For those who are following the gaming industry, they all know that their fellow enthusiast will be tuned in on the next generation of gaming at E3 in Los Angeles this week. It is expected that over 35,000 industry professionals will gather at the LA Convention Center.

Sony and Microsoft will kick things off on 10 June with press conferences to pump interest on the new PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, which will be launch this fall. But some believed that the game industry is evolving in such a way that some analysts believe that there won’t be a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Two.

I don't buy this observation for a minute.

"Will there be a next generation in about eight years? It won't be in the shape and form we know today with consoles," said Peter Warman, CEO of research firm Newzoo. "It could be something you plug into TV and gives you access to all the stuff. You might want an Xbox dongle for exclusive IP that works with other screens. I don’t think it will be a box like we have now."

The problem with this observation is that it fails to distinguish hard-core gamers and those ordinary dudes who are just passing some time off by playing with their tablets or mobile phones. For instance, Xbox Live squeakers will always be buying consoles to relive their experiences when they were younger. Add this figure with the new generation of teenagers who want to upgrade their experience from Temple Run and you will have a very sustainable market.

The industry may have failed to exceed the 2009 figures when console gamers bought US$ 14.1 billion on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, but it was really because not enough games were introduced. Besides, the number of American gamers (casual and serious) has risen from 205.9 million in 2012 to 209.9 million this year. It won't be long before the free-to-play enthusiasts see the light at the end of Farmville Tunnel and get their copies of Activision's Call of Duty.

The price argument is not convincing enough to presume that tablets and personal computers already have the edge in the market. The new Sony and Microsoft consoles may cost between US$ 400.00 to US$ 500.00 a piece, but both companies can afford that. They know that at that price range they can still secure a steady flow of income. That confidence, in my opinion, was the reason why they impose this DRM (limited or no used games, mandatory online activation and periodic online validation).

If for some remote possibilities, the sales did not pick up during the holidays, Sony and Microsoft can easily lift the restrictions and voila – the biggest advantage of consoles and any PC or tablet gaming is back and so are the paychecks.

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I just read awhile ago that Sweden is planning to implement a law on 2014 that will introduce a total ban on bestiality, which until now has only been illegal if cruelty to the animal could be proven. Jeez! I don't even know that it is legal there unless the animal complains of sexual abuse.

According to the statement of Eskil Erlandsson, Minister for Rural Affairs, "The government is now tightening the rules surrounding bestiality so there will be no doubt about the fact that it is prohibited to inflict suffering on animals."

"There should be no doubt that bestiality is unacceptable," he added.

The report further said that at present, bestiality is illegal in Sweden only if it could be proven that the animal had subjected to suffering. The question is, why did the Swedish Government allowed this sickening act in the first place? And who will prove that suffering took place? The animal?

In any case, from 1 January 2014, any sexual act with an animal will be punishable by a fine, a maximum prison sentence of two years, or both, even if the animal shows no sign of injury or suffering. This means that animal-lovers out there has until December this year to impose their carnal knowledge on the helpless little puddy tat.

"It's very good that the law will be changed," a spokesman for the Swedish Federation of Veterinarians, Johan Beck-Friis, told AFP.

"It's very important that society makes a clear statement that it is unacceptable to use animals that way," he said.

The ban will bring Sweden in line with a European Union directive.

Germany introduced a ban in December, following in the footsteps of Britain, France, and Switzerland among others.

The Swedish parliament is expected to pass the bill into law soon, as there is broad political consensus on the issue.

According to Beck-Friis, under the current law veterinarians may suspect that an animal has been sexually abused but they are generally unable to prove it.

As a result, there are no statistics available on how common bestiality is in the country.

In 2006, the latest year for which statistics are available, about 100 cases of animals suffering injuries suspected of being related to bestiality were brought to the authorities' attention, Beck-Friis said.

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If you are looking for the biggest games this year, then look no further.

On 11-13 June 2013, Los Angeles Convention Center will be the venue for the world's premier trade show for computer and video games and related products - the Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E3. The show is owned by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies, publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet.

E3 is expected to draw tens of thousands of professionals to experience the future of interactive entertainment. The most influential people leading the most innovative companies in the industry are expected to attend E3 to see groundbreaking new technologies and never-before-seen products for computers, video game consoles, handheld systems, mobile and social, and the Internet.

Unfortunately, E3 is not open to the general public. Attendees must be part of the interactive entertainment industry in order to attend the show, and they must be able to provide documentation demonstrating their direct and current professional affiliation to this industry. To be considered for registration, two forms of industry ID must accompany the online application. At least one form of industry ID must contain both name and the name of the company where they work. Incomplete applications will not be processed and the management of E3 reserves the right to deny any applicant admission.

E3 attendee badges will NOT be mailed prior to the show. All Attendees must pick up their badge on site at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Confirmed registrants will receive a confirmation email with a bar code when their registration is finalized. Registrants should print the confirmation and bring it to the Los Angeles Convention Center on-site Registration where their barcode will be scanned to receive a printed badge and badge holder. All attendees must present a valid government issued photo ID (driver’s license or passport) to pick up their badge/badge holder.

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A controversial study was recently released that suggest epigenetics and not genetics, underlies homosexuality.

