Walsingham

You support democracy, lets take a vote on that. GOLD. Anyway, I for one support Azarkon's view ( at least I think I do). this is an interesting article. It is saying armament is reciprocal. We need to expect others to arm up as a safeguard against the future. This is immeasurably more important now than it was 100 years ago, when an army could be put together by sewing together some old sacks for uniform and giving everyone a bolt-action rifle. Training, equipping, and supporting a premier league armed force takes nigh on twenty years. It would be quite literally impossible to just sound alarms and take a disarmed nation to war in the time needed to belt them senseless. I have no problem with China being armed. Fair's fair, after all. But I completely disagree that they are a paper tiger. Not only do they have the numbers, but they have the morale, organisation, training, and increasingly the equpment to pose a significant threat.

I had to do the 'this day in history' section of the paper today. So I knew about him.

i had some free time this week as a contract fell through unepxectedly. So I vounteered to work for my local paper. It's really interesting, especially as it's a jump or two 'down' the ladder from what I used to do. But it's hard work for all that. Lots of running around. It's a good laugh.

it's a really interesting idea. A shame in some ways that you can't have coalition presidencies. I sometimes think half the problem is being 100% one way or another. But I wouldn't have even thought of putting it this way.

I really hope so. I've only ever wanted a win for the Iraqis and Afghanis. However you look at it, they deserve a break.

I'm obviously no expert, but I was always told that you should get the best motherboard your budget can stand. It's the skeleton everything else sits in. Or the vascular system. Or a network of tubes. Or something.

Seems Al-Quaeda is catching up with modern guerilla tactics. Possibly. Or they could be way out of step. Pure savagery worked in Vietnam. But now it just seems to have angered the Iraqis and Afghans.

I'd buy one. Nice grips.

You drink malibu, midori, and cream to settle your stomach?!

I'm a big fan of citrus in ****tails. Caipirinha or gin gimlets. And I certainly don't mind mixer digressions.

Better than Preacher? I don't think so.

Try to remember. I do like battenburg.

Good advice there.

I just made some beef consomme to get me revved up for a late lunch. Threw in a dash of amaretto and it was absolutely stunning.

Ironically, I'd still have friends, because so many of them love zombie movies. I've read the book, and frankly, as the author said in a recent interveiw "Why does Hollywood bother to buy the rights to books when it ignores them?"

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer I've been watching loads of programs on the BBC's free archive. But the best has to be Top Gear series 10, episode 3. It has the Rolling Stones, and Jeremy Clarkson driving a Peel P50 around the INSIDE of buildings like a mutated dwarvish Italian Job. Obviously you'd be more legal and better off if you watched it on the iplayer, but since it's free anyway, here's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN0LQJLabqA

I've been going nuts with wikipedia today. I 've been learning about everything from scabies to Haitian politics and gummi bears. But learning in a very haphazard way. It's rather like being a child at a party with a lot of drunk grown ups. They keep telling you things, but in such a way that you are suspicious.

Well, feels is perfectly valid. It's something real as feelings get. But a quick look at your budget over there http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...et-glance_N.htm You've got $59.2 billion pegged for education in the US You've got $775 million pegged for a 'virtual' border fence covering just Mexico. You've got $668 milllion pegged for "modernising air traffic control" Just as a comparison the TOTAL civilian reconstruction budget for Afghanistan was set at $650 million by Hamid Karzai. I'm not really sure where I'm going with those figures. It's obviously also true that billions are being spent on fighting forces abroad.

AI Artificial Intelligence Some excellent imagery, and surprisingly some excellent thoughts. Most Bonkers Ending Ever.

I just checked, and yes, klezmer seems the right word.

I've been listening to Jewish music for some reason. It was like my body developed a spontaneous matzo deficiency.

I agree it is like a whisky sour. With the amaretto it's like a godfather sour. Walsingham Sour sounds good. Easily heard by barmen.

I think it's pretty accurate to say I'd be no worse at fighting while blind.

Important revision: Adding teh juice of half a lemon before shaking reallly lifts this up.

I'd have to rely on GD's figures, since he usually has them about his person, but my understanding was that China began buying US dollars under Clinton. The fact that they have continued to do so is nothing more complex than a) They need US dollars to buy POL. b) They buy them on the open market, hence there's no way to stop them. Yet again you waffle on about losing the war! In what way are we losing the war? Violence is coming down, the economies of both countries are rising, and democratic involvement has never been so good. Moreover the opposition are showing increasing signs of isolation and desperation. I remind readers who may have forgotten how we got onto this that it is a key distinguishing factor between McCain and Obama. In my opinion switching to a candidate who really means to pull out immediately would be the worst of both worlds. It won't get any of your money back, and it will certainly lead to instability, massively increased oil prices, and a humanitarian disaster. All things which my 'Boys Own Book of Things that Suck' tells me are bad.