Author Topic: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)  (Read 410743 times)

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Offline Barman

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #135 on: September 23, 2008, 11:13:53 AM »
Is that Amazon the official site or the 'Amazon' online shop run by some dodgy Cypriot landlord with hair problems whistle:
It is a direct link to amazon.co.uk you cheeky sod!  cussing:
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Offline Grumpmeister

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #136 on: September 23, 2008, 11:18:49 AM »
Just seems odd that the company firewall is blocking your links oh tempremental one.  whistle:
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Offline Snoopy

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #137 on: September 23, 2008, 11:19:04 AM »
Like I said  point:
I used to have a handle on life but it broke.

Offline Grumpmeister

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #138 on: September 23, 2008, 12:28:29 PM »
I'm just wondering why the firewall didnt like them Snoop. Its normally good at blocking disreputable links (having said that it lets me in here  whistle: )
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Offline Pastis

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Offline Snoopy

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #140 on: October 19, 2008, 11:21:27 AM »
Alan Bennett "The Laying on of Hands"
Short and very witty.
Not "new" (published in 2001) but I just found it in the local library.
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Offline TG

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #141 on: October 19, 2008, 12:47:57 PM »
Arthur C. Clarke's last novel.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Theorem-Arthur-C-Clarke/dp/0007289987/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224420165&sr=1-1

Very disappointing. Most have Clarke's last few books have been Co-written with other authors (Baxter being the most successful IMO) as is this one.

I expected better as Pohl is a an SF master as well.

Boring. God help me but to be bored was the last thing I expected from a man who in many ways shaped my reading habits and perhaps my world view as well.



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Offline Snoopy

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #142 on: October 19, 2008, 12:58:36 PM »
IMHO Arthur C Clarke has never been more than an assembler of other people's research into a fictional account. Frankly I have liked nothing of his that I have read and gave up on him years ago. Very much a one trick pony I always felt.
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Offline TG

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #143 on: October 19, 2008, 01:10:13 PM »
IMHO Arthur C Clarke has never been more than an assembler of other people's research into a fictional account. Frankly I have liked nothing of his that I have read and gave up on him years ago. Very much a one trick pony I always felt.

I disagree. Quite strongly in fact.

Like you I pretty much gave up on Clarke a while ago. Sometime in the mid 80's I think.

But to call him a 'one trick pony' is ridiculous.

Here are 3 tricks:

item : Positing the concept of communication satelites

item : Not patenting the idea ( point:)

item : '2001 : A space odyssey' (the novel of his and Kubricks screenplay rather than the film itself.)




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Offline Snoopy

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #144 on: October 19, 2008, 01:29:09 PM »
I still find his books boring, overlong and tedious. His researchers gather the facts and figure and he simply uses them. I believe that he does not make predictions he simply publicises other peoples ideas and occasionally they come true. Your example of the concept of communications satellites was certainly not his. He was merely the first to publish an idea which had been kicking around the Air Ministry for some time where people were trying to work out how to "bounce" a radio/radar signal further than was possible at the time. One idea was to mount mirrors on high mountains, another was to bounce the signals off of "something in orbit", tethered balloons with long enough cables to reach "space" was the original concept.
 I am told that there were those who believed that he should have been prosecuted for revealing what at the time was classified information.
Sorry you will not convince me that he has written anything I should read.
I will grant that he has always been a good self publicist.
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Offline Grumpmeister

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #145 on: November 20, 2008, 12:55:02 PM »
Ok time for a quick music review, the new Guns N Roses album Chinese Democracy....








Don't waste your money, a couple of the tracks are ok but at its best its a Guns N Roses tribute band trying new material. And the less said about track 4 the better.

Having said that anyone who is determined to torture their eardrums can find the album on their myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/gunsnroses
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Offline Nick

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #146 on: November 20, 2008, 12:57:40 PM »
Any shaggin in it?
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Offline Just One More

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #147 on: November 20, 2008, 06:07:46 PM »
Ok time for a quick music review, the new Guns N Roses album Chinese Democracy....








Don't waste your money, a couple of the tracks are ok but at its best its a Guns N Roses tribute band trying new material. And the less said about track 4 the better.

Having said that anyone who is determined to torture their eardrums can find the album on their myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/gunsnroses

I pre-ordered my copy last week confused:

I shall have a listen on the site this evening, fifteen years in the making, it should be good

I can recommend AC/DC's Black Ice Cd
LiFe - It's an "F" in lie

Offline Snoopy

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #148 on: November 20, 2008, 06:10:25 PM »
 noooo: Youngsters  noooo:
I used to have a handle on life but it broke.

Offline Just One More

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Re: The All New Book & DVD Review Thread (And Gift Hints)
« Reply #149 on: November 20, 2008, 06:46:31 PM »
You sweet talking divil  cloud9:
LiFe - It's an "F" in lie