aramike

quote: Originally posted by Prez: Grizzle: The problem I have with the NYT in a nutshell? It is Bush's and Cheney's job to play politics; they are politicians. It is NOT the NYT's job to play politics, advance agendas, etc. It is to report the NEWS; the facts, the TRUTH of issues that concern Americans. It is fundamentally wrong for an organization that claims to be in journalism to compromise national security, take political pot-shots under the guise of "reporting the truth", or otherwise shape (distort?) certain facts in order to win people over to a certain way of thinking. The NYT repeatedly has done all of these and more. This is not journalism; this is crusading. Exactly.

I don't see any other celebrities having their private medical records looked into. Most celebrities, when they're dirt is aired in public, it occurs after they themselves do something illegal PUBLICALLY. Frankly, Rush did something illegal PRIVATELY, and subsequently much of his PRIVATE information was made public for no cause other than sensationalism. As for celebrities receiving the same treatment, ummm, wrong. Remember Brett Favre? He wasn't brought up on charges. He made the information public HIMSELF, and, funny enough, the media layed off of him pretty quickly (which is the right thing to do). I can't find ANYTHING that happened to another celebrity that quite resembles what's happened to Rush.

quote: Originally posted by Grizzle: Hold on there guys... Rush reached a plea bargain that contained stipulations that he continue drug treatment and remain free of any other drug related legal problems. How would we know if he violated that agreement if they didn't check up on him? Don't you think finding a prescription in his posession but not in his name is cause for at least a little review? If he didn't break any laws (and I don't think he did) then it'll all blow over. He's still on probation and just as any other criminal in his situation would be subject to verification and review, so too is he. Medical records are legally consider "private". In other words, the only way anyone should know anything about this is if it becomes a criminal case. Also, Rush is NOT ON PROBATION, and he did NOT PLEA BARGAIN. A plea bargain is when you plead either "guilty" or "no contest" in exchange for a sentencing recommendation. Limbaugh entered a plea of "not guilty" and the charges will be dropped if he completes the program he is in. That is NOT probation and he is, therefore, NOT a criminal ... therefore his medical records should still remain private. http://legalsoapbox.freeadvice.com/n18960_...guilty_plea.htm

Oh, remember how the Times lit up the administration for leaks during the Valerie Plame scandal? Funny how the information the NY Times received regarding the financial institutions being investigated were the result of leaks. Doesn't ANYONE find it to be the least bit hypocritical that a newspaper will so venomously attack the administration for one inconsequential leak and then go on to UTILIZE a DIFFERENT LEAK to run a LEAD STORY? If they REALLY cared about "leaks", why do they so often rely on them? Or did they just want to find something else to say "gotcha" to Bush for?

quote: I "saw it" on television, I've no idea if their websites carried the story or not and I don't care. The story has already been debunked by the government themselves.The story has NOT been "debunked". NO ONE has said that we did NOT find those weapons. The only argument was over whether or not it is relevent to the discussion on WMDs and Iraq. But, again, there was NO DEBUNKING of ANY story. We found EXACTLY was the report said we found - that not being true was NEVER the debate. quote: As far as the NYT goes.. good for them. Two weeks from now the whole thing will be forgotten.Doubt it. We'll revisit this in two weeks. quote: Besides, who didn't already know the government was tracking financial transactions in an effort to hunt down terrorists? I would expect any government to do at least that under similar circumstances.Right, but you're OBVIOUSLY not familiar with the story. EVERYONE knew we were tracking financial transactions, that's NOT the issue. The issue is that the NY Times IDENTIFIED the SPECIFIC clearinghouses we use to track such transactions, therefore equipping our enemies to AVOID said clearinghouses. Let me draw a parallel: We ALL know that cops stake out drug houses, so if the media reported that, there would be no problem. But what if the media reported EXACTLY WHAT HOUSES the cops were staking out DURING THE INVESTIGATION? That would be irresponsible, to say the least, because the people we are investigating would change their activities to mask what they are doing. The problem becomes that the NY Times has gone from reporting the news to CREATING it. Due to their GENIOUS reporting, now terrorists will be better able to conceal their activities. The terrorists concealing their activities is news. Get it? quote: The issue is how the administration goes about getting these things done. Among other reasons, Congress exists to provide oversight of the executive branch to make sure they aren't sticking it to the good citizens of this country. The Constitution does not get suspended during a time of War.Funny how the left always has a problem with how the administration goes about their business, but they never have a solution. That tells me that the REAL problem is that the left doesn't like the administration and there isn't anything it can do right. quote: It amazes me to see theses politicians huffing about the arrogance of the NYT and "just where do they get off..." stance. They seem to forget one thing, this country belongs to the people not the government.The people want to be safe and, I'll bet that most people would rather be in the dark about the specifics of an ongoing investigation that risk compromising their safety. quote: They exist to do our bidding, not the other way around.The government is trying to keep us safe, which IS our bidding. What is wrong with that? Here's another CLASSIC example of a liberal's catch-22: Our bidding, Mr. Government, is for you to keep us safe. However, we are compelled to take actions to make your accomplishing our bidding markedly more difficult. How is the government to be realistically successful in accomplishing the tasks the people give it, if the people (which is the government) works against it? See how convoluted it is? Good. quote: Now if the story exposed information about ground operations and military strategy in Iraq I might agree with you, but on this particular topic it's a non-issue.You clearly didn't know the story. Hopefully my earlier points illustrates the problem. quote: Expect to see more and more of this as we get closer to the election. Who wants to guess when we'll next see another "Terror Alert - Condition Orange". Remember those? I predict there will be at least one more before the elections to "remind" people what danger we are in.I wonder what you'd say if we were hit by a terrorist attack and there was no alert. Again, what can they do right? quote: Yep, I'm a cynic alright and damn proud of it.Being a cynic is fine; I consider myself one as well. But I find it intellectually urgent to assure that I'm a "fair" cynic, so said cynicism doesn't shroud reality.

