Walsingham

Two words: "Hoi, chummer"

yeah I didn't pay attention to them, being a dutch speaker myself. @hurlshot, glad you're watching. @walsingham, the benefits of mass surveillance have not been proven. Compared to the cost of blanket surveillance, there hasn't been a significant downturn in terrorism. Well, to take Queen's advocate (heh) I would point out two things: 1) Prosecution of terrorism cases has become a lot better since we could trace suspects to multiple points, carrying (for example) backpacks and so on. 2) We only have the security services' word for it, but apparently there are thousands of wannabe jihadists wandering around the UK. Virtually none of them try anything.

That rather implies that there is a good argument against surveillance. In which case why not have a debate?

Your body has just saved you >£30. Rejoice!

Could happen to any of us, I guess. Poor daughter, though, to just have that sprung on you.

Judging by the spelling it might even have been oby.

Meh. In my day people had to go round to their ex's doorstep to pull this s***.

The fact is that by accepting a free at delivery service you are commoditising <spelling?> yourself to pay for it. I have no social media presence at all, and categorically won't*. Because I refuse to be a commodity in that way. I don't think that's weird. I find it weird that so many people are comfortable playing that role! *No one mention Steam.

Wow. You're posting like some kind of hero in a kung fu movie, toppling thugs, Ros. Left and right! I'm biased because I've been working my way through some of the high level policy documents for the UK MOD that are available online. It's really extremely clear that the HM Government sees UK security as enmeshed in an active role Worldwide. The military themselves are being designed to fulfil an active role. My point is - and this comes back to the topic - that mass alone does not a World Power make. China has a huge military force, but virtually no capability to project that power anywhere it can't drive to. Japan has the money to do so, but no military establishment to spend that money in a meaningful way.

Besides, everybody knows that the Turks kept raiding present-day Ukraine to fill the harem for a reason. Duty free cigarettes?

AGX-17. the term Mandate of Heaven is one used commonly in analysis of Chinese domestic politics. Rightly or wrongly, this metric assumes that a lack of order and prosperity offends more than it would in a Western or other state. However, I just don't buy the idea that China is one weak financial year away from revolution. The entire State is geared to do little more than stop a counter-revolution. Even if an entire province rose up at once, what the hell would happen next? Huge military clampdown. The 'revolution' would receive absolutely no aid at all from outside, and wither on the vine. ~~ To play devil's advocate for Britain on the UNSC, you shoudl keep in mind that Britain is more than just a powerful economy, and a reasonably powerful military. It is a ntion that is accustomed to weighing in on World affairs. Its diplomats and generals, its charities and corporations they all act internationally all the damn time. Yet at the same time it has no obvious designs on expanding its control. Sounds like an ideal member of the council.

I've been told as much by academic researchers. And I've heard from recruiters that having no social media trace makes some employers nervous. The bulldozer method is how it currently works. But private companies are swarming like piranhas around tech and research that can make sense of big data. As you all know, I'm very relaxed about State intrusion into my life. Because by and large I trust my state to be inept, not malevolent, and certainly not greedy. I trust private companies about as far as I can spit. I know them far too well.

It's interesting, because by posting images, oby gives the _impression that there's a lot of content going up, and there's much to take issue with. But in fact these were probably skimmed in a few seconds from elsewhere. It's like what would happen if someone process improved trolling.

Not sure why you even bother then; if its bad trolling then it merits no response and I'm pretty sure that Obama deserves no defense. For the same reason I wince when someone cuts one.

I may be working away from home in the near future. If so your suggestion sounds ideal. Call of Cthulhu, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (old skool), Vampire the Masquerade What might work is if I actually help you GM, by playing the incidental characters?

Awwwww! I melted a little bit, right when I saw that. It's interesting, isn't it? i don't even like cats, but I can actually feel my blood pressure falling when I look at the pic for more than about ten seconds.

I honestly can't justify the exclusion of convicts from voting, while people who take religious texts completely literally are not. I'm not saying someone else couldn't. Just saying I can't.

Copied image, and pseudo-racial comment. Classy trolling. Showing your skillz there.

Take it easy, Raithe. But see if you can keep the HUD. Sounds amazing.

I would respectfully challenge these two points 1) China has the option of NOT pushing for a resolution of the status of the islands. They get by perfectly well with Taiwan by simply not forcing the issue. 2) While I agree that the ol' Mandate of Heaven rests on economic prosperity, it can always shift to rest on something else. I rather suspect that there are those within the Party who would welcome an opportunity to have a purge or two. An opportunity that serious unrest would give them.

Interesting point. But I haven't heard it elsewhere. Can you confirm?

Double shift yesterday. Very busy day. My back feels like it's a kerplunk set. Slept pretty well, though.

What's bugging you so much about the kid? BTW, Ros. That gif is awesome. I feel incredibly homesick and I don't understand why, since I'm already AT home. Threatening to kill himself. That's where I draw the line. If he's just acting up then I can see why you'd be annoyed. If he's serious shouldn't you be handing over to some sort of professional? Your boss surely can't just ignore the issue. What if he actually tries? ~~ Struggling a bit with insomnia. This picture is calming me down.

What's bugging you so much about the kid? BTW, Ros. That gif is awesome. I feel incredibly homesick and I don't understand why, since I'm already AT home.

I got a new power source a couple of years back. Top of the line, flexible supply. It was like getting a new PC! Totally improved everything.