An "Ask Auntie Lowan" Digression.

The aliens bought the barbecue at the local Wal Mart.

And further, also from "Big Fib"



Bush/Blair wedding rumour

Following the unexpected resignation speech yesterday by George Bush, (see habove) journalists the world over are incredulously searching for the "Real Reason" for the shock resignation.
One possible theory is currently gaining momentum in Canada where journalist Mary Aplesyrup of the Toronto Star has been slowly building an unexpected if ever more convincing case that George Bush in fact intends to marry Tony Blair.
M.Aplesyrup spoke to BIGfib about her lucky strike.
"It was just a stroke of luck, I went into the Toronto Grand to reserve a room and in the reservations book I saw the names "Blair/Bush".
I asked the guy at reception and he said it was just a telephone reservation for next week, but it started me thinking.?
M.Aplesyrup went on to contact Toronto?s registry offices.
"When the central registration office confirmed a marriage reservation for Georgy B and Tanzy Blair I knew I was onto something."
The Toronto star?s intrepid reporter even claims to have found the couple's wedding list.
After phoning nearly every store in Toronto, Aplesyrup finally found the gem she was looking for with Northbound Leather in Toronto, a supplier of Leather fetish gear and sex gadgets.
"It's brilliant," Aplesyrup enthuses. "They have this, like, enormous wedding list containing what is basically a large collection of S&M fantasy gear, and all in the name of Patrick Minister and Peter Resident. I think that?s clear enough don?t you?"

And, Big Fib's take on the forced seizure of land in South Australia's far north, in order to build a nuclear weaste dump for the nation:



Woomera Lumina radioactive theme park for South Australia

The Australian federal government has today said that it's plans to use acquired land in Woomera, South Australia as a radioactive waste dump are in "no way" incompatible with the state government plans to create a public park on the land.
"Look, there's obviously no danger from this waste at all." Finance Minister Nick Minchin told BIGfib. "Otherwise we wouldn't even think about building it... And if there's no risk at all then there's no reason why the two plans, for a park and a dump can't coexist."
"Obviously there's going to have to be a bit of rebranding, but that's nothing the SA government can't handle."
"Our guys here have already given them a few tips, and though this stuff isn't final, I think we'll be seeing some great tourist campaigns running, stuff along the lines of "Come swim in the glowing waters of the world's only luminous lake. Woomera Lumina."

Of course, since until recently a huge detention camp for illegal immigrants (or asylum seekers, depending on your point of view) was situated at Woomera, the federal government has lost a perfectchance to kill two birds with one stone......

And, finally, this - then I promise to stop.....

(I love Big Fib!)

Australia Ripe for Bloody Revolution

Australians are now more in fundamental disagreement with their government than at any time since the end of the Second World War,
in fact, according to sociologist Brian Goodbloke of Sydney University, the country could be ripe for a bloody revolution.

The image of Australians as an easy going, welcoming, environmentally conscious people is accepted worldwide, but, says Dr Goodbloke, in Australia today that reality is only present on an individual level. The relationship between the individual and government has all but broken down.
"Individually Ozzies are, as they're known to be, really mellow people." writes Goodbloke in his report. "They avoid being racist, they're nice to their neighbours, they have "Free Tibet" stickers on their cars, they sort their trash into recyclables and non recyclables, and they ride around on pollution-free mountain bikes. They're also famous for letting others do pretty much whatever they want. On an individual level they are quite astoundingly faithful to their self-image."

"However," continues Goodbloke. "Through some erring of the democratic process their governmental system has diverged completely from individual values... In fact, rarely has such divergence been seen in a Democratic nation."

"Australia today is quite openly hostile to immigrants. This causes immense psychological strife to their own population, made up almost entirely of immigrants."
"Despite Australians individually being extremely environmentally conscious, the government couldn't give a damn about the environment and to prove it exports more weapons and power station grade uranium than any other country in the world, has opted out of the Kyoto protocol, produces all its power by burning coal and despite having millions of square miles of empty sun filled space has no solar power or renewable programs at all."
Another example Goodbloke says is social harmony.
"Aussies just want to get on with their neighbours, the country has a very low neighbor-strife index. But the government is up for any fight going anywhere in the world, whether it involves them or not, they want to be involved."
And while Ozzies really don't, Goodbloke says, give a damn on an individual level, how those around them choose to live their lives, their elected government is now fighting almost every individual citizen by imposing an ever growing list of authorized and prohibited behaviour.
Goodbloke cites Draconian law enforcement on speed limits, smoking zones, swimming pool barriers and even obligatory protection gear for cyclists as examples.
According to Goodbloke, based upon his patented method of calculating political and social divergence, Australia today scores a divergence factor of 11.4.
This compares with only 8.3 currently in the UK and 6.2 in the US. Since 1901 the only country to have scored higher than 11.4 was the Soviet Union a year before disintegration of the communist block.

