andrewman~SPARTA~

I am running a 5800 - no issues, happy to chip in if required EMT

Durka, great thread I really enjoyed the games, even though they were on very late, I did stay up to watch some of it and caught the highlights at other times I specifically enjoyed the curling [ I knew I would] aerial sking - never seen that before [OMG they gonna crash] all the stuff in that mincer of a course for toboggans and skeletons [and UK got a medal - hip hip] the ice dancing - only because of the rivalry of thast Canadian coach - what a story....and of course the ice hockey - only ever been to one match myself Great Games - well done Canada - London 2012 - must start training for the sitting on a sofa and watching event, probable medal position

Weight limits - British Forces combat fitness test - 35kg - 8 miles - two hours Running 1.5miles 9 minutes I would suggest that an infantry patrol will hump 40 kgs, and would conduct the patrol walking, if engaged the load is dumped and belt kit used. My 2 cents

so after downloading for most of the evening, I have finally got ACE, started at 3Kbs last night and finished this morning at 175Kbs - what's all that about - pesky downloaders. Spent my time watching Mama Mia - great film - but not ARMA So I have it now and I am keen to rock and roll, when next young Jedi?

http://www.falklands.gov.fk//index.html Provides some background reading After an 18 hour flight I think you realise that you are somewhere very different to the UK. Being in the southern hemisphere makes no tangible difference day to day What was very noticeable - with no industry or light pollution, the sky at night was the clearest I have seen anywhere in the world - I could sit and watch the stars, watch satelites move across the sky and we saw that comet that passed a couple of years ago without optics Fond memories

Durka - it is tree free zone, the wind takes care of all but a handful of trees that have been stunted. Most houses are timber imports, the majority from scandinavian countries, built for warmth, and painted a bright colour There is quite a bit of sheep farming in the rural areas, which is most of the country, I think they rival New Zealand for sheep:people ratio and a small farm is a hundred thousand acres - I guess this is american scale. Majority of the population live in Stanley providing trading to other islanders and the tourists on their way to antartic on cruise liners - a very expensive cruise.

it took how many hours to fly there and back? jeez, with an air dom server full of the blighters........

I lived down there for three years, and the Falklands, both east and west are beautiful, - like living in a giant, but very cold, antartic zoo - the wildlife is spectacular, so I can understand that the islanders want to maintain everything off-shore except their income of course. The islanders are self- sufficent in everything apart from defence - unlike other overseas terrtories - they have a good tourist market and sell illex fishing licences, a type of squid, to far eastern countries. In self determination they very firmly wish to remain British. Zeno - note your point - I nearly didn't post up as this could be construed as political.

Argentina have also objected to the swap of Tornado F3 flight to Typhoon, additional guard-ship has already sailed south, would guess there is also a UK submarine lurking in the depths. The Ministry of Defence says the level of British forces in and around the Falkland Islands is being "maintained" amid Argentinian efforts to control shipping in the region. Falkland Islanders Are 'Protected' according to The Sun newspaper, a new naval task force comprising two ships and an oil supply tanker has been sent to the South Atlantic isles. The report follows an Argentinian government decree that tightens control over shipping in the region ahead of British efforts to start oil and gas exploration off the islands' waters. But the MoD said the UK's existing "deterrence" in the Falklands was not being increased and UK force levels were being maintained. A spokesman said: "The Government is fully committed to the South Atlantic Overseas Territories which include the Falkland Islands. "A deterrence force is maintained on the islands. That deterrence force comprises a wide range of land, air and maritime assets which collectively maintain our defence posture. "We have a permanent presence in the South Atlantic including one frigate/destroyer, a patrol vessel, a survey ship and a replenishment vessel. We also have 1,076 service personnel on land." Argentina's president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, issued a decree covering all ships that enter the country's waters, which Buenos Aires regards those as covering the entire South Atlantic continental shelf. The Foreign Office shrugged off the demand, insisting that the seas around the Falklands were controlled by island authorities and would not be affected by the decree. As the issue escalated, Sir Nicholas Winterton, chairman of the all-party Falklands group, said he would seek a meeting with senior officials at the Foreign Office when Parliament returned from recess next week. He dismissed Ms Fernandez's decree as "pathetic and useless" as Argentina had no jurisdiction over the seas around the Falklands. The Foreign Office said Britain was ready to co-operate with Argentina on South Atlantic issues and was working to develop relations between the two countries. "Argentina and the UK are important partners," said the Foreign Office spokesman. Despite being ejected from the islands which they know as the Malvinas after a two-month occupation and war in 1982, Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over the Falklands. The dispute over the territory has flared up recently because of interest in possible oil reserves. Several British companies are poised to begin exploration using an offshore rig, while Desire Petroleum has licensed six areas where it predicts 3.5 billion barrels of oil and nine trillion cubic feet of natural gas can be recovered

