Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Here we go again

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-u-k-preparing-for-military-strike-on-iran-nuclear-facilities-1.393361

Report: U.K. preparing for military strike on Iran nuclear facilities

The Guardian newspaper says U.K. increasingly concerned over Iran's enrichment program, and is preparing to deploy warships to assist a possible U.S. strike.

The U.K. is stepping up its preparations for a military strike on Iran, the Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday. According to the report, the U.K. is increasingly concerned over Tehran's nuclear program, and is preparing to deploy Royal Navy ships in the coming months to assist a possible U.S. attack on key facilities in Iran.

The paper cited senior officials who said they believed Iran had regained its technological capabilities which were severely damaged in a cyber-attack last year. Iran said the Stuxnet worm infected personal computers of employees at the Bushehr plant, but not the plant's main systems. The New York Times reported last January that the worm was a joint Israeli-U.S. effort to undermine Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Iran's military chief warned Wednesday that an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear development sites will come at a heavy price, according to the Iranian ISNA news agency.

Responding to reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to gain a majority in the cabinet for an attack on Iran, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of Iran's armed forces, Hassan Firouzabadi, warned both Israel and the U.S. against such a move.

Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force continues conducting comprehensive drills on long-range attacks.

The last drill of this sort took place last week at the NATO base in Italy, in which six different types of air force squadrons participated. The drill was widely covered on websites around the world that specialize in aviation.

Also on Wednesday, Israel test-fired a ballistic missile at the Palmahim Israel Defense Forces base in central Israel. The test was part of an examination of a new missile currently being developed by the defense establishment. The missile left behind a fire trail that could be seen throughout central Israel.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/02/uk-military-iran-attack-nuclear

Haystack, you don't believe the UK are preparing an attack do you?

If you do, how do you think we'll do it?

.

THe story indicates not that we would attack, but we would be in support if and when the USA attacked. There are lots of rumours that Israel has been doing dummy runs this week for long range attacks. That may just be to prompt the USA to attack as the US does not want it to be Israel that does the attack.

H - The article says we are preparing to deploy warships to assist a possible strike. I was curious as to how we would assist without actually participating?

Perhaps I should have asked if you believe we are preparing to deploy warships.........?

M - Not really, if I was I'm asking the wrong person ;)

Your second question is of course the real crux of the matter. Perhaps it would help if Iran stopped meddling in other ME countries in their ongoing proxy war with the good 'ol USA. Iran would argue the exact opposite. Ho hum

.

.

Please Not Again,

I can't imagine Obama being that stupid.

...other states...meddling.......elsewhere?

Hmmm, dunno, but I'm guessing you do ;)

Unfortunately, I can see Cameron and his immature "mates" licking the USA's lollipops if USA are stupid.

The solution would be a decent ME settlement of Palestinian problems.

Also to remember at the end of the day "its the economy" which counts.

I think Iran is the biggest threat to the western world, since the Cuban crisis in 1962.
I am not a war monger, but I just can't see Iran pausing in its bid to develop nuclear weapons.

If as I do, you feel that diplomacy will not work, then what is the alternative to a military strike.
Diplomacy has been tried for years, with little success, so whilst that diplomacy must continue, we are very close to decision time, IE do we strike now before it's too late, or wait, watch and talk whilst Iran's nuclear program reaches a stage where they are able to strike back with a nuclear missile.

There are many who use the argument, 'We have nuclear weapons, what right have we to stop other countries gaining the same capability'.
My argument to that is, 'Allowing some countries to have nuclear weapon capability is just too dangerous for the rest of us'. Fairness does not come into it.

I feel that the world would be a far better place if all such weapons were destroyed, but it would not be possible, as no doubt any country with sense would 'hide a few' just in case others did the same.

This world can not survive on trust alone as no country fully trusts another.

My wish is that we have no more wars, but if it comes to them or us, then it had better be them. Simplistic perhaps, but whats the alternative?

So as for Iran, what would you do, strike first, or sit back and wait and see what will happen.

Some guy bought a new fridge for his house.
To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a
Sign on it saying: 'Free to good home. You want it, you take it.'
For three days the fridge sat there without anyone looking twice.
He eventually decided that people were too mistrustful of this deal.
So he changed the sign to read: 'Fridge for sale $50.'

The next day someone stole it!

They walk amongst us!
-------------------------------------
I stopped at Mc Donalds and ordered some fries.
The girl behind the counter said would you like some fries with that?

--------------------------
*One day I was walking down the beach with
Some friends when someone shouted.....
'Look at that dead bird!'
Someone looked up at the sky and said...'where?'

They walk among us!

----------------------------------------------------------

While looking at a house, my brother asked the
Estate agent which direction was north because
He didn't want the sun waking him up every morning.
She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?'
My brother explained that the sun rises in the east
And has for sometime. She shook her head and said,
'Oh, I don't keep up with all that stuff......'

