Patricius Maximus

STR AND A VOTE ON THE IAPP REPLIES: deathtopumpkins: I'm nervous, too. A severe understatement? Perhaps. Ntq$310: 1) A lot of Assemblymen are saying that exact same thing. 2) A hotel in the works... interesting. TimeMaster: Three medium banks? You may have some companies that want to sell them to you. ComputerGuy: I'll be looking forward to your PM. Simsamerica: An interesting proposal. I shall consider it. In the Franklin Assembly, the vote finally came on the IAPP plan, and.... ....it was voted down in the Assembly by an overwhelming margin. Some economists expected something like the 777 point decline in the US market, but curiously, the FCSE Composite immediately had a record 1000+ point rally: Most market analysts think it was caused by the Franklinite stock traders having different sentiments than the US traders, including a stronger capitalist streak. Where the FCSE will go from here is anyone's guess. Meanwhile, I have taken advantage of an opportunity at 3RR to download the STR, FARR, et cetera, and have reconfigured a section of the East Valley Railroad with the Single Track Rail (STR). Here's the beginning in Hanging Cliff: Here's the lower end of the hairpin turn: And the STR winding up: Lastly, here is some smooth curved STR pieces, which look great in their environment: DTP once said that the STR would look great in Franklin. I can confirm this. Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

Yes, it is. Just look at it, and you'll see how it can be compacted.

I wish I had that. Although, according to Tarkus, I'll have it "imminently".

As of now, Update 48 of the Patrician Showcase has been postponed until the release of RHW 3.0. The rationale for this comes from a post in the RHW thread posted by Haljackey: True, nothing major has been reported. RHW 3.0 is currently going through a final "Stress-Test" to make sure every component is accounted for, functioning properly, and looks as it should. There have been some issues with the preview model of a puzzle piece before you plop it for some puzzle pieces, but is being fixed now if it has not already. The finish line is in site. It won't be long now .quote> I'm not a NAM Associate like him, but a final test should not take more than 5 days, and at that time a transit revolution may sweep Patian County. That is the reason I'm postponing the next update. When that comes, there will be a series detailing the transformation of the highway system for the better. - Patricius Maximus

Interesting. I have apparently got a message from Big Brother saying that this is not the future. Well, if not the future, then an alternate timeline to 1984. As Minitrue says: Who controls the past controls the future; Who controls the present controls the past

THE IAPP COMES REPLIES: Simsamerica: You were outbidded. Your business sounds interesting. Although, what land are you referring to when you say "both lands"? ComputerGuy: Thanks for your bid. Simsamerica: Again, thanks, but you were outbidded once again. ComputerGuy: 2.9 billion? Still, it is valid. Simsamerica: I'll see what I can do with the Super 8... Ntq$310: Interesting. Your concerns will be noted. kj3400: Plus 1? Thanks for your bid. deathtopumpkins: VO getting into the market? Fascinating. ComputerGuy: I'm not sure about the amount, but you did bid highest. The property is yours. What do you wish done with it? ecoba: That is not for sale. astronelson: Again, it is not for sale. Tomasneto: Thank you. Patricius Maximus: Thanks for pointing that out . qinbenjiaren: I'm glad you do. Before I reveal what the IAPP is, here is a chart of the FCSE Composite Index for 2008: Before the latest slump, the year had a small gain, but not anymore. In 2008, the FCSE lost 393 points, or 2.8 percent, after reaching a record high in the third quarter. Here it is so far for 2009: Not too good. Meanwhile, in the Franklin Assembly, an assemblyman from Central Franklin has proposed a massive program -- the IAPP (Illiquid Asset Purchase Program). The basic idea behind it is the same as the original TARP -- to get illiquid assets out of the banks so their confidence will return. The program is estimated to cost 100 billion AFD for the Franklinite illiquid assets. The plan has encountered fierce and spirited opposition in the Assembly, and the citizens of his district are now circulating a recall petition. The legislation, however, still has to be put up for a vote, which will come on Monday. The stock market is on edge. Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

Friendly wager, anyone, as to when that date will be?quote> No wager, but I know the date: 2009-0x-xx.

