I tried that last week and noticed that I didn't need to fuel up for a few more days. It does work: I drive a 1993 Olds 88 (one of the best cars I have ever, EVER had) and I saved a few more gallons, from 21-22 to about 23.5 mpg. It does work...plus after I lost my job, I got a part-time one which requires far less stop-and-go and less time dealing with urbanized traffic.
Solution? For now, better gas mileage. But since a factor in wasting gas is stopping your vehicle, perhaps we need more inventive public transportation.
You have a point, but I've yet to see a game console that acts as this mythical all-in-one media center. I'm not trolling, but how many systems really have that capability? The PS2 was lucky that it could play DVDs which was an added bonus to the original intent of the console: playing games. So far, Sony has tried to market that for the PS3 but at an agenda for Blu-Ray dominance. Instead of adding a bonus, they decided to make a point with something good and it's one of the few reasons that now nobody wants to buy a PS3. Blu-Ray as a format is still on the fence due to the questionable use of the product. Yes, I'm sure people would love more defined television and movies...but considering televisions in most people's pay range don't achieve full 1080i/p, what's the real benefit?
If anything, Sony would have been better off just releasing a more powerful version of the PS2 and sitting on Blu-Ray/next gen format for another few years. Considering the PS2 is still getting some business, putting more powerful machinery into it and making it $300-$400 would have made more sense than throwing a new format into a machine that, at the moment, isn't really useful.
Indeed. DOSBOX and programs of that ilk can extend your fun playing computer games, but I've also gone to console games simply for ease of play. Considering nowadays I would build another box for gaming anyway, a console isn't such a bad option.
Agreed. If Sony had put out PS3 with full backwards compatibility and made it $300 (or even $400, that wouldn't be too unreasonable), it wouldn't be a choice. Sadly, they seem to want the mountain to come to Mohammed.
Very true. My last job was exactly like this: unionized, bitter work environment, and a lot of people for the union were ineffective doing anything because the management would easily fire them to make their own lives easier. Unfortuately for them, as a single/no-kids/apartment dweller, I didn't care one way or the other since I was just slumming until I could get more money to move out of the state. I was gone within three months: two of them badgering me on everything, and one of me finding a better paying job by working part-time(!) and telling them to get stuffed.
How this can be legal or even tolerable is beyond me.
As a man, I'll back you on the hours thing. IT is just a thankless job and I'm surprised that both genders aren't leaving. The true pity is that it's hard to find an IT position and then it's hard to deal with it. Considering the importance of it, I'm shocked more employers haven't started making teams to cover it instead of the occasional person. And often for a limited amount of pay.
Honestly, this isn't a female issue; this is an American issue. We're working ourselves to death for peanuts.
At this point, I can see the point. When I applied at Google I skipped out going to their IT department and focused on other places. Why? Because they were advertising for people to live there and to constantly work and basically reshape their lives around a job.
I can't blame women here. Heck, I can't blame men here. A job is there to make sure you can provide for your life, not usurp it. And 24/7 in a server room dealing with some fairly heavy work with the workload and half the salary of a doctor isn't the life I would want to lead, either. I like computer work, I like IT, but expecting people to work hours and hours without the compensation or job security as a doctor is simply not going to happen. It's not that people are lazy, but people know that jobs aren't forever. And trading that off for a life with your family, friends, and various loved ones is a raw deal.
The real question isn't why women are running away from IT; it's why isn't everybody else. It's an thankless job sometimes.
I hate to mention this, but the Xbox isn't Microsoft's first foray into gaming. The Dreamcast ran Windows CE without a problem and if it had a DVD player in it, it might still be around today.
Yeah, I was disappointed with Bully as well. It's a good game, but way too short and easy for the price. Sadly, if it was more like GTA, it might have done better despite the controversy that would have happened. That's probably why Take Two went after this Concern Troll Lawyer off the bat: if they're going to get the sharp end of the stick for doing a possible 'Columbine simulator,' they might as well do one.
I'll back laserjets. I've seen them in use at every computer job I've had and when I was doing undergrad work. Those things are never fail. The only problem I've seen with them is sometimes they needed the cartridge to be cleaned off, but those were rare. If I had to work with inkjets in a professional setting, I'd probably be bald today with all the problems they had.
When I get the room, I'll get a laserjet printer, no question.
