And you just hit the nail on the head. Any lawyer worth his law degree should be able to EASILY argue that this constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment" - basically, the penalty does not equal the severity of the "crime". Hell, I would argue that this is a victimless event and not a crime at all. I expect that the first one of these to hit the news will be contested and the courts will either overturn the law completely OR will mandate that the punishment is too severe. Holy hell, you would probably do less time for vehicular manslaughter. That's just complete bullshit.
I agree with the suggestion of a variety of tools and your suggestions on which tools to use but I would add one more service (yes, a paid service):
http://www.anonymizer.com/
I have had no major problems surfing anonymously using the service. Minor problems are certain pages not loading correctly due to CSS/cookies/etc. being blocked or mangled by the Anonymizer service. Most of those pages were places I did not need/want to browse anonymously anyway (/., banking, and others of that sort) so it wasn't that big of a deal to turn it off and reload the page. Also included in the package is a secure delete program where you can set the number of passes it makes and so on. Very nice to wipe out cookies that somehow managed to get in, browsing history, etc.
Here is another link to, ummm - damn, she is hot (haven't seen the movie yet), check out Tiina since the one above seemed to be taking too long to respond: http://www.starwreck.com/pages/tiina4.html
We Horde may suck, but we're twice as good as those Alliance whiners;-)
Oh, the Horde does agree with you on the infrastructure upgrades though. With as much cash flow as Blizzard has, that should be their main priority. Period. Never let it be said we are in total opposition with the Alliance *heh*
Now log in, get in queue for WSG, and get ready for an ass-kicking!:)
that all concerned people (geeks, nerds, tech-heads, concerned citizens, whatever you may be or path you walk) should be telling The Masses(tm) about Vista. Basically, Windows Vista is going to make it so that YOU NO LONGER OWN OR ARE IN CONTROL OF _YOUR_ COMPUTER.
Think about that for a minute... You, a hard working individual, busted YOUR ass for that $500 to $2000+ dollars YOU are about to spend for a computer _but_ thanks to Microsoft and Vista YOU will not be in control of YOUR computer. Microsoft will. Or Company X will since they have paid Microsoft their "protection" money so they have "the trust" of YOUR computer. WTF will Sony do to YOUR computer since it will "trust" them implicitly - just because Sony paid for a "trusted computing model" blank check from Microsoft? What will happen to you computer when the spyware makers somehow hack the "trusted computing" certificates and begin taking control of YOUR system? How about the fact that YOUR government (any nation, anywhere) could, conceivably, install software on YOUR system without YOUR knowledge simply because YOUR computer "trusts" their software?
Before people begin with the whole "tinfoil hat" rhetoric please take a few moments and seriously look at what YOUR government has been up to for the past 2, 3, or 20 years. Can ANY American here _honestly_ think that the power-hungry, greedy, corporate-backed politicians currently in power would NOT abuse the "trusted computing model"? All they have to invoke is TERRORISM, DRUG WAR, or FOR THE CHILDREN and suddenly every single computer with Vista on it will be vulnerable - any. where. in. the. world. I look at the current state of the United States Government (and those that follow its lead) and I fear for the future as it looks darker and darker every day - especially when the Constitution is being run roughshod over with little care for the founding document and all in the name of "terror".
What has happened to all of us who bought a PERSONAL computer and who love freedom and privacy that we all (SEEM) willing to do nothing? How about the fact that when I spend MY hard earned money on a product it is MINE. Period. The end. Microsoft should have no control over my computer hardware OR software. Microsoft should not be able to give anyone else a blank check to hook software into my computer by telling my system "hey, its cool, you can TRUST this software". I and I alone should be the final arbiter of what runs on my system, what hardware is installed, what sofware I choose to use and I should be _fully informed_ as to what software packages are actually installing on my system. Not learning after the fact that the new Britney Spears CD rooted (there is a joke in that statement somewhere '-) my system out and gave access to company X.
Whew. Sorry about the long rant but I'm way past tired of watching the world go to shit around me and am trying to do my part in educating friends and family to the things that are JUST WRONG(tm).
