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You should pay attention to which one of us actually uses the muslim faith to argue things. Actually the relevant verse is 9:111, which states that "all believers" need to ... well read for yourself ...

"Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme. "

"fight, kill and die" is what "the believers" (which might as well have been translated as "all muslims", because that's what it says) are bound to do.

There, and some say this isn't clear. Note also that the quran directly states that this is to be interpreted literally (quran 3:7 only the "direct/fundamental" meaning of the words is to be considered, unless the verse is part of a story (allegorical). Look up for yourself whether this verse is part of a story or not).

I also sent an email (and sent a carbon copy via post ... hardcopy gets much more attention from politicians!). I don't live anywhere near Calgary either (Ottawa, in fact), but I definitely felt strongly enough about the issue to write to him.

Below is the text of what I sent:

--

Dear Hon. Jim Prentice:

I regret that I am unable to attend your open-house session tomorrow, 08 Dec 2007, in person; however, I would like to take this opportunity to express my concern over a proposed piece of legislation regarding Canadian copyright, namely the so-called "Canadian DMCA".

I work as an IT professional, however my background is in pure Computer Science. I often spend time performing security research. A Canadian version of the US DMCA legislation greatly concerns me -- one needs to look no further than the 'US v. Elcomsoft & Sklyarov' case to see why.

References: http://w2.eff.org/IP/DMCA/US_v_Elcomsoft/us_v_sklyarov_faq.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Sklyarov

In this instance, legitimate security research was suppressed, and the researcher arrested at the will of a large corporation. Rather than acknowledge & fix the weaknesses in their product's security, Adobe chose to use the DMCA as a sledgehammer to suppress disclosure of information they did not like.

This has obvious chilling effects -- as an analogue, if a researcher were to find a weakness in the encryption used for e.g. online banking, is it reasonable to arrest the researcher rather than fix the weakness? To my mind, it is infinitely preferable to acknowledge, fix, and continuously improve security through legitimate research. Those with criminal intent will search for these weaknesses in any event -- it is much better to discover and fix the issues in a transparent manner. As the saying goes, "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." hold very true here.

Other kinds of DMCA abuse is well-documented and widespread. A few simple Google searches (e.g. "DMCA abuse") very quickly turn up many sources of information. This legislation has been used to suppress reviews or opinions which are negative towards large companies -- technically, these should be handled as a civil lawsuit for slander or libel (if they are, in fact, untrue); however, many large corporations choose to invoke a DMCA takedown notice instead, as it forces the content hoster to take down the material immediately, rather than waiting for a judgement from a court of law. It is important to note that it is *corporations* that send these takedown notices, not the courts. Under this model, 'justice' is a distant wish.

There was some research done in 2005 by the University of South Carolina which showed that 30% of DMCA takedown notices sent by corporations were improper, and even potentially illegal (unfortunately, the document seems to have been taken offline, or moved, but the previous URL was http://lawweb.usc.edu/news/releases/2005/legalFlaws.html). This is a stunningly high figure -- laws are traditionally written to ensure that there is an onus of proof before charges are filed, and that due legal process is followed. The rules of jurisprudence are critical to ensure the equitable operation of any society, but overly broad, overly powerful laws like the US DMCA allow companies with deep legal pockets to run rampant, and allows them to run a private campaign of fear and intimidation.

I wish to point out that I am not pro-piracy, but rather am opposed to legislation (and legislators) funded or supported by corporations. This is the very antithesis of a democracy, and is the current state in the US. Canada is already dangerously close to that abyss, and I do not wish to

Below is the text of what I've sent in (via email and CC: via letter mail) to Jim Prentice. Feel free to copy/modify it to suit your needs/views.

---

Hon. Jim Prentice:

I regret that I am unable to attend your open-house session tomorrow, 08 Dec 2007, in person; however, I would like to take this opportunity to express my concern over a proposed piece of legislation regarding Canadian copyright, namely the so-called "Canadian DMCA".

I work as an IT professional, however my background is in pure Computer Science. I often spend time performing security research. A Canadian version of the US DMCA legislation greatly concerns me -- one needs to look no further than the 'US v. Elcomsoft & Sklyarov' case to see why.

