John (or anyone), I'm looking into getting a digital camera. I'm no professional photographer and would like to not spend an arm and a leg. Do you have any recommendations for brands, specs? Thanks a bunch.
Travis
- Fri Dec 31 16:17:11 2004

 Back at work today.. playing games...
tom
- Fri Dec 31 11:25:53 2004

 I got an Xbox. Yay!
tom
- Thu Dec 30 20:11:53 2004

 Belated Merry Christmas, all. I've returned from a trip back to Pennsylvania and am enjoying my time off between semesters.
Travis
- Thu Dec 30 16:12:26 2004

 Sorry, this message was too big.
Massage Therapy Clinic London UK <info@massagelondon.org>
ACTON SHEPHERDS BUSH EALING UK LONDON UK HAMMERSMITH FULHAM, Massage Therapy Clinic London UK - Wed Dec 29 22:54:38 2004

 That would be yes.
There were some classics: socks, smellies, and underpants.
There were some entertainments: books, Simpsons boxset, Columbo boxset.
Some food stuffs: chocolates, liqueurs (?), whiskey, wine and cheese.
Clothing: a new hoody.
A gadget: voice recording gizmo.
And a whole heap of miscellany.
I got some wine gums, which Clare has filtered so now I only have green and black ones left.
<brucey>didn't he do well!</brucey>
dsp
- Wed Dec 29 11:30:18 2004

 Errr... so did anyone get any nice presents then...?
John
- Sun Dec 26 22:56:12 2004

 Merry Christmas everyone - sorry it's a day late, was busy cooking yesterday!
John
- Sun Dec 26 11:00:41 2004

 happy christmas from germany to GB - have a good time!!!
ralf
- Sat Dec 25 14:02:53 2004

 H a p p y C h r i s t m a s everyone
Kev
- Sat Dec 25 12:52:36 2004

 H A P P Y C H R I S T M A S !
tom
- Sat Dec 25 09:00:42 2004

 You get to leave at 1.....?!!?!? I don't know, despite the luxury of a pub lunch (and I might add, strictly one hour) I am now back in the office, and potentially here for the duration...
John
- Fri Dec 24 13:46:45 2004

 Thank you for sharing that with us John . 57 minutes to go. Not that I'm clock watching
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 24 12:03:32 2004

 Q. What do you call a pig with three eyes?
A. A piiig.
John
- Fri Dec 24 11:36:22 2004

 You're easily satisfied then John. We're just finishing the wine and sausage rolls from yesterday. It's a tough life.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 24 11:11:28 2004

 Marion who sits next to me just gave me a cake and a cracker, which has improved my mood somewhat.
John
- Fri Dec 24 11:08:58 2004

 My parents, both being teachers, would always make a special effort to get us to school no matter for 6 foot snow drifts. Then, I suspect, they went home or down the pub cos their schools were closed. Hmm.
tom
- Fri Dec 24 11:04:05 2004

 John, put the radio on and turn it up loud, at the moment they are playing SLADE.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 24 09:27:59 2004

 I have so far this morning counted 7 (of a possible 35) people in my office this morning. It feels like those nightmare days at school when most of the students heard on the radio the school was closed because of snow, but just a handful of you didn't hear that and turned up regardless, then the head teacher realised he couldn't send you back home because your parents were at work so they had a special school day just for you, with extra maths and hymn practice.... KILL ME NOW!!!!!
John
- Fri Dec 24 09:20:00 2004

 MERRY CHRISTMAS everybody, and a Happy New Year.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 24 09:15:10 2004

 Three weeks today. I'm feeling better than I did on Monday. I guess I'll be up to returning to work after Xmas. I hope anyway!!!
tom
- Thu Dec 23 15:46:43 2004

 Poor Tom. How are you. Is it getting better. How long is it now?
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 23 15:07:29 2004

 I vaguely remember what the office looks like...
tom
- Thu Dec 23 15:02:24 2004

 You obviously work for the wrong people. Local Government has its advantages. Not many, but a few
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 23 12:49:09 2004

 Hmnph, well there's not a glass of wine or a minced pie in sight in this office...
John
- Thu Dec 23 12:09:57 2004

 We've started early!
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 23 11:30:27 2004

 Ah but John, what is public transport - my chauffeur is picking me up at 5, although he did say that he wasn't going to have any drunken women in the car. I'm sure he wasn't referring to me!
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 23 11:26:58 2004

 I quite like working up to Christmas too - everyone skives off early and the lunches are really long. unfortunately I'm at home due to my poxy (literally!) daughter!
Alex
- Thu Dec 23 10:59:04 2004

 Hmmm nice though that sounds I am now a little wary about using public transport in London over the Christmas period!
John
- Thu Dec 23 10:23:49 2004

 I like working up to Christmas, everyone in the office is in a good mood. Drinkies and nibbles in the office today, and I HAVE NOT GOT TO DRIVE HOME as Cyberdad needed the car today. Whoopee. I can have more than one glass of wine - even two.
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 23 09:39:21 2004

 Oh I'm really not enjoying being at work today. How I envy those of you that actually have holiday left at the end of the year.
John
- Thu Dec 23 09:31:40 2004

 Well i'm off to me parents tomorrow, which means no broadband for the weekend. How archaic! Have a good christmas everyone, and hopefully i'll see ya in the new year
Chris
- Wed Dec 22 23:13:22 2004

 You can't miss a Fat Albert!
tom
- Wed Dec 22 12:44:51 2004

 You'd probably recognise a Hercules now
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 22 12:04:17 2004

 You mean you didn't get "Lightning"
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 22 12:03:48 2004

 Don't get me started on Air Rec. I was once part of 120's air rec team and I got 1 out of 60 - the chipmunk.
Alex
- Wed Dec 22 11:44:39 2004

 You should join the Aircraft Reccee team.
tom
- Tue Dec 21 14:32:37 2004

 What's *really* daft is that I didn't even know what half of them were!!
Alex
- Tue Dec 21 12:38:23 2004

 That's daft!
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Dec 21 12:31:09 2004

 You want daft? I was out looking at birds at 8am on Sunday morning.
Alex
- Tue Dec 21 12:10:08 2004

 Apparently, through counter intelligence it should be possible to pinpoint potential trouble makers and neutralise them... and neautralise them... and neutralise them.
John
- Tue Dec 21 12:09:54 2004

 It's probably an age thing John.
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Dec 21 11:16:56 2004

 I think the daftness of it would have been a large part of it's appeal. Unfortunately it seems the "let's do it because it's stupid and pointless" school of thought is something of a dying art!
John
- Tue Dec 21 11:01:38 2004

 I can understand the Summer Solstice, when its warm, but to even consider mid winter on Salisbury Plain, you have got to be ever so slightly off your rocker.
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Dec 21 10:04:10 2004

 Hey everyone it's the winter solstice today - a good time to remember our pagan forefathers, and festivals of an earlier era before the bloody christians came and trampled all over them. I wanted to go to stone henge this morning, even set the alarm for 6AM and everything - predictably though when I woke up I just went back to sleep again.
John
- Tue Dec 21 09:24:49 2004

 Good-oh Chris, glad to hear that side of things didn't work out too badly then!
John
- Tue Dec 21 09:20:42 2004

 John, mortgage actually wasn't a bad thing. Remortgaged house just before split, and got enough cash to pay off all my loans (and get a newish car). Plus, when she sells the house i get like another 3-5 grand. So it wasn't a bad investment. Just a bit messy!
Chris
- Mon Dec 20 16:46:49 2004

 DSP - fair enough, long term obviously it's a bad thing, but at the time it was the right thing, it was pretty much FUBAR. feeling crappy now, but improving. Like a bleeding roller coaster
Chris
- Mon Dec 20 16:45:41 2004

