Walsingham

You mean you don't have a 'go mideast!' pennant on the wall?

I too drink stuff before bed. I usually go to the bathroom 2-3 times before even getting to sleep, then wake up once or twice during the night and usually wake up really early and can't get back to sleep. It freakin sucks so bad. I don't mean to alarm you, mate. But that's not a good sign. You should definitely get your diabetes check, and also have the doc look at your plumbing.

Great to have so many responses. I don't particularly mind setting, although firearms are key. I'm interested in whether you think it has the same... logic ... as a real battlefield. Op Flashpoint would be one of my top ones, but for two things: opponents are fething clairvoyant about spotting you over immense distances. A Red Army soldier once shot me from nearly 500 meteres away because he 'saw' me as I was lying under a hedge with 100m of wood between us, with no preamble of violence. Nor does combat have any side effects ioke confusing the hell out of you. Arma Assault really interests me, but I haven't the cash just now to be able to buy it. On the other hand the USMC have licensed a variant of ArmA as training tool.

I totally apologise if you felt I was accusing you of being bigoted. You made it very clear that you knew you'd been fed a weird slice of views on the culture. I should have been more clear. I just thought you might enjoy finding out more, and Steve could probably help. I also found it interesting to contrast this discussion with the huge rallies held today in Turkey by hundreds of thousands of Muslims demanding the continued division of church and state. It's got to drive the Islamists mental to see it, and sadly may mean Turkey gets targeted even more than before. It is also interesting to note that today saw protests against the lack of action against the genocide in Darfur. Another ostensibly Muslim regime. I think this huge range of country types in the 'same' faith give the lie to any notion that all Muslims are the same, if proof were needed.

I'm interested in fiding the best combat FPS games as measured by tehir realism. How sacry are they? How sensibly do they make you behave?

I'm not certain the glf emirates should be described as anything other than 'bizarre'. Too much money, not enough sense in my opinion. I noted this article on Saudi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6592123.stm Indicating that massive percentages of young men in Saudi are sending porn amongst themselves. This seems to support the notion that living as a young man in Saudi must be quite stressful.

Interesting, as you say. Rather heavy handed, though.

not theocracies or faiths are evil, some people are Well, I agree that evil people are the big thing here, but bear in mind that people in the middle can be encouraged by institutions and circumstance to be worse than nature intended. I believe in the principle of democracy, that denial of equal rights before law, and the capacity for peaceful protest and expression are absolutely necessary. Remove these rights and you have an inevitable tendency to abuse by those in authority. Sluggo, you should consider chatting to Steve here a bit more. There is a great deal more to Islamic culture than living like jawas. Not that it wouldn't be cool, mind you.

Damn.

Hungover. Drinking everything.

Another half hour session today. Up until now it felt as if I were running beneath the crushing hammers of some demon drummer. This time it felt like I was the drummer, beating my own rhythm on the parched brown earth! Finsihed my run in time with 'We will rock you' by Queen.

Let go your conscious self ...and act on instinct! Seiously tho, if you don't feel it's right don't go for it too soon. I've always found women are more than willing to pounce on you if they are keen enough.

I agree with Gorgon, there is a definite difference. Many of the chaps I went to school with claimed to be patriotic and willing to fight for Blighty, but virtually none of them have volunteered at any time for either the regulars or even the reserves. Howwever, I would argue that there is an even smaller likelihood of someone actually strapping ona bomb if they have been brought up in an environment where such acts are not vocally encouraged. I have been considering this problem even more than usual of late. I think a large contributing factor is the massive increase in the number of jobless young men in many of the countries newly riven with extremism. Wea re talking here hundreds of thousands yearly growing to job-seeking age with no job and little prospect of one. Unscrupulous politicians and civil leaders are appealing to these people by claiming their position is the fault of some American conspiracy. The parallel with anti-semitic propraganda at the start of the last century is made laughably easy by the inclusion in many speeches of actual anti-semitic propaganda!

Compared with the thought of a resurgent imperialist Russia capitalising on a probably isolationist United States, Gitmo strikes me as about of as much consequence as a mimed fart.

Anyone here know anything about Service Oriented Architectures (SOA)? I'm trying to get a handle on them and it ain't working. I'm at that awkward stage where it keeps dopplering between looking absurdly simple and absurdly complex.

Of my friends who buy premium games I made sure all of them bought it. My copy of NWN2 lets me shoot lasers from my ears. It is not nearly so useful as you'd think.

Ponderous thought: To what extent can a developer really shape the player experience of an MMO? Surely it comes down to the players, and with an open player high income policy you'll get mainly fools.

*awed genuflection*

Well let's just agree you're made out of stern - if revolting - stuff. Rusty iron, beaver toenails, elm bark etc.

How about post-apocalyptic barbie horse adventures using the SPECIAL system?

If you're right then I know how we're spending summer...

Elk sperm. Not spit, sperm. I can't work out whether I'm trying to ignore that as a moderator or simply as a human being. Ick ick ick.

HA! I remember an occasion like that when I was teaching. I came into school with this huge Prussian style duelling scar thing on my face (not an actual scar). My kids were all "How did THAT happen?", and having no idea and a huge hangover I opted for honesty. I still don't know if this raised or lowered my stock.

Made me wonder suddenly about what kind of games will she get to play?

All hail Czar Vladimir the Second!