^Really?!You lucky bastard, that would be almost impossible now. Ever since I finished watching the series I haven't been able to put the books down, there's honestly never a dull moment. Each chapter's as exciting as the next.

If you ask me GRRM's almost as wicked as he is brilliant, I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that no character is safe, though if I had to bank on anyone surviving, It'd probably be Varys.

Halfway through Clash of Kings now and I would strongly recommend reading them..

ALL OF THEM, that includes the first. Even if you've watched the series.

Indeed long live the Clash. My #1 music muse will always be Joe Strummer, followed by Lennon and McCartney. I was playing Supertramp's 8 minute long dirges on the piano back in 1980 until I heard London Calling and it totally energized me.

I saw the Clash at the infamous Bonds shows in June 1981 in Times Square, with Topper on drums. Hard to believe that was 30 years ago.

The Clash was one of the best bands that came out of the 70's. They made a difference.
Joe Strummer and Mick Jones were musical geniuses. They made great music on their own as well.
Every time i hear Johnny Appleseed i cant help but smile. Long live THE CLASH!

PS. I just searched for Johnny Appleseed on the sift and it's not there. Soon to rectified.

Manufactured clash of civilizations.

>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:

I think GoT would make a great and deep strategy game. In addition to battles, you'd also have to make negotiations with other lords in order to increase troop levels. You could cut off supply lines and watch public support for your opponents plummet. You'd also have to take care to be merciful and not cut off too many heads, lest you lose support among your bannermen. Strategic Alliances. Spies. Scouts. Assassinations. And of course random encounters with the Others (white walkers).
BTW, the books are awesome. I'm halfway through Clash of Kings right now. Time to read some more.


There's both a strategy game and an RPG currently in development by Cyanide Studios.

I think GoT would make a great and deep strategy game. In addition to battles, you'd also have to make negotiations with other lords in order to increase troop levels. You could cut off supply lines and watch public support for your opponents plummet. You'd also have to take care to be merciful and not cut off too many heads, lest you lose support among your bannermen. Strategic Alliances. Spies. Scouts. Assassinations. And of course random encounters with the Others (white walkers).

BTW, the books are awesome. I'm halfway through Clash of Kings right now. Time to read some more.

>> ^shinyblurry:

An open mind is a saving grace if you use it to follow the evidence. I believe that the truth is accessible on all levels to all people, if they subliminate their need to be right and follow it where ever it may lead. One thing leads to another..
>> ^Drax:
@shinyblurry I don't see that particular claim made by myself, actually. I have my own opinions and beliefs on most things, but I generally acknowledge that anything's possible.



I come to conclusions of my own about many things, mostly I never come to a dead end however.. There's always the possibility the road continues on, but that's another point all together. The thing is I rarely, if ever, will agree that there is absolutely no chance that I'm wrong on anything.

Just like, there's a chance all of reality is actually a dream of a celestial penguin (that would so rock), and I'm some sort of residual self-image of the penguin within that dream. I don't think that's true at all, but anything is possible (For the record - I give that one about the same odds as most of your beliefs).

And that's why I, at least, clash with you.. I don't have a problem with your beliefs, I respect your right to have them (as long as it doesn't cause others harm <- general rule).. I dislike that it seems you don't believe there's *any* chance that your strong views may be wrong. And you really really like to remind us all here of that.
I guess that's just how it's going to be though, but hey.. I keep an open mind about it. : )

(note: And I'm dead serious.. this is not in any way meant to imply I think you're unwelcome on the Sift. One, that's not my.. or pretty much anyone's call to make unless you do something wrong here.. and two, the more interesting people here the better, imo)

I wish this was longer. I always enjoy exploring culture clash.

I think they were trying too hard with the jug of tea, though. There are far better examples of needlessly large containers around here.

If I think of anything I'll let you know. I only just got into the books on a recommendation from a friend, then a couple of weeks later they announced the tv series. I've only managed to get to book 3 so far, cos I don't have much spare time to read nowadays. Clash of Kings is absolutely amazing, you'll love it!

