itgirl

Reply to Apparently, she was asking for it... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Locomama Thanks very much. I'm just annoyed that women do have to think about these things - and be subject to both horror stories in the media (especially women's magazines) about the despicable things that can happen to you if you aren't careful, and then be faced with this kind of survey which implies that members of the public, knowing NOTHING about the woman, will make some spurious judgement. How about some judgement on the rapist

Apparently, she was asking for it... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Following a spate of rapes in a village in India in the 1970s, a curfew for women was recommended; don’t go out after a certain time, lest you be attacked. Indira Gandhi swiftly reversed these calls; a curfew for men would surely be more appropriate, as they were the ones who were inflicting the attacks. Why penalise the freedoms of women because of the actions of a f

Reply to Next stop, Iran? in International JoeUser Forums

Thanks very much for this, it's most thought provoking. You're right about how feeble the UN was regarding Darfur and Bosnia, and Rwanda and Haiti as well for that matter: but the UN is not really an institution, but more the sum of its parts and will only be as strong and decisive as its members determine. It needs reformed, and I'm glad there is a process in place currently to do so, although American actions thusfar seem to me to be undermining rath

Reply to Next stop, Iran? in International JoeUser Forums

Leauki, I live in the West - in London to be precise. Every time I get on a bus or a train, the possibility of terrorist attack crosses my mind. While you may believe that his dogma has made the world a better and a safer place, I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.

Reply to Next stop, Iran? in International JoeUser Forums

Cheers Zoomba - I quite like the idea of George and Tony wearing dark glasses and shaking their tail feathers

Reply to Next stop, Iran? in International JoeUser Forums

DRavisher As long as Iran is largely governed by deeply religious people (at least they say they are?) I think it would be a pretty bad idea to give them nuclear weapons (this is the same no matter what religion we are speaking of. Many leaders are religious, but there are different degrees.) G

Reply to Next stop, Iran? in International JoeUser Forums

Leauki I think what has been coming out of Iran, for want of a more politically correct description, is sabre-rattling. Setting off the bomb is one way to get your own citizens annihilated. No one wants that. It's not going to happen. But having nuclear capacity might make Iran feel more secure and less likely to be attacked by the other nuclear power in the region, or by the US and Britain. It's a check and balance. <TABLE cellpa

Reply to Next stop, Iran? in International JoeUser Forums

Stutefish Right now your questions are hypothetical, and they should be proved before judgement is reached. If your questions prove to be more than hypothetical, then international law should be allowed to take its course. But that shouldn't mean an invasion, it should be dealt with through the UN - sanctions or some form of penalty that is both just and seen to be just. Aggressive actions by America or Britain will only exacerbate the problem

Reply to Next stop, Iran? in International JoeUser Forums

Sir Peter Thank you for your wise words, I stand corrected. With logic like that, you should think of running for the Tory leadership.

Next stop, Iran? in International JoeUser Forums

As the war in Iraq demonstrated, countries need to do a certain amount of groundwork before treading all over a country’s national sovereignty. International laws must be stretched and mollified, at least cursorily. Like a game of chess, the pieces must be moved into place so that when war does commence, there will be the necessary evidence in place to appear that it

Reply to Oprostite. Ali govorite anglesko? in Vacations JoeUser Forums

We certainly need to be less Eurocentric in our worldview, and the languages we learn should reflect this. I look back at my undergrad years with regret now, as free classes in Arabic, Russian, Mandarin, you name it were offered, no strings attached... but I didn't take the opportunity to learn anything. The Korean Wave is something I'm aware of, certainly - much more Korean films in the cinemas these days, which is wonderful.

