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[2009-07-30 15:38:30] - I also read the headline and thought about ludacris. I think it's because of how the link was phrased, not unlike the AP style for famous people: "obama to visit home for disabled veterans" - pierce
[2009-07-30 15:02:01] - a: but sadly he did not weigh in on the debate - aaron
[2009-07-30 15:01:33] - a: i was reading the article thinkin "man when are they gonna get to the part about ludacris!!!" - aaron
[2009-07-30 14:19:37] - xpovos: i bet it's more than mine.
- aba[2009-07-30 14:09:28] - big content: ludicrous to expect drmed music to work forever ~a
[2009-07-30 11:12:06] - aaron: Mine hasn't gone 'down' per se, but for me it's frustrating how little my lump sum is. I mean, yeah, I've only been contributing for a few years, and I've had some low paying jobs but my raw $ of savings seems so much lower than it should be relative to my peers. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-30 11:11:30] - invite from yahoo sports that is ~gurkie
[2009-07-30 11:10:14] - Was anyone interested in Fantasy Football who has not received the invite? ~gurkie
[2009-07-30 10:44:18] - a: actually mine hasn't gone down, unless i'm misunderstanding it. it had kind of a minimal rate of return last year, and then it's gone up considerably this year. i think it's just because i'm still contributing a lot to it year-by-year, and the volume of my contributions outweights the amount it decreased in value - aaron
[2009-07-29 15:32:31] - anon: i stopped looking at my 401k like three years ago. i'm afraid to see where it has fallen to. ~a
[2009-07-29 15:29:00] - *sigh* it's depressing cramming 17% into the 401(k) and seeing so little for it.
[2009-07-29 14:29:39] - vinnie: yea i heard he did The Ring also... ~gurkie
[2009-07-29 14:27:26] - ehren on wp and imdb ~a
[2009-07-29 14:06:08] - gurkie: ah, cool. didn't realize Transformers 2 was him. he's been getting pretty steady work in Hollywood for a while now, must be doing something right - vinnie
[2009-07-29 13:31:52] - my coworker was friends with him when he was at tj... ~gurkie
[2009-07-29 13:31:32] - apparently the writer for Transformers 2 went to TJ, his name is Ehren Kruger and he wrote Arlington Road too... ~gurkie
[2009-07-29 13:16:16] - aaron: yeah tell them. it's possibly he's sending to the wrong e-mail address. amy gets stuff for alice hsieh sometimes - vinnie
[2009-07-29 12:52:11] - aaron: I would let him know you dont know who he is... ~gurkie
[2009-07-29 12:26:12] - Aaron: You don't have to tell him to stop sending you emails, but you might want to tell him to double check to see if he's sending them to who he intends to be. -Paul
[2009-07-29 12:25:34] - Aaron: Sounds good to me, although we need to work out how much the rent is going to be. It better not be any more than 500 lbs of brownies a season! -Paul
[2009-07-29 12:19:23] - so i should probably tell him to stop sending me emails (since i think he probably guesses i'm his son or something...)? yes? no? nbd? - aaron
[2009-07-29 12:18:47] - now i'm getting e-mails like, once every three or four days... "Fw: Re: Re: Fw: Interesting Facts from old england" and the like... it seems really funny but i guess it's probably unethical - aaron
[2009-07-29 12:17:26] - about 2 weeks ago i got an e-mail from a "bruce pieper" (no relation) saying, "test", and it was sent from his blackberry. so i replied, "got it!" - just trying to be helpful. i figure, you know, guy's trying to test his blackberry... good job! the blackberry worked - aaron
[2009-07-29 12:16:17] - paul: sure! is this fall okay? - aaron
[2009-07-29 10:14:23] - Aaron: Can I rent out Bohemia from you? I want to make sure there really aren't any Brownies there... -Paul
[2009-07-29 09:25:29] - Pierce: I'm not directly afraid of most liberals, but I am certainly terrified of what they indirectly do. Also, I think it's fairly clear how highly I regard the tenets of modern day liberalism.
-Paul[2009-07-29 09:24:11] - aba: You would be a super left wing extremist who likes to cook babies over a burning AMERICAN flag. -Paul
[2009-07-28 22:56:29] - but if you see any libertarians, don't tell them I said that. I don't want to get shot. - pierce
[2009-07-28 21:40:06] - my bejesus remains intact. I'm not scared of libertarians, I just don't think very highly of many of the tenets of libertarianism anymore. - pierce
[2009-07-28 18:09:04] - paul: if that's what you think of a's political views, i'd hate to know what you think of mine.....
