Thorned Rose

Definitely not true - the games won't look as good on normal tvs but they do work! All electronics companies know that some of their products are going to be defective when sold because they cannot test each and every single product they make. That said, the number of defective 360s was lower than Microsoft thought which goes to show that Microsoft has had better manufacturing and quality control then most other electronics companies. Before goibng on at the 360s problem, what about the majors that Sony had with their PS2s, how first the laser was screwed and then the oscillator died. There was a far bigger occurence of those then the 360 overheating. Not true. They are releasing batches of 'patches' (emulators essentially) for games about every three months so more and more games will be able to be played as time goes by. Once again, my husband works for a gaming magazine and gets inside info direct from companies like Microsoft - this is not "I heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who read it in a forum" crap - this is for real information!

I go to bed at 9:30 usually and read for an hour but it takes me about 1/2 an hour to fall asleep (I have M.E. which causes insomnia and unrefreshing sleep) and wake up at either 7:30 or 8am but get woken up several times during the night by my son (15 months old) so maybe 8 hours. Not that it partucularly matters to me - I can sleep 12, 16 hours and still wale up feeling like I haven't slept at all. Although, I would give a warning to you all - M.E. (aka Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) is tied into the immune system and regulatory parts of the brain. It most often hits overachievers i.e. workaholics who don't get enough sleep and can tell you now that if you are not getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night you could well be fast tracking yourself to this disease or at the very least Chronic Fatigue (aka burnout). Take it from me, get 9 hours (what sleep specialists recommend) because you do not want this illness!

That's not true actually. The highest producer might be the U.S. but China is second and India was 4th in 2002 and given their huge growth rate in the last few years may well now rank 3rd. Russia, Japan, Germany and the UK all rank highly as does countries like Canada, Italy, France and Australia - none of which you would think of as being particularly high contributers. So it's not just the U.S. causing the problems, but I do have to agree that they are extremely hypocritical with regards to the Kyoto project or perhaps I should say that George Bush is the hypocrite considering that Bill Clinton did actually sign the Kyoto Project - Bush and his administration never ratified it. John Howard (Australian prime minister) did exactly the same but then he is the eternal U.S Kiss-Ar**.Realistically speaking if you want an accurate and fair representation of the biggest problem causers then your need to look at emmissions per capita in which case the U.S. is 7th. Qatar is by far the worst along with Netherlands Antilles, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Aruba, Trinidad and Tobago, Brunei, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia etc. If you look at this countries you might notice that not surprisingly many of them are oil producing countries. If you drive a car, not are you contributing to polution in your own country but you are contributing to other countries. For example, the biggest producers have caused an ozone hole over Antartica and New Zealand. I live in New Zealand and we have one of the highest Melanoma (skin cancer) rates in the world. You can't go outside for more than 10 minutes in the summer without getting burnt unless you slather on sunscreen. Do we receive any compensation from countries like the U.S. and China? Nup - and that's just one more thing that makes me angry. Just the selfishness of the whole thing.

You're not real specific on what you eat - how processed/refined is what you eat, what proportions of protein, carbs, vege/fruit, fibre do you eat? What do you drink - water, juice, soda? What are the typical meals and snacks you eat every day?The reason I ask this is because diet has a huge effect on your health. You could exercise 3 hours a day but still be unhealthy because of poor diet. Also what kind of exercise are you doing - low/medium/high/maximal impact? (maximal means exercising virtually to the point of collapse). And what kind of machine is it?

Dunno about drives but I can tell you that Blu-ray players (blu-ray equivalent of a DVD player) is going to cost about $1000. On the other hand, HDDVD is apparently relatively cheap so on the price wars side of things, Sony is looking to lose.I doubt that you will see any drives yet until computer hardware manufacturers get more of an idea about who is likely to win

Albus Dumbledore, that's the self-defeatest attitude! How many times have I heard "I'm just one person, what can I do?". That is exactly the problem as to why nothing is being done. Everyone says to themselves that they are just one person and won't make a difference so nobody does anything. Everyone just sits around waiting for someone else to start making a difference. What a bunch of sheep people are! And please people, global warming doesn't just mean things set hotter. Some areas will get colder, rainy areas will have droughts, dry areas will have torrential rain....mudslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, earthquakes, blizzards, coastal errosions.... all caused by Global warming. People, pull your fingers out of your ars*s and do something - stop sitting on the fence, victimising yourselves by saying "I'm just one person, woes me, what can I do?". If you change your attitude and spread that to just one person and then that person spreads it to another and so forth, eventually something will happen! Stop sitting around on your butts and do something now instead of waiting for the government to force you to do it.