 Althought it might be in mirror image I suppose?
tom
- Mon Dec 20 14:08:13 2004

 I'll let you off. Have you ever seen the resultof putting newspaper on a windscreen? You can read yesterdays paper on the way to work as the ink sticks!
tom
- Mon Dec 20 14:07:48 2004

 Chris: As for why most of the sound bytes are your voice... I don't know Chris, you tell us! (yay!)
dsp
- Mon Dec 20 13:38:31 2004

 Oh hell, tepid then.
dsp
- Mon Dec 20 13:28:33 2004

 Dammit! I knew I should have been more specific. Luke warm water. Better?
dsp
- Mon Dec 20 13:27:57 2004

 dsp: happier, that is, until the window cracks...?
tom
- Mon Dec 20 13:17:26 2004

 Chris: I wanted to get the congratulations out of the way, and then later acknowledge the separating as either a good or bad thing once I had assessed your feelings.
dsp
- Mon Dec 20 13:11:45 2004

 I've taken to tipping washing up bowls of warm water over my car instead of ice-scraping and I've found my life much happier as a result.
dsp
- Mon Dec 20 13:10:27 2004

 Make the most of it Tom, at least you didn't have to scrape the car this morning.
mad mumsie
- Mon Dec 20 12:43:05 2004

 I'm living in boring times. Yawn. back to bed.
tom
- Mon Dec 20 12:33:28 2004

 I was recently reminded, by John McCrea of Cake fame, of the Chinese saying "May you live in interesting times", which is designed to be mistaken for a blessing, but is in fact a curse.
John
- Mon Dec 20 10:20:59 2004

 Oh and thanks Chris for inadvertantly reassuring me that not getting into a mortgage hasn't necessarily been such an irresposinble move after all!
John
- Mon Dec 20 09:31:03 2004

 Yea I was avoiding the thorny issue of wedding congratulations given the reference to ex-wife in the next post down. Sorry to hear about that Chris. It's a complicated world isn't it? Nothing's ever simple. Still it's been my experience that things generally get better eventually after they get worse.
John
- Mon Dec 20 09:29:34 2004

 Dudes! will definelty meet up since (might want to re-read 2004 tim) no longer with wife, and therefore can do whatever i want. probably have new vocab for phrase-book now, although it's still mostly F this and F that. Btw, noticed that on the alien trailer, all the dialogue is me. What's up with that? See ya laters
Chris
- Sun Dec 19 23:00:09 2004

 Chris!! Its great to hear from you! "Like that, that and that - and he'd be dead!" Congrats on the wedding and teaching and house and stuff. Sounds like you've had an interesting time!
dsp
- Sun Dec 19 21:13:13 2004

 Blood - dee - hell! It's absolutely wonderful to hear from you Chris! We so have to have you come down south to your old stomping ground or up north when we do an insane road trip to the Pool That Is Black. We might even do some stomping. Great to hear from you, please keep popping back! Will send an email Monday.
Rob LAng
- Sun Dec 19 18:00:55 2004

 Dudes! its Me! came across the site when one of my y10s picked up challacombe on a search. ( i'm a teacher now). Mental! hope you're all cool. Rather than wait for replies, i'll just throw on here what i've been upto (mainly concerning women or work) [this appears again later/earlier]
Chris Challacombe <cachallacombe@dsl.pipex.com>
- Sun Dec 19 02:18:23 2004

 1997 - finish uni, start work at gremlin. - Finish Actua Soccer 2
CC
- Sun Dec 19 02:17:26 2004

 1998 - Last time i saw any of you lot. - Single for WHOLE year. 98 sucked - Finished Actua Soccer 3.
CC
- Sun Dec 19 02:17:16 2004

 1999 - 2 different girlfriends in first 4 months. Then year got sucky. - Think this was the year Infogrames bought Gremlin, may also have released a sucky N64 golf game. - in december (5 years ago NOW, hence me still being up and on PC - long story), got back togther with the girl i started seeing when i left uni, who i had dumped after 3 months.
CC
- Sun Dec 19 02:16:55 2004

 2000 - Still going out with Lara. Beat previous 3 month record. - Release Wacky Racers on dremcast in the summer.
CC
- Sun Dec 19 02:16:39 2004

 2001 - move house to rent own place! - Lara finishes uni, moves in and starts training to be a teacher. - Finish Men in Black in PS. or rather, it's taken off our hands and ruined. - Find a house to buy.
CC
- Sun Dec 19 02:16:23 2004

 2002 - Move into house 6 months after starting to buy it (was new, so had to wait for it to be built) - 2 months after buying house, get made redundant, decide to become a teacher, but too late to get on courses. - sit around doing nothing for 5 months, balloon upto 15 stone. - 18th december (2 years ago) get a place on course for 2003 at sheffield U to teach maths, and on same day get engaged to Lara.
CC
- Sun Dec 19 02:16:06 2004

 2003 - temp for 4 months, while sorting wedding. - get married in july. - start PGCE in september.
CC
- Sun Dec 19 02:15:49 2004

 2004 - Get a job at a school in doncaster in february. - Pass the course. - split up with Lara the day before starting at school. - live in same house as ex-wife for 6 weeks while also getting used to being a full-time teacher. - move out in october, leaving lara in our nice house. - still single 2 months later, and luckily find a website by the old radstock crew, which cheers me up immensely.
CC
- Sun Dec 19 02:15:34 2004

 so there you have it. 7 1/2 years condensed into very little. There's more, but that's the relevant bits. Hope you've had less bad things happen and that everything is rosy. And if you're ever having some big meet-up i'd so be up for it. Have a good un. Chris. aka Mr C to the kids at school, and DOA or Laguna C online.
Chris
- Sun Dec 19 02:15:18 2004

 Rather than wait for replies, i'll just throw on here what i've been upto (mainly concerning women or work) lets see if i can post this so you can read it top down...
Chris C
- Sun Dec 19 02:14:56 2004

 Dudes! its Me! came across the site when one of my y10s picked up challacombe on a search. ( i'm a teacher now). Mental! hope you're all cool. Here's me mail, drop me a line cachallacombe@dsl.pipex.com
Chris C <cachallacombe@dsl.pipex.com>
Sheffield, - Sun Dec 19 01:26:00 2004

 I'm heading back to my homeland today for the holiday. *sniff* Have a good one.
Travis
- Sat Dec 18 14:49:08 2004

 John: We finished a few days ago. I gave them an extra credit problem that I knew none of them could do. I was pleased...none could. One wrote, "This problem is far too difficult." I suppose I should've just given away extra credit?
Travis
- Fri Dec 17 19:55:19 2004

 ...or alternatively on the last lesson of the course show them a complex proof that proves false is in fact true, and make them believe that none of what they have learnt is of any real use at all!
John
- Fri Dec 17 15:26:36 2004

 I'm pretty confident that most of my students would not notice if I'd switched up De Morgan's daily. Poor bastards.
Travis
- Fri Dec 17 13:31:00 2004

 Damn spelin erors.
dsp
- Fri Dec 17 10:09:03 2004

 I seem to recall the following proof.
(born_on(Raj) = barge) and (not thin(Raj's mum) or not small(Raj's dad))
Which can be refined by DeMorgan as:
(born_on(Raj) = barge) and not (than(Raj's mum) and small(Raj's dad))
Which is logically exquivalent to:
(born_on(Raj) = barge) and fat(Raj's mum) and large(Raj's dad)
Which is using tautology is logically exquivalent to:
(Raj = Raj) and (born_on(Raj) = barge) and fat(Raj's mum) and large(Raj's dad)
All derived from first principles without using n processors.
dsp
- Fri Dec 17 10:07:01 2004

 P implies Q which is Skip
Nimal
- Fri Dec 17 09:58:02 2004

 Blimey I talk a lot of crap don't I?
John
- Fri Dec 17 09:42:39 2004

 Unfortunately I believe Tim derived the compound predicate "my name is Raj and I will destroy you" at a later date, and so it wasn't available for helping with our introduction to logic course.
John
- Fri Dec 17 09:31:23 2004

