Interesting Stuff Thread

Sulla Felix · 04-06-2014 10:28PM

James74 wrote: »

This was the first audiobook I ever listened to. William Roberts does a brilliant job narrating, I was so disappointed when I actually heard Bill Bryson read one of his other books. Has to be the dullest voice ever.

I was about to agree, but after checking, mine was narrated by Richard Matthews... Tracked down a sample of Roberts' version and not sure I care for it! :P
I think my first was Rubicon by Tom Holland and read by Stephen Crossley but which I now discover is also read by Andrew Sachs.
I love audio books, but the narrator really makes or breaks the experience. Must see if there's a better version of GoT than the one which I've never made past the prologue...

pauldla · 05-06-2014 01:59AM

Rubicon is a good read. Did you read his Millennium? It's an account of the state of Christendom at the turn of the last, er, millennium.

Sulla Felix · 05-06-2014 06:41PM

pauldla wrote: »

Rubicon is a good read. Did you read his Millennium? It's an account of the state of Christendom at the turn of the last, er, millennium.

Yep, have that too though not on audio. Try In The Shadow of the Sword too, very good read on the origins of Islam, arab hegemony in the east etc etc.

Brian Shanahan · 05-06-2014 10:33PM

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Yep, have that too though not on audio. Try In The Shadow of the Sword too, very good read on the origins of Islam, arab hegemony in the east etc etc.

To be honest it really does teach you a lot about the origins of any religion, using Islam as an example. I actually own all his books, as he's a very interesting read.

keane2097 · 11-06-2014 05:56PM

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Yep, have that too though not on audio. Try In The Shadow of the Sword too, very good read on the origins of Islam, arab hegemony in the east etc etc.

Nice one, just discovered my audible account was maxed out the other day and was looking for some good history books to use the credits on!

pauldla · 12-06-2014 05:44AM

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Yep, have that too though not on audio. Try In The Shadow of the Sword too, very good read on the origins of Islam, arab hegemony in the east etc etc.

It was out in hardback the last time I was home; I'll try to pick up a copy this summer when I'm on my travels.

keane2097 wrote: »

Nice one, just discovered my audible account was maxed out the other day and was looking for some good history books to use the credits on!

If you've any interest in Chinese history, I can recommend Julia Lovell's The Opium War. 'Tis very good.

smacl · 12-06-2014 08:20AM

pauldla wrote: »

If you've any interest in Chinese history, I can recommend Julia Lovell's The Opium War. 'Tis very good.

Similarly Diana Preston's The box rebellion, very entertaining stuff, though only read it on paper.

For audiobooks, John Cleese reading Dante's inferno is worth a punt, and still remarkably entertaining even if like myself you don't get all the subtle in-jokes and jibes relating to the society from which it emerged.

robindch · 12-06-2014 11:17AM

Anybody come across a readable account of the Taiping Rebellion?

pauldla · 13-06-2014 01:58AM

smacl wrote: »

Similarly Diana Preston's The box rebellion, very entertaining stuff, though only read it on paper.

...

You mean her The Boxer Rebellion, I presume? (Sorry, terribly bad form to point out typos etc). I agree, an excellent and fascinating read.

robindch wrote: »

Anybody come across a readable account of the Taiping Rebellion?

Gods Chinese Son by Jonathan Spence is worth reading, though I'm sure there are others. Oh, I miss book shops...

Turtwig · 17-06-2014 01:19AM

Carter I can see my house.

BqRw5OQIcAAtsAO.jpg:large

robindch · 18-06-2014 12:31PM

They don't just defecate in the woods:

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/brown-bears-enjoy-oral-sex

robindch · 18-06-2014 12:36PM

From the topic and timestamps of a few posts which have appeared in my fb feed over the last week or so, I gather that there's some kind of footie tournament happening in the southern hemisphere.

