Greased_Lightning

Hunting is not BS for the simple fact that it is necessary to keep populations in check and even that isnt enough these days (case in point, Chronic Wasting Disease). The problem is that we've pushed out the natural predators through urban development, farming, and hunting. Sure, we can bring back the predators. Just eliminate farms, ranches, and cities. If you don't mind worrying about a wolf or coyote attack, that's just fine. Speaking from experience, it's not fun having a coyote come after you. Anyhoo, living in florida, you wouldn't know anything about that. Personally, I'd rather have all us redneck !@#$%^&*holes shooting deer instead of a gun-wielding serial killer because at least we have a good excuse. Unless, of course, you think an animal is more important than a human...If that's the case, why don't you invite some pigs or better yet, wolves to live in your home with you. That sure won't last long. Human Life > Animal Life.

I suppose it's just different mindsets. There is very little crime around here cuz everyone knows everyone else and would talk so it would be kinda hard to get away with something lol. If I lived in a big city I would want something in my home but that's cuz that's the way things are in some cities...but then again, I can't understand why a person would want to live in such a crowded place anyways lol.

I'm definitely pro-gun. I hunt deer, elk, pheasant, grouse, duck, goose, and pests...pests being things like skunk, muskrat, gopher, blackbird, etc. I fully support the regulation of all firearms and requiring all gun owners/purchasers to take safety classes and background checks for purchase. I took gun safety when I was 11 and between that and having grown up in a family that hunts, I learned responsible firearm safety and respect. I do not support people who think that the 2nd ammendment means that they can have AK-47s or kevlar-piercing rounds or useless stuff like that. There is no reason for a person to need weapons like those. If they claim self-defense, a 12 gauge shotgun is more than enough to repel an intruder. Those of you who said you were anti-gun, did you mean ALL guns including those used for hunting or just the obviously unnecessary? In the US, hunting is a major thing especially where I live. That is why you'll never see a gun ban in the US because it would never work. I live in a rural area. I don't worry about crime because everyone knows that almost everyone else has shotguns or rifles in their homes or vehicles. I don't worry that someone is going to break into our house when I'm "feeding chickens" (don't have chickens, have cattle) and steal a gun to use on me because they're all locked in a steel gun cabinet. This was kind of a rambling post but I think everyone gets my main idea. I'm for sensible guns, responsible use, education on gun safety.

I agree total impartiality is impossible. The journalist should've checked out his source better, that's just responsible journalism and common-sense. The guy who wrote it should be canned, the fact-checker for Newsweek should be reprimanded or fired, the editor should be reprimanded somehow. The media needs to get a message that irresponsible reporting shouldn't be tolerated. Granted, everyone makes mistakes, but it doesn't take a Harvard degree to see that a report like that was going to be inflammatory. Taking that into account, extra care should have been taken to confirm their info. They didn't, so they should be punished somehow (they being the individuals mentioned, not Newsweek as a whole).

I stood in line for 3 hours to vote, even got my face on TV when the local newsies came by to check out the long lines ... as for political parties, I dont think they're a good idea but it ain't gonna change anytime soon. I vote who I support, not political affiliation. Cuts down on political party phone calls too

Okay.... in that case I'm a Thought Fireman

What is this ramen you speak of? and why can you not just eat it raw and allow it to soften in your selves?

ahhh so nice to have someone else's election being talked about... but as I am totally ignorant on these politics, I will shut up now

I agree Japan has to own up to their country's past crimes, but that doesn't warrant violence against people who had nothing to do with it. My crack of the 'Joe Chinaman 1950s' was inaccurate as I was referring to the latter-1940s revolution and all the unrest and eventual US-China conflict. Off topic I suppose so sorry. One would hope that the two countries will soon get along better due to their proximity, but given the long, unfriendly history, probably ain't gonna be anytime soon. I find more trouble with China's at!@#$%^&*ude toward any declaration of independence by Taiwan. Why do they care so much if Taiwan wants free nation status? Anyone who has an insight into their thinking please post.

lol China complaining about Japan's agressive history? While it's true, that's a good case of the pot calling the kettle black. As if China has been such a nice country Anyone else think it's funny that they mentioned that the rioters flipped a Nissan? That took a whole two ppl probably. Seems like China is taking any excuse to get pissed lately...hmmm...double check the nukes guys, cuz Joe Chinaman's gettin' all 1950s again!

It's so funny to see non-Catholics arguing about who will be the next pope when all they do most of the time is spout anti-Catholicism. On topic now, if you wanna know how the selection goes here is a link: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/pope/selection/ Hopefully they pick a good one and you all can go back to bashing Catholics again ... ASSS... !@#$%^&*, now I gotta go to confession

I can think of a few countries this wouldn't apply to but won't list them cuz im too busy cussing out univeristy computer registration system... f'kin communist ASSS

When will society learn to appreciate the inside beauty of ppl instead of the outside? The answer: After I make everybody equally hideous using scalding acid. They'll have no choice!

