Clarkson on immigration, EU, and the BNP

[MrBitsy]

Not in reality! I have met some LIKE you.

Angry people in cars.

Well, you do them in here!

[geoff]

In message , MrBitsy writes

You have no idea what I'm like

Fuck me, are you stupid or what ?

I've only used my car once in the past three months

a) I only use a car when I really need to

and

b) I don't have time to get angry

Take the piss out of people like you who insist on being plonkers, yes, but on the road I move on and look out for the next hazard

[JNugent]

[ ... ]

Who is "they"?

Japanese kamikaze pilots or Christian Japanese kamikaze pilots?

[Steve Firth]

The latter.

[JNugent]

Is there any actual evidence for that? Or is it simply being proffered on a "very possibly" basis?

The popular image of the kamikaze pilot is that they were persuaded to undertake their missions out of loyalty to the Japanese emperor, who was revered as a god. A Christian would not go along with that, surely?

[Ret.]

Under normal circumstances I always think 'good luck to them' when a biker filters past stationary cars. There is one location near to my home, however, when it really ticks me off. There is a narrow swing bridge over the River Weaver and it is single carriageway, controlled by traffic lights. At rush hour there are long queues at both sides of the bridge.

Bikers ride to the front of the queue and then slot in amongst the cars moving onto the bridge. The problem is, of course, that only so many vehicles can get over the bridge during each change of lights. Although a bike is narrow - it takes up virtually as much road 'length' as a car - and slotting into the queue means that they are queue jumping and reducing the number of cars (that have been patiently queueing) that can get over the bridge before the lights change again.

Bad road manners!

Ret.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I thought that kings ans emperors were divinely appointed by god?

[Steve Firth]

Yes.

No.

And?

They did.

And you're rather overlooking the other Christian suicide bombers. Anyone who believes in sky fairies is capable of deceiving themselves in other ways, including believing that what they are doing is *not* suicide bombing.

See: "Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections of Japanese Student Soldiers" by Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney ISBN 0-226-61950-8 also "Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms and Nationalism" by the same author.

Christian mothers at that time sent Japanese flags inscribed with passages from the Bible to their sons who they knew were destined to be kamikaze pilots. =============================================================== Ichizo Hayashi relied on his Christian faith as he embarked on his final mission. Yet his Christianity was inextricably mixed with doubt. Kierkegaard's theology was central to the anguished soliloquy in which he questioned the meaning of life and death.

Other Christian pilots also struggled to sustain their faith as they faced death. On the night before his last flight, Tsuneo Kumai urged his comrades to sing hymns together. They chose hymn number 405, whose words ask God to give them strength "until they meet again."

Kotaro Hagihara, one of those who joined Kumai in the singing, survived and later recalled that singing hymns carried a risk of punishment: "Although we were not explicitly fighting Christianity and thus it was nominally permitted to sing hymns, we could have been in real trouble."

Amid the severe censorship that prevailed on the bases and the hostile attitudes of some career soldiers toward student soldiers, this final act was a last celebration of the beauty of humanity in the most inhuman of circumstances, a protest against the military aggression, and even a dirge for themselves. ===============================================================

[dennis]

Of course some would. It much easier to persuade someone to kill themselves for the cause if they believe it will get them into heaven by serving a god. The ones that don't think they will get anything out of killing themselves are less likely to do so. Why do you think the "eternal life" was invented?

[dennis]

If the car at the front leaves a bit of space the bikers can get through three or four abreast. This increases the number of vehicles that can get through. BTW I have never been on a bike and probably never will.

[Ret.]

I don't disagree - but of course most drivers just stop at the stop line.

Ret.

[dennis]

I find most drivers don't stop at the stop lines.

[Steve Firth]

And yet you bought a dodgy old Rover.

[Steve Firth]

Join the other f****it on the naughty step.

[MrBitsy]

Nope, I bought a quiet and smooth car. I enjoy driving and owning it.

75000 miles now without any problems. Servicing has proved to be cheap and spare parts readily available.

Why you would look down on my choice, I don't know.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Ret." saying something like:

Oh gawd, it's Ken, innit?

[boltar2003]

Shame about the god awful dashboard which looks like it was pilfered from a 1950s morris. Other than that, a nice car.

B2003

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "MrBitsy" saying something like:

Why did you x-post this shit?

[geoff]

You're luck you don't live in Indonesia then - it would be two rows 14 across and two deep of mopeds

[geoff]

In message , "dennis@home" writes

Way too far outside your comfort zone Dennis