GAGB Pub Chat - "Culture Vultures around the table"

[Mrs Blorenge]

Tell us about that good programme you watched on TV, or the book you're reading, or the latest film/show/gig you attended. What's your latest hobby or interest?

[Mrs Blorenge]

After some years, I've recently returned to Wilbur Smith's novels and I'm three quarters way through "The Quest", one of his series of Egyptian stories. Great stuff, easy read, adventure with a heavy spoonful of mysticism thrown in... a bit grusome in places... Those Egyptians knew how to create a good torture

Anyone else got a good read on the go atm?

[nobbynobbs]

Steven Fry on sunday night going around america. Well worth a watch.

[keehotee]

Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon - for the 6th time......
and Iain banks - the Wasp Factory, for the squillionth time (but only when I'm on the loo)

[Bill D (wwh)]

I rather like The Eggheads, except that the questions are faaaar too easy...

[Mrs Blorenge]

I enjoyed the first of Fry in America, too - I saw a couple of his interviews promoting the series and he spoke eloquently of his experiences in USA and how he had enjoyed meeting the citizens. He really put across how individuals there are proud of their home state and were anxious that he should leave with a good impression of them and their area.

keehotee - In a recent conversation (which started off talking about Bletchley Park, cos we used to live up that way) somebody else recommended "Cryptonomicon" to me but it sounded a bit 'heavy' for a first go at one of his novels - Would you suggest any of his others that might be easier for a trial run?

[Wadders]

Two of the best books i have read in a long time and highly recommended by me are "Kane and Abel" then read "The prodical daughter" both by Jeffery Archer.
Forget the politics...........The man can write.

Other favorites, anything by James Patterson or John Grisham.

[active cacher]

You're a man after me own heart Wadders, I love Grisham and Patterson.
:cheers:
A great book with a fantastic twist was one of Archer's early ones, Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less. Teaches a great lesson !

[*mouse*]

I enjoyed the first of Fry in America, too - I saw a couple of his interviews promoting the series and he spoke eloquently of his experiences in USA and how he had enjoyed meeting the citizens. He really put across how individuals there are proud of their home state and were anxious that he should leave with a good impression of them and their area.

keehotee - In a recent conversation (which started off talking about Bletchley Park, cos we used to live up that way) somebody else recommended "Cryptonomicon" to me but it sounded a bit 'heavy' for a first go at one of his novels - Would you suggest any of his others that might be easier for a trial run?

Hmmm - his earlier stuff's a bit cyberpunk / scifi.......
The Baroque books are good, and sort of prequels to Crypto....
The Diamond Age is fantastic - but again sci fi (in a Victorian steam punk way)
Can lend you Crypto or any of the others if you want to try 'em out.

[keehotee]

whoops - and just realised I was on Ali's log-on........ :-0

[Mrs Blorenge]

...Can lend you Crypto or any of the others if you want to try 'em out.

thanks! :socool:

Next time we're at the same Event I'll remind you of that and maybe you can bring one along

[Mrs Blorenge]

OK folks, you've had a whole weekend of exciting activity. Did anyone do, or see, anything vaguely "cultural"?

Admittedly, the nearest we got to "culture" this weekend was a bit of anthropology while people-watching from the queue in B&Q and some light bird-watching along the Severn estuary. We did find a good location for a hamster cache though. (I'll say no more about that because it might be considered On Topic rather than Off.

As for on the telly... Well, somebody had better contribute something before I feel the need to talk about Saw and Saw 2 hmy: :wacko:

[The Book Of Shadows]

Not really, just went for a walk as I normally do

[T.R.a.M.P.]

OK folks, you've had a whole weekend of exciting activity. Did anyone do, or see, anything vaguely "cultural"?

We watched 'The Story of Maths' :wacko: - and just about followed it as well
Judging by the occasional avatar around here there are a few Terry Pratchett fans about: one part of the programme had a sort of mathematics tournament and for some reason they had camels: - then I thought of the greatest mathematician on the disk in 'Pyramids'

[nobbynobbs]

Been to see "burn after reading" very funny.

saw The Stranglers live.

and wandered over maiden castle near Dorchester, Dorset.

