Off Topic

[Minimalist]

Maybe Archie sent his church?

[MichelleH]

Maybe Archie sent his church?

I will smote them all.......

[Digit]

When you consider the success of 'Roots' and the popularity of history programmes, in the UK at least, I'm amazed that so few people use this forum.
Are we frightening them off?

[kbs2244]

If we ever get the promotion money to let people know about it, maybe so.
But would you want to be here then?
Look at some of the nonsense in the comments sections of the major newspapers. Not from the sharpest knives in the drawer.
I think keeping our anti-Club club small is a fine idea.

[Digit]

Well I'm not anti club actually KB, just some of their antics. As regards the rubbish in the press on occasion, the TV has a lot to answer for as well.
I watched a programme the other evening, pro and con the existance of King Arthur.
They explained the possible origin of Arthur's sword being cast into the lake, but what I took exception to was their attempts to explain the sword in the stone.
The suggestion was that the sword was cast in a stone mould, complete with suitable film clip, and then 'drawn from the stone'.
Total rubbish!
If the sword was cast in Cast Iron it would never have taken an edge and would have been as usful as a glass one!
If it had been cast in Iron, again it would not have taken an edge, too soft, and it would have bent with the first blow. Think of the Roman spears.
If it had been cast in Steel then it would have taken an edge but would have been rather brittle.
In addition, of course, at the supposed time of Arthur's existance all this was known and edged weapons were forged to overcome the above faults!
I wonder if these people would like to hire a technical advisor, or worse, did they have one perhaps?

[Minimalist]

There probably is a germ of truth in the Arthurian legends. A composite figure drawn from local, romanized, nobles trying to resist the barbarians coming in from the north while the Romans exited to the south in the 5th century. A hopeless struggle, of course.

All the rest of the trappings date from much later but they do provide a text book example of how legends grow.

[Digit]

So Oswald couldn't get off 3 aimed shots at a moving target in 7.5 seconds.
Using the Lee Enfield rifle I couldn't, but some of our soldiers were damned good with that weapon.
Any opinions?

[Minimalist]

I never bought the "second shooter" theory. No one "saw" anything. All they said was that they "heard" shots from the other direction.

The shooting happened in the middle of a city. Sounds echoes off buildings.

[Rokcet Scientist]

I never bought the "second shooter" theory. No one "saw" anything. All they said was that they "heard" shots from the other direction.

The shooting happened in the middle of a city. Sounds echoes off buildings.

If I look closely at the Zapruder strip, again and again, in slomo, I'd swear I see JFK hit twice. From different directions. The first from his behind, probably in his upper back, the second, much more violently, to his face, as if it were a much heavier calibre, from his right front. The damage to his head seems to bear that out.
I go with my eyes.

[Digit]

Well I can remember where I was when JFK was killed.
But if the reporting over here was correct the 'magic bullet' was just that!
As told here the damn thing did a 180, and that would be magic indeed.

[Forum Monk]

One interesting thing is when one actually vists the site of the shooting as I have done, one realizes the pictures and films do not give the proper scale to the location. Oswald was really not that far from the target. It appears it could have been an easy task for any competent marine marksman and if I recall correctly, they believe one shot may have missed completely. So, yeah, I can accept the lone gunman theory.

Another interesting point, I remember soon after the shooting and the many replays and reviews of the scene on TV news. I remember one film in particular which showed a Dallas police officer, laying over his motorcycle and then charging up the grassy knoll toward the stockaide fence. He obviously thought the shooter was behind the fence. For some reason, that film is never seen anymore. Nevertheless, I still think Oswald did it alone.

[fossiltrader]

The rifle was i believe the spelling carcano it an italian made rifle of notorious inaccuracy not a lee enfield and your boys lol lee enfield british army issue cheers.
That was the controvercy the italian rifle used was never able again to show such prowess and in fact any rifle expert would tell you using a carcano as a snipers rifle to say the least a mistake.

[Forum Monk]

You are correct FT. Mannlicher-Carcano, I believe they called it. I remember it quite well: a cheap, bolt-action rifle, bought through mail-order. Oswald obviously couldn't afford better weapons.

As to the feasibility of three shots within the time period required, it has been successfully demonstrated by others although one unfamiliar with the sloppy bolt may have had difficulty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcano

[Digit]

What about the 'magic bullet' Monk? Anything on that?

[Beagle]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Sele ... ssinations

Here is the final word from the US govt. The continuing refusal to provide all information makes me think that a conspiracy was responsible. This is the statement of the House Select Committee on Assassinations in the late '70s.