Ratieya455

I had bought a few random Tycoon games, and most of them weren't very good. Mall Tycoon and Hotel Giant are both very poorly done. It bothers me that there is a Mall Tycoon 3 being developed. Airport Tycoon was actually pretty well-done, but it has such a big learning curve that I never got the hang of it. I do want to give that game another chance. I actually liked both Ski Resort Tycoon and its sequel. The most intense game addiction I ever had was the first one for about a month and a half. It was worse than my RCT addiction. I'd say most games that end in Tycoon suck, but a few of them are worth at least $10.

I think the big problem is that the switch to HD is being forced to happen way too fast. You can't expect every TV in America to have a HD box hooked up to it within a year and a half if the box costs more than $200. I think it is ridiculous that you won't even be able to pick up broadcast signals without expensive equipment hooked up to your current TV. When the price is reasonable, it will be time for HD. I think the other problem is that people are happy with the current picture quality, even though the standards haven't changed since the 1950's. You don't notice the picture quality difference when you are actually watching TV, you only notice it when you are looking at the TV.

I have met someone that has bi-dar. He is the friend of my friend that is bisexual, and the first word he ever spoke to her was 'bi'. I'm not 100% straight, as probably nobody is, but I would not call myself bisexual. You probably need to be around 30/70 to qualify for bi. I fit a gay stereotype or two, but pretty much everbody does. I guess I have an eye for decorating, to a point. I have debated with my mom over what colors to paint the bathroom, etc. I left the window coverings entirely up to her, though . I'm not gay but am very bothered by homophobia, much like how I am very bothered by racism though I'm white. I get bothered the most by those that use religion to justify their hatred of people for who they are.

I finally found my SimFarm CD last summer and installed it on my computer. I still play this game every once in a while when I have a half hour to kill. It is a fun game to play both when you're 6 years old and don't have a clue what you're doing and also when you understand all the aspects of the game, such as economics and meteorology.

Zelgadis, this is nothing against you, but it still bothers me when I see someone that believes that their Honda or Toyota is 9,000,000 times better than any American car ever made. Japane makes lemons, too, and many American cars have hit the 200,000 miles mark. If I remember, the deal with the Crown Vics exploding is that they must be rear-ended at more than 50MPH by a heavier vehicle. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the position of the gas tank and implementation of a rear crumple zone. This is a major problem for cops because I doubt anyone is more likely than them to get rear-ended at 55MPH by a pickup. GM was just plain stupid for canceling their Chevrolet Caprice in 1998. Cops and cabbies loved those things, and the front drive Chevy Impala is just not up to the abuse of police and taxi driving like the Caprice was. The rear-drive Dodge Charger has a shot at becoming the next king of the cop cars. Chrysler's quality is on the rise, though it was never really that bad; the have learned a lot from the first generation Neon and also the impending 2.7L V6 fiasco. I am trying to figure out if the Ford Focus is still worthy of the title 'rolling recall'. Either people are ignoring the quality issues or they have been fixed, because they are still selling like hot cakes.

I was worried about Hyundai's recall, because they put a lot of money into their new Sonata and it had a recall right off the bat. It pails in comparison to almost 4 million Ford trucks, though.

Joe, that couldn't be more spot-on. It is just so much easier to blame something unrelated than to actually accept responsibility for something.

Date: 9/7/2005 4:59:57 PM Author: Compromise Date: 9/5/2005 12:32:23 AM Author: Ratieya455 If anything, video games prevent sex, because those that play them are not out having sex. quote> That can be debated. There was recent evidence shown that your brain treats vidio games as reality so in real life peaple may respond to situations like they do in the vidio game and it goes on from there... quote> This was more a poorly-worded joke than anything. I was making a joke at the nerdy virgin demographic, which I belong to. Though, so few video games have sex in them that your responses to situations won't even conflict.

Given the fan base of Sim city 4, I think this game has potential. Simtropolis is a good place to start with spreading the word. I am also lacking in sckills necessary to help out with programming and such, but I hope there are plenty of people around here who can.

If anything, video games prevent sex, because those that play them are not out having sex. My guess is that the Canton school district teaches abstinence-only sex ed, like the entire state of Texas. That is something you can blame for a high teen birth rate, because there is nothing humane you can do to stop people from having sex. Maybe students don't have to learn how to put a prophylactic on a banana, but teenagers do need to know about birth control.

