I've got my computer back, but in true "intermittent fault" form, said fault decided not to rear its ugly head during 3 days of testing.

Let's see if it was just a sun-spot or something like that, or whether I have to zero the hard drive, or take it back in for further repair... :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/6438939.stm

Not a very nice thing to happen on your doorstep, especially when the security guard who got shot was in my block last year :( And when you're still living in halls, on campus...

Combine that with 5 assaults (including rapes) against women in the last 6 months, Loughborough's getting quite a dented reputation.

Blimey.

...

Blimey.

Hmm.
Time to get a bullet-proof vest and a taser gun.

Hmm.
Time to get a bullet-proof vest and a taser gun.
It's really shaken the uni. up, and only about a week after we heard that two students were tragically killed in a road accident.

From what I've heard, the security staff wear stab vests, but not full bullet-proof vests.

A friend of my brother got raped last night. She's an exchange student from US.
This world is a ****hole.

Rape is the one thing in the world that makes me want to kill.

Any person who thinks their live is over someone else's live is probably a good riddance.

Edit: So they caught the *******...

Edit: So they caught the *******...

Really glad to hear that. What will they do with him?

Really glad to hear that. What will they do with him?

Thow him in prison so the rape cycle can continue.



And accually, if anyone finds out he's in there for rape he may be killed in prison by other convicts. Rape and child molestation **** even the bad people off.

Yes, and not everybody has the luxury of an American prison... :p

If I ran things, all rapists would be castrated. For starters.

Yes, and not everybody has the luxury of an American prison... :p

If I ran things, all rapists would be castrated. For starters.Much as I don't condone torture, I have to say that that is a brilliant "punishment fits the crime" thing.

Incidentally, as my last source of American prison statistics (Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Big Country") is now over a decade old, do drugs offenders still get longer in jail on average than violent crime offenders?

Because frankly that's wacky. I'm not a drug user myself (unless you count the Internet :p), but to quote Bryson:

According to a 1990 study, 90 per cent of all first time drug offenders in federal courts were sentenced to an average of five years in prison. Violent first-time offenders, by contrast, were imprisoned less often and received on average just four years in prison. You are, in short, less likely to go to prison for kicking an old lady down the stairs than you are for being caught in possession of a single dose of any illicit drug. Call me soft, but that seems to me a trifle disproportionate.

It wouldn't necessarily have to be torture -- castration in and of itself has to be torturous enough -- but I just think it's the only really proportionate punishment.

Much as I don't condone torture, I have to say that that is a brilliant "punishment fits the crime" thing.

I think they do a similar thing somewhere, though I think they use drugs. It's for paedophiles, and it really stops them offending. To be honest, I expect most of them appreciate that.

"Chemical castration," they call it. I think they've done that here before, and yeah, they only use it for pretty serious offenders.

Not to get too graphic, but everything basically just kinda shrinks down to next to nothing.

Well, removing the testicles can be done under local anesthetics but will reduce the sexual drive of a an offender to zero.

Perhaps make it a two step punishment.
1st sexual offence: 1 testicle removed
2nd sexual offence: the other testicle removed.

Of course such a person must not get access to synthetic androgenes or he could artificially keep his sex drive alive after castration.

This is all valid for males, as removing the ovaries of a female is much more complicated, but it's not really a problem seeing as only a smal percentage of sexual offenders are women.

Of course such a person must not get access to synthetic androgenes or he could artificially keep his sex drive alive after castration.


Well, if they do, you could always hack a third thing off. :p

I imagine that'd stop more or less anyone from offending a 4th time.

Well, if they do, you could always hack a third thing off. :p

I imagine that'd stop more or less anyone from offending a 4th time.
True.
It's a 3 step punishment then.

Although, you could expand that arbitrarily.
Put out the eyes, chop of hands and legs,... ultimately leading to decapitation. :/

Perhaps make it a two step punishment.
1st sexual offence: 1 testicle removed
2nd sexual offence: the other testicle removed.

Yeah sure let's give him a second chance to attack someone...

I spent most of yesterday with a blocked nose, which meant last night I slept with my mouth open and consequently woke up with a dry throat. And a blocked nose. I went into Milton Keynes, and while there I nearly passed out. Looks like I have a cold or a flu or something.

I spent most of yesterday with a blocked nose, which meant last night I slept with my mouth open and consequently woke up with a dry throat. And a blocked nose. I went into Milton Keynes, and while there I nearly passed out. Looks like I have a cold or a flu or something.

Sorry to hear that, but I am however, GLAD you changed the subject. :p

I disagree with the whole Statuatory Rape thing, though. I mean, like, people in legitimate relationships, but they get labelled a sex offender because they're 18 and their partner is 17. And then their lives are ruined after that, even though it was fully consentual. That should be abolished, especially if castration is introduced...

Well now she has to deal with the whole thing leaking into the press... not only that, but the way they describe it is as if she was an alcoholic...

I think the press should be castrated. It's the only appropriate punishment.

I disagree with the whole Statuatory Rape thing, though. I mean, like, people in legitimate relationships, but they get labelled a sex offender because they're 18 and their partner is 17. And then their lives are ruined after that, even though it was fully consentual. That should be abolished, especially if castration is introduced...

No, all that means is that the age limit is in the wrong place.

Here, the age limit is 16, and that's pretty good. If a mature adult, say an 18 year old, has sex with a 15 year old then something is decidedly wrong. That is not a fully consensual adult relationship, even if both parties think that it is. If it's a 15 year old and a 16 year old then obviously that's a bit off, but I don't think there's much you can do about that.

Isn't the general law (at least in some countries) that 16+ = fair game, 14-15 = fair game as long as the other party is within 2 years (so 14+16 is fine, 15+18 is not), and 13- = statuatory rape?

I'm pretty sure here it's prison-prison-prison-prison-HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY-nice one mate-nice one mate-nice one mate. I've never heard any other version. Though generally here we go in for a more informal approach than they do in places like America; we have judges and juries and (decreasingly) they're allowed to exercise a fair amount of discretion in how they apply the law. It works purely because the whole process is also fairly open and transparent. I expect that a 15 year old would have a pretty hard time securing any kind of a conviction against a 16 year old.

Some maniac motorist in town runs over a pedestrian, nearly kills them. Runs over a cyclist less than a week later, killing them.

The net result? $380 fine.

...

Yeah.

"Sir, you do realize you just ran over someone? Right, here's your ticket."

Some maniac motorist in town runs over a pedestrian, nearly kills them. Runs over a cyclist less than a week later, killing them.

The net result? $380 fine.

...

Yeah.

"Sir, you do realize you just ran over someone? Right, here's your ticket."
And that's Canadian dollars too, right? So it's not even real money or anything.

And that's Canadian dollars too, right? So it's not even real money or anything.

They're worth about as much as US dollars these days.



So yeah, not real money.

The current exchange rate is 85 US cents to one Canadian dollar.

Bob Woolmer died (http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wc2007/content/current/story/285953.html) :(

http://zero72.deviantart.com/journal/12253524/

Edit: Amended

The current exchange rate is 85 US cents to one Canadian dollar.
It's the other way around. :)

Also, it was a joke.

It's the other way around. :)

Also, it was a joke.

1 CAD = 0.861238 USD
1 USD = 1.16112 CAD

So the exchange rate is 86 US cents to 1 Canadian Dollar. True story.

(I assume you meant "real money" was the joke, not that the joke was the former part of your post.)

My right eye is very ****ed up at the moment. I can hardly see, and it hurts like a mother. Can't tell if it's allergies, or pink eye. Either way, this sucks balls.

1 CAD = 0.861238 USD
1 USD = 1.16112 CAD

So the exchange rate is 86 US cents to 1 Canadian Dollar. True story.

(I assume you meant "real money" was the joke, not that the joke was the former part of your post.)
Oh right. Never mind.

And yes, "real money" was the joke.

Let's just pretend this whole thing never happened.

Bob Woolmer died (http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wc2007/content/current/story/285953.html) :(

And now it turns out he was strangled (http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wc2007/content/current/story/286794.html) :eek:

Holy ****.

And now it turns out he was strangled (http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wc2007/content/current/story/286794.html) :eek:

Holy ****.

I know, I saw the little press conference thing on whichever sports news programme thing we get on Freeview, and it was all very strange. The initial reports had made out like it was a suicide and now my housemate's girlfriend is convinced it was a contract killing.

