Mel

Yufster (and others): I haven't read these books, but you might find them interesting (I'm going to pick them up sometime): Michael Pollan - In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma. (each link has a pdf of the book intro) When I was first practicing as a veterinarian, I did some beef and dairy work. Some of those farmers were fantastic and some weren't. I tend to prefer smaller farms. I hate the way chickens are raised and I don't like feed lots (the cow-calf operations aren't as bad). I need to be more aware of which kinds of meat I purchase. The cost differences are so vast, that you can't blame someone who is short on money for buying the cheaper chicken or beef. I think it's difficult to increase the use of free range animals and promote smaller farming operations. I don't know what the best way would be, especially when the cheaper the food is, the worse it is for you (in terms of production and health). Pollan tries to address those issues in the above books.

:tup: I'm also impressed by people who know code well.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27584685/ African-Americans (ironically enough) and Latinos. Yes, it stems from social conservatism.

I won't have the time to look at this for a while, but you really should plug it over at AG. The Underground forum isn't as lively as it maybe once was, but it's still good to have it there because people there still check it out.

Norfolk, why did you show a cow with a prolapsed uterus*?

But, it really will be this year, dammit! I'm originally from Illinois and have been a Cubs fan since 1984.

There's nothing in here about thread necromancy, but I still think this is funny. How to behave on an internet forum

Miyazaki! In the past few weeks I've seen Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away and tonight I'm watching My Neighbor Totoro. I haven't been in the mood to watch too many movies and these did the trick.

I like the snowman! When was the last time you all had snow? It looks pretty (it's always nice to cover up the yucky brown of winter).

Aw crap. That would be Dave Gilbert . I have no idea why Yahtzee's name came up. My brain is slightly fried. I was traveling all last week and now I have a cold. Is that excuse enough? Duuuuuuuhhhhhh. *pans self*

Yahtzee!

If Sam & Max has lost some of its freshness, you can look forward to two new game licenses (specifics not known yet) and they hired some LucasArts veterans too!

I picked up this one and I've started playing it. It's fun. There is a story there but if you're looking for good pacing and progression through the story, you may be disappointed. It's extremely puzzle heavy. Occasionally, the puzzles make sense with respect to what's happening in the story but mostly they're just there. The premise is that this little town is full of puzzle lovers and you are investigating this inheritance in that kind of environment. You may be on your way looking for something to do with the story and you'll strike up a conversation with someone. They'll give you what you need after asking you to figure out a puzzle. There are also other little tasks that may or may not have anything to do with the story (I haven't gotten far enough to figure that out), but they look like they'll be kind of fun. Visually, it's a great looking game and I think there's a lot of game and playing time there. Interestingly, there is also some voice acting in this game. Overall, I'm having fun with it, but you need to love puzzles. If you don't, I think you may be disappointed.

I loved the idea of how you travelled between islands in Riven and the way I also loved poking throuhg Gehn's lab and finding the hidden areas that you needed to go.

Oooh, I can't wait until you finish Amateria (it's the age with all of the rollercoaster-like tracks and funky polygon stones). Make sure you save your game before the final puzzle so you can replay the end of the age. It's massively cool.

I have only two things to add to this conversation: 1. You lost me very early on with 720's 1080's, etc. (I'm not asking for an explanation, just admitting my ignorance) 2. I kept thinking about the theatrical short I saw before they showed the main feature, National Treasure: Book of Secrets - How to Hook Up Your Home Theater (it was very cool and Goofy had a TV that was far too large for his house )

This isn't internet only, it's the classic rock station in my neck of the woods. They stream live and right now they're playing everything they have, alphabetically (they're on E). http://www.eagle969.com/

That one is obviously going to win. Will they honor the great democracy that is the internet and name the whale that?

I downloaded a game from Adventure Shop and I had to do a manual activation of it (and saw a StarForce logo on the website where I got my activation code). When I played the game, I never saw the StarForce screen like I did when I played CDs that used that protection (i.e. the game launched without any 'we're checking that it's authentic' screens). I'm not really sure what role it's playing but I haven't had any problems playing the game.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The game that gives me the most nostalgia is Oregon Trail. My aunt was a teacher (she retired this year) in Rochester, Minnesota. The MECC developed educational software and she had the original version of the game for her classroom (before they actually sold it to the public) that I would play obsessively as a kid (in the late 70's/early 80's) whenever we visited. I loved that game.

Despite my age (39), I still love cartoons - especially funky ones (even if they're made for kids). There's a newish one on Cartoon Network called Chowder. It's about a little kid who's a chef's apprentice in the town of Marzipan. It's just lots of fun. Here's one recent episode: The Sing Beans (I hope those outside of N. America can see it) (edit: there's a 'commercial' in the middle.) One that I wish they had available is called Grubble Gum. The last part of that episode reminds me of Katamari Damacy.

Seeing this on the main page makes me laugh! Sorry, I have nothing of value to contribute about the game - I don't have a Wii.

You're welcome. Every birthday thread needs at least one fun picture (but no one brought any booze or cake).

Happy Birthday!!!