Things that make you go What the F**k?

[Avondhu star]

According to the British government 30 year papers they wanted to put some neon advertising on the Brit watchtowers in South Armagh to brighten them up!!

A prominent hilltop observation tower overlooking the main road from Belfast to Dublin could have been decked out under suggestions to spruce up the forbidding British Army structure during the conflict. Unsightly shields and barbed wire surrounded it to protect against rocket attacks.

A civil servant at the Northern Ireland Office wrote a note on the issue relaying the views of Peter Bottomley, who was the private secretary of Peter Brooke, the Northern Ireland secretary at the time.

It said: "He was sure that an imaginative way could be found to smarten up and decorate security structures in a way that would not be out of keeping with their function but would at the same time produce a pleasingly aesthetic effect on travellers.

"A pleasingly aesthetic effect on travellers"
Important to keep the travellers happy

[brokencrossbar1]

Something like this would have been good!!

[Cunny Funt]

Una healy from the saturdays dueting with daniel on tg4 now.

No real WTF there as Una has a strong country music background and her uncle is Declan Nerney

[Hereiam]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42523045

This is crazy

[LeoMc]

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

[LooseCannon]

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

How does one come across things like  this?

[Never beat the deeler]

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

How does one come across things like  this?

I remember reading that one before - I think there was a thread on here a couple of years back with good wikipedia stories and it was included. Just did a search and couldnt find it but this link contains a few similar stories:
https://moviepilot.com/posts/3785122

[Never beat the deeler]

Fill yer boots.

https://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=18096.msg893705#msg893705

Good man. Can't believe that's 7 years ago now!
Hours of reading there

[LeoMc]

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

How does one come across things like  this?

The Snopes website had an article on it a couple of days ago which popped up on my twitter feed.

[TabClear]

I saw this H&M row in the press today. I would be interested to get peoples views on whether this is racist?

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/hm-sparks-outrage-coolest-monkey-14126158

My view is that it is the PC brigade going out of their way to get offended. I have kids, numerous nephews and nieces and have both called them monkeys and bought and received tshirts with "Little monkey" etc  on them. I know this row has blown up because it was a young black (is that PC??) lad  in the advert and there probably would have been no reaction if it was a white kid. No one in their right minds can honestly think this was a racist action by H&M. However, i genuinely believe this faux outrage by PC crusaders only serves to deepen divisions and create disputes.  I know I would never have even thought of the shirt  in that context until I read about the social media reaction.

[AZOffaly]

Little monkey is a term of endearment for kids, and is related to their penchant for mischief or messing around. I call my daughter a little monkey all the time. I also call her a goose for similar reasons. It's related to the behaviour, not the appearance.

That said it was daft to have a little black lad wearing it, as the racist connotations are too obvious.

[armaghniac]

I saw this H&M row in the press today. I would be interested to get peoples views on whether this is racist?

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/hm-sparks-outrage-coolest-monkey-14126158

My view is that it is the PC brigade going out of their way to get offended. I have kids, numerous nephews and nieces and have both called them monkeys and bought and received tshirts with "Little monkey" etc  on them. I know this row has blown up because it was a young black (is that PC??) lad  in the advert and there probably would have been no reaction if it was a white kid. No one in their right minds can honestly think this was a racist action by H&M. However, i genuinely believe this faux outrage by PC crusaders only serves to deepen divisions and create disputes.  I know I would never have even thought of the shirt  in that context until I read about the social media reaction.

No doubt H&M had some kind of equal opportunities policy so that a proportion of hoodies would feature people of different races and this one happened to feature a black kid. Strange that someone didn't call stop though.

[thebigfella]

I saw this H&M row in the press today. I would be interested to get peoples views on whether this is racist?

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/hm-sparks-outrage-coolest-monkey-14126158

My view is that it is the PC brigade going out of their way to get offended. I have kids, numerous nephews and nieces and have both called them monkeys and bought and received tshirts with "Little monkey" etc  on them. I know this row has blown up because it was a young black (is that PC??) lad  in the advert and there probably would have been no reaction if it was a white kid. No one in their right minds can honestly think this was a racist action by H&M. However, i genuinely believe this faux outrage by PC crusaders only serves to deepen divisions and create disputes.  I know I would never have even thought of the shirt  in that context until I read about the social media reaction.

I suspect that is because you have never been called a monkey or told to go back to the jungle because of your race

No one said it was intentionally racist by H&M but it's definitely completely inappropriate and poor taste.

[armaghniac]

H&M should introduce a wee skitter range which would avoid racial connotations .

[johnneycool]

Class story if true;

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/topic/63580-anelka-viera-hit-me-in-face-with-penis/