Off Topic Thread 5.0

aloooof

thomond2006 wrote: »

Keep the book recommendations coming all, I'm due to read plenty. Oddly enough, I have fallen off reading since Covid!

None of these are history-related but I've recently finished:

- Open by Andre Agassi (which was excellent)
- Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump (which was decent)
- Atomic Habits by James Clear (which I'm in the middle of but is excellent so far, if yer into that kinda thing).

Next on my list is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and I got a recent recommendation for Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics, which might be a bit closer to what you're looking for.

Squidgy Black

pickarooney wrote: »

What's up with all these countries stopping vaccinations? Is it some political brinksmanship with AZ or have the lunatics taken over the asylum?

Mostly because of the reports of blood clots from people under the age of 50 who got the AZ vaccine.

Pfizer and Moderna are still going ahead.

Zzippy

aloooof wrote: »

Next on my list is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and I got a recent recommendation for Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics, which might be a bit closer to what you're looking for.

That's really good. Must go back and read it again, been a few years...

Lost Ormond

aloooof wrote: »

None of these are history-related but I've recently finished:

- Open by Andre Agassi (which was excellent)
- Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump (which was decent)
- Atomic Habits by James Clear (which I'm in the middle of but is excellent so far, if yer into that kinda thing).

Next on my list is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and I got a recent recommendation for Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics, which might be a bit closer to what you're looking for.

I have prisoners of geography. Really excellent book.

Earning the rockies by Robert Kaplan is excellent. Shows role geography plays in shaping America's role in world politics and helps determine its foreign policy

Yeah_Right

The Inbetween is mine wrote: »

The reason for Angel Di Maria's substitution yesterday for PSG is fairly frightening,
He was taken off after 30 mins as his house had been burgled and according to ESPN his family held hostage during the ordeal....his teammate Marquinhos had the same thing happen at his parents house during the game.
Seems to have been a well planned coordinated event

That is nuts. Were they trying to influence the match?
Didn't Joe Schmidt get robbed a couple of times when he was away with Ireland or Leinster?

The Inbetween is mine

Yeah_Right wrote: »

That is nuts. Were they trying to influence the match?
Didn't Joe Schmidt get robbed a couple of times when he was away with Ireland or Leinster?

Don't think it was done to influence the match...it's becoming quite common across the board for sports stars to be hit while they're on tv...
It was the family present at the time that adds the very nasty element to this

Squidgy Black

Yeah_Right wrote: »

That is nuts. Were they trying to influence the match?
Didn't Joe Schmidt get robbed a couple of times when he was away with Ireland or Leinster?

It's something that's starting to become pretty common, where they're targeting the houses during matches in the hopes that nobody's home and security is slack etc. Think this is like the 6th incident with a PSG player getting robbed in the last couple of years

Lost Ormond

Squidgy Black wrote: »

It's something that's starting to become pretty common, where they're targeting the houses during matches in the hopes that nobody's home and security is slack etc. Think this is like the 6th incident with a PSG player getting robbed in the last couple of years

There was a period when a load of liverpool players homes got burgled around same time a few years back as wekk. Nearly all when they were away mid week playing champions league iirc

Mane, Gerrard, Firinho and then few others as well

Zzippy

Lost Ormond wrote: »

There was a period when a load of liverpool players homes got burgled around same time a few years back as wekk. Nearly all when they were away mid week playing champions league iirc

Mane, Gerrard, Firinho and then few others as well

Well they wouldn't have found much silverware anyway

molloyjh

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Mostly because of the reports of blood clots from people under the age of 50 who got the AZ vaccine.

Pfizer and Moderna are still going ahead.

AFAIK there had been reports of blood clots previously but more recently there were cases in Norway of blood clots traveling to the brain so that has caused some concern. Its only a very small number of people but they need to be sure it isn't a bigger problem than currently known.

swiwi_

aloooof wrote: »

None of these are history-related but I've recently finished:

- Open by Andre Agassi (which was excellent)
- Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump (which was decent)
- Atomic Habits by James Clear (which I'm in the middle of but is excellent so far, if yer into that kinda thing).

Next on my list is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and I got a recent recommendation for Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics, which might be a bit closer to what you're looking for.

Andre Agassi autobiog is the best sports book I’ve ever read.

Really really didn’t like the Henrietta lacks book.

Lost Ormond

So Cheltenham.
Any backing any/many over the week?
Many going to be watching the races?

The Inbetween is mine

Lost Ormond wrote: »

So Cheltenham.
Any backing any/many over the week?
Many going to be watching the races?

Happy to say in my advanced years I've never been inside the door of a bookies or placed a bet....
I'm guessing I'm not your target audience

mfceiling

Lost Ormond wrote: »

There was a period when a load of liverpool players homes got burgled around same time a few years back as wekk. Nearly all when they were away mid week playing champions league iirc

Mane, Gerrard, Firinho and then few others as well

Reminds me of the joke....


