I'm Angry

[TheSelfishGene]

Yet those "plenty of other nations" have massive amounts of debt, a culture that rewards idleness, and socialism. And that source you used hardly looks professional and reliable. It looks like it was designed by a 12 year old. Again, you can't compare the extremes of one system to the average of another.

Just an incidental question. Have you ever travelled outside of the USA?

[Ununoctium]

Just an incidental question. Have you ever travelled outside of the USA?

Yes, on numerous occasions. What are you

[TheSelfishGene]

What are you

Curious.

[Darkmoon]

Yet those "plenty of other nations" have massive amounts of debt, a culture that rewards idleness, and socialism. And that source you used hardly looks professional and reliable. It looks like it was designed by a 12 year old. Again, you can't compare the extremes of one system to the average of another.

The US has a higher rate of Unemployment than the UK right now, (not by much, but I think the US is on 9.1 compare to our 8.something of the population out of work) while the US has a debt of $14.5 trillion compared to the UK's £966.8 billion (or $1.5 trillion converted) while our populations are 307,006,550 for the US and 62,218,761 for the UK.

In other words, we have lower unemployment and roughly half the national debt, per person, than you do - while maintaining the NHS, amongst other 'socialist' projects such as free schools and public works repairs and projects.

The figures quoted are from the World Health Organisation - it's just simpler to look them up there than read through the report. But you can easily enough find, and confirm, the report if you so wish. As for the comparison - yeah, a number of American folks aren't impressed. If only the study didn't count a bunch of things America would be much higher. Oddly, only some Americans seem to feel this way...

[Pikminister]

Why you fellas keep arguing with a tin-foil wearing ideologue who firmly believes Hitler was a Leftist is beyond me.

But then I see how slow the forum is and then I go... "well, I guess that beats watching old crusty X-files episodes on TV".

Nah, I was actually going to comment on what Xander Ashford wrote about buying used games at GameStop... Jesus... they sell the crappiest pieces of crap in the entire nation.

I did managed to find a good place to buy my 2nd hand games, though. The games that they sell are practically new. They won't sell anything with scratches (noticeable ones, that is).

That's where I got my pristine copies of Killer 7 and RE3 for the Cube. Didn't pay extra for them either.

[Darkmoon]

I have a thing about what I see as wrong information that makes it annoyingly hard to stop arguing - I hate the feeling that some poor and misinformed soul is gonna wander across it and think it's right. So I feel a need to put up, in my opinion, more accurate information. Although honestly, if anyone reads something like this without double checking themselves and assuming it's right, from me or anyone else, is kinda scary thinking. I know I'm not gonna change Ununoctium's mind - facts, figures and such don't shift it, so I have no reason to think anything else will. But I feel this annoyingly obligation to correct (in my opinion, at least) him anyway.

Such is life for someone whose brain is as badly wired as mine.

[Pikminister]

I have a thing about what I see as wrong information that makes it annoyingly hard to stop arguing - I hate the feeling that some poor and misinformed soul is gonna wander across it and think it's right. So I feel a need to put up, in my opinion, more accurate information. Although honestly, if anyone reads something like this without double checking themselves and assuming it's right, from me or anyone else, is kinda scary thinking. I know I'm not gonna change Ununoctium's mind - facts, figures and such don't shift it, so I have no reason to think anything else will. But I feel this annoyingly obligation to correct (in my opinion, at least) him anyway.

Such is life for someone whose brain is as badly wired as mine.

Well since I live in the US, I have to deal with these weirdos (from both the Right and the Left... damn those freakin' 911 conspiracy wackos) quite often. And I can tell you that you're def wasting your time. You will never change his mind.

But if it that keeps you entertained... keep at it.

