rayzoredge

As some of you may know, I took the dive towards Ubuntu on my main computer at home, an HP Pavilion zd8000. I was reluctant before because I thought that Windows held most of my wanted programs hostage, but after realizing that most of what I do (basic use, Internet, Photoshop, occasional gaming) could be done with Linux, I decided to close my eyes and leap. And what a leap it has been. After installing Ubuntu 7.10, going through the hassle of getting my proprietary drivers to work, and realizing that my Logitech MX3200 keyboard and mouse combo wouldn't work together UNLESS I boot into Ubuntu, ONLY typed in my logon information with the keyboard, and THEN use the mouse afterwards to have the possibility of having both work in conjunction with each other, I've run into yet another problem. Ubuntu CRAWLS for no reason at all after I try to resize a window. I'm running Compiz with ATI proprietary drivers utilizing fglrx (yes, I have no idea what that means). After resizing a window, Ubuntu will crawl and continue to crawl until I restart using Ctrl+Alt+Backspace. Can anyone explain why? Also, something interesting to note is that the Ubuntu load screen doesn't show at all during boot. I didn't change any system settings other than xorg.conf, which to my understanding won't affect this load screen. I'm just curious as to why... it's not of much concern though compared to the other things on my plate. Ubuntu load screen. Of course, I'm also curious about why Ubuntu is so peculiar when it comes to my mouse and keyboard. If I boot Ubuntu and move the mouse first, then use the keyboard, the mouse becomes unresponsive almost immediately, leaving just the keyboard usable. If I disconnect my USB receiver then and reconnect it, my mouse is usuable but only is responsive for 3-second intervals with a one second period of time where it ignores any movement (is unresponsive). This is the second time I have been able to boot Ubuntu with full use of both keyboard and mouse. I have made no changes to any system files or any settings to help achieve this. Can anyone shed light on this?

Lucky dog. I've always wanted a 2006+ Honda Civic Si. I'm sold into the looks and the fact that it's a darn Civic. I own a 2003 Honda Civic EX myself. Standard 5 speed, all stock... not the ricer type of guy. In my opinion, a car is so much more fun to drive when it's a manual and not an automatic... but then of course, if you're not used to driving one, it can be a pain in the butt at times.

There are idiots and then there are novices. I consider myself a novice with Linux. Let's keep that in check, shall we? You are very right on proprietary drivers for such hardware... as I've pointed out in my post. (Maybe I was wrong in failing to put emphasis on proprietary hardware as opposed to generalizing hardware, as I can see how it was misinterpreted in my post.) Right now, I'm very short of just wiping Ubuntu off of this damn machine since I can't have it all with my HP zd8000. I got the mouse and keyboard to work, but lo and behold, the ATI drivers STOPPED working. (Yes, I worded that correctly, and I will explain to avoid further misunderstanding.) After a full 203MB upgrade and a restart, I could actually install the proprietary drivers for all three devices I mentioned without a hitch: the video card, the modem card (which doesn't even count, since it worked anyway), and the network card. However, this still left my mouse and keyboard out of the equation, as I couldn't get BOTH working (only JUST the keyboard worked, but if I unplugged my USB receiver, the keyboard would die and the mouse would work with the 1-second lack of responsiveness every few seconds). Going back to the solutions that I researched an HOUR ago, I edited the xorg.conf file to accomodate for my keyboard and mouse combo as per the directions given for a working solution. (If you want to review this guy's work to make sure he's not an idiot either, feel free.) After saving, I restarted with Ctrl+Alt+Backspace. To my dismay, the screen became a disorted image of my desktop... then blacked out... then went back to the disorted image... then blacked out... then went back to the disorted image and sat there. After giving the machine a chance to finish whatever the hell it was doing and noticing that there wasn't any hard drive activity after a few minutes, in frustration I turned the darn thing off, waited 15, then turned it back on again. While letting it go to Grub and automatically selecting Ubuntu to boot (as I am dual-booting with Windows XP), I went back to my tablet PC, which is what I'm typing on right now. Not even a minute later, I hear the sound of my computer turning itself off. I was confused as to what happened exactly and why my computer would just turn itself off when attempting to boot Ubuntu, but I just turned on the machine again and it actually booted fine into Ubuntu, with the exception of being prompted and having to choose a generic graphics solution to get into the GUI with a 800x600 resolution (instead of my usual 1400x900). But wait! The keyboard AND the mouse works! YAY! Going back to a Windows habit, I uninstalled and then reinstalled the proprietary drivers for my video card using the Restricted Drivers Manager, hoping that it would work. And with a full system restart, it did. And now my mouse and keyboard don't work with each other anymore. (The mouse is unresponsive.) I'm not trying to bash Linux... it's just that my luck with it has resulted in hours and hours of frustration. (I'm lucky to have it running okay on this PC... the only things I had to and eventually did fix with more hours of searching and effort were to get the stylus working and the video card - yes, NVIDIA - to be used to its full potential.) It doesn't even seem to be worth the effort to me personally. Just tonight, I've wasted four and a half hours wanting to shoot someone just because I can't even get my mouse and keyboard or video card working the way they should be working. Linux is a gigantic proof of effort that many people can come together to create a great operating system... for the users by the users. No one owes anyone any answers or effort to help each other, yet people are willing to spend their time to help a great operating system to be utilized and even enjoyed by others. I just have had the short end of the stick... and frankly, I'm fed up with having to jump through so many hoops to get something to work only to find out hours later that it can't be done. I hope that NVIDIA and ATI (not to mention any other companies) find the heart to actually provide open-source drivers for Linux users so that the graphic developers you mentioned don't have to go through all the crap that they have to do to get things running the way they should, if not better, not to mention piss the living hell out of people like me. (I notice that ATI does have open-source drivers for my video card, but thankfully I didn't need to even deal with it after the upgrade. Beforehand - and this is where my unfamiliarity with Linux shows - I failed to realize that the driver package, even though Ubuntu is a Debian derivative or something of that sort, it couldn't open up the package that ATI so graciously provided, as it was a file extention Ubuntu didn't recognize and the fact that it wasn't for X.org 11.)

