Today I'll mainly be moaning about ...

[First_Lexus]

2 minutes ago, Phil xxkr said:

So what you are saying Ed is; impress your neighbours by authoritarialy speaking on a subject where, if challenged as to its veracity you would defend your position by stating there's a definite possibility of a firm maybe 😊. Are you a politician moonlighting as Ed I wonder 😎

I couldn’t possibly say what I do for a living…😇

[LenT]

23 minutes ago, Phil xxkr said:

Len I have a problem with your seventh word. It sounds too much like another Biblical referenced human activity 😉

I wish!

[Mincey]

5 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

Can I add a very British moan? I love Autumn colours as the leaves turn as much as the next man, but when they blow around everywhere and need clearing up…I don’t like them so much! I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow when it stops raining and the wind drops…

I (mostly) love Autumn. I love the colours of the leaves and kicking through them when they've fallen off. Usually I'll bag up those which end up on the front lawn and make leaf mulch. It's brilliant for protecting dahlias from frost over the winter. I used to love Autumn in Peterborough when I was growing up as we had a British Sugar factory which processed the sugar beet harvest each year. The smell which lingered over the city at this time of year reminded everyone that Christmas was approaching. When those bloody Londoners started using Peterborough as a feeder town, there was pressure to stop the smell and those outsiders won. I remember driving up the A1 to Dewsbury one year and passing the British Sugar factory at Newark (?) on the way. The Londoners had not yet put an end to that one and the smell took me right back to Games lessons on the playing fields at the end of the school day. Jumpers for goalposts, freezing cold showers afterwards... Anyway, it appears that I have digressed a tad. Oddly.

My moan about Autumn is this. Once the leaves have fallen from the trees, the low sun creates a strobe effect as it shines through the now naked trees. Driving in this is not fun. There's also the low sun in the morning which would get me on my weekly drive to Thetford and upon my return journey when it would set right at the end of the dead straight A47 between Guyhirn and Peterborough (and vice versa of course!)

 

[Mincey]

52 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

I couldn’t possibly say what I do for a living…😇

Are you a spy then? 😄

[LenT]

13 hours ago, Mincey said:

. There's also the low sun in the morning which would get me on my weekly drive to Thetford and upon my return journey when it would set right at the end of the dead straight A47 between Guyhirn and Peterborough (and vice versa of course!)

Now there’s a thing to moan about!

Who thought it was a good idea to align roads with low rising and setting sun?  Is it some kind of Pagan devotional act, like Midsummer Boulevard in Milton Keynes?

Some years ago, I was driving my Honda Prelude - a not inconsiderable lump of bright red metal - along one of MK’s dual carriageways when I was T-boned by a driver entering from a side road.  He claimed he was so dazzled when looking left along the main road that he failed to see my car.

While I have some sympathy for this reason, the result was that it landed him with a substantial repair bill and me with a great deal of inconvenience.

No doubt this was less of a problem when the average method of locomotion was limited to one real horse.  Thinking back to my horse. riding days, I suspect collisions involving people on horseback were relatively uncommon.  

But now that an ordinary driver can be in command of some hundreds  of horsepowers, it is no longer an aspect of town planning that can be  ignored..

So what, I demand to know, is the Town Council doing about it?

(For younger readers, that was a reference to a broadcasting character called Fyfe Robertson, the like of whom we sadly see no more).

[First_Lexus]

I have to confess that - even though I’m going to moan about this - I also quite enjoy listening to it in short bursts, but then it gets tired very fast…

Conspiracy theorists. Since the new COVID variant was announced, they’ve been all over the radio phone-in programmes (R5LIVE, LBC etc.) especially late at night. “It’s an anagram of moronic” they cry (Omicron), “…that shows how much contempt the world Government has for us, they didn’t think we’d notice…”

Really? REALLY?! I don’t have the confidence that Governments across the world could manage such a complex conspiracy competently!

Now, a good conspiracy theory can be jolly good fun. From JFK, to 👽 aliens, whether or not man landed on the moon, Hitler living out a quiet life in Argentina…all generally very entertaining. However, with their COVID conspiracies I fear the line has been crossed, for me at least. This rubbish can put people off getting vaccinated, or wearing 😷 masks, and that just isn’t on imho.

[Phil xxkr]

2 hours ago, LenT said:

Now there’s a thing to moan about!

Who thought it was a good idea to align roads with low rising and setting sun?  Is it some kind of Pagan devotional act, like Midsummer Boulevard in Milton Keynes?

