News Stories

[Anh_Minh]

I don't know why you guys are blaming Batman. He has a no gun and no kill policy. Most of the time.

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

He doesn't need to be an angel; he just needs to be a victim.

If Zimmerman had sat in his car and waited for the police to arrive like the 911 operator told him to do, Martin would very likely be enjoying a pack of Skittles today.

And having weed or cannabis, and getting suspended from school, but I see your point at least

What we don't need is a bunch of armed vigilantes wandering around with visions of Batman in their heads.

There is a difference between the neighborhood watch and vigilantism. The worst thing that can happen in a community IMO is no one caring what happens to their neighbor.

From what I understand, Zimmerman was pushed down and getting beaten up for asking what Martin was doing. Hardly a fair reaction I think.

But then again, there seems to be a extremely strong media bias in this case, so as I said, I'll wait for the facts to be presented in court.

[kuroishinigami]

Originally Posted by Dextro

I wasn't sure where to post this so it's going in here:

Atlus Games' Index Corporation Files for Civil Rehabilitation Bankruptcy

Bad news for Persona fans it seems. That reminds me that I should pick up Persona 4: The Golden soon.

Atlus is fine, it's the parent company that is going bankrupt. Once the parent company has no more choice, other big company will surely swoops Atlus from the parent company since Atlus itself is still very profitable.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Solace

The company is a big mess, from what I understand. It can't survive without intervention, but the finances are so tangled that I doubt most companies are willing to deal with it. And let's be honest, Atlus IP's are niche, and only a few are valuable. The most likely outcome, if Atlus can't find a way to remain afloat independently, is that they'll simply be bought out for the IPs and dumped. Hopefully a company like Nintendo or Sony will intervene so that won't happen. The gaming division of Atlus is quality and profitable. It's the company that bought them years ago and merged them into one entity that has created this mess.

I hope your hope will turn out to be true and someone picks up the gaming division and keeps it going. It would be really sad to lose the Atlus IPs like SMT or Persona

[ganbaru]

Obama jabs Russia, China on failure to extradite Snowden
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...95Q0SW20130627

Immigration focus on House after Senate OKs bill
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...06-28-03-41-47

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by JokerD

There is a difference between the neighborhood watch and vigilantism. The worst thing that can happen in a community IMO is no one caring what happens to their neighbor.

From what I understand, Zimmerman was pushed down and getting beaten up for asking what Martin was doing. Hardly a fair reaction I think.

But then again, there seems to be a extremely strong media bias in this case, so as I said, I'll wait for the facts to be presented in court.

There's no media bias at all in the facts already presented in the evidence - that Zimmerman violated watch policy rules and ignored repeated instructions not to engage.

Neighborhood watches are good things, they are not armed response, they are eyeballs and 911 dialers - people like Zimmerman just destroy their usefulness.

[SeijiSensei]

From an article about Zimmerman's relationship with the neighborhood watch coordinator of the Sanford police department:

SANFORD, Fla. — Last August, Wendy Dorival got a call about setting up a local neighborhood watch. As the volunteer coordinator for the Police Department here, she gets such calls regularly, and the city already had at least 10 active watch groups. So she thought nothing of this call, from George Zimmerman.

She set up a visit for the next month at the Retreat at Twin Lakes, a gated community that had been dealing with a string of burglaries. When 25 residents showed up, a decent turnout, she had the residents introduce themselves; after all, people join the groups to look out for each other. She then gave a PowerPoint presentation and distributed a handbook. As she always does, she emphasized what a neighborhood watch is — and what it is not.

In every presentation, “I go through what the rules and responsibilities are,” she said Thursday. The volunteers’ role, she said, is “being the eyes and ears” for the police, “not the vigilante.” Members of a neighborhood watch “are not supposed to confront anyone,” she said. “We get paid to get into harm’s way. You don’t do that. You just call them from the safety of your home or your vehicle.”