I have always seen the Smart as the kind of car I'd like to own if I lived in a (real) city. They are very small, very maneuverable, very efficient, and can take a blow from a much heavier vehicle. The other nice thing is that they are very roomy inside for two people, and the small luggage space is not an issue in a city car. Mine would have black panels on it. One of the auto magazines I read took a Smart through the panhandle of Oklahoma. Also, when I was at an international soccer tournament in Blaine, Minnesota, I saw a Smart there. There probably aren't any dealers in the U.S. yet, but there are at least two Smarts.

Date: 9/1/2005 1:09:27 PM Author: marryescher Most everyone is probebly going to think im weird but, here are my 3 favorite cars.... I got these pictures of cars for sale on AutoTrader Chevy Chevette (this one is ugly red and dull looking, but pictures of Chevettes are kinda limited) Ide like one in black, all waxed up. quote> You're not alone; I love Chevettes. If I hadn't been given my dad's old Oldsmobile station wagon for college, I'd have either bought a Chevette or Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon. How can you not love something that gets 40 miles per gallon and can hold more stuff than a fullsize sedan? My absolute dream car is the Chrysler ME-412, but since they axed that project I guess I'd have to lust after a Chrysler Firepower, which is likely to make it to production. It sits on a Viper chassis with a 6.1L Hemi and a beautiful body. Chrysler ME-412 Prototype: Chrysler Firepower Concept: I like cars that are fast yet practical and economical. The Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Omni GLH (goes like hell), Dodge Spirit R/T, and VW Golf GTi are all examples of this. They all do 0-60 in the 6 second range or less and can get 30 miles per gallon on long trips. Plus, all four are known to be reliable cars. I suppose a Dodge Ram SRT-10 would be a fun and practical vehicle, but I wouldn't want to pay to feed it. My favorite of the bunch is the Dodge Spirit R/T. It is a regular 4 door early 90's sedan, but it has a Stage III turbo on a 2.2L I4 that cranks out 224HP and a five speed manual. It hits 60 in under six seconds. In other words, it can take down a Camaro or Mustang from the same era with no trouble. Dodge Spirit R/T:

What a mess. Wow.

Well, it's not really over. The wind and rain are virtually overwith in New Orleans, but they opened up a new set of problems which are unfolding. Someone mentioned that more flooding is eminent, because much of the region drains into the Mississippi. Contamination of both the flood water and drinking water is already confirmed. They are telling residents of the city to wait at least a week before returning because of this. The hurricane that hit the city in 1965 stirred up all the local fire ants and water moccasins (poisonous snakes). I read that water moccassins killed more people in that hurricane than wind and flooding combined. It has been predicted that water moccasins will be a big problem for those already in New Orleans and those returning. This is all before anyone starts to clean anything up. The flooding has not even stopped yet. I hope it doesn't get any worse and that everyone stays safe down there.

There was a flash flood warning here in Fargo last Thursday. The water was just deep enough in many places to wakeboard behind a truck. Hopefully the flood of spring '97 was really a 500 year flood. What a mess that was. Fargo may be flat, but it is at least 20 feet above the Red River. New Orleans is really not in a good situation right now.

Actually, the prices have pretty much stayed the same. The original Sony Playstation cost $300 at launch and the new games were $50. This was the same for both the PS2 and Xbox and it looks as though it won't go up much for the PS3 and 360. A generous amount of inflation has occured since 1995, so we can only expect them to go up a little bit with every new console. Though, added features, particularly online play, have added quite some cost to some games. Final Fantasy XI on the PS2 has a base cost of $100 and costs $12 per month to play.

I discovered a band called The Sound of Urchin. They are pretty much a punk band, but they have some really good songs. I'm listening to Last December right now, but it is a preview track. I do plan to buy their new CD soon.

Date: 7/24/2005 1:03:16 PM Author: Dolfan348488 Ok...so the M rating means you have to be 17 to buy the game...and by changing it to AO, that means you have to be an entire year older [18]? Im sorry, but this seems more like a publicity stunt than anything. What does changing it from M to AO have anything to do with kids? Its still inappropriate for them with either rating.quote> Yes, an extra year does not seem like much. But, it has to do with what the rating means. The M rating is usually applied to games with a ton of violence and/or language, which many parents find acceptable for their teens. The AO rating is applied mostly applied only to games with strong sexual content, which most parents do not find acceptable for their teens. I'm pretty sure it is a legal issue as well. It is not illegal to sell an M-rated game to a person under 17, but stores enforce it themselves. However, I am pretty sure it is illegal to sell an AO game to a minor.