[Wadders]

OK folks, you've had a whole weekend of exciting activity. Did anyone do, or see, anything vaguely "cultural"?

Admittedly, the nearest we got to "culture" this weekend was a bit of anthropology while people-watching from the queue in B&Q and some light bird-watching along the Severn estuary. We did find a good location for a hamster cache though. (I'll say no more about that because it might be considered On Topic rather than Off.

As for on the telly... Well, somebody had better contribute something before I feel the need to talk about Saw and Saw 2 hmy: :wacko:

Mmmm.... my missus insisted on watching both of those:wacko:

[Wadders]

My mate lent me a series of dvd's the other day, and i have to say i am now hooked on "Boston Legal" with William Shatner in.
Fantastic series, very entertaining.

[Mrs Blorenge]

I haven't been watching much television recently, but last evening I watched the documentary - "The Fallen". It was about British soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan, but concentrated more on how their families and friends coped with the grief and their own ways of remembering their loved ones.

A great documentary - very, very sad. It's such gems of programming that occur too infrequently through the year but they make me think, "Yeah, maybe the licence fee is worth it after all."

[forestferret]

ive been watching the new series on sky called fringe and im reading lewis hamiltons biography .

oh and i descovered a new hobby searching bushes for small tupperware boxes filled with treasure lol

[markandlynn]

Hmm fringe X files updated other than that

[Mrs Blorenge]

Are you sure that's a bunny?

Not a long-eared Siberian hamster?

[Ten point nine]

http://media3.picsearch.com/is?l7Q5G...rhYNO3iUF4ZX_g

Hamster training for micro caching?

[Mrs Blorenge]

http://media3.picsearch.com/is?l7Q5G...rhYNO3iUF4ZX_g

Hamster training for micro caching?

Ooooooooo! That's just cruel! There's no room for a hamster to live a proper fulfilling existence in a cache that size

For a happy hamster you need a decent sized cache: You can just about see the box in the background...

[Bill D (wwh)]

Ooooooooo! That's just cruel! There's no room for a hamster to live a proper fulfilling existence in a cache that size

For a happy hamster you need a decent sized cache

How about this one?

[Mrs Blorenge]

Hmmm - his earlier stuff's a bit cyberpunk / scifi.......
The Baroque books are good, and sort of prequels to Crypto....
The Diamond Age is fantastic - but again sci fi (in a Victorian steam punk way)
Can lend you Crypto or any of the others if you want to try 'em out.

Aha! - As we should both be at the south Wales event next Sunday, would you like to surprise me with one of them?

I'm half way through reading 'Imperium' by Robert Harris so I'll be ready to start something else by then.

[Watford Wobble]

My wife and I went to see the English National Ballet and The Nutcracker at the weekend. I bought the tickets as a wedding anniversary present.

I've never been to a ballet and know very little but throughly enjoyed the performance. Maybe an opera next? Not sure, maybe a bit too highbrow for me. For all I know they could be singing about the audience being a bunch of idiots paying to hear us sing rubbish.

Oh, and we done a bit of caching as well. Better than shopping and cheaper too.

[Mrs Blorenge]

Like you, we've never attended an opera. Maybe we should remedy that this year: the Bristol Hippodrome has productions of Turandot and Aida next month so I might venture onto the site to see how much the tickets are and whether a second mortgage is necessary.

I'm reading a good novel atm - "Imperium" by Robert Harris. Set in Rome, 50 B.C., the story of Cicero.

[Mrs Blorenge]

Like you, we've never attended an opera. Maybe we should remedy that this year: the Bristol Hippodrome has productions of Turandot and Aida next month so I might venture onto the site to see how much the tickets are and whether a second mortgage is necessary.

Done!

We went to see Aida last night. It was very impressive. I'm glad we went.

Not sure that I want to dash off to see another 'serious' opera soon, though, as I found some parts a bit heavy going.

I subscribed to a LiveNation card in January - it gives some really good Theatre deals, so I must make the effort to use it and book up a few things.

[Bill D (wwh)]

Done!

We went to see Aida last night. It was very impressive. I'm glad we went.

Not sure that I want to dash off to see another 'serious' opera soon, though, as I found some parts a bit heavy going.

I subscribed to a LiveNation card in January - it gives some really good Theatre deals, so I must make the effort to use it and book up a few things.

Yes, I've worked on Aida - it is a bit heavy going. There are far too many stand up n sing bits with virtually no action. The music's great, but in my humble opinion it's better just done as a concert... h34r:

[Bill D (wwh)]

Continuing the opera theme, some of my favourites, all ones I've stage managed so I know them pretty well are, in random order:

Magic Flute - Mozart (far far better in the original German, but I've only done it in English, sob)
Count Ory - Rossini (rarely performed, but well worth seeing)
La Boheme - Puccini (impossible characters - who could sing the really technically difficult part of Mimi and yet look like a consumptive 16 year old, but still a great show)
Samson and Delilah - Saint-Saëns (a bit stand up and sing in parts, but some superb musical moments)
Norma - Bellini (some stunning chorus stuff)

[Mrs Blorenge]

"... and now for something completely different."

We went to see the show "Dreamboats and Petticoats" last night. Really enjoyable fun - No deep story-line, all 60s music, and great vitality from the cast. The sort of show where you leave with a broad smile on your face.

[Mrs Blorenge]

I've just found this topic again as I was looking for a ref to a book that someone recommended two years ago (Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon).

What's everyone reading atm?

Anything good?

I've just finished Robert Goddard's "Sea Change" which is set at the time of the South Sea Bubble, a scandal I'd heard of, but knew nothing about.
It was a good yarn.

[DrDick&Vick]

Lee Childs's 61 hours.
just a bit of light reading, my style!

[zarbibird]

Hello everyone! We've just got back from a week in Feurteventura. Had a lovely time, some nice warm sunshine and a few foreign caches! We even got in the harbour with a sealion and her trainer and were able to really interact with her, it was lovely! Anyway, I even had time to read a couple of books. Not sure if they're of interest to others, they were both Jodie Picoult, My sister's keeper and her new one, House Rules. The latter was especially interesting for me, as I work with autistic children. I really enjoyed them both, although I realise they're not very highbrow. Anyway, thanks Mrs B for starting this thread, it makes interesting reading!
Chrissy

[ardip912]

Oscar Wilde actually said "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

[Mrs Blorenge]

... although I realise they're not very highbrow. Anyway, thanks Mrs B for starting this thread, it makes interesting reading!
Chrissy

I'm not bothered about high-brow/low-brow/plucked-into-a-fine-arch-brow...
Just anything you're reading/writing/watching/enjoying doing as a hobby (apart from geocaching).


Thanks for the quote, ardip... Quotes are good too.

I've found the book I mentioned - it's coming from Ebay (Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon)

[DrDick&Vick]

Currently reading Michael Connolly 'The Lincoln Lawyer', doing my bit for the rain forests of the world and now using a Kindle. Marvelous bit of kit.

Quote for today:
Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

[Palujia]

Have just read the two Ben Aaronovich books in quick time ! Rivers of London and Moon over Soho ! Just like the quotes from the critics "Harry Potter meets the Met Police" Good science fantasy - I can see lots more from this series - Watched "the King's Speech" and "Sorcerer's Apprentice" on DVD neither were that great !

[musketeer]

I just started watching The Hour the new BBC programme that everyone is saying is the british Mad Men.

I thought for the first episode it was intriguing and I did think the Heroine was rather pretty, but it didnt grip me. I kinda of felt like the lead actor Ben Wishaw Wimdu wasnt the right casting for his role...but i will watch the next episode and see because it took me about 6 episodes to get into Mad Men. that was a grower and a half, but I stuck with it and in the end it paid off, and I adored it.