References: http://w2.eff.org/IP/DMCA/US_v_Elcomsoft/us_v_sklyarov_faq.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Sklyarov

In this instance, legitimate security research was suppressed, and the researcher arrested at the will of a large corporation. Rather than acknowledge & fix the weaknesses in their product's security, Adobe chose to use the DMCA as a sledgehammer to suppress disclosure of information they did not like.

This has obvious chilling effects -- as an analogue, if a researcher were to find a weakness in the encryption used for e.g. online banking, is it reasonable to arrest the researcher rather than fix the weakness? To my mind, it is infinitely preferable to acknowledge, fix, and continuously improve security through legitimate research. Those with criminal intent will search for these weaknesses in any event -- it is much better to discover and fix the issues in a transparent manner. As the saying goes, "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

Other kinds of DMCA abuse is well-documented and widespread. A few simple Google searches (e.g. "DMCA abuse") very quickly turn up many sources of information. This legislation has been used to suppress reviews or opinions which are negative towards large companies -- technically, these should be handled as a civil lawsuit for slander or libel (if they are, in fact, untrue); however, many large corporations choose to invoke a DMCA takedown notice instead, as it forces the content hoster to take down the material immediately, rather than waiting for a judgement from a court of law. It is important to note that it is *corporations* that send these takedown notices, not the courts. Under this model, 'justice' is a distant wish.

There was some research done in 2005 by the University of South Carolina which showed that 30% of DMCA takedown notices sent by corporations were improper, and even potentially illegal (unfortunately, the document seems to have been taken offline, or moved, but the previous URL was http://lawweb.usc.edu/news/releases/2005/legalFlaws.html). This is a stunningly high figure -- laws are traditionally written to ensure that there is an onus of proof before charges are filed, and that due legal process is followed. The rules of jurisprudence are critical to ensure the equitable operation of any society, but overly broad, overly powerful laws like the US DMCA allow companies with deep legal pockets to run rampant, and allows them to run a private campaign of fear and intimidation.

I wish to point out that I am not pro-piracy, but rather am opposed to legislation (and legislators) funded or supported by corporations. This is the very antithesis of a democracy, and is the current state in the US. Canada is already dangerously close to that abyss, and I do not wish to see us fall in completely.

*Original* creators of artistic works certainly desire to be paid for their works; it is for this reason that I attend live concerts, purchase T-s

Google for the cost of highway construction and one of the gems you find is this http://www-pam.usc.edu/volume2/v2i1a3s2.html link.

Read it and weep. 100 million per mile? Most costly project was 1 billion per mile and plenty of other projects are higher as well.

Now google a bit further and you find more "reasonable" costs of 20 million per mile being quoted but it makes it bloody clear that roads are very expensive indeed.

Yes sometimes they are cheap at a 1-3 million per mile, if the highway is simple and the conditions are ideal. This is however rarely the case. If you follow these kinds of projects you will also know that there are always complicating factors. For instance the straight road sections might be cheap, but the points where they connect to the rest of the road network, that is where the money really starts to bleed away. As for when you need a bridge or a tunnel. Just forget it.

Also offcourse not all highways are the same. One going through open desert vs one going through a city has huge extra costs in the form of safety, sound reduction and landcosts.

A further thing you might want to ask, how costly is maintenance, and what is the capacity of this network? It is less hassle to replace tradiotional rails then it is too resurface a road. How long is this 100 million per mile going to last you before more millions are needed to maintain it?

Then there is the question of what you get for it, if this 100 million dollar per mile track means you don['t have to construct/upgrade 10 road systems per say 20 million dollar per mile, then you are actually saving money.

But please slashdotters, next time you feel like posting about how costly something is, do a bit of research first. Although I really wish reporters would do it as well.

It's not the same god. Allah is the name of a god. That's why they say "there is no god but Allah".

Gore lost Florida, period.

Except that if the recount had been forced to be statewide, Gore would have won. Had Bush managed to force the count to his own rules, Gore would have won. In fact, pretty much the only way Gore would have lost was by sticking to his four-county plan.

