Samothrake

Oh, and I agree with Lothic and WhiteHotFlash, and Ironik. A few misspellings I can deal with. But why is everyone in such a hurry when typing? I tend to write my long ones up in Word, so I have an automatic spell check and a somewhat grammar check, then copy over to boards.

So, would I be considered a grammar nazi because I cringe every time I see the misuse of ‘there,’ ‘their,’ and ‘they’re’? The same goes for using except for accept (such as the animator of the video did in his blog, hehe) and vice versa. Ensure where it should be insure, or even assure. (I assure you that they will ensure that we will insure this item.) And maybe is not the same thing as something that may be. I guess you could say that I want to see the correct word in the correct manner in the correct usage. This is perhaps because I read a lot of books, and I see the correct usage almost every day. I’m not so bad about the use of punctuation, but I would at least like a period at the end of sentences. Commas help me know where to pause and perhaps figure out where someone wants emphasis in what they are trying to convey.

Now many times I can figure out what the person with the bad grammar is trying to tell me, but if one had just listened to one’s English teachers and absorbed some of that knowledge, I could do so in a third or quarter of the time. Having to go back and reread statements – often several times – in order to reinterpret them in the context of what else is said, both before and after, is not really something I want or like to do all the time, even though it seems I must do so more frequently as time passes.

But what really gets me is when I see text message shorthand in places where it really shouldn’t be (like many message boards, in my opinion). Or even worse the so called “leet-speak.” I understand that with the small character limits things must be condensed so you can get your point across. This however, leads to many more misunderstandings than even just a written/typed answer or conversation. But that is a whole other subject. When I see SMS shorthand in a long-form typed answer I have to stop myself from immediately thinking that this person is lazy, under the age of 21, doesn’t really care about the subject he is writing/commenting about, is not quite all there, or even just trolling for “lulz.” Perhaps even a combination of any and all of those things. In short I have trouble taking such posts and replies seriously. Now don’t misunderstand me here. I accept a lol, rofl, and even a roflmao in online communication, and even other such online ‘abbreviations’ imo, imho and ianal - even emoticons. But that is because I know what they mean. It took me forever to figure out what the term “QQ” meant on some other boards. (cry, for those of you who may not know. Apparently some think the q’s look like tears from the eyes.) After that I was able to substitute in my head the actual word for what the shorthand is. I just don’t like to see “u gonna bring ur stuff?” and such in a context where typing the words out is more beneficial to all who read it.

At times, though, it seems we are a society beset by a barrage of initials. CIA, FBI, DOA, DOD, DOJ, DEA, HIPAA, COD, PX, FCC, FTC, NTSB, NTSC, COA, CBS, CVS, BP, KFC, HMO, HOA, USB, PCI, SATA, , DVI, HDMI, VHS, DVD, MPG, MPH, AU, USA, UAE, USSR, NOA, MPAA, AFL-CIO, ACLU, HSA, CCD, LCD, OLED, NAMBLA, NIMBY, the list goes on and on. Only some of us know all the words to the letters in the previous sentence.

Fortunately for my sanity, I rarely make a post just to correct someone’s grammar or spelling. In fact, I’m not sure at the moment if I ever have. Perhaps as part of a longer post. However, I am not above ranting about the subject as a whole given the right opportunity (see present example.) My posts tend to be rather short, humorous (at least in my mind) things for mine own – and I hope other’s – amusement, or rather long, thought-out (again in my mind), perhaps long-winded things that seem to be either ignored by the other posters, or the last thing that ever is posted in a thread before it goes off to digital obscurity because I took so long respond to the thread, as I was typing up things to get my point across.

I suppose I like to see not so much proper grammar, but correct word usage because I read a lot of books, and book reading for pleasure seems to be a dying pastime. I’m not above looking up a word in the dictionary to acquaint myself with its meaning if I find one that I am unfamiliar with or cannot figure out from the context of what I am reading. Not everyone will do that. But perhaps it is actually the English language that is to blame, with its plethora of synonyms (two words with the same meaning), antonyms (words with opposite meanings), and homonyms (words with the same spelling or pronunciations but different meanings [I can’t bear to bare myself to the bear.]) Would more reading by today’s youth decrease the incorrect usage of words? While I would like to so, I am perhaps becoming a cynical old fart who also sees reading comprehension woefully low nowadays. If we can’t understand what we read, why would we understand how to use the correct word when it is time to convey our message?

