Finally someone states it outright, I usually think yahtzee exaggerates his criticisms for effect, but he's spot on here: Borderlands was the most boring game ever. I cant for the life of me understand why anyone would like it even a little. Bad acting, terrible "humor", and every billionth gun more boring and generic than the previous billion boring generic guns. And that's not even mentioning the horrible "collecting garbage" system to build stuff. I'd really rather take a real-life job as a garbage collector. At least then it wouldn't be virtual garbage.

For obvious reasons, I haven't picked up BL2, and don't intend to.

*quality

Hey I'll up the ante on this here cun-tess: The winner shall receive a never been worn nor washed, Videosift T-Shirt (XL) from the wayback machine, the one that choggie won when he won the viddy contest of his own design.....
Collectors's item, you say?? A bit of sift-history you say?? I think SO!

My gift back to the community of carpetbaggers and scallywags who sound the depths of their own psyche to cause me undo pain and duress during my trudge here on the ball....xxoxvercas௺xx has to sign off on this though, my offers' legit.

*Only thing is, you have to trust me to mail your item discreetly and maybe divulge your physical locale (personal references available upon request)....Otherwise I could mail it to a third party you trust and they could get it to yas....(for those too paranoid to piss outside).



-May the best Sifter's shit stack slips!

*Don't worry: I've been trusted to mail drugs (outside the country) to other users here with no complaints

I'm a collector as well - right now I still have 5-600 (may be an over-exaggeration) star wars figs still in package and tons more out of package. Everyone who knows me always asks about value, what are they worth? I can't even put a price on them because I don't care - I like'em and I'm not selling. I collect because I like the stuff. Not so I can walk around and say, "my stuff is worth a lot, that's why I collect it".

I have comics & trading cards. I have the full complete set of the Dark Crystal trading cards - I don't care what they are worth - I like em! Star Wars, Marvel, Boris, Olivia, fantasy, baseball trading cards 1000s of them...


On that same note, stuff I have sold.
My full complete collections of Star Trek figures (plus DS9 figs) - gone
My full collection of X-men/X-force figures - gone
My full and complete set of Bat Man- animated series figs - gone
Full and complete set of vintage star wars figures (half still in packages)
My full and complete set of Tod McFarland Spawn/Wet Works/YoungBlood action figures (plus rare and limited release figs)
Robocop
TMNT
Robotec
Black Hole
Battlestar Galactica
Buck Rogers (from the TV series)
D&D lead figures
so much more...

I regret ever having to sell the stuff - there was a time with my first child when I had to choose between toys or formula & diapers. I made the right choice but I wish I had found a different way to come up with the cash. Especially now that I have two kids who would have loved to have that stuff.

I've replaced some of the vintage star wars stuff and I have tone of the new star wars figs from the past 15 years. I also have an almost complete set of Aliens vs. predator figs (minus the loader - I sold that off as well)

Gotta use expensive paper to write well with those pens too. The cheap stuff bleeds through or catches the pen tip, or rips holes through the paper when you try to make the pen flex and write stylishly.

Gets fairly expensive with the cost of fountain pens, decent ink, and good paper.

I used to use a fountain pen when I was younger and cared more about how my writing looked and was a little bit of a collector of weird pens/mech pencils. Then I got into computers, realized typing was loads easier because you could screw up all you wanted...and the carpal tunnel started, etc etc. Was just easier to use the keyboard versus having the cramping hands from trying to write neatly.

And now my handwriting looks like a little kid or doctor wrote it, and I hate people who hand me a clipboard to fill stuff out. Clipboards have to be pretty close to the most horrible writing surface you can have to write on...they are not natural to hold at all for me.