 Oh, and you have to say "Raj is pants" with a deep voice and a welsh accent, a la Welsh Chris.
John
- Fri Dec 17 09:30:06 2004

 I recall our introduction to logic course involving example predicates along the lines of "Raj is Pants". Raj being one of our fellow students, and pants being a colloquialism implying "not very good" oft uttered at that time which seems to have fallen out of favour now. I recall this being of no use at all when our lecturer tried to explain the (at the time) rather thorny issue of logical implication (not a or b).
John
- Fri Dec 17 09:29:31 2004

 Yea, maybe you could screw around with it a bit next year - redefine De Morgan's theorem, for example, and see if anyone notices.
John
- Fri Dec 17 09:23:40 2004

 Jeff is in Texas, eh? Happy holidays. Tom: How long are you supposed to be off from work? I've finished the semester so I have little to do until mid January...boredom awaits. I must rant about my "job" now. I'm a Graduate Part-time Instructor. I teach Intro to Logic while earning my MA in Philosophy. I've taught the same class for 5 straight semesters...I'm bored with it. Can't they change it up a bit?
Travis
- Thu Dec 16 20:23:28 2004

 Hi Jeff, have we heard from you before?
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 16 16:55:20 2004

 Thanks Jeff - hope you have a good holiday too!
John
- Thu Dec 16 16:49:57 2004

 Merry Christmas fellers!-Jeff
Jeff <jeffersonbrooke@yahoo.com>
Texas, - Thu Dec 16 16:19:33 2004

 Excellent work Rob, I shall email you with the details.
John
- Thu Dec 16 09:54:36 2004

 John, that is now top of my list of things to do Friday. All is looking quiet on the work front, so I'd like to put forward a tentative Yes. I normally get in at Reading at about 6:30, will pick up the little one and head on over.
Rob Lang
- Thu Dec 16 09:51:21 2004

 Are buying things whilst drunk again John? Have you infact bought four tickets to the Cake show at Birmingham NEC ?
Kev
- Thu Dec 16 09:50:02 2004

 Woohoo - Cake are touring the UK again at the start of February! I just got two bought two tickets.
John
- Wed Dec 15 22:50:36 2004

 Tom, you are of course welcome too, if you are feeling well enough by then!
John
- Wed Dec 15 18:52:09 2004

 Simon is coming to Pangbourne for a few birthday drinkies on Friday so if you weren't otherwise engaged (or too tired!) you would be very welcome to come along!
John
- Wed Dec 15 18:51:10 2004

 Lol.
tom
- Wed Dec 15 16:39:52 2004

 Careful what you say here John, Mumsie is reading! I hope you are not going to lead my little boy astray. Huh some hope! I know - He's there already
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 15 16:30:25 2004

 I am freeish. The deal is that I will be about but I will be knackered as I am working silly hours. I think I might be going home at a usual time tonight - so it may very well be possible to get some sleep tonight and tomorrow. What do you have in mind?
Rob Lang
- Wed Dec 15 16:21:19 2004

 Rob, any remote tiny possibility you are free on Friday night? I imagine the chances are less than 1% but I thought I would ask just in case...
John
- Wed Dec 15 16:19:18 2004

 Software engineering: a structured process intended to establish that whatever went wrong was someone else's fault, not your own.
John
- Wed Dec 15 16:17:19 2004

 No.
tom
- Wed Dec 15 16:10:19 2004

 And don't you just love day time television.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 15 15:26:43 2004

 Yeah - it's gone really slowly. Tempted to go back to work next week. Hmm.
tom
- Wed Dec 15 12:12:24 2004

 Doing nothing IS tiring. Its the high boredom content. Still two weeks out of the eight nearly gone.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 15 11:52:30 2004

 I'm tired out too. This sitting around doing nothing is surprisingly draining.
tom
- Wed Dec 15 11:37:04 2004

 Still, can you see the light at the end of the tunnel, or does some buggar keep moving the torch.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 15 10:57:38 2004

 I've had late ones for the past 19 days.
Rob Lang
- Wed Dec 15 10:30:26 2004

 Rob: Was it a late one?
dsp
- Wed Dec 15 10:29:27 2004

 Rob: should I read that in a west country accent?
John
- Wed Dec 15 10:05:07 2004

 Tiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrred
Rob Lang
- Wed Dec 15 10:01:15 2004

 Morning everyone. I've always wanted to be the first one of the day.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 15 09:08:30 2004

 Happy Bidet!
tom
- Tue Dec 14 15:59:50 2004

 Hey guys, (I think) it is Simon's birthday today. I'm not sure if he reads the message board, but happy birthday Simon anyway!
John
- Tue Dec 14 15:55:52 2004

 Sadly not. However, it may involve joining the RAF club inthe near future...
tom
- Tue Dec 14 15:24:31 2004

 Gin, did somebody say GIN?
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Dec 14 15:14:20 2004

 Did any part of your acceptance test involve a gin drinking challenge Tom?
John
- Tue Dec 14 15:13:07 2004

 He also added that HQAC are being pretty quick about this at the moment - 7-10 days. This might mean Xmas gets in the way, but I should know by early Jan either way,
tom
- Tue Dec 14 14:24:19 2004

 The application has to go to HQAC.... who *could* conceivably still say "no". So SW Region keep quiet until the news is out officially. However, I asked the Group Captain along the lines of "I know you're not going to say, but..." He said "I don't see you having any problems." with a grin.
tom
- Tue Dec 14 14:23:33 2004

 How long do they keep you waiting? London & S E tell you immediately.
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Dec 14 13:55:17 2004

 My Regional Board *seemed* to go well yesterday. At least no one said "You've failed!" and everyone was smiling at the end.
tom
- Tue Dec 14 12:26:22 2004

 Yup.
tom
- Tue Dec 14 12:25:44 2004

 Tom: doesn't it ruin it when you have to explain about flying pigs!!
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Dec 14 12:11:15 2004

 What are you talking about?
Rob Lang
- Tue Dec 14 11:52:40 2004

 Oh look, a Squadron of Bacon!
tom
- Tue Dec 14 11:22:40 2004

 Perhaps I'm being headhunted... but Bill is actually very shy and can never quite find the right moment.
John
- Tue Dec 14 10:58:58 2004

 I thought so.
dsp
- Tue Dec 14 10:52:42 2004

 Yes there is a definite resemblance there isn't there?
John
- Mon Dec 13 17:12:33 2004

 John: Is that Bill Gates in the background of your Cologne picture? http://www.maison-de-stuff.net/john/pictures/cologne/SANY0102.JPG
dsp
- Mon Dec 13 16:01:03 2004

 Cheers Rob! It is nice to have another pin to put in the map, so to speak...
John
- Mon Dec 13 15:56:18 2004

 Cool pictures, mate! Koeln looks very swish. I went there once but it was a long time ago. As always, good job, mate!
Rob Lang
- Mon Dec 13 14:03:33 2004

 If anyone is interested, I've uploaded the pictures from my Cologne trip to the site, in the usual place.
John
- Mon Dec 13 13:59:17 2004

 Hmmm.... I think the notice period would have covered it...
John
- Mon Dec 13 13:58:43 2004

 Niiiiice... and you wanted to hand in your resignation before the party?!?!
Lox
- Mon Dec 13 12:27:27 2004

 Nice work if you can get it!
tom
- Mon Dec 13 10:30:52 2004

 Lox - it was our company's christmas party.
John
- Mon Dec 13 09:54:36 2004

 Aha! I went Cristhmas shopping this weekend... I managed to buy almost every present that I needed for my friends and family... It's quite an event as I ususally end up doing everything at the last minute... :) Glad to see that you had a good time in germany...Why were you there anyways? Just pleasure or something work related (read: explaining the germans why TVTEXT it's so slow!?
Lox
- Mon Dec 13 09:42:25 2004

