Crocefisso

I think it's a bit of a jump to read 'Executive Producer' and interpret 'Head of RuneScape'. And it must be remembered that there are dozens of others working on the game, many with greater direct input (though quite how Jagex titles them I don't know).

Overly confrontational people really annoy me.

My advice is perhaps not great seeing as I only do long rides or races (all on road), but my guess would be that a mid range or higher cyclocross bike (£500 or more) should last you a fair few years with little or no trouble. As for gears, I really don't know how to avoid using them. Sorry. :P

I'm not a fan of the style of bike, but I think it's great that you're taking up cycling. I might add that the bike might need upgrading/changing if you intend to do serious cycling - ie, competitions, long and regular rides etc. Unfortunately, no one at my cycling club rides an Apollo and I can't give you any advice on the general qualities of the brand, though halfords are a very reliable retailer as far as bikes are concerned (especially when it comes to their Boardman brand).

The first round of the French Presidential election has not gone well as far as I'm concerned. At present, the vote share is thus: 28% - overly left wing inexperienced man with destructive economic policies (higher French govt. debt & budget deficit, anyone?) 26% - incumbent arrogant, erratic and dangerously protectionist midget 19% - far right, nationalistic populist (essentially a US Republican but French and a woman) 12% - communist 9% - moderate man with a good, balanced set of policies :( France just shot itself in the foot. The second round will likely be a win for the socialists and their dangerous candidate.

Really? I've yet to notice this, it just seems to me that OT has been getting pretty quiet over the course of the year.

Because they are the lucky ones. One of my old friends back in Italy was killed last December when his moped was hit by a van driver who was busy too smoking to stop at a light. I fail to see the luck.

Oh dear. :( I really hope they all make it through.

That was a good call indeed. Any injuries? I have no idea. All I got were text alerts saying there was a shooting on/near the campus, and that everyone was to stay indoors and secure the buildings. about 30 minutes later we got texts saying police were on sight, then a while later giving us an all-clear, since the suspects had apparently moved on away from the campus. So yea. No idea what exactly happened. Sometimes there are random scares like this near the apartments that are near the campus. I've gotten quite a few alerts about public fights, knives, guns, etc. Sounds like a really safe environment for learning. :unsure: Anyway, I hope all is well.

I might recruit some armed Berbers and become the leader of a Sahara-based cattle rustling gang until Libya becomes a proper country again (ie, with a functioning central government). Then I would use the remaining $900,000 to found a holding company and set myself up for life.

That was a good call indeed. Any injuries?

I might add that, if I remember correctly, there are two 'parts' to each aphorism, hence the 'Maxim' and 'Arrow' that leads on from each maxim. Some of the funnier aphorisms are indicative of some absolutely hilarious things to come later on in the book. I won't ruin it, but the written style in general makes it a very pleasant, easy and often funny read. Yes, but I've not used it a great deal.

My understanding is that he was a culturally important figure for an older generation of Americans than most on this forum, and for them it will be a shame. Other than that, my only concern is that egotistical Ryan Seacrest will now be presenting that new year's show all own or as the primary presenter. <_<

Another Family Guy song that needs a mention, of course (though I can't find any decent videos), especially in the context of the episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mwCs6yOuUU Also, just realised that the version of the other song I posted was it looped about 10 times. Oops. :unsure:

Congratulations. Much deserved.

Thoreau spent two years "roughing it out" in a cabin in the woods. His mother brought him regular meals and did his laundry. I read the Upanishads a month ago, and on the surface they were very easy to read, but the 'real' message often required some degree of concentration. Generally, though, they are far easier than any western philosophy. I see no reason why the Bhagavad Gita should be any different. I would write off the comment by Thoreau as being just another part of his pretentious atavism.

Just got three phone calls in a row with gaps of around 30 seconds between them - it's times like these that I get annoyed at phones.

Just started reading the old (19th century) translation of the One Thousand and One Nights. I wish I'd known how old the translation was before I bought it, but otherwise it's fine.

Perhaps I'm meandering off topic, but it's really fun to do a long cycle (c. 80-90 miles) and then try 70+kg leg extensions. Masochistic, but fun.

Valid points, I suppose its worth a try.

Is this not going to negatively impact the activity of the forums from a posting perspective? Already posts are fewer and further between than they once were, and the Like feature will only exacerbate this, in that it will remove the incentive for replying with short posts that can otherwise be expressed with a Like and may even lead some to people opting for a Like over a longer response.

Caffeine and its empty promises annoy me: on multiple occasions I've been in an airport at some ungodly hour and even the most concentrated coffee fails to have a noticeable impact on my level of consciousness. :x

That really depends on how much the military budget gets cut by. For example, the US defence budget is still four times the size of its nearest competitor, so catch-up is very difficult. Even China, which is militarising rapidly, predicts it will take 20-30 years to catch up with the US in terms of military prowess. And then it's worth considering that many of the big and emerging powers need the US and the trade it provides to continue their economic growth: China, India, Brazil etc. The only potential agitators are Russia, Iran, and maybe some dysfunctional Arab and/or African countries with strong anti-US sentiments, all of which pose no real threat to the USA. EDIT: It's also worth noting, in the conversation between sees_all1 and aspeeder, that all the Asian countries regardless of size are involved in a massive arms race at the moment. For example, Singapore has the fourth highest arms spending per head (or however it's expressed technically). It seems all the territorial disputes are contributing to a massive build up of tension there.

Yes. Pretty much. Interesting. I've clearly been missing out on something.