Same here. Best Buy has shoved all the PS2 games into this thin aisle to give most of the space to the PS3, including a Guitar Hero II demo machine. And there is always someone at that machine. And since nobody around here can afford a PS3, there are plenty of people in this now-minuscule PS2 aisle, trying to see what's gone on sale and we're always bumping into that Guitar Hero guy.
I get the idea that Nintendo is going to drop the ball on this. Having a hot system is one thing, but not being able to match demand for a console that your business is going to revolve around (outside of the DS) for the next couple of years while games sit on the shelves untouched because nobody can play them is sheer incompetence. If it's a game, then Nintendo is betting a lot. If they lose and people get sick of waiting, then they're going to sink.
Seriously, what is the problem? They're not amateurs at this, this is their bread and butter.
True, but at least those you mentioned had some underground presence that people in the know could get excited about. Nowadays, it all comes as a shock. Yeah, maybe I'm older than I used to be (unless I just stopped!), but there doesn't really seem to be an outlet for really good groups to get through. It seems to haphazardly done.
I'll back you on that. GTA is a perfect blend of silly adult humor and one heck of a game plan, combined with little touches that keep old-time gamers like me coming back for more. Sure, the graphics could be better, but other than that the games are just really fun to play.
Given my years as a tech, I can honestly say that anybody who really doubts how dumb the general populace is about computers can look towards that whole 'the internet is made of tubes.'
My solution to this? Ignore the complaints. Kids who have $50 to buy a game either have a job and are adult enough to play a game or parents too stupid to teach their kids regardless. The ratings system is fine. If the parents don't care about it, then tough.
Of course, this is all academic since a small minority are whining about this because they need to whine about something. Big freaking deal.
I've heard they're going to take care of that. Plus, since the show will probably never explain this mysterious 'Time War' between the Time Lords and the Daleks, it might be a jump to say that Eccleston was the ninth regeneration. For all we know (and from what the late Davison/C. Baker stories say in passing), the Time Lords might be able to regenerate past their thirteenth and onwards. Of course, that's going to be explained in this season with the return of...well, that would be telling.
I don't think she can really pull it off. Plus this whole 'Doctor as a woman' thing was played for laughs during Curse of Fatal Death and it just wouldn't work very well. Also, as a big Doctor Who fan, Rose has really annoyed the hell out of me. Total Mary Sue character, and that would take it way over the edge.
I'm still wondering why they even bother trying. It's been a solid ten years. Who remembers Duke Nukem anymore? I'm sure a FPS with a crude sense of humor could make it, but at this point you might as well bring back Lo Wang and have him star in a game. The name recognition is dead now. The good times for Duke seem to be over.
They might as well farm it to someone who knows what they're doing.
Honestly, I'm not sure that the whole Hot Coffee thing was Rockstar's fault. Sure, the minigame is stupid as hell, but to Rockstar's credit they didn't put it in the game. Unless you knew what you were doing and since it was rated to adults, it seems that the whole fuss around it was for politicians needing a scapegoat. If Hot Coffee wasn't applicable, they would have used 'Bully' and all the Columbine connotations that it could have contained if the game itself wasn't so Dennis the Menace-like.
Yeah, don't stay until you're bitter. I just got out of a job that was hell on wheels and full of people who did nothing more than make my life miserable. I found a better job and got out of there and that was the most freeing moment of my life.
Life's too short for stressful jobs.
That's very true. When I finally got some computer jobs under my belt to escape from retail, the quality of my jobs got better. Sure, I wasn't completely happy, but for a while there I was doing better than I have ever been. While not relying on your job for complete happiness is a very good piece of advice, you can find a job that you like doing and get some satisfaction out of it. In fact, if more people did that, the world might be a better place. Plus, most of the time if you go into a field for the money, you'll find out that the money doesn't really make up for the pain and grief you go through: I can share stories about people who jumped into Computer Science and made it big at WorldCom before it went under and Nursing students who eventually got sick of dealing with changing bedpans.
Do what you love, people. Money is important, but it truly isn't everything in life.
