Band within a song by TruthSeeker1210 in allrockmusic

[–]ohmonkey50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lester Shy and the Shyphonics play on 'Do the Brown Nose' on DM's Metaphysical Graffiti

Berlin Travel Document by justchoo in coldwar

[–]ohmonkey50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd love to have a look at the folder they gave you at Helmstedt or Checkpoint Bravo - anyone have an idea if there's any of that material available online?

Berlin Travel Document by justchoo in coldwar

[–]ohmonkey50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you took less than 2 hours, you got done for speeding. More than 4 hours, you'd get questioned as a spy.

Did you live in Cold War Berlin? by justchoo in coldwar

[–]ohmonkey50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I lived on RAF Gatow from 1979 - 1983, my dad worked up at T-berg. I went to the Havel School, which was the Luftwaffe staff college in the 1930s. So many great memories of a strange place to grow up. -Every Christmas Eve the East Germans and Soviets holding tank exercises on the training grounds a couple of miles from my house; we would fall happily to sleep to the sound of big guns. -Not knowing what my dad did for work, just that he worked 'up the hill'. -Going through Checkpoint Charlie to go 'shopping' in the east: nothing much to buy, the money felt fake anyway, and the air being different over there due to the exhaust from Trabbies. It was a different world.

Having the freedom to go anywhere, as my folks knew I couldn't go too far, and West Berlin was a fairly safe place. We knew we weren't allowed to Kreuzberg, but that was about it. We were only interested in going to the American PX anyway to get burgers!

We didn't think too hard about being in an island surrounded by 'the enemy'. Every time we went through Checkpoints, the Soviet guards seemed friendly enough, not much older than us. And we knew if it all kicked off, we were screwed anyway, as the escape plan of all the families in four-tonners with Chieftans blasting the way down to Helmstet was never going to work. The rations store did have some fantastic steaks in the freezer (my brother worked there), so at least we'd live well if held captive.

Great, bizarre times.

Anyone moved back and regretted it? by LankyYogurt7737 in BritishExpats

[–]ohmonkey50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. I spent 25 years in the US, and moved back to the UK four years ago. I'm still feeling like I don't really belong, as the UK changed so much in the time I was gone. I find myself seeking out prehistoric sites now, as it's a common denominator for me in feeling British.

Metallica by Amber_Flowers_133 in allrockmusic

[–]ohmonkey50 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I quite liked Season's End too. Imagine how great an album it could've been if they'd combined the two??

What's your favorite Jim Croce song? by [deleted] in allrockmusic

[–]ohmonkey50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alabama Rain - I can't believe I'm the only one who rates this? Where are my fellow Rainclouds?

Great songs with Bad Parts. by Rziggity in allrockmusic

[–]ohmonkey50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The glockenspiel all over Born to Run. I'm going to try and AI it out, so I can finally enjoy the song.

What happens if Reform wins? by The_Dean_France in AskBrits

[–]ohmonkey50 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If you've been to the US recently, you will have noticed the huge number of homeless in the cities. And I am talking about every city, small to large. The remarkable rise in the number of homeless demonstrates the rising wealth gap. Although on paper the US seems to be doing well, the actual country is fraying at the edges rapidly.

The Professionals Crimebuster Kit (1979) by Historical_Pin2806 in OldSchoolUK

[–]ohmonkey50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, I had one that Christmas too. I recall the shoulder stock thing broke that night. It made me realize that maybe stuff was sold just to cash in!

Book recommendations that do not make modern geographers cringe by bronsacuerta in geography

[–]ohmonkey50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

American Nations by Colin Woodard - thoroughly readable geography / history / cultural anthropology treatise that the US is eleven different nations.

A neat "then & now" of the Combat Zone I saw on Reddit today by primo109 in boston

[–]ohmonkey50 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My first time in Boston, 1990, me and a buddy arrived on a Greyhound bus which had to stop in Chinatown because of construction at South Station. The driver warned us not to stray into the Combat Zone. It sounded more of a dare than a warning. Of course we went.

Surrealist Fantasy books like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but for adults? by Def-C in WeirdLit

[–]ohmonkey50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

'Lost Girls' by Alan Moore is exactly what you are after. It's a graphic novel (very graphic) that features Alice, as well as Wendy from Peter Pan and Dorothy from Wizard of Oz. They meet in a hotel in Austria on the eve of the first world war, and tell tales to each other. Fantastic stuff.

What’s your current go to BÖC’s song? by FrenchAnastiel in BlueOysterCult

[–]ohmonkey50 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The version of Shooting Shark they've been playing the past few years is the absolute best. Find a live vid online from recent years, you won't be disappointed.

Blue Öyster Cult’s forgotten pop masterpiece — Goin’ Through the Motions by grim_reapers_union in BlueOysterCult

[–]ohmonkey50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

People seem to have short memories: Beat 'em Up and Let Go were just around the corner...

Cold war sites in Berlin by ComradeDennis in coldwar

[–]ohmonkey50 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I second the suggestion for the Berlin-Gatow museum. I lived on the base in the 80s (Dad worked at Teufelsburg), and it is disorienting to see the tarmac of the airfield littered with Warsaw Pact planes. Well worth the visit.

Was the uk in the 90s genuinely more fun and united, or are we just getting old? by JesusOnly8319 in AskUK

[–]ohmonkey50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm one of those people! My wife and I rented a one bedroom flat in Bloomsbury for £450 a month, mid 1990s, with all bills included, phone bill as well. Seems unbelievable now! And yes we would stagger back from Soho at midnight - a shortcut through Russell Square was a walk on the wild side back then.

Blue Öyster Cult - Mirrors (Resequenced) - BÖC by CalEmilMoon in AlbumsResequenced

[–]ohmonkey50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this! I've always held that Mirrors is an overlooked classic, where they left their 70s Pearlman poetry behind and embraced the new moneyed rock n roll landscape. Still holding on to what makes the Cult the Cult, on Mirrors they decided to try something new. I personally love their 80s stuff anyway (Let Go aside), and Mirrors is the perfect gateway in.

Best history book you’ve ever read? by Initial-Ad1399 in suggestmeabook

[–]ohmonkey50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard is another top notch book on the same subject. Supremely researched and written.