Tough Old Bird

[PNWbrit]

which is now a shell of its former self.

Just wait for the Brexit.... even more shell like after that.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Did I get that kinda right? My lense is fucked up as all I got now is expat parents who don't even enjoy visiting anymore, a set of disfunctional cousins from Worthing, A Mason uncle who retired from the Post Office early from a mental breakdown and some long time friends who live in Birmingham and Sheffield. There are only so many pints, cuppas and knock about is the park I can stand before i just feel it is all so sad. All I see is country with so little hope.

[Timberridge]

what was once the world's most respected country which is now a shell of its former self.

How far back are we going? 1776? 1812?

[Foggy_Goggles]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/...55_233x453.jpg

Your right, poor choice of words...you know what I'm saying. The Brits used to be pretty good at raping, pillaging, building cars (strike that), killing shit, civil engineering, chocolate, steel, Benson & Hedges etc.

Now they are good at...Crying in their beer lamenting the good old days...you tell me.

[PNWbrit]

All I see is country with so little hope.

I haven't been back since me Ma's funeral seven and a half years ago. Probably only my Dad's funeral would be what I'd go back for again?... I did spend a few hours in Heathrow a while back changing planes though.

But so little hope kind of sums it up well.... a culture of stay clinging on to make do will perhaps get us by... I think that's a large part of why the nonsensical petty-nationalism Brexit movement has gathered traction... "we'd all be so much better off if it wasn't for Brussels.... even though all the evidence proves we actually will be far worse off.. "

At least it's Liz's 90th though and they can get the bunting out and have a good old knees up at the pub... Although most of those have closed down and become KFCs or Burger Kings.

[Timberridge]

Yeah, I know what you were saying. I spent my early years in a former colony. The Brits had a certain flair for things.

I still have my Matchbox/Lesney collection of vehicles that I got as birthday and Christmas presents.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

You guys are missing the point. I agree luck plays a big role in deciding whether you live or die in these circumstances but it's HOW you make it through, not THAT you make it through that I'm talking about. If you were in the military then thanks for your service. Did you keep your shit together during the attacks? How many of the entitled shitheads that we've got running around here today could do the same? These people were subjected to some hard times, shit we can barely imagine and they came through. They could have given in, surrendered (like the French) and let Hitler win but they fought on. I for one honor them for it. If you choose not to, that's up to you.

I think you're missing the point. Simply surviving doesn't mean you have courage. I'm sure some people who survived were very courageous and most just made it through. This has nothing to do with my "honoring" them, it's just a fact. It would be like saying everyone who made it through the depression had "sack", not likely. I think Britain's stand against Hitler in WW2 was heroic, that's not saying every person in the UK at the time was a hero, that would be hyperbole and trite.

As far me keeping my shit together, most people that know me would say I'm pretty much imperturbable. I've never lost my shit in situations of extreme duress and there's been quite a few.

[Garth Bimble]

I'm sure some people who survived were very courageous and most just made it through.

As far me keeping my shit together, most people that know me would say I'm pretty much imperturbable. I've never lost my shit in situations of extreme duress and there's been quite a few.

WADR, the only person alive that is "imperturbable" is Chuck Norris and I know you're not Chuck Norris because he doesn't have to brag that he's "pretty much imperturbable". That said, if one of Hitler's rockets was about to come crashing down on your empty head my money would be on you getting "perturbed" so maybe you should check yourself and show a little more respect for those who went through something that you should get down on your knees and thank whatever god you might worship that you never have to.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

WADR, the only person alive that is "imperturbable" is Chuck Norris and I know you're not Chuck Norris because he doesn't have to brag that he's "pretty much imperturbable". That said, if one of Hitler's rockets was about to come crashing down on your empty head my money would be on you getting "perturbed" so maybe you should check yourself and show a little more respect for those who went through something that you should get down on your knees and thank whatever god you might worship that you never have to.

Are you old or do you just have short term memory loss? I already said I've had SCUD missiles hurled at me. There were impacts less than a mile from our post. We just sat in out sandbag bunkers when we heard the alarms and waited it out. Some people were a little hysterical, I wasn't. I'm not bragging, I probably lack something that causes panic and stress. I've also had artillery, mortars and heavy machine gunfire directed at me. I've been in several life threatening situations and work in a high stress environment every day where we deal with life and death situations. I don't panic or stress, I don't know what it is but it's not courage or as you put it "sack".

I do have respect for people that survived WW2 or other horrible events but it's not because I admire their courage(well, some of them) it's because I'm human and I don't like to see people suffer.

[iceman]

Perhaps being impervious to stress has made you unable to appreciate people who are very susceptible to stress but keep on going anyways.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Perhaps being impervious to stress has made you unable to appreciate people who are very susceptible to stress but keep on going anyways.

That's why I put in the part about not liking to see people suffer. I don't think I'm better than them, sometimes it might be easier if I did get a little stressed out about things. I think what Garth Bimbo was talking about is stoicism, not courage or "sack", they're different things.

