Here's a few of the thought-processes behind this, and why I personally find them ridiculous:
- "Weed demotivates you"

Absolutely. In a society where marijuana is prohibited, rather than accepted as a form of recreation, users withdraw. They're told all sorts of half-truths regarding the drug growing up, and then personal experience challenges the validity of all those assertions. Naturally, a user who can't let on publically that he uses marijuana recreationally won't find the motivation necessary to continue bettering himself in society. He's already stepped outside the bounds of societal acceptance, the only way to maintain social acceptance is to either stop smoking, or continue smoking and lie about it.

- "Weed makes you paranoid"

Absolutely. When you're treated like a criminal for strolling through a neighborhood rolling pungeant-smelling cigarettes and relaxing, you've got to develop a sense of fear. I mean, you're typically not bothering anybody with your activities, yet discovery puts you in a position to lose your livelihood, personal freedom, and personal effects. The habit's expensive, you can't afford to cavalier about when smoking simply because you've invested a decent amount in the substance itself and any paraphernelia associated. You're fearing for your reputation, your personal effects, and your very liberty itself. Yea... you're paranoid.

- "Weed is addictive"

Well, yea. Everything in this world is addictive. The human brain is wired to respond favorably to things that act favorably. Smoking is relaxing and fun. There is no established link to physically addictive properties of the drug, so that puts it's addiction level on par with several other legal activities: gambling, sex, driving, riding roller coasters, ice-cream, candy, coffee, alcohol, really good massages, exercise, etc.

- "Weed effects short term memory"

Yep. Memory, especially short-term, is a function of the brain. The effect cannabinoid receptors have on the brain is such that they attach to specific neurons for the duration of their stay within the respiritory system. Alcohol functions similarly, except alcohol can go so far as to subtract hours from your remembered life.

- "Marijuana smoke is worse for you than cigarette smoke."

I dunno about this one. Weed smoke just doesn't behave the same as cigarette smoke. Someone who smokes cigarettes frequently is more readily identifiable than someone who smokes weed frequently. The cigarette smoke clings to things it encounters: clothing, lungs, walls, whatever. While marijuana smoke generally does not. Regardless of that, smoking is only one way to induce TCH into one's system. Pot consumption is equally potent to the user at zero of the assumed cost to the lungs.

- "Weed is a gateway drug."

Correlation does not prove causality. Simply because any percieved majority of weed users may then escalate their usage to other drugs does not mean that it was the marijuana use that caused it. It could also mean that a certain predisposition to heavy drug use exists, and since weed is the most readily and easily available of the illicit drugs, it's simply the first manifestation of that predisposition.

I dunno, there's more I could debunk but if I do I'll be late for work and not be able to eat my dinner.

Yea, today's xkcd brings this up. The analogy is hilarious.

Voting machines shouldn't even be exposed to the vulnerabilities that anti-virus software protects against in the first place. The programming for the machines should be committed to ROM, and the counting should be written to disc, saved on the hard drive, and backed up for review. Votes are far too important to be treated any other way.

I mean, the people who should have the biggest problem with this are the voters within the precincts that use the voting machines. I would be absolutely outraged if I thought that I was being further shortchanged my already near meaningless vote simply because the entire goal of "easier, more accurate, more secure" wasn't accomplished in the transition from handwritten balloting.

Typical conversations on the BBS:
- "This is my opinion."
------> "Your opinion sucks."
------> "Sweet, I can be racist now."
------> "Your post was bland and vague enough that I can just post a bunch of garbage in your style."

See how a thread needs premise, example, AND conclusion? Without all three, there's no decent conversation to be had.

That'd have to be David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I labored over 600 or so pages of that steaming literary pile before giving it up entirely. So I've still not fully finished it, making it the longest continuous outstanding book I've started.

Other than that, East of Eden comes to mind. I loved that book. If we could count series as single story lines and therefore single books, I've read the entire Harry Potter series, the entire Dark is Rising sequence, the Divine Comedy, the entire Animorphs series when I was 12 or so, every book from the Ender's Game universe, and a few others that aren't coming to mind right now.

At 8/14/08 04:55 AM, PigletsMemories wrote: Basically what I mean by unnecessary school spirit is too much school spirit. But I don't mean no school spirit at all, all schools should have at least minimal school spirit, but what I've seen from my school is just constant school spirit. It just seems pointless. I come to learn, but I see these students in huge, expensive jackets with my school name on it. I still have yet to see the point in being proud of your school.

