Walsingham

**** trolls. I want these.

This isn't really Mandela's fault, but... I've found South African businesses almost impossible to work with. Every time I run into someone who clearly feels it is their right to have a job (see Bruce's comment above) and is unwilling to work _at all_. And I'm not talking working poorly or slowly. I mean quite literally at all. Across banking, shipping, government etc. So the irony is that in a country where people would kill to get a job, no-one's lifting a finger to keep them.

Funny too, guy is 19 and has a 4 year old son. Sadly, not that unusual. When my younger brother was in Jr. High when those schools still existed in Ontario, at some party a bunch of them got drunk and decided they would have sex. Something stupid like 4 girls got pregnant that night. My buddy ended up marrying one of 'em. When I was in Jr. high, I was happy with 2nd base. What a magical and romantic story. I think we should option it to Disney.

Just a traitor bribed by III Reich, member of Fascist counter-revolutionary conspiracy. Anyway these peoples are theorists, they don't participate in real war and because this they can't be described as best generals. You deserve to be cemented into his grave and used as a vase for floral tributes.

I work with a fellah who believes in the Economic Collapse. and after several months of discussions I've reached the conclusion that it's roughly analogous to The Rapture. A huge disaster that no-one who cares about other people should desire, and which saves a non-specific group of 'right minded' people. I also think it's something that's not going to happen. The joy of the international system is that we are so interconnected that shocks in one area ripple out, and are cushioned by everyone else. To my mind the only time it goes completely balls-hoogly is when some well-intention fethwit tries to macro-engineer the system.

Thanks for the heads up. Was it a weak dictionary password or anything like that?

I cooked pasta, then ate far too much. I always cook and eat too much starchy stuff in winter. But it's bloody freezing here just now. I can't work out why, but the house seems to have a draft in it.

You clearly have a more elaborate view of the future of Afghanistan than I am used to. A strange occupation, to be used a comforter.

Rokossovsky? Please. Vladimir Triandafillov. The godfather of deep battle. And one of the architects of operational theory. Like many genuinely smart Russians, he was killed by the communists. Can't have intelligent people running around. They're bound to see through communism. Ditto the man who tried to see deep battle to fruition, Mikhail Tukhachevskii: "I am convinced that all that is needed in order to achieve what I want is bravery and self-confidence. I certainly have enough self-confidence... I told myself that I shall either be a general at thirty, or that I shall not be alive by then."

IMO Mandela's political life died when Zuma took over. EDIT: But by all accounts the old boy worked very hard, threw down his enemies, then forgave them. More than I suspect I'll ever achieve.

The worst general in American history for me will always be General Mark "F***ing" Clark. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_W._Clark His claim to fame: single-handedly making the entire battle of Monte Cassino pointless, and condemning the Allies to a prolonged painful slog up Italy, rather than capturing hundreds of thousands of German troops in front of Rome. Clark did this completely aware of the consequences, and in defiance of _direct orders_. Just so the vain bastard (he had an aide detailed to preventing bad photos of him) could be photographed 'conquering' Rome. Clark did not even succeed in his vainglorious main intent, however, as the capture of Rome was overshadowed by the D-Day landings. ~~ By comparison, even fantastic British generals like Redvers Buller pale into insignificance.

Allergic to something. Keep sniffling. Going to ...I don't know. Probably bacon and boiled potatoes.

"Able thirteen we are on your approach vector and preparing to take up escort duty" "Thanks, zulu papa, am I pleased to see you. It's been nothing but rednecks and seagulls since we left Missoula and we're down one engine." ~ conversation between customer controlled fighter escort drones, and delivery drone.

His commentary on tennis was so poor as to render him null in that category. Wouldn't shut up about the skirts.

I don't want to sound aggressive, Azarkon. But frankly the Germans WERE funting idiotic. The logic was that Germany was a strong nation and needed an empire. But only a half-educated militarist could reach this conclusion. Germany did not NEED and overseas empire precisely because she was so strong. Almost no German investment (<12%) went beyond Europe, yet she was growing in strength. Great Britain, meanwhile was transparently suffering from having an empire and many politicians were trying to divest her of one. Nor, given her location, could she possibly secure one by virtue of a Mahan-ite navy. I re-emphasise my central point: China threatening the states along its vital sealanes will only precipitate the crisis it wants to avoid. It cannot possibly secure the lanes militarily without actively occupying those nation-states.

I refuse to take a tennis correspondent (Lidell Hart) into these august halls.

Curious about their technique. Suspect some technical gubbinz.

Not only are the wars expensive, but we realised quite a long while back that economic prosperity is grown, not carved up. It's only ideology that won't share.

I believe the Persians wore false beards, recorded as such on tax records from the era.

Huzzah!

But... Developing this line of reasoning... If one accepts the premise that Germany in ww1/2 was - by virtue of geography - completely incapable of winning a naval conflict with Great Britain. Then isn't it analogous o suggest that China cannot possibly succeed in securing its sea-lanes by threatening all the nations which sit offshore, dominating those sealanes?

Biking is too slow not to be boring, or too fast to have the luxury of thinking. that's why i'll always prefer a fast walk.

Mind you, I've got as far as reading about the build up to WW1, and thinking "It's time we became a superpower by building a navy to threaten the existing superpower" was a really funting bad idea. It's not like passing a conch around.

I don't understand that second quote. Sounds like the man was an arse.

I believe we're having Chinese.