Some years ago, I was driving my Honda Prelude - a not inconsiderable lump of bright red metal - along one of MK’s dual carriageways when I was T-boned by a driver entering from a side road.  He claimed he was so dazzled when looking left along the main road that he failed to see my car.

While I have some sympathy for this reason, the result was that it landed him with a substantial repair bill and me with a great deal of inconvenience.

No doubt this was less of a problem when the average method of locomotion was limited to one real horse.  Thinking back to my horse. riding days, I suspect collisions involving people on horseback were relatively uncommon.  

But now that an ordinary driver can be in command of some hundreds  of horsepowers, it is no longer an aspect of town planning that can be  ignored..

So what, I demand to know, is the Town Council doing about it?

(For younger readers, that was a reference to a broadcasting character called Fyfe Robertson, the like of whom we sadly see no more).

Great Post, especially 2nd para! 

[paulrnx]

Had to set the alarm this morning so that I can be up and out. Not on, it’s Sunday!

[royoftherovers]

"(For younger readers, that was a reference to a broadcasting character called Fyfe Robertson, the like of whom we sadly see no more)."

Ah, Len. Such wonderful TV  and Radio personalities did indeed exist..

Fyfe also "appeared" in one of Kenneth Horne`s Radio Team along with;

Rife Hobertson, Fanny Haddock, Athur Fallowfield and Ricky Livid that wonderfully knowledgeable group of characters whose ability to induce laughter at Sunday lunchtime was boundless.

Thanks for the memory.

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, royoftherovers said:

"(For younger readers, that was a reference to a broadcasting character called Fyfe Robertson, the like of whom we sadly see no more)."

Ah, Len. Such wonderful TV  and Radio personalities did indeed exist..

Fyfe also "appeared" in one of Kenneth Horne`s Radio Team along with;

Rife Hobertson, Fanny Haddock, Athur Fallowfield and Ricky Livid that wonderfully knowledgeable group of characters whose ability to induce laughter at Sunday lunchtime was boundless.

Thanks for the memory.

Ditto John 

[Phil xxkr]

3 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

I have to confess that - even though I’m going to moan about this - I also quite enjoy listening to it in short bursts, but then it gets tired very fast…

Conspiracy theorists. Since the new COVID variant was announced, they’ve been all over the radio phone-in programmes (R5LIVE, LBC etc.) especially late at night. “It’s an anagram of moronic” they cry (Omicron), “…that shows how much contempt the world Government has for us, they didn’t think we’d notice…”

Really? REALLY?! I don’t have the confidence that Governments across the world could manage such a complex conspiracy competently!

Now, a good conspiracy theory can be jolly good fun. From JFK, to 👽 aliens, whether or not man landed on the moon, Hitler living out a quiet life in Argentina…all generally very entertaining. However, with their COVID conspiracies I fear the line has been crossed, for me at least. This rubbish can put people off getting vaccinated, or wearing 😷 masks, and that just isn’t on imho.

But Ed, even paranoid people get followed sometimes 🤔

[Phil xxkr]

3 minutes ago, Phil xxkr said:

Ditto John 

And the great thing was, no expletives, lavatorial references to bodily functions purporting to be funny. There was however the occasional and delightful innuendo which relied on your knowledge of the subtlety and nuances of this wonderful language of ours - just marvellous 👍

[LenT]

4 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

I have to confess that - even though I’m going to moan about this - I also quite enjoy listening to it in short bursts, but then it gets tired very fast…

Conspiracy theorists. Since the new COVID variant was announced, they’ve been all over the radio phone-in programmes (R5LIVE, LBC etc.) especially late at night. “It’s an anagram of moronic” they cry (Omicron), “…that shows how much contempt the world Government has for us, they didn’t think we’d notice…”

Really? REALLY?! I don’t have the confidence that Governments across the world could manage such a complex conspiracy competently!

Now, a good conspiracy theory can be jolly good fun. From JFK, to 👽 aliens, whether or not man landed on the moon, Hitler living out a quiet life in Argentina…all generally very entertaining. However, with their COVID conspiracies I fear the line has been crossed, for me at least. This rubbish can put people off getting vaccinated, or wearing 😷 masks, and that just isn’t on imho.

My sentiments entirely Ed.

I have spent many a happy hour debating - if such it can be called - with conspiracists.  But it’s akin to playing Wacka-mole.  I would often ask participants to provide the ONE piece of ‘incontrovertible’  evidence by which their argument would stand or fall.  

Inevitably if that was discredited then up would pop an equally fallacious alternative - often contradicting the previous position.

But the real danger of such thinking is that it discredits genuine conspiracies.  Which is why the tobacco companies of the early 60s were able to suppress their own evidence of a causal link between smoking and lung cancer.