Let's also not forget the hundreds of thousands of people still using Windows 2000 Pro! Rock solid, has run anything I throw at it game wise, and is definitely not burdened with DRM at the OS level. Not to mention that unless I do something stupid, I decide what runs on my system - not MS, not Sony, not the RIAA, not anyone else - me. Plus, its "die date" was pushed back, what, until 2010? I'm thinking that since there are major corporations (reported in multiple places, no time for me to google for it right now) in the Fortune 100/500 block that have JUST FINISHED updating to Windows XP in the past 6 months or a year, how many home users do you really think have switched from Win98/2k to XP (any version)? New computer sales default to XP but there are more people running older OS's than most people (especially MS) would like to believe.
If any company is stupid enough to write for DX10 only, they deserve to have their throat cut when the game doesn't sell. Personally, I'd like to see a lot of money thrown into OpenGL 2.0 so that all the 'features' that are needed are in there and ready to rock (and easily upgraded when necessary). Then all game companies dump DX* as a secondary/backup way to play the games with OpenGL being the main. It would also make porting somewhat easier I would imagine.
Jocks are stupid. NASCAR lovers are stupid. Americans are stupid.
First, I comepletely agree with your points about there being "intellectually curious" people from all walks of life but your statements from above (intended as sarcasm I know) reminded me of this statement I read somewhere, probably on Slashdot (or bash.org):
The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the warning labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?
Sometimes, I very much agree with that statement. Of course, there are times I agree wholeheartedly with this quote from H. L. Mencken:
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.
Maybe loathed, but even that, I don't think, is strong enough.
How about "fucking hate enough to drive a mob mentality where the people of the world unite to destroy through bodily force all major corporations who want to pull this kind of shit"? Is that strong enough?:)
I don't usually air personal material on the 'net (well, not much) but I met Harlan Ellison at DragonCon two years ago and he IS a big fucking prick. One of my best friends not only had lunch with that cocksucker but used her own personal car to drive Harlan and his friends to lunch (at Harlan's own request) and THEN, later that day, he treated her like total shit when all she asked for was a picture of Harlan and his wife. Man, I'll be honest, if I had had a bat or other weapon of personal destruction I'd be in jail because I would have beat the shit out of that asshat. He treated my friend with THAT much disrespect, disdain, and total disregard for her as a human being. Harlan's wife on the other hand was super nice. She deserves an award for putting up with that little peckerwood all these years.
Yeah, because it WAS funny and deserved a response. Not to mention it was quite hilarious with Sprite all over my desk/keyboard. The boss got a good laugh out of it too:)
Well, it might not be what the above poster has mentioned but let's put all the cards on the table:
1) We have rumours being bandied about that SOE is going to lose the SWG license.
2) We have a massive shakeup in the Sony Online world - including Raph Koster leaving to head up a _new game studio_.
3) And, at the same time, we have BioWare announcing that they have opened a new division in Austion to produce what? A brand new MMORPG.
BioWare is now, as the above press release shows, hiring for all positions and already has one previous Sony Online Entertainment executive producer on the payroll. BioWare also mentions their highly successful games with SW: KOTOR being the first one mentioned in the list.
Now, let us take #1+#2+#3 and mix in all the other miscellaneous tidbits of information and supposition, stir well with the spoon of "what if" and... VOILA! You have the makings of a brand new Star Wars MMORPG on your hands. IS this what BioWare is keeping under wraps? *shrug* Who knows?
I, for one, would love to see some of the best parts of the original SWG (intricate crafting, non-combat roles being valued - dancer, etc., MULTIPLE professions being possible and varied, and several other parts) being implemented in a much more Star Wars style universe than what the CU and *gag* NGE did to Sony's bastardization of Star Wars.
OMG! I just spewed Sprite out of my nose and all over the keyboard and, of course, the company president walked in to my office to make sure I was ok. You almost got me fired asshole;-) *lol*
I usually don't respond to ACs but I feel like I don't give a fuck today. So... Hey, dumbass, I did read the reponse. I know it was from Julio Torres - paid lackey of Sony and LucasArts. As I said above - I believe Julio wrote it. Other than that, nah. Maybe LA will prove me completely wrong (more power to them) but I don't want to believe they would be so stupid as to continue flogging the dead horse that is SWG. *shrug* Besides, as I said in my original response - the announcement was ONLY on Sony's forums. Nothing on LucasArts site, nothing in trade magazines, nothing ANYWHERE else at the moment other than Sony's shilling machine (aka SOE's SWG forums).
I saw it the other day when the "spurious internet rumours" were floated around heavily. Do I believe it? Yeah, I believe Julio Torres wrote it. I also don't (want to) believe LucasArts would continue to support a game that is, for all intents and purposes, DYING. If SWG was a horse, the community would do the right thing and take it out back of the barn and put a bullet in its head.
Then again, it is (at times) much harder to admit defeat and failure in the dog-eat-dog world of corporations and say "OK, let's try it a different way" than it is to keep pumping money into that dying horse and hope you ride it to a greener pasture. This is, I will bet, what LucasArts is doing. Perhaps Uncle George has been insulated from the fiasco that is SWG? Would YOU want to be the top dog who had to go tell George that a franchise with, arguably, the potential to rise to World of Warcraft heights* had fallen to the point of The Matrix Online? I don't think I would.
* SWG had the potential to keep on a heavy curve of gaining players. It might not have banged out 5 million players as fast as WoW did, but I think it had the long-term player base and the draw to bring in a vast membership that would have made it one of the top 2 or 3 MMORPGs continuously.
WHEN I see an official response from LucasArts on either LA's website or in another official channel (game magazine, game news website, etc.) then I will believe that Sony is keeping the Star Wars MMORPG license. Until such time as that happens, Sony can dish out all the "official" drivel it wants to - aka Press Releases to Cover Our Ass. Sony Online have lost a non-virtual multitude of their player base and continue to bleed heavily from all SWG related orifices.
I see a couple of main ways (other than another posters multiple time-line server idea) to get back players they have lost - PRIMARY is to revert back to the original "complex" game idea and (pardon the shouting) FIX WHAT ACTUALLY FUCKING NEEDED TO BE FIXED: armor certification and some balancing (but give crafters decent damn armor so they don't have to hire people to guard them or bug their buddies to help them place harvester on Endor, Yavin, and other extremely hostile worlds), rebalance doctor buffs (not a complete nerf, balance), let the MIND stat be changed like every other stat (thus reducing the Swordmaster and TKAs ability to kill all fast), include GOOD mind buffs to EQUAL what docs could do to Health and Action and their sub-stats (again to balance out swords and TKA), and fix all the other little crap that needed to be fixed (locations that were not all there, elevators that didn't work, mini-missions you could not complete, NPCs you could not reach, etc.). I'm sure I forgot a few things since it has been a long while since I played but that is the major issues that I can remember.
The other main way to bring back their player base is simple: Give up the Star Wars license and let someone else take over the old code base and/OR let the new licensee create an entirely new game (although I would suggest using the first, apparently too complex, version of the game as a basis for any new game). *shrug* Maybe I'm just too optimistic but I enjoyed both sides of the original SWG especially since I didn't feel forced to grind out combat and could craft instead.
While I hate to ride a horse into the ground and then feed off its bones, every time I hear something like this happening I immediately think "Amiga". Why? I would guess that it is because the Amiga had a CPU and then it had dedicated chips to handle other functions - math, graphics, sounds, etc. This arrangement created a computer system that did not get surpassed for MANY years after its demise and, some would say, it still hasn't been bested in many areas (multi-tasking is one of those).
Each time I hear that an "advance" has been made and I read that it is basically re-integrating various components back into the primary system or tying those components tighter to the CPU then I can't help but scream "AMIGA!" Of course, this leads to co-workers walking wider paths around me while having avoiding eye contact '-).
Still, all of these advances lead me to believe that we might going back to a dedicated chip style of computing BUT what I am also hoping for is a completely upgradeable system that I can pull the, say, physics processor out and plug a newer version or better chip into without having to replace the entire motherboard or daughterboard. Which, of course, leade me right back to that whole screaming scenario:) The Amiga style of computing may yet live again.