Just to let you know, I have just installed Ubuntu 7.10 on my HP Pavilion zd8000, which I have been reluctant to do BECAUSE of what I noted earlier about unsupported devices/hardware.And frankly, this is very frustrating.As I was saying before, Linux isn't always user-friendly... or should I say, hardware-friendly. Case-in-point: on install, propriatory drivers for my ATI Radeon Mobility X600 video card, my modem card, and my network card do not work. I could care less about the modem and I really shoudn't worry about my video card, but the only reason why I have Internet is because I am using my Ethernet cord coming from the living room (where my router is to give the entire house wireless access) that was meant for my Xbox 360 to connect this computer to the world, since Ubuntu 7.10 doesn't want to allow my network card's firmware to be installed. (It gives me an error stating that bcm44-fwcutter isn't installed.) On trying to install proprietary drivers for my video card, it states that some dependencies are broken, but when I go into Synaptics Package Manager to repair packages, it says that everything's fine and dandy.Ironically enough, the modem driver was the only driver that I could install flawlessly... the one device of the three that I could live without.I'm also using a Logitech MX3200 Laser Wireless Keyboard and Mouse combo. Of course, I'm having problems with it. Off the bat, the keyboard works, but the mouse is unresponsive. Upon removing the USB receiver and then putting it back in, the keyboard now fails to work but the mouse works... to the extent that it doesn't respond to any input every few seconds for a second. (Slightly annoying.) After Googling for a possible solution, I've edited the crap out of xconf.org and I'm surprised that I can still boot into Ubuntu with no problems. Of course, no progress: it's either or with the keyboard and mouse.I'm in the process of downloading a 203MB upgrade at the moment, so hopefully this fixes things. If not, this post/experience is an argument against being user-friendly (as in the convenience of having things "just work").

Linux doesn't fail as an operating system. It's simply due to the fact that it doesn't draw the attention nor the desire of the consumer mass.It STILL has the stigma that geeks use it and might not exactly be "user-friendly..." and what I mean by this:I just recently jumped into Ubuntu 7.10 and I suppose that it's pretty darn good. Most devices were detected flawlessly and most everything worked without a pinch. Now, take into account your typical, "want-this-to-work-out-of-box" person. Let's say that a certain device wasn't clicking with the OS. In Windows, most of the time you can rely on Windows Update to provide you with the correct driver. (It's not perfect, so this doesn't always happen.) In Linux, if it isn't detected right off the back after repository updates and whatnot, you have to jump through major hoops, code, and change system files to get something to work. I know this for a fact because I installed Ubuntu 7.10 onto my tablet PC and the stylus would not work correctly. I had to go online, swim and wade through tons of forums to look for possible answers, then finally found a solution that worked, involving adding lines of code to a file that of course, you would have to have existing knowledge of SUDO (or access to root) to edit. It really wasn't a hard thing to do, but for any other Joe Schmoe out there that has NO clue what to do in the first place (and of course, he'll most likely be computer-illiterate or maybe not comfortable), it would make for a rather frustrating experience. That's one thing. I would post more but I have to go to work now.

