The Cigar Lounge: General conversation.

First topic message reminder :

Due to some requests we are opening a General Conversation thread for the rugby posters.

Here you are welcome to talk about world affairs, current news and general jibber jabba you want to discuss with your fellow rugbynites.

It is however imperitave that you respect all other opinions and views. This thread will be strictly monitored for any personal attacks and/or disrespectful and unacceptable behaviour.

Because of some of the subject matter that may come up from time to time, please think before you post. Debate the point of vew and don't attack the poster.

No Anglo-Welsh bickering, no my dad is bigger than your dad (mine is the biggest and that's the end of it. )
No who can spit further than who (I can show you it is me, but then you'll all just become envious. )

Admin has approved this for a trial period, so it is up to you guys whether it stays or not.

So pull up a chair, Geeves will bring your Newspaper, a cigar of your choice and a tumbler of you favourite single malt whiskey or the cognac of our choice.

ChequeredJersey wrote:I hate skyscrapers

The thing is CJ, the higher you go and the smaller the cross section of floorspace is relative to the core - you reach a point where it becomes uneconomic to service the diminishing floorspace affordably the higher you go. Not much demand for it yet anyway.

Linebreaker wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:I hate skyscrapers

The thing is CJ, the higher you go and the smaller the cross section of floorspace is relative to the core - you reach a point where it becomes uneconomic to service the diminishing floorspace affordably the higher you go. Not much demand for it yet anyway.

Are you suggesting upsidedown pyramid shaped skyscrapers? visionary!

Maybe a short fat upside-down pyramid on a smaller scale?

I think they've already designed one which is like a series of stretched out pyramids and has a multi faceted facade in Mumbai.

Tectonic thrusts have more or less have to be in straight lines as friction determines that its easier than zig-zags. Volcanic thrusts tend to form conic structures as that's what gravity produces like pouring salt out of a cellar.

Mountains are shaped that way because of gravity and friction - not because of structural sense. Otherwise some mountains may well be 'upside down'.

At the molecular level triangles are far more frequent due to valent bonding.

What I said was that in biological nature triangles are very rare - despite their inherent rigidity.

ChequeredJersey wrote:I hate skyscrapers

I hate the smell of stale cigar smoke

Whatever happened to pyramints?

They were too expensive to make

Toblerone is the toughest chocolate bar there is based on internal dynamics and the honeycombed reinforcement.

Now quit this topic, you've already ruined a perfectly legitimate subject with to much flippancy!

Next!

Is there a non smoking section in here yeah? Feic me hate smoking rotten stuff.


This may be something an old man says but Werther's original and any Butterscotch sweets are lovel.y Butter scotch milkshakes are also great.

Werther's are great. I've liked them ever since my granddad introduced me to them.

Anybody seen the film called "Toy Soldier" [not to be confused with "Toy Soldiers"]?

Linebreaker wrote:Maybe a short fat upside-down pyramid on a smaller scale?

I think they've already designed one which is like a series of stretched out pyramids and has a multi faceted facade in Mumbai.

Actually the Tower Block of Belfast City Hospital is supported on a series inverted pyramids.

Spoiler:

Haven't heard of that film is it out now yeah?

HammerofThunor wrote:Anybody seen the film called "Toy Soldier" [not to be confused with "Toy Soldiers"]?

short film?

HammerofThunor wrote:Anybody seen the film called "Toy Soldier" [not to be confused with "Toy Soldiers"]?

This one?

http://www.toysoldierfilm.com/Toy_Soldier_Film/Toy_Soldier_-_A_Film_By_Jeremy_Bliss.html

HammerofThunor wrote:Anybody seen the film called "Toy Soldier" [not to be confused with "Toy Soldiers"]?

Sorry, I'm an idiot. I mean "HAs anyone seen "Toy Soldiers" [not to be confused with "Small Soldiers"?]



It came up in work today and no-one had seen it.

Toy Soldiers seems to be an overdone title!

There's an 1991 film called Toy Soldiers, a shot film called Toy Soldier, London Tiger's Toy Soldier...which one is yours Hammer? One of those or another one entirely?

1991 film. I haven't seen it since I was a kid but I remember it as awesome. Probably rubbish in reality. Someone was talking about a re-make of 'Red Dawn' and I've always associated the two together.