The recount: http://www2.norc.org/fl/articles.asp
The study: http://www.aei.org/docLib/20040526_KeatingPaper.pdf
The analysis: http://law.usc.edu/academics/centers/cslp/papers/cslp-wp-027.pdf
The outcome: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1095

I'm sick of people bitching that the Supreme Court decided the president

I'm sick of pedants dodging the fact that the US Supreme Court forced the election to be halted when they could have remanded the case back to the state court with instructions, or at least refused to take the case which would have forced Florida to deal with it themselves which would have properly kept it a state issue for Florida to wring their hands over without dragging the rest of the country into the mess. Did the SCOTUS "literally" decide who was president? No, of course not... in exactly the same way the person who pulls the trigger doesn't "literally" kill the victim (the bullet did, duh!). The SCOTUS pulled the trigger on the recount, the result is on their hands.

I love me some fl0w.

http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/

I believe this (PDF file) is a draft of the study being discussed in TFA, or at least is closely related research.

"Islam" is not an entity, like say the Church of Scientology or the Catholic Church. Like "Protestantism", Islam is decentralized religion with many sects.

Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to 'Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn 'Abbas who said, "If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah's Apostle forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment (fire).' I would have killed them according to the statement of Allah's Apostle, 'Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.'"

Honestly, what difference would that make? Appetite-whetting—indeed, any sort of showing off—at a stage where they aren't even claiming what year the game will be released without doubting themselves I think works more against them than for them. It both distracts them from getting the game finished, and tips their hand to competitors. Releasing a beta teaser like that would surely help to increase hype and enthusiasm among those who haven't yet heard of Spore or haven't been following it that closely. That will be a very good thing in a few months (hopefully), but at this time I think it's counter-productive.

As for the people who are following Spore, well, I speak for myself and perhaps for many when I say that, while I would enjoy playing a beta single-cell phase, it has no chance of increasing my enthusiasm for the game. If I found out nothing more about Spore between now and release, the probability of my buying it would be 100%. The only thing that might change that is if it took so horrendously long that some other developer released a game that completely trumped it, but I think the chances of that are slim. On the other hand, if I played a beta that was less than fun because it hadn't been through rigorous play-testing, that number just might go down.

Besides, if you really want to play a beta of the single-cell phase, just play Flow.

How to defeat terrorism.

You are right that you cannot defeat terrorism. That's because terrorism is a SYMPTOM. The thing you fight is the CAUSE(s). You cannot fight "fever", but you can fight the flew, lung infections, ...

"Anyone who has a different opinion, is not a muslim, and therefore lower than the filthies of animals - So says god" - Koran 8:55

"They should be killed everywhere, always, and by any means possible" - Koran 9:111
(but fortunately the hadith clarifies that if the women amongst the unbelievers are beaten and impregnated that is enough. The men, however, should be killed)

"keep fighting until no-one thinks differently"

"Every muslim should fight AND KILL for allah" 9:111 ...

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsun nah/muslim/008.smt.html#008.3432

Note that the muslim exegesis confirms the meaning of these phrases. That they mean that every muslim HAS TO fight and kill to subjugate others.islam does not allow freedom of speech (on ANY subject), nor does it even allow freedom of thought.

Hence the name of that religion ... "islam" is arabic for "repression" ("submission" if you want to be polite)

Perhaps we could fly them into large buildings in Mecca. You know, because they think differently from us.

Apparently this is moral. Don't worry if any women survive ... well, let's just act all islamic :
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsun nah/muslim/008.smt.html#008.3432

In other words : let's kill all muslim males and rape all females, like, constantly. After all this is what they see as the ultimate in good behavior. It's what islam preaches.

Even the paedophile prophet himself condoned honor killing. On top of that, it's the islamic sentence for choosing your own partner. Without agreement from the parents, a muslim marriage is null and void, and any contact is zina, punishable by death.

The paedophile prophet (sorry a 54 year old guy who fucks a 9 year old woman is a paedopihle) supported these deaths. Even sneaking up in the night to kill these women was EXPLICITLY condoned.

