Walsingham

I just remembered that I never got into this thread to talk about gun control. I'm talking about gun attitude. Whatever the pros and cons of having a firearm as a legal right I would prefer to think that associates of this board would exhibit less childish glee at the prospect of killing in self defence or otherwise. Possessing the means to kill is a bloody serious thing, and you should think less about the 'ptoo ptoo' and more about what the significance of the action is. Like I said already, the science of firearms is fascinating, and the shooting thereof is a highly skilled art. But the dying of people is not cake and balloons time.

Er... I agree with Josh about Britain and Switzerland being good examples of multi-cultural countries embiggened by their diversity. In fact I should point out that Welsh is actualy an official language, and signs etc are shown in Welsh already, and have been for years. No discernible deterioration in teh health of the Union. beyond encouraging the usual gagle of opportunistic nitwits eager to become big fish in a smaller pond. What I don't agree with Josh on is the notion that just because US citizens don't want to work under certain pay and conditions that means the s.o.b.s who are putting forward those terms should get tehir way. Constructoin is a big and profitable businesss, even in places like the UK which has a lot more controls, and where margins are very fine. as a further point is it really such a terrible thing to suggest that rampant land development could use some cooling off? Finally, as an extra point to tug into this, you all are familiar with teh fact that the US cheerfully pumps unsafe waste over the border into Mexico? You think maybe you could pay more attention to neighbourlinesss on your side? N.B. I'm writing at home recently and I have to squint at the screen, being seated a good three feet away, which is why so many more typos are getting by me.

I'm definitely a dog person.

I may have missed something about cervical cancer, but I'll wager you can get it without having sex.

"No-one tells this wookie what to do"? Surely he should have entered a plea of "WeeaaRRRRAUGHGH! Hoo-ooo-ooo..."

Guns no-longer give me a buzz if they are for hurting people. I respect the engineering and value them as tools, but *shrugs* no buzz. As for any connection, I'm afraid I'm still with Bill. There's no connection between having a gun and shooting someone with it, and not having a gun, and not shooting someone." If you want to reduce crime, as opposed to just feeling like a big guy then there are plenty of less dramatic measures that can be undertaken. Viz. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6330657.stm

I'm actually making the entirely false assumption tha the relationship is linear. Diminishing returns being what they are it would be asinine to suggest that animal concerns can only be addressed when all human suffering is eradicated. I am in a fractious mood.

To take on devil's advocate, I must say that in fact I know firsthand people who swear they have had help in their cancer from no other source than God. *shrugs*

Fun fact I may have already mentioned: the United Kingdom had a society for protecting animals several years before a society for protecting children. Moreover the society for animals is a royal one, and the children's one is not. Speaking purely for my own corner, I could not countenance spendingmoney to prevent abuses, and deal with damage which is every day heaped upon innocent children.

Guard dog, I'm not disagreeing with your point about teh fence. i agree that illegal immigration needs to be controlled. The arguments in favour of it are largely specious. For starters I don't believe you genuinely are lacking in low-income ready people that are homegrown just yet. But what I am saying is that if you are hoping to achieve any kind of homogeneity enforced by a democracy you've chosen the wrong political system. In a democracy teh state reflects the will of the people, whoever they are. If you want to encourage the use of English I'd suggest your best weapons are engagement, and education, not trying to erect barriers which will perforce be no more use than sandcastles.

My char in NWN2 started as a barbarian (pointless roleplaying on my part) and then became a priest. She rages periodically and although bloody annoying it can be quite effective.

Quite a good game, but don't fall for the hardcore element is my advice. Keep the whole thing in perspective, and for some good hints try the game Vampire the Masquerade, Bloodlines.

Ditto. I once had a bone stuck through that dangly thing in your throat, and into the side for two hours. That was fun. Interestingly if I eat anything with even a trace of fish in it, the scar tingles. You sound like the Harry Potter of the culinary world. The simile is apt when one eats one of my curries.

