Author Topic: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)  (Read 814063 times)

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2625 on: July 06, 2019, 11:34:51 PM »
JACK

I do remember you telling me about your dentist.  Your drive home sounds a nightmare.  Not surprised you opened a bottle of Bimbadgen Shiraz :)
      

I have a whole lovely week of work the week after next :)  I will visit the library & see if I can get my hands on either the first Donna Leon or, if not, hopefully I'll get Fatal Remedies.  If I'm lucky I might be able to get both.

A very silly joke!
A man walks into a bar and sits down. He asks the bartender, "Can I have a cigarette?" The bartender replies, "Sure, the cigarette machine is over there." So he walks over to the machine and as he is about to order a cigarette, the machine suddenly says, "Oi, you bloody idiot." The man says with surprise in his voice, "That's not very nice." He returns to his bar stool without a cigarette and asks the bartender for some peanuts. The bartender passes the man a bowl of peanuts and the man hears one of the peanuts speak, "Ooh, I like your hair." The man says to the bartender, "Hey, what's going on here? Your cigarette machine is insulting me and this peanut is coming on to me. Why's this?" The bartender replies, "Oh, that's because the machine is out of order and the peanuts are complementary."

      

I'm much less grumpy now - only another hour & a half & I can go home :)
If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2626 on: July 07, 2019, 05:05:26 PM »
Pen

Quote
A lawyer boarded an airplane in Brisbane with a box of frozen crabs and asked a blonde flight attendant to take care of them for him.

She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator. He pompously advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioning in a very haughty manner that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if she let them thaw out.

Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behaviour.  Shortly before landing in Sydney, she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin,

"Would the lawyer who gave me the crabs in Brisbane please raise your hand?"

Not one hand went up, so she took them home and ate them.

Moral of this story:  Do not believe in Stereotypes:

1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are.
2. Blondes are smarter than most folk think.



           
   

Are you going to visit your cousin in the Peak District on your week off?

   


« Last Edit: July 07, 2019, 05:12:08 PM by Ozzyjack »
Regards, Jack

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2627 on: July 08, 2019, 12:49:58 AM »
JACK
May I compliment you on a truly excellent post. Properly funny joke & great cartoons :laugh:
I've cut the grass & now sitting down to a well earned cuppa :)  Perhaps I shouldn't mention that my lawn is about the size of a pocket hankie or that somewhat spoils the illusion that I've been working hard ;D
I'm off to visit David in the Peak District on Friday.  Can't wait!  Really looking forward to it :)  It's the Scott Club run on Saturday.  I know nothing about it except it will involve an old motorbike & I'm hoping for a lovely warm day!
      

I've given you a little bit of Del & Rodney.  Quite dated but it tickled me!  & a snippet of Rene Artois :)
A Race Against Time

Rene

As the sun has just come out I'm going out for a small stroll :)
Then it's off to the kitchen to see
  Hope it's not burnt offerings >:D
I'm out the door petit four!









If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2628 on: July 08, 2019, 08:43:09 PM »
Hi Pen,

I've just finished the second of the two Bernie Gunther novels by Philip Kerr that I have 'read' over the weekend.  They are definitely the last of the series as Philip Kerr died last year.  I won't go into details as they are of a genre that you and Anona have previously declared are not your cup of tea.

I have the latest Ian Rankin Rebus novel to read and then I will address your Robert Goddard.  I haven't read a novel for six months before last week but when I get in the groove I go at it like a bull at a gate. :D

   

        


Regards, Jack

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2629 on: July 08, 2019, 10:55:43 PM »
Hi Jack

It's a typical monday for me.  Work is busy & we're short staffed.  Just settling in for an afternoon on fracture clinic.  It's paediatric clinic this afternoon which involves babies & very small children so ear plugs may be required!
      

