To each their own. Yeah, if I had 60 billion dollars and 20 years to spend it on doing things I wanted..I'd travel the world, visit the people, etc. But at the end of the day? I'd log on to check my emails, read slashdot (:o), mod someone flamebait for GP, then wander off and program. Just because someone is wealthy as sin doesn't mean they have to stop enjoying certain things. Programming is fun. No need to stop programming. If anything, it removes the stress from deadlines or certain requirements and lets you program completely on your own terms. It would mean that all those things you ever wanted to do, you could do. You could wander off to 'theoryland' and think things through without someone breathing down your neck asking for "results" or a deadline that forces a hack job. It'd truly let someone do what they wanted.

then I guess Watchmen is NC-17 eh? So much giant blue cock o_O

'Cause if not, I wonder if it would be cheaper to have a friend order it in Europe then ship it over to the US of A?

If it were unfettered capitalism, AT&T would have collapsed because the market wouldn't have allowed their shenanigans in the first place.

IIRC, they technically can't make you show them your receipts either...

Don't hate pandora for this. Hate the record labels. Pandora is just trying to survive, but the RIAA is a bunch of bastards who want to milk everyone for money.

Grandfather post. The post that starts this specific thread of conversation

Ah. I didn't know that. Well, that should be WELL publicized that it was Pragmatic. Most annoying auth server in the existence man.

A couple of ways to deal with their firings a)Take their skills and go elsewhere. If they're actually any decent, they can make an impressive game to knock the socks off AA3 b)Complain.. c)(and only if it's true ) realize they suck at programming and find a new career. I make no defense of the Army, I'm sure it's a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit, even more then normal(yay for government!), but c'mon. Basic things like not being able to handle auth servers? Something that is at the VERY CORE of the game, that without *the best* you can do is a plain m16 is crap. There was a pretty massive user base for AA2.x and they did a fair amount of hyping for it(hell, I heard about it and I don't even check gaming news websites.) That's one of the more *important* things to handle. Now, if it was crappy funding issues(god knows I don't know what happened), that's another story. If it was programming/design related....that's something *important* to get working right. Who knows? Maybe they are staying truth to the authenticate Army lifestyle, bullshit and all?

The RIAA does not produce music. Artists produce music. the RIAA simply acts as a middleman for distribution and publicity(and covering the initial costs of the sound rooms)

I wouldn't use LA as the prime example of population density not effecting quality of life...

In certain circumstances, this could be an amazing and powerful tool for creating some truly genuine creativity. However, with all that power comes a metric ton of suck. This will take off like "player made" MMO's have taken off.

I make no comment supporting or not supporting the game content, but if it's animated characters, who is being hurt? Why is the government being involved at all? Only Japan allows people to possess these hideous images without penalty. Six of the G-7 countries have found ways to protect the innocent from being prosecuted for possession of child pornography Is it not time for Japan to find a way to punish the guilty?' (emphasis mine) As we can see from the bold part, who believes that? Anyone? Anyone at all? If no one is hurt, why the hell does anything need to be done?

It was too close to real life. How can the Army recruit kids if the kids realize they don't respawn at the end of the round?[SEE:America's Army]

The reason is, is because there are many rights.. By their very nature, they are not supposed to be able to be taken away. By writing them down, the thought was that this enumerated *all* of the rights a citizen had, which would lead to the government trying to work around them. By not writing them down, this was supposed to ensure that if a government ability wasn't enumerated, the right was reserved to the citizens. That same conflict occured in the formation of the US of A and the signing of the Constitution. The Federals did not want them written down, because they feared that by doing so, the government would assume the non-enumerated rights and wittle away at the enumerated rights. But a comprise was made for the Constitution...and we have the Bill of Rights(a list of supposedly the most important ones). Profact: The Constitution and then-established laws were originally a limitation on the ability of the government. The intent was to say"If it's not here, it's reserved for the States or the people". You can thank Abraham Lincoln for shitting on that idea.