quote: 1: A belief in something is no proof tjat it exists. Hmmm, sounds like an argument on another issue. But lets not stray down the belief path.Umm, we're talking about SCIENCE - not religion. We KNOW that cigarettes contain carcinogens, we KNOW lung function decreases, we KNOW that instances of lung cancer are ASTRONOMICALLY higher in smokers than non-smokers. Besides, I agreed with what I THOUGHT you were saying (nanny-government), it's just that I'm not going to ignore ALL SCIENTIFIC DATA because I don't WANT to believe smoking is hazardous. Seriously, you can ignore all the science you want to but you'll only destroy your own credibility when making an argument. The FACT is, smoking is hazardous. The FACT is, government shouldn't be babysitting all of the hazardous activities we engage in. There's no worldwide conspiracy to ignore the scientific process and dupe humanity into thinking smoking is bad when it really isn't. quote: 2: There is no way that they can isolate non smokers exposed to second hand to determine if they would have come down with cancer anyway.Umm, not on an individual basis, but as a group ... if instances of cancer are SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER in groups of people who are exposed regularly to second-hand smoke than others, than you found a LINK. That is science. On an individual basis, no, you can't say Joe Blow definately wouldn't have gotten cancer if he wasn't exposed to smoke, but you CAN statistically say that he would have had a 90% (for example) better chance of NOT getting cancer if not exposed. In closing, the FACT is that my belief is in the FACTS. You're belief is in that you don't WANT TO BELIEVE the FACTS. Bottom line, though ... we're probably on the same side of the discussion. The difference is that I won't ignore what is KNOWN to be true to make a point I can intellectually make without trying to convince others that sound science is wrong. quote: Anyway, from what I understand and read that greece, which had/has a heavy smoking population before they followed the nannies, had the lowest cancer rate of any european country or the U.S. I'll try to find it again but I think by now it's probably been buried and hidden. Even the WHO knew this fact before they jumped on the nannie bandwagon.That's completely false. Here are the links to statistics for both Greece and the US on smoking: http://www.who.int/tobacco/media/en/Greece.pdf http://www.who.int/tobacco/media/USA.pdf If you analyze the reports, Greek smoking-related deaths account for approximately 1/3 of all deaths ages 35 to 69. In the US, it's a bit less ... roughly 1/4.

I believe that second-hand smoke is harmful. It just makes sense. Therefore, entering a "smoking allowed" building may involve some risk ... ... as does driving a car, flying on an airplane, crossing the street, swimming, cliff-climbing, bungie-jumping, skydiving, etc, etc, etc. I do disagree with you, however: quote: there is no way in hell they can definitively prove this about second hand smoke or even first hand smoke without isolating other enviornmental exposures.Yes there is. Whenever you try to find a disease's cause, you look for commonalities in the people who get it. If, for say, smokers have a 700% greater chance of lung cancer than non-smokers, its safe to say that smoking causes lung cancer. That being said, I feel the government should let US choose what risks we want to take.