Liverpool sign this brilliant young Brazilian player. On his debut he scores 3 goals and sets up another. After the game he decides to call his family with the good news.

"Hi dad....I had a stormer today. I scored 3 goals and set up another"


"Well we had an awful day. I was mugged, your mother had her handbag snatched and broke her wrist. Your brother was beaten up and your sister was followed home and they tied her up and robbed our house"


"I'm so sorry to hear that dad, but I never asked you to move to Liverpool with me".

Lost Ormond

The Inbetween is mine wrote: »

Happy to say in my advanced years I've never been inside the door of a bookies or placed a bet....
I'm guessing I'm not your target audience

Yeah probably not :pac:

I go racing about 30-35 times a year. worked a few jobs on courses on race days, worked in a trainers yard for short period. Love this week.

sydthebeat

Lost Ormond wrote: »

Yeah probably not :pac:

I go racing about 30-35 times a year. worked a few jobs on courses on race days, worked in a trainers yard for short period. Love this week.

im not big into the gee gees.
I divert to a good friend whos big into it.

Gonna use my break-even strategy again by not making any bets

Lost Ormond

Well if next 3 days are as good as today it would be great.
Plenty of favourites won and i had a few backed antepost at christmas so very nice profit.

pickarooney

Has anyone watched Fargo Season 4? I loved the first three seasons but five episodes in and this one is just awful so far. I'm kind of forcing myself to watch it in case it comes good.

SqueakyKneecap

pickarooney wrote: »

Has anyone watched Fargo Season 4? I loved the first three seasons but five episodes in and this one is just awful so far. I'm kind of forcing myself to watch it in case it comes good.

It doesn't improve just FYI.

awec

I tried one of those boerwurst or whatever they’re called things that Louis Ludik is flogging.

It’s basically a rolled up long beef sausage. I expected more.

Anyone tried the curry flavoured one?

hahashake

awec wrote: »

I tried one of those boerwurst or whatever they’re called things that Louis Ludik is flogging.

It’s basically a rolled up long beef sausage. I expected more.

Anyone tried the curry flavoured one?

How did you cook it? I'm sure any Saffa will say it has to be cooked on a braai/braai equivalent.

awec

hahashake wrote: »

How did you cook it? I'm sure any Saffa will say it has to be cooked on a braai/braai equivalent.

I just did the oven, it said you could whack it on a bbq for 10 mins after oven cooking it but I didn’t bother.

I’ll try the curry one next.

Lost Ormond

Lost Ormond wrote: »

Well if next 3 days are as good as today it would be great.
Plenty of favourites won and i had a few backed antepost at christmas so very nice profit.

Best Cheltenham ive had in quite some time. Very nice profit over the 4 days

God i cant wait to go back racing. Be it Limerick or Thurles on a thursday or the bigger meets!

Interested Observer

I had to bring my kid for a scan yesterday (he's absolutely fine fwiw). He sat on my lap for it while the doctor did the scan, which obviously meant the doctor was quite close to me. This would have been normal a year or so ago but felt absolutely weird now. Just had me wondering what the unforseen consequences of covid-19 will be, even once enough of us are vaccinated to knock on it on the head.

Patsy167

Has anyone seen any leaked pictures of the next Irish rugby jersey?

This looks to be a training jersey they will use - https://twitter.com/johnangelo49/status/1373306433224253444/photo/1

mfceiling

I'm giving serious consideration to sticking my name down for the vaccine in the north.
Am I mad?
There doesn't seem to be any huge rush here on receiving it and I'm almost in the next group age wise to receive it.

The father has made good recovery from his time in hospital. He's still a bit wheezy talking but every day and all that.
He worked an hour last Wednesday and the same on Thursday and to be honest I'm delighted because sitting on his arse wouldn't be his style.

Paul Smeenus

mfceiling wrote: »

I'm giving serious consideration to sticking my name down for the vaccine in the north.
Am I mad?
There doesn't seem to be any huge rush here on receiving it and I'm almost in the next group age wise to receive it.

The father has made good recovery from his time in hospital. He's still a bit wheezy talking but every day and all that.
He worked an hour last Wednesday and the same on Thursday and to be honest I'm delighted because sitting on his arse wouldn't be his style.

Glad to hear yer da's on the mend.

Get your name down, if you can. Vaccine rollout is flying up here, and the SECC in Belfast is becoming a mass vaccination centre for the under 60s next month. I'm in my mid-forties and I think we're next.

irishbucsfan

Brilliant to hear your da is feeling better!

I’d definitely take the vaccine up there if you can. I don’t think there’s a real risk you’ll be depriving anyone up there anyway which I think would be the only reason not to

awec

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Glad to hear yer da's on the mend.

Get your name down, if you can. Vaccine rollout is flying up here, and the SECC in Belfast is becoming a mass vaccination centre for the under 60s next month. I'm in my mid-forties and I think we're next.

My folks are mid-50s and they were able to book theirs last week, think they're getting it early April.