solitare Forum Posts (4,041)

RE: The Prayer of Francois Villon by Bulat Okudzhava

Thread: The Prayer of Francois Villon by Bulat Okudzhava
Category: Religion, Spirituality & Philosophy
Thread Author: Tulefel
"Like we believe, doing something, not knowing what we do."


It is an old refrain in his works, mostly his ballades. Try reading his 'Ballades des menus propos'.
All of Villon's works add up to his Epitaphe; Ballad des pendus'
All he wrote is to reflect on...

RE: Celebrity Photo Touch-ups

Before Photoshop came to be, there was the airbrush. Find out when the airbrush was invented and the years since, they have been used on photos of 'beautiful people'; mostly models and actresses. It became so blatantly fake that Playboy Magazine once published a totally made-up , totally fake model for their front cover. Now with Photoshop one can take a ninety old woman and make her into the proverbial 'hot young chick' of about twenty. Is it any wonder then that law courts have not been willing to accept 'photographic proof' in cases unless certified by forensic lab experts of the caliber that would be experts in the FBI labs...we live in a world where nearly all including people are fake. Isn't it great not to have any flaws like humans ...we all can be just like dolls

RE: What's your opinion on the bailout?

Of course they have encores; they are the only players/ actors in town and they will try to keep you dazzled and confused just like in any cheap magic show. Hold on to your seat however..."you ain't seen nuthin' yet!"

RE: What is the most popular sport in the world?

and I thought it was men and women trying to hurry and undress each other....

RE: What's your opinion on the bailout?

It will all be in the taxpayers face with the new Disney film (and new ride!) this summer entitled "Investment Pirates Of The Caribbean" Then comes just in time to compete with Disney: "700Billion Leagues Beneath The Sea", followed by 'Bailout at 700 Billion': An Out of This World Adventure and the summer Reality-Sci-Fi flick '700 Billion Dollars To Earth'. No word yet who plays the 'good guy' or the 'bad guy'. Rumours have it the same actors are trying to play both...all that is known for certain is that they are all 'bad actors'...

RE: The Solutions

Agreed; there is too much meddling and too many implied threats of various degrees by our manipulated politicians. Europe should only be interested in helping the peoples of Pakistan in ways that would benefit them without assorted strings attached. A more compassionate form of 'quid-pro-quo' approach is vital to achieve social and political stability, not further divisions. This means more cooperation, not confrontation for mutual benefit for all as difficult as it may seem. Nations must deal with each other as equals, in the real world of the here we are and we are now, not harking backwards to former times. Revolutions are a battle against the past for the future. It serves us all to be cautious but yet open....

RE: The Solutions

You can count out NATO for the most part. Minimum troops of our countries are grudgingly offered simply to beep our crypto colonial master grumbling but otherwise satisfied . If it came to popular votes of Europeans, we would have nothing to do with any war outside of Europe. We do not covet the ownership of any natural resources of any country, nor are we interested in invading any country simply to help the so called 'military-industrial complexes of ourselves nor of anyone else's. Many Europeans are now seriously considering inviting Russia to NATO membership to replace the constant war base economics of the US. And why not, as in the end, Russians ARE Europeans; the Americans are not. Very simple. NATO has outlived it usefulness and we need to concentrate on a common over-all European defense and be free of the US domination both overt and covert.

RE: Intimacy

Ummmm....walk a mile in her shoes,(even her stilettos! ) Literally; wear her clothes!


(I'm being somewhat facetious. I think... )

RE: Iran Sentence American Journalist to 8 Year for Spying

Well, there are lot of jokes about the snow...especially if it has a bit of yellow in it...

RE: Calling all budding writers

I watch a lot of all the Monty Python shows and films for constant inspirations...of very dubious natures. I read a lot; one of my favourite writers is Umberto Ecco, one of this century's great minds. Love his perspective kaleidoscopes. Third, I do have a 'weird mind' and a bizarre sense of humour as some have said. ( learned English primarily by reading comix...then came Mad Magazine and therein I lost my mind...When Monty Python came along, I said 'Oh thank God, I am no longer alone!' Wee!
Hey, I thought that you moved back to Italy...now you are in OZ??
Hope that Life if good for you!