- aba[2009-07-28 18:07:23] - aaron: how much for me to rent it? ~a
[2009-07-28 18:03:20] - for the record, i'm just renting out trieste to make a little extra €€.... it is still mine - aaron
[2009-07-28 18:02:00] - paul: it's you. ~a
[2009-07-28 17:26:50] - Yeah, I was just the first to betray the homeland. Or something like that. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-28 16:54:48] - Well, there's only one power that currently has all of it's home supply centers and only two others have more than one of their home supply centers. So it's not that embarassing. -Paul
[2009-07-28 16:43:13] - ouch to xpovos. ~a
[2009-07-28 16:42:48] - mig: ouch. ~a
[2009-07-28 15:56:41] - a: i still have 1/3 of my home. - mig
[2009-07-28 15:56:37] - Gurkie: I agree, raw baby does taste bad. I prefer them at least medium-well. -Paul
[2009-07-28 15:47:47] - yeah adrian is crazy. he makes me look like a super right wing extremist conservative that follows the bible literally, even the parts that contradict the other parts - vinnie
[2009-07-28 15:29:09] - Gurkie: I think compared to the rest of the country, I would consider you and Vinnie moderately liberal. Adrian, though, I would consider a super left wing extremist who likes to cook babies over a burning flag. -Paul
[2009-07-28 15:27:56] - Vinnie: My biggest regret is that with the election of our lord and savior, Anne Coulter will never see her dream of all of the middle east converted to christianity.
-paul[2009-07-28 15:27:40] - a: yea, I was going to tell you I thought the baby was raw... But it just seemed like bad taste... ~gurkie
[2009-07-28 15:27:18] - Interestingly enough, I thought a, vinnie, and I all had similar views on at least one of the political polls we took... But I thought we were all on the extreme left. ~gurkie
[2009-07-28 15:15:27] - paul: you got it exactly right. exactly. perfectly correct. ~a
[2009-07-28 15:12:14] - paul: we know you want to keep the war going, you red stater - vinnie
[2009-07-28 15:09:47] - a: Everybody is a super left win extremist when compared to such a hardcore republican as myself, eh? -Paul
[2009-07-28 15:07:25] - Paul: Hah, at least adrian used you instead of me for a comparison. Probably because the description would have been too graphic if it were me -dave
[2009-07-28 15:06:32] - gurkie: wow. i didn't even see your link. ~a
[2009-07-28 15:04:04] - gurkie: yes, but only when compared to paul. ~a
[2009-07-28 15:02:43] - a: cook babies? im scared...~gurkie
[2009-07-28 15:01:11] - i'd say i'm with vinnie. compared to my parents, i'm a libertarian. compared to paul, i'm a super left wing extremist who likes to cook babies over a burning flag. ~a
[2009-07-28 14:56:01] - gurkie: I used to. I usually register as liberal to moderate in polls, not super liberal. I'm still very socially liberal, but not that economically liberal. probably moreso than most on this board though, heh. I still agree with a lot of libertarian ideals - vinnie
[2009-07-28 14:51:11] - http://news.aol.com/article/police-say-woman-kills-baby-eats-brain/588892 yuck. ~gurkie
[2009-07-28 14:47:18] - vinnie: you considered yourself libertarian???? didnt all of your political polls put you on the super liberal side? ~gurkie
[2009-07-28 14:42:21] - smyrna: miguel is only with you because he got kicked out of his own home. ~a
[2009-07-28 14:15:22] - paul: yeah, it's unlikely to happen peacefully, I agree
- vinnie[2009-07-28 14:13:05] - Vinnie: "a libertarian state seceding from the US would be really interesting" I think it might have a similar result to the civil war. The Federal Government didn't take kindly to secession then, I can't imagine it's gotten more tolerant about it now. -Paul
[2009-07-28 14:04:33] - I wouldn't call myself a Libertarian anymore, but I like the idea of the free state project. there should be more variety of govts, like the way businesses compete. a libertarian state seceding from the US would be really interesting. I wonder how things would work out for them. with a group dedicated to the principles of libertarianism, I could see it working - vinnie
[2009-07-28 13:43:09] - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/25/AR2009072501369_pf.html An article on the Free State Project to scare the bejesus out of Pierce. -Paul
[2009-07-28 13:42:39] - Aaron: Please feel free to take scenic route through Venice, Rome, Naples, etc. -Paul
[2009-07-28 13:25:13] - aaron: marseilles? that's quite a trek... maybe i can find a cure for my terminal bohemia along the way - aaron
[2009-07-28 13:19:48] - Aaron: I told you there were no brownies there. The Italians had them in Rome. I hear they exported them under cover of darkness to Marseilles, though. -Paul
[2009-07-28 13:07:43] - mig: nice catch, i didnt even notice that! ~gurkie
[2009-07-28 13:06:31] - mig: haha! -dave
[2009-07-28 13:05:55] - dave: he's responding to himself as a result of it, I'm guessing that's not good. - mig
[2009-07-28 13:03:03] - aaron: ahhh, how unfortunate. Is it terminal? -dave
[2009-07-28 12:52:05] - aaron: yeah, i came down with a really bad case of bohemia
- aaron[2009-07-28 12:37:04] - aaron: don't like them bohemians eh? Smell funny or somesuch? -dave
[2009-07-28 12:22:38] - paul: btw are we still cool? i left bohemia alone, i didn't find what i wanted there - aaron
[2009-07-28 12:17:55] - If I moved to adriatic, the only place i could have covered was Venice, and he had more units to surround it with, and not only that could have taken romes and naples without needing support for either. - mig
[2009-07-28 12:14:48] - mig: yay i missed you! - smyrna
[2009-07-28 12:02:57] - getting smyra was a nice surprise though, i thought for sure i would be down to 2 supply centers. - mig
