Keepbro

Sorry to throw water on the American God of politic theory but he has been dead for 200 years. And he was dealing with an authoritarian government that took months to get a message from point a to b in a country that already was independent of the mother country long before he came along so I always thought he had it easy. More modern political theorists had a much harder time. Look at Stalin who was imprisoned in Siberia several times and ran a criminal network or Mao who at one point had 1.5 million soldiers actively trying to kill his small army of 15000 or Castro who had to invade an island guarded by an army (probably the hardest military operation to do). Looking at more democratic theorists look at Haclav who defied the Russians at their height or what Kyi is doing in Burma, All of these people are far more authoritative on political theory IMO than Jefferson who in any case espoused the ideals of the French Revolution at the height of the Terror when Robespierre was being charming to lots of people.

If a train of Irishmen drinking Guinness sets out from Limerick at 9am and travels at a steady 50mph whilst the Passengers drink one round every half hour AND another train sets out from Donegal at 9:30am with a similar group drinking at a rate of one round every 20 minutes with the train travelling at 65 mph and considering that both sets of passengers will start being violently sick out out the train windows after 6 rounds and that both trains are heading towards each other - than at what time will the projecting streams of vomit intersect? P.S This a stupid question but I will be impressed if anyone can genuinely work this out! Edit: Also is an Irishman drinking Guinness on the train capable of answering this?

^^ I love the phrase "they" as if the global Illuminati bilderberg banking lizard people control everything. Please don't think that I am ridiculing YOU but just the notion that a global power group exists that can stop people from doing stuff. If you have EVER gone into a local council group or even stood in the public gallery of Westminster or Congress then you'll realize that the miracle of democracy is that we ever agreed to work by it in the first place. But that opinion is linking back to what I said about people not bothering to vote or lobby for change because its too big for them to handle. Its not. If you can organize voices you can make change happen and there are organizations that make this happen. I think a few of them might be run by lizard people but don't quote me on that.

Strangely enough for years I used to think a felony was a sexual act (although conceivably it could be argued that it is as it usually means the justice system screwing someone). America is a vast country. It should take more than 5 politicians no matter how influential banding together to change something. It should really take about 30 or 40 and preferably at least one from each state. Now I'm ignorant of the intricacies of American politics but I know it is possible for new parties to form and it is possible for parties to come out of nowhere and start running things. I'm fairly sure that the current republican party is only a century or so old so it is not an impossible task to make change happen. But what I find truly worrying is the inherent cynicism of people today and more the sort of feeling that something feels insurmountable so lets not bother which is fucking FATAL to any project or endeavor that anyone wants to embark upon. We live in an age of true wonder where the ability to create, innovate, communicate, fornicate, masturbate and recreate is truly staggering. And people seem to be stuck in a rut of not trying because other better people are already doing it or there's too many people not doing it or there seems to be money in it or people are stupid and wont change or a huge list of reasons for not doing stuff. Democratic change is a snowball effect. It starts small and then rolls into a huge boulder smashing everything in its path.

UK me. My solution would be to somehow get to Windsor castle and lock myself up there. It combines state of the art security systems with medieval architecture so its probably the most secure place on Earth from a Zombie attack. It also has tons of antique medieval weaponry just lying about and I'm fairly sure that there would be some crack SAS team nearby protecting the monarchy so provided I got there and I was allowed to stay I think I'd be alright. The rest of the UK would be pretty fucked I think. 60 million people crammed into a small Island would probably mean a siege culture starting very quickly as in people just holding up in tenement blocks or castles or cottages - what have you. You could conceivably use water as a defense but then Zombies just walk along the bottom so you'd get soggy zombies which just heightens the "eeewww" factor. Cannibalism would be rife for awhile but those clever enough to store food and those canny enough to have hydroponics would probably be ok.

^^ Directors of Intelligence have always had power. Its a given. What's worrying is when they are by structural institution unsackable. Look at Hoover in the USA or for a more extreme example Stalin during Lenin's years. Thankfully though these days the position of Intelligence supremo is usually very constrained to prevent precisely the situation people are worried about. They will report to several boards of inquiry and panels designed just for the purpose of making sure they don't overstep their bounds. The sad truth is that all Snowden allegations had government approval. They had been signed off on so to speak. This is why Obama and Cameron don't really give a shit about the furore. Its how things are done and its going to get done regardless because to not do it is to give a huge advantage to, for instance , the Chinese who already have considerable tech capability and built a giant firewall around China just to prevent this thing from happening so kudos to them. As for the drift of politics toward the centre well that's because most peoples politics are generally central. I find it increasingly rare to meet a die hard fascist or budding Che Guevara revolutionary. Most people are centrist with a mix of policies from either side. Take me in that I support Tory business ethics and their austerity plan (even though its nowhere near good enough) but then approve heartily of welfare systems and free healthcare (because without them I'd probably have starved to death or died of starvation due to the freaky throat I was born with and needed operating on) As for effective change being impossible that's just down to gumption. Sorry to be so harsh but it is. Just because there are 300 million US people and 60 million cynical Brits whose minds need to be changed doesn't mean it can't be done. It has been done. In fact it is done every day. Its just that countries are big. You shouting or tweeting or blogging or talking to one person at time isn't going to change much. You have to really make a career out of it and devote yourself to it fully. It takes time, thank god because I don't want to live in a country where something like SOPA can be passed overnight. You do make a difference. I have influenced my local council into some sweet deals for new businesses by pushing for them - I helped to get the council to realise that by offering incentives to new businesses in run down areas they could both help entrepreneurs and fix empty shops at the same time. Now I flatter myself that without me it wouldn't have happened but I was influential in our small traders association and we collectively got it passed. It just takes organisation and passion to get things changed.

