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darth_ender

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Join date
26-Apr-2011
Last activity
13-Jul-2025
Posts
8,815

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Post
#554070
Topic
What do you LIKE about the EU?
Time

I recently purchased Allegiance but haven't had time to read it yet.  Let me know how good it is.

I wish I could remember the Hand of Thrawn duology better.  apparently the 11 or 12 years since I read it has been too long to remember.  I do know that I liked how he tried to correct a lot of things with the EU that I too felt were mishandled (Mara, resurrected Palpatine come to mind).

And I like a good game of MASH to wind down as well.  I always hope to get a mansion, drive a limo, and have 12 kids, but it doesn't always turn out that way. :)

Post
#554067
Topic
If you need to B*tch about something... this is the place
Time

^That is a good point.  That is the goal of terrorism, so in a sense this is indeed giving into their goals.  I will concede there.  That said, it doesn't make me paranoid of the government.  But again, it is a good point.

This raises an interesting question to me: why is it that liberals are generally more willing to trust governmental authority and management, but when it comes to security issues, the normally government opposed conservatives actually support the state's authority?  Considering Bingowings and FanFiltration are both liberals, perhaps you may know the answer to this.

 

As for you, Zig, I too am sorry to hear that.  Where did it get you?  Hopefully your sense of humor will not be impaired? :)

Post
#554051
Topic
If you need to B*tch about something... this is the place
Time

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be disagreeable.  I do think the above video misses the point and is delving into our submission to authority, which often does not involve snitching: see Milgram's experiment and the McDonald's scam mentioned in the video.  Perceived authority can often get away with ordering us to do something against our conscience, and this isn't a recent phenomenon, nor do I believe it is limited to our society.  On the other hand, an ad campaign to me simply encourages something that clearly some people won't take part in, but offers no mandate or reward, nor does it guarantee that anyone will actually get in any trouble.  I am willing to drop the subject if you want, but I want to pose a last pair of questions to those who disagree with me: if you see something that you suspect as potentially related to terrorism, even if being perpetrated by an Arab or a Muslim, would you report it?  If so, how does this ad disagree with your conscience?

Post
#554041
Topic
If you need to B*tch about something... this is the place
Time

Miscarriages of justice are unfortunately not uncommon, but if I thought I saw a woman being raped, a man being mugged, or anything even remotely suspicious, I still think a call to the bobbies would not be unjustified.

EDIT: Allow me to add, as it is probably more pertinent in your neck of the world anyway BW, that if the terrorists in question were white IRA fighters (an IRA faction, I know, since the mainstream branches have stopped the violent tactics), we would have no problem with this sort of ad campaign against them.  But since the predominant terrorists in the US are Middle Eastern, liberals immediately think, "Oh no! The evil whites are going to stereotype the minority group!"  I'm sure some will be racially motivated, but I think the majority are intelligent enough to report a white man buying bomb parts instead of the friendly Lebanese man who invited you over for a barbecue.

Post
#554036
Topic
If you need to B*tch about something... this is the place
Time

I see your point sirs, but I'm not yet prepared to let the Wookiee win.  The bystander effect is a genuine social psychological phenomenon and is probably more widespread, even in the post-9/11 world than you realize.  Moreover, I don't see this as anything like turning in your neighbor for politically disagreeing.  Even if someone calls in their neighbor for no reason other than being Middle Eastern, the police are not going to set up a stakeout.  The "informants" can be as paranoid as they want to be, but the police by law will keep a level head.  Overreaching on their part would send them on false trails anyway.  Again, I don't see this as any different than a neighborhood watch.

Post
#554001
Topic
Video Games - a general discussion thread
Time

While the image of WWI often relates to muddy trenches, illness, and crossing no man's land, there really was a great deal more to it than that.  Personally, I could see a great deal of fun in an RTS of this aspect (did you know that mining was a popular method in WWI, and the allies successfully sunk thousands of Germans in an instant by bombing underneath their trench once?).  But truly only the Western front experienced such stagnation.  The Eastern front was much more fluid, asymmetrical warfare took place in the Ottoman Empire, U-boat warfare covered the Mediterranean and Pacific, mountain warfare in Italy, fluidity in the Balkans...it really was more exciting than Hollywood has let on.  I also think a broad strategy game covering Europe and the Middle East could be rather interesting, even with difficult-to-break stalemates in some regions.

