Chindie

Dust is decent but has an absolutely vomit inducingly hideous look to it, and awful voices.

Decent episode last night. This series does all feel a little phoned in though - last week looked like a grab bag of skits thrown together. This week felt like a fairly low rent episode from back when the series was at the top of it's game, it was just completely fine. Not particularly funny, or interesting. Just there. Couple of little laughs, nothing spectacular.

Quite right, but **** the USA anyway It really is a crazy arse country. In fact, a very scary country too. Any country that effectively condones vigilante killings is not a country i'd ever feel safe in. The facts of the Zimmerman case are thus: 1. Zimmerman spots 'dodgy looking' black kid (Dodgy looking to zimmerman presumablyh meant black kid wearing a hoodie). 2. Zimmerman phones cops, but also decides to follow said kid and 'apprehend' him, whilst carrying a firearm. 3. Trayvon Martin, the young black lad, is unarmed save for a bag of dangerous looking skittles 4. Trayvon Marting is shot dead by the armed Zimmerman. The rest can't really be proved either way it seems. But round of applause for those crazy yanks for having laws and a society that permits this kind of thing. They don't really care for leaving policing to the police. Effectively condoning it is far too strong. They couldn't prove it. I daresay that Zimmerman is a dodgy bloke who decided, either because he's an idiot or a bigotted nutter, that he was going to shoot that kid with his skittles that were upta naw gurd. Certainly the man has a few questions about his past record. But they couldn't prove it. There wasn't the evidence. I don't want to think about a US that sends down a bloke because they reckon he did it, as opposed to as far as reasonably possible knew he did it.

Yeah I can't imagine how anyone could be the insurer of something like that ship and its contents and actually financially survive a claim. It's mental. Exactly, it's all about laying off bets. So when the thing goes under, it triggers not just one claim, but a massive chain of them, domino style. And some companies (no names) will stretch themselves beyond what they can actually pay out on, and hope to **** that the worst won't happen. But if it does, you get a pretty major shit/fan interface! Most of the Lloyds market is like that, is my understanding. One consortium after another picking up the risk down the line, for pretty much anything. I actually encounter the 'bet beyond their means' thing day in day out in a different area of insurance - it's not just the Lloyds market. In fact some of this stuff makes the Lloyd's stuff look positively safe. And of course you also see the laying off thing in other areas too - one insurer picking up so much of the risk, another picking up more of the risk over and above, etc etc.

As galling as it is, the Zimmerman verdict almost entirely comes down to the fact they couldn't prove Zimmerman guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Effectively, the prosecutions case simply wasn't strong enough.

It's a decent deal but you're going to have to do some memory management with that card - 8gb is going to feel a little pokey pretty quickly, especially when you've got 10 downloads to get on with immediately - some Vita games are fairly large files (not necessarily those in the bundle but you may want to download others, especially if you go with the PS+ membership, in which case you're going to be shuffling things around and deleting and redownloading a fair bit). Saying that, it's probably not bad to get you going. I understand availability on that bundle has been a little bit of an issue so don't be surprised if you have to shop around a bit to pick it up, the problem seems to be the bundle pack was fairly short supplied, at least initially.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not sure we'd fancy Egypt but the others all sound good and kinda back up suggestions we've already had. I was quite keen on Malta, the main downside appears to be that theres no direct flight from BHX, all seem to have a change at some point which I think we'd rather avoid. From what I know of it and have seen/read, it seems ideal. Cyprus wasn't quite on the radar but I have been told before now that it's a place I'd probably adore so definitely on the cards I think - family have also recommended it subsequently. Same too for the Canaries - my only issue there is I've heard some of the islands are very, very 'tourist-y' (for want of a better phrase), particularly Tenerife(?). Not sure I want to be fighting off looky looky men everytime I go somewhere or constantly being aware of my wallet... But thanks for the advise chaps - food for thought.

I still don't believe it's game of the gen, but it's right up there. A must for any PS3 owner.

I never thought I'd have reason to post in here with my holidays to date largely having not existed in the last 6 years and having never been abroad (I know, I know)... but anywho... My job dictates that I can't really take a summer holiday, so does anyone have any suggestions for somewhere thats likely to be fairly nice still (weather wise mainly, but also is just generally a nice place) in October? And preferably not a huge flight away. Not particularly bothered about night life, would prefer somewhere pretty cheap, and ideally somewhere by the sea. Beyond that if it's not shithole and has some nice bars and food and is generally a bit pretty, I'd probably be all ears. Will be 2 of us for a week going.

