Walsingham

I was just about to rattle off a number of studies, and illustrative narratives on rape being a power play as much as sexual, but then I thought "why ****ing bother?" "Lies, damned lies and statistics" does NOT mean that all statistics are lies. It means some of them are. But the neat - and very important - thing is that when those statistics are compiled by reputable researchers in a peer-reviewed study, the lies are falsifiable. Either mathematically or by derivative studies. That's the difference between good science, and standing on a box shouting about how you're right and everyone else is deluded.

They probably just took one look at your gaunt, fatigue-ridden, gollum-looking ass and hoped you'd die before your next appointment.

It is unbecoming to chase girls at any age. A gentleman permits ladies to chase HIM.

Fair does. I got a bit carried away, in to the bargain.

AND an origami unicorn.

We'll have to agree to disagree around whether Russia's attempts to broker a peaceful solution make sense in regard to Syria. It may seem like I am flip-flopping on the armed intervention in Syria but I have followed many new perspectives and I fail to see how at least allowing the Russians to get Assad to destroy his Chemical weapons is a bad idea? I'm not a great chess player, but you must be one lousy chess player! Because it's not good if the chemical weapons are removed, leaving Russia strongarming Eastern Europe, and resurgent in the Mideast when the US is apparently backsliding and impotent. Because Russia is presently under the control of the most rapacious oligarchical kleptocrats in human history. As oby would confirm, if oby was actually Russian, and could remember and be consistent in her spelling and grammatical errors.

Alan: there have been a couple of cases recently in the UK where a woman was provably falsifying a rape claim, and iirc the courts threw the book at them. Because as you say it undermines real victims. Not surprising that they do it, given some people are just full of hate, only shocking. ~~ Grom: I concede and understand that there are cultural differences in who is the perceived victim. It is good to raise the point, because it will be news to some members, I'm sure. It also informs our understanding of the various societal reactions to the problem. However, knowing victims of rape I would assert without hesitation that the victim is the woman whose body has been violated. They are the ones who lie awake at night. They are the ones who kill themselves, or are the ones who get killed by their supposed fellow victims in order to restore some spurious honour. They are those ones who bleed, or contract HIV, or have forced pregnancies. ~~ There will be a point in time where we can ask intellectual questions about fine lines when it comes to rape. The reality at present is that Worldwide there is that the fine shades are lost in a solid inky darkness of violent unquestionable coercion and assault. Born - according to the OP research - in a sense of entitlement.

Melted a knob of butter, and cooked up onions, garlic, and thyme. Thin sliced potato, salt, and a beef stock cube. Ample water. Eaten with brown bread spread thinly with gentleman's relish. Filling. Cheap.

In my experience, that describes the vast majority of college girls(almost all Americans in my case) I've encountered. The only thing that is worse is when they think that after (insert sexual act, from kissing to ...) you are dating them. I would advise enjoying the fun, but be prepared to run like hell the morning after or if you encounter them again. Try being appallingly rubbish in bed. Works for me.

Not sure if that's an insult or a compliment.

You bastard son of a bitch! Now I'm going to have to start re-watching Buffy.

Up betimes and gnawing on my now World famous cake jerky.

I have decided I want to be a catador when I grow up.

Much as it pains me to turn on someone I've been 'standing' next to (metaphorically speaking, I have to say that Bruce is getting a wee bit one dimensional himself. To illustrate, Stratfor observe that this fracas has given Moscow room to ante up in Eastern Europe. And the White House has been completely supine.

I'm not really clear how them treating rape as an extreme sport makes it less serious as a problem.

The mind boggles.

Just in case you chaps were wondering about the 'other bit' of the rifle, I found out that the BBC has a permanent exhibit of a program about regimental traditions etc. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00jvbqm/In_the_Highest_Tradition_Episode_1/ It's from 1989, so it's both out of date, and a bit more interesting. Since there were more regiments back then, and the cheese-paring bastards at the Treasury hadn't managed to **** it all sideways. And yes, Gordon, I am looking directly at you.

I can't do Monday or Tuesday evenings, nor Saturday daytimes.

Harsh them not telling you.

I need to find a good search term for small table lamps/bedside/reading lights that are cheap, and have small bulb fixtures, as in about the size of those small saucer shaped downlights or smaller. Alternatively if anyone has recently bought a good example, can you give me the name of the make and where you got it? I'm building some bloody art.

just checking: you aren't an advanced military cyborg are you? Because I heard they were having trouble with the AI software in the upgrades...

I just mean for bragging rights. The cup in game can be anything at all.

You should have built a redoubt out of mealie bags behind the pool table, and held out.

That's more like it. I have realised that in general I detest women who are only after money. Because I haven't got any.

Sorry, Raithe. But I looked at those pictures and my first thought was 'pubic lice infection'. My second was 'I bet they smell very faintly of decaying car tires'.