Post
#553979
Topic
If you need to B*tch about something... this is the place
Time

Well, some of it is indeed backed up, but the problem is this is a low budget company without spare computers, and I only have access to my personal computer right now, which does not have access to the server.  However, you are right that there are things I could have backed up there.  Good news is a coworker just barely offered to let me use her computer when she steps out for a couple of hours.

Post
#553977
Topic
Info & Ideas: ESB and ROTJ Wishlist
Time

The more and more I read this, the more and more I like the idea.  Still, like I said, nothing overbearing, but the Rebellion is a ragtag force, and they will scrounge what they can get.  It would be awesome to see little samplings from different parts of the PT throughout, but as mentioned, stripped down with chipping paint, etc.  As we mentioned before, maybe include some female pilots and redubbing the male dubbed female pilot.  Include the Sullustan, maybe other species and races (only one black pilot I noticed in the OT, just in time to get torched).  Maybe we could even have Ric Olie as an old man make a cameo!  Okay, maybe not, but I agree, the Battle of Endor should be crazy, and I personally hope Adywan does indeed include the Jerjerrod to vaporize Endor subplot, as it increases our anxiety for the final moment...hopefully someone will clean up these deleted scenes for him.

Post
#553596
Topic
Info Wanted: Which aliens/droids would you replace with Humans (or vice versa)?
Time

Agreed with all of the above.  Now that you mention it, the diversity does create a gap in relating and also in the feel between the two trilogies.  As I created the thread trying to tie the two closer together, simply replacing many of the aliens with humans would go a long way.

That said, I also agree that the difference between the trilogies makes sense, considering the xenophobic Empire (at least according to EU sources, but it makes sense).  There would be a lot of aliens in the Republic when contrasted with the Empire.  I always found the end of ROTS to be a little startling because we were supposed to see a transition from Republic to Empire, but it feels rather sudden when Vader and Palpatine are in their star destroyer staring at the Death Star under construction.  The ship design is all of the sudden familiar, but I never realized till reading this that the fact that there are only humans on board the ship also creates that same sense.  It really was too drastic.  Perhaps some hint at Palpatine's purging of aliens from the ranks would better serve the transition and better get the feel you are aiming for.

And with that, I agree with the last comment that his advisor should not be an alien given his apparent xenophobia.

Post
#553509
Topic
I was on a Jury yesterday
Time

Warbler said:

darth_ender said:

Looks like I'm getting some details wrong, but the online paper won't let me read the full articles, so I have to use this guy's relation of the story.  Not quite how I remember it, but I'll let you read it.  The second guy shot was Campas, the friend, if I remember correctly.  He did not die.  I don't think this was included in this link:

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=189441

the link tells a different story than what I originally thought.   There is an argument the first killing was self defense.   As for the 2nd, it is still unclear to me why the bullet in the 2nd victim wasn't  matched to the gun or the bullets in found in the first victim.

I was going by faulty memory.  I remember he was acquitted, but I had a hard time buying it at the time.

Post
#553498
Topic
General Star Wars <strong>Random Thoughts</strong> Thread
Time

CWBorne said:

Just finished the two radio adaptations of ESB and ROTJ. A bit disappointing as they do have nearly as much extra material as ANH. Still Empire is a bit better in terms of what they did add, as other than a cute cameo with Arica and some fun references to Shadows of the Empire, there's not much to Jedi, especially given that Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams aren't involved in it.  

Vader constantly having to provide exposition about actions is hilarious; you make a drinking game out of the number of times he narrates what he's going to do Luke next. 