And why that discredited crook, Andrew Wakefield, is now making a good living from gullible Americans by pandering to unsubstantiated fears about vaccines.

I once complained (Ie moaned) to the local Education Authority about an evening class to be run by a homeopath.  My  complaint was that she was claiming to teach ‘cures’ that even her own Association would not support.  They cancelled her class.  I suggested they ran courses in Critical Thinking instead.

It is astonishing that there are still people who will claim that the Moon Landings were faked despite practical evidence to the contrary.  Or that the Twin Towers attack was a US plot.

However, it is incumbent upon all of us to always remain receptive to claims that run counter to common experience.  For example, I have long been cynical about claims of ‘intelligent life’ on other plants.

But the reemergence of long-suppressed documentary evidence has caused me to rethink this possibility.  I’ve examined it closely.  It’s either a very clever piece of fakery - or it’s genuine.

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok6CoIwcJ-E

[First_Lexus]

1 hour ago, Phil xxkr said:

But Ed, even paranoid people get followed sometimes 🤔

My Doctor once diagnosed me with paranoia…well, he didn’t actually say I had it, but I know that’s what he was thinking.

(I’ll get my coat…😆)

[dutchie01]

23 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

As with many things in history, there are likely numerous causes as there are numerous theories. My specialist field isn’t (well, wasn’t) social history, it’s political history. My post was simply articulating views from a lecture I attended (voluntarily because I was interested) about ten years ago, delivered by a specialist in Social History. A few weeks later I attended another dealing with the impact of football and organised sport on society and social mobility, which was equally fascinating.

I find the whole subject interesting, and the views since I posted show there are lots of other theories out there. ‘‘Twas ever thus. My dissertation was deliberately provocative - asserting (in simple terms) that the US forced Japan into the attack at Pearl Harbour because they wanted a war to destroy an increasingly strong rival. There was much debate about that at the time (early 90s). There’s an argument for it, but plenty of arguments against it. It’s only opinion based on interpretation of particular facts, and that’s what I love about history!

And that brings me to a real mown. Judging history with todays morals and values.

Cancelling heroes,names, events, statues seem pretty popular in some circles.

[paulrnx]

1 hour ago, dutchie01 said:

And that brings me to a real mown. Judging history with todays morals and values.

Cancelling heroes,names, events, statues seem pretty popular in some circles.

Agreed. Most definitely.

[Mincey]

17 hours ago, dutchie01 said:

And that brings me to a real mown. Judging history with todays morals and values.

Cancelling heroes,names, events, statues seem pretty popular in some circles.

Hear, hear!

[royoftherovers]

2 hours ago, Mincey said:

Hear, hear!

English Law is not introduced retrospectively, so why should any individual or group apologise for something done by others in a preceding time ?

History is history and when I was a lad could only be changed by Russian Governments !🤣

[Mincey]

Meetings!

Today I've had two meetings scheduled, neither of which I was looking forward to at all. Both were cancelled and rescheduled for tomorrow. This means I've got to endure the "I'm not looking forward to this meeting" stress all over again in the morning. I am not happy about this at all, make no mistake!

[serbarry]

I am quite annoyed by all these electric scooters on the streets. I must admit there are only a few where I live in Ireland but in Italy and where my parents live in Palermo it is an invasion. Especially there, it seems that they do not care about rules and you always risk to run over one of them. 

[Mincey]

5 hours ago, serbarry said:

I am quite annoyed by all these electric scooters on the streets. I must admit there are only a few where I live in Ireland but in Italy and where my parents live in Palermo it is an invasion. Especially there, it seems that they do not care about rules and you always risk to run over one of them. 

You are leaning against an open door with me there. They're as bad as cyclists. No, worse!

[Mincey]

Biggles. Or Maverick. I don't care who you're flying for, but can you stop going round, and round, and round, and round at high altitude above Peterborough please? The Wash isn't too far from here in a jet fighter. Go and play over there where you're not disturbing anyone.

[dutchie01]

22 hours ago, serbarry said:

I am quite annoyed by all these electric scooters on the streets. I must admit there are only a few where I live in Ireland but in Italy and where my parents live in Palermo it is an invasion. Especially there, it seems that they do not care about rules and you always risk to run over one of them. 

scooters with a smoking stinking loud two stroke engine are far worse!

[dutchie01]

With the risk of opening a can of worms... People that do not get a jab as they are doing their own research or think they have more knowledge about medicine and epidemics than scientists.

[stepheneric]

People who use cliche's, does my head in, having said that and moving forward I do appreciate a good pun!