In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
I also just jumped on the Game of Thrones bandwagon. I'm so into it that I had to pick up the books as well - just finishing the first. You like all the stuff I like but way before I discover it. Any tips on what I should be watching/listening right now?

In reply to this comment by alien_concept:
I'm so glad they've cracked it over there, their album is sublime! Now just on tenterhooks for their second, but they're still touring 2 years later, grrr. Thanks so much DFT :

In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
This beautiful album has become a part of my summer soundtrack in the Northern Rockies. *promote

>> ^spoco2:

I'm really not a fan of her. I've seen her essentially do this schtick a couple of times and it just shows contempt for women, contempt for men and a generally horrible outlook on life.
She goes on and on about how fake makeup is and dressing in a sexual manner.
And yet she always wears makeup and is a model.
So... you know.


Yeah, her contempt for objectification does sort of clash with her chosen profession of being an object. There's no sarcasm or parody detectable in her photospreads, they're indistinguishable from any other young model who's trying to look like a piece of meat.

Still, these are quite funny and perceptive. I think she's doing more good with these videos than she is doing harm with her generic bimbo photoshoots.

>> ^Xax:

Yes.
How is this even a question?
And of course these police officers are being threatened as a result of this insanity. How else should one treat an enemy? Citizens should not put up with this eradication of freedom, and should do everything necessary to fight bondage and enslavement.
The police are supposed to protect citizens. Who protects citizens against the police when they do the opposite?


You ask, "How else should one treat the enemy?" Erm, maybe like Martin Luther King Jr did? Or Gandhi. Or others who show love instead of hate and who affect change.

Hate can solve problems... But more often it only creates more problems. And to further my point; some cops think exactly like you do Xax, and so the two sides will clash with equal motives and morality.

But your kind of road-rage=like response is hardly new or unique. Muslims use it. Dictators, neighbors, brothers, sisters, cops, drivers, society, they all use it... and so we have our fucked up world.

I get what you're saying Xax, but you note the problem yourself--insanity. Which side will bring the sanity back? Not the cop lovers, and not the cop haters...

And to answer the question of who protects citizens from the police; citizens do. They create the atmosphere of respect or hate, and they BECOME the police; so yeah, they do. I am sure if you were to become an officer, i.e., use the greatest means you have to make change, you could affect things for the positive. But you probably would never do that, become a police officer and make positive changes, I am assuming. You and I are a lot alike in that part--we talk, but we won't walk.

The base score. Pedestrians are 10 points.

Bicycles +25 points. In spandex +30 points. Hipster on a bicycles +100 points and several free rounds of drinks at the local bar

Babies: triple score

Crippled babies: quadruple score

Toddlers: double score

Chavs(England)/Wiggers(U.S.A): +5 points, additional +3 for each piece of sterotypical clothing.

Old People: double score (Zimmer frame +10, Wheelchair +8, Flat cap and/or pipe +12, Generally funny-looking +10)

Clowns: +8 points, additional +3 for unicycle.

Mimes: +26 points

Hikers: double score

People who don't look before they cross: +5 points

People who can't tell the difference between a road and a footpath: +7 points

Roadworkers: +5 points for each man 'supervising', +20 points for the one man actually working.

Walking a pet: +1 point

French-speaking: +5 points

Non-natively French-speaking: additional +10 points

Looks like Charlie sheen: +5 points

Is Charlie sheen: +60 points and a pat on the back and maybe a book deal.

Wearing bright/clashing colours: +5 points

Carrying shopping bags: +N points, where N is the number of meters the bags travelled.