And some more damning evidence which has just popped up on the BBC website: For the full article go here.

Yes and everyone wanted to see Sony's Emotion Engine in action too along with the Toy Story like graphics. What a huge disappointment that turned out to be. I'm not going to hold my breath for the cell processor. Sony has a reputation for hyping things up and then letting gamers down. I will reserve my judgement for when they actually release the PS3.

Yin-Yang, you sound like a fanboy. Octo-core?! Seriously! It's cell chip technology (and only has SEVEN, not eight cores) and if Sony can actually get it to work (which they haven't as yet) then yes it will out perform the 360's triple-core Xenon (the Xenon may only have three but they are more powerful), the 360 has twice the active memory on access than the PS3 meaning better framerates on the 360, the PS3 has twice the amount of teraflops than the 360 which means better graphical processing of floating point operations, the PS3 can output a higher resolution but there are very few tvs that can actually support this, the 360 has better online capability... If you didn't understand much of that then please don't talk tech-speak like you know what you are talking about and say that one is better than the other, because you quite obviously have your facts wrong.Also Sony is having major problems with their Blu-ray technology and it's looking like the PS3 will ship without it. Not to menation of course that the 360 is easier to program for meaning that developers will be better able to take advantage of the 360s capabilities. As it currently stands the 360 is here now and the PS3 is still smoke and mirrors.Now if your thinking that I am an Xbox freak, think again - I used to be a total Playstation nut and thought the Xbox was crap. That was until we got one and I had to begrudgingly admit that the Xbox was better than the PS2. We currently have 2 Xboxs, a PS2, a Dreamcast, a Nintendo DS and a PSP. They all have their good and bad aspects.It's stupid to go on about one over the other - consoles are sold on their games.All you Fanboys out there, leave your opinions off until the PS3 comes out and then try them both before you condemn one or the other.

There's a really good program on National Geographic Channel called Strange Days on Planet Earth that certainly poses some very disturbing questions. I would also recommend everyone to read a book called "Earth" by David Brin. Although it's a work of fiction, it's another one of those books that is eerily prescient (e.g. it was written in 1990 but Brin writes about a World Data Web) and perhaps a very realistic take on the future of the planet if something isn't done now. At any rate, it was a huge wake up call for me and most people who read it, I think.

When I was younger (I'm now soon to be 27) I played just about every game genre under the sun and wasn't too bad at Quake - I could kick some butt but as I've gotten older and more mature I've steered away from brainless shoot em ups. I now almost only play RPGs. I find them to be a lot more intelligent than many other genres - the story lines tend to be more developed and there is more interaction between characters and NPCs. Of course, blasting the s*** out of everything in site has it's place (I find it particularly good for stress relief ) but overall I want a game that is going to exercise my mind and not just my trigger fingers. So as to the question of this post - I think it more like the opposite - Teens tend to be more broad where as older people tend to specialise especially in genres like RPG. Of people I know, the older ones tend to be more into RPGs and strategies. I'm sure there is probably some interesting psychology behind it all

All I can say to Sony's realease date is Uh huh. Heard all this before. They keep putting back the release date and given the problems they are having with the technology right now (i.e. not working) I fail to see, unless by some miracle, how they will get it out at the end of May. It still remains to be seen, I guess, who will win the next gen disc wars

My husband is the editor for a gaming magazine here in New Zealand so gets a lot of inside info. My best advice is to wait for the PS3 to come out. My husband says that so long as the PS3 comes out with all the things they say it will they will both be roughly equal. The 360 has a better video card but if Sony manage to get the cell chip to work, then the PS3 will have a better processor. The pros and cons of both are offset by eachother but that is only IF the PS3 comes out with all they say it will which, in both my husbands and my opinion, is unlikely to happen. For one, Sony is having major problems getting their cell chip and blue ray technology to work properly. As it currently stands they are either going to have to put back the release date or release the PS3 without those technologies making it inferior to the 360. Secondly, Ken Kutaragi (the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment) has a long history of exaggerating the Playstation's features - take for example all the hype about the PS2's Emotion Engine (and the supposed Toy Story like graphics) that turned out to be a comple load of crap. Ken is also reknowned for saying wierd and wonderful things like: Which brings me to my next point. The Blue-ray technology is pinned at costing $500 alone so unless Sony is planning on losing a LOT of money, the PS3 is going to be more expensive than the 360. Wait till the PS3 comes out to see what it will and won't have before making any definitive statements. Consoles are sold on their games anyway, so go with whatever has the most games you like. As for what we will be doing - both of course!

