Wintermute

Some of them don't half make it difficult though! You can never be sure whether you've figured them out. With one person, I think I did manage, with many others I've gotten very frustrated trying!

Yeah, that bit. Annoying, huh?

Radiation can cause mutations in the cells of the body, but that's really not much to worry about. The overwhelming majority of genes in a cell aren't used. They're also quite resistant to mutation. Also, even if an active gene is damaged, the odds are what it will be changed to is total gibberish. It won't work, the mutant cell dies. End of story. 1 in ten cells in the skin have mutations in them. There are millions, billions of cells in the skin. How many of you have skin cancer? The odds of mutations doing anything harmful, as you can see, are VERY low. Cancer, incidentally, is caused by a specific mutation in a specific gene, which means that cell starts dividing constantly and uncontrollably. So are bodies really are quite well adapted to deal with it, we've been subject to most of it for all of history. Our bodies may be sensitive to it, but they're also quite resistant to it. incidentally, if by some stroke of very bad luck, any of you actually DO have skin cancer, I apologise.

Oh, yeah I celebrate friends birthdays, but they aren't really holidays, as such. I wish they were, so I could spend, well, all my time off school. 1000 people in the school, 365 days a year, I just have to befriend the right people at the right times of year! Hoorah!

I promise you, it reaches it's height of hilarity when viewed and sung-a-long too at 3am at a drunken LAN after a 4 hour long game of Cossacks to a classical soundtrack in ridiculous hats. I should know! ..........Sorry, is my insanity showing?

It's a very powerful film. I loved it. However, if there's anyone reading this who hasn't seen the film, either watch it on video, or get someone else to start the DVD for you while your eyes are closed. The menu on the DVD I have is against a background of clips. At least one of these clips is a SERIOUS spoiler. I hadn't seen the film yet when I saw that, so it made me absolutely furious!

My great-uncle survived service as a Lancaster Bomber Bombardier in WW2, only to be killed in a motorcycle accident in 1946, and my dad received an official letter just before the present situation reached the point labelled 'failure of democracy' saying that he wouldn't be called into service again. He used to be in the Royal Engineers before that. I've always thought that Hero means going above and beyond, and achieving great things. It's my personal opinion that there is very little that can be done on a battlefield that qualifies as 'great'. Saving your team, perhaps. Undoubtably, any soldier that goes into battle is very very brave, and very committed to his cause. I'm not sure that's what makes a hero though.

I don't really like the Donnas either. Kittie... kittie were determined to show that they could do it just the same as men. The result? They did it just the same as men. They weren't really distinctive in any way. The exception is the song 'Charlotte' in which they use some more feminine style vocals and it is VERY effective. Unfortunately, that's only one song. Otep are a good female fronted band. Otep Shamaya is a very gifted singer, though she is more than a little insane, she has a unbelievable range and flexibility.

Happy Easter to you too. And everyone. I celebrate any time I'm given off school. Simple as that. I have no other reason. Christmas? I'm not religious. Same goes for Easter. Mother's Day and Father's Day? Well, I get them presents because they expect it, but I don't CELEBRATE them. They are very much commercial things after all. It's all getting a bit out of hand really. About a month ago I saw a sign in a card shop window saying "Don't Forget Secretaries' Day" Now if that isn't getting a little ridiculous... Oh, and I don't know any English people who celebrate thanksgiving, and I know quite a few English people, what with living here and all.

