Real LIfe: alarm goes off in my head, ? Been playing SR too long? |
Real LIfe: alarm goes off in my head, ? Been playing SR too long? |
Jul 6 2008, 06:48 PM
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#1
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Old Man of the North Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 9,576 Joined: 14-August 03 From: Just north of the Centre of the Universe Member No.: 5,463 |
So I have this summer job while I finish writing my dissertation. My teammate and I go around the big city, to randomly generated locations, and measure a standard size plot, counting trees, shrubs and other plants as well as building cover, cement, etc. We get a picture of the urban forest this way, to determine effects of the forest on air quality, cooling of the environment, etc.
Sometimes the random plot falls in a park. Sometimes on the landing strip in the airport. And sometimes in the back yard of one of the many businesses. Like Friday, when we went to a shop that converts vehicles to run on propane. Lots of trucks, cars, etc. parked all over the gravel lot. We asked for permission to go to the back and count and measure trees. The young guy we first asked pointed to another guy, who spoke in a heavy Russian accent and said it was OK, but we should check with the boss. So we went to the boss. After our spiel on what we do, he says, again heavily accented, "Sure. Go ahead. Ve are de good guys." *ALARM* I wonder what really goes on in that shop. Peter |
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Jul 6 2008, 07:12 PM
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#2
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The ShadowComedian Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,538 Joined: 3-October 07 From: Hamburg, AGS Member No.: 13,525 |
certainly no front for the vory v zakone . . no sir, not at all, because they would not say that they are the good guys *g*
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Jul 6 2008, 09:02 PM
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#3
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
Luckily when they tried to kill you while you were out back you used your monowhip and your Improved Reflexes III to pwn them, right?
Right? |
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Jul 6 2008, 09:21 PM
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#4
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
In Soviet Russia, the trees count you.
And that incredibly lame joke suddenly turned into a horrific vision of malevolent spirit-possessed trees with evil predatory grins and huge wooden teeth pointing to people with their gnarled claw-like branches and counting them one-by one and the frightened humans wet themselves in fear and anticipation. |
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Jul 6 2008, 09:46 PM
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#5
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,009 Joined: 25-September 06 From: Paris, France Member No.: 9,466 |
Guess you never had the chance to casually chat with an old chinese guy surrounded by 2 younger guys in suits during a concert in Hong Kong before realizing (and getting the confirmation) that he was a Triad boss... Nice guy, really.
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Jul 7 2008, 11:47 AM
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#6
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The ShadowComedian Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,538 Joined: 3-October 07 From: Hamburg, AGS Member No.: 13,525 |
ok, i don't have huge crime syndicats to offer . . but without realizing i met and chatted with members of both hells angels and bandidos . . of course not at the same time and i made damn sure to stay away from those places later on x.x . .
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Jul 7 2008, 01:08 PM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 421 Joined: 4-April 08 Member No.: 15,843 |
Never refuse the hospitality of an Iranian gangster from the East End when it is offered a second time. It's not lightly offered and is uniformly excellent. Refusing once is allowable as modesty of the guest not wanting to impose, but more than that implies mistrust and practically open enmity unless you have a watertight reason that you can't at that time.
