metadigital

Eurocrats are roundly condemned by themselves above all as wasters, in my experience. However, I think that the lessson of the USA teaches us that centralised bureacuracies are like antlions. You can struggle all you like and you slide faster into the centre. I like JS Mill's stance:

Now that's scary ..!

They wouldn't use a technicality to protect Harry, they'd just put him somewhere safe, but still on active duty (like they're going to do).

.. And get back to work!

I think if you use a spectrum to describe an arc from fantasy around, through Space Opera, to SF you will do better with categorising genres. Star Wars is waaaay over in the fantasy segment, with some Sciencey-sounding Opera interspersing the high camp fantasy, for example. I prefer my fiction more the other end of the arc, up near nano technology and Total Recall, far away from teleporters, dragons and Tolkein.

Jade Empire is available through Steam in about two weeks ...

Yeah, I forgot to add Wizardry 8; I've had dental appointments that were more fun than the gameplay in that game ... To be fair, we aren't listing games we have finished, just those that (for whatever reason) we haven't. I know that the games I haven't finished just didn't interest me.

No, he's just pleased to see you.

Walsh, I haven't seen any figures on individual power production, so I am "extrapolating" from what I do remember ... IIRC the individuals get credit for the extra energy they create and submit back to the grid (in their own downtimes), which is offset against their own requirements when they draw during peak times. I don't think anyone has produced all their energy requirements (apart from that crackpot in Wales who lives in a hut with mud on the roof and no electric devices). The biggest problem is that it isn't possible to store energy ... sure you can store the stuff that makes energy (like LPG and petrol: does the US have about a month's supply of petrol/diesel inside its borders?), but the recent explosion at Hemel Hempstead certainly illustrates the very serious drawbacks to large containments of highly imflammable substances. (PS I see that Obsidian UK residents are all nuclear powered and thus superior to the rest of the world, as we have THREE Moderators. :D )

that's why most democratic systems, the US' included, are actually republics. that's also why the US is split into separate, smaller states, in order to leave day-to-day operations up to fairly small governments, all modeled after the larger, national government. unfortunately, in the US, the national government has taken on many powers not specifically assigned to it, leaving the states with less and less authority as time passes. the cost is becoming prohibitive, and as suggested, the leaders are pretty far removed from the people they represent. Rousseau identifies the issue of the government having a will of its own, similar in concept to the sovereign (will of the society) but different (when the government becomes too large). Basically the people in the government form their own, smaller society; their will becomes different to the will of the people they represent because they have more power and different perspectives, etc, and that breaks the covenant. It does give pause for thought with the whole federalization of the European Union, for example, too; after all, the states in the US joined together for similar reasons, yet now they might be forgiven if they consider they might want to secede ... Certainly the EU legislature is already regarded as distant and expensive (who can forget Mrs. Marta Andreasen's revelations last year; the EU's former chief accountant, was sacked by Neil Kinnock for revealing "Opportunities for fraud are open and they are taken advantage of. The most elementary precautions are neither taken nor even contemplated.") But why would they care? These politicians are directly representing anyone; the money is many times removed from them, so it's only natural that they think nothing of feathering their own nests and lining their own pockets. linkie 1 daughter link 1 daughter link 2 daughter link 3 daughter link 4 (lots more on the main page) There is no oversight, no "Ephors" for the EU "prince". (Please excuse the mixed metaphors, there; I know the Ephors are classical Greek (Spartan) who kept the dual Kings in check and presided over the Gerousia, or Senate-like body of the Spartans. I was just looking for an apt example of where absolute political power was tempered with an oversight; it seems the Greeks had this idea before everyone else, too.) It certainly doesn't bode well that the whistle-blowers have ALL been sacked and NO PUNISHMENT has been meted out on the perpetrators the corruption. And the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is allegedly hell bent on re-instituting the Federal programme.

I think the "independence" of Ilex is under question, and justifiably so; if British American Tabacco funds a study on how healthy cigarettes are for people, it is right to ask cui bono. The WWF have a barrow to push, and they commissioned a study. What a surprise that they "proved" what they set out to ... As for the choice between "a windmill in the back yard or a nuclear power station, or energy rationing", I don't think it's that simple; it's not a zero sum argument. And again, you aren't going to get enough power from renewables. You'll need all of those (well, energy efficiency technology rather than rationing, perhaps).

Dues Ex is REAL!

That's the dog's name.

Fantastic... But it's a microfest of an insane caliber. It's based around squads of guys and a triple resourse system (manpower, Munitions, and Fuel). It's got everything from smoke attacks and MG nests in buildings, to Blowing up bridges, minefields and directional damage (like rear attacks do more damage). Ultimatly its a game thats based less around numbers of people, and more about how you use them. A lot of people love it because it takes first person ragdoll physics and graphics and puts them in a strategy game. It can be funny with the ragdoll physics if you've got bighead mode on (they actually included a way to put in GIGANTIC heads in the game) DirectX10 volumetric smoke effects FTW!

