Craig Sawyers

This contrast between a person and the music is often true. Wagner was a truly awful person, an antisemite, racist and overall shit. He put it about that Brahms' music was based on the screams of birds that he shot with "A Tyrolean bow". An outright lie just to discredit a rival composer. Somewhat interestingly he was a cross-dresser; even the usually staid and formal Wagner Society accepts this. He was also Hiter's favourite composer. 'Nuff said. If you could bring him back from the mid 1800's and interview him today, I'm sure he would be found to be an abominable person in many ways. In spite of all that, Wagners music, particularly the operas, is utterly marvellous. In addition to the epic 15 hour Ring Cycle (took him 25 years to complete it), there is Die Meistersingers, Tristan und Isolde, Tanhauser, Lohengrin just for starters. Seen them all. Awesome.

It closed as a hotel in the 1930's, and was essentially derelict. It came perilously close to being demolished, but after a massive campaign in the 60's it was saved. Alhough it was only in the early 2000's it was restored to the tune of £800m. The station behind it is the Eurostar London Terminus. It is quite an experience getting on a train at St Pancras and getting off at Gare du Nord in Paris. The superb front of Euston station even after massive protest - demolished and now a bland and functional frontage and appearance. Euston demolition https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/nov/07/euston-arch-rail-london-demolished-1961 What it looks like now

Great photos. Is that St Pancras station?

On you tube, full set. We were bang in the middle of the front row of a crammed 10000 seat venue. From there the whole experience was immersive.

I took my daughter to see Jean-Michel Jarre maybe 12 years ago in Birmingham (UK). I got us tickets in the middle of the front row. Now I've seen Jarre before, so I warned Liz of a spectacular entry. Sure enough, fan of light and then a fist comes through it. Once it really starts, Liz says "wow - he's cute"; so I told her that he was 7 years older than me - and he'd had a bit of work done to keep the cuteness factor. It was, it has to be said, a totally awsome Jarre experience. Ancient synths, laser harp - the full beans.

Hey - have a truly great one!

In the UK we get hardly any fossil fuels from Iraq, <1%. The the thing that hits global oil prices, and hence fuel prices - is the cost per barrel of Brent Crude. So it hits everyone globally - including the US. Most energy supply companies hedge by buying ahead, usually at least 6 months and up to a year. So there is a lot of intertia in the price of fuel and gas. The fuel taps don't just turn off overnight.

Woah - how did I miss this? Very happy belated Nate!

Thanks everyone! We were away for a long weekend of eating and drinking. Our son lives in the NE of the UK, so we spent a couple of days with him. Then we spent two days at The Black Swan at Olstead https://www.blackswanoldstead.co.uk/ , a two michelin star restaurant. That was quite an experience. 7 courses in the tasting menu with a glass of matching wines with each course. This is really in the middle of nowhere down a single track road. As it got narrower and narrower we honestly wondered if we were on the right road. Got back a few hours ago - and I feel as if I've put on quite a bit of weight! Cheers all!

Happy Birthday, Dan

A very happy Birthday Steve - hope it is an awesome one

Carr has had a number of comeuppances over his early years. Now 53 he seems to be past this shady past. Who can ever forget the late great Sean Locke in Carrot in the Box on 9 out of 20 cats does Countdown

That is a small cat - our moggie is a chunky but lean 7kg (15.5lb). If that photographer has tripped over our cat he would have been flat on his face.

Woah - how did I miss this? Happy belated Grahame - hope you had an absolutely spiffing day.

Ha ha. Baron Trump-konnen. Similar fatness, similar colonial intents with force, taking possession of areas for natural resources, similar survival of assassination attempt(s).

Lets not forget the Henry Kissinger got the Nobel Peace Prize after destabilising Chile under the socialist government of Allende, and putting in August Pinochet - a torturing, disappearances human abusing right wing dictator. And Chile was a whole lot further from the USA than Venezuela. Slight personal recollection. My Dad was in the Merchant Navy the early/mid 50's to mid 60's in (by today's standard) tiny oil tankers. The ship used to dock at Punta Cardon in North Venezuela to the oil refinery there. So Venezuelan oil was a thing way back

A belated one - hope it was a spifflingly good day!

Excellent - thanks! I'm only sorry we have such dick head regulators in our small island, spoiling IMGUR access for the 65 million crammed in to our speck of dirt.

As soon as you guys start using IMGUR, we cannot see content in the UK. This is because the UK on-line regulator OFCOM is suing IMGUR as a result of lack of assurance regarding harmful content to minors (AKA under 18!). IMGUR has responded by simply showing a blue screen with "Content not viewable in your region" in large letters. This describes the decision https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gzxv5gy3qo IMGUR images look like this from the UK

(perhaps a human) Happy Birthday

Have a truly superb day - Happy Birthday

From Wikipedia 1 breakfast cup = 8 British imperial fluid ounces = ⁠4/5 tumbler = 1 1/3 cups = 1⁠ 3/5 teacups = 3⁠ 1/5 coffee cups = 4 wine glasses = ⁠2/5 British imperial pint ≈ 7.69 US customary fluid ounces ≈ 0.96 US customary cup ≈ 227.3 millilitres ≈ 0.91 metric cup The mind boggles. I actually had no idea what the markings on our kettle actually meant; now I know Hahaha! Just checked our very British kettle - and it is calibrated in metric units up to a maximum of 1.7 litres. So so much for the British Imperial fluid ounce red herring.

Imgur are still blocking content to UK viewers. All I see is a blue box with "CONTENT NOT VIEWABLE IN YOUR REGION". Their caps, not mine Because our on-line regulator Ofcom has decided to sue them under the UK Online Safety Act. Imgur has responded by blocking all Imgur content to people from the UK. Ho hum. This is the BBC's article on the Imgur blue screen https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gzxv5gy3qo

Happy birthday!

And a happy belated from me too!