Patricius Maximus

STOCKS POP REPLIES: Ntq$310: Interested? We are as well. un1: Thanks for your comments. deathtopumpkins: I would, too. Archean: I'm giddy. I am sure a research station will be sent, probably with the anti-grav technology. The fusion explosion has died down: And it dissipated, as viewed from Franklin: Excitement about the fusion power potential has sent stocks rapidly up, after a 2-week losing streak: Could this rectify the current economic problems? Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

Your work is not stupendous or anything, but it's not bad either. They bring a sense of nostalgia to me because they remind me of my early work. You may benefit from one of my CJ's, PM's Older Regions, especially from some updates coming in the near future. You're off to a good start, and taking suggestions and implementing the good ones is one step to a better region. Good luck. - Patricius Maximus

Bush is just like the lame-duck Federalists in the early 19th century -- they tried to change the face of the country. Fortunately, Jefferson came in and reversed it all. Bush has always had a contempt for science, scientists, and progress. It's no surprise that he'd do this. However, there is a bright side. Obama and Biden are inaugurated on January 20, and their team are reviewing every executive order that Bush gave -- it is likely that this set will be reversed. This also emphasizes the need to eliminate the constitutional loophole allowing executive orders, and prevent the ruination of the United States. The water quality regulations as is prevent unintended pollutants from getting in. There is no reason to change them. What that government needs to do is remove the flouride from the water supply -- it fouls the taste of tap water. Have they not heard that people can get flouride toothpaste and go to the dentist to clean teeth? People may be getting too much of the stuff. This is Bush's last stand of his presidency. He will probably be as successful as Custer was. - Patricius Maximus

I bought the SC Box to get SC4 and out of curiosity about SCS. After looking at the SCS manual, I doubt I'll ever try it because it just didn't look like fun, but I'm enjoying SC4 for the most part.quote> In another thread, I said that the Box's only niche would be people like you -- who want to sample both games and pick the one they want. I'm glad you're enjoying SC4.

FUSION -- NO LONGER SPONTANEOUS REPLIES: crazyarchitect: 1) Life? If you consider viruses life, as I do, then Agonus does have life-forms. 2) I didn't feel anyone either, except Biden, and he's at the bottom of the ticket. 2012 should be fascinating. un1: I'm not ready to tell everything I know . deathtopumpkins: At least we know... Hampi: Glad you thought so. lucky7: Thanks for your comments. Ntq$310: Well, it does make sense to improve the in infrastructure, no matter who's in office. blue sinjid: I don't actually support Obama, and I'm not sure about the government yet. However, it does hold a lot of promise. sedimenjerry: Temporary insanity, I assure you . kj4300: No one is sure yet. The fusion has reached gigantic proportions, spewing out hot matter into space at escape velocity: The entire event covered 8% of the planet's surface. It was so big that high-powered telescopes were able to detect it. Before: and during: Astronomers have reasoned that the event was so huge, that if the new theory was correct, about a week ago a large solar flare would have to have been released. And, sure enough, there it was: Solar flares release beams of beta particles, which, when they bomarded Agonus, triggered the fusion event. A hypothesis to corroborate the theory suggests that the viruses fuse together when bombarded, starting a chain reaction. Future landers to Agonus will deploy an aluminum shade when landed, to stop the beta particles from triggering the fusion, thereby protecting the lander. Now that a control mechanism can be theorized, speculation is now rampant as to how Agonite fusion can be used as a power source for all AFDES members. Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

TheChamp: Brilliant design, I'll give it a try myself. A trumpet-directional hybrid....

Wow, looks very real. I'm sure I'll get almost infinite use of RHW 3.0.