Don't forget who this paedophile was : he explicitly discouraged the use of contraceptives when raping captive muslimah's :
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsun nah/muslim/008.smt.html#008.3371
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsun nah/muslim/008.smt.html#008.3432

The fact that you lie these things away does not change them in any way. And yes, I too find this most distressing. But it's the truth.

Even the paedophile prophet himself condoned honor killing. On top of that, it's the islamic sentence for choosing your own partner. Without agreement from the parents, a muslim marriage is null and void, and any contact is zina, punishable by death.

The paedophile prophet (sorry a 54 year old guy who fucks a 9 year old woman is a paedopihle) supported these deaths. Even sneaking up in the night to kill these women was EXPLICITLY condoned.

Don't forget who this paedophile was : he explicitly discouraged the use of contraceptives when raping captive muslimah's :
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsun nah/muslim/008.smt.html#008.3371
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsun nah/muslim/008.smt.html#008.3432

The fact that you lie these things away does not change them in any way. And yes, I too find this most distressing. But it's the truth.

Hizbollah is in Lebanon. You see, muslim's don't take credit for fighting. It's an old habit. (has something to do with going after entire families instead of fighting in an army, a rich muslim tradition started by the paedophile prophet himself)

Muslims to muhammad : you've already told us we can rape the women we keep captive for ransom. Does it matter if we impregnate them ?
muhammad : no, it's in allah's hands, go ahead and enjoy

(muslims that get offended should take some "pride" in their religions ways ... or change their holy texts : e.g. this one : http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsun nah/muslim/008.smt.html#008.3432

(accepted as the literal law by both sunni and shia, so people : don't worry about raping muslima's : it's allowed by sharia, the law they prefer above america's law, of course if you get caught sharia also gives the family the right to kill you, and obviously you'll have to avoid the infidel police that somehow thinks muslims will protect them in return)

It's not a massacre. It's muslims murdering blacks and enslaving children, imitating their prophet. It's not a massacre for the same reason muslims aren't genocidal maniacs. It's "just" "religious observance" :

(just one example, straight from the muslim "holy text")

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsun nah/bukhari/084.sbt.html#009.084.057 (slaughtering of atheists because they're, well, atheists)

http://coalitionfordarfur.blogspot.com/2007/05/dar fur-jihad-on-horseback.html

This darfur, and kashmir, is what people call "moderate" islam. Care to see extremism ?

Funny you should ask. I wrote the 3D visualization tool for this while I was a grad student at USC. I used Torque game engine to use an existing model (aquired using LiDAR) and layered on an arial photograph on it for the textures - that's how much fancy I could have gotten given the time we had. I left in 2005 and am not sure if they are still using it though. But, the pictures you see on TFA are screenshots from the tool I developed. As to why I'm not listed on the list of grad students who participated on TFA is questionable. You can see the paper which talks about this here

"The fact is, we're living longer and healthier with all of this "processed crap" than we ever did with "good old food". We should take health issues seriously, and Sodium Benzoate needs to be further tested."

Could be coincidental. There are reasonably strong indications the modern US diet is unhealthy.

Obesity to Lower U.S. Life Span
Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999.

Will you teach the prophet then ? He's long dead, yet here's what he said :

Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."

Obviously muslims teach this to children starting at 4-year-olds.

Don't forget ... this is slashdot ... this is to be buried deep with the ratings system, and whoever reports this is to be fanatically attacked for shaking up the "all-cultures-are-equal" idea. Even if it means killing the messenger.

After all there is nothing wrong with islamic ideology, right ? Well, except that they kill dozens of their own children in hopes of wounding a single Jew. Except that they beat everyone into submission, except their complete opposition to free speech, except ... all values that slashdot pretends to defend.

Maybe it's just that you don't know about repression (english translation of the arabic word "islam"). So here's a message in hopes of making this clear.

Obviously it won't stop at Jews. They are equally against Christians, just not as public, equally against cripples (because allah punished them for a reason you know), and, God forbid you'd ask what "allah" does to gays (they are to be buried alive on sight, even if some man were to be raped by a gay attacker, he is to be buried alive). That is what the prophet did. That is what every muslim is striving to do.

