There have been a lot of threads for giantbomb lately, and a lot of threads bashing gamespots rating of PS3 titles. Now im not saying gamespot is completely fair, but i also dont think they are biased at ps3 users and their games. Personally, I'd rather have a review that overfocuses on the negatives in a game so i can get the full picture of how good/bad a game might be. And if a single review keeps you from buying a game, oh well, your loss. I look at reviews from various sites and compare and contrast, seeing if what im reading is a true picture of a game.

Now of course we have fanboys that cant stand the sight of a negative review, but all i have to say is: Get Over It. If a game is good then all you have to do is look in the forums and see the user responses and recomendations, and see that the people are supporting your views. And if not, you can try to bring light to the game. Maybe you see something in the game no one else does, and vice versa.

One game for example i cant believe got a low score was ratchet and clank Future: tools of destruction. The GS score was 7.5. My jaw immediatley dropped and i was angry, being a fan of thr series. Did i take it personal? Of course not. I got the game and made my own opinion of the game, which was great.

Now im not trying to kiss butt, but gamespot has been a great site to be apart of. They usually have the best game news, feature, and videos of any game site ive been to. The forums are second to none, and even though the moderators have been at times unforgiving, its still the place i go to for gossip, news i havnt seen, or some loser ranting about how he hates the game *insert game title*. Overall GS is a good site to be on and even though we dont agree with their freviews at times, i dont see too many people leaving.

There has been much debate over whether marijuana should be legalized in the United States of America. Advocates of reformation and enforcers of standing laws argue and go to court constantly, but the main concern is who is right? On one hand law enforcers issue debates ranging from health affairs to the concern for public safety, while reformers counter argue both about the true effect and validity of these arguments. One thing is for certain and that is that many people have been put into jail for the possession of marijuana and are serving sentences that are too harsh for the crimes that they have committed (Kopola 988). No matter how one looks at the situation concerning marijuana the arguments still remain. One concern is that the crime rate is affected by individuals who are on drugs such as marijuana. However, financial and health concerns aside, this is America and that means that people have certain rights. If people can smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol, then why can't they use marijuana? So the final question comes down to: if marijuana is legalized will the benefits outweigh the harms caused by the reformation of existing laws?

The main issue that most people have with marijuana is crime rate. The belief is that when people are on drugs they are more likely to commit acts of crime. This rise in crime theoretically hurts the economy and business owners that are trying to make a living. In response to this, a multi-billion dollar war on drugs was launched by the government in 2000. It is estimated that this war on marijuana costs the government over 100 billion dollars every year, which includes costs of police forces, advertisements, and prison costs.

This plan makes importing marijuana into America tedious and also amps up the search for drug sellers, which means more police officers, actually 400,000 more, are employed to fight drug dealers and users instead of paying more attention to violent crimes (Harris). Dubbed the War on Drugs, this similar to many wars; it could be avoided easily, and it is misinformed. The truth is that this war on drugs is actually causing a rise in crime. A main goal of this war is to lower the amount of drugs on the street, which it succeeds in very well. This in turn causes drug price of marijuana to rise. Think of it as simple economics; if supply falls, prices must rise to reach equilibrium for the sellers. This means that as the price rises, it becomes more difficult for addicts to achieve drugs at prices which they can afford, so they get desperate. What happens when people in need get desperate for money? The answer is they find ways to get it. Such methods of quick cash include stealing from stores, robbing people, and committing other acts of crime. So the acts of the addict to maintain his high, and the acts of the drug dealer to protect his income appear to be in result of prohibition (Harris 163). It appears that the War on Drugs is actually causing more harm than good, so it seems like the government could find a better plan to spend 100 billion dollars on? Crime rates aside, what about the health of marijuana users? Isn't our right as people to care about their health?

A major issue in the minds of many people in favor of the legalization of marijuana is the adverse effects on a person's health. Such health effects include lung cancer and neurological effects such as dementia. But, when compared to other drugs on the market that are legal, marijuana doesn't look so bad. Take the most dangerous and

widely abused drug on the market: alcohol. 100,000 people die from the effects of alcohol each year (Harris 161). Many of which are overdoses from binge drinking while many other deaths are the cause of neurological effects and cirrhosis to the liver, among many others. No person has ever overdosed on marijuana. Is this because people who smoke marijuana are all responsible individuals? No, this is because it is physically impossible to do so. This is major when looking at college campuses and young adults alike. Every year thousands of college students and young party goers die from overdosing on alcohol

and other drugs like ecstasy, oxycodone, and many others. It boggles the mind to think that such a harmful drug such as alcohol can be looked on as such a wondrous party drug. And the word drug is used very strongly. Both marijuana and alcohol are serious drugs. And cigarettes are another category altogether. If people who think of themselves as bettering society by riding it of drugs are serious, than why can people still smoke and get lung cancer? After looking at the facts it is a wonder as to why one drug is legal and the others are not. An answer could be summed up in a simple word: profit. Health concerns fall short when matched up against multi-billion dollar industries and the government's wonderful ability to impose taxes on those industries.