I have to interject here, even if it is unconventional. The only land you can bid on is the Red Roof Inn property. No other offers will be accepted as valid.

This is a very smart move by the Chinese. They need to get an absolutely massive oil reserve when it's cheap. When the institutions and commodities traders get over their demand destruction panic, the price of oil is going to shoot up like a nuclear missile back to $100, and then $150. Actually, an oil price in the range of $90 to $140 a barrel is good, as this spurs alternative energy projects, and does not disrupt the economy much. I'd get nervous if it goes above $160. I read somewhere that a price of $188 and up will produce major problems in the economy. But back on topic, smart move. It exemplifies a stock market guideline -- buy low, sell high. - Patricius Maximus

Roflmao. You are comparing BUSH to HITLER? Haha. I was just doing research on Hitler, and trying to gain more knowledge of WWII, because I'm the kinda guy that doesn't mind to learn about this stuff. Comparing Bush to Hitler is like comparing cement to a rubber tire. Only thing they've barely got in common is they have led something big.quote> Well, I know that Bush and Hitler do have a lot of differences (but also a few similarities), and I'm not saying that Bush is another Hitler. I was just pointing out that even the worst leaders have a few positive attributes, so it is nothing to be surprised about.

Here is how things work: - Dirk posts the rules. (Up top where it says "Forum Rules New") - Dirk doesn't have to justify anything. This is his sandbox.. Fortunately, he isn't arbitrary about things. This rule was discussed in detail amongst the staff. The rules, as posted, are the results. - The staff enforces the rules, explaining any confusing points along the way.quote> Yes, fortunately this is a benevolent dirktatorship.

