An open thread for personal stuff, continued from here. As always: No trolls, no MRAs/PUAs/MGTOWs/dinosaurs etc, be nice. Email the mods/me if shit gets weird.
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We Hunted The MammothBucking the Backlash
We Hunted The Mammoth
@sunny
Nope!
I remember when phones didn’t have screens. In fact I remember easily a time with no mobile phones at all.
I remember when we were the only family on the street who could recieve Channel 4 (on a portable b&w tv as old as I am that didn’t have stations, but a frequency dial)
And I remember way before video tapes 🙂
At the risk of turning this into the “Four Yorkshiremen” sketch….
“Channel 4”! I remember being impressed with my posh aunty because her TV could get BBC2! ironically, the only thing I was bothered about watching was ‘Doctor Who’ anyway. Same today; I’ve never bothered with having a TV but I still have to find a way to watch Dr Who.
I remember a time when we didn’t even have BBC2 because we…er…lived in America.
But for real, when I was growing up, we didn’t have any TV reception. Which I now realize was a deliberate choice by my parents.
@alan
Our grandparents might be the same generation. I was a very late baby and my father was the youngest of 4.
His brothers fought and died in WW2, his father fought in WW1.
Most people of my generation had grandfather’s in WW2
Of course, as an Ancient Historian I regard anything post printing press as modern, and WW1&2 as current events 🙂
Also Yay for Dr Who!!
@ gilshalos
Yup, we’re of the same era.
Know what you mean about history; to me everything post AD410 is ‘modern’.
@ Katz
Your parents may have given you the best start ever.
@Alan In fact, my uncle arrived on Malta when they had just had the three biplanes (Faith, Hope and Charity) to defend them. Both my uncles were air force. My aunt was WRAF telephonist.
Suddenly I kind of want to write a novel about your family.
My mother’s mother had the ‘monacled mutineer’, Percy Topliss, turn up at her back door, and ask for food. She gave him tea cos hospitality was a sacred obligation. 😛
I should really ask my parents to write this all down, cos all I know is bits and peices.
@ gilshgalos & katz
The siege of Malta makes a fascinating background for a story.
And just to bring the conversation round full circle to gil’s earlier post: there were actually more than three aircraft but the names were retrospectively applied to them. The flight (1435) now operates in the Falklands and they always have three of the planes still carrying the names.
The Falklands Flight today. Note the Maltese Cross on the tail…
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/05/article-2336526-1A2AA15A000005DC-594_964x766.jpg
AS I say, I only know bits and pieces.
One thing I do remember my grandmother saying.
When British places were sent to Malta, they went on a carrier.
The Med was not a friendly environment.
The carriers stopped at the very limit of the planes fuel, and said. “You fly from here”
Not all of them made it.
(OK anecdata is not history…just what I was told)
@alan – Awesome!!
For all us Uk’ers (am I mistaken that there seem to be more of us these days ?)
NMA – 51st State of America
My grandfather was in the merchant navy during the war, and there was a photo album in the family of him and his shipmates aboard the boat, until my mother donated it to the Portsmouth Naval Museum. :/
Anyhoo, he was a very smart man, and eventually his brains were noticed by his superiors and he was transferred to work with the code breakers in secret services.
@ gilshalos
Interestingly, that song is *not* an NMA original. Written by a chap called Ashley Cartwright.
Here’s the original version, see what you think..
For a more folk-emphasis – Folk/rock/pagan/green….oh I’m lousy at categories Skyclad.
@Alan
Interesting.
Not as good phrasing, weaker melody line in the music.
But still great song, and lyrics.
I also find it interesting that when I pointed the song out to an American a decade or so back they assumed it was about Puerto Rico
Ooh, *love* Skyclad. Their version of “Swords of a 1,000 men” even tops the (brilliant) original.
Ashley was quite happy with the cover; he still gets the royalty cheques 🙂
And I love that song!
The American Govt already has a 51 and 52 Star version of the Flag ready for when PR enters the fold.
The Flag thing is interesting. I was in the process of doing the American Bar Exams (but then I got diverted into military law). You have to be sworn in on the US Flag; but the rules say it can be a flag that has been at *any* time the official one.
I went with this one:
http://images.delcampe.com/img_large/auction/000/159/068/536_001.jpg
Right Tenpole Tudor as the first version that came up
OK, I seem to be going manic. I apologise in advance for multi-postins and anything I might say.
Also, there is a band playing at my local Student’s Union. I vaguely know the bassist, and other people who are going. I’m social phobic leading to agoraphobic, but..I think I’m going to try and attend.
DOn’t hate me if I fail ?