Blair sets the date for his departure FROM NINE MSN

Thursday May 10 21:13 AEST

Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he would quit on June 27, 10 years after winning power in what was hailed as a new dawn for Britain that has since been darkened by the Iraq war.

Blair's resignation triggers a contest for the leadership of the ruling Labour Party, which finance minister Gordon Brown is favourite to win. Brown would then become prime minister.

"I've been prime minister of this country for just over 10 years," Blair told party members in Trimdon in his northern England constituency.

"I think that's long enough, not only for me, but also for the country and sometimes the only way you conquer the pull of power is to set it down."
Blair defended his record in office, saying "I did what I thought was right" during his decade in power.
Tough choices
Blair said Britain had changed for the better since he took over as prime minister in 1997.
But there were difficult decisions along the way, particularly when there was widespread opposition, leading to his fiercely-held conviction to be misinterpreted as "messianic zeal", he added.

"Doubt, hesitation, reflection, consideration, reconsideration — these are all the good companions of proper decision-making but the ultimate obligation is to decide," he said.

Blair said some decisions, such as the independence Labour granted to Britain's central bank, the Bank of England, to set interest rates, were accepted "quite quickly".

But others were harder to make and sometimes, the "completely unexpected" led to isolation, such as his decision to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Washington after "9/11", he told the audience of Labour supporters.

"Removing Saddam (Hussein) and his sons from power, as with removing the Taliban, was over with relative ease.

"But the blowback since from global terrorism and those elements that support it has been fierce, unrelenting and costly.

"For many it simply isn't and can't be worth it. I think we must see it through... It's a test of will and of belief and we can't fail it."

Despite what he said were the "duller tones" of reality compared to the "rainbow" hues of political vision, Blair said it had been an honour to serve as Labour leader since 1994 and prime minister since 1997.

Whatever people's perceptions of his time in office, he said: "I ask you to accept one thing, hand on heart, I did what I thought was right.

"I may have been wrong. That's your call but believe one thing if nothing else, I did what I thought was right for our country."

Domestic troubles
Blair, U.S. President George W. Bush's closest ally over Iraq, leaves office out of favour among voters for sending British forces to join the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

A Labour Party rebellion in September forced him to say he would quit within a year to allow Brown, his long-time heir apparent, to take over.

But Blair will also be remembered for helping bring peace to Northern Ireland after decades of violence, winning three straight elections for Labour for the first time and dragging it from its left-wing roots to the centre of British politics.

An opinion poll published by the Guardian newspaper on Thursday showed 60 percent of voters believed Blair would be remembered as a force for change, though not always good. The ICM poll said 44 percent believed he had been good for Britain.

Blair had long been expected to hand over power before the end of his third term to let another Labour leader guide the party into the next national elections, expected in 2009.

Brown, whose official residence is next door to Blair's in London's Downing Street, has waited with increasing impatience for the departure of his neighbour. Critics say their rivalry, often bitter, has diluted the government's effectiveness.

Blair quits as only the second prime minister in a century to have served 10 years, tainted by a corruption scandal in which he became the first serving prime minister to be quizzed by police in a criminal probe.

Brown's chief challenge will be to revive support for Labour and overtake the opposition Conservatives in the opinion polls.

Conservative leader David Cameron, 40, has revitalised the party of Margaret Thatcher — the only prime minister to hold power longer than Blair in the past century — since he became leader in 2005. Polls suggest he could win a slim majority in parliament in national elections.

Reuters, AFP

MAY 2ND, GO TO HELL!

YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH ME. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT? WHATEVER IT IS. I WON'T APOLIGIZE TO YOU.

TODAY IS ABSOLUTELY NOT MY DAY.

EVERYTHING HATES ME. INCLUDING YOU.

MAY 2ND, I WILL NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN! NEVER EVER!

A new Earth?

