Ally

Dude, it was based on the casino royal book - it's set in a casino, how could they not focus on the card game? Also, he didn't have a watery eye -the villain wept blood! The film itself could perhaps be criticised as being a vehicle to establish Daniel Craig as the new bond, but is that necessarily a bad thing?

Damn, forgot to listen out. Watched V for Vendetta on DVD instead. Soz.

cool - will listen out!

It was a good thread - and hats off for admitting you were wrong. I've often entered into a debate on a thread and been forced to rethink my opinions - this is a good thing i reckon. Opinions should be fluid, dynamic and always up for re-evaluation, otherwise we're no better than the Daily mail reading bigots that hold so much sway in this country!

Cats do have their uses... http://www.undergroundhumor.com/books/images/sneakapeek/101udcsample3_large.gif

Nah nah! I can concede that it is, perhaps, a little try hard in its attempt to break from the standard Bond-by-numbers deal, but surely you can't say you disliked Daniel Craig as 007? As for the humour, the one liners got big laughs from the audience at the screening i was at, rather than the usual groans I've heard Bond's previous double-entendres provoke. Besides, could it really continue with even bigger bad guys? They've had baddie bases in space (Moon Raker), metal toothed villains... Q's latest gadget was an invisible car...what next? liquid metal bond girls? I prefer a bit of realism to be honest. Oh, and the crane jumping scene at the start was ace - much better than any hackneyed ski-slope gunfight any day!

genius

You're right - the charges will continue to get levied, and I for one wouldn't be surprised if they start to charge more to make up for the payouts they've had to cough up. It's how banks work as we all know - they loose money, they pass on their losses to the consumer. They're GRRRREAT!

I'd rather give a fiver to Aid Africa or whatever than to some freaking fur balls we keep for our own amusement. It's like those sad old ladies that leave their $$$ inheritance to their cats. Drown 'em and give the cash to a real charity i say! I used to give to amnesty international. Not because I'm particularly right-on, it's just that a girl with a clipboard jumped me on princess st and I was charmed into it. Had to cancel my fiver a month direct debit a year later when one payment put me overdrawn with my great mates at the royal bank, who then charged me £30. I love 'em.

I play guitar, bass (guitar, obviously), can hold a beat on the drums and am a virtuoso on the pink oboe. Sorry.

I meant in a social context, rather than being behind the bar! Besides, the barman always has the advantage, as he's in a position of power in his capacity as Keeper of the Booze. Still, as most barmen/women will testify, there are many drunks out there that'll still bite the hand that feeds them. So, in answer to your question... actually, yes, it kinda does appeal, but I'd rather be the proprietor of an 18th century Victorian opium den any day!

Those who slag it off maybe just feel a wee bit excluded? I've not been out in our squad for about 4 years now, but I do miss it. Esp when I'm sitting at work on Wednesday morning, knowing that 100s of drunk Shetlanders are simultaneously eating their fried breakfasts in the legion before heading off to snatch a few hours kip before the 2nd night at the Clickamin...

I've maybe said it elsewhere on the forum, but nivir leet : the worst company to keep whilst completely sober is definitely the drunkard. If you were sober in a room full of people exclusively on ecstasy they'd mainly be friendly, warm, perhaps a little too open and keen to dance. At worst they'd look a bit zombied and may be gurning away, but that's about it. A room full of coke-heads would be a bit crap as they'd be loud and over the top. No worse than your average Edinburgh University student, really Acid heads would be ok, although potentially quite surreal and a little disorientated. Stoners could be anything from chatty to incomprehensible. If folk were mainly on speed they'd just be yapping away and rather twitchy. Ironically some of the most boring people I have ever met have been on speed. The booze room, however, would be awful. I love a drink, i really do, but there are few things as unsettling as a room full of drunks when you're stone cold sober. It really does bring out the worst in some people. I was walking up George st (Edinburgh) after the bond movie last weekend at about half midnight and it was just hellish. Groups of fat, boorish men loudly singing tuneless gibberish as they lumber up the street. A young pissed girl openly urinates whilst simultaneously trying to fathom her mobile phone. Meanwhile, the police are trying to sort out a drunken brawl between some students and a tramp. Across the road a hen night staggers out of a pub, clutching baccardi breezers and shouting obscenities at a passing crowd of lads who respond with the same. A guy in a suit lies unconscious outside a weatherspoon's pub, clutching what looked like the remains of a kebab. It was just depressing. Give me the room full of druggies any day. Now, where's my crack-pipe?

