Well stated. Much more concise than what I was about to post, with far more clarity.

I don't really care about the layout, what keeps me here after more than a decade is what I read about, and the discussions held here. Look is important if I can't use the site, but this is usable. Some will like it, some will hate it, some will say "meh" to it. As long as I can find stories and conversations that interest me though, I'm good. Just my personal .02

I remember the last time the layout was changed, and there was the usual round of "oh I hate this." Other than hoping they decide to show member numbers (those of us in the first 999,999 want our cred), I like the new layout, and think it will grow on people over time, just like the current one did.

Still, great comment :)

I think we're going to need a bigger shark.

My city (I live in a state capital) just demolished one of our older main branches to build one easily 3 times larger. The library is used a lot (you could not usually find an empty space in the lot on Saturdays, had to park a block from the building) by high school students from the north side of town (tend to be poorer, probably don't have as much access to technology, etc.), so I would say from anecdotal evidence that libraries still do have a large role to play in education, if nothing else.

My own kids love checking out books to read from their school library, and they both tend to get fiction and non-fiction alike, despite having the entire WWW (not to mention game consoles and handhelds) at their disposal. Again, this is just what I have witnessed personally, but libraries do seem to still be valued by many in the population despite all the alternatives.

This, soooo much.

Hear hear (or is it, "here, here"?) !

I used to race motorcycles (for fun, at a local track) - doesn't qualify me as an expert, but I've seen accidents on a track that people get up from without injury that would have probably resulted in all sorts of trauma on the street. The reasons are several - no obstructions around the roadway; everyone going in the same direction; everyone involved understanding that speed is the goal; areas surrounding the track are set up so as to minimize injury.

These factors are for all intents and purposes are absent from the street. Add to that, not only are you endangering yourself, but others' lives and property as well.

My assumption is weight savings. All those grams / ounces add up as you eliminate even small items.

Nice troll, though I think you slipped in your second to last sentence, as it makes sense (though I'd strike out "kids" and replace with "people").

My oldest son, who's only in 5th grade, already sees the girls tearing each other down. One has already transferred after one year due to the other girls being cruel to her (apparently she was somewhat sloppy and had some unsanitary habits). Sad that in order to feel confident, these young girls seem to need to feel superior, and in order to do that, a victim MUST exist as a useful example of what is inferior.

Not to say the boys don't bully too (and my son WAS guilty of such, and we put a stop to that shit right away by having him apologize in front of the entire class; he's also been on the receiving end), but the girls seem to push it to whatever limit they can.

How old are you?

Your first paragraph is spot on. The third, sadly, displays your unsuitability for parenthood and incredible lack of sympathy/empathy for adolescents and those suffering from mental health problems. Please, make the world a better place by learning how to be somewhat compassionate.

Nah - the pols are fucking ALL of us.

Agree with you here. I own Liberty City and San Andreas on PC; unless they build a PC port for this release I won't get it.

The PC / console thing has been going 'round and 'round for ages; every time a new console gen launches, the death of PC games is announced. As the consoles age and the PC components catch up (quickly) and then surpass (sometimes vastly) the consoles' abilities (think about Skyrim's expansions and the problems the PS3 had), that talk tends to die down.

I personally enjoy shooters on PC, driving games on console, and everything else is mostly a push (I don't play NFL/NBA games, so not sure how those compare).

Right - integration engine (Cloverleaf).