The Twain quote that I have on my business card:

"You can't trust your eyes if your imagination is out of focus.">> ^Auger8:

Ok I obviously can't show you a video as this man died before the invention of video but Mark Twain had a very thick southern accent but was one of the smartest men to ever be born in the south. Here's my proof.
All generalizations are false, including this one.
Mark Twain
A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.
Mark Twain
Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.
Mark Twain
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Mark Twain
Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.
Mark Twain
Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
Mark Twain
I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell - you see, I have friends in both places.
Mark Twain
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
Mark Twain
It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.
Mark Twain
It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress.
Mark Twain
It is not best that we should all think alike; it is a difference of opinion that makes horse races.
Mark Twain
It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
Mark Twain
Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.
Mark Twain
Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.
Mark Twain
Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
Mark Twain
The Christian's Bible is a drug store. Its contents remain the same, but the medical practice changes.
Mark Twain
The educated Southerner has no use for an 'R', except at the beginning of a word.
Mark Twain
The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.
Mark Twain
The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.
Mark Twain
There are times when one would like to hang the whole human race, and finish the farce.
Mark Twain
We Americans... bear the ark of liberties of the world.
Mark Twain
We have the best government that money can buy.
Mark Twain
What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin.
Mark Twain
When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
Mark Twain
Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved.
Mark Twain
A man ahead of his time and the smartest southerner I know. But I let the sift be the judge of that.

>> ^spoco2:
Holy crap that is an amazing level of stupidity.
Such a hate filled women. Hate for people who are smarter than her. Hate for people who are different to her.
Wow.
Now, here's a question for the sift. Can someone point me to a video of someone speaking with that accent and saying something of intelligence? Because I can only think 'STUPID BIGOT!' whenever I hear that accent, and that can't be correct, there must be smart people in the areas that have that accent.

Ok I obviously can't show you a video as this man died before the invention of video but Mark Twain had a very thick southern accent but was one of the smartest men to ever be born in the south. Here's my proof.

All generalizations are false, including this one.
Mark Twain

A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.
Mark Twain

Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.
Mark Twain

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Mark Twain

Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.
Mark Twain

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
Mark Twain

I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell - you see, I have friends in both places.
Mark Twain

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
Mark Twain

It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.
Mark Twain

It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress.
Mark Twain

It is not best that we should all think alike; it is a difference of opinion that makes horse races.
Mark Twain

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
Mark Twain

Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.
Mark Twain

Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.
Mark Twain

Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
Mark Twain

The Christian's Bible is a drug store. Its contents remain the same, but the medical practice changes.
Mark Twain

The educated Southerner has no use for an 'R', except at the beginning of a word.
Mark Twain

The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.
Mark Twain

The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.
Mark Twain

There are times when one would like to hang the whole human race, and finish the farce.
Mark Twain

We Americans... bear the ark of liberties of the world.
Mark Twain

We have the best government that money can buy.
Mark Twain

What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin.
Mark Twain

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
Mark Twain

Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved.
Mark Twain

A man ahead of his time and the smartest southerner I know. But I let the sift be the judge of that.


>> ^spoco2:

Holy crap that is an amazing level of stupidity.
Such a hate filled women. Hate for people who are smarter than her. Hate for people who are different to her.
Wow.
Now, here's a question for the sift. Can someone point me to a video of someone speaking with that accent and saying something of intelligence? Because I can only think 'STUPID BIGOT!' whenever I hear that accent, and that can't be correct, there must be smart people in the areas that have that accent.

I love cats. It's the videos...

DFT wrote a tonque-in-cheek (I think) guide for cat videos in the cat puppet thread*, but I think it should be taken more seriously than it was meant. Cat videos of cats doing funny and interesting things are funny and interesting. "Look at this cat because it's a cat" videos are not.

Then again... I can somewhat relate to those who find any video with a cat in it worthy of an upvote and an "awwwwww". I'm a knife collector and there are gads of knife videos on YouTube that are nothing but other knife guys panning over their collections. I LOVE those videos. I think cat videos probably fall within a similar "to each his/her own" category, and I will no longer rip on them or downvote them.