Illustrations
-> gaza/westbank
-> iraq
-> afghanistan
-> mecca (non-muslims are to be killed on sight in mecca in case you didn't know)
-> cartoon crises
-> ...

Do you want the next authored epic poem to be written in SMS-speak?

Please do keep in mind that 99,9% of believers do not profess this eternal doom kinda crap. Most people choose to believe in Christianity and never bother anyone about it. They stay calm. Yes we believe in an eventual doomsday. Yes it's very easy to suppose doomsday is tomorrow, after all, what better excuse to skip work ? At least be glad Christians don't kill others for not believing like "some other groups" do, who claim to have a contract with allah to kill. According to their beliefs, though, they're right.

Sa'd was in Medina when the Meccan army sieged Medina with 10 000 men 5 AH (626627). During that event, he wsa was mortally wounded.

After the Meccan alliance left Medina unsuccessfully, the Muslims sieged Banu Qurayza, since they had plotted with the Meccans [2]. The Banu Qurayza surrendered unconditionally after several weeks of siege. Several members of the Banu Aus pleaded for their old allies and Sa'd as one of their chiefs was appointed judge in this matter. He decreed that all adult male members of the tribe should be killed and all women and children enslaved.
Sa'd died shortly after his verdict.

'Aisha said, "The Prophet said during his fatal illness, "Allah cursed the Jews for they took the graves of their prophets as places for worship."

How do you cope with sexual desire among healthy young men and women during a mission years long?

Narrated 'Alqama:

While I was with Abdullah, 'Uthman met him at Mina and said, "O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman ! I have something to say to you." So both of them went aside and 'Uthman said, "O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman! Shall we marry you to a virgin who will make you remember your past days?" When 'Abdullah felt that he was not in need of that, he beckoned me (to join him) saying, "O 'Alqama!" Then I heard him saying (in reply to 'Uthman), "As you have said that, (I tell you that) the Prophet once said to us, 'O young people! Whoever among you is able to marry, should marry, and whoever is not able to marry, is recommended to fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.

Very correct. I'm playing fl0won an overclocked Opteron 148 and it bogs down pretty hard sometimes. I think more power is great, give me more MIPS, and more memory bandwidth please (mostly for my 3d games.) It really is impossible to have enough, and contrary to what seems are many's beliefs, there will always be opportunities to use more power. I don't see why so many slashdotters hate on more powerful desktop processors, come on, more power, MORE POWER... (those who remember the show "Home Improvement" know the sound that proceeds)

Two refs here.

http://ecafe.com/nye96.html: Electronic Cafe Telebrations (see the rest of ecafe site). The Electronic Cafe was a pioneer in using ISDN modems with special synching to allow music jams with remotely based musicians, piping video and audio into cafe club spaces.

Also, Google: electronic cafe isdn history
This event happened in May, before the September date specified.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/dance/p9a_earlier_seasons. html

1994-95 Revisited
Zapped Taps(tm)/Alfred Desio Performed in 4 Cities Live
On Saturday, May 20, 1995, Zapped Taps(tm)/Alfred Desio , performed live at the Electronic Cafe in Santa Monica, at the Dairy Center for the Arts in conjunction with the Boulder Creek Festival in Boulder Colorado, at the World Trade Center in New York, and at the Electronic Cafe in Austin Texas. This was possible because of a ISDN wide band hook up. For Alfred Desio, based in Los Angeles, this began with a phone call from Dorinda Dercar, a tapper now residing in Boulder. She wanted the secret of how Desio creates electronic tap sounds, which she had first heard and seen in the film Tap, for which Alfred Desio was the consultant whose technology made it happen. After many calls and faxes, the two performed an interactive duet, she in Boulder and he in Santa Monica. Other artists on the program included Edwin Torres and Virtual Presence in New York, and music and comedy combining forces from the four cities.

