Raithe

Reread through my posts the last 3 months or so. See how many include variants of "bloody puppy" "puppy threw up" "puppy eat the antique such and such" "puppy took a dump on the carpet" "puppy tries to eat the cat" and other assorted... However, I will also point out that walking cute puppies can induce pretty women to linger in your area. Also judge whether you'll have time/energy to walk it appropriately....

Project Snowblind was actually fairly decent for what it was. I mean that was originally designed as a much more FPS spin-off from Deus Ex, but with the crash and burn of DE:IW they decided to take it as a seperate game and universe. It might have been much more combat geared, but they did try to keep a certain amount of "multiple paths" within that.

If it hadn't been a Deus Ex sequel it would have been considered a better game. Among things that came across for me, was that the developers had pushed hard the idea that you'd be dealing with different factions and would be able to double-cross them on missions and it would all shape up how the game went... In practice, you could double-cross them to your hearts content and they'd be right back offering you another mission and there were no real consequences... There were a lot of interesting ideas in the game, but it just didn't gell together the way the first Deus Ex did. If you could ignore those issues, it was mostly entertaining.

I'm in need of a mental palate cleanser. So considering doing a fresh run through of ME2 when I get the free time..

"Women are the root of all evil. And teenage girls have yet to learn how to use their power for good." Edit: After all, there was a reason Harem doors had locks on the outside as well.....

I do have to say.. having been buried in various research the last week or two related to drug cartels, assassinations, death squads, kidnapping, human rights abuses, torture, bombings and general shenanigans... It really does seem to put you into an emotional place filled with a whole lot of angst, depression and general anger. Which has been a little disconcerting. But still. As ever, onwards with a fresh cup of tea.

Same here. We call it "winter" Yes, but tis supposed to be the middle of Summer here...

It's being a miserably grey and drizzly day here. Some quiet moments pondering on the nature of obsession, and trying to get past the sunday procrastination and general meh feel to actually do stuff. So as expected from me, I shall enjoy a fresh cup of tea, maybe nibble at an eccles cake for that added sugar rush, and see how things develop.

Actually one interesting fact that came up was that while initially the British Empire had some issues with the Native Americans when we entered the New World.. we actually established proper treaties with them about how far we'd push into the country. Who knows how that might have turned out in time, but it was one of the matters that annoyed the colonialists who kicked off the American War of Independance.. That His Majesties government of the time refused to let them expand into the natives lands... It wasn't all about Tax and Representation

You know that stage where you're sat staring at the word processor, dozens of articles and assorted research laying around you, an established structure in the document and large chunks of it filled out ... and then your mind does a shivver and you just can't focus on which next step to do... Do I rewrite this section, do i start on that.. maybe I'll start re-reading this research and oh look another 10 minutes has disapeared on me... Maybe if I polish that paragraph or find something else to add some emphasis... On one hand I can actually say it's kind of fun. Also bloody annoying. In about equal measures.

To be fair, the occasional onrails shooter segment in a game can work for the storyline..and a certain element of cinematic drama. I wouldn't want the whole game to run like it.. but odd moments within the game can be enjoyable.

Shiny.

Uh huh. I'm sure the Chinese and Koreans who suffered under the Japanese of the time would say they weren't exploited. Or the Japanese having their ports forced open under American guns... Although the USA generally liked to push the "economic empire" more then an outright political one. The Germans like so many in Africa and the many insurrections they faced from natives.. including what was termed "the first genocide of the 20th century" It's pretty much impossible for any nation to take an "Empire" without someone getting screwed over. Sure, the British Empire had the bad habit of getting the natives brought back to blighty, giving them an education here, then installing them back in their own countries as the local bureaucrats and administrators... I have to say, that was frankly appaling behaviour on our part.. But I'm beginning to sense a little thread dereailment here.. Edit: And I'd say we're superior because we did it better then anyone else, for a lot longer ... and happened to naturally let it go into the Commonwealth, and keep on damn good terms with the majority of our former conquests.