[2009-07-28 12:02:04] - i guess now that the turn's over i can talk about it, but the reason i move to apulia instead of adriatic was so that I could potentially cover both Naples and Venice with it, I wanted to force him to overcommit somewhere so that he couldn't get something else if he guessed wrong, and that's what happened. - mig
[2009-07-28 11:49:44] - Aaron: I haven't looked it over as much as you have, so you're probably right, but it seems like Miguel could've countered that move by attacking Venice and taking it back with your help. -Paul
[2009-07-28 11:48:42] - Dave: I think he could be a pretty important piece for a contender. The Dolphins drafted Pat White, like you said, though, so I don't think they would want him. -Paul
[2009-07-28 11:41:57] - the balkins are so messy, it's hilarious - vinnie
[2009-07-28 11:31:32] - paul: i'm not going to deny my moveset the last turn was risky, I don't agree it was rolling over to Dewey as you suggest. - mig
[2009-07-28 11:03:13] - it'd be great to see Vick use this as an opportunity to really focus on take things more seriously and get better as a QB. I was really impressed when Andre Agassi did that, he used to be such a clown - vinnie
[2009-07-28 10:30:05] - dave: Redskins remain a possiblity, although only slim. Apparently Snyder met with Vick's agent and came away convinced he wasn't a good fit. But there's always the lure of controvery to sell seats, so it could happen. Another likely couple of likely stops are Detroit and Oakland. Or, the team whose 1st string QB goes down with a n injury in the first game. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-28 10:25:19] - paul: Assuming Miguel retreated to Rome, Dewey would hold: PIE, VEN, TUS, TYR, TUN. Miguel would hold ROM, NAP, ION. Dewey can cut Naples and Ionian, and a simple 2-for-1 from into Rome is guaranteed. It was 100% guaranteed Dewey could take 2 Italian supply centers. - Aaron
[2009-07-28 10:15:53] - Paul: I wouldn't mind having him on the Redskins except for all the qback controversy we've had already. Probably better to stay away since Zorn doesn't seem excited about the Wildcat. Probably good since they're only in the 2nd year of the offense -dave
[2009-07-28 10:14:24] - Paul: There's also a rumor that Vick is apparently excited because he didn't think that he worked very hard before when he was in the NFL, but now he's excited about truly trying to max out his potential -dave
[2009-07-28 10:13:27] - Paul: I'm not sure, for awhile I wasn't sure whether anyone would be interested. The teams that some guys have mentioned are the Bills, Patriots, Raiders, 49ers, and the Dolphins, altho the Dolphins drafted a quarterback supposedly for the Wildcat -dave
[2009-07-28 10:11:43] - Dave: Who do you think he will end up with? -Paul
[2009-07-28 09:37:50] - i'm somewhat frustrated by the fact that he won't be able to play right away, but can understand Goodell not necessarily wanting the first week or two of the NFL to be all about Vick -dave
[2009-07-28 09:37:08] - i'm heartened by the fact that it appears that not only will M. Vick be able to play this season, but that most reporters believe that there are teams that will take him on -dave
[2009-07-27 22:54:12] - Aaron: I'm not sure I understand. If Dewey had kicked Miguel out of Venice last turn, his army could've retreated somewhere (Rome, Apulia) and the Ionian sea could've moved to the Adriatic, where it would be more useful. At least it would've been a guessing game whether or not Miguel lost two supply centers and he probably could only lose one with your help. -Paul
[2009-07-27 18:19:49] - paul: and sure, why not GOL C MAR -> TUS, TYS S MAR -> TUS for good measure. miguel was very very unlikely to hold 2 supply centers with that moveset - aaron
[2009-07-27 18:15:29] - paul: dewey had venice guaranteed in spring 1905 with PIE S TRI -> VEN - aaron
[2009-07-27 17:45:37] - paul: the map lets you scroll through previous moves. ~a
[2009-07-27 17:23:44] - Aaron: I don't remember what the map down there looked like before, but I'm almost positive he could've held Venice. I'm not as sure he could've held Rome or Naples, but I would've been surprised if Dewey had been able to take both seeing as I don't think he even have the Ionian Sea at the time. -Paul
[2009-07-27 17:20:12] - paul: you think that miguel could have held two out of three, of rome, venice and naples? - aaron
[2009-07-27 16:43:52] - Mig: I feel like you could've held him to one supply center or at least make him commit more units to fighting you. -Paul
[2009-07-27 16:42:24] - Paul: Sweet! -- Xpovos
[2009-07-27 16:36:53] - http://www.hokiesports.com/football/recaps/20090723aaa.html Virginia Tech will be playing Boise State at FedEx field in 2010. -Paul
[2009-07-27 16:22:50] - i guess i should say, I can't really imagine a scenario where france would be forced to disband a unit unless he had horribly misplayed. - mig
[2009-07-27 16:21:26] - aaron: Paul will be thanking Germany monetarily on Friday. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-27 16:18:56] - paul: it would have taken a miracle to hold him to 0 units this turn. - mig
[2009-07-27 16:10:23] - paul: well, just make sure to thank germany first
- aaron[2009-07-27 16:07:32] - a:
- aaron[2009-07-27 15:58:03] - Aaron: Can I also thank Miguel for rolling over to him now to make it so that he might not even lose any units this turn? -Paul
[2009-07-27 15:57:47] - aaron: "mig: stop letting cats out of bags! - aaron" ~a
[2009-07-27 15:49:53] - paul: yes, i definitely think it was a smart move. you can thank miguel and i for holding him to zero builds last year to make him so stabbable - aaron
[2009-07-27 15:44:43] - Aaron: Also, I'm just listening to what you told me to do. -Paul
[2009-07-27 15:44:17] - Aaron: Think of it this way. Everybody is going to be lining up for the next game so they have their chance of getting back at me.
