Calax

They were testing the social stresses on those five people for that long because that's how it'd be to actually get there. They've aborted previous attempts because being in such confined quarters causes inevitable friction which reached the breaking point. Seriously, you guys compare it to a prison, but that's what they'll be on for 18 months before they get to mars.

The hardest part is going to be when the generation currently in power and making up a majority of the work force, are removed from the job pool. This will probably happen when MY (as of yet unmade) children are just coming out on their own to work, but still those positions will seriously lack people to fill them I think. Not only will the average age drop, but also the skill level of those working because they have a distinct lack of experience. All that said, I think one of the few ways we'd see an economic recovery in the US would be to curb the MASSIVE debt, and restructure several government institutions.

Eh, reactionary? Somewhat yeah, but then everyone is to some degree or another. It's just that the general level of political polarization occuring within the USA's federal system is going to lead to a very bad(bullets flying, body count rising, everyone dyin... to know) end.

http://kotaku.com/5856023/game-reviewers-p...ar-in-the-north Frankenreview! (Basically a meta-review from several different publishers)

The "Battlelog" feature for BF3 (which Ros has been complaining about) is INTRODUCED with that game on origin

I would be ok with origin personally... if they didn't have a different computing cloud for each game. the Battlelog/Autolog/Whateverlog system, plus Cerberus Network, Plus Bioware social... All of these run IN ADDITION to Origin. But they're only used by the one company who is demanding Origin be a part of the package. Pick a bloody drm/cloud computing system and USE IT! Steam doesn't fall into the same catagory because A) all Valve games are steam only, without any other programs and B) many of the programs requiring that secondary system are from other publishers that aren't Steam specific.

I don't blame you in the least. Why do you think I've been arguing that we need to strip these suckers of as much of their power as possible? I'll make a libertarian of you before it's over Calax. The college commies can't have sunk their claws too deep into you yet! Actually it's not so much the system, as it is the current people in power. Prior to the current crew of politicians they actually, you know, negotiated... like what politics is generally considered, which meant that here was the balance of power where people would be protected by a tyrannical majority/minority. However now, everything is polarized to the point where it's "All or nothing" for both sides (the Reds more than the Blues), which means that the tyranny of the minorities has been in effect. My neighbor was actually at a Bachman lecture/rally thing today for a class where she said "Flat tax for everyone! And corporate tax breaks!" And that several programs currently on the fed level should be tossed to the state level (which is like giving your life savings to a drug addict)

Even if you don't for some reason trust the autosave (don't advance in-game time at all), saves only take 8 hours of in-game time. Missions can be done again right away even if you fail, so saves are only required if you plan to play "perfect" run or have like 10 minutes to play the game. 24 in-game hours are bit under hour of real time. In my 3 complite runs of GTA 4, 2 runs of Lost and Damned, 3 runs of Ballad of the Gay Tony, my longest single segment played time was 2 hours 34 minutes. Most likely I never experienced "friendly character" calling me twice during the same run. It's more likely that I called 'em twice So with 5 friends, you're required to ignore call 5 times every 2 hours of real time. Or perform 5 extra clicks to cancel incoming call. BUT, they linked those friends to bonuses... Dwayne gave you a crew of homies, your cousin gave you a taxi service, Little Jacob gave ya guns, and packie blew stuff up. Not to mention the girlfriends (who could get heat off you and raise your hp in times of need if you called em). That's what's really bothersom.

It's a little tongue in cheek sure, but I'm still more scared of the US political system than I am of any external terror threat there ever has been.

I just realized I'm more scared of the political system in the US than I am of a Zombie osama bin laden planning attacks on the US.

I'd guess they did given that it's disappeared in the two expansions of IV (which got progressively more off the wall too). They actually examine their criticisms and usually take that and build upon it. It seems like GTA and Saints Row are going to take the two different routs. GTA is gonna be a bit more realistic in terms of cars and such, but SR is just gonna go balls to the walls insanity and unrealistic.

I'm pretty sure that at this point you can guarantee that there'll be a body going through one of those wind generators.

*watches again* I donno why, but this feels like a former hit man or something retires to LA, then ends up getting dragged into a local gang fight.

Seems like they're going more with a family vibe to this.

How many classes are you taking? Gonna be 12 credits, I leave mwf pretty open (in this part because I'm going to London on a Fri and come back on a Monday)

Signed up for classes. I THINK I'm gonna have a total of one hours between 11 and 5 on tues/thurs to relax between courses And everything will be 300 level or above.

Actually the biggest issue there was the lady expected me to read her mind through the signboard and figure out exactly what sort of thing she wanted from the simple mention of a happy meal. That's actually an expectation from many customers, that I can somehow mind read half their order from the little bits that they say. For example, 90% of the time they ask for a meal but don't specify their drink. That woman was just the most blatant example.

How in the world did it manage to hold on so long? Too Human bombed ages ago. I thought they had another smaller program or two on the side. Also, aren't they still suing epic entertainment over Unreal engine?

I think one thing that most people seem to forget is that even as a customer/consumer, they have a responsibility to the provider. At mcdonalds you still have a responsability to tell me everything you need as a customer so that I may provide a service, and you need to know what is on the menu and what you will be asked by me when you get to the sign/counter. It should not be required of me to literally have a dialogue of "WHat can I get for you?" "A happy meal" "What sort of happy meal?" "A burger" "What type of burger?" "Uhhhhhhhhhh one with cheese" "Ok so a cheesburger happy meal, is that with fries or apples?" "No no... I want uhhh the DOUBLE cheesburger happy meal!" "Ok, and do you want that with fries or apples?" "uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Apples?" "And what would you like to drink?" "A drink... and can you change that to fries and get no onion no pickle on the burger?" Understand, I have LITERALLY had that conversation in the drive through. It is the duty of the consumer to know what they want and how they want it before they are placed in a position to be receiving their good or service. Similarly, it's the duty of a student not to damage other students education by holding up the class so that they personally can get things clarified. If they need that, they have other resources available through the school to get the help they need. Usually from a tutoring center. On the health care end of things, I don't think that a market driven economy would work to well. It certainly wouldn't lower costs of meds (I know that at least one of the sets of meds cost like 600 bucks for a 60 day supply, and this is something that keeps me alive). Also, a quick discussion between a former Judge and Jon Stewart for you to chew on http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-octo...interview-pt--1

It's only slightly less hamfisted in the various books.

Which ending were you watching?

Great, you're gonna take my money and give it to some poor downtrodden CEO in New York aren't you?

Got a 25cent raise today at work.

I know that Erikson did a foreward for the Dread Empire omnibus by nightshade books. The main reason he loves Cook is because Cook puts in things about how things work economically and politically.

I got a bit excited because of the trailer; which doesn't show D'Artagnan that much, and was under the impression that it was going to be the Three Musketeers + Milla Jovovich. That I would watch but they had to put freaking Percy Jackson on it. Paul WS anderson is good... at staging a scene. Basically he makes very good pictures from his productions, rather than actual movies.