Hurlshort

Why does it take that long to pay by card? I'm usually done running my card through by the time the groceries are in the bag.

It's silly to lump Europe, the UK, the US, Canada, and a bunch of other areas into a general concept like the West. They all have unique cultures, and they all do plenty to preserve them. The US is also not a single culture, it is an incredibly diverse nation. Every state has a unique culture, and within those states there are a ton of unique communities. Boo, you were right to call me out on the carpet about my list. I was throwing out a few names with very little information, because I know very little about that part of the world. I've never spent time there, and all I have to go on is what I read in the news. I am fairly ignorant on the subject. But that is what kills me about the folks here who attack the US. They are also not well informed, and yet they repeat the same ignorant garbage time and time again. I spend my summers visiting cultural landmarks all over the US, and I can tell you with certainty that the preservation is remarkable.

It's your weakness. Westlings don't protect own culture and identity from destruction. Yes, peaceful Eastern Europe does a wonderful job protecting their cultures from destruction. Just look at Kosovo or Chechnya or Serbia or Kurdistan

I've already started to prep my wife for the cost of this. I figure with the amount of time I've spent over the years on this forum, I owe them a pretty penny

Well it is clearly biscuits then. We set sail on the Gravy Boat of Doom on Friday!

That's fairly tasteless. The guy just lost his life based on unfounded and inflammatory rumors.

I'm perfectly fine with Obsidian doing a fantasy game, particularly if they are creating their own IP. I have no doubt they would make it a very cool world. They've also been away from fantasy for awhile, so it makes sense after doing a modern spy game, a post-apoc. game, and a, uh, whatever category South Park is in game. Yes, I did ignore DS3 on purpose.

I was talking to a US diplomat who works in Iran a few years ago, and he told me how difficult it is to correct the blatant misinformation and propaganda there is out there about the US. The common people in many of these places are convinced all Muslims are rounded up and put in prison camps, or worse, on a regular basis. The only way to combat this stuff is education.

I'm an adult!

Well I doubt he'll be programming everything himself.

Played hockey at the Cow Palace last night at midnight. It was hot and the ice wasn't great, but it was fun playing in a stadium of sorts. I've got another game on Friday and Saturday.

I just don't get the whole taking an IP and completely changing the gameplay to reboot it. It is one thing to take a currently popular title and spin it off with something different, but Syndicate was a classic strategy game. The only people who remember it are people who enjoy strategy games. edit: It would be like taking a piece of classic poetic literature and turning it into a 3rd person action game. It sounds like a bad idea.

What platform? Epic Mickey 2 will be released on the HD consoles and PC (ok, I'm not 100% sure it will be released on PC, I'll need to double-check) too, aside from the Wii. That's good to know. I was referring to fact the original only came out on the Wii, but it is great to see the sequel will be available more widely. Morgie I get all my news from you, so if I am uninformed it is your fault

If it wasn't for the platform, the Epic Mickey games do look like something I would totally love.

That was pretty rude Krezack. Why do you post this stuff if you aren't interested in discussing it?

I've never met anyone that attends church regularly but doesn't really believe in God. It seems like it would be a waste of time.

It's a good question. My opinion is that as long as people are turning to religion for the major moments in their lives, it will be relevant. It has been that way for the entire known history of man, so I am not holding my breath that it will change. That isn't to say religion cannot change. It has done so tremendously. The atheist movement would be much better served abandoning any attempt at getting rid of organized religion and focus more on working to change it.

Wait, you're telling me these people are OUTBREEDING us? I hope the rate of conversion to atheism per family is higher than the birth rate! I know you are joking around, but atheism is never going to win the numbers game here. The main problem is it doesn't offer any support network. Who does an atheist turn to when times are tough? People want that sense of community, and that seems to be the antithesis of atheism. Errr, family and friends like everyone else? Clearly you haven't met my family The numbers still don't look all that good for atheism, even in a country like France, only 30% claim no beliefs at all. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_atheism Also, atheism is predominantly a young man's game. It's easy to claim there is no God in your 20's, but when you start wrestling with your own mortality, the church offers quite a bit of comfort. Maybe once science can figure out eternal life or cryogenic freezing, we'll see a big uptick in atheism.

Wait, you're telling me these people are OUTBREEDING us? I hope the rate of conversion to atheism per family is higher than the birth rate! I know you are joking around, but atheism is never going to win the numbers game here. The main problem is it doesn't offer any support network. Who does an atheist turn to when times are tough? People want that sense of community, and that seems to be the antithesis of atheism.

Which doesn't really make it any different than Europe in the Middle Ages.

I thought it was like 7 kids to get into the celestial kingdom?

Like twitter, you can follow people on google+.

That's really the way all religions go though. Religions adapt or die out, just like everything. Speaking of adapting, I thought this was fascinating: http://news.yahoo.com/final-interview-cardinal-says-church-200-years-date-190009537.html I'm expecting some more progressive movements in the Catholic Church in the next decade or so, and I would be surprised if the next Pope is as conservative as Pope Benedict. This is also a reason I think folks who call Islam inherently violent are shortsighted. Islam is going through the exact same conflict that Christianity did at almost the same point in their histories. Call it the 1500 year itch.

It's interesting? I mean I'm familiar with most of it, Mormonism has come a long way from its very cultish roots.