I've never read any Rebus books but I used to enjoy watching the series on the telly. Was it John Hannah?  I'll have to consult Mr Google! I love to read but don't get as much opportunity as I'd like.  I do read in bed sometimes but I find that I drop off with the light on if I'm not careful :-P

I liked & appreciated your receptionist cartoon :)  I'll see your cartoon & offer one of my own




If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2630 on: July 09, 2019, 04:25:05 PM »
Hi Pen,

I didn’t like the Rebus TV episodes as much as the books.  One of the problems with reading the books first is you get a strong mental picture of the characters and John Hannah just didn’t gel with my perception of Rebus.  I did like Ken Stott in the role but towards the end they cut the episodes down to one hour.  This annoyed Ian Rankin, so he bought back the rights and put the kibosh on any more one-hour episodes.  He has stated he would be amenable to a mini-series along the same lines as Broadchurch.

John Rebus is one of the most enduring characters in crime fiction, first appearing in Knots & Crosses in 1987.  It is ironic that Knots & Crosses was not intended to grow into a series. In the first draft Rebus died at the end: but during the editing process Rankin decided to give him a reprieve. This was just as well, as when sales of standalone novels Watchman and Westwind were slow, his publisher suggested he revive the detective, who reappeared in Hide & Seek

Each of the novels is linked by returning characters, such as Siobhan Clarke, and ‘Big Ger’ Cafferty and in later books Malcolm Fox.  The Official website claims you can start reading the Rebus books at any point in the series and that you don’t need to have read the earlier books to enjoy the later ones.  However, as Anona pointed out about the Brunetti series, I think series that have their characters develop in each new book are more enjoyable if you read them in order.

Another rare feature of the Rebus novels is that they are written in real time, so Rebus ages along with each book. As the series progresses, we learn more about him. Born in 1947, Rebus grew up in Cardenden, Fife.  So, in the book I am reading now, In a House of Lies he is 70 and long retired but gets involved in the solving of cold cases.

Another series for you to see what your Library has to offer.   It does suggest to me a theme

     

Highway Patrol Copper stops a man for speeding— notices he's not wearing his required prescription glasses.

The Cop says, "I have to give you a ticket for not wearing your glasses."

Driver says, "Officer, I have contacts."

The Cop says, "I don't care who you know, you're still getting a ticket.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------
A cop sees a man exit a bar at closing time and get into his car. After observing some erratic driving, he pulls the man over. The Cop asks the driver, "Where are you going at this time of night?"

The man replies, "I'm on my way to attend a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late."

The Cop then asks, "Who would be giving that kind of lecture at this time of night?"

The man says, "My wife."

« Last Edit: July 09, 2019, 04:34:38 PM by Ozzyjack »
Regards, Jack

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2631 on: July 09, 2019, 08:14:21 PM »
G'day Jack

I'm back on the fracture clinic again this morning.  My days are starting to seem a bit like Groundhog Day :o  I only need Sonny & Cher!

I know exactly what you mean about reading the books first.  That is why I can only stand David Suchet as Hercule Poirot & Joan Hickson as Miss Marple.  Nobody else fits the bills!  Certainly not Peter Ustinov or, heaven forbid, Kenneth Branagh! Sorry think I might have moaned about that before :-R  No1 daughter read all the Game of Thrones books & then started watching it on the telly.  She gave up in the end because it just got further & further removed from the books & she couldn't stand it any longer.  A friend gave me some Hamish Macbeth books a few months ago.  I loved the TV programme but Robert Carlyle doesn't bear much resemblance to the character in the book!  I'd forgotten that Ken Stott was Rebus as well as John Hannah.  How can 2 such completely different people play the same character?

A good start for Robert Goddard is Into the Blue which features Harry Barnett & the follow up Out of the Sun.  It's been a few years since I read them but they are unputdownable! (is that a real work? ???)
No relevance at all but I did enjoy Morgan Freeman in Along Came A Spider & Kiss The Girls.  Haven't read any James Patterson so I don't know if the portrayal of Alex Cross is accurate or not.

        

How did you get on with your hellraising? Was it anything in particular or just a general bit of mischief making >:D


Gotta scoot old fruit

Fruit jokes are a bit thin on the ground!