They Walk Among Us!
--------------------------------------------

My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria,
when we overheard an admin girl talking about the
sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach.
She drove down in a convertible, but said
she 'didn't think she'd get sunburned
because the car was moving'.

They Walk Among Us!
------------------------------------

My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car
which is designed to cut through a seat belt
if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the car trunk.

They Walk Among Us!
-------------------------------------------------
I was going out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain.
My friend said, 'Ouch! The chain must rip
out every time she turns her head!"
I had to explain that a person's nose and ear
remain the same distance apart no
matter which way the head is turned...

They Walk Among Us !
-------------------------------
I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area and went to the lost luggage office and reported the loss.
The woman there smiled and told me not to worry
because she was a trained professional and
said I was in good hands. 'Now,' she asked me,
'Has your plane arrived yet?'...
(I work with professionals like this.)

They Walk Among Us!
------------------------------------------------
While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man
ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut
into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time
then said 'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry
enough to eat 6 pieces.

They Walk Among Us!
And last, but not least:

Dumb as a box of Rocks
TRUE STORY:

A noted psychiatrist was a guest speaker at an academic function where Nancy Pelosi happened to appear. Ms Pelosi took the opportunity to schmooze the good doctor a bit and asked him a question with which he was most at ease.

'Would you mind telling me, Doctor,' she asked, 'how you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal?'

'Nothing is easier,' he replied. 'You ask a simple question which anyone should answer with no trouble. If the person hesitates, that puts you on the track..'

'What sort of question?' asked Pelosi.

Well, you might ask, 'Captain Cook made three trips around the world and died during one of them. Which one?''

Pelosi thought a moment, and then said with a nervous laugh, 'You wouldn't happen to have another example would you? I must confess I don't know much about history.'


Sadly, they walk among us!

Traffic Camera

A man was driving when he saw the flash of a traffic camera. He figured that his picture had been taken for exceeding the limit, even though he knew that he was not speeding... Just to be sure, he went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. Now he began to think that this was quite funny, so he drove even slower as he passed the area again, but the traffic camera again flashed. He tried a fourth time with the same result. He did this a fifth time and was now laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled past, this time at a snail's pace... Two weeks later, he got five tickets in the mail for driving without a seat belt..

You can't fix stupid.

One of my shares that I have been in and out of these past few years has finally taken off.

Greek referendum: Pasok MPs will not support Papandreou

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has lost the support of three of his MPs ahead of a crucial confidence motion in his government on Friday.

The Greek cabinet is meeting in emergency session at 10:00 GMT (12:00 local) after governing Pasok party MPs withdrew their support for a referendum on the eurozone bailout for Greece.

Pasok holds 152 of 300 seats, implying Mr Papandreou could face defeat.

Several government ministers have criticised the idea of a referendum.

Excellent news for the game. Salman Butt and Pakistan bowlers jailed for betting scam

Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt has been jailed for 30 months for his part in the conspiracy to bowl deliberate no-balls in last year's Test match against England.

Former world number two Test bowler Mohammad Asif, 28, was jailed for one year and bowler Mohammad Amir, 19, has been sentenced to six months.

Cricket agent Mazhar Majeed was jailed for two years and eight months.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8861852/Eagle-brings-down-paraglider-over-Himalayas.html

The Members of the HP should have been before the same Judge and Jury.

Corrupt politicians corrupt leaders, corrupt government, corrupt country and corrupt businesses, a banana republic.

If we can export more banana's we can get out of this mess , trouble is the weather is against us in this country. Fred, its not a Republic yet.

What is art?

A cleaning woman at a German museum who mistook a sculpture for an unsightly mess has destroyed the valuable artwork beyond recognition, a spokeswoman for the western city of Dortmund said Thursday.

The cleaner at the city's Ostwall Museum went to work on the Martin Kippenberger installation entitled "When It Starts Dripping From the Ceiling" which was valued by insurers at 800,000 euros ($1.1 million), she said.

The late contemporary master had created a tower of wooden slats under which a rubber trough was placed with a thin beige layer of paint representing dried rain water.

Taking it for an actual stain, the cleaner scrubbed the surface until it gleamed.

"It is now impossible to return it to its original state," the spokeswoman said, adding that the damage had been discovered late last month and that the work had been on loan to the museum from a private collector.

She said that cleaning crews had orders to remain 20 centimetres (eight inches) away from artworks but it was unclear if the woman had received the directive from the external company that employed her.

Works of art not infrequently fall victim to zealous cleaners. In 1986, a "grease stain" by Joseph Beuys valued at around 400,000 euros was mopped away at the Academy of Fine Arts in Duesseldorf, western Germany.