Aardvark

Then again, a product where dried leaves are rolled up in a paper tube, burnt and the customer breaths in the smoke sounds kinda goofy to me too. It makes me wonder about those peoples mindsets. A health campaigner was on the news the other day denouncing a new type of low fat icecream, as 'it might encourage people to think theey can eat all they want and not have a balanced diet' I think they basically hate to see people have fun and be happy:-(

A friend of mine is moving to China this month. As a foreign 'expert' he's treated with respect and is privileged. Life is ok there as a foreigner if you are prepared to give up ever expressing any political opinions and have a useful skill to offer. Personally i don't think i'd want to live there, but as an apolitical foreign 'expert' it would be liveable.

If it's any consolation, it's not just your countrymen.(although that might also be a depressing thought:eek: ) Agreed, businesses so often behave in a totally spineless fashion, simply making a cost benefit analysis and then going with the cheapest option, regardless of any principle, dignity or regard to common sense or even basic morality. Yes, here's a link you might find interesting as a very basic intro http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/cigarette/

Very safe. Products have been mad without any radioactivity or tar or carbon monoxide. The manufacters have taken those steps. They were bitterly criticised by anti smoking campaigners and forced to withdraw the safer cigarettes from the market. The cigarette manufacturers were told that making a 'safer' cigarette was wrong and that they must immediately stop or be liable for serious legal action against them.

I think he was making a joke;) Seriously though, what will NASA use to get into space when the shuttles are decommisioned? I presume the manned space programme isn't being shut down? That would seem a very retrograde step.

From your essay and from my general observations, it appears that Americans put quite a high value on 'Non Partisanship' and finding consensus and have a dislike of confrontational politics. Would that be a fair observation? Personally, i think a problem with this cultural attitude is that it tends to impose conformity and stifle dissent, which, ironically, strengths extremism as various strands of opinion are not accomodated in the political settlement. This can lead to disaffection and alienation, whereas a more confrontational approach would allow disperate opinions to be engaged and so make society more rather than less stable. A desire to impose compromise and moderation could result in greater division and divide. A healthy democracy thrives on disagreement, argument and confrontation. The dynamic instability of politics is what keeps society stable, not imposed, soggy consensus and compromise. And thinking of compromise. How would you feel about the idea of your 'Founding Fathers' having made a compromise with King George, rather than fanatically standing by their extremist principles as they did?

Interesting choice.

He who builds on the people, builds on sand.

Not quite. There is a giant block of ice floating over the North Pole. However over the South Pole the ice is on land. Unfortunately not. If the ice melts in the South Polar region then the water will run off the land into the sea so raising sea levels In the idea that floating ice won't significantly change sea levels if it melts, yes. Unfortunately, most polar ice is not floating on the ocean, it is on land. So rising sea levels are a concern.

Broadly speaking, the Labour parties traditional attitude to immigration is that any attempts to restrict it are automatically racist. Anyone with concerns about immigration is therefore racist or 'pandering' to racism.

Quite correct. As long as the PM maintains a majority in the House of Commons then he remains. The moment he loses that then he is gone. That day. Personally, i consider the last 9 years to have consisted of a slow chipping away of the achievements put in place by Margaret Thatcher (a wildly unfashionable point of view). As for achievements, dramatically increasing government spending and achieving some, limited improvements in government services. A general increase in regulations, i feel safer and better cared for everyday:rolleyes: . Some major constitutional reforms forced through in a hurried fashion, still to early to say how they will pan out, except that they have brought about lots and lots of new politicians and bureaucrats. Other than that, not sure.

It's about the size of Britain but contains climatic zones stretching from glaciers to rainforest. The most venous creature is the wasp. The beaches, mountains, forests and rolling countryside are beautiful. There are natural hot springs on some beaches so you can dig your own hot pool in the sand. The cost of living is about as low as possible for it to be in a first world country. Most of the electricity comes from geothermal and hydro. You can walk around the back streets and along the docks in Auckland at 2AM and feel perfectly safe. If you look puzzled or lost random strangers will come up to you and offer you directions. All land claims and disputes between the Maori and the European settlers have been settled. Everyone there loves rugby and the fishing is absolutely great. It's probably about as far away from the Middle East as you can get. Other than that, not much.

What's the space shuttle being replaced with?

People get in a great fuss about it, whilst happily eating their burgers. Apparently cruelty to animals is only wrong if you wear a red coat and shout 'Tally Ho'. Otherwise keep right on with the factory farmed animals, after all, perception is reality, right?

That would be the ultimate case of penis envy:eek: Freud would love it! Sometimes it just all makes sense:-)

I think that might be the idea;)

Is that a hint of admiration for the Hyena i sense there? Suddenly it all makes sense:-p

Mixture of trepidation and tremendous excitment. excuse me while i, ahem, adjust my trousers. I know, sometimes, sitting here i think of the outback sunsets or the blissful calm the New Zealand forests. I'm desperately sad not to be there, but happy that i have been and plan one day to return. Such sweet sadness:-)

Hurrah! My word, and how would you know such a salacious thing? You haven't been, dare i say it?, a cad, have you? Suddenly life looks a little less bleak.

Perhaps, but a lot of the enthusiasium for such things as utterly half baked constitutional 'reform', an apparently blind desire to hand over all self governing powers to Brussels and even the peculiar fixation on fox hunting (whilst ignoring any other, more serious animal welfare concerns) seem to originate from a general feeling that anything British or English that is older than 5 years is somehow 'bad' and must be smashed. I definitely get the impression that there is a lot of self hatred for there own country amongst our beloved political masters.

Does that judgement include the waitresses? I have heard rumours about the lovely Brazilian ladies........... Aah, splendid, an excellent gentlemans agreement. Truly Brazil must be a civilised place for such a happy understanding to be reached. Tell me, how does one go about getting a visa?

Am i alone in sometimes thinking that Labour actively dislike their own country? Some of their rhetoric and actions seem to be only explicable from a standpoint of wanting to vandalise the countries culture and identity. It almost feels like England is dying.

With Madness? Ah yes, excellent. Drat, there go my plans for setting up an insulation and double glazing company. Ah well, theres always room for another ice cream shop, i'm sure. Egads! But i bet it tastes awful. Blast, proved wrong. Aaaaaaaaah, he rubs it in. Alright, alright, i was wrong, i accept it. The law of the beach? That certainly sounds a lot nicer than the law of the jungle. (or European Union diktats for that matter..........) Eeep. I take it that poor people form quite an effective lobby, get peoples attention and all that? Empowered you might say?