quote: Originally posted by Grizzle: I don't know where you guys were when the WMD story came out, but it played on ALL the networks. I know, I saw it. The difference being that the "MSM" didn't continue with the story because it didn't pass the smell test... well, that and the fact that senior officials in the government clearly stated (jedi mind trick) "these are not the WMD's we were looking for". Oh and one might consider the fact that the Bush admin themselves (besides Rumsfeld's lame attempt at neither confirming or denying) have kept their mouths shut. Poor Rick Santorum, being 18 points down in the polls has got to have him worried. Simply saying "I saw it" is what doesn't pass the smell test. In the other thread I was looking for links to the other networks reporting it and couldn't find any. Perhaps you could enlighten us? As far as the Bush administration not saying anything ... that's normal. Why would they give up ANYTHING concerning national security to the press, which, in the recent New York Times story regarding bank accounts, cares more about the story than the safety of Americans. Funny, how the NEW YORK TIMES reported that story, though ... being from NEW YORK and all, you'd think they'd be more invested in national security than most after 9/11.

http://movies.go.com/feature?featureid=836290

quote: Originally posted by Prez: No argument from me - Foxnews is biased. About 12 more conservative media outlets to go, and it'll balance out! LOL! Actually, I find Fox News fairly centrist. If its conservative, it's certainly middle-of-the-road-conservatism. In any case, part of the reason I think people see FNC as biased towards the right is, compared to how leftist the other outlets are, ANYTHING towards the middle is going to be to the right of them.

quote: Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr: hehe, yeah, I remember that phone call echo. Good times. Hey Mike, I got your PM, but I've been bummed out over a sprained knee these past few days and have been logging on from bed on my laptop. I will reply later this weekend though. Right now I'm trying to pry myself out of bed so I can make it to church. Anyway, I appreciate the kind words and all that good stuff. Though I haven't been frequent on the boards as I used it, it is all due to some life and family changes, coupled with the move to a new house, dealing with multiple developments (esp the transition to XB360) and whatnot. So, needless to say, I have my hands full. Take your time, boss. Believe me, the time you've spent on here has been a pleasant suprise to all anyway, and if other commmitments/injuries have you down, we all understand.

Dude ... this isn't a story from an investigation that Fox News had anything to do with. The story came from a declassified US Intelligence report on the floor of the House. Besides, how come BBC has yet to report this? Wouldn't you think it's important?

quote: Originally posted by RedComet: dude those are just cease and desist letters (aka corporate smoke and mirrors) sent on a user basis. most of the clips are still around. the RIAA is big on talk but rarely gets a breakthrough , let alone something that big. Big on talk? Didn't they shut down Napster? They have MILLIONS of dollars in lawsuits pending against individuals, even charging HUNDREDS of dollars PER SONG to PARENTS of teenagers who downloaded music. Some tabs are as high as hundreds of thousands of dollars. They ARE offering to settle for something in the range of five grand in most cases, but that's still WAY OVER market value. While I agree with protecting your copyrighted material, I personally think the RIAA has gone WAY TOO FAR.

quote: I really have some doubts about the authenticity of this report. None of the other news organizations (as far as I can tell) have picked up on it, so I'm wondering if it was unverifiable. Unfortunately, Fox News has shown us in the past, that they don't actually verify their news before they report it.Umm, when has Fox News shown they don't verify? I recall Dan Blather from CBS not verifying a story... In any case, I have NO IDEA as to why people think WMDs found is news. These aren't the first we've found. http://www.humaneventsonline.com/sarticle.php?id=10101 In any case, funny how the left has changed it's tune from "no WMDs were in Iraq" to "these WMDs aren't the ones we were looking for." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6062101837.html I'm sure if we find the weapons we "were looking for" the left will either ignore it, or claim we planted them, or anything except credit Bush for doing the right thing. Doesn't it make you sleep better at night knowing that the liberals in Washington are more concerned with playing politics and power struggles than the fact that we FOUND NERVE GAS. Also, want more proof that the media is liberally biased? Carefully read the Washington Post article I've linked. It mentions a "degraded blistering agent" being found, and cites this report. A "blistering agent" refers to mustard gas. However, the intel report also mentions SARIN NERVE GAS. Sarin gas is NOT A BLISTERING AGENT, it is a NERVE AGENT and one of the DEADLIEST CHEMICALS ON THE PLANET. Funny how the Washington Post didn't feel that particular fact was important.

quote: I'm....speechless. About time! Derek Smart, for as much as I've seen this guy go through, being "speechless" is something that, quite frankly, I NEVER thought could POSSIBLY happen. quote: brbIf you're not back by Sunday, I'll be afraid you've lost your touch... quote: Aramike, that was wayyyy! kewl.Thanks RB4! I'm happy to have gotten a reader on this. Sometimes a story has to be told. quote: Dare I say it? The countdown has begun. 20k posts boss, Can any other developer boast a similar milestone? I serrrriously doubt it. Screw doubt. It simply hasn't ever happened. Think: Developer pays HIS money to create a game and community and actively participates in said community... never has happened and never will happen again.