Which obviously it wasn't, or at least, it was one of those economy budget-brand assassins if it was.

To be honest, and I know it seems a terrible thing to say, a lot of Indian and Pakistani fans are... well, fanatical.

Take football hype in England and multiply by twenty because they have no other national sports (well, okay, Pakistan have hockey) and you've got the approximate level.

Great... now my room stinks of burnt fly again.

Great... now my room stinks of burnt fly again.

Don't tell Munkee.



I KID I KID!:p

Not only have I been busy, but in my free time, I cannot finalize any of the new TAOSH/TT I have made because my 3mm mech. pencil seems to have broken. I can't get it to click the lead out. :(

I haven't been online the last few days because my computer blew up. It kinda smelled like something was burning, and then there was a pop (sounded like a capacitor) and it hasn't worked since.

I took it apart and there doesn't look anything wrong on the motherboard, so I think it was something in the power supply, which was relatively new. But the rest of the computer is 8 years old, so I'm not going to bother fixing it.

Almost definitely the power supply.

Guh, I'll never forget that horrid smell.

****...

I was going to go on another Katie-based rant, but I don't think I can even organize my thoughts right now into anything coherent.

It's just so hard to understand anything with that... It's totally just this crappy roller coaster ride. I'll think that she broke up with Aaron one day, because she'll like totally ignore him, and then the next day she'll take his arm, and like tonight say something sweet to me, but on his ****ing arm, as if to say "yeah, sorry, but I'm his" and I just don't know, I'm losing it.

I decided that the best thing I can do is be as close to her as possible so that when they do eventually break up, I'll hopefully be able to take his place... I dunno, it gives me a mission, some minute form of hope, something to live for...

The greatest bringer of grief, and also my biggest source of hope is that she liked me a year and a half ago I'm 99% certain but that's a really long story, and that I blew it... That makes it all so much harder, but is the only source of hope that things may turn around some day in the future.....

But I really don't know.

And god, he's just so bad for her, not only for doing crap like LSD, (oh god I hope he doesn't get her doing that, but fortunately I'm pretty sure she wouldn't) but for being, I don't know how to describe it, but he's just like a womanizer, a player, and I don't think he really actually gives a damn about her. He's the kind who stares at his girlfriend's ass when she's facing the other way.

I really don't know why I'm posting this...I probably shouldn't, but I can't think straight anymore...

He's the kind who stares at his girlfriend's ass when she's facing the other way.
Hang on, I used to do that! Not lots, mind.

In all seriousness though, I feel for you. It's a tricky situation, and one I've been in before. The only thing I can suggest, really, is to just grab the bull by the horns. If you can get a moment alone with her, just flat out tell her. Let her know that the person she's with is a complete and utter tool, and most importantly let her know how you feel. In that order. Doing it the other way around can seem a little self-serving, if a generation's worth of boyband songs have taught me anything.

Which they haven't.

I also agree with the post above.
Although from what it sounds like, you might just be best off totally forgetting about her. Because there be "*****es", and there be "hoes". "*****es" do what they want, and are really cold in terms of what they might actually do. Such as saying they like you a lot and then going and getting a boyfriend other than you. You'll also notice that they are only happy if they get it there way. Then there are "hoes". Hoes are the girls who will hang off you, tell you they like you, and toy with your emotions for the hell of it. When they really don't give a rats ass. Oh, and they usually have about 4 other guys they mess with, just like you. That you have know idea exist.There is no exception to these except a mixture of the two. And those are very, very, very tricky. If you think she is neither a "*****", nor a "hoe"...you are being blocked by emotions into seeing that. :p
Also getting out of relationship troubles...I have learned that you shouldn't always go with the person you have feelings for. Because feelings can cloud your judgment, and you'll end up making what seems to be, a dumb ass choice. Kinda like how you see her with that guy. That is her emotions blocking her brain.
If you think being really close to her is going to help, I would stop and reconsider this. If your always there for her, she knows that she can always make the stupid choice,fail, and she can't "lose" because your there and she'll still have someone. Also, if you get too close, and then they break up... It could come off that you kinda were the one to ruin it.


Thats all just a bit of my point of view, based on my experiences though. So...I encourage you to just be real with yourself, and do what you think is best for her, and you.

If you think she is neither a "*****", nor a "hoe"...you are being blocked by emotions into seeing that. :p

I totally disagree with you, Slick. You can't just simply pigeon-hole women as either "*****es" or "hoes". That's an exceedingly, exceptionally narrow-minded view of the way the world works. Yes, there are women like that. But they represent only a small part of the corniocopia of women. There are also men who behave in that manner.

It sounds like this girl likes you, but she also likes her current boyfriend. The problem is that love blinds you (that's the one thing Slick was right about). it blinded me - I thought Amy was a jewel, but she was a leech who only thought she was in love with me and, when she realised she wasn't, decided not to tell me so that she could still get a holiday to America out of me, as well as a variety of other treats and goodies. And money. She loved money. She loved my money, and she'd had plans for my inheritance before I even had it.

Not all women are like that. I promise you. Some women... gosh darn it, some women just want to be in a happy relationship.

There are. I know a few. I'm fairly sure I've dated one.

I also know the odd girl who is just lovely but is still quite horrible when it comes to dating. That said, I also know a guy who used to be like that. (In general, though, in my experience, guys who are horrible to women are just horrible in general so they're easier to spot.)

I totally disagree with you, Slick. You can't just simply pigeon-hole women as either "*****es" or "hoes". That's an exceedingly, exceptionally narrow-minded view of the way the world works. Yes, there are women like that. But they represent only a small part of the corniocopia of women. There are also men who behave in that manner.


My friend, I wish that were so. Now I know I may not have made my definition of *****es and hoes clear enough. But you are right in the aspect that not all women are like that. I was giving a generalization for most girls around my age. And that for the most part, is what it's like here. That's why I threw in:
Thats all just a bit of my point of view, based on my experiences though. If you were here, and I introduced you to the people around here...I'm sure you would agree, for the most part, as well.
It's usually a phase though.


Not all women are like that. I promise you. Some women... gosh darn it, some women just want to be in a happy relationship.

Don't we all?
:(

Don't we all?
:(Some people just never learn anything other than to disagree, argue and be miserable all the time.

My brother married one once.

Some people just never learn anything other than to disagree, argue and be miserable all the time.

My brother married one once.

Was her name Amy by any chance?

If you can get a moment alone with her, just flat out tell her. Let her know that the person she's with is a complete and utter tool, and most importantly let her know how you feel. In that order. Doing it the other way around can seem a little self-serving, if a generation's worth of boyband songs have taught me anything.She already knows how I feel, and if I tell her I don't think he's right for her, she'll seriously resent me for it, and any chance I had will be gone.

I really don't think she's just playing around with my emotions, I mean, she does seem to feel genuinely sorry after I find out she chose another guy...

If you think being really close to her is going to help, I would stop and reconsider this. If your always there for her, she knows that she can always make the stupid choice,fail, and she can't "lose" because your there and she'll still have someone. Also, if you get too close, and then they break up... It could come off that you kinda were the one to ruin it.
Well, if I don't, then she'd think she lost me and I'd lose that way too. I dunno. That's if she even likes me. I'll just try and do what seems right I guess.

So after The Great Storm, and The local Stopping Service, the latest bit of madness stopping me getting the train home is -- wait for it...

An unexploded WWII bomb which has been found at the station.

So now I have to walk to the next station and hope the train can go round the bomb.

Yeah, that's definitely one of those I-Wonder-What-I-Did-To-****-The-World-Off kind of things. :p

In the event they cleared it before I set off, so I was alright. But yes, it was just such a random thing to happen.

And I suppose it would have been much more of an I-Wonder-What-I-Did-To-****-The-World-Off kind of thing had the bomb detonated while you were there, though that's a bit less likely.

Well, yes. Particularly since it was a dud.

Good old entity-that-used-to-be-British-Rail

Particularly since it was a dud.All the more reason they should STOP EVERYTHING TO REMOVE IT IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gah. I'm developing feelings for this girl and I can't do nothing about it... I feel like stabbing myself or something...

Gah. I'm developing feelings for this girl and I can't do nothing about it... I feel like stabbing myself or something...

...Why can't you do anything about it?

