Humodour

Of course gun control won't solve all America's problems but it's a good start. As an indicator, gun-related crimes in Australia dropped over 50% once we introduced gun control after the Port Arthur Massacre. It doesn't stop the people who need the guns from having them; but it helps decrease the number of guns floating around, and it helps prevent those who shouldn't have them from having them.

That was the 6th school shooting in the past week in America. America has something like 80% of all school shootings in the world. The country seriously needs stricter gun laws. To start with, people need to be required to have a gun license for any gun.

It must necessarily be the case that he is allowed to keep his passworded secrets. What are the alternatives? Torture?

Yeah, definitely. Am I the only one bothered by the naming? "Aliens: Colonial Marines" sounds gaudy and awkward.

My favourite games: Planescape: Torment Deus Ex Fallout Bloodlines What did they all have in common? Rats.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23217812-2,00.html Those poor kids. Lecture room with over 100 students. Gunman had 2 pistols and a shotgun. 16 injured, 6 dead.

Haha I remember somebody who would say "son of a Saracen" instead of "son of a bitch".

Oh, I forgot: what's the difference between thick blood and high iron levels? Haemoglobin is where iron is stored, so high haemoglobin means high iron right? But the doctor said she was concerned about thick blood (and didn't mention iron)?

Sand: Apparently LadyCrimson and theslug are right about having blood taken. Apparently it causes iron to be removed from storage to create new blood, so when done enough times will take iron levels out of the lethal range. The bad? They take a pint of blood each time! That's half a litre. LadyCrimson: Thanks! That was helpful. I'm having another blood test done to see if it was an environmental factor. If this test is also high, my face will look like this: theslug: Studies show that being vegetarian is healthier than eating meat; mainly with respect to cancer, disease (including diabetes and Alzheimer's) and heart attacks. Typically all three of these are about half as likely to occur. Consequently, vegetarians live longer (on average) than meat-eaters. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism#Health_issues The most recent evolutions of sophistication in the human brain were most likely due to humans foraging/cultivating tubers and starch-containing plants, since meat alone does not produce the level of energy required to fuel our brains and bodies at intelligence levels required for human society today (or even hunter/gathering in the past). Meat helped them have a varied diet, but it does not appear to have been the food that pushed and sustained human evolution; plants are the reason humans evolved a long digestive tract and fairly blunt teeth (herbivore traits). Further, if I have iron problems now, eating meat would be like trying to sober up by drinking alcohol.

I have read that too, but considering it is carried by 1 in 10 Caucasians (one parent has mutation) and affects 1 in 200 (both parents have mutation), yet I've never heard of it before, there's obviously an effective treatment available. I'm looking for personal experiences I guess. For example: does giving blood remove the iron?

I agree, but I mentioned Bloodlines for the action elements - so people could conceptualise how you could tie action/combat into such a game. Because I like action.

Got my blood test results. Apparently too much iron...

I got the results of my full blood test back and everything was fine except my haemoglobin levels. Apparently I have thick blood and a haemoglobin count of 18.2. In the past my iron levels have been fine (above average). I was pleased with this and thought nothing of it. Pleased because I'm a vegetarian, and so have to monitor iron intake more carefully. Anyway, since this test sent back 18.2, which is past the accepted normal range, I have to get another done. Anyway, my question is: does anybody else have high iron levels or haemochromatosis? Is it bad?

I always enjoyed SG1, but Atlantis seems forced and tacky - the actors never really 'did it' for me. Granted, now that SG1 is over, Atlantis is getting more time and effort devoted to it, and it shows (season 4) For the record: BSG is great and all, but it's got so many problems and plot holes and is often too overly dramatised. Also: <3 Richard Dean Anderson. Killian was like my favourite character in Fallout... and MacGyver? *drool*

Haha. Go the Danes! You print those Mohammed cartoons like it's 1999.

If Miss Piggy dies, my life is forfeit.

All that says is that Bioware is working on KOTOR and an MMO. It doesn't preclude the possibility that the MMO is a KOTOR game.

I agree with Walsingham and Azarkon's posts (the later ones, excluding those regarding Tibet/Taiwan) in this thread. So long as nobody is claiming that we should face these challenges by means of pacifism. Everybody has the right to protect themselves, and often the threat of counter-attack is the only thing which keeps war and bullies at bay. I agree with the idea that the US is a potential time-bomb if any sort of Hitler-like lunatic figure were to rise with the support of the people. The thing is, so is China (and a few other places). And from my point of view, China is more likely to breed such a figure or mindset than America is (here is where democracy/communism come in - a democracy has more checks and balances in place to prevent such a thing). That's basically the general crux of why I think we should arm ourselves in preparation of a Chinese offensive. It probably (or hopefully) won't happen, but that's not a certainty. People always bring these arguments back to who has more missiles, but it's a lot more than that; allies, location, will, desperation, need, etc. Especially since you can only have so many missiles before the rest are gravy. I also agree with, I think it was Xard, who said that the more we integrate China into the world economy and politics, the less room they have to pursue offensive solutions. But by the same token, that could backfire by making China an economic superpower without making it a developed superpower (freedom, human rights, contentment, multiculturalism, etc) - a dire combination, IMHO.

Well, it seems a lot of people in this thread would like to take the apologetic stance. I do not. I firmly believe my country is one of the best out there, and I value Western ideals over others. Basically, yes, I believe that West is 'right'. Yes, I believe that China deserves to be condemned for its violations of human rights. No, I don't think it deserves excuses to be made for it. If people elsewhere want to live another way, fine - just don't violate human rights, because they aren't a Western philosophy; they're a ubiquitous right. Can we have some arguments that support claims that the West should de-militarise in the face of China and co? So far it's been "China is just misunderstood.", but I'm seriously hoping that people don't actually believe that. Brdavs: we can't help everybody, so we should help nobody?

Heh. I don't think I'll see a game similar to Bloodlines any time soon, but I think it'd be a game worth making (not a remake, but something more with a new IP).

Azarkon would have us bury our heads in the sand and hope China sees that peace is the answer after all. And maybe they will one day - when they starts treating their own citizens with dignity, I'll believe there's hope for China. I mean, why don't you go and tell Taiwan that the constant political threats, alterations to their policies to authorise violence against Taiwan if they opt for independence, scheduled 'test' flights of fighter jets over the skies of Taiwan, etc have nothing to do with war and that China only wants peace? It is a basic human right to be allowed to defend oneself. And the only countries people in the Western world perceive as a threat are those which treat their own citizens poorly. The onus is not on us to change.

It's not America I'm concerned with; it is China and Indonesia. Those are Australia's two biggest threats, and the reason I think Australia and America should continue to maintain a strong defence force and alliance. When I say 'threat' I don't mean they are actively planning to invade Australia, but it certainly isn't a stretch that they'd attempt it if they saw it profitable (which it is), given their recent record.

Something that revitalizes me whenever I go out drinking and am feeling a bit sick in the stomach is: Midori Splice. Pineapple juice Midori (melon liqueur) Malibu (coconut rum) Cream on top/mixed in It's like heaven.

Well I can easily see how one could alter it for sufficient action. Llyranor: Strongly suggest you watch it. Excellent, quirky show! It's starting up again I think (there will be a movie at least). Tale: Haha. I was thinking something that didn't involve building an undead army to kill humans and take over the world.

Non compos mentis.