Been reading the threads about it on 2+2.  Got depressed that two of the first questions were 'What's the rakeback?' and 'Can you use HEM?'  Regs gonna reg I guess.

It's a start for American online poker, from what I can gather so far Americans who are in Nevada (don't have to be residents, just in the state borders) can play on it.  I haven't yet found any information if non-Americans visiting Nevada can play on it yet.  They had some software funk the first day but a lot of people are somewhat excited.

I think it's a fold.  If he seems competent then I can't see him leading this board into five people on that flop without a decent chunk of equity.  I think all value hands he could have which we beat check behind or call in the case of the river practically always.  KTdd, AA and QQ don't and you probably never have AA, QQ or 88 here so he can value raise KTdd pretty much always with confidence that quads is hard to make.  Pretty much those or complete balderdash in his hand IMO, just feels pretty strong and an odd spot to trip barrel garbage pre antes.  Has he shown down many hands at all or do you think he'd over value AQ and lower flushes etc here?  Snap raise, tank raise, insane Hollywood triple sigh raise on the end?

Probably a fold.  I say all that, in game I probably just see five blues and flick it in.

I remember an old Eddie Izzard stand up routine where he went into a serious bit about vandals compared to builders.  He said the lure of vandalising something is all about 'changing the energy or make up' of something, much like the desire to build, but vandalising something is of course a lot more easier.

I think it's the same with chatbox warriors.  It's obviously much harder to build a rapport with people and build friendships, much easier to affect people by being rude and abusive.  And that buzz of affecting another life, changing something which wouldn't have been changed without you, is probably the desire most if not all people crave.  Most people like to be noticed and remembered.  And to mess with stuff, either positively or negatively.

Reason as to why?  They are yet to invent a computer screen that can punch you on the nose.

Seriously it's as simple as that.  For different reasons a lot of people enjoy the pain and discomfort of others, most people suppress these feelings as they are wrong and immoral.  However people get a buzz out of affecting people.  The lighter souls in life feel better about themselves after they help someone and you can make the case that they've actually helped someone to make themselves feel better about theirselves and therefore it's all for selfish reasons.

Others prefer the much easier route of making other peoples' days worse than their own.  'Something bad has happened to me, I want you to feel worse than I do.'  That one is normally a snap reaction, heat of the moment 'I'm disappointed, someone else must be to blame, someone else must pay' sort of reaction.

A few down the bottom end of the spectrum have an almost fetish like enjoyment of the discomfort of others, and will actively try to upset and affect other people in a negative way.  It's how they get their buzz and give themselves validation.

And on the internet there is an assumed anonymity which makes all of the above consequence free in the mind of the perpetrator (although as we have seen in recent Twitter and Facebook related court cases, this is now no longer true as a rule).

Cliffs:  People have always done stupid and hurtful things to other people.  Technology allows us to do this in brand new ways.

I will be reading Mr Wicked Penguin.

Best of luck man.

I'm not entirely comfortable with all the 'naming and shaming' in these cases.  There probably is a public interest when a person has been charged, such as Clifford and Hall.  However the ones just being questioned and then having their identity leaked make me feel a little uneasy.  Mainly because the average public sentiment, especially after Saville, is 'no smoke without fire.'  It's meant to be innocent before proved guilty.  Don't get me wrong, if something is proved then use the full force of the law to chuck people in a hole.  It's just after Saville there seems to be a somewhat witch-hunty desire to find someone to blame and enact vengeance upon them, which is probably exacerbated by the perceived missed opportunity to make Saville pay for his crimes now he's dead.

That being said the amount of rapes and sexual offences which go unpunished is absolutely shocking and something seriously needs to be done about it from the highest level.

Am I the only one here now thinking of buying five packs of Minstrels to check this out?

Plus I really do like Minstrels.

Is 5 a significant sample size?  I would have thought you'd need to buy at least 12 bags...

Good shout Boshi.  Now I'm planning to make an online order from Tescos of 25 bags of Minstrels only.  Then ask the delievery dude 'So, any substitutes?'

Am I the only one here now thinking of buying five packs of Minstrels to check this out?

Plus I really do like Minstrels.

Make sure you catch these two on IPlayer tikay

Stunning

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0176ql9/Great_Bear_Stakeout_Episode_1/

Absolutely wonderful stuff.

