No no no De, I never meant “darling” as for you, yourself. I meant it as for the country as a whole. Sorry about that, guess I could’ve written that a little differently. My apologies.

You should come over James and try “my” restaurant! I’ve been to it so many times that I’ve probably eaten my way through the menu. They have, among many dishes, a szechuan chicken and a beef curry that I could kill for! And the soups… Oh my! Yummy!

Nope, it’s not just in the US. That brown-nosed prime minister of ours, sees ghosts on every corner it seems. (he’s alas influenced, to some degree, by your “darling” Bush Jr). Just last week, the RDI made a statement saying thanks to their “monitoring” (=bugging) they’d successfully prevented a political assassination. Firstly - they wouldn’t give any details due to “national security” and secondly - I think it’s just their way of trying to justify their existence.

Chinese without a doubt. But it has to come from my favorite restaurant here in town! I’ve tried other restaurants - nothing compares to the fav!

Yep De, they are. Well at least our version of “take-from the-less-fortunate-give-to-the-fortunate”-republicans. A few weeks ago they took a deep plunge in the polls when they put out a bill, allowing the (translated into) “Defense Research Institution” to monitor phone calls and e-mails. They say monitor, everyone else say bug. For once, there was an outcry. Many of the “politicians” (more like “I’ll sit here for 4 years or so and then I can get a nice pension-politicians”) were so “tough” - they’d vote against it once the bill got to the Riksdag (Swedish parliament). Did they, the stinking cowards? Oh no, when the time came to vote, 80 or so weren’t even present (they are 349 when they’re all present). Five, I think it was, was needed to vote against their party to overthrow the bill. What happened? Four of them caved in and voted “pro”. Result: the bill passed. Now the other side of the fence says they’ll tear up this law once they get back into power. Ha, that I believe when I see it. And… what do the Swedes do? The same as usual, make a fist in the pocket, are outraged behind closed doors and go on with their lives. But, there’s still a murmur… for the first time…ever. Many of the published “letters to the editor” in the papers, on the subject, suggest that we all fill our e-mails and conversations with words like al-quaeda (spelling? It differs from the Swedish spelling of the low-lifes), bin-laden, bombings, hi-jacking and so on. That would/will keep the DRI buisy and would need for them to hire more personnel, whch in turn would look good, at least for the “government”, in the un-employment statistics. Had this happened in any other European country… well, the reaction from the public would be very very different, that’s for sure.

Too funny De! Hey - it could also be used when describing the ones in government, at the moment, here in Sweden!!

And so many of us are glad you chose to do so!

Me being optimistic? That’s a first! You could also call it being lazy, or not having the strength to do anything at home after work - I’m just glad I manage to climb the stairs when coming home. (Live on the 4th floor, no elevator in the building) Optimistic? Think I have to check the word in a dictionary… I’m more of the pessimistic kind… If you’re pessimistic, then you won’t get disappointed when things don’t/won’t work out the way you’d like. If they do - then you’ll be happy! I prefer it that way, don’t like getting disappointed!

Frank: My law (and certainly many others): S*’t happens! By the way…. it happens waaay to often it seems!

I often jokingly say “Don’t do today what you can do tomorrow”. It’s nothing I intentially choose to live by and yet I seem to do. I can’t seem to snap out of it. *deep sigh*

What a mensch she is, Rosemary Gibbons. The world needs to hear a lot more about people like her, perhaps - just perhaps - we’d go to a change for the better. Who knows. I wish I had something I could believe that strongly in.

Children as soldiers. It’s frightening, alas nothing new.

H’m, cheese… with crackers and grapes and white wine… Not a bad idea!

Either: She went out kicking and screaming Or: Hey, you didn’t let my finish that episode of…

One gets such a warm, fuzzy feeling inside just by watching this video! I love it! People who say animals don’t have either brains or memory… Well, they’ve never been around any animal.