Like bad news and/or (apparently this is bad usage of grammar) Chucky, I'mmm bbaacccckkkk *evil twisted grin*

If you want stories of Brisbane or debate or both (this apparently is the appropriate usage), ask Her. Or ask us out for coffee. I haven't seen anyone outside of debate since ever and I think I'm losing the renaments of my social skills. Or the remains of those that have not been eradicated by debate, being surrounded perpetually by debaters, being a law student, or playing WAY too many games by Bioware *chant mode: All hail the great company that brought us Baldur's Gate*.

But seriously because I just got back and seemed to have missed the greatest scandal to hit Singapore since Steve Chia and his maid, I'm not going to comment about it except with the following time-honoured phrase: "Why am I not surprised?"

And now back to your regular programming...
BBC NEWS | Technology | Clinton wades into GTA sex storm

I'm not going to talk or comment about the purported link between what you see/do in video games and what you actually then do in reality because the data just goes back and forth and back and forth and back again. And it's all so GP(ish) level *snooty snideness*

But here are two interesting things to take away from this article.

1. The rating system is actually more a guideline and actually voluntary and not actually enforcable per se. It's actually more of a recommandation more than anything else. Its enforcability comes not simply that of the parent monitoring what their children are playing but more so that of retailers. Wal-mart (amongst many others) refuses to stock anything with adult content in it and they are one of the biggest sellers of games (and pretty much every other thing) in America.

But since we're on the topic of standards, here's a interesting factoid to use in youy essay or debate. Did you know that Playboy and Penthouse are available in Australia on a M(Unrestricted) rating? That is, it is simply not RECOMMENDED for ages below 15. Those two magazines are sold unwrapped in Borders. In fact, only High level sex scenes are restricted to 18 and above.

2. Hillary Clinton looks to be attempting to regain the 'moral' ground for the Democrats in her bid for the Presidency elections in 2008. And from the selective quotation of the BBC it seems that she's attempting the moderate path which steals some support from the Republicans without delving into the sort of extreme fundamentalist social/religious conservativism that the Republicans have made their bed with. Thye best path is that this wins over the moderates without alienating the Liberals. Sounds familar? Well, her husband 'invented' it and introduced it into American politics and has been very successfully copied in the UK.

And on the cheery note of the Democrats regaining the presidency in 2008, Peace!