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I tried that last week and noticed that I didn't need to fuel up for a few more days. It does work: I drive a 1993 Olds 88 (one of the best cars I have ever, EVER had) and I saved a few more gallons, from 21-22 to about 23.5 mpg. It does work...plus after I lost my job, I got a part-time one which requires far less stop-and-go and less time dealing with urbanized traffic. Solution? For now, better gas mileage. But since a factor in wasting gas is stopping your vehicle, perhaps we need more inventive public transportation.
I'd still wait until GTA 4....oh, no I wouldn't. But I wouldn't get anything for it until GTA 4.
You have a point, but I've yet to see a game console that acts as this mythical all-in-one media center. I'm not trolling, but how many systems really have that capability? The PS2 was lucky that it could play DVDs which was an added bonus to the original intent of the console: playing games. So far, Sony has tried to market that for the PS3 but at an agenda for Blu-Ray dominance. Instead of adding a bonus, they decided to make a point with something good and it's one of the few reasons that now nobody wants to buy a PS3. Blu-Ray as a format is still on the fence due to the questionable use of the product. Yes, I'm sure people would love more defined television and movies...but considering televisions in most people's pay range don't achieve full 1080i/p, what's the real benefit? If anything, Sony would have been better off just releasing a more powerful version of the PS2 and sitting on Blu-Ray/next gen format for another few years. Considering the PS2 is still getting some business, putting more powerful machinery into it and making it $300-$400 would have made more sense than throwing a new format into a machine that, at the moment, isn't really useful.
Indeed. DOSBOX and programs of that ilk can extend your fun playing computer games, but I've also gone to console games simply for ease of play. Considering nowadays I would build another box for gaming anyway, a console isn't such a bad option.
Agreed. If Sony had put out PS3 with full backwards compatibility and made it $300 (or even $400, that wouldn't be too unreasonable), it wouldn't be a choice. Sadly, they seem to want the mountain to come to Mohammed.
Very true. My last job was exactly like this: unionized, bitter work environment, and a lot of people for the union were ineffective doing anything because the management would easily fire them to make their own lives easier. Unfortuately for them, as a single/no-kids/apartment dweller, I didn't care one way or the other since I was just slumming until I could get more money to move out of the state. I was gone within three months: two of them badgering me on everything, and one of me finding a better paying job by working part-time(!) and telling them to get stuffed. How this can be legal or even tolerable is beyond me.
As a man, I'll back you on the hours thing. IT is just a thankless job and I'm surprised that both genders aren't leaving. The true pity is that it's hard to find an IT position and then it's hard to deal with it. Considering the importance of it, I'm shocked more employers haven't started making teams to cover it instead of the occasional person. And often for a limited amount of pay. Honestly, this isn't a female issue; this is an American issue. We're working ourselves to death for peanuts.
At this point, I can see the point. When I applied at Google I skipped out going to their IT department and focused on other places. Why? Because they were advertising for people to live there and to constantly work and basically reshape their lives around a job. I can't blame women here. Heck, I can't blame men here. A job is there to make sure you can provide for your life, not usurp it. And 24/7 in a server room dealing with some fairly heavy work with the workload and half the salary of a doctor isn't the life I would want to lead, either. I like computer work, I like IT, but expecting people to work hours and hours without the compensation or job security as a doctor is simply not going to happen. It's not that people are lazy, but people know that jobs aren't forever. And trading that off for a life with your family, friends, and various loved ones is a raw deal. The real question isn't why women are running away from IT; it's why isn't everybody else. It's an thankless job sometimes.
I hate to mention this, but the Xbox isn't Microsoft's first foray into gaming. The Dreamcast ran Windows CE without a problem and if it had a DVD player in it, it might still be around today.
Yeah, I was disappointed with Bully as well. It's a good game, but way too short and easy for the price. Sadly, if it was more like GTA, it might have done better despite the controversy that would have happened. That's probably why Take Two went after this Concern Troll Lawyer off the bat: if they're going to get the sharp end of the stick for doing a possible 'Columbine simulator,' they might as well do one.
I'll back laserjets. I've seen them in use at every computer job I've had and when I was doing undergrad work. Those things are never fail. The only problem I've seen with them is sometimes they needed the cartridge to be cleaned off, but those were rare. If I had to work with inkjets in a professional setting, I'd probably be bald today with all the problems they had. When I get the room, I'll get a laserjet printer, no question.
