Observer II Posted April 21, 2020 Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 With my TV on 24/7 , I'm worried about how much lecky it's using and whether it will survive it ? As for progs: to get away from the doom and gloom of the news, I've found some good channels like PBS America, which provide, albeit repeated, interesting progs on history and nature. So a learning exercise: EG: there's one about the Viet Nam War, with an insight into the cause of US involvement. Apparently at the end of WW2, Ho Chi Min wanted US support for Vietnamese independence, in line with a US de-colonisation policy being supported by FDR. In his inaugural speech, in claiming Independence when the Japanese left; Ho Chi Min quoted directly from the US Declaration of Independence, "all men are created equal" etc. Problem was, that US policy became obsessed with anti-Communism with the start of the Cold War, so instead of supporting Independence under Ho, they supported the return of the French, then when they got defeated at Dien Ben Phu, they supported a corrupt Regime in the South. They then lost 50,000 soldiers fighting a futile war. 😷 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted April 21, 2020 Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 A 30" lcd tv running at 80 watts will cost about 14p per hour to run. The life span is between 60,000 and 100,000 hours. or there about. Depending on which website you look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer II Posted April 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 V/good Sid - might last till the end of lock down then ? ! 😉😷 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted April 21, 2020 Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 I take it you've already been through the yesterday channel, Obs ? Channel 5 is not bad for historical programmes either & there is sometimes the added bonus of progs being presented by Alice Roberts. There is also some posh totty on BBC 4 with history progs. You may even get Mary Beard ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer II Posted April 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 No not scary Mary !😄 Yep Dave - all good stuff - which makes me wonder if parents use it to educate their kids, they'd probably learn more than they would at school ! 😷 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latchford Locks Posted April 21, 2020 Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 I have found this little gem of knowledge since lockdown and most evenings there is at least one programme worth a watch http://www.smithsonianchannel.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted April 21, 2020 Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 I 'll have to see if i have that channel. Storyville on BBC iplayer has some varied & interesting stuff which can be watched on catch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confused52 Posted April 21, 2020 Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 51 minutes ago, Davy51 said: I 'll have to see if i have that channel. Storyville on BBC iplayer has some varied & interesting stuff which can be watched on catch up. Logical Channel 57 on Freeview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted April 21, 2020 Report Share Posted April 21, 2020 Virgin has a Youtube channel with loads of interesting stuff such as Rugby League full games (watch Wire thrash St Helens in the Challenge Cup Final again.....and again....and again 😁). 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted April 22, 2020 Report Share Posted April 22, 2020 Well looking at some of the programs you could be watching i do wonder if the broadcasters are having a bit of a dig at us having to stay at home. Sun sea and selling houses, escape to the country, a place in the sun home or away, escape to the château, hairy bikers Mediterranean adventure and the ever popular location location location. Talking pictures channel has some good old nostalgia on if you don't mind black and white films. some can be quite amusing if you watch the acting rather than try and follow the plot. This afternoon they have a short film made in 1940 about how a raleigh bicycle is made......Might give that one a watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latchford Locks Posted April 22, 2020 Report Share Posted April 22, 2020 1 hour ago, Evil Sid said: Well looking at some of the programs you could be watching i do wonder if the broadcasters are having a bit of a dig at us having to stay at home. Sun sea and selling houses, escape to the country, a place in the sun home or away, escape to the château, hairy bikers Mediterranean adventure and the ever popular location location location. Talking pictures channel has some good old nostalgia on if you don't mind black and white films. some can be quite amusing if you watch the acting rather than try and follow the plot. This afternoon they have a short film made in 1940 about how a raleigh bicycle is made......Might give that one a watch. It has some really good 1960's kitchen sink dramas Room at the Top/Saturday Night Sunday Morning etc... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted April 22, 2020 Report Share Posted April 22, 2020 They really did have some dismal films in the 60s ,dismal but good ,cult viewing you might say. The were probably made as an antidote to the swinging 60s which must have passed me by . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latchford Locks Posted April 22, 2020 Report Share Posted April 22, 2020 51 minutes ago, Davy51 said: They really did have some dismal films in the 60s ,dismal but good ,cult viewing you might say. The were probably made as an antidote to the swinging 60s which must have passed me by . I was a child of 1950's and watching these old films has me almost smelling the smokey streets and the washing lines strung across the back alley with damp clothes and on warm days that soapy smell off the Mersey froth , were we deprived? No just happy and content 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer II Posted April 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2020 There was a claustrophobic fest on the Sony channel last night - submarines. "Das Boot" - again; and "Phantom" with Ed Harris in a supposedly true story of an incident on a Russian nuclear sub; that nearly started WW3. Makes lock down look like child's play ! 😷 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer II Posted April 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2020 I've been following the PBS America series on the Viet Nam War with many revelations, one of which I knew about was the US draft system; which allowed the wealthy to avoid the draft - examples are George Bush who stayed in the US with the Air National Guard, and Bill Clinton who attended a UK University. What did surprise me, was, that the N Vietnamese were at it too; with their political elite sending their kids to Russian and Chinese Universities, while sacrificing millions of peasants on the battlefield. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latchford Locks Posted April 29, 2020 Report Share Posted April 29, 2020 1 hour ago, Observer II said: I've been following the PBS America series on the Viet Nam War with many revelations, one of which I knew about was the US draft system; which allowed the wealthy to avoid the draft - examples are George Bush who stayed in the US with the Air National Guard, and Bill Clinton who attended a UK University. What did surprise me, was, that the N Vietnamese were at it too; with their political elite sending their kids to Russian and Chinese Universities, while sacrificing millions of peasants on the battlefield. I was pals with a young conscript who was stationed at Burtonwood we went in The Beachcomber back in 1967 and he use to say how a posting over here was equivalent to winning $ 1,000,000 and having Marilyn Monroe as your girlfriend !!!! He knew lads who had not been so lucky and ended up at Da Nang Air base something his pals called "A Meat Grinder" of a posting. And if it wasn't for Harold Wilson vetoing a request from Lyndon Johnson to join in that blood bath I (being 18 at the time) could well have been called up and ended there. But common sense prevailed , The figures bandied around by Johnson was we send out..... The ratio of combat troops to combat support (mechanics, medics, engineers clerks, drivers, cooks, logistics, etc) is, very roughly, around 2.5:1. So, to get 250,000 combat troops into Vietnam, you’re going to need 875,000 warm bodies. Imagine if Churchill had been still alive and was the Prime Minister instead of Wilson My blood still runs cold thinking about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer II Posted April 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2020 I was stationed near Ubon, Thailand, at the time, could see the Phantoms taking off to rain death and destruction on the VC. Met a crowd of Yanks in a local bar, and they asked when we Limeys would be joining in. We replied the VC don't need any help, and ran off - fast ! Most of them were high as kites anyway; it was then that I realised they would lose. 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted April 29, 2020 Report Share Posted April 29, 2020 12 minutes ago, Observer II said: it was then that I realised they would lose. 😄 They didn't lose they just came second....🤫 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer II Posted April 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2020 Well actually Sid, your right, they won militarily based on the body count, but lost it politically at home. They dropped more tonnage of bombs than in the whole of WW2; lost 50,000 dead, but with an average kill ratio of 10-1, the VC paid a high price for their Independence. 💀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted April 29, 2020 Report Share Posted April 29, 2020 The Dutch & the French knew when to get out. Apparently, Covid19 has now killed more people in America than the VC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted April 29, 2020 Report Share Posted April 29, 2020 Good on BBC tonight Obs . The Great British Sewing Bee., 9pm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted April 30, 2020 Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 I didn't know bees could sew, clever little things on the quiet aren't they....🤭 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted April 30, 2020 Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Evil Sid said: I didn't know bees could sew, clever little things on the quiet aren't they....🤭 Ho Hum😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted May 1, 2020 Report Share Posted May 1, 2020 I see Mary has an intellectual programme on BBC2 at 7pm discussing all things high brow. I don't know how many nights a week though Obs . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer II Posted May 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2020 😄 Think your winding me up Dave ! 😉 Just to get you into the current lock down mood, there's one about the 1918 Flu Pandemic - just to scare the pants off everyone ! 😷 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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