A LEAD ON AGONITE FUSION REPLIES: deathtopumpkins: Thanks for your comments. un1: Agreed. Hahayoudied: Guess we'll find out . crazyarchitect: I'm glad I have your interest. By the way, the LIH stuff is coming after this series. Ntq$310: Who knows what's out there? That's the whole point of going! kj3400: Hardly nitpicking. I encourage you to point out any mistakes in usernames (I could've sworn it was 4300). Harken: Thanks for your suggestion, but Agonus is not supposed to be a comedic plot. However, that may come in the distant future . psander5: I imagine so, especially since New Gelderland co-sponsored the probe. Archean: Yes, I do. woodpecker: In due time. Suburban paradises have their beauty, too. Schulmanator: Thanks. blue sinjid: I hope I won't keep you waiting too long. newyorkrunaway1: Look back a few pages. And the pictures are from Mercury, not the Moon. bluemoose: Thank you. ecoba: See below. Before Part III of our little series commences, I will reveal my preference for the American Presidential Election. Barack Obama is now the President-Elect. He will probably take the country a step in the right direction, but his views are too collectivist for my taste. I really like Joe Biden. I think he is in the annals of the great statesmen of this country, and his views are more in line with mine. If I were an American citizen, I would have voted for him in the primary, and in the general if he won the nomination. I share John McCain's attitudes on education, but his voucher plan is not quite the way to go, but neither is trying to make the public schools everyone's school. While a worthy goal, this is untenable in reality. McCain's other views are almost the polar opposite of mine, and his running mate even more so. He would not get my vote by any stretch of the imagination. Bob Barr is too libertarian for me, and I think that he would take us in the wrong direction domestically (except for drug laws), but his foreign policy makes perfect sense. For a while, I was leaning towards Ralph Nader, but he is too socialist for me, and his papers about the US being the "richest country in the world" annoy me after a while. So, if I were an American citizen, I would not have voted for any of them. However, I do have a bizzare feeling just now that I probably would have ended up writing in Joe Biden. Therefore, Franklin County endorses Joe Biden as the Vice President-Elect. One thing I look forward to in an Obama White House is his infrastructure committee. Rebuilding the infrastructure of America and employing the unemployed in a CCC-style way will do more for the economy than any bailout. The above segment was longer than I expected, but I'm sure it gets the point across. And now, The AFDES Space Programme, sponsored by Franklin, New Gelderland, et. al. presents: Notice in the picture the two probes at opposition in their orbits. The Agonus lander is in full swing now, and it has scooped up a sliver of rock and places it into a cyllinder, and bombarded it with different types of radiation. This was found with beta particles: The virus implodes. While this is a slim lead, it may be able to explain the initiation of the Agonite fusion. Meanwhile, the orbiter has caught the first signs of.... Find out in Part IV. Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

To answer Ntq's question on page 59, I shall look into mass transit options, and expand the networks where it will benefit. The transport solution as proposed by Ntq310 is Approved by the DOT. The DOT leaves it up to the Mayor as to the exact placement of bus stops, but all of Zone 3 must have bus access. The DOT endorses un1's plan for the development north of Oilville. I also endorse new power needs being met with more solar plants, as they appear to be working well. Patricius Maximus, Head of the Department of Transportation

I have no problem with the new rules, and I will certainly abide by them. I am glad this issue has been cleared up: Regular forum posts should be posted in the default text size, color and font in most cases. Exceptions include the use of text formatting tools and color for headings and in the CJ section or similar creative posts.quote> I once got privately notified about that some months ago, and the moderator in question told me it was a "collective staff decision" -- it makes more sense now. And I am glad some unwritten rules are now actually rules for the sake of new members. This update was somewhat overdue, but many things (including with me) are.

FC's at Number 6! Thanks for commenting, everyone. I think I deserved it, after the generous replies I've been getting. Congrats Haljakey for being at #1. You deserve it as well.

"AGONUS BASE HERE, THE PROBE HAS LANDED" REPLIES: jacqulina: Thanks. un1: Your wait is over (or is it ). kj4300: Happy Halloween. Tyler26101: Creepier? Thank you. Ntq$310: It certainly is the question. crazyarchitect: And the probe has landed. deathtopumpkins: Thanks for your comments. sedimenjerry: That's not good. newyorkrunaway1: Glad you're keeping your eye on this CJ. Harken: No, not a lunar landing. It is a landing on another, previously unknown planet in the outer reaches of the Franklinite system, Agonus. The AFDES Space Programme presents.... We're in a landing sequence... And we've landed! Below is the first shot from the surface: The astronomers at mission control, upon recieving the image, said "Teasing, yet pleasing" (to borrow a phrase from Tarkusian Cities ). Lastly, the probe has caught the brief spark of Agonus's spontaneous fusion: All parameters are green. All systems go. Stay tuned for Part III of the Agonus Landing Series. Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

Wow.

HALLOWEEN ON AGONUS REPLIES: un1: For October, yes. deathtopumpkins: I can't reveal everything (we like to surprise people) crazyarchitect: Who knows? LIH may be Franklin's salvation. Ntq$310: Agreed. rainyday: Glad you found it. flyinbird93: No, no one jumping from highrises (yet). Things aren't that bad yet. art128: Thanks. The AFDES Space Programme presents.... Yes, it will be a series. I plan on having a 3-5 part serial about the Agonus landing, then we'll go back to the other plot, the economy, and see where that's going. The Agonus lander is now arriving at it's destination: And here is a long-distance shot of Agonus, looking green and spooky as always: The orbiter has established an eccentric orbit, and mission controllers select a suitable landing site, and the lander seperates: The lander begins it's descent to the surface... ....we can only guess what secrets this probe will reveal, and no one knows if the lander will even survive on the surface... Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

