W_L

Some of you will remember this game from the mid 2000's; it is basically an RTS (realtime strategy) like star craft or age of empires. However, it has a lot more intuitive areas and a border system that is still rare outside 4x turn based games. Wanted to see who else remembers this game and who got the new extended edition with steam multi-player. I am in the mood for nostalgia.

Happy birthday MikeL You are now the oldest amphibian I know of, except for kermit and the warner brothers' Frog

This movie makes me feel so happy and depressed, because gay guys deal with a lot of these issues of moving on after a relationship. Yeah, most of us don't have to face the death of our partner, when we separate, but the same issues persists that "Yossi" highlights. I'm not going to give you guys a full synopsis or plot overview: I will simply say this; after Yossi lost Lior/Jagger, he became a workaholic doctor and has a lot of issues with his sexuality, guilt over his dead lover, and simply put you can see it on him. He finds someone eventually, but I have an issue with this ending. I like the idea of the movie and I like the storyline, since I freely admit as an overwieght gay man; there's a prejudice in gay film making that overly portrays us as beautiful, toned, and young. Just like everyone else, we come in all shapes and sizes. Also, Yossi losing himself and his weight gain after 10 years without his boyfriend seems very appropriate as a visual change. As for personality, Yossi was already a closet case in the first movie, but his lover's death and the realization that he lost his best chance to "come out" with a man who loves him, it is not something you will get over easily. Definitaley logical and I love the idea that he meets Jagger/Lior's mother again and comes clean to them about who he is and was to their deceased son. There are a lot of things to love about this movie, but I have to focus on part that personally was a turn off. I think as a realist, I prefer life and movies to be honest about the problems in human nature and society. If a director tries to give a fairy tale ending, I just can't accept it, because the world doesn't work that way. In fact, I interpret the ending not as the happy, "Yossi finds another young sexy soldier boyfriend", but finds a crutch. My first boyfriend was a good guy, but his main issue was that he had a lot of needs that I knew I could never fulfill. Emotional issues are things that don't go away with a new man, they get carried on into the next relationship. In addition to this, I felt sort of off with this movie, since the Jewish military angle was mostly removed from this movie. A key selling point to "Yossi and Jagger" was this overarching issue of "military order/social order" versus "human conscience/love". This movie is far more urbane and deals with the after-effects of war, but it does not deal with a bigger theme than Yossi, himself. While I love character studies, a movie defeats a character study by creating a fairy tale ending. A movie based on realism cannot go into idealized fantasy. I give this movie 8 out of 10, I like the story and I like the movie's early plot points, but the character story is ruined by the ending. However, I appreciate its originality. Watch it yourself http://www.hulu.com/watch/487849

Overhyped movies are also horrible in my view: Just saw "Swordfish" again and I don't care how many alternate endings it has, it was a bad movie: A good heist movie has to have class, style, and pinnache. That is why the Ocean's movies were so successful. It proves though Hugh Jackman cannot hold a movie on his own if the plot is crap; unless he has claws

Have they found camelot yet? If I get a castle and town attachment I want that Shipwrecks are cool, you can find a lot of interesting stuff beyond just gold and silver, like early maps, cannons, and crew diaries, bet ya Mark would like a few of the racier ones

Hearing what you have said reminded me of my first internship at a big 4 accounting firm. I did not get any hints of issues until the end from my supervisor. My issue was the opposite of your issue, I worked myself too hard and everyone around me was feeling like I was burning too much. i too suffer from arrogance: the arrogance of holding the world on my shoulders. I was working full time and taking on 21 credits or a 7 course class load. I did all that, because I needed to prove myself to others. When they dismissed me and did not offer me a job afterward, I felt angry, betrayed, and ashamed in myself for failing after making so many sacrifices. I cried, drank in excess, and psychologically wanted to end all my struggle. In my darkest hour, I asked myself "should I just give up?" "Should I live off disability benefits and be another statistic along with the 60% of other unemployed legally blind people?" I found myself saying "no" to all of that, and I soldiered on with only a 0.25 decline in my final gpa of 3.46. I am an extreme case, but i just want you to know that there is more to life.

UUO's Unidentified Underground Objects from a subterranean civilization, who's goal is to collapse all the world's landmasses into giant sink holes How's that for a conspiracy theory?

Can this po' New England pup get some o' da gumbo from these fine southern establishments?

It was the former, "Anti-feminine", which in context actually works as boys are taught to define themselves by their gender roles at a young age. Feminism is a broader concept with a lot of issues connected with it. I did not realize that I hade typed "anti-feminist" instead of "anti-feminine". Now as for the concepts, Feminine stereotypical attributes include passivity and peaceful actions, which are not traditionally favorable to sports that involve conflict and aggression. However, as I said earlier, sometimes you must balance that kind of thinking. You can win a few games on aggression and skill, but it takes a smart and patient leader to win championships. I am all for equality in genders and I think balancing outlooks and critical thoughts are needed. An old saying goes, you need to "walk a mile in someone else shoes" to really understand them, I think everyone can use some alternate views. Don't let fear in terms like "Feminism", "chauvinism", "Homophobia", or even "gay Pride", scare you away, because in the end, this is your life and your world as well, you don't need to avoid it.

