Walsingham

I agree there are always fresh challenges, but this is by far and away one of the most serious we have ever faced. It's reasonably infectious, becoming more so, and has a very high mortality rate. Not only that but death is prolonged and extremely painful.

Let's kick this in a different direction. Going back a couple of years, Her Majesty's Prison Service and Home Secretary refuse serial killer the right to publish his autobiography without censoring it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1881734.stm The original crime is described here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/s...000/2539231.stm Were the aurthorities correct to deny this man his right to Freedom of Speech?

Or in this case sends his neurons tearing around his cranial cavity, like toddlers in a sweet factory. A factory set afire.

I certainly hope we do come up with a cure. HIV/AIDS is the biggest time-bomb ever made. Parts of Africa and Asia have 50-80% infection. And if the thought of foreigners dying can't move you, just think of all the potential for mutation into worse forms exist in so large a group. EDIT: I still take grim satisfaction that one of the key ANC ministers who denied AIDS existed died ...of AIDS.

Sheesh. You must be a barrel of laughs to wake up to. I've had people be less than impressed with my hair or my breath, but my SPECIES? :D Yes we destroy things. Yes we kill. But very very few of us do. Studies done during WW2 showed that by and large your average bloke is absolutely rubbish at killing. (S.L.A. Marshall "Men Against Fire" is one of the key authors, but there have been plenty of corroborative studies). Even when we do kill the negative reactions go on for years if not lifetimes, in the form of PTSD.

Happy Birthday, may your presents be useful yet sexy, and may the forces of evil become confused on the way to your party.

I think almost all cultures have violent entertainment of one kind or another. Perhaps being imperilled makes your brain release emergency goodness, and seeing other people imperilled is nearly as good with less danger. I dunno.

linkieeeeeeeeeeeee ? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ah yes, I don't think Invader Zim came out here in the UK. I only saw it through a friend's copy of a copy. But I absolutely loved it. Ah... wait... hang on... http://www.roomwithamoose.com/video.php Look for clips from "The Nightmare Begins". But remember folks, that Zim is now out on DVD. If you like it, buy it. ~ Pinky and the Brain quote: The Brain: Are you pondering what I'm pondering? Pinky: I think so, Brain, but me and Pippi Longstocking... I mean, what would the children look like?

I have to say that all the sparkly rich kids who pretend to be gangsters are often cited as the reason why people hate the music. I know they make me cringe. And I'll have you know I _am_ old, ye wee devil. Oh yes. I am certainly NOT a somewhat precocious nine-year old aspergers transvestite from Darlington.

I'm confused. Is this nuko girl a nazi? She sounds like something from Flaming Carrot Comics.

I have to say that my favs have never been Marvel. No offence, but I got into comics via 2000AD, which is a lot darker and has all kinds of political stuff tucked inside.

Pinkie and the Brain: "Moo, we are a cow. Take us to China." Beaten only by Invader Zim. Even thinking about Zim's involvement in Operation Impending Doom 1 makes me laugh.

In order: Cypress Hill, Run DMC, Ice-T, Jurassic 5, de la Soul, Public Enemy. *bones make ancient creaking noises* Cypress Hill III, Temples of Boom would be one of my Desert Island Disks. Seriously.

If Philip Glass is music then Rap definitely is. In my opinion simply using the percussive qualities of the human voice before its melodic qualities does not stop the whole being music. I don't consider myself a fan of rap anymore, but I believe there are some truly quality albums in existence. The poor quality in the mass market does not condemn the style. It condemns the bulk-listening public.

I for one am starting to think it may be more fun than it looks. Seriously though, I am glad I voiced my concerns with you chaps, because it's allowed me to stop them going gangrenous. It was a dark day, but then equally we have reactions by UK muslims to the conviction today of Abu Hamza. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4690132.stm A much brighter day, showing that muslims in more advanced countries are equally more advanced. I think the demon here may not be Islam so much as ignorant rednecks.

Yeah. You are probably moderating under the influence... j/k. Though I will say that the Chinese are kind of dry in the humor department and easily gets offended. At least in my experience. :ph34r: <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I was not drunk! I'm beginning to calm down a little, though. Interestingly I am falling back on a point of FAITH: that whatever my instincts and reasoning say to me today, all men of all creeds are essentially my brothers.

Jack you may be going a wee bit far in pasting Liberals with all this. Perhaps what you are seeeing is the enemy of my enemy syndrome at work. An anti-war or anti-bush rally draws everyone who wants that end, not a coherent rally of minds. Not that this is an excuse. People can and do refuse to share marches together. BTW, can you post a link to the incdent where pro-war protestors were beaten up?

