remembrance day

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Did you remember?

We kind of forgot at the office i think. the fire bell rang at like 11:02 and this guy was telling me in a solemn voice that that was the end of it. the 2 minute silence and i didn't even realise this was happening (nor did most in the office). i felt a little bit bad.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:06 (twenty years ago)

We all observed it in here - except for the twat walking up and down the otherwise silent office yapping about 'overheads' on his mobile.

Two minutes is a long time when you're keeping schtum.

― Rumpie, Friday, 11 November 2005 11:08 (twenty years ago)

P.S - There's been a distinct lack of poppies about this year.

― Rumpie, Friday, 11 November 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

I've seen lots of poppies this year, but no one did anything in this office. (I never know the date - I always think it's a day behind what it is because I run so many retroactive reports.)

― Stress Pig (kate), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:11 (twenty years ago)

There was a little gaggle around the war memorial on Kensington High Street, but loads and loads of people pushing past, traffic roaring along...

People have very busy lives these days, and it's unreasonable to expect them to stop doing stuff for 120 seconds each year.

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:13 (twenty years ago)

we had the company e-mail saying we could do what the hell we liked. which was nice.

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

did you strip?

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:19 (twenty years ago)

I've noticed a lot less poppies around this year as well - shame, cos for me the all round "Lest We Forget" of Armistace Day is a lot more powerful than most minute silences - like, let's try not to let that happen again, huh?

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

let's try not to let that happen again, huh?

That's going well then.

― The Marquis of Cauliflower (noodle vague), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:36 (twenty years ago)

I didn't know it was that time already. No wonder I'm hungry.

Had I remembered, I would have turned around and marked it with my German colleagues.

I tried to persuade my mother-in-law to come and see the Queen on Sunday, but she just looked at me gone out.

There are quite a few poppies about.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

I know it's not really working, but that's the idea, and it's a good idea to have, yes? XPOST

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

There were hymns and things in the foyer of the main building, but I preferred to sit at my desk and think.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:04 (twenty years ago)

Think? Is that how you call it. nudge nudge wink wink

― Nathalie, the Queen of Frock 'n' Fall (stevie nixed), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

People have very busy lives these days, and it's unreasonable to expect them to stop doing stuff for 120 seconds each year.

That's true actually. They should spread it out more - one second every three days. That way it wouldn't seem so impossible.

― James Ward (jamesmichaelward), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

Shit, I always forget Rememberance Day.

― NickB (NickB), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

the british legion are a rum lot, aren't they?

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:44 (twenty years ago)

You're thinking of the Navy.

― The Marquis of Cauliflower (noodle vague), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:45 (twenty years ago)

Every year I mean to watch the Cenotaph, but I always chicken out, thinking it's gonna be too depressing, then realise that that's the point.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:48 (twenty years ago)

it's just a lump of stone, how does it depress you?

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

So Grey.

― The Marquis of Cauliflower (noodle vague), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

i was going to buy a white poppy this year ... i did it back in 1999 and felt a lot happier wearing it than i would a red poppy. my dad worked in war pensions and said the haig fund were [rest of this sentence deleted for legal reasons] so i've always had a problem with red poppies because of that.

but because i'm a dick i never got round to ordering my white poppy. fuck.

we didn't observe the silence here, but this office is as quiet as a morgue today anyway.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

what does a white poppy mean?

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

i meant to post this link

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Realluy? I wondered about wearing a white poppy - where does the cash for white poppies go then? I always assumed the white poppy was splitting hairs on the sentiment front.

xpost - oh, I guess I'll read the link 1st.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

See, I always thought that the red poppy was all about that as well - as I said upthread, that war was dumb, don't do it again.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:03 (twenty years ago)

I've never really gone for the white poppy thing because I think it's a bit silly — the red ones aren't about celebrating wars and saying we should have more, just about showing appreciation to the people who died fighting them. White poppies seem to be almost a slap in the face to all that.

But if you prefer them because you have insider infor on the RBL, then fair dibs.

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

i wore a white feather.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

Just read this on the White Poppy website:

"For some Remembrance Day is a ‘day out’, for others a chance to relive the good old days when bombs were falling and some 50 million people were killed. It’s also a time to introduce young people to the heroic deeds of their relatives, and for most of them a confirmation that war and all that that small word embraces, is indeed an inevitable, essential and valuable institution."

And have decided that my original opinion of them was quite valid.

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

just about showing appreciation to the people who died fighting them

This is where it gets sticky, for me. I appreciate WW2 veterans, but what about modern wars, of which I don't necessarily approve? Where's the line between peacekeeping and combat? Does buying a poppy imply support for the war, or support for the people who are just doing their job? How do I come to some kind of understanding of why anyone would want a career in the armed forces?