*More accurately, the Sift Talk Blankfist sock puppet thread, not the cat in a sock video.

Buy the collectors blu-ray for the 'outtakes'.

I will say this though, since ME2 disappointed me, I haven't really followed ME3 at all so aside from watching the trailers...very little has been spoiled for me so maybe I'll actually get to be surprised.

I'm eager to play this, all I'm really saying is that ME2 left a sour note in my stomach because of how they made into more of a shooter and less of an RPG and the whole Collector plotline and the hybrid Reaper seemed dumb to me. I thought the mix of shooter/rpg they had in ME1 was perfect. Sure things needed to be tweaked, but not completely redesigned.

now that trailer has me at least a little bit excited for ME3

I gotta say it though, they really fucked up. ME1 was a hit, it was actually something unique. Then instead of improving on it, they turned ME2 into another chest-high cover shooter and instead of delving deeper into the Reaper Mythos, they distract us with the collectors which was a waste of time and now they're going to play catch up to finish the story

The Reapers are supposed to be this super hyper-advanced threat that has wiped out entire civilizations on multiple occasions, but simply because Shep gathers a big enough fleet that will magically take them down? Bull.

It's the same sad story I've heard countless times. They did it to the Borg. They created this insanely powerful enemy, but then realized, oops, we can't make them too powerful because then how will the good guys win? So then they proceed to dumb em down. They didn't learn their lesson and did the same thing with the Dominion, but that time they literally did do a Deus Ex Machina and had the prophets intervene to knock the Dominion down to a more manageable size. The Clans from Battletech was the same thing. They create a force with unbalanced technology so they have to dumb them down and make them act like idiots to balance it out.

I'm going to play this game and I'm sure im going to enjoy it, but still...it just really honks me off that they dumbed the game and the enemy down and meddled with something that was a hit

What I really wanted was a game similar to the whole Pool of Radiance trilogy back in the day where your characters really did truly continue from game to game and not start over like they do in ME.

its prity obvouse , the one things pirated content lacks is reliability and quality ( although often better than lagit stuff at the moment )

if publishers offer games music films as instant download load instant access on different pyament plans that span all media then they would make a total killing and allso remove the second hand market which is costing them way more than bloody general pirating.

for example I should be able to google a film and the top link should be to a websit for that film the website should allow me to

1) buy a phisical copy that comes with a poster and colector shit ( can be same price as blue ray now or more its a colecters edition for fans this would be the same for physical media companies would still make a killing of this as collectors and fans will still buy these for the physical item and promotions.

2) Allow me to instantly stream the film on-line for a set fee based on how old it is
under 3 months 5 USD for SD streem 7USD for HD/3D streem with ablity to watch it any time that week older than 3 months 3USD SD $5HD
Older than 6 months 1USD SD $3HD

3) have a subscription service for all films produced by all companies
£15 a month gets me full acess to all the above streeming and downloading and storing and play back on all platforms same time as they come out in cinema ( people go to the cinema because its the cinema/socail thing, not because of the film ( most people will watch films at home in the future)
£2.50 a month gets me full access to stream all films in SD and a discount on HD 1 off streems.

The whole point is that you make it conveant and price it so that everyone or each house gets it by default you allso link a socail aspect of it so people get there own account for the sake of comments and sharing stuff on face book , the social side is why multiple people in a single house would get it.

The real issue is about would you treat your own children in the same way.

Is it permissible to test a person by taking such extreme measures. Would such an experience be psychologically safe and beneficial for a child? Is it suitable to test adults in the same manner.

It's just not a valid comparison, JohnBrown. You can't draw an inference as to what you might do in comparison as to what God might do. God is a much different sort of parent, who has a much different role in a persons life than that of a custodial guardian. He handles issues of life *and* death. Humans obviously want to go through life with the least amount of suffering possible. That isn't always good for them, and as anyone knows, sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Obviously God knows what we can and cannot handle, and what is or isn't beneficial for us.


