True enough. That means that they need a different revenue stream for that audience. I submit that shows like Star Trek, Babylon 5, Stargate, Farscape, BSG and Doctor Who will generate more in DVD (or streaming) sales than Ghost Hunters, wrestling or any reality based TV show. Likewise, these shows should have infinitely higher syndication value. I suspect that like many manufacturing companies, the SyFy channel is more concerned with short term profits and does not want to spend the capital to develop quality Sci Fi programming that would provide higher long term returns. It's the American way.

Put aside our horrible primary/secondary education system that doesn't adequately prepare them for the curriculum. I'm an engineer for a Dow component corporation and they are more interested sourcing their engineering work to low cost centers (read India) than staffing to appropriate levels here in the states. That's not to say that we don't hire US engineers, just not in the numbers required to do all of the work that needs to be done. Most engineers that I know spend more time managing/supporting outsource efforts or other company initiative stuff than doing actual engineering work.

How many pounds of PETN do you think these 2m long food tubes will hold?

Are they really proposing to give everyone their own cell phone jammer? If they make it easy enough to take out of the car, I might actually start going to the movie theater again. I'm sure this couldn't possibly be used for anything nefarious.

If it wasn't marked "Property of the FBI" and they wanted it back, I think that I might ask for proof of ownership. Saying that something belongs to you, does not make it so.

Pinky: "Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?"

I couldn't agree more. I've purchased to many stinkers over the years at $40+ each that I want an idea of what I'm buying first. I would not have recently purchased BF Bad Company 2 if not for the FREE demo. I almost didn't anyway, but I really liked the gameplay. Conversely, the demo for Dante's Inferno caused me not to buy that game. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..

It's not about hardware equivalency between PC and console as much as it's about hardware equivalency between gamers. A PC gamer that has the latest i7 extreme edition & quad 5970's will have a decisive advantage over me with my 3+ year old system. And I guess I never noticed a price difference between PC & console games. With companies like GameStop purchasing used console games, I wonder if that isn't a wash anyway.

I used to be a big PC gamer, but broke down and bought an 360 a few years back because I could get that entire system for the cost of a new PC video card alone. I could live with console gaming if they'd give me the option of ditching the controller for a keyboard and mouse. For me, it's the only thing that makes PC gaming more attractive than console gaming. My 58" plasma and home theater really enhance my gaming experience, plus my couch is infinitely more comfortable than my computer chair (particularly for long stretches). Additionally, I like the idea that everyone is using the same hardware and the guys that are killing me every time I turn around aren't doing so because they're getting 10x my frame rate after building a new $5k system. Another benefit to ditching the PC for the console is that I haven't had to update my PC in years. (I'm long overdue for a new PC, but don't have a compelling reason to upgrade just yet)

Deterent.

That's really the problem though, isn't it. A government isn't usually oppressive enough to rise up against when their taking your guns away. (I'm thinking about UK, Austrialia, Canda) By the time it comes to revolution, you're basically screwed - or at least starting off at a severe disadvantage. I've had this conversation with several of my friends. What would we do if the government came for our guns? I'd like to think that we'd at least hide them. But what happens when that becomes a class 1 felony punishable by 60 years? Is it worth the risk, or do you just give them up and hope for the best? I just think it's sad that several countries have let it come to that. That's not to suggest that the US won't follow that same path.

Actually, I'd say it was surprisingly effective at Waco. 50 men held off 100's of trained law enforcement officers for 51 days. The initial raid by 75 ATF agents was repelled, killing 4 and wounding 16 agents. The defenders had 6 killed and 3 wounded. Sure, all the branch davidians died in the end, but the results are still impressive for such a small group of people. (no matter which side you side with) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_Siege/

I guess I should have wrote a book to explain my statement more clearly, and I would encourage you to read my response to another poster in this same thread. Quote from Thomas Jefferson: "God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." My statement was intended to convey that it's harder to refresh that tree of liberty when the general poulace has limited means to do so. The UK and Australia seem to have incrementally reduced the liberties of their citizens. (The US is probably on the same path, but just lagging) I doubt that either are at the breaking point yet, but at what point do the people say enough, and how do they then effect that change? Pitchforks will likely not stand up well against the homeland security forces. If you believe it's in the voting booth, then you have more faith in the current system than I do. (at least in the US) I'll try to make my future postings more clear.

I wasn't suggesting that anyone be assassinated. It sets a bad prescedent for when your guy is in power and the other side disagrees with his position. I meant to imply that it's far easier to suppress a people that have no means to easily rise up in response. At what point do a governed people turn on that government and establish a new one? It clearly can not be done through the election process with the current system.

It's too bad you folks in the UK let them take your guns away, or you might have other options available to you. (At the very least, the UK government might fear the people instead of the other way around)

I'm paying for this storage, in effect renting that drive space. How is this any different than having a lockbox at a bank or a locker at a storage facility? (other than 3rd parties can't add content to it)