I don’t think I could have been born at a better time…

[norton9478]

We have men's lives being ruined by false rape accusations while the women that accused them are never punished for fear of "stopping real victims from coming forward".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/08/false-rape-accusations_n_6290380.html

Did you even read the article you linked to?

 

[DNSDies]

Did you?
The point of linking it was to show how a woman cried rape, ruined the lives of like 5 men, had Rolling Stone do a fucking story on her, and when she was found out, nobody punished her and these men still have fucked lives.

As for the rest of the article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_accusation_of_rape

There's been many studies on how frequently false rape allegations are filed.
The most reliable (and conservative) is the FBI report from 1996 with 8% (which is 4 times higher than any other crime).

More modern studies vary wildly, but go as high as 40%.

 

[norton9478]

THe article was about how rare such false accusations are.

Anyways, "unfounded" is not the same as "false".

Furthermore,
Was anyone named in the UVA incident?
Nope..

That is because of those unfounded/false rapes, an assailant is not actually named. In fact, the "victim" obfuscates naming anyone.

 

[DNSDies]

THe article was about how rare such false accusations are.
Anyways, "unfounded" is not the same as "false".
Furthermore,
Was anyone named in the UVA incident?
Nope..
That is because of those unfounded/false rapes, an assailant is not actually named. In fact, the "victim" obfuscates naming anyone.

Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity was named, and had their house shut down for a while.
The frat was suspended, and many of the members have had their lives impacted in very negative ways.

Also, read the wiki sources.
Also, unfounded IS FALSE IN A JUDICIAL DEFINITION.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_accusation#Rape

They also clearly delineate the 8-9% figure as FALSE.

 

[norton9478]

Ohh god, poor old frat boys couldn't paddle any asses or do any homoerotic shit for a month.

According to your good old wikipedia

While it is difficult to assess the prevalence of false accusations due to such accusations being conflated with non-prosecuted cases as "unfounded",[1][2] in the United States, the FBI Uniform Crime Report in 1996 and the United States Department of Justice in 1997 stated 8% of rape accusations in the United States were regarded as unfounded or false.

 

[DNSDies]

Ohh god, poor old frat boys couldn't paddle any asses or do any homoerotic shit for a month.

Yes, god forbid they be treated like human beings with the right to due process because YOU DON'T LIKE THEM.

That's a sickening attitude.

 

[neobuyer]

You see- Smokehouse why you are such a good member here? It's because of guys like Norton (srsly, nothing personal Norton) that what little remained of the rational discourse on the boards a while ago went SOUTH. Norton is basically a factory machine-stamped robotic automaton of the Hard left of the Democratic party. He does not make his mind up on individual issues for himself. He, like most people, joins a "team" and adopts all/most of that party's beliefs like it was a religion. You, on the other hand Smokehouse, while you may be a little to the right in some ways, maybe a little left in the other- you are an individuated thinker who actually puts a lot of thought into your opinions. You aren't some rah-rah us-vs-them partisan android, but a real person with genuine opinions.

And srsly, Norton- It is not my intention to go after you here, but even you have to admit you pretty much tow the party line, do you not?

 

[norton9478]

I am not a democrat.
I have never been a democrat.
I have never voted democrat (going on 8 elections).

 

[neobuyer]

Meaning you are even more arch-leftist than I presumed?

Damn, forgive me on that one.

 

[norton9478]

Don't put me in a box. I am an independent thinker. My ideology follows (not drives) my quest for truth.

 

[Electric Grave]

Dude, neobuyer is a douchebag, don't mind him so much. To his credit you are pretty much the same old same one up everybody on sight kinda poster you have been throughout the years.

 

[neobuyer]

Eyeryone ignore these two, my opinions are based on the literal center line of objective reality.

 

[LoneSage]

lol

I'm a fan of The Fish

 

[Electric Grave]

Eyeryone ignore these two, my opinions are based on the literal center line of objective reality.

lol

neodouchebag...

 

[Steve]

A bit LTTP (damn I think Link to the Past whenever I see that) but basically, I pretty much agree with you, Smoke.