― Mädchen (Madchen), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:17 (twenty years ago)

How do I come to some kind of understanding of why anyone would want a career in the armed forces?

... now we don't have compulsory military service, I mean.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

It’s also a time to introduce young people to the heroic deeds of their relatives, and for most of them a confirmation that war and all that that small word embraces, is indeed an inevitable, essential and valuable institution.

inevitable yes, essential and valuable i'm not so sure.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

although the red poppy doesn't actually say war is inevitable.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

But if you prefer them because you have insider infor on the RBL, then fair dibs.

this is exactly it. you can understand why i don't want to go into more detail on a public forum :)

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

"Does buying a poppy imply support for the war,"

No.

"or support for the people who are just doing their job?"

Yes.

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:26 (twenty years ago)

I'm always reminded of a comedy sketch where there's a group of protestors, presumably outside the houses of parliament or similar:

ALL: WAR IS WRONG! WAR IS WRONG!
GUY: EXCEPT THE SECOND WORLD WAR!
ALL: Huh?
GUY: That was okay, we were fighting Hitler and fascists.
ALL: WAR IS WRONG EXCEPT THE SECOND WORLD WAR!
GUY: AND THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE!
ALL: Huh?
GUY: Fighting against slavery, that's a good war.
ALL: WAR IS WRONG EXCEPT THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE!
GUY: AND STAR WARS!

etc.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:27 (twenty years ago)

Actually one concequence of the American War of Independence was the continuation of slavery in the former colonies long after Britain had abolished it.

The American Civil War, however...

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:30 (twenty years ago)

How do I come to some kind of understanding of why anyone would want a career in the armed forces?

i dunno, i was quite moved after seeing those "What are you thinking now?" adverts because i totally knew if they all just ran through a minefield the mines would explode.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

and thought i must have been fit for the army.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

"Does buying a poppy imply support for the war,"
No.

"or support for the people who are just doing their job?"
Yes.

Should you support people who are just doing their job if it's a career they've chosen, and if they're fighting a war you don't agree with?

Although your answers are the Correct Answers, I think fewer and fewer people choose to wear poppies because of the implication of support for war, and I think that's why the white peace poppies are now being sold.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Friday, 11 November 2005 14:26 (twenty years ago)

Well the people who died usually didn't sign up to support that specific war, they signed up to be in the army, whose presence at very least makes it less likely that someone will try to invade your country, so I suppose you might feel a small amount of gratitude to them.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 11 November 2005 14:33 (twenty years ago)

Most of the armed forces aren't sitting around at strategic points in Britain waiting for enemy attacks though, are they?

― Mädchen (Madchen), Friday, 11 November 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

I watched a programme about horsey soldiers last night and it was good.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 11 November 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

i have no idea what armed forces do in their spare time actually! (e.g. those who aren't in iraq)

i just imagine them to be in a camp somewhere bodybuilding and hug each other and stuff.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 11 November 2005 14:49 (twenty years ago)

or do they just sit in a corner doing filing, like what temps do when they have no work to do?

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 11 November 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

it's always interesting to see who out of TV presenters and guests on their shows is and who isn't wearing poppies.

i don't do the poppy thing for reasons already provided upthread. i don't go for wearing things as symbolic gesture generally. i hope it's not taken as a sign of disrespect and ungratefulness though.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 11 November 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

i haven't seen a single poppy vendor. maybe i would have bought one, but it would have been the first time for a long time. also wtf @ people like tony blairs, who wears one from about mid-october.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 11 November 2005 15:06 (twenty years ago)

I haven't seen as poppy vendor either, and I haven't seen trays of poppies perched atop tills.

I have watched Fifi and the Flowertots a couple of times this week though.

The soldiers in WWI didn't see fields full of white poppies, innit. They was red.

David Beckham, national hero, celebrates Remembrance Day on trhe BBC website:

"These games against Argentina are never friendlies and we're looking forward to it. It's like playing the Germans - you never get a easy game out of it."

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 11 November 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

In fairness, there aren't many countries that we haven't either had a war with, invaded or otherwise pissed off in our history.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 11 November 2005 15:23 (twenty years ago)

that's another thread altogether

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 11 November 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

pick only ten

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 11 November 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

We did the silence thing here. Music, talking, even the phones stopped!
What do people normally donate when they pick-up a poppy? This my 1st time getting one and I gave the fellow $5.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 11 November 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

I was explaining Medline to someone at 11am. But, I did buy a poppy.

