I'm surprised that you're surprised, to be honest. Of course we do. Did you know we also have an FBI? And a CIA? And an SFOD-D?
Britain has been watching its citizens for decades.
Most Communist countries do.
It's really not surprising.
My guess is the price of food is going to go up, not because of the 'synthetic' food but because of the cost of producing food will go up. If they can provide food that is synthetic but healthier than modern cheap food it could be better for us anyway. A lot of cheap food that is 'real' is so bad for us eating the packaging it comes in is healthier.
Read this and then reply with your thoughts because I would love to hear your thoughts about this. I am preparing an argument about video game recognition in our culture for a side project I am doing. I am an aspiring comedy writer. I am serious about this but I also don't want to sound like a dick so I threw in some of my humor (not too funny) in there as well.
Look at how movies gain their recognition and validation compared to how video games gain their recognition and validation
I believe that this may be one of the major reasons why video games do not get deserved praise for their artistry is because of how awards are given within the industry.
Let's take a look at the Oscars. Actors and actresses show up looking nice, they walk by the press, and then they enter a very nice auditorium. Then someone like Billy Crystal comes on stage and makes a few half funny but appropriate jokes and everyone laughs half assedly. Then the orchestra is introduced and they play the most beautiful rendition of an old movie song that was the life's masterpiece of the original composer who spent 40 years preparing for that exact moment at the Oscars. Then he walks onstage with his walking cane escorted by some huge AAA star and talks about how he worked with Stanley Kubrick or someone super famous who died. And then while he remembers working with Frank Sinatra he starts crying a bit and the audience claps.
After that, they have some more classy shit like in memoriam when they play some really uplifting but sad music. And then the best picture is announced and Ben Affleck gets up there huffing and puffing because of all the excitement about a movie he made involving some real middle east shit.
Then look at the video game awards...
They start out with either cheerleaders doing some stupid ass cheer or a comedian coming on stage in a t-shirt and jeans. Then they list all of their sponsors. Their sponsors are usually Red Bull, Monster Energy, Hardees, or some other stupid "manly" product. Speaking of manly, they usually put the video game awards on Spike TV. Spike TV is an embarrassment to real men. Spike TV is what happens when testosterone escapes from the body and creates a network.
Then they have Samuel L Jackson get up there and start yelling out some of his movie lines but they edit them to fit video games. It's something like "I am tired of all these mother f***ing video games on my mother f***ing show!" And then some "journalist" who is usually a hot woman comes on the screen and is WAY TOO excited to be there because she is only yelling into the mic.
See where I am going with this?
Then on top of that, they usually give the best game award to the wrong game. They give it to the most popular game and not the game that has more artistic integrity. The Last of Us is probably the most original and artistic game this generation. It brings out your emotions such as sadness or hope. It shows the struggle of a man trying to escort a teenage girl across the country to try and save her. It used motion capture performances and they were able to make the game graphically stunning. But we all know what game is going to win big this December. GTA V.
This is one of the reasons why people don't take video games seriously as a legitimate form of artistic expression. Because there is no legitimate validation of anyone's hard work other than sales numbers and some piss poor reviews over at IGN.
I am not saying I want them to get all high society on us like the Oscars, but they do need to class it up... A LOT! No more sponsors being thrown at the TV by a loud announcer (the industry needs to pay for the show. EA, Activision, Ubisoft, they all need to lend support), no more IGN reporters yelling into their mic, and no more stand up comedians opening the show in their GOD DAMNED PAJAMAS!
Please tell me I am over thinking this and that I am wrong, because I am actually getting a little upset typing this. But you and I both know that video games get maybe 1/100th of the recognition that movies get.
Heat, I have an unhealthy obsession with keeping everything cool with fans and checking airflow. I have fans strapped to my router, switches, ect ect almost fans on everything.