 Good morning all! Hope you all had good weekends. I quite enjoyed my time in Germany, although it was bloody freezing... and the Germans seem to smoke like chimneys - so every time you duck into a bar or something to warm up a bit, you are almost asphyxiated. A word to the wise - steer clear of the Schneider Weisse. It tastes very nice, goes down very easily, but you'll seriously regret it the next morning.
John
- Mon Dec 13 09:29:37 2004

 Tom, that would be smashing. I'd be satisfied with an arrow pointing to me, far off the map somewhere.
Travis
- Sat Dec 11 18:12:38 2004

 Just to the nearest town... no need for 10 figure grids or anything.
tom
- Sat Dec 11 16:05:39 2004

 Could'nt we do a map with dots?
tom
- Sat Dec 11 16:02:06 2004

 Rob (et al.) thanks for the info. Helps me to make sense of the posts about people meeting up and whatnot. In the "city" where I now reside, driving times are similar to what you explain: 12 minutes or so to go 7 miles to the university, for instance. My in-laws live 240 miles away but that trip can be made in just under 4 hours.
Travis
- Sat Dec 11 14:30:07 2004

 Hello everybody! I have discovered that the reason why this site is blocked from my workplace is ... pornography. That's right - you're all SMUTTY, and not EXTREMIST as I thought. Bastards- I'm trying to get them to open the firewall. Hope you are all well and doing fine and dandy. Maybe communicate again soon. SUGGEST: BEER
Jimmy
- Fri Dec 10 22:20:31 2004

 Really must get my eyes tested. Could have sworn that the name under the broken heart comment was Rob, now I see its LOX. Sorry Lox for thinking you were Rob. And you haven't even got ginger hair, or not in the photos I saw.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 10 15:58:29 2004

 What terrible shock was that then Rob
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 10 15:29:17 2004

 Thanks Mumsie!! Unfortunately, due to the terrible shock, I had to spend the WHOLE day at work trying to pick up the pieces of my broken heart, not to speak bout the pieces of the spleen and liver!
Lox
- Fri Dec 10 15:01:18 2004

 Rob, how could you forget Lox, dear oh dear, oh dear. Memory going them is it.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 10 12:32:36 2004

 Rob!! You forgot me!!! I'm around 1200mks south of London!
Have fun in Germany John!!
Lox
- Fri Dec 10 12:29:58 2004

 Right then, I'm off to Cologne now... Hope you all have good weekends!
John
- Fri Dec 10 12:08:10 2004

 When I drove across it with Fish, we were staggered when we'd driven 400 miles and we'd not gone half way across a state.
Rob Lang
- Fri Dec 10 10:18:40 2004

 I am always amazed at the size of America, and particularly Texas. Compared with the UK where there is so little space.
dsp
- Fri Dec 10 09:29:16 2004

 Rob: you've committed the cardinal sin with WB, remember, it's all ooooooooooooooo's and tttttttttttttttttt's. (you missed an "o")
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 10 09:26:05 2004

 It's probably best to use the centre of London as a reference. Reading (where I am) is 35 miles due west of the centre of London. Mad Mumsie is 6 miles NNW of the centre. John (Pangbourne) is about 40 miles due west of London. Tom (Newbury) is about 45 miles due west of London. Alex (Wotton Bassett) is 70 (?) miles due west of London. DSP (Blackpool) is a few hundred miles north west - in the bad lands. Travis, you are 6000 miles WSW of London. On your scale of things, we're all living on top of each other but it will take you about an hour to drive 40 miles (on a good day). However, it takes me about 20 minutes to get to John because of the bloody windy, twist country roads!
Rob Lang
- Fri Dec 10 09:20:42 2004

 I live in North West London, which is about 40 miles from Reading, using two of the most congested motorways ever.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 10 09:08:50 2004

 question: Where does everyone live? I imagine that most of you live fairly close to one another but that's about it. As you may know, I'm in the US. I'm from Pennsylvania which is just south of New York, but I'm living in Texas which is South-central US, bordering the Gulf o' Mexico...I don't know how much geography you know about the US. I know almost none of the UK so I apologize if I've offended your intelligence.
Travis
- Thu Dec 9 23:59:26 2004

 hey, no problem with the dots - i do understand what you mean! a littel lesson :-)… If you wan to write the german letter ä, ü or ö ... than write for ä -> ae, for ü -> ue and for ö -> oe! for example the german word Köln -> Koeln, every german person (normaly) should can read it! (it is corregt, too). I hope you are do not think some stupid thing´s about me - i do not want like a teacher, but i want to help a littel bit. I´m now that my english isn´t good. I hope you do understand me the whole text ;-)
ralf
germany - Thu Dec 9 22:23:44 2004

 Hello John et everyone thought i would put in a Bristolian's(HEAR THE ACCENT SHINING THRU!!) point of view and say the page is terriffic. Tis a shame you only managed to go to the thekla while you were in bristol, because its not bristol's best place to be. If you are ever here again I suggest Havana!!
Kristian
- Thu Dec 9 20:02:15 2004

 Koln es schon. (sorry no dots for some reason)
Rob Lang
- Thu Dec 9 17:17:38 2004

 Danke schon fur das, err, advice Ralf. Yes I am looking forward to having etwas zu essen und etwas zu trinken in Koln, particularly the gluhwein... Please pop by the message board again soon - it would be really cool to have some German input!
John
- Thu Dec 9 17:07:33 2004

 I'm impressed with all this germanwords, too! -Mir geht es gut!! thanks... @ John: have fun @ köln (and all in germany) do not work to much... go to the christmasmarkt (in to german: WEIHNACHTSMARKT)in downtown and drink GLÜHWEIN - it is a good stuff with alk :) have fun bye ralf
ralf
germany - Thu Dec 9 16:57:31 2004

 Glad to hear it Tom - you're welcome!
John
- Thu Dec 9 16:46:00 2004

 The soups are GGGrrreat John! Thanks.
tom
- Thu Dec 9 16:35:51 2004

 Trip to London with Whiskey. Oh yes. Road Trip. Oh yes.
Rob Lang
- Thu Dec 9 15:09:35 2004

 I actually quite fancy the idea of a road trip up North. On the other hand you coming down here also has the benefits that, if staying at our place for example, you'd have Tom, Rob and Simon all within a 15 minute drive, and Jon within a 45 minute drive. In fact I've actually walked to Tom's house on a couple of occasions. London is only about 45 minutes by train, so it makes quite a good base for visiting the city and we can get one day travelcards for the bargain price of a tenner... I have built up quite a repertoire of London pubs I'd like to introduce you to, and yes, my club does also make a rather nice venue for a drink and a chat if you're into your single malts...