Clicking on those links send a count up for hits to the website, which is proof that people are visiting the site. If you notice, the site has a store that throws proceeds to appropriate and relative organizations, and it also has advertisements which is where the clicks really play a role. If you go to the site to click, you will go to the site and subject yourself to the possibility of seeing something, liking something, and buying something from the store. And of course, the same goes for the advertisements on the website.

This ties into the rules and regulations of the set religion I was talking about. A prime example of the demonstrated control that religion holds over its believers: our "war" in the Middle East on "terrorism." Religious fanatics have twisted beliefs to include the genocide of infidels (non-believers)... which unfortunately includes the coalition forces that are there trying to make a difference. Think of the Crusades and even the religion of Nazism. Just the notion that religion has this sort of impact on society makes it a powerful tool that no one should be exploiting; thus, the need for a religion that establishes a moral and ethical ground to advance the development of society towards some sort of concept of utopia. What will be determined as moral and ethical is rather impossible to achieve today, however, thanks to our idea of democracy and the introduced "evils" that are abortion, homosexuality, and the like. As much as I would probably prefer to see most if not all religions abolished, we still need some sort of belief system as I've mentioned. But to be able to settle for that sort of thing is another feat entirely.

I hope that Google does NOT work on releasing an operating system, mainly because of the fact that it is a commercial enterprise and would be marketing advertisement somehow if they decide to make the OS free, or make it closed (as opposed to open-source) and release it as a commercial product. It is not Google's forte to be creating operating systems... it is in their forte to provide a working search engine and complimentary applications and programs that make life a lot easier. They would be more successful in continuing their advances in providing applications that are tailored towards utilizing the Internet for communication and information.What they CAN do, however, is put some effort towards bettering Linux with these applications and maybe even developing programs specifically for a freely-distributed operating system like Linux. It will help out the Linux community in expanding knowledge and even use of the OS's distributions and shed some light on its potential as an alternative to the market dominated by Microsoft Windows and Apple OSX/Leopard.It's a win-win. We, the consumers, get stuff for free, and the developers and Google get even more recognition and spread their name globally. For example, Ubuntu is gaining a foothold as a recognized operating system and not just "something that geeks use." I'm sure that in the future we may see more frequent instances of Kubuntu in schools and a variety of Linux distributions depending on the application. I believe the PS3 has Yellow Dog as its 'Nix OS, and we may see other companies running Ubuntu Studios for multimedia productions, etc.

Utopia, anyone? Without religion, there would be much less disagreement and less strife, but less stringent behavior, less regulation, and maybe even chaos. I like the idea of no religion initially, but a few good things about religion is that it does bring people together, provides an "answer" for the unknown as human nature likes to fall back on something as opposed to leaving something unanswered, and puts forth a set of rules and regulations that may assist in keeping its believers morally and ethically correct, or at least reflective. Without religion, the world may fall into a case of despotism, giving every individual the freedom to act on desire and not much else. (And as much fun as freedom is, it doesn't take into account EVERYONE'S desires or even rights to be happy. You can probably figure out where I'm going with that.)There has to be at least a unifying, sole religion to keep everyone in check. And I'm not talking about Christianity or Muslim or Buddhism or anything like that... but what religion really is: a set of beliefs. With that definition, if you think about it, science is its own religion in its own right. What needs to be established to achieve a step in the right direction as far as a utopian society goes is to establish an unanimous religion - a set of rules and regulations - that promote ethical and moral direction and a "proper" way of thinking. Thanks to our concept of democracy, where everyone has a say, we will never have that utopian society. Just look around you and think of the political issues that we face now. Is it ethically and morally right to offer the options of abortion and leave that option for people to choose? Should we even give choices? Democracy says yes; but the more choices we are offered, the more deviant we will be from making decisions that will benefit the whole as opposed to individualistic needs and desires.

To start off, I am a Starbucks guy.I am aware that the coffee that I enjoy from Starbucks can't even be classified as coffee, as it's so chock full of milk, flavorings, and whatnot... making me title it more as a gourmet coffee drink than actual coffee. You guys have a great point in the fact that America is obsessed with sweeteners and half-and-half as opposed to drinking coffee for what it really is, and to be honest, I can't taste the difference between Folgers coffee, Starbucks coffee, Green Mountain Coffee coffee, or Dunkin Donuts coffee (all pre-ground). (I can, however, taste the difference with Wally World's Great Value coffee... which literally tastes like water strained through dirt.) I'll have to check out grinding my own beans.

