Kal-El814

I had a few Onlyo receivers, but switched to Yamaha because they were comparable in price and features in addition to running cooler in my experience.

Elon Musk: the ultimate African American Edit - Ninja’d

Doesn’t the DPRK produce very good counterfeit US currency? I think I remember reading that somewhere.

All posters with underscores in their usernames look the same to you? Also honest question for the group… is “African-American” a term used by young black people? I feel like I hear black used almost exclusively but I have no idea if it’s just a sampling thing or what I happen to notice.

Yeah, unlike something like Dexter, where I think both the show and the character try to rationalize the ongoing existence and activity of the protagonist, Barry bounces back and forth between the character trying to do that even though I don't think the show "endorses" what he does at all. Barry isn't a vigilante and there isn't a single person at this point in his life that he hasn't tried to fuck over in the interest of self preservation. Unlike Dexter there's not really even a "cover" of mental illness that frames his actions. He started the show depressed, yes, but it's not the same thing. Again, he deserves every bad thing that may come his way. Not that the murders aren't awful, but his relationship with Sally is wildly toxic too.

I do think something like the Rooney Rule should be in place when it comes to high level corporate positions. The frequent lament about potentially unqualified minority candidates getting interviews or positions is kinda telling on the the people who make it. I don't think quotas are necessarily the way to handle it but is in the best interest of society to not have corporate executive culture almost entirely inhabited by men, and that group largely white.

I think this has a lot to do with it. I suspect there's an implicit understanding that the Democratic party needs black votes but it cannot be seen as a black (or brown or Asian and so on) party, because of a tweet in the thread @Commissar SFLUFAN posted earlier:

At some point too, you need to start building to… something. The first Phase or 2 (I can’t keep this shit straight) tipped its hand about the Avengers early, which teased Thanos, and that carried them all the way through Infinity War. I don’t know that you can “go back” to a buildup to… Force Works? West Coast Avengers? I don’t fucking know. And then have THAT tease the big bad for Phase Whatever-It-Will-Be-At-That-Time. Are they really gonna wait until Fantastic Four KO’s Kang or some shit to tease Galactus? There’s no “Avengers” equivalent on the future film timeline now, so who knows.

I don’t think this is true broadly; violence had generally trended down as games have gotten more violent or more realistically violent at any rate.

Yeah, it's this exactly; the algorithmic amplification of white nationalist rhetoric if you start poking at it is pretty startling. I don't have any insight into the CP stuff you're talking about since I don't know anyone that is currently researching it and I didn't look into it during my academic career. You're also correct in that the consumption of violent content does have a desensitization writ large. I'm going on vacation with my buddy later this summer, I'll pick his brain about the current understanding in the field. Again there's no direct line between someone playing Manhunt and then going out and doing that IRL absent other stuff and out of nowhere; that just doesn't happen. But there's also more of an affect than "nothing" for sure, both at the aggregate level and often at an individual one.

It's been a while since I've talked to him about it, but a college professor buddy of mine has a former grad student that does research on the impact of playing violent videogames. He's a gamer himself so there's no ax to grind, and the impact isn't nothing, but it's obviously not the direct "DOOM > mass murderer" line the media likes to portray. Honestly, for me the larger issue with gaming and violence like this is the notion that certain gaming communities and groups are a safe harbor for white supremacy posting, talk, and thoughts. It's not uncommon for toxic shit to be ignored by fairly significant streamers in the interest of not rocking the boat. I don't think there's a causal link or anything, but Steve Bannon didn't hang out with WoW players for no reason.

As it always does, libertarianism surrenders at the first point of friction in any conflict.

Yeah, that’s all true. I think the difference between something like DOS2 and FE in terms of “broken” combat is that in DOS2 it’s often creative and fun, and even with the same team / specs you can riff on how you approach fights. In FE, it’s generally the same strategies that work everywhere. DOS2 encourages creativity even if you don’t need it, FE doesn’t really allow it to a meaningful extent. And again, I think there’s a lot of fun to be had in all the games on this list.

Campaign finance reform and having sitting members of congress have to put finances in a blind trust would solve a lot of issues, but the grift is a non trivial part of the appeal so we will continue to not have nice things. It’s not like politicians wouldn’t be able to line their pockets if that happened, there’d just be a couple fewer approaches.

You don't say.

Legend >>>>>>> Cocktail Cocktail is just bad, it's popularity has always been baffling.

Disco Elysium - some of the best RPG writing ever, the game is more "actual" role plating than most other RPGs, small in scope, incredibly focused on character Fire Emblem - Lots of content especially if you want to play all houses. Pretty fun but the game is wildly unbalanced and with certain class combos and builds you can start steamrolling before the game is half over and 100% of the battles are a foregone conclusion Divinity Original Sin 2 - goes big and wide whereas Disco Elysium focuses in. Also some good chances to actually RP Really you can't go wrong with any of them. DE is absolutely the most unique of the bunch and has the least amount of "gameplay," but both of the other 2 can get busted to the point that combat is irrelevant anyway.

Not having overt ill intent is irrelevant, implicit bias is a thing. Anyway love to see the Buffalo police bring this guy hale and whole after dashing an old man’s skull against the concrete during BLM protests. A coincidence I am sure.

Is there an open manhole he can fall into? Please?

Cocktail is... not good.

Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from this mortal coil.

Ding ding ding. There are a shitload of cryptobros who truly have no idea what they're buying, like someone going up to a craps table, putting a shitload of money down, and not understanding why they lose when someone rolls a 7 and the point is set.

Destroy the second amendment.

The real holy trinity.

Jesus's feet are all fucked up, eww.