Yeah there's more carcinogens in a spliff than in a cigarette, but the biggest pot-smoker I know only has 5 a day, and I know plenty of people who have 30 or 40 cigarettes a day. Any kind of drug is dangerous, including alcohol, if abused. A close friend of mine drunk an entire bottle of red wine when he was 2. He didn't die, but he may well if he has any more, ever. It's given him a liver disorder, which means he just can't handle any toxins like alcohol or cannabis. Someone tried to spike his drink the other day, in (relative) innocence. Luckily it was spotted. There was a theory that DNA could have evolved from something like this CSD (Crystal Storage Device). Information could be stored in the faults in the crystal. There are stupendous amount of combinations, and because it's on the atomic scale, there's an almost unlimited capacity. The problem is how to read it. We wouldn't be able to use it because we couldn't extract the information from it. If information is stored on the atomic scale, which it would have to be for a crystal to have a huge storage capacity, it would be almost impossible to read. Light or lasers couldn't do it, because the wavelength is too large, there wouldn't be sufficient resolution. Electron beams can't get down that small either. It would look very cool though, if we can figure out a way. About the neural link to computers and the environmental interface, track down and read a copy of 'Neuromancer' by William Gibson. It's from 1984, I think (haven't got a copy to hand) and he pretty much came up with the whole concept. It's quite a scary portrayal of an all too possible future. Plus you may see where the name Wintermute came from! It's a very inventive book, lots of things have been based on it or influenced by it since. If ever of you have ever seen Johnny Mnemonic, that was lifted wholesale from it. They didn't even change Johnny's name! In the book it's just a tale from one of the character's pasts though, it doesn't impact on the plot. And worrying about microwaves from mobiles is like standing in a shower and worrying about a water pistol. I'm microwaving a muffin right now, the microwave's in another room, and I bet it's affecting me more with microwaves than my mobile. EVERYTHING gives off a little radiation. If you live in an area with lots of Granite, you live in an area with high background radiation. There's really not much to worry about. What else? Oh, the immune system machine boost. What exactly would they do there? I can't think of any way in which machines would actually help there. It's a cool concept, but there's no real point. You'd be much better off finding a way to stimulate the relevant site s to up the production of Macrophages and similar. My microwave doesn't have a problem with super hot and cold spots in my pizza, because it has this cunning gizmo which rotates the pizza for you! (sorry, sarcasm coming out to play) I would really not be happy in a world where replicators could produce anything you wanted them too. That would be a world where anyone could get anything. Pizza, a pet, a new couch, a thermonuclear device, a pot-plant, viruses, a mobile phone, a gun...... The worlds making enough of a stink that 10,000 litres of Anthrax are unaccounted for. Imagine what it would be like if anyone could make some whenever they want. Or Ricin, which is apparently even worse. Cool though it would be, I'm not sure mankind is ready to handle that kind of technology. Often enough I'm not sure mankind is mature enough to handle the technology it's got. While the technology to make eye implants is probably not that far off, the technology to make them NOT look like Borg implants probably is. We would not be able to make them look anything other than hideously unnatural, at this stage. Sorry, getting all scientific and pedantic is a bad habit of mine! It's what comes of being a sci-fi fan and doing Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Maths for A level. I would like to point out that I may well be wrong. People often are on this sort of thing. We cannot conceive all the possibilities the future may contain, and many things are seen as ridiculous and impossible, until someone manages to do it.

I always thought that someone making a deck specifically to beat one deck is a HUGE compliment to the owner of the original deck. One of the biggest you can give, in the sphere of magic.

Hang on Solitaire, you think that depression is the reason for suicide, (fair enough), suicide is for the weak minded, and that depression is another way of being sad.... So are you saying you have to be weak minded to be sad? Because that doesn't make sense at all.

[quote]I've turned in my story for fiction writing workshop, and I'm awaiting my critique date (the 28th). It's the most critical class I've been in, so the opinions of my professor and classmates will be of the utmost importance. If they believe that I have talent, I'll consider taking it further.[/quote] What will you do if they don't like it? I mean, fantastic for you if they do, but will you give up if they don't? Because rejection is a major part of starting out as a writer. Can you keep on going? (Thanks Elite)

I have to say I've never seen the appeal, really. A friend of mine is a massive fan, and I do like some of the operatic keyboard effects they use, but once the vocals and monotonous riffage kicks in, they throw it all away, in my eyes. (or possibly in my ears) But then, that's my opinion on most extreme bands, (except possibly Otep), that they seem afraid to be at all original or inventive. I think they are playing Ozzfest again, I know they did last year. I'm not sure whether they'll be on the American leg though, I only really pay attention to Ozzfest UK info.

