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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 18, 2019 19:22:45 GMT
Ewww, baked cheesecake is all wrong. No, no, YOU are all wrong as that is the only proper form of cheesecake. Eat the soft gloopy silly fridge stuff of course but it's not really cheesecake. Yes cheese generally though... Oh yeah. There's a cheese thread that's sunk down the board. We got some cheeses yesterday from the excellent Cheese Pantry in Ardersier. Crackers, oatcakes, chutney, grapes... that was dinner sorted (we'd had a big lunch).
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 18, 2019 19:05:43 GMT
I love cheesecake but it very specifically must be of the firm, baked variety, a little crumbly, plain, unfussy and delicious. And untroubled by stupid fruit toppings. The soft, flabby, non-baked fridge variety of cheesecake is not, repeat NOT, cheesecake. It's just bland flaccid rubbish.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 18, 2019 19:00:08 GMT
Henry's a terrible name. Anything named Henry deserves to be eaten. 😄 Now all I want is carpaccio of Henry.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 18, 2019 15:01:32 GMT
Just generally. Favourite or disliked restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, what you have at home (not breakfast though, that has a dedicated thread!). Recipes, food triumphs and disasters. Food and drink, drink and food.
Today's dinner will be soba noodles with salmon and prawns. Our local fishmonger does beautiful high-quality stuff. As usual I'll de-shell and behead the prawns and gently fry the debris to make an intensely flavoured oil to prepare the salmon and prawn flesh. Some vintage cider is chilling nicely in the fridge.
What are your dinner plans?
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 16, 2019 15:20:15 GMT
At a venue rather than a show specifically. Please tell me I’m not being irrational here. As you walk into Pleasance Courtyard (Edinburgh) on the right are some toilets, inside. I walk towards the open door (which has two signs on it: Maile Toilet, Female Toilet. Two girls stood outside, near the door, so I walk up and look through the door to suss out the situation, see 5 cubicle doors. As I do so first girl, about 20 at a rough guess, interrupts me abruptly with “errr Sorry were waiting here so you’ll need to queue behind us”... Slightly stunned by the abrasive reception I step back and move to their left and apologise (although at this point I don’t know why). Then she sighs, looks at her mate, and loudly continues “urgh, I get this all the time”. I was too stunned to respond or react. What the hell. Did I do something wrong here? In my opinion two signs indicate separate sex toilets. I didn’t know that the toilets were mixed, or that all 5 cubicles were in use. So why would I unknowingly join a queue of women? I have no problem with doing so, but such an abuse response when, as an outsider, it looked like they were stood waiting for a friend. Been in a foul mood as a result of this this mid-afternoon yeaterday. Was it a queue for a unisex toilets? If the two signs referred to that, I'd probably also have been unsure enough to suss out the lay of the land. Her arsey comment was unnecessary and you were obviously not in the wrong.
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Brexit
Aug 16, 2019 9:01:39 GMT
via mobile
Post by Backdrifter on Aug 16, 2019 9:01:39 GMT
Was it just me that found the use of the word 'collaborators' by Johnson yesterday worrying and quite offensive? It evoked memories of the Second World War for me and those that worked with the Nazis. Obviously deliberate on his part I would say It did make me roll my eyes, but then when you actually stop to think about it... There appears to be some stuff going on that you could call ‘fifth column’. How far do you have to stretch it before that becomes ‘collaboration’? Probably not very much...? What stuff do you mean?
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 15, 2019 22:12:18 GMT
A man struggling to cope with the kids as opposed to the super organized mum or a woman not knowing where the power switch is etc. Is a bit of harmless fun IMO. I agree it's harmless but not 'fun', more like a harmless bit of standard formulaic advertising trope.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 15, 2019 22:07:21 GMT
Hope he turned the camera off before he stuck it down there I can't be the only one who googled Stewart Lee before agreeing with you? Meaning you prefer the pitch blackness of an attractive person's pants interior on someone else's phone screen? That's a staggeringly specific bit of partialsism.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 14, 2019 23:18:26 GMT
Is it my imagination or does pretty much every single TV ad for house cleaning products feature women doing the cleaning?
As for the ones where the man is the clueless dimwit, I suppose it is gender stereotyping but I've never felt offended by them. My main reaction is usually irritation at the ad-writers' lack of imagination. It's the same feeling I get seeing yet another ad involving passage-of-time devices (oh look they're aging and having kids of their own!), scenes sliding into one another or giant corporations trying to appear homely and cuddly by throwing in some ukulele and winsome whistling.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 14, 2019 15:42:59 GMT
In all the focus on theatre I forgot to mention seeing some excellent visual art in Edinburgh. Best was the Edinburgh College of Art exhibition. I didn't see all of it but really enjoyed what I did get to see.