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Jul 7 2008, 01:16 PM
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#8
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,453 Joined: 17-September 04 From: St. Paul Member No.: 6,675 |
In Soviet Russia, the trees count you. And that incredibly lame joke suddenly turned into a horrific vision of malevolent spirit-possessed trees with evil predatory grins and huge wooden teeth pointing to people with their gnarled claw-like branches and counting them one-by one and the frightened humans wet themselves in fear and anticipation. Ha, that reminds me of this...http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp05042002.shtml |
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Jul 7 2008, 01:45 PM
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#9
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,162 Joined: 16-November 07 Member No.: 14,229 |
In Soviet Russia, the trees count you. And that incredibly lame joke suddenly turned into a horrific vision of malevolent spirit-possessed trees with evil predatory grins and huge wooden teeth pointing to people with their gnarled claw-like branches and counting them one-by one and the frightened humans wet themselves in fear and anticipation. This reminds me of something from a web comic called Something Positive. The Redneck tree folk. Imagine Deliverance, but with tree sap in uncomfortable places. -paws (Oh internet, how I hate thee...) |
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Jul 7 2008, 02:02 PM
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#10
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,453 Joined: 17-September 04 From: St. Paul Member No.: 6,675 |
paws2sky, see previous post... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
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Jul 7 2008, 05:22 PM
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#11
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,162 Joined: 16-November 07 Member No.: 14,229 |
D'oh. That's what I get for trying to post between phone calls... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)
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Jul 7 2008, 05:25 PM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 691 Joined: 27-February 08 From: Pismo Beach, CA Member No.: 15,715 |
The Vory, huh? I just pegged it as a front for a chop-shop. Seems a little pedestrian for their tastes... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
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Jul 7 2008, 05:40 PM
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#13
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Immortal Elf Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,358 Joined: 2-December 07 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Member No.: 14,465 |
Satan's Choice used to have a nice clubhouse in my hometown. Unfortunetly, IIRC, they didn't have enough members any longer to keep a charter, so they're gone.
That said, I think I found a front of some sort close to where I used to live. It was a butcher shop, where half the fridges were empty, 2/3 of the shelves were empty, and the canned goods on the shelves were old and covered in dust. The service was bad as well. It might have just been the bad service, however. |
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Jul 7 2008, 05:49 PM
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#14
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Dumorimasoddaa Group: Members Posts: 2,687 Joined: 30-March 08 Member No.: 15,830 |
We had a oriental restaurant that could have been a front. The place was way to up market for Rotherham and there where some interesting people walking into the back quite often. But that said it disaperd a few months later for no reason it had really good bisnusse.
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Jul 7 2008, 06:08 PM
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#15
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,162 Joined: 16-November 07 Member No.: 14,229 |
There were a couple places in town that my friends and I always joked just had to be some kind of front.
The first was a fondue restaurant, which remained open for years despite us having never seen more than five or six cars in the parking lot at a time. And that was on a Friday night... Another is a drug store north of campus. Last time I was in there, which was about 9 years ago, they had stuff on the shelves that was: 1) covered in a layer of dust 2) had products with boxes that had faded from sunlight and 3) had a couple items that had been recalled at least years earlier for causing birth defects -paws |
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Jul 7 2008, 07:53 PM
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#16
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,141 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Neverwhere Member No.: 2,048 |
I wrote some stuff about the Russian Mafia, but it is none of your business. Carry on. Just that because Italian mobsters in movies follow a code does not mean such a code actually exists.
However if you think you are hardcore I could introduce you to some of the Albanian Mafia for a price. You pay first and we'll talk after your meet and greet. -Chrysalis |
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Jul 7 2008, 08:08 PM
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#17
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
codes of honor are no longer as stringently upheld as the ones was...
in one way thats a bad thing, but to much focus on honor can be just as troublesome... |
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Jul 7 2008, 08:27 PM
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#18
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Dumorimasoddaa Group: Members Posts: 2,687 Joined: 30-March 08 Member No.: 15,830 |
To be quite honest I could delve deep in to the underground with the contacts I know. Pro hackers pyromaniacs how can make OK guns from steel BBs and some steel. Ex and current drug dealers and suppliers. The black market could be wide open to me if i had the time money and determination to follow though the leads I have. I even know an underground Resistance group focus on resiting invaders or a croupet governments if such things ever happen.
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Jul 7 2008, 09:14 PM
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#19
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Immortal Elf Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 14,358 Joined: 2-December 07 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Member No.: 14,465 |
codes of honor are no longer as stringently upheld as the ones was... "Bah! Kids today, no respect! In my day, we had respect! Sure, we'd wack a guy, but we'd do it right, yaknow. Allow him to have a nice burial and all that. Open casket and everything." "What about Jimmy Two-Noses?" "He was a rat, and had no family, he deserved the burial at sea." |
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Jul 7 2008, 10:21 PM
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#20
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
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Jul 8 2008, 01:38 PM
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#21
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,141 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Neverwhere Member No.: 2,048 |
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