It was Sigmund Freud who said religion was a form of wish fulfillment: people want to believe in the existence of some higher power because the idea of there not being one scares them.quote> Yes, psychological comfort. I know a lot of religious people find their faith comforting. The idea that god is watching over the and that paradise awaits them gives them a good feeling. quote> Those religious people are probably scared what will happen to them if there was no god watching over them. But see, that requires a degree of humbleness that I simply do not have. From my point of view, the idea of there not being a god is comforting. Why? Well, because it then means that I don't have to follow any god's rules, waste time worshiping that god, and submit myself to doing his will. I'm free to use my mind to figure out right and wrong for myself, and to make my own path in life and choose my own destiny.quote> I share your views on that front. It is the instinct of freedom and rationality -- the two things that equal progress. And yes, this means that I have nothing to look forward to after I die. But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Knowing that there's simply nothing is better than not knowing whether I'm going to heaven or going to hell.quote> Well, I don't believe in an afterlife, and especially not in a heaven and hell. Those two places were promoted by the Popes and churches as a way of scaring people into submission, and a vehicle for oppression. Besides, if there were a god, and he judged 100 billion ignorant people for an eternity in heaven or hell, and sent the nonbelievers into hell, then that god would be worse than the worst dictator on Earth -- and that is hardly a reason to worship him, or to do his will. Lack of knowledge is always scarier than knowledge of something bad. Because when you don't know, you can only fear the worst.quote> Agreed. At least when you know something bad is going to happen, you can prepare for it or prevent it. I have done a lot of pondering about life on Earth, and have made a lot of casual observations, and from what I have seen, I have determined that the Theory of Evolution is the most rational and correct theory about life on this planet. There are still inconsistencies, but as with any theory, it must fit the observations, and Science does not claim to know everything -- in the future, these inconsistencies can be explained by some hitherto undiscovered process. That is Science -- the seeking of greater knowledge through observation, experimentation, and the scientific method. Humans like to think that they come from something intelligent, because that makes them feel special, superior, and exclusive of life on Earth. Pcychological comfort is the driving force behind these hypotheses. The species Homo Sapiens is the current highest point in Evolution where sapience is concerned, and that does not mean that we are equal to the animals -- in some qualities we are superior to some, in some qualities we are inferior to some. I am more inclined to believe in a rational process supported by evidence than believe that a supernatural omnipotent entity created us in his own image, and did other fantastic things, with no evidence to support it. It is simply a matter of rationality and evidence. A future without these irrational beliefs hampering progress is a far better one than one with these irrational beliefs governing the whole human species in an aura of traditionalism and dogma. - Patricius Maximus

Here's the deal, from a technical standpoint most of the world's more advanced governments are perfectly capable of censoring sites and spying on internet users right now. The reason why they don't start using these capabilities and act like China is that the public would not tolerate it and there would be a political upheaval. But if that were to change, if laws like this one in Oz start to gain traction, then there is no limit to what they can do. As soon as it becomes acceptable, it will happen and before you know it the internet will be a minefield where anything you say can be held against you and laws against things nobody ever considered before will materialise simply because they are enforcable. You must be aware of the sheer depth of the scum in government.quote> Precisely why I am strongly against government censorship. But censor software won't work on it's own, sites have to be discovered before they can be blocked and taken down, and I think it takes undercover people to do this.quote> Yep, and soon you have... the Gestapo . Child pornography and as such is wrong but filtering the net is a one-size fits all approach. Which won't work! If they do there will always be another way!quote> Precisely. That's why the 'War on Drugs' is an uphill battle, and so it will be with this -- enormous cost with little benefit. The only minors who are going to see it are some horny teenage boys and I seriously doubt they need to be "protected" from it.quote> Well, what difference does it make if they see it at 15 or 18? Besides, I don't think many youth and children are interested in pornography, anyway. I am Australian and i was happy when we kicked the old lot out to replace them with them and now they want to censor my net.quote> I know little about Australian politics, but maybe you should vote for a party that is against censorship (if there is one nowadays).

DTP: Yes, my ad was long. But I had a lot to cover at first. For Archean as Public Safety Commissioner, un1 for DWR, and myself as DOT head. I currently lead spore415 by 4 to 1, so keep those votes coming for me. Complacency is our worst enemy. Archean: Since I voted for you, I would like you to keep in mind that security should not come at the expense of freedom; and when it does it creates more insecurity. I like your proposal for a national guard, and I will vote to re-elect you if you do well. And now to business. I serve the citizens even in the heat of campaigning. Ntq$310: Nice proposal. I support all provisions except Number 3. Without provision 3, the transit infrastructure will be well-equipped for traffic. Patricius Maximus, Head of the Department of Transportation

