The Off Topic Topic

[Syt]

Also, the village "next door" to where I grew up, and where I passed hundreds of times in the 80s/90s, had this "famous son":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinrich_Lohse

[celedhring]

Catholic Communist.

That's just asking for trouble 

My family had a knack for joining the losing subfaction of whichever political faction they found themselves in. My other grandfather's branch were Franco supporters (and the reds nearly executed my great-grandad) but being Carlists found themselves disgraced in the 1950s.

But being Catholic ended up helping my Commie grandad out a bit. A chaplain protected him during the first wave of fascist reprisals in 1939, although eventually one of his own neighbors ratted him out as a red and was sent to a prisoner camp (which he escaped from).

The 1930s, what a time to be alive.

[Sheilbh]

The far more famous battle of cable street was similarly localised.

Yeah - it's not something I'm aware of while, as you say, Cable Street is still very famous.

I only know that he managed to get in trouble BOTH with the reds and the fascists, since he was a Catholic Communist.

I mean who can dislike liberation theology


I've got some family myths from the inter-war period that do just emphasise how crazy and out of control it was. In my family it's that my grandad was helping run guns to the IRA during the war of independence and civil war while, according to the snippets of stories I've heard, his brothers were basically gangsters

No idea how true it is

But things were just crazy in the inter-war years. It's a bit like the 70s (and maybe now? ).

[Josquius]

I've got some family myths from the inter-war period that do just emphasise how crazy and out of control it was. In my family it's that my grandad was helping run guns to the IRA during the war of independence and civil war while, according to the snippets of stories I've heard, his brothers were basically gangsters

Opposite with mine. He had to leave a notorious IRA-heavy part of Northern Ireland (and move to England) because of IRA related shenanigans.
His dad on the other hand some decades earlier....A mail from a relative:

It was Xmas night and a big mob of Protestants arrived looking for trouble in the area where the Catholics mainly lived

John got everyone into the attic area, family and lodger(s), for safety.  They watched their neighbours, a husband and wife, being grabbed and their arms broken!

John had an illegal firearm.  His story was he merely shot in the air to scare the mob, however the Protestants said he shot at them. 

He was arrested and found guilty.  Funnily enough the Jury were all Protestants!!

I never realised there was such terrible bad feeling and prejudice then.  It must have continued on a bit as I know Mum told me she often would be taunted with songs like "Catholic, Catholic ring the bell.  Catholic, Catholic go to hell"!

Her father, P, was a boxer and he tried to show her a bit of boxing but she wasn't interested but one day this particular Protestant girl was really upsetting her with taunts and Mum punched her on the noise and ran for her life!! 

When she got home Granddad said "What on earth is wrong with you?". By which time the girl was banging on the gate shouting "Your Y nearly put my bliddy eye out!".  Granddad answered, very proudly, "Aye well if you don't bugger off she will come and put the other one out!!"  Granddad was so pleased with my Mum 😄.

[Sheilbh]

That's a great bit of family story.

And the mention of the boxer reminds me on that on my grandmother's side my great-granddad was Irish Middleweight Champion in the early 20th century:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jem_Roche

The boxing career didn't always go well

In October 1907 Roche scored a major victory, knocking out Charlie Wilson (former British heavyweight champion) in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, which set him up for a title shot. On St. Patrick's Day 1908, Roche fought Tommy Burns for the world heavyweight title at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, with a purse of £1,500 (split 80:20).[6] He was knocked out after 88 seconds. This is sometimes described as the shortest world heavyweight fight at the time, but Burns had beaten Bill Squires in the same time the previous July, and James J. Jeffries had won a 1900 title fight in 55 seconds.

[Josquius]

And your family never fought again? :p

[celedhring]

The Athletic is running a 1$/month for 6 months promo. You can cancel before regular price kicks in and I absolutely recommend it.

[Razgovory]

Diana Rigg just died.

[Valmy]

Diana Rigg just died.

RIP Olenna Tyrell

[grumbler]

   I saw her in three plays, and she was better on stage than even on scene.

And she was one of the real Avengers.  The Marvel ones are imitations. 

[Syt]

Meanwhile, on the NY subway ...



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecchi

[Josquius]

I get what ecchi is but not what that is advertising

[Syt]

I get what ecchi is but not what that is advertising

https://www.ecchiart.com/
(Possibly NSFW in some areas)

[Valmy]

Just what New York needs: more people looking at porn on the subway.

[Napoleon XIV]

There are... people on the subways?