Tensions over British plans to drill for oil off the Falkland Islands continue to increase as Argentina's foreign minister prepares to meet the UN secretary-general. Britain is under fire for allowing a Desire Petroleum rig to be towed 8,000 miles from Scotland to begin drilling 60 miles north of the islands. Argentina claims the Falklands - known as Las Malvinas in Buenos Aires - are occupied by Britain illegally and has formally objected to Desire's move to drill oil. Argentina's president has reiterated the country's claim to sovereignty of the islands at a summit of 32 countries, hosted by Mexico. In a rare show of unity, Latin American and Caribbean nations united to back Argentina. Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez said the country would not try to keep the British boats or rigs out. "We do not believe in methods like blockades," she said. "When, in these last few days, England decided to install an oil rig offshore and Argentina - in exercise of its domestic law - made decisions as a Sovereign State, the Foreign Office floated the idea of a potential war threat by Argentina. "I would say that is ridiculous, cynical because few countries have shown more signs of peaceful intentions than Argentina after the advent of democracy." Desire said the well is being drilled to an estimated target depth of about 3,500 metres, and drilling operations are expected to take about 30 days. The company said the rig is sitting "firmly inside UK waters". Argentina invaded the Falklands in 1982, before a UK taskforce made up of some 100 ships seized them back in a war which claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen and women and more than 600 Argentinians.

The shakshouka looks delicious, poaching eggs in tomato sauce, what a fab idea - I am so up for that, with some fresh wholemeal bread. I will try this out, and report back

Oh how I would laugh, if I came across a filing cabinet like that one, ours are filled with boring stationery. Money from misery - not for me,

Watched an epissode on Saturday, good bandwidth - no stutter

Looking good, tomorrow it will be Wembley Stadium........

super site many thanks - I can watch all of 24 again

second episode http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=121517

Happy for you Watchman, and August will come around soon enough - it'll be like waiting for Christmas when you were a kid

Hopefully you will be able to tune into the ITV player to see this fantastic series, detailing the work of the RLC CLP's http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=121517

embedded reports from BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8514193.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8514618.stm

Last night, all over UK news this morning. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8513092.stm

The Taliban grew out of Lashkar Gah during the period after the Soviet invasion, it is therefore their home and why the fighting has been fierce since the coalition forces rolled south from Kabul to Kandahar in 2003. There are a number of unreported factors that have affected the scale and timing of this operation. Kav you have a good point, international money was used to irrigate the green zone to tempt the local farmers away from opium to other cash crops, but this collapsed in the face of better prices for the illicit narcotics. Last years crop was the best ever under NATO noses! I watch with my fingers crossed that there are enough NATO troops to secure what will be taken and that the ANA under the direction of the OMLT's, perform well enough to minimise NATO casualities. Good thread ------

3D Imax was a blast - great film - nearly forgat , Connor & I went to Bath to see it

This is not such bad news, any run & gun can be tamed with the correct server cfg, and great admins. Fingers crossed for dedi servers and ability to set up the game how everyone wants to play

clueless - never got any connection here, thanks for updating me Panic, the brown bear on the right looking at the picture shouldn't be there?

Super - the fun continues