Walsingham

I just bought Witcher director's cut for four quid. Can't play the bastard on my poor old machine, but too good to miss.

I'm still following.

In answer to both points I'd say 'incompetence'. In the case of the former the incompetence lies primarily with the democratic structures in all interested countries failing to produce an effective focus on fixing the problems. We'd all far rather watch 'Got Talent' shows and hope the entire thing magically fixes itself. In the case of the latter you are talking about an administration which systematically failed to cope with the boers. There was no attempt to win hearts or minds, we failed to fight more effectively at the local level, and when we tried to 'drain the sea' by locking them all up we put them in the hands of administrators who were incapable of looking after themselves. You also have to read a bit deeper and note how many of those diseases were caused by an unwillingness to participate in use of latrines, and subsequently infected water etc. These were veldt farmers, totally unused to living in such close confines, and unequipped with the means to do so. I think it's also wise to read the communiques being sent by administrators wanting to know how long these 'temporary' accomodations were supposed to run for. Everyone kept pretending they were only going to be necessary for a few weeks or months. But if you have alternative sources, I'd be grateful for them. (Almost) Always keen to learn more. In any case my real point is that the Boer experience rather demonstrated how NOT to win a counter-insurgency. The Boers were broken, but their ambitions were not defeated. It also taxed the resources of the whole Empire. Whereas, as Monte points out, Malaya was won on the cheap, and won completely.

Saw the second half and extra time. My mate - who supports Chelsea, but let's not worry about that - cruiicised Ghana for failing to play for time. I tried explaining that Ghana were obviously, you know, sportsmen who felt strong in themselves and weren't just some amoral mercenaries. But he totally failed to grasp my argument. I thought Ghana played tremendously, with enthusiasm, and real spirit. If England has to go out then I hope it's to Ghana.

I have to back up Monte. He's dead on. I've met a lot of boers, even one who was actually in one of the camps (ancient leathery old bugger, but a nice guy). They blame us for having systematically infected inmates. But they all backed off when I showed them that infection rates were not significantly different to those the army was running for its own soldiers [i no longer have those books, although at a pinch I might look them up if anyone's bothered]. Fact is that is perfectly possible to win a counter-insurgency without genocide. Arguing otherwise is - as I've said many times - is equivalent to say insurgents cannot lose. And that's just mental. Any human effort can fail. Insurgency isn't some magic exercise.

I think you should establish a system whereby you can fill the interior with an actual aquarium. Then sit in it in your bathing trunks.

Please note that under no circumstances should you argue with that German psychic octopus. You will look insane.

For those dimwits who are easily confused you simply make 'set menus' like in a chinese restaurant. That way people can steretype themselves, or they can ultra-customise. Job done.

Oh, OK. Thanks for setting it straight.

Some teams absorbed the tactics of Mourinho. Look at Distance Covered Not in Possession of Australia and Japan. They also rarely tackle. Their defense is done by not giving up spaces and angles for the opponents, which greatly cancels supremacy such as possession and talents in quite a great degree. Owing this "shield of Mourinho," Japan seem to be getting more confident with the defense, which made their offense better as well. I hadn't heard that term before. Sounds interesting. i wonder if the principles are at work elsewhere?

Something I've picked up on is that Shady has actually been in country, so I'm going to mind my language a bit. My point with McChrustal is that when war is taken seriously by an administration it puts military effect, and the cost of disruption above domestic political opinion. Look at Eisenhower in WW2, or MacArthur in Korea (to begin with). The point McCrystal has made repeatedly about air power, WoD is that enthusiastic use of air strikes has turned whole regions against us who were fine before. If using a jet to kill the enemy rather than bayonets saves lives but loses the war then you must use bayonets. Monte, I accept that 'building starbucks' isn't a solution by itself. I used the analogy of building a fire. Wood, oxygen, and matches are all necessary. The fact that one on its own doesn't make a fire doesn't mean it isn't part of the true solution. What I would say is that gunboat policing or drone policing or whatever you want to call it doesn't bloody work. It didn't work for us back in 1850 when we were happy to dynamite whole districts to prove a point, it hasn't worked for the Russians in central Asia, and I don't see it working for us. Sick countries breed terrorism the way a sick person bacilli. Simply sloshing the occasional bucket of quicklime over them isn't a solution.

"We will kill until no Harkonnen breathes Arrakeen air"... Smashing.

LOL Actually this , but of course now it's just a weird song.

Alienware was bought by Dell, I'd stay away from them. Weirdly, I noticed this just the other day when looking for a desktop. I am not buying dell, because I've had to help three family friends whose Dell machines arrived loaded up to the gills with spyware and other 'helpful' sh**e. My conclusion is that Dell now think their customers are bovine ***holes. Now, I may be a bovine ***hole, but I'm damned if I'll admit it to strangers.

The land on the windward side is sunny and lovely. That's why. As Gorth points out, it's only their servants who live on the marshy side. Of course, they still get all the diseases transferred to them eventually. Silly nobles. We did have a session, witha lot of stuff in the Kovostella. But no time to type up just now.

You, and a lot of other people, keep saying that; but I don't think you realise what you are arguing for. You are arguing that we should abandon the country of Afghanistan to a foreign group of terrorists who have an agenda predicated on world Islamic revolution and a continuation of terrorist attack against the West. Can we really have actually forgotten 9/11? What happens in Afghanistan touches us in New York. It touches us in London. It can touch us anywhere*. What you advocate is an end to the conflict and a return of the troops. But I agree that is precisely what we should be intending to do; and to the best of my knowledge we ARE intending to do. This will be predicated on three factors in country and one factor outside the country.** In country: 1. Baseline physical security 2. Economic development 3. Political renaissance Out of country: 1. Maintain support for the above efforts, and legitimise the expense in 'blood and treasure'. Now, I'm telling you to support the effort unequivocally. There'd be no point anyway, since blind faith would snap eventually. But I am asking you to consider exactly what you don't like about teh effort, and to follow up by asking how to fix it rather than drop it entirely. Because if you drop it the mess will land on your own feet. *Yes, even there, Krookie. But not in a nice way. **Of course, this is basically what McChrystal has been arguing, and actually achieving. But because the US President is afraid of seeming weak domestcially he has thrown out a commanding officer and all his staff at arguably the most crucial point in the entire campaign. God forbid you should take a decision based on military reality. Go Obama, go.

Interesting that you can't find a video of Kaka's sending off ANYWHERE, because of legal moves by FIFA.

Wait, slow down. NBN pricing?

Care to explain a bit more? I don't know zip about Aussie politics besides what you tell us.

Let's do this the obvious way and call football football. You Yankees can sit locked up by yourselves and call hot fudge and soda football for all I care. I'm not pandering to you, you weirdos.

"Hey I bought this game for 40

Did I mention that I very nearly invented that sport in Scotland in the 1980s? I stopped short when I realised what would happen if I missed even one jump on those cliffs.

Sounds good, fellahs. Looks like I'm waiting another week before I hear whether our new contracts are coming through. If it's a go then by the Lord Harry I'm getting a new PC!

It's what always happens when a Britisher is exposed to the warm air of our colonies for any length of time.

Understood. I guess my main question on tha rig is the motherboard and power supply. Any issues there?