If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2632 on: July 10, 2019, 09:40:48 PM »
Guten Abend, Pen

I’ve just finished the best Rebus yet.   I am a bit sad though because, as Rankin insists on aging Rebus in real time, I don’t think he can squeeze another book out of the series.  I hope I am wrong.

The resident reviewer has reread Sea Change and said she really enjoyed it, but she was unsure whether it would be my cup of tea.  So, I have decided to take your recommendation and bought the first book (kindle+Audible) in the Harry Barnett trilogy Into the Blue.  We’ll see where we go from there.

Speaking of ground hog day.

       

It was only when my friend bought a motorbike that he found out that adrenaline is brown.

   

I was hallucinating, Pen, the only time I get up to hell-raising these days is in my dreams.


« Last Edit: July 11, 2019, 03:33:27 PM by Ozzyjack »
Regards, Jack

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2633 on: July 11, 2019, 12:06:55 AM »
  JACK
By the time you get this you & the chooks should be up & about!

I hate it when you've finished a really cracking book & know that that's it.  That's the end & there wont be another one :(  Perhaps you should petition Ian Rankin for just one more!  If you don't like Into the Blue perhaps the Editor in Chief & resident reviewer will listen to it instead?  Or would she rather read than listen?

England are playing The Aussies tomorrow in the second semi-final at Edgbaston.  I think the result will depend on who wins the toss & bats first & what the weather does.  Rain is forecast :(  I'm fairly sure that you are not in the remotest bit interested :laugh:

      

A couple of bits to hopefully tickle you a bit ;D

I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. "Now," she asked me, "has your plane arrived yet?"...
They Walk Among Us!

Two women were out for a Saturday stroll. One had a Doberman and the other, a Chihuahua. As they walked down the street, the one with the Doberman said to her friend, "Let's go over to that bar for a drink."
The lady with the Chihuahua said, "We can't go in there. We've got dogs with us." The one with the Doberman said, "Just watch, and do as I do."
They walked over to the bar and the one with the Doberman put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk in. The bouncer at the door said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed." The woman with the Doberman said, "You don't understand. This is my guide dog."
The bouncer said, "A Doberman?" The woman said, "Yes, they're using them now. They're very good." The bouncer said, "OK, come on in."
The lady with the Chihuahua thought that convincing him that a Chihuahua was a guide dog may be a bit more difficult, but thought, "What the heck," so she put on her dark glasses and started to walk in.
Once again the bouncer said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed." The woman said, "You don't understand. This is my guide dog." The bouncer said, "A Chihuahua?" The woman with the Chihuahua said, "A Chihuahua? They gave me a bloody Chihuahua???!!!"

Nearly home time :)
Pen



If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2634 on: July 11, 2019, 05:21:58 PM »
This is to get you in the mood, Pen

SACRILEGE

What’s the bet that the Barmy Army will still be chanting this?:

Quote

“Steve Smith is an Aussie
He wears a baggy cap
And when he saw some sticky tape
He said I’m having that...
He gave it Cameron Bancroft
Who rubbed it on the ball
Those cheating Aussie convicts
They’ll never change at all!
Oh...Davie Warner’s Aussie
He wears the baggy green
He dribbles like a caveman
His behaviour’s obscene
He’s rather fond of Candy
She gives him such a thrill
But when he offers her de Kock
She begs for Sonny Bill!”


I was impressed by the demeanour and views of Aaron Finch in the press conference about the game

I am seven chapters into Harry Barnett.  I will be alternating between the text and the Audio and sometimes using both simultaneously.   I expect the resident reviewer will be just using the text.   I will have an opinion by the time you get back from the peak district.







Regards, Jack

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2635 on: July 11, 2019, 10:27:55 PM »
Thanks Jack :)
I've had a totally manic morning but in half an hour I'll be out of here until a week on Monday

Not that I'm excited or anything :laugh:
Loved the snippet :laugh:  England doing brilliantly 161 for 6 but Smith doesn't seem to want to budge!  I will listen to Aaron Finch later at home.

