posted
It was odd, watching the news tonight. Many of the health professionals who were interviewed seemed to be practically buzzing at how 'well' things went in terms of emergency procedures kicking in and getting people seen to/onto the scene asap.
Maybe it's how it looked on tv, but I also got this vibe from many of the ordinary people who featured: it pretty much went as anticipated - people were shocked rather than surprised and whole chunks of footage could have been lifted from the interminable 'resilience' drills that have been staged in the capital practically every other weekend since 9/11.
Of course there was a degree of fear and panic, but this was kept in line by people making a rational decision to act calmly and to look out for others. I got a sense of this one time, just after 9/11, when Kings X tube was evacuated and I, along with thousands of others, had to head for the surface, through a crush of bodies, up escalators that had been switched off and with no idea wtf was going on.
What I think happened yesterday wasn't so much terrorism as inoculation. In which case - nice one, terrorists: you just made the population of a whole city (country?) immune to whatever shit you try to pull next.
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*rereads Secret Organisation Group of al-Qaeda statement*
.. oh yeah, I'll be burning with fear, terror and panic. And then I will probably have one of those new caramel-flavoured Magnum lollies. They're nice, they are.
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posted
Exactly, Ben. I had the same sense of the "British resolve" while watching CBC (Canada) Newsworld all day. I'll be in London next month, but I figure it'll be the safest place on the planet by then.
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posted
I was well impressed with the eye witnesses on the news yesterday - loved the 'well yes I'm bleeding, but it's not that bad, there are others worse off' attitude of most of them. The Gent's who were shocked were still wonderfully defiant.
I will be striding around drinking tea and whistling the theme tune to Dad's Army for most of the day.
-------------------- If Chuck Norris is late, time better slow the fuck down Posts: 2741
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posted
Last night Scrawny and I witnessed a great British phenomenon: in times of great adversity the average Brit goes out and gets pissed. The Bedford in Balham (our new local pub as of next week when we move into our new place, fact fans) was heaving with people displaying the resolve and resilience we're famous for (i.e. getting drunk and eating overpriced burgers).
quote:Originally posted by ben: What I think happened yesterday wasn't so much terrorism as inoculation. In which case - nice one, terrorists: you just made the population of a whole city (country?) immune to whatever shit you try to pull next.
posted
I'm not going to work today but that's more to do with the number of times I've been to the toilet this morning rather than any terrorist threat.
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posted
Are we going to have to wade throught countless reams of editorial signing off with "...and that's the last thing we need in the current climate", like after 11/9?
Later today I'll be heading into London central to check on everyone involved in the clean up is getting on with it and doing their job properly.
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posted
They have given us the day off work so I guess I'll take full advantage of that by... doing some study for my OU course! I will also no doubt post on the internet.
posted
I may also have to attend to some important business at my Harvest Moon farm and visit my town Woodberri in Animal Crossing. Looks like a busy day ahead.
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Feel an unfamiliar pride in the Brits, today, with their 'only 37? What's for tea' stiff upper lip. Great British resolve has been shown by, upon the waiving of the congestion charge, all driving to work.
Was just pondering this vague feeling of community all this engenders while on the bus this morning (yes, we can't let these evil-doers win) and saw a suited gent spending some minutes petting a random ginger cat on a bench on Old Street. And came over all tearful. *waves union jack*
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posted
i am working from home today, trying to get done all the things i left undone yesterday. (and leaving undone those things which i ought not to have done!)
one side-effect of yesterday was having to have at least two nurofen before i could function this morning. this was not to do with terrorist activities, more due to staying up drinking beer with my neighbours till 2am to celebrate one of their birthdays. which isn't till next week, come to think of it.
i also just took a suit to the dry cleaners - one of the ones boasting "2 HOUR SAME DAY SERVICE" - only to have them do a sharp intake of breath when i said i needed it back tomorrow afternoon. idiots.
-------------------- i shot a man in reno just to watch him die Posts: 2064
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posted
Thing is though, how the fuck do we get the message through to the G8 wallahs? So many people have worked for months and years in an honest and democratic way to make sure that poverty and global warming are at the top of the agenda, and a couple of fanatical lunatics cannot be allowed to change that agenda just by walking onto a train and blowing themselves up.