I think it's a great idea. Of course, the businesses are against it, as they'd allegedly loose millions of pounds, in the same way that they loose billions of pounds through people having days off - they don't. It's a fantasy statistic used to justify their utter greed and complete lack of interest in the well-being (both mental and physical) of their employees, beyond maintaining the workers ability to function as cash earning drones!

No, I meant Willy Nelson... he's a famous underground singer that only cool people know about... Aye, Willie Mason. Excellent tune, although apparently the rest of the album is pretty average... This is it here if anyone's intersted... http://gristmill.grist.org/images/user/8/willy_mason_oxygen.mp3

So, Tony Blair should be sent to Iraq to face war crimes? In what court? The one that the new fledgling (though admittedly faltering) democracy has allowed to exist? Or one of Saddam's famously balanced and fair courts of yesteryear in which, basically, you're guilty if he says so?

"The row has already cost both sides in the region of £4.5 million, including a £1.6 million claim by Belgium dredging contractor Jan de Nul for the loss of business due to the interdict. A £4 million allocation of EU funding to build the bridge has been lost due to the ongoing delays in the project..." That's mental.

I was amazed when I actually tasted ripe, fresh pineapple for the first time. It's worlds apart from those that fluorescent yellow rings they sell in tins of syrup. Well tasty. The only topping I'd avoid these days on a pizza is chillies. I've found that they burn twice - on the way in and, more disturbingly, on the way out.

Congrats I started proceedings with RBS last week via an independent company... will keep y'all posted.

I have it on pretty good authority (a mate of a mate drunkenly told me in da lounge) that a true Shetlander wouldn't wear a kilt. That may be true, but they look ace, girls seem to like 'em and they provide pleasing ventilation whilst doing an eightsome reel. Ticks all the boxes as far as I'm concerned.

No, I meant Willy Nelson... he's a famous underground singer that only cool people know about... Aye, Willie Mason. Excellent tune, although apparently the rest of the album is pretty average...

genuine

Thought there might have been a thread about this by now (although maybe I'm just being blind again). Anyway, I saw casino Royale last weekend. It's really is pretty good and I have to agree with the most of the critics - Daniel Craig is an excellent bond. The plot itself is perhaps a little light - I think it's really just a vehicle to establish the new boy. Having said that, the characterisation is very good and the dialogue is very well scripted. Craig has a combination of screen presence and comic timing that surpasses even Connoery, in my opinion. It should be on at the Garrison soon folks, def check it out if you get the chance. Best line (spoiler) : Bond: "Give me a vodka Martini" Barman: "Shaken or stirred?" Bond: "Do I look like I give a damn?"

Reminds me of 4th year physics at the Anderson. Auld Gary "ticker" Williamson was in a foul mood as he demonstrated an oscillating device as part of the 'waves' chapter of the curriculum. He'd just given some "impudent boy" a real rollocking, so the mood was pretty tense. He gathers us all around the main bench to demonstrate said "device". It was this ridiculous metal thing, like a steel salt shaker with propeller-like blades coming out of it. he switched it on and the middle part started to move ridiculously up and down. It was absurd, but he was talking about it so seriously - you just knew he was in no mood for frivolity. I started to grin involuntarily. I accidentally catch a mates eye and see that he's clearly struggling to contain his smirk. I bite the side of my cheek and it seems to work until Mr Williamson observes: "As you can see, it behaves in this manner - which is why we call it a vibrator..." Jesus wept. I was a 15 year old boy, trying my best not to pee myself laughing and here's Garry Ticker talking about vibrators! I had to leave the room, kidding on that I desperately needed the toilet, which wasn't far form the truth.

very good