metadigital

If it has magic and swords, its Fantasy If it has spaceships, its Sci-Fi <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Simply simplistic for a simpleton, thanks Kaftan.

You means those midichloriens ? No , nothing scientific about that not even in theory. They do, but those things are actually based on "science" People call it Sci Fi because it's in Space. Try calling it Sci Fi at a Sci Fi convention just for fun " <{POST_SNAPBACK}> one could argue that the midichloriens are an alien lifeform, and thus it would fall under sci-fi, but as it doesnt really matter i won't <{POST_SNAPBACK}> No, you are back-forming SF from fantasy. Much the same way as Gene Roddenberry used teleportation as a method of circumventing the tedious and time consuming task of landing and taking off (remember this was 1966, three years before the moon landing), which later fans added technobable about Heisenberg compensators to allow them to work. It's ironic that you mention midichlorians being beings: Scientologists believe that humans have their own equivalent to midichlorians (called thetans, I believe), and the founder of Scientology was L Ron Hubbard, who co-incidentally coined the term space opera. Still, even science-illiterate GL now admits that including the midichlorian reference in the first prequel was a Bad Idea. So should you.

You're correct. 'The two events aren't mutually exclusive.' = 'It's possible that both are true.' (I get confused by flammable, inflammable and uninflammable. ) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I like ignoble, myself. I think that shows true individuality of contrary expression. PS Flammable and infammable are synonyms: a bit like how "head over heels" is the normal state of afairs, except when it is mentioned in an adjectival phrase (i.e. "in love" fame), in which case it implies an abnormal situation ... I would argue that there is a continuum from witches and goblins and orcs in the fantasy end of the spectrum, to the hardcore Serenity, or even Tom Clancy-type bleeding-edge SF technical weaponry and usages. You have a very strange (read: wrong) way of delineating your fiction. SW is Space Opera. Opera. Not SF.

I can't believe that PSU suppliers can just say anything and get away with it! I mean, can AMD say they have a 3GHz CPU and it only clocks @ 2.5GHz? Or if you buy 1GB RAM and it actually only is 768MB? What's up with that? Sheesh! (It was a fantastic cartoon: Sam was the sheepdog, and Ralph was the coyote, iirc.)

Yes (but see below). I was really more curious about how it would be in general rather than a specific case. I suppose what I was thinking was could you build a PC for the cost of the console and have it viable for five years ? Or could you support the upgrades over a five year period for the same cost. I don't know the non UK prices at all. How much is a top of the line video card anyway? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> As with the IT hardware trend, the bleeding edge costs disproportionately more than the more moderate. For example, the best video cards at the moment for a PC are: [*]Mid Range: Sapphire Radeon X800GTO

There was a VERY interesting comprehensive test of all available power supplies by Custom PC in the UK last month (November, issue 26), in which a significant proportion of them could not produce the wattages advertised, and some (i.e. NOT ONE but SEVERAL) even BLEW UP whilst under load (but under 100% of their advertised maximum, though: one blew up at about 75%). It seems anyone can sell a PSU without regard to the false advertising legislation ... I'd recommend back-ordering this issue to get the results, and make sure you buy one that is recommended, or at least is capable of producing the wattages it says it can! Or out the door in the morning? " <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Are you consciously quoting from the sheepdog and wolf looney tunes cartoon?

Payin' attention, Mothy? " Yes, I know, on both counts...just irks me when people have to get so damned nosey about other people's affairs. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well. The presidency is a public office. If I am self-employed, I doubt anyone would kick a fuss about whatever freak show I put on in my private life. Though I guess even past greats like Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln couldn't stand spotless under the kind of scrutiny today's public figures are constantly under, but maybe it isn't such a bad thing in the end. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I wasn't aware that Lincoln was an adulterer. The ehtical point in question is if a person cheats in one aspect of their life (marital fidelity) then why should they be trusted in another; or, to put it another way, once a cheat, always a cheat. I'm not agreeing with the point, mind you, as I feel it is over-simplistic; I am just stating it here for general erudition.

Congratulations, you have just encapsulated aparthied! Now try to reduce it down to a haiku for bonus points!

You are ignoring a multitude of possibilities. Just because the cover story that the public was fed was incorrect, does not mean there wasn't a real threat and a real reason to attack Saddam Hussein. I don not for a moment think or expect the various secret services to divulge all their motives, methods, means and objectives to the hoi polloi. Yes the stated rationale was proved false; since when does international politics deal in stated truths? It's like the US government indicting Al Capone, the biggest illicit bootlegger during Prohibition, extortionist, mastermind murderer and organised criminal boss, for tax evasion: it's just a means to an end. The double standards come when other worthy despots aren't given the same treatment; then again, not many other countries have the poor military assets that Iraq has: North Korea has a formidable missle defence programme and a large quasi-ally in China bordering her and Iran has a not-insignificant military. I'm not sure the exact state of the African nations like the western African Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Sierra Leone, etc, and Somalia and Zimbabwe, too. I suspect that the opportunity cost is too high to warrant any action presently, and there is no great compulsion (e.g. scarcity of resources), so these countries do not gain the burning glare of international attention. Ditto for the ex-Soviet satraps, like Kurdistan. The biggest issue with US politics is the determined and significant process of opacification: Bush seems to have presided over the single most devolutionary period of government, where cronyism and corruption are okay as long as it works. It's only a small step to a republic like East Germany ...

I've told you once.

I actually laughed out loud at this bit. Thank you, I needed that. :D

I already have one, thank-you Hades, unless you were trying to foist the prequel trilogy onto me; in that case, no thank you very much.

St. Christopher = Me <{POST_SNAPBACK}> OMFG! If you primise to wear that beard all day long, Ill be your personal assistant (I will be dressed as baby jesus) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I thought you deserved a better placing in the results; that was an inspired costume. (Okay, Sticky Note man did a good job, but he did steal the idea from Bruce Almighty ...) Now Kaftan as a baby jesus ... hmmm ... does that automatically mean that you'll be crying, Kaftan ?

I believe you volunteered me, Launchie, but I am able to complete it now as I have a spare moment (just before Civ 4 is released and I lose all concept of time and space for a month, in between performing my chauffeur duties and moving house.

On behalf of France, I surrender.

Another twelve hour day in London doing the rounds of professors and learning all there is to know about oncology. Just got back after leaving this morning. Traffic was abominable (just for an added bonus) and the weather was attrocious (but that's to be expected). I'll mark off some time, hopefully tomorrow, to read and revise the rules. (I can't even remember my own name at the moment, but the good news is Civilzation IV is released tomorrow ..!)

You turn that other cheek, now: be a good little christian.

LS Revan is canon. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> "Canon" is only for imbeciles that cannot think for themselves, and require someone to tell them how to think. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wrong. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> See? Of course you don't. Proves my point. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wrong. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Touch

I just bought and started playing CT, although I ain't got PT yet. I will wait until then, I think, because I haven't got far with CT (and I'm not sure I like it as much as the first game ... might be that my GPU is struggling with all those shadows, but I'm also not convinced I like the funky first-c.um-third-person view camera angles ...) I believe it is out in time for Xmas ...

You shouldn't argue with a fool, because on-lookers might not be able to tell the difference ...

Aren't you drunk yet?

LOST. What unanswered questions? It all seems pretty straight forward to me ...

Yes. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

LS Revan is canon. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> "Canon" is only for imbeciles that cannot think for themselves, and require someone to tell them how to think. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wrong. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> See? Of course you don't. Proves my point.

:ph34r: