I'm... not sure whether I should be worried or complimented that you went through and looked at many of my recent posts for fodder.
just the fact that you have 3 jobs in IT
I have one job in IT, and that's only for six total months out of the year. What I make then has to be saved up and used during the six I don't. I have no idea how you came up with 3.
-hesitate on the free Masters? You, or THEM?
I am not sure on what you're asking. Would I hesitate, or would they? If they offered me a free Master's program, I doubt they would hesitate. However, I would have, both because I hate Michigan and because my college is iffy as it is. However, I've found out some information since then (such as a distance alternative and discount for undergraduates of the college) that makes it much more likely I would do a Master's program with them.
-(speaks for itself)
That was two years ago, and like $50.
You seem to be insinuating that I'm loaded at the moment and should donate to the EFF. Frankly, donating to the EFF doesn't sound like a bad idea; fuck, I'm going to go donate $20 now. But I am in no way loaded- I would be broke with maxed out credit cards right now if my landlord wasn't understanding and let me hold back half my rent payment until I receive my next paycheck.
I subscribe to Pandora, which has really helped me find new bands and music, and they send out a message every so often about this, asking for our help. They give phone numbers for local congressmen, as well as some places to find half-canned scripts to mail in. I would like to see Pandora stick around, even if it meant I did a paid subscription (which I am willing to do, if they can move it into its own client), but I really can't see any action I could take affecting it.
This kind of issue seems too "localized" and small scale for any Congressman to give a shit about, not that know what the hell is going on in the first place. I could call or mail, only to have some intern glance over or listen to what I said, and in return give me the closest canned script that works for this situation. Then of course are those Congressman who are being paid off, and would turn a cold shoulder to it, anyway.
If I believed in market forces more, I would say that this is something that the market would take care of; sadly, the greed and conspiring of large companies coupled with the stupidity of most consumers guarantees that this would stay in effect for quite a long time without a high-level intervention. So what, exactly, could I do without a complete hopeless feeling? I'm sure common answers would be to donate to the EFF, UCLA, or some other activist group, which is not a bad idea at all, but I lack funds.
More aside from the point, even more sad is that it seems that I would have about the same effect on any issue with a congressman, from internet radio fees to the use of taxpayer money in regards to education. Perhaps it's a current bout of depression talking, but I can feel nothing but a sense of hopelessness for this country in the future, looking at the way things are turning now.
To be fair, this isn't just a Microsoft or Sony thing. Nintendo is already planning a version of the Wii with DVD capabilities (and perhaps a few other enhancements, such as more internal memory or a built-in ethernet port) to be released before the end of '08. We've had remakes of the DS and the GBA (twice!) from them; it a shared reaction amongst the big three, though at least Nintendo waits a few years before releasing a new model, generally stopping production on the old one soon after.
I had a similar problem with my VBulletin software. However, the rate of signups told me that it wasn't a bot doing it, humans were signing up, and once the e-mail was sent to confirm registration then a bot took over.
A very easy way to deter spam on forums like that is to limit new user accounts. I took up a tactic on my board that any new user must have five normal posts before making a thread. Likely, you could do just one post and it would still be effective. Spammers always make new threads, rather than finding a thread to post in, so by removing the ability to make a new thread you stop them dead in their tracts.
And then if they do start posting in regular threads, the impact isn't as great on the community.
Because HTML/JS has low entry bar doesn't mean you can pay 50 bucks to a random college kid and have Google maps with draggable/adaptable routes in a week.
Agreed in full. In the year or so of interning at a large company, combined with stories from the net, I've learned one important thing:
Anyone can code.
Anyone.
Given enough education, how-to books, and forums, anyone can write a basic database application. However, writing an application that is bug free, efficient, and has a good interface takes a lot more than just what to do. Writing code is exactly like writing books. Anyone can do it, but only very few can do it well; it's not just what to do, but how to do it, as well as when. That is something a lot of companies don't seem to grasp- even if you know it, you don't necessarily understand it.
I'm a year away from finishing my Bachelor's in Science (CS, of course). In this time, I have had access to a rather nice internship process, and gained lots of relevant experience through two jobs. One was for a small non-profit working IT, with a very relaxed atmosphere, good people, good goals, and an odd pay system. The other is for program development of a large profitable company, with a very strict atmosphere, decent people, goals that mean nothing to me, and a great pay system.
I don't have a list of what to look for, but because of these two places (and the large contrast of setup), I do have a lot of questions to ask for the interview (aside from the general pay, hours, etc.):
1) What is the policy and possibility for raises and advancement? (better and quicker? +1) 2) What, if any, flex time is there? (the more the better) 3) Would I be expected to, at any time, help with tasks not part of my primary job? (I'm not against helping out here and there, but if I'm regularly called on to plunge toilets when I'm a C++ coder, this won't do.) 3a) If so, what limits are placed on that? 4) What is the company's stance on personal music (at a reasonable level or with headphones, of course) and desk customization? (I'm the kind of person who works better if I have music in the background I enjoy; like a long 80s montage) 5) What kind of office environment would I be in? 6) Time allowed for breaks and lunches? (assuming low flex time) 7) What are normal hours in a work week, and what is the average overtime during crunch? (No crunch is best)
I'm sure I'll have more before I actually start hunting, but in my limited time within corporate America I've found that there are things that can make more of a difference than pay increase. I get paid almost twice at the second time than what I got at the first, but I would probably jump back to the first job in a heart beat. I've already decided that, barring the potential for a spouse and family (however slight), I would much rather work in an environment where I wouldn't feel constrained and be paid less.
After all, how much money I have won't matter a damn when I'm dead, but getting to that point will.
Why is it always California that's always ahead of the rest of the country?
This should be fairly obvious: The Governator.
Being an android from the future, Schwarzenegger (I love how FireFox was able to correct that) knows exactly what will happen. His reprogramming also included protecting human interests should he survive, and he knows it is much easier for SkyNet to track humans if they have RFID implants.
I think I might be able to take it a step further.
I had comcast twice in the same area (I move around a lot). The second time I had them, I didn't pay very good attention to my finances, and accidentally paid for an extra month. I called them up after I move, told them the deal, and asked for a refund. Well, my package ran over a few days, so they didn't want to refund the whole thing, but would give most of it back. I was content with that, gave a forwarding address, and forgot about it in a week or so.
That is, until I went to pick up some old mail a few months later. There, I found three notices from a collection agency on behalf of Comcast. I had records of all my bills paid.
Have you guessed what happened? That's right, Comcast, in what had to be some sort of planned retardation, put down the amount they would refund me as a debt. So, instead of paying me back what they owed me, they sent me to collections for that amount. Fucking perfect.
To their credit, I called them up on Christmas day and not only got someone to answer, but got the debt removed. I never did get my money back, as at the time I was so worried about my credit score (college student, large amount of student loans), I forgot to try to work that out and just gave up after the fact.
Even so, I will do my damnedest never to use Comcast again.
I have to agree, and wish I had a mod point. Oh well, post instead.
Anyone who would cut a console's price while in a situation like Nintendo is in would likely be fired before being able to do such a thing. It's been almost eight months since the Wii was launched, and you STILL cannot just walk into a store and pick one up. (I recall being told I was an idiot for reserving one, since enough would be produced and demand low enough that you could walk in on launch day and pick on up.) From the number of people I hear saying they're still trying to get a Wii, both online and off, I would be surprised if Nintendo is able to catch up to demand before Halloween.
People are still lining up outside of stores to get one, they're still all disappearing within an hour of receiving them (when stores are getting 10+ units at a time), and are still pulling in at least $300 on eBay (quick check). It's a corporation's wet dream.
I'm no analyst, but I just can't see Nintendo cutting the price of the Wii before 2008, especially with Metroid Prime 3 and Super Smash Bros Brawl coming out this year.
Why is the New York legislature even wasting time on this?
It's their Homosexual Agenda.
By wasting time on a frivolous bill such as this, they do two things:
1) They distract the public from the realization of real problems (crime, poverty, etc.), even if only for a bit. 2) They make it look like they can get things done.
Nevermind that this bill is pointless and unconstitutional (and will be ruled as such shortly), this makes it seem like they are doing the job they are elected for: being concerned for their constituents. For the vast majority of people, even if they don't necessarily like the bill, they won't see much harm in it, because they won't dwell on it that long. And in making it seem like they are doing something, it makes the public just a tiny bit less alarmed about the real problems facing them. They might think that this was an "easier" decision to get through and so came earlier, and the rest will be just behind it.
I think that's the real reason we ever see stupid bills like this- it's not the politicians being stupid (well, maybe that too), it's them being smart and knowing that it will be overturned, but passing it makes it look like they're doing something anyway.
There is no way an issue like abortion can be "solved".
Agreed. And with that in mind, people on both sides should be focusing on why abortion is in demand, and try to take care of those issues.
In essence, we can "solve" the abortion debate by making abortion a relatively rare practice. The steps to doing this are far, many, and not small changes (go from abstinence sex ed to preventative and protective sex ed, improve child services, foster care, and the like, and more), so it won't be easy, but it will be easier than either side trying to obtain a monopoly opinion.
I can tell you, if I had access to a weapon, it is entirely possible - in fact, probably very likely - that I would have gone postal in that situation.
Sadly, I saw myself in a similar state during middle school.
I was "lucky" in that I never actually got beaten up, but as the saying goes, "At least cuts can heal". I had recently moved and was a complete outcast within my own school. I had a few quirks that made me stick out more, but not to the point (as if there is one) to deserve the mental torture I received. I told my parents that I was being bullied, once or twice talked to my principle or "guidance counselor" (feh!), but nothing changed. I had no true friends- I hung out with a group of people because we were all outcasts, and created our own little unspoken support group (which, of course, just made a nice larger target for the bullies).
After about a year or so of this, Columbine happened. I recall having some tiny portable TV and watching the news about it in my room. The next day, as I was waiting in my first period class for the bell to ring, one of the "preppy" girls who often picked on me actually came to my desk, knelt down in front of me, and asked me not to come to school and shoot her. Completely sincere, as far as I could tell, she put herself below me. I don't know if she consciously made the decision to kneel down (so I was looking down at her) or not, but the act coupled with the request gave me a sudden surge of superiority, of ruthless power.
I'm sorry to say that, at that point, I kind of went crazy. I'm sure there's some psychiatric term for it, but it's not a mental break down. The realization that I had such numbing power over her and many of the other students (I heard whispers throughout the day) who had picked on me in the past went straight to my head. With a smile that would make Hannibal proud, I promised her I wouldn't. I won't go into details on what happened after that, but what I did do almost got me expelled and put complete fear in most of the students (though no one was hurt).
Furthermore, tt made me feel great.
This happened on a Friday, and after being called to the principal's office and sent home a bit early, I cooled down over the weekend and dropped my actions. Of course, by the end of that next week everything was back to normal. But after years of torment (my previous school wasn't much better), the feeling of being in control and being the one who has the power and can instill the fear was overwhelming intoxicating. It was really stupid, and I regret it now, but I know I enjoyed it then.
Unfortunately, my situation there never got much better. Into high school I often toyed with the idea of just bringing one of my father's hunting rifles in and blowing off some choice heads, but I thankfully never acted on the impulse. (In what might be a surprise to/., the main reason I didn't do it then was religion and the fear of hell.)
I haven't read the profile for the guy who did the shootings, but if he was in a similar situation then I can completely understand how he was feeling. Not that I condone it, mind you, but I can see the process. It was probably harder for him, being Korean in a foreign land (even if for a while).
Until the RIAA teams up with the various ISPs to get Net Neutrality struck down through bribes and lobbyists.
Then, the RIAA instructs the ISPs which web sites carry internet radio outside the country, and those web sites are set to the lowest priority possible. This in turn causes many Americans, especially if stuck on 56k, to abandon the radio.
Agreed. I'm also a student (from Iowa) in Michigan, and plan to graduate at the end of this year or beginning of next year. When I do, I'm getting the hell out of here and not looking back. Even if my college offered me a free Masters run, I would be hesitant to pick it up.
Perhaps it comes from living in Flint, but the combination of the idiot government, the attitude of a lot of the people around here, and the roads (yes, they are that bad to be a large reason to leave) that I've seen all around tells me that I'll be much better off in some other state.
The ability to have your IDE or editor or whatnot on one screen while viewing the output, documentation, or APIs on another is incredibly useful, and can speed up your work significantly.
This is even more noticeable when doing web programming.
You open FireFox or Opera in one monitor, set it to the page or site you are working on, and use an extension like ReloadEvery (Opera has this feature built in, I believe) to have it refresh every five minutes or so. Then you just code in the other window, saving as you complete portions. What you save eventually shows up in the firest monitor, and if you break something your peripheral vision will catch the major change in the FireFox/Opera screen, alerting you to the problem.
A sad fact for many a Japanese game fan is that often times popular games will get a "Second Run" sequel that will include the original game, enhancements, and a metric butt-load of extras. A recent example is something like Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix, of which Squeenix has announced no plans for a state-side release. RE4Wii (RWii4?) sounds like the same avenue, and I would be pleasantly surprised if it was localized anywhere outside Japan.
At $30, I would gladly buy the game again to get the various Wii abilities, the PS2 extras (and more), and perhaps a few small graphical upgrades. (I don't know how much they could do at this point; RE4 came late in the life of the Gamecube, and really used the hardware at that point. The Wii does give them more power over the 'cube, but not a terribly large difference, and they may not be able to tap into it yet.)
There is some hope: an American online shop (can't remember which one; Amazon?) recently listed RE4 Wii as a game, though it was quickly pulled (only to appear on a Japanese online retailer a week later).
As a side note, I wouldn't be surprised if we see this kind of action for a lot of popular Gamecube games. Considering the Wii was built on Gamecube hardware, it shouldn't be terribly hard to port the code, then enhance as possible/financially viable.
Immediate games that could take advantage of this would include: Killer7, Wind Waker, Splinter Cell, Star Fox, etc. Who knows, a pre-order bonus for Metroid Prime 3 might be getting Metroid Prime and MP2:Echos for the Wii as a compilation, where most of the game remains the same but uses the Wii controls.
Even so, I hope that doesn't become the norm. Seeing the Wii become nothing more than a home for last-gen ports would sadden me.
There's lots of rampant fan speculation and wishing, but there's no confirmation from either Nintendo or Sega either way.
Considering that Melee had 20+ characters, and we've only seen about 10 for Brawl, I'd say we have a lot of revealing left, which will probably be held until close to release.
Sega has always been pre-disposed to put its Sonic games on its once-rival's console first and foremost. The Wii got it's own Sonic game (supposedly the best since Sonic Adventure) and a host of other games.
Now that Sonic and Mario are appearing together in a game, does this mean we can expect Sonic to be a character in Super Smash Bros Brawl?
Slashdot Mirror
You seem to be insinuating that I'm loaded at the moment and should donate to the EFF. Frankly, donating to the EFF doesn't sound like a bad idea; fuck, I'm going to go donate $20 now. But I am in no way loaded- I would be broke with maxed out credit cards right now if my landlord wasn't understanding and let me hold back half my rent payment until I receive my next paycheck.
I subscribe to Pandora, which has really helped me find new bands and music, and they send out a message every so often about this, asking for our help. They give phone numbers for local congressmen, as well as some places to find half-canned scripts to mail in. I would like to see Pandora stick around, even if it meant I did a paid subscription (which I am willing to do, if they can move it into its own client), but I really can't see any action I could take affecting it.
This kind of issue seems too "localized" and small scale for any Congressman to give a shit about, not that know what the hell is going on in the first place. I could call or mail, only to have some intern glance over or listen to what I said, and in return give me the closest canned script that works for this situation. Then of course are those Congressman who are being paid off, and would turn a cold shoulder to it, anyway.
If I believed in market forces more, I would say that this is something that the market would take care of; sadly, the greed and conspiring of large companies coupled with the stupidity of most consumers guarantees that this would stay in effect for quite a long time without a high-level intervention. So what, exactly, could I do without a complete hopeless feeling? I'm sure common answers would be to donate to the EFF, UCLA, or some other activist group, which is not a bad idea at all, but I lack funds.
More aside from the point, even more sad is that it seems that I would have about the same effect on any issue with a congressman, from internet radio fees to the use of taxpayer money in regards to education. Perhaps it's a current bout of depression talking, but I can feel nothing but a sense of hopelessness for this country in the future, looking at the way things are turning now.
To be fair, this isn't just a Microsoft or Sony thing. Nintendo is already planning a version of the Wii with DVD capabilities (and perhaps a few other enhancements, such as more internal memory or a built-in ethernet port) to be released before the end of '08. We've had remakes of the DS and the GBA (twice!) from them; it a shared reaction amongst the big three, though at least Nintendo waits a few years before releasing a new model, generally stopping production on the old one soon after.
I had a similar problem with my VBulletin software. However, the rate of signups told me that it wasn't a bot doing it, humans were signing up, and once the e-mail was sent to confirm registration then a bot took over.
A very easy way to deter spam on forums like that is to limit new user accounts. I took up a tactic on my board that any new user must have five normal posts before making a thread. Likely, you could do just one post and it would still be effective. Spammers always make new threads, rather than finding a thread to post in, so by removing the ability to make a new thread you stop them dead in their tracts.
And then if they do start posting in regular threads, the impact isn't as great on the community.
Anyone can code.
Anyone.
Given enough education, how-to books, and forums, anyone can write a basic database application. However, writing an application that is bug free, efficient, and has a good interface takes a lot more than just what to do. Writing code is exactly like writing books. Anyone can do it, but only very few can do it well; it's not just what to do, but how to do it, as well as when. That is something a lot of companies don't seem to grasp- even if you know it, you don't necessarily understand it.
I'm a year away from finishing my Bachelor's in Science (CS, of course). In this time, I have had access to a rather nice internship process, and gained lots of relevant experience through two jobs. One was for a small non-profit working IT, with a very relaxed atmosphere, good people, good goals, and an odd pay system. The other is for program development of a large profitable company, with a very strict atmosphere, decent people, goals that mean nothing to me, and a great pay system.
I don't have a list of what to look for, but because of these two places (and the large contrast of setup), I do have a lot of questions to ask for the interview (aside from the general pay, hours, etc.):
1) What is the policy and possibility for raises and advancement? (better and quicker? +1)
2) What, if any, flex time is there? (the more the better)
3) Would I be expected to, at any time, help with tasks not part of my primary job?
(I'm not against helping out here and there, but if I'm regularly called on to plunge toilets when I'm a C++ coder, this won't do.)
3a) If so, what limits are placed on that?
4) What is the company's stance on personal music (at a reasonable level or with headphones, of course) and desk customization? (I'm the kind of person who works better if I have music in the background I enjoy; like a long 80s montage)
5) What kind of office environment would I be in?
6) Time allowed for breaks and lunches? (assuming low flex time)
7) What are normal hours in a work week, and what is the average overtime during crunch? (No crunch is best)
I'm sure I'll have more before I actually start hunting, but in my limited time within corporate America I've found that there are things that can make more of a difference than pay increase. I get paid almost twice at the second time than what I got at the first, but I would probably jump back to the first job in a heart beat. I've already decided that, barring the potential for a spouse and family (however slight), I would much rather work in an environment where I wouldn't feel constrained and be paid less.
After all, how much money I have won't matter a damn when I'm dead, but getting to that point will.
Being an android from the future, Schwarzenegger (I love how FireFox was able to correct that) knows exactly what will happen. His reprogramming also included protecting human interests should he survive, and he knows it is much easier for SkyNet to track humans if they have RFID implants.
I think I might be able to take it a step further.
I had comcast twice in the same area (I move around a lot). The second time I had them, I didn't pay very good attention to my finances, and accidentally paid for an extra month. I called them up after I move, told them the deal, and asked for a refund. Well, my package ran over a few days, so they didn't want to refund the whole thing, but would give most of it back. I was content with that, gave a forwarding address, and forgot about it in a week or so.
That is, until I went to pick up some old mail a few months later. There, I found three notices from a collection agency on behalf of Comcast. I had records of all my bills paid.
Have you guessed what happened? That's right, Comcast, in what had to be some sort of planned retardation, put down the amount they would refund me as a debt. So, instead of paying me back what they owed me, they sent me to collections for that amount. Fucking perfect.
To their credit, I called them up on Christmas day and not only got someone to answer, but got the debt removed. I never did get my money back, as at the time I was so worried about my credit score (college student, large amount of student loans), I forgot to try to work that out and just gave up after the fact.
Even so, I will do my damnedest never to use Comcast again.
Their art department gets to make shiny new logos.
Also, they get to say "The Sims by the Sims", thereby breaking many people's brains.
I have to agree, and wish I had a mod point. Oh well, post instead.
Anyone who would cut a console's price while in a situation like Nintendo is in would likely be fired before being able to do such a thing. It's been almost eight months since the Wii was launched, and you STILL cannot just walk into a store and pick one up. (I recall being told I was an idiot for reserving one, since enough would be produced and demand low enough that you could walk in on launch day and pick on up.) From the number of people I hear saying they're still trying to get a Wii, both online and off, I would be surprised if Nintendo is able to catch up to demand before Halloween.
People are still lining up outside of stores to get one, they're still all disappearing within an hour of receiving them (when stores are getting 10+ units at a time), and are still pulling in at least $300 on eBay (quick check). It's a corporation's wet dream.
I'm no analyst, but I just can't see Nintendo cutting the price of the Wii before 2008, especially with Metroid Prime 3 and Super Smash Bros Brawl coming out this year.
Reggie is taking blames and kicking assets?
By wasting time on a frivolous bill such as this, they do two things:
1) They distract the public from the realization of real problems (crime, poverty, etc.), even if only for a bit.
2) They make it look like they can get things done.
Nevermind that this bill is pointless and unconstitutional (and will be ruled as such shortly), this makes it seem like they are doing the job they are elected for: being concerned for their constituents. For the vast majority of people, even if they don't necessarily like the bill, they won't see much harm in it, because they won't dwell on it that long. And in making it seem like they are doing something, it makes the public just a tiny bit less alarmed about the real problems facing them. They might think that this was an "easier" decision to get through and so came earlier, and the rest will be just behind it.
I think that's the real reason we ever see stupid bills like this- it's not the politicians being stupid (well, maybe that too), it's them being smart and knowing that it will be overturned, but passing it makes it look like they're doing something anyway.
So what happens if we just remove the ceiling?
Well, looks like we've been given a free pass.
Who wants to be the first to tap into the phone lines of Verizon execs and lawyers to hand over to the government? A Slashdot is fine, too.
Oh right, we're just citizens. I guess that means this "right" is only really held by Verizon.
Wow.
You're like an inspiration to every stereotypical nerd on Slashdot. All of the brains with none of the downside. And a four-digit account!
Can I be you when I grow up?
In essence, we can "solve" the abortion debate by making abortion a relatively rare practice. The steps to doing this are far, many, and not small changes (go from abstinence sex ed to preventative and protective sex ed, improve child services, foster care, and the like, and more), so it won't be easy, but it will be easier than either side trying to obtain a monopoly opinion.
I was "lucky" in that I never actually got beaten up, but as the saying goes, "At least cuts can heal". I had recently moved and was a complete outcast within my own school. I had a few quirks that made me stick out more, but not to the point (as if there is one) to deserve the mental torture I received. I told my parents that I was being bullied, once or twice talked to my principle or "guidance counselor" (feh!), but nothing changed. I had no true friends- I hung out with a group of people because we were all outcasts, and created our own little unspoken support group (which, of course, just made a nice larger target for the bullies).
After about a year or so of this, Columbine happened. I recall having some tiny portable TV and watching the news about it in my room. The next day, as I was waiting in my first period class for the bell to ring, one of the "preppy" girls who often picked on me actually came to my desk, knelt down in front of me, and asked me not to come to school and shoot her. Completely sincere, as far as I could tell, she put herself below me. I don't know if she consciously made the decision to kneel down (so I was looking down at her) or not, but the act coupled with the request gave me a sudden surge of superiority, of ruthless power.
I'm sorry to say that, at that point, I kind of went crazy. I'm sure there's some psychiatric term for it, but it's not a mental break down. The realization that I had such numbing power over her and many of the other students (I heard whispers throughout the day) who had picked on me in the past went straight to my head. With a smile that would make Hannibal proud, I promised her I wouldn't. I won't go into details on what happened after that, but what I did do almost got me expelled and put complete fear in most of the students (though no one was hurt).
Furthermore, tt made me feel great.
