Walsingham

I had the exact same problem. In many ways I still do. LIfe is a complex business and settling on anything in a routine is tricky. It was only when it occurred to me that I always make time for gaming that I realised I was making a few excuses. It's a psychological thing. I had become too used to thinking of exercise as a chore. Whereas in fact it's a treat. I thought of this because for me it really is. Five years ago I could barely climb stairs my knees were so bad. I never thought I'd run again. But physio and hard work has paid off. My advice is to isolate the bits about exercise you like, and whenever you're bored or miffed off you just drop what you're doing and go do them. Let the routine handle itself. BTW, is anyone else amused that theslug has become forum drill sergeant? It's what we bloody need.

Nonsense. Love lifts us up where we belong!!!!

Maybe he doesn't believe in Newtons.

I don't mean to sound like Tarkin, but I grow tired of asking this... where does Iraq become relevant to the issue of Scooter Libby? Alright, now I think about it I mentioned it earlier, but I shouldn't have.

I've got a jumprope, from back in the day. A good weighted leather one. I guess I can take it out to the park. I run like a rhino with arthritis anyway, so it's not like I'll be embarassed. I didn't realise it was such good exercise, though. I just thought it was good for balance, poise, and speed, which are not current priorities. Crucially, my knee seems to have survived today. I was getting worried, but actually it seems to only worry me a lot when I go upstairs or sit cross-legged.

1. Certainly Iran has turned out to be a far more keen player in the game than anticipated. This was in part due to the slightly lacklustre efforts had been making in Afghanistan. I think the assumption was that they might repeat the performance. Howeevr, it seems that being just across some nice flat country, and containing some of the holiest shrines in Shia Islam has engaged their attention. Not to mention the oil in the South. Iran must be borne in mind, but at the same time I really don't much fancy the notion of selling the Iraqis into Iranian hands just for the sake of expediency. 2. The question of legitimacy in the eyes of the Iraqi public is crucial, as you observe. Last time I checked the official line of the elected government is that we are still welcome. Granted this could be the prattling of some Quisling or other, but I don't get that impression. There are plenty of fractious bastards in the Iraqi parliament (as is right and proper) and they would be perfectly capable of passing an independent motion asking us to get stuffed. Correct my assumptions by all means. 3. Decapitation of Al Qaeda achieving instant victory is now a nonsense. Al Qaeda have established themselves as a franchise like Maccy Ds. The operational and tactical methodology is out there. All it takes is a strategic leader to inspire people and focus operations into a campaign. Since they use the Maoist notion of wrecking everything until even a bunch of addled tehology students are as credible as the government, it's not terribly hard. The crucial weakness is the underlying principles of inspiration. As you say, it is not feasible to remove the 'grievance' justification. What we can do is fragment the movement by shaking confidence in its claim to invincibility. In a way Al Qaeda have as much staked on Iraq as we do. If they lose here, with all the advantages at the outset, then people may look in other directions for leaders. Of course, if the Arab states keep locking up partial moderates then they won't have that option.

I suppose so. Unless you could do something clever with gravity.

Well, I've been sticking to my exercise regime, with very very gradual increments. I now do 60 situps, 60 bicep curls, 20 press-ups, and 40 mins running every two days. It's not much, but if you recall my knees are funted then I'm not too bad. I've also replaced breakfast with a piece of fruit, and lunch with salad. I have lost quite a bit of weight. Given I have paid for this with dull pains in my legs, sore arms, and public ignominy as I wheeze around, I was wondering how you other chaps had got on. Sand?

The question is answered by knowing in which direction fluid moved last. If the liquid has recently been added to it is half full. If fluid has been removed then it is half empty. Under most circumstances there will be a small degree of evaporation. Thus the glass is most often half empty. If the liquid is beer then being half empty is a good excuse to get another round in.

Firstly, if the president receives a briefing which tell shim there are WMDs and he presents that to Congress his ass is covered. You can haver about the thinking that went into the brief all you want. Neither you nor I will ever know. What I DO know is that there were compelling reasons to suspect WMDs existed. Reasons I was moved by, as were a number of very clever acquaintances, including ex-members of the intelligence services, and ex-diplomatic corps. If we want to go into this we can start another thread. I must point out this still has nothing whatsoever to do with Scooter Libby. Please try to stay on topic, gentlemen. George Bush could be satan himself, it's Mr Libby and his pardon on the charge. If anyone wants to start a 'Isn't George Bush a twit in general' thread then go ahead. GD, the charge of perjury does not acrry a uniform penalty. If I vandalise a street light and my friend vandalises a railway signal light (I'm not saying I've ever done this), then a British judge would certainly accord different penalties. They are the same action, with very different implications. Or would you argue they should be treated in an identical fashion?

It absolutely positively should not be taxed. I agree with gfted. It would get hoiked higher and higher and we'd be nearly back where we started. The whole point is to make it as easy as suicide.

