Humodour

It was a drunk joke you patriotic bastard. I love the Brits, and I don't give a toss about any of the modern-day claims of 'imperialism', but you guys are more than willing to act selfishly when it suits.

Thanks for the article. That's ****ed up, but it's not like the orders for those killings come from the judiciary, legislature or the executive. It's a case of shady cops with itchy trigger fingers working in even shadier crime-ridden areas. It seems like a matter similar to corruption (which Brazil is trying hard to remove): decentralised, anarchic behaviour. From a theoretical and cultural perspective, though, Brazil's political system is more representative and more utilitarian than America's.

Oh really? Feel free to provide us with that report.

Oh, I know why. There's often a lot of stability and industrial/economic progress that comes with a dictator. It's just that it almost invariably comes at the cost of personal liberties and economic freedoms, as you well know. I just wanted to see if obyknven was blindly accepting or actually worth talking rationally to. Did you get your answer? I'd have to say no. Partly because I'm drunk, but more because it would be unfair to judge somebody by a few posts they made. I'm not happy to have frail defences of disturbing authoritarian fired back at me, though.

Eighty percent of the public in the United States believes that the country is "run by a few big interests looking out for themselves." "Optimal performance" and bourgeois democracy cannot fit together. It's not as bad as that, but they're probably not too far wrong. The problem is, you're pretending that America has a well-oiled, functional democracy. It doesn't. It has a pathetically cumbersome two-party state with a political system and cultural mentality that encourages irrational extremism and which is largely paid for by economically powerful lobby groups. This does not make the situation in Venezuela any less totalitarian, it's just an unfortunate observation of the American political system. Which is at least still essentially democratic with more than one party and a free press. Perhaps you should compare Venezuela to a democracy that is functioning well, such as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil or one of the many states of Europe (not the UK or Canada with their horribly planned first past the post systems). Or would this ruin your ability to rant?

Oh, I know why. There's often a lot of stability and industrial/economic progress that comes with a dictator. It's just that it almost invariably comes at the cost of personal liberties and economic freedoms, as you well know. I just wanted to see if obyknven was blindly accepting or actually worth talking rationally to.

You say it as if it were something bad. Why did you elect an afroamerican as your leader? Because his race has nothing to do with how many people he has murdered in cold blood as a spy for an idiotic ideology? Hmmmmmmm. Also it's not my fault that Kevin Rudd is black. That bastard.

That's odd, I'm pretty sure I posted a civil and coherent reply to this... was it deleted? I'm guessing it wasn't actually. ****ing browser... Anyway, Tigranes, I'd like you to reply to this, because I can't be bothered typing the whole thing out again: Explain to me how you are going to maintain fair and transparent elections without an independent and free press? Because democracy without a critical and independent press is like a judge whose wages are paid by your accuser.

What a surprise.

Why did you elect an ex-KGB communist as your leader?

I'll take your word for it, because it's sure news to me. I'm pretty sure that a large portion of Japanese people would be just as offended by this game as we are.

A) No it doesn't.B) Yes it does. Explain to me how you are going to maintain fair and transparent elections without an independent and free press?

I mentioned this before, and I'm mentioning it again, because it's that important. Please, oh please make these onscreen prompts optional. I don't want to know that this or that character likes/hates me by so-and-so number of points, because I want to experience them as fully developed characters, not a mini-metagame within the game. I ****ing hate this sort of **** and it really turned me off playing KOTOR2. I think it was Josh Sawyer who was one of the big proponents of this idea and I just absolutely disagree with him on the need for it. This stuff shouldn't be transparent. It destroys immersion, it destroys replayability, it encourages horrible metagaming. Edit: Fine, prompts. Disable it by default.

Mmmm vibrators nom nom nom.

Yeah, except for the part where Chavez was democratically elected in every election. Stop swallowing US propaganda about him. They United States continually and effectively produces false propaganda about its strategic, political or economic enemies. The fact that it does not have a state press has never stopped it. Actually, you're incorrect. To be classed as a 'democracy', a nation requires a free press, which Venezuela clearly doesn't have.

Nope. What would be your response if this were an American game?

If I had to estimate, I'd say roughly 50%.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_color_illusion Bullcrap. That's messed up. Like even after knowing it's an illusion I simply can't tell the difference without the rectangle drawn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilac_chaser This one is cooler from a mind trip perspective. I like the neurological reasons behind it. They really go to show that we are really just machines/computers. Brilliantly engineered, but still...

It gives you a fighting chance to survive nerve gas (sarin etc.) attacks, which was in plentiful supply everywhere during the cold war. Part of your abc training (atomic, biological and chemical). Oh. Cool.

I don't get it. Why the hell would you inject yourself with deadly nightshade? That **** is one of the few true hallucinogens out there, and the dose-response curve is amazingly steep. Is this for heart attacks or something?

But seriously guys, I'm screwing a gamer chick. It's awesome. Give me high fives.

OK, get over the fact that it was made by some Japs and pretend it was Yanks. Still acceptable to you now? Assuming you think it's acceptable - I might be miscomprehending.

I really adore this song: The Flaming Lips are amazing to write programmes to, especially if you're speeding.

Programming is better than your mum, Pop. And I'm sure you know how good she is.

I think it's pretty obvious what the socialist stance on conscription is: the workers get sent off by the rich and the aristocracy to die for a war that's fought to fuel commercial interests. I'm sure he'd put it more... eloquently.