The David Batchelor exhibition at the Ingleby is worth a visit as is the Victoria Crowe at the City Gallery. The latter is ticket-only at £6. I didn't go to the Bridget Riley show at the National, I'd have liked to. A much pricier one though, at £16 I think.
Sadly one of my favourite galleries there, the Fruitmarket is closed for a major refurbishment reopening next year. But hopefully it'll be better than ever and will be significantly expanded.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 13, 2019 15:05:03 GMT
Tricky balance between getting a bit of water pressure up, and one of those damned rubber cups pinging off the tap. True, but at your age it's to be expected, I guess BurlyBeaR... What does that mean?
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 10, 2019 23:44:01 GMT
I remember rather enjoying the power cuts of the 70s My siblings and I definitely did. We'd all cheer when the lights went off and boo when they came back on. It was exciting and there was something nice about the flickering candles. At a previous job a colleague of about the same age and I would occasionally baffle a young recently graduated colleague with Tales Of What It Was Like In The 70s. She couldn't believe us about the frequent power cuts. Wednesday half-day closing was another one she struggled with.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 10, 2019 18:22:37 GMT
I get that, I just didn't understand the height reference but fair enough as you say you don't have to answer.
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Brexit
Aug 10, 2019 18:19:59 GMT
via mobile
Post by Backdrifter on Aug 10, 2019 18:19:59 GMT
WHY THE F**KITY F***ING F**K DON'T WE CALL HIM JOHNSON? WHY IS HE THE ONLY POLITICIAN WE CHUMMILY CALL BY HIS FIRST NAME?! Mrs Thatcher was often known as Maggie and Tony Blair was very much a first name person. Boris is a slightly unusual name so there isn't much confusion. Yes I'm aware of that and hearing "Maggie" still makes me cringe.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 10, 2019 16:08:56 GMT
It is hard for a 6ft 2” guy to ask about gunshots. Why?
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 10, 2019 16:07:14 GMT
Where is the ‘rude’? It was exactly like said and it was in many ways worse. Of course any failure of this extent is appalling and needs to be addressed pronto. At Ipswich hospital one of their back up generators failed so maybe get that sorted while we are at it. We live in a complacent, acquiescent society which doesn’t know how well off it is. In the 70s we did have resort to the ballot box eventually but I for one can’t forget how some people held the rest of us to ransom. Yes it was it was it was to berate me, publically. Could have chosen to ignore me. I didn't post anything mean or nasty to anyone. But no a snarky comment to prove a point. This board as got more and more like this I don't know why I even bother some times. I knew what you meant and thought the response was a tad harsh-sounding.
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Brexit
Aug 10, 2019 10:20:58 GMT
via mobile
Post by Backdrifter on Aug 10, 2019 10:20:58 GMT
WHY THE F**KITY F***ING F**K DON'T WE CALL HIM JOHNSON? WHY IS HE THE ONLY POLITICIAN WE CHUMMILY CALL BY HIS FIRST NAME?!
I prefer BoJo the Clown. And that's if I'm being polite.
I think 'clown' and 'buffoon' references aren't much better, they convey a sense of him as an amusing comic figure when he is the very opposite of that.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 9, 2019 22:25:31 GMT
WHY THE F**KITY F***ING F**K DON'T WE CALL HIM JOHNSON? WHY IS HE THE ONLY POLITICIAN WE CHUMMILY CALL BY HIS FIRST NAME?!
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 9, 2019 12:19:35 GMT
I had hoped that Bernard Sumner would make an appearance but alas, it was not meant to be But did he do any Electronic anyway? I saw some TV coverage of him at Belladrum and he did some Electronic which sounded great. I still really like that album.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 8, 2019 22:51:21 GMT
Listened to the Opposition recently? There's an Opposition?
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 8, 2019 8:41:31 GMT
If you on a press ticket with free programme and drink the least you can do is NOT scroll aimlessly through tour phone for most of the show you balding waste of skin. Git. Excellent 'git' sign-off.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 8, 2019 8:37:27 GMT
I appreciate this is a theatre forum, but I will say that Nigel Ng is one of the funniest stand ups I've seen for a long time. Also Briony Redman's lunchtime sketch comedy hour is a delight. Yes but this is an Edinburgh Fringe thread in the General forum so you're fine, no need to qualify your report on the standups! I often hear good things about SK so might give her a go. I very rarely see stand-up shows, 2 out of my 25 shows this year for instance.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 8, 2019 8:32:33 GMT
Early in his career he responded to criticism of the violence by saying he happened to have made two fairly violent films, but might well go on to make a zany screwball comedy.
