Walsingham

WITHTEETH I was just about to apologise for being a bit stentorian there. Sorry to bite at you. I think your instincts are fine. It's fine to get miffed if you think somebody is trying to cheat you or is taking your cash and laughing at you. Hell, like I say I get mad at GWB for being such a cretin in charge of the most important campaign of our generation. But if you plan to do anything about it, being mad isn't much use for anything more than punching someone on the nose.

That's quite nicely done! I liked the one about nothing important happening.

Thanks for explaining that. My legal experience is limited to cash cases.

I missed out the whole Twin Peaks thing. I can't remember why. I think I was trapped in a curtain closet with a dwarf.

That's appalling. They obviously knew what they were doing was basically illegal, and hijacked these kids for their sordid profit lust. I'd boycot the bastards but firstly I don't get CBS, and secondly I don't have a TV.

Naive question, possibly: would the state pursue another suspect when they've already got a conviction?

GD has a very good point that there is a strong emphasis on emotion here. I may point out that I have never ever said I like GWB on this or any other forum. I think his administration is corrupt and poorly setup to make good decisions. But that does not make him impeachable. Simply disliking a president is no grounds for impeachment. WITHTEETH, I apologise but I'm unclear whether you have accepted that the presentation of military intelligence to Congress is not an impeachable offence. I think you have, but it's a bit of a shift so I don't want to presume too much. Your objection now seems to be that this was immoral. Immorality is of course quite a difficult thing to define, and often depends upon your perspective. I, for example, have always acknowledged that the primary motivation _in the White House_ (not the State Dept or Pentagon) for the war was self-interested. The Bush administration is founded on two platforms - the big business and christian fundamentalist parts of the Republican party. Both these groups supported intervention in Iraq for reasons you probably already know. I don't consider this immoral, because if i did I would find it impossible to deal with politics in any way shape or form. I am concerned not with motivations but with results. Results which have been very poor in the post-war period due largely to Bush, but also to Congress constantly nitpicking and chaffing. I should thank you for the link to the New Yorker report. I knew the details, but it puts it together very well. However the guilty party there is Rumsfeld, not GWB. He has of course already left, so there's not much you can do about it. I woudl add that not only was Rumsfeld behind the whole warfighting lite doctrine which left the Army undermanned to provide security post-saddam, but since he left ther have been significant improvements in the higher echelons. US operational behaviour in Iraq has improved, as has a tendency to devolve power lower down. The removal of habeus corpus certainly would be serious trial by our peers is essential to the principle of democratic law. On the other hand GD has already addressed this at some length in this thread. I suggest you re-read his comments. However, I would ask to what extent several other governments have done this without being accused of the same. That dear sweet duffer Roosevelt locked up the Japanese Americans without a by your leave.

Probably owns a motorola.

I ploughed in here like a P-51 on a strafing run, then realised it was Gorth. I believe I am entitled to a little profanity. WTF?

Hotdog. When else am I going to eat them?

I once had the same problem, and found myself sitting atop a cheese throne ruling an empire of rats. Of course it wasn't simple to just abdicate. Revolution ensued. War, famine, purges. I believe the empire split into a number of fiefdoms ruled by a motley collection of cats, dogs, and simplistic computerised entities.

I don't think shooting a handful of officials is actually cleaning house. I mean, take Enron as an applied example. Whacking the guys responsible might prove a point, but without systematic review of the legislation concerned, what does it matter? I note that China has refused to allow imports from four US firms in what must be retaliation for the bad coverage.

The X series got me when I discovered, like you, that I could build my own empire. There really is nothing like starting essentially as one of those dubious minicab drivers, and winding up in charge of an entire fleet, trading empire, and all round badass. Your business acumen and fighting skills _save the human race_. Incidentally, the update lets you respray your ships. This is a serious thing for me. No use having your ships look the same as everyone else's.

I don't know if anyone cares, but the atest update to this game looks fantastic. Finally we have a spaceship factory. Although sadly no 'evil mad scientist weapons factory.'

Baby Are Yeng - Nancy Jacobs and her sisters 1960s township soul motownish?

You are more than welcome, old bean.

I agree it does look revolting. If I wanted to absorb the same calories I'd have sour cream, ham, and plum jam pampushki. Or banja caulda. Oh man... I've never really liked Chinese food. I don't mean any disrespect to the cuisine. I just think it's a bit bland.

I'm confused. This piece doesn't reallys et out the different cases very well. The witnesses are confused about what happened, which is fine. Because some cases are like that. Particularly where you've got anything out of the ordinary happening. It's not clear to me who if anyone is alleged to have even been present at the shooting. Nor is there any indication of who was beating the unfortunate homeless man. Were both Dunn and Troy Davis there? What motive had they for shooting a bystander anyway? It makes no sense to me whatsoever. In particular I don't understand how the judge can rule witnesses hearing Coles confess as hearsay when witnesses testifying to Davis confession were allowed to stand in the original trial. We might also give some thought to Coles, who must be pretty miffed about getting dragged into a case he would have thought closed many years ago.

Romanitas. You know, the one saying 'The Roman Empire NOW!' on the cover. Utter karfblarg. There are a couple of interesting bits, and the writer is capable of getting inside multiple perspectives, but - the characterisation is pretty trivial. The men are all either brutes or broken reeds. The women are either sily little things or warriors. - There is absolutely no justification for how the Empire has held together for 2000 years, nor has anything really changed from classical Rome. - I got confused once or twice, and that makes me feel stupid. Stupid and cantankerous.

What exactly do you do Walsh? Sounds crazy. Pretty much everything except make decent ice-cream.

I set out to relax today and failed totally. Half LIfe 1 arrived, and I've been fuming at it in between reading a textbook, my novel, reports, and business calls. Sudden flurry of activity as Estonia announced they're seeking approval to shift almost all power production to oil shale deposits. This is going to seriously put the wind up the Russians and put a lot of pressure on the EU's balance between security and global warming.

You don't think this that, given the way we keep having these stories of a sudden that this could be part of certain elements in the media/government taking it upon themselves to hurt Chinese exports as punishment for their supporting Iran and Sudan? EDIT: 231%? I thought that said 23.1%!

I'd have thought America had the least of all Western countries any interest in a burden the way Kipling meant it. "Take up the White Man's burden-- The savage wars of peace-- Fill full the mouth of Famine, And bid the sickness cease; And when your goal is nearest (The end for others sought) Watch sloth and heathen folly Bring all your hope to nought." I have to say it's very tempting to see situations of total chaos that a handful of metropolitan coppers could straighten out cripple a nation. I don't say it's a white thing though. It's a civilisation sort of civic mindedness versus tribalism and brutality. Sicily could use a little, to be honest. East Glasgow could use a little. EDIT: This may have sounded worse than it is. I am being self-effacing by owning up to a greater tendency than I actually possess.

It's basically marketing trying to make itself more effective. Puzzles, clues, make you think, keep you interested.