So could Australia be heading for a Revolution?
"If Howard, the PM doesn't make some serious efforts to do what people actually want, the whole thing could blow..." says Goodbloke.
"It could be a terrifying and bloody revolution... It is not beyond the realm of the possible to imagine people smashing their swimming pool barriers, beating government employees with their cycle helmets and smashing speed cameras to the ground. This is all reality, it could all happen."
The report concludes with some sobering advice for the PM.
"However if he (The prime minister) manages to make just a couple of concessions, if he does what the people actually want on just one of two minor issues he could make it through to next summer."
According to Goodbloke, if John Howard can get that far he's safe. "People will just go to the beach and forget about it all," he says

Hey Miss Wabbit:

The games to which i referred are in the "Baldur's Gate" series.

A writer names Salvatore wrote a series of "Forgotten Realms" novels, such as the Dragonlance series, which have become some of the most popular of fantasy literature. Some clever code writer combined this mythological world (based very obviously on Tolkein, but much more elaborated and much more rationalized) with the rules for Dungeons and Dragons.

The game engine is known as the Infinity Engine. It is easily the most popular RPG engine ever written. There are seemingly endless mods (game modifications, which usually involve adding more game play to the official versions, or new aspects such as stores, magical spells, character abilities), hacks (through which one can change the code to alter the game), cheats (no explanation needed for that), patches (to fix problems with the code), bug fixes (each game has an "override" folder into which the official game patches put files to fix problems, and individual gamers write bug fixes of their own, often stating that they have consulted the original code writers to assure that the "bug" is actually a fault in the game engine), and the like. You can get new sound files which allow you to add to the character scripts, or alter the voice and/or the script altogether; can pick up the saved games of others on-line (doesn't interest me), or characters they have created (once again, no thank you); there are literally thousands of portrait files which allow you to choose what your character will look like. I've picked up game mods, hacks, fixes, portrait packs, etc., from all over the world--Europe, North America, China (it's wild using a web site you can never read), all over.

Quite the amusing pasttime for a hermitly introvert such as myself.

(Edit)

Oh, the games are: Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword Coast (expansion for BG I), Baldur's Gate II--Shadows of Amn, Throne of Baal (expansion for BG II), Icewind Dale, Heart of Winter (expansion for IWD), Icewind Dale II, Neverwinter Nights, Neverwinter Nights II, and Planetscape Torment (this last one is not based on Faerun, the mythological world of Salvatore's novels).

BTW, Twyvel's current avatar is from a bit of fantasy artwork (turned upside down) which is very popular on the portrait web sites, and i strongly suspect that is the origin.

Eremitic, eh?

Have you not realised that, on another thread, I am marrying Beth in order to become a Canajun - which would seem to leave you in a most interesting triangular state.

I suspect your eremitic days are numbered.........

No dedicated eremite I . . . Miss Girl mentioned another thread, which one be that?

Of course, some might say it was a frightening triangle......

Hmmm - never really tried fntasy games.....I don't seem to have the game gene.....does one buy the software a a shop, or download it? I mean for the basic game?

One buys it. At this point, the Baldur's Gate "Gold Edition," which includes the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion, sells for about $20 US, as it is "old" in pc game terms. The original game, without expansion would have retailed for about $60 US, and required 5 cds. The "Gold" edition, which includes the expansion, now comes on just 3 cds. The mods, hacks, cheats, etc. are downloaded for free, but ya gotta queu up. I'm currently 46th in line for the game mod to Icewind Dale which i am waiting to download.

This one:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15078&highlight=

Is it Monday yet ?

No - well, it is in NSW and Victoria...

How about now ?

Is it time?

I'll have a lager if it is.

It is 7.56 am on bluddy Monday, OK? Oh boy....

Thats horrible. How can you live in such a time zone?

Ah, you only say that because you are stuck in the past, poor klutzes...

But then the Sunday lasts longer, while you already have a monday, HA!

Paraphrasing Eco, dlowan, you live in The Island of the Day After.

http://btobsearch.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?sourceid=00395996645644787198&btob=Y&isbn=0151001510