~Videl~

I knew Iraq had IBM's but I though they were only mid range, reaching just about far enough to toast france....as far as i know they don't have trans-atlantic capabilities....but then I may be wrong.:)

Anti- I have to agree with you that there is a strong anit-amercian feeling here on the european side of the atlantic that was building here long before sept 11th. A lot of people do see Americans as greedy and self serving, but this is not my oppinion or that of all europeans, I have friends and family in the states and i know what warm and friendly people Americans are. This perception of americans is due I feel in most part to bad foreign policy decisions and complacency within a country too content to rest on the laurels of past military victories and percieved strength. Duo- How can we (america and britain etc....) justify supporting the northern alliance when 20 years ago we drove them out of afghanistan to hand power to the taliban, although you are right that we should help to establish a new government here - after all we have done to these poor people it's the least we can do. You are also right that te USA may soon loose allies. I know that britain and other countries would be very reluctant to support a military push into other countries such as Iraq. Appart from anything else, if Iraq does have nukes and bio weapons, you in america are too far away and would be safe, but here in europe we would be in reach of whatever they cared to throw at us. I wish our politicians would consider this before actingly so rashly to plunge us into another new war.

Yes. Parenting has screwed up my life. When I was fifteen my dad told me he had been having an affair with this woman ( my mates mum) and that my mum had been screwing this guys wife!!:mad: I really didn't need or want to know this, so I rebelled. I've been in a lot of trouble since, drink drugs and I had a nervous breakdown. I know some of this was my fault but mostly I blame them. Thanks mum and dad, thanks a lot.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DuoGod of Death [/i] [B] True that we may cause suffering. I think it is the Middle East's fault that they are not as prosperouse as us. We creat almost all their wealth, and I believe if they would share it and not just have maybe 1% take it they would be doing great! We are there biggest reciever of Oil, and we give em plenty of money for it. I am not saying that they should look at us as a kind supported or something. I think they should just see us as a county living, thats all we are doing. We just got lucky, and got good land. We give them Billions if not Trillions of dollars a year for oil. I think that we did not get what we deserved in that aspect. I think we got what we deserved in another area. I believe we flaunted our stuff too much, and became careless. In that sense YES we deserved it. In the other sense I do not believe we deserve it. We pretty much made their economy.. [/B][/QUOTE] Yes I believe it is the fault of middle eastern countries that they are not as prosperous as western ones to an extent, but it is the fault of the governments not the ordinary person in the street. These countries do get billions of dollars a year for oil but the average person like you or I will never see a penny of it probably due largely to corrupt leaderships. Also, a lot of these governments like in Pakistan are very westernised - they wear western clothes, read our papers, you can't get a civil service job there unless you have a good understanding of western politics - they generally immerse themselves in our cultuer and become prosperous, whether through this or corrupt means I don't know. The normal people- who by our standards are poor- have started to become resentful of this but this resentment has manifested itself as a hatred for our way of life. And who can blame them, while these peolple are getting poorer every day they are constantly taunted by images of a greedy society they see as destroying their traditional way of life. Then there is the IMF - World bank (run by rich western countries) who may have supported these peoples ecconomies in the past by loaning them money but now virtually control them through impossible to meet loan payments. The two ways of life life simply have unresolveable cultural differences - we have to learn to get along and each accept the other for who we are - and I think a cancelling of all debts owed by countries like these to countries like us who can afford it would be a good start.

Go visit the thread debates - we are chatting along the same lines there :)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Anti [/i] [B]Anywho....in some respectes the U.S deserves completely what we got. I mean look the big "Evil Empires" of the U.S. or the giant corperations sit in places like the Middle East and sit their and screw up the lives of millionts and millions of people...We have been doing this for quite a while and as thus have been portrayed as the image of Evil to the some of the middle easterners...We do the same thing that they did to us just in smaller amounts and "legaly". The corperations still cause the death of untold lives because they so royally screw over the people in the middle east... [/B][/QUOTE] You are so right! Add to that the fact that there is oil near the caspian sea and the only route to get it out (the US not wanting to go throug Iraq/Iran i forget which - bad at goegraphy!) is via Afghanistan and it starts to become clear why the US would want a controlling stake in any new governmant there.

I had a paper round years ago. I had to get up at 6am and only got paid £2.50 an hour:( It sucked a lot but I needed the cash.