LA C & D and Youth Activities
Even with these exciting technology events, a primary focus last season was still the special programs developed for the schools by both Louise Reichlin & Dancers and Zapped Taps/Alfred Desio. Reichlin's group added several weeks in Ventura and Orange County in addition to forty-one schools in the LA Unified, ranging from north in Sylmar to south in San Pedro in a season running from July 31, 1994 to June 7, 1995. Performances in schools are ones we will always strive to maintain. No advanced computer project can ever match the inspiration that springs from both sides of the footlights during our interactive programs that include repertory of four of our dances interspersed with audience participation so the students begin to understand that dance is something they can do and use in their own lives. That same season Alfred also spent two weeks in small towns in central California with a new school program using his Zapped Taps pulling together both dance and science in his approach.

For information about these pages please contact Louise Reichlin at louisehr@usc.edu or call (213)385-1171.

Return to Southern California Dance and Directory (home page)

The Saturn North Pole? Isn't that where Saturn Clause lives? Maybe he has something to do with it.

Yes, that'll be Saturn Claus, devouring a few stray elves now that the kids are gone. It's most likely a big hexagonal bloodstain...

By the way, I got the translation to the sura's mentioned from here

It's worth noting that a translation isn't equivalent to the original Quran (considered to be Allah's literal words), but rather an interpretation that has been translated, and thus a translation may not be 100% accurate.

Around ten years ago scientists were investigating something somewhat similar to what you are proposing, except minus the genetic engineering and toxic blooms. Some parts of the oceans are iron poor. Iron is of course an essential component for life. By adding small amounts of it to these parts of the ocean, significant quantities of phytoplankton grow, consuming large quantities of CO2. There is an article on this here.

My point is simply that graphics don't make the games, gameplay does. I listed those games because i liked the gameplay, and the quality of the graphics does not impact how i feel about the game. This is in contrast to the myriad of players who see the latest and greatest Battlefield game and go "OOO! Shiny" and rave on about how awesome it is, although the gameplay is crap ( this is my biased opinion though ).

So you want some more recent games that have awesome gameplay that don't need the latest and greatest computer and graphics card?, Ok...
Soldat
Flow
Warning Forever
Dismount games
Solitaire

I'm sure there are more...

Personally, I prefer the music of Vincent Diamante - from 'Cloud', another project that has a feel of flow about it. You can grab the OST from the extra download page.

Personally, I prefer the music of Vincent Diamante - from 'Cloud', another project that has a feel of flow about it. You can grab the OST from the extra download page.

Personally, I prefer the music of Vincent Diamante - from 'Cloud', another project that has a feel of flow about it. You can grab the OST from the extra download page.

It's here.

loans are not forbidden in islam. charging interest is. http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/economics/nbank1.html so maybe you aren't racist, but you sure are stupid.

USC Interactive Media Division Withdraws Slamdance Sponsorship

Quote from the article: In some of the blog posts responding to this action, reference is made to requests or pressure from "backers" to remove Super Columbine Massacre RPG from the festival. We wish to clearly state that, as sponsors, we neither made any such request, nor were we consulted about this action prior to it being taken. On the contrary, our requests to re-instate the game were denied and our discussions with Peter Baxter over the reasons for the removal of the game leave us unconvinced that it was either a necessary action or one that is in line with the vision of the festival as a place to celebrate independent game making.

Mercury Site: Remote tele-excavation via the Web. An interdisciplinary team at the University of Southern California has made available Mercury Site, a World-Wide Web server that allows users to tele-operate a robot arm over the Net. Users view the environment surrounding the arm via a sequence of live images taken by a digital camera mounted on a commercial robot arm. The robot is positioned over a terrain filled with sand. A pneumatic system, also mounted on the robot, allows users to direct short bursts of compressed air into the sand at selected points. Thus, users can "excavate" regions in the sand by positioning the arm, delivering a burst of air, and viewing the newly cleared region. To operate the robot, you'll need an Ethernet link and a WWW client that handles forms. Have a blast at http://www.usc.edu/dept/raiders.

I mean enjoyed it for whatever time he/she played it, try the Cloud Game. Its also made with the same relaxing theme in mind. Don't worry if you have trouble with the control part in the beginning, you will figure out the "how-to" part after a min or so.

Heh, it's not from Spore. flOw is an independently developed Flash game.

If you haven't played fl0w before, go check it out http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/. I used to work for the dorms at my school, sitting at the front desk for hours at a time. I spent many hours sitting, watching this game because it is truly beautiful. After about 3 times through it's kinda old, but still, those first couple times were pretty amazing...

