josie

Here's the potentially cruddy thing... it's likely going to be episodic. http://kotaku.com/why-the-final-fantasy-vii-remake-will-be-split-up-1746598619 I fear that may impact the open world exploration that I loved so much as a kid. Just hop in the Highwind, go level up on the Crashed Gelnika, fight some sand worms elsewhere, wander around Nibelheim, poke around the Golden Saucer. If they're doing rollout releases, how does that affect the unlockability/universe? I just smell massive money grab. I also realize that with the density they're claiming to use, they couldn't possibly fit the entirety of the first game in highly detailed absorption in one release. If it's awesome, I won't care. I just hope it isn't an agent to mediocrity. Plus I'm afraid they revamped the battle system. It looks like they're using the FF15 engine heavily. I don't want a reboot. I want a remake. If we're going to remake this game, I want turn-based combat. The awesome atb/materia/limit break mechanics are an intrinsic part what made it a good game, not just the story. Might not affect it negatively at all, and they know that since they're dancing on our nostalgic heartstrings, it'll pour millions without a second thought...

haha no, but I'd never turn down Bruce Campbell. I meant this gent: I'd be willing to bet it's a trend that got going with the abysmal last year or so... I know I tend to participate mainly in OT threads because the hockey ones often seem to be the same argument, different name, or things I personally just don't have strong opinions on. That and I'm still afraid of saying anything too controversial due to my lack of knowledge- a knowledge that most posters here have much more of than I. But I will comment that this board sometimes feels as though hockey barely edges out politics for top ranking discussions. It's an election cycle year though, and the world is in varying degrees of crisis... Please never get rid of the whiskey/beer/cigar threads... they're the best gift giving information resources on the web...

Oh here too. Usually it's women's sports first, then anything art related, then music, then last of all and never, men's sports. I started the art club in my school. Also the girl's lacrosse team. I guess both still exist, but participants fund them. My high school is best known for football, wrestling, and drama. Lotta broadway actors and a decent amount of minor and pro athletes. I understand why men's sports is more popular but it doesn't make me any less sad.

As long as it's the right system, yep! My coworkers "level up" their characters and whatever and bring them in and play them against each other here. I look at them as pretty memory cards. And mostly, you don't need one to play. I think it's only a mario party game that you need an amiibo to play. A decent article 'bout them : http://www.wired.com/2014/12/amiibo-postmortem/

Have a famous one, unplugged. I wouldn't normally link a reddit thread on another forum, but there's a couple amazing stories in this one, people who met him, saw him, etc. I wasn't really ever a STP fan, but it's pretty touching. F*ck drugs, man. https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/3vdoz9/scott_weiland_has_died/

This is awesome. Phallic jokes aside, I teared up. Women's sports are always the first to get defunded. Happened in my school, happens in many others.

I think a part of it is the insane scheduling on the producer's side. I know we deal with it to a small extent with our desktop/mobile gaming.. AAA and console games are just that on steroids. They set a release date that is not conservative enough, and then, despite slave driving the devs and designers, it's just not going to be fully finished/debugged and ready to go by launch. So rather than releasing a full game with some bugs or cutingt back content, or simply pushing release back a few months, they kill two birds with one stone by releasing "on time" and then charging out the butthole for patches and additional finished content. They also keep their finger on the pulse of the market this way, so they can squirm around and appeal to newer trends or backtrack some of their gameplay. I know some AAA devs... they are just in "crunch mode" 24/7. There are no breaks. Gotta make those absurd dates and charge too much... sweet sweet money... Like any industry, I suppose, but it's creating a nasty backlash from consumers. Might bite them pretty hard in the end. I hope it does.

The Dogs took out two Detroit forwards yesterday- Miller and Pulkkinen. Concussion and upper body injury, respectively, and each out 6-8 weeks. Easy enough win, but they played chippy. I hope to see some big hits on our side tonight. Risto, Bogo, Deslauriers, looking at you. Maybe Foligno will go berserker again and flip a goalie.

It's their version of microtransactions like you find in apps, but more restrictive. Pure evil. I understand why they exist, but uugghghghhrhghghgh.

Oh my god Bio, that's awesome. So jealous. Enjoy every minute of that!!!

Oh dear, someone put her out, that sounds dangerous. Man, we need some sexier men in commercials. All we get is the one Old Spice guy and the occasional shaving commercial. Sigh.

Skylanders, Infinity and Amiibo. Oh my god, those marketing people were BRILLIANT. Toys that hook in to video games? That's just plain crack to children. All my coworkers collect the figures because they're done really really well. Heck, I've considered buying some of them because I love the little statuette- I don't own and never intend to own the games associated. Have you seen the little plushie wolly world Yoshi amiibo? Aye. They know their market. Cornered that sh!t. Oh my god don't start me. So many gimmicks. Crappy betas, less than perfect add ons.... And if you don't sink tons of money/time into a new console or a really powerful PC, you just get terrible quality graphics.

