Walsingham

That one about time sounded interesting. Casablanca kind of speaks for itself, especially the ending Although the bit where they sing the Marseillaise really resonates, especially set in context. Bringing Out the Dead grabs me because it is so ambiguous. I can't decide if it's dark or light. In this respect it reminds me of Taxi Driver. But it really stands out because of its cast, there are several (I suspect) unscripted moments that work to perfection.

It's hand drawn in. I am rubbish. *removes pipe from mouth and gestures* Such is life. To all men are given talents and deficiencies. Mine is ****tails. I have discovered that you can make bad tequila taste better by adding angostura bitters.

can anyone tell when a twi'lek becomes an adult? i thought orcs for example in many worlds tend to be an adult already before age 10, and even humans in reality said maturity comes around 12-14 since before the roman era (even by egyptian one) till about the 16th century That's because we died of malnutritrion and fear at 30.

Like I said.

Eight season running. I just watched Bringing Out the Dead. Saw Casablanca yesterday. Both qualify for just about perfect films in my book, albeit very different films.

Halting, moving to new premises to ease strain on boards.

Other than reading Batman as a kid I was never really into comic books much. But "mainstream normals" getting into Lord of the Rings doesn't bother me so much. They are entertaining movies, and have encouraged people to read the books, who otherwise might not have ever picked it up. Nothing wrong with that, as it's a great story. To use my niece as an example; she's 11 and has nearly finished reading The Hobbit, where normally it's tough to get her away from her video games. Oh sure, be all grown up and sensible, why dontcha?

You mean the question is kind of like 'does food serve the public interest?' The Paris Hilton thing is an excellent example. We were discussing this the other night and I suggested that the news was becoming like music. It's much much easier to manufacture a story from scratch than to go hunt one out. Many recent news stories have been like boy bands. 100% vat-grown. This squeezes out real news from the headlines. Sure it makes us feel like we're getting fed information, but we're being fed fast food garbage. Wow. When I start mixing metaphors I really run up the stove-pipe and salute the elephant.

I have actually visited the cave in question. Or at least the opening of the cave.

1. Fair enough. I was talking about things like the advice on health. Every time something comes up, which is never meant to be a summary of all research, the media represents it as "Scientists say x" Then contradict it next week. 4. I'm sure it can't just be the BBC. I just don't know any other examples. 5. You can do better for a counter-argument than that! Run with the ball, man!

Just a few thoughts to kick off: 1. The media sensationalises scientific stories leading to confusion over important issues like climate change, leading to bewilderment leading to disinterest. 2. The media trivialises serious stories like crazy people, drunk criminals. 3. The media over-plays quite normal stories like muggings, drug taking and so on. 4. The media has given away operational plans during combat that have lead to deaths, such as in the Falklands. 5. The media act as judge and jury in cases leading to complications of justice, and vigilantism.

I wonder if like, those guys carry around bananas with them, so if an Atheist talks to them, and religious views are brought up in discussion, they pull out their bananas {no, not their banana-bananas} and say "Fool! Look at the bananas! LOOK! Perfection! *Points* THERE is your evidence of God's existence!" This would improved if you had Eddo in a box and pointed at his butt. That guy's singing in the christian rock video made my tonsils hurt. No fooling.

I don't want to sound disparaging, but if you put a figure on it then the accountants will just massage the figures. I think a ratio of bang for buck would be better. Which would allow organisations to arrange themselves flexibly. I mean, for example: Charity A: Puts 50% of its funds into the field. Charity B: Puts 10% of its funds into the field. Sounds clear cut, but in this imaginary scenario charity B is employing mainly indigenous personnel, resulting lower wages. This in turn leads to charity B getting better prices on accomodation and raw materials. They also use a large percentage of raised funds in a spread portfolio of investment to smooth out bumps in funding. This means overall that charity employees are able to long-term commitments to the work, building skills, experience, and delivering a long-term effect. Charity A by contrast employs mainly Western students on gap years who draw no salary but require extensive insurance, medical cover, and special accomodation and support in country. Moreover, they have virtually no training, accrue little experience, and deliver little effect. A fact which is lost on the organisation's management who are 100% part-time, and lack strategic awareness. I am not for a moment sugesting that the figures in themselves mean virtue or otherwise. But I'm illustrating how they could arise and be good.

Did anyone else consider prussic acid? To deprive one's captors of the satisfaction/ relieve the excutioner of any guilt.

I think it's more to do with wanting to make bloody certain it's seen and recognised on the battlefield. Not that our current enemies care... As for percentages, I don't honestly know what is an acceptable percentage. Working that out could constitute a damn fine PhD thesis, IMO. I suspect it would be a lot lower than you chaps are arguing. The difficulty of course would be rating organisational style and behaviour against performance, or rather a measure of performance.

You mean we turn the martians into face-cream?

I think we should send Chris a santa suit. He can drink, smoke, and wander around his neighbourhood in midsummer falling over stuff. If anyone complains he can claim it is PTSD from delivering to warzones.

I was watching teh video for In Da Club, and thinking "hah, like that would ever happen". Then a small voice piped up internally "Yeah, because women loathe men with bags of spare money, time, and huge muscles. They always go for nice respectful men. Oh yes."

Is anyone else mildly irritated by how mainstream normals have adopted comic books and the Lord of the Rings? I spent the best part of my youth being enthusiastically mocked for enjoying both and now suddenly my contemporaries are taking their kids into it? Pshaw I say.

That's precisely my point. I know full well that this will be a broad coalition, but the vocal unwashed and incoherent discredit everyone. Do you not remember how pissed off Sir Bob got during the action against poverty thing in Scotland? Don't misunderstand me. I know very well the pleasure of running around like a fool in fancy dress. But I call that live-action roleplay, and I don't expect anyone to take me seriously while I do it.

For starters I'd have a waldorf salad made with kiwi instead of chicken, and bamboo shoots. I'd have whale steak topped with Siberian tiger foie gras for my main course. For desert I'd have a sorbet made with polar ice cap ice, and amazonian berries. If anyone complained that these things were endangered I'd simply smile and say "So am I".

Protesters gather outside Heathrow airport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6943549.stm It's my hope that the entire issue is a ruse to lure record numbers of unwashed hippies into a concentrated space so they can be destroyed by a mix of polar bears, Siberian tigers, and killer whales. I believe I take climate change seriously. And part of doing that is the serious business of gathering information, and talking to devils who make the decisions, not chaining myself to a fence. It's got nothing at all to do with climate change and everything to do with feeble attempts to legitimise a lifestyle of extreme laziness. I have nothing at all against laziness, provided it is honest.

I'd like them to make The Authority except I'm sure they'd be neutered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawney_Bean A neat story to throw in for some characters en route to another place if they're getting bored and want some fighting.

This is based on a design actually used in ww2. The problem there was that the flashes reflected off things like gunsmoke and caused mayhem on all sides. It's also unwise to paralyse anyone on your attacking wave who checks what's behind them. "Come on, lads! Who's with me? Yiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi"