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Yeah, I'd very much prefer this. Obs aren't exactly lacking in the creative and design departments so if there's a dev that could come up with an interesting proprietary sci-fi setting, it has to be them. That also has the advantage of not being hamstrung by existing lore and IP owner bull**** from the get go. Feargus, make it so! *cough*

So, another reason not to pay taxes? Like I need more... (grabbing popcorn brb)

Je suis... somethingorother

All it needs is a Putin cameo, as the barechested wrestling coach of the bear dude.

To be honest, I don't really read oby's posts if they are longer than one sentence (and even then...). I tend to make out-of-context replies to people addressing his/her/their points, as a result. I'd apologize but that would probably be a fake apology, as I don't intend to start reading oby's posts in detail in the future... re: debating the economy. Economics is commonly viewed as a social science, but the economy is a complex system. Economists aren't trained as physical scientists (no offense intended to economists), so there is an installed lack of rigour in economic debates, which is further compounded by ideologies and data manipulation to fit various agendas. Given the scale of the problems also, it is difficult to ascertain clearly the full effects of measures. In the end, what you have is a lot of people having a lot of opinions with little basis in fact. Under these circumstances it's difficult to have a productive discussion, and people will believe what they wish to believe.

You vote some of those people into office, the really inconsequential ones. Those actually running things, bureaucrats, special interest groups, and 99% of public officials never run for office. The deep state isn't subject to public oversight, separation of powers or even the rule of law. As with everything else in a world ruled by and for money, the little power you have resides in your wallet. Stop paying taxes and things would change tomorrow.

I usually don't bother replying to you because of your constant, unsubtle trolling. In this case I'm going to make an exception because I don't want anyone reading your lies and buying into the party line for an instant. Yes, (some) macroeconomic figures say Spain has, in 2014, grown as much as Germany. Whoop-de-****ing-do. However, this "improvement" needs to be put in perspective: intensive use of labor means a decrease in productivity in an economy already notoriously unproductive (25% less than Germany's) "growth" in 2014 is actually only bouncing back from the contraction experienced these last few years — in the absolutely most optimistic predictions, it'll take until 2017 to get back to 2008 levels... other economists say we'll never get back to those levels "austerity" measures have accomplished only one thing, distributing wealth upwards. In 2014 the number of people worth more than €1M increased by 24%, with population in poverty increasing, something even the EC has chastised Spain for. after six years of "fiscal consolidation", we still have a deficit of about 6%, only better than Greece's; this is in spite of massive direct and indirect tax increases and an incresing public debt that is expected to surpass 100% in 2015 the "jobs miracle" is, in true Spanish fashion, a cheap copy of the German model, with 13% of jobs created being for less than 10 hours/mo, and 39% being less than 30 hours/mo. This is in addition to ~40% of contracts being for 30 days or less and new jobs offering paycheck levels from 1995. Yes, 1995. The difference with the German model? The state doesn't make up for the difference between minimum wage and current job salaries. The result of all this? A net increase of less than 200k jobs compared to 2011 levels I could go on, but that should be enough for anyone not otherwise informed to realize that you, quite simply, have no idea what you are talking about. Good day.

I didn't perceive you were yelling, that was in reply to you saying "We'll be over here not even noticing any problems and yelling at Greece to get off their asses", which I take exception to (Greece isn't a Reichskommissariat, bro), but above everything else, I find utterly pointless. Want them to "get off their asses"? Stop lending them money. The Google/Startpage remark was facetious as I already explained, made even more so by the fact that Startpage is Google for all intents and purposes (save privacy). I do not doubt that the current climate in Germany is to blame the PIGS for all of Europe's woes. A not completely unfounded view, but skewed. The links I posted meant to illustrate that it's in fact France's, Europe's second largest economy, that is a much bigger cause for concern than the PIGS, a fact you glossed over as it doesn't fit very well with the mainstream discourse. The links dealing with the "German [mini]jobs miracle" thing and growing poverty and inequality illustrate how the great macroeconomic figures you wield to claim that Germany is an economic powerhouse (which it is) mean very little as far as actual people's living standards are concerned. The whole growth paradigm is hogwash, because economies growing by eleventy bajillions of make-believe money doesn't mean much if the majority's purchasing power is steadily decreasing. That's what the widening income gap means. Your reply was in the context of who is being hurt the most by sanctions, which is a matter I ignored completely. Rather, I was replying to your half-truths and oversimplifications, and especially your own self-contradiction when you simultaneously assert that the dollar-to-Euro exchange is dependent on multiple factors and then launch into a diatribe against Greece. Don't take this as a criticism of Germany, a defense of Greece, or a rebuttal motivated by a hurt patriotic pride. The accepted narrative makes my skin crawl, is all.

I know about Startpage (it says it's Google right there, hard not to notice...). I was being facetious, that's what the ";)" was meant to convey... guess I failed. I used to have DDG as my default search engine some time ago but grew tired of how slow it ran. If it's gotten better I may try it again. I've been getting "our servers are overloaded, come back later" on and off from Startpage, so it's as good a time as any to change. Never used ixquick, though. I suppose the point is, whatever you put in a search engine, you're bound to get results that "support" the pov of the day. Bleh.