Normally, this thread would be crap. But, in light of who it relates to, and who owns the boards, and the fact that *I* don't think its crap (seriously, if I don't have ANY weight around here anymore it's BS), I want to give this one a little "bump". Derek Smart deserves this. I hate to get sappy, but there was a time not too long ago where I considered him a good and regular friend (that hasn't changed ... just a different time...). Regardless of his fairly "gruff" exterior, I've never known a guy who's been more loyal to the people who helped make him, and, as a Marine, that makes a world of difference to me. At one point (prior to my being called away due to duty), I designed and HOSTED a website specifically aimed at DS's detractors. They *****ed and moaned, but guess who won that "legal" battle ... WE did. You know why? DS doesn't BS. Heck. I've made promises, that, due to the war, I was unable to fulfill. Did you know that I was contracted, as a shake the hands agreement to WRITE the MANUAL for BCM? I was unable to fulfill that promise because of a role I had to fill after 9/11 (ask an old-timer such as Rattler or Gallion about my history) and that "breaking" of a promise still haunts me to some extent. And let me tell you why: Derek Smart designed a GREAT freakin' game, and for NO OTHER REASON than that I was HONEST and FAIR, he entrusted ME and people LIKE ME to help build and regulate such a wonderful community against all odds. Some of you newcomers have NO IDEA the battle we fought to get here, and, to be honest, in my absence I've missed a lot. But, as even Derek will tell you, I've fought as hard as ANYONE during the HARDEST of times to make sure it all happened the RIGHT way. Though some people may think that I'm a blind follower of Derek Smart and only out for making a name for myself, they need to think again. Derek and I have had MANY disagreements via ICQ (and, in the Wonder Years, even once or twice via phone), but we've always come to a happy medium. Hell, after all the shit (pardon) he's put up with and the way he's responded, most of you probably wouldn't know the first thing about Derek's character. But, let me tell you this: he's as STAND-UP a guy as I've met, and I only hope to shake his hand for real some day. Any of you that doubt that ... go back a few years on this forum and READ. DS may have a big bark, but, as far as his bite goes, he has ALWAYS erred on the side of the people. I know that this may be a long post, and I know that it may be too much history for some of you, but I really want to get across a simple point: Derek Smart, regardless of his programming-prowess, has created something larger than he would even imagine: a community more intellingent, more creative, and more loyal than video-gaming has ever seen. And, for once, he needs to be respected for it. Funny thing: would you believe that *my* FIRST post EVER on this board was deleted by none other than D. Smart himself? Who the HELL else would have let someone he didn't FACE-TO-FACE KNOW help tweak this very forum's settings? No one. What developer on God's Green Earth let someone have access to and tamper with a community that some bullshit producer tried EVERYTHING to destroy? No one. Derek and I are almost COMPLETELY opposed politically. Does that matter? Nope. DS doesn't give a rat's ass about any of that, yet I have access to run these boards (along with others with the same level of trust as me). My point: all the BS about how strict we are here is BULL. You can like or dislike whatever you want - just have a modicum of intelligence to back up your reasoning. That's all we ask. Why this long, rambling post? Let me conclude... 7 years is a long time ... a better part of a decade. I may not be a good beta tester ... I may not be an exceptional gamer ... I may not be the best writer (although I'd like to think I'm pretty good ), I may not agree with the "Company Line" I may not have been able to meet all of my obligations ... but Derek didn't care. He was ALWAYS as loyal to me as anyone I've known. Therefore, no matter when he conquers or falls, I'll always be loyal to Derek Smart. Trust in me will ALWAYS be rewarded in kind. DS: When you hit 20,000 posts ... let us just say I saw it coming...

quote: Italy doesn't seem very on to me.I don't know soccer worth crap but I knew something about the Italian team that I could share... http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=369857&cc=5901 Maybe it will explain their "suckiness", hehe.

