** The thread for Rants & Odds and Sods **

[mercalia]

I'd like to hear KL's explanation for his assertion. His reason for saying Hitler supported Zionism's aim of a homeland for Jews at one point. I hope and expect that KL, like the rest of us, sees Hitler as the worst of human beings with the worst of motives, and any "support" for Zionism as an expedient for getting rid of people he hated through bigotry. I'm not ready to believe that KL is himself motivated by a similar line of bigotry.

yes I agree. The spectator article makes some suggestions that it may be he is getting old, had been out of the lime light for some time and is instinctively just against the political correctness that made Naz Shah recant to save her career; Livingstone hasnt really got much to lose has he as he is in his twilight? It seems that his past history of being against racism dont seem to count one jot in interpreting his comments and automatically think the worst - I think there is some thing quite sinister going on here a form of self righteousness & intolerance that is worrying; I still see in my minds eye that violent confrontation by another mp. its not as if he holds any political office, he is just an ordinary member of the labour party now?

[ChrisOntLancs]

OT

worrying lumps on the back of tongue that have been there for a month now. i'm a MASSIVE hypochondriac, which is possibly good and possibly bad.

good, because i'm worrying over nothing, or bad because i've worried about this on 3 separate occasions and i know the lumps that should be on my tongue, since i've got lots of bleeding and constant ear ache as well my hypochondria is undermined a little.

probably not the place to talk about it, but i don't have a facebook account *smirks... but it's a sulky smirk*

tomorrow when my doctor diagnoses me with 'having taste buds' or something i'll let you know so you can laugh at me.

[ChrisOntLancs]

bojo.

the only reason we like him is because he's hilarious.

outside british culture he's just a fat bloke with ridiculous hair.

but you know, i'm not paid per word.

also (the thing that's actually irritating me), banning 10 packs of cigarettes and 12g bags of tobacco. hows that going to help? i'm trying to quit, and an awful day has caused me to cave in. usually i'd just buy ten cigs, get it out of my system, give my remaining cigarettes to somebody i see smoking in the street, thank them for their "good luck" then stop smoking again. i ride a bicycle so i don't actually have the breath left for poison. it's usually a no brainer.

now when i've smoked five cigs, i feel like i want to get my money's worth, i overcome the horrible feeling of smoking, and it's harder to get out of the habit.

and i'm thinking of those addicts that don't really have a disposable income. they're going to choose smoking over anything else.

this only really helps the person selling the cigarettes.

EDIT so does anybody want these 17 cigarettes before i have to buy another pack?

[ChrisOntLancs]

"why some brits are opting for belgian citizenship"

*click*

because they live there and want to stay there.

that sounds perfectly reasonable and not at all news worthy.

[mercalia]

not my rant but Polly Toynbee's epitaph

seems like Osborne nearly as evil as Thatcher or Blair in his legacy

"It was the grave misfortune of so many millions that the sport he and his old friend David Cameron enjoyed for a while was playing with lesser people’s lives in the great game of politics. But hey, it was fun while it lasted, and the heir to the 17th baronet is off to lucrative and combative pastures new."

"Most politicians, however high they rise, leave few footprints: Osborne leaves a long-lasting legacy of deeply, truly, unprecedented Tory nastiness. Gone “for now” – hasta la vista. He may be back if the great game looks worth playing again."

now Toynbees rant is worthy of the name? worth a read?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/20/legacy-george-osborne-gone?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=222538&subid=7646217&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

[reohn2]

Yes a good read indeed and very true,do we as a country want Osborne's kind of politricks to continue as it surely will under May?

[ChrisOntLancs]

why can't the manufacturers of low end bikes list the weight?

i know it's going to be heavy, i just want to know how heavy! it's ok, if i wanted a light bike i'd probably be willing to pay the extra couple of hundred.

for £500 you should be able to make an informed decision.

and why do the people selling bikes that i like on this site have to be so tall?

[Cyril Haearn]

"why some brits are opting for belgian citizenship"

*click*

because they live there and want to stay there.

that sounds perfectly reasonable and not at all news worthy.

