I've played Skyward Sword, but have only talked with those that've played Skyrim.
I'm guessing you'll be able to play Skyrim on your own after you've given your cousin the Wii, so you might have that in favour of Skyrim. From what I understand, it's a very open world, so that might count against you, and being a Bethesda release, it's a good bit glitchy. I'll note some of my friends are waiting for the modding community to do neat things with it before they buy it.
I've had a lot of fun with Skyward Sword, though there have been some lackluster moments as with any game. It bends more toward being a long series of puzzles than previous 3D Zeldas, if that's something you care about. And as someone mentioned, you'd need Wii MotionPlus, which comes either as a $15-20 attachment for the Wii Remote or built into a new Wii Remote for $35-40.
I looked at Zith's picture and had no idea what it even was. So I didn't do his.
I don't blame you; I'm not even sure what the art represents. It's the original card art from Maze of Ith with text reading "Maze of Zith" lazily thrown onto it, Ith/Zith being a joke that started years ago in QRG if I remember right. I'd happily accept a hat-ed version, but I'm not sure how it'd be done... if there were more space Santa could get lost...
Do you have a particular kind of job you're interested in coming out of that major, Wheat Grinder?
Still mostly the barbershopping. At this point I'm pretty sure my lack of confidence is holding me back; I really need to just sing out there and see what happens. That and Zelda, which is getting better and better. I've always had the most fun in the desert areas...
It being Thanksgiving, my folks have decided that Christmas decorations need to be up and it's time to watch Christmas movies. They just put on We're No Angels, an old time family favourite. Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray play three convicts (theft and murder) trying to escape from a French prison island at the turn of the century just before Christmas who fall upon a poorly managed store operated by a very nice family. An odd little comedy with some good lines, the family's got an interesting set of problems, and just good old Christmas spirit - and murder. Very fun, but it's been on multiple times a year my whole life, so I'm kind of burnt out by now. Unfortunate, as nobody else is...
1. I don't always notice a person's sex, so I don't have much chance at guessing their sexuality. I'd rate mine very poor - though I'd also take a shot at the entire notion due to rampant biases. It's easy to discover false positives while it's not so easy to discover false negatives, even without bringing liars into the population, and people are unlikely to properly track their results and so paint themselves in a better light.
2. I defer to the data you presented in that study. I'd guess very many have had curiosity regarding people they're not generally sexually attracted to, but does that make someone bisexual? I would say I believe the rates of non-heterosexual inclination to be higher than the majority anticipates, particularly in the case of bisexuality.
Huh. That sounds really interesting, Kank. Is that a choice between two-handed spells and one-handed spells? Or I guess it'd be sword/shield so offense/defense... neat!
Thanks, Slavan! And yeah, pi-ratical has been saying I definitely need to see Paranoia Agent, gotten me fairly curious. Good call on waiting to see Grave of the Fireflies; I've yet to see a more emotionally powerful movie on war.
@Dominion: Woo Dominion! That sounds a little odd, though, as you're generally more interested in ending the game early for fear someone gets off Colony+Province turns later on. Or were you just that much ahead of them?
Really enjoying Zelda: Skyward Sword. It's secretly just a puzzle game, with exploration and fantasy combat as a take-off point. I've had a little trouble on the complete reliance on motion controls front, but that's been pretty minor for the most part. So far the only one I'd really complain about is
that damn fire maze in the outer Eldin area. My bowling skills just aren't up to it, and they give you such a small window with which to make your shot. I really wish you could get just a bit closer to the targets. What are those things anyway? Fire monkey angler seals?
And I'm liking the story thus far, very strong as Zelda games usually go (that is, to compare it to Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time rather than Majora's Mask).
Yay! I'm the treacherous trickster what got pi-ratical to actually post around this place.
@Slavan: Ah. I was waking up when I posted that, so my already bad sarcasm-detector is at its worst, compounding the Internet problem.
My sister got me into Ghibli through Princess Mononoke, which is probably still my favourite of them. She's in love with My Neighbor Totoro - in fact, where did you get that big plush? I've been trying to find one for her without luck. I meant to borrow the movie from her to watch but that didn't pan out, so I got to see Satoshi Kon's Paprika with pi-ratical instead. Really interesting, great animation. A couple little bits of unstellar storytelling, and the dreams that are the focus of the story were significantly more surreal than mine so I felt a bit more distant than I did for Kurosawa's Dreams, but still great, great stuff.
