Walsingham

Spreading panicky rumours?

Pure liquid insanity.

Extract from Stratfor: "The torch relay in San Francisco proved a mixed bag of anti-China and pro-China demonstrators, as well as spectators simply hoping for a glimpse of the symbol of the Olympic Games. Pro-Tibet and other demonstrators altered their tactics in San Francisco following clashes surrounding the torch run in London and Paris

Actually, reviewing the details of the DuTroux case, I am struck by three points: 1) Rape of minors should be taken seriously. 2) In this case, and in many other cases, the offender has beeen guilty of a string of other offences over a long epriod of time, all of which point to severe mental disturbance and a danger to the public. Nothing effective appears to have been done to deal with this danger. 3) I put it to you that our efforts would be better applied to effectively handling known habitual violent offenders of all kinds. If we fail to do that then all this talk of exacting terrible revenge is more or less an attempt to assuage our own guilt for standing idly by!

I'm confused a little here, chaps. Several of you talk about abusers being abused. Surely abuse is something that is foul whichever way you slice it? On the other hand, a quick read about Marc Dutroux (et al) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3522367.stm does make one reconsider. I mean, what do you do with someone like that? How could any psychologist really take responsibility for turning him loose, even after twenty years? BTW, how many here have seen Oz?

Something I've heard GD say enough times...

If memory serves YOU were a dancer weren't you DR?

I have to say that the business of Tibet becomes more murky the deeper one digs. I haven't time to go to the library over this, and Wikipedia is even more outrageous than usual. I have read one book on the subject, written by an American colonel in the mid fifties. In it he alleges that the PLA had been halted a combination of ibetan forces and the terrain, and had been about to give up on a bad job. But suddenly the Dalai Lama signed the 17 point treaty basically saying that Tibet ought realy to be part of China. I confess that the notion of the Tibetans beating hardened communists at the time seemed fantastical. However 1) If Tibetans are anything like Ghurkas then I think we can regard them as superb fighters. 2) Chinese communist logistics were simplistic at best. Far from home I can well believe that they'd be hard pressed to sustain an operational force. If this was the case then frankly I have a hard tim sympathising with the Tibetans. That's the price you pay for being bloody wet.

Recommend they take up politics? Seriously, if you want politicians who only tell the truth you'll wait a long time.

It's that time again. I have carved out

Am I in favour of people who are guilty of raping minors being executed? Absolutely. Am I in favour of executing people convicted of raping minors? Less clear. Rape, particularly that of a minor, tends to depend on witness testimony. Often that of the child. This may sound fine, but children make appallingly unreliable witnesses. They are extremely vulnerable to suggestion, and hazy in their recollections. Frankly, I'd support such a punishment where the evidence was absolutely unequivocal. But juries simply can't be trusted to deliver guilty verdicts ONLY where that was the case. As an aside I think it would be more helpful if persons guilty of such an offence were subjected to mandatory psychological research so we can spot potential offenders/potentially abusive relationships better. However, that would be completely unconstitutional since it would be 'unusual'.

The Star Forge was just retarded. The Empire has a proven emphasis on making pwoerful bits of kit require a lot of crew. The logic is simple, if never explained. One man can turn traior, a thousand can start a rebellion, but no beatnik rebellion is going to be able to field enough crew to take over a Death Star. The Starforge on the other hand had a crew of about four. That's just asking for trouble.

Well, I guess some people might not like that - but I think you are right not to care. Thanks, man. I thought it was particularly interesting to compare her conversation with that of the various movers and shakers persent, who were running about like five year old with balloons.

NOthing to do with being completely random?

Hah! I know what you mean.

I don't think it IS a good excuse. It's a lame excuse. I mean, look at Liberia. It was set up to be great, but it got ruined by carpet-baggers.

Nothing wrong with that, I know several women who pole-dance as a hobby - the fact that you do it does not make you a stripper or anything like that. *warm smile* Actually, she has been a stripper and lap dancer. Frankly, it turns out I don;t care. She's very funny, attractive, and she can hold her own intellectually. Really, what's not to like? Me objecting to what she does is not more sensible than her objecting to the fact that I am training to kill people. It's not like I'm going to be doing that with her.

Never mind. Ultimately we all get old and wind up dying with a mouth full of soup or what have you. Main thing is we have a crack at it.

But as an Obsidian/Black Isle player we know that tombs and graves are full of zombies and stuff. For which you need a mace or something.

Isn't theslug doing accounting? You guys should spot test each other.

I just realised you said 'individual influences', not differences. I still don't see what's so weird about the idea, though.

I generally prefer brunettes. I've only dated a couple of blondes. Probably a genetic imperative to diversify the genes. Nothing better than curly haired brunettes.

Differences evident in the individual, you nutcase.

As Krez says, if it were Europe or the Commonwealth I'd shrug it off. BUt thanks to teh fact that non-nutcases don't seem to vote in the US ...you're b****ered. Enjoy!

I know what you mean, Archie. I can hardly believe it myself. But it makes sense for two reasons: 1. I have been stepping up slowly but by inexorable degrees. 2. I made an initial mistake in measuring the distance and was trying to run 3.2 km in 10:30. The benefits of being a moron!