[elcid1970]

Wait a second! I'll be 58 in November! And I like beer, wine, and red meat (though I have no need of a four-handled tankard).

You mean.....? Me and Charles V? Geez, this is going to be one h--- of a crash!

And I never even got to rule Europe or threaten France.

Oh, well.........

[SAJ]

Speaking as an occasional sufferer from gout, just eat LOTS of cherries. Somehow or other, a chemical in cherries dissolves the sodium urate that causes the problem.

Also, if you have an attack of gout, a great palliative (until you can see your doctor, of course) is 4 x 200 plain old generic ibuprofen t.i.d. NSAIDs work well against gout in many people (sadly, not all).

[my right]

hell, go ahead and threaten france, you can never tell, they might surrender