Well, there's an interesting argument. You don't understand the pride itself. Have you ever heard George Carlin (bless him)'s recent routine? He lambasts the foolishness of having pride in something you can't really do much to change. He mostly aims his point at people who are proud of their race and the fact that it's an accident of birth, but there's really a comparably little amount of choice in High School as well. It's decided by living location, which is also determined by accident of birth, at least until the child is old enough to make his own decisions, at which point it's most often easiest to just keep on keepin' on, so to speak.

And I'm the kind of person who's pessimistic on most situations, and that's pretty much how I am. I do know why people are optimistic in lots of situations, but I wasn't born like that. But I just started my sophomore year yesterday, so I haven't experienced as much as you.

Yea, that's why I felt it was important that I chime in. I'm hoping to get you to take a second look at the people you're looking down on and your motivation for doing so. By taking a step back from the situation, maybe you'll realize that school spirit isn't such a bad thing after all. Or maybe you'll come to the conclusion that you're right in your convictions. I dunno. Doesn't mean I shouldn't challenge your ideas with my personal experience or opinion.

I think: cut 'em some slack. People like to have something to get excited over and something to belong to. It's an identity you can share with these people, beyond the all-important mantle of "human being." We're all in it for the species, folks, even when we're looking out for ourselves.

The only problem is that the US's best players never train together. It's why the Olympic basketball team always loses. There's too many big egos that don't practice together, so nobody cooperates and everybody loses.

Oh sweet. I knew if I just waited long enough someone else'd be annoyed more than I about that stupid account. Now that it's confirmed that it's just a gimmick, I can "sack" the account, as per the previous rules page.

Annoying post-count: +1 accounts: -1.

Hell yea. It's sometimes worse when you're a moderator, because you feel like you're obligated to check out a bunch of the really shitty-looking threads you'd have skipped as a regular just because you need to run the quality control filter over them.

I mean, it's 4:42 AM here in my time zone. The sun's poking up from the horizon just about. I got home an hour ago and deposited first thing I got on here. There's no reason for me to be up this late posting, yet I feel compelled to.

Yea...

At 8/14/08 04:35 AM, PigletsMemories wrote: Nothing wrong with being in Honors, it's a big advantage on you, and I honestly don't mind clubs, but the constant exaggeration of unnecessary school spirit pisses me off, and it makes me feel like I'm the only one not into it at all. I just wish these happy people were more serious and aware with what's going on because there has been death and violence at my school, and people still go happy-go-lucky. It bothers me, and that's just me.

Define unnecessary school spirit. I mean, it's quite clear you're pretty much the only one 'not into it at all'. There's death and violence at EVERY school. That's the reason why the community spirit is so important in the first place. When you're making it "this community vs. every other community" instead of "every man for themselves," the school kids are looking out for each other more. It just, makes more sense.

Unless you're saying that you want everyone to be more somber about events past, just because you apparently are. In which case: that's ridiculous. It's their life, why waste it dwelling on the misdeeds of another?

Ha ha. You're a huge wet-blanket. I'm glad I never met you in High School. I was in National Honors Society, did Soccer, was in ROTC, joined drill team as a result, took Advanced Placement classes, and all sorts of other cool shit that my school offered.

All while being mellow, content, and decently happy with the way my life was going. Why the hell do you resent people for enjoying themselves? Learning to socialize and take advantage of the opportunities to better youself is part of what the learning experience is all about. If you were participating in these extra-cirriculars, you would be simultaneously increasing the chances that one will help convince a university to teach you after HS, and also increasing the chances that another oranization will help pay for your schooling.

I dunno. I was level 19 before the redesign (briefly), and I really only missed out on the stupid block hammer I was still forever away from reaching. Then I would've gone to a big ax thing, the reincarnation of which I just passed two levels ago, then last level I got the double ax that corresponded to level 22, and now instead of the terrible q-tip (small crystal rod thing) for level 23, I get a bad-ass blood-stained chainsaw.

The only thing that upset me is that I'll never get to have level 26, which was my favorite level, and my eventual goal for depositing here. It would've taken me another 12 years straight of depositing to reach, however, on the old system. Whereas my new goal, level 56 (that awesome skull thing) will only take me another 5 years of depositing to reach.