-Paul[2009-07-27 15:43:22] - turkey: tsk i was a perfectly good friend to you... you betrayed me in fall 1901, after betraying russia in spring 1901... betrayer! - austria
[2009-07-27 15:38:35] - aaron: look who's talking. ~a
[2009-07-27 15:36:59] - paul: stop treating your friends this way! how are we going to find seven players for our next game of diplomacy - aaron
[2009-07-27 15:36:41] - My current set-up must annoy Verizon to no-end. I have a basic cell phone plan from them, very cheap. I have dry-line DSL, no TV, no phone. It's pure profit, but in total about $50-$60 bucks a month. Compared to the nearly $200 they're getting from someone with a fatter plan and a 3x home bundle. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-27 15:26:32] - Vinnie: No, because you refuse to just abandon your supply centers to me so I've had to go and find some other empty ones. -Paul
[2009-07-27 15:23:10] - Xpovos: I like how verizon waited exactly one week after I cancelled my wireless service with them to introduce a wireless + fios bundle. Bastards. -Paul
[2009-07-27 15:21:33] - *** pierce tases paul.
[2009-07-27 15:19:36] - has paul won yet? - vinnie
[2009-07-27 15:17:45] - anon: done. ~a
[2009-07-27 15:12:42] - xpovos: absolutely. it makes sense that all these data and network technologies start to merge together, they already overlap a lot of functionalities - vinnie
[2009-07-27 15:08:21] - Would something like this (Cell phone + high speed internet @ home bundle)[Bloomberg] appeal to folks here? I get the feeling that it would, so I'm surprised it's taken this long to get going. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-27 14:55:32] - Pierce: I maintain that the pig is an innocent bystander who only charged the animal control officers because they were running around wild-eyed!
-Paul[2009-07-27 14:44:31] - turkey: your move, sultan
[2009-07-27 14:37:21] - paul: I maintain that I was an innocent bystander who only fell because adrian was running around wild-eyed. tase him, bro! - pierce
[2009-07-27 14:35:12] - Pierce: And also a farm, where you could roam with other feral Pierces... -Paul
[2009-07-27 14:34:01] - Pierce: If only I had a taser on the night you broke Miguel's toilet paper holder...
-Paul[2009-07-27 14:24:56] - paul: if I was running around wild-eyed posing a threat to the safety of myself and others, yep! tase me, bro! - pierce
[2009-07-27 14:24:33] - i have to agree with paul on this one. there's a high chance that the officials would have the pig put down or placed him in captivity. ~a
[2009-07-27 14:19:56] - Xpovos: I think it does for Pierce. -Paul
[2009-07-27 14:19:18] - Pierce: At best, I imagine they'll send the pig off to a farm somewhere, at worst, they'll probably put it down (despite assurances to the contrary). You're saying you would be ok with people chasing after you with stun guns and tasers so they can lock you up on a farm? -Paul
[2009-07-27 14:18:08] - pierce: You know better, the ends don't justify the means... -- Xpovos
[2009-07-27 14:13:15] - paul: yep, that's all they were planning to do. nothing in that article expanded upon those actions as means to an end. just a bunch of government bureaucrat good ol' boys tormenting an innocent animal for laughs. - pierce
[2009-07-27 13:47:34] - Pierce: By shooting it with tranquilizer darts and stun guns? That's not my idea of protection and improvement, but whatever floats your boat... -Paul
[2009-07-27 13:37:19] - running in terror from a government that's trying to protect him and improve his life. yep, libertarian hero all right.
- pierce[2009-07-27 10:11:19] - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5916025/Feral-pig-becomes-a-hero-after-five-months-on-the-run.html A feral pig has become a libertarian hero in Florida after evading capture for five months.