Sneezing, schmoozing, and sexing things up. in Politics JoeUser Forums

Two party conferences down, one to go. Here are some preliminary thoughts. My memories of Blackpool and the Liberal Democrat conference are slight, I’m afraid. A heavy cold caused me to self medicate for the two days we spent there, and thankfully helped pass the time in druggy whirl. Hunter S Thompson had the right attitude – when dealing with politicians,

Reply to Oprostite. Ali govorite anglesko? in Vacations JoeUser Forums

Thank you very much for taking the time to write this, it’s enormously thought-provoking, and I wish I’d seen it earlier and responded immediately. My humble apologies. I’m interested in Korean, because of a Korean friend and obviously, our mutual Korean-loving friends (who, by the way, have in the past thought nothing of speaking around me and NOT explaining what they are saying, so I really appreciate this education). In your parsing, you’ve

Reply to Oprostite. Ali govorite anglesko? in Vacations JoeUser Forums

Good for you! That sounds like fun. And you should plan a trip to Italy to test out your new found knowledge

Oprostite. Ali govorite anglesko? in Vacations JoeUser Forums

Is it too late for a new year’s resolution? Travelling around Slovenia has brought home to me how inadequate my linguistic skills are compared to just about everyone I met. It would have been comical how hopelessly inept my attempts at Slovenian were, had it not been so embarrassing. Not being able to communicate makes me feel utterly helpless. Wandering ar

Glory Glory Northern Ireland. in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I spent my week on holiday with no access to either a newspaper or the internet, so coming back to the UK and learning that Northern Ireland had once again descended into chaos was not what I wanted to hear, but depressingly familiar all the same. Over the past few nights, the worst violence that NI has witnessed for years has taken place in some parts of Loyalist Bel

Reply to What's the difference between a drunk and an alcoholic? in Misc JoeUser Forums

I'm off on holiday in a few hours, and still haven't packed, but i wanted to thank everyone for their comments. I've had my head full of this all day - still have much to think about.. I will try to respond to you all personally when i get back, but I really appreciate the time you took to post. Thanks very much R

What's the difference between a drunk and an alcoholic? in Misc JoeUser Forums

I’m persevering with gin and tonic, and it’s almost drinkable now. Like coffee, it smells better than it tastes. Anyway. I worry about my drinking, from time to time. This tends to be the morning after the night before – if I punish my liver, it and my brain have a little arrangement that they will return the favour with interest the following

alone in Fiction Writing JoeUser Forums

It was when they were walking along the towpath that she realised that they were no longer walking together. No conversation, no contact, a pace apart; both lost in their own thoughts. Couples passed them, hurtfully clasping hands. When they did speak, it was about their children, now grown up and moved on, and less a part of their lives with the passing of

Reply to Sex Ed in Schools in Politics JoeUser Forums

Personally, I think sex education should be something that is taught in schools from the age of 5. Now don’t all jump at once. It would be better to dispel myths about where babies come from than persist in foolish notions about storks and gooseberry patches. Being open and honest about sex makes it less taboo, reduces the titter factor, and equips young people for adulthood. Starkly biological sex education, taught by an embarrassed biology t

Reply to Thou Shalt Not Kill in International JoeUser Forums

Brilliant.

Reply to Changing Times, Changing Minds, Changing States in International JoeUser Forums

It's wrong to equate unification with absorption, a united Ireland needs to be a new state with a new ethos and new structures, not a slightly larger version of the current Republic of Ireland. We have to avoid the mistake the Germans made in 1990 when the east effectively applied to join the west. It led to resentment later on.

Reply to Fear of sex is essential for civilisation in Misc JoeUser Forums

Msladydeath Teen pregnancy has always been an issue, but women were married at 14 and old maids at 20 (sometimes younger). Infidelity was a weekness of men, sin of women. I could go on and on, I don't think the problems now are any worse that in the past, and possibly lesser than in ancent past. </TABL

Reply to We were all settlers once in International JoeUser Forums

Thanks very much for the comments. Mr Snoopeh - I'm not sure that I would agree that we have evolved as a species with each exercise in warfare, but thanks for stopping by, and I'm glad you enjoyed it OG - well, that theory certainly assuages my settler guilt Interesting. Don't think I'd disagree - the h

What do we want from a public representative? in International JoeUser Forums

MPs in the UK get over 80 days holiday in the summer – from mid July to early October, Parliament is in recess and they are expected to go back to their constituencies and consolidate their voter base, or, like the rest of us, take a bit of a break. Whether this huge vacation is appropriate aside, on the radio this morning there was a piece about the books