Good grief - this thread has seen an exponential growth in the one and a half day and a bit I have been away from Sajha. Blimey! ""I AM a MERMAID!!!!! Pisces if you please!"" As if I didn't know! :-) Blame it on my habit of doing things well in advance - well OCCASIONALLY! I am the worst procrastinator you've ever met, I can assure you! I owed you this from last year. See, the chronic procrastinator! :-) "Highway man" hijacking people's heart ray? Grrr.. You Americans call it 'Highway' and we call it 'Motorway' here kay, so it's rather confusing! But the revised 'English' version thus: "The Motorway Man making off with the lovely maiden's 'mans' (as in hearts) And chucking 'em chillingly in the chilled-wintry English channel." Oh, the cruel cruel man! :-) Now how's that for an Iambic pentameter eh? Or is that a tetra or even a hexa one? So your tender heart is so light that it can only keep hold of the iamb? Oh, sugar - this Motorway Man had better not throw at it the usual volleys of his heavy meters then. :-) Point noted! I have been okay, la belle lady, but been very busy with life's more pressing priorities. Kay garnay. And how have you been? ********* Ol chap, ""But I suppose one man's khasi-ko-masu is another man's cardiological nightmare""" :-) What a funny git you are, mate, what a funny git. :-) This one brought Sandhurst's house down very massively. Blimey. :-) Cardiological nightmare! I like it :-) Sorry about my usual whinging but the partying and the intake on the Merlot front have tipped the cholesterol scale massively. I am in for a big trouble mitey... A six months expedition to the North Pole (aptly named 'Following the Scott trail) must seem like a tempting option. :-) ******** My goodness, the scary Ohara girl too is back! It's like old times, eh.. blimey. Where have you been all this time? Exploring the floras and faunas of the Far East somewhere? I dare not ask where, because you wouldn't answer. You very secretive, scary one! So good to see you again. ******** Jesus frigging christ - where have you been all this time, Dan? So refreshing to have you back in our midst. Hijacked by female kongaroos ray? Which ones - the ones from down the Bondi Beach.. :-) Good heavens! Oh the Beckams - they've been trotting about in LA lately, aren't they? The good ol David will now have a stab at the little game of 'saakar' (soccer)! :-) All I will say is: Oh, sugar. Now let me say that in my broken American English, since I seem to be the only Englishman in this room: Gaad Dyaamn it, Beck - hyaam. :-) But good on him - the ugly ol Posh, I hear, is so intent on boring a few holes in her poor half's pockets before long by indulging herself in countless 'retail therapy' sessions in down town LA. Retail therapy as in shopping! Gaad bless hurrrr! :-) Good to see you, mate. Do say hello if you happen to see my shodow flit past you whenever. ********** Salmyaan Rush-die - who is this git? :-) I certainly know or have 'met' one Salman though from my half-watching of a Bollywood film... oh movie rather.. with my fam folks many moons ago! :-) The one who can't stay in his clothes for long - the minute he jumps onto the stage and starts strutting his stuff with his marauding band of bottom-shaking Shakiras in some hip-pop Hindi songs, he's got to take off whatever he's wearing from his hip above.. Boy isn't this git's ego humongous! This must well be one of the reasons why I barely,, well never watch Bollywood cinemas! No offence! :-) But banters aside, I have yet to read the book. I have got two books busy collecting dust in my book case -- one is the one from the bearded Cantabrigian, the other a Coetzee. I have got my teeth into the recent Richard Dawkins at the mo - The God Delusion! Through only chapter four so far - loving it every page of the book. No one can replace the poetic genius of Dawkins' lucid prose. I must admit to liking his prose than his arguments - for they're all highbrow and skips my scattered brain all too easily. :-) It's been a very long one. So I have got to cut the crap and head toward the Nero. A hot cuppa beckons. Take care all. Have a grand weekend. Carpe diem.