Re: [OT] The Bush-bashing thread.
 

Ok, Rose of Sharon bushes (AKA Hibiscus) are really awful. They grow and spread like weeds. We had two in our backyard, thought they looked very nice when flowering...fast forward to a year, and they're all over the place, getting into everything. I admit, they're pretty flowers, but, man, give me Gabriels' Trumpets any day.

EDIT: ok, I can't find confirmation for 'Gabriel's trumpet' bushes. That's what we called them in DC, either that or 'Gideon's trumpets' - they've got a bunch of long, white, tulip like flowers with thin stems...nevermind. must be a colloquial name. But they're nice.

Re: [OT] The Bush-bashing thread.
 

We had a discussion a couple of years ago about OT threads and where they belonged and while I agree they belong in a seprate forum, it was viewed by majority to be no problem at all.

Re: [OT] The Bush-bashing thread.
 

Were they this out of hand? I mean over 50% of the screen space not taken by the permanent sticky threads? Maybe you should raise the subject again...

Re: [OT] The Bush-bashing thread.
 

Dude, a lot of the forum regulars (the ones who answer all the ON-topic questions) wouldn't even come here if not for the OT.

OT is what keeps us all relaxed, friendly and happy. Just read a few pages freom the vantina and see the kind of frustrations being vented in OT. Would you really like to see that kind of anger in the on-topic threads?

Re: [OT] The Bush-bashing thread.
 

OT threads come in waves..by the end of the day, they'll be near the bottom again...and OT threads make us a community, rather than just a bunch of gamers. And we're all relatively mature about how and what we discuss. And, we all exist in reality, and reality has events that we, as reasonable people, will want to discuss. The forums Sept 11 2001 were actually very numerous, but also very healthy and cathartic for many people. Some OT topics have been people in the forum asking for advice with medical, legal, or other issues - and they got great advice and help. And, if there was a separate forum for OT topics...well, no one would visit it...

Overall, current system is positive and beneficial, and I see no reason why it should be changed. There's been no abuse of it.

Now, perhaps AT should tone down starting new threads...

Just kidding.

<gives big wet sloppy kiss to AT>

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: [OT] The Bush-bashing thread.
 

BTW Bill, since your comments do not relate directly to Bush-bashing, they are OT for this OT thread. I suggest you start a new thread, titled "[OT] all these damned OT threads" or something similar. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: [OT] The Bush-bashing thread.
 

With six years between releases, you have to keep busy somehow.

Future Dreams
 

The Nightmare Begins
Some time in the not-too-distant future, a president is supposed to step down, and we the people elect a new one.

Then all of a sudden, there's an announcement of a new deadly virus/flu/plague outbreak. Thousands of civilians die -- even friends of people you know. The president calls it a National Emergency, and the national guard are called out to distribute vaccines. They are mandatory innoculations, enforced at gunpoint. And they become annual required injections.

People start disappearing, and a news reporter mentions that some of the worst infected were taken to FEMA emergency quarantine facilities. They look amazingly similar to prison death camps, with facilities to gas the whole lot of them.

Then people start to notice that folks are disappearing who they knew weren't sick. Protests over missing friends and relatives are met by Homeland Security, and they are also carted off to Social Distancing centers.

Preists and pastors begin a campaign of how important it is to obey your government in these troubled times, and faith in God and your leaders is important.

And as the army marches through the streets of it's own country, the president announces that he will have to remain in office until the crisis is resolved...

Re: Future Dreams
 

But what kinds of bushes line the avenues of the FEMA centers? If they're hibiscus, I ain't gonna. Uh uh. No way. Not me.

Re: Future Dreams
 

Toxicodendron vernix
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/tove4969.jpg