Ah - sorry to reply to myself, but makes sense now, GP being Pope rather than my post - I miscounted.

Thanks for a sane and considered reply. Yep, I've been making an effort to get to the gym a few times a week over the last few months and it certainly helps. Along with careful calorie counting, 20 or 30 pounds has come off, but plenty to go. I've found the livestrong 'myplate' website a reasonable help in the latter, though it's by no means perfect (and a bit preachy for my taste).

But it really does get tedious seeing the morons on here talking about how easy it is if you have some willpower etc. You don't like eating as much? Have a higher metabolism? Weren't brought up to seek comfort in food the same way when bored or low? Lucky you - I bet you have other personality flaws you could be working on. Try finding a tiny bit of empathy for a start. (Now flame away :) ).

I know it's silly to bother starting a debate with an AC, but I genuinely don't understand this comment, care to expand on it?

Rubbish. I'm obese and cook 90% of my meals myself, with fresh meat and veg. I also enjoy my food too much, work a desk job, and struggle to make time to exercise enough.

To lose weight you have to consume fewer calories or burn more of them. Which makes it sound easy, which it is not.

I believe you're referring to Lewis Caroll (/Charles Dodgson). CS Lewis may have been a born again bore, but as far as I'm aware his only crime against kids was mediocre Christian allegory?

I generally prefer his non sci-fi stuff, (the Crow Road is possibly my favourite 'straightforward fiction' ever) but would really recommend the latest Culture one, Surface Detail. I only picked it up as my other half had just read it, but found I really enjoyed it (although he still can't stop himself spending half his time coming up with unneccessarily ridiculous names for all the characters, even when he has a decent story to tell).

Really? Surely it is? My understanding was that the name isn't as silly as it sounds however (it's named after the initial sponsor, not the planet).

Developer == nothing better to do with time than faff around with Window managers?

Here: http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/emoticon-keyboard-25-01-2011/

although I can't get the link to the supposed creators to work.

Hmm - speaking as a European who can't remember the last time he saw a Dodge, he might have been off on a few things... :)