 Yeah, Jedi adds very little.  It was completed 13 years after ESB radio drama.  Daley was actually dying as they were recording.  They held a party celebrating its completion, which he attended, and he died later that same day.  I suspect he didn't have the energy to expand upon it the way he had before.  I still enjoy it, but ANH is the best of the radio dramas.

Post
#553497
Topic
General Star Wars <strong>Random Thoughts</strong> Thread
Time

A parsec is 11 trillion kilometers.  The Maw black hole cluster is a mere 0.5 lightyears away from Kessel.  Assume its gravity is pulling at 299,792,458 meters per second squared.  From the Si'Klaata Cluster to Kessel it is usually an 18 parsec trip, following the course laid out below:

In order for the Millenium Falcon to make this run in 12 parsecs, how fast would it have to travel?

Post
#553490
Topic
I was on a Jury yesterday
Time

Looks like I'm getting some details wrong, but the online paper won't let me read the full articles, so I have to use this guy's relation of the story.  Not quite how I remember it, but I'll let you read it.  The second guy shot was Campas, the friend, if I remember correctly.  He did not die.  I don't think this was included in this link:

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=189441

As for your question, I guess I'd really have to sit on the jury and hear all the evidence, but even from what we glean in the deliberation, it seems pretty convincing to me.  I won't say yes absolutely simply because of my lack of information, but I believe if I'd been present I would have done so.

Post
#553481
Topic
When You Are a Movie/TV Character...
Time

Unless it's central to the plot, your woman will never get pregnant no matter how often you have relations.

You see non-committal sex as a diversionary sport while saying "I love you" is rounding third base.

Hacker computer programs have visually exciting GUIs and make fun little sounds to indicate they are breaking into the desired computer.

Your fellow male characters may or may not be attractive.

Your fellow female characters are always attractive and underweight.

Your group of three leads includes one female and one black person.

You are an American patriot willing to sacrifice your life and shoots lots of baddies to save the day, while a famous Hollywood personality who looks exactly like you hates America and thinks even water pistols are evil.

Your unnatural accent comes and goes.

Every time your buddy gets shot in the chest, it only dazes him for a moment until he gets his second, third and fourth wind.  He gets even more angry and will take out a few more bad guys before he finally goes down.

Several people will gladly risk their lives, many of them dying, in order to save your life.

That nerdy girl always looks incredibly attractive once she takes off her glasses and does her hair differently.

If you are a lawyer, you never trip over your words but rather argue your case with supreme eloquence and emotion.

All the high school students look like they're in their early 20s.

Broken windows never cut you.

Your significant other breaks up with you just before the sequel begins.

Your advanced electronic items have lots of lights that simply blink but don't do anything.

Bullets miss you, but always ricochet off of something near you, even if it is something small and far harder to hit like a flagpole or railing on a catwalk.

You groan and whine when a woman puts warm soapy water on that huge open wound that hardly fazed you when you received it.

Post
#553452
Topic
Was Tarkin the main villain in Star Wars?
Time

I think Anchorhead should start a website called www.originalstarwars77withaspectsoftheempirestrikesbackallowedbutverylittlereturnofthejedi.com.  He could then have a subsection that allows for Zahn EU :)

He does always provide good insight, I must agree.  I think it's interesting that Tarkin's role is not really replaced in ESB (the Emperor and his influence are present, but really Vader is the scary baddie in this movie).  However, Boba Fett's frief appearances are in a similar vein, as Fett shows no fear when addressing or being addressed by Vader.

Unlike many on this site, I really enjoy ROTJ, but I do wish Vader were still a stronger character.  He starts out tough when addressing Jerjerrod, but Palpatine comes and it's sissy Vader from then on.  I wish we could see the defiant Dark Lord who was secretly willing to overthrow the Emperor or something.  I guess that would give away the power of the moment when he hurls Palps down the shaft, but still, I just wish he were a tougher guy, and for that reason I actually wouldn't mind seeing the choking Jerjerrod scene reincorporated.

I like movies that show multiple villains with different roles.  I like the trio in Raiders of the Lost Ark.