Dell servers and PCs are definitely worth the cash (and they're fairly competitive on price too).
I realised this the day I walked in to a branch office, asked to see the server I was supposed to be working on that day, and eventually found it, still running and in perfect working order, despite being buried in a mixture of plaster and sawdust about six inches deep. :shock: Apparently they'd had some building work done a week or two previously and nobody had bothered to close the door to the rack or to clean up afterwards.
An interesting question, and one to which I don't have an immediate answer.
Having said that, it did remind me of the last time I flew anywhere - I have the same legroom problems as Dlep, coupled with dodgy knees that tend to lock up if they're kept bent in the same position for any length of time. My ample arse does just about fit into a standard class seat, but my shoulders don't. :shock: My shoulderblades rested on the edges of the seat and my arms were poking out on either side. Should I be charged for two seats, if I ever decide to let an airline have any more of my money?
Incidentally, I have similar problems on standard class in trains, but at least there it's normally possible to get up and move around a bit more easily, and affordable first class tickets aren't as difficult to find.
My first two albums, both bought at the same time, were Iron Maiden's Powerslave and Black Sabbath's Paranoid, both on cassette tape (it didn't take long before I'd become a bit of a vinyl fiend though).
The first single was Metallica's Sad But True.
Where do you want to start?
I've played board games of various sorts for years, and even briefly had a job demonstrating (playing) them at gaming conventions around the UK. I'm a big fan of German board games and Cheapass Games from the US (they're really cheap as they don't contain dice, counters or other stuff like that which you've probably already got several sets of in other games). A list of favourites (in no particular order):
Settlers of Catan (and variants)
Carcassonne (and variants, I actually prefer Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers)
Nuclear War (and it's expansions, Nuclear Proliferation and Nuclear Escalation)
Block Mania (esp. with the Mega Mania expansion)
From the Cheapass Games range:
Lord of the Fries
US Patent No. 1
The Great Brain Robbery
Kill Dr. Lucky
I used to play the original board game that Civilisation was based on - an 8 player game of which would normally last 24-36 hours. I do still have it on the shelf downstairs, but can't ever imagine finding enough time to play it again, unless we end up snowed in or something like that.
Condomi XXL seem to work ok for me, and they weren't that hard to find online.
Can't help directly myself, but I do wonder what google might have to say on the subject.
1. What age did you start smoking?
17
2. Why did you start smoking?
Curiosity - I wanted to see what it was like.
3. What are the main reasons you smoke now? (e.g. additive, sociable, habitual?)
I'm addicted to nicotine, and I geniunely enjoy smoking.
4. If you have quit smoking successfully, what worked for you?
N/A
5. If you have tried to quit smoking and was unsuccessful, what factors inhbited your success?
I've never seriously tried to quit.
6. If you are still smoking, and would like to quit, what do you think would help you stop?
N/A
To be honest, I really don't see a problem with books like this being available - there are people with a legitimate interest in practicing knife fighting techniques, whether they be in the military, martial artists, re-enactors, actors or live-action roleplayers. I admit that the marketing blurb of the eBay seller leaves a lot to be desired (I have a problem with advertising it for "self defence minded citizens" - surely they'd be better off with a book on an unarmed technique or techniques).
Anyone who simply wants to use a knife to threaten or hurt somebody is almost certainly quite capable of doing so whether they've read this book or not, one of the main reasons they're a weapon of choice for British thugs.
I've just found out I'm in town for that weekend - I'd got it incorrectly noted down as one where I'd be in Brum. Any chance I can tag along?
The point about specifying an age range if you have one in mind is good though - it won't stop everyone outside the range from applying, but it might give you a somewhat higher success rate.
), and rather than simply bum around the house or get on with some DIY, I thought I'd try my luck and see if anyone's free and fancies getting together for some fun. :)
) about what form this fun might take - a quiet coffee or a drink somewhere, live music (punk, rock, blues, goth and other loud stuff with guitars does it for me), a meal, or just possibly an orgy of frenzied shagging. :) I'm based on Tyneside and only do public transport, though I don't mind doing a bit of travelling on the train if the right opportunity presented itself. I do have the house to myself (apart from a small black cat - see avatar), and although a bit messy it's quite acceptable for entertaining (having luxuries like light, heating, floor coverings, furniture, etc) 
.