It will be the ultimate insult to the dead and the injured if G8 gets distracted by this. The emergency services did exactly what they had trained to do, and the people of London continued about their business. There is no other way to defend against these things, other than to be prepared to deal with the worst when it happens - and they were prepared.
That sounds like a Daily Mirror editorial, but seriously, this shitty act can't be allowed to affect our freedom, and it can't be allowed to stop our leaders from dealing with the issues we've told them we want them to deal with.
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posted
Walking down reopened Exhibition Rd yesterday afternoon, the sun had come out and all seemed normal. Yank tourists asked the way to Harrods, Jap tourists posed for pictures outside the Natural History Muesuem. I've never seen so many Community Support Officers out, but they seemed to be doing a great job of giving bus advice and looking stolid and reassuring in fluorescent jackets.
Clapham Junction, recently upgraded from "Britain's Busiest Railway Station" to "Europe's Busiest" (the apostrophe is only missing on the sign on Platform 13), proudly displayed a departures board with only one cancelled and two delayed trains. The pubs around the station appeared to be buzzing.
A news presenter last night was standing on the terrace of an embankment pub, next to two tables full of people drinking, declaring the place to be deserted. Perhaps a bit of shrapnel had got in her eye.
-------------------- What I object to is the colour of some of these wheelie bins and where they are left, in some areas outside all week in the front garden. Posts: 4941
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H1ppychick
We all prisoners, chickee-baby. We all locked in.
posted
My plans for today:
possibly a sly beer at lunchtime if we're progressing well against our 4pm work deadline.
mowing the lawn and cutting the hedge in my front garden when I get home as long as weather remains warm and dry
either War of the Worlds or further drinks tonight.
quote:Originally posted by ben: What I think happened yesterday wasn't so much terrorism as inoculation. In which case - nice one, terrorists: you just made the population of a whole city (country?) immune to whatever shit you try to pull next.
Hadn't thought of it that way, but really like the idea.
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quote:Originally posted by H1ppychick: War of the Worlds
be warned, h1ppy - wotw isn't that good according to my dad:
quote:Originally posted by omikin's dad: Hi omikin, Got your e-mail - thank you.
On complete change of subject - we went to see the new 'War of the Worlds' today, and were not impressed. I seem to emember thar, many years ago, we gave you a tape of the original 'W o t W' by Richard Burton. I wonder if you still have it and, if so, would be prepared to give it back.
Take care, Love Dad
i think he gave me that tape in about 1990, and i have moved house at least eight times since then. i have this morning managed to put an envelope on my desk and not be able to find it five minutes later, so what chance does my pa have?
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H1ppychick
We all prisoners, chickee-baby. We all locked in.
posted
lunchtime beer looking unlikely
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turbo
Gold..... What is it good for? You can't eat it, you can't smoke it, yet everybody wants it.
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My secretary saw WOTW and loved it, which is a clear sign that it's an awful film. As an example, she rented the DVD 'Love, Actually' a few months ago and loved it so much she watched it 5 times back to back. Also, she bought the DVD 'Garfield the Movie' so she could watch it at least once a week. She lent it to me (I never watched it) and a few days later asked for it back because she needed a fix of Garfield. Yesterday she told me 'Roadhouse' with Patrick Swayze is the best film in the history of cinema.
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quote:Originally posted by omikin's dad: the original 'W o t W' by Richard Burton.
Original? That's the one where he has to talk over the top of Justin Heyward (sp?) and the likes isn't it? Perhaps more terrifying than any Martian invasion, there is now a seven-disc CD version of this. Perhaps you could nonchalantly replace your dad's missing cassette tape with this. Kind of a repayment with interest.
I have a tape at home of the version by that Orson Welles which was broadcast on American radio some time in the Thirties and had lots of listeners running round with pitchforks lookin' to git them an aylin. I tried to force my 9-year-old to listen to it the other day but he ran away faster than if there was a flying tripod death machine on his tail.
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