I think I shall leave it at that. ‘Tis quite long enough now…
Now why do I get the feeling someone is going to TLDR me?...

I remember when Sony first put in auto-reverse on their walkman. It was a sublime feature.

Actually Lois ended up with the necklace because she put it in her purse back in Egypt. They did actually show it in this episode.
Now whether the put it in her purse deliberately, or it just happened to be amongst the papers and scarf when she stuffed it in there. I think it's the latter, as she seemed rather surprised when she found it.

"Here we have an agent and a producer negotiating on a new film for Dracula. That's right - two blood suckers agreeing on the price of one!"

I laughed for a good three minutes.

I find most of them interesting takes on the original works.
However, what's with all the kneepads with holes/mesh and even worse the mesh binkini-on-the-outside on Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight? That just doesn't look right. Especially Moon Knight.

My problem with the episode is that they let Riley survive having a bullet ricocheting off his noggin in the season finale and the season opener. Only to have him die in episode two?!
WHAT THE HELL?

That is THE coolest wii controller! EVER!

is this a remake/americanization of "Let the Right One In"?

"Can I be Batman?"

Something about him in that piece just makes him look older than I thought he was. It's not the beard. That actually looks pretty good.
I think it's the bags under his eyes and all the forehead lines...

"Also the reason Sony succeeded was because Nintendo kept making games for babies when their original customers were growing up. Now they are somehow successful again by making games for babies and old people."

and yet again we have the falacy that a game rated E for Everyone is a game made for babies. By being rated as a game for Everyone, the game has access to a much larger audience. It can comfortably be played by everyone in a household, many times at the same time, without someone finding something in the game objectionable.

A mature rated game does not mean it is better. It just means that it can include things that adults think the younger ones should not see.
To be honest, in my experience, those who only want to play Mature rated games and turn up their noses at a game with a Teen or Everyone rating are the least mature. When one actually matures broadens one's horizons, one can find fun in games no matter the rating.

The biggest detriment to Kinect or Move becoming a success is price.
Move's base price for the wand, camera and game is $100, and you will need to buy a navigation controller for another $30. Extra wands for player 2, etc looks to cost $50, plus the $30 for the navigation controller. This is in addition to the $300 to $350 for the PS3 itself (though there appears to be a basic $400 bundle with the move stuff included - but that is really just the cost of the Move and PS3...)

The price of Kinect looks to be $200. That gets you the camera and sports game. Fortunately, you can get a XBOX for less than the PS3, but to be able to do what people want with the system, you're still looking at $250.

So....to take this down to a very basic level, to get motion controls for the HD consoles you must spend $400-450.
Whereas the Wii has this built in from day one and only costs $200 at this time. Which means people pay more than double for motion controls for the PS3 and XBOX.

This also says nothing about the historicly low rates of adoption of add-on peripherals for game systems. Nintendo has been extremely lucky this generation with Wii Fit and and Wii Motion Plus. All three consoles have been lucky with the Rock Band and Guitar Hero games. I think this has more to do with the fact that all these peripherals have come with games that cannot be played without them. It also helps that they are very fun and group friendly.

But as I said, the biggest thing that Move and Kinect have to overcome for sales is their rather high price tags.

he raises good points on this one.

Ok. that explains the SG on Liberty.
But what about the other SG Bases. I've used the one within the past month.

So, I searched around the tech forums and didn't find any other topics with this particular little problem.

For the past week and a half every time I try to go to my SB base the load screen comes up and the loading bar starts its march across the screen. But then at about 15% the whole process freezes. This happens if I use my base Teleporter, if I use the Base Portal, and even if I am defeated in a mission and try to use the “Go to Base” button.
I have tried to figure out just why this is happening. I switched servers and tried with one of my villains. No change. Tonight I logged into Liberty and chose a character that I hadn’t logged onto for a year and a half. This time I paid the base rent (thinking that this might be my problem), but that time the loading bar only got to around 5%!

I am at a loss now as what to do. Help would be appreciated, as it seems to be something in this patch that is doing this…

No, Rich you are not the only one who is having this problem. I have tried to get into my base for the past two days, and each time I try the game freezes (stops responding) at the base loading screen about 15%.

It does it whether I use my base teleport, the base portal, or if I am defeated and try to go to my base.

Don't know what the matter is, but I hope they get it fixed soon

Hate to tell you, but that isn't the HD version of the trailer. They even say so on the site.