This is a demonstration video of a latest technology touch-screen. It is truely amazing and mind boggling to think of the possible uses for this technology. You can check out the 3 1/2 minute long video here. Most of the time new technology to me is so so but this is pretty damn spectacular!

We're you meanining my post, Buffalo, or peoples any general? At any rate, I've toned down my last post.And I agree wariorpk. Life is life and all life deserves the right to live. It is only human arrogance and superiority that dictates if something has the right to live and since when have human beings become gods?

And good on you too JasperIk, I wouldn't watch them either (even though I've seen them and much much more) but I would most definitley challenge any Pro-choicer to watch them and remain unmoved! That is a CHALLENGE to pro-choicers. Watch it unless of course you are too afraid of reality. Pro-choicers are living in a dreamworld. If you disagree, then watch and see reality. As I said before, you can't talk about something unless you know all the facts and until you have actually seen an abortion you can't argue for or against as you don't really know what you are talking about. If you are really adamant in your beliefs that abortion is ok, watch them because obviously you have nothing to fear from them. On the other hand, if you are too chicken then I fail to see how you have any right to an opinion on it! That's my challenge to you all!

My daughter is 5 years old (soon to be 6) and a lot of her friends watch it so I often feel pressured just to let her and yet every time I watch I can't help but feel that the whole thing is seriously screwed in the head. People always seem to hype on about how moralistic it is and there seems to be a growing following to the 'religion' of spongebob but I am yet to see anything decent about it. It seems to go on a lot about bodily functions and how funny they are. I have nothing against bodily functions (they are perfectly normal of course) but how they go on about it is just plain gross! How is that (amongst other unsavory topics) ok for kids?

Has anyone actually watched those videos I posted or have you all been too chicken s***. I've been through the process of adoption and it's no where near as bad as abortion.

I have purposely not read any of the posts before this one as I find the subject too painful. I have seen abortions done and subsequently suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Even reading the word 'abortion' I find horrific images starting to creep into my mind. I'm sorry but if you have never seen an abortion you really have no right to argue for or against as you are not fully informed or knowledgeable about it. Although without seeing one, and the murder ideas aside, new research has shown that women who have abortions suffer more mental anguish having one then those who chose to keep their pregnancies. Sorry but abortion is not the answer. It is totally naiive to think that just because something does not have all it's bits, it is not human and thus not worthy of life. Ask yourself this - would you tell a 5 year child with a congenital abnormality that caused him/her to be born without arms that they don't deserve to live because they don't have arms and because they are a financial burden on their parents? It's the same principle and totally naiive and arrogant to say that an unborn baby doesn't have any right to life because he/she doesn't yet have all their parts and because they are a drain on the mother's body. An unborn fetus is not a parasite as it is actually (and by scientific definition) a symbiotic relationship if you want to take that ignorant stance as well. At any rate, this is causing me too much distress so for either pro-lifers or pro-choicers, please watch the following. This is my challenge to you. Watch them if you dare, and I challenge anyone to feel the same way after seeing. Part One Part Two Part Three (If you cannot get them to play, install Windows Media Player AND RealPlayer Oh, and I'm not a christian or religious at all. No offence to people who are, I just didn't want people thinking that religion should influence me in any way. I always say, I deal in facts and the facts speak volumes - abortion is not ok.

My husband is the editor for a gaming magazine here in New Zealand and gets inside information. Yes there is sometimes a heating problem. The 360 is a pretty sophisticated machine jammed into a relatively small box and most people seem to be too stupid to understand that you need 6" of clearance around it as per the instructions. I also read somewhere that some people have found that the overheating problem just seems to be a 'breaking-in' problem that is fixed by leaving the 360 on for about 36-48 hours. Microsoft fully anticipated that there would be faulty 360s released as any electronics manufacturers do - they can't test every one. But so far, the returns of faulty 360s has been lower than their original estimates. I heard rumours (unverified) that the 360 has had less returns than the PS2 did when it was first released. In my experience at any rate, especially PCs, the majority of problems are user created ones. We have owned so many PCs it's not funny, as well as 3 Xboxs, a PS2, a Dreamcast, a PS1, a Nintendo DS and a PSP and never had problems with any of them (apart from one PC that got zapped during a lightning storm). On the other hand, some of our PC-challenged family members have (quite literally) constant problems. At any rate, even if you do have problems with your 360, it's no big deal to get a replacement.