Linkies to mods? That's kewl!

Wearing a Hitler outfit to a fancy dress party?

Actually, that is very true. We generate five times the energy we use: the rest is lost in waste between the source and the power plug.

That's just a report on reducing CO2. I am very skeptical that there is sufficient latent renewable capacity to fulfill even the BAU requirements, let alone any energy demand increases. That's a nice sentiment, but I don't see electricity demand falling. And it's a VERY high-risk strategy to rely on foreign energy: remember the OPEC crisis of the 70s? The whole report is focussed on reducing CO2, not replacing carbon fuel sources, which is a subtle but significant difference. further on: Wind isn't going to do it, even if everyone allows a windfarm in their backyard (and you can bet they won't: recently Greenpeace blocked a windfarm in California because it interfered with the migration of some birds). The flaw, as I see it, in the report is the limited scope: They are basically starting from a conclusion, i.e. that nuclear power is unnecessary, and then assuming that targets will be met (which is highly doubtful) or bettered (yeah, sure) to create some figures to make it happen. Firstly, the renewable energy targets are short-sighted and biased to the short-term: Secondly, the government is having enormous trouble meeting the targets it has set now, even this report admits that: Yet they expect the target to either bet met (PS1) or bettered (PS2)! Hence their conclusions are obvious: And whatever happened to the "leading independent energy market consultancy"? Nuclear is actually a very clean energy source (think of how much matter is waste compared to the amount of energy produced); it's just not been managed as well as it should be (accidents and waste). Edit: just saw this bit, too: First off, the report is trying to offshore energy production to eliminate "UK emissions", which is disingenuous as the emissions have to be emitted somewhere. Second, the energy sector aren't increasing emissions without increasing output: the UK demand is rising. Hence why the energy sector is purchasing capacity from the continent (at a premium) and gas prices are rising. I just can't agree with their outlook of a future with LESS electricity demand. (I didn't notice PSUs dropping in wattage ...)

I thought the best counter-argument for nuclear was a distributed energy production system. By that I mean that individuals could install their own renewable sources (a propeller on the roof and some shiny tiles). Of course this would still come up short, and there is the huge issue of energy dependence: Russia demonstrated just how much power (ha, pun intended) it has on those downstream from its power production. Seriously, too, if people want hydrogen powered cars and computers, we're going to need some power stations to charge 'em up, and the best option is nuclear. I think we're currently in the fifth generation of nuclear plants; at least one of the plants in England is from the first (I think) generation. the newer ones are more efficient and designed to be much less dangerous with the active ingredients not used in a way that causes meltdown if they overheat, for example. (IIRC all nuclear accidents have been caused by human error, and through overwork and fatigue.) (As an aside, the British Nuclear industry doesn't strike me as much different from every industry in the UK, from National Rail to the NHS.)

I'm not an expert on the US political system, so I can't really give you a definitive statement ... I'm not actually sure what you're asking, actually. As for Rousseau's commentary on the failure of a government, well Yes, I did notice that and I hoped you would too. Is it my stance? No, I don't think the government has failed, per se, but I do think that the system isn't optimal. (I added some detail to the wikipedia if you are interested.) Rousseau also believed that democracy only worked with smaller nations, as the administration for larger states would overwhelm the population (cost too much, basically, and the ministers (he called them "magistrates") would be too far removed from the people they represent). I think the only way to optimize it, though, is to get involved and ground level, with lots of other like-minded people, and work up. That was the beauty of his Social Contract: that it works because it is a truly equitable basis for a social system.

I'm pleased that they decided NOT to duplicate the X1800 fiasco; a delay here isn't going to cause much harm: there are no DirectX10-compatible games yet (though Company of Heroes is apparently about to release a patch), all of ATi's DirectX9c cards are viciously priced to muscle out the nVidia 7900s, and this should mean a more stable release. (Well, I hope so, anyway.) nVidia must be near to releasing a new model by then, too ... if nothing else, the price of an 8800 will plummet when the 2000 comes out.

Posts in a thread.

I wonder if you know really how far through Deus Ex you are ... Still installed, progressing slowly: Fallout Fallout 2 NwN2 Space Rangers 2 No way I'm going to go back and play them: Anachronox Arcanum Morrowind Divine Divinity Final Fantasy ROMANNUMERALS (whatever the one for the PS2 was; I don't even own a PS2 anymore) Might go back: BG 2 and Shadows of Ahm Oblivion System Shock 2 (I've nearly finished) Still have a few I haven't installed to play yet: Thief IIIIII Fahrenheit some others that I can't be bothered to check in my game box

I agree with everyone on this page as to why Fantasy is a burnt-out husk of a genre.

Did anyone hear something? Haw haw haw.