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Comment Re:HAHAHA yeah right (Score 5, Interesting) 177

Having played both... Halo is the superior game. Yes, blasphemy, I know, but really, is there a story to Half-Life? No. I was amazed when playing HL2 that people make it out to be such a big deal. Most of it was listen to a couple minutes of conversation that suggests that there may be a story somewhere, OMG, something happened, you're separated from Alyx, now go through 2 hours of story-less FPS gaming to meet her somewhere else. Then it happens again. Oh, and occasionally there are massively long and boring vehicle sections.

About 25% of HL2 was actually interesting and fun.

Halo, on the other hand, has solid story throughout. Sure, there's nothing as cool as the gravity gun in the play, but the tank-driving sections are far more fun than anything in HL2.

In fact, the section of Halo 3 where you destroy the scarab with the tank was more fun than the entirety of HL2.

Comment Re:Fair is fair (Score 1) 1182

Let me get this straight.

Because one title with proper ratings has a small portion of the game, something that's completely optional for end users to participate in, that's related to sexuality, then there can't be the policy decision to decide that topic's not allowable in a console feature that's in no way related to the game in question?

The fact that the majority of the use of terms related to sexual orientation of XBL are meant as pejoratives can't be allowed into policy decisions? So because Fable 2 has sexuality in it, XBL must allow sexual orientation and related terms in profiles, even if that means for every single GLBT person that puts it in their profile, 10-20 kids make gamertags like "FAGKILLER" and "STUPIDGAYS"?

Sure, you can just say that offensive ones are not allowed. But then what happens when someone's tag is "RichardIsGay" - is that offensive or not? Then the judgement calls get difficult, and eventually one is made incorrectly, then Consumerist gets more articles about how the people making the decisions at XBL aren't all perfect and therefore they're all a bunch of gay haters.

United States

Submission + - TX Science Educator Fired - Was Non-Neutral re: ID (nytimes.com) 1

jeffporcaro writes: "Texas' Director of Science Curriculum was "forced to step down" for favoring evolution over intelligent design (ID). She apparently circulated an e-mail that was critical of ID — although state regulations require her not to have any opinion "on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral." I hope they don't enforce the same kind of neutrality regarding heliocentricity or other scientific "debates.""
Security

Submission + - A U.S. pandemic would kill 1.7m, hospitalize 9m (computerworld.com)

Lucas123 writes: "A U.S. pandemic would exhaust antiviral medications, reduce basic food supplies, put ATMs out of service, shut down call centers, increase gas prices and up health insurance claims by 20%, according a test project developed by financial service firms. The pandemic paper planning scenario is used by 3,000 banks, insurance companies and security firms in preparing for disasters. The financial services groups are now sharing the pandemic flu exercise information, and all the scenarios are available for download."
Space

Submission + - New Theory Explains Periodic Mass Extinctions

i_like_spam writes: The theory that the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid impact, the K-T extinction, is well known and supported by fossil and geological evidence. Asteroid impact theory does not apply to the other fluctuations in biodiversity, however, which follow an approximate 62 million-year cycle. As reported in Science news, a new theory seems to explain periodic mass extinctions. The new theory found that oscillations in the Sun relative to the plane of the Milky Way correlate with changes in biodiversity on Earth. The researchers suggest that an increase in the exposure of Earth to extragalatic cosmic rays causes mass extinctions. Here is the original paper describing the finding.
Announcements

Submission + - Nanotech tablecloth that charges your laptop

moscowde writes: Research scientists at the University of Tokyo have come up with a unique sheet-like material that can transmit electrical energy over a large area to nearby devices without the need for direct contact, so it can be made into a tablecloth or wallpaper and your appliance can be anywhere on a surface to get charged. The system uses organic molecules as transistors, microelectromechanical switches, and miniature copper coils to transmit energy using electromagnetic induction. http://www.justchromatography.com/general/world-wi thout-wires
Security

Submission + - U.S. cities don't make the intelligence cut

coondoggie writes: "For the second year running, no U.S. city has made the list of the world's top Intelligent Communities of 2007, as selected by global think tank Intelligent Community Forum. The ICF selects the Intelligent Community list based on how advanced the communities are in deploying broadband, building a knowledge-based workforce, combining government and private-sector "digital inclusion," fostering innovation and marketing economic development. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/012407-icf-p tc.html"

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