The Off Topic Topic

[The Brain]

The Japanese claimed that all they were doing in China during WWII was to look for a missing soldier 

"Marco! Marco!"?

[The Brain]

Man, I didn't realize you could buy medieval style armor for quite reasonable prices. A complete Gothic armor for not really very much? Urge to shop rising...

[Saladin]

The Japanese claimed that all they were doing in China during WWII was to look for a missing soldier 

"Marco! Marco!"?

[Duque de Bragança]

Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe:

The spectre of Teschen? 

Poland invaded the Czech Republic last month, but says it was just a big misunderstanding

London (CNN)The Polish military has admitted it accidentally invaded the Czech Republic last month, but it insists its brief occupation of a small part of the country was simply a "misunderstanding."

Polish soldiers mistakenly crossed the country's border with Czech Republic in late May before setting up there, the Czech foreign ministry told CNN.
The soldiers, who had been guarding parts of the closed Polish-Czech border during the coronavirus pandemic, then started turning away Czech citizens who were attempting to visit a church in their own country.
The snafu led the Czech embassy in Warsaw to take "immediate action" and notify its Polish counterpart, the Czech government told CNN, adding that Poland has still not formally explained why it mistakenly annexed its neighbor.
"Our Polish counterparts unofficially assured us that this incident was merely a misunderstanding caused by the Polish military with no hostile intention, however, we are still expecting a formal statement," a Foreign Ministry spokesperson told CNN.
"The Polish soldiers are no longer present and our citizens can again visit the site freely," the spokesperson added.
"We are still waiting for the formal Polish statement," they repeated when asked how long Polish troops were in the country.

Poland's Ministry of Defense also acknowledged the brief occupation on Friday.
"The placement of the border post was a result of misunderstanding, not a deliberate act. It was corrected immediately and the case was resolved -- also by the Czech side," it told CNN in a statement.
The incident occurred near Pielgrzymow, a small border village in southern Poland that sits opposite a sparsely populated stretch of Czech countryside. A quiet road there serves as the boundary point between the two nations.
"Soldiers of the Polish Army support the Border Guard in protecting the state border after its closure due to the coronavirus pandemic," the Polish Defense Ministry explained. "The operation is led by Armed Forces Operational Command, which is in direct contact with the Border Guard."

The Polish government did not confirm how long its soldiers were present in the Czech Republic.
Borders between European Union countries are often barely visible as citizens enjoy freedom of movement across the bloc.
But the coronavirus pandemic has complicated that longstanding arrangement, with nations shutting off entry to foreigners to control the spread of the virus. Poland has blocked people from entering the country since March.
Poland was involved in a handful of more serious border conflicts with the former Czechoslovakia during the 20th century. The two countries fought a seven-day war over territory in the Silesia region in 1919, and Poland annexed a region around the city of Bohumin in 1938.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/12/europe/poland-czech-republic-invasion-scli-intl/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3K2OWaXQ1jlEMZPRqLUHQLhMA28LdbRmis586htBLNAK_9ytFWr_X9g48

[Josquius]

After a few months of mattress on the floor my bed is reassembled. It's just so much better and I don't get why.

[Agelastus]

After a few months of mattress on the floor my bed is reassembled. It's just so much better and I don't get why.

The floor.

The Japanese, for example, have different types of futons depending on the floor surface they are being used on. Your mattress works better with the slats (if that is what you have) than with the hard floor.

More "give" I would assume.

[Syt]

[Maladict]

 

[Sheilbh]

All bases covered.

[The Brain]

Delays in the Eastern Bloc could be pretty bad, so it's not unreasonable.

[Sheilbh]

So this included loads of defunct countries including USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, South Rhodesia etc.

It appears to be a typical Home Office/IT fuck-up. IT asked for a list of "countries of origin"  - ie where you have travelled from. The Home Office provided a list of "countries of origin" - ie countries you could have been born in. And IT uploaded it

[crazy canuck]

Also possible to have taken a very long route since departing

[Syt]

Movie idea: a ship from Yugoslavia, sailing the oceans since before the country's dissolution. The crew represent all ethnicities of the country and refuse to recognize the end of their home country, seemingly forever voyaging on the sea as a symbol of unity.

[The Brain]

Don't know if it would work as a movie. Track suits isn't a great look.

[crazy canuck]

Movie idea: a ship from Yugoslavia, sailing the oceans since before the country's dissolution. The crew represent all ethnicities of the country and refuse to recognize the end of their home country, seemingly forever voyaging on the sea as a symbol of unity.