I'm a decent bit younger than you ('83 baby here) but I believe that people born in the late 70s to early-mid '80s had it pretty frickin' good, at least as far as entertainment and specifically, video games go.

I grew up on NES at 4-7 years old in the late '80s and very early '90s. Then I moved onto the Genesis/SNES as an 8-12 year old. Not to mention the fighting game craze and the Doom era of early-mid '90s. It was digital Heaven.

Even got to experience the 32-bit age as a teenager (not my favorite era but still a damn good one especially in hindsight).

Feel like I lucked out as my childhood was still pre-internet and like you said, EGM/Gamefan and stuff like renting games, trading with your friends and hanging out at the local park til dusk with just your friends was all part of the fabric and magic of childhood pre-late '90s or so.

Bottom line, I feel fortunate to have grown up when I did, and I wouldn't want to change it for a thing. Don't even get started on TV/cartoon shows from late '80s to early-mid '90s. The Wonder Years and Duck Tales FTW. It was a magical time to be a kid, for sure. Golden Age of Gaming, cartoons, hell even wrestling (late '80s Macho Man Hulk Hogan Ultimate Warrior Sting and then late '90s with the infamous Attitude Era). Entertainment-wise, hell of a time to be a young kid to teenager.

 

[HDRchampion]

Im glad i was able to enjoy the arcade scene...Nothing beats putting a quarter & beating up scrubs like Electricgrave who thinks they are hotshit in street fighter.

 

[smokehouse]

I love starting a thread like this and seeing it take on a life of its own...its interesting reading.

I would like to say one thing...addressed to those that say "well...just unplug your life and live without technology"

Bullshit.

You can't go back...none of us can. You can dial it back...some, but you can't 100% live like it's 1985 because it is not 1985 anymore.

Think of it this way...a car. We now have a car. With it comes taxes, insurance, gas, maint, traffic, laws...all kinds of headaches. But...to give up that car means giving up a ton of perks. Can you do it? Sure...but in much of the US that means giving up a shit ton of freedoms. So...in the end what happens? We accept the headaches because of the perks.

Before there was a car...these things didn't exist. A man didn't have to choose...there was only one option. Life was mentally easier in that way...but physically tougher.

So I tie that into technology. In 1985 there was no cell phone, no internet, no GPS, not twitter, Facebook, email, etc...none of it. There was no choice to make, no freedoms to give up. You had a phone, on a wall...that stayed there. When you left the home, you automatically disconnected whether you liked it or not.

Now...you know the perks, you know what you give up living off the grid. As time goes on...it gets tougher to live off the grid. More and more things are requiring you to have digital accounts, or credit cards, or email...in time it will be your only option.

To simply go back and live like it 1985 is really not a reasonable option because it's impossible.

Im glad i was able to enjoy the arcade scene...Nothing beats putting a quarter & beating up scrubs like Electricgrave who thinks they are hotshit in street fighter.

Wow...this was something I 100% forgot about. The arcade scene of the late 80's/early 90's. That's another thing that had to be experienced in real time. Man...I used to live int he arcade any chance I got...

-The beat em ups like TMNT the arcade game/X-Men/Final Fight/
-Gun games like Operation Wolf or T2
-The shoot em ups like NARC/Mercs/Smash TV
-The oddball titles like Cadash/Tetris types
-The Playchoice 10
-Neo Geo stand ups
-Endless SHUMPS

Holy shit...those were the days...

 

[Mr Bakaboy]

^ That reminds me of a time in the arcades before fighting games. The attitude of fighting games is interesting. I'd say about 60 - 70% have a bully mentality where beating someone in this game makes you superior to them and owes you the right to treat them like shit. I've seen scrawny little guys talk so much shit to big gorillas cause they get overhyped over winning (also seen some brutal shit afterwards).

Some days I miss the 80's arcades. Most 2 player games were either co-op or take turns. There was a comradery with the gamers always wanting to see someone do good. Everybody understood the game was precious and playing the longest was really the goal rather then beating somebody.

Don't get me wrong I love fighting games and my teen years I was glued to fighters, but some days I wonder if the innocence of what the arcade was is gone. Nowadays yes, you can play some of the co-op games online, but it seems the safety of being hidden from retialation by being online causes players to forget manners and act like a jerk no matter what the game is.