Incorrect. The last period of significant prosperity took place during the tech bubble occurring from 1995-2001. Didn't require a recession either.quote> I'm not counting the smaller recessions, like the one in 1991. So, not counting that, it happened from 1982 to 2001. It's a different world from then. The average American is not a construction worker anymore. It'd be better than nothing, but what would be better than sending everyone off to learn a new trade is to keep them in the one they already know. It's less productivity loss.quote> Even then the average American was not a construction worker. These people who work in inefficient companies would be better off working for an efficient producer in the same trade, since then they would have better opportunity for career advancement with a growing company, than with a shrinking one. Yes, they may be unemployed for some time. In that event them being construction workers would be the best option (i.e. better than nothing). I'm not aware of the existence of an organized bank run anywhere in the history of mankind. I'm not going to say it hasn't happened, but it is an oxymoron. The whole premise behind a bank run is irrational panic, and that's not going to be organized.quote> What about IndyMac or WaMu? You cannot deny that these runs were more organized than the ones in the 1930's. According to that definition of a depression, it's only a matter of time before your hypothetical recession turns into an eventual depression. Not figuring in the fact that I am unaware of any recession in this country's recent history that last ten to fifteen years.quote> Yes, it would. But it would still be a slow, agonizing decline. Basically, it boils down to a matter of how do you like to reach economic failure - fast and hard or short and slow. Short and slow is a lot easier for most people to cope with.quote> That is precisely the point of the question. Would you prefer to hit rock bottom fast and get it done with, or draw it out and have it linger for years and years? Yes, short and slow is a lot easier for people to cope with. But no major recession has been short and slow. Again - exponential decay - the more that leave, the more and harder it hurts. I'll provide a couple of real life examples that took place within the last decade (I believe). Service Merchandise and Montgomery Ward were two well-known department stores in their prime. Over time they became inefficient, out of touch with their customer base, and were forced to close their doors. When both of them closed, their workers were screwed. The point though is that the market was able to move on easily because they closed separately and spaced out. Imagine what would happen if all of the mall anchor department stores closed all at once. The economy would be hurt A LOT harder. It can smooth things over if a store closes every so often. It can't do that if the industry just dies right then and there.quote> Exponential decay hits harder and faster, and gets it over with. What would happen if all the mall anchor stores closed? That is unlikely to happen, but in that event, it would shake up the economy a lot, and after the short term, provide fertile ground for new retailers. As to how I would prefer my recession - how about option C - short and shallow. Before I go answering that, I'd like to see a case in the US's history where we had a long, shallow decline in GDP for something like ten years. Then I'll talk about which I'd rather have.quote> Option C is not an option in that hypothetical question. There is no example in US history, but there are a few times across the world where that has happened. You still have not answered the question. I beg to differ. Find an American under 35 with a mortgage on a house and I'll show you an American who probably can't pay their debts off immediately.quote> I am talking about making a monthly payment, not paying them all off immediately. If they can make their monthly payment, then they are practically fine, technically not fine. Also, I bet you can find plenty of people over 35 that cannot pay off their debts immediately. It is not just a phonomenon of young people. Small corrections aren't a bad thing - even if they take a few years. Those need to happen. It's steep ones that need to be watched like a hawk.quote> I wouldn't expect you to be scared of them, as they are but dents in the bull market that they wish to perpetuate. I could be wrong, but that's relying on data that doesn't exist. My statement is based off of past history, and the understanding of industrial start-up costs. It's a known fact among economists that the reason why the auto industry doesn't have any new, thriving upstarts in it is because of the sheer quantities of money that takes to do.quote> I could be wrong as well, but you cannot deny that there are auto upstarts, however successful they are at present. The question is - how long? There's not a fixed amount, but eventually you reach a point where if the economy doesn't rebound, it won't.quote> If the economy does not and will not rebound, then you are putting politics and revolution into the mix. I don't want to go there, as that is not in the scope of this topic. Again, perception is more important than reality. As long as they feel there is a need to panic, they will regardless of whether or not they actually need to.quote> Precisely what I said. They stop panicing when they wish to stop, when they feel that it should stop. But it does stop. This is not the same as the Great Depression. Still, the economy capitulated, and turned around, did it not?quote> At what cost? Many people were ruined.quote> If no one is ruined, it does not deserve to be called a depression. It is like natural selection -- the best survive, the worst fail. If an economy does not operate that way, it is not capitalist. Would you mind naming a few? I'd have an easier time believing this. Amtrak doesn't count though because that's the government feeling sorry for killing the railroad industry after WWII and they've been bailing them out for quite some time.quote> How about every single troubled company since Lehman went bankrupt? That counts as a habit that is starting. More than 7 trillion dollars have been spent, and nothing has changed. Amtrak does not count because it was created by the government, and even though it's a GSE, it is still a quasi-governmental entity. Change can do all sorts of things. The only thing change equals is a different way of doing things. It's shooting blindly into the dark. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you don't.quote> Change is often not shooting in the dark, as it is sometimes calculated. But when we do get lucky, the change does equal prosperity. If we get unlucky, it does not. Actually, when you figure in the difference in inflation between 125 billion in the Great Depression and inflation now, that 125 billion suddenly becomes about 2 trillion dollars. quote> You said in your post that that figure was inflation adjusted. Don't adjust it twice to inflate your figures and boost your argument. Well it can be short and shallow. Let's say hypothetically that the American automakers had gone bankrupt 10 years ago. By now, the market would have shifted to other industries and we wouldn't have to worry about bailing them out, so the money could have gone to something else, helping this reccession to be shorter and shallower. Let's say now that they do get bailed out and saved. What happens in the next reccession? They'd probably have to be bailed out again. How much will it cost? How much deeper and longer would that reccession be?quote> I do agree with you on that point, but short and shallow is not an option in that hypothetical question. Keep in mind it is hypothetical. Well if you want them to be short and shallow, governments can't protect innefficient industries. quote> You really hit it. When companies that are failing are bailed out, they will limp along like a dying elephant, dragging the economy with them, and drawing out the recession to a long, agonizing ordeal. This is one of the few times were I say the government is needed. Ensuring there is sufficient competition is vital to preventing oligopolies and monopolies. A bailout does however give an artificial advantage to the automakers and makes it harder for say, Toyota, to get into the US market, meaniong less competition.quote> Well, yes. That is regulation which benefits the people. I'd be in support of this idea. Ill have to disagree with Patricius on this one. The US government has'nt yet started a habit of bailouts. In the past, it has protected its producers from free trade which was a bad choice, as we know de-regulation is good for an economy overall (happened in Australia. Please don't tell me you think all de-regulation is only bad). But I don't think it has removed trade barriers and this whole bailout thing only worsens the trap its getting itself into. Too much government regulation can be very disastrous for an economy.quote> Well, deregulation can be disastrous for an economy as well. It is my opinion that the Bush deregulation enabled the mortgage mess to get out of control, thus starting this recession. Not all deregulation is bad. Regulations that benefit corporations and not the people should be removed as a rule of thumb. Just as regulations that help the people and, by extension, all parties involved should be implemented. This is my dividing line between "good" and "bad" regulation. Good regulation benefits the economy. Bad regulation stifles it. The only regulation that I really agree with are ones concerning waorking conditions for employees because obviously we don't all want to be in third world countries. But protecting fat wealthy businessessmen who have made poor choices in businessess that have failed, whilst others who have better entrepruenerial skills don't get a chance is just wrong, both economically and socially.quote> That goes with my previous comments.