I think what happened was terrible and cannot be justified by anybody, no matter what their motivation or what they think the US has done - I lost my uncle that day. But.......I am essentially a pacifist, any taking of innocent lives is wrong to me no matter what the provocation. Also America and other countries must have know about the threat Al Kaieda(sp) posed for years so why did thoousands of innocent people have to die before any action was taken. I don't think that bombing civilians is the answer, I think that Osma Bin Laden is a very clever man and in that respect only I do have some respect for him. It seems to me that the west is being drawn into a conflict that will destabilise our ecconomies and cause rifts between previiously friendly countries. No matter what we do we cannot win. If we bomb Afganistan we are seen as monsters by Islamic extremeists and their cause is strengthened but if we do nothing then the terrorist threat will only increase. Ther is no easy answer to this one......for all our sakes I wish there was.

Sounds like a good idea. I love a good intellectual discussion or friendly argument (yes there can be such a thing if you do it right:D ). This could be an interesting thread.

Thats really harsh Seph, I know pretty much how you fell though. I was neally expelled from uni for sending a disgusting e-mail to the dean!! I didn't mean to, but me and a mate were having a who can freak each other out the most competition and his name is the same as the deans so he got the shock of his lilfe.:eek: I had to go and make a formal appology to him and he was all set to chuck me out until I explaind, pleaded and grovelled. I was never evicted from my house (which was run by the psycho landlord from hell) but we did have to move out for a week while they had pest control in. We had rats, mice and hornets - and I'm not kidding!! the house was about 300 years old (and haunted as well). I think you know you shouldn't have hit that guy but it's done now and he sounds lilke he deserved it anyway. On the rent front perhaps you could negotiate with the agency to pay monthly, weekly or by direct debit. Anyways I've not been much help but at least you can cheer up a little laughing at my uni nightmare:laugh: Hope it all works out.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DaRk DrAgOn [/i] [B]my.spacebar.is.broken.so.after.each.word.i.have.a.period.so.it.............soitwouldntlooklikethis:D [/B][/QUOTE] :( that sucks. My comuter is old and crap - bits keep dropping off it too:D ) so I know how you feel. I was just womndering coz I've never seen that before:)

I'm caucasian...oh I give up trying to spell it :rolleyes: with some scottish and french thrown in there as well.

lol that's funny but pretty cool at the same time:laugh:. The piccolo/vegeta is my favourite, my two favourite charcters fusesd - excellent:D But.whats.with.all.the.full.stops:confused: :p

For me it has to be the ending of Rurouni Kenshin when.......oh wait a minute I know that Mystical Pan at least hasn't seen it so I won't spoil it. If you've seen it you'll know what I mean if not then go out and watch it it's excellent!!:D

Hey tis sounds cool, I'll sign up. Name: Cal Stone Colour: Purple laced with red and black. #Of Stones: 4 Kind of stones; Purple: Spirit/psychic Red: Fire Black: Necromancy Description: Long white hair, violet eyes. Black combats and army boots, tight black t-shirt. Bio: No-one knows much about Cal's background, but she a skilled warrior who is fiercely loyal to her friends and deadly to her enemies. Weapons: A pair of short swords she carries on her back, extendable staff and throwing knives. Hope I got it all right :)

Add one more for Videl with short hair. :D

[B]1. If you were dropped right in the middle of Afghanistan during a battle, what would you do??[/B] I would find a place to hide and hope I didn't get shot. In the unlikely event I survived appearing in the middle of a pitched battle I would run away!!!! Try and cross the border. [B]2. What do you think is worse and why?? A berserk EVA or VX (the most strongest nerve gas)??[/B] Don't know what an EVA is but nerve gas souonds bad enough. [B]3. What is hell to you?? (i.e. my lunch table)[/B] Being forced to re-live for all eternity the worst moments of my life. [B]4. Would you rather have a Communistic or Anarchism gov't??[/B] Communism I guess but neither sounds very nice. [B]5. Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered?? ( I dunno about other countries but you can answer this if you want to)[/B] Here in the UK it is 18 anyway but I think it should be the same in other countries as well. People will always drink under age whatever the limit but 21 seems a lille excessive. [B]6. Who's worse?? Bin Laden or Tim McVeigh (ah, I dont care if he's already dead)[/B] I don't believe any person has the right to take the life of another, no matter what his perceived crime. Anyone who kills is truly evil so in my eyes they are all as bad as each other (that goes for McVeighs executioners as well) [B]7. If you were forced to join the military, would you injure yourself, skip town, or go right ahead and sign up??[/B] I would do what my garndad did in WW2 and become a conscientious(SP?) objector. I would sign up for bomb disposal or something like that.....I'm not affraid to die but I will never kill. [B]8. If you are (not that I'm saying you're in it) in the black market business, what do you think is the easiest thing to sell??[/B] Drugs, mobile phones, credit cards, VCR's etc... [B][9. Do lead a good life (and I don't really need a reason)???[/B] Honestly.......in the past no, but I've had my karma and I'm making amends now. [B]10. (Let's see on how many greedy people are here) If $1 billion landed right in front of your house and you had to give half of it tp charity, would you give it or take it and move to somewhere where you can spend it like crazy??? [/B] Give half away of course!! Come on, who could really spend $500 million dollars!!