Sorry to hear things didn't work out Method I hope you will find something better. If you are considering leaving DE, maybe you should consider New England. We have a very large network of state parks of different types. If you like to ski or hike, we've got those covered

Zombie, sometimes you mistype things and it happens too often with a cell phone. Sometimes an idea and a word are off in meaning withput context. . The meaning of my words were better read in context than cut and pasted. If you want to accentuate my error, all I can do is apologize for using the wrong term, because I am getting too old to play these games with you over literal terms or contextual ideas and this point must be ended if the topic is to go on. As for history, my point is simple, no one is blameless in the formation of gender roles and stereotypes, but we can learn from our divergent experiences and move forward together. L

Matt, you got to watch QVC or Sunday Infomercials, you want billion dollar crappy products.

I used to really love this movie, but re-watching it again after 9 years has really changed my view on its quality. I like the story, but it is definitely an indie film.

I am bias about this movie, I really liked it as an 18 year old trying to figure himself out, and as a 27 year old, I still like it, because it is relevant to our times, which is quite sad and tragic. I am going to leave my commentaries about Israel and its military towards the end of this review: Plot: Yossi is an Israeli military commander and Lior,, his subordinate and a team leader nicknamed Jagger due to his handsome looks, are in a budding gay closeted relationship on a Lebanon-Israeli border outpost. They're love is charming and you can see it in many ways, both the actual banter, kissing, and subtle hints. Then, comes a colonel with a few "ladies", the plot never tells us whether they were prostitutes or just groupies. The colonel has new order for Yossi, he is to attack Lebanonese positions that night. Yossi is fiercely against this move as his soldiers are tired from an ambush earlier, it will be a full moon on open field, and he does not like the colonel non-chalant escalation of conflict. However, Yossi a dutiful soldier agree to the task. During this time, one of the girls has a crush on Jagger, which amounts to litttle to no story build up, except a potential problem between him and another soldier later on. The real emotional drama happens, when Yossi and Jagger talk privately about Jagger's life outside the military. His tour is about to end and he wants Yossi to join him in coming out. Yossi is a practical military man and does not feel ready for a long term relationship, so he rebuffs the offer. Jagger is more or less openly gay, his fellow soldiers some times may make joked about "faggots" and stereotypical gay things, but he openly defends himself without them or him getting into much trouble. There is real comradery that trascends any type of stigma or problems. They have their doomed night time raid and Jagger is killed; Yossi is remorsefully apologizing for not being brav enough to accept a life with him as he dies. In the end, Yossi and the girl from earlier, who had a crush on Jagger, went to visit Jagger/Lior's family. Yossi went up to his room and looked over a photo album of his dead lover, contemplating with regret the life that was lost as the screen fades out to black. Review: My 2nd gay movie and my earliest favorite. I absolutely loved this movie for its poignant look at people on the edge, soldiers trying to live by what life has given them, and even the tragedy. However, let me give a few negative points, I didn't need two stupid "ladies" with no backstory and only drama within a film that is little more than 60 minutes . I also did not like some of the shaky camera work after re-watching it again; yes, I liked it when I was in college and it was 2005, but 9 years later, the concept of shaky camera is getting old and I thought it distracted from the film's story. The best part of this movie are the core characters of its title: Yossi and Jagger or Lior. Jagger/Lior is a gay character that an audience of our peers can like and his dream of living a peaceful and normal life with the man he loves is not too much to ask for. I also really like how he went off on Yossi, when they were in Yossi's room, you got the feeling that he desperately wanted to cling onto something worth living for. He was ready to go on vacation with Yossi, get a single queen sized bed , and go home to out himself to his parents. This was a guy with plans for a life after the fighting. Yossi is a practical guy, who has insecurities and fears, but he really does love his boyfriend. Throughout the movie, you can see that he wants to do what is right for Jagger in their relationship and what is right by his men in the horribly planned ambush proposed by his womanizing brute Colonel. However, he just is not ready to make such leaps of faith or force an issue far enough to reach the proper course. He's a military man and a conventional man, who lives by the rules that society have given him. Gay men must remain closetted and military officers must follow the chain of command. Tragic lessons for him to follow. For the movie's depiction of an Israeli military unit, I thought it looked very good despite the shaky cameras. When they actually reduce the jumpy shots, the movie was gritty and naturally dark, which works well with its theme and its premise. I also liked the director's approach to the Israeli soldiers' attitudes of life, you never know when it is the end. For the movie itself, I give it 8.5 out of 10, a good movie, superb acting, and great themes. The weakness were supporting characters and camera work Now as for my take on the Israeli military and its conflicts, I get what they are fighting for and I don't fault their soldiers for it. They are trying defend their own way of life and their people from all outside foes, which predominantly are Arab nations and Muslims. However, I know most movies are one sided, the Palestinians, Lebanonese, and other groups would say other things. This is their land as well. Israle has a right to exist and so does Palestine, but these arguments will only perpetuate an endless cycle of warfare. I hope they realize that all they are doing is buring their sons and daughters earlier than their time and are guarenteeing their grandchildren will have the same fates. Israel's settlement system must be reformed and so does Palestine's political structure. My belief for how other nations should play out in the middle east is a hands off strategy, western nations should not get involved in their affairs, but they should prevent Russian and Chinese arms shipments from crossing over as well. We should strive to preserve the peace, not enforce the peace. All sides have to realize that arm shipments to one side and open war is not going to create a lasting peace.

