Sunday, 8 March 2009
In Days of Old, When Knights Were Bold.....
Gordon Brown wants to award Ted Kennedy an `honorary` Knighthood.
In a week when the IRA breaks cover with a mere machine gun murder of 2 British soldiers (Engineers awaiting their posting to Afghanistan this week) who were engaged in the anti-Republican act of collecting pizzas delivered to their barracks. 4 others, including the 2 pizza delivery guys, were also gunned down. Still, at least Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness condemned the act of murder - is this a `first`?
Let's look at the word `Honour` for a moment. Wikipedia says of honour; the evaluation of a person's trustworthiness and social status based on that individual's espousals and actions. Honour is deemed exactly what determines a person's character: whether or not the person reflects honesty, respect, integrity, or fairness. Accordingly, individuals are assigned worth and stature based on the harmony of their actions, code of honour, and that of the society at large.
Tell that to the family of Mary Jo Kopechne.
But to be fair, I don't pay that much attention to Ted these days, so perhaps he really has discovered the true meaning of `honour`.
How do I feel right now, in Gordon's Britain? Like Clint Eastwood's character in Gran Torino, that's how I feel - "Just Get off my Goddam Lawn..."
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11 comments:
They're so young.
My heart breaks for them, their families and their friends.
Nice post Hog Day, and agreed with your post wholeheartedly, including the Clint quote.. though I have to say my all time favourite quote of his was 'do you feel lucky punk?' though in this day and age it is more likely to be the victim than the perpetrator being asked the question.. no wonder I want to leave and go elsewhere.
Think it's a "pity" award since he's so sick? Hmmmph.
Sage: Thanks for looking in. Be of good cheer. Salt on the roads nearly gone. Spring is on the way. As Ogri would say, "Bollocks, I've always got me bike".
ETW: I'm still singing "Country Roads, take me hooome...." :)
PG: Yes indeed. Very young men. And in the wake of this, overnight a British policeman in Northern Ireland was shot dead in an IRA ambush. They used a `domestic violence` type emergency call to lure police into a sniper trap. Old tactics for a new generation of police officers to face. I'm tired of the bombs and bullets.
Who ever this Ogri is, I think I love him. Ride on HD, ride on, maybe through Virginia?
Have to keep my eyes on the country roads though.....
I'll see if I can dig out a piccy of Ogri.
Apologies to Ogri, the name threw me off.
amended to: " I think I love HER"
Fabulous pic !
Have cut and pasted this from an OGRI site:
He is tall and very muscular. He has a broken nose, permanent stubble and short black hair (usually hidden by his trade-mark helmet). His helmet is red, has goggles, which he never uses, and his most distinguishing mark- his helmet has a white wing on either side. He wears a leather jacket with lots of zips. On the shoulder is a yellow star, with 'OGRI' written underneath. He wears blue jeans and very, very big boots. In short Ogri is hard, and Ogri is cool, Ogri is a true Biker.
Of course there are other characters in the Ogri comics. The main ones are (in no particular order):
Malcolm: Ogri's younger and less experienced cousin. Malcolm is how every biker tends to start out: unsure and nervous, one hopes that you will eventually get to be more like Ogri. Malcolm is constantly getting himself into trouble, and usually has to be bailed out by Ogri. He is always crashing his bikes or being beaten up. You've got to feel sorry for the guy really. He is usually distinguished by his young, pimply face, or by his helmet, which says MAL on the front.
Mitzi: Ogri's girlfriend, and every biker's (and indeed non-biker's) dream girl. With her curvatious and voluptuous body and her shock of blonde hair, Mitzi is too hot for most to handle, but not Ogri. This feisty lass knows her bikes too, and can handle herself in a fight. In short, Mitzi is one foxy lady.
Kickstart: He reads Plato and Aristotle, is Ogri's faithful companion, is usually barred from pubs, and manages to upset the police a lot. The thing is, Kickstart is a dog. He is small and white and he sits on the back of Ogri's bike whenever he goes riding. Sometimes he gets Ogri out of trouble, sometimes he gets him into trouble, such is life. Kickstart usually adds comic value to the strips (not that its already there, he just adds more). He regularly infuriates the Police and Traffic Wardens by covering Ogri's number plate with his tail and swearing at the speed cameras.
Anyone who has ever read 'Bike' magazine in the past will have heard of Ogri, this is where he first appeared, since then he has become a major cult figure in British Motorcycling, everyone wants to be like him. More recently Ogri has been appearing in the Motoring section of the Saturday Telegraph as well. Paul Sample has release two collections of Ogri cartoon strips, the first entirely in Black and White, the second mainly B+W and some colour strips as well. Very recently a short cartoon film (lasting around jus over 45 mins) was also made about Ogri, simply entitled 'Ogri'. In the film Ogri's cousin Malcolm is kidnapped and framed for a crime he didn't commit, and Ogri and Mitzi (and Kickstart) have to save the day and beat up the evil police. Yeay!
If you do ever get the chance to read or buy some of the Ogri strips, then do. They really very amusing, even if you aren't a biker. They are anti-motorist, but in a good (and often enough, true) way.
Hah, I was blinded by Mitzi's behind, didn't even see the big biker on the front. I'll keep an eye out!
I have always been amazed how the Mary Jo Kopechne affair (and the role of those involved) has apparently been forgotten.
ShySongbird: Yes, I'm sure Ted would want her to be remembered that way.
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