Lastly, it is the people right to do what they want in the privacy of their own homes. If an individual wants to get high and relax in the confines of their own house they should be able to. If any other person (over 21) can legally get drunk in their own house and get drunk at bars, then that same person should be able to get high in their own house where they are causing no harm to other people. It is illegal to drive drunk and be drunk in public places which is perfectly justified, but why can't the same laws apply to marijuana,

but to be legal in one's own establishment? Also, there seems to be this ideal in America that to be a better person one must help others who are in need of help, even if they are unaware. They believe that marijuana smokers are confused souls that need their help, and if they can find God or something to motivate their life then they will be cured. However, these moral or religious activists are not concerned with people who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. Their main concern should be the mothers who drink or smoke while pregnant, or the chain smokers that kill a pack or two a day through a hole in

their trachea. But, alas, these actions are legal so that means that it's somewhat okay (Harris 161). But, could it be that there are other motives being followed? Motives that include but are not limited to religious or financial agendas? As said by Harris in his book The End of Faith "Concerns about the health of our citizens, or about their productivity, are the red herrings in this debate, as the legality of alcohol and cigarettes attest.

Overall, the benefits and the harm of legalizing marijuana have been considered. Political agendas and misguided beliefs aside, it seems that if marijuana was legalized then less harm would be done to people than is already being done now. Each year over 1.5 million Americans are incarcerated for the interaction with drugs. This is more people incarcerated in American than all people incarcerated in Western Europe (Harris 162). For the most part these people did not commit violent crimes but they are in federal prison serving longer sentences than people who commit assault, spousal abuse, and other acts or violent crimes. So it must be questioned: Are over one million people better off in jail than if they were free? Are billions of dollars being ill spent on a war in which the government will never win? And is this so called war on drugs beneficial to the American people at all? Such questions may never be answered, but with the recent rise in popularity in medical marijuana, and more and more support from various people and groups arguing for the reformation of marijuana laws, it seems change is a likely event in the future or America and its drug laws.

What is with the infatuation of using tiny needles to insert ink-permanently mind you-under ones own skin? The somewhat recent trend that is in my mind the most obvious and long lasting, is the tattoo. Some people have one or two, while others have many. Some have concealed tattoos, while others have flashy, wide-spread tattoos that are shown off to the world. Whether we're talking big or small, the fact of the matter is that tattoos are catching on and spreading like the flu to the delight of teenagers and young adults and to the despair of parents and conservatives alike. That is where the problem lies. Tattoos are seen oppositely by different groups of people. On one side they are seen as works of art and a portrayal of individuality, while the other group sees them as indecent, irrelevant and immature. So the question is are tattoos harmless and appropriate, or are they problematic and vile? Well, that's just a matter of opinion, and mine is that tattoos are acceptable and an important part of modern culture all over the world.

Tattoos weren't always as popular as today, but they have been around for many years. The art of tattooing can has been spotted and can be traced throughout time. The trend in modern American started, however, rather recently. In the 1950's tattoos were very rare, but 50 years later tattoos have become predominant in contemporary culture, and it is hard to go somewhere and not find an arm tattoo or a lower back tattoo on a female, and those are the ones that you can see! Much of the tattooed culture have tattoos

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on their torsos or legs, which are unable to be seen, for various reasons.

People who get tattoos get them for very different reasons. Some people get them to be individuals, some for commemoration, while others just get inked because they think that they will look or be cool. With the constant struggle to be a individual, some people get tattoos to be just that. They believe that their altered appearance will change the view of them to other people. The people that get them for commemoration usually do it because of a death of someone close to them, an achievement of some sort, or because they found direction in their lives. Personally, I got my tattoo because I found that sense of direction in my life. I realized that to become a Navy SEAL, and to live the life that will satisfy me, I must always go after my goals and never be discouraged. The third group is what usually gives tattoos their bad names; the ones who want to be cool. These are the followers and not the individuals. Everyone has seen the tribal armband tattoo or the barbed-wire, obviously symbolizing the toughness of the person(sarcasm). Also in this group is the "tramp-stamp". This is the lower back tattoo found on many women, many of which will have a lot of regret and explaining to do when they become mothers and grand-mothers. Just another example of trying to look good without any meaning, a fashion statement instead of statement of individuality.