Feminine effort in this context is strategic thinking, planning, and subtlety, i.e. passive versus active. Think of it as Yin and Yang, male and female attributes, dark and light, active and passive. I don't want to go too political and social, but you can't avoid it if we're talking about Gender roles and human civilization. I hear you Thorn, gender roles are key to homophobia beyond just peer pressure (another piece of gender role) and adult influences in kids. It's a self perpetuating cycle, one generation to the next, because a certain period in the last two hundred years created a "perception" of what "gentleman" and "ladies" should be. You probably have seen or read Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House", the traditional stereotypes were accentuated by the 19th century Victorian mindset. Ancient history was probably more open to a point, but in the last thousand years, gender roles have just grown a lot stronger in different societies. You can blame it on Victorian culture (The modern American "Nuclear family" was born out of old world traditions), the Rise of Roman Christianity in the late empire and the turbulent Middle Age of Europe (Funny and tragic, Europe became a cesspool of bigotry, chauvinism, and fear), the rise of Islam and its effects on African and Middle Eastern cultures (Culturally based legal and social systems that are heavily oriented toward gender roles and in modern comparisons restrictive toward gays and women), the rise of Chinese Confucianism and its amalgamation of Taoism/Buddhism in religious and philosophical education pushed woman to a subservient place as housewives or concubines (Confucius' philosophy changed after the Han Dynasty and became more reactionary), and who knows what else, but simply put, the past is the past. Everyone has a choice, whether they wish to perpetuate a world view of gender or not, it is up to them. All we can do and all I can with my posts, is point out the problem within gender role dynamics and push for critical evaluation. In the long run, critical thinking on these subjects will help reduce homophobia and misogyny.

I only saw twillight on tv and i was curious If all will watch it = 12.1 mil x $10.00 movie = $121 mil in box office

Well, I was channell surfing last night and just got a nostalgic itch for watching something older than me Behold, the king of Nostalgic comedy: Happy Days. Ron Howard and Henry Winkler had a good comedic duet, Ron's conventional Ritchie Cunnningham and Henry's immortal womanizing rebel, Arthur Fonzerelli, played to each others' characters perfectly. The supporting casts of stereotypical 1950's family and friends were equally comedic in their own ways from slapstick to understatement. The theme song is stuck in my head: I first saw the show in 2000, about 16 years after its original run, on Nick (basically Nickolodeon in my area were showing old shows after 12 am). It was funny and I love satire. It was like my gateway drug to the old nostalgic shows after it, many of which were its spin-offs. I went binge watching online after seeing Happy Days with two of my favorite shows from that era. Laverne and Shirley- you go girls! Before there was an L-Word, there was Laverne and Shirley. http://youtu.be/W2ZXjY5rTHg Mork and Mindy. Basically, vintage Robin Williams is better than aged Robin Williams; compare his performance on Happy Days and his own show to the acclaimed gay themed movie "The Birdcage", he was better comedian in the 70's-80's. However, there was no real catchy theme for this one, but the shows comedy is its theme Well, at least I got that out of my system. Now I am in the mood for Jewish soldiers and tragedy

Matt's right, I won't jerk the zombie anymore Anti feminine is more than hating effeminate behaviour, it encompasses a wide range of attributes that maybe far more associated with female stereotypes Ie. Female gender roles. In sports like American football for example, one attribute of masculinity is aggression and being active. While the counterpoint is elements of feminine such as passivity and a desire to for peaceful balance. In that context, you cannot achieve your goal of a "singular" game victory and dominance without masculine attributes. Differences in societies do not remove the underlying argument. In the far east, some cultures like the burmese for example encourage boys to fight as a social activity. It encourages self improvement, problem solving on a tactical level, and survival skills. Aggression is a masculine attribute, but you do not need to maintain that level of masculinity all the time. As a person develops, they learn from experience that some feminine behaviours are pertinent and even desirable in certain circumstances. By the way, I disagree with Matt in that I think some feminine effort is acceptable in sports, you don't need to win it all to win it all. Sometimes when playing in series and season long games, you want to lose a few games to improve your future opponents and strategically hide your inner strength. Passivity in this case could be used to hide capacity.

