Goafer

You're right, it does. But as the stats I posted show, minorities are more likely to be born into a "lower class" and have less opportunities. They're still recovering from the racism of the past. Just because the actual racism is over (which I'd argue isn't the case, based on the police treatment of black suspects vs white, amongst other things), doesn't mean the effects aren't still being felt. And saying things were worse before (or elsewhere for that matter) doesn't make things great now. I'd argue this case is wholly irrelevant. You've picked very specific, hypothetical examples. Of course a middle class person is going to do better than someone with the odds against them. That's not the point. The point is how likely you are to be born into either of those scenarios. Again, just because it's worse elsewhere, doesn't mean things are perfect here. You just need to read about the treatment of black people by police to see that things are far from great. Also, as a general point about this thread and not aimed specifically at anyone: calling things "nonsense", "bollocks", "pathetic" or "fools" is just abrasive and argumentative. Try to keep things civil, yeah?

I think you're interpreting it all wrong/twisting the message. It's not "Buy from black people because they're special", it's "Rather than your usual habits, why not check out some black sellers/authors/suppliers etc to support the black community?". No one's forcing you to "buy black" so to speak, it's just reminding people that they're there. No, I'm saying that consciously people need to address the subconscious racism and bias that currently exists. White people have a societal head start and until a conscious shift is made, treating everyone equal won't change that. Racism isn't always a conscious process. It requires definite, conscious action to force people to rethink their habits and how it may perpetuate bias. I can't comment myself, as I've never been a black business owner. But if the black person who created it deems it necessary, I'll trust his judgement. My own opinion is that black and minority people are more likely to come from a poorer background, so may not have the same resources to set up and market a business as a white person would. By giving black and minority businesses a bit of free advertising, it could help level the playing field and bring us one step closer to actual equality. TLDR: When something is unequal, giving both sides the same treatment doesn't fix it. Redressing the balance does and in this case it means giving black and minority businesses a bit of free advertising IMO.

No not really. It's the same as any marketing day. Out of curiosity, if you oppose patronising "special days", do you also oppose black history month, mother's/father's days and any other day that celebrates a certain demographic? Good for you that you shop around. A lot of people don't, or don't even think about it. Again, I can't possibly see how something that might encourage a bit of diversity can possibly be seen as "pathetic". It's easy to say things akin to "I don't see colour", but a chipper attitude isn't enough to fix things. Things need to change in a societal level and "be nice" just won't cut it. Sure, a day or two of free advertising for minority businesses won't change the world overnight, but if minority owned businesses get a small boost and are more visible to the general public, it's a start.

It's highlighting black businesses and encouraging people to explore different options. How can that possibly be a bad thing? No one is forcing you to. It's like a "community highlight" day, highlighting options you may not have considered.

Like this one?: Also took some more photos of other cars:

And me. I've not played it and I probably haven't been very positive about it. I don't hate the game and I'm sure it's a masterpiece. It's just not for me. I think enough time has passed. So I'll spoiler why.

They have quite a few, although it's heavily Japanese car biased. I'm not sure about dents though. There is mechanical damage, but I'm not sure about cosmetic. What car you wanting to recreate?

Went back to Gran Turismo 5 and recreated my IRL car. The game looks amazing for a PS3 game:

First day back cycling after resting my strained legs. Much easier today. Managed the longer of my 2 shorter routes (only do the long one on weekends) and only stopped to have a drink. Even managed the hill that I've not been able to do before. Bike maintenance may have played a part in the ease as well. The bike definitely felt better, with less rattles and clanks and a noticeably smoother ride. Splashed out on some decent brake pads as well and they took me by surprise on the first pull. Also, I never thought I'd have muscles that I'm proud of, but my calves look fucking ace. They're not all veiny and weird like a Tour De France competitor or anything, but they've got some nice curvature. Feels good man. Just got the rest to work on now...

The thing with "the n word" is that white people will never be able to understand the weight it carries. We've never been on the receiving end of it, or any of the other prejudices that minorities face. For white people to say it is just a big no from me. As for black people saying it, that's up to them. They understand the weight of it, and whilst I personally wouldn't use it if I were black, it's not for me to dictate what they can and can't say. If it brings a kind of solidarity, then so be it.

You sound like me when I hit the scales every morning.

I moved all my handhelds to a different place and decided to fire up the Game Gear. Thankfully, it works a hell of a lot better than my original Game Boys, which both have areas of the screen that just don't work. One is mint otherwise, so it's not like they've both been abused. Guess that Nintendo Seal of Quality had an expiry date... The Game Gear did take a few blows in the cartridge slot to get it to actually recognise games, but now that it does it works perfectly. So does the Master Gear converter:

I don't think anyone said there was a problem? Unless you're referring to me, in which case my problem isn't with the overall brutality of the game (I loved the first game), just a particular scene that I personally don't want to see. I'm not outraged by it at all, I just know I won't enjoy it and the impact that scene has on the overall story has put me off buying it. I'm probably not making much sense, but I can't elaborate further without spoiling the game.