On a semi related note, Tikay have you seen that 'Mountain Men' show on History?  Aside from the usual frustrating History channel stuff of only having 25 minutes of a show padded out to an hour, I find it fascinating.  It covers people who have basically decided to live 'off the grid.'  One of the best parts of it IMO is how you have one major character basically living on a hill on private land whining about how everything he's doing is hard (which to be fair compared to my life it probably is), then you look at the other two either living surrounded by bears and wolves in Montana or miles from another human being in the cold reaches of Alaska, and these two are really just getting on with it.

Sigh, did a 12.  Got the blood one mixed up like I always do.

Not the greatest but considering some of the other selections Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) deserves a nod.

Also if you're a sucker for multi instrument muscians like me then Katzenjammer is worth a gander.

I assume you'll invite the whole of Blonde to the Wedding.

We should at least remember fondly her greatest achievement - she was the undoubted star of Spitting Image.

How many people nowadays could name half of the cabinet?  Thanks to the late Sunday night viewing, pretty much everyone at school could do so for the years that it ran.

Seriously forgot how good Spitting Image could be, so I've just spent a couple of hours watching the very best (and sometimes worst) I could find on YouTube, thanks for the reminder Sheriff.

As for this, pretty much agree with Jakally and Mohican earlier in the thread.  Plenty of time has passed and will be plenty in the future to discuss the legacy.  Today boils down to 'Widow dies of stroke.'

The best way to sum it all up for me would probably be another more subtle Spitting Image gem.

Not speaking ill of the dead is not avoiding sensible debate on important matters of history.  I'm just finding the people who seem to have been primed for action at the very moment they heard this news to either praise her to the heavens or reveal in her death completely distasteful.

I'm willing to discuss anything of her political history you want, the way she beat all odds in her own party to lead it, how the country was screwed when she got there, how much we needed a PM like that, how she went far too far, how the Unions did have too much power, how the Unions were needed and vital and were unfairly destroyed, how a combination of Thatcher and corrupt Union leaders directly lead to families falling to bits and lives destroyed, how she forged alliances with the US and Russia, how she alienated us with Europe, the positive elements of competition which made the UK a financial powerhouse, how that capitalism lead to the inequalities in today's society and the financial crash and how Labout had 13 years to do something about Thatcherisum and didn't do a damn thing.  Pick any bit you want, all the above and a whole heap more.

On reflection, if nothing else, it was certainly a life to be remembered.

Margaret Thatcher was a British hero. I think she embodied the determination and spirit great British leaders through history have displayed and she was respected as a great leader by major powers throughout the world. She protected British interests with undeniable zeal and enhanced our international reputation no end. I remember watching her in the commons bashing up the opposition time and again. I can only imagine how many people, particularly women, she must have inspired and empowered along the way. Her rise to power from humble roots in a male-dominated environment is a great British success story and I salute her life on this sad day.

Obviously all her policies were not universally acclaimed but then again I wonder which world leader has enjoyed such universal acclaim? We live in a democratic country and any policy must be voted in by a majority. The fact that her policies are deemed as personal to her only show what an incredible influential figurehead she was. As far as I can remember she didn’t urge Britain to attack a foreign country in an illegal war with false evidence like Blair did. I figure dropping bombs on innocent people is a more outrageous policy than creating some “hardship”. Yet one is a millionaire peace envoy and the other is the wicked witch of the west. Politics is a funny old game.

Now for anybody talking about historical figures in British history I enjoy studying British history myself. Do people know that....

King Henry VIII introduced the poll tax to Britain in 1520.

The Wars of the Roses circa 1455-1485 was a relentless bloody civil war fuelled by the social & economic divide between the North and the South.

These two things came to mind because the greatly vilified Thatcher is deemed responsible for Britain’s problems that began at the dawn of time. The poll tax was never her idea, it’s been implemented throughout history and the divide between North and South has been a constant since medieval times. I don’t greatly care if people ignore all the positives and fist-pump her death because it is much more a reflection of their character than hers.

“Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides”

"To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say. You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning."

"I want my money back!"

RIP Iron Lady

Universal acclaim?

There hasn't been a more hated political figure in modern history.

I take it you mean British political figure Keith.  Otherwise I have to say Pol Pot is probably hated somewhat more.