This happened on a Friday, and after being called to the principal's office and sent home a bit early, I cooled down over the weekend and dropped my actions. Of course, by the end of that next week everything was back to normal. But after years of torment (my previous school wasn't much better), the feeling of being in control and being the one who has the power and can instill the fear was overwhelming intoxicating. It was really stupid, and I regret it now, but I know I enjoyed it then.
Unfortunately, my situation there never got much better. Into high school I often toyed with the idea of just bringing one of my father's hunting rifles in and blowing off some choice heads, but I thankfully never acted on the impulse. (In what might be a surprise to
I haven't read the profile for the guy who did the shootings, but if he was in a similar situation then I can completely understand how he was feeling. Not that I condone it, mind you, but I can see the process. It was probably harder for him, being Korean in a foreign land (even if for a while).
It sure will.
Until the RIAA teams up with the various ISPs to get Net Neutrality struck down through bribes and lobbyists.
Then, the RIAA instructs the ISPs which web sites carry internet radio outside the country, and those web sites are set to the lowest priority possible. This in turn causes many Americans, especially if stuck on 56k, to abandon the radio.
Sadly, I can actually see this happening.
Agreed. I'm also a student (from Iowa) in Michigan, and plan to graduate at the end of this year or beginning of next year. When I do, I'm getting the hell out of here and not looking back. Even if my college offered me a free Masters run, I would be hesitant to pick it up.
Perhaps it comes from living in Flint, but the combination of the idiot government, the attitude of a lot of the people around here, and the roads (yes, they are that bad to be a large reason to leave) that I've seen all around tells me that I'll be much better off in some other state.
You open FireFox or Opera in one monitor, set it to the page or site you are working on, and use an extension like ReloadEvery (Opera has this feature built in, I believe) to have it refresh every five minutes or so. Then you just code in the other window, saving as you complete portions. What you save eventually shows up in the firest monitor, and if you break something your peripheral vision will catch the major change in the FireFox/Opera screen, alerting you to the problem.
A sad fact for many a Japanese game fan is that often times popular games will get a "Second Run" sequel that will include the original game, enhancements, and a metric butt-load of extras. A recent example is something like Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix, of which Squeenix has announced no plans for a state-side release. RE4Wii (RWii4?) sounds like the same avenue, and I would be pleasantly surprised if it was localized anywhere outside Japan.
At $30, I would gladly buy the game again to get the various Wii abilities, the PS2 extras (and more), and perhaps a few small graphical upgrades. (I don't know how much they could do at this point; RE4 came late in the life of the Gamecube, and really used the hardware at that point. The Wii does give them more power over the 'cube, but not a terribly large difference, and they may not be able to tap into it yet.)
There is some hope: an American online shop (can't remember which one; Amazon?) recently listed RE4 Wii as a game, though it was quickly pulled (only to appear on a Japanese online retailer a week later).
As a side note, I wouldn't be surprised if we see this kind of action for a lot of popular Gamecube games. Considering the Wii was built on Gamecube hardware, it shouldn't be terribly hard to port the code, then enhance as possible/financially viable.
Immediate games that could take advantage of this would include: Killer7, Wind Waker, Splinter Cell, Star Fox, etc. Who knows, a pre-order bonus for Metroid Prime 3 might be getting Metroid Prime and MP2:Echos for the Wii as a compilation, where most of the game remains the same but uses the Wii controls.
Even so, I hope that doesn't become the norm. Seeing the Wii become nothing more than a home for last-gen ports would sadden me.
I can't believe you're still using that old Discussion 2.1 mentality.
Get with the times and move on to Discussion 4.0, man!
When Miyamoto mentioned diversity, he meant things like Liberal Arts, Ancient History, and Underwater Basket Weaving.
These are, of course, great tools for when you begin your career at McDonald's, hence the relevance of the linked review.
Cooking Mama trains our future!
There's lots of rampant fan speculation and wishing, but there's no confirmation from either Nintendo or Sega either way.
Considering that Melee had 20+ characters, and we've only seen about 10 for Brawl, I'd say we have a lot of revealing left, which will probably be held until close to release.
Sega has always been pre-disposed to put its Sonic games on its once-rival's console first and foremost. The Wii got it's own Sonic game (supposedly the best since Sonic Adventure) and a host of other games.
Now that Sonic and Mario are appearing together in a game, does this mean we can expect Sonic to be a character in Super Smash Bros Brawl?