This pretty much sums up why I wont be playing it, but still appreciate it. The brutality has a point and undoubtedly creates a powerful story, but it's still disturbing. Much like people who don't watch horror movies because they don't want to be scared, I won't play this because I don't want to be disturbed. At least not in regards to the specific plot point I read about in the spoilers. There are some things I just don't want to see. I'll put it more specifically when more people have had chance to complete it.

I overdid it on Saturday, so no bike rides for a few days whilst I rest my aching muscles. I did lose 2lbs as a result though, so not a bad tradeoff. I decided to spend today on a bit of maintenance instead, as I'd not given the bike a proper clean since I bought it 12 or so years ago (probably more, as it's a 2006 model). Stripped the bike back a bit, cleaned whatever I could get to, re-lubed everything and then put new rear brake pads on (I'm still waiting for the second pair to arrive for the front): Overall, the bike is in pretty good condition, especially considering it's been used and abused for 12 years and left in a garage to gather dust for the last 7 of those years. May replace a few things like the chain and cogs as a precautionary measure, but it doesn't really need anything yet.

I've read the spoilers and I'm glad I did. I really don't like what they've done with the story. I have no issue whatsoever with the "woke" elements that so many people seem to have issues with (I actually like that traditional depictions are being challenged), nor the violence, but there are certain story elements that I have absolutely no interest in seeing. I get that they're there as a commentary on a certain topic, but they've ruined the series for me. I'm sure it's a great game and I hope people enjoy it, but it's not for me. I may put my issues with the story once a few more people have played it and more spoiler tags appear in the thread. Until then, I don't even want to tempt people with spoiler tags.

I have no idea what that is, but I'm certain you overpaid. You'd be surprised how much GameCube broadband adapters go for. They've become quite collectable, as they can still be used to some degree.

I think one thing that's made it easier is that I was generally bored of what I used to eat and was just eating out of habit and not actually enjoying it. I also went vegetarian back in September, so massively mixing up my diet was already a thing I was used to. Counting would drive me nuts too, but the 3 2 1 thing makes it pretty easy. The shakes are a set amount, so I don't have to think about it. For the snacks, it's just a case of finding ones that are below 100 and there's fortunately quite a few that I like. That just leaves the meal to count, which is actually pretty easy for me, as most of my usual meals are already below the threshold (I've actually had to add things in some cases to make it up). When I first saw the shakes, I thought I'd struggle as they're really not much at all (250ml IIRC). I thought there was no way they'd fill me up, but they've actually been great. Fill me up nicely and stop me being hungry until the next meal. I've bought 4 flavours. They're not the most enjoyable meal, but the variety helps.

Think I've got my diet nailed down. I'm basically doing the SlimFast 3 2 1 diet, which consists of 3 snacks under 100 calories, 2 meal replacement shakes and 1 proper meal. Mine breaks down to: Breakfast: Shake (230 cal) Snack 1 (100 cal) Lunch: Shake (230 cal) Snack 2 (100 cal) Dinner: Normally some vegetarian protein and side salad (500-800 cal) Snack 3 (100 cal) 1260-1560 cal total. For snacks I'm either having a pickled egg (80 cal), orange (70 cal), carrots (100 cal) or a pack of Niknaks (100 cal). Seems to be working well so far. It seems like too few calories, but SlimFast recommends it and I'm not going hungry or struggling with exercise. It also means I still manage to lose weight on days when I don't do exercise, so that's a bonus. It's also made me think about and appreciate the one meal a day more. I'm generally enjoying food more overall, so that's good.

You done kicked the hornets nest now...

Did this again, but rather than just going to the outskirts of my nearest town, I decided to venture in a bit and ended up adding 6 miles to my route, for a total of 20. Still got a bit worn out on the way back, but I managed it without any issues. Fortunately I live in a really nice part of the world, so even if I have to stop, I get to enjoy the nice scenery. I've not lost any weight recently (actually put a few pounds on and then lost it again to break even), but I have noticed a few of my t-shirts feel a bit baggy, which ironically makes me feel a bit like a fat slob. I'm not saying baggy clothes are for slobs, it's more because when I was younger I wore baggy clothes to cover up being fat and now I always associate baggy clothes with me being fat.

Clearly the typical internet hyperbole. I won't buy one at launch, but I never do. I'll give it a while until there's a game I simply can't resist, then get one.

Because Sony can't have nice things. You have been on this forum before, right?

Get a decent fan as well. I got some rollers for my bike ages ago and it's very easy to overheat whilst static cycling. The lack of movement/wind made a much bigger difference than I anticipated. Unless you're used to gym type stuff. Then I imagine it's business as usual.

Thankfully, that woman has now lost her job and the dog has been given back to the shelter that she adopted it from (she voluntarily gave it up). Scary to think what happens if people don't video these sort of things though.