Thanks mate. Slowly improving - would have rapid recovery if medication was 21-years-old and aged-in-oak.
Mark [16];

Shan’t have time to read any 800-page book this year but ill put in a library request for “Iron Kingdom” next year.

Is Prussia undergoing a surge of interest similar to that in Ireland? What’s next? The Swedish Empire? The Russian drive into Siberia? Australia?

Finished watching “they shoot horses don’t they” - not sure whether it’s a good film or not. Some bits are great (spoiler) Red Buttons carking it while being dragged around by Jane Fonda who is “tired of losing” during one bit was genuinely affecting. The rest of it was by turns hammy, overwrought, underdone, scary (Susannah York washing herself in the shower, fully dressed, wide eyed, screaming). The ending sucks and probably worked much better in the book. Still, it’s nice to know Fonda could act when she wasn’t being lazy. Her and her brothers careers would have to be the most wasted in the last 40 years I reckon. Oh, and Bruce Dern is cool whatever he’s in - it’s funny to see him in that film and see him again in “Big Love” on SBS playing pretty much the same character.

Brian: “I’ve worked out what criteria you use to decide how to live… but I’m not telling anyone.”

What’s this, then? You’ve discovered the Secret of Life, but you’re not telling the rest of us?! Not very sporting of you, is it. Hey, waaaaiiit… is ‘not being very sporting’ part of the Secret?

Don’t these people have beds?

That’s why there’s a special 40 km an hour speed limit in the Valley from Thurs-Sat night. In case they run into a car on the way home to their beds!

Plainly, the region’s huge reserves of petroleum have long made it a major area of strategic concern to the United States. But America was not suffering from any immediate threats to its supply when it invaded Iraq, and has never done so. Client states control the whole oil-rich Arabian peninsula, and even direct acquisition of the Iraqi fields—certainly one strand of calculation in the invasion—would at best have yielded only a moderate increment in its energy position. [The size of Iraq’s unexplored reserves, a still uncertain multiple of the country’s output, may have loomed larger in long-range thinking about the war, as Greenspan has implied.] By 2002, so far as its role in opec went, the Ba’ath regime was no more, in fact much less, of a thorn in Washington’s flesh than Iran or Venezuela. (evasive waffle) Its earlier attempt to seize Kuwait had, however, caused genuine alarm, since it might then have emerged as a larger petroleum producer than Saudi Arabia itself, as well as a more substantial military power. From Clinton’s time onwards, American policy—with European support—was therefore always to destroy Saddam, by blockade, bombing, coup or assassination. Continuing lack of success in this endeavour, inevitably implying consideration of stronger measures, was another factor of the background to the invasion. The general sense in the American establishment, across the board, was that Iraq was unfinished business, its regime an affront that no Administration was prepared to accept, and all had tried by varying means to bring down.

No copying.

Mark’s right, we had a go at sorting the world out. Mark told me about Polanyi’s ideas on capitalism and gave me some homework to read. I’ve started, Mark, I’ve started. I’ll finish it tomorrow.

I’ve worked out what criteria you use to decide how to live (or rather where you look for criteria) but I’m not telling anyone. Not now, anyway.

I drove Mark home and then came back, as is my practice, straight down Brunswick Street through The Valley. Well at 2.30am The Valley was chockers with people. I thought they must be gathering for the Second Coming or something. The footpaths and cafes were full to overflowing. There were people lined up way down the street to get into some joint or other.

I’ll definitely give the place a swerve next time. Don’t these people have beds?

Graham, on Iron Kingdom - it’s a very good book - I read it myself early last year but unfortunately that’s long enough ago that I’m unable to go into too much detail.

Happy Birthday x 2!

Would be interested in hearing opinion of “Iron Kingdom” when finished reading it.

Everyone:

Been ill …. however, did watch a few episodes of an excellent old BBC maritime drama series, “The Onedin Line” [that’s pronounced “o-nee-din” not “one-din” ]; more fun than Jane Austin.

http://chinastudies.blip.tv/file/775185/

and here

http://chinastudies.blip.tv/file/774904/

and the weekend before, here

http://chinastudies.blip.tv/file/777750/

It was fun.

Well at least some of your weekend was interesting Laura.

Many Happy Returns, Mark and Brian.

Watched Sydney 22.14 (146) defeat Port Adelaide 11.12 (78) on a beautiful clear Sydney summmer day. (Sorry Pavlov’s Cat, but Sydney just outclassed ‘em).

I am saddened, but not surprised. At least the Crows beat the Eagles yesterday in the Battle of the Western Birds, but since I’m a Port supporter it’s fairly cold comfort.

Like Lefty E over on the wrong thread, I have spent most of the weekend working. Sigh.

I bought a pillow. People can make of what they will, but actually there’s nothing to make (unless anyone wants to start a discussion on $65 pillows.

Mine was not a $65 pillow, btw.