I'm not surprised he did something positive every now and then. Even Hitler had a few positive attributes, as did all of history's worst leaders. Bush is no exception.

DALTON EXPANDS AND A MAJOR CLOSING REPLIES: sim_link: Thanks for your comments. Ntq$310: It sure does. Archean: Thanks. Actually, Franklin's primary focus is on Franklin, although other city-states can be featured as secondary focuses. astronelson: I'm glad I clarified that. Yes, Agonus is in the Outer Solar System, in the Kuiper Gap, and is actually the cause of that gap. deathtopumpkins: Thanks for mentioning the 10000 views milestone. Yes, some of the other states may, and probably will, be featured in future updates. It is only a matter of time. ComputerGuy: Yes, the world map is the Blank Map v4, and the other maps have the same color scheme. psander5: 1) Great. It will certainly be useful in the Fifth AFDES Summit. 2) When such an elevator is completed, it will certainly be utilized by the Agonite mining system. 3) It is estimated (preliminarily) that Agonite fusion has rough parity with aneutronic fusion reactors. sedimenjerry: You were closer than Astronelson, but still off. crazyarchitect: Still off, but now you know. makro.elektro: Thanks. I'm sorry, I cannot send you my plugins, and even if I wanted to, it would be impractical, as my plugins folder is >600 MB. Remember Dalton Enterprises? The rival to Franklin Energy? Well, the company is gaining a larger market share of the Franklinite power grid with their new solar panel array in East Valley: The other big piece of news is major. Despite their best efforts to appeal to consumers, Red Roof Inn's hotel at Hanging Cliff has continued to take a loss, and they have made the decision to close it down, and sell it to the highest bidder. This is major news because the hotel provides jobs to Hanging Cliff residents, and gives LIH a monopoly on hotels in Franklin County. Who will buy it is still undetermined, but rumors have it that Dalton Enterprises and Franklin Energy are potential bidders. Any Franklin viewer who wishes to fictionally buy the land can post their bid in a reply. Bids must be in the AFDES currency (AFD). In the next update, we will see another major event in the Franklin Assembly, and the stock market. Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