If you want something more indepth, you can go to Wikipedia. The following exerpts are from there: Two way radios: and Cell phones: My father used to have a ham radio which is basically still just two-way. It was a lot of fun. Why do you ask what the difference is? Or are you just curious?

I've never heard anything about it being made in a lab. Pretty unlikely to me seens as most research goes into microbes that kill faster. It may seem like a superbug but it's no more an efficient killer than something like a cold virus. The difference is that HIV attacks the immune system directly and with other microbes, it is our immune system that gets rid of them. Because of it's ability to attack the immune system, the body has no defence against it.The biggest problem with HIV is that it is so silent (many other dieases propagate rapidly and cause quite obvious symptoms) and humans are still going round having sex like bunnies.Chez, it's unfair to include Homosexuals on that list as the main spreaders. I'm not pro-gay but the only reason they have a higher number of infections is because they are less likely to use protection (no risk of pregnancy) but the same could be said of many third-world countries where condoms are virtually unheard of or stigmatized. They have the highest incidence of HIV in the world. They have found though that a few people who are exposed to the virus a lot (i.e. prostitutes) are actually immune to it. I know that some research is going into finding out how they are immune and if this can be extracted and given to other people.In New Zealand recently, a case was seen in court of a man who had unprotected sex with a woman while he knowingly had HIV. He was found guilty of whatever they call doing that but in a seperate case about whether he legally had to inform the woman beforehand that he had HIV, the court found that he didn't have to tell her, setting a world precedent. Ridiculus if you ask me considering that HIV can still be contracted with the use of a condom (the only full protection being abstinence). So I agree that there should be a register and that people should have to tell their partners if they have HIV before they have sex. Just remember though that some people are innocent in their contraction of the disease like rape victims and children who 'inherited' it etc. The biggest thing to be thinking about now, even more important than a cure (seens as they still don't 100% have one yet) is to STOP HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX! And remember that wearing a condom may not protect you from HIV as they would like to make out they do. The safest thing to do abstinence i.e. no casual sex.

Help Climate Scientists in the worlds biggest climate experiment. All you have to do is download a small software program. You can get more information at the BBC website here.

When I was in Primary School (about 5th grade I think) I had a teacher who looked really mean, all wrinkled and lemon lips and was really mean. She had strict rules like if you rocked on the chair she would take the chair away and give you a crate to sit on, then if you rocked on that, she took that away and you got nothing to sit on. The year before I had a teacher who yelled and screamed at me because at the beginning of the term I couldn't remember which reading group I was in then got up and slammed the desk lid down on my knees at which point I ran off to the toilets where I was bawling my eyes out so bad I puked - the staff had to ring my mum at work to come and get me. I was terrified to go back to school the next day. When I was in Intermediate, the school still had corporal punishment and I got wacked over the knuckles for something I didn't do (I just happened to be in the vicinity). There was the chain-smoking english teacher (she smoked so much that at the time we honestly thought that she must have been a transexual because she looked and sounded like a man) from my first post. One year of French, we had 5 different teachers because the original left in a hurry then they brought in a sub who spoke the most atrocious french to the point we couldn't understand him - one of the girls made an offhand comment about when we were going to get a teacher who could actually speak French and he turned bright red and walked out. Enter sub number 2 (after a lecture about keeping our mouths shut). We then got a real teacher after a few weeks, who got pregnant (even though she denied it and said that she had something wrong with her stomach) and had to leave. Enter sub number 3. Needless to say not many of us did well in French that year - so many students left during the year that we only had about 7 by the end. Finally when I was at Uni and doing the advanced programming class, the teacher would tell you which exercise in the book to do and sit there reading for the rest of the lesson. If you asked for help, he would tell you to ask one of the other students - given that no one else had a clue what to do either (after asking for his help) not very much got done. That ends, I think, the list of all my bad teachers. Oh, I forgot the Phys Ed teacher who said there was NEVER an excuse for not having your P.E. uniform (even if you had a letter from your parents), including the time that my shorts disintergrated on me the morning that I needed them. She made me do P.E. in my top and swimsuit - everyone teased the crap out of me which she did nothing to stop of course.

In the interests of not influencing peoples' opinions in the poll, please vote before you read any of the below posts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some new research has found that global temperatures are the hottest they've been in about 1,200 years. Some argue that research like this is flawed and doesn't indicate anything while others argue that this is just one more piece of evidence that shows that humans are having a negative impact on the earth. The article is from the BBC: You can read the complete article here.