Technically, we still have ALL those items. All we have done is IMPROVE on them, not (necessarily) obsoleted them.
Can I make a clay tablet to jot down information on? Yes.
Can I still get sheets of papyrus to jot down information on? Yes.
Can I still get sheets of parchment to jot down information on? Yes.
So, will I still be able to get paper 500 or even 3000 years from now? I'm betting the answer is yes - even if we have monochromatic polysilicate sheets that can be reused by running the erase wand over them.
Google should continue doing what it said it was going to do, regardless of what the analysts think of it. Screw them.
AGREED! Wholeheartedly. I believe that with the capital Google is sitting on as well as the revenue stream, they should look deep into Wall Street's eyes and utter the infamous phrase "Fuck you." Then they should issue a press release stating that they will stick to EXACTLY what they promised investors and the public at large in their prospectus and in their business dealings/motto. They should let the public know that Wall Street and Wall Street's "analysts" are trying to force them into a situation(s) where ethics that they, Google, wish to uphold may be challenged and compromised - even inadvertantly - and so Google will NOT play the Wall Street game.
But, hey, that's just me and I'm definitely not in control of a multi-billion dollar corporation. If I was, I like to think I would stick to my guns regardless and let Wall Street rot in hell as I gave the public what it wanted - good products, convenience, and some actual service.
The fiscal year can begin anytime they want it to - depending on when they incorporated and how they were structured. I work for a company in the health field and our year begins in October and ends in September. It is pretty much arbitrary although most corporations tend to follow the major trend in their area since filings with the SEC and earning reports fall on the same time and Wall Street can compare them easier.
Here is some of the games I loved to play and still play today (lots from ye olde Activision):
Kaboom! Pitfall River Raid Ghostbusters
California Games (half-pipe and hackey sack? what's not to love:)
Populous (great game, still own copies of the original and the Bullfrog version)
The Bard's Tale (one of the greatest series of RPGs of all time)
Archon and Archon II: Adept
Dragon's Lair (heh, I still remember most of the patterns to this day and would kill to own the stand-up coin op)
Civilization Starcraft Alpha Centauri
and there are many, many more that I loved to play back then and still try to play now - when I can.
Back then, gameplay (AND replay) was king with graphics being nice additions to the gameplay. I wish game studios would go BACK to that style of thought.
You know, that may be true, but considering Alexis Barbara was in 2 of your 3 examples I'm thinking she might need to get a restraining order for stalking and name you in it;-)
Kidding. Just kidding. Since, you know, she IS hot.
Slashdot Mirror
And you just hit the nail on the head. Any lawyer worth his law degree should be able to EASILY argue that this constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment" - basically, the penalty does not equal the severity of the "crime". Hell, I would argue that this is a victimless event and not a crime at all. I expect that the first one of these to hit the news will be contested and the courts will either overturn the law completely OR will mandate that the punishment is too severe. Holy hell, you would probably do less time for vehicular manslaughter. That's just complete bullshit.
I have had no major problems surfing anonymously using the service. Minor problems are certain pages not loading correctly due to CSS/cookies/etc. being blocked or mangled by the Anonymizer service. Most of those pages were places I did not need/want to browse anonymously anyway (/., banking, and others of that sort) so it wasn't that big of a deal to turn it off and reload the page. Also included in the package is a secure delete program where you can set the number of passes it makes and so on. Very nice to wipe out cookies that somehow managed to get in, browsing history, etc.
Well, actually, you're only having to read 18 stories, on average, as the rest of them were dupes of the first 17 ;-)
Enjoy!
We Horde may suck, but we're twice as good as those Alliance whiners ;-)
:)
Oh, the Horde does agree with you on the infrastructure upgrades though. With as much cash flow as Blizzard has, that should be their main priority. Period. Never let it be said we are in total opposition with the Alliance *heh*
Now log in, get in queue for WSG, and get ready for an ass-kicking!
that all concerned people (geeks, nerds, tech-heads, concerned citizens, whatever you may be or path you walk) should be telling The Masses(tm) about Vista. Basically, Windows Vista is going to make it so that YOU NO LONGER OWN OR ARE IN CONTROL OF _YOUR_ COMPUTER.
