metadigital

How about the one where you have to build the tallest possible tower out of newspaper? Or the one where you have to drop an egg a metre distance without it breaking? Why would the people who fail the test obey the laws made by the people who pass the test? The government would have no legitimacy, and legitimacy is the whole point of democracy and the reason why it's so successful. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I take it your point is that the test is arbitrary and open to abuse? To answer you: there is no reason to use intelligence as a marker for those wanting to serve the community; it's just a good idea that those who do end up making decisions are capable of making informed decisions when given the information. Using tallest newspaper stackers might work in the shortterm, but I fear it would end in a byzantine Tower of Babel. The problem is that only people who want to be politicians enter politics (or others who aren't are driven out by them). I'd be in favour of a sequential / random allotment for President, based on acceptablility IQ tests. Any major decision, like war, would be debated by a cabinet. The President would have veto, but no right to enact legislation.

Democracy ensures that the people are governed no better than they deserve. I support a meritocracy. You can vote if you pass certain tests. You can run for office if you pass certain tests. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Begs the age old question: quis custodiet ipsos custodes? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Me. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Right. I'll guard you, then. When do we start? When do I get my firearm and one of those nifty leather trenchcoats and matching set of jackboots?

I actually agree with this. Particularly, I'm thinking of something similar to Heinlein's take on the matter in Starship Troopers. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> What, service guarantees citizenship? I'm not sure I like that. I'm thinking more along the lines of a general knowledge test. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm all for it. You couldn't be a politician without serving, and risking your life for, your country. Sure have a SAT and cognitive behaviour test, and any other psychometric test deemed necessary, but it is unconscionable for a person who has never served in the military to send people out to their deaths.

Democracy ensures that the people are governed no better than they deserve. I support a meritocracy. You can vote if you pass certain tests. You can run for office if you pass certain tests. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Begs the age old question: quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Where was the last place you saw it? Where did you leave it?

Nothing made by humans can withstand a natural disaster. The point about this catastrophe is that the US will be able to deal with it more adroitly than any less-well-off nation could ever hope to. The people would probably have been the poorer residents, and not wanting to leave their homes to the mercy of looters and not believing the ferocity of the storm, decided to stay. Aparently there were in the order of a hundred people sheltering on the lev

They should be able to pump the water from the surrounds. The only drawback is filtering it, there is apparently loads of polutants, like oil and human and animal wastes. No point in pumping oil onto a fire. And I'm sure the people who own the building would rather it burnt down then got soaked in f

Perhaps they do. Or perhaps you're a psychic spy. STOP LOOKING THROUGH MY WINDOW!!!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Psst. That's GoA. :ph34r:

As long as there are robust and effective checks built into the system, I am all for delegating the chore of administration to a subsection of the community.

A moron? I mean an oxymoron? (Are you a fan of The Tom Foolery Show, with the goldfish on stilts?)

After reading Greg Costikyan's Death to the Games Industry, Part 1, I am less inclined to be hostile towards developers. I might even be persuaded to look upon my purchase of K2 as a foundation donation for them ...

Meanwhile over at HQ... - "Moo-vie Patch. Patch. Pat-tch. What a funny word." - "Algenon, I can see your lobotomy scar throbbing again." <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Earlier that same day ...

Glad to be of service. *tips hat*

Oooo, look! He does! "

Dentist is a good one. Most people will visibly grimace and grab their jaw when you give them even a taste (see what I'm doing there) of the pain they last experienced when visiting the profession-with-the-highest-suicide-rate.

Here is a good example of content over packaging.

There are a couple of good sites that step you through creating your first hideout, and attaching it to the map. (Google is your friend.)

I think arcade games were my first: Space Invaders, natch. First computer game was probably the one I created (written in BASIC for the Challenger 1P, 1kB of RAM). First game on my own computer (Apple //e, 64kB RAM including the 16kB "language card") was Star Trek (an ASCII RTS game played over many grids). <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm not sure if I've played that one, but EGA Trek was one of my personal favs. Damn, that game was so fun and addictive. For the uninitiated ^_^ <{POST_SNAPBACK}> More like this one (except that was coded for the PC, the Apple one was necessarily coded for the 6502 CPU).

Who got turned into a pillar of salt?

The residents of the adjoining (Sunni) suburb, came out and helped with the injured and dead, bringing water and assisting in the transport of the wounded to the hospital and the dead away. Of course, the honour of the individual members of the two sects belies the hatred espoused by the extremists, both therein and those casting stones from the other religions.

Thanks. I can probably survive without seeing that. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> His n00b character (straight off the boat, at the beginning) ends up with over 8000 Intelligence ...

! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> . <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hve you got the DivX (compression codec) installed on your PC? If not, then it will just play the nice QIX background images. Try copying the URL and pasting it into a new browser window. It tries to download the file at that address, so all you need to do is let it. (You may have security set up to prevent automatic downloads.)

I blame those French! The did it on purpose, putting the French Quarrter there under the sea level. What were the citizens meant to do? Build the 3/4 of New Orleans somewhere else? Dispicable, those French knew this would happen, three hundred years ago!

So, the prophesy IS true ..! Scum like us can become moderators and then, even, (dare to dream) developers ..!