Mailwatch(ed) Forum

There's nothing particularly new about cooperating with the Navy of a NATO ally, even the Germans.

Back in 1959, the West German Navy was operating ships named: Hipper, Scheer, Scharnhorst and Graf Spee.

History buffs will recognise the names, once the pride of Hitler's navy.
Three named after German naval heroes of the First World War who sunk Royal Naval vessels.
All four names had been carried by major surface ships in Hitler's navy: Three sunk by the British, one by Norwegians.

These 1950s replacements were transfers from the Royal Navy.
Old convoy escorts, smaller and slower than fleet destroyers.

The Navy engaged in NATO ops with the West Germans, including these ships.
They didn't publicly rage about "Glorifying enemies of Britain".
If anything there was a lot more "We sunk the 35,000 ton version and gave them a tiny 1,200 ton replacement".

Oh yes, one other thing. HMS Dragon, you say? HMS Drag Queen, more like! That Labour government, they're obsessed, I tell you! Can't move for seven feet tall burlesque drag acts strutting up and down Whitehall!

Obsessed cunt.

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 27, 2026 11:47 am Oh yes, one other thing. HMS Dragon, you say? HMS Drag Queen, more like! That Labour government, they're obsessed, I tell you! Can't move for seven feet tall burlesque drag acts strutting up and down Whitehall!

Obsessed cunt.

It's definitely an area where the loudest protesters often leave a legacy of closet skeletons.

As Britain’s forced to borrow a German warship… what would Nelson make of today’s Navy?

Britain relied on entire German armies from Hannover and Prussia to face Napoleon in order to free up its military might on the seas. Disappointing these superpatriots have such a poor grasp of military history.

Youngian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 27, 2026 6:17 pm

As Britain’s forced to borrow a German warship… what would Nelson make of today’s Navy?

Britain relied on entire German armies from Hannover and Prussia to face Napoleon in order to free up its military might on the seas. Disappointing these superpatriots have such a poor grasp of military history.

Nelson, probably the most prolific British sailor when it came to "borrowing" ships form other navies.

In the age of wood and sail, enemy prizes were swiftly repaired and put into commission in the captor's navy.

During the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), the British Royal Navy captured or destroyed a massive number of French vessels, decisively limiting Napoleon's naval power.
Key captures included over a dozen ships at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), such as Bucentaure and Redoutable, and major fleet seizures at Toulon and the Mauritius campaign, with many prize ships commissioned into the Royal Navy

Once again, LittleCock yaps form a position of ignorance.

Oh gawd, it's rehashing its embarrassing crap again.

Didn't the previous version end with 'in that case, Hardy - tell them to kiss my a**e!', as the Mail's fine moralists doubtless printed it?

I know the answer, but how the fuck does he gets away with re-hashing the same tired lines again and again?

The same way an old music act gets by on their back catalogue. Oldies but goodies, comfort food, things of that nature.

It keeps the hard of thinking in line

https://smry.ai/www.dailymail.co.uk/col ... ion_mobile

Mental illness is all made up. All a scam by bogus doctors. In my day we had real illnesses and we took the piss out of the crips and mongs. Kids (and their workshy parents, in fact anyone younger than me) are all lazy bastards.

Motability? How dare they.

In related news, why is the BBC covering the current war in a bit more depth than just repeating Pentagon briefings? Fucking treasonous, if you ask me. Anyway, why aren't the baddies just rolling over and dying?

Yes, I'm a cunt.

I'm really tiring of Littlejohn and other right wing gobshites bleating on about how autism, attention deficit disorder and anxiety didn't exist 30 or 40 years ago. This really is utter nonsense. All these conditions existed when I was at school in the 70's and 80's but back then only about 40% of kids ever sat exams when they were 16. If a child is not going to sit any exams there is little point getting them assessed for SEN because it will make very little difference.

Now a days 100% of kids are required to take exams at 16 and all their grades are taken into account when accessing how well a school is performing. So now it is in a schools interest to get as many pupils as possible formally assessed because an assessment can lead to extra help in lessons and special considerations in exams.

Rain Man was what pushed autism into the public spotlight. It was released 38 years ago. Dyslexia was commonly recognised when I was in junior school, about 40 years ago.

satnav wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 5:08 pm I'm really tiring of Littlejohn and other right wing gobshites bleating on about how autism, attention deficit disorder and anxiety didn't exist 30 or 40 years ago. This really is utter nonsense. All these conditions existed when I was at school in the 70's and 80's but back then only about 40% of kids ever sat exams when they were 16. If a child is not going to sit any exams there is little point getting them assessed for SEN because it will make very little difference.