Think about that for a minute... You, a hard working individual, busted YOUR ass for that $500 to $2000+ dollars YOU are about to spend for a computer _but_ thanks to Microsoft and Vista YOU will not be in control of YOUR computer. Microsoft will. Or Company X will since they have paid Microsoft their "protection" money so they have "the trust" of YOUR computer. WTF will Sony do to YOUR computer since it will "trust" them implicitly - just because Sony paid for a "trusted computing model" blank check from Microsoft? What will happen to you computer when the spyware makers somehow hack the "trusted computing" certificates and begin taking control of YOUR system? How about the fact that YOUR government (any nation, anywhere) could, conceivably, install software on YOUR system without YOUR knowledge simply because YOUR computer "trusts" their software?
Before people begin with the whole "tinfoil hat" rhetoric please take a few moments and seriously look at what YOUR government has been up to for the past 2, 3, or 20 years. Can ANY American here _honestly_ think that the power-hungry, greedy, corporate-backed politicians currently in power would NOT abuse the "trusted computing model"? All they have to invoke is TERRORISM, DRUG WAR, or FOR THE CHILDREN and suddenly every single computer with Vista on it will be vulnerable - any. where. in. the. world. I look at the current state of the United States Government (and those that follow its lead) and I fear for the future as it looks darker and darker every day - especially when the Constitution is being run roughshod over with little care for the founding document and all in the name of "terror".
What has happened to all of us who bought a PERSONAL computer and who love freedom and privacy that we all (SEEM) willing to do nothing? How about the fact that when I spend MY hard earned money on a product it is MINE. Period. The end. Microsoft should have no control over my computer hardware OR software. Microsoft should not be able to give anyone else a blank check to hook software into my computer by telling my system "hey, its cool, you can TRUST this software". I and I alone should be the final arbiter of what runs on my system, what hardware is installed, what sofware I choose to use and I should be _fully informed_ as to what software packages are actually installing on my system. Not learning after the fact that the new Britney Spears CD rooted (there is a joke in that statement somewhere '-) my system out and gave access to company X.
Whew. Sorry about the long rant but I'm way past tired of watching the world go to shit around me and am trying to do my part in educating friends and family to the things that are JUST WRONG(tm).
Let's also not forget the hundreds of thousands of people still using Windows 2000 Pro! Rock solid, has run anything I throw at it game wise, and is definitely not burdened with DRM at the OS level. Not to mention that unless I do something stupid, I decide what runs on my system - not MS, not Sony, not the RIAA, not anyone else - me. Plus, its "die date" was pushed back, what, until 2010? I'm thinking that since there are major corporations (reported in multiple places, no time for me to google for it right now) in the Fortune 100/500 block that have JUST FINISHED updating to Windows XP in the past 6 months or a year, how many home users do you really think have switched from Win98/2k to XP (any version)? New computer sales default to XP but there are more people running older OS's than most people (especially MS) would like to believe.
If any company is stupid enough to write for DX10 only, they deserve to have their throat cut when the game doesn't sell. Personally, I'd like to see a lot of money thrown into OpenGL 2.0 so that all the 'features' that are needed are in there and ready to rock (and easily upgraded when necessary). Then all game companies dump DX* as a secondary/backup way to play the games with OpenGL being the main. It would also make porting somewhat easier I would imagine.
First, I comepletely agree with your points about there being "intellectually curious" people from all walks of life but your statements from above (intended as sarcasm I know) reminded me of this statement I read somewhere, probably on Slashdot (or bash.org):
Sometimes, I very much agree with that statement. Of course, there are times I agree wholeheartedly with this quote from H. L. Mencken:
As always, ymmv. Arrrrrrrgh! '-)
How about "fucking hate enough to drive a mob mentality where the people of the world unite to destroy through bodily force all major corporations who want to pull this kind of shit"? Is that strong enough? :)
I don't usually air personal material on the 'net (well, not much) but I met Harlan Ellison at DragonCon two years ago and he IS a big fucking prick. One of my best friends not only had lunch with that cocksucker but used her own personal car to drive Harlan and his friends to lunch (at Harlan's own request) and THEN, later that day, he treated her like total shit when all she asked for was a picture of Harlan and his wife. Man, I'll be honest, if I had had a bat or other weapon of personal destruction I'd be in jail because I would have beat the shit out of that asshat. He treated my friend with THAT much disrespect, disdain, and total disregard for her as a human being. Harlan's wife on the other hand was super nice. She deserves an award for putting up with that little peckerwood all these years.
