Coss

You're tugging at my heart strings you are...

never works for me either, despite having being told how to do it

If it tastes good and doesn't make people - green :grinyes:

Thank you Bubi, I will, I'm gonna try to look at the whole thing, mostly, when I have a few minutes. Some more fodder: "It's the geopolitics, stupid: US-led TPP trade pact less about boosting economies than about containing China's rise" "Don't let the names fool you - the US-led TPP 'trade pact' and China's RCEP are more about influence on the global stage than economics" http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1876024/its-geopolitics-stupid-us-led-tpp-trade-pact-less-about

I found Forest Whitaker to be excellent, James McAvoy, was good, Gillian Anderson not so much - but as you say, Very worth a watch. And - - shagging one of Amin's wives at his party, there's some balls.

​I don't know if there's anyone here that's interested, but here's the text of the TPP http://www.tpp.mfat.govt.nz/text And a cursory look at the beginning of CHAPTER 14 ELECTRONIC COMMERCE reveals this: digital product means a computer programme, text, video, image, sound recording or other product that is digitally encoded, produced for commercial sale or distribution, and that can be transmitted electronically; This definition presumably covering movies; - "produced for commercial sale or distribution" one could argue that 'Cam' versions and pre release versions are not covered. But then I haven't read the whole thing.

We should put our names on the list for Mars - we could open it's ... wait for it ... 1st red light district.

The Last King of Scotland 2006 - Reviewed here before I think - Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin - very good = worth a watch.

Dracula: The Impaler 2013 - Usual pap - 20 somethings pretending to be younger high school students on a 'Europe Trip before College'. Go to Vlad the Impalers castle and everyone meets a grisly end. 14 year olds may appreciate the occasional tit. Not worth a watch.

Into the Wild 2007 - Based on a trues story. Directed by Sean Penn. From IMDB - After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life. I liked this - it's well enough done, that that the seemingly aimless plot, takes on a life worth following. Worth a watch.

https://twitter.com/spacex a reason to look at twitter

also http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/06/how-tesla-will-change-your-life.html http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/08/how-and-why-spacex-will-colonize-mars.html

I had a flat like that, only the 'Noddy' was named 'Snow' and spent his days on a verandah staring at a Plum tree.

WASHINGTON - Hollywood's film trade group is hailing the shutdown of two online services used to circulate pirated copies of hit movies, including one that became known as "Netflix for pirates." The Motion Picture Association of America said legal action brought by its member studios had succeeded in shutting down the site "Popcorn Time," which was likened to Netflix because of its easy user interface for pirated films. MPAA said in a statement late Tuesday that court actions also shuttered YTS, a site for pirated editions using so-called BitTorrent software. The trade group said a court order in Canada took down Popcorn Time and a separate proceeding in New Zealand closed YTS. MPAA said the two sites "enabled acts of copyright infringement worldwide on a massive scale." "Popcorn Time and YTS are illegal platforms that exist for one clear reason: to distribute stolen copies of the latest motion pictures and television shows without compensating the people who worked so hard to make them," said Chris Dodd, MPAA's chairman and chief executive. "By shutting down these illegal commercial enterprises, which operate on a massive global scale, we are protecting not only our members' creative work and the hundreds of innovative, legal digital distribution platforms, but also the millions of people whose jobs depend on a vibrant motion picture and television industry." The six member MPAA companies filed suit in Canada's federal court against three key Canadian operators of Popcorn Time, which according to surveys had some 1.5 million visitors in July. The court issued an injunction on October 16 requiring the web operators to shut down Popcorn Time. YTS meanwhile, which was believed to have some 3.4 million visitors as of August, was ordered shut by New Zealand's High Court under an interim injunction, according to MPAA. MPAA said YTS is linked to a group called YIFY, "one of the world's most prolific release groups involved in the illegal replication and distribution of copyright content with a library of some 4,500 infringing motion picture titles." "This coordinated legal action is part of a larger comprehensive approach being taken by the MPAA and its international affiliates to combat content theft," Dodd said. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/world/754636/netflix-for-pirates-shut-down-by-courts --- I see the YIFY imitators still seem to be up.

I urge the thinking amongst us, to read the article at this link and the follow-ups as they come. There's more to Mr Musk, than is evident in an initial observation. http://www.huffingto..._b_8427288.html