On the Elder Scrolls, from what I've seen of others playing, and the little bit I've played of a few, Morrowind is by far the better game. Oblivion was pretty, but just lacked the magic of Morrowind. And I'd say it's not fair to judge a Bethesda game until the mods start coming out. But here's hoping Skyrim is awesome times!
It's turning into quite the year for video games, isn't it? I'm planning on getting the new Zelda in five hours or so; fortunately I've already been waking up in the middle of my "night" (10AM) to try for reservations at The French Laundry.
Playing through Phantasy Star II with a friend who genuinely enjoyed Final Fantasy Mystic Quest for what it was, and he's drawn a lot of parallels. He guesses that Square brought in the PS developers the next year and asked them to tweak a couple things for them and make the same under the Final Fantasy label as many of the design elements of PSII show up again in Mystic Quest. It hasn't aged as well as Phantasy Star IV, but if you keep in mind the era, it's great stuff.
I agree with you, dcartist, but the article says the specific phrase that was applied for and denied is "regular consumption of significant amounts of water can reduce the risk of development of dehydration". I'm all for not misleading people on differences between bottled water and tap, but that's extending a bit far.
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese film-maker who makes what are probably the very best anime films, and his greats rank up with the best of all films. His Princess Mononoke held Japan's overall box-office earnings record until Titanic came along - which was then bested by Miyazaki's Spirited Away that same year. Spirited Away was also the first anime film to receive an Academy Award. He's absolutely brilliant, and I'd say it's just as important to see his works as Kurosawa's.
Still haven't seen My Neighbor Totoro; I should watch it tonight.
I'm finding Thanksgiving inconvenient this year on account of causing a break in my local game store's board game nights. So far I've been asked to make macaroni and cheese, and I'm trying to figure out if I'm up for making dinner rolls. Picked up Cineplexity, a movie-based party game, in the hopes that it can be something everyone can enjoy, and allow my brother and I to get along for a bit. Thankfully, there's a new Zelda game I can hole up in a room with if that turns south...
Russian synchronised swimming. They rather conspicuously started dominating 16 years after it became an Olympic sport (16 being the minimum age for Olympic athletes) and have not let up. Most notable is the duet of Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova. Davydova took silver in 2001 with another partner, then joined with Ermakova in 2002, after which they took gold at every single international competition, including the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. I wish there were more videos online, but this one from 2007 is great, and this one is the sloppiest I've seen them perform. Mind-blowing.
Unfortunately, Ermakova decided to leave the sport a few years ago, though she recently announced that she's re-entering, while Davydova said she was done in 2010. Russian swimmers continue to dominate, but I'm still hoping they can reform for the 2012 Olympics.
Those are physical maladies with significant mortality rates that have had enormous campaigns. Bipolar disorder is a nonlethal mental condition.
In contrast, Sjögren's syndrome affects 1.33% of the US population (Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation), yet almost no one has heard of it. So prevalence or incidence of a disease is clearly not a valid metric of how well known that disease is.
Of course it's valid, it's just not the only one, and perhaps not the most useful one.
In fact, recent evidence shows that bipolar disorder is not only well known, but is even "popular". So no, I don't think it's reasonable to believe that any harm or negative consequences will arise from the obviously euphemistic use of the word bipolar.
I hadn't heard of one, but I suppose that could be regional. If British television has put a spotlight on it recently, that could change things. That won't change how little exposure it receives next to the idea of killing.
I have NEVER started a fight, but at the same time, I have NEVER backed down from one either.
That kind of thinking can get you killed or severely injured - or is it not a fight when you're at a significant disadvantage?
The "loss" doesn't have to mean that I simply remove the appendage.
Sorry to have misunderstood your intent, but I do believe you could have been more clear. Even so, I seriously doubt it's often necessary to break limbs to make an escape.
Sometimes you're involved when you try not to be, and there's nothing you can do about it. What do you do then? Just roll over and die?
No, I run as fast as I can.
Fight or flight is a psychological part of us; your idealism of "flight or flight" is what mommy and daddy teach you in grade school, so you don't get hurt.
Nope, it's what Sam Harris taught me in this article you really ought to read (same one I linked on the first page). He explains why you're always at a disadvantage in a fight, why even if you're armed with a gun the very best thing you can do for yourself is to run, using it only to give yourself an opening if necessary. Always back down when possible, and fight exactly as is necessary to be able to do so.
So yeah, I'd "leave my friends hanging", just as I'd leave any of my loved ones behind to instead contact the police (as counselled in the article). I'm unwilling to harm others, and I'm unwilling to put myself in unnecessary danger.
If you're willing to die without a fight, then that just goes to prove how little you think of yourself and your life.
I don't value myself and my life above you and your life, or anyone and their life. So I might say "if you're willing to bring harm to others, then that just goes to prove how little you think of others". I'd wager that statement is no less thought-provoking for you than your statement was for me.
But that all's beside the point. I'm happy to argue the general case of people who believe force is justified in defending oneself and others.
I think that answers your rebuttal. I never mentioned "amputation" of my assailaint either; don't twist my words around.
If I was in that same situation, then he would be leaving with the loss of an arm or a leg.
Sounds like amputation to me.
This goes along the lines with what I posted already. If you're not man enough to fight without a weapon
And I'm telling you that this is not about being manly. This is about fighting, and it's you or me, and how some people will decide to pull a gun on you in that situation. Sometimes, the drunk guys on the pier decide to shoot first. Are they less manly? If you like to think so, sure. Does that make your situation any better? Nope.
You have to defend yourself from these people, too, by not getting involved.
Not once did I mention "instigation" of a fight, but finishing it. I run every night around 12-3 (because I don't have time otherwise), and do you think I'm just going to "talk" my way out of a confrontation? Sometimes you CAN'T run, so that's out of the question.
If talking your way out works, yes. The OP (or are you two the same person?) could just as easily leapt over the bench without force to begin with, and could have just as easily avoided the whole thing by not touching the fish and avoiding a group of unknown people in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.
To be clear, if talking your way out isn't enough, then I won't condemn you for defending yourself with force - so far as is required to get away. (Hint: breaking arms isn't required.)
When the situation goes from "fight or flight" to "fight or die", I can tell what most of you are going to do...
I'm happy to die rather than fight, but that's my own pacifism thing. The real point is that it's never "fight or flight" but instead "flight or flight", with fighting sometimes being required to flee.
You still haven't addressed my fundamental argument: that there is little-to-no chance of a reasonable individual taking a post by an unknown person on a message board to be medical in nature.
Bipolar disorder affects 2.6% of the US population (National Institute of Mental Health) with a median average onset at 25 years old (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance), and to put it mildly, people aren't fully encouraged to discuss their mental disabilities with everyone they meet. Would you agree that there's a fair number of people who haven't been exposed to the notion of bipolar disorder? If so, would you agree that it's therefore reasonable for some people on an Internet forum wouldn't be aware of it?
From there, we have people getting their first exposure to the whole idea of this condition being the OP's reference. What impression does it give? What are they likely to think of the next time they hear that someone is bipolar?
Contrast killing, which gets significant media coverage, which has depictions of attempts, at the least, across most movies, including those targeted to children, which comes up whenever someone wonders what meat is. Do you believe as many people exist who are unaware of killing as who are unaware of bipolar disorder?
Do you believe there is as much chance of misunderstanding the notion of killing from overhearing the phrase "I killed that exam" as there is of misunderstanding the notion of bipolar disorder from overhearing "that player is bipolar"?
If I was in that same situation, then he would be leaving with the loss of an arm or a leg. To those about to say "OMG LEGAL BATTLEZ LOLZ!"; you're an idiot, whose legal knowledge doesn't extend beyond a google search.
There are many different legal situations, and in most jurisdictions you would not be justified in amputating an assailant under any circumstances. I can't imagine anyone believing otherwise. Depending on where the OP lives, there could be serious legal repercussions even for the acts as they were described - or there could be absolutely nothing for it. The real answer to avoiding legal trouble is to not get in fights.
Unlike the nonsensical concensus in this thread, I commend you for standing up for what you believe in, and following through. If more people were like you, then we wouldn't have so many pansies gallivanting around...