Not wanting to make you feel you're out n your own, GD, I can see the logic you are using. However, where I can see Pop's angle is that there is a massive difference in the root of the offence. Casting my creaky memory back I can recall thinking the entire investigation into Clinton's impropriety was a waste of money and public interest. Ought there really be special prosecutors running around sniffing underwear? The principle at stake here is that a crony of the President acted in a way that seriously flouted both the letter and intention of the law. A law in this instance designed to protect federal employees in risk of their lives. The message now sent is that as a presidential agent you have carte blanche and will not be bound by law. This is not a healthy position to take.

Danny Glover is great.

Sheesh. I guess I couldn't have chosen a comparatively lighter tune. I'm amazed you people ever get out of bed! I like dark stuff, too, but take a break!

Azarkon, fair points. 1. If we bail, the result won't be a transition into a tripartite state. Iran would push forward, and be met with Saudi Arabia pushing back. It's not just consistent with their strategic imperatives, but would also let them 'burn off' a bunch of unruly young men. Turkey has already been building troop deployments along its border with Kurdistan ready for this eventuality. Fun for everyone! Except the Iraqi people caught in the middle. 2. You are quite correct in saying that simply staying for the sake of honour is not a classically sensible thing to do. Although I recall Churchill saying in cabinet after Dunkirk that staying in the war and failing and being conquered was better than declaring peace. I feel we have a moral imperative to try now, whatever the cost. But then I also believe it is perfectly feasible, provided we can rally domestic support. Never forget that the disruptive forces in Iraq are also struggling to maintain motivation. 3. This is not to say that domestic support is the only issue. Lurking in the background is the rising urban dissent across the middle-east caused by over-population and lack of economic growth. Unless more can be done in Egypt, Syria, Saudi and so on, then the problem may escalate anyway. But if this is correct then pulling out will only ensure the gravitation of these dissatisfied elements towards Al Qaeda, the vanquishers of the West.

The indiscriminate and massive elements of the description are important. However, I always felt it was the threat to civilians that was the real issue. Post ww2 strategic targetting of civilians has been seen as taboo. Gas and bugs can harm troops who are unready, but if you VX'ed the US/UK army on alert, they'd be absolutely fine, while eveyone near them not lucky enough to have a suit or sealed vehicle would croak. Ditto for most common bugs, since the Army get inoculations, and have stocks of medicines. Civilians are going to get hurt far worse.

Lepercans? "Ye'll never get me pot'o'scabs!"

That big lizard has claws in a bunch of stuff. He's the John Gotti of the magical beast kingdom. Health potions, potions of speed, xenotoxin, you name it. Meshugger I agree that it depends what you are buying. But isn't marijuana a case in point example of what happens when prohibition declines? Any fool can grow it. So any fool does. I'm not saying it's not got drawbacks, but it's not financing FARC. Off topic, talking about prostitution, in the UK it's legal to offer sex for cash. It's ilegal to ask for sex for cash. Which always struck me as terribly polite.

I do recall dimly that psychology studies of media violence provoke not more viiolence, but the way it is expressed. That is using weapons instead of fists, or guns etc. Which makes sense if you think about it. As for ignorance being a breeding ground, that's true. But a little knowledge is a dangerous thing too. If you had games that gave you thefull stereoscopic experience of killing people it would deter most from ever considering it. BUt they don't. They have to sell, so they tart it up. Warnography, so to speak.

Well spotted. You recal we had a thread about this very point a short while back. The Sunnis have begun to wake up to the fact that if things go belly up completely and Al Qaeda get in then it's not going to be a state run by the good ole boys. It'll be boredom and bible (koran) studies for all and straight to bed after dinner.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6274116.stm Zawahiri, Al Qaeda's strategic team coach making his plans quite clear. 1. Removal of the coalition from Iraq 2. Overthrow of Iraqi government (an elected government to the best of my knowledge) 2. Move on to violent overthrow in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Can you say 'domino theory'? I thought I'd post this because I've noticed a degree of skepticism about the whole involvement in Iraq thing. I'll say it again for the cheap seats. It doesn't matter why we're there. We have to win now. Even if we're just being selfish.

WMD definition thread http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=47389

Gah, I looked it up and its correct. A WMD used to be something with the capacity to kill 10,000+ people in one go(a nuke) and now they're applying it to mean any unconventional weapon. A box of rat poison is passable as a WMD nowadays. Kaft, I think the more refined definition is something which has a pronounced capability to kill thusands of civilians, but not organised prepared military. This means gasses and bugs.

I agree. I think. I'm trying to say that we're both only partially responsible. But 'I' have the capacity to fix things. If I don't fix it then I'm a bad bad donkey. I suppose the analogy that would be better is, someone lights a fire and I keep feeding it. EDIT: By 'better' I mean supporting my initial claim. *coughs*

Don't look now, but there's one crawling up your shoulder.