I take it you didn't read the article before posting this, then. Shame. It's actually quite thoughtful. You take wrong, I read it. The article is thoughtful (though not earth shattering by any means) until it reaches its conclusion that terrorism now means Islamic terrorism alone. He had drawn that conclusion because that is the point he wished to make fun the start, which is incorrect. This is all the more obvious when he actually stumbles on what terrorism really is about in the article and passes over it (that is that the term means any act of violence intent to bring about political goals via fear-state and non state). What conclusions he does reach briefly in that regard are the welcome but not revolatory to anyone who has a passing interest in the subject (as are his connects regarding the antagonistic role of the West in this whole charade, though again nothing groundbreaking). His hard not to reach conclusion is only hard not to reach if you're inclined to reach it regardless. If he had any merit in his argument, that the discourse on terrorism is now intrinsically a discourse on Islamic terror, the next non 'Islamic' attack would have everyone shuffling their feet and trying not to user the word. Which wouldn't be the case, as Norway showed sadly all too recently. Forgive quoting myself here but you may have seen on the news that there has been an explosion outside a mosque in Tipton. It's being openly described as a terrorist incident on the 6pm news. The initial assertion that the discourse on terrorism is now intrinsically one of 'Islamic terrorism' alone is nonsense.

Funnily enough I really like the Fountain too, and felt the similarity instantly when watching Cloud Atlas. Cloud Atlas is more ambitious and perhaps a little less... on the nose?

How do guide dogs know where their owner wants to go?

I have a Field in England recorded, will probably watch over the weekend if I get chance. Been to the cinema a couple of times this week... This is the End - I think summing it up as a bunch of unlikable actors deciding to film a 2 hour long mutual masturbation session probably sums it up, It's a comedy where I didn't laugh in a single, solitary instance. Hopeless. And Now You See Me. Almost certainly the downright dumbest film I've seen in donkeys years. I can't even say it's that impressive in a kind of brainless fun way because you spend the entire thing going 'This is a film about magic tricks but it's not impressive because a number of the actual tricks aren't actually tricks and are simply CGI'. It would have genuinely been better if the tricks performed where performed like they were a genuine magic show. Even then the plot would still be hopeless but you could at least enjoy the spectacle. The characters are cardboard cut outs, the plot is absolutely nonsense, you'll know exactly whats about to happen from the first shot. On the plus side it has a gloriously late title card that raised a smile. Not anywhere as near as smart as it thinks it is and the moment you see Michael Caine you wish you were watching the Prestige. EDIT - Also recently saw Cloud Atlas. Now there is a film. It is is brilliantly eclectic. It's daft in places - predominately the race and gender bending casting across the storylines which in most cases looks absurd - Hugh Grants aging playboy in one storyline is rather like he's wearing the carcass of a roast turkey rather than a mask - but blimey is it awesomely pretty. It also has a nice... atmosphere. It's intensely relaxing to watch somehow in the manner it is shot and the way things weave into and out of each other, you spot the fleeting connections between the lines, the score is delicate and gorgeous, there are some top notch performances across the cast and it is, at times, even genuinely laugh out loud funny. And it can bring a tear to the eye too. Even the message is nice, if hardly earth scorchingly thought provoking. A brilliant piece of film making.

Not that inspired by the opening days sale. Fingers crossed though, plenty more to come.

Looks pretty good. I'm interested to see precisely how the multi-protagonist thing will work - it's all well and good showing it off there, but in actual gameplay I worry that all it will do is add a layer of unneccesary complexity to scripting - the example shown there with the sniper providing cover isn't actually all that interesting. If it's generally more flexible, I'm very interested. It looks like it'll be fun though.

Just noticed this. Awful news. I'd just listened to my first full podcast in ages and wondered where he was, before I clocked that he was getting married, no doubt on the honeymoon. Terrible. The way he was he was never going to live the longest of lives but... 34 is terrible. Giantbomb is always noticeably different when he's not there, it'll never be the same now.

No. I don't listen to the Empire podcast, nor read the mag/website.

Eh it's not out anywhere till the 12th? Tracking/projections. They extrapolate potential takings from public interest/awareness, release dates, competition, even things like how similar movies have played to audiences. Pacific Rim is tracking rottenly. Although of course it's not a perfect science(films have tracked badly and outdone expectations, films have tracked spectacularly well and tanked), generally a studio would prefer a film to track well. There's also lots of talk of the Pacific Rim's marketing budget only really kicking in now which, if true, might kick it up a gear.

Could be a very interesting one. I think he'll hit double figures but not exactly set the league alight.

Pacific Rim appears to be heading towards flop takings if the predictions are on the money.

I'm not even sure it's the 'average Muslim' turning against them. It's the young cosmopolitan Muslim demographic that is revolting against the rise of Islamist political powers. Everyone else seems to either be in favour of them or, more likely, just quietly getting on with their lives.

I don't think there's anyone out there that will begrudge Lisicki winning that. As for Robson... She's just not good enough to compete at the top yet. I'm not sure she has (or will ever have) the mental strength/composure to maybe it to the very top. She always made daft errors whenever I've seen her play.

Very safe opener, agreed. Bit still fun. I dunno if it's just the mood I was in, but I did enjoy the NZ section a lot - James' '...I think I'll just piss myself' line had me in hysterics. I really, really want to go to NZ even more after that race, stunningly beautiful country.

He does.

Only if you wish to sum it up incorrectly. I'm no fan of the Tories but Labour are no better. I enjoy politics, I did a degree on it, but I always found domestic politics tedious and preferred international stuff. Now I actively find domestic politics infuriating, because the petty party stuff is completely intellectually bankrupt childish nonsense.