In all reality, I love the Honda Civic.I drive the 2003 EX model and it looks nice, is upgradeable, and cheaper (I believe) for parts, general maintenance, and whatever you need... not to mention the hardiness of the engine. (I've seen a YouTube video demonstrating this by draining the oil pan completely, running it hot, and even adding water to the engine deliberately. I believe it lasted a couple of hours even after adding water... from what I understand, most engines will achieve what is known as a hydrolock, effectively killing and rendering the engine useless.)That's as far as ownership goes.If you want to include cars that I buy the hype on, I wouldn't mind owning a BMW 3 Series as a luxury pick. With all of the options and the looks that aren't too extravagant yet hold an aggressive and clean stance on the road, plus the features that KEEP it on the road and providing a smooth, elegant ride, I'd definitely pick one up over the overpriced Bentleys and those hideous-looking, albeit nice-riding Cadillacs. (Keep in mind that this is just an opinion.) For off-road use, I buy into the hype of owning a Jeep Wrangler X (hardtop), although I've been told otherwise to aim for a Rubicon. It just looks good to me and I would like to take one of those bad boys to see what it can dish out.A refurbished, clean HMMWV would be awesome, but of course we all know how we can't exactly pick up a military vehicle for civilian use. That thing can go just about ANYWHERE that tires allow it to go.

They are both really good shows and have different types of humor, so I can't really vote. The Simpsons have this original charm to them and you can almost connect with the family, considering that The Simpsons is now an icon of our culture. It's hard-pressed to find a person that has been exposed to the idiot box that HASN'T heard of The Simpsons. Family Guy is also establishing this stand in pop culture, but not yet as long as The Simpsons have been doing.I think that Family Guy carries on it's outrageous statements (you know those moments that make you go, "I can't believe they said that on television!") to the brink of what can and cannot be said on public television, whereas The Simpsons is a little milder on that aspect. Maybe that's why Family Guy is a little more popular as it is more current, makes fun of current events, and is outlandish and has its own inside jokes, whereas The Simpsons has more of a classic touch with donuts, Duff beer, Homer's famous "Doh!" outcry, Bart's "Eat my shorts!" response, the ability to connect with a lot of the characters, etc.The whole "plagiarism" thing is rather moot, as we all know that Seth McFarlane makes a parody of almost everything in existence: celebrities, movies, musicals, and pop culture moments. That's how we can connect to Family Guy. We can't connect to the absurdity of a talking baby bent on world domination, or the active cop in a wheelchair, or the known elderly pedophile, or the sheer stupidity of Peter's antics. That's where The Simpsons shine through with the local drunk (Barney), the stereotypical convenience store worker (Apu), the ultra-rich and possibly-evil CEO (Montgomery Burns), etc.Neither show is better... it just depends on what you prefer and are accustomed to. I like both shows, frankly, for what they bring to the table as far as television. And both of them deliver humor as well as pop culture beautifully.

I just want to point out that "Magic" Johnson has had HIV/AIDS since 1991. Any possibility that if you have money that you can actually purchase an existing "cure" or a medium that counteracts its adverse effects OR an alternative immunodeficiency device of some sort?I'm rather convinced that, after having this as well as many other diseases and epidemics having been around for long enough, that we do have some sort of countering agents or even cures for these diseases, but as I think many propogandists would like to say, it's not economically viable to throw out a cure because 1.) the medical sector will not make as much money due to a lack of a need for symptomatic medicines and/or treatments, 2.) our worldwide population will explode as we have less and less to keep our numbers in check (if you want to look at it from the numbers game perspective), 3.) and there isn't enough of an audience to warrant a lucrative payoff by introducing cures. Once we have the cure for AIDS, no one is going to need it; therefore, why not keep a stimulus of the economy going instead of actually ridding the world of an epidemic? I'm sure that most people will read this and think I'm much of the *bottom*, but in all reality, wouldn't you think that this makes sense as far as viewing it on a larger scale? No one wants their parents, friends, relatives, or significant others to die if there is a cure for what ails them, but on a larger scale, it's just one less mouth to feed, one less person to support, one less person on welfare, one less person to account for on paper. It's an inhumane way of thinking, much like how the practical mind would maximize efficiency of our existence by employing the survival of the fittest and the most productive by activating a genocide of the weaker of our species. But as Socrates, Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell, as well as many other authors and philosophers of our time have pointed out, we are degrading ourselves from reaching a utopia and an ultra-efficient society.So with all that being said, maybe we'll actually find a cure, or maybe someone is being paid enough to keep quiet about a cure we already have. On the grand scheme of things, it makes sense for the latter, so it wouldn't surprise me if we are continually teased with a cure for AIDS, a cure for cancer, or a cure for anything, really.One argument against that thought is the fact that we have and issue vaccines for yellow fever, tetanus, TB, and other diseases that kill. Then again, those are diseases that are airborne and that could wipe out a good number of us rather quickly, decreasing our populace as opposed to keeping us in check.My two cents.