Using a gun in the neighborhood watch role would be out of the question, she said in an interview.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/us...ch-groups.html

From Dorival's testimony this week:

Wendy Dorival, former coordinator of the Sanford Police Department's neighborhood watch program, testified how she had worked with Zimmerman to set up a watch in his neighborhood.

When asked by prosecutor John Guy if neighborhood watch participants should follow or engage with suspicious people, she said no.

"They are the eyes and ears of law enforcement," Dorival said. "They're not supposed to take matters into their own hands."

Similarly, Donald O'Brien, president of Zimmerman's homeowners association, said it was his understanding that neighborhood watch members are supposed to "stay at a safe distance" and "let the police handle it."

http://m.startribune.com/news/?id=212877881&c=y

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by JokerD

And having weed or cannabis, and getting suspended from school, but I see your point at least

And if nothing had happened, Zimmerman would probably be assaulting police officers, getting fired from a bouncer job again for using excessive force, and getting called up on domestic violence charges.



http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...#ixzz1qZQsPhKR
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...e-officer?lite

Originally Posted by JokerD

From what I understand, Zimmerman was pushed down and getting beaten up for asking what Martin was doing. Hardly a fair reaction I think.

After following Martin around in a vehicle (Even after Martin starts running from him), then pursuing him on foot. Because I as a friendly citizen motorist, often creepily follow around pedestrians in my automobile.

Also. The way you describe the situation makes it sounds like Zimmerman was acting cordially. The transcript from the police call from that night hardly suggests that.

Guy quoted Zimmerman as saying to a dispatcher, “F***ing punks,” and “These a**holes, they always get away.”

Yes. Based on this I think it's pretty safe to say that Zimmerman likely approached Martin with nary a hint of aggression or of being dangerous. And that Martin spontaneously attacked him with absolutely no provocation cause dat boy smoked WEED.



Also. Zimmerman's story is that Martin was actively bashing the back of his head against fucking concrete multiple times before Zimmerman was tragically forced to shoot the kid. I find this hard to believe, firstly, because it seems highly unlikely you'd be able to do much of anything after getting your head bashed into concrete multiple times. And secondly, a recipient of a serious curb stomping is not what the back of Zimmerman's head looks like. He has bleeding on the back of his head, but no visible swelling or serious abrasions you'd expect from getting grounded on pavement.

[ArchmageXin]

It all come down to the fact does a young black male have the right to walk down a "safe gated community" without fear of people coming up to harass him by perceiving him as a threat.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/La...d-arms-dealer?

PLA slammed for 1 billion deal with banned arms dealer.

[Mr. DJ]

Originally Posted by JokerD

And having weed or cannabis, and getting suspended from school, but I see your point at least

Well aren't you the peaches and rainbows

There is a difference between the neighborhood watch and vigilantism. The worst thing that can happen in a community IMO is no one caring what happens to their neighbor.

Zimmerman should have sat his happy meal lookin ass in the car like he was supposed to do.

From what I understand, Zimmerman was pushed down and getting beaten up for asking what Martin was doing. Hardly a fair reaction I think.

He was getting beat up because he was following Trayvon in a SUV...then Trayvon ran. When Zimmerman got out to look for him, that's when the attack happened.

But then again, there seems to be a extremely strong media bias in this case, so as I said, I'll wait for the facts to be presented in court.

Bias? It's the media, of course there's bias. The worst part of it being Obama putting his 2 cents in...ugh...the other that they were reporting Zimmerman was white, which I can sort of understand...because it's not exactly very Hispanic sounding, but after the pictures...no...not a white guy lol

[ganbaru]

Egypt violence builds, American among dead
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...95Q0NO20130628

Analysis: Brazil's mass protests peak, ball in politicians' court
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...95R0Y120130628

[SeijiSensei]

Getting Japan to Spend

Consumer spending is on the rise in Japan after years of deflation. Still most of the effects are at the top of the income distribution where the benefits of a weaker yen have stimulated export growth and a rise in stock prices.