Happy birthday to the cool kitty cat

The Romans in their republic and early imperial period were an international Empire with many diverse peoples and customs, wouldn't this be expected? Only later on did a certain monotheistic religion took over, based on an Emperor's recommendation with adjustments to its practices, that any attempt to institute a state religion with a strict set of orders. (I remember an old story about a Roman Emperor who learned a wealthy man had just died. He went to the family and demanded that they pay for the dead man's salvation, which he could grant.) Don't you wonder why it is said death and taxes go hand and hand In the early Empire, I imagine you'd see Parthian, Egyptian, Greek, Numidian, Macedonian, Anatolian, African, and other burial rights being practiced throughout the empire.

Eh.......I pity the tweenagers and teens who grew up with this crap, they grew up reading and watching Twilight with perhaps the most evil character ever conceived (Yeah, Bella is real piece of work), then become poorly adjusted young adults and get into 50 shades of grey

Fine, the zombie can have some meat Anti-feminine was my intent originally

Suvitar suggestions: I am adding some notes in Blue Sommersturm (summer storm Germany 2004)- This was actually my first gay non-pornographic movie (I had used Bearshare to download it, because I didn't have a credit card and I didn't know where else I could find gay movies, I wish I could pay the producers for giving me a great introduction into coming out. I saw this movie in 2005, when I was 18 and had left my home for college, 2 week early move in and right before they put the P2P blocks on the wifi ) Patrik 1.5 (Sweden 2008), Saw the summary on Amazon Prime recently and passed on it, but I might consider the movie again Yossi & Jagger (Israel 2002), - This was my second gay movie after Summer Storm, I did an internet search for highly recommended LGBT films and this popped out. I could spend days talking about the intricacies of the two soldiers, my take on Israael, and the dark ending Priest (UK 1994), - Heard of it, but it never interested me. Might watch it again, since I do want to understand that complicated inner struggle. La Cage aux Folles (Birds of a Feather, France - Italy 1978.- Recently seen the 1996 American version "The Birdcage" on TV...eh, not my cup of tea and I hate the stereotypes of gays, but it is a dated movie. I would give it a really nasty review if I had to, so I would probably say no to reviewing this movie. Zombies Suggestions: Never heard or seen any of them For a dead creature, you really have exotic tastes Le Fate Ignoranti 2001 (Italian) Romeos 2011 (German) Sobreviviré or I Will Survive 1999 (Spanish) Walk on Water 2004 (Israeli) For some reason, I think I will really enjoy zombies movies, but I will start off with one of my favorites this Sunday. It will be pognant, since there is another conflict between Israel and Palestine. Yossi & Jagger (Israel 2002)

"Anti-feminine" is not "anti-effeminate" Let's use the Oxford Dictionary definition this time Feminine is defined as As for effeminate: Boys are not taught to be anti-effeminate, but they are taught to be boys and fit a gender role, so my statement is entirely correct in the context. They are taught to be "anti-feminine" in order to identify their gender role. You would do well to study up a little more my green friend @ Matt: Cool story and I agree with the kids, "old people are a little weird" @Cia: I think we are talking about the same things, I just focus on the specific area of gender roles. Kids are taught to behave in a certain way. However, I do have a slight issue: This concept of "respect" has morphed into a PC term; respecting a different view or aspect of a person does not mean that a person accepts it. Like, while I respect African American Rappers rapping about their rough lives growing up in the "hood," I don't accept that kind of behavior or particularly approve of it. Still, a lot of people would disagree with me and declare themselves "gangsta's for Life" despite the implications. However, that is their right to believe and think, so I am not going to force them into believing what I believe. As I said, it's a minor point, we pretty much agree that there's a lot of room to improve and behaviors are taught For me, the best type of Education comes from experience, we need to give people more experience and diversity. An average relatable gay guy is just one example, we need kids to meet average Muslims, female executives, male homemakers, African American Scientists, Caucasian ditch diggers....you get my point. We teach kids a world view, but we must challenge their world view constantly and continuously, because nothing is completely black and white in this world. I believe in education through experience being the most important aspect of reconciling differences and coming to terms with others. Parental education and peer pressure only goes so far without a factual basis.

That we can agree, "Normal" does sound a bit harsh, probably "average" or "relatable" would be better. Too bad there is no bring your gay relatives day for kids, not even the most progressive schools have pushed for that yet.