Islam is a religion of oppression and hate. We can all sit in a happy circle and sing kumbaya wishing for peace, but that is a fantasy. The stated goal of Islam is to convert the entire world, by the sword if necessary.
I agree with the above statement, but try to back it up with evidence from koran such as:

What do you think about Koran 04:34, which instructs men to beat their disobediant wives and koran 09:29, which orders believers to fight non-believers until they pay tribute tax called jizya and feel themselves subdued: Koran 09:29 rejects Brown vs Board of Education and the decision of Thurgood Marshall and the concept of equal rights for all.
By accepting Koran and Koran 09:29, you are rejecting Brown vs Board of Education and the decision of Thurgood Marshall. Both Koran 09:29 AND Brown vs Board of Education cannot be SIMULTANEOUSLY TRUE.
I challenge you to answered my post at http://www.faithfreedom.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t= 8784
(This is from your idol quran ):
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/009.qmt.html..00 9.029
009.029 YUSUFALI: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
Thougt Control quran style:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/004.qmt.html..00 4.1442">
Believers, do not choose the unbelievers rather than the faithful as your friends. Would you give Allah a clear proof against yourselves ? http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/003.qmt.html..00 3.0282">
Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah. QUESTION:would muslims accept to check a box in their income tax form and pay an extra $5000/yr and feel themselves subdued. if they are muslim? This is what koran (09/29) instructs them to do to others. QUESTION:WHAT WOULD MUSLIMS SAY IF THE BOOK OF ANOTHER RELIGION REVEALED TO THEIR PROFIT Mickey Mouse BY THEIR F FICTITIOUS SUPREME FASCIST Minnie Mouse SAYS: Fight those who believe not in Minnie Mouse nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Minnie Mouse and Her Messenger Mickey Mouse, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) muslim, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?i dx=516
http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=362
Short Article to the heart of the subject by a former muslim: Can Islam, Koran and Muhammad Command Unqualified Respect from the Westerners? http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/MAKhan60207.htm
http://www.geocities.com/realitywithbite/islamandu nbelievers.htm
http://www.geocities.com/humandecency
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submissio

Islam is a religion of oppression and hate. We can all sit in a happy circle and sing kumbaya wishing for peace, but that is a fantasy. The stated goal of Islam is to convert the entire world, by the sword if necessary.
I agree with the above statement, but try to back it up with evidence from koran such as:

What do you think about Koran 04:34, which instructs men to beat their disobediant wives and koran 09:29, which orders believers to fight non-believers until they pay tribute tax called jizya and feel themselves subdued: Koran 09:29 rejects Brown vs Board of Education and the decision of Thurgood Marshall and the concept of equal rights for all.
By accepting Koran and Koran 09:29, you are rejecting Brown vs Board of Education and the decision of Thurgood Marshall. Both Koran 09:29 AND Brown vs Board of Education cannot be SIMULTANEOUSLY TRUE.
I challenge you to answered my post at http://www.faithfreedom.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t= 8784
(This is from your idol quran ):
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/009.qmt.html..00 9.029
009.029 YUSUFALI: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
Thougt Control quran style:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/004.qmt.html..00 4.1442">
Believers, do not choose the unbelievers rather than the faithful as your friends. Would you give Allah a clear proof against yourselves ? http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/003.qmt.html..00 3.0282">
Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah. QUESTION:would muslims accept to check a box in their income tax form and pay an extra $5000/yr and feel themselves subdued. if they are muslim? This is what koran (09/29) instructs them to do to others. QUESTION:WHAT WOULD MUSLIMS SAY IF THE BOOK OF ANOTHER RELIGION REVEALED TO THEIR PROFIT Mickey Mouse BY THEIR F FICTITIOUS SUPREME FASCIST Minnie Mouse SAYS: Fight those who believe not in Minnie Mouse nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Minnie Mouse and Her Messenger Mickey Mouse, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) muslim, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?i dx=516
http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=362
Short Article to the heart of the subject by a former muslim: Can Islam, Koran and Muhammad Command Unqualified Respect from the Westerners? http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/MAKhan60207.htm
http://www.geocities.com/realitywithbite/islamandu nbelievers.htm
http://www.geocities.com/humandecency
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submissio