It's interesting to note that IE7 hasn't even been around that long and it already warrants a full browser upgrade... I'm interested to see what IE8 has to bring to the table. Right now I'm pretty happy with FireFox 2.0.0.11 and have no reason to switch over or try out Safari, Opera, OR give Internet Explorer 7 a chance. After having a chance to view how Microsoft develops its programs and projects, it will be a miracle to see if IE8 actually becomes something noteworthy... or any Microsoft program, for that matter.I think I'll be sticking with Windows XP Pro SP2, Office XP Pro, and any pre-Vista software for a long time now from Microsoft, since they're starting to kill interoperability with their new Office document extensions, not to mention that even their new operating system is still strugging to receive support on the corporate/commercial/industry front.

Not to burst your bubble or anything, but it already has been done. Here's a DIY page you might find interesting.

Haha. I like the whole 180 degree turn from Inhuman's suggestion of metal and rock over pop. It's all about the media and influence. Look at what MTV has become. It doesn't even play music videos anymore... just chock full of the crap that people actually watch and of course, be influenced by. We have these crappy reality-TV shows that have no real entertainment value (in my opinion), yet America is sucked in by the eyeballs by the idiot box somehow. Is it our way of "connecting" to these people that participate in these shows? Do we glean off little things that we can apply from what we watch? Of course. Look at how many people are following the trends that MTV and... well... anything on TV, set. Hollister & Co., Abercrombie and Fitch... I'm sure these companies are loving the fact that everyone's going out to buy short shorts, skanky outfits, and what-have-you because girls saw what "looks good" on TV. I was even questioning how horrible those large, thick-rimmed rectangular sunglasses looked on girls, and guess what? Paris Hilton (I think) set that standard.As far as music goes, they let ANYONE on the radio nowadays. I don't know about you guys, but I've shunned rap as soon as these "artists" started cranking out this crap that sounded like a mix of rhyme, a simple music loop, and maybe a beat and an overused feature (like when T-Payne [sp?] does his altered voice). Has anyone noticed the CONTENT of the crap that they put out nowadays? It's not even in ENGLISH and it revolves around sex or "getting hos" or what-the-heck-ever it is. Songs like "My Humps," "My Buttons," and even "Milkshake" (sorry if I don't even have the titles right, but you guys probably know what I'm talking about) are all about sex and getting it... it's almost a de-evolution to be focused so much on a primitive desire. And of course, everyone has to be "gangsta," so why not further insult the concept of music in general by throwing in yet another loop, talking about how life is so hard in the hood? And these same people that go with that culture denounce what soldiers do in the Middle East... Hrm. The hood life IS rather hard. I'm not saying that I haven't been sucked in by the media either. I am physically attracted to girls that dress the way that the media influences them to dress, but I am psychologically repulsed. Who the heck wants to hang out with someone that jumps onto every bandwagon, who looks like they dress DOWN rather than up, who don't even dress for themselves and to their own standard of what is comfortable and attractive for their own good? (This is all coming from a guy who thinks that if you can find someone in casual clothes attractive, you've got a less-shallow, more-meaningful potential for a truer relationship. That and this guy likes to wear his own fashion of black jeans and buttoned shirts. ) The media has successfully made my trips to the mall more of an eye candy venture, but to think that those girls are daughters of fathers... I feel for them. (I'm sure that if I have daughters, they will NOT be going outside dressed as skimpy as I've seen some people. I won't venture off onto proper parenting, though.)

I love the argument of bad parenting, because it's SO true.People aren't born the way they are, for the most part (save for hereditary and genetic issues). Their behaviors, instincts, and thought processes are shaped by their peers, their environment, and their role models... basically the "nurture" side of growing up. You guys made some awesome points about parents being lazy and ignorant; I can't count the number of times I've heard of cases where parents wonder why their kids might seem more violent or verbally-abusive because they pick up on the concepts and ideas from video games, movies, and anything, really, that's not suitable for kids. But do parents even look at the ESRB labels slapped onto those items? Do they take into consideration NOT to buy their kids whatever they want, that money doesn't grow on trees, that some things are much better appreciated personally than to just jump onto the bandwagon?Nope. They just want to get the darn game/toy/whatever to shut their kids up.Of course, that reinforces a spoiled image and the fact that it doesn't teach kids anything about saving money, not taking things for granted, thinking for themselves, etc.It's ridiculous, and many people seem to know what's really going on, yet we still are on a downward spiral as far as kids being raised in the worst possible ways. It's not just the parents' faults, though... but the nation in itself. Mass media promotes us to get things that we don't need, to get the latest and greatest because the thing you just bought yesterday now won't suffice, and it's all to make money. Consumerism is another awesome point, and it's rather hard to not subject anyone to the brainwashing techniques of the commercial end of society.In all reality, if we are to change as a society, we seriously need to reform the way we do things as far as reducing bad influences, promoting "good" things, and allowing for the general public to let them make their own decisions. However, it's never going to happen, or at least not within our lifetimes, thanks to corporate greed and our ever-enticing concepts of convenience and a better standard of living (without consideration to affordability or cultural impact).