What led up to his actions and what followed his actions are all digressions and diversions from the actual action taken - this takes away from the action and the conclusions that must be drawn from them based on the knowledge we current have in regards child rearing. Today this activity would at the mildest be called bullying and intimidation and more precisely as a threat of murder. Today we know that type of practice is damaging to the human psyche, it distorts a persons reality and their ability to function affectingly within the community. Today we know that this type of activity breeds and embeds dysfunctionality deeply into the psyche of society.

I'm not sure how you feel you can apply principles of child rearing to God, who handles all of the myriad complexities of the world, and of our individual lives. Do these principles include how to prepare ones spirit for eternal life?

To carry out the same or similar acts towards children or other people is clearly seen as dangerous and harmful. The danger and harm is perpetuated through its having become a part of the biblical and therefore the core of Christian teaching.

Now you segue into this very different subject which is specifically predicated on your unbelief. First you're talking about God hypothetically committing immoral actions, and then when you feel you've established it, you turn the argument into a problem with Christianity itself. The problem is that you haven't established it, and your presupposition about God being compared to a human parent is false.

The basis of the Christian belief system that the beliefs in part or in whole must come before all else is the greatest impediment we face in regards an obvious to provide sound and effective safety and protection mechanism in place to safeguard children from exposure to such violent thinking - more so when it is supported by an entire religious and belief system.

If God exists, obviously God comes first. Just like you put your family first before other people. Yet, this isn't a selfish thing. If you put God first in your life you are more likely to love other people. These are the two greatest commandments:

1. Love the Lord thy God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your understanding.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus said that everything in the bible hinged on those two commandments. As you can see, God felt it was very important that we should love other human beings. This is hardly "violent thinking". Your problem, and the problem of every other atheist, is that in your desperate attempt to dismantle Christianity, you try to find something in the Old Testament to make your case, because it's quite obvious that Jesus taught us to be selfless, compassionate, and loving. You have no argument against verses like this:

Matthew 5:39-48

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

So you try to find difficult verses in the OT and completely ignore all of the obvious good in the NT. It really shows the weakness of your arguments.

We know today that if we want to develop our full potential that we should provide a safe and protective environment. Religion can never provide that whilst ever it preaches these types of dysfunctional practices as a core part of their religion for to do so is to once again put the rights of their belief before the rights and needs of their children.

Full potential? Christians live longer, and are happier and healthier than non-believers:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8480505/Faith-good-for-your-health.html

We're also far more likely to give to charity, and when we do, we give four times as much:

http://therooftopblog.wordpress.com/2006/12/01/christians-and-conservatives-give-more-to-charity-abc-says/

Parents can never become genuine advocates for children and their rights while ever they hold the right of their religion first and foremost as this act places the rights of their children on a lower level. This is more harmful to the child when the issue revolves around an act of abuse or the threat of such an act. Most religions stack such a bevy of fear and phobias onto their beliefs and subsequently onto their children to such an extent that what is in actual fact an abuse of the child's right to be free from the fears and phobias of other; that includes their own parents and whatever rights they perceive to belong to them.

Children's rights, their safety and protection can never be first and foremost in a religion; their rights will always be secondary to the religion and the perceived right of the parent.

Ridiculous, and unfounded. Putting God first means to obey His commands to love one another, and to see all people, children and adult, in the image of God. There is no connection between putting God first and abusing your kids. Some people may used a warped understanding of Christianity to mistreat their children, but that is possible for any belief system.

>> ^JohnBrown

I just got finished introducing a friend of mine to Cosmos; we watched the entire collector's edition DVD set I own. And every time I hear his unique voice, and his breathless passion for science, nature, the cosmos and our species I miss him just that much more.

>> ^AdrianBlack:

The drawer full of muppet eyes was my favorite part.


Yeah it's like he's a deranged collector of eyes...pretty cool.