Same here. Best Buy has shoved all the PS2 games into this thin aisle to give most of the space to the PS3, including a Guitar Hero II demo machine. And there is always someone at that machine. And since nobody around here can afford a PS3, there are plenty of people in this now-minuscule PS2 aisle, trying to see what's gone on sale and we're always bumping into that Guitar Hero guy.
I get the idea that Nintendo is going to drop the ball on this. Having a hot system is one thing, but not being able to match demand for a console that your business is going to revolve around (outside of the DS) for the next couple of years while games sit on the shelves untouched because nobody can play them is sheer incompetence. If it's a game, then Nintendo is betting a lot. If they lose and people get sick of waiting, then they're going to sink. Seriously, what is the problem? They're not amateurs at this, this is their bread and butter.
True, but at least those you mentioned had some underground presence that people in the know could get excited about. Nowadays, it all comes as a shock. Yeah, maybe I'm older than I used to be (unless I just stopped!), but there doesn't really seem to be an outlet for really good groups to get through. It seems to haphazardly done.
I'll back you on that. GTA is a perfect blend of silly adult humor and one heck of a game plan, combined with little touches that keep old-time gamers like me coming back for more. Sure, the graphics could be better, but other than that the games are just really fun to play.
Well said. It's a sad society when we get so old that we ignore our youths and then try to be twice as restrictive.
Given my years as a tech, I can honestly say that anybody who really doubts how dumb the general populace is about computers can look towards that whole 'the internet is made of tubes.' My solution to this? Ignore the complaints. Kids who have $50 to buy a game either have a job and are adult enough to play a game or parents too stupid to teach their kids regardless. The ratings system is fine. If the parents don't care about it, then tough. Of course, this is all academic since a small minority are whining about this because they need to whine about something. Big freaking deal.
I've heard they're going to take care of that. Plus, since the show will probably never explain this mysterious 'Time War' between the Time Lords and the Daleks, it might be a jump to say that Eccleston was the ninth regeneration. For all we know (and from what the late Davison/C. Baker stories say in passing), the Time Lords might be able to regenerate past their thirteenth and onwards. Of course, that's going to be explained in this season with the return of...well, that would be telling.
Yes, yes it is. Say, could you start taping Doctor Who for me? Start at the last episode of Tenth Planet, I won't mind. (DVD-R, please)
I don't think she can really pull it off. Plus this whole 'Doctor as a woman' thing was played for laughs during Curse of Fatal Death and it just wouldn't work very well. Also, as a big Doctor Who fan, Rose has really annoyed the hell out of me. Total Mary Sue character, and that would take it way over the edge.
I'm still wondering why they even bother trying. It's been a solid ten years. Who remembers Duke Nukem anymore? I'm sure a FPS with a crude sense of humor could make it, but at this point you might as well bring back Lo Wang and have him star in a game. The name recognition is dead now. The good times for Duke seem to be over. They might as well farm it to someone who knows what they're doing.
Honestly, I'm not sure that the whole Hot Coffee thing was Rockstar's fault. Sure, the minigame is stupid as hell, but to Rockstar's credit they didn't put it in the game. Unless you knew what you were doing and since it was rated to adults, it seems that the whole fuss around it was for politicians needing a scapegoat. If Hot Coffee wasn't applicable, they would have used 'Bully' and all the Columbine connotations that it could have contained if the game itself wasn't so Dennis the Menace-like.
Yeah, don't stay until you're bitter. I just got out of a job that was hell on wheels and full of people who did nothing more than make my life miserable. I found a better job and got out of there and that was the most freeing moment of my life. Life's too short for stressful jobs.
That's very true. When I finally got some computer jobs under my belt to escape from retail, the quality of my jobs got better. Sure, I wasn't completely happy, but for a while there I was doing better than I have ever been. While not relying on your job for complete happiness is a very good piece of advice, you can find a job that you like doing and get some satisfaction out of it. In fact, if more people did that, the world might be a better place. Plus, most of the time if you go into a field for the money, you'll find out that the money doesn't really make up for the pain and grief you go through: I can share stories about people who jumped into Computer Science and made it big at WorldCom before it went under and Nursing students who eventually got sick of dealing with changing bedpans. Do what you love, people. Money is important, but it truly isn't everything in life.
I'm still confused why this is such a big deal to do. What is holding MS back from making it work? It seems like one heck of a flaw.