Rava wrote:

Linebreaker wrote:Maybe a short fat upside-down pyramid on a smaller scale?

I think they've already designed one which is like a series of stretched out pyramids and has a multi faceted facade in Mumbai.

Actually the Tower Block of Belfast City Hospital is supported on a series inverted pyramids.

Spoiler:

Who said that?

Not sure if many people know this but when the region telecom groups merged to form BT the Kingston-upon-Hull part didn't. They formed their own company called Kingston Communications. We have white telephone boxes instead of red ones. All calls to local numbers are supposed to be free AND they seem to be getting away with a monopoly so we have to get our broadband and landline phones through them! Not even going to be able to get BT tele!

HammerofThunor wrote:Not sure if many people know this but when the region telecom groups merged to form BT the Kingston-upon-Hull part didn't. They formed their own company called Kingston Communications. We have white telephone boxes instead of red ones. All calls to local numbers are supposed to be free AND they seem to be getting away with a monopoly so we have to get our broadband and landline phones through them! Not even going to be able to get BT tele!

The price you pay for rebellion, Hammer

Surely it's for not kowtowing to a corporate giant?

Whatever it is it sucks. Supposedly they get away with it not being a monopoly by allowing anyone in, but charging them loads for line rental.

Morning lads,

Here's a heads up for who ever is interested, pop along its usually a great laugh



https://www.606v2.com/t34921-end-of-summer-london-drinks-fri-28th-sept#1545479

SecretFly wrote:Toblerone is the toughest chocolate bar there is based on internal dynamics and the honeycombed reinforcement.

Now quit this topic, you've already ruined a perfectly legitimate subject with to much flippancy!

Next!

the reason you see it for sale in airports so much is that it uses the same contsruction as the black box recorders on planes.
true story

The guy who originally asked for this room to be created hasn't turned up once to see it.

Just a curious observation in the dead of night.

'lo Lounge. Quiet in here

Oh sorry Chequered, I turned the lights off. I guess the cigars are free this time of night with nobody around. Light one and stay as long as you like..I'm off home to sleep!

WAKE UP!!

How the hell can a slurry pit/tank be worth the cost three lives?

The Health and Safety Executive will be all over this (ultimately) unfortunate, unpleasant and tragic footnote in rugby history.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02325/Premiership_2325615b.jpg

Is it me or does Hartley look like he's contemplating murdering Robshaw?

Well this is going well. Its now degenerated into a rugby discussion forum

I recommend the cheesecake.

Here's an general discussion to get the ball moving.

Should English speaking nations place a higher value on teaching kids foreign language?

Definitely Stag.

For you guys in Europe - it wouldn't hurt to have some conversational skill in at least a couple of European languages like French, German... and maybe have an ear for a few others.

Here in Oz, we've gone through the Japanese, Bahasa Indonesian phases (popular in schools from the 70s onwards) but now Mandarin is the language many kids are learning at school.

Learning language(s) is great for the developing brain (and even some older ones) and sure helps make things easier whether they are used for business or pleasure (travelling, reading shop signs, meeting locals, etc)

Certainly from my experience the view in Ireland and the UK is that other nations should speak English.

I speak English, German and began learning French last year and I have pals who tell me I'm wasting my time and that if I ask in these countries they will just talk English to me.

I think the USA is a little better due to so many Spanish speakers there.

That's true about German-English... they mostly want to practise their English.

I had similar experiences in Vietnam. I tried a few times but found it very, very difficult for about 4-5 months. Then one day something clicked and my ears seemed to understand about 50% of conversations. My Vietnamese was still very poor but the locals played along with my attempts... for a few minutes... then it was all mostly English again.

Disagree with that anglo-centric view though. (first sentence) It comes across so arrogant and self-important. You are on the right track mate and you will enjoy the benefits. Foreigners do appreciate (actually they are impressed) by the fact that you have taken steps to learn their language.

Japanese is a funny one though. They appreciate your efforts but I always had that feeling it was also something they would prefer to keep to themselves... sort of like getting too close to their culture, they would quickly change the topic and go back to English - as if to be polite to the visitor by speaking their language and protecting their own. (many dialects though and the demarcation lines can be blurred)

the most ridiculous place is Switzerland where they have any number of official languages you could care to think of, but the only thing everyone speaks is English which isnt one of them.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:the most ridiculous place is Switzerland where they have any number of official languages you could care to think of, but the only thing everyone speaks is English which isnt one of them.