Now I'm a massive fan of a band named Primus, and the various offshoots, particularly Oysterhead. Their lead-singer/bassist (one of the best in the world) is a man by the name of Les Claypool. He has many talents, including animation. One day, while oh so bored, I was watching Ghost in the Shell. Then, still bored (though I love the film) I was watching the credits of GitS. And l fell off my chair in surprise when I saw the name Les Claypool in amongst the various Japanese names! Since then I've seen his name, or occasionally Les Claypool lll, in LOADS of anime credits, everything from Macross Plus to Rayearth! Now Les is a VERY musically active person. It seems unlikely he'd have time to be involved in so much anime. Does anyone know whether he just never sleeps, or whether there are tow people with the rather unusual name Les Claypool?

I met up with someone I met on the internet once - we turned out to live in the same town. Well, it didn't go well, but that's just because we didn't really get on well in real life. She seemed harmless enough, but I did make sure my friends new where I was going, (not my family though, or they'd have stopped me) I would probably do it again, but next time I'd be a littl emore certain we'd get on!

I would'nt say that at all. I think you have to be quite strong minded to make that final leap, it's just that the strength of your mind is pushing the wrong way.

It is an unfortunate thing that IN high school, attractive girls seem to go for the Jocks, but it certainly seems to be a temporary thing. Theres a guy at my school who is a serious Jock. I hate him. A lot of people do. More people than don't, actually. When it comes to first approaches, he's popular with girls. When they get to know him, he most certainly is not. Now many of the jocks think I'm very weird and a little geeky. (And they're probably right, I've been to more LANs this year than parties) but this guy would certainly not believe that I've had longer relationships than him, though he may have been out with more people. It's like quality, or quantity? I know what I choose.

I'd say music for myself, I've dabbled in various things, and normally I'm pleased with them until I look at them again the next day and realise how terrible they are, but I reckon I'm a pretty impressive bass-player. As for what I'm likely to do for a career, probably something related to Biochemistry. It's easy and interesting. *Hopes for good AS and A2 grades* Keep practising the drawing, no-one starts off the best. You've got to work at it.

Hah, if you can show them up, then go for it. Personally, I've only ever been in an all boy band, and the only all girl band I've actually seen playing were terrible, but I know the people involved and just how rare it is for them to touch an instrument in practice. I know most bands aren't like that. Keep it up!

I live in a nice village, except for the string of break-ins that's been going on recently, so I've been giving this topic thought recently. Luckily our Alarm system has a Panic button, that sets it off instantly, loud enough to wake the dead, and with a strobe light attached! Also I have a collection of fencing blades which I can use with some skill. They may be bluntened, but it's still quite easy to draw blood even through the well regulated armour. (Before the armour was well regulated, there were fatalities). So I've never felt that threatened by it, also because I think the people doing it are about my age.

It could well be a genetic thing according to the Selfish Gene theory, and while most of the theory makes sense, I don't like that bit, I mean I think suicide is mostly a reflection of personal cirumstances, not genetics, although they may contribute in terms of attitudes and similar.

I don't think nice guys ALWAYS finish last, although it depends just how nice. Playing the therapist may well bump you down to last place. You'll be popular, but not in that way. A good friend of mine is, well, very chivalrous. That's really the only way of putting it. As in, if he weren't a total pacifist, it's out with the shiny armour. I've known him 6 years and I still suspect he may be playing us all along sometimes. It certainly seems to work for him! (Although I'm certain that's a welcome by-product, and not why he does it) I'm not as nice as him, in that respect, but I always try to take an interest and be friendly, and so on and so forth, and I wouldn't say I'm coming in last.

I know someone who uses a sliver deck, and it laid waste to all before it. Eventually he had to retire it because absolutely no-one could beat it, especially when he got Crystalline Slivers out. It was just getting boring for him. Since then, cards like Engineered Plague have made Slivers a less scary concept, but they're nasty nevertheless.

I used to keep birds. Japanese White-Eyes. Pretty little things. We let Jupiter go, he was obviously captured, not born in captivity, and he was nearly killing himself trying to get out. Mercury died though, quite an elaborate and nasty death. That shook me up quite badly.