 

[smokehouse]

Im glad i was able to enjoy the arcade scene...Nothing beats putting a quarter & beating up scrubs like Electricgrave who thinks they are hotshit in street fighter.

^ That reminds me of a time in the arcades before fighting games. The attitude of fighting games is interesting. I'd say about 60 - 70% have a bully mentality where beating someone in this game makes you superior to them and owes you the right to treat them like shit. I've seen scrawny little guys talk so much shit to big gorillas cause they get overhyped over winning (also seen some brutal shit afterwards).

Some days I miss the 80's arcades. Most 2 player games were either co-op or take turns. There was a comradery with the gamers always wanting to see someone do good. Everybody understood the game was precious and playing the longest was really the goal rather then beating somebody.

Don't get me wrong I love fighting games and my teen years I was glued to fighters, but some days I wonder if the innocence of what the arcade was is gone. Nowadays yes, you can play some of the co-op games online, but it seems the safety of being hidden from retialation by being online causes players to forget manners and act like a jerk no matter what the game is.

The scene 100% flipped once SFII came out...and I didn't like it one bit.

Before that...someone would join in a co-op and it was an awesome thing...it almost always meant you would get longer play for your $.25. There was this strange, temporary comradery with that person too...suddenly, you were on the same team vs evil. The TMNT games, X-Men, and beat 'em up was awesome for this. Playing NARC or Smash TV through with another person was just fucking awesome...man, I miss that.

Once SFII came out...it wasn't fun anymore (unless you were an uber competitive dick). Either A.) The other person would pop in a quarter and beat the fuck out of you, thus pissing you off. or B.) The other person would pop in a quarter and you would beat the fuck out of them, thus pissing them off.

It turned gaming into something I didn't enjoy. Obviously, a ton of people loved this but it wasn't my cup of tea...between that trend and my getting older, it was basically the end my my arcade gaming.

 

[Takumaji]

Smoke, you should go out more.

 

[Arcademan]

The scene 100% flipped once SFII came out...and I didn't like it one bit.

Before that...someone would join in a co-op and it was an awesome thing...it almost always meant you would get longer play for your $.25. There was this strange, temporary comradery with that person too...suddenly, you were on the same team vs evil. The TMNT games, X-Men, and beat 'em up was awesome for this. Playing NARC or Smash TV through with another person was just fucking awesome...man, I miss that.

I agree. Many of the two player games were co-op types like Final Fight, Gauntlet, Turtles and similar games. You competed for points, goodies and power-ups, sure however mutual survival was a priority. Still remember the good old days of Wizard of Wor when a customer and myself in one of my old arcades played for hours on end, finding hiding spots and positioning ourselves back-to-back shooting enemies down. If one of us failed, both of us died. Linked ships on Space Dual was the ultimate team challenge.

Gauntlet was fun with a friend or two and when another joined the game, there was a simple understanding: don't try to screw with us or you will die a fast and horrible death (ghost vacuum!).

Damn but I miss the good old days of arcades and simple home systems, this from a person who saw the beginnings of the video arcade business and survived the crashes of '77 and '83.

 

[HDRchampion]

I was never a fan of the co-ops...They were too much of quarter eaters for me & i usually didn't have much money. I was lucky enough to have $2 when i went to the arcades & that includes bus fair. Best part for me was the competitive fighting games. I made that $2 last for at least 4hrs...I get grown men wanting to kick my ass. The only time i let someone win is if they were in the gang.

That's one thing i hated about my childhood in early 90s was the gangs were at its peak w/ the bloods & crips. I really dont see much of that these days or maybe im just so out of touch.

 

[neobuyer]

From my perspective, the arcade vs. the home console market quality gap is something that made gaming a lot more exciting. I was borne in '74, so by the time I was tall enough to reach the contols I was playing arcade games, right near the start of the whole arcade scene. Soon the Atari 2600 came out and everyone had to have it. And even with more advanced systems like Intellivision and Coleco, the arcade ruled far and away supreme as the go-to place for the best games out there. Making a console for the home market in the early 80s that could plY arcade quality games would have meant a huuuuuuge price tag, so the arcade was a mystical, awesome place you started to salivate over anytime you were near a mall, movie theater or 7-11.

