Oops.

I was mentioning it in the original post just based on my memory of when it originally hit the news, and responded with a TheRegister article that I got form a quick google search as I was heading out the door. I must have missed the retraction at the time and all that had hung in my memory was the initial controversy (which probably made sense to me given their somewhat controversial entry into the Mainland Chinese market.)

So, I'm sorry I cited that as an example, though I DO think it still stands as an example of Google Maps causing a political fracas, the fact that it was amended doesn't REALLY eliminate that point. Anyway, thanks for the correction.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/04/taiwan_google_earth/

One of the main things a map communicates is the relationship that the landscape of our world has with human beings, as such it will always be, on some level, an observation or a statement about people almost more than landscape. When you think about it, the first human imposed addition to any map, borders and walls, are just demarcations of division. Once you have these on a map it doesnt take long for the mere annotation or position of these to be the catalyst for violent conflict (look at the India / Pakistan border commission in the 40s, a line on a map drawn by a man who had never been there resulting in the deaths of millions, or the status of israel in western maps versus palestine in middle eastern maps)

It really shouldnt be surprising that google earth has caused some controversy, they already label Taiwan as a province of the People's Republic of China, so they have already made political statements with the program

"Either sell advertising to cover the cost and charge people who do watch it online through the website."

Unlike the BBC, who charge a TV License tax in lieu of advertising, RTE charge a TV License tax AND include liberal amounts of advertising. All this and they don't even produce anything that comes close to the amount or quality of original programming that the BBC produces.

RTE have none of my sympathy or support.

Actually, even though the parent may be intended as an IRA joke, Fianna FaÃl, the current ruling party (whose failed policies have made Ireland perhaps nation worst hit by the global downturn, and who were responsible for buying all these voting machines in the first place), refer to themselves as "The Republican Party."

Though yes it refers to a different political and historical movement than the G.O.P. in the US, Fianna FaÃl have been ruling long enough with terrible enough policies and arrogance that I would consider the two analogous.

This is not a question of getting older, it's been noticed as early as 2,000 years ago by Aristotle

Even though a study of story theory and realizing there are only 7 or so possible stories that exist, it would be a mistake to say that it diminishes the potential enjoyment of a story. In some ways, knowledge of it just makes a well executed story (Casablanca, Star Wars) that much more astonishing and enjoyable.

Personally, Fallout 3's appeal was not in the story, it was in the setting and world at large and getting the chance to exist and scavenge within it.

Yooouuu want some more? ...

Yooouuu want some more?

Well the incorrect part wasn't to stop playing, from the sound of it his son was owning him 1v1 for a half hour and was relentless and had no sense of good sportsmanship. There's no opportunity to have fun or improve in such an environment.

It would be like if your son was a college football linebacker, and you wanted to toss the pigskin with him in the backyard and all he did whenever you had the ball was hurl himself at you, knocking you to the ground, breaking a few ribs in the process, then running straight to what he figured was the endzone, then kept repeating this despite your pleas to go easy on you. His son was being rather immature even for a 17 year old.

BUT

That doesn't excuse a father calling his son names and declaring he'd never play with him again, all over a video game.

The correct response is, "Gee, that's all for me today I think..."

Then when he's in school, you fire up Xbox live, practice at the game for a while, learn the ropes and learn some trick in a nice competitive environment, and then challenge your son to a rematch now that the learning curve is overcome (if he played Halo 2 how long could that possibly take?)

So yeah, a bit of bad parenting there, but also an immature kid.