Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,553 
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jul 22, 2020 19:17:53 GMT
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I’m pig sick of social media. Pig curseword sick. It’s the internet equivalent of opening a pub window and yelling abuse at passers-by in the benign hope of getting a response. Social media sucks up real life like a poultice, and dripfeeds it back to its slavish followers in sanitised, soundbite-sized chunks. And those followers (to these sage old eyes) are getting ever more narcissistic and stupid. I hadn’t long celebrated my 42nd Birthday when I first posed on Retro-Rides in late 2006. Since then I’ve met, and remained in touch with, so many beautiful people from all parts of the U.K. and further afield. I’ve laughed, cried and gotten spectacularly, mind numbingly drunk with many of you guys at various Gatherings, the Beach Party series and A52. I’m now just three months away from turning 56, and my yearning for a return to simpler times is now too loud to ignore. Those of you who know me well enough will know I’ve endured a few problems with my mental well-being in the last few years, with my life becoming blighted with anxiety issues and mild depression, most of which now I have happily beaten. It’s no coincidence that most of that has happened since I stopped posting in places like this and fell into the abyss marked ‘Facebook’. Well here’s where the final part of the fight back starts. For me, anyway. Now I’m going to have to post lots of pictures of cars in recompense for rambling so incoherently. I either took these, or I’m in them. Enjoy. More to come.           |
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The Doctor
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,434
Club RR Member Number: 48
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Jul 22, 2020 20:09:18 GMT
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Welcome back here! Still have fond memories of the one beach party I visited. Will have to dig on my hard drive to find them!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,553
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jul 22, 2020 20:50:03 GMT
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Jul 22, 2020 21:15:04 GMT
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I can only imagine & I say that because I am only 1 year your junior, but believe it or not this is kinda the closest thing I get to social media. I have never been on fb in my life & by that I mean logged on etc etc.
My missus & grown up children show me pics on their phones which are obviously on fb, but that’s not really any different to just looking at a pic full stop.
I just hear what people are saying & think wtf are these lot doing all day , it’s a bit sad
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Jul 22, 2020 22:43:08 GMT
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I can only imagine & I say that because I am only 1 year your junior, but believe it or not this is kinda the closest thing I get to social media. I have never been on fb in my life & by that I mean logged on etc etc. My missus & grown up children show me pics on their phones which are obviously on fb, but that’s not really any different to just looking at a pic full stop. I just hear what people are saying & think wtf are these lot doing all day , it’s a bit sad Same for me. It's destroying language as well, spoken and written (says Basiltown Council house boy) Annoying to see mums and dads pushing little kids in pushchairs, either head down and swiping or with headphones, either way ignoring the kids. Even if you talk twaddle to your kids (the sky is blue, grass is green, whatever) they take it in! And don't get me started on car ads on ebay!!! |
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I’m pig sick of social media. Pig curseword sick. It’s the internet equivalent of opening a pub window and yelling abuse at passers-by in the benign hope of getting a response. Social media sucks up real life like a poultice, and dripfeeds it back to its slavish followers in sanitised, soundbite-sized chunks. And those followers (to these sage old eyes) are getting ever more narcissistic and stupid. yesterday i had a "discussion" with one chap who had commented on a thread about a fantastic sierra RS500 rep which started out as a 1.6 3 door. This chap contribution to the discussion was a rant about how he hates cars which are all mouth and no trousers, look the part but cant back it up. he did not research or even care that it had a cosworth engine, and still didnt after i pointed it out. facebook is that multiplied by a gabillion, cancerous echo chamber where if you can get someone to like your comment it becomes validated and the same as being truth. nobody is accountable to what they say (although we try) i hate that aspect with a passion, infact its become like an extreme sport to be deliberately apathetic, say something controversial just to appear to be edgy or cool that said, forums are still social media, arguably version 1.0 of social media and i thank you for your pictures  |
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Last Edit: Jul 23, 2020 8:09:50 GMT by darrenh
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Yay! To the return of the legend that is Brian Damaged. I'll not diverge on to a rant about social media companies (we'll be here all night, it is what I do for a living), but I'm glad to see increasing forum usage (not just here) and a re-connection to what actually matters and makes people happy (I hope).
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Jul 23, 2020 12:06:30 GMT
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Nice that you're back, Brian. I think most people are feeling the same about social media. I've almost completely tuned out, I keep a presence on FB to run my business page but that's about it.