[Garth Bimble]

Are you old or do you just have short term memory loss? I already said I've had SCUD missiles hurled at me. There were impacts less than a mile from our post. We just sat in out sandbag bunkers when we heard the alarms and waited it out. Some people were a little hysterical, I wasn't. I'm not bragging, I probably lack something that causes panic and stress. I've also had artillery, mortars and heavy machine gunfire directed at me. I've been in several life threatening situations and work in a high stress environment every day where we deal with life and death situations. I don't panic or stress, I don't know what it is but it's not courage or as you put it "sack".

I do have respect for people that survived WW2 or other horrible events but it's not because I admire their courage(well, some of them) it's because I'm human and I don't like to see people suffer.

Nobody's questioning your courage Aaron, maybe you could offer the same courtesy to those who have been through far worse though.

I'm curious though...you have had artillery, mortars, heavy machine gunfire and SCUDS all directed at YOU...what the fuck did you do?

[irul&ublo]

Hardly Teddy Roosevelt Jr... is it.

Unfair comparison. Ted was the only general to land with the first wave at d-day. Pretty much fixed up a landing at Utah Beach that was a mile plus off by taking charge and saying "We start the war here." Led several charges himself and got the MOH.

When Omar Bradley was asked after the war what was the bravest conduct he observed during the war, he said "Ted Roosevelt at Utah Beach."

Died of a non combat related heart attack about 2 mos later.

Teddy R's oldest son. His younger brother died with the AEF in WWI, and the two were placed next to one another at a US Army cemetery in France

[::: :::]

Words, they always get in the way...

[Garth Bimble]

FWIW...I'm sorry to go so far with this but as a student of WWII history I know how much suffering the evil caused and have a great appreciation for those who managed to overcome it. It touches a nerve when someone tries to downplay it. I wish that they would take some time to research just how horrible it was because now, almost 80 years after, that memory is fading and sooner or later we're going to have to go through it again...maybe if we remember how shitty it was we'll stop but I doubt it.

Out.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Nobody's questioning your courage Aaron, maybe you could offer the same courtesy to those who have been through far worse though.

I'm curious though...you have had artillery, mortars, heavy machine gunfire and SCUDS all directed at YOU...what the fuck did you do?

Jesus Christ you're dense. I'm not courageous and never claimed to be. You're confusing bravery with stoicism. The civilians in the UK were stoic, the RAF pilots had "sack". It's not my problem your grasp of vocabulary is limited.

Those things weren't directed solely at me, I was with a bunch of Marines and other coalition forces. I didn't do anything but enlist in the Navy. Again, you're dense or intentionally being obtuse.

[neufox47]

Her recent ancestors should have been drug into the street and guillotined. Fuck the royalty.

[Garth Bimble]

Jesus Christ you're dense. I'm not courageous and never claimed to be. You're confusing bravery with stoicism. The civilians in the UK were stoic, the RAF pilots had "sack". It's not my problem your grasp of vocabulary is limited.

Those things weren't directed solely at me, I was with a bunch of Marines and other coalition forces. I didn't do anything but enlist in the Navy. Again, you're dense or intentionally being obtuse.

If you were in the Navy, then you have my deepest respect, and a sincere apology. You certainly have more courage than I and I honor your service and sacrifice.

That said, I think you're splitting hairs when you say one had sack and another was stoic...they were all courageous IMHO but I'll leave it at that.

[iceman]

I'm curious though...you have had artillery, mortars, heavy machine gunfire and SCUDS all directed at YOU...what the fuck did you do?

Standing too close to the cans, probably.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Standing too close to the cans, probably.

Maybe I am a jerk. I get what Garth's point is and admire how stoic the people of Britain were, but saying everyone who suffered through the blitz had "sack" actually diminishes what the people who really had "sack", like RAF and 8th AF, did. Suffering through something like a aerial bombardment is a passive act and requires stoicism, climbing into a Spitfire and engaging the Luftwaffe requires "sack". That's all my point is. Words do matter. Oh, fuck the queen.

[iceman]

I wasn't saying you're a jerk bro. I was just trying to post something funny and possibly vaguely semi-apropos.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I wasn't saying you're a jerk bro. I was just trying to post something funny and possibly vaguely semi-apropos.

Well I though you were being clever. Iceman is unintentionally clever in jeans?

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Your right, poor choice of words...you know what I'm saying. The Brits used to be pretty good at raping, pillaging, building cars (strike that), killing shit, civil engineering, chocolate, steel, Benson & Hedges etc.

Now they are good at...Crying in their beer lamenting the good old days...you tell me.

I'll give the Brits this: they generally left their colonies slightly less fucked up than the competing imperialist powers despite being decidedly more bigoted than the French. That counts for something I guess.

As for the Queen, I never understood why Americans of all people give a fuck.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

As for the Queen, I never understood why Americans of all people give a fuck.

Because a majority of Americans are obsessed with celebrity, which is really what the Queen and her family are about these days. I don't get it. Someone I work with tried to engage me last night with "Did you know it was Queen Elizabath's 90th birthday?". I said yes(because of this thread) and walked away. Why would I want to talk about that?

[PNWbrit]

Unfair comparison.