But the thing that was so freaking exciting and made me and my friends almost unable to sleep in anticipation just before we were finally able to get them were certain games, or new consoles that represented a huge leap forward in graphics and memory capacity. Like when the japanese import version of Street Fighter 2 first appeared in certian shops. Or Altered Beast and Shinobi on Genesis, Super Mario World on the SNES. When the first 3D comsole came out (3DO) and then the PSX and Saturn, oh man ...I scrimped and saved every penny to buy them all. Playing Virtua Fighter (which I loved) on that grey import saturn was surreal to me, like Toshinden was on the import PSX (despite what Diehard Gamefan said about it, it wasn't that great- but the graphics...). Between the Psx and Saturn coming out at the same time I paid more than $1200 on them each with one game a piece.

But the greatest, most transendental moment of my gaming existence was, after saving for 3 months, when I first bought a NEO-GEO home system. That system, and the game that made me buy it- Samurai fuckin' Showdown, when I first got it home and hooked up I couldn't even believe how amazing it was. It was pure, unadulterated joy- made even better by the fact that every one of my friends said it was stupid to buy a system and games that expensive and that they would never do it, these motherfuckers flocked to me, begging me to bring the Neo over to host tournaments between us. This was made even better by the release of what to this day I consider to be one of the greatest video games of all time- Samurai Showdown II. To me, even better than the vaunted Street Fighter 2 and it's decendants.

It was the wow factor of new, much better looking/playing games and the waiting and anticipation of those games and consoles that made it so exiting.

Today, new system represent only a "well yeah, that does look better..." kind of feeling, it's not the same magical feeling it used too be.

And I don't want to just use fighting games as examples- how about Ms. Pac Man on the 2600, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy 7, Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast. Yeah I know those weren't all arcade games first, but they were revelations.

 

[caleb1883]

It should be noted that the group market (where most changes are) is only 10% of the total market.

I just now noticed this and it's so off base I have to correct it. There is lots of information about the breakdown of what percentage of Americans carry employer sponsered plans, which are group plans, and that number is about 43%. Which would also explain why about 42% of people are not-viewing the ACA favorably according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation poll.

There are so many ways for the insurance companies to charge extra money it's ridiculous. If you are not on a government subsidized plan your costs went up, either in premiums, out of pocket requirements or both. The biggest issue from an overall cost perspective is that premiums continue to skyrocket, whether you pay for it or not. The insurance companies have raised the costs of almost every plan out there with no cap placed on what they can charge. If you are on the exchange, the subsidy keeps that from being felt by consumers at the lower middle end of the economic spectrum but if you pay federal taxes then you are essentially paying the subsidy. If you choose to head off the exchange then those prices are going to be higher than they used to as well.

As another example of the price gouging loopholes built into the ACA, you are now required to join a spouses plan if they have an option to add a spouse to their group plan, or buy a federal exchange plan from the marketplace. No other option. So pre-ACA let's say the cost to join a spouses plan was $400 a month, but you carried an individual plan at $200 a month. Post ACA you have to join your spouse's plan or get your individual from the exchange. You hit the exchange to find you don't qualify for a subsidy and the best you can do is an $800 a month for what you used to get for $200 a month. So you go to join the spouse's insurance and the plan that used to cost $400 a month now costs $600. Why? Because they know your best option on the exchange is $800 and you will coming running back to the spouses plan, so they jack the cost. The plan doesn't change one bit.

I'm all for healthcare reform but this is not it. It's a win-win for insurance companies and no-one else. They get to force everyone to buy more insurance even if they don't want it or need it, raise the prices, and if people can't afford it, the insurance company still gets their new higher asking price with government covering the bill.

 

[Heinz]

I'm probably quite young compared to the rest of you old farts, '89 fetus here. I pretty much missed the golden age but thankfully I was a late adopter of most systems but SNES was my first foray. A lot of my gaming time is spent going back to titles I never had the chance to play in the flow of it all. Not that I didn't get to play some 'classics' as the years rolled on