Personally, I can't because the girl I currently have my eye on (if we exclude Jo) is mouse housemate's-girlfriend's-housemate and I have no idea if that's Allowed, and because I only see her at Poker Night, which is hardly a conducive atmosphere for romance of any kind.

What's your excuse?

I have no excuse, but she's a really really nice person, unlike most I've ever met. I'm not a nice person. She deserves better.
I can't be any better than I am right now...

I have no excuse, but she's a really really nice person, unlike most I've ever met. I'm not a nice person. She deserves better.

You seem nice to me. I say that's a rubbish excuse. Ask her out.

If you're really that bothered about being good enough, then, if she says yes, wait a while and then tell her how you feel. She can talk to you and make her own mind up -- because who is and is not good enough for her should be her decision. And if you go through life with that attitude then you'll only ever meet people who you don't think you deserve or who you don't like.

You don't know how much you may find yourself regretting it if you do nothing... You have far more to lose by doing nothing than by acting.

Trust me on that one...

There are other issues tho, like I don't even know if it's appropiate to ask her out, don't even know if she's single. I hardly ever see her, and when I do there's barely any time to talk.
But most importantly, I really do have nothing to offer to her. I literally have no future, whereas she seems to be putting a lot of effort into life... It would kinda make me feel like a freakin leech...

Personally, I can't because the girl I currently have my eye on (if we exclude Jo) is mouse housemate's-girlfriend's-housemate and I have no idea if that's Allowed, and because I only see her at Poker Night, which is hardly a conducive atmosphere for romance of any kind.

Alright. It appears we can no longer exclude Jo.

Boy is this post ever in the wrong thread. (Of course, there's always the rather likely chance that nothing at all will come of it, but then, there's always the far more appealing chance that something will. And I'd really like it to.)

Congrats.

On another note, this is getting worse and worse. Maybe I'll just ask her out so she can reject me and perhaps I'll be able to forget this whole business.
The thing is, if you people knew me in real life you would understand I'm quite an ackward person to be around, I'm rather... apathic... about everything. I'm about as carismatic as a muddy rock, and I'm quite sure there's several people at work who actually think I'm some sort of homicidal maniac and people tend to exclude me because, I don't know, they don't like me or they fear me. Or at least they used to, nowadays I exclude myself to save up time. So I can see this being very very ackward for her if I asked her out, and the last thing I want to do is to make her feel ackward... Plus that thing that I don't know if she is single... would be a lot easier if I knew she was single for some reason...

Congrats.

I wouldn't go that far.

Well the last few days have been fun...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqS8VVD6A6s

...yeah, like that.

What fun :)

ALLERGIES!!! AUUUUUUUGHHHHGHGHGHGLJLCJKAOIjaopkewpkfa;sdf?////.....:(

Lets here it for envying the dead! :D

Alright. It appears we can no longer exclude Jo.

Boy is this post ever in the wrong thread. (Of course, there's always the rather likely chance that nothing at all will come of it, but then, there's always the far more appealing chance that something will. And I'd really like it to.)

Alright, so now it looks like I can not only exclude Jo, but also like I have some explaining to do to her, next time I see her.

Luckily, she is obscenely honest and almost criminally understanding, so in principle, that should be easy, but irritatingly, this renders her almost totally impossible to talk to without falling hopelessly in love with.

You see how this problem arose.

Edit:I'm not actually in love with her or anything. I'm exaggerating.

I had my Medical on Friday, as part of my Immigration to the US. I had to go down to Knightsbridge Doctors, near Oxford Street, so I had the opportunity to explore said street and see what all the fuss was about. It's very busy, and when you see two of the same store within walking distance of each other you do find yourself questioning Consumer society, but on the whole it's not a bad street.

So I had my Medical, which involved having two vaccinations for three potential illnesses, and I was warned that I might experience "flu-like" symptoms. They also took some blood off of me, and refused to give it back. Even when I asked nice. The cheek of it.

I woke up yesterday feeling like Death. In fact I'm fairly certain I spent most of the day TALKING IN CAPITALS. Well, most of the day where I was awake, at least - I don't think I've ever napped so much in all my life. Anyway, I still feel like Death today, and so I've called in sick at work.

Yes, I work Sundays. For a Telesales firm. Selling books to people who do not want books. Yay me.

Edit: Oh, and seeing as we're talking about girls at the moment - Disney Store Girl (Ashleigh, her name is) is probably not interested in me, considering that the last message I got from ehr was a MySpace message asking me to vote for her favourite band on some contest thing online. She hasn't actually responded proper to any of the messages I've sent to her. Oh, and she appears to be interested in someone else. Hoorah!

I really wish I could break it off with Avry for good without feeling regretful/guilty/whatever other emotions I'm having that I can't quite identify. Yeah, I was giving her one last chance there without telling you guys because I didn't want all of you to think know that I have no willpower and everything I say is worth dirt, but it didn't work out... I dunno, there's just not much left there. I do still care for her and for some reason don't want to let go, but I'm sick of dating a computer screen three nights a week, and I know that this really is better for me. It's about time I put some closure on this whole saga and really put long-distance love interest behind me where it's belonged all along and leave it there. Just leads to a lot of upset, helpless, very troubled people...

Edit: Of course I'm depressed, but I'm worried about her more than anything else. I know she won't take this gracefully, and it really does break my heart to break her heart.

Very well done Zero. Let me tell you that it's a good thing that your doing it. And maybe without thoughts of her coming to mind as often, you'll be more in the present. Then who knows, maybe that will lead into you finding someone special, because your not day dreaming as much.
This is a very mature move, and your next relationship will be more stable from these experiences. That's a fact you can trust me on.

Exactly... I've been thinking about it at work, and the more I think about it, the more secure I become in that I've very much done the right thing. Maybe now there's hope in finding somebody... well, real.

Another shooting over here Monday morning. Virgina Tech collage, 33 people killed along with at lot more injured.


...This is just one f**ked up world.

Yeah that's been on the news all over the world (yes that includes here). Crazy s**t.

Also, apparently a horde of utter *******s have tried to cash in by buying up all the domain names they can think of related to the shooting.

As if anyone would ever buy them.

And they still don't think it's a bad thing everybody has the right to own guns. Let's see someone go on a killing spree like that armed with only a knife..

And they still don't think it's a bad thing everybody has the right to own guns. Let's see someone go on a killing spree like that armed with only a knife..
yeah but see we need them for self-defense

or something

yeah but see we need them for self-defense

or something

There are two systems that seem to work.

1. Nobody has a gun. Then, nobody can shoot anyone.
2. Everyone has a gun. Then, nobody dares shoot anyone.

The first obviously is impossible to enforce, so what happens is that very few people have guns and there's low gun crime. Americans will tell you that this leads to gun criminals having no fear of armed civilian response, and that people will just use knives instead. I think that the first of those is a good point and the latter is not -- I reckon I could deal with an idiot with a knife. They don't know how to use them. An idiot with a gun would just kill me less proficiently, which is in many ways worse.

The second idea is flawed becase you get places like, oh, I don't know... Virginia Tech, which don't allow guns. Then only criminals have them and **** like this happens. It's also flawed because of the sheer number of accidental shootings it leads to. But while we could switch to system two any day we like, America can't really go back because they'd have to find all the guns. That won't happen.

Not much I can say that hasn't been said already :(

for the record if everyone i knew had a gun i would be so ****ing terrified

for the record if everyone i knew had a gun i would be so ****ing terrified
for the record if everyone knew i had a gun they would be so ****ing terrified

for the record if everyone knew i had a gun they would be so ****ing terrified

for the record if everyone knew i had a gun they would be handed in to the police

God knows we don't want the things.

There are obviously things like this, but they're pretty extreme cases, and as I often say, if one man is really determined to kill another man, he doesn't need a gun to do it.

It may be impossible to enforce instantly, but if you make it illigal and remove gun sales then the number of people who have guns will slowly decline..

I liked a letter in the Metro that said that when guns are legal "anyone with an axe to grind can go on a rampage". Yeah. But anyone with an axe pretty much has that option either way.

It's always the same old story, really. If it was legal to begin with, everyone goes all "freedom" if it should be illegal, otherwise, nobody bothers. Like smoking. And stuff.

Oh yeah, to rub salt on the wound, the kid on a rampage had some video "explaining himself".

Allowing these people to get their hands on weapons is just wrong. The death toll wouldn't have been anywhere near as high if he had been armed with a knife.