RE: Iran Sentence American Journalist to 8 Year for Spying

It was a 'given' that she would be convicted,; it was before it became a play on the public arena, a good opportunity for quiet, back-door negotiations and 'diplamacy' to take place, but now, in /on the very public arena, it has changed somewhat; the alleged 'proof' of the charges will be played out/ given out in private or scenario 2, no private disclosures of proof and publicly, it will be a great opportunity for the govt. of Iran to magnanimously intervene in the case and 'pardon' her, showing the world at large how reasonable they can be; most likely warning privately the US govt. of what it will do. Hence, in the end, everyone wins and the general public will see the Iranians in a favourable light making it a lot easier to publicly engage them by the US govt. A version of 'smoke and mirrors' played out all the time in the world of Diplomacy. Any other scenario would only result in very negative consequences for Iran. It needs good propaganda for good public relations, as does the US govt. to further engage it in any public dialogues. Convoluted simplicity...perhaps...

RE: Who would you choose: A soldier or a lawyer?

Three pages on which to choose....and no one has yet mentioned the Provost Marshall/ Judge Advocate General Office of virtually all armies around the world, perhaps under different names, but it is the perfect combination of professional soldier and lawyer. They have to be both soldiers, fully trained even for close quarter combat and various weapons but also for many areas of law, from criminal to real estate, to corporate and international law....

RE: Obama Rocks! Is Obama a great president or would McCain be better?

McCain: He is inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity and gifted with an egotistical lack of imagination; if he fell into the Potomac River, that would be a slight misfortune; if someone pulled him out, that would be worse than a mistake, it would be a crime.His smile is like the silver fittings of a coffin; he has committed every crime that does not require courage. He has made his conscience not his guide, but his accomplice; often cranky and full of insults; another clone of Don Ricles.
It has been the political career of this man to begin with hypocrisy, proceed with arrogance and finish with contempt.
If anyone from another country were informed that this man was the leader of a country, they may begin to comprehend how some peoples worshipped an insect.
Obama: So far he has all the virtues people wish for and want and none of the usual vices that people despise...

RE: I Was Wondering

Learning English had its problems with phrases like: be alert; I asked what is a lert... told to behave made me wonder what a have was or how to be one...ah well...

RE: I don´t know how to DIY

Those of us that are familiar with North American hardware stores know that three-quarters at least of what you can find in them are non existent here...as when I tried (in vain) to find a simple claw-hammer, never mind plastic housing inserts for screws, not a single store in Munich had one and most didn't know what it was; they used 2 tools, a hammer and a nail puller(pliers type)...some repair people had never even seen a claw hammer...among other everyday tools etc. It is still this way in most shops...

RE: What should we do to Monsters like Robert Mugabe?

How naive. The weighing of the heart and soul is up to whatever God one believes in. We humans are in the image of God which carries many responsibilities including the right and obligation to judge others. We just have to be as careful in judgments as any legal system's judges. At least we should try to be...and if any cannot or will not, then stand aside for those who can.

RE: FAMOUS MOVE BAD GUYS OF ALL TIME

2 of my favourites are Fu Manchu and Ming, btw.....

RE: FAMOUS MOVE BAD GUYS OF ALL TIME

And what is wrong with 'Bad moves', by 'bad guys'; we all know they make those also... (especially on all the shy, innocent and gullible 'heroines')

RE: What is the number one turnoff for men?

Wearing week old underwear also!
(read a couple of times on some threads that many North American men do this, so I presume that the women do also...)

RE: On the day when another maniac goes off the rails........

During that amount of unknown time which made you 'nonsensical', do you know if you happened to have gone out and purchased a gun and if you might suspect that you did, what caliber was it and where is it now??????????

RE: Men, could it be true that some females are simply too beautiful for men?

There are women that are certainly too ugly for men so by simple logic , the converse would also be true. The real problem is getting them matched up. Would they stand for it??? I doubt it. Besides, who'd want to play matchmaker; could it make a reality series on TV...???

RE: What should we do to Monsters like Robert Mugabe?

and you weren't invited!!!????? oh dear, how utterly uncivilized of that cretin! I'm sure that he gave away all that food to the poor around Salsbury, I mean Harare...

RE: What should we do to Monsters like Robert Mugabe?

Ol' Ian Smith, yes he did and I remember that uranium of the highest grade was needed by the US but Kissinger squelched the idea of any trade deals with the Smith government for exactly the same reasons that the colonies had broken from England, which left many truly puzzled over the logic and the buffoon Nixon...yet many volunteers served with us that came from the US, the more their policies towards Rhodesia supported Mugabe...curious times.

RE: What should we do to Monsters like Robert Mugabe?

oops, Prime Minister of England; President of the US....

RE: What should we do to Monsters like Robert Mugabe?