World series? Can the All Blacks play?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Lamentable-tradition-in-Thailands-battle-against-g-30272057.html The Nation November 2, 2015 1:00 am People accused of corruption should get thorough trials, not flowers from supporters Through all of Thailand's lacklustre fight against corruption, one practice has stood out. It's the practice of "giving moral support" to the accused. Some gatherings were low-key, involving just a few people and a few flowers. Others were not, featuring vociferous, sometimes aggressive, crowds who had to be kept within barricades. The demonstrators have the right to do what they do, but there is one thing that they should keep in mind. Such rallies do more harm than good in a country where corruption is one of the biggest problems. High-profile morale-boosting demonstrations for people accused of corruption can turn what should be straightforward criminal cases into highly charged political affairs. They put pressure on investigators. They make whoever serves as the judges feel threatened. Slowly but surely, they associate anti-corruption drives with politics. Before we know it, no big corruption case can be finalised because some big-name politicians or powers-that-be are bound to be involved. Corruption in Thailand and fights against graft have often been badly politicised. The practice of giving "moral support" creates an impression of those accused being victimised by conspiracies. Only small-time graft cases can be settled without much of a fuss. For big cases concerning prominent people, "evidence" appears to give way to how many people show up to support them. When corruption is politicised, it's really difficult to tackle it. When former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra allowed his ex-wife to buy a plot of state-auctioned land on Ratchadapisek Road, the fact that he clearly violated the law was overshadowed by political claims and "conspiracy theories." With the political strife in Thailand going on unabated, the campaign against corruption - which has largely been ineffective - could become even more toothless. We should stop holding gatherings for the accused or giving them flowers - and start paying attention to the evidence. For a country to successfully combat corruption, a few key steps must be taken. First is the empowerment of investigators. Then punishment must be swift and not selective. Thai governments never pushed for penalties on their own people, and anti-graft investigators have never been given unconditional support from anyone, including society itself. The flowers and "moral support" gatherings reflect Thai society's biggest shortcoming when it comes to fighting corruption. Here, graft has become an "us or them" issue; condemnation of crooks and their punishment rarely reflects the magnitude of the crimes. People take sides when corruption is concerned while that should never be the case. Instead of admitting guilt, the accused just point at possibly bigger crimes that have gone unpunished. Instead of deploring graft cases unequivocally, the public appears to be divided between apologists for one camp and vocal critics against the other. Thailand is bracing itself for another major anti-corruption verdict. And it's too late to call for the case on the rice scheme to be "de-politicised". The scandal has already become a "political" prosecution in many people's eyes. It's unfortunate that "evidence" will again be overlooked. One side of the political divide will be more than happy to see former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra punished, no matter what the evidence says. And the other side will loathe her punishment, again, no matter what. Whether Yingluck is right or wrong is a big deal. But it's no bigger than the fact that her case is an explanation of why there remains no light at the end of the tunnel. The country may have to wait a a very long time for the day when all Thais view corruption cases with the same, unbiased attitude. Until that day really comes, Thailand's place on the global transparency index will remain pathetic, and deservedly so.

Even reading the following, it is unfair to categorise a whole Nation, or that Nation's whole police force as being incompetent and feckless. Hang on, not its not, it's apt. Defence team pokes holes in Koh Tao case The Nation October 27, 2015 1:00 am THE DEFENCE TEAM in the Koh Tao murder case has submitted a 56-page closing statement yesterday to Surat Thani's Koh Samui Court. The team is defending two Myanmar migrant workers accused of killing two British tourists in mid-September last year. The verdict is expected on December 24. According to the team’s press statement, the seven-member team, working on a pro bono basis, called for the court to consider dismissing charges against Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (Win Zaw Htun) due to the following points: • The process of interrogating and charging the accused prior to prosecution was unlawful. For instance, they were questioned as "witnesses", before the testimony was turned into a so-called confession, with the duo "admitting" to murder and rape charges. They were questioned without the presence of lawyers, and were not provided with adequate translation or legal representation. Their DNA samples were collected against their wishes and, hence, are inadmissible as evidence in court. • The so-called confessions cited by the prosecution in court had been collected through torture and threats to their lives. The accused were made to sign documents and confessions even though they had no understanding of the content, and clips of them being forced to "re-enact" the crime should not be admissible as evidence in court. • No link has been shown between the alleged murder weapon - a hoe - and the accused. DNA samples from the hoe do not match those of the accused. • The DNA evidence that allegedly matches the accused as well as other surrounding or circumstantial evidence apparently proving their guilt is unreliable and should not be considered. This so-called evidence was not collected, tested or analysed in accordance with internationally accepted standards. This includes all evidence allegedly linking the accused to the crime scene, such as cigarette butts, theft of the male victim's mobile phone and sunglasses as well as the "running man" caught on CCTV. • The prosecution's case is marked by the absence of significant evidence necessary to prove the guilt of the accused. This absent evidence includes photographs of the crime scene, autopsy and DNA analysis process, chain of custody documents for forensic evidence, certain forensic evidence documents as well as a detailed DNA analysis laboratory case notes. In addition, the clothes and the body of the female victim - which should have contained significant traces of the perpetrators' DNA - was either not tested at all, or tested but not included in the prosecution file or case evidence list. CCTV footage provided by the prosecution seemed to be incomplete http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Defence-team-pokes-holes-in-Koh-Tao-case-30271669.html

The game was a good one. :applause:

Is it just me or are there more interracial couples in evidence these days? Also the men seem quite old generally?

Good luck to us both :beer:

What are yu looking at? followed by an all out brawl...

I'll toast you if you win I see the TAB in NZ just took a $400,000 bet on the AB's to win, $540,000 pay out.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am filled with a deep sense of foreboding, imagine your best Somchai, driving around with one of these strapped to his moto. An ESSM missile is launched by a U.S. warship. U.S. Navy photo WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency reports Thailand is seeking to procure Evolved Seasparrow Missile systems. Seasparrow is used as a defense against supersonic anti-ship missiles. The agency, which manages the U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program, said Thailand is seeking 16 Evolved Seasparrow missiles, 14 tactical missiles and two telemetry missiles -- plus missile quad pack canisters and shipping containers. Associated equipment, parts and logistics support would also be provided. The proposed FMS deal carries an estimated value of $26.9 million. "Thailand will use the ESSM to provide ship battlespace self-defense and firepower, which will improve its capability to meet current and future naval threats," the agency said in its notification to Congress. The principal contractors for the package would be Raytheon Missile Systems, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Saab, which would supply Thailand with its S 9LV MK4 combat management system. The U.S. State Department has given approval for the proposed sale. http://www.upi.com/B.../9631446223885/

You haven't seen the wife...