Menchise

quote:You want a test? Anyone who want's to find out what they are click there. How ironic. I put a link to that quiz in my last post, but then I decided to remove it. It has overly brief descriptions of each political philosophy and the percentage scores are biased toward libertarians (it's a libertarian website). According to the quiz, I'm a left-liberal (very American definition of liberal). It also says that socialists are authoritarian, which is not necessarily true (it depends on which branch of socialist thought you agree with). quote:Here's probably a more indepth test, though I think it may be British based. Hmm...haven't tried that one yet. quote:Yep. I may call him a dirty little socialist pig, but that's just bantor. Hey! You never called me that (at least not in the forums). quote:I have a feeling that most people on this board who debate in these political threads are on the conservative side, or am I wrong? That depends on your definition of conservative. That reminds me, if you want to read more about political orientations, there are some descriptions of Liberalism and Conservatism somewhere on the third page of a thread called "Continuing the Debate".

I think that TV news stations (especially commercial stations) have no consistent political orientation. They just take the side that will bring the ratings up. The Rumsfeld exchange is a good example because the reporter knew exactly how Rumsfeld was going to respond. They just want to hear him say it so that he can be perceived as callous by anti-war people and heroic by pro-war people (which indicates to me that he is neither of those things). Creating division among viewers by staging conflicts with authority figures is a classic recipe for high ratings. [ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

Discounting beliefs based on the poster's political orientation is not debating. If it was, I wouldn't bother responding to any of the posts written by $iLk, Aramike, or Jaguar. As for finding out where your views are on the political spectrum, I suggest reading about each of the political ideologies and see which ones you agree or disagree with. [ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

My advice: Don't believe any TV interview that's not live. Their definition of "editing" is strange, to say the least. I once attended a uni lecture with a guest lecturer who used to be the chairman of Queensland's Department of Corrections. He told us of an interview he did with a current affairs show about the problems with the prison system. They asked him if there was violence in prisons, he said "Of course there's violence in prisons" and then he explained the situation. They also asked him if there was drug use in prisons, he said "Of course there's drug use in prisons" then explained the situation. Then they asked him what he thought of the critics of the Department of Corrections, he said something like they were 'silly' (can't remember exactly). When the interview went on the air, the ordering of the questions was reversed, and the explanations were cut, which effectively made him look and sound like a pompous ass.

quote:You know, if anyone actually rolls on the floor while they laugh... Hehe. I barely laugh out loud when I write LOL. [ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

Don't tell me that nobody has thought of using Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries"! I love the smell of RANDOM in the morning.

Say what?

Hehe. Interesting, although I have a few things to say. First, a little nitpick: debating is not political activism. Second, I'm not so sure about monthly debates since a lot of issues arise spontaneously from current news. It would also imply a time limit for each thread. Third, in order for the scoring system to work properly, there needs to be some guidelines about what constitutes an argument. Overall, I don't mind. I've already come up with my political sig: Nick Menchise Socialist and Economic Democrat (don't call me a liberal!).

Hehe. My advice: stop neglecting (believe me, it's not worth it). Stop by after the exams are finished.

Active Worlds is a virtual 3D chat community, where you can build stuff and talk to avatars. For more info, the Active Worlds website is here.

No. The world record would be thousands of posts if not millions, which is impossible for a community of this size. I'm just checking up on the CV revival, of which this thread has become a communications hub of sorts. It's been going on for five months now, which is why the thread is so big.

Yeah, I use Mo'slo for some old DOS games too. Getting the right speed is a little tricky, but it's worth it, although there are some games that totally refuse to slow down without making them even more unplayable (Gunship is one example). In the case of X-COM, I received a CD-ROM distribution. For some reason, the speed problem isn't there (much). [ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

There is a fifth X-COM game in development (assuming that it wasn't cancelled): X-COM Alliance. The tactical missions are 3D and I think you can take control of a trooper in first person. It's a pity that the Gollops' other project was cancelled (Dreamland Chronicles: Freedom Ridge). From what I've read, it had a lot of promise.

Hehe. I can see it now... Report from the Bureau of Statistics Between November 2001 and January 2002, the divorce rate took a sudden and mysterious turn from 49% to 59%. Interviews with a sample population of divorcees yielded only one two-worded response: "Battlecruiser Millennium". In conclusion, the sudden increase in the divorce rate was the result of a belated science fiction themed New Year's Eve party.

LOL

LOL [ 11-14-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

quote:Oh and Menchise, don't feel too sorry for poor old OS/2. Guess which company developed and built OS/2 even though it competed directly with their own product. Begins with M, ends with T, you got one guess. Go for it. Hehe, I know about Microsoft's involvement, although I think IBM had a lot to do with it as well. After all, it was their idea. I only referred to OS/2 because it was technologically ahead of Windows. Actually, it was years ahead of Windows (it probably still is ). I don't feel sorry for its demise. It was one of two parts of IBM's doomed strategy to become a monopoly again (the other part was PS/2). It was also unfriendly to home users.

quote:Okay, you want to split Microsoft up. One company that makes operating systems, and another company that makes software. Hello, McFly, an operating system IS software. It wouldn't have to be split along such rigid lines, but it would need to be broken up for starters to make sure that it doesn't have the power to coerce anyone into purchasing their products. However, breaking it up is only a short term solution. In order to ensure that the computing industry is not dominated by MS again, it must also start documenting its formats and opening its de facto standards. On another note (read: off-topic), repealing the DMCA wouldn't be a bad idea either. quote:If you want to pass a law that says Microsoft is no longer allowed to make both, then you have to draft a law that says NO ONE is allowed to make both. Including Apple. Passing a law that restricts only one company is a little too much, even for me. Apple does not coerce anyone into buying its products. In fact, by developing MacOS X on the FreeBSD kernel, Apple has created an environment that makes porting software between MacOS users and PowerPC Linux users much simpler, unlike Microsoft, which is determined to make Windows as incompatible as possible. quote:THE problem (Jaguar, I love your sentiment, but I gotta take you to task on this one ) has nothing to do with software. It has to do with forcing manufacturers to load certain software onto your computer when it's sold. Period. Lets say I all of a sudden want to start making and selling computers. Microsoft will want me to sign a deal that forces me to use their software only, exactly the way THEY want me to use it. That's wrong. It's highly anti-competative. It's one of many problems that have arisen from Microsoft's strong arm tactics. Another thing they've been doing recently is extorting universities into changing the teaching resources of their own courses. At the moment, many universities with Computer Science degrees use Linux to teach students who are studying courses in Operating Systems. This is how a majority of people become Linux developers, which is why Microsoft is trying to stop it. They're threatening to cease their funding and/or rescind NT server licenses (most of which were pushed into unis in the first place) if the unis don't withdraw Linux from the courses. Like I said, they're economic feudalists. quote:Like I said, I think the outcome of the case is what the American govt should have been going after all along. Don't punish Microsoft for finally getting it's act together and making a better browser, or bundling it with it's OS. Punish them for how they handle people who build and sell computers. I think the browser issue is dominating the case because that is the reason why the plaintiffs are suing (I think), but I agree that it's not the only issue.

quote:Have you tried X-Com Apocolypse? No, just the first game, UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-COM: UFO Defense in North America). One of the most immersive and addictive games I've ever played.

Hmm...a little quiet here. Hello!-ello!-llo!-lo!...