Azure79

I disagree on this point. I think if NK attacks, it will be with the knowledge that it has Chinese support. Despite China slowly intergrating itself into the world economy and various reforms it is still very much not a democracy and is still controlled by the Communist Party. I think preserving their form of government is a important agenda for them. I doubt China will just sit back and watch as the US, SK and probably Japan, launch military counter-attacks against NK and ultimately re-unify the peninsula. I don't think China would be pleased with a nation heavily influenced by US policy to be sitting on their border. They might consider it a threat to their system. Of course I could be wrong. Maybe China will decide its potential economic and political losses far outweigh any benefits gained from supporting NK. I pretty much agree though I believe the South Korean opinion is divided on the matter. Most younger people of my generation want US troops gone while many people of my father's and grandfather's generation who have experienced the war and the following years of poverty and hardship think that the presence of US troops provide a strong deterrence for any more invasions from the North. Though the opinion seems to be shifting towards removing US troops recently.

Hey Di~, thanks for your concern. As for the US attacking NK, I meant as a means of a pre-emptive strike in direct answer to a supposed nuclear threat. I guess that wasn't clear from my wording. Yes, I would fully expect the United States to launch a counter-attack if NK invaded the South. The scenarios I described were some ideas going back and forth when we were discussing some plausible stances that the North might take if they did attack and occupy Seoul, from a Int'l PolySci course I was taking in Korea. If NK had China at their back, I seriously think that the US or any other government would at least think very carefully before launching retaliatory attack. But of course, who starts wars with a cool and clear head? I used to think Kim Jung Il was deranged and crazy too. I mean with the entire population brainswashed into thinking he's some sort of saviour figure, who wouldn't become a little delusional. Now, I think he just has huge balls.

We all still love you Hades.

I highly doubt North Korea has the military capability to attack US mainland with a nuclear weapon, much less with more convential arms. Launching a full-scale nuclear assault on the USA isn't their main objective anyway. Last I read, South Korea far outstrips them in terms of military technology and armament. It is not in North Korea's best interest to start a war of attrition. Their main strategy would be,if war actually erupts, to surprise attack Seoul with a massive barrage of missiles, and then deploy their considerable ground forces to capture and occupy the city and probably capture government officials as well. North Korea knows it won't be able to hold Seoul for long so they'll declare a cease-fire with China's support. I think the logic is, will the US risk a full-scale war on the Peninsula most likely involving China to re-take half the peninsula? What if China and North Korea promise economic cooperation and slow integration into the free-market economy if NK can maintain their political autonomy? What if NK agrees to slowly open their markets to the US and agrees to use the Peninsula as a trading hub between China, Japan and Korea, also open to US corporations. Despite many people claiming that Kim Jong Il is a unreasonable, crazy despot, I think he is smart gambling man. He has taken a substantial risk this time, especially when Sino-US relations are closer, economically speaking, than ever. Of course China will be peeved at NK, because the US will be blaming them partly for not keeping tabs on Kim Jong Il. China has the inherent problem of maintaining a growing economy that can sustain the huge population. Strained relations with the US will jeopardize this. I see Kim's actions as a big gamble to get the US to agree to direct talks without South Korean influence or input. The way the talks are set-up right now, NK has to jump through hoops (Japan, China, Russia, South Korea) to get to the big guy, the USA. Kim wants direct access, direct talks and direct agreements with the US in the form of lifted sanctions and economic support. Obviously the threat of possessing a nuclear arsenal will provide him with leverage. The US won't be able to just bomb NK or invade the country either. Not with a powerful China crouching in the background. Despite the official criticism displayed by China at the nuclear tests, I highly doubt this will make them sit by and watch as the US performs military actions just a few miles from their borders. I'm curious as to see how this will turn out. I hope the situation does not escalate as my entire family is in Korea. I actually have to go home to Korea from SF at the end of November. At least I'll get cheap airfare no?

There must be some alternatives to getting to school if this doesn't work out. You're sister's husband seems pretty petty if he's unhappy about his wife driving her brother to school, especially if it doesn't cut into their time and you're paying them. Dropping out of school because of a lack of transportation seems a little premature.