25 years on we're still waiting for that or a romcom or a costume drama.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 7, 2019 22:25:50 GMT
I often wish there was such thing as Choral Musical Theatre. Something like this musically, with leads and a chorus integrated into a heartfelt story. Yes, there is Opera, but I'm not really to keen on the overly vibrato tone taken and I've yet to come across anything in this direction I also like a bit of choral music, though I'm still at the stage of thinking "oh I like that" if I happen upon it rather than seeking it out. I recently saw a documentary about a choral production at the Edinburgh Fringe a couple of years ago ad it was fascinating and mesmerising, I'll look it up and see if I can find what it was. @serialshusher This is the thing I was referring to edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/article/62799-edinburgh-festival-fringe-2014-polands-song-of-the-goat-immerses-itself-in-scotlands-vocal-music-traditions/
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 7, 2019 15:41:35 GMT
I feel all grumpy and out of it looking at this thread, now I'm back home! Hmmmph. Everyone else there or soon to be, have a lovely time, post here and I'll inhale your words from which I will draw strength.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 7, 2019 15:36:18 GMT
I'm considering seeing it but dear oh lord if it's in any way remotely like Jackie Brown I'll regret it. I found JB a dreary, tedious load of overpraised snoozery. And all the fuss about how cool and underplayed Pam Grier was. To me she was just a plank with minimal talent. I found her cringe-inducing. But I'm aware I'm in a minority on this, most people who've seen it bafflingly seem to think it, and she, were great. The only thing I got from it was ogling Bridget Fonda.
I liked Dogs a lot, at the time I found it really interesting that while many criticised its violence and its transfer to video was famously long-delayed here, the violence was in fact minimal compared to a lot of stuff on release at the time that drew no such comment, and it managed to make you really feel the violence, which it seemed to me films had forgotten how to do. I remember seeing Die Hard 2 in which hundreds of people were casually despatched yet it attracted no hand-wringing and delayed video release. As difficult a watch as RDs was at times, I thought well done him as film violence should make you wince.
I liked Pulp Fiction but find it hard to watch now, it's too of its time. The Kill Bills are okay, they look lovely. I think the only other one of his I've seen apart from the borefest of Jackie Brown is Inglorious which I do find quite watchable. The run times of his films is very offputting. Kermode said the whole opening 45 minutes of The Hateful Eight was completely unnecessary. The new one is another near-3-hours job but I'll give it a go.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 6, 2019 0:56:30 GMT
I'm afraid I saw them once at the Garrick and they not only weren't funny, but tried to get a laugh out of disabled kids while having a poke at "political correctness." Would have left if I hadn't been mid-row. Blimey. I've only ever seen them on TV, they were on a fair bit in the 80s and I never liked them. I always thought they had a sort of arch tweeness about them, if that makes sense.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 5, 2019 13:03:09 GMT
Nice, thanks for that. Blimey. Most of those toilets are pretty well hidden, I must remember to take that guide with me next year!
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 4, 2019 21:29:19 GMT
I don't want to be too moany. I love the place and it has some wonderful shows.
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 4, 2019 17:00:20 GMT
Any top tips for the fringe? I’m heading for a couple of days for the first time - both excited but slightly terrified! Nothing to be terrified about. I've had a Summerhall binge and can recommend The Desk, Hold On Let Go (a lovely show and fresh-baked bread handed out), Lip Sync, Everything I See I Swallow, Coma and Blind Date. The latter, in which the performer has a date on stage with an audience member, made me want to see it again as it will be different each time. The Barney's Brewery and Pickerings gin distillery tours (both also at Summerhall) are enjoyable and informative. I love Summerhall... BUT: The toilet situation is preposterous. There seem to be about 4 cubicles, all genderless, for the entire complex. Long waits and toilet roll/soap shortages to be expected. And it's a rare instance of a venue favouring smokers. In the courtyard, there are two covered smoking areas including comfortable seats. The non-smoking area is very small and equipped with a mysteriously rapidly dwindling number of uncomfortable stools, outnumbered by the actual tables. And smokers can puff and gasp away right up to the edge of it, making it not very much of a non-smoking area in fact! Other venues are available of course and I've enjoyed In Loyal Company, Don't Be Terrible, American Justice, Inflatable Space and Self-Check. The last two made me quite emotional. The latter epitomises a lot of what I love about the Fringe in that it's performed by American schoolchildren who aren't brilliant, a bit awkward and sometimes stilted, but their energy, commitment and enthusiasm are heartwarming and carry the whole thing along. There are some extraordinary scenes involving a girl thinking back to her childhood and a key realisation about herself, and they are so beautifully handled it completely transported me and I'm welling up again just typing this now. The only standups I saw were Stewart Francis and Matt Forde, both very good, Forde especially if you want to revel in someone entertainingly venting on your behalf about Johnson, Corbyn, Trump and brexit. Old Town and Southside are better for pretty much everything - shows, venues, food, cafés, less crowded but it's all relative! Have a great time. My first Fringe trip was 2 days and I came away a bit frustrated at not going for longer, subsequently booking my first full week, the first of many. Prepare to be bitten by the bug!
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