It's foolish to ever instigate a fight. Ever. The article I linked on the first page provides sound reasoning for this. Every time you get in a fight, there's a chance you'll come to significant harm, regardless of training. The only time moral ground or "fighting fair" matter at all is in a match setting where the object is to avoid actively damaging your opponent. The article I posted on the last page points out that martial arts are specifically designed for situations where both sides are aware and readied, which is not a reasonable expectation in a self-defence scenario - which the OP even alluded to in saying his training focus isn't self-defence. Why shouldn't the opponent bring a knife to the fore? Always assume the other side is completely unscrupulous; all that matters to them is doing the damage. Lucky they didn't have a gun.
Also in that article is a story of a very skilled martial arts master walking through Central Park at night - because why shouldn't he be able to - and getting a hypodermic needle in his leg before he knew the three guys where even there. He immediately ran, was fortunate he was able to, and was even more fortunate that needle didn't give him any diseases.
You do not go looking for trouble, and you take every reasonable precaution to avoid trouble. Moral ground be hanged.
I'm guessing you'll be able to play Skyrim on your own after you've given your cousin the Wii, so you might have that in favour of Skyrim. From what I understand, it's a very open world, so that might count against you, and being a Bethesda release, it's a good bit glitchy. I'll note some of my friends are waiting for the modding community to do neat things with it before they buy it.
I've had a lot of fun with Skyward Sword, though there have been some lackluster moments as with any game. It bends more toward being a long series of puzzles than previous 3D Zeldas, if that's something you care about. And as someone mentioned, you'd need Wii MotionPlus, which comes either as a $15-20 attachment for the Wii Remote or built into a new Wii Remote for $35-40.
Do you have a particular kind of job you're interested in coming out of that major, Wheat Grinder?
Still mostly the barbershopping. At this point I'm pretty sure my lack of confidence is holding me back; I really need to just sing out there and see what happens. That and Zelda, which is getting better and better. I've always had the most fun in the desert areas...
It being Thanksgiving, my folks have decided that Christmas decorations need to be up and it's time to watch Christmas movies. They just put on We're No Angels, an old time family favourite. Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray play three convicts (theft and murder) trying to escape from a French prison island at the turn of the century just before Christmas who fall upon a poorly managed store operated by a very nice family. An odd little comedy with some good lines, the family's got an interesting set of problems, and just good old Christmas spirit - and murder. Very fun, but it's been on multiple times a year my whole life, so I'm kind of burnt out by now. Unfortunate, as nobody else is...
2. I defer to the data you presented in that study. I'd guess very many have had curiosity regarding people they're not generally sexually attracted to, but does that make someone bisexual? I would say I believe the rates of non-heterosexual inclination to be higher than the majority anticipates, particularly in the case of bisexuality.
Thanks, Slavan! And yeah, pi-ratical has been saying I definitely need to see Paranoia Agent, gotten me fairly curious. Good call on waiting to see Grave of the Fireflies; I've yet to see a more emotionally powerful movie on war.
@Dominion: Woo Dominion! That sounds a little odd, though, as you're generally more interested in ending the game early for fear someone gets off Colony+Province turns later on. Or were you just that much ahead of them?
Really enjoying Zelda: Skyward Sword. It's secretly just a puzzle game, with exploration and fantasy combat as a take-off point. I've had a little trouble on the complete reliance on motion controls front, but that's been pretty minor for the most part. So far the only one I'd really complain about is
@Slavan: Ah. I was waking up when I posted that, so my already bad sarcasm-detector is at its worst, compounding the Internet problem.
My sister got me into Ghibli through Princess Mononoke, which is probably still my favourite of them. She's in love with My Neighbor Totoro - in fact, where did you get that big plush? I've been trying to find one for her without luck. I meant to borrow the movie from her to watch but that didn't pan out, so I got to see Satoshi Kon's Paprika with pi-ratical instead. Really interesting, great animation. A couple little bits of unstellar storytelling, and the dreams that are the focus of the story were significantly more surreal than mine so I felt a bit more distant than I did for Kurosawa's Dreams, but still great, great stuff.
On the Elder Scrolls, from what I've seen of others playing, and the little bit I've played of a few, Morrowind is by far the better game. Oblivion was pretty, but just lacked the magic of Morrowind. And I'd say it's not fair to judge a Bethesda game until the mods start coming out. But here's hoping Skyrim is awesome times!
It's turning into quite the year for video games, isn't it? I'm planning on getting the new Zelda in five hours or so; fortunately I've already been waking up in the middle of my "night" (10AM) to try for reservations at The French Laundry.
Still haven't seen My Neighbor Totoro; I should watch it tonight.