I remember how leaving was phased when I was at school: if you didn't sit any exams, you left at Easter. If you sat CSEs, you left at Whitsun half term and if you sat 'O' levels, you left when you finished your last exam. The rationale as I recall was that the brighter kids were left in relative peace and quiet to sit their 'O' and 'A' levels.

satnav wrote:I'm really tiring of Littlejohn and other right wing gobshites bleating on about how autism, attention deficit disorder and anxiety didn't exist 30 or 40 years ago. This really is utter nonsense. All these conditions existed when I was at school in the 70's and 80's but back then only about 40% of kids ever sat exams when they were 16. If a child is not going to sit any exams there is little point getting them assessed for SEN because it will make very little difference.

Now a days 100% of kids are required to take exams at 16 and all their grades are taken into account when accessing how well a school is performing. So now it is in a schools interest to get as many pupils as possible formally assessed because an assessment can lead to extra help in lessons and special considerations in exams.

It's now an article of faith for MAGA and their evangelical fuckwit voters that empathy is "unchristian". Littlejohn's ahead of the curve, he's been preaching that empathy is for wimps for years. That he's a despicable low-life cunt is not in doubt but I don't really think that does the job anymore. I've said it on here before: people like Littlejohn make me wish I still had the faith of my younger years. Then, at least I could believe that one day he and his like are going straight to hell.

When I was at school you could leave at Easter if you were born in the Christmas term and weren't taking exams. From November onwards and then about a month before the Spring half-term when everyone left, attendance became virtually voluntary, because the teachers knew the kids who were going unqualified had no interest in being there so it was better having them run wild out there than distracting the others. Dickie doesn't mention things like that.

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 5:42 pm Rain Man was what pushed autism into the public spotlight. It was released 38 years ago. Dyslexia was commonly recognised when I was in junior school, about 40 years ago.

Rain Man was more famous for the savant aspect. It subsequently became the byword for anyone with a memory longer than a goldfish or who could do more than the 5 times table. "Well if you buy 9 of those at 80p each it'll cost you £7.20." "Oooh look at Rain Man there with his fancy sums!"

Yes. Led to a destructive stereotype that all people living at that end of the spectrum are geniuses but only in tiny niches. Unhelpful.

https://smry.ai/www.dailymail.co.uk/deb ... ion_mobile

Not following the USA into Iran is the most evil thing ever, and before you know it, we'll be back in the EU and SENTEEN MILYAN BIGGIST VOAT EVAH!

Then, after that, some whinge about parking charges and a lookalike thing.

The juxtaposition of the incredibly petty take on the Iran war, and the forensic breakdown of parking fees is just...

Yeah, still a cunt.

Killer Whale wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2026 4:44 pm Yes. Led to a destructive stereotype that all people living at that end of the spectrum are geniuses but only in tiny niches. Unhelpful.

Quite. There is now a whole genre of derivative TV drama (see 'Astrid' et al) that play on this dreadful stereotype. As you say, unhelpful, but also rather insulting to people who are exhausted and debilitated by their efforts o operate in a society which does not fit them.

Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Fri Apr 03, 2026 6:43 am

Killer Whale wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2026 4:44 pm Yes. Led to a destructive stereotype that all people living at that end of the spectrum are geniuses but only in tiny niches. Unhelpful.

Quite. There is now a whole genre of derivative TV drama (see 'Astrid' et al) that play on this dreadful stereotype. As you say, unhelpful, but also rather insulting to people who are exhausted and debilitated by their efforts o operate in a society which does not fit them.

I always wondered whether Rainman simple flipped a common Hollywood trope.
Because Hollywood has relatively few ideas, and is notorious for adaptations that force literary classics into one of their three popular moulds.

Rainman is roughly adjacent to the "loser who comes out on top" - through with better characterisation.

The no hoper/long shot, who through friends and mentors applies his talent in impressive ways.
* Brando's Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront.
* Stallone in the initial Rocky.
* James Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance.

It's an incredibly flexible trope, so at risk of being over-diagnosed.
It also fits the classic up and down beats of drama.

But I've witnessed its harmful effects.
Friends with children who've been dealt a terrible hand in the genetic lottery.
Some well meaning acquaintance observes "She might grow up be a brilliant physicist".
Parents get enough of this to stay quiet, but it hurts - especially if the child's prognosis makes adulthood unlikely.

And it all appears based on two models: Dustin Hoffman and Stephen Hawking.