In answer to your question about how I got to Jon's: I got the train to Swindon as I went in the afternoon and Chie had taken the car to work...
John
- Thu Dec 9 14:59:44 2004

 There a limitless opportunities! Clare has some friends down south, so we could perhaps build everyone in a trip to the big smoke. We could meet at your club! Another plan is that I come down or meetup at Random-ville. Did you drive to Jon's? Or meet somewhere. I'll have a pow-wow with Clare and see if she fancies any of the above in the new year.
dsp
- Thu Dec 9 14:26:18 2004

 Yea Tim... Given that I can drive now it potentially gives us more options... Perhaps I could come up to Blackpool/Poulton, or if you happened to be thinking about coming down South anyway (London?), the pair of you are always welcome of course... Or how about meeting up in the middle randomly? Stoke on Trent an' evryfing?
John
- Thu Dec 9 14:21:13 2004

 Lets start simple then add the cunning later.
dsp
- Thu Dec 9 11:39:10 2004

 dsp: Is that a "cunning" plan, or just an ordinary one.
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 9 11:34:16 2004

 John: I like the sound of that. Its a plan.
dsp
- Thu Dec 9 11:32:08 2004

 Oh and the weekend trip is a mixture of both (business and pleasure that is) - it's our company's christmas party. They're putting us up for two nights in a hotel in Cologne, there's a big meal on the Saturday night, but Friday night and Saturday daytime we're left up to our own devices... So it's basically like a free holiday, with a few hours in the middle where we have to be polite and not slag off the company... until we get really drunk that is.
John
- Thu Dec 9 09:53:22 2004

 Tim, it was great seeing Jon again, as you might expect we chatted about the Radstock era a lot. I bet your ears were burning! I've been on a bit of a mission recently to meet up with all the old Radstock people and I think it's just you left now Tim (OK I've glossed over Gary and Chris but I think everyone has pretty much lost touch with them anyway)... Maybe we could arrange something early next year...?
John
- Thu Dec 9 09:42:57 2004

 I'm impressed with all this German. Hey John, how was the Ellis-o-matic reunion? Being nosey, is the trip to Germany business or pleasure?
dsp
- Thu Dec 9 09:24:49 2004

 Funnily enough I'm going to Germany this weekend (in fact tomorrow afternoon). Afterwards I will be able to say: Ich bin mit dem flughafen von Heathrow nach Koln gefahren.
John
- Thu Dec 9 09:11:16 2004

 Ralf, errr, wilkommen!
John
- Thu Dec 9 09:09:19 2004

 Das message board - es macht mir spass.
John
- Thu Dec 9 09:07:56 2004

 I wish I was allowed to be on drugs during ours. The boss insists that we're pissed instead.
Rob Lang
- Wed Dec 8 17:49:22 2004

 My I'm dedicated - Sqn Staff meeting tonight! And I'm just about drugged up enough to sit through it.
tom
- Wed Dec 8 17:33:08 2004

 Show off!
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 8 15:21:42 2004

 Guten Tag, Ralf. Wie gehts?
Rob lang
- Wed Dec 8 15:20:44 2004

 now i found your massage board :).... i´m from germany and i wan only say hallo to you - have a nice day - good page! bye ralf from bamberg (bavaria) - germany
ralf <rds-ralf@gmx.de>
- Wed Dec 8 14:19:42 2004

 How true.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 8 13:22:30 2004

 You actually safest standing in front of the targets with most cadets.
tom
- Wed Dec 8 12:59:47 2004

 That'll teach you to get in the way of cadets on the firing range!
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Dec 8 11:39:08 2004

 You should have seen the other guy.
tom
- Wed Dec 8 11:22:55 2004

 ...plus I saw Tom last night and he seems to making a very good recovery, and seemingly to Tom's delight the incisions look a lot like bullet wounds.
John
- Wed Dec 8 11:05:52 2004

 Say hi for me.
dsp
- Wed Dec 8 10:49:00 2004

 Yipee half day today...! Off to see the Ellistron this afternoon...
John
- Wed Dec 8 10:29:03 2004

 Is he real? I thought he was spending time with Lord Lucan.
tom
- Tue Dec 7 16:35:33 2004

 Please ignore previous post, have now managed to get in touch with Jon via the medium of him phoning me.
John
- Tue Dec 7 15:47:44 2004

 Hmmm does anyone have a recent mobile number for Jon Ellis (the one I have is from about three years ago and I'm pretty sure he's changed it). We're supposed to meeting up tomorrow, but he's not in the office as of yesterday, and I've realised without email I actually have no way of contacting him!
John
- Tue Dec 7 14:29:27 2004

 Thanks guys! I'm feeling more and more human every day. (Shh - don't let work hear that!)
tom
- Tue Dec 7 13:31:51 2004

 That would be great John! Sarah is wondering what to cook for the rest of the tribe - call me???
tom
- Tue Dec 7 13:31:14 2004

 I have been out of the office this morning (incidentally giving a lecture in the Gordon Lecture Theatre), but bizarrely when I got back, I'd apparently had a phonecall. The receptionist told me it was from "Hal Hall"... could she have meant Al Hall...? This reaks of Jon Ellis to me....!
John
- Tue Dec 7 11:58:16 2004

 Tom, er, is 7:30 OK?
John
- Tue Dec 7 11:56:17 2004

 Ciao Tom!! Glad to hear that you are ok!
Lox
- Tue Dec 7 11:11:23 2004

 Well done Goldenboy! Glad to see you back in the fold. Dom will be lifting you soon - I told you not to pick him out of that meteorite! ;-) Welcome back, good to see you well.
Rob Lang
- Tue Dec 7 10:35:53 2004

 Welcome back Tom, glad to hear you are well!
Have you had enough of the obligatory Lloyd Grossman jokes?
dsp
- Tue Dec 7 09:06:20 2004

 Cool. What time suits you?
tom
- Mon Dec 6 20:34:29 2004

 OK Tom, let's make it tomorrow then...
John
- Mon Dec 6 17:08:28 2004

 I guess not in the grand scheme of things.
tom
- Mon Dec 6 16:55:24 2004

 Tomorrow would be better according to the Management! ;-)
tom
- Mon Dec 6 16:54:34 2004

 Eight weeks isn't long Tom, and will soon pass, especially as Christmas is coming, and we all know how quickly that creeps up on us. Glad to hear that all is well with you.
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Dec 6 16:43:12 2004

 How about tonight Tom?
John
- Mon Dec 6 16:27:56 2004

 Thanks John - when you bringing the soup!?
tom
- Mon Dec 6 16:04:31 2004

 I've now got some plastic mesh stitched to my diaphragm and a stomach that's sitting in the 'right place'. I also have five (key)holes in my chest which will heal ok on their own. The downside is that I have to lift NOTHING heavy for 8 weeks. This includes Dominic, who is wondering why Daddy won't lean down to play and lift him up for cuddles :-(
tom
- Mon Dec 6 16:04:00 2004

 Good to hear Tom!
John
- Mon Dec 6 16:03:26 2004

 Thanks for your various messages of concern over the last few days! I'm ok, and I'm home. In fact, I got home on Friday although this wasn't exactly a good day as far as pain and suffereing went, so I wasn't online at all... The Op appears to be 100% sucessful ans was all done via keyhole surgery.
tom
Home, Sofa RESTING - Mon Dec 6 16:00:57 2004

 Being amazaed is not dissimilar to being amazed, just slightly more middle-eastern.
John
- Mon Dec 6 15:43:52 2004

 Genius Tim, pure genius. I can imagine the adverts now "Yule be amazaed at the cleaning power of new Sani-Tree, perfectly for cleaning your ho-ho-home."
John
- Mon Dec 6 15:43:10 2004

 We could call it Sani-tree.
dsp
- Mon Dec 6 14:07:09 2004

 Woooo I am back at the office... :( I am SOOOOO HAPPY... No, honest I am TOTALLY RADIATING HAPPINESS, yes it's true... :(
Lox
- Mon Dec 6 12:36:17 2004

 Tim I think we've hit on a great product idea there - a kit you can buy in January to convert your tree (which you'd otherwise throwaway) into a piece of toilet cleaning apparatus, which comes naturally pine-scented. It could give a whole new meaning to "yule log".
John
- Mon Dec 6 11:57:19 2004

 John, you have no soul. It wouldn't be christmas if you still weren't hoovering up pine needles in March.
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Dec 6 11:37:44 2004

 Plus whilst no-one was looking, you could unclip a branch and give you loo a good scrubbing. Although you should probably only use one from the back of the tree.
dsp
- Mon Dec 6 11:17:36 2004

 You could achieve the same effect with an artificial tree, sprayed with pine scented toilet cleaner.
John
- Mon Dec 6 10:46:26 2004

 What I love about real christmas trees is the lovely pine smell.
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Dec 6 10:27:35 2004

