Normon

What 'random officials' are they? Isn't it a good thing for a Policeman to be able to confirm somebody's identity without having to hold them and go through details? Are you worried about a Policeman being able to identify you? Would you rather take a load of house receipts to the bank/store lender, or just an ID card? I can see criminals objecting, or green-haired earring-adorned anarchists, but why on Earth would a normal, mature, tax-paying citizen object to something that should help us all?

Which was the whole point of the tests, and the reason that they were universally adopted. Of course, the "culturally independent" nature of the tests is called into questioin when comparative tests across difference cultures/nations/races shows profound differences between those races. Mind you, for people who travel the world, the results of the tests in different nations can be predicted pretty closely . . .

Perhaps the first generation of ID cards will not be entirely secure, but the idea is a good one. Doubtless in future a more secure version can be issued, and that has to be a good thing. Who apart from criminals can object to having to carry ID?

In the same way as London taxpayers subsidise the rest of England, English taxpayers subsidise Scotland and Wales – hugely! Which makes it annoying that Scottish students are given the same higher education rights in England as English kids, while English kids have to pay more than the Jockinese at Scottish universities. I find it amazing that this is legal. Set Scotland free - and let them pay their own way, using small bags of haggis as currency.

Polishing 'main bits' isn't a problem, and I'd recommend Anchor Auto Polishers, just opposite Armando’s scooters round the corner from CCC's, near Bramall lane. However, if you want somebody to get into all the nooks and crannies, let me know if you find somebody - I've only seen that done on TV, on Boyd Coddingham custom cars that cost hundreds of thousands. Back in the UK, I don't know of a single polisher who's willing to use a Dremmel or similar to get into all the corners - it's mind-numbing work, uses loads and loads of consumables, and will cost a packet. The best I’ve been able to do is get the main areas polished by a polishing shop, then get into the corners myself. Annoying - I’d be happy to pay.

Yes, deeply sadly. Many African cultures have become convinced that AIDS can be cured by raping either a white woman, or a virgin. The best way to ensure virginity in the victim is to target a very young victim. No apologist should ever try to excuse such cultures for that kind of twisted, sub-human selfishness and stupidity.

Above 40" it has to be plasma for picture quality. Up to 40", there's not much in it for picture. However, LCDs are much more reliable than plasmas, so up to 40", it has to be LCD every time. (I base this on advice from a friend who runs a Curry's superstore).

There are all sorts of issues which come under the general heading of 'compatibility'. Unless you're both of a similar intelligence level, the relationship will either be an imbalanced (and hollow) one with one domineering character, or just plain unsuccessful, because without comparable minds you just can't communicate.

Sweet Jesus, the poor child was only 2. How? Just how can somebody bring themselves to do that?

Oh, perhaps I should apologise to you, for your wrongly calling me a liar? Most people do understand the difference between lying and making a mistake, but that's clearly beyond you. Never mind. I had no intention of giving you an English lesson, but if you insist, I suggest you start with the verb 'to be'. Use 'you were' not 'you was'. Kindergarten stuff. Now, 'end of' as you so eloquently put it, for the sake of the other SF members at least, who need not be subjected to our bickering

Let's be serious here - I'm not conducting research, and the questionnaire design is exactly the way I wanted it. Thanks for the tips, all the same.

I understand Bartfarst just picked up a handful of medals, including a gold, for pistol shooting at the US Armed Forces Interational Skill at Arms Meeting, so he'd be a good choice. Is Timo a master swordsman?

No, it's not that straightforward. Making an error (which is still a matter for debate, but that aside) does not make somebody a liar. Deliberately stating something known to be untrue is lying, which I did not do. As you clearly don't have the manners or grace required to apologise, the belittlement stands. We can indeed leave it at that.

As one of the leading protagonists for flogging and hanging, I rarely baulk at the idea of stringing up shoplifters, let alone the murderers of an innocent child, but in this case there simply isn’t any information out yet – we have no idea at all what happened. Once there’s a little information available, I may volunteer to pull the lever on the gallows, but until then we don’t know whether this was just a tragic accident.

I thought that we already had quite a league of heated duels here on SF anyway. It does appeal. Swords - Rapier, katana or English broadsword? Pistols - at 10, 20 or 50 paces? Or maybe rifles, standing shots at 300 yards? Would the mods turn a blind eye to the odd poster being skewered, or shot? Two ex-colleagues of mine used to have dictionary duels. Each would in turn ask the other to define a difficult word from a big thick Oxford dictionary - the loser was the first to fail to recognise the word, or work it out from the Latin/Greek origin. They did both look like 1960s Open University lecturers.