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Given the forums have gone through yet another phase of insults, arguments and digs at each other I hope you'll forgive me in trying to alter the overall dynamic a little.

Max Tranmere's 'a brilliant song' thread along with Jimslip, David Johnson and Alex L's threads on all things TV has me interested in what other forumites are engorged in for entertainment lately.

I'd like to know what TV shows, radio programmes, podcasts, books or music you're all enjoying.

I've not watched any good movies lately but am enjoying a re-run of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe (all series) over the past week or so. Wish he'd do more.

On my commute to work and back I've mainly been listening to early Led Zeppelin (when they were more rock/blues than heavy metal) and Little Barrie's new album 'King of the Waves' (which is a 7/10). I've been re-reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on my tablet at night due to buying my 8 year old niece the kids' version and it's quite satisfying to get a child's take on the story. Enjoying it much more than I did first time around. Maybe because as a kid I didn't understand half of the phrases and how it was written phonetically and in the local vernacular.

Would like other people's contributions.

Good thinking Batman,

Music

A small selection from me.

Early Led Zeppelin eh? Communicaaaaation Breakkkdown!!
Johnnie Johnson "Johnnie B Bad" Johnson was the piano player for Chuck Berry. One, Keith Richards produced it. And it swings like fuck.
The Unthanks, in particular, "Here's the Tender Coming". Timeless folk music, honest and beautiful.
The Velvet Underground and Nico "Andy Warhol" - I'm waiting for the man - genius rock.
Adele "21" - yes, I know not very fashionable, but great singing and some killer songs.
Neil Young "After the Gold Rush"
Leonard Cohen "Old Ideas" - love the voice.
Johnny Cash "American IV" The track "Hurt" has to be one of the finest covers ever done and the accompanying video is brilliant.
Sonny Rollins playing calypso. Rollins, the finest live performer I ever saw.
Some of the Cure's Greatest Hits. Remember being in Lisbon at a city-wide festival for the summer solistice where everyone including myself appeared to be getting wrecked. The Cure came on and sounded perfect.

TV

Have I got news for you
Scandinavian drama - The Killing, Wallander (the Swedish episodes not the ones with Kenneth Branagh is in), The Bridge etc etc
The Daily Politics and This Week - Andrew Neil, the most informed and tenacious interviewer of politicians in the UK.
Inspector Montalbano - an Italian made crime series with subtitles. It was on Beeb4. Good stuff and fantastic scenery in southern Italy.
Just watched an excellent programme by Robert Peston on the EUro Crisis - Beeb 2.

Radio

Mainly news programmes.

Books

Anthony Beevor D Day

Mainly photography. Recently Philip Jones Griffiths "Recollections"


That'll do me for now.

Hi Sam
Good luck with this some of the fuckers on here need a wide berth.

But at the cinema really enjoyed Hunger Games and Katniss is a babe!Watched Skyarts prog and Stereophonics singer at Hay did a fab acoustic version of Dakota.It's on Anytime now.

At Blockbuster got The Girl with the Dragon tattoo out and although violent in parts was thoroughly good.

Will be going to Stratford Races on Sunday and will win so much money I will retire to Barbados..ha ha!

Here We Go Magic - think the album is called A different Ship

Standout track for me is 'Alone And Moving'

Watched Antonioni's La Notte most recently. Prior to that saw a film called 'Missing' with Jack Lemmon & Sissy Spacek. Highly recommended.

Reading - Graham Greene is always worthwhile. Loved The Comedians. The Human Factor well worth a read too.

Am currently reading Judas Unchained by Peter F Hamilton

Hi Sam,

Reading Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson at the mo.

Really rather enjoying Game of Thrones on the box. I'm also watching the Wire, which I missed the first time round.

Mainly listen to Radio 2, 3 & 4, depending on the time of day.

I think, as I've aged, I tend not to single out one or two particular bands/singers as 'favourites' like we all no doubt did as teenagers but instead, I find radio programmes that play my kinda music and then just chill. !banana!

Went to see John Cusack in the new horror-thriller, "The Raven", this
evening for a touch of the Gothic horrors.....always read 2 books at the
same time so halfway through "Running The Show" by Stephanie
Williams (a superbly evocative study of British Governors of the Victorian
Empire) and Professor Robert Gerwath`s ground-breaking biography of
Reinhard Heydrich, called "Hitler`s Hangman". Well, you asked......

Bought The Velvet Underground & Nico album along with Van Morrison's Astral Weeks and been listening to those albums throughout spring (Mostly Astral Weeks tbh). Seem to prefer these albums when it's sunny (March WAS sunny....unlike May !sad!). Weather and mood really does dictate what I listen to.

Was going to get After the Goldrush at same time but didn't for reasons I've forgotten.

I've not read any WW2 stuff since I was at school. However, I do have Victor Klemperer's 'I Will Bear Witness' diaries in my amazon wishlist. An excellently written account of living under Nazi rule. I have Kafka's 'Metamorphosis' and Orwell's 'Coming Up for Air' to read through before that, though.

I was always more interested in the social and moral affects of WW2 rather than the battles and how it was won. Dunno why.

Girl with a Dragon Tattoo is great. Watched all three on lovefilm.com. Not seen the English version and I doubt they can top the original.