I have been interested in astronomy since childhood, but the situation now is a bit different: now I know where I should pay effort to and where not. Anyway, the discovery of a new Earth-like planet really attracted me. Astronomers claimed that they had found the most earth-like planet outside our solar system, with balmy weather which could support water and, potentially life.

This planet was said to be the first at the same time probably rocky, with water and in a zone close to the star which it orbits water coould exists in liquid form. The temperature on the surface was estimated to lie between 0 and 40 celsius degree under which water could be liquid.

Although scientists gave us a similar announcement (I didn't notice this because I didn't read newspapers when I was only 9 years old) 12 years ago claiming that they had found a would-be planet which would be the target of us to seek extra-terrestrial life, this one seems quite unique.

Gliese 581, which the newly-found planet orbits is among the 100 closest starts to Earth, just 20.5 light yearsaway in the constellation Libra. Hence, even if this is another copy of Earth, we don't have technology advanced enough to enable us to travel there yet. Hmm.. think about the craft described in Angels and Demons - a masterpiece written by Dan Brown. That monster, which looks like a space shuttle and we couldn't imagine to possess it in the following *** years, isn't fast enough to travel in outter space to seek our dream though.

丫？很久没联系了

很久没联系了，这个周末我有很多事情，
估计没有机会和你好好聊一聊了。

不知道你最近感觉怎样？学习，生活？

失眠了

来到这里第一次失眠。。。

Tenth Anniversary - Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider 10th Anniversary - In 1996, the original Tomb Raider was launched
The 3D game design, controls and graphics were truly ground breaking for their time
Furthermore, gamers were also presented with a unique, female human playable character with which they could become emotionally attached, Lara Croft

The original Tomb Raider sold over seven million copies and is still heralded as an absolute classic and one of the best action adventure games ever
Tomb Raider defined the PlayStation and changed the way that people played games.

In tribute to this and to celebrate and commemorate the continuing development of the Tomb Raider franchise and its central character, Crystal Dynamics are developing a new Tomb Raider adventure for Lara


Inspired by the original Tomb Raider video game Lara Croft Tomb Raider Anniversary faithfully preserves the elements which made the original Tomb Raider game such a classic.

Using an enhanced Tomb Raider Legend game engine, the graphics, technology and physics bring Laras adventure and pursuit of a mystical artefact known only as the Scion right up to todays technology standards and will offer gamers a completely new gameplay experience.

Tomb Raider follows the adventures of Lara Croft after she is hired by a powerful syndicate to retrieve a mythical object called the Scion
After discovering that she has been used as a pawn in some larger scheme, Lara takes matters into her own hands deciding that she must uncover the mystery behind this ancient artefact.

Celebrate and commemorate ten years of Tomb Raider and Lara Croft with Tomb Raider Anniversary, an entirely new gameplay experience inspired by the first ever Tomb Raider adventure


Tomb Raider Anniversary uses an enhanced version of the Tomb Raider Legend game engine to apply Crystal Dynamics latest PS2 technology.
Play the living Lara Croft, the worlds greatest action heroine of all time use all of Laras guile, athleticism and gadgets in her quest to conquer the unknown and uncover ancient artefacts.
Includes classic environments from the original Tomb Raider as never experienced before Crystal Dynamics latest technology allows you to fluidly manoeuvre Lara using her latest moves and gear, through all the worlds from the original Peru, Greece, Egypt and more
The dynamic world allows multiple playthrough options and also opens up new places and wa

PS3 review from NINEMSN

Are you a believer?

With Sony's answer to the next generation of video gaming now out in PAL regions such as Europe and Australasia, gamers finally have the chance to discover what North America and Japan have been enjoying since 2006.

The first thing those you'll discover, as American and (to an infuriatingly lesser-extent) Japanese gamers have, is that the PS3 doesn't come cheap. In Australia, where only the top-end model of the console is available, it costs a bank-breaking $999. This already prices the system beyond much of the impulse buyer's market.