Hm, so the fact that I know people from France, Germany, Italy, and Poland who all think that the UK isn't a part of Europe 'proper' is a lingering attitude of superiority about the British Empire?

So, you Brits don't consider yourself European? What then? Sorry to disappoint you, but you're not special. Ah , but we're not European either. It's a bit political thing. The majority of the population in the UK doesn't want to be dragged into the EU idea. There's a bunch of other issues involved, but one of the key is that the majority of Europe runs based on Napoleonic legal systems. We don't. Plus there's a shedload of cultural aspects to it. Most of the people I know from the continent tend to think of the UK as "seperate, but kind of hanging onto the outskirts" of Europe 'proper' rather then as a concrete part of it.

What "last few BioWare games"? Because Dragon Age II sure as hell didn't do that. You either pre-ordered it before you could get a good idea of how it played or were screwed and didn't get the Signature Edition with the additional character and quest. I thought the whole Lost Prince missions and added character were available to anyone who picked up a copy of DA2? They did it with DA, they did it with ME2...

If its like last few bioware games, people will have access to that mission and character with every copy of ME3 regardless of collectors edition or not. Just that "encouragement" to not buy second-hand games.

And the announcement of what the Collectors Edition will contain is now out.. Content Revealed Edit: And yes, that is a "Robotic Dog" as an extra...

Tis being a fairly chilly day here. Stirred from some rather strange dreams to face the morning light... Enjoying a rather nice "real lancashire Eccles cake" and put the kettle on for a fresh cup of tea. Hm, pondering on the fact that I can pre-order a computer game from Amazon in the states..and even after paying transatlantic shipping fees and import duties, it'll still cost a couple of pounds less then if I picked it up here.. Although if I wait a couple of months it'll probably turn up with a chunk of price knocked off it here with the preorders.. I think I shall take a short while to enjoy my saturday before I get back to the grindstone of my report.

Glancing back.. spot the deliberate mistake : It's always fun scanning back and suddenly noticing how your thought process bypassed your grammar..

I think I can cheerfully say that I need to figure out a better organisation for my collected research. Also, I think I kind of loathe sorting out a bibliography in a meaninful manner. I believe I have the subject matter in hand (so to speak) but while I could probably sit down at the pub and hold forth on the question, what my answer would be to it, and the whys and wherefores for the reasoning of it.. turning that into a proper paper that is professionally worthy is being bloody annoying. Still, a fresh cup of tea and tally-ho once more.

Selekted Riting Wrules - Especially useful for all those students and such writing papers...

And the puppy has made a solid attempt at digging up one of the fresh flowerbeds in the garden.. I seem to have the workings of a stabby headache kicking off over my left eyesocket, and the day is moving forward slowly. I shall hit the paracetamol, a good cup of tea and try to get my mind into some sort of focused and productive mood.

To oversimplify that approach in a totally unrealistic manner.. "If everyone left their front door unlocked, the thieves wouldn't know which houses would have the best stuff to steal from, because they have access to everyones..." On a more serious level, it's more the general attitude that they have towards your personal data. It's not about what use your data is, it's that they take it, collate it, hand it over to other people to look at, build psych profiles to aid in targetted advertising aimed at you.. You don't have firm control over what they do with that data, or who they feel has access to it. And it's these little steps at the beginning that could see very bad things happening in the future. That might be a touch paranoid or wildly speculative to some... But that's the key principle that worries a lot of people. The little steps that turn out to be huge changes over a few years. And the needle in the heystack metaphor, yes if you're talking purely random approach to it it's a problem. But to the more organised level of cybercrime (and the potentially unscrupulous government / corporate organisations) there are quite a few people skilled in the arts of data mining. Once you get a few pieces of quite low-key information about someone, it can be surprisingly easy to get hold of so much more if you know what you're doing. Still, everyone has their own level of personal comfort over these issues.