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Or, if your not worried about burning your bridges: That's great, man! Why don't you write that down, along with all the rest of your bullshit so I never have to hear it again? I had a guy like that I worked with in the GAME store in Dover in 2004 - thumbnail-sized dandruff flakes, NHS specs and body odour with its own postcode. Apparently he was "fired from Ubisoft for being too creative" and got an interview with Sony but "turned down 40 grand a year because of their attitude problem."

Every time I go to the bathroom I leave an otherworldly air behind me.

Finally managed to get access to the new trailer...goodness gracious me... there are going to be SO MANY NEW TOYS TO BUY!

Actually the least we can do is nothing, but we should always make some kind of effort.

WHAT? THESE ARE NOT WORDS. Get the holy water, Bob is clearly speaking in tongues. @MoogleViper thatis going on my list of places to visit. I already met a Danish person recently! That's the first one ever!

Bizarrely, it's something of a problem in a non-dodgy way: the female staff members will get into bed with the kids during nap time and cop a quick snooze. While its not against the law, it's against our internal policy, so I often go round the bedrooms waking them up.

Which countries in particular? Iran? There's no concrete evidence as yet. I think NATO is wary of launching a pre-emptive strike similar to Operation Iraqi Freedom (I hate that name) on only tenuous evidence. Another consideration in this is that along with the DPRK and Sudan, Iran is a "punishment proxy" for China - China can use its engagement with Iran as leverage in negotiations with the USA. Even so, China would be wary of alienating the regime as more than 10% of their oil imports come from Iran. Another consideration is whether or not a state has signed the NPT - Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: i.e. they will not spread the knowledge they have of nuclear arms or attempt to develop them if they don't have them. If a country hasn't signed on, then there's no normative framework within which to punish them, and even then, there is a debate as to whether or not punishment is fair given that many states already possess nuclear weapons. That's the catch there : In a conventional war, the winner would not be the DPRK, and you can guarantee that when the regime falls, there will be a reckoning. Faced with annihilation, chances are they will push the red button. That's certainly a consideration. But it would be likely that any refugees could be repatriated in the mid-long term.

Is there really a danger? It would be damn stupid. Let's say the North actually attempts to re-invade the South: America must by obligation come to their aid, Japan will stick their oar in as it's right in their back yard. World condemns the act of aggression fron DPRK. America decides to just "finish the job" that they left hanging last time. North overwhelmed within about two-three months. Oh wait, forgot about the key to this: China. China won't be keen to see American troops on her doorstep, but neither can China retain credibility in her "peaceful rise" if they support the DPRK in any way. Neighbours are already extremely wary of China's intentions to develop a modernised army - Taiwan feels threatened, so do the Philippinnes, Japan, Vietnam and Malaysia. If China swaggers any more, then these neighbours arejust going to come right out and start actively balancing against China, which risks further escalation. However, in the context of International Relations theory, it all makes perfect sense. So China has a choice: support DPRK and end up figthing a war. Try to rein in DPRK, but defer the current crisis to a later date (because it will happen) accept a unified peninsula and America on the doorstep.

Today is International Woman's Day. Which means my staff get a half day off and I have to take care of a bunch of kids on my own for the rest of the day. I'm all for gender equality, but how about some... gender equality with all that assertive gender equality?

What Dan Said: the income stability is a big plus, but having that regularity, of forcing yourself to fit to a schedule is incredibly important for when you find something permanent. Unless you create one cartoon and make several million from it. Then you can do as you please.

S'alright. Now, we're all coming to yours for the party and you BETTER HAVE CHEESE AND ONION CRISPS.

Government has added a 20% tax from the sale of homes. And that's calculated from the gross value but applied to the net. In other words, if my house was sold for 3,000,000 (its value before mortgage is taken into account) and I netted 1,500,000 after the mortgage, I would lose 20% of 3,000,000 (600,000) from the 1,500,000 leaving me with 900,000 to buy a new place. A new place starts at about 4,000,000 in the same area for the same size. Same size out of the city is aout 2,000,000. And to obtain another mortgage, I would have to pay a 50% deposit. And that's not even thinking about the decorating. Chinese people quite literally gut the interiors when they leave. They don't even leave a light switch. Oh, and they have decided to raise the base interest rate to 1.3 from 1.1. This is in addition to the swingeing variable rate the bank is already charging. Next month, my mortgage payment jumps by about £75. We've already gotten a letter from the bank. So, in conclusion: it's not worth me selling the house due to the assraping I will get on the tax, but keeping the house is becoming more difficult as I have to start diverting more money into it. Aaaaaaanyone else want to have a moan? I haven't even told you about the shitty social security I have to pay, or the private pension fund.

Happy Birthday You Magnificent Bastard! You serve as a constant reminder that old technology can still be useful!

It sounded to me like you were bemoaning your lot. Fair enough if that's not the case. I envy you the choices open to you. I'm in a situation where if I earn less than 2k a month, I will be shafted by the bank, the UK government, the Chinese government and my future self. And all I want to do is take a part-time ELT job in a shitty language centre where I have no responsibility and no worries, but take a cut of 500 quid a month. But, no choice.

I'll get back to you on this later.

Oh, my heart fairly bleeds for you. What a pitiable situation you find yourself in. It really puts my 72 hour working week into perspective, where I barely earn enough money to pay the mortgage, student loan, pension and £10 a week social life (that I have no time to enjoy because of, um, the work). Gosh I feel so terrible for you. Stop whining. Just go part time and see if it works for you.

As a man born into a Northern Family who migrated to the South, I can see both sides of this: Southerners are smarmy little snot-piles who think they've got the best of everything. On the other hand, most Northerners are about as well-dressed, thoughtful, creative and intelligent as a brick wall wearing a flat cap. Back to TV: Frost and even Rumpole of the Bailey are good choices.

Desperate Housewives. What?

Stay, then look around. It's always easier to find a job when you already have one.

And they should be brave, it happens to all pubescent girls. ... Cough. Anyway, as a man with an ex-girlfriend who was a Rangers supporter, I can't help but feel terrible for the supporters - by and large a decent lot who deserved to be served better by the club they love.

Ellyone's a rittle bit lacist.

Oh HA HA HA!

Gah, we lost 3-1 and had a man sent off. Two extremely soft yellows. Stupid.

On me, ok. In me? Also ok.

Ugh, this thread is so gay.