the festive season is basically over Of course we have had such a terrible 2020 so the end of it couldnt come quick enough for me

Please do some research before you post things like this I do think Antifa is responsible for some violence during many BLM protests and at times their is a lack of expected commentary or proper condemnation from many when their is violence from them. But we must learn to separate things and not practice " whataboutism " The violence at the Capitol was not committed by Antifa, it was numerous groups but many linked to right wing elements and encouraged by Trump. That is who is responsible, not anyone else You undermine the legitimate argument and concern many of us have with left-wing violence when you cannot accept and condemn events like the Capitol violence. Lets be consistent

Nice, so obviously no chargrill but very tender?

Interesting, did they mention who the protagonist would be in the next Witcher ?

Dont worry my friend, here is the most important part of the article The Polish company will spend the next few months working on fixes to Cyberpunk 2077 instead of planning expansions to the game or getting started on the next installment of its other popular franchise, The Witcher. The first new update will be released toward the end of January and a second “in the weeks after,” Iwiński said. It looks like they will be working on another Witcher ...maybe Witcher 4 ? That is fantastic news

Due to the current "second wave " we going through in SA we are not eating out so Im back to cooking in most of the time which is fine because I enjoy cooking and I find it therapeutic I made some great mince on Friday and I always freeze the extra mince as its so versatile for other meals And tonight I am treating myself to a....Cheese Fondue, I have this fondue recipe food written in 1970 which has about 50 different fondue recipes so I am never at a loss for a different type of choice, it always involves cheese of course https://www.amazon.com/Fondue-Cookery-Alison-Burt/dp/B002BQP9MU

Oh something else I wanted to clarify, are all your degrees paid for by the state? In other words do you have student debt and can a parent choose to pay for a certain degree even if there are less admissions available because the parents only want there kids to study that particular degree? Or are all admissions controlled and allocated by the state?

I think you have an excellent system that provides real jobs and career growth once you leave University and still gives choices You not stopping people studying what they want but you are realistically encouraging and influencing necessary skill development Nothing is perfect like you originally said, the Nokia example is what sometimes can occur due to perception of a certain skill field and this can sometimes be wrong...but the good of your system far outweighs the bad

Yes it never changes and never will that the your actual work\institutional experience is a huge part of your learning curve and career growth. And as time goes on and you gain more work experience you can definitely increase your value to any company which means you get paid more and incentivized in better ways because then your company values your contribution and should recognize it But in many fields you still need the degree as the entry point into that field as it demonstrates you have both an interest and aptitude for that field in most cases

Finland and other countries are doing exactly what I wish we could do in SA and what would help the USA and other countries address the issue of " degrees that dont add value and help you get a job " In fact we are trying to achieve the exact same thing in SA where the private sector provides guidance around what skills its looking for. Well done Finland, I am glad this can be achieved. One question though, do students get a choice based on if they actually enjoy the degree and the work afterwards? For example lets say its been identified we need more bankers so BCOM becomes the mot effective degree to achieve this but the majority of Finnish students dont seem to like studying BCOM....do they get encouraged and or forced to study this or do students and parents realize this is the best way forward so students study this without being influenced or forced? Computer Science is still an excellent degree and one of those degrees on my list of " good career path and there are jobs in this field "

Yes I understand the challenge, we see the same thing in SA so its not unique to the USA But we have to find a way to make the point so that young people understand this not a negative but is about there future careers and more importantly the realistic growth of their careers We have been having this debate in SA for about 6 years and I can tell you we dont have a working solution but for example lets say you want to help parents and students make the best decision on " what degrees will help me with my career ", use online recruitment agencies and see what types of skills companies are looking for and do value You dont have to believe me but I can guarantee you the degrees I mentioned are in demand and companies do look for people that have both institutional experience in these fields, this comes in time and the relevant qualification But I do agree its very difficult to convince young people of this ostensibly better way to understand their career path and other considerations sometimes outweigh the prudent way forward But it doesnt change the important outcomes in your career that certain degrees can provide

Gromnir you have raised a very important point around the value of University degrees. Parents and students sometimes, well-meaningly , misunderstand why you should go to University and what degrees are going to help you get a job and achieve possible but real economic success. In these tumultuous and difficult global economic times I would argue you should chose your degree on 2 factors primarily Is this something you enjoy and have an interest in Is this going to help you find a job and or are there enough jobs in this particular sector All degrees demonstrate hard work and add value but not all degrees provide you with a way to get a good job after University. So for example degrees like social science, philosophy , diplomacy, political science are degrees but are there decent jobs and enough jobs in these fields. Parents should ask " are corporations really looking for these skills " But degrees like anything financial, legal, medicine , engineering, sciences and many more there are definitely jobs out there for those who get these degrees and a real sustainable way to grow your career