I'm finding Thanksgiving inconvenient this year on account of causing a break in my local game store's board game nights. So far I've been asked to make macaroni and cheese, and I'm trying to figure out if I'm up for making dinner rolls. Picked up Cineplexity, a movie-based party game, in the hopes that it can be something everyone can enjoy, and allow my brother and I to get along for a bit. Thankfully, there's a new Zelda game I can hole up in a room with if that turns south...
Unfortunately, Ermakova decided to leave the sport a few years ago, though she recently announced that she's re-entering, while Davydova said she was done in 2010. Russian swimmers continue to dominate, but I'm still hoping they can reform for the 2012 Olympics.
Of course it's valid, it's just not the only one, and perhaps not the most useful one.
I hadn't heard of one, but I suppose that could be regional. If British television has put a spotlight on it recently, that could change things. That won't change how little exposure it receives next to the idea of killing.
Sorry to have misunderstood your intent, but I do believe you could have been more clear. Even so, I seriously doubt it's often necessary to break limbs to make an escape.
No, I run as fast as I can. Nope, it's what Sam Harris taught me in this article you really ought to read (same one I linked on the first page). He explains why you're always at a disadvantage in a fight, why even if you're armed with a gun the very best thing you can do for yourself is to run, using it only to give yourself an opening if necessary. Always back down when possible, and fight exactly as is necessary to be able to do so.
So yeah, I'd "leave my friends hanging", just as I'd leave any of my loved ones behind to instead contact the police (as counselled in the article). I'm unwilling to harm others, and I'm unwilling to put myself in unnecessary danger.
I don't value myself and my life above you and your life, or anyone and their life. So I might say "if you're willing to bring harm to others, then that just goes to prove how little you think of others". I'd wager that statement is no less thought-provoking for you than your statement was for me.
But that all's beside the point. I'm happy to argue the general case of people who believe force is justified in defending oneself and others.
And I'm telling you that this is not about being manly. This is about fighting, and it's you or me, and how some people will decide to pull a gun on you in that situation. Sometimes, the drunk guys on the pier decide to shoot first. Are they less manly? If you like to think so, sure. Does that make your situation any better? Nope.
You have to defend yourself from these people, too, by not getting involved.
If talking your way out works, yes. The OP (or are you two the same person?) could just as easily leapt over the bench without force to begin with, and could have just as easily avoided the whole thing by not touching the fish and avoiding a group of unknown people in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.
To be clear, if talking your way out isn't enough, then I won't condemn you for defending yourself with force - so far as is required to get away. (Hint: breaking arms isn't required.)
I'm happy to die rather than fight, but that's my own pacifism thing. The real point is that it's never "fight or flight" but instead "flight or flight", with fighting sometimes being required to flee.
From there, we have people getting their first exposure to the whole idea of this condition being the OP's reference. What impression does it give? What are they likely to think of the next time they hear that someone is bipolar?
Contrast killing, which gets significant media coverage, which has depictions of attempts, at the least, across most movies, including those targeted to children, which comes up whenever someone wonders what meat is. Do you believe as many people exist who are unaware of killing as who are unaware of bipolar disorder?
Do you believe there is as much chance of misunderstanding the notion of killing from overhearing the phrase "I killed that exam" as there is of misunderstanding the notion of bipolar disorder from overhearing "that player is bipolar"?
It's foolish to ever instigate a fight. Ever. The article I linked on the first page provides sound reasoning for this. Every time you get in a fight, there's a chance you'll come to significant harm, regardless of training. The only time moral ground or "fighting fair" matter at all is in a match setting where the object is to avoid actively damaging your opponent. The article I posted on the last page points out that martial arts are specifically designed for situations where both sides are aware and readied, which is not a reasonable expectation in a self-defence scenario - which the OP even alluded to in saying his training focus isn't self-defence. Why shouldn't the opponent bring a knife to the fore? Always assume the other side is completely unscrupulous; all that matters to them is doing the damage. Lucky they didn't have a gun.
Also in that article is a story of a very skilled martial arts master walking through Central Park at night - because why shouldn't he be able to - and getting a hypodermic needle in his leg before he knew the three guys where even there. He immediately ran, was fortunate he was able to, and was even more fortunate that needle didn't give him any diseases.
You do not go looking for trouble, and you take every reasonable precaution to avoid trouble. Moral ground be hanged.