Hope you get into Robert Goddard.  He usually has a very good twist at the end!  & if you don't get on with him you haven't really lost very much.

I am very much looking forward to my weekend away :)


With apologies for Zephyr I'm outta here...


If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2636 on: July 12, 2019, 04:41:21 AM »
Hi Again Jack
A good result for England.  Like you I am very impressed with Aaron Finch.  I heard an interview with him after the match & he was very generous in defeat.
I've spent the afternoon doing housework & listening to cricket.  I'm a bit knacked so I going to exercise the little grey cell & then flop into my armchair.
Have a fab weekend & catch up with you on Monday.
Penx
If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2637 on: July 15, 2019, 06:02:33 PM »
Hi Pen,

I have been spending most of my free time ( and some of the time I should have been sleeping) knocking off the Harry Barnett Trilogy.  I told you I wold give you some feedback on these.

1.   Into the Blue (1990)

I was a bit equivocal about this one.  It was well written but to my taste moved a little too slow and wafted into a lot of irrelevant description that didn’t add to the story.  The story line was a bit too contrived and I found it hard to get on Harry’s wave length. But it was easy reading and I decided to give Harry another chance and I am glad I did.

2.   Out of the Sun (1996)

This one was entirely different. The editing was tighter, the pace was quicker, and the story was exciting and in your words was “unputdownable”.   I really enjoyed it and I think I benefited from having read the first book.

3.   Never Go Back (2006)

The same characteristics as the second book although it did test credulity in a couple of places.  I really enjoyed it.


So I have not had  much time to search for some humour to welcome you home with, but here are some modest contributions.

Eric and Ernie: Mastermind

The Two Ronnies: Mastermind

Not the 9 O’clock news

  



I've just been called to dinner, so have to fly.


« Last Edit: July 15, 2019, 11:17:06 PM by Ozzyjack »
Regards, Jack

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2638 on: July 16, 2019, 01:31:40 AM »
JACK

What a lovely welcome back :)  I had a brilliant weekend but it went by far too quickly.  We went for a run on David's motorbike on saturday. I have a picture of myself with the bike on my 'phone & I will try & figure out if I can post it! Weather was fine thankfully & the scenery beautiful.  We started at Hulme End in the Manifold Valley & toured round lots of very picturesque villages & finished back where we started about 3 hours later.  A great cafe serving home made cake was my reward :-H  Have to confess that my bum was a bit numb by the end :laugh: Yesterday we enjoyed a walk with more spectacular scenery & then the cricket world cup final.  It was an unbelievable match.  I was pleased England won but my heart went out to The Kiwis.  Nobody deserved to lose.  Kane Williamson was still smiling at the end.  What great sportsmen in that team :)

I'm pleased you enjoyed 2 out of 3 of the books.  I like the fact that his main characters are usually a bit flawed & far from perfect. I'm not terribly good at guessing "who dunnit" so I'm probably easier to please than you.

Your sketches were far from modest & very entertaining :laugh:  Here's a little more of The Two Ronnies which I hope will tickle you!
Tickle Your Botty...

    

Heading off to the kitchen to see what I can find!

If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #2639 on: July 16, 2019, 07:58:46 AM »
HI Pen,

The question of transferring a photo came up last September.

Quote

I have a picture on my 'phone taken a year ago of myself all kitted out in motorcycle gear but I have no idea how to get it from the 'phone onto the laptop to post it.

Pen, the simplest way to explain how to do it is to email the photo to yourself as an attachment and save the attachment to your laptop.  Remember when you preview your message you won't see the photo but it will be there after you post it.  There are many other ways to transfer a photo to your laptop and if you google "transfer photos from your {brand and model of phone} to a laptop" you'll be swamped with information.


You posted your photo shortly after and  so do the same again  :D

I hope you have many fun things lined up for the rest of your week off.

I have to give Zephyr a cold early dog walk as we are off to go to Sydney for a midday Dentist appointment.  If I manage another post tonight, I expect it will be a quickie like this one.
Regards, Jack