I'm starting to get sick of this whole comparison gig where one OS supposedly copied another. It's starting to get to the point where I don't care anymore, as long as the OS works well.I haven't gotten a chance to sit down and play around with a Vista machine, but I just hear horror stories after horror stories. Same with Mac's Leopard. And of course, Linux's Ubuntu is always in development.A lot of people are going to have a mixed bag of opinions when it comes to operating systems because everyone uses them in different ways. Developers will probably bash them for inefficiency; geeks will bash them for being incompatible with a majority of applications and/or hardware (driver support); and everyday computer-illiterate (normal ) consumers will appreciate the new operating systems for their shiny eye candy. (And we all know how we love our shiny eye candy.)I got the chance to play around with a Mac with Leopard installed at Best Buy and for the very basics, I can safely say that it's okay if you're doing the very basics. I never got too in-depth into it, but given the opportunity I'll explore it more and probably give you a different opinion on the operating system itself. Funny enough, it strikes a VERY strong semblance to Ubuntu... especially the Control Panel/System Preferences/System Settings section. (I don't know who came up with that look first and I'm starting to not care.)Nowadays, it's hard to actually pitch operating systems against each other as being the best, as each operating system almost caters to certain audiences. Windows XP is the staple for most computers nowadays, and in my opinion, Professional SP2 is the best in terms of software variety (especially our beloved Adobe programs). Things just work on SP2, and really, it's one of two operating systems right now that actually can boast that "it just works" that I know of personally.Vista is on the opposite spectrum, apparently, being much of a resource hog and incompatible with a lot of things. I have no real experience on the operating system so I can't say much about it.I haven't touched Mac OS X aside from general use on my buddy's Macbook, and it's okay as far as general use. Leopard brings more features to the table, but if it's actually like Mac OS X, it wins my book for being visually-pleasing, easy to pick up, and being expensive as hell. Not to mention that I hate this elitist thing that goes on for a lot of Mac users.I've been using Kubuntu on and off for a bit, so I'm sort of familiar with it. It is the second one of the two that I can safely say that things just work... but if it doesn't, be prepared to be lost in researching for an answer to your problem. If you're not familiar with Linux, you can get lost with the command lines and the feeling that you have to be a geek to play with 'nix operating systems. It's constantly being developed, so I can say that there's hardly anything actually WRONG with the operating system, but then again, a lot of programs for Linux, although free, may be ridden with bugs (unless it's out of beta).So basically...- Windows XP is still going to be popular, in my opinion, until Vista becomes more viable. It's probably what most PC users will stick to.- Windows Vista is still not a good move yet. I don't know what the first service pack fixed, but until it actually performs better than its predecessor in terms of compatibility and performance (in proportion), computer-literate consumers will stay wary.- Mac OS X is apparently pleasing the Apple crowd. It seems easy to use and is visually-pleasing, but it comes at a high cost to be "in" with the younger, hipper crowd, as Apple almost seems to be gearing their products towards.- Leopard seems to follow the Mac OS X legacy, although peer reviews suggest otherwise. I'm thinking that it's on the same path with Vista, although nowhere nearly as bad.- The Linux distribution of Ubuntu seems to be heading in the right direction, offering a complete, working operating operating systems with hundreds if not thousands of alternative, open-source software [all for free, mind you], but continued development, beta programs, and an intimidating (and almost necessary) inhabitance of the shell console keeps most everyday people away. This is changing, however, as Ubuntu is becoming even more user-friendly. (I think that most other distributions may cater moreso to certain computer-literate tastes, although my experience out of Kubuntu only includes Freespire, in which I didn't spend much time on.)

x2, but this would only apply to some women. Mostly, girls of the high school sort like to play hard to get and all this other crap. And no matter how much we preach, there are enough idiots out there that encourage the behavior. I have NO idea why girls can't be straightforward and not beat around the bush. Most guys are left in the dark not knowing what's going on, and then women complain how men don't listen. (Yeah, some of us don't, but the rest are left scratching our heads wondering what to do!) I hate seeing girls with jerks. It drives me absolutely bonkers how they will complain to you afterwards how badly they're being treated, yet stay with them. It makes no sense. And girls, ask yourselves: Does it make any sense? You need a better excuse to convince us why you're settling for less when you deserve so much more.