There are many people who disagree with the idea of permanently altering your body appearance though, believe it or not. Even in this day and age, with view points constantly altering, and the belief in emphasizing diversity, many people look at tattoos as a subculture, and as a mark of a "grungy" and disrespectful person. This stereotype, like all stereotypes, is false but boosted by a small group of people who give everyone else a

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bad name. Many would-be employees have been turned down jobs from employers for

having visible tattoos which look unprofessional in the employers eyes. My uncle, for example, is a firefighter and has to cover up the tattoo on his forearm with a bandage everyday for work. One reason people look down on tattoos is that they see it as primitive and unrefined. Tattoos do not "fit" with the majority belief of a proper life****and the "American image". Another reason is that they are looked upon as childish and immature. People see it as a kid who just turned 18 and decided to do something stupid.

In my view, tattoos can be a great thing of beauty and meaning. I mostly believe in getting them with a meaning, but getting them to look good is understandable, to a certain degree. Some tattoos that can be seen are works of art, full of utter beauty. You can tell right away the skill of the artist is great, and did their job right. On the other hand the you've got the macho alpha males that get tattoos for the purpose of being cool, I.e. Chinese symbols on someone who isn't Chinese and/or doesn't practice a marshal art, Celtic symbols, and my personal favorite the armband tattoos that scream, literally scream MANLINESS(sarcasm again). Also, the idea that the people who are covered with tattoos are bad people could not be more wrong. The nicest people that I have met have been the ones covered in tattoos. They are not afraid to look you in the eyes and tell you their opinion, which most conservatives and politicians fail to do. The greatest aspect of a tattoo in my opinion is the pain. Without the pain a tattoo would be just the same as a permanent marker... a really permanent marker. My tattoo took an hour and half, and it was all in one sitting. I can remember perfectly the relief when my artist took a break to refill the ink, and bracing myself when he began again. I remember vividly the sound

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when he went over my spine, the slightly louder tone of the needles made we wince and

smile at the same time, for I knew that I would never forget that hour and a half.

My tattoo isn't something just picked off of a wall. It isn't fake and by fake I mean it is just for looks and to impress people (i.e. **** barbed wire armband tattoos and skulls, that sort of thing). I did not get it to impress anybody, although the finished results do look good (done by cage tattos) , I have to say. Unlike some tattoos mine means something and I know I will not regret getting it when I'm 40 and have kids and they ask what it is, or if i'm eighty and in a nursing home.

Now for a little background on my tattoo. I was reading a series of books by stephen king and one story made me look at life in a different way. The main character was in search of a tower that held the key to life, and the answer for saving the world. Also at the top was the characters meaning in life, his driving force. All of the other people like him(gunslingers) were killed. He had absolutley no meaning in life, except for his search of the tower. At the top of the tower was a door. My back now has the symbols that were engraved on that door.

Overall, my tattoo means to go after your goals no matter what the cost. Always strive for the things that you want. It also means that you must remember the paths that you traveled to reach your goal. By that I mean that you must remember your decisions in life and learn from your mistakes, and remeber the people that were influencial to you. Life is like a wheel, and everything always comes back at you.

Some people may say that getting a tattoo from a book is stupid, or that is not a good reason to get a tattoo. My tattoo has more meaning than most of the tattoos i've seen. I believe that if you were to get a tattoo than it better mean something important to you, and mine sure does. Mine will always remind me to never give up and ignore the pain that life throws at you, whether it be physical or mental. **** I had to sit there an hour and a half with needles poking into me...and it was all worth it. When I'm running on the beaches or fort coranado, under the baking sun wanting to quit with the other Navy SEAL trainees around me, I will always be reminded to never quit.

I was wondering when the last book you read for pleasure was? When I talk to my friends at school they say that they havn't read one in a few years and some say they have never read an entire book, school or pleasure. For me, instead of TV I read a book. I have read over 13 novels(over 300 pages) in the past 2-3 years and found out that books are better than television for me. a lot of people say reading makes them tired or that they get bored. To them, the words are just that; words. They can't see the meaning and take time to imagine what they are reading. Most people these days need visual stimulization to get a "high".
They cannot get exited about a book because it requires too much thinking, i guess is what it comes down to. My imagination has gotten good enough to where i cant remmember if i saw something on tv or read it in a book. More often than not i read something and get it confused for a movie i recently saw. To me, a book is like a portable tv or dvd player that i can just carry around. that is pretty good considering the price of bargain books at a thrift shop are about $1-3$. Maybe it's just me but I think more people should sit and read a book sometime instead of just watching tv. If anyone else agrees or disagrees drop me a message.