[Darkmoon]

I know. Trust me, we have our regional branch of the Tin Hat Brigade (the guy who thinks the Royal Family are lizard people is my personal favourite) and as I said, I'm not trying to convince him anyway. I'm trying to tell the poor, clueless sod who wanders across this thread a year from now that, no, this actually is what happens (rather than all us Europeans dying in the gutter because no one has a working health care system, for example) and maybe get them to go look it up themselves. I know full well unless I say, 'America is the one true nation and we are all fools for not copying ourselves exactly after it's every law and system' he doesn't seem too likely to listen to me. But such is life.

[Pikminister]

I think that discussing politics or religion with someone is a good way to measure the mental capacity/state of that individual.

However, on a forum... it ruins things because when you're discussing RE with a person who thinks and believes that Obama is a time-traveling alien born in Kenya.... it just... I dunno...

I better stop, though... don't wanna feed that... well, y'know.

[Ununoctium]

Well Darkmoon, I find it amusing how you believe your opinion somehow equates to facts. Really America is in a position much like South Africa was in the early 1990s. We can either choose to become socialist states and join the European Union like some other countries (becoming socialists/EU = becoming like Zimbabwe, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea) or we can keep our freedom and remain a democracy (keeping our democracy/freedom = Nelson Mandela forgiving the whites)

[Enetirnel]

I remember, years ago, buying a game 'new and sealed' only to find the disc scratched to hell and back. The seller's physical shop was on a train ride away and I had some business there (no one was murdered...that time) so I popped in. He was quite happy to exchange it, and explained that, yeah, sometimes he just reseals second hand copies and sells them new if they look in good shape. I pointed out the one I had bought looked like it had been used as a target for angry cats and he just shrugged.

Less than impressed.

I guess I must have sheer dumb luck as I'm wary about buying new stuff unless it's got the factory sealed packaging. Like how the PS ones actually has the console logo printed across a pull band as to avoid a shrink wrapped "new" game in that condition.

So I do tend to initially get used copies, then factory sealed ones. Though nothing I've bought used has ever had any scratches or the like on them and have been complete too outside of those two I mentioned. Other than ending up with the occasional bootleg, that's really been about it.

This is one of the main reasons I tend to avoid used items. Actually, the only time I buy used is if the game is out of print, and it is extremely expensive to buy an actual new copy. When I do actually break down and get new, I have to see it physically before purchasing. I know GameStop doesn't enjoy seeing me come in a purchase a used game.

"I see you have 5 used copies based on the quantity of boxes on the shelf. May I see ALL discs and make my selection?"

Though no matter the condition of the disc, I simply cannot buy it without the original packaging. Those handwritten covers just do not fly for me. Being OCD is annoying..

Smiley and I had this issue when we went to his local one, because they constantly fuck up there. They fucked up as per usual, didn't want to do it for him so I had to talk to them on the phone too to explain to them how exactly they managed to fuck up and that I know what exactly was supposed to be in there with the game - they had put the Death By Degrees Tekken 5 demo in a case for Tekken 5 and sold it as a full game so we had to sort it out.

But I did so in a manner that I also told them that regardless of their fuckup, the demo disc came with DBD and also couldn't be resold so it would be redundant for them to take it back after falsely selling an item.

[nemesiswontdie]

I can't find my damn Dead Space hoodie. I've only worn it a couple of times and now its lost and its freezing here and now I don't have any winter clothes besides a few long sleeve shirts. I guess its time to get a new jacket and I know what I want.

http://www.metalgearsolid-store.com/product/EGZ-MGS-04251-001_Field-Coat

[Ununoctium]

I think that discussing politics or religion with someone is a good way to measure the mental capacity/state of that individual.

Indeed. I also find a good debate as a way to broaden one's intellect, and on the rare occasion introduce you to new ideas and possibilities.

[Darkmoon]

Well Darkmoon, I find it amusing how you believe your opinion somehow equates to facts. Really America is in a position much like South Africa was in the early 1990s. We can either choose to become socialist states and join the European Union like some other countries (becoming socialists/EU = becoming like Zimbabwe, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea) or we can keep our freedom and remain a democracy (keeping our democracy/freedom = Nelson Mandela forgiving the whites)

I...have no idea what you just said. I'm pretty sure America hasn't spent the last few years in prison, though. And honestly? The EU has got enough trouble right now without America's economy draining our resources. I don't think we'd want you, right now.