 In fact I could give the hoover to Chie as a christmas present. I've heard women love that sort of thing.
John
- Mon Dec 6 10:17:49 2004

 In fact, the price differential will more or less pay for a new hoover, to clean up all the pine needles from the floor in January.
John
- Mon Dec 6 10:17:13 2004

 Yea, I went for a real tree as it looked loads nicer than any of the artificial trees, plus was much cheaper. Once on it's little stand it more or less reaches the ceiling, and only cost us 8 quid.
John
- Mon Dec 6 10:16:41 2004

 Nice one John. I think we'll be getting our tree this week or weekend. Can't wait!! Did you get a real tree?
dsp
- Mon Dec 6 10:12:22 2004

 At the weekend we bought a christmas tree, and have already put it up with lights, baubles and everyfing. Very unusual for me - I'm normally one for decorating at the last possible minute, if at all.
John
- Mon Dec 6 09:37:39 2004

 Morning everyone. What a lovely day. And only 18 SHOPPING days to Christmas!
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Dec 6 08:54:15 2004

 I would never cross Mr. Lang.
someone
cowering in fear, - Sat Dec 4 21:01:08 2004

 I'm working from home this weekend and trying to make it so that I don't have to go into the office. Get off my back.
Rob Lang
- Sat Dec 4 12:40:11 2004

 Well if it can help it's more or less 5 years since I last saw him, and I did come to England to stay at John's but everyone else was busy ... Maybe next time! :P
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 22:58:00 2004

 Thanks Lox. I did actually see him last Saturday, so I do remember what he looks like - just.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 15:56:47 2004

 Well then I rest my case. ROB CALL YOUR MUM!!!!!! SHAME ON YOU!!!
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 15:54:19 2004

 WRONG Lox. Bethan had her first telephone chat on Monday evening.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 15:47:21 2004

 between "so" and "all" there is a "WHY" to be accounted for.... :P
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 15:43:55 2004

 I'm jumping ship early today. Have a great weekend everyone.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 15:43:27 2004

 Well in a way Rob could argue that also Bethan never calls, so all the heat on him? (this tactic has been used in the past with a rather unsucessful result... still it was worth a try.. i guess.)
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 15:43:14 2004

 dsp, that is very cunning.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 15:24:36 2004

 Thanks for that Lox, but it doesn't get him off the hook.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 15:23:39 2004

 Ehehehe Mumsie!! My mom says the same... You know that when we (sons) call something has happened.. Otherwise all is good! By the way think about when we were young always calling for mummy and so on... How many times a mother had wished for the son/daughter not to call?
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 15:18:42 2004

 How about reverse phsycology. Place a check box "tick if you are advertising rubbish and want to be ignored". Make the site only accept posts where this is checked.
dsp
- Fri Dec 3 15:10:34 2004

 It looks like our spammers are back already on the articles section. I don't think they are just mindless robots any more - they seem to have adapted to the fact that I have blocked URLs (anything with http:// in it) and are now posting links without the http://. Very, very, very annoying.
John
- Fri Dec 3 15:06:07 2004

 Besides which, its the only way I know you are still alive - you never call, sniff sniff, you never visit, sniff sniff
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 15:05:21 2004

 You couldn't have picked a nice smell could you - it had to be onions didn't it.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 15:04:08 2004

 Well done, Lox! My family follow me around - like the smell of onions.
Rob Lang
- Fri Dec 3 15:01:04 2004

 AHA!!! So Bethan is you grand-daughter!!! NICE! Congrats! (well actually I remember you saying that Rob become an uncle....) :P
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 14:53:50 2004

 Well done Lox, Alex is my daughter, Rob's sister.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:44:21 2004

 Am I missing some links here? Jill is Alex related to you in any way? ... :P
As for the abortion debate I say leave the 3months law, it guarantees christian non-abortion supporters to have their way on the "life" issue and leaves pro-abortion supporters a chance to have their way with the "free will" idea...
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 14:41:01 2004

 Agreed John, with the proviso that we don't need people who have no idea what it means to have a baby, making laws that ordinary people have to abide by.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:39:08 2004

 You didn't tell me she was eating worms. Don't you feed her enough. More chocolate I say.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:37:25 2004

 OK so to wrap up the abortion debate, do you think we can all agree that it needs dealing with on a case-by-case basis...?
John
- Fri Dec 3 14:35:59 2004

 I didn't know that he had stomach problems... I hope he's all right.. I guess Bethan is right! A couple of worms and off you go!!!
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 14:34:18 2004

 I'm sure a nice few juicy worms would cheer him up...
Bethan
- Fri Dec 3 14:32:53 2004

 Tom was getting his stomach sorted out again. The plan was to be in and out in one day, so I guess as operations go that puts it in the lower category of complexity / seriousness. Not heard anything from him yet, but he is probably lying in bed at home feeling pretty crappy, poor lad!
John
- Fri Dec 3 14:32:03 2004

 Mmmmmmmm ..... WORMS:......... :)
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 14:28:29 2004

 Any news from Tom anyone? What did he had precisely? I hope is not a serious surgery... (though easy surgery are very few...)
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 14:28:01 2004

 Just coming up to 16 months. And Mat did find her eating a worm the other day!
Alex
- Fri Dec 3 14:27:29 2004

 Actually speaking of it I recently had grasshoppers... I guess that my mental age hasn't much changed :)
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 14:27:05 2004

 how old is bethan now? fuchsia frozen flowers... I used to eat ANTS (so my mum says)... :)
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 14:26:30 2004

 gee-gars= guinea pigs
bethan
- Fri Dec 3 14:23:05 2004

 Perhaps you had better translate gee-gars for the rest of the world.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:22:33 2004

 Very true pet, and they are still all in the cupboard waiting for Bethan.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:21:53 2004

 Mmmmm....frozen fuschia flowers taste great! I wonder if the gee-gars want some?
Bethan
- Fri Dec 3 14:21:44 2004

 lets face it, it would have been difficult as until the age of about 17 i was still more interested in My Little Pony than boys.....
Alex
- Fri Dec 3 14:20:50 2004

 AAAAHhhhh good old habits never die!!! :)
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 14:20:24 2004

 On his motor bike!
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:20:22 2004

 Alex if you'd fallen pregnant whilst you were at school, yer father would have been out with a shotgun!!!
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:20:00 2004

 to continue....But if I'd fallen pregnant while at school or uni then things would have been very different. I'm lucky that I have a very supportive family who I've no doubt would have supported me whatever the decision I made was. Not everyone has that support though and I don't think its as simple as just suggesting all unwanted babies should be put up for adoption.
alex
- Fri Dec 3 14:16:40 2004

 I wouldn't go as far as Rob with the baby disconnected thing......seeing Bethan on a 20 week scan with fingers, toes, eyes, ears....of course she's a baby at that point. And if I had to have a termination I'm not saying I'd go into it skipping and dancing.
Alex
- Fri Dec 3 14:16:20 2004

 Just read my last post, should have read adoption not abortion
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:12:56 2004

 Just read my last post, should have read adoption not abortion
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:12:40 2004

 The problems with giving up for abortion are that very often once you have seen the sprog, you don't want to - and you still have to go through nine months of "being pregnant" and the birth itself, although the old wives tale is true, you do forget about the pain once the baby has arrived. I think Lox has a good point, the three month rule is generally a good one. It gives all concerned time to make up their minds.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 14:09:50 2004

 John: Time... I guess that the present regulations where you can interrupt pregnancy up to the 3rd month are pretty valid, after that you can start arguing that the brain IS formed and a lot of other issues come into play.
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 13:58:39 2004

 Woooo what a landslide have I started!!
Let me point out a couple of things that I didn't write in the original post:
1. The journalist said that all thoose "inventions" have been PROVEN wrong by conventional science (not the Star Wars one).
Having said that, I will join the fray saying that I am totally pro-abortion. I am all ok with the idea that we are programmed to procreate etc etc, but what distinguish us from the animals is many times the capacity to CHOOSE rationally and not instinctively. If the couple (in most cases the mother only unfortunately) is not happy with the prospect of having a baby, then they should be given the right to choose...
As for Bush, I don't like him and I would have voted Kerry. America is THE most hated country in the world thanks to JWB and the guy is honestly dumb (do you know about all his faliures from university to presidency?). Oh well I'll wait for the next WMD in Iran (which is next on the list once Iraq is over).
Going back to the main topic a state that brainwash its people into believing something completely false is rather scary. What's more scary is that the same state wages war to half of the globe and control its economy (more or less)... nuff said..
Lox
- Fri Dec 3 13:54:04 2004

 Well it's a question of where you draw the line then - for Rob it is where you cut the cord, for me it is much earlier. I hope you would all agree that after a baby is born and living independently, a parent doesn't then have the right to take it's life away because they don't feel capable of bring it up. So it is just a question if when you think that baby represents an independent being with its' own rights.

