Walsingham

Sometimes I am so proud of this forum I want to cry. No, wait, that's not pride...

Here's a thought: why not have a mini computer in the sword that shows you what you have using LEDs? Or a mail shirt that counts hits?

I was just about to do you down for fliting with female drunk hobos, until I realised that this puts you beyond me in terms of female contact this week.

No, you're taking too narrow a concept of how that wellbeing arises. Things like keeping the global economy on an even keel, ensuring fareign hostile powers don't become a military threat, global diseases like AIDS. These things don't stop to wipe their feet at the line the taxes start getting paid. US predominance has come about precsiely because as the UK started doing what you advocate the US stepped up to assume the reins.

In true forum style I'm now going to diss your favourite band. The Berlin philharmonic kicks the London one off a high balcony into a shallow swimming pool.

A truly clever dicatatoprship would encourage its citizens to read Wikipedia, so they experience the unsettling chaos and ridiculousness.

By "stretched my ear" do you mean putting in one of those earrings that requires a big hole and will hang open when not wearing one? I do indeed, I put a 6mm thick earring in it. Going to go up to about 10mm. It's not all that bad, if you take it out then your ear heals up and returns to normal so it's not like I'll be stuck with a giant hole in my ear forever. I'm no expert, but that sounds rather implausible. Hope for your sake it's true.

As long as it's not your pet what do you care?

It isn't simple. It's arbitrary. You won a war way back you got those states. If you want to go to brass tacks you should abnegate all responsibility west of Connecticut. Hell, why not give up on the Americas entirely and come back to Blighty? Basically I'm saying you can't take a utilitarian view and say nuts to the rest of the World, and you can't take a moral view and say nuts to the rest of the World. If this isn't true help me out and explain how. Because frankly it sounds like your objective function is heroic levels of apathy.

A good day for dieting, and for sorting my taxes. Also established salad recipe: Grated carrot salmon boiled egg pickled walnuts mustard and vinegar dressing fresh black pepper

You're being desperately naive about who you owe the money to. You're too old to be taking this kind of grade school approach to serious issues. And even if you aren't I know you're far too smart to be so simplistic. Tell me you honestly think the World is as simple as you're saying. Irrespective, why on Earth are you so hot for your 'own' people. Why give a damn about some folks in South Carolina? or Hawaii? Hell, the Uk is probably closer. Does that mean we should expect handouts? I don't believe in no borders, but are you saying that your responsibilities begin and end with whatever nonsense the international comunity has agreed are the borders in 2007? Take the Uk for example. Certainly we have well established national boundaries, but we have long standing and perfectly sensible ties to Australia, Canada, Nigeria, and other commonwealth countries.

You can't call a female dog seamus. That's my brother's name.

Firstly, if you think your economy would be as strong as it is if you weren't 'intruding' all the time in other countries you're bananas. This is the real world and not to sound all gung-ho but it does play hard ball. You build alliances, you trade favours, you threaten, and sometimes you intervene. To use a comedy quote: "Fran: Do you know that in Tibet when they want something they give something away? Bernard: Do they? That must be why they're such a dominant global power. " I'm not saying you couldn't be more equitable and a bit less power crazed. But if you abandoned the aproach entirely the world would be dominated by someone else who used it. And as for Katrina I think it's been well established that the problem was firstly Washington treating Lousiana in precisely the way you advocate -"Use your own damn money and stop expecting handouts". And secondly a total failure of emergency planning and management. Neither of which was for a lack of available funds due to Iraq.

Simple curry: bird eye chillis, turmeric, plenty of fresh ginger, some mango if you can get any, and cumin seed. Use fish if you can. Grated carrot, and a dab or two of molasses sugar/molasses. Clean you right out.

Right there with you. Isn't that what has happened anyway with the overly-aggressive intervention in Iraq? The US had broad support and/or acceptance for its attack on Afghanistan, which it had squandered by the time it invaded Iraq. The US promised it wouldn't let Afghanistan degenerate into a tribal mess, yet for many places it did so. Some of us who opposed the Iraq war did so because the US has form. A fine point, if I may say so. Although I should observe that the principle failure in AF has been a lack of humanitarian funds, rather than an absence of military personnel. Something which ALL nations are guilty of not just the USA. Made all the more uninitelligible when the amounts missing are so small - barely 600 million. If that aid had been extant we would now be well on the way to seeing a stable AF rather than seeing it turning nasty again. However, a measured and sensible intervention strategy is not what our esteemed colleague is arguing in favour of. My understanding is that he is arguing for an entirely partial strategy more akin to that of a crotchety old man in a woodland cabin than the most powerful nation on Earth. As for turning friends away I should disagree after much reflection. Certainly it has alienated certain countries, like Germany, France, and Russia. But I have reached the conclusion that they were never true friends in the first place. France showed its anti-US fervour at every opportunity in the commercial and military sectors. Russia has Vladimir Putin. While Germany seems intent on cementing an Eastern European bloc in direct competition with the US. Conversely, events since 2001 have shown Americaa developing a new clique of friends more willing to back it up. Poland, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea being some of them. ~~ As for the missing marines and sailors my thoughts are with them etc etc. However, war is a terrible thing and I would prefer the govt to continue jawing for a while yet before we start throwing bombs at people. This strikes me as pure brinksmanship by Iran looking for chips to play so that Britain wil quit backing anti-nuclear sanctions. Something which might not have happened had Russia not expressed opposition to the notion of serious sanctions being used.

ROFL. Ninety, of course. And yes, I certainly was. Got myself more into women who enjoy that sort of thing.

Just to recap, in the last few weeks you[ve argued in favour of: 1) The treatment of defeated enemies according to the principles of the Treaty of Versailles. 2) Ignoring crimes against humanity. 3) Opposition to the principles of the Marshall plan 4) A general stance of isolationism Is that a fair summary? And if so, can we assume that you therefore would like to see the United States wither to an appendix, her friends desert her, and her enemies be encouraged?

If you're going to get sponsored for something, expect the Almighty to have some fun at your expense.

You absolutely have to read "Shake Hands with the Devil" once you do I'd lay money on you abandoning this odd notion of yours. A crime against humanity is called that precisely because it transcends national borders.

Family remedy is to eat raw ginger and drink real ale. I have never regretted attempting this remedy.

Brothers in Arms - Road to Hill 30. Best shooter ever for my tastes.

I'd just like to throw in the fact that as far as I'm concerned Elves may be as shiny as you want, but they'll always be stuck up bastards. Hence I find them repugnant.

I'm still waiting for the Feds to arrest Sid Meir for creating politcians who recklessly tax and spend.

NWN 1 is crap. NWN 2 is better. Don

Best Song of All Time: Run DMC Vs Aerosmith, Walk This Way I love this song so much, I heard it at the Royal Enclosure at Ascot and air guitared off the bar while shrieking. My girlfriend dumped me for that, but it was worth it.