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Here's the thing though: freedom is expensive, and to get money you need a job. Shouldn't a person be able to decide how he will afford his freedom?

I think marriage already is a contract, or at least on the fast lane to becoming one. In Belgium, the steps to getting a divorce are about the only thing that are consistently made cheaper and easier. I think a mandatory renewal every few years would be too much of a hassle, but if a couple were to part ways in mutual agreement, they should be able to do so smoothly.

While you could interpret the Anne Frank incident as a well-intentioned phrase that came out wrong, I think it's a fine example of what's really wrong with him, or any young person that gets pushed into showbizz too soon for that matter. Bieber's life is a busy one but ultimately lacking in lessons that other people his age are constantly learning: humility, thoughtfulness, gratitude, the like. Fame has made him take things for granted. It should have come to no one's surprise that he turned out to be the little shit that he is.
His music is tolerable, but I wonder how much credit he can actually take for it, with his extensive entourage and all...

I played the sequel before I finished the first game because I'm stupid like that. Anyway, congratulations and beating it and good luck whooping FFXIII-2's ass!

Yay, 20% chance of free cell phone battery charging!

Heh, I remember you as "that one artsy girl". Welcome back in any case!

They secretly do care, but are under the impression that declaring that they don't give a shit makes them more popular...somehow.

Time to stock up on those RadAways!

I used to be bad and perform poorly at everything I did (not even exaggerating here). Because of the need to prove to myself that I am not in fact the least talented rat in this whole pack of rodents I was competitive to a sick degree. This, however, practically changed overnight when I realized a very simple truth: nobody really cares. My friends didn't like me more when I was doing my best to improve my skills, quite the opposite at times. Unless you're truly among the best worldwide, no one will open their hearts, minds, wallets or legs more often just because you're working hard to be slightly better in tennis (and even if you are among the best, it's still supposedly lonely at the top).

Mankind competes, but it's not as strong an evolutionary power as it was back in the days of our ancestors. You'd still better be fluent in more languages than the next applicant if you want that helpdesk job, and you'd still better be more of a goalgetter if you want to be a part of Barcelona's team. It's a kind of competition we benefit from. If my TV randomly exploded and I called a helpdesk, I'd want to be addressed in Dutch or at least fluent English. I'd rather have said TV reassembled by cold, unfriendly and downright conceited professionals than a mentally challenged but likeable Hodor type. You get the idea.

In short, mankind is still competitive and fortunately so, but it doesn't resonate through our every fiber as your parents seem to believe. You can keep on enjoying your life, hopping 'round in daisy fields and basking in the morning sun. Just remember not to lose your edge in the things you chose to specialize in, or you might be left out. Or if that doesn't suit you, you can also broaden your array of skills to get picked.

- Impressions?
- Rich and hideous or poor and stunning?
- If you were an RPG villain and wanted to destroy the world, what would your motivation be?
- Favorite actor and favorite actress?
- Would you describe yourself as patriotic?
- What's the longest romantic relationship you've ever been in? Current one counts of course.

Jatayu from Digital Devil Saga, made all the more aggravating because everyone else seems to think it's an easy boss.
- Highest-tier elemental spells? Yup. He has at least one that targets all your party members.
- Getting as many turns as your entire party even though he's alone? Yup.
- Boosting his own stats? Yup.
- Lowering your stats? Yup.
- Insta-death spells? Yup.
- Bunch of elemental immunities? Yup.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
When you do beat him, you face another boss immediately after. As in, you don't even get to see the experience screen, let alone heal.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S STILL MORE!
Like I said, everyone considers this an easy (pair of) boss(es) for some reason. That includes the game itself. Unlike most other bosses in the game, this one isn't preceded by a save point. So if you lose (which I often did), you'll have rush back to him in a very annoying area.

Then again, this is the same game that has spawned what is generally considered as the hardest RPG boss ever... Look up "Demi-Fiend" and see what a truly brutal boss fights like. (And no, I haven't beaten him yet. Haven't tried either.)

Final Fantasy IX, and it remains my favorite to date.

XIII didn't have the worst cast development-wise by far. It had better or at least more balanced casts than VIII and XII, and probably IX too. I'd choose development over design any day, but the two shouldn't be seen as mutually exclusive.

There were new type rumours abound the past months, and honestly, I had hoped the Light/Sound one would be true. They would seem less prone to arbitrary retconning (never understood why some members were in that egg group; what makes Marill a Fairy exactly?). I'll learn to love the Fairy-type in due time though. Make it weak to Poison to balance out those suckers while you're at it. Also, am I the only who suspects that they revealed Noivern solely for the purpose of debunking that there will ever be a Sound-type.
Speaking of which, I see a lot of non-unique combinations that had to have their types reversed for some reason. What's up with that? A new way of calculating damage, perhaps? I mean, they've been doing it for ages but I never really understood the reason behind it and they seem to be doing it an awful lot now.

On to the Pokémon then. After the unthoughtful miscreant that was the Pidove line, I was relieved to see that Talonflame is in fact a cool-looking bird. Most of the other new Mons released look pretty sweet, in fact. We could have done without an extra butterfly, but Vivillon's looks make adding one still acceptable. As much as I love it's design, it's pre-evolutions look positively hideous. They're about the only designs I dislike so far though.
Why did they make Furabebe a pure Fairy though, when it screams "I AM PART GRASS-TYPE"? I guess we'll see...

Aw yeah, this game looks awesome so far. I admit I wasn't keen on the generic character designs at first, but they've grown on me. I actually look forward to seeing an edgier, grittier FF game and the designs seem to reflect that. Nomura promised more news in the upcoming days. I hope he keeps that promise.

- Impression?
- Do you sometimes think that you spend too much time online?
- What's your favourite colour?
- Teleportation or mind-reading? You can't choose both.
- Have you ever been stuck in an elevator?
- What's your favourite pizza?

People and companies need to stop demonizing the purchase of used games as if they're the newest brand of piracy. You still pay for your game, and it's only natural that you pay less given its expected decreased longevity compared to a brand new copy. When the hype surrounding a new game has died down and you, as a developer, still finds himself knee-deep in unsold copies, you have only yourself to blame for overproduction and failing to anticipate the latest trends in buying used games (if that makes sense; economy isn't my strong point).

Most of the games I play lately are used games, and I don't see myself buying a system that doesn't allow me to play them.

I lean towards the specialist gamer archetype (RPGs). I occasionally broaden my horizons, but I never stray too far from RPG mechanics or fantasy settings. Judging from the time I actually spend gaming, one might classify me as a "casual gamer" instead, although I don't think I fit the description at all. I surf around the web looking for game-related topics often, which I don't suspect a casual gamer would do.