I'm pretty much on-board with what you're saying pvtNobody but (and there is always a but right? heh) with the money and time Microsoft have had to not only ship Vista but roll out a service pack too. Should there really be any bloat at all? I probably err more on the side of not minding it uses more resources when under the hood there is clearly more going on but then you see something like ubuntu with all its whizz bang graphical effects using compiz and a solid set of features running within a much smaller resource footprint, you have to wonder.

I did the "taste test" as made popular by a TV ad campaign when I was a kid. You had to taste both blind folded and I always chose Pepsi.

Even the low calorie version of Pepsi is better today, at least to my taste buds.

If the growth of file sharing continues at the rate it is, we'll end up with media companies that simply do not have enough money to continue making all this stuff we download freely. Downloading commercial music, games, movies and TV without paying is just morally wrong and against the law.

File sharing is here to stay, whether we like it or not. The public want it and there are just too many of us to disagree with. Media companies have to re-think how they make money in this brave new digital world.

She's the new girl on the block. Designed to stand up to OS X and not have to blush. Shes carrying a few extra pounds of weight but under the hood theres a lot more going on. Can she go the distance with less than sterling driver support, surely good looks, more features and future proofing are enough?

Tried, tested and proven to give the energizer bunny a run for its money. Like an old sweater, its comfy, you know its flaws, driver support is great and all that lovely software just works.

I think I'm falling in love. Finally a place to discuss serious and frivolous issues and its fun voting people up and down. Ah the power I wield in my mouse button to mark someone down!

Seriously though, I love how everything is laid out, sweet design, very usable so far and I've only been on the site for minutes.

Recent studies that were highlighted in the BBC3 UK documentary "Should I smoke Pot?" showed marijuana is actually more dangerous than I previously believed. The really interesting point the documentary highlighted was the risk of psychosis from taking the drug where the THC content was very high. In one session a test subject rated a 14 for psychosis, it was highlighted that a 1 or 2 was normal and above a 4 was generally considered to be in the ballpark of the schizophrenic.

Why am I bringing this up when I'm against criminalising the drug? The answer really lies in how people get hold of marijuana in the first place. People will, no matter what the law tries to enforce, use marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes. With that said these users have no real access to quality control over their drug. They can get hold of very high THC content skunk which can quickly make them paranoid and prone to all the negative effects of psychosis. Where they may be better choosing a much lower THC variety imported.

If the drug were controlled, distributed legally and taxed. The levels could be monitored, the dealers, many of whom are dealing in harder drugs and offering those up too would be out of business overnight. This would sever the link some users have who are suggestable to moving onto harder drugs. Also de-criminalising the drug will make it easier to treat people who do end up abusing it and need help. If you have a drink problem today, you can turn to friends and family as well as your doctor. If you're a "druggy" you're very unlikely to get any help from anyone, making any problem you might develop possibly worse.

With everything legal and marijuana available in cafes (as they are in Amsterdam for instance) the public can be educated on what the real side effects of the drugs are, what the benefits are and have the ability to choose wisely on various strains to find one that suits that person. Just as I might end up finding out I prefer shandy when I go to bars. A mixture of beer and lemonade which makes it less alcoholic.

Finally I think the children would benefit too. If it became socially acceptable to smoke pot in special cafes open only to adults then children would not have easy access as they do now with all the street dealers around.

The human brain improves at such a slow rate, computers improve in line with Moores law. It is reasonable then to expect that computers will eventually overtake humans in intelligence. They've already surpassed us on a whole number of levels.