I haven't been this excited about a game since well...KotOR 2. Sounds good. Please be good!

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 11 Korean version When will Koei implement battles like the Total War series damnit. Game is still fun though

Born in Korea, raised in Suburbia in Conneticut, moved back to Korea for 10 years, now living in San Francisco. I like the weather here.

Perfect, Right after my busy season.

What games are you trying to get rid of? Can we have a list?

MMOs always seemed like work instead of game to me. Though the first and last MMO I played was SWG...so my opinion is probably skewed.

What do you mean by bliss? Instant gratification of all wants and desires? I think that might get boring fast. I'd take life with some bliss.

Wow, game looks like it'll be fun. A few things threw me off. When the PC speaks, his movements are like some rapper with his arms flailing around. And do we HAVE to join one of the three factions? What if I don't really like any of the factions and just want to become a power in my own right? I think that would be fun 4th option. But otherwise, looking forward to this game and NWN2 and The Witcher. I think I'll get mine at Gogamer. Their service is pretty good.

I think HK's sadistic nature kick in and he would tie random people up and lock them in a room with C3PO rattling on and on and on...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814102609 I just bought this for my old machine. Replaced a Radeon 9600pro with it and so far I'm pretty happy. I unlocked it to 16 pipelines and there is a slight performance boost. I didn't bother overclocking because I don't really play graphic intensive games. I could play HL2 episode 1 at 1280x1024 with low AA and experienced little noticeable slowdown though it plays much smoother at lower resolutions...of course.

I saw one of his shows once in passing and he seemed to be intentionally getting into the face of a deadly, venom spitting cobra. It was awesome and stupid at the same time and I have to say he probably had one coming, but I am sad to see such a badass yet easygoing guy go. Rest in Peace.

One of the things I'm actually looking forward to is dying and seeing what happens. Of course I want a long and fruitful life, but I'm curious. I want see the reactions on people's faces when they die and find out they their entire belief system does not exist. Or what they do when they find out they were right. Will the act smug and gloat? Will they try to save the non-believers? Personally, I think when you die, you get a one-on-one meeting with whatever supreme, omniscient and all powerful being thats up there. You'll also have access to your memories and experiences from past lives and based on that, you'll have to think about what you've learned. You'll have to answer this Supreme Being, which I think will be a collective mind of the souls that have reached enlightenment, and tell It what you've learned. Based upon your answer, the Supreme being will send you back as something else, so you can experience something new and become a little more enlightened, or you request being sent back as something to see what you can learn. Or you can just hang around in Limbo contemplating and eating pizza. There's no hurry. My answer will probably involve something about video games being cool and work being bad. No doubt I'll be reborn as some homeless guy so I'll be deprived of both and see what it feels like. Yep, I'm a far way from nirvana. And Yep I'm pretty sure this is how it is up there. Its a matter of faith and therefore you cannot argue with me and prove me wrong.

Cool, I like it everything...except for Birth of the Order. Sounds off kind of.

On the near horizon NWN2 The Witcher - I think this will be really fun Gothic 3 More distant MGS4 Ninja Gaiden 2 Bioshock Assasins Creed Looks like I'll need a 360. Who knows when KOTOR 3 DragonAge

The standard US version is in CD? Darn. Then I'd rather pay a few extra bucks and get the collector's edition if its on DVD. Plus the cloth map keeps sounding better and better. Why must the cloth map be hyped so?

Yes, I do. Thrawn was killed by his own bodyguards wasn't he? I think his bodyguards found out that the Empire was responsible for the contamination of their Planet or something and exacted their revenge? You can always count on something right under your nose will blow up in your face in the SW universe.

I think they'd be evenly matched. It all depends on who is betrayed by their bodyguards, apprentice first.

Dynasty Warriors 4 was ported to PC. Its pretty entertaining at first, especially if you're familiar with the characters, but it gets boring after a while. I

As much as I am looking forward to this game, the extras aren't really thrilling.

Heh, I watched that one while I was living in this dark half-basement room with a crazy Chinese landlord who looked just like one of those ghosts. I watched it at night with all the lights off and couldn't fall asleep after that.