Please, please try to get your friend to go to the police. An ex of mine tried it on with me so I told him where to go and gave him a black eye but left it alone after that. One year later and he was sentenced to 7 years for raping 2 girls. I didn't want to report him for trying it on and as he was my mate before I was reluctant to go to the police but I wish I had for the sake of those other girls. I know how your mate is probably feeling but that kind of person is likely to do the same again. The best solution to your problem is to get him behind bars where he can't talk to you or anyone else but in the mean time if he comes up to you try to tell him you don't want to talk to him and walk away if you can. I know it may be hard to ignore him after what he did but if you get carried away and hit him he would probably do you for assault.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Pave-Low [/i] [B]And I love Fantasy too. Anything about dragons, wizards, and such I try and read.[/B][/QUOTE] Me too. I love fantasy almost as much as sci fi. Have you read Terry Goodkind's Sword of truth series, that is excellent. Also the Raymand E Feist "trillogy" (must be about 12 books) that starts with the Riftwar Saga is fantastic too.

Perhaps a piccolo quote - I do love his sarcastic put downs. Anyways I'm for bed as it's nearly 2am here and my mums birthday in the morning. Take it eay and drop me a pm if you ever fell like chatting.:)

Thanks for the sympathetic ear, it's nice to chat to someone neutral. And I noticed the addition to your sig:D Always good to meet a fellow piccolo fan - in fact the only other one I've met on here.

He and I are really close as we are only 20 months apart in age and we've always got on really well. I can escape to his flat sometimes (he is the rich successful programmer and I am the struggling writer - not that I'm bitter ;) ) but he has recently moved his girlfriend in and I don't want to impose too much. I've not told the parents yet but I've applied for a job in London as I have friends down there so if I get it I could be out by christmas. I still want to see them, but not together and not everyday.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shyguy [/i] [B] I used to watch that show everyday! I can still remember the theme song. Anyway, I used to watch transformers, thundercats, and ghostbusters. I feel so old on these boards sometimes, *sigh* [/B][/QUOTE] You feel old?! I remember those and then some further back - The flumps, Bagpuss, The clangers, Button Moon Eagle Riders and Ulysses 81. Ahhh the good old days of TV:) Anyways back to the topic, my happiest childhood memory and sadest came back to me a few weeks ago. When I was little I used to sit on my dads lap and he would play piano and sing to me. The other day while tidying up the music room I found this old songbook and started to sing and play my favourite song from back then. I had to stop after a few bars because I was crying........it reminded me of good times when me and dad were so much younger and sad that I've lost that innocent part of my life and special relationship with my dad.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by k9* [/i] [B]hey videl, sounds like ur parents r really messed up. ur dad should never had said that to you, that should b between the two of them only. [/B][/QUOTE] That's what I think too. I was only 15 when he told me, I still don't know why. It was obvious they weren't getting on but I really didn't need to know why. The worst was my little brother was only 13 and he told him too. They are still together now but mostly they just ignore each other which is worse than the arguing.......and mostly I try to ignore them too. I'm only staying here till I get enough money to move out again, I got out once but had a really tough time and had to come home again. Maybe once I leave they will finally split up.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Squashed Snail [/i] [B] I haven't even read a paragraph of any of the Harry Potter books. [/B][/QUOTE] Me either! I thought I was the only one in the world who hadn't.:wigout: