Walsingham

The Islamist It's a book by a guy who became a jifascist, and then why he quit. It's politically fascinating, but is also a surprisingly engaging description of growing up. It could easily be appreciated without the politics. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I know it's derailing, slightly, but I want my mate who does some composing to set The Last Hero by GK Chesterton to music. That would rule. He did La Belle Damme Sans Merci a while back and it's really creepy.

I really liked the Dawn on the Dead remake. Hated the Diary of the Dead rumpunctu (new word). Watched Transformers today, while laid up. I freaking loved it! Genuinely cool and satisfying action sequences. Couldn't have made a better ending for my money. Or I may just be high as a kite on lemsip.

Sunburn's a self-inflicted injury. Will get you punishment, mate. Always use teh sunscreen, like the man said.

True. This is the piece I was referring to. But the whole opera is superb, as I say. (Well, most of it. It is an opera after all.) I am also going to have to look up those bits and bobs on Napster.

You could launch a whole class of these. HMS Cholesterol, Low Fibre, Monosaturated Fat, and Sedentary Lifetstyle.

If you like classical with bags of energy you can do a lot worse than Verdi. My favourite opera is Nabucco. I recommend a German performance. For some reason they do Verdi better than any Italians. I recommend Verdi because it is truly possible to enjoy a whole opera at one sitting, unlike others.

First headcold in years. Dagnabbit.

Yeah, he's like the grandfather with all the 'I was in the war!' stories that honestly thinks you're an upstanding member of society and tells you so. How much you don't want to let him down. Oh god, how much I'M SORRY WALSEY! Quiet, pigdog!

Bloody hell.

Build a tiny toy shopping mall for her.

Certainly does. We're a dying breed.

I like the idea of a battleship called Second Hand Smoke. A terrifying name for the 21st Century.

"Smell my finger!" I've also decided that people should develop as you help them, not just get worse as you steal from them. So if you trade a lot or asssist a person they get stronger. I also REALLY want to be able to set quests for people. Like in BG2. I'm totally imagining that one.

Hrm.

You're all trying to get me electremified.

Which town is it in Norway?. I shall make enquiries.

I was just reviewing the battle of Maiwand - as you do - to refresh my memory. I found an account, during the general retreat, of the 66th foot after the battle. Their end was recorded by the Afghans themselves, for there were no survivors. Having taken many casualties they first assumed residence in a fortified compound, and unfurling both Colours beat off charge after charge of the enemy. The commanding Major, a lieutenant of Bombay Sappers & Miners, a Lieutenant of the 66th, and a number of sergeants and corporals held the colours while all around khaki figures, parched with black powder, wounds, and a hard day's fighting struggled with the enemy. Flame, bloodshed, and the roar of attacking artillery were all pervasive. To quote from an Afghan officer: "Surrounded by the whole of the Afghan army, they fought on until only eleven men were left, inflicting enormous losses on the enemy. ...These men charged out of the garden and died with their faces to the foe, fighting to the death. Such was the nature of their charge, and the grandeur of their bearing that although the whole of the ghazis were assembled round them, no on dared approach to cut them down. Thus, standing in the open, back to back, firing steadily and truly, every shot telling, surrounded by thousands, these officers and men died; and it was not until the last man was shot down that the ghazis dared advance upon them. The conduct of these men was the admiration of all who witnessed it..."

Er... I meant lightning. Mountain vs mountain would be truly awesome.

*rolls his eyes, like a flirtatious goldfish*

Like ~Di said, congrats! Now then: 1. You are not betraying any confidences by going to Norway to explore the other option. Always seek to fully understand your options. 2. If you think you can say so politely and not seeming like a jerk, then let company A know you're getting solid offers elsewhere. Say that you are extremely interested in them, but in all possible fairnesss you are having to listen to alternatives. 3. Try to work with A to understand their difficulties in setting up a position, and demonstrate you want to help resolve any issues. The peopel backing you may be having to overcome a lack of faith in your abilities, for example, or willingness to move house. Address these issues. 4. I am no programmer, but a specialist in the mechanics of the game engine is going to get more professional respect than an graphics expert. Lots of people love graphics. I would therefore speculate that career safety is better in mechanics. I.e option A. 5. Working in Norway could be fun. It could be good for your career. See if you can convince option B to spice up their offer as a means of getting you. Can they offer you holdiays, training, conference visits?

"People who hate people! Come together!" "No!"

I no lawyer, either civil or military but I think it works like this: 1. Grenade is thrown at patrol. It explodes, injuring but not fatally wounding the patrol. They do not see him throw the grenade. 2. In the aftermath, a number of suspects are picked up. One of them, with grenade splinters in his chest, turns out to be a young foreigner who claims he is visiting relatives in Pakistan. He has chemical traces of explosive on his person and no convincing reason to be in Afghanistan. 3. This is frankly beyond reasonable doubt proof of his involvement, and certainly grounds for detaining him. However, no civil court coudl convict on this because the evidence is circumstantial. 4. The argument given for accepting circumstantial evidence in such cases is that due to resource constraints, and the degree of conflict, military law applies, and that does not insist cicrcumstantial evidence is irrelevant. "Who, me? No, I'm simply in a warzone holding an assault rifle dressed in the uniform of te enemy. I am not a combatant, and you can't take me prisoner." "Who, me? I wasn't deserting. I was simply lost in the trenches, tok a wrong turn, and wound up working as a waiter in a Paris cafe."

Then it becomes murderball, played next to a wall.

Everyone knows Xard's MY alt.