-Paul[2009-07-27 09:59:22] - a: was for fun. Sister and brother-in-law there -dave
[2009-07-25 11:01:26] - Aaron: Unless Dewey or I do something stupid, I like the position we are in. -Paul
[2009-07-25 01:27:01] - paul: this is shaping up to be your first joint victory ever! unless you count the time that you me and adrian had that 3-way tie - aaron
[2009-07-24 16:29:58] - Vinnie: Well, you're definitely in a less stable position than before (which is both good and bad). I feel like the plains of Russia are going to be chaotic like the Balkans were (and still are). -Paul
[2009-07-24 16:22:45] - I think it worked out pretty well for me, considering the state before the fall
- vinnie[2009-07-24 16:08:04] - Vinnie: Yeah, you have no idea what kind of brain cramps you were causing Andrew and I trying to figure out what you were doing. -Paul
[2009-07-24 15:57:30] - vinnie: Yeah, it's been a fun game. I'm obviously disappointed to be on the decline so much, but it's been a great experience overall. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-24 15:53:48] - haha diplomacy is getting so screwy and random. I kind of like it more that way - vinnie
[2009-07-24 15:29:38] - I'm pleased that we are perceived better internationally with him as president, regardless of whether or not that perception is justified. - pierce
[2009-07-24 15:29:25] - (back to obama) and on a more general note, I don't feel ashamed for my country when the president speaks anymore. I'm sure that's significantly about my own political biases, but it's also about the fact that it's nice to have an eloquent, educated leader. - pierce
[2009-07-24 15:27:47] - I bet if vinnie was there he wouldn't even have noticed the Dr. Manhattan package! - pierce
[2009-07-24 15:26:59] - I believe he stopped federal seizures (or something) of marijuana growers who are operating legally within their state, so that's a good sign on the drug war front. He tried to get funding to shut down guantanamo but was shut down by congress (including the democrats) so I don't really put that on him although he probably could've handled it more adeptly. - pierce
[2009-07-24 15:26:35] - ...to the tag to make it legible. ahh my own immaturity brings me such amusement. -amy
[2009-07-24 15:26:11] - i just went to best buy and they have this watchmen blu-ray set that is in a plastic case shaped like dr. manhattan's head. the tag on the shelf reads: "watchmen dr. manhattan exclusive package." i thought this was so funny that i had to take a picture on my phone, which was embarrassing bc there were a few people standing around and i had to hold my camera right up... -am
[2009-07-24 15:25:40] - however, I think he handled the economy well, I think he's handling health care well (despite all the doomsaying from pundits at the moment about how it's all going to crap), I think he's setting the stage for great strides in our military policy but I'll reserve judgement until we see a bit more progress. - pierce
[2009-07-24 15:23:40] - late to the party... I give him a 3, but that's "met expectations" and I probably had higher expectations than others on the board. I didn't expect him to do magic and I definitely expected a few political missteps, and that's what I've seen so far. - pierce
[2009-07-24 15:21:05] - but of course by that point you've left the territory and someone else is free to move in
[2009-07-24 15:20:39] - the only exception would be if the attack happens to dislodge the supporting unit. - mig
[2009-07-24 15:20:13] - a: I have ubuntu on my netbook, but my desktop (which currently is still functioning as my central storage area) is what I use to sync my Pre and iPod. -Paul
[2009-07-24 15:19:41] - a: the rules explicitly state that a unit cannot cut support from a territory that is providing support to a unit attacking it. - mig
[2009-07-24 15:19:01] - a: You don't have to do any work, I was more just wondering if anybody knew off the top of their heads. I figured somebody here must dislike iTunes as much as I do. -Paul
[2009-07-24 15:17:05] - a: No, 2 on 1 always loses. Moving into the teeth of the attack doens't stop it. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-24 15:15:02] - paul: you have ubuntu 8.04, right? who cares if it's available in windows? ~a
[2009-07-24 15:13:50] - paul: you're going to make me do all the work? apn ~a
[2009-07-24 15:13:28] - did we ever figure out the 2-on-1 situation? if the defender gets lucky, can he defend 2 on 1 by moving towards mover? ~a
[2009-07-24 15:13:01] - a: Also, are any available for windows? -Paul
[2009-07-24 15:12:41] - a: Great. Now, do any of those let me sync my music and podcasts and playlists to my pre like iTunes does?