The goverment has no right to go after Rockstar for this. Rokstar has done absolutely nothing wrong. They created the game, the ESRB rated in M, and at that moment their part in this flim-flam was closed. There is so much bad content all over the internet, and some people just need to accept that. I'd much rather have congress worrying about things that actually matter. Enough of this moral crusading.

I was trying to end the should-this-thread-be-here argument, and it would have been a lot quicker and easier to just ask not to talk about it. Oh well. Enough of that sillyness. What do you all think of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy?

I see no reason to remove this thread or the off-topic section whatsoever. This thread is very clean and friendly, and this issue was addressed openly and without any conflicts. It is true that there is no real need to know the sexual orientation of other posters, or where they live, or what they look like, or what their cats look like, but it is nice to talk about something other than Sim City and this section gives ST a great sense of community. This is not strictly a place of business; we are not wasting time talking to each other about various random things on company time. I enjoy the sense of community at ST, and I feel it would be lost if there were no off-topic section. Sure, the official website does not have an off-topic section, but a corporation worrying about money runs that board, plus it only has its sense of community because there is nobody there. ST can ask for donations when they are running low on funds, and the members are more than happy to donate. I do not believe it is a good idea to be sheltering our younger members from this topic of homosexuality. It is best for them to learn to be accepting of others' lifestyles, if you ask me. I see nothing politically incorrect about homosexuality, and I am glad to see so many members that share this view. I am also glad to have been able to discuss this issue in a very informed, open manner and hope to be able to do so for pages to come.

Date: 7/12/2005 11:31:34 AM Author: Duke87 Date: 7/11/2005 8:58:51 PM Author: jmusshorn Date: 7/11/2005 6:59:34 PM Author: Ratieya455 I have no doubts whatsoever that people are born gay. There is both genetic and neurological evidence of it. A friend sent me an email about a study done on a species of fly that proved that homosexuality is genetic, and I would post the link but I deleted the email . quote> Actually, I remember the study of which you're talking about quite vividly. A study was conducted within a university (I can't remember which one) regarding Fruit Flies and their sexuality. The professors and students managed to isolate a gene within the flies that, when manipulated correctly, actually changed the sexual orientation of the flies. They first put a male fly with a female. The male did the conventional mating dance to the female fly, thus proving its heterosexuality. They then manipulated the previously isolated and defined gene, and paired the original male fly with another male fly that had been altered as well. One male did its mating dance to the other, and the latter male acted in a submissive manner; an act previously identified only with females. It proves something, that's for sure. Although I don't think that this will prove to neo-conservative people that are against homosexuality the fact that sexual orientation is indeed formulated in your genes. Oh well, acceptance comes with time and evolution, I suppose. ~J

Actually, ardecilia, the United Church of Christ welcomes homosexuals to their church. I remember hearing about and then seeing some television ads that the church aired that showed how they accept anyone, and the ads were controversial because it showed people of the same sex holding hands and hugging each other. I have no doubts whatsoever that people are born gay. There is both genetic and neurological evidence of it. A friend sent me an email about a study done on a species of fly that proved that homosexuality is genetic, and I would post the link but I deleted the email . I had read another article that tried to link homosexuality to music. Some psychiatrist made a list of songs that supposedly turn people gay, and advised the reader never to listen to them. This was not a joke of a spoof, but from a news site that considered themselves credible.

One of you mentioned something about 90% of straights having a n attraction to someone of the same sex at some point, and this must be true. I have caught myself thinking That guy is hot before, and it really doesn't bother me to think that. Ron White said it something like We're all a little gay, it's just to what extent we're gay. Back to Quagmire, I thought of an episode where he, Joe, and Cleveland were fishing with Peter trying to find Daggermouth. They were asking each other what woman they would like to be with if they weren't married, and Quagmire replied Taylor Hanson. The others told him that Taylor Hanson is a guy, and Quamire is all Oh God! Oh God! I've got all these magazines and...Oh God!

I'm not gay either, but I have a few friends and relatives that are. When my parents finally told me about my aunt when I was about 10, I just said Oh, that's why she lives with that woman. It is something that has never been an issue to me, and I am bothered by people that are bothered by it. I don't see any reason why my aunt and her partner can't get married, because they've had a healthy, stable relationship and have been living together for more than a decade. One of my gay friends fits all the gay stereotypes; he goes clubbing often, spends a lot of money on clothes and hair care, and uses words such as 'delish'. One of my other gay friend fits no gay stereotypes at all.