At 8/13/08 03:32 PM, MetalStar wrote:

At 8/13/08 02:37 PM, Evark wrote: Actually, one of this site's most endearing features is it's "say anything you want"-

I stopped there. We can't even say N-gger because of the racially sensitive people.

"racially sensitive people."

*Tom.

At 8/13/08 02:39 PM, SprintT wrote: Interesting a truthful out look :) I supose this site doesn't need a bunch of stuck up suits running the place, but I just do not think it is a good example to call someone a cunt either. Maybe I need to get out of a hole, but it just does not sit right with me.

Well, I guess that just means the people calling you a cunt are missing the mark a bit. Once you've crawled out, it'll be fine. : b

Actually, one of this site's most endearing features is it's "say anything you want" attitude. The moderators don't ban people for criticizing them here, we don't block swear words that don't offend anyone specific. Hell, back in the day, the popular flash on the site was all about killing whatever celebrity in as gruesome a manner as possible.

Yea, most of the time moderators will be polite and whatever. But you've gotta know that we're gonna swear and toss around some generalized insults once in a while too. It's the culture of the forums here to do so, man. Don't look at it as a bad thing, look at it as a fun thing. We kinda like to pride ourselves on having a tougher skin than most others.

irc.webmaster.net
#newgrounds.com

It's the de-facto official NG chat. It was formerly featured on the site, but after an incident whereby Wade posed as a noob and was made fun of, it is no longer.

There's still people who pop in every once in a while and a lot of those who're lurking in it all day. So you might not get instant conversation, but if you're prepared to say something and wait a while, you might get something going when someone checks in on it.

Get a cock piercing and dangle the ring from it. Next time she gives you a blowjob you can be like "SURPRISE!"

Uh... everyone has that. This is not news. Every user has the same options over their Private Messages as well. You can block people, delete messages, etc.

It isn't illegal. In fact, it's illegal for you NOT to give an officer your information if he requests it. You don't have to give any more than your name and age, I believe. But yea, they can ask you that information if they want.

It would have been illegal if he searched your backpack or something like that. But in that case, it would have been your own fault for letting the cop take advantage.

Also: better topic title next time?

At 8/11/08 03:57 PM, Gagsy wrote: Haha, and I'd be offended if I wasn't able to use the internet at work. =P

Touche, salesman. I used to have two jobs where I could internet while at work. I miss more especially my bank job. Because not only was there internet, but there was also nothing else to do. I'd spend 4 hours sitting at my desk on Saturday mornings for eight-fifty an hour (four years ago now) browsing NG, listening to music, drinking free coffee, and sorting a pile of checks. Jobs where you're just doing the stuff that other people don't really feel like doing are great. Because... if you don't do it it's not a big deal at all. I could sort through all the checks in 20 minutes and take the week off, or take hours and hours with frequent breaks to do the same task.

Sounds almost high tech. We have a map on our computers, not so useful when there are new flats cropping up everywhere in our town and it doesn't show you driveways of course. I've never actually thought of using Google maps before, I might do that next time I take a booking from an awkward address.

Yea, it's super win. Of course, the computers we have at work have a high-speed internet connection that they don't let any coworkers use. You can only go to "Domino's online" if you have a username and password. Franchise is worried that nobody'll get all their work done if they can just fool around online in their spare time. They're right.

I can imagine. Taxi drivers are worse than woman when it comes to moaning but they are usually colourful people with good personalities.

Hah, yea, this kid's got some good ones. The most hilarious are hideous beasts of women trying to get free rides out of him by offering sexual rewards.

Ha ha. That's the risk you take when you troll, yo. If you're going to make yourself sound as believable as possible, while simultaneously describing the most unbelievably disgusting or demented actions possible, you run the risk of someone believing you. Of course, it's usually just "OMG UR SICK" which you can laugh at, but here's a case where you've been convincing enough to actually have repurcussions.

Good luck convincing your parents that you're not some sort of psycho. Ha ha ha.

At 8/11/08 03:19 PM, Gagsy wrote: Pfft, I'm a little more upmarket than that thank you.

I'd be offended if I weren't undoubtedly being paid more. : )

I work in a taxi office, booking taxis for people, so when folk live in annoying off road places I need to make sure I get the directions right so our drivers can find the place.