-Paul[2009-07-24 15:11:47] - fyi, i just ran "apt-cache search podcast" ~a
[2009-07-24 15:10:09] - paul: gpodder, hpodder, podget, podracer, newsbeuter, xmms2-plugin-rss (for xmms2), mythstream (for mythtv), democracyplayer, rhythmbox to name a few. ~a
[2009-07-24 14:56:46] - Does anybody know if the majority of podcasts are exclusive to the iTunes store? In other words, is it possible to use some other piece of software than iTunes to subscribe to my favorite podcasts? -Paul
[2009-07-24 14:55:21] - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/07/ea-puts-sexual-bounty-on-the-heads-of-its-own-booth-babes.ars The URL says it all. -Paul
[2009-07-24 14:44:49] - Xpovos: No doubt. I welcome him to try. -Paul
[2009-07-24 14:19:29] - Paul: He'll bring them to you in Munich. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-24 13:05:08] - Aaron: No thanks, but I'll take some Bohemian brownies. -Paul
[2009-07-24 12:56:33] - paul: you want me to pick you up any puppy chow on my way to poker tomorrow? - aaron
[2009-07-24 11:50:44] - Aaron: Cheerio, chum! -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:28:48] - Dave: Bye, Dave! -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:27:27] - paul: i use "jdip" to run what-if scenarios for questions like that. i believe miguel is correct though - support is cut, resulting in a stalemate - aaron
[2009-07-24 11:25:26] - granted, but if i was wrongly imprisoned and spent a decade behind bars in guantanamo . . . as long as i wasn't being tortured, i wouldn't mind terribly staying on another year before being transfered to some other maximum security prison. ~a
[2009-07-24 11:23:38] - a: I'm sure the detainees in Guantanamo don't quite see it as soon enough. -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:23:17] - dave: for work or fun? ~a
[2009-07-24 11:23:06] - Dave: I never thought he would be superman, I just thought that he was idealistic enough (and popular enough) that he would be able to ram through at least a few policies that I supported. So far, though, he only seems interested in policies I despise.
-Paul[2009-07-24 11:23:00] - paul, ummm 2009 is half over. i see 2010 as extremely soon. ~a
[2009-07-24 11:22:26] - ciao for now. heading up to Philly. Hurray! -dave
[2009-07-24 11:21:46] - a: It has been ordered closed, it just won't happen until 2010 according to the administration. -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:19:52] - they aren't going to close it? i thought it was ordered closed already. ~a
[2009-07-24 11:18:49] - paul: tis true - he is no longer quite the superman he used to be. Now he's scared of bullets just like the next person -dave
[2009-07-24 11:18:16] - they have this pic of Pelosi on the interactive front part of Washpost, and she looks so scary in it 00. -dave
[2009-07-24 11:17:46] - Dave: Fair enough, I find it to be disappointing that Obama was so high on closing it before he became president and now it's not as big of a priority because of political fallout. -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:14:28] - paul: i think it was high on his priority list, but the political fallout became too high -dave
[2009-07-24 11:13:53] - mig: ahh, i don't think he ever promised taking them out of afghanistan -dave
[2009-07-24 11:12:54] - dave: when i say bringing the troops home, i'm not talking just about Iraq. - mig
[2009-07-24 11:12:53] - Vinnie: I'll fully admit that I could be wrong here and that there is something I am missing, I just feel like this has definitely not been high on his priority list once getting into office, and that disappoints me. -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:12:50] - paul: well, I read that even the records on the detainees were very incomplete, so the committee just can't put people on trial right off the bat, even assuming legally it works out. they have to figure out first what they can be put on trial for. I suppose Obama could just release everyone, but that seems like political suicide AND probably a bad idea
- vinnie[2009-07-24 11:11:42] - Vinnie: Because he's not the commander in chief of health care. In that instance, he has to work through congress. He is, however, technically the military leader. I don't see why he can't just directly order the base to shut down. -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:10:24] - paul: the plan can be written quickly, but the steps to implement these things take a lot of time. why can't Obama just order a new health care system in place immediately?