RR has always been about positive vibes and no off-topic curse word, and that's why it's a success!
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,840
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Jul 23, 2020 17:09:57 GMT
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Good to see your name pop up. I recently looked on FB whilst I nicked all my photos off it after 12 months out of it - and it just showed that the thing that FB has done best is making people believe the stuff they're sharing means something and may affect others views. I have another account on which I have 1 friend (our lass) and we run her little sewing business through it (Daisy Dolly, incase anybody wants some super cool reusable face masks. Plug plug plug) and follow a couple of owners club type pages just for info.
Forums are just as bad as FB though. Off Topic Section = A Grade Bellendery.
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Jul 23, 2020 19:23:28 GMT
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Welcome back. I finally cut myself off from Facebook during lockdown, after using it for groups only for the last 4 or 5 years. I quite twitter during the last election. I’m still on Instagram for now as it feels easier to me to stick just to particular subjects. It does leave a gaping hole that feels necessary to fill with something so always good to use the time in some kind of productive manner even if it’s sharing photos or telling car tales of times gone by. Forums feel much more two way and give you greater scope to ramble on, as I seem to have done in this post. Apologies. Carry on |
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Jul 24, 2020 10:05:20 GMT
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welcome back, social media has it's uses, but can be toxic too. This forum, however, is full of way cooler stuff and good people.
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Currently driving a 1972 BMW 1602 as my daily. Don't ask about previous cars - there have been way too many and I stopped counting at 160!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,553
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Drove a bog standard mk1 focus at Silverstone when they were newish (a young driver thing I helped run round some cones) and it would cock it’s leg on the tight turns (well it did for me  ) was, as you say a fun thing to drive really Glad you are on the mend, enjoying the photos |
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v8ian
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,763
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Jul 26, 2020 10:05:17 GMT
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Welcome back Matey, one thing that never surprises me is how many people have had a visit from the black dog, Focii, Ive had a few, mostly TDCI Sports and always been good fun, I think they lost something with the Mk2. And obviously you love New York as much as I do, fantastic place to go, would be back to the US tomorrow if given the chance, Do the MardiGras next time, ......PARRTY............... |
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Atmo V8 Power . No slicks , No gas + No bits missing . Doing it in style.
Austin A35van, very different------- but still doing it in style, going to be a funmoble
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Jul 26, 2020 10:37:43 GMT
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I recognise this cars numerplate from somewhere, you don't live anywhere near Redditch do you? |
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,553
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jul 26, 2020 11:53:58 GMT
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I recognise this cars numerplate from somewhere, you don't live anywhere near Redditch do you? Yes, I’ve lived in Bromsgrove for 25 years now but I grew up in Redditch. I was on the committee of Redditch Mini OC from 2000-2002 and wrote/edited their monthly magazine. The car’s still in Redditch and has been restored I believe. |
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The Doctor
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,434
Club RR Member Number: 48
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Jul 26, 2020 13:53:48 GMT
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Jul 26, 2020 14:12:37 GMT
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Hello mate. Memories of a great day trawling round Gaydon with you. Got a pic somewhere that will probably make us cringe. I'll have to see if I can find it.
😁
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Jul 26, 2020 16:24:46 GMT
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I recognise this cars numerplate from somewhere, you don't live anywhere near Redditch do you? Yes, I’ve lived in Bromsgrove for 25 years now but I grew up in Redditch. I was on the committee of Redditch Mini OC from 2000-2002 and wrote/edited their monthly magazine. The car’s still in Redditch and has been restored I believe. Thats where I know it from, I was a member of the RMOC around that time but I left as it got too clicky for my liking.
Shame it all ended up the way it did. |
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Jul 26, 2020 19:29:58 GMT
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I logged out of Facebook about 18 months ago and haven't been back since. I honestly believe that it had a negative effect on my mental health. I would delete my account altogether if I didn't use messenger to stay in touch with friends I met through another forum.
I think forums (fora?) are different. If you choose wisely you are amongst people on the same wavelength. Before the internet I didn't really have any "car" mates because the friends I did have weren't that interested.
This one is like a haven at times. I can't be alone in finding looking at pictures of cars somehow soothing.
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Jaguar S-Type 3.0 SE
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) was, as you say a fun thing to drive really