I see what you mean about the high unemployment, and how this sector must be integrated economically or unrest will follow like rain following stormclouds. But at the same time, the engine of integration will have to be the successful exploitation of the oil gas and mineral wealth. Without that money and core employment the government won't be able to do much. PS Denise Richards and an inflatable liferaft are about the same level. The real James Bond would never have gone for her.

I think Meta is quite correct to point out that Christianity was right in their with its good boots on when dominating women is concerned. We did, after all invent the scold's bridle. However, the point is that we are talking about today, and while other religions are moving forward Islam seems to have achieved less progress. Maybe because it has its roots in countries that have less advanced economies. But I have to ask if it could not be something in the religion itself. It would be insulting to assume that the faith itself has no effect on the behaviour of its adherents. Obedience, discipline, and defence of oneself are fine qualities, but obedience to whom? Whose discipline? Against what kind of attacks? *shrugs* I suppose the central issue here is one of how we use humour culturally. Great Britain was the first country in the world to see a free press, and central to that press was the use of humour and caricature in picture and verse. The figure who could not take this roughhousing has become regarded as inferior. As a British leader or figure of note you are expected to bear the brunt of considerable fun-poking. 'Joshing' in conversation and even institutionalised theatrical 'Reviews' all do this. Indeed if one is a leader and does not get any jokes about you, or insulting nicknames, then you are 10 times more contemptible. *thinks* Apologies for this being so unfocussed. Can anyone see a point here? :">

Yah, well you know how embarassing it is when you forget the rest of the words.

I'm not trying to get in the way of a perfectly good barney (although I will, ye wee devils). But isn't this really the point? If one cartoon is bad, what about Moose's?

I'd take the lash. At least the first time. The scars would look cool! FYI the lash was a lousy substitute for proper discipline enforced by good recruits, good officers, and good incentives for positive behaviour. At least in the opinion of many modern historians of the Royal Navy.

Don't get me wrong, ~Di, I admire you taking a stand. But I don't agree it is so simple. And this is me talking as someone who has never stolen so much as a pen from the bank. The point about it being too expensive is definitely debateable, but irrespective of its merits it is a fact that where prices go too far people use illicit means to secure the commodity. This is a universal truism of all nations and cultures. Typically in the past the state has attempted to gouge money by taxation on luxury products, and if they push too far people begin smuggling. They wind up generating a wealth of black market sources, and they wind up LOSING net revenue. I certainly will not accept whingeing by the companies. What I will also not accept is arguably the abuse of our civil liberties to secure convictions for copyright theft. We accept levels of investigation that are frankly ridiculous for the nature of the crime. Murder, terrorism, we have to ask hard questions. Shoplifting? Give me a break. Finally, I really don't give an admiral's backside if the profits in music sales decrease. Music is or should be about passion and real talent. the enormous margins present are turning the entire industry into an industrial process. *thinks* I guess I haven't really defeated your argument. :">

HAH! As Gromnir would say. Good fun! I can honestly say I've been threatened more often by angry left-wingers than by angry right-wingers. Although If I wanted to be mendacious I'd say that perhaps right-wingers simply don't give you the warning! I've also heard a pacifist say that the human race needs to be 20% of its current size, and refusing to specify how this might be organised. But I think you'd be going quite far to typify Republicans as being sweetness and Light. It's been a few years since I visited the States, but I don't think things can have shifted so far. Unilateral withdrawal from all international treaties, unrestricted use of the armed forces in pursuit of economic policy, total freezes on immigration... For my money most of these middle-class intellectuals who march in the streets and advocate anarchy and revolution don't even understand the first thing about what they are saying. Many of them haven't even seen a broken nose. Armed revolution? Men under arms dying for their 'terrible beauty'? They may be right, but I'd be damned before I'd walk with them down the road.

*nods* I should have made it more clear that I am not talking about Islam five hundred, or five minutes ago. I'm no teven talking about Islam in five years time. I'm talking about the guys who are currently following the faith. But at the same time I've not changed my opinion that we're all the same basic model. We all like roughly the same things. But we can have our opinions shaped by others and right now I've got the willies about the people shaping Islamic opinion. EDIT: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3955145.stm Perhaps it's as much to do with the background in the specific countries. The Anglican faith in the Uk is pretty progressive about homosexuality, but the African Anglicans have been practically mediaeval.