Best posts made by BigDaddyAmin

^This

@HorrorHound

I understand what you are saying and I grok you. But it is just very difficult for me to sit and even roleplay 1:1 with anyone , even. If the person isn't a fast writer, I'm waiting at least nine to ten minutes for them to shill out something to contribute. By the time I have finished a scene, whether it be slice of life or even something a bit more active, there goes three hours of my day. In between a 40+ hour work week, dealing with two kids, having to spend time with the wife, not anymore, baby.

@Luna

Yeah. We can squeal over accessories too.

@Silver

I shave with a Gillette FatBoy. I'm not too big on straight razors. Back when I was in graduate school in Boston though I'd get my hair cut at this little place in Jamaica Plain owned by Shiíte Syrians. I'd go in there, practice my Arabic, they would shave me with a straight razor then finish it up with a splash of cold rose water. Drink cardamom coffee while you wait. That was a nice place. Now where I live the closest I can get to that is SportsClips. I hate sports but I don't mind paying the $25 dollars to have a woman massage my head with tea tree oil shampoo.

Well one Twitter user said it best: I think they are just butthurt over the fact that GRRM let Benioff and Weiss know about something that is to happen in Winds of Winter and didn't keep ol' Bal and Nym
In the loop.

Ibn Warraq (the modern scholar who uses this as a nom-de-plume, not the 7th century contemporary of Muhammad) has mentioned this theory, as well as his theory that Muhammad was a fictional character out of Medieval bedouin society almost like England's Lancelot or Arthur. I'm not certain I agree with him but my specialty is Christian studies, not Islam. Then again, as someone who collects Umayyad coinage, I find he bases a lot of this theory on the fact that there are coins dating from after Muhammad with the Shahada on them but yet they have Christian crosses and ICXC NIKA (a Byzantine monogram for 'Ιησούς Χριστός vika' or 'Jesus Christ is Victor) on them. This isn't syncretism as he claims but rather these dinars and dirhams come from confiscated Byzantine coinage which were then re-used by the Caliphate by simply stamping the Shahada on them. His works are nonetheless interesting, in particular Christmas in the Quran"

This presents a big problem because several schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) interpret the Koran as a perfect document, almost going above and beyond what many sola scriptura Christians believe about the Bible (I have yet to encounter a Southern Baptist who believes the New Testament to be a perfect piece of Greek prose much in the same way some Muslims believe that the Koran is the perfect example of Arabic poetry). There are Salafis that even claim that the Koran is pre-eternal in the same way that Allah is.

@Thenomain said:

On agreeing with @BigDaddyAmin ::

Western World concerning the Eastern World, "Let them eat cake."

Hey, Marie, they can't afford cake. They are not like you and never will be. Using them for their labor (in the analogy, really the land and oil) is the problem.

This cake that you want them to eat, you cannot also have this cake at the same time.

(Mixing metaphors is my specialty.)

I think Marie Antoinette never said that. It is a quote by Rousseau who said "a great princess" said this. Later, with the famines breaking out in Paris, it was attributed to her. But anyway, your point is well said.

As someone who has been to Arab countries, lived amongst Arabs, speaking their language, eating their food, and observed their culture, I have come to realize it is an ademocratic culture. They respect authority. They honor strength. They are tribal. Individual rights generally aren't respected. This is why Bashar al-Assad is, despite what Western media portrays, is overwhelmingly popular in Syria. This is why his dad's face painted on the side of vehicles and his portrait is framed in living rooms. Hafez drug Syria into the 20th Century kicking and screaming, and whoever was in his way got fucked up.

This isn't a bad thing. It makes them different. It is kind of like expecting Klingons to be feminist Green Party anarcho collectivists. It isn't going to happen.

@Tyche

That seems to be the goal of the Western world right now. To quote Homer Simpson, the way to happiness is to "never try."

@Balerion said:

@Rook I think everyone here would agree that game owners have a right to decide what they are comfortable with in regards to promotion of other games. As we've stated before, we know GRRM's feelings on the matter from statements he has made, we feel that those who disregard his feelings are disrespectful, and we have no interest in supporting, promoting, or being associated with such projects.

Balerion, you are starting to speak like the Pope when he says what God thinks or feels. I personally think that GRRM is too busy to give a fuck. Produce a legal document indicating this, in very least one that has been signed by GRRM and then signed by a notary public (or whatever the fuck you have in Sweden).

It doesn't seem to stop other people from creating Westerosi themed MU*s. Hell, now I want to make one just to spite you. Nonetheless, your threats aren't stopping people making games, not to mention the Crusader Kings Westeros MOD team use your character database when constructing their dynasty trees.

So, I've been keeping up with the election, watching reruns of West Wing, and the new season of House of Cards.

Was there ever a political/White House MUX? If so...what are the mechanical issues that would cause it not to work? (other than a complete lack of knowledge of the average MUSHer on US Government).

Doubleposting: And the news from Greek financial crisis as well as the recent court decision spawning right-wing Christians to think that it is the end of the world according to Revelations. Gee! It would have been so much simpler if the Romans just legalized same sex marriages thus ushering in the eschaton 2000 years early!