If that's the case, then there's no point continuing this conversation

okie dokie
>> ^messenger:
@<A rel="nofollow" class=profilelink title="member since January 21st, 2011" href="http://videosift.com/member/shinyblurry">shinyblurry
If that's the case, then there's no point continuing this conversation. As a bible literalist, you decided before the conversation began what your belief was going to be at the end, so this is not really a meeting of intellects --both open to new ideas-- but a clash of one such intellect versus a skilled defender of tautological dogma, which, sadly, is unresolvable because such dogma, by its own definition, cannot be challenged from within. The fact that you say you derive your faith in the word of God from the word of God itself is exactly what I mean.
You say that if someone truly tries to reach God, he will. That's true in that person's mind. It's also true that if you really try to reach faith in the Jewish version of God, or try to find "true connection with the universe," or go on a spirit walk with peyote to find your spirit guide animal, or meditate on a fire until you begin to see the God within it, and do so with a sincere heart, you will be able to succeed in any of those things. The only question is, do you feel more kinship with Christians or Jews or hippies or Native Indians or stoned camper? That will determine which way you feel most comfortable accessing the same experience of connection with a higher power.
So while you're seeking the truth, consider that the way you found your good spiritual feeling isn't unique to the Church -- that's just where you happened to find yours first.
And finally, you really don't understand science if you don't think evolution is a scientific theory. Any theory that is arrived at through following science is a scientific theory. That's a definition. The only reason atheists (I'm using the term broadly here) seem to care about that particular theory is that we noticed Christians were attacking it. The only reasons Christians were attacking it and not any other scientific theories is simply because it exposes a flaw with your faith's creation myth, which has dire implications for the rest of the stories in that book.
Peace.

@shinyblurry
If that's the case, then there's no point continuing this conversation. As a bible literalist, you decided before the conversation began what your belief was going to be at the end, so this is not really a meeting of intellects --both open to new ideas-- but a clash of one such intellect versus a skilled defender of tautological dogma, which, sadly, is unresolvable because such dogma, by its own definition, cannot be challenged from within. The fact that you say you derive your faith in the word of God from the word of God itself is exactly what I mean.

You say that if someone truly tries to reach God, he will. That's true in that person's mind. It's also true that if you really try to reach faith in the Jewish version of God, or try to find "true connection with the universe," or go on a spirit walk with peyote to find your spirit guide animal, or meditate on a fire until you begin to see the God within it, and do so with a sincere heart, you will be able to succeed in any of those things. The only question is, do you feel more kinship with Christians or Jews or hippies or Native Indians or stoned camper? That will determine which way you feel most comfortable accessing the same experience of connection with a higher power.

So while you're seeking the truth, consider that the way you found your good spiritual feeling isn't unique to the Church -- that's just where you happened to find yours first.

And finally, you really don't understand science if you don't think evolution is a scientific theory. Any theory that is arrived at through following science is a scientific theory. That's a definition. The only reason atheists (I'm using the term broadly here) seem to care about that particular theory is that we noticed Christians were attacking it. The only reasons Christians were attacking it and not any other scientific theories is simply because it exposes a flaw with your faith's creation myth, which has dire implications for the rest of the stories in that book.

Peace.

The base score. Pedestrians are 10 points.

Bicycles +25 points. In spandex +30 points. Hipster on a bicycles +100 points and several free rounds of drinks at the local bar.

Babies: triple score

Crippled babies: quadruple score

Toddlers: double score

Chavs(England)/Wiggers(U.S.A): +5 points, additional +3 for each piece of sterotypical clothing.

Old People: double score (Zimmer frame +10, Wheelchair +8, Flat cap and/or pipe +12, Generally funny-looking +10)

Clowns: +8 points, additional +3 for unicycle.

Mimes: +26 points

Hikers: double score

People who don't look before they cross: +5 points

People who can't tell the difference between a road and a footpath: +7 points

Roadworkers: +5 points for each man 'supervising', +20 points for the one man actually working.

Walking a pet: +1 point

French-speaking: +5 points

Non-natively French-speaking: additional +10 points

Looks like Scott Bakula: +5 points

Is Scott Bakula: +60 points and a pat on the back

Wearing bright/clashing colours: +5 points

Carrying shopping bags: +N points, where N is the number of meters the bags travelled.