What is it with the smileys on this site that I can see them sometimes, and then they disappear again. It even happens on the same visit to the site (i.e. they are there to start with, but after a refresh or come back to the page, they're gone).

they're magic smileys that can decide when to make themselves invisible to the human eye - they must like me, I can always see them

Thanks sue. In that case I must learn their patterns. There must be something that they don't like about me, I must find that. I didn't think it was anything technical really, hurray for superficial life of smileys.