I actually stopped editing after the *** because you are repeating several trends that I wanted to point out that you can fix on your own. 1.) You like to put forth examples, which is good to clarify points, but the way that you were doing it was making the reading experience very, very redundant. I was almost getting frustrated reading it because it seemed like you were trying to drive home a dumb-down statement. 2.) You are quoting small bits of the story, which is correct, but you don't need to do it for every single word. Quotes are applicable to specific statements made in the source, but you don't need to quote "something like this" even if it is from the text. The quotes are very distracting and not needed. However, do quote long statements and paragraphs like how I'm going to say that "Ray was a completely douchebag and since I'm Ray, I approve this very specific message that isn't exactly of common saying." 3.) You include extraneous, obvious sentences like "That's how she ended her story." Sincerely, what I would want from reading this paper is not the writer telling me how she ended the story, but what happened, why, etc. To be frank, I don't care how Amy Tan writes her story. I care about what she MEANT by what she did in the story, the ending lesson, or whatever it is that we were trying to achieve initially. I was confused with the whole thing at first because the introductory paragraph told me about conformity and rebellion. All of a sudden, now I'm in a literary analysis. Wait, what? Work on your paper structure and how you write. Read it out loud afterwards... it always helps with places that other readers may stumble on. You did the right thing by offering your paper up for peer review.

In all reality, people will have their say, whether you like it or not.We all have our own opinions, but whether they are educated and well-thought or the typical immature and brain-dead response of "X sux n Y rulz! lol" is what you'll have to distinguish and pay more attention to accordingly. I laugh when I read ignorant posts... there are just too many fans of one company and they, for the most part, stick to their guns and defend their precious 360s, PS3s, or Wiis without fail. All you have to do as an outsider is to view them accordingly.A lot of people search the Internet for opinions, peer reviews, and whatnot before buying their console. Some are actually diligent; others don't even fire up Google to do a simple keyword search. (How many times have you told people to "just Google it?") The ones that are lazy usually post terse threads asking the simple yet vague question of "which is better?" Just let the fanboys sway the decision making of the OP... when it boils down to it, it's his/her money and if he/she buys the "wrong" console (in respect to what is expected of it), then it's a hard lesson that would have been avoided if they were actually serious about learning about the consoles.I think I've repeated myself in some threads, especially the 360 vs. PS3 ones simply because people are disillusioned by the "drastic differences" between consoles. Simply put, I did my research and I'm continuing to try educating others that they are virtually the same as far as performance goes. But of course, fan boys take over and my argument goes null and void, but as long as you put out an educated post that someone can learn from, you can't say that OP didn't get anything good out of it.There will always be console wars, format wars, X vs. Y. Consequently, there will always be elitists, people who don't know what they're talking about, and the people who actually know something that can contribute towards the pros and cons of each product.

Seriously, this isn't worth your time.If she's starting to talk to your friends on your MySpace and it's pissing you off that badly, just delete her from your list and make your profile private. It's as simple as that.Or if she's not exactly the smartest one in the litter and you have a custom layout (like mine) where you specify your own links to your blogs, friends, etc., just kill the link to view all friends. Chances are that she doesn't know how to get to them anyway.Nol is right on the dot about meeting people on the Internet, and there's actually a really funny article about how the typical MySpace picture angles (usually self-taken or with a mirror, because most people apparently are too dumb to know to set the self-timer ) almost ENHANCE the look of someone. If she builds herself up too highly, it's only her downfall when guys go to see the real deal. Be glad she's not making herself fugly and then surprising people in real life... if you want to put it that way. Come to think of it, why does it matter? She's probably doing you a favor and snagging all the shallow arses off of your list. Use her as a sort of filter to see who your friends really are. There's so much potential in this...I can see why you're mad, but in the reality of it, I imagine that you're in high school and it won't be apparent now, but I, along with many other people, will tell you that high school drama is just plain stupid and not worth it. Love isn't love for the most part, and if YOU'RE worried about losing potential boyfriends from your MYSPACE page, you might want to rethink things over. Like I said, use her to filter through and find out who actually is true to you.It sucks knowing that these so-called guy friends are asking YOU for her number and whatnot. I say screw them. If they have the gumption to be asking you, tell them to man up and ask her themselves. (Now, of course, if a friend of yours that you care about does want to look for a genuine relationship with this girl, it would probably best to just let him live and learn or to dissuade him as to why she might make life miserable for him anyway - since she IS almost selling out to multiple guys.)It's high school. Find your true friends and stick with them. Leave the rest... they're not worth it.But that's just my thoughts on the matter in your best interest... unless you want to stay at her level and resume this pettiness.