But to make it clear? None of what I posted was opinion. It's factual information, backed by statistics published in both America and Britain. I'm aware, this makes no actual difference since they're not statistics showing you're right, but I'll post them anyway.

America's National Debt - I think this is the Treasury's actual site, but I'm not 100% sure about that.
UK's national debt - From the Office of National Statistics.
US Unemployment Data - From the US Deparment of Labour's Bureau of Labour Statistics.
UK Unemployment Rates - Again from out Office of National Statistics.

I presume I don't need to go and find date for exactly how many people are in each country? Well, if you do wanna look them up, the World Bank has the information.

So, unless you think the US and UK governments are in a conspiracy to publish false date to make the US look bad compared to the UK, there ya have it. The US has twice as much national debt, per citizen, as the UK does and a slightly higher unemployment rate. Not opinion.

[Xander Ashford]

Nah, I was actually going to comment on what Xander Ashford wrote about buying used games at GameStop... Jesus... they sell the crappiest pieces of crap in the entire nation.

I did managed to find a good place to buy my 2nd hand games, though. The games that they sell are practically new. They won't sell anything with scratches (noticeable ones, that is).

That's where I got my pristine copies of Killer 7 and RE3 for the Cube. Didn't pay extra for them either.

Smiley and I had this issue when we went to his local one, because they constantly fuck up there. They fucked up as per usual, didn't want to do it for him so I had to talk to them on the phone too to explain to them how exactly they managed to fuck up and that I know what exactly was supposed to be in there with the game - they had put the Death By Degrees Tekken 5 demo in a case for Tekken 5 and sold it as a full game so we had to sort it out.

But I did so in a manner that I also told them that regardless of their fuckup, the demo disc came with DBD and also couldn't be resold so it would be redundant for them to take it back after falsely selling an item.

I definitely agree that GameStop is absolute crap; I find most of the ones in my area to be absolutely insufferable to go into. There is one near me that nearly everytime I go in, one of the employees comes up to me and starts randomly discussing one of the newer games. It generally starts off with them asking me what kind of games I like so I rattle off things like Dead Space, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, et cetera. It's like they never listen because I usually get a response like "Wow, those are cool games, but have you tried Call of Duty: Modern Deathwar Extreme Soldier Edition?!" It makes me wonder if they are even listening to what I am saying or rather just trying to make a sale. I loathe salesmanship, and this is why people do most of their shopping online (Well, that and convienence).

The quality of the games really seems to be influenced by how much traffic that particular GameStop receives. I have noticed that the ones in less busy areas tend to have a better quality for used items. Now, the ones in the malls usually have crap that is beyond scratched up (Yet, they assure me it will still play...Sorry, PASS! I'm not even going to attempt it). I could go on for hours about how much I hate GameStop. Their marketing paradigm, though smart, pisses me off to no end.

GameStop Mission Statement:
We give you pennies for your gently used stuff, but we're going to turn around and sell it for a 700% markup. Enjoy!

Something I'm not so much angry about, but I guess rather saddened about is the loss of a dear friend. Last night I bought a new car, and put $4000 down, which ate up a substantial chunk of my bank account...Me and those American Cash Dollars had some fun times. On a serious note, I'm happy to finally have something that I deem reliable, but at the same time, I'm bothered with the fact of selling my old car. It's not that I want to drive it anymore, and I really have no use for it, but I just don't like the idea of someone else having it. That car has been in my family since I was two, and I just have a lot of memories associated with it. It almost feels like throwing something dear to your childhood away. Is that weird; does anyone else know the feeling I'm talking about?

And bah, alone at work again...These really make for long days as there is NO ONE for me to talk to except if I get a customer or the phone rings. Meh.

EDIT:
Oh, and Darkmoon, you are a saint for trying.