Epigenetics defines how gene expression is regulated by temporary switches called epi-marks or those extra layers of information that control how certain genes are expressed. The study concludes that these epi-marks are critical and sometimes overlooked factor contributing to the long-standing puzzle of why homosexuality occurs.

Published online in “The Quarterly Review of Biology,” the study added that sex-specific epi-marks, which normally do not pass between generations and are "erased," can lead to homosexuality when they escape erasure and are transmitted from father to daughter or mother to son.

Sex-specific epi-marks produced in early fetal development protect each sex from the substantial natural variation in testosterone that occurs during later fetal development. Sex-specific epi-marks stop girl fetuses from becoming masculine when they experience atypically high testosterone, and vice versa for boy fetuses.

Different epi-marks protect different sex-specific traits from being masculinized or feminized – some affect the genitals, others sexual identity, and yet others affect sexual partner preference. However, when these epi-marks are transmitted across generations from fathers to daughters or mothers to sons, they may cause reversed effects, such as the feminization of some traits in sons, such as sexual preference, and similarly a partial masculinization of daughters.

The study solves the evolutionary riddle of homosexuality. It finds that "sexually antagonistic" epi-marks, which normally protect parents from natural variation in sex hormone levels during fetal development, sometimes carryover across generations and cause homosexuality in opposite-sex offspring.

The mathematical modelling demonstrates that genes coding for these epi-marks can easily spread in the population because they always increase the fitness of the parent but only rarely escape erasure and reduce fitness in offspring.

The study further that homosexuality is a trait that would not be expected to develop and persist in the face of Darwinian natural selection. Homosexuality is nevertheless common for men and women in most cultures.

Previous studies have shown that homosexuality runs in families, leading most researchers to presume a genetic underpinning of sexual preference. However, no major gene for homosexuality has been found despite numerous studies searching for a genetic connection.

The paper's authors are Catherine Crawley, William Rice and Urban Friberg, professors from different institutions and working for the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). The institute brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life sciences.

NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

In the study, the authors integrated evolutionary theory with recent advances in the molecular regulation of gene expression and androgen-dependent sexual development to produce a biological and mathematical model that delineates the role of epigenetics in homosexuality.

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A few years ago, I read this story in New South Wales, Australia about call center staff being asked to officially log their toilet breaks and being asked to explain if they are absent for longer than five minutes. One staff member said whenever an employee needed to go to the toilet; they had to punch a code into their phone and were asked for an explanation if they hadn’t returned to their desk within five minutes.

The story actually raises several questions concerning what constitutes fair time for personal breaks and how closely they should be monitored by employers. Aside from medical reasons for going to the toilet more often or longer than average, is timing toilet breaks the wisest way of engendering healthy staff morale?

Before the question can be answered, another related story just came up also in Australia. An outsourcing and contract center company in Melbourne, which was once awarded with the best employer accolade, is being criticizes harshly online after deducting wages from staff members for toilet breaks.

At least three employees at an Aegis Australia call center in Werribee had money taken from their pay for the amount of time they spent in the loo during their shift, News.com.au reported.

More specifically, Aegis employees were required to explain if they are away from their desk for more than 90 seconds. After returning to their designated working area, the staff are sent electronic alert prompting for exceptions to be made.

While call centers are a pressure environment requiring attendance and vigilance, timing each personal break has led to resentment and a feeling of a "battery hen-type workplace", as one staff member told the newspaper.

What is it with Australian and their toilet breaks? Do you agree that timing or costing toilet breaks is a suitable policy measure of regulating the length or personal breaks? What will be the reaction of your employees if you adopt the same office regulation?

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As lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocates across France celebrated the country's decision to legalize gay marriage, their Nigerian counterparts were not so lucky in their own struggle. Nigerian lawmakers has just approved a bill that seeks to outlaw gay marriage and crack down on gay rights, including criminalizing public displays of affection between same-sex couples.

The House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill which provides for jail terms of up to 14 years for gay marriage.

A bill on gays has already been approved by the Senate but it was not immediately clear if the laws were identical.

If there are no differences between the two, the bill will now go to the president for his approval.

Under the bill, "persons that entered into a same-gender marriage or civil union contract commit an offense and are jointly liable on conviction to a term of 14 years imprisonment each."

It also says "any person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organizations or directly or indirectly makes a public show of a same-sex amorous relationship commits an offense and shall be liable to a term of 10 years imprisonment."

"I no longer feel safe under this law," said Rashidi Williams, director of Nigeria's Queer Alliance rights group.

"It has the potential to encourage instigation of violence against gay people and lesbians," he told AFP.

"Being gay... is a right and that right must be respected and protected by lawmakers and the state."

It is unclear why lawmakers have made such a ban a priority other than to gain popular support since gay marriage is not known to be prevalent in Nigeria and homosexuals are already harshly discriminated against.

Human Rights lawyer Jiti Ogunye told AFP that in passing the bill lawmakers had engaged in an "unnecessary publicity stunt."

"I call it legislative showmanship... This is really, really not a pressing national issue," he said.

He argued that Nigerian politicians were likely seeking to defy mounting Western pressure over gay rights, describing the bill as "a waste of time."

British Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that his country will consider withholding aid from countries that do not recognize gay rights. The United States has expressed concerns over the Nigerian legislation.

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