First Liposuction, Then Lions. Washington Post Jun 8 2002 6:58AM ET... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

People are going to South Africa for first rate plastic surgeons, and stay for a safari while they recover. The exchange rate between the Dollar and the Rand is something like 1/9.8 at the moment, and given that there are companies dedicated to booking such vacations at the moment, I expect this to be the new thing for those that can afford it.

If MEMS take off, and can be developed into a reliable and attractive lens replacement for those with crippling vision problems, I fully expect to see either South Africa, or any other nation that is willing to set up the infrastructure turn into a hotbed for high tech body modification, should a market for this arise.

10:49:59 AM    

Make Love, Not War Games. Give peace a chance, says a game developer who is bringing anti-war activism to first-person shooter games like Counter-Strike. By Brad King. [Wired News]

On the one hand, yes, we should always try to peacefully resolve our differences. On the other, it's a game, it's escapism. I play games to do things that I would never do in real life, to shoot lasers while fighting crime, to destroy remnants of the empire, to stop terrorists,  to enter an unending battle, to fight Nazis, more terrorists, nasty fantasy creatures, etc. I don't need moralizing in my games, thank you. What I do need is an escape from reality. It is no different from what an avid reader does when immersing themselves in a book, or what sports fan does for the duration of a game. They tune out the world, and watch the story unfold. Only in this case, I get to effect the outcome.

8:33:21 AM