Clearly it isn't a very popular standpoint , but I see a pregnancy as something that involves three people, all of whom have rights as well as obligations. I would be 100% behind any changes in the law that made the father more obligated to help and be more involved in whatever way we he could. Giving a baby up for an adoption is always a possibility for truly unsuitable parents - I had the impression demand outweighed supply in this area.

I for one am pretty sure if I was a woman I would still maintain the same moral stance. I suspect vegetarianism and being anti abortion generally go hand in hand - they are both essentially "pro life".
John
- Fri Dec 3 13:52:50 2004

 I'm pro-abortion. I believe that the baby only becomes its own entity when it's disconnected with the mother. Up to that point, it's the mother's body and she can do as she damn well pleases.
Rob Lang
- Fri Dec 3 13:20:38 2004

 Caring and nurturing has nothing to do with it, most fathers do that anyway, once its born, - its the bit before and during that men couldn't cope with, that is without copious amounts of whisky or drugs. AND Careful dsp, this might be the season of good will, but start knocking the essential accessories and you are in BIG trouble.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 13:04:13 2004

 The whole "if men had the babies" argument is flawed. In that case, men would be the nurturing kind, and the women would become the aggresors; making all the wars, guns and weapons etc. Of course they'd make more weapons, so they have the right ones to go with their shoes and handbags.
dsp
- Fri Dec 3 12:58:07 2004

 Hmm...might I get a password so I can enter longer messages? I had to break that last one up into two shorter. Or do I already have a password and yet do not know it?
Travis
- Fri Dec 3 12:54:29 2004

 As for abortion, strange as this may sound, I'm probably a Libertarian but I'm against abortion in most cases (exceptions being rape, certain medical conditions, etc.). I feel that I could be persuaded to change my position, but no consequentialist argument will do it. Unwanted children are unfortunate situations, I agree, but not enough grounds for termination.
Travis
- Fri Dec 3 12:53:29 2004

 John, et al., I don't like Bush. It just seems as if we can plug in anyone of average intelligence or above and we'll be okay. We're not going to thrive as a country because he's there, but we're not going to be destroyed or torn by civil war.
Travis
- Fri Dec 3 12:53:16 2004

 Glad you've joined the fight Alex, I thought I was a voice in the wilderness amongst all these men!!! Its been said before, but I will say it again, if they had to have the babies the human race would have died out by now.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 12:29:05 2004

 Hi all! Just popped by again as it's Friday... Wow heavy stuff today! For my two-pennyworth... Don't forget we all have a basic programming that wants us to continue our race (all creeds/races I mean), procreate (machine-code! Hard-wired!) so I understand the pro-life bit... Not, however, the maniacal way it is promoted... Perhaps the issue should be pointed towards more effective contraception and education. That way the problem doesn't arise... I await brick-bats... :)
Nigel
- Fri Dec 3 12:26:00 2004

 Far better abortion than bringing an unwanted child into the world. And I can't help but notice that the vast majority of highly vocal anti-abortionists are all men.
Alex
- Fri Dec 3 12:14:42 2004

 I am of course now reminded of the Loretta in the Life of Brian.
John
- Fri Dec 3 10:56:06 2004

 Yes it is a thorny issue isn't it? Maybe the ideal would be if science could provide a way to remove the foetus and let it continue to gestate somewhere else - maybe in something artificially constructed or whatever...?
John
- Fri Dec 3 10:50:39 2004

 Although I have no strong opinions one way or the other on abortion, I would defend to the end a woman's right to choose what happens to her body!
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Dec 3 10:36:37 2004

 However Travis, I do take your point about the better of two cretins, etc. At least in this country we can always delude ourselves into thinking we actually have three political parties to choose between... and I mean delude ourselves, in the sense that we think we are choosing, when in fact it is Rupert Murdoch, by way of The Sun, who chooses our government every time we have a general election... and he's not even British!
John
- Fri Dec 3 10:34:26 2004

 Well Travis, for the sake of polite conversation, I tried hard for a while there to think of something nice to say about Bush, but it is hard work... This seems a weird cause for Bush to champion. It is bizarre to be bomb-happy on the one hand, and then pro-life on the other. Presumably this is an attempt to bolster his image as a christian, and appeal to the traditional values of America's bible belt. Bush is of course not really a christian, he may even have convinced himself that he is, but it's immediately apparent that he can't be. Nobody with that disregard for human life can really be a christian. He seems to have overlooked "Thou shalt not kill" on more than one occasion, and without being an expert on biblical affairs I am pretty sure that is a fairly fundamental point.
John
- Fri Dec 3 09:53:20 2004

 Lorenzo / Travis - what a minefield of social issues! You know, I always start to feel a bit uncomfortable when politicians attempt to influence areas which to me are far more ethical than political. In our multi-faithed society I imagine most people are happy to agree with the law of the land - theft, arson, murder etc are all sitting quite firmly on the blacklist... but on issues such as abortion opinion must vary massively.

I read a book on fuzzy logic a while back which I think lent an interesting angle to the debate. It pointed out what ought to be obvious, that there isn't a sudden point at which the a ball of cells turns into a human being. It is of course a gradual process, and at various stages you can in fact assign a sort of percentage to how sentient or alive the developing foetus is. So what it then comes down to in legislation etc is effectively setting a threshold of where in a pregnancy it is acceptable to terminate. This sounds to me like a pretty cold and inhuman concept! Whatever percentage (or time limit) you come up with, moving it 1% higher will give hundreds or thousands of people a chance to have a life that wouldn't have had it otherwise.

To be honest, over the years I've gradually become utterly anti-abortion. Contraception, yea, fine.... but as soon as those gametes have combined you have started a process that, if left undeterred, will result in a person, and from that point on I don't think anyone has the right to interrupt.
John
- Fri Dec 3 09:42:48 2004

 Tim - yea I have been wondering about that too. I think he said if all goes well he should only be in hospital for one day, so hopefully he is back resting at home now...
John
- Fri Dec 3 09:17:06 2004

 Political bickering aside, does anyone know how Tom's got on today?
dsp
- Fri Dec 3 00:13:26 2004

 Slightly more serious post. All of those statistics MIGHT be true but in such an insignificant way as to make them not worth stating. Please be nice to my president. He's not a great man, maybe not even a good man...but he was, sadly, the better of the two men presented to us. And I'll hear no arguments to the contrary, you socialist bastards.
Travis
- Thu Dec 2 17:16:34 2004

 Yeah. The US sucks!
Travis
- Thu Dec 2 17:13:32 2004

 Exactely my point. It's a terrible thing to do to a population, ok don't educate them FINE, but telling youg kids LIES it's even more twisted...
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 16:00:13 2004

 Typical. Insetad of educating, they scaremonger. Very typical US attitude.
Rob Lang
- Thu Dec 2 15:34:43 2004

