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Darren Fisher (2465 KP) rated Sandinista! by The Clash in Music

Dec 11, 2020 (Updated Jan 15, 2021)  
Sandinista! by The Clash
Sandinista! by The Clash
1980 | Rock
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Album Rating
'Music For People Who Work On For Oil Rigs'
At a time when only prog-rock groups released triple albums, The Clash went out on a limb, providing a multicultural mish-mash of musical styles. Ranging from dub reggae, funk, jazz, disco, rap and even gospel, this 36 track sprawling epic covered all the musical bases. Often compared as their equivalent of The Beatles 'White' album, Sandinista! finds The Clash at their most experimental. Featuring a vast range of guest artists from dub maestro Mikey Dread, Ellen Foley and various members of The 101ers, The Blockheads, Eddie & The Hot Rods, The Voidoids and Darts(!?!) this really is a melting pot of ideas and influences.
Sandinista! can be a tough call if you decide to listen to it from start to finish, clocking in at around the 2hr 20mins mark, but I would recommend doing this on the first listen. It sets a trippy, mesmerising, and (albeit) uneven journey of a group realising there is a much bigger world out there than just London.
One critic described the album as 'music for people who work on oil rigs'. I like that...

Album highlights:
The Magnificent Seven
Look Here
The Street Parade
  
Leaders, Nations, and God
Leaders, Nations, and God
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
LEADERS, NATIONS, AND GOD invites readers to a six-week journey to explore the Bible’s message for the nations of the world, their leaders, and for Christians who live as citizens of those nations. By focusing on the biblical history of Israel and the United States, the reader discovers the nature of true, faithful leadership and the consequences when a leader compromises, as well as the sorts of nations that God may bless. Marta E. Greenman helps readers understand how scriptural principles apply to nations and to individuals alike.


By asking and answering these questions, the paths of humble obedience for individuals and nations become clear.



Each day’s study begins by encouraging the reader to write their prayer before they begin to examine the biblical history of Israel and/or the United States. The reader gathers insights from scripture to bring understanding of God’s ideal for nations and leaders. Questions dig deeply into lessons from the Bible, history, and the influences on one’s own life. Each day’s study comes with highlighted “Questions to Ponder” and ends with prayer.



My Thoughts: If you are looking for a good Bible study, this is one to look at. It combines both secular history and Biblical history to give the reader a good idea of how our leaders function and get their truths. The reader will find information that is new and informative; as the author has done intense research for her book. A six-week course that has some studying for the reader, but well worth the effort. It is not only informative, but it is encouraging. If you are looking for a new study this is it.




If you find yourself drawn to explore God’s will for nations and individuals, if you wonder what biblical obedience might look like in your daily life, then Leaders, Nations, and God will meet your need for a study grounded in the Bible and focused on God’s desires for His people.
  
Wanted in Paradise
Wanted in Paradise
Kate Ashenden | 2019 | Crime, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wanted in Paradise by Kate Ashenden is a quick-to-read romance thriller set on the tropical nation of the Maldives. The twenty-five-year-old protagonist, Jasmine Hartwell has been on a hellish journey: surviving a typhoon in the Philippines, which killed thousands of people, and quitting her job because she cannot stand the way her boss treats her. To top it off, her ex-boyfriend has disappeared, presumed dead. After sending her condolences to his good looking superstar brother, Romeo Moretti, Jasmine is offered the chance to join him in the Maldives to help set up a concert in aid of climate change.

Readers are aware that Jasmine has had a crush on Romeo since she met him five years ago but due to their current circumstances, it would not be right for them to form a relationship while her ex, Diego is still missing. That does not stop Jasmine having strong feelings for Romeo and vice versa, however, there is another love interest on the scene. The Sheikh has fallen for Jasmine but Romeo believes he is an evil character set on destroying the concert and taking over the islands. Not only does Jasmine have to contend with this love-triangle, but Romeo's publicist also seems fixed on making things unnecessarily hard for her.

It takes a while for the reader to warm to the characters, especially as the story is fast-paced. It also takes a moment to appreciate the complexities of the storyline; it is not only about romance, but it also encompasses natural disasters, the dangers of climate change and the ignorance and selfishness of those with power. By the closing chapters, readers are enthralled with the potential of a happy-ever-after but still in the knowledge that all could backfire at the last minute.

Wanted in Paradise is Kate Ashenden's debut novel, which, whilst it has room for improvement, gives a taster of her potential. It is the ideal book for those who want a quick read and to be transported to another part of the world to escape the challenged of everyday life.
  
Zoolander 2 (2016)
Zoolander 2 (2016)
2016 | Comedy
7
5.3 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Zoolander 2” picks up just a couple days after the first film left off. Staying true to the story line, Zoolander and Hansel are as vapid as ever and have retreated to lives in exile after the school for children who couldn’t read good (or whatever) collapsed due to shoddy construction. With their dreams dashed, both models are licking their wounds when they are summoned back into the world of fashion by a disgustingly beautiful fashionista with the Botox of the gods, Alexanya Ato (Kristen Wiig). With a face that can hardly move Ato is unsettlingly inviting.

For Zoolander and Hansel, the world they once knew has been taken over by today’s most annoying pop stars and what is now known as – “mainstream hipster society.”

Reminiscent of the “Austin Powers” series, Penelope Cruz leads a high speed action-spy adventure (cheesy as it may sound, it’s pretty great) as Melanie Valentina, working for Interpol “fashion division.” Cruz sets out to discover who has been killing Hollywood’s famous faces following Bieber’s tragic, and very graphic, death.

Inadvertently, due to Zoolander’s irresistible good looks, Cruz embarks on a mission to help him reunite with his estranged son and defeat Mugatu (Will Ferrell). The film is exactly what you would expect following the first “Zoolander.” It’s short, funny, ridiculous, and yet the sequel is surprisingly relevant.

The incorporation of an androgynous character named All played by Benedict Cumberbatch steps dangerously close to the edge of what is acceptable amongst the film’s own likely audience of hipster pc’rs.

Surprise appearances are actually part of what makes this sequel pretty great, yet they don’t take over and the ridiculous storyline somehow remains a coherent.

The best appearance of all, and most out of place, is that of Neil deGrasse Tyson himself. Of course, as a beautiful person, Zoolander’s journey is one of epic spiritual proportions in his own mind, so somehow a physicist fits in quite nicely.

Delivering exactly what it advertises, I give “Zoolander 2” 3.5 out of 5 stars.
  
    Legend of the Skyfish

    Legend of the Skyfish

    Games and Entertainment

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

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