Ah, yes. The typical "it's all the PIGS' fault!" excuse. http://www.dw.de/frances-flailing-economy-endangering-the-eurozone/a-18072388 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11101137/Sick-Frances-economy-is-stricken-by-unemployment-fever.html http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/08/germany-jobs-idUSL5E8D738E20120208 http://www.dw.de/poverty-in-germany-at-its-highest-since-reunification/a-18268757 May I suggest that the reason why you aren't "even noticing any problems" is that, perhaps, you rely on Google a bit too much? I recommend Startpage. And don't bother "yelling" so much. No one is listening, anyway.

Not in the court of public opinion, there isn't!

So, being the incredibly popular* character that I am around these parts, I'm always struggling to make room for new PMs — that means deleting old ones, which I'd rather not do. Fifty conversations just doesn't cut it, this is 2015! I need more. Pretty please? *or simply obsessive about keeping each and every PM archived so I can check who said what half a decade later, no difference really.

Wow. That what well-adjusted, responsible young adults sink their energies into nowadays? We are SO ****ed. I feel for the mods. I doubt legislators would agree. Mostly because if they did, they would be admitting that they are the useless mites many people suspect them to be. In an amusing occurrence of irony, that is precisely where laws draw their strength from: people being indoctrinated to believe that they are useful and necessary, as opposed to them being actually useful and necessary...

Yeah, after that and a quick look at the tech support forum, as is custom for OE games, I:

Still playing a bit of Alien Isolation. Level design is pretty good, with form always following function, which is kind of a pet peeve of mine. The feel of the game is pretty much spot-on, it's the closest to being in an Alien movie I've seen. Eavesdropping on survivors is pretty cool, as is hunting for logs and personal recordings throughout Sevastopol. Unfortunately, they screwed up what is arguably the most important aspect of the game: the actual survival gameplay. Appearances of the alien are scripted, and when it's supposed to show up, it's constantly glued to your ass, in true psychic fashion. It'll tirelessly hound you until you leave the level, roaming incessantly. On the other hand, it's really easy to avoid it (and I'm playing on hard) — just duck behind a counter or under a hospital bed and if you can't see its head, it cannot find you. Two or three hours after you've seen the xenomorph for the first time, it has stopped being scary and it simply becomes a tedious obstacle to progressing through levels because it's so predictable and it's shown on screen so often. Leading it to groups of unwashed looters and watching the ensuing carnage from behind a box never gets old, though. However, I'm playing as Ripley, not Carter Burke, so I usually don't give in to temptation and I reload if I do... Wow, what the hell? How does something like that go unnoticed through beta testing? And that's with backers involved... I guess that means the character is b0rked?

Tarna, Gorth, Pidesco, Ros, Tigranes... and of course Fionavar. All of them I know for a fact are/were actively involved in moderating this hive of scum and villainy — I even keep PMs from some of those occasions. Just because you haven't seen them slap someone in the face it doesn't mean they aren't there. Hell, for all the **** I give Walsingham, I seem to remember he was a good mod. My theory is that this place is less inflamed because United Statians here have either left or gotten used to the vitriol and dgaf anymore, as per Hurlshot. Which is both understandable... and a shame.

Never been to any pubs that threw a patron out for ranting about the illuminati, jews, and our new lizard overlords. Maybe I need to get out more? Then again, maybe you just need to drink the other half. Good to see you, btw.

I liked the post where OP posted a YT vid.

Yeah... can you give some tips on how to accomplish this in general. Asking for a friend.

Rhyming is so hard I am sure you will agree But, oh, PoE! What would I not do to obtain that one free key Please, gift it to me! Steam or GOG to me, difference makes not Both, I like a lot. It is simple greed the reason I write this for I do not need more! And thus I will end these silly verses of mine Ere crossing the line. (for the record, I hate Steam) edit: er, I really don't want a key, in case it wasn't clear.

If you are going to use grandiloquent phrases such as "absolutely no legal precedent", at least get your facts straight. The US have been more or less openly doing precisely that within their self-proclaimed "sphere of influence" for more than a century. Notable examples include Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The last two involve land grabs, too. Russia didn't invent imperialism and neither did the US, for that matter. So yeah... it's not exactly about legality. It's about what imperialist powers can get away with, and what people come to accept as the new status quo as a result of being bombarded with propaganda for long enough.

"I Spent the Money on Whiskey, Women and Gambling; the Rest, I Wasted" - Confucius

Alien Isolation. Wow, this game looks fantastic. The atmosphere is like nothing I've played. So immersive that I... WAIT WHY THE **** I CAN'T PICK UP THE GUN THE GUY I JUST BLUDGEONED TO DEATH DROPPED

Well, the idea that you sneak out to offer some of your secret stash to yourself when the in-laws come to visit is much less boring, so I'm going to pretend in my head that's what you meant. Cantousent: "Ah, I figured I'd find you out here, old rascal" Cantousent: "So you've found me out. Can I trust you to keep a secret? The roof doesn't really need fixing." Cantousent: "Keep talking." Cantousent: "I can't believe my luck! I just found this 12 year single malt lying around!" Cantousent: "Yeah, I don't believe it either. Well, it ain't no Double Black, but start pouring..." Cantousent: "I knew you were a good sort."