Sony are of course gesticulating wildly in the direction of the Blu-ray disc drive, the PS3 being the cheapest way to own the next-gen DVD format. However, the jury is still out on the appeal of Blu-ray as a whole and whether gamers are taking its inclusion on board when comparing the PS3 to the Xbox 360 and the Wii.

The power of the CELL CPU driving the system makes the console the most mighty of the next-gen trio, though it will take time to see how important this technology is. Debut titles fail to out-shine rival Xbox 360 offerings, despite the hardware at their disposal. That said, Sony can't be faulted for ambition, having taken their third-gen system in an entirely different direction from the mass-market PS2, opting instead for a system which will appeal to technophiles and those looking to be the first with Blu-ray.

For those of you deliberating about whether to hot foot it down to your local game shop, one of the most important factors to consider is whether you will buy or already own a HD television set and whether you'll also therefore be interested in taking advantage of the Blu-ray drive. If you do want to be an early-adopter of the new DVD format, then the PS3 could be your best route in, especially with the array of games available or forthcoming.

Then there's the PlayStation Network to consider. It may be in its early stages, but the online service of the PS3 is completely free (unlike Microsoft's rival Live service) and that includes online gaming too. Today's 1.6 update also ushers in background downloading and with Gran Turismo HD free to download, fans of the racing genre may find this is incentive enough. The range of titles heading to the PS3 store also looks set to grow at pace, with Sony promising more original games alongside conversions, as opposed to the retrograde ports favoured by Microsoft and Nintendo.

The PS3's future is about that, ultimately ... the future. Without exclusive games such as GTA IV and Assassin's Creed, and now even Final Fantasy XIII a doubt, Sony's ability to secure or develop compelling games will be vital to justifying the system's high price point. That and Blu-ray's victory over HD-DVD. A smorgasbord of multiplatform EA sports and movie tie-ins is unlikely to be giving Microsoft execs the shivers any time soon. But then there is, of course, Metal Gear Solid 4 ... can Kojima's return elevate the PS3 single-handedly?

Lest we forget, Sony have unveiled plans for the PS3 Home and LittleBigPlanet in recent weeks, both of which could easily entice the MySpace generation of game players so enamoured with the PS2. But can such sociable gaming experiences persuade people to part with $1000 when the Wii also appeals to the party crowd but costs under $500?

While you deliberate over whether to make the investment in Sony's ambitious next-generation vision, here's a few "day one" facts about the new machine...

Specifications:
PS3 PAL console
Price: $999
Cell CPU/RSX GPU/256 MB RAM/256MB video RAM
60GB HDD/Dolby 5.1 surround sound
Ethernet/Wi-fi/Bluetooth support
SIXAXIS Wireless controller
HDMI output/1080p max resolution
CD/DVD/Blu-ray supported
Weight: 5kg


Launch games:
Resistance: Fall of Man (Sony)
MotorStorm (Sony)
Genji: Days of the Blade (Sony)
Formula One Championship Edition (Sony)
Ridge Racer 7 (Sony)
Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Activision)
Tony Hawk's Project 8 (Activision)
Gundam: Target in Sight (Namco Bandai)
Full Auto 2: Battle Lines (SEGA)
Sonic the Hedgehog (SEGA)
Virtua Fighter 5 (SEGA)
Virtua Tennis 3 (SEGA)
World Snooker Championship 2007 (SEGA)
NHL 2K7 (2K Sports)
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (Ubisoft)
Enchanted Arms (Ubisoft)
Def Jam: Icon (EA)
Fight Night Round 3 (EA)
NBA Street Homecourt (EA)
Need For Speed Carbon (EA)
The Godfather: The Don's Edition (EA)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 (EA)
Tekken: Dark Resurrection (PlayStation Network)
Blast Factor (PlayStation Network)
Lemmings (PlayStation Network)
Gran Turismo HD Concept (PlayStation Network)
GripShift (PlayStation Network)