People falling into the trap of media representation. I have met quite a few politicos firstly due to my family home in Westminster and secondly because I am very active in my Brighton area. Its very easy to label people by saying all gamers are nerdy or all politicians are blowhards or all Bieber fans are totally gay. But on the whole I found the politicians I've met to be very saavy people and whilst people might say that the system is corrupt or inherently flawed due to problems in its structure or we are all going to be slaves of the Overlord I think that you miss the inherent power of democracies. You can change them via political pressure. You can decide to concentrate power on someone you think can be trusted or remove power from people you dont. You dont like a policy then get it removed. Yes it takes time and yes it needs you and say a few million more of you but you can change minds. Now personally I dont really have a beef with the GCHQ or the NSA doing what they do. They've always done it and always will. Its their job. To be honest Im quite impressed with the scope of it really and since I'm unlikely to decide to start calling myself Osama, preaching fundamentalist Islamic doctrine and promoting jihadic war on people Im not really worried. Like I said you can force politicians to act as you wish simply by shouting loud enough. I more concerned with simple economics at the moment like the huge first world debt problem (USA currently owes about 40k per person living in the country whilst the UK is about similar) which is due to strike soon and will beggar all of us. Believe me spying should be the least of your problems.

I think the real problem is that computers are just ones and zeros. Because of the nature of computing you either have to spy on everyones data or no-ones. You cant just spy on people you think might be doing it because of the way computers work and the way you have to collect intelligence. Intelligence works in very weird ways. People dont like to be followed or tracked. So you have to figure out ways to track them. A famous example was the FBI trying to find a multiple murderer back in the 80s. He had been on the run for 5 years. The guy though was diabetic so to find him they monitored every single insulin purchase that was made and looked into each one and eventually caught the guy that way. Now technically every single person who was buying insulin at that time was a suspect. But did the FBI arrest and interrogate everyone? No. They used the info to narrow their search and focus. The point I am making is that whether you like it or not this type of information gathering has ALWAYS been happening. Governments keep records of tax invoices or business receipts or fricking credit card transactions. Hell the time you went to your junior prom is mentioned somewhere on file in a dusty envelope somewhere. Its only recently that the volume of information has gotten so huge and people have taken to being so mobile and with technology its just so much easier to trawl all of it. Kirrus - you seem very concerned. Why not politicize? I dont mean that in a condescending way and sorry if I come of as so but you obviously are worried so why not group with other worried people and either force your representative to act on it or band together and get people to vote you or someone you want in.

Sorry to break this to you but actually we are the ones doing the spying on you not your government. Under an agreement made at the end of WW2 the US does not actively spy on its own citizens because the UK does it and then shares the information back. The US meanwhile spies on Europe, Australia and most of Russia whilst Australia does England and China. Thus everyone spies on everyone, shares the information and cannot be accused of spying on their own citizens.

Hey I dont think the UK is working too badly. Yes things are slow but on the whole change happens. You can vote and if you dont like something you can organise and put substantial pressure on the party of your choice. The 2 Party system isn't that bad (not that we are one because last I looked there were something like 15 parties) and you forget that MPs vote on their parties issues. Tory backbenchers are more of a problem for Cameron than Milliband ever is. As for you being represented by a party you hate thats because the majority of the people in your area voted for him. Sorry that sucks but it was a majority verdict and you are on the wrong side. To me that sings of the strength of the system because it goes towards the greater good. Well Im not sure about how things are done in the quaint colonies but here in the UK all intelligence gathering gets done by professionals then goes through several panels each of which is formed by various people including legal advocates (who can and do arrest people) and elected officials from all parties. I believe that there is a National Security Council that scrutinizes all this and then a Intelligence committee that double-checks it. Of course it is done behind closed doors (as it is national security information vital to the state) but these checks are supposed to be politically bi-partisan and members are chosen between parties so as to give as much transparency as possible. Finally I do believe that records are unsealed after a number of years (I think its 25 currently) so people can check up and sue governments after the thing has happened (which has also happened). Also why would they want to edit things? Its hard enough just having the knowledge of whats going on without them having to physically change things and rewrite them. That's not a Spy's job. His job is Intelligence gathering. The people who change stuff are politicians who you can completely change. It just takes effort and getting out there and changing peoples minds.

