Have a good one boy.
See you soon.
Andy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWIlGnJDRzw

Based on a Japanese film.

so what? the great british public seem so eager to be part of ‘something’ these days – is it because many have little interest of their own outside of shopping and ‘reality’ TV ??

I wonder about that too.
I have to say that the masses in this country are a pretty dismal lot on the whole.

And if we are to remember that ghastly day with poetry, let’s have something that was written by someone who was there.
Lieutenant William Noel Hodgson MC, 9th Batt. The Devonshire Regiment, was killed near Fricourt on July 1st 1916. He is buried at Mansel Copse Cemetery.

“The Devonshires held this trench. The Devonshires hold it still.”

“Before Action”

By all the glories of the day
And the cool evening’s benison
By that last sunset touch that lay
Upon the hills when day was done,
By beauty lavishly outpoured
And blessings carelessly received,
By all the days that I have lived
Make me a soldier, Lord.

By all of all man’s hopes and fears
And all the wonders poets sing,
The laughter of unclouded years,
And every sad and lovely thing;
By the romantic ages stored
With high endeavour that was his,
By all his mad catastrophes
Make me a man, O Lord.

I, that on my familiar hill
Saw with uncomprehending eyes
A hundred of thy sunsets spill
Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice,
Ere the sun swings his noonday sword
Must say good-bye to all of this; –
By all delights that I shall miss,
Help me to die, O Lord.

Was anyone every tried for war crimes for the 1st World War. With that casualty list they should have.
My Grand Father was gassed and invalided out of the war. Don’t know about his service record unfortunately.
My mum said he never really recovered from his injuries.

The Germans were by the Treaty of Versailles, which implemented vast war reparations.

Paul, thanks for the timely reminder of ‘The First Day’.
I once stood at La Boisselle at 07,30 hrs on July 1st (1996) and took part in the service of remembrance there. There really wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

A.

If everyone only bought what they NEEDED as opposed to what they WANTED the would would, literally, be a poorer place. Which links in to the second point. People spend money to make themselves happy, on things which give them pleasure. You enjoy old bikes and vehicles and no doubt have spent a few quid in your time, on that enjoyment. We all seal our pleasures in different ways and very few come completely free.

Yes Charlie, you’re correct–but you miss the point. None of it made me very happy–in fact it made me downright unhappy much of the time, and if you think about it, were the instigator of this whole thread to be happy with a 14″ portable B&W set, then he’d be happier too because he wouldn’t be tear-arsing around the country arguing with half-wits over TV sets.
Instead he could be at home relaxing, drinking a glass of wine, or making love to a young woman or whatever gets him through the night.
These days I find it better to take my pleasures small and near to home–plus I get the satisfaction of knowing (and it really is satisfaction) that someone isn’t getting rich quick out of my spending stupid amounts of money on things just to say I own them.
And as to motorcycle ownership, there are one or two about here but nothing very valuable these days. I work on the principle of what an old pilot once told me:”If it flies, f*cks, or floats–then rent it”.

End of the day, ferreting around In mud looking for bits of planes or nailing a cockpit back together isn’t my forte, I get enough of them at work, especially at the moment with a Spar replacement on the go.

Nor me, I find endless discussions on ali scrap or bits of dead aeroplanes about as exciting as watching Glastonbury on television.

Movies are my forte and to be able to watch them in Cinema quality is a driving force… It’s swings and roundabouts, simply because I do not enjoy the same things as you, do not deride my hobbies. I think you should look at the 4k picture quality before you comment, indeed visit the cinema, as that is what they are using.

I’m not deriding your hobbies, I’m trying to make you see the light as far as someone making a fast buck out of you. You’re not stupid, so why pay these people fortunes of hard-earned for something you neither need or probably actually want that much.

As for price, why does that come into it? It’s all relative as to your spending power, and it’s well within mine

Yes, I’m sure it is, and probably mine if I really wanted it. it’s the same argument I used for years over flash motors. Then one day I realised that what I was getting out (in pleasure) wasn’t anything like what I was spending out.

I realise that many of my views don’t fit in with modern consumer culture where the biggest, shiniest, latest is the best–and must have. however, I’ve been there before you and it’s crap. It really doesn’t make you happy and of course, we’re strongly urged by the system to spend, spend and spend again.
And before anyone asks, this isn’t some pre-amble to some religious nonsense either, it’s just what I’ve seen.

You called this thread ‘Rant time’ and I’m having mine.

£4K or a TV:highly_amused:

I won’t even pay £145.50 for the licence…rather go without given the rubbish that’s on

I agree. When the current set expires, I won’t be bothering with another–it’s a complete waste of time and money.
I suffered about 12 minutes of the Rolling Stones at Glastonbury this evening and then turned it off. The sight of a load of grinning half wits gesticulating at a load of OAPs lurching around a stage made me realise that I’m lost as far as the modern world is concerned.
Quite happy with that situation to be honest.