- vinnie[2009-07-24 11:10:15] - paul: Oh, i think the answer is yes, he can do it. It'd just kill him politically - so from that sense, no he can't -dave
[2009-07-24 11:09:21] - Dave: I totally agree about the political pushback, I just don't think it's relevant. All I want to know is if he CAN do it, not whether it's a popular move or not. -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:09:14] - dave: troops are leaving Iraq, but Obama seems to just want to transfer the conflict over to Afghanistan, which I think is hardly an improvement from the Bush situation. - mig
[2009-07-24 11:08:14] - Dave: I understand it might be politically unpopular, but that's different from it not being possible. I would have even less respect for him if he was avoiding shutting it down until it became more politically popular. -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:08:04] - paul: kinda like Vick and the dog thing. No, we dont' care that Stallworth ran over a guy and killed him, but someone had dogs fight each other? Oh no! -dave
[2009-07-24 11:07:21] - paul: it's because the public is immune to spending money, it doesn't really mean anything to them. However, having a known terrorist be located in the prison down the road is very concrete and unpalatable to them -dave
[2009-07-24 11:06:06] - Vinnie: Shoving billions (trillions?) of dollars of spending through congress and completely reinventing the american health care system (which will cost more billions/trillions) can be done in months, but closing down a single military base can't be done in a year? That seems a little ridiculous to me. -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:05:55] - dave: yeah I agree, the pushback is ridiculous, though I wonder if some of it is just politically motivated. there are already terrorists held in state prisons - vinnie
[2009-07-24 11:05:46] - paul: also, i think they're terrified of having one of the people they release show up and do something horrible later. that'd be like political suicide -dave
[2009-07-24 11:05:13] - paul: and almost none of them are US citizens, so what law are you going to try them on anyways? that's why they're all military tribunals etc -dave
[2009-07-24 11:04:44] - paul: cuz no one wants the prisoners released, really -dave
[2009-07-24 11:04:27] - mig: i actually think he's done a decent job of pulling out of iraq. things like that can never move quickly, but he's made a definite move to pull them out. I figure within a year or so you'll have what you want as far as troops in iraq goes -dave
[2009-07-24 11:04:09] - Vinnie: Maybe I am, I just don't see any reason why it can't be done now. Again, Obama is the commander in chief. Why can't he just order a military base to shut down and either charge their prisoners with something or release them? -Paul
[2009-07-24 11:03:01] - it's kinda like people saying - yes, we want more healthcare etc, but oh my word, we have to pay for it? -dave
[2009-07-24 11:02:33] - altho i think a lot of it is that the public was kinda stupid. so many people wanted it closed, but now no one is willing to let them put the prisoners in their state -dave
[2009-07-24 11:01:58] - guantanamo is/was typical Congress - they profess something that they think is good (closing it) but then realizing, oh my word, we actually have to send these people somewhere, and no one wants them in their backyard -dave
[2009-07-24 11:01:21] - paul: he set up a committee to close the facility which has been handling the logistics. obviously we don't hear about it because it's not big news. also I thought several members of congress thought closing it within a year was unrealistic, so I think you may be holding him to impossible standards - vinnie
[2009-07-24 10:56:29] - paul: while my expectations were probably similarly low, I was hopeful for perhaps at least some improvements in the areas of civil liberties and foreign policy. And well the speed at which he's been enacting socialist policies, along with the fear and intimidation route that he's taking to try and implement those policies was quite dissapointing. - mig
[2009-07-24 10:55:06] - i have a diplomacy rules question too. assume that territories a,b,c,d, and e all border each other... buahaha, i made you break the four color theorem!
~a[2009-07-24 10:51:54] - Vinnie: Quite simply, I expected him to close it faster, rather than to simply say that he would like to close it in a year. He's the president and commander in chief, I'm sure there are legal challenges but I'm disappointed that this has seemingly taken a back seat to other concerns. -Paul
[2009-07-24 10:49:31] - paul: i believe nobody moves, as the supports have been cut from both sides, so it turns to a 1v1 in the points of attack. - mig
[2009-07-24 10:49:12] - I think we'll have a better idea of what Obama is really like and his ability to come through on promises after a full year, as a result the midterm elections will be a bit of a mini-referendum. The economy will obviously play a huge role in that as well. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-24 10:45:15] - civil liberties and ending the war I'll give you, definitely among my disappointments of him - vinnie
[2009-07-24 10:44:24] - guantanamo? what more were you expecting him to do on that, aside from maybe releasing the photos that he said he would? it's a legal nightmare, and they are still working on moving prisoners to places that can take them. I'm optimistic he'll keep to his promise and close the facility within the year - vinnie
[2009-07-24 10:41:21] - I think I need to clarify my statement on Obama: I meant he was weaker on civil liberties and Guantanamo than I expected, not weaker than Bush (or McCain would've been) or whatever. -Paul
[2009-07-24 10:39:06] - If A moves to C with support from B, and D moves to B with support from C... what happens? Are they both dislodged or does nobody move? -Paul
[2009-07-24 10:38:02] - I have a diplomacy rules question. Assume that territories A,B,C and D all border each other. A and B both have French armies and C and D have Italian armies... -Paul
[2009-07-24 10:32:30] - Mig: Heh, I have a similar opinion on Obama but that was honestly what I was expecting from him. The only slightly disappointing thing is that he has been even weaker on civil liberty defenses and ending the war/shutting down the Guantánamo Bay detention camp. -Paul
[2009-07-24 10:26:51] - actually, can i change my score to a 1? - mig