I think that the UN should carefully analyze all that he has done in his country and in honour of those accomplishments, be rewarded in being made the Prime Mister of England and perhaps Mr. Mugabe can then do for England what he has done for Rhodesia, I mean Zimbabwe, Since it is primarily England's responsibility that Mugabe was put into power there.
If not England, then the US and he could solve all their economic troubles...
3 big 'UNGAWAS' for Mugabe!
HIP, HIP, UNGAWA ! come on people......

RE: MEN ONLY PLS: curly question time! who would you choose?

rasgumby: Brings a new meaning to it.
when she says " I want you to ring my bell"
Does it mean that she is telling you that her kitten is wore out?


If I recall correctly, Quasimodo was a bell ringer wasn't he...just swingin' all over the place....

RE: On the day when another maniac goes off the rails........

My instruction days are long over; I now simply arrange for the purchase of the weapons , among other things...

RE: On the day when another maniac goes off the rails........

Thread: On the day when another maniac goes off the rails........
Category: CS Lounge
Thread Author: RobbieM
Post Author: zee1ander
I went to the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot here in Kentucky and guess what? I met about 20 people from the UK. They came here just to be able to shoot a gun and WOW they had fun. So I don't think that everyone in your country is anti-gun.

Just to clarify a point zee, England, or rather London, despite all the 'anti-gun laws' does allow people any people in a group of up toa dozen or so to cruise along the Thames River in the heart of London, shooting and sipping wine.
Shooting on the Thames is not something to attempt on your own however. Police may decide to shoot back.
Provided that you are part of an organized event, which has passed all necessary checks, you can shoot clays quite merrily from the comfort of a luxury boat, with the 02 and Thames Barrier forming an unexpected backdrop.
One of the most popular cruise boats today is the Havengore. This is the vessel that carried Churhill's coffin from Tower Pier to Festival Pier back in 1965, watched by 350 million people worldwide. This boat, now fully restored is available for hire, should you or anyone wish to relax and shoot at clays with up to 29 other gun enthusiasts salivating at the mere thought of blasting away in London.
Today, you can board this boat at Canary Wharf and, amid animated chatter about the usual inclement skies and hearty breeze, tuck in to the mini Yorkshire puddings and Greek salad canapes. Shooting instructors are on board, usually from the Clay Shooting Company. The boat drops anchor in the middle of the river, just beyond the the Thames Barrier, and the ever so polite instructors set up the traps at the front.
One usually shoots in pairs with those patient and polite instructors at hand to help the over enthused and the usual novices and ensure that it's all done above board. Shooting with houses all around is rather exciting and having the proper stance in precarious at times as when the surface underfoot is moving. It is somewhat like bringing the countryside shooting clubs inside a city, but one gets used to it. Usually, the clientele, from party organizers, executives from various establishments have never shot before but those helpful, patient and friendly instructors have them all blasting away at the clays, smashing them to smithereens in no time.
When the clays are finally spent, you cruise up the Thames to the London Eye to disembark, but not before posing for photos with the guns under the proud bulk of Tower Bridge(barrels must be broken, of course, and no, after the clays are out, one isn't allowed to shoot using all the empty wine bottles!)
For further info on booking this jolly good shooting cruise, Havengore, telephone 084 003 1343 or visit venues-of-distiction.com and for any info on the clay shooting, 0870-609 1751 or dayshootingcompany.com
Can anyone imagine shooting cruises on any rivers through any city in the US without automatic weapons systems!!??

(ummm, I wonder if Robbie could/would work as an instructor on these cruises; it's right in his area... )

RE: On the day when another maniac goes off the rails........

adamisk: how many people would he have gotten if everyone on the street was shooting back ? gun possession should be mandatory . when you go through a roadblock the officer should ask for license proof of insurance and to see your gun if you don't have one he gives you one and a ticket for not having a gun .

Post Author: druidess6308
I'll disagree on making gun possession mandatory, though, Adam. It's a free country...we should have the right to choose whether or not to own a gun, but we should never force anyone to do so. I don't believe in infringement on one's rights in either direction

Switzerland IS a free country AND it is mandatory that every household have guns as everyone is a member of their army, which basically is a 'well regulated militia' to borrow the phrase. Easy solution; long overdue: form well regulated militias and acquire the guns needed to keep yourself and others safe from those who would do harm.
(and stop clogging up the courts with them; use those criminals as/ for target practice!)

RE: North Korea...and the "misslle test"

Feerless Leeder on TV!? Wow, I hope he is as entertaining and dastardly as Feerless Leeder was on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show!!
Can't wait to see who'll be his Natasha and Boris!