Yeah, because it WAS funny and deserved a response. Not to mention it was quite hilarious with Sprite all over my desk/keyboard. The boss got a good laugh out of it too :)
1) We have rumours being bandied about that SOE is going to lose the SWG license.
1) We have rumours being bandied about that SOE is going to lose the SWG license.
2) We have a massive shakeup in the Sony Online world - including Raph Koster leaving to head up a _new game studio_.
3) And, at the same time, we have BioWare announcing that they have opened a new division in Austion to produce what? A brand new MMORPG.
BioWare is now, as the above press release shows, hiring for all positions and already has one previous Sony Online Entertainment executive producer on the payroll. BioWare also mentions their highly successful games with SW: KOTOR being the first one mentioned in the list.
Now, let us take #1+#2+#3 and mix in all the other miscellaneous tidbits of information and supposition, stir well with the spoon of "what if" and ... VOILA! You have the makings of a brand new Star Wars MMORPG on your hands. IS this what BioWare is keeping under wraps? *shrug* Who knows?
I, for one, would love to see some of the best parts of the original SWG (intricate crafting, non-combat roles being valued - dancer, etc., MULTIPLE professions being possible and varied, and several other parts) being implemented in a much more Star Wars style universe than what the CU and *gag* NGE did to Sony's bastardization of Star Wars.
OMG! I just spewed Sprite out of my nose and all over the keyboard and, of course, the company president walked in to my office to make sure I was ok. You almost got me fired asshole ;-) *lol*
I usually don't respond to ACs but I feel like I don't give a fuck today. So... Hey, dumbass, I did read the reponse. I know it was from Julio Torres - paid lackey of Sony and LucasArts. As I said above - I believe Julio wrote it. Other than that, nah. Maybe LA will prove me completely wrong (more power to them) but I don't want to believe they would be so stupid as to continue flogging the dead horse that is SWG. *shrug* Besides, as I said in my original response - the announcement was ONLY on Sony's forums. Nothing on LucasArts site, nothing in trade magazines, nothing ANYWHERE else at the moment other than Sony's shilling machine (aka SOE's SWG forums).
I saw it the other day when the "spurious internet rumours" were floated around heavily. Do I believe it? Yeah, I believe Julio Torres wrote it. I also don't (want to) believe LucasArts would continue to support a game that is, for all intents and purposes, DYING. If SWG was a horse, the community would do the right thing and take it out back of the barn and put a bullet in its head.
Then again, it is (at times) much harder to admit defeat and failure in the dog-eat-dog world of corporations and say "OK, let's try it a different way" than it is to keep pumping money into that dying horse and hope you ride it to a greener pasture. This is, I will bet, what LucasArts is doing. Perhaps Uncle George has been insulated from the fiasco that is SWG? Would YOU want to be the top dog who had to go tell George that a franchise with, arguably, the potential to rise to World of Warcraft heights* had fallen to the point of The Matrix Online? I don't think I would.
* SWG had the potential to keep on a heavy curve of gaining players. It might not have banged out 5 million players as fast as WoW did, but I think it had the long-term player base and the draw to bring in a vast membership that would have made it one of the top 2 or 3 MMORPGs continuously.
I see a couple of main ways (other than another posters multiple time-line server idea) to get back players they have lost - PRIMARY is to revert back to the original "complex" game idea and (pardon the shouting) FIX WHAT ACTUALLY FUCKING NEEDED TO BE FIXED: armor certification and some balancing (but give crafters decent damn armor so they don't have to hire people to guard them or bug their buddies to help them place harvester on Endor, Yavin, and other extremely hostile worlds), rebalance doctor buffs (not a complete nerf, balance), let the MIND stat be changed like every other stat (thus reducing the Swordmaster and TKAs ability to kill all fast), include GOOD mind buffs to EQUAL what docs could do to Health and Action and their sub-stats (again to balance out swords and TKA), and fix all the other little crap that needed to be fixed (locations that were not all there, elevators that didn't work, mini-missions you could not complete, NPCs you could not reach, etc.). I'm sure I forgot a few things since it has been a long while since I played but that is the major issues that I can remember.