There are some signs that after years of penny-pinching, conspicuous spending is on the rise again in Japan. But for now, it is starting at the very top, among the financiers, professionals and other well-to-do Japanese who have benefited from the recent stock market gains.

Sales of Ferrari cars in Japan have jumped almost 20 percent so far this year, figures from the Japan Automobile Importers Association show, thanks to this newfound exuberance among the nation’s rich.

For younger Japanese, living frugally has become a way of life. Shinsuke Nagata, 34, and his girlfriend, Yoko Sutani, 29, came to shop at [luxury department store] Hankyu Umeda, but ended up buying only $4 coffees at a stand in the store’s atrium.

“All this talk of Abenomics doesn’t really apply to us yet. Hopefully it doesn’t just stop with the rich people,” said Mr. Nagata, who is a freelance graphic designer.

[aohige]

Originally Posted by Vexx

There's no media bias at all in the facts already presented in the evidence - that Zimmerman violated watch policy rules and ignored repeated instructions not to engage.

Neighborhood watches are good things, they are not armed response, they are eyeballs and 911 dialers - people like Zimmerman just destroy their usefulness.

I think the people on the other side of the argument really aren't looking at the condition of this encounter.

Ya know, if an armed dude stalked me in middle of the night in a car for a while, and then got out and approached me, and made verbal accusations, I'm pretty sure I would be defensive. And pretty frightened tbh.

And I'm preeeety sure he was rather offensive in the argument that took place, considering his motivation seemed to be founded on profiling.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Getting Japan to Spend

Consumer spending is on the rise in Japan after years of deflation. Still most of the effects are at the top of the income distribution where the benefits of a weaker yen have stimulated export growth and a rise in stock prices.

I fail to see the problem. People spend only when they have the money, that's the way a thrifty society works. Asia doesn't have a debt culture.

[ganbaru]

U.S. watchdog raps Pentagon for buying aircraft for Afghan unit
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...95R05E20130628

How would you like your doner, with or without a gas mask?
http://blogs.reuters.com/photographe...ut-a-gas-mask/

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

I fail to see the problem. People spend only when they have the money, that's the way a thrifty society works. Asia doesn't have a debt culture.

Thrift is one thing, but deflation carries a different set of problems. People refrain from spending today, not necessarily because they prefer savings over consumption, but because they have an incentive to postpone purchases in anticipation of prices being lower in the future. Moreover, savers were rarely rewarded over the past decade. Japanese interest rates have hovered just above zero for quite some time and have actually been zero for about a year now. Many economists believe a small amount of inflation, like the 2% target that Abe has set, is needed to change consumers' incentives and stimulate economic growth.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Thrift is one thing, but deflation carries a different set of problems. People refrain from spending today, not necessarily because they prefer savings over consumption, but because they have an incentive to postpone purchases in anticipation of prices being lower in the future. Moreover, savers were rarely rewarded over the past decade. Japanese interest rates have hovered just above zero for quite some time and have actually been zero for about a year now. Many economists believe a small amount of inflation, like the 2% target that Abe has set, is needed to change consumers' incentives and stimulate economic growth.

Consumer's incentive is to do what's best for themselves. And that means not going into debt. They save not for the interest, but for the savings itself. In Asia, "going into debt" is a horrible thing.You are not going to reverse that mentality easily, especially since it is true.

[SeijiSensei]

Apparently not in China

[Sumeragi]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

I fail to see the problem. People spend only when they have the money, that's the way a thrifty society works. Asia doesn't have a debt culture.

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

Consumer's incentive is to do what's best for themselves. And that means not going into debt. They save not for the interest, but for the savings itself. In Asia, "going into debt" is a horrible thing.You are not going to reverse that mentality easily, especially since it is true.

You know, that might be true about two decades ago, but now?

[C.A.]

Asia may not have a debt culture but Japan is now the Asian country with the most amount of debt and if you compare the amount of dept person, it is the most in debt country in the world.