pmccarthy

Today we should be singing "Bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover" to celebrate freedom.

For those critics who say that the Bluebird is American and there never were or will be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover, remember Malcolm Campbell.

Somewhere In Sahara

We have a story in the news at present about people who were sexually abused in the military. People have come forward to say they were black-balled with shoe polish, had their heads shoved down the toilet and were b.ggered with a broom handle.

Ok, the broom handle thing is sexual abuse and I reckon I would be traumatised too. But I have been black balled, had the toilet treatment and never thought of it as legally redressable abuse. I complained at the time and was told to harden up, which I did.

In the mines, when someone was getting married they were shaved (yes there) with a cut throat razor and had slogans painted all over their bodies with Ghentian violet, which lasts a couple of weeks. It was a big joke. In the cage going underground the young blokes were often grabbed by old perves, but we shut up and took it.

So, my question is, is my experience unusual? Or can I conclude that nearly everyone went through this back then (at least in the 60s and 70s) and learned to keep on smiling? If so, are these people giving evidence today just wimps, or just the tip of an iceberg? My wife says it is all abuse and the abusers should be prosecuted. I think we will have half the country in gaol!

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The poor people used to be skinny. Now they are super fat with tatts. How does that work?

Sandfire Resources is comissioning one of the world's largest solar photovoltaic-diesel hybrid power systems in an outback WA mine. Shows what is becoming possible with solar + battery storage.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-08/solar-pv-diesel-hybrid-power-ramped-up-at-copper-mine/7492348

I think we are nearly at a point when the greenies will discover nuclear energy as the salvation of the planet. If we start building power stations now they will come on line in time to stop global warming going over two degrees. Or maybe not. But nuclear is the obvious clean base load energy source.

Ahhh! The myth of Robin Hood. Was he real? Was he a Nottinghamshire noble? Was he an archer?

I refer you to a little volume entitled "Robin Hood - The man behind the myth" by Graham Phillips and Martin Keatman 1995 ISBN 1-85479-996-7 which explores the historical records. Their research identifies a peasant revolutionary from Wakefield, Yorkshire in the 1320's when Edward ll was king.

 

1320 Welsh border barons, father and son, both named Hugh Despenser, gain the King’s favour,

 

1320 The Scots assert their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath

 

1322 Barons’ rebellion, led by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, is crushed at the Battle of Boroughbridge in Yorkshire.

 

1326 Edward’s wife, Isabella, abandons him and with her lover, Mortimer, seizes power and deposes Edward. The Despensers are both put to death.

 

1327 Edward is formally deposed by Parliament in favour of Edward III, his son, and is murdered in Berkeley Castle on the orders of his wife, Isabella

 

One fact that militates against Robin Hood being a nobleman is his alleged great skill with the long bow. That was not a weapon that a nobleman would ever consider using.

 

OME

All speedos under-read, as they are meant to. Using GPS I like to cruise at 102 kph which is 107kph on many car speedos, so I am always coming up behind people. It only bothers me on a dual road when two sit side by side for miles and don't have the courtesy to adjust their speeds so one can pull into the left lane. Usually such people will ignore flashed headlights and even tailgating because they know that God is on their side.

OME, I will be interested in your findings.A book on WW1 worth reading is "The Guns of August" which won a Pulitzer prize. The author had access to previously unknown sources, like the letters generals etc wrote to their wives, where they said what they really thought.

 

Churchill certainly was an unusual character and a maverick, yet he became the leader of the Tories.

 

Here's a sad fact... more than half of young British people think that Churchill was a mythical character, like Robin Hood.

Was it the fireman's first date?

Yesterday we had about 50 rabbits in the house paddock. Today I hope there are none. I shoved Phostox down about ten burrows with wet newspaper and sealed the entrances. Its very satisfying to look out the window and see none of the little b-----s.

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This shows that weight and balance problems exist elsewhere and that endemic behavioural problems can be found in other industries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-35823182

The MAIB report is here

https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/listing-flooding-and-grounding-of-vehicle-carrier-hoegh-osaka

No annual inspections in Vic.

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Stone sculpture was at base of tree.

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Whatever happened to that lovely fellow who posted here for a while and whose voice sounded just like Phil's. I wonder what he thinks about the EU?

Try translating " humourless".

Yes, it was Wooden Heart. We really need a cunning linguist.

Muss i denn, muss i denn

Zum Stadtele hinaus

Stadtele hinaus

Und du, mein schat, bleibst hier?

Paws before barking.

Just tried to help. I use Google translate a lot. Will sit on my hands next time.

Google translate works pretty well these days.

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I'm with FT this time. Rolf got a raw deal and history will exonerate him. The Poms will be made to retract their accusations about this Aussie Hero who will one day get an OA on Australia Day. (Or did he already have to give one back?). Anyway, the case is far from proved, as FT's petition demonstrates. Two little boys had two little toys..... etc etc.

I was driving a minibus full of Uni students through Stawell Victoria the morning after Bondy won the Americas cup. They did the same on the rear window all the way up the Main Street. Perhaps some ladies crashed there also.