I don't think making guns illegal would help much. Criminals would still be out there with guns. Wouldn't it be better to somehow reduce gun crime first and then ban guns?

I would be horrified to find out if someone I knew owned a gun. The whole mentality is different in the USA - I presume owning a gun is the norm.

I think a minority have guns there.

But I don't think this kind of thing could happen if guns were illegal. These people get their guns legally. Sure, career criminals can and do get them here, but some mental student wouldn't even know how.

This is evidenced to some degree by the fact that we've had, to my recollection, one serious school shooting ever, and America has had that many this week. (I know this is not a representative week.)

This is evidenced to some degree by the fact that we've had, to my recollection, one serious school shooting ever, and America has had that many this week. (I know this is not a representative week.)
Wow!
Awesome statistic.

I don't think making guns illegal would help much. Criminals would still be out there with guns.Well yes, but the problem is, as long as they're legal, anyone can become a criminal on a spot. If they're illegal, people will be alarmed by anyone with a gun and report it. Of course good criminals will still know how to get them but they've probably been tagged as criminals before, the cops are after them, the people will be alarmed by them and report them.

But if they're legal, situations like the Virigina massacre are just hard to prevent. Unless you have tons of cops escorting everyone with a gun, there's nothing you can do. They have a gun, it's legal. Nobody is alarmed. Nobody notices. Until they decide to just shoot people out of the blue and only then do they become criminals, do people become alarmed, but it's too late the mess has already been made.

So yes, it does reduce things. You'd think the fact that the USA seems to have a shootout every other day unlike every other guns-illegal-country would clear matters. They don't even have any serious civil unrest or some such situations and yet are just as violent as those countries.

Unless you have tons of cops escorting everyone with a gun, there's nothing you can do. They have a gun, it's legal. Well, it's legal to own a firearm, but I believe it's illegal to wander around in public with one concealed on your person.

Not that it really makes a difference.

Depends on whether you have a concealed weapons permit. Also, the availability of said permits depends on which state you live in.

Here in Michigan, it's pretty much anything goes. Hell, we have a militia.

Hell, we have a militia.Which is actually the whole reason the right to bear arms was put into the Constitution in the first place. The "right to bear arms in a local militia", if I recall.

One of the things about the 2nd amendment is that it mentions a "well-regulated militia".
Something the gun nuts always ignore. They always focus on the "right to bear arms shall not be infringed" half.
A well-regulated militia is a hell of a lot better than everyone running around with a gun.

The shooting that happened here in Minnesota is somewhat different, I think. The kid stole the gun from his grandpa (or dad... I forget which), who was a police officer, so it would make sense why he could get a gun.

Shootings like this and Columbine are different, though. The guns were purchased legally in both instances. Guns that have no purpose other than for killing people. I can understand a pistol for self-defence, but there is absolutely to use for an automatic weapon. It isn't used to hunt, it isn't used for self-defence (it's too large and bulky for that). The only use... the ONLY use, is to kill people. There is no other purpose for an automatic. Why they sell automatics, I do not know. F***ing ridiculous.

Everyone owning a gun would lead to anarchy. It's the train of thought that noone can trust anyone, and there would be accidental shootings everywhere. Not only that, but it leads the way for children to get ahold of a weapon. Kids are told that when they find a weapon, they should leave it alone. Guess what? We constantly tell our kids that smoking is bad, yet they still do it.
Most gun-owners are probably going to put the gun in easy-reach (after all, if a crazy man is breaking in, WHO HAS TIME TO OPEN A SAFE!?!?!?), most likely in a drawer or a high shelf, and it would be easy for any determined kid to access it.

And worse than that is the notion of suicide. People who attempt suicide are often unsuccesful, since they try methods which are less than perfect. But... if they had a gun, it would be much easier for a depressed to teen to go get their parents gun and shoot themselves.

The main thing about these shooters is that they're immensely troubled people, and unfortunately, decided to go out with a blaze of glory. We need to improve our country so we can actually see these kids and listen to their troubles, before they go out and do something horrible. I never think that the shooters are monsters. I'm one of the few people who want to hear their side. Ultimately, it's a glimpse into what would cause someone to do this, and it could help us realize how to help someone in a desperate and dangerous state of mind.
What happened is a tragedy, but we have to figure out why it happened, or else it will just keep occurring.

Why they sell automatics, I do not know. F***ing ridiculous.They don't, do they? I thought automatic weapons are illegal. I thought you could buy unmodified semiautomatics tops.

I think fully automatics are legal if you obtain special permits which pretty much state that the FBI and whoever else can come onto your property at any time to make sure you have them, and then if you don't, you're pretty much boned in every way imaginable.

Edit: Well I mean I know fully automatics are legal one way or the other. Lots of people just collect firearms; a friend of mine goes to meets pretty regularly. I don't know the particulars, but it's not like you can wander into Wal-Mart and walk out with an M4.

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but..

http://digg.com/offbeat_news/Gunman_kills_hostage_and_then_himself_at_NASA

Shootings like this and Columbine are different, though. The guns were purchased legally in both instances. Guns that have no purpose other than for killing people. I can understand a pistol for self-defence, but there is absolutely to use for an automatic weapon. It isn't used to hunt, it isn't used for self-defence (it's too large and bulky for that). The only use... the ONLY use, is to kill people. There is no other purpose for an automatic. Why they sell automatics, I do not know. F***ing ridiculous.

I would have to say off the top of my head that another use for an automatic would be the "I can kill you this much faster than you can kill me so just back off" factor. Unless the dude pointing a gun at you also has an automatic, or something. It's like the construction of cars -- the higher off the ground you are in relation to all the cars around you, the safer you are. Which is why cars seem to be constantly getting built with the bodies just a little bit higher off the ground each time. Also why some people buy monster trucks.

Not that a monster truck is manufactured with intent to be used for killing.

In other news, I still cannot find any way to break the "no credit card without a credit rating, no credit rating without a credit card" spiral. I'm told by my bank to try getting a credit card from The Bay because it's easier to get than a major credit card, The Bay tells me I need established credit rating and the place I should start going about making a credit rating for myself is my bank.

WHY

Which is actually the whole reason the right to bear arms was put into the Constitution in the first place. The "right to bear arms in a local militia", if I recall.
"a well-regulated militia" yeah but unfortunately the Michigan Militia are just a bunch of hicks who shoot guns and talk about how much they hate gays and blacks

In other news, I still cannot find any way to break the "no credit card without a credit rating, no credit rating without a credit card" spiral. I'm told by my bank to try getting a credit card from The Bay because it's easier to get than a major credit card, The Bay tells me I need established credit rating and the place I should start going about making a credit rating for myself is my bank.

WHYMhhh, it's like the whole "job experience" spiral.

- Well we're looking for people with job experience.
- Yes, that's why I'm here. To get job experience.
- Well we're not giving you any job experience untill you already have some.
- ...

In other news, I still cannot find any way to break the "no credit card without a credit rating, no credit rating without a credit card" spiral. I'm told by my bank to try getting a credit card from The Bay because it's easier to get than a major credit card, The Bay tells me I need established credit rating and the place I should start going about making a credit rating for myself is my bank.

WHY
That surprises me. In America, the credit card companies are all about getting people while they're young. Mostly college kids, because then they never pay off their bills and spin deeper and deeper into debt.

That surprises me. In America, the credit card companies are all about getting people while they're young. Mostly college kids, because then they never pay off their bills and spin deeper and deeper into debt.

Yeah, but in America you can walk into a shop and openly use someone else's credit card. Clearly they're not too fussy about little details like ethics there.

So I got to thinking... ya know I think I'll just rip my eyes out because that way, I wont have to deal with these damn allergies. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:


Good thing it's a perfect day outside. Because, ya know...I would hate to be suffering during one of the many wet and muddy days we have.

Mhhh, it's like the whole "job experience" spiral.

- Well we're looking for people with job experience.
- Yes, that's why I'm here. To get job experience.
- Well we're not giving you any job experience untill you already have some.
- ...So true...

So whats better than trying to log on to your car payments website for an hour, and everything you enter ALWAYS comes out wrong? Trying to make a payment by phone, and then having your call dropped 7 times in a row. Then try the land line, and STILL unable to get through it all.