[2009-07-24 10:26:25] - The other was perhaps reversing the Bush police state, which again, he's not only done nothing, but actively sought to keep those powers. - mig
[2009-07-24 10:25:40] - One was made at least some progress on bringing the troops home, and perhaps reverse the insane foreign policy of Bush, but well looks like that's gone on the wayside. - mig
[2009-07-24 10:21:29] - There are 2 things he could have done to have reversed my intial opinion, and unfortunately he has really done nothing on either of those. - mig
[2009-07-24 10:20:05] - well there's no doubt the republicans would do something similar, Bush was the one who started the bailout mania. - mig
[2009-07-24 10:19:02] - 1.5 I've found him to be pretty intolerable. Right away he started using the Bush docrine of fear and intimidation to get what he wants (pass my bill nao or we face the apocalypse!), and quite frankly, I don't think he's done a single positive thing since he's come into office. - mig
[2009-07-24 10:15:23] - Basically. Obama's stimulus plan was essentially more of what the Republican backed Treasury and previous stimulus plans were. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-24 10:14:24] - yeah the recession is one of those things where people want to see action taken, even if doing nothing or near nothing is the best course. the republicans would have passed something similiar, though maybe something smaller. and they would have gotten the opposite flack from the democrats, that the bill doesn't do enough/is ineffective - vinnie
[2009-07-24 10:00:18] - Dave: I think the Republicans would've aimed their stimulus package at different targets, but other than that I pretty much agree. -Paul
[2009-07-24 09:55:39] - a: interestingly enough, I believe that either party would have treated the "economic disaster" in exactly the same way -dave
[2009-07-24 09:54:54] - would have thought -dave
[2009-07-24 09:54:33] - paul: i would say 3-4. I kinda figured he'd get bogged down in politics with congress etc, but was kinda hoping that he wouldn't be. I think he personally has maintained some of his campaign persona, which is probably more than what I would have though if I were in a cynical frame of mind -dave
[2009-07-24 09:18:21] - Interesting. The scores are about what I would expect, although I think Vinnie best articulated what I thought would've been the most common opinion (disappointment on some issues, but pleased with others). -Paul
[2009-07-24 09:10:43] - aaron: Very funny, Google. Akin to putting an 's' in lisp. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-24 09:09:51] - 3 also. I expected him to be a charismatic, but ultimately flawed and potentially corrupt politician. I figured on a flurry of activity and then a long drawn-out nothing. I still hope to be wrong, even if he does things that enlarge the governmnet, at this point we're just pushing the pendulum further. I'm patient. If I were my father's age, I might not be. -- Xpovos
[2009-07-24 08:44:49] - 3. I hoped for the best, but expected him to be a politician, i.e., he'd go back on some of his promises. his backtracking on some issues has been disappointing, but I like that he/his Congress is making headway on health care and especially climate change bills. i'll probably have a more set opinion of him towards the end of his term, once we see what he got done - vinni
[2009-07-24 08:14:15] - paul: obama hasn't turned this economic disaster around yet but he did keep it from crashing into the jersey wall. that deserves a 3 or 4 in my book. ~a
[2009-07-24 07:10:35] - so i'll go with 4 - aaron
[2009-07-24 07:09:20] - much in the same way that democrats can't argue that Bush was aiming very very high wrt Iraq - although that wasn't so much a campaign promise as a "campaign bonus" - aaron
[2009-07-24 07:08:42] - paul: i've been impressed, he's held to the same kind of idealisim that he was preaching during his campaign. regardless of whether you agree/disagree with his policies, you can't deny that he's aiming very very high - aaron
[2009-07-24 07:07:15] - vinnie:
- aaron[2009-07-24 07:06:26] - It would also be helpful to know what your expectations were, if you think of him as our lord and savior or the lesser of two evils, for instance.
-Paul[2009-07-24 07:05:47] - Here's a thought exercise for those on the message board who voted for Obama: On a scale of 1-5 (1 being very disappointed, 3 being met expectations, 5 being far exceeded expectations), how satisfied are you with the job Obama has done so far? -Paul
[2009-07-24 07:04:07] - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=recursion did you mean recursion? - aaron
[2009-07-23 22:22:44] - sorry for holding up diplomacy, and sorry if someone wanted to talk to me before I made moves. I think I'm getting kind of sick of playing diplomacy
- vinnie[2009-07-23 17:23:30] - Vinnie: And I need to actually get some work done. Damn Pierce and his unemployment!
-Paul[2009-07-23 17:20:38] - I think I should retire the mboard with that little gain. I want to go home anyway
- vinnie[2009-07-23 17:20:16] - Vinnie: Sure, the government may have stumbled on some good ideas every once in a while, but it seems like whenever they are asked to exercise any foresight, they are often way off base. -Paul
[2009-07-23 17:19:49] - paul just admitted that the govt has had good ideas! :O what a breakthrough! - vinnie
[2009-07-23 17:18:58] - paul: haha I think there is a diplomacy/preventative care analogy somewhere. backstabbing me was the short-term gain, mark my words...
- vinnie[2009-07-23 17:18:47] - Vinnie: I guess I see a difference between a good idea (arguable, but I will give it to you for the sake of simplicity) and foresight. -Paul
[2009-07-23 17:17:45] - ... these are debatable claims, but I think they are pretty widely accepted - vinnie
[2009-07-23 17:17:27] - Vinnie: All I have to say is that you're going to wish you had preventative care once you put your orders in for diplomacy!
-paul[2009-07-23 17:17:07] - paul: really? I thought a public school system was a good idea. we've bred so much creativity and prosperity in this country compared to other countries and to me, it suggests we did something right in our schools. I've read that the road system really helped promote business and travel in this country and fixed the mess of roads in place before it. i'm sure...
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