Here's the New Yorker looking briefly into cheating in the beautiful game:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene/2014/06/world-cup-soccer-cheating-study.html

Otherwise, well, what these good folks said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvHMcwUAWMU

Turtwig · 18-06-2014 01:07PM

Isn't that video kind of sexist?

robindch · 18-06-2014 01:09PM

Turtwig wrote: »

Isn't that video kind of sexist?

Yep, at least middlingly -- was waiting to see who might point it out

I'd have gone with "hairdressers" instead of "girls".

Still, the sentiment's hard to beat.

Brian Shanahan · 18-06-2014 07:54PM

robindch wrote: »

From the topic and timestamps of a few posts which have appeared in my fb feed over the last week or so, I gather that there's some kind of footie tournament happening in the southern hemisphere.

Here's the New Yorker looking briefly into cheating in the beautiful game:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene/2014/06/world-cup-soccer-cheating-study.html

Otherwise, well, what these good folks said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvHMcwUAWMU

Just like Sisko winning every Kirk vs. Picard debate, hurling wins every soccer vs rugby bun fight.

ShooterSF · 18-06-2014 08:04PM

Brian Shanahan wrote: »

Just like Sisko winning every Kirk vs. Picard debate, hurling wins every soccer vs rugby bun fight.

Nope Nope Nope. If all you are looking for is a violent physical ball sport then it has to be:

Personally I still prefer soccer as it offers more protection to skillful players even if they misuse it at times.

Knex* · 25-06-2014 01:20PM

The following gif shows metaphase as it happens in normal cells obtained from pig kidney epithelium. The microtubules use mEmerald fluorescent protein as a marker, while the chromatids are labeled in bright red from mCherry.
Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/mesmerizing-gif-shows-cell-division-real-time#RJUrF125t6tP58Aj.99

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/mesmerizing-gif-shows-cell-division-real-time

CramCycle · 25-06-2014 11:20PM

Brian Shanahan wrote: »

Just like Sisko winning every Kirk vs. Picard debate, hurling wins every soccer vs rugby bun fight.

DS9 was my favourite but Sisko does not win that fight, hurling does though.

Cabaal · 26-06-2014 08:24AM

Turtwig · 26-06-2014 11:59AM

VAR!

RoiSoleil · 26-06-2014 01:31PM

Cabaal wrote: »

known universe pic

Where are the pillars holding it all up?

Absolam · 27-06-2014 02:46AM

RoiSoleil wrote: »

Where are the pillars holding it all up?

Turn it sideways.

RoiSoleil · 27-06-2014 05:32PM

Absolam wrote: »

Turn it sideways.

Silly me.

robindch · 02-07-2014 09:36AM

Four World Cup national teams banned sex. And all of them have been eliminated.

http://qz.com/229113/all-of-the-teams-that-banned-sex-at-the-world-cup-have-been-eliminated/

Is there enough data to conclude anything? Probably not

Cabaal · 02-07-2014 12:31PM

Interesting stats about America....in the form of the Captain America song/cartoon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPekmA9tcvg

sponsoredwalk · 05-07-2014 09:11PM

This is actually amazing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAJkLh76QnM

keane2097 · 05-07-2014 09:33PM

RoiSoleil wrote: »

Where are the pillars holding it all up?

It's turtles all the way down.

Turtwig · 05-07-2014 09:35PM

Turtwigs all the way down.

PopePalpatine · 06-07-2014 10:20AM

Turtwig wrote: »

Turtwigs all the way down.

I think Torterra would be a more solid base. Or Blastoise. :pac:

Hotblack Desiato · 20-07-2014 01:25PM

Two sentences you wouldn't read every day.

The "sexting" case took a surreal twist when police obtained a warrant to photograph the boy's penis to prove that it was the same one that appeared in the text videos.

On Thursday, as publicity about the case grew in the Washington area, they said they would not serve the warrant, which would have involved a drug-induced erection at a local hospital.

:eek:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0719/631791-us-selfie-porn/

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