I want to KILL someone for all this damn prerecorded "using the phone option is SOOO easy, you would have to be retarded not to be able to pay your bill this way", CRAP.


I REALLY need to calm down... I've been getting way overstressed about everything lately, and I'm thinking that soon enough I'm going to blow a fuse.

Wowzer.

I hate prerecorded phone options. They never, ever, ever have the option I need. And of course I have to wait infinite+1 hours to talk to an actual human being to tell me there's nothing they can do.

Have you tried bashing zero constantly or pressing nothing at all? Sometimes you can confuse the system into giving you a human as a last resort.

Have you tried bashing zero constantly or pressing nothing at all? Sometimes you can confuse the system into giving you a human as a last resort.

I remember there being a website where there was this huge list that told you how to get to a human on the automated phone thing on just about any company

They are done making Ed Edd & Eddy. No more new episodes. Well there goes the last decent thing on cartoon network. :(

They are done making Ed Edd & Eddy. No more new episodes. Well there goes the last decent thing on cartoon network. :(
I hated that cartoon with a passion.

I quite liked it. It was more original than most "cartoons with kids" tend to be.

Ed Edd n' Eddie was kinda cool, back when I had Carton Networks. I think I only caught the first two seasons of it, so it might have turned much worse after I stopped getting CN.

My postal vote hasn't arrived. I suppose it's been stolen. Wahey, go Labour! :rolleyes:

Gah. Essays. Up all night and it's still not done.

Need sleep... I have a lecture in an hour and a half too.

Mweeeeeeeeee, home just in time for... oh look, dawn. There's a nice milestone.

Time to waste a few more worthless hours of my life, sleep and go do it all over again.

Great, the lecture I decided to miss was one about the assessed practical next week... and the essay still isn't finished.

So Sprint is migrating billing platform. That means a new completely different system to work in. I already got training (like, 2 weeks ago) for the new shizzle, but I have no freakin clue how to do stuff. I haven't used it since I finished the training, and I'll probably start using it either this weekend or starting next week. Which means I'm gonna be putting customers on hold quite a lot.

Oh also, my supervisor still hasn't had training for the new system, so that means if I have questions, I'm screwed :P

So, my lightbulb in my rented room burns out, the ceiling is ludicrously high, I'm not tall enough to get the bulb out (and certainly not tall enough to put a new one in), and I'm scared of heights.

And every minute I spend not fixing this, the room gets darker.

I could just go to bed and think about it in the morning...

EDIT: One of my housemates, who's considerably shorter than I am, but doesn't have the same fear of heights, stood on a chair and replaced it for me. And now, to my surprise, I have a 100W bulb where I used to have a 40W one.

Bloody hell, it's bright in here now. Not that that's such a bad thing: I'll probably get less screen fatigue now.

Just make sure it doesn't melt your lampshade :p

I'm scared of heights
Excellent.
I'll remember this weak spot of your's.

Any future ransom exchange will be conducted on the roof of a skyscraper, near a cliff or on a reservoir dam.

Excellent.
I'll remember this weak spot of your's.

Any future ransom exchange will be conducted on the roof of a skyscraper, near a cliff or on a reservoir dam.You may as well conduct it on top of a wobbly chair.

I'll rephrase: Heights I don't mind especially. What petrifies me especially is a fear of losing my balance and falling. So the cliff would scare me far more than the skyscraper roof, because of the shifting nature of soil and the lack of guard rails. Heck, I can deal with a skyscraper roof more easily than, say, a downward gravel path. I'll get a bit of vertigo up a skyscraper, but I won't be petrified of moving.

You may as well conduct it on top of a wobbly chair.

I'll rephrase: Heights I don't mind especially. What petrifies me especially is a fear of losing my balance and falling. So the cliff would scare me far more than the skyscraper roof, because of the shifting nature of soil and the lack of guard rails. Heck, I can deal with a skyscraper roof more easily than, say, a downward gravel path. I'll get a bit of vertigo up a skyscraper, but I won't be petrified of moving.
Excellent!
I'll place a wobbly swivel chair (with one wheel missing) on a heap of gravel at the top of a cliff.
In addition, a bunch of annoying little kids will play tag with the swivel chair being the base.

I think I have reverse vertigo.

I'm fine when I'm on top of something tall, looking down, but I hate looking up at tall buildings from their base.

I always feel like it either going to fall on me or I'm going to fall over backwards.

Like standing under this (http://www.bigfoto.com/europe/paris/grande-arche-paris.jpg)?

Heights are only scary if you got a pair of skies strapped to your feet..

I think I have reverse vertigo.

I'm fine when I'm on top of something tall, looking down, but I hate looking up at tall buildings from their base.

I always feel like it either going to fall on me or I'm going to fall over backwards.When I visited the Statue of Liberty and went up to around the top of the base (the line to get to the actual top of the statue was absurd in every sense of the word), I was completely fine with the height unless I tried to actually look up at the tremendous statue.

Excellent!
I'll place a wobbly swivel chair (with one wheel missing) on a heap of gravel at the top of a cliff.
In addition, a bunch of annoying little kids will play tag with the swivel chair being the base.
You wouldn't even need to tie me up :p

When I'm 57 or something I'll jump from a building, or a plane. That would be the coolest way to die.
I'll also attempt to land in a crowded place, to scare the sh1t out of everyone. :P
....aaaaAAAAAAHHHHH *SPLAT*

When I'm 57 or something I'll jump from a building, or a plane. That would be the coolest way to die.
I'll also attempt to land in a crowded place, to scare the sh1t out of everyone. :P
....aaaaAAAAAAHHHHH *SPLAT*

Hey, me too =D

So apparently, some 3-year-old british girl disappeared in Algarve. Latest evidence points to pedophile kidnapping.

...f*ck. :(


BBC is all over the event: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6623127.stm

Spore delayed to 2008 :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6638771.stm

Spore delayed to 2008 :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6638771.stm

Not that that matters, since I'm busy with Lost until 2010, apparently.

Spore delayed to 2008 :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6638771.stmOn the bright side, it might be a more polished game for it.

So it was a good day today. Work went quick and we had a couple of good laughs. Then I go buy some sunglasses. Niceness. I flirt with the cute casher ladie. Great. Come home and let the dogs outside to run around in the fenced in area. This is where my day goes down the poop shoot. Theres a rabbit in there. What's the big deal? Oh, it's only ripped in half with it's guts everywhere. Thats all. So I put the dogs back inside before they could eat it or whatever. Then I had to take care of it... Nothing like having a swarm of flies that have been eating something dead for who knows how long, crawling all over you as you attempt to scoop it up in the shovel.
I doubt my dogs could of done it, since they're inside all day till we let them out. But how did it get in the fenced in area like that? : /



I want to puke.

Spore delayed to 2008 :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6638771.stm
Good news in there is that EA failed to turn a profit in their last quarter.

But how did it get in the fenced in area like that?
You know that rabbits dig dens in the underground where they live (something which hares don't do)?

You probably should have let the dogs do the work of getting rid of the carcass (with the slight chance they might get rabies).

I can't think of a suitable analogy to explain how I've gone from feeling pretty golly gosh darn great about life to feeling so very, very p*ssed off at the Universe and how it works.

Yesterday, my Mum went into hospital. This was a planned appointment for some surgery, so no worries there. She wasn't supposed to come back until tomorrow evening, but she turned up at around 6pm today. We were all very confused. So was she, and she knew why she'd come back.

They'd refused to operate on her - her potassium, creatine and urea levels are too high. Now, she's had about a hundred blood tests over the past few months. This is the sort of sh*t they're supposed to pick up. That's what these tests are for. Why book an operation in when you have the information sitting right in-f*cking-front of you telling you that, no, this person cannot, in fact, be operated on? Eh?! What the HELL is up with that?!

and they told her they were high. They didn't tell her how high. No, wait. Someone told her that one of her levels had gone from 5.5 to 5.7, but neglected to say which of the three it was, or what that means in context. They also didn't tell her how to reduce these levels, short of cutting bananas, coffee and chocolate out of her diet. She hardly touches any of these things anyway.

So now I'm franticly looking about online for information concerning these three levels, how to reduce them, and what we can do next. I'm also cursing the NHS for being a bunch of incompetent f**kwits with all the common sense of a particularly dense boiled egg on one of its especially stupid days. I am not a happy man. My Mum has been buggered about by the NHS far too much over the past two years, and I've had enough. I can't sit and watch my Mum be depressed, in pain, helpless. I have to do something.