I'm actually partial to iDEN simply because of the push-to-talk feature that Motorola and Nextel have brought us.How can you not like a one-way voice transmission that gets your point across? No awkward silences, no wasted time, and hell... if someone blabs to you on the 2-way, you can just set the phone down and walk away without being stuck on the phone. Plus, you can say whatever you want while the other person is talking, since it's a one way transmission! (They won't be able to hear you!) But seriously-speaking, I use my phone primarily for the 2-way feature and much less actually talking on actual calls since I hate awkward silences and really, talking on the phone. My phone, in this sense, is basically a nation-wide accessible walkie talkie... with other Nextel customers, of course. Unless you're keeping in touch with loved ones, cell phones should be about getting in contact with someone, making your point, and hanging up. We'd have less of a hang-up-and-drive attitude if people would stop yakking. Too bad Sprint is planning on killing iDEN in 2012 (or around that time-frame). Anyone know anything sure about this?

$500 is not a lot to play with. Spore looks like a game that will be needing a fair mainstream video card to enjoy its BASIC graphical offerings, but you'll need to look for upgrading potential if you want to play the game as it was meant to be played. Thus, your desire for upgradability. Of course, any geek will point you to building your own machine, and that's where I will point you to too. I suggest that you take a look into designing your own PC from scratch. I'm not sure what they offer for the UK, but in the US NewEgg is the website of choice when it comes to getting PC components for the best price possible, with Pricewatch being a good computer product search engine. Some things to note when it comes to the typical components that you should be looking at: Case A case will be your pride and joy or just the hull that will enclose your system. It doesn't need to be pretty, but if it does, expect to pay more for eye candy. You can get a case as cheap as $20. Remember that there are different form factors too, so figure out whether you want a full tower or even a flatbed. Cooling You won't really need to worry about cooling if your case already comes with fans. In the case that it doesn't, fans are a cheap way to do it. Passive cooling may cut it if you don't have many performance components in the system, so if you're willing to push it, you might want to consider purchasing cooling solutions. Motherboard Here's an important piece. Don't overlook futureproofing by limiting yourself to a less-than-desirable board. Some boards come with onboard graphics and audio; you can save money by opting for these solutions, but you won't get as much performance as you would out of a dedicated card. Make sure that the motherboard you choose is compatible with the processor you get, not to mention have types of slots available for your other components. Try $100. Processor Make sure this piece is compatible with your motherboard. Most processor choices in the dual-core category will be enough, if not more, to fit your needs, but the better it is, the more of an impact on your wallet it will be. Expect $150-200. RAM 1GB of RAM will suffice for basic things... but I would push it to 2GB just for worry-free productivity and gaming. Anything beyond that is rather overkill (unless you like to do programming and/or design CADs... which eat up memory). I'd call this about $100 for 2GB. Hard Drive Hard drives are rather cheap nowadays. For almost an equivalent of a dollar a GB, you can probably look to spend $150-$200 here. Optical Drive They're cheaper than ever. $50 will land you a combination DVD/CD rewritable, unless you really want to skimp and get a $20 CD-ROM drive. Graphics Card Here's one of the most frequently-debatable and upgraded components... and of course, potentially the most expensive. If you want to play games, I would suggest getting a dedicated video card. With games nowadays, you shouldn't go for less than 256MB of VRAM... and it's a whole different ballgame when it comes to shopping for video cards. If you want to build your own PC, I'll go into more detail as to what you should look for in a video card. This can cost you anywhere from $75 to $500 or even more. Sound Card You can skimp on this if you've got onboard audio on your motherboard unless you want crystal-clear clarity and sound processing from a dedicated card. Then again, onboard audio has been getting much better these days. Monitor Now that you've already shelled out all that cash for the CPU, you now have to shell a possible $100-$300 for a monitor. - Like I said, $500 isn't much to play with. You can get a prefabricated desktop for about that much that does the basic stuff without a hiccup, but another approach is to buy something like an HP for $500, then upgrade some components later down the road. I recommend getting a Hewlett Packard or a Dell, although HP will provide more elbow room as opposed to Dell's dummy-proof, buy-and-keep-as-is approach.

Thanks guys.I looked at the Window Behavior dialog and it IS on Click to Focus. What happens is that when I hover my mouse over a window underneath my active window, the active window becomes transparent and the one underneath comes into focus. If the active window is on top of the window that came into focus, and I click on an area of the focused window that's covered by my active window, the active window comes back into focus again. (Sorry if that sounded confusing.)I think I might look again at Gutsy Gibbon. It might seem silly, but the improved eye candy with Compiz was what I was looking for, and I tried getting it to work but to no avail on 7.10. If what you say about NVIDIA not able to render Compiz's window decorations and whatnot... well, that stinks.