OK, wait a second. We look at the picture of a command console area that has easily $50K worth of computing equipment in it all spent on a hobby (something we can see) and can't assume that this guy has much of a social life, but we can assume that, from looking at the same $50K worth of stuff that he must obviously have surge protectors, even though we can't see them, because he'd be stupid not to? That doesn't even make sense. Anyway, the point is - we can't see from the picture whether or not he has a social life, and we can't see from the picture whether or not he has surge protectors (believe me, I looked and I couldn't find any). How is it, logically speaking, incorrect to assume he has no social life but correct to assume that he has a surge protector? We have no hard evidence of either. Saying that he'd be stupid not to have them doesn't work either because most people would consider him stupid for even having that much stuff for WoW.quote> Alright, I do admit my surge protector statement did have a ring of hypocrisy, but it would be logical for him to have surge protectors with that much equipment. What I really want to know is how much it costs him to keep that cool. You know that many computers have to be hot. Heck, my laptop alone puts out enough heat to soften hard candy in a few minutes. quote> If his computers do emit heated air (which they probably do), then the area would either be very hot, or he would have a big air conditioning bill in the Summer. Of course, with so many machines, he could have a mechanism to cool the air coming out of the fans, or to channelize it somehow. I don't know, I'm just guessing.

What makes you think I should respect anyone's craziness just because they're "a fellow gamer"? Half the internet is made up of "fellow gamers", and most of them barely deserve human rights, let alone objective respect.quote> Well, you can choose whether or not to respect him, but barely deserving human rights? What standards do you use to determine deserving of rights? What is the use of using the term human rights if some humans do not deserve them? You are completely correct in pointing out that every niche hobby can look silly to outsiders, while making sense to insiders, but that doesn't mean that pointing and laughing at extremists is wrong. And someone who spends just shy of $6000 a year on a single silly game is most definitely at the extreme end of the spectrum.quote> Laughing at extremists? If I were one, I would consider that a direct insult. Patricus Maximus: That's his mugshot...he's a convicted nerd.quote> Even if it is a joke, I consiser it an insult to nerds everywhere to insiuate that the government should round up, convict, and take mugshots of nerds. It's sad, this guy doesn't seem to know what lies outside his parents' basement...I mean, his gaming complex.quote> That cannot be determined. If he doesn't have his computers and equipment connected to surge protectors, then one lightning storm could put him out of business. How would he live then?quote> Obviously he does have surge protectors. He'd be stupid to not have them. MCSE= Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. Starting salary for an MCSE who has completed all seven certification tests at 100$ each (pass or fail, it still costs 100$ per exam) is between $40k-100k per year. If he's any good, he's probably making twice that.quote> Thanks for pointing this out. Possibly the perception will change so you people will not hurl nonstop insults at the man. Lol. Imagine if one of those wires just fell out of a socket causing all the computers to turn off. Then you would have to spend like 6 hours trying to find which wire fell out through that huge tanglequote> I consider that funny, as sometimes I've done that same thing with a tangle of wires.

While it is somewhat chilling, you write well. Your Martian city is nice, as is your Big Brother poster (well, not nice, but you know what I mean ). Is this supposed to be an alternate timeline to 1984 in which that variety of totalitarian rule arose on Mars in the future? Interesting. I will be watching this.

SOUTH LAKEFRONT REPLIES: deathtopumpkins: I can't either. astronelson: I'm sure as well. ComputerGuy: I know, I know. SirUnger: Thanks. kj3400: Well, I rather like the design as well. What I want to get rid of are the convoluted OWR network, and replace it with a 'cleaner' RHW network. The basic structure of the interchange will remain the same. This week there will be two updates detailing South Lakefront. This one will be the first, and will feature the interchanges being constructed. First, an orientation. South Lakefront is the unoccupied area south of the small lake: Near the center of Lakefront, a modified cloverstack interchange provides access between two major freeways: Beautification will be added by the next update. Northbound, an extensive network of C/D roads and underpasses prevent weaving, and the freeway winds westwad: Then it makes a large curve and turns to the north, where it merges with the freeway shown in "Lakefront Revealed": Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

That's great news. Everything must be done to expedite 3.0's best possible release. I plan on a special update in both of my CJ's myself .