Ah, I see. I dunno, our system's pretty foolproof. We've got a huge map of our territory, and a map on the touchscreen computer so we can check individual delivery's location. The only problem we have is there are some new streets that don't exist (including on Google Maps) yet, so you have to either know where they are already, or ask an older driver.

A coworker at Domino's is also a local taxi driver. He's got some crazy stories.

I still say don't miss around with it, because they won't send a pizza. D=

They'll want to make the sale if the order looks legit. Even if it doesn't, policy is usually to call the number provided before making the order to confirm. Plus, if the pizza doesn't show up after citric's ordered it, he can call up and bitch them out for not telling him they weren't sending it out. You could probably get either coupons, discounts, or entirely free food. Pizza's so cheap to make compared to what people're willing to pay for it that it's easy to talk a pizza place into giving it away for free.

At 8/11/08 03:33 PM, STEM wrote: Get a VERTICAL PIZZA

This is hysterical. "ACT NOW, GET HORIZONTAL SODA, INVISIBLE WINGS, BOX LOVER'S CRUST, AND CHEESE LOVER'S NAPKINS ALL FOR JUST $21.95!"

At 8/11/08 03:06 PM, Gagsy wrote: Though mine don't make much sense, I should be better at this considering my job. Typos much.
Also, if it's not Dominos, cancel the order.

You work for Domino's, too? I'm a "delivery expert."

Definitely make it something funny. If you are, in fact, ordering from Domino's (and it looks like you are), you should know that whatever you order is almost instantly put into the system at your local Domino's. Like, they don't screen them or anything. If your order looks suspicious, they might call you to make sure you actually placed a legitimate order that you plan on paying for, but other than that, once it's in, it's in.

You should gear your instructions toward making the driver laugh. If you haven't yet filled out the special instructions box for cooking, put something like "make with extra love" or something in there. For driver delivery instructions, I'd consider putting something like: "special request for most attractive female driver", or something that begs for the driver to ask you a question about your odd request. Like, "Door only opens for special knock: Morse Code "penis."

Be creative.

I go outside about 5 times a day or more. Fresh air and nature are so relaxing, I can't imagine who wouldn't want to enjoy them. I mean, I've got a job where I'm spending lots of time all around my home city driving and delivering (pizzas... wooo), so leaving home is pretty much a requirement. Not to mention going out socially. Last night me and a buddy I grew up with went for a midnight walk around our neck of the woods. There's this awesome "great lawn" that's right on the water with a 180 degree view of the water. You can see across MA's great bay to Cape Cod, the MA shoreline, and Boston glimmering in the distance.

Of course, the place holds hours because it's owned by a bunch of filthy wealthy cunts, but fuck that. Not like we're causing any problems.

How the hell can you live without going outside? I can't even spend more than an hour or so on the computer before I get antsy and bored. Even writing this post I'm feeling anxious to go out and exercise.

Hilikus?

Most recently it's been Masterfade -- Andrew Bird. However, I've a whole history of songs that I just couldn't stop listening to at different points in my life.

Big Machine -- Goo Goo Dolls,
The Space Between -- Dave Matthews Band,
Birthday -- Infected Mushroom,
Another Perfect Day -- American Hi-Fi,
Here Comes the Sun -- The Beatles,
Rosealia -- Better Than Ezra,
Aqueous Transmission -- Incubus,
Nos Da Cariad -- David Gray,
Enjoy the Silence -- Lacuna Coil (Depeche Mode cover),
Everything Counts -- Depeche Mode,
Syndicated Inc. -- Weird Al,
Apology -- Our Lady Peace,
Girlfriend -- Eve 6,
Unemployed Boyfriend -- Everclear,
Hey Julie -- Fountains of Wayne,
Shimmer -- Fuel,
Good Riddance -- Green Day,
Pain -- Jimmy Eat World,
Satellite -- Guster,
Breaking the Habit -- Linkin Park,
Champagne Supernova -- Oasis,
Sleeping Beauty -- A Perfect Circle,
The Pot -- Tool,
Long Way Down -- Pete Yorn,
Blurry -- Puddle of Mudd,
Intimate Secretary -- The Raconteurs,
Around the World -- Red Hot Chili Peppers,
U -- Socialburn,
Hard Road -- The Shore,
She Paints Me Blue -- Something Corporate,
Razorblade -- The Strokes,
No Surprise -- Theory of a Deadman,
City of Angels -- Yellowcard,
So Contageous -- Acceptance

I could probably come up with a bunch more, especially other songs by some of the same artists I've aready mentioned, but I think this about covers it. Obviously, if you've never heard even one of the songs I've listed here, give it a listen. Even if you just find a crappy youtube video featuring the music, just to see if you like it or not. Even after long hours spent listening each of these songs, I'm STILL not sick of them, so I think that says something.