They are inspired by Eddy Merckx, Rik van Looy, Roger de Vlaeminck, Freddy Maertens, Piet Moeskops and the rest

Coming soon - We love Belgium!
It is a real working tri-lingual country (a few Belgians speak German as their *first* language)

[ChrisOntLancs]

i think that rant was about click bait, i forget ranting it, but that seemed to be the sand in my proverbial that day.

i'll look forward to that thread. i've never been outside the UK so i'm all over these cycling holiday threads. i'd love to hear what xenophobia sounds like over there "if they wanna come over 'ere they best learn the languages"!

i had vague plans of moving to germany later in my life but that was back when it was as easy as learning german

[reohn2]

"why some brits are opting for belgian citizenship"

*click*

because they live there and want to stay there.

that sounds perfectly reasonable and not at all news worthy.

They are inspired by Eddy Merckx, Rik van Looy, Roger de Vlaeminck, Freddy Maertens, Piet Moeskops and the rest

Coming soon - We love Belgium!
It is a real working tri-lingual country (a few Belgians speak German as their *first* language)

The last time we sailed Hull Zeebrugge there was a detachment of Belgian soldiers on board in about ten trucks.
I asked their commanding officer how they went on for communication problems in a land that spoke three languages?
He answered me in perfect English "no problem sir,we all speak the language of the least number who's language is the most fluent".
Incredible!

[Cyril Haearn]

I really h a t e muzak in the food store

It is apparently meant to create an atmosphere where one buys more

Me, it just makes me want to get out ASAP, I often buy less than I intended

Alternative facts welcome

[mercalia]

not a rant just a comparison between now and 2007 to the early posts in this thread - go have a look and see how tame it all was then?

[ChrisOntLancs]

quite tame indeed! i absolutely love this thread, it's like facebook, but anon and honest... without ads...

and since i've been grumpy without my outlet....

over the weekend i had my bike repaired, along with a fresh chain and cassette, and the three days without a bike pretty much meant i had to buy another, so i did. to be fair i've been planning on it for a while, though i decided on impulse to forget about MTB and go for road. got an old boardman comp for 200 from a nice chap in leigh and i've since been getting used to the different positions, unforgiving cable actuation, the considerable loss of weight moving around underneath me, the rigidity, being able to feel every movement on the bike and wondering "what that is", feeling a shoe lace flap in the wind and thinking "must do something about that drag".

it's sort of a "be careful what you wish for" situation, and the best bit - i picked my hybrid up and it rides like a brand new bike, but i've got geometry shock again, and now i've just got two bikes i can't ride as well as i'd like.

i'm more or less really happy with the road bike. it's really light and rigid, if this is what a barely entry level bike rides like then i cant wait to spend a couple of grand on one.

[mercalia]

quite tame indeed! i absolutely love this thread, it's like facebook, but anon and honest... without ads...

and since i've been grumpy without my outlet....

over the weekend i had my bike repaired, along with a fresh chain and cassette, and the three days without a bike pretty much meant i had to buy another, so i did. to be fair i've been planning on it for a while, though i decided on impulse to forget about MTB and go for road. got an old boardman comp for 200 from a nice chap in leigh and i've since been getting used to the different positions, unforgiving cable actuation, the considerable loss of weight moving around underneath me, the rigidity, being able to feel every movement on the bike and wondering "what that is", feeling a shoe lace flap in the wind and thinking "must do something about that drag".

it's sort of a "be careful what you wish for" situation, and the best bit - i picked my hybrid up and it rides like a brand new bike, but i've got geometry shock again, and now i've just got two bikes i can't ride as well as i'd like.

i'm more or less really happy with the road bike. it's really light and rigid, if this is what a barely entry level bike rides like then i cant wait to spend a couple of grand on one.

I know what you mean - I used to have a 25" 700c wheeled Dawes Horizon "traditional" tourer aswel as the 26" small framed Dawes 1-Down & I could never get used to the change over - just as well the Horizon got trashed by some would be thief

[ChrisOntLancs]

yeah the whole cyclocross thing makes sense to me now!

i plan on doing two rides a day, loose stuff on my hybrid during the day some time and one on the roads at night. if i'm not used to it by the end of the month i'll have to buy a CX bike... top idea