I had to order a MacBook Pro for myself to use from work but they wouldn't pay for me to NOT get the glossy screen. I really do detest them... Just a preference. I understand why people like them, I just... don't.

They aren't doing anything to prevent used sales. They're encouraging new sales with free stuff that makes the game a bit more fun or interesting. The DLC that this kid didn't get is completely unessential. There is no prevention. Prevention would be requiring downloading DLC that makes the game playable or completable. Even if they did make you do that, we have no right to be outraged unless the publishers don't tell us about this.

Bioware knows that people would catch on pretty fast if they had to download things to finish or play the game so they offer something trivial that you may or may not want. It isn't quite the difference in price between used and new, but who knows. I think it's brilliant.

It's not like they're charging money for the game to be playable or completable. I think this is a brilliant way to keep people buying new content. Bioware knows that they're losing a used sale so they make up for it by offering some trivial (I have played Mass Effect 2, and it IS trival) DLC that you may or may not want. They also know that there would be massive upheaval if they forced you to pay $5 to complete the game if you buy it used.

Also, I think that the case is valid against Gamestop, and that it is a used game. New means unused, by anyone.

During my huge weight loss periods I experienced the same thing. I didn't appear to lose muscle mass, however I couldn't lift like I could before.

During high school and year one of college I was around 240. I stopped drinking pop, soda, what-have-you and instantly reduced my calorie intake by about 600-1200 Pepsi calories per day. In two months I had dropped down to 170. I spent the next years lifting and training lightly and never seemed to exceed 180. Then came alcohol. I hovered around 190-200 for a few years. About a year ago I took some serious measures and got back down to 175 for a few months after a shoulder injury. Around then... I started dating my wife about a year ago. In that time I've gotten back up to 200-210 and I have no time for a structured workout regime and I'm one of those casual eaters who doesn't notice that I just ate a candy bar or an entire pizza. Ever. I'm working on it, and I'm sure that if I am mindful of it I won't have the problem anymore. I'm also cutting out beer for a few months.

Sounds like a great program. I seriously wish I had the time for something like that. Currently, eating right and logging my intake is all I can do.

Exactly. I'm about 205 with a BMI of 31.2 which puts me in the "Obese" category. I work for a health care organization and before the economy died here they used to give us free, voluntary yearly health assessments. Each time my height, weight, cholesterol, etc was recorded and anyone with any risks was contacted by a nurse.

Every year I was contacted by the fitness and consoled over the phone on weight loss and the side effects like stress and depression. So, I'd go to their meeting and they'd kick me out. At the time of my last meeting my lean body mass was about 85%. So, I'm obese on paper and fit in real life. Except since I got married a few months back. I'm up about 10-15 lbs of fat. My wife knows how to cook and I never really cooked before.

This is a method I use quite often. The only problem is making sure the flash is off so you don't annoy the instructor. Absolutely priceless. However, I find that if I don't copy the pictures into a notebook then I won't retain it. I just get to do it a little slower.

(also, taking a video of a long lecture is AWESOME)

I always figured the learning 'curve' was a function of ability over time. It always ends on the top of the 'hill' in the sames spot. The curve, however, was generated in how much time was allowed. Therefore, lot's of things to learn in a short period of time would be steep (and likely difficult), however, the same amount of learning over, say, four times as much time would be a more gentle slope (however, this could still be difficult).

If you can learn something "at your leisure" I'd say that the curve becomes trivial because you're not required to "climb" and faster or slower than you wish.

The Bible says to test a prophecy by seeing if it comes true. It makes sense seeing as most prophecies seem to be making absurd claims. But, then again, some of them come true in one fashion or another.

However, if I've learned anything from Star Trek and other sci fi, you cannot escape a timeline. No matter what... Except, perhaps, in Minority Report.

Does this mean that any time someone says "Mother Fucker" they have to pay royalties to every rapper ever? That's going to be a pain in the ass!

The nice thing is that [hob]bits are about half the size of regular bits, thus the normal interweb tubes can pass twice as much data.

NICs will be replaced with [hob]bit holes.

I don't think this is much of a troll. The legal system can, and periodically is, turned into a popularity contest. There is a very real likelihood that the jurors will act on personal feelings about the company, and/or be swayed because of lawyer speak.

However, it is also possible that the jurors will be fair and impartial. But from what we now know about that district, there really isn't any hope.

I walked in looking for broadband deals. Comcast usually has a free money deal going on or something. I walked past the mobile phones and some teen asks me what I need. Why not? "I'm looking for in-home broadband."
She replies, "Oh, right this way!" and shows me to the mobile broadband cards.
"Oh, no. I don't want mobile broadband. I want wired broadband into my house. Comcast, you know?"
The reply, "Oh, this is broadband. It's super fast."
"No, I've got mobile broadband and I'm disconnecting it becuase I have no use for it. I want in home, wired, not mobile broadband."
After a very confused look she said, "I'm sorry, I don't think we have that."
Then I walked into the computer section. I expected nothing less than gross incompetence from Best Buy. It's what I got.

Hard to smell something in which you have been steeping for 25 years. It's like visiting old people. Their houses have that odd smell, but they'd never know about it.

Oh, and kudos for getting the car analogy in the discussion ;)

No kidding, if it wasn't such a significant initial investment we'd be using LED bulbs in my house 4 months out of the year or more (I like it nice and cool). During the winter we can switch them back. I don't see what's so bad about switching out bulbs two (or more depending on weather) times a year to save some money and some environment.
For the same reason I don't mind letting my computers idle (as much) during the winter since the wasted energy is quite efficiently transformed into heat and pushed out into the surrounding environment. In the summer I unplug the power strips on everything if I'm going to be gone for more than 12 hours. The Xbox get unplugged if I'll be gone for more than an hour. It's older and that power brick stays pretty warm.