Off Topic The Review Thread

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Do you remember it actually happening? I have vague memories of a watching a moon landing, not sure if it was the first, with the whole family in my grandmothers front room in Clacton. Just amazing what was achieved with less technology than goes into a phone. Equally amazing that the political will existed to do something like this.

I can’t remember it happening as a was being born at the very same time....my mum used to tell me she was watching it on TV as I was making an appearance for the first time :)
 
Earlier this year Mrs TR and I did a cruise that called in at Valletta Malta and whilst there wandering around town decided that the local Fig liquor sounded rather interesting, so decided to buy a small sample bottle, as one does........anyway we cracked it open last evening and it's rather good, ideal as an accompaniment to desert instead of the usual sweet wines.........it has a lovely sweet Fig taste (obviously) but also a bit of sharpness that you'd find in the skins, serve it with loads of ice and enjoy........

Something to get if you ever get to Malta.........
 
Earlier this year Mrs TR and I did a cruise that called in at Valletta Malta and whilst there wandering around town decided that the local Fig liquor sounded rather interesting, so decided to buy a small sample bottle, as one does........anyway we cracked it open last evening and it's rather good, ideal as an accompaniment to desert instead of the usual sweet wines.........it has a lovely sweet Fig taste (obviously) but also a bit of sharpness that you'd find in the skins, serve it with loads of ice and enjoy........

Something to get if you ever get to Malta.........
Good alternative to dessert wine is Mandorla Di Sicilia, a Sicilian almond liqueur (only as strong as Port) which is very refreshing chilled. The traditional ‘free’ after dinner drink they give you in restaurants in Sicily. Likewise not cloyingly sweet.

Our neighbour had to go home to Madeira a couple of weeks ago for family reasons, and we looked after his wife’s cat (‘evil’ according to him) while they were away. He brought us back three small bottles of Madeiran rum, one lemon, one passion fruit and one tangerine. I will report back when we crack them open, I’ll have a taste but no longer drink spirits (fortified wine as strong as I go nowadays).
 
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I've just finished a really good book ( fiction. ) It's a historical crime novel set around the time of JFK's assasination, and it's about the aftermath of the shooting when a real life crime boss ( Carlos Marcello ) tries to clean up all of the loose ends. One of them is one of his henchmen Frank Guidry who unwittingly becomes tied to the incident. When everyone around him starts to turn up dead and suspecting that he's next he decides to go on the run. When he sees a beautiful housewife with her two young daughters by the roadside he sees the perfect disguise to cover his tracks while his would be killers pursue him.

I'm usually not a lover of mobster tales, but this one is up there for some reason I can't define. I read a lot, so I feel I'm able to sort the wheat from the chaff. This book has got it. It's well paced, has a good plot and great characters and beautiful prose. It will stay with you for a long time after you've finished it and is thought provoking.

It's right up there with ' No Country For Old Men' by Cormac McCarthy for me. And that is one hell of a great story.

November Road / Lou Berney
Received the book on Thursday; finished it this morning! That from someone who probably reads a book every couple of years. Excellent recommendation Nines.
A style of writing that eases you through the story and paints a vivid picture with just simple words. Has you feeling you’re in sixties America. Intriguing characters and a pace that pulls you along nicely through the book.
Top recommendation Nines. Thank you.
 
November Road / Lou Berney
Received the book on Thursday; finished it this morning! That from someone who probably reads a book every couple of years. Excellent recommendation Nines.
A style of writing that eases you through the story and paints a vivid picture with just simple words. Has you feeling you’re in sixties America. Intriguing characters and a pace that pulls you along nicely through the book.
Top recommendation Nines. Thank you.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it SW Ranger, that's a great review.
 
Just heard a brilliant lady on the radio, to my shame I have forgotten her name.* She was the only female engineer on the launch team for Apollo 11, was in mission control for launch and went in to have a 45 year career with NASA, which she clearly loved.