Death is a natural part of life. In fact, death follows necessarily from life. Everything lives and then dies, it is the way of things. Your dog was undoubtedly a loyal companion to you and your family, it seems for the entirety of your memory. So savor those moments in the same way you'd enjoy a fine steak. Every piece delicious and individually memorable, but ultimately moving toward the final product of a full stomache and an empty plate. You'll always love and remember your dog, even if he's now gone.

I hear Comedy Central's annual roast is going legit this year.

At 8/9/08 09:21 PM, Soapbar wrote: apparently my mother is now a MILF.

You DO know that the acronym stands for "Mother I'd Like to Fuck," right?

So, when you say your mother is a MILF, you're saying you're interested in boning your mother.

...

ewwww

At 8/7/08 08:50 PM, BlackPlastic wrote: A mod bumping a dead topic?

I had more to say and I made it worthwhile. If anyone ever did the same when they bumped dead topics, we wouldn't have a problem with it. Not that we really do have as much of a problem as we did in the past. For threads now don't have expiration dates when it comes to our ability to lock them.

At 7/28/08 05:41 AM, AwesomeX wrote: Ah but you have just argued the decency of music ( which you reference as foolish in point B) in Point C
therefore what you say is foolish.

I wasn't willing to argue MY opinion on Disturbed. I just added that as my final opinion because the OP's post begs the question: "do you enjoy Disturbed?" Your missing the point entirely is pretty funny. My post is exclusively about how the OP's argument against Disturbed's music is retarded and ill-founded. It's based off a much broader argument I've carried before whereby I assert that attempting to convince someone of the superiority or inferiority of any music is an exercise in futility. I refuse to do it, but I'll gladly let you know when you're headbutting a brick wall in your attempt.

At 7/28/08 05:46 AM, MojoFilter wrote: Oh, I smell the sarcasm. Aren't you the witty one. In fact, I need to go find some ribs to elbow when I'm done posting this

Ha ha. Well, my sarcasm was far wittier than your 'joke' about smelling it. I mean, I can't even tell if you're trying to elicit laughter here at all, the humor's so dry any attempt to discern it ends in sublimation.

A: He wasn't making a specific argument. It was, in fact, very general

His specific argument as in: his argument specifically. Not as in he's arguing specific things. What a bizarre distortion of terms...

B: Bullshit. Absolute bullshit, and you know it. Not only that, but you're arguing the decency of the same music, only in favor of it. Pure hypocrisy

No, I truly believe point B. My personal opinion on Disturbed is not only irrelevant, but an afterthought to my argument.

C: No, they're really not. That's an opinion, though, and is not the point of my post. It's also the only thing that you really needed to say, because the rest of what you posted failed to establish any argument besides "I disagree"

NO SHIT. Why the fuck would I keep a thread open that's just everyone chiming in with "Disturbed roolz" and/or "Disturbed sucks"? Obviously I'm going to make things a little more interesting with my post, the OP made a post furthering his opinion on a band. I disagreed and elaborated on why I find his particular opinion defunct, and furthermore why I find all other negative opinions on music ill-founded as well. I outlined this above, actually.

At 7/28/08 05:58 AM, Tribalfusion-X wrote: Now who's pressing up his opinion as a fact?

Yea. Did you miss the memo on debate where you try to PROVE your POINT by backing it up with PLAUSIBLE and LOGICAL evidence? I like how you put ": bitch" into your post, though. Like, you want to own me or something but are too passive aggressive to do anything else except post a one-word, lame quip enclosed in BBS-style quotes, like you'd disown the insult in a heartbeat if I pressed you about it. Nab some spine, yo. The adults are having a discussion here, if you want your opinion heard you better be damned proud of the one you've got.