Rockstar Games presents part one of their special new Red Dead Redemption Gameplay Videos Series: Introduction an in-depth 4-minute first look at the gameplay of Red Dead Redemption.

“Discover an unprecedented, detailed unveiling of the world, culture, characters and story as well as unique gameplay features including the first-ever footage of Red Dead Redemptions advanced Dead-Eye targeting system.

Stay tuned for more videos in this series to come.”

Release date: April 27, 2010
Official site: www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption

Finally there is some new info about Red Dead Redemption. After being bombarded with screenshots the past few months, now we can all enjoy this new trailer for Rockstars upcoming free-roaming western shooter.  The landscape looks incredible, the soundtrack is the best ever and the voice-acting is over the top. And I haven’t even started about the amazing looking horses. I personally can’t wait for this one…

Release date: April 27, 2010
Official site: www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption

Have you ever caught yourself wondering,

“What would happen if Crackdown, Destroy All Humans and Spiderman 2 had a baby?”

It just so happens that Radical Entertainment have your answer. Prototype is the latest free roaming non-stop, heart pounding adrenalin thrill ride to grace consoles but to me, it came across as a bit of a light drizzle.

It’s fun that’s for sure. Elbow dropping tanks, hi-jacking helicopters, consuming people etc. Really though, it’s just dumb fun. Don’t get me wrong, after playing Star Ocean for ages sometimes you need an easier game.

I’m going to start off with my biggest gripe about this game first. Cut-scenes. In most games, these are welcomed but in Prototype they are frustrating, don’t accomplish much and you have to wait for a loading screen to watch 5 seconds of crapola. Luckily you can skip them but then you are wondering what you have to do next.

Second biggest problem is the graphics. Looks like Spiderman 2 from the original Xbox got dusted off and put in place here. Everything is pretty basic.

Urgh, now that’s out of the way gameplay can be talked about. Prototype prides itself on adaptive parkour, which means if there is something in your way, Alex Mercer (the main character) vaults over it at breakneck speed. Cars, tanks, people even skyscrapers no worries. When he’s sprinting he can run right up the side of buildings.

Then of course there’s the glide ability and the huge jumping capabilities as well has jacking tanks and copters.

Before going on I should mention the story. You have amnesia, wake up with superpowers, infection has taken over Manhattan Island creating zombies that want to kill you and the military wants to kill you. That is it, not even in a nutshell that’s just it. You just need to find out what happened to you by consuming people and obtaining their memories.

If you have played an open world game before then you know the drill. Missions involve taking out bad guys, protecting certain things, getting into military bases disguised as a commander and the list goes on. Nothing to special.

To take out these bad guys you have a plethora of powers at your disposal featuring claws, armour, sword, whipfist and more. These can all be upgraded and are quite fun to play around with.

This game isn’t really worth the $100 price tag but provides some fun while it lasts. I chose not to take it back because it is fun, but once a better game comes out it’s being traded in or sold.

If you are looking for big explosions and fun open world gaming where you do as you please, Prototype should give you some entertainment for a little while.

Dosti Mein

Baat Kro Jese
FULL TALKTIME

Yaad Kro Jese
FREE ROAMING

Pyar Kro Jese
FOR LIFETIME

Jhagra Kro Jese
NO COVERAGE

Aur

Hanso Jese
TOLL FREE

by Kate Haisch

Whether or not to buy organic or conventionally grown foods is a big topic that many of our members contemplate. Read on to learn more about which items you should consider buying organic and where conventional foods are sufficient.

The Clean and Dirty Details of Organic

Organic foods can be 50% more expensive than conventionally grown foods. However, the more organic foods you eat, the less pesticides you consume. It is especially important for children to consume organic foods. New studies suggest that pesticides are linked to ADHD, obesity, diabetes and learning disorders in kids who don’t yet have the immune system to be able to flush out these toxins.

Produce

Here are two lists: one for produce that we recommend you buy organic and one for produce where conventional is sufficient.

Meat and Poultry

It is very important to buy meat and poultry that has not been treated with antibiotics. Public health authorities recognize that antibiotic use in live-stock (used to fatten them up and prevent disease caused by over crowding and unsanitary living conditions) has led to people contracting antibiotic-resistant infections. The World Health Organization and the American Medical Association have urged farmers to stop using antibiotics. However, many farmers still continue to use antibiotics. So, when it comes to meat and poultry definitely buy meat that has not been treated.

What labels mean

BEST: Certified Organic. Meat that bears this label is raised without the use of antibiotics or related drugs and meets other rigorous standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). When organically raised animals become sick, they are treated with antibiotics but do not receive the organic label. A third party certifies these standards.

BEST: No Antibiotics Added/Raised without Antibiotics. This label indicates that the animals have not been fed antibiotics at any point in their lives. Meat from sick animals treated with antibiotics cannot be sold under this label claim. Although the USDA approved the use of this claim, compliance is not certified by a third party.

OK: Natural/All-Natural. The USDA defines a “natural” meat product as one that “contain[s] no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.” Meat labeled “natural” may or may not have been treated with antibiotics.

DOESN’T MEAN MUCH: Free-Range/Free-Roaming. These labels have been approved by the USDA for poultry that have been allowed access to the outdoors, though they may never actually go outdoors.  However, the claim implies nothing about the practices of the producer regarding antibiotic use.

Milk

Many dairy farmers use the bovine growth hormone (bGH) to increase cattle weight as well as milk production. Though the FDA concluded that there are no risks to drinking milk from cows treated with this hormone, the issue is still being researched. bGH has been banned in Europe and Canada. Since there are so many dairies that don’t use this hormone, we suggest buying from them if you can. Buy milk and milk products labeled organic or “rbGH free.”

Whether you buy organic or not, here are some useful tips.

• Buy local produce whenever possible.
• Reduce pesticide residues and other contaminants by:
  • washing and scrubbing all produce under streaming water but never use soap,
  • peeling fruits and vegetables,
  • removing outer leaves of leafy vegetables.
• Discard produce that has been out of refrigerator for more than 4 hours.
• Trim visible fat and skin from meat and poultry (pesticides residues collect in fat).
• Eat a variety of foods from different sources.
• Prioritize: The majority of your organic food dollars should be spent on avoiding produce which carry the most pesticides.

Resources

Brannon, Carol Ann. “Organics: Separating Science Fiction from Fact.” Today’s Dietician 10.4 (2008): 8-14
Bareuther, Carol. “Mission Organic: 2010.” Today’s Dietician 10.4 (2008): 30-34
UCS: What’s in the Meat You Eat?