I just want her to be better.

Ouch, S2K. Don't even get me started on how incompetent the NHS is... I hope she gets better soon :)


My negative events are quite pathetic compared to that previous post. I officially hate the weather, as it has stopped a BBQ and a nice flyaway to said BBQ. My uni's flying club (of which I'm a member) were going to have their annual "fly away to a quiet airfield, have a bbq and play some games with aircraft" trip today, but the weather has suddenly decided to go from summer to winter, meaning we can't even take the aircraft out of the hanger without them blowing away.

Stupid British weather. :mad:

Ugh...

I just had a 7 hour practical and not even a single break. Started at 10.15, left at 5.15. No lunch or anything. It basically consisted of chopping up veg, grinding them up and then titrating them to see how much vitamin c they had.

S2K: Personally I'd probably go to the hospital and demand to speak to someone who could explain the test results, but that's just me.

Today I once again twisted my ankle after 5 minutes of playing basketball.
Besides the pain, it was more annoying after the 30 minute walk to the court. :p
I just had a 7 hour practical and not even a single break. Started at 10.15, left at 5.15. No lunch or anything. It basically consisted of chopping up veg, grinding them up and then titrating them to see how much vitamin c they had.
I suggest you use liquid nitrogen instead of grinding. It's the quickest way of shredding plant material. You can easily pulverize the stuff with your fingers.
Also you won't have any abrasion from the mortar/pastle in your sample or metal abrasion if you use a shredder.

Additionally you can have lots of fun with the liquid nitrogen itself.
Like pretending to pour the thermos bottle in a colleague's face, while it's already empty. ;)
HAHAHA! :D

LOL, bonz you crack me up. Ba-dum tish!

Ouch, I almost can't walk with my foot. :(

I swear there's gremlins inside my computer, corrupting all I hold dear.

First there was the whole incident in the main hard drive where documents, logs, work, programs, and eventually the operative system, got corrupted. Fiddling with some cables stopped that from happening.

Now, it seems to have moved on to my second hard disk. My lovely C&C3 has needed reinstalled three times now, some save game losses and some work gone corrupt too.

AAAAARGHREKIJRPOGGRMGFGPMKODFGFGFKLHGFMLF

That's odd. Maybe some kind of software or configuration problem interrupting or interfering with data being read or written?

Doubt it, the computer's been reinstalled plenty and one of the hard disks is brand new. The only symptom is random sporadic delays and funny noises from the new hard disk. Also, the fact that it only happens to stuff I use (and thus, importants) and not just random bits of the hard disk.

My guess is on the SATA cables, but I've tried swapping and interchanging and the issue eventually returns, somehow.

What about the controller?

What about the controller?You mean the driver? It's the latest, since Windows doesn't include it.

The SATA controller or its driver. I've heard of some issues with nVIDIA south bridges.

nVIDIA south bridges.Computer-speak gets weirder and weirder.

Erm... it's a Silicon Image SiI 3112 SATARaid Controller 1.0.60.0, if it helps.

I can't find anything about it and those problems on the web unfortunately, sorry.

Well, my fancy 5gb mp3 player fell, and now it doesn't work. :p

Put it on disability benefits then.

Well, my fancy 5gb mp3 player fell, and now it doesn't work. :p

I have a 6gb Zen Micro.. when I drop it while running it'll turn off and have to rebuild the library.

I remember the 32mb Creative Nomad IIc. I could drop that thing running at a full sprint and it would still be playing Weird Al when I picked it back up. That thing was built to last.

I have a 6gb Zen Micro.. when I drop it while running it'll turn off and have to rebuild the library.

I remember the 32mb Creative Nomad IIc. I could drop that thing running at a full sprint and it would still be playing Weird Al when I picked it back up. That thing was built to last.Heh, reminds me of my 512mb one. My, has that thing been through the wars. It rattles ominously when I shake it now, but still keeps playing music.

My 30-gig has a couple of dents in the shiny finish. :-/

Well I need to get a new one. Need my background music D:
On another note, my brother got a 30gb Ipod Video for his birthday a few days ago... >_>

I got a 1GB player that turns off at the slighest bump. But at least it hasn't broken yet like the 512MB one.

Well I need to get a new one. Need my background music D:
On another note, my brother got a 30gb Ipod Video for his birthday a few days ago... >_>
Probably the same one I have. :p

I have a 0.9 terabyte mp3 player that I like to call "my pc"

Do people stare at you at the bus when you have your mp3 player with you, Xinos?:p

I have a 0.9 terabyte mp3 player that I like to call "my pc"
e-pénis ++

I have a 0.9 terabyte mp3 player that I like to call "my pc"

I've converted my mp3 player into a talking robot dog that follows me around and feels true love. Methinks you should step down before you get yourself hurt.

True love? That's the title of a song by David "Key" West!

True love? That's the title of a song by David "Key" West!

That's not all! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_love)

That's not all! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_love)Shows how much originality songs have.

Though a game and fiction managed to sneak in there.

You're just listening to the wrong ones.

My playlist includes a song about a coach company, a song about a bank robbery, a song about buying condoms, a song about finding a job, and two songs about domestic violence. And they're the better known ones. (Aside from the getting-a-job one, which I mention purely for the fantastic lyric about forgetting his National Insurance number.)

I have the NOFX song "My Vagina" on my playlist.
It's about a sex change operation...

Today was a very eventful day. At least the last few hours have been. I can't decided if things are looking up or down. So it probably by default belongs in this thread as opposed to the other.

With Katie it seems to go in this predictable cyclical phase. We'll become really close, and then for reasons I don't know things will go the other way and for a while she won't even talk to me, and then we're close again, etc. Well, we've been close for an unusually long time now.

I'm running lights for a play in which she's acting (Arms and the Man). Today I heard part of a discussion she had with some of the other cast members before the show. Basically she mentioned that when she graduated, she and Aaron (who's a year younger than she) were going to be breaking up because she was going to Spain for the summer and then she's moving to Oregon to attend university. So apparently they've talked this over. She talked with them more about the subject in the dressing rooms, but I was not present to hear. Then she comes outside, where my friend and I were and says in a somewhat frustrated voice, "Yeah, let's just talk about the most awkward thing on Earth. That'll make me feel REALLY good..." My friend inquired as to what it was, but she said she didn't want to get into it. I don't know if that was because I was there or what.

So apparently she doesn't believe in long distance relationships. She's going to Salem, Oregon. I'm going to Los Angeles at about the same time. I'm screwed. (I'd like to tell myself this is just her excuse to get rid of her bad boyfriend, but my logical side won't let me believe it.)

So I have two weeks until we graduate. Most people are absolutely stoked. I'm kind of freaking out. I feel like there really is a connection between us, and their planned separation is really good news. But I really don't know what to do.

But I do know that if it came to it, I'd skip out on University and move to Oregon for her... Screw UCLA.

You're best having a word with her as soon as possible then. But beware, in situations where girls are coming out of relationships, their feelings for you might not be very clear to them and they may decide to put it off shortly after because they think they're confused. You might want to make sure you stay good friends after she moves away, and then persue her later, but you'd have to be sly about it because if she sees you coming she might turn 'round and say she can't commit due to studies.

But I do know that if it came to it, I'd skip out on University and move to Oregon for her... Screw UCLA.

Stop this. You are being creepy.

Stop this. You are being creepy.

Agreed.

How long has it been since you two were together? It's not emotionally healthy to be obsessing like this. I had a friend who was a bit like that at roughly your age, he'd spend £25 a time phoning this girl he knew for hours and she showed no particular interest in him, but after about a year of pursuing this girl she finally caved and went out with him. It didn't work out. They were together for less time than he wasted trying to get together with her. Are you really that sure you and Katie would work out this time?

To be brutally honest, moving to different states might be just what you need. You need to move on and accept the possibility that you could be happy with someone else. University's a good place to do that.

How long has it been since you two were together?
Never were. I've fancied her for about 2.5 years now, and about 22 months ago she tried to tell me her feelings for me, only I royally ****ed up. I'd rather not go into that incident. But I've always felt that she's still harboured feelings for me since then, to some degree at least. I probably would have given up by now if she hadn't liked me at one point.

But you're probably right. My logical side tells me I'm an idiot, and has been the entire time. Maybe I'll meet someone else at uni, but I'm not too optimistic.

Never were. I've fancied her for about 2.5 years now, and about 22 months ago she tried to tell me her feelings for me, only I royally ****ed up. I'd rather not go into that incident. But I've always felt that she's still harboured feelings for me since then, to some degree at least. I probably would have given up by now if she hadn't liked me at one point.

But you're probably right. My logical side tells me I'm an idiot, and has been the entire time. Maybe I'll meet someone else at uni, but I'm not too optimistic.
Surely there's no harm in keeping in good contact with each other while you're both at uni/living "apart" (sorry, couldn't think of a better word)? Y'know, stay good friends and all that. Something may even come of it - you never know!

Never were. I've fancied her for about 2.5 years now, and about 22 months ago she tried to tell me her feelings for me, only I royally ****ed up. I'd rather not go into that incident. But I've always felt that she's still harboured feelings for me since then, to some degree at least. I probably would have given up by now if she hadn't liked me at one point.

But you're probably right. My logical side tells me I'm an idiot, and has been the entire time. Maybe I'll meet someone else at uni, but I'm not too optimistic.
She doesn't like you like that. I'm sorry to say this, but it simply doesn't add up. If she were still interested in you, you would know by this point. You've told me already that you have told her how you feel, and that she didn't reciprocate on this. Hoping for something more is just wishful thinking, especially two years later.

I know it hurts to say that you need to move on, but it simply isn't healthy to keep going like this. I don't want to see you slapped with a restraining order and a hefty fine two years down the road. ;)

So, today, my computer was particularly hazardous. Crashy, blue-screeny, the works. Then, I found out my CPU was going at 70ºC. (158ºF)


...yeah.

Isn't that hand-burn-on-computer-casing heat going on, there?

Pretty much. The recent temperature spike caused one of the fans to broke down, leading to a downwards spiral of DOOM!

So yeah, I took out the busted fan and keep the case open until I get some replacement fans.

how could you not have known that you were running that hot until now

how could you not have known that you were running that hot until now

Well most of us probably don't reach over and test our computer case every five minutes in anticipation of reaching heat levels appropriate for roasting marshmallows. In fact with the way my computer's set up it'd pretty much have to set fire to the desk or melt my webcam before I'd take any notice.

usually by the time you hit that heat level there are audible signals

although i imagine the fan giving out was what tipped supsuper off

Well my computer tends to go wacko for no good reason, and the case stayed at a cool 30ºC so I couldn't possibly tell, until I checked the BIOS out of desperation and looked at the temperature levels.

Though yeah, I never considered that my computer being quieter (one less fan) would be a bad signal.

You might want to find a copy of Motherboard Monitor. It puts a little themometer in the system tray, and it can alert you or shut down the PC if it gets too hot.

Also it can team up with CPUIdle, which runs some kind of "cooling" process (no idea what) instead of your standard idle process, and if it gets too hot that can ramp up its priority, so your computer gets slower in hot weather but keeps working.

At least your computers are actually overheating when they have problems :p Mine thinks it's overheating when it quite obviously isn't, and then it goes into sleep mode and won't wake up until it wants to.

I refuse to believe that my trackpad can reach temperatures of 125+°C or -103°C and STILL keep on working - especially when it is supposed to blow up if it goes below 0C or above 48C....

Also, wouldn't I have serious burns from using a trackpad that is running at 128C?

You'd need work gloves.

You might want to find a copy of Motherboard Monitor. It puts a little themometer in the system tray, and it can alert you or shut down the PC if it gets too hot.

Also it can team up with CPUIdle, which runs some kind of "cooling" process (no idea what) instead of your standard idle process, and if it gets too hot that can ramp up its priority, so your computer gets slower in hot weather but keeps working.That and I've seen a screenshot of Dan's desktop and it already has one.

Unless he turned that on just for the heck of it when taking the screeny.

I had a serious, very violent nervous breakdown / anxiety attack / somethingoranother a few nights ago, and I've been a little... off ever since. Something I can't quite put my finger on. I'm feeling slightly physically icky, which is either because I weakened my immune system with monumental amounts of stress followed by failure to sleep at a sensible time, or just because some fluids in my head got moved around to the wrong places and I just have stuffy sinuses or something. Mentally, I'm... I dunno, just not quite right. Not especially stressed out, just kind of melancholy. I think I'm just tired of being unhappy and of everybody else being unhappy.

The attack was the direct result of a conversation with Avry, but the good result of that is that I finally have once-and-for-all closure on the whole That Thing saga. After much debating, with both her and myself, I decided to give her my forgiveness. Long story.

I had a serious, very violent nervous breakdown / anxiety attack / somethingoranother a few nights ago, and I've been a little... off ever since. Something I can't quite put my finger on. I'm feeling slightly physically icky, which is either because I weakened my immune system with monumental amounts of stress followed by failure to sleep at a sensible time, or just because some fluids in my head got moved around to the wrong places and I just have stuffy sinuses or something. Mentally, I'm... I dunno, just not quite right. Not especially stressed out, just kind of melancholy. I think I'm just tired of being unhappy and of everybody else being unhappy.

The attack was the direct result of a conversation with Avry, but the good result of that is that I finally have once-and-for-all closure on the whole That Thing saga. After much debating, with both her and myself, I decided to give her my forgiveness. Long story.
No woman, no cry.
'Nuff said. :rolleyes:

http://www.yahoobreakingnews.com/news1.html


What the hell?

THIS HAS GOT TO BE REAL! :p

I'm going to miss the moon. :(

http://www.yahoobreakingnews.com/news1.html


What the hell?

THIS HAS GOT TO BE REAL! :p

I'm going to miss the moon. :(

I can't f*cking believe those North Korea b*stards. I am now fully 100% for war against Korea. We absolutely cannot just let this happen.

http://www.yahoobreakingnews.com/news1.html


What the hell?

THIS HAS GOT TO BE REAL! :p

I'm going to miss the moon. :(
Welp, ****. That's a shame. :(

Seriously, though, if they were to nuke the moon for real, that would be pretty much the ballsiest thing ever.

I'd take my hat (if I had one) off to anyone who could blow up the moon.

A bomb 10,000 times stronger than Little Boy (16 kilotons) would still only be 3.2 times stronger than the most powerful bomb (Tsar Bomba, 50 megatons)actually blown up today.

Not with all current nuclear weapons combined would you be able to blow up the moon.
And it's doubtful if you could change its orbit.

You could change it slightly. They did that back in the sixties. In fact, it's been done without leaving Earth. But to change it measurably? That's impractical.

I have 5 exams over the next two weeks and according to the past papers I've been doing, I can only do one of them. Most of them I can barely do one question - let alone the required 3 out of 5. And coursework for these 4 exams is either 10% or 20% of the module - and 40% is the minimum pass rate.

And I can't fail any of them, otherwise I can't do the 4-year degree (get stuck on the 3 year) :(


Oh well, the last 2 years have been fun...

That moon thing is obviously bogus.

That moon thing is obviously bogus.
It's real. The only reason you can still see the moon is obviously because the light hasn't reached us yet. Because light travels slower when it's delivering bad news.

That moon thing is obviously bogus.
Must be true to some extent.
Yesterday night there was only half of the moon up in the sky.

I've clearly been proven wrong :p

Ooh, that's very Dr. Evil isn't it.

That moon thing is obviously bogus.

It's real. Aether is pulled towards large masses because of a little thing called gravity. Hey, the Earth and Moon are large masses! Therefore there are very dense 'atmospheres' of aether around both bodies. You know how light is slower passing through substances such as diamond? Light is even slower passing through ether, and the moon will still 'appear' to be there for several days. The moon in its 'current' phase was actually the phase it was in roughly a week ago.

Good old aether. Damn those meddlesome Michleson and Morley!

Well, they've one-upped Dr. Robotnik. He only managed to blow up half the moon...

Thet guy on Inspector Gadget tried to blow his face into it. That was a much better plan.

Good old aether. Damn those meddlesome Michleson and Morley!
Bah! I bet they cheated anyway, accelerating one of the light beams with a big horseshoe magnet.