When asked whether she would have liked to have gone into space she was most positive about it, and had a brilliant suggestion - send the elderly, like her (nearly 80 now) as long as their brains are ok, into space. Weightlessness will be brilliant for all the aches, pains, arthritis etc, they can still do good science and (her words) ‘it doesn’t really matter if you come back or not’. Superb.



* Jo Ann Morgan
 
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Just heard a brilliant lady on the radio, to my shame I have forgotten her name. She was the only female engineer on the launch team for Apollo 11, was in mission control for launch and went in to have a 45 year career with NASA, which she clearly loved.

When asked whether she would have liked to have gone into space she was most positive about it, and had a brilliant suggestion - send the elderly, like her (nearly 80 now) as long as their brains are ok, into space. Weightlessness will be brilliant for all the aches, pains, arthritis etc, they can still do good science and (her words) ‘it doesn’t really matter if you come back or not’. Superb.
9 months to Mar's
Send the old and infirm first
Great plan sb
 
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I need to get this on catch up to watch it all again.

Loved that Cure set at Glastonbury so much, I've made a playlist of it. I've included some tracks they've played elsewhere this summer too....feel free to listen as much or as little as you want gents

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And here's the full Glastonbury set!

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Loved that Cure set at Glastonbury so much, I've made a playlist of it. I've included some tracks they've played elsewhere this summer too....feel free to listen as much or as little as you want gents

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And here's the full Glastonbury set!

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****, that didn't seem to work! Anyone know how to share a Sporify playlist on here?
 
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****, that didn't seem to work! Anyone know how to share a Sporify playlist on here?
No. I’m on Spotify though, I’ll search around for it, what did you call the playlist?

Second hand review, from a mate (ok a Leicester fan so judgement might not be sound) who saw Neil Young and Bob Dylan in Hyde Park last weekend. Verdict - Young, brilliant; Dylan, so bad they left halfway through.

About as I would have imagined. I have never got the worship of Dylan. I understand that he is ‘important’ in the history of rock, presumably for the songwriting, but most of them are really dirge like tunes to my ear and his voice, never great in the first place, has been totally **** for decades. Just an opinion.
 
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No. I’m on Spotify though, I’ll search around for it, what did you call the playlist?

Second hand review, from a mate (ok a Leicester fan so judgement might not be sound) who saw Neil Young and Bob Dylan in Hyde Park last weekend. Verdict - Young, brilliant; Dylan, so bad they left halfway through.

About as I would have imagined. I have never got the worship of Dylan. I understand that he is ‘important’ in the history of rock, presumably for the songwriting, but most of them are really dirge like tunes to my ear and his voice, never great in the first place, has been totally **** for decades. Just an opinion.

It's just called The Cure (imaginative, I know!), but you should find me at shaun.taylor-2, and then find it there

Saw Dylan at Glastonbury back in 98, ****in awful then, and I loved his stuff. Put me off him for life, just can't listen to his stuff anymore.

Saw Neil Young and Crazy Horse a few years back in Glasgow - absolutely brilliant. If you ever get the chance, catch him live - you'd think they were all still in their early 30s.

Edit....

I've changed the playlist to The Cure - Live 2019 so should be easier to find
 
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Just watched The Streets at Glastonbury on I-Player. Excellent, and quite moving in its humanist spirituality until he went and mentioned God (you didn't really mean that did you Mike?).

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got 2nd row seats for the streets later this month
are they any good live

Just got round to seeing The Streets Glastonbury set and loved it. Always liked them from the first two albums but didn’t know how they would come across live....very impressed.
Kiwi.....you’ll have a great time

NB.....it made me get out my old Streets albums and listen again after umpteen years.
‘Blinded by the Light’ truly is a remarkable tune and if you’ve ever gone clubbing back in the day and used a bit of errrr....chemical enhancement to enjoy your night....then this song alone should be able to put your experiences down into words.
 
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