Greatly. She's the new Flo from Progressive. Also the LG commercial with Joseph Gordon Levitt and the acapella people singing a little tune. First couple times it was kind of cute. Then I wasn't able to leave the couch for 72 hours thanks to my leg and it played. Every. Single. Commercial. Break. I just wanted to watch the Karate Kid and Back to the Future in peace, you fascists... Plenty of really dumb engagement ring commercials out, too. The couple snowshoeing on the top of a mountain, with no ski poles. Yeah, sure, ok. If d4rk ever takes me snowshoeing up a mountain with regular snowshoes, no poles, and improper clothing, I'll be ready for that arrow in the knee, by gawd. And then well die making it down the other side. Aww. Also this thing that was big last year: it looks like two butts. Those are not hearts. You, madame, are wearing a double butt diamond declaration of love. Perhaps a t!ts n a$$ memento of undying affection. If that's your thing, I guess. To be fair I'm kind of a massive scrooge this time of year. I'm tired, and xmas carols/xmas commercials annoy me/remind me of my responsibilites. Bah humbug.

Huh. I'd try that. Each player rides a specially shoed draft horse on thick ice, kinda becomes like polo...?

A few weeks back, but I wanted to thank you for this. I think the highest compliment that can be given these days is a declaration of sanity. I'll keep my complaint this week brief: my mum is up driving me around, which is wonderful. But she is having a complete mental breakdown. Breaks down sobbing while driving, has almost wrecked us a few times. Cannot handle expressways anymore suddenly. I feel terrible for her and have known something's wrong for years, but it all seems to be coming to a head here. It's equal parts tearing my heart out and stressing me out. She'll sit up and just talk and talk about... random usually negative things, when I badly need to be in bed (I'm still recovering from that surgery and can barely function past 9 pm). She gets mad at me suddenly for no reasons whatsoever occasionally too. Especially if I'm quiet while she's rambling, or if I start falling asleep while she's talking despite it being around midnight with painkillers kicking in. It's terrifying. I don't know what to do. I recommended she get a professional to talk to and let her vent/listened and tried to help, but I hate hate hate that I'm looking forward to her going home in some ways. God I feel evil.

Hey man, venison is delicious.

I really need to buy you a beanie and earmuffs now.

Exactly. I'd say the large majority of our rescues are cases where someone experienced financial difficulty and simply couldn't feed them through the harsh winter, especially older horses who need more food. Elderly owners, too. Very common, no abuse, but some neglect simply because it is humanly impossible for a much older and often sick person to go out and take care of the horse (heavy lifting work) 2-3 times a day. They live about 30 years. That's a long time to take daily, multiple times a day, strenuous care of something that can't tell you when/where it hurts. We don't judge those who hand them back to us when they realize things are getting tough. In fact, I highly respect those who recognize when enough is enough. They only problem is, once you relinquish care of a rescue through us, you really can't adopt another. That can be tough. It's just always a little sad- the horses bond to their owners/caretakers.

I have terribly/quickly photoshopped proof

It depends. We have any potential adoptee sign a lot of paperwork- they cannot sell or give the horse to anyone else. Must come back to us in the event they part ways. In the case of these families, it was out of their poor fortune that they had to give up the rescues. It is not demanded they foster or donate I believe. People foster horses often- they'll pay for their food or vet bills or both without actually taking/housing the horse. Sometimes they'll pay to board them at another facility so we have an empty spot for another needy animal. Some who've sent them back to us have done this. We have cases where we check on the horse and find things are not going well. We have the right to take back any rescue at any time. We might instate a penalty? Not sure of the legal stuff there- I'm not involved in that usually. But I kinda doubt it... you're lucky if you can seize a horse/get it off their property without problems sometimes, let alone get them to cut a check when they're unaware of their wrongdoing. It can be a sticky business- they're not the most wieldy of animals and people get insanely attached to them. Custody battles.

We have a horse at the rescue right now who has somewhat of a pedigree. Krisco Kidd won over $150k and is a grandson of Seattle Slew. We rescued him years ago from a kill pen, tied with a broken halter around his neck for $75. He was emaciated, covered with sores and skin disease. He was adopted out after months of rehab, but now he's back at the rescue. Adoptees moved or something. We've had a few successful racehorses come through our gates, but I think he's the most "famous". He's tall. 17 hands. If I could afford a horse, I'd take him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, two others we rescued from kill pen just came back as well- illness in the family. And one of my favorites, a big part draft came back for similar reasons. But hey, we always take 'em back.

No idea what would give you that impression.

Yes, had some a few weeks back when I popped home for the weekend. It's good, has a tinge of that christmas feel, but is fairly mellow in terms of taste. Didn't punch me in the face with garlands and sparkles and holiday cheer like Shiner's Christmas Ale does, but was a bit different from your other Great Lakes standbys. That being said, I still think Shiner Christmas is my favorite seasonal.

Honestly, that's half the appeal for both of us. I love customizing spaces, d4rk does too. And the whole house will be a man cave. I guarantee it. My choice :) We have a bundle of old wooden hockey sticks that I'm not sure will be kept for occasional playing use, but if not, those are gonna be wall ornaments or turned into a desk/chair/hutch/key holder/something. And I'll finally have an excuse to spend a few extra bucks on some memorabilia I've had my eyes on for a few years. But those are small idealistic cosmetic things. I'm mostly concerned with a house having a good roof, no basement flooding problems, and a little bit of land. House can be minuscule, an old farm house or cape cod would be great, as long as we've got at least an acre.

The Silver Bullet! I didn't watch the game for reasons previously stated. I was laughing when it went to OT, typical Detroit. Kinda surprised it went to a shootout though. I still hate shootouts. Fun to watch, annoying to lose to. Wins just don't feel satisfying, either.