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 11 November 2005 17:42 (twenty years ago)

you guys don't get the day off? we didn't here for veteran's day, though we got colombus day off. weird.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 11 November 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

Nah, we all have to work, it should be a holiday!

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 11 November 2005 17:50 (twenty years ago)

Every day should be a holiday.

― Stress Pig (kate), Friday, 11 November 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

when i worked at a bank it was a holiday. : (

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 11 November 2005 17:59 (twenty years ago)

I forgot the banks and post office were closed, even though I read various Veteran's Day article in the local paper.

― tokyo nursery school: afternoon session (rosemary), Friday, 11 November 2005 18:00 (twenty years ago)

Today's a holiday in Canada.

― Sym Sym (sym), Friday, 11 November 2005 19:32 (twenty years ago)

I was in Sainsburys at 11am, and we observed the silence twice by accident! There was an announcement but it was garbled and we didn't hear it properly and thought it meant the silence had started, I was at the checkout and had to stop just as I was about to pay. Then 2 minutes later there was another announcement and that was actually the start of the silence, I presume the first announcement was warning it was about to start or something. It was weird being in Sainsburys and everyone's stood still in silence. Of course some fool knocked over a stand by the entrance right in the middle of it.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Friday, 11 November 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

My grandpa fought in the Great War (was about 15, lied about it) but as he died when I was 9 I didn't get to hear much about it.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 11 November 2005 21:50 (twenty years ago)

I wrote about my grandpa, dad, cousin, and other veteran relatives here in my LJ.

― kingfish cold slither (kingfish 2.0), Friday, 11 November 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

Either this Christmas or next, I'm gunna borrow a mic & a marantz in order to interview my grandpa(and grandma) about their Wartime experiences. I need to do this just to get it on tape for family history.

For example, stories like Grandpa going thru submarine school, or getting drunk some night with the rest of the guys, then getting a pig tattooed on one foot, and a chicken tattooed on the other. When I asked him about them, he asked me, "well, don't you know that a pig chasin' a chicken will never drown in salt water?"

― kingfish cold slither (kingfish 2.0), Friday, 11 November 2005 22:01 (twenty years ago)

when did they start referring to the world wars as world war I and world war II? was it during the latter, or after?

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Saturday, 12 November 2005 06:34 (twenty years ago)

An american newspaper poll taken sometime in 1942-1943, wasn't it?

the first one was always "The Great War" previously. Still is, as mentioned above.

― kingfish cold slither (kingfish 2.0), Saturday, 12 November 2005 06:42 (twenty years ago)

I got a poppy.....but `The Great War`?.......I thought all wars were shite?

― eric greenleg (greenleg), Saturday, 12 November 2005 11:48 (twenty years ago)

Not *quite* the meaning of "great" they were thinking of, I believe.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Saturday, 12 November 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

eleven months pass...

the only people i see wearing poppies are on TV, but that's just my personal experience (i don't work in a very 'suity' environment). i noticed one or two when i was walking around Canary Wharf shopping centre last week - middle aged chaps only tho. has anyone here been wearing one?

― 2 american 4 u (blueski), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:53 (nineteen years ago)

I was out last night and saw an awful lot of people with one; but I haven't seen anyone at work with one.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:30 (nineteen years ago)

seriously FUCK FUCKING ELEVENSES

― sunny successor (katharine), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:35 (nineteen years ago)

my dad helped me realize how veteran's get the poo end of the stick a lot of the time. i rock the poppy.

― ai lien (kold_krush), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

I have a poppy but I wear it on 11/11 if I bother.

Today is the 88th anniversary of the abdication of Wilhelm II.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:57 (nineteen years ago)

I have one on one of my coats. I bought it in a pub.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 9 November 2006 18:05 (nineteen years ago)

i have.

big bit on Today Program this morning, some religious group complaining...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6131464.stm

"Red poppy 'less Christian' claim

A Christian lobby group has claimed the wearing of red poppies is "politically correct" and stifles debate."
...

― Koogy Yonderboy (koogs), Thursday, 9 November 2006 18:14 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

pour one out

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Sunday, 11 November 2007 11:00 (eighteen years ago)

I'm in Turkey right now and thinking about it.

― Maria, Sunday, 11 November 2007 13:10 (eighteen years ago)

lol at polish dude in sainsbury's getting really angry and not understanding why the checkout girl refused to speak to him for two minutes

― Dom Passantino, Sunday, 11 November 2007 13:17 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2vNj8rfE_I

A collection of vids of dogs welcoming home their owners from long overseas deployments:

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40324

― kingfish, Wednesday, 11 November 2009 21:03 (sixteen years ago)

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