Walsingham

With respect, Rosti, you're confusing the abstract interests of 'Russia' with the current administration. An isolated Russia serves his interests well as it hampers awareness of how badly he has borked his country. And if he can gain physical territory then it assures his place in the record books. Plus I think you're being a bit one sided. I don't in any way condone what Russia is doing in Ukraine. But it was inept to assume Russia would stand idle as a direct neighbour aligned West. Perhaps excusably naive, since one might have assumed that Putin was not intent on shafting the nation, but still naive. I think they key point here is that the point of conspiracy. The Russian media is claiming we have orchestrated the move West. We assert that they orchestrated the move East.

Dehydration.

Square Enix are doing business in Russia? Call off the sanctions! ~~ The sanctions are designed to hurt Putin's extensive crony empire of business interests. Of which software is a bit marginal.

For a complete change of pace, I was researching dancing for an evil dance off in the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying game I'm running. Found a few dances for the right era. My favourite so far is the 'saltarello' which is a bit more interesting than a regular galliard.

Screw torture, use this to interrogate terrorists. Who the hell do you think made the damn video in the first place?

I used to think none of ya'll were real. Then one day my hard drive crashed and I bought a new computer. When I signed on with the new one you were all still here. I realized you all WERE real after that. But if we were on the new computer then we can't be real. If we were real we'd still be on the old computer.

If they'd sold physics to us this way at school ...I'd have spent a lot of loose cash in dimly lit physics laboratories by now.

Saints Row.

The only time I've ever seen sanctions do any bloody good is South Africa. Russia seems set on the same course as Zimbabwe. Tinpot comedy halfwit takes charge, and ****s his country into a wooden ****house, resulting merely in the ordinary people being too poor to do squat about him. The main reason for sanctions is that the most powerful countries in the World will do almost anything rather than declare war. I honestly don't know if that's really really cool, or freakishly cowardly.

Oh thank god, that means I'm not 40 and this girl is not 20. Whew, close one. Sadly it means you are 40 and she is 20. And unless she is a murderous heiress then you have made a mistake. Return to page 320 and choose again.

Just... just give it a try at full volume.

Why would you even think about this BS at Christmas?

Um... is that cat racist?

Your fault, you broke my concentration. Do that again and I might forget to imagine you in my future dreams. And underwear. Whatever, man. There's a lot of room in that underwear. oh yeah

Hold on. I'm pretty sure that's my life. What the hell, dude? WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU PUT THE BATHROOMS?

I'm eating my Christmas lunch and settling in to watch Tolkein films.

Changed my mind on the lamb as is my prerogative. Went for coriander seed, double black pepper, rosemary and basil, Maldon sea salt. Rubbed it on dry, in a thick layer. Slow cooked it. Eating now. Fantastic. Wine a SAfrican Cabernet SAauvignon with plenty of oomph. Apple cake went well. Messy, but delicious.

No-one here for Christmas day, but not to be deterred I'm cooking up a storm. Cake as a sugary snack all day: Plain white flour, baking soda, large quantity cinnamon, allspice, double usual quantity of white sugar, very finely chopped apples, egg. Placed in loaf tin. In oven now. EDIT: Also ground dried chilli and sea salt. Since I'm teh only bastard who has to eat them I thought I'd try this out. Later will have roast shoulder of lamb rubbed with chipotle chilli and dried mango (very very finely chopped). Served with roast squash, roast potatos. Big fruity red wines for later today. After I've rung the scattered outposts of clan Walsingham. Or during, now I think of it. Ghastly bunch. How about you chaps?

And we love you, even if we think your family isn't real.

Because Christmas:

This could also be subtitled "Reason #342 Why The Rest of the World Hates Us". Because in the rest of the world it's one very greasy looking fat dude eating a much smaller wheel of dusty bread with no cheese.

There's something about running, just taking off in any direction you like. Beats gym work all to hell. My spine has locked up from about the mid point down. It doesn't hurt which is good. But I can't take my bloody boots off! I may just go to bed with them on. Novel Christmas morning, eh?

There's something about cheerleaders that makes me think of that scene in Jedi when Chewbacca sees the meat on a stake.

Merry Christmas, you freaks. EDIT: Not to get overly political, but spare a thought for the poor SOBs in conflicts around the world. Particularly for those not celebrating Christmas at all, and for whom their war drags on unrelenting.

Well, that is kind of true - if you're a good cop but yet don't report bad cops being bad...what good are you, exactly ? I recently picked up 'Cling together, Swing together' as an expression, suits this situation. Loyalty is a tricky thing. It's a common mistake to assume that loyalty enables corruption. A lack of loyalty is far worse. A loyal group will turn sour if a single skilled ****hole manipulates them. A disloyal group starts out sour and gets worse, because half the reason you don't get corrupted is to uphold a standard you owe to your friends and colleagues. Naturally, bad apples get in, and that's why you need really solid senior non-management people who will identify the bad apples and deal with them. It can't be management itself because they are effectively an outgroup. They can't usually identify bad apples let alone prosecute them successfully. Solid senior non-management will only do this if they have a clear and strong code they can feel proud of. This is one reason why it's so bloody dangerous to send the message that all cops are evil fascists. You cancel the 'debt' of pride.