The other main way to bring back their player base is simple: Give up the Star Wars license and let someone else take over the old code base and/OR let the new licensee create an entirely new game (although I would suggest using the first, apparently too complex, version of the game as a basis for any new game). *shrug* Maybe I'm just too optimistic but I enjoyed both sides of the original SWG especially since I didn't feel forced to grind out combat and could craft instead.
Each time I hear that an "advance" has been made and I read that it is basically re-integrating various components back into the primary system or tying those components tighter to the CPU then I can't help but scream "AMIGA!" Of course, this leads to co-workers walking wider paths around me while having avoiding eye contact '-).
Still, all of these advances lead me to believe that we might going back to a dedicated chip style of computing BUT what I am also hoping for is a completely upgradeable system that I can pull the, say, physics processor out and plug a newer version or better chip into without having to replace the entire motherboard or daughterboard. Which, of course, leade me right back to that whole screaming scenario :) The Amiga style of computing may yet live again.
Can I make a clay tablet to jot down information on? Yes.
Can I still get sheets of papyrus to jot down information on? Yes.
Can I still get sheets of parchment to jot down information on? Yes.
So, will I still be able to get paper 500 or even 3000 years from now? I'm betting the answer is yes - even if we have monochromatic polysilicate sheets that can be reused by running the erase wand over them.
AGREED! Wholeheartedly. I believe that with the capital Google is sitting on as well as the revenue stream, they should look deep into Wall Street's eyes and utter the infamous phrase "Fuck you." Then they should issue a press release stating that they will stick to EXACTLY what they promised investors and the public at large in their prospectus and in their business dealings/motto. They should let the public know that Wall Street and Wall Street's "analysts" are trying to force them into a situation(s) where ethics that they, Google, wish to uphold may be challenged and compromised - even inadvertantly - and so Google will NOT play the Wall Street game.
But, hey, that's just me and I'm definitely not in control of a multi-billion dollar corporation. If I was, I like to think I would stick to my guns regardless and let Wall Street rot in hell as I gave the public what it wanted - good products, convenience, and some actual service.
I am not an economist, CEO, or CPA but...
The fiscal year can begin anytime they want it to - depending on when they incorporated and how they were structured. I work for a company in the health field and our year begins in October and ends in September. It is pretty much arbitrary although most corporations tend to follow the major trend in their area since filings with the SEC and earning reports fall on the same time and Wall Street can compare them easier.
*sings* SPAM! Spam, spam, spam, lovely spam, wonderful spam! Spaaaaaaaam! *cough* Well, at least I didn't claim I wanted to be a lumberjack... '-)
Guy one: U rectum?
;-)
Guy two: *lol* Rectum? I damn near killed 'em.
See, I'm thinking the whole joke thing will just continue...
Here is some of the games I loved to play and still play today (lots from ye olde Activision):
:)
Kaboom!
Pitfall
River Raid
Ghostbusters
California Games (half-pipe and hackey sack? what's not to love
Populous (great game, still own copies of the original and the Bullfrog version)
The Bard's Tale (one of the greatest series of RPGs of all time)
Archon and Archon II: Adept
Dragon's Lair (heh, I still remember most of the patterns to this day and would kill to own the stand-up coin op)
Civilization
Starcraft
Alpha Centauri
and there are many, many more that I loved to play back then and still try to play now - when I can.
Back then, gameplay (AND replay) was king with graphics being nice additions to the gameplay. I wish game studios would go BACK to that style of thought.
You know, that may be true, but considering Alexis Barbara was in 2 of your 3 examples I'm thinking she might need to get a restraining order for stalking and name you in it ;-)
Kidding. Just kidding. Since, you know, she IS hot.