It's real. Aether is pulled towards large masses because of a little thing called gravity. Hey, the Earth and Moon are large masses! Therefore there are very dense 'atmospheres' of aether around both bodies. You know how light is slower passing through substances such as diamond? Light is even slower passing through ether, and the moon will still 'appear' to be there for several days. The moon in its 'current' phase was actually the phase it was in roughly a week ago.
thanks for the science lesson commander nerd

thanks for the science lesson commander nerd

I'm a nerd? Congrats on having 3rd place in the 'what are you reading' thread, by the way.

I'm a nerd? Congrats on having 3rd place in the 'what are you reading' thread, by the way.
haha whatever mr "here let me quote some High Class Literature to be all pretentious"

haha whatever mr "here let me quote some High Class Literature to be all pretentious"

That's fine. I'll finish reading Finnegans Wake, you keep on chugging with Donny the Elf there. Tell me if he ever helps the fairy find its wings.

Classic stuff.

Hmm. Should have picked Ciara. Oh, well, live and learn.

My computer now has 5 coolers to stop it from exploding, at a grand-total of 7 fans, 2 of which are of different colors. It's like there's a party in there and I'm noy invited. :(

A friend I was supposed to be living next year has dropped out of getting the house. We were going to sign tomorrow and move in on Sunday. So we've got less than a week to find someone to live with us or we lose the house and the £200 deposit each.

Ow, that sucks

Mexico lost agains USA. D:
:p

A friend I was supposed to be living next year has dropped out of getting the house. We were going to sign tomorrow and move in on Sunday. So we've got less than a week to find someone to live with us or we lose the house and the £200 deposit each.

See, I have less that a week to find somewhere to live.

Only it really has to be in Manchester.

See, I have less that a week to find somewhere to live.

Only it really has to be in Manchester.You could always commute. It's only 1.5 hours drive.

Yeah, but the thing is that I don't have a car, so that'd be really more of a day's hike.

I still find it amazing the public transportation system you have there in Britain. In this country, if you don't have a car you're screwed.

That public transport system has just stranded me in the wrong county so I may have to disagree with you there. (Posting from wifi enabled pub.)

What's happened?

Yes, America's public transporation is a joke. Sweden's is awesome, I'm never getting a car :p

Yes, America's public transporation is a joke. Sweden's is awesome, I'm never getting a car :p

Britain's public transport is also a joke (indeed, it is several hundred jokes, from "Would the passengers taking the train from Platform 4 please put it back." to "Eleven minutes late, cows on the line at Chiselhurst").

The difference is that, inefficient and erratic as British public transport is, it does actually exist in significant quantities. American (intercity) transport is on the borderline of comedy and tradgedy.

Yes, America's public transporation is a joke. Sweden's is awesome, I'm never getting a car :p

YES. Someone else who doesn't want a car.

I'm not alone.

I don't want a car either.
I want a motorcycle :cool:

Motorcycles are generally very fuel efficient. I approve. As long as you don't turn into one of those people who drills holes in their muffler to make it 10+ times as loud. God that's obnoxious...

Actually, I'm having muffler problems, and half my engine isn't even going through the muffler anymore, but even then my VW Bug isn't too loud. Still plan to fix the muffler ASAP though.

Yes, America's public transporation is a joke. Sweden's is awesome, I'm never getting a car :p

Agreed. One of the best things I've experienced here is the public transportation.

How can they afford to run it while paying out benefits for everybody who imagines themselves to have a disease?

I think I'll move to Sweden and claim to have Can't Be Arsed Syndrom. (C-BAS, pronounced "sea bass".)

How can they afford to run it while paying out benefits for everybody who imagines themselves to have a disease?An absurdly high cost of living, according to Bill Bryson.

How can they afford to run it while paying out benefits for everybody who imagines themselves to have a disease?

I think I'll move to Sweden and claim to have Can't Be Arsed Syndrom. (C-BAS, pronounced "sea bass".)

The tax rate is somewhere around 99.9%.

Ahem...
Well, the past two days at work have been the most STRESSFUL ones I've had yet. Making FAR below the quota that I have to make, no thanks to those sh!t machines I have to work with. Yesterday my new phone came, and as I pulled on to my road I saw the FedEx guy driving up the street. And guess what. They don't leave the package if nobody is there. So then I had to drive clear out to the main shipping place to get it. Then I decided to go to the store and get some food to help me fight off this cold I was just starting to get. I got a gallon of this fruit juice stuff, and later when I got home, as I was about to open the back door, it springs a LEAK somehow, and when EVERYWHERE.
Then, today, just about every conceivable thing that could go wrong, went wrong at work. To top it all off with a nice power outage. I think the thing that bugged me the most was all day, and I mean ALL DAY was... I had to sneeze, but couldn't EVER do IT!! AUGHUIUEHfghkljfaldskfj
I'm freaking miserable...with a sinus cold...I think.

ALSO, BobandGeorge the Comic Strip is ENDING! July is it's last month.

CAN'T WAIT FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK!:D

Yesterday my new phone came, and as I pulled on to my road I saw the FedEx guy driving up the street. And guess what. They don't leave the package if nobody is there.

...what?
UPS just rings the doorbell and leaves it right there... why doesn't FedEx just do that?

Now I hate FedEx.

I've had a pretty crap week, mainly because of the house situation. It was a bloody nice house, too. Don't know what's going to happen now - one flatmate is going to Ireland for 3 months because he expetced things to be sorted. I've booked train tickets to Leeds and will have to drive instead. To top it all off, I have an exam tomorrow (well today, technically), the day after, and the day after that. The day after that pretty much everything needs to be sorted. It's not going to happen.

...what?
UPS just rings the doorbell and leaves it right there... why doesn't FedEx just do that?

Now I hate FedEx.

Every package I've ever got from fedex they just leave there, I'm super surprised they didn't leave it unless it's like a >=$200 phone.

It's down to the courier man. They always need a signature, it's guaranteed delivery. Leaving the parcel at the door or 'round the back of the house might be convenient for you and the courier but not secure. If the delivery is questioned and the signature reads 'Micky Mouse' it raises a few questions.

It's down to the courier man. They always need a signature, it's guaranteed delivery. Leaving the parcel at the door or 'round the back of the house might be convenient for you and the courier but not secure. If the delivery is questioned and the signature reads 'Micky Mouse' it raises a few questions.
Well, you could place a note on your door displaying your signature and tell the courier to fake it and leave the parcel in the bushes.

You could! But if it gets stolen it's your problem, and so it is if the courier fakes your signature and steals the parcel. Try proving it wasn't you who wrote your signature when they use these stupid LCD PDA things. I can't seem to sign my own signature on those.

I'm addicted to this forum :(

I'm in Los Angeles. It's bloody hot. I bought a PC today, and I am very likely going to be buying an Xbox 360 tomorrow. I'm toying with the idea of picking up one o' dem Elite models.

I'm in Los Angeles. It's bloody hot.

Welcome to California. It gets hotter.:p

It's down to the courier man. They always need a signature, it's guaranteed delivery. Leaving the parcel at the door or 'round the back of the house might be convenient for you and the courier but not secure. If the delivery is questioned and the signature reads 'Micky Mouse' it raises a few questions.

I live next to a public school and I've never had anything stolen off of my porch. And my porch faces the school. Lots of kids walk by the porch. I don't think it's very 'in' to steal things off of people's porches.

edit: But maybe it happens more wherever you or Slick lives, I'm just saying it doesn't happen where I do.

Huh. I can't even leave the garbage outside witouth someone comming and making a mess looking for stuff. :p Well not really but it has happened. But leaving anything that looks valuable outside wouldn't last too long.
Besides, it's not a thing of wheter it happens often or not, if there's the possibility of it happening, it's better not to risk it.

I am very likely going to be buying an Xbox 360 tomorrow.To take a page from the book of AndrewTaylor: Well, this sure is in the right thread.

Although I hate to admit that they have a few very cool-looking titles out...

This is the third time in six days I've had stomach pains. The previous two times were Saturday and Sunday night, and they left me incapacitated. It's not quite as bad this morning, but I still feel rotten.

The weird part is, there's no real connection between the first two times and this one. I felt fine on the intervening three days.

I ate a bunch of tasty food yesterday, and later proceeded to VOMIT. :)

I'm still sick...but I DID get out of work early! WAHOOooooh...less money.:(

I'm in Los Angeles. It's bloody hot. I bought a PC today, and I am very likely going to be buying an Xbox 360 tomorrow. I'm toying with the idea of picking up one o' dem Elite models.
Is that a negative event or occurrence?