(Nota Bene: I am not picking on conservatives or Christians, as I am myself a theist as well as a right-leaning libertarian. Just tired of people who nitpick scripture and get their understanding of a 1-2nd century document written in a Hellenistic world from Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins).

I honestly don't know if there are other games with better possibilities. I mean, lets parse this out as to what is available this summer...

You can play any of the following

• Same old Vampire-fuckery/mage buggery/Geist huggery that goes on any available nWoD MU* that usually takes place somewhere in the Yankee USA.

• Go play teen version of LOST on AnomalyMUSH.

• Shadowrun...meh

• The Westeros MUSHes.

I think people need to pick their battles and just start having their own metaplots with each other in games. Give hambeasts the power you think they deserve. Or simply go and sandbox on MUS*H or OGR.

What the hell is "Life is Strange?" Sounds like a bad erotic Italian film where the women don't shave their pits and non-simulated sex is used.

@Apu

I hate it that my country hasn't gotten through its thick skull that the current foreign policy that we have been implementing isn't beneficial and that we are responsible for ISIS/Da'esh. It isn't just a Bush or Obama/Democrat or Republican thing. They all have had a hand in it because we are afraid to tell Israelis "no" and tell the Gulf States, "Oh, to hell with you all."

I'm going to say something very un-PC. Might hurt some feelings. But last night I was watching the news and the British Prime Minister David Cameron mentioned in a speech that he was "shocked" that this terrorist attack happened. Hmm. Shocking is usually used to convey a feeling of dismay or unbelief. I don't find it shocking and neither do my friends (both Christians and Muslims) in Syria and Lebanon. Do we ever go a day in the world without an "Allahu Akbar kaboom!" ? So I don't see how it could be shocking. Now it would be shocking if there was a coordinated terrorist attack and it was done by Quakers or Baha'is.

Ya'll remember Star Trek: Voyager? There was an episode (Scorpion) when Janeway wanted to go through Borg space and so she starts negotiating with them for an alliance. Chakotay warns her that the Borg will eventually turn on her. He tells her the story of Scorpion and Fox.

A scorpion was walking along the bank of a river, wondering how to get to the other side. Suddenly, he saw a fox. He asked the fox to take him on his back across the river.

The fox said, "No. If I do that, you'll sting me, and I'll drown."

The scorpion assured him, "If I do that, we'll both drown."

The fox thought about it and finally agreed. So the scorpion climbed up on his back, and the fox began to swim. But halfway across the river, the scorpion stung him. As poison filled his veins, the fox turned to the scorpion and said, "Why did you do that? Now you'll drown, too."

"I couldn't help it," said the scorpion. "It's my nature."

But the majority of the Western world isn't living in reality right now, Apu. We lack convictions (at least, my nation does). The majority of the Western world is worried about living comfortably, jerking off to porn, and playing Fallout IV. We will probably just get together, change our Facebook profile pictures to French flag, and vocally condemn these naughty, naughty terrorists. Meanwhile, the explosions will continue.

@Lithium

You know what this forum needs? A fucking mirror...

Which is why we should have left he Husseins alone in the first place. Yeah. Uday was a monster. But he was a monster in the sense that Joffrey is a monster. Joffrey might be slapping Sansa with a bumpaddle while jerking off, but generally he's going to leave a peasant alone in peace.

And in general culture clash.

One of the shocks that several people I traveled with had when we were visiting Syria five years ago (yes, I have visited Syria) was when we were visiting Ma'aloula, which is a Christian monastery (now blown up by Daesh. Yay!) for women and a girls orphanage. We were traveling with a girl who was a recovering anorexic and every dinner was a nightmare for her since Arabs tend to go all out for visitors. She refused to eat some dish the nuns served and I could overhear the abbess shouting at the nun who had cooked the food. When the girl asked me why the abbess was scolding the other nun, I said, "Because you won't eat. The abbess says you won't eat because she thinks something is wrong with the food." It was then I said what Indiana Jones said to Willie Scott in the Temple of Doom: "You are insulting them and embarrassing us all. Eat." To quote Lewis Black, "they...are not....of us."

@Thenomain

No. They aren't us. Which is why it would be best if we left them to their own devices, stop meddling in their politics, and go back to eating pork, drinking beer, and playing Fallout IV.

I'd give Chloe Sevigny the Old Bamboo. But then again, she does remind me of my wife. Is that a fantasy?

I ran a LARP once at my home in Louisiana. Well, to be honest it was a murder mystery night, complete with dinner, drink, and fancy dress. It ended quickly with my toddler daughter waking up and announcing, "Poop! I poop!" We had a good laugh and just ended the night with snacks and booze.

I suppose life must be getting pretty stale on Blood of Dragons for Balerion to come on here and advertise. All the old guard, sitting about, idling I would imagine.

Thenomain is right. When non-legal counsel start making legal threats, it is probably best to walk away. It is like watching a Mormon and a Jehovah's Witness engage in a circle jerk.

I would be down for it. Anything other than nWoD.

Drinking Stella Artois after putting my deck in the backyard. And getting started on Mantel's Bring up the Bodies

@Silver

If you like straight razors, check out Badgerandblade.com. Great bunch of guys over there and if you like luxury shaving items, that is the place to go. Geo F. Trumper Rose shaving cream FTW.