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http://www.history.com/news/rememberi...
My grandpa fought in this battle and thankfully lived to tell the tale. He was later moved into an MP position where he served in a unit that is said to be the first military investigative unit ever (we were told it was something like NCIS for the Navy). Sadly, no one in my family has verified this information. We were only just made aware of it after my grandfather's passing. To anyone who knew my grandfather, that's not really surprising. The only thing he would talk about related to the war was how much he hated Japs (I don't mean to offend but that's the attitude of a great many men and women just like him). At some point, I intend on making a wicked research project out of it.

My thnx to your Grandfather for his service - as to his attitude towards the Japaneses - my maternal grandfather was much the same



I'd say no, but Hollywood will crank 'em out as long as they make money on 'em.

vellichor
n. the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time—filled with thousands of old books you’ll never have time to read, each of which is itself locked in its own era, bound and dated and papered over like an old room the author abandoned years ago, a hidden annex littered with thoughts left just as they were on the day they were captured.

vellichor
n. the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time—filled with..."
I'm going to try to use it in a sentence tomorrow.... any suggestions?

COS: Above some of you were talking about professional football players' injuries. What about boxing? I watched a classic movie about a famous boxer, and those people aim for the head, face and kidneys on purpose!

http://www.bustle.com/articles/93704-...

ETA: I find it interesting that the survey states that the UK is a country, when in fact it's made up of four countries (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales). There should be four different books, but they've decided to just go with the one, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. I'm going to assume that's not sitting well with everyone.

That is probably the understatement of the year, Darcy. :)

As far as the United Kingdom selection, that seems lazy. There are plenty of excellent novels that have been written that take place in each of the individual countries.


Home after a two week Medical Mission to the Yucatan and various Mayan villages!!

GOT lost me a season or tow ago.... And yet, STILL more historically accurate than what the history channel did to Vikings!!!!


Andy wrote: "I jus watched the episode "Blood Eagle" & glad only a few more episodes to go of the series as its rapidly becoming like a moody teenager style series..... Ragnars fair doing my head in, really don..."
It's like every show has to have "angst" written large in it no matter what the subject or genre, and it drives me mad. Relationship problems and friction in the background is fine, but not to the point where half of every episode is devoted to it. I stopped watching half a season of The Arrow because of it and dumped many shows entirely.

Noooo, it's from Australian poet Dorothy McKellar from her famous poem about Australia.
Weird.

I've been noticing the same thing in TV dramas for some time, which is very annoying, so I did a little digging to see if my suspicions were true, and alas, they are.
The reason for all the angst, teenage and adult, is that there's a concerted effort to attract the young adult audiences favored by sponsors. Since so much popular YA lit is laden with teen agonies and immature relations, these are being written into historical dramas in hopes of attracting the 18 to 30 yr old viewers that advertisers think will be more susceptible to their messages. This is why premium TV networks like HBO that don't rely on ads, don't pander to the young.

Shame on me, an aussie, I know the poem, but not the author!

I agree. It's a shame though, because this was put out by The History Channel (Canada), so I would have thought they'd be a little less inclined to focus on a younger audience, but maybe because they changed their broadcasts to be more police procedural and pawnshops, they don't know who their audience is anymore.


I used to have a boss that could recite the whole The Shooting of Dan McGrew from memory. :)

It's really rather ridiculous how so much programming and so many networks are all going after the same younger viewers, as if that's all that counts. This is happening on cable and broadcast networks. It is dumbing down shows, not to mention diluting network identities as they try to be all things to all viewers ... Except the over 40 crowd, which is not wanted. I can't believe some of the garbage being shown on the History channel these days.
I have absolutely nothing against programming for young people, except when that becomes the end all and be all standard on every network, which knocks other shows off the air or changes established programming, like The Vikings.

I know -- it all comes down to $$$$. :(


I was watching the first season of The White Queen on Amazon and found that as the season when on it got more and more "angsty". I don't know if i'll finish the season.

Andrew, if you go to Goodreads.com, the quote of the day is on the right-hand side of the page, you need to scroll down a bit to see it.


I wouldnt wish that on anyone tbh, watched the first episode & found it very poor, purile springs to mind, has seriously put me off reading the books.

I'm so glad it wasn't just me, I watched the first episode and was really disappointed, watched half of the second episode and gave up

Couldnt work out if it was a serious tale, a comedy, a farce or what which is a shame as many friends highly rate the books

We could use some of your rain!! It's been HOT, yesterday it "cooled" off to 98 F (about 37 C) after a string of 5 days of 100+. It's supposed to back to 100+ tomorrow for another three days then next week "cool" off to the mid 90's - no rain in sight
severe fire works restrictions are in effect for the 4th

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Authors mentioned in this topic
Amanda Peters (other topics)Nicola Griffith (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Allan Hands (other topics)
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Very much so & most oft they go way past their sell-by date - I like a nice neat series that comes to a conclusion & always leaves you wanting more like - "Rubicon" for instance which was brilliant imo, so much going on