Well, actually the Theory of Evolution is not a fact -- it is a theory, which explains the facts, and whose predicted effects have all been observed. The "fact" of evolution is the observations and data which the theory explains and connects. A theory can be "proven" if it works under all known conditions and circumstances. Such as the planets of our system orbiting the Sun. It has never been directly observed, but the evidence is wholly in favor of the theory, so it is "proven", in the common sense of the word. If the observations and evidence change, so does the theory. That is one of the defining marks of Science as compared with religion.

Even though I do not live in Oregon, I get waves of chills up my spine at the very thought of having the government monitoring my car every second of every day and where it is going. I can just see now the rampant abuses of this power by the government, and not just monitoring. This should not be implemented, whatever the monetary gain is. I agree with Hym's idea to implement this tax -- simply get all the cars in one place annually, and read the odometers. It would be cheaper to implement, not violate privacy rights, and it could be part of the same trip to register liscense plates, thus saving time for car owners. Of course, I think this tax is a bad idea, because the alternative would have a benefit. Raise the gas tax to the level needed to finance the state. Not only would it pull in money, but higher gas prices would speed up the development of alternative energy and reduce oil consumption.

Just wanted to say there are some interesting stories here. I've enjoyed reading them. I told my mom that forcing religion on me a violation of my first amendment. She rebutted saying that at 13 those rights aren't mines yet || But they actually are.quote> Sounds like my grandmother, an explicit ageist. I won't get into details, but rights do not have an age attached to them, they belong to every person.

Nice.

Ah, I'm glad we're having a discussion about the evolution of the English language. The "like" phonomenon? I never use it in that context myself. In my experience, it is not common, but not uncommon either.

ORIENTATION AND FRANKLINITE CARTOGRAPHY REPLIES: deathtopumpkins: Better? Possibly. Ntq$310: The Franklinite Assembly is monitoring the situation, and considering new legislation. Simsamerica: Then welcome back. rjkrox: Ah, the good old days. We may see some more of that. IsaacTham: Happy New Year. ecoba: I'm glad you came out and commented. About the speed limits, we are discussing voluntary AFDES standards for speed limits. If settled upon, Franklin will adopt them. As it stands now, the speed limit on the hairpin turn (the only dangerous area) is currently 45 kph. crazyarchitect: I hope you're drowning in black ink in the future. astronelson: The AFDES Space Programme is currently trying to coordinate missions so all resources are allocated towards maximum efficiency. Well, I'm back, after a longer than usual hiatus, no doubt caused by my sleep debt from New Year's Day. Anyway, this update is a major one. Since the start of this thing, I have kept Franklin's location "intentionally vague" for a reason -- I can find the best and optimal location without being rushed. Well, I have found that location. It is on Earth, in the Atlantic Ocean: Circled in red is the island Franklin is on. Franklin does not occupy the whole island, however. The island (which is yet to be named), is composed of many city-states, which have an organization for cooperation and resolving of major disputes -- the Coalition of Atlantic City-States (CACS). CACS is a rather weak organization, mainly concerned with inter-state trade. Since the establishment of CACS, there has been free trade between the island states. The states are still sovereign, as demonstrated in Franklin's AFDES membership, and the myriad policies of the states. Here is a topographical map of the island: The maps may take long to load because of their file size -- I wanted to keep their original state. Also, here is a political map: In red is Franklin, and in blue is East Valley. The reason the other states are not on here is because they have not been mentioned or shown yet, and I wish to keep their location a secret. Consider the existence of other CACS members part of FC "canon", but their number and location "non-canon" at this time. Franklin's fellow AFDES member Virgin Shores occupies an island off the Pacific Northwest, and we are considering a massive infrastructure project which is being discussed "behind closed doors". I hope you enjoyed this information, and find it useful in making proposals. Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.