quote: Originally posted by Race Bannon IV: Typical market adjustments. Maybe some of you more involved in the industry have a more informed take, but IMO this is typical of the transition from current gen to next gen. Many of the best games have not been released yet and many more are still being developed. Factor in the long declining PC market and voila' Without going onto any details..around the same time I got hooked on BC3kad, my wife suggested there might be other nuts out thier willing to part with cash to spend hours staring at a screen punching keys. Lets just say that while I despise the business practices of certain large Gaming concern based in N Calif..I'm not a fool and bought a decent little batch of shares. And I aint sellin mine adjustment or no. Guess that makes me a hypocrite huh? Right on ... kinda. I think it has a bit to do with the media having WAY too much influence over EVERYTHING in our society. NY Times predicts bad ... bad occurs BECAUSE of said prediction. I personally think the media should stick to reporting on what HAS happened versus what they think WILL happen when it comes to publically traded businesses because the influence they have is ridiculous. I mean, it wasn't so long ago that the media was touting Enron and many people could make the argument that they wouldn't have invested in THAT scam without the media's input. Bottom line: when it comes to business either the media sticks to reporting what HAPPENED or it should be responsible for what HAPPENS due to their reporting.

This is precisely why I believe that any console, upon it's first launch, should ship with a full year warranty. I find it ridiculous for a consumer to essentially pay $400 to stress-test a product.

quote: Originally posted by LostInSpace: Some were predicting doom and gloom because of the war etc.... Well: Dollar rises against major currencies Whoever was predicting doom and gloom because of the war has no sense of history. Historically, war STRENGTHENS the economy and the dollar.

quote: Originally posted by Aperson: quote:with fines for landlords who rent to illegals and punishment for businesses that employ illegals. The federal government dosn't charge people who do this already? Not really. If they did, the country wouldn't be having this debate.

quote: Originally posted by Criterion: Just another example why people have to 'triple check' their credit reports and credit cards. I check my credit cards on a regular basis,(weekly) since I had a break in a few years back.Yes, I cancelled those credit cards. The internet, both friend and foe, can help. And yet another example of why the borders need to be shut and illegal immigrants need to be treat properly for what they are: criminals.

Yeah, bios aside ... quote: I'm a Republican but I don't always tow the party line, but I almost never vote Democrat...That's a start. quote: I think, the main point, is not what would happen to our economy if every illegal resident was rounded up and returned to sender. It's the very fact that we have twelve to thirteen million illegal squatters roaming our land. These people commit many other crimes on top of entering the country sans visa, work permit or passport. They steal identities, falsify documents and take jobs in sensitive areas of our land. They are lawbreakers from the top to the bottom of the issue. They should be treated as such. No different than any other criminal. Give them back what they paid into SSA? I think not! In order to gain employment in this country, you need identification which includes a Social Security number, drivers license, and birth certificate. EXACTLY. We should look as these people for what they are: criminals. quote: If any illegal resident gained employment and paid into the system, they did so with falsified documents. Which makes them all criminals. Therefore subject to forfeiture of said funds and immediate deportation.Indeed. Funny how we're talking about turning a blind eye to the fraud of illegal aliens but someone who's an actual citizen would get the book thrown at them...

I'm only going to respond to a little bit of this because 90% has literally nothing to do with what we're debating. quote: Ah yes, a half a year... that was a LIFETIME ago. Whatever....No, a YEAR-AND-A-HALF. It's not FOREVER ago, but I doesn't necessarily reflect the job market today. Besides, I did agree that in some sectors there is a labor shortage. It just isn't as bad as you make it out to be. quote: Also, I would say that most of my American Indian Friends would have to disagree with some of your statements, but that's OK, Like I said, we'll just agree to disagree on this.Disagree with what, exactly? I illustrated how you were trying to take 2 different sides of the same argument (read: paradox argument). By the way, I'm half Cherokee (non-traditional). quote: they said that they simply can't find ANYONE to do the work, and so they have to hire these subrontracters who usually hire illegals, they just simply have no other choice.I find that VERY suspect, because most construction jobs are skilled labor that requires certification. While there are some "elbow grease" jobs that are occassionally filled by illegals, that certainly doesn't represent the majority. quote: Oh and I ALMOST FORGOT, I used to manage a Home Depot, so I still have a lot of friends over there.Dude, is there anything you DON'T do or haven't done? Seriously, your resume will not make me ignore MY education and experience (which is something that I choose to NOT flaunt due to the fact that I prefer to debate on the merit of the argument). quote: I don't know what store you're "Friend" runsI didn't share because it's irrelevent to the merits of the argument regarding "now hiring" signs. [ 06-18-2006, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: aramike ]