Islam is a religion of oppression and hate. We can all sit in a happy circle and sing kumbaya wishing for peace, but that is a fantasy. The stated goal of Islam is to convert the entire world, by the sword if necessary.
I agree with the above statement, but try to back it up with evidence from koran such as:

What do you think about Koran 04:34, which instructs men to beat their disobediant wives and koran 09:29, which orders believers to fight non-believers until they pay tribute tax called jizya and feel themselves subdued: Koran 09:29 rejects Brown vs Board of Education and the decision of Thurgood Marshall and the concept of equal rights for all.
By accepting Koran and Koran 09:29, you are rejecting Brown vs Board of Education and the decision of Thurgood Marshall. Both Koran 09:29 AND Brown vs Board of Education cannot be SIMULTANEOUSLY TRUE.
I challenge you to answered my post at http://www.faithfreedom.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t= 8784
(This is from your idol quran ):
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/009.qmt.html..00 9.029
009.029 YUSUFALI: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
Thougt Control quran style:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/004.qmt.html..00 4.1442">
Believers, do not choose the unbelievers rather than the faithful as your friends. Would you give Allah a clear proof against yourselves ? http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/003.qmt.html..00 3.0282">
Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah. QUESTION:would muslims accept to check a box in their income tax form and pay an extra $5000/yr and feel themselves subdued. if they are muslim? This is what koran (09/29) instructs them to do to others. QUESTION:WHAT WOULD MUSLIMS SAY IF THE BOOK OF ANOTHER RELIGION REVEALED TO THEIR PROFIT Mickey Mouse BY THEIR F FICTITIOUS SUPREME FASCIST Minnie Mouse SAYS: Fight those who believe not in Minnie Mouse nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Minnie Mouse and Her Messenger Mickey Mouse, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) muslim, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?i dx=516
http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=362
Short Article to the heart of the subject by a former muslim: Can Islam, Koran and Muhammad Command Unqualified Respect from the Westerners? http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/MAKhan60207.htm
http://www.geocities.com/realitywithbite/islamandu nbelievers.htm
http://www.geocities.com/humandecency
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submissio

I will be starting my Master's degree at the University of Southern California this coming January. They have just started offering a Master's Degree in Computer Science with an emphasis in Game Development. All of the core classes (algorithms, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, etc.) are applicable towards either a traditional CS degree, or the more specialized Game Development CS degree. I would recommend finding something like this... you get the basic theory and knowledge of a traditional CS master's degree, with specialized attention in specific areas relating to game development.

If you do not have a program like this available, take the advice of the majority of the people on here, and go for a regular CS degree, or find a job and get experience. I work for USC, so I gain experience while they pay for my education :)

http://gamepipe.usc.edu/ for more information.

As for boredom, Spore is about as replayable as any game is possible to be. It has several phases that each map to games that are "fun" on different levels. It has the pac-man stage (very much like fl0w) for plain fun, it has a micro-management SimCity-like building stage, a very civ-like conquest stage - and at all points you can push your character/civilisation towards an aggressive/defensive/reproductive/whatever style, which changes how the game works for you.

Too easy/hard? The game adapts to your ability by actually bringing in user-created creatures etc from the interweb that it thinks will match your ability but challenge you enough to evolve effectively. That was a core idea of the game.

I could go on, but my point is this: here we have a lead developer who actually understands the concerns you've raised, and has proved time & again that he can overcome them. He's really put a hell of a lot of thought & creativity into this. It takes a lot to get me excited usually, especially about civilisation games (I'm an FPSer by habit), but this is an exception.

I may be wrong on all accounts, and I'd recommend anyone read the reviews about anything before they buy. All I'm saying is I have very high expectations of this game. Seriously, watch the vid.

http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/

One of the most relaxing games ever.

BINGO!

Oh thank goodness it's integrated into the SugarCRM ... what would we do without it?

Yikes. I've seen some lousy summaries, but this is buzzword bingo at its best (worst?).