Alan, you make an interesting point about some elements of menial work being beyond the reach of our society/infrastructure. Rubbish collection is an excellent example, if I may say so. It's a difficult thing to mechanise, but equally not terribly challenging. The answer I have of the top of my head would be that in such a circumstance you need to redesign at a much more fundamental level. At the operational, rather than the tactical. My first thought was regarding shelf stacking If it's too expensive to have a human do it, do we need to display the stuff on shelves? Is there a more efficient system we can use? In other words we recognise the essentially human qualities of teh problem space, but we augment the human. My analogy would be the mechanical digger. We still need a human operator, but instead of a team of navvies we now have one man in a digger. To draw this analogy across to your garbage collection problem, I would suggest that we need a mixed response. Partly the human users (the trash creators) have to get more involved. Less trash/trash volume expenses woudl be a notional start (although I know how such ideas can go awry in practice). More practically we need to streamline the trash collection process into the lorries. For example new buildings/conversions required to have easy access trash collection for fast and easy pickup. Secondly better designed receptacles. We can already see some of these features being introduced in the form of big wheeled bins which residents fill, and are almost entirely automated on collection. Ditto for those street sweeper machines. But I'm not saying that I've answered your point. It's just a start. Guarddog, I'm not really clear on your standpoint. Are you saying there's some US culture which residents should ascribe to? If so, does that mean Minnesotans and Texans are the same? Should they be? Where do you draw the lines?

I've got stuck due to a bug in the game (temple challenges), so am endeavouring to tackle the toolset. I may be sick with flu, but COULD IT BE MORE CONFUSING? I mean, for starters I feel as if I have cataracts in my eyes. Why is it so dark? I've managed to work out how to create an indoor terrain, and am adding alls etc, but I can barely make oiut what they look like. NWN1 and other generators don't force me to up the gamma whatever on my bloody monitor! However, bugs aside (and you REALLY need to patch asap if you buy or you'll miss most of the good added bits and pieces), I'd say it was good. My biggest beef would have to be characters being forced in and out of your party. I understand the charisma party limit, but those party members are my FRIENDS. I don't see why some new wannabe should upset things. I dislike intensely having to make room for them by turfing out characters while I am bonding with them. On the plus side (and it's a big plus) this does mean you will like many of the characters. Grobnar is excellent, even though he doesn't fit into my current party, and although there's no Minsc, you will like people.

Never put down antthing. I have a room in my flat which contains anything I find in houses I enter. Helping old ladies find missing cats will make you a mighty wizard.

I am still absolutely chuffed to its about my saitek joystick. It is immensely comfortable with its adjustable features. And the blue light is still awesome.

Ditto. I once had a bone stuck through that dangly thing in your throat, and into the side for two hours. That was fun. Interestingly if I eat anything with even a trace of fish in it, the scar tingles.

Premarital sex is worse than cancer? All I can say is that anyone who thinks that has had no experience of either.

Alan, I'm a surprised to find a sensible chap like you aggrieved by the notion that a simple non-essential business like fast food restaurants might fold. If the demand is sufficient for fast food I have no doubt that our species will satisfy the demand somehow. This is rather the point. Jobs done by under-aid and under-privileged people are (in my opinion) either 1. Done better and more efficiently by better paid better trained people 2. Done better by machines 3. Better not done at all, or by those who want them Guard Dog, as a Britisher I am not so inured to complainst about multi-culturalism. But equally as an Englishman I know it cannot be avoided by any open-minded country. It buries the old, but new growth is stimulated that is more vigorous. I appreciate that as a ppolitician you will not get any votes by saying this, and as a solider you may place an unusally high value on cohesion and common culture for strength, but what do you propose doing about it?

No offence to the ad, or anyone who chooses to donate but Isave all my money for human charities.

Thanks, my canine colleague. However, I'd take issue with any notion that the US is being watered down by hispanic influences. Surely the USA is a notion and institution based (in theory) on freedom and equality of men before the law, of welcoming the dispossessed and downtrodden. You don't 'lose' that by changing the language it's expressed in or the colour of the people who express it. In fact, in many ways you validate and embolden the notion. bit hokey and obvious, but it needs to be said.

If you're going to have a border, make it work. The minuteman fence seems like good way of gettng people involved, and doing a lot of mointoring on the cheap. Neat-o. However, it rather ignores the reality of a fence, which is that it won't stop everyone, tunnels, and rocket boots being what they are. On the subject of cheap labour, as a subject of realm that went trhough such arguments in the 1800s as part of the industrial revolution, and son of a country that had 'native' labour, I'm a little surprised. Worker's rights are a good thing. The absence of them merely encourages lazy management, work accidents, and most importantly cheapens and demeans the human condition. Your nation will be perfectly fine without cheap pool boys and chamber maids. You might, gods forbid, have to learn to do these jobs yourselves.

I'm a gnome. Outstanding! 4 percent of people get this. Jan Jansen ftw!

Two bits of wordplay not yet used: The pen IS mightier than the sword catfight!