 Ok, I am sorry but I need a comment from you on this piece of news that I am reading off an Italian Newspaper

Apparently Bush has funded more than 170Mil$ for a program to promote ABSTINENCE from sex in order to reduce your girl pregnancies and HIV virus. (though I might object on the methods the aim is good).
Unfortunately the program is failing massively as there hasn't been a decrease in either cases, actually they have both increased.
But the thing that I find abysmal is the fact that the campaing went around USA saying that:
Now isn't it a BIT toooooo much to get away with? You can imagine the scientific community in the USA how took these alleged "facts"... 170million dollars every year!? I am sure this is going to be featured in the next Michael Moore movie...
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 15:29:48 2004

 eheheheheh Not them. It will be impossible to cut down something that is sloppy at heart and that feeds on British rain!!!
Come on guys, everyone knows that rain in England is BY FAR less tasty, nutriciuos and generally "well rained" than the Italian stuff... :)
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 15:12:18 2004

 But notta our crappa English treesa?
Rob Lang
- Thu Dec 2 15:03:55 2004

 Well actually there is need for a very specialized CLASSY Lumberjack who can cut down the tree in a fashionable way...
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 14:43:24 2004

 Is there much call for lumberjacks in Italy? Arn't all the trees thin, weird and twisty?
dsp
- Thu Dec 2 14:41:07 2004

 Ciao Jill!! How are you? Long time no see... I guess it's totally my fault for beign absent from the board for long periods... :( I haven't tried the biscuits yet (but I gave the receipe to my mom, so I expect something to come out round Xmas when I go down to Florence... :)
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 14:38:53 2004

 Now now, what makes you think so?
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 14:36:40 2004

 I am having a tremendously entertaining time venting my frustration by looking back through really old 'Maison articles, and insulting the utter mindless idiots who have, several months after the article was written, come across it in Google or something, and posted hilariously idiotic comments which are supposed to be detrimental.
John
- Thu Dec 2 14:36:20 2004

 I think you'd make a good lumberjack Lox (the conventional, non-transvestite variety, I'm referring to there).
John
- Thu Dec 2 13:58:58 2004

 You need a dress to be a Lumberjack Lox
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 2 13:08:26 2004

 Mmmmm Software Game as in VIDEO GAME not as in fluffy cuddly bears or similar things (let your fantasy roam)...
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 13:03:36 2004

 I am bored of my job. I like travelling but it's a rather bad place not to speak about the situation of the textile industry... I'd love to work for a Software Game company, or maybe I could be .......
A LUMBERJACK!
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 13:01:54 2004

 John, my brother's partner bought a lamp and has been a changed person since using it.
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 2 11:37:50 2004

 Hmmmm now that's an interesting point. Yes, I hadn't really thought about that - maybe that could be a factor. I think this is made worse by the fact that the blind for the window in front of my desk has recently broken, and therefore permanently down, so I'm not seeing as much daylight as I used to...
John
- Thu Dec 2 11:13:45 2004

 John, do you think you are suffering from "SAD"?
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Dec 2 10:45:22 2004

 I'm really bored at work again today. Is it just me...? Do you lot all enjoy your jobs? I think I used to really enjoy working here, but the last few weeks have seemed so bloody tedious...
John
- Thu Dec 2 10:16:20 2004

 Good idea Lox! On the post-a-message page we could have a check box: "tick here if you are posting an advert". If someone checks the tick box we could redirect their post to the police, or better still, Tony Blair.
dsp
- Thu Dec 2 09:23:00 2004

 Today I have learnt a new Japanese word - ONIGAWARA - Literally it means, "the shine of the sun on a tile of the roof that makes you blind".... In reality is used to describe a rather ugly girl (or VERRO, see dictionary)... Interesting, I think that whoever thought of this use for this word is a genius!
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 07:34:21 2004

 Rob: Well actually, yep I think that he cannot be soooo daft to do it directly, still I am sure that you guys (read computer guru) can find a way to at least make it hard to advertise on the site.... :P
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 07:32:01 2004

 Good Luck Tom!!!
Lox
- Thu Dec 2 07:30:18 2004

 Good luck Tom!
dsp
- Wed Dec 1 22:54:03 2004

 Good luck Tom.
Graf
- Wed Dec 1 22:18:25 2004

GOOD LUCK TOM ME OLE CHINA!


Rob Lang
- Wed Dec 1 18:25:46 2004

 Ooo errr. Wish me luck!
tom
- Wed Dec 1 18:09:52 2004

 NICE LOX! Mr Deathsticks is probably advertising through a third party.
Rob Lang
- Wed Dec 1 16:07:32 2004

 Mr.LUNG: YES, I am a girl but I also happen to be gay! :) Plus you might want to update on the new "salesman" haircut, basically no more curls for me :(
BUT DON'T WORRY: I am still winging and moaning and despising english pasta! :)
Lox
- Wed Dec 1 15:09:27 2004

 Actually I am leaving SATURDAY morning.... :P
Lox
- Wed Dec 1 15:07:29 2004

 Assuming that Mr.Deathsticks has a fixed IP do you think that it might be possible to ban him/her from this site?
Lox
- Wed Dec 1 15:06:17 2004

 Actually dinner was rather interesting, she is cute, 24yo, I mean what more can I ask? Problem is she has a 1,87mts boyfriend (rugby player - but I am not jelaus), and I am leaving Friday... :(
ANYWAYS I got another appointment to go out on Friday... so far so good.. :)
Lox
- Wed Dec 1 15:04:42 2004

 Dear Mr Lung, Fanks for youse letta. We don't give a sheet. Yours sinningly, m4 City Support
M4City Support
- Wed Dec 1 11:35:55 2004

 Right, not happy with these cancer deathstick salespeople. Time for an email:

Dear MCity4 Support,
You have been illegally advertising your product on our community website: http://www.maison-de-stuf.net/board/

Please desist in this activity immediately or we shall be forced to take legal actions under international law. If you are using a third party to place these unwanted adverts, then you must instruct them to desist and take action if they do not.

This email is also copied to our solicitors, Gambel and Sons (UK).

Regards,

Rob Lang
Maison De Stuff

Rob Lang
- Wed Dec 1 10:50:50 2004

 Yea that would be a bit like me being presented with a vegetarian Japanese women who spoke perfect English but in a slurred voice because she was always half cut on a very expensive single malts, and wanted to work in digital brocasting.... I think under these circumstances I might smell a rat.
John
- Wed Dec 1 10:41:47 2004

 Marlboro $15.95/ Camel $15.95/ West $14.95/ KENT $18.95 with delivery ! Famous brand cigarettes with delivery ! Marlboro $15.95 / Kent $18.95 Camel $15.95 / WEST $14.95 BOND $12.95 / Rothmans $17.95 Davidoff $20.95 / Vogue $20.95 Magna $14.95 / More $14.95 Dunhill $22.95 / Rothmans $17.95 www.mcity4.com www.mcity4.com www.mcity4.com On-line cigarette shop !
mcity4
usa, - Wed Dec 1 09:57:28 2004

 Lox: That sounds to good to be true. A Japanese girl who speaks english and Italian and wants to work in fabrics. Does she also think english pasta is shit and like curly hair? I think she's a spy trying to infiltrate your organisation. You've been profiled.
dsp
- Wed Dec 1 09:42:32 2004

 Hmmm so it is currently about 18:30 in Japan, so I'm guessing he isn't quite having dinner yet.
John
- Wed Dec 1 09:30:55 2004

 A girl? Isn't he one?
Rob Lang
- Wed Dec 1 09:30:17 2004

 Last Month's Messages
John
- Wed Dec 1 09:29:43 2004

 Wooooo...... Lorenzo's going to have dinner with a girl....
John
- Wed Dec 1 09:28:55 2004