A TEASER OF THE FCSE COMPOSITE REPLIES: un1: Thanks for your comments. Click here for the train skin. blue sinjid: 1) Well, I missed almost 3 days . I'm aware of the relative infrequency of updates recently, and I'd like to explain -- these days are rather busy times for me, and between my other projects, tracking the news, and other obligations, FC gets behind. However, I will be back in full vigor in early November. 2) Textures are here. haljackey: Thank you. kj4300: 1) Yes, space constraints are, well, constraining. 2) He may have been referring to the cycle from a bear market to a bull one and back again. However, if you look at a chart of long-term stock market value in real terms the trend is moderately higher. deathtopumpkins: You know? Will it be a dead Halloween cat bounce, or a correction? Ntq$310: Which image? jacqulina: Thanks. flyinbird93: Yes, very modern. rainyday: Try reinstalling the mod with all the options checked. crazyarchitect: Glad you're making a comeback. Your proposals may be featured in the next few updates. bluemoose: A big thanks. FreewayofFlight: Franklinites are not panic-prone (yet)... A teaser of what the FCSE is doing, and it doesn't look too good... Looks like the rally was a dead cat, at least for the moment. The vast majority of people hope that the 'Crash Lite', as it has become known as, will not last much longer. Some bearish economists throughout AFDES states fear the worst, and are being cautious about buying. In the next update, we will spend Halloween.... on Agonus. Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

The DOT approves the proposal mentioned, with a modification. I would like to have the avenue turn north after the first proposed intersection to end at the second proposed intersection, thereby increasing capacity. vampiregirl: Please resize your last image. Also, are you running for Public Safety head? spore415: Ah, looks like I've got some competition (finally). I like competition -- it keeps me on my toes, and allows my campaign to... flex it's muscles occasionally. So, now I present my first official campaign ad: Think about it when you cast your vote...

The parents of a missing teenager are convinced that someone he met while playing Call of Duty 4 is responsible for his disappearancequote> Now it's a little more plausible.

MINOR IMPROVEMENTS AND A NEW MAGLEV SKIN REPLIES: Ntq$310: Thanks. deathtopumpkins: 1) Thanks again. 2) I guess it's a bull/bear thing . As Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry said, "The parallel worlds concept is the key" . ecoba: I wasn't intending to do so -- slow, gradual development and conurbation -- that's the way I do it. Archean: 1) An interesting numerological coincidence. 2) Yes, they are being used. 3) Thanks for your compliments. un1: Yep, it's getting bigger. kj4300: It certainly does. That's why I use it! psander5: It won't affect the space program -- Franklin County is not sales tax-dependent. On Haljackey's reccomendation, I have downloaded the Bullet Train skin, and it is beautiful: A big thanks to Haljackey, for revealing this uncommon download to me. In River Bend, a new rail overpass has been constructed, to better accomodate heavy traffic: Lastly, the FCSE Composite Index rose modestly today: Is the current slump over? Only time will tell if this is only an anomaly, or the beginning of a recession... Please post comments, suggestions, and questions.

What the people of Australia, and most developed countries, need is more freedom, not less. Child pornography, like adult pornography, in my view, is not intrinsically unethical. When the actors are forced or coerced into making the film, then it is unethical, be they children or adults. Yes, this kind of pornography is despicable. Yes, it is unethical. But this type of pornography does not justify the formation of a totalitarian state. I say totalitarian not because it will instantly transform into one, but that this law lays the most solid foundation for such a state -- government control of the transfer of information. This, more than anything else, enables the complete destruction of the freedoms Australians and their ancestors have fought and died for for centuries. This law, possibly even more so then what it intends to prevent, is unethical. - Patricius Maximus

ANOTHER MAGLEV LINE REPLIES: crazyarchitect: 1) Thanks for your comments. 2) LIH getting back on it's feet? Looking forward to that. Ntq$310: . flyinbird93: A year-to-date chart will be provided below. Let's just say that we're cooking up something big at the AFDES Summit . Tyler26101: If it does crash, hopefully it won't be as lingering than the RL crash. deathtopumpkins: I just call it "foreshadowing". You could also say "hype-building". un1: It don't look good. newyorkrunaway1: Thanks. Twenty20: Thank you. As promised, here is a YTD chart of the FCSE, showing the trends: In recent months, there has been increased volatility and panic buying -- does this foreshadow a panic selloff? Almost all analysts agree that the markets needed a correction -- there's just disagreement upon how much. Today the Composite lost even more, about 4 percent. The Franklin Assembly has voted unanimously to build a new maglev line from Northwest Mountains to North Franklin. Here's the northern terminus: Reminds me of a Directional T . The GHSR goes straight south, and speeds over I-85 near the dogbone interchange: And a close-up. This is my first use of the HSR on-slope pieces: And then it winds southbound towards a SCRT station, and terminates: That's all for tonight. Feel free to post any of your comments, suggestions, or questions.

At least they were convicted lawfully.. Anyway, virtual goods are goods under Dutch law? Sounds stupid to me. Really, don't the Dutch police have bigger things to worry about than nonexistant goods in Runescape? Like theft of physical goods?