Monte Carlo

Will Obsidian use meta-data to track how we play? I hope so, that way I feel like I'm helping out by just... playing. #lazyb@st@rd

I'm away from my 'puter for the release, so it won't be 'til early September but I'll post an announcement in case any of the guys here can watch. It'll probably be early evening GMT so the Yanks can tune in.

I really want to see a jester's hat.

I do, am considering a Twitch seshun.

I'm not genetically predisposed to find people attractive based on cultural attributes like sombreros. However, I'm pretty much a slave to my reptilian proto-brain when it comes to hawt women. Unless the Mexican chick is Salma Hayek dancing with a snake or something, of course. So, Point Not Found.

Bruce, you love demanding evidence when someone posts something that offends your ever-delicate sensitivities, yet you seem incapable or unable to produce any of your own. If you don't like what the guy is saying why not ignore him? Have you ever, even for a moment, considered that you might be suffering from "I'm-a-precious-snowflake" syndrome?

Since when was strippers playing videogames a bad thing? Everyone needs a hobby.

Bruce, you are being a d1ck. Please accept it. The post you attacked was utterly reasonable and only in Bruce-world could it be seen as offensive. Man up. Or is that sexist?

Depends on how much screen-wiping he plans on doing.

Hmmm given that I'm a tactical view fundamentalist, I don't think it's that bad.

The other thing I really should have pimped is a RIB ride up the Thames. A bunch of ex-marines have bought a couple of rigid inflatable raiding craft and bomb up and down the Thames to the James Bond theme, past all the landmarks. Obviously, you can go on a slow tourist boat with a bar (pro-tip... head towards Greenwich, a much more interesting river-scape than the leafier downriver) but the RIB ride is a blast too. In short, you seriously need to go on a boat up the Thames.

Thanks. I've picked it up, will share my thoughts anon. Django Wexler is a very cool pen name.

When will Peter Jackson stop wringing Tolkein dry?

Meet The Millers. Silly comedy. Made me laugh all the way through, which was surprising. Jennifer Aniston is a good comic actress, but gets some awful scripts. But give her something sweary and dark and she gets better, it plays against her natural demeanour which is very sweet.

Would you care to explain? It happens to be completely true. Do you honestly think continental European and English common law is similar? Do you not think US law owes more to the European tradition than the English equivalent? How unusually rude. Edit - in short, English law tells you what you can't do. European law tells you what you can. Why do you think we've struggled with ECHR?

I live in London. I say go to a market and buy some food. Borough Market is for tourists, go to Spitalfields. They sell some cool stuff there. In Chelsea, my favourite pubs are the Antelope and the Phene. Chelsea Farmer's Market is good too. The South Bank is underrated, go to Gabriel's Wharf if it's a nice day. The Cabinet War Rooms in Whitehall is very interesting, people are surprised how cool it is. While you are there, check out the SA Embassy near Trafalgar Square and see where all the anti-apartheid fighting took place. Time it with the changing of the Guard and walk up to Buckingham Palace, theme it with a saunter to The Grenadier pub in Belgravia just around the corner. If you are in Chelsea it would be a shame not to check out the National Army Museum on Hospital Road ('tis free) and concentrates on some unusual aspects of military life, not just weapons and uniforms. If you like very pretty girls carry on down the New King's Road into Fulham and have a drink outside The White Horse on Parson's Green in Fulham (take a bus down New King's Road). As for food - Indian - Southall (don't go near Brick Lane) Persian - W14 / Olympia Chinese - Soho (duh) If you need anything else just ask.

^ it's not parochial, it's simply the difference between Napoleonic Code and Common Law principles. We have the latter, amended by Stated Cases. The Americans rejected everything British, even our spelling. The radicals of choice back then were the French - so they co-opted their legal system which is inquisitorial and based on Statute. Thus district attorneys (investigating magistrates in Europe).

Ernest Hemingway on an armoured car, drunk, screwing and encouraging insurgency! Vive la drunken novelists!

So is that due to legal instruction, or is it just practical experience? Both. Edit - the right to silence is now conditional in UK law - if there are extenuating circumstances and you refuse to account for them [in interview] then a trial judge can draw the jury's attention to that silence if the accused comes up with a miracle defence at court. It's in both sides interest to have a solicitor present. All interviews are recorded, but with a solicitor present there can be no doubt that the defendant knew the consequences (s76) and the interview was run properly (s78). Of course, lots of suspects choose not to comment, but at least they know what that means for them if they've had confidential access to a solicitor.

You can't really compare the two systems. In the UK the police want to know why you don't want a lawyer and will actively encourage you to ask for one. They don't want what are called s.76 or s.78 PACE issues at trial (validity of a confession or probity issues around how the evidence was obtained).

Ha ha ha... No Adam West - No Batman. Ha ha ha...

But OTOH the cars and vehicles are deeply cool. Mad Max 2 (my favourite of the three) has compound bows, shotguns and (of course) razor-sharp boomerangs. I hope we see at least a nod to those.

Hmmm was thinking of picking one of his books up. What are your thoughts?

Was about to post it! It's awesome. I know someone who worked on it, from the sound of it the movie will blow our tiny minds. And I think Tom Hardy is great.