Again true - but do they ACTUALLY know it - its just sitting on a computer archive. Ok so say you are having an affair. The only time they are REALLY going to be interested is when some plonk at GCHQ or the NSA types "married members of Al-Qaeda" or something similar and the woman you are having an affair is in fact Natalya Simonava ex KGB Assassin and Master Spy. Yes theoretically they know about it but there's only so much trawling through reams and reams and reams of crap that an agent can do. They're just going to run it through some programs and wait for something to go bing. I have met people in my former line of work (Location Scout) who were people who were on government payrolls. These guys/gals tend to be highly focused and highly intelligent people recruited usually from Universities and who are adaptive and normally socially quite active. So they tend to have an open mind. They really arent the types to start waterboarding people for downloading illegal files as they focus on threats to National Security (unless you are downloading some sort of master encryption spy thing in which case they are). As for Dictatorships using them for evil - thats very easily solved. Simply vote against them and convince as many people as possible not to vote for dictatorships. + it would take more than a little slip really.

I really find it funny how people are taking the Snowden revelations. You do understand right that all these Spy programs that Snowden has revealed is the equivalent of a giant fishing boat trawling the sea of intrigue and just scooping up every fish and only keeping the ones that are of interest. 30 years ago it was far more invasive with people actively being followed, constantly being questioned and put on lists that restricted their very rights. These days its far more gentlemanly as they just hack your phone and record everything you say and do. Im not saying that its right - but come on - its bloody spying. The whole thing is supposed to be about mistrust, deceit, betrayal and blackmail. Just let the spy agencies do their thing. And try not to type Al-Qaeda whilst online. **shit**

I'll be there and square and looking to pick fights with Peter Molyneux too. Godus looks truly awful. Why can't someone bitch slap him into making cyber-punk agent games again. Screw Godus and Black and White and its twisted offspring. Hell - screw Populous too, I never rated that game. So what you can make volcanoes! It started him down a slippery path of him thinking that people like to be God in games and therefore he was a Puppet Godmaster. Bring back Syndicate!! In fact I would pay money for him to make a modern XCOM looking style version of that game instead of that twisted FPS mockery that EA made of that game.

^^ To be honest I prefer the one where Ryu kicks the shit out of Fei Long but yes the movie is awesome. Sadly every other Street Fighter movie I've ever seen has been truly awful.

My favourite anime moment - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSlPyXeo_hc from Ninja Scroll Should note that its a bit graphic.

I liked the song in this scene. It starts at the 2(ish) minute mark. The film is also pretty cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ2fYibfiDk

Since someone posted a Miley Cyrus video I was just wondering if anyone else here finds her sexually UNattractive? I've noticed though that it seems women find her more alluring. Does anyone else think the same?

Bloody awful Christmas music that is constantly playing wherever I go and has started to transform in my ears to some awful dirge like banshee wail of elfy joy and bullshit cheer. I hate Christmas

1. Make 5 minute long motion picture of your game in real life action 2. Release it on the net so as to get people to go "woooo" 3. Realise that you spent a big chunk of your development money on the video and now dont have enough to actually make said game worth playing 4. Make a small profit scamming suckers who buy your crappy game and take the absolute piss with micro-transactions and DLC. 5. Frantically cover your arse when the Internet comes for your blood 6. Start again at 1 with a new game

As official poet of the Indiestone forums Ive written a haiku for this thread Changing your title you must beg this from mods or do something cool

What costume does a costume man wear? I dont wear clothes - the shoemakers kids go barefoot remember. So I just serve everyone butt naked these days.

Hey Rathlord - I can film using FRAPS and then send you the vid if you like?

Man this is my least favourite day of the year but also paradoxically the day I make the most money - its not easy running a fancy dress shop. If anyone is in the Brighton Area then come on down to my new store on Circus Parade and say "Hi". I will be the guy running around like a maniac making sure the Costume girls aren't being too sassy to the customers, the make-up people aren't dawdling and the pair of poofs I have running the check-out counter aren't gossiping (too much). In fact its probably best if you DONT come in and say "Hi" today as I'll be f-a-a-a-r too busy.

EA strikes again. Man, their record is getting more and more impressive - I'm not sure if you guys remember the Ultima series (man I feel old) but that was the first in a long line of EA fucking up established brands. Bioware and Mass Effect 3 could technically count too but only for the crappy ending. Should I add Maxis (sorry EAMaxis) and Sim City 2013? Finally they completely raped my childhood to death by making Star Wars as an MMORPG which could not have failed if any other company had been handling it. Sadly EA were involved and that game has gone from crap to crap. Also on a related note from my experience working for them for a short while as a QA tester for a Harry Potter game I know that their management practices are APPALLING.

I have Interweb again!! So whats a good time for everyone? Wednesday night? 6pm GMT ? Give me some options people