Very true, great call.

I think if most assume us to be..........European.........then our radios and our TV should reflect that reality.

I'm not so Europe minded politically but I've always felt that European nations should at least help each other get to know each other, as it were, by having a pan-Europen agreement (oh no!!!!! not one of them - where' BT??) to have more than one 'national' channel available to each nation.

Meaning, Britain should get a terrestrial chance to have German, French, Spanish, Italian public TV in order to better understand the cultures we claim to be a part of.... AND to learn a lingo or two. A good foundation for walking around the world unfettered by phrase books is English, Spanish, French and Italian. There are others of course, but lets at least start at the beginning. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, and if you're not resident in Italy, the best way to do so would be to listen to radio and look at TV.

SecretFly wrote:I think if most assume us to be..........European.........then our radios and our TV should reflect that reality.

I'm not so Europe minded politically but I've always felt that European nations should at least help each other get to know each other, as it were, by having a pan-Europen agreement (oh no!!!!! not one of them - where' BT??) to have more than one 'national' channel available to each nation.

Meaning, Britain should get a terrestrial chance to have German, French, Spanish, Italian public TV in order to better understand the cultures we claim to be a part of.... AND to learn a lingo or two. A good foundation for walking around the world unfettered by phrase books is English, Spanish, French and Italian. There are others of course, but lets at least start at the beginning. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, and if you're not resident in Italy, the best way to do so would be to listen to radio and look at TV.

We have French and Gaellic, its hard enough convincing "that lot" they are British let alone convincing all of us we are happy euros and theres some point in learning to speak like Officer Crabtree from Allo Allo

I definitely think languages should be taught earlier at Schools. I first came across a language lesson at 11 years old. My wife went to a Welsh school (from non-Welsh speaking parents) at 4. She tends to pick languages a lot better than me and I think it may be down to this at least slightly. Currently I have to translate everything to English before saying anything (learning German and know a bit of French and Spanish).

I was under the impression that in England now they were taught modern foreign languages that includes various Chinese dialects and Hindi.

I think languages are vital, even if you don't use them the rules of grammar are great for logical thought and you never know when they'll come in useful

SecretFly wrote:I think if most assume us to be..........European.........then our radios and our TV should reflect that reality.

I think you have hit the issue right on its head. Are we Euros or not? That question is more topical now than ever.

My personal feeling is we are not, since in Britain we have spent the last 500 years doing what we can to keep 'them' out of our islands. I guess this makes us island people who occupy lands off the northwest coast of Europe. We dip our toe into the European waters from time to time, but in the end we are various form of Brits, Celts, and the like. And we should be proud of what we are and what we have built. All of us. Together.

I have nothing useful or interesting to add to the conversation. I just like to see my username on threads.

Effervescing Elephant wrote:I have nothing useful or interesting to add to the conversation. I just like to see my username on threads.

You're not alone, CD!

Dammit As! Now i've got to comment again to get my name back up there!

Disgusting point actually, by both of you. It's people like you two who are dragging this site down.

You see how sneaky Fly is, CD, under the guise of telling the pair of us off, he's got his name up there now!

Yeah, I agree, its not on.

Does anyone actually drink in here, or is this the Temperance Society?

Allow me to retort:

An Effervescing Elephant
with tiny eyes and great big trunk
once whispered to the tiny ear
the ear of one inferior
that by next June he'd die, oh yeah!
because the tiger would roam.
The little one said: "Oh my goodness I must stay at home!
and every time I hear a growl
I'll know the tiger's on the prowl
and I'll be really safe, you know
the elephant he told me so."
Everyone was nervy, oh yeah!
and the message was spread
to zebra, mongoose, and the dirty hippopotamus
who wallowed in the mud and chewed
his spicy hippo-plankton food
and tended to ignore the word
preferring to survey a herd
of stupid water bison, oh yeah!
And all the jungle took fright,
and ran around for all the day and the night
but all in vain, because, you see,
the tiger came and said: "Who me?!
You know, I wouldn't hurt not one of you.
I'd much prefer something to chew
and you're all to scant." oh yeah!
He ate the Elephant

I believe that sets out my general position.