Vile, if you were a chick... well... I don't know. I guess you'd have boobs.

stupid beautiful people with their popularity and hip-ness! but wait, I am a beautiful person, therefore I am a self-hating beautiful/ugly! (gunshot!)... ... ... ... ... ... stupid rat just wouldn't die ... ... ... ... (gunshot!)... ... ... ... ... .. (HA! You expected THREE dots didn't you?! FOOLZ!) Okay that time I really did shoot myself

This is a big issue and I don't even know exactly where I stand. On the one hand, I do think that killing is wrong, but then again if someone broke into my home with a gun, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him if necessary. On the other hand, for some criminals, this is the only way to ensure safety. If someone is so evil and has so little regard for human life, it is a danger to people who would have to interact with them if they just got life imprisonment. Putting those guards at risk isn't right either. And I don't put stock in the belief that if a person did horrible things (murder, torture, of victims) that they MUST be insane. There are horrible people out there that do these things and we can't let them say, "Oh, I had a momentary break from reality so it's not MY fault." (Yeah, in some cases this is true but if someone has enough presence of mind to put planning into their crimes, they don't get any sympathy). Take that DC sniper a few years ago. They planned all that out, killed a lot of innocent people. They deserve the same regard they had for others: none. They had ample opportunity to make a moral decision but didn't. Anyways, this is one of those topics that everyone has an opinion about, so you could say I probably lean towards favoring death penalty, but only in extreme cases without doubt. After all, better 1000 guilty men go free than 1 innocent man be imprisoned. Oh, and someone mentioned that China didn't execute minors. This may be true but China still is one f'd up country. If someone has an unauthorized pregnancy they jab a needle into a baby's head as it's being born and kill it. Now that's a f'ing crime, and we trade with these ASSS?

Yeah, like putting him in a room with a bunch of judges....with clubs, yeah clubs.

heh you guys are shooting off these acronyms that I have no idea what they mean... whatever you guys decide just figure it out and then dumb it down for me and I'll follow it.... although I really like the idea that separate planets,colonies, etc whatever get separate posts to keep things from getting confusing

Happy (belated?) Birthday Kyla!!!! I would sing but I doubt the librarian would appreciate it

if so, can you grab me one too? much obliged

Stock, the problem that people are having with the terr/jav thing is that the terr has overstepped its niche. It is not supposed to be on an even keel in a fight with a jav, thats why it has repels, mines, and better bombs. Jav has no specials except for a decoy. That's why it is supposed to have the best guns and should be able to defeat any ship in a straight up gun battle (save for the levi, but jav is supposed to outmaneuver it too, thats why levi has high energy and good bombs...it is a BOMBER not a fighter). When you upset the setting balance you are playing with fire. How would you like it if the jav got the levi's bombs with no penalty to it? I can say it would suck because it wouldn't fit right, and that's the main issue with the settings now. It isnt stubbornness or lack of skill, it's a sense of balance. Each ship has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some ships are made for the open areas, some for the closed areas. Do not think that every ship is supposed to be able to equally perform in each area because that's not what 17th is about. That's what is good about 17th...every ship has it's place and every player has his/her favorite ship. Balance is the key to 17th plain and simple. Don't screw with the balance of settings in order to get a brief (and don't kid yourself, any pop. growth from this will be very brief) surge in pop. because when it's all said and done, you'll lose more than gained: loss of existing players who get fed up with the screwing and still won't get more because if they arent coming now, the only way you get them is to change all of 17th to resemble TW or EG... and that's just gay.

in a week i'll be able to make a better decision on this change when im back for a weekend on a comp w/o as bad lag but I do like the map from old cuz it focuses people more on killing than on the ball game I mean for those who remember...Remember the good old days on this map with the old sets? ah... nostalgia I'll keep commenting on your comments cuz thats the way I am but not now, its time for 24... on FOX! (ADVERTISEMENT) BAN ME

yeah that moving flag confused me too... it got so bad that I started having nightmares about carrying a flag and then finding out that I had no testicles... i would wake up screaming and screaming and no one was there to tuck me back in and bring me a cup of water! I couldn't sleep, I started drinking more and more finally becoming an alcoholic again... My wife left me, I was fired, my grades dropped and I contemplated suicide... then I finally hit rock bottom when I pissed in a baby carriage while in a drunken stupor repeating "Flag or ball? Don't take my balls!" I was arrested and sentenced to psychiatric counseling. Finally, after three weeks in intense therapy and a regimen of electric shock and valium, they released me. I returned to school, work, and found a 5 dollar !@#$%^&* on the corner. She gave me crabs but that was okay. I came back to subspace and found that the flag wsa gone and I could live again, but I will never forget those horrifying days when my life turned inside out and the end nearly swallowed me whole.

nice one ice, that makes me want to take a crap... Alaska...hmmm might be fun to go there someday but if I want to be cold i'll stay at home although ive heard the fishing is excellent

OKay, havent been able to really play cuz of lagginess here at school... but so far this is what i think: Map, meh, i like the east west but the old map was fun too so we'll see how that turns out.... Sets are ok save for the terrier... the bullets are too rapid for it as everybody's been saying about it compared to the jav. Now, those of you who think its fine are insane because now you have a ship that can lay mines, shoots powerful 1 bounce bombs, out-or equal gun a jav straight up, and still has 3 repels to get away ... that is bull!@#$%^&*. WHy not give it shields and rockets and paint it rainbow colors if you want it to be so gay? Remember BALANCE. If you want to keep the terr like that, fine... then give jav a rep and fast gun rate Levi is okay, havent gotten a chance to play with it or much anything else yet but I can see easily that the terr is too out of whack...change it. As for the map, remains to be seen whether this does anything for pub pop. At the moment pub has good pop, BUT a lot of that can be attributed to the change and the fact that there was no rumble...in two weeks, chances are pop will settle back to what it was before because the novelty will have worn off..... lol i just looked back into pub and a rumble has started ... 5 ppl in pub oh make that 6 heheh I'd say keep these changes up for a week or so and then have a vote...but the terr needs to be changed, that seems to be the overwhelming feeling. Finally on a personal note: Stockholm, I'm not trying to be an !@#$%^&*hole here, but since you are new, don't lecture people on how things should be... players who have been in 17th through thick and thin remember how it used to be and the changes in the past few years. Please keep that in mind.