Ivan,

Jonesy mate, somehow I just knew you’d be a fellow smoker… don’t ask me why or how!?!

LOL!. Guess its my natural sunny disposition that gave it away!? Not least the fact that I’ve never been known to go off on a ranting diatribe at someone who’s gotten underneath my skin!!!:D:rolleyes:

As to the biggest smokers in Europe I honestly would have said the French despite the fact that Gitanes are absolutely hideous!. Second guess would be the Scottish having worked, inside a perpetual smokescreen, at our Dundee office for a few weeks!. Be interested to know who it is!!!

Ben,

Yes. I must admit to smoking in the car, I see it as the lesser of two evils as I spend a fair bit of each working day sat on the M6 or M60 motorways near Manchester dealing with Mondeo driving muppets who’ve presumably found their licenses inside Cornflakes packets. Smoking in this case is definitely good for their health.;)

Besides, I have a child that believes the high-pressure water lines at garage car-washes are the ultimate toy so cleaning the car out at the weekend is getting to be a routine and a pretty good laugh!

Another smoker I’m afraid so for me its a pack of B&H Silver thats my addiction, although I’ve got it down to a 10 pack a day rather than a 20!. Tried to give up but spend too much time, bored, in the driving seat per day and end up smoking to defuse road-rage!.

Other than the smokes, and I’d not call it necessarily an addiction rather a passion, I’ve very much gotten “into” the whole single malt whisky thing following a wee trip to the Glenmorangie distillery early last year. Still have the remnants, under strict matrimonial rationing, of a bottle of the 15-year-old left over from that trip and a fine bottle of Jura that is steadily going the same way!

Guilty as charged! The way I read it looked like you were playing the defender of the rodina role again so I fell into stereotype.

Points noted and attitude adjusted. Sense of humour reboot in progress!;)

Alastair,

I wasnt referring to China with my comment about economic and political marginalisation. Garry’s comment, to me, seemed to be inferring that you were wrong saying that Russia wasnt “big”.

I was making the point that definitely economically and now, with the US/UK and most of Eatern Europe effectively ignoring their opinions, perhaps politically as well Russia is no longer a “big” power.

I agree with what you are saying about the Chinese being sleeping giants and with the demilitarisation of much of their economy they can only become economically stronger IF they can keep all their plates spinning at the same time. I’ve heard many commentators talk of fractures and fiefdoms occuring within provincial China, particularly following on from the cracking of the “Iron Rice Bowl” and that removal of the PLA from Chinese industry. The doomsayers have already commented on a return to the feudal warlord system that existed in China stretching back into antiquity!.

How accurate any of this is I can’t say beyond the fact that its been discussed. The reason I bring this up though is to address your second point of Chinese involvement in any future North Korean scenario as being seen to “support” a US position may be politically very disruptive with the PLA ranks.

The things I’ve seen on this situation have just been from western and Japanese media sources, but, they seem to indicate that China WOULD get involved IF it had the backing of Japan, the ROK (defacto the US) and at least a nod from the Russians to do so. Japan, I believe, has made a statement that it would want to get involved in an intervention which is unsuprising seeing the nature of the nuclear threat to it posed by a “desperate” NK regime.

It is entirley concievable, therefore, that if a clear consensus regionally (note the UNSC is explicitly not mentioned here as the Chinese have said that they dont see the need for Security Council interference in what they see as a regional issue) is achieved and the US can water down its “axis of evil” rhetoric and work with the Chinese, ROK and Japanese that a predominately regional solution to the NK problem can be achieved. Has to be said of course that for the Koreans, Chinese and Japanese all to put aside a few hundred years of historical bad blood and work together on the issue may be quite revolutionary all on its own – nuclear weapons do have that effect though I suppose!

BTW sorry for violating standing orders Ink. 😀

Economically, and now perhaps politically too, its not!.

Heard the one about the Brits, telling jokes about their own soldiers fighting in iraq??………

to which the punchline must surely be:

…yeah, they were still laughing when they won the war.

😎

Careful there Adonis you’re letting your true colours show old chap and an inferiority complex is such an ugly thing to witness.

Andrew,

Damned decent of you to notice, sir!

Has only taken me 3 1/2 years lurking about here to chalk that score up and I doubt certain individuals…cough….cough….GarryB……cough(:D ) would agree with your sentiments but sincere thanks all the same!

SShhhh…..she hasnt made that connection yet Seahawk!

It didnt really work to plan when I tried that line truth be told though! She let me get away with “only” buying her a 5 year old car – problem is she found a rather immaculate 5 year old MGF Roadster and is quite the happy bunny regardless. Think that was 4/10 Must Try Harder on my part!:rolleyes:

Anyway, just got another through – this time ANYONE with a sensitive or PC-based nature should avert their eyes!!! 😉

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IRAQI TV GUIDE

06.00 – Morning Prayers

07.30 – “The Rock ‘n Roll Years 629 AD” – A look back at the events of the last year, including the execution of 2,300 dissidents and the opening of a new French oil refinery.

08.00 – FILM: “Saddambusters” – Dramatisation of the glorious 1991 Iraqi victory in Kuwait.

09.30 – “Have I Got Genocide For You” – Celebrities make weapons of mass destruction out of everyday objects.

10.00 – “Holiday” – The team check out nice places for the Saddam
family to retire. Featuring: North Korea, Rhodesia and France.

10.30 – “M*U*S*T*A*S*H”

11.30 – “Tomorrow’s World” – New torture inventions for scientists who refuse to make nuclear bombs.

12.00 – “Green Peter” – The total amount of smallpox virus bought by the milk bottle top appeal is revealed. Also – three ways to burn a flag, and how to make a President Bush effigy.

12.30 – “Only Fools and Camels” – Dhal-Boy offloads some dodgy French rocket-launchers to a bloke from Hamas.

13.30 – “Koranation Street” – Deirdrie faces execution by cat o’nine tails for being a shiite. Benny is hung upside-down for being homosexual.

14.00 – “Question Time” – Members of the public face awkward questions from the Secret Service.

15.00 – “Allah McBeal”

15.30 – “You’ve Bin Ladened” – Amusing footage shot secretly in Iraq’s prisons. The film-makers were also secretly shot.

16.00 – “Middle-East Enders” – The entire cast is beheaded for not saluting when Saddam comes on the telly.

16.30 – “Sadd’s Army” – The Basra-on-Sea home guard repel another attack by evil, imperialist, Zionist backed infidels. Fraser has his willy hacked off for stealing some of Corporal Jones’s sausages.

17.00 – “Wheel of Terror”

17.30 – “Talitubbies” – Dipsy and Tinky-Winky make nerve-gas.

18.00 – FILM: “Saddam’s Angels” – The three burkha-clad sleuths go undercover to expose an evil scheme to bring democracy and free speech to Iraq.

19.30 – “Big Brother” – Who will be taken to Baghdad and executed this week?

20.30 – “Xena: Modestly Dressed Housewife” – Xena stays at home in a mask and does some housework.

21.30 – “Buffy the Yankee Imperialist Dog Slayer”.

22.30 – “The Sky At Night” – What to see in the Iraqi night sky during March: including B52 Bombers, Stealth Fighters and Cruise Missiles

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