Friday 31 October 2008

back again! - Springsteen speech

Wayhay - the blog is back! Had a virus on the computer over the last few days which took a lot of time to get rid off, annoying bastards they are.

Still off work with a sore knee, usual reading, watching TV and listening to music. Looks like l will be back at work on the 12th or 13th of November. Been one hell of a good break though.

Off to get a drink and some food before having to tidy up, as Robbo and Kerry are visiting and stopping tonight. Will leave a speech by Bruce Springsteen from his show at Philadelphia. The boss sure knows how to talk.

I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real. Opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another."I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities. The distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful."I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people's hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down."They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back."So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising."

Toodle pip

Thursday 23 October 2008

Kerry Katona Interview on This Morning

She is really fucked up. Philip handled it well, but that girl needs some help, not to be in TV docs all the time. Why did they even let her out for the interview though?

Wednesday 22 October 2008

idiots

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dog tossing itself off

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Tuesday 21 October 2008

Big Mouth

l have got to get out more!

Tongue freak

Christ, l thought Mandy's was big

what a goal

I'll soon be doing that again every Friday

bad planning




BBC 2 on Sunday night at 7pm. Part two of Simon Schama's new series, The American Future, at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia for Veterans Day. He looks solemn.




BBC 1 at 9pm on Sunday night. Part two Stephen Fry In America, at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia for Veterans Day. he looks solemn.

My taxpayers money

Toodle pip

new york pics






weekend news

Right, nothing much been happening apart from Saturday evening when l went to watch the Manchester United v WBA game at the Dalesman with Dazzer. Hobbled round there for a bit then came back home. Only the second time l have been out of the house in the last couple of weeks (great!). Louise came round with Dazzer and then Rook and Deb called round. Guess what happened then? Correctemondo, everyone got drunk (apart from Louise who was driving home) and we had a takeaway. Rook got upset with Deb (as usual, although she had not done anything wrong), then Louise and Dazzer dropped them off home when they went. Forgot to say, Dazzer was on grave digging duties before we went to the Dalesman, burying Sid at the bottom of the garden (as l can't dig at the moment). It's getting to be like pet cemetery down there.

Stayed up to watch Match of the day (which l had taped), but fell asleep on the settee.

Quiet day on Sunday (and Monday), watched films, read, had a bath - usual stuff. Latest stuff l have watched :
Right Now - French film
The Edukators - German film
2010 A Space oddessy (follow up to 2001)
Return of A man called Horse
Knocked up (shit)
Twisted - started watching it but turned it off as it was crap (Ashley Judd playing a copper)
Loads of football and comedies

Also just finished reading :
An American Scream - the Bill Hicks story by Cynthia True
Barefoot Gen - Keiji Nakazawa (fantastic - ordered the next two books in the series)

Bob Dylan's theme time radio hour has just started series three as well - life is sweet!

Toodle pip

injury update



Here's what my leg looked like a couple of days ago, after walking to the letter box round the corner. Looks worse now( and still sore). Still worth it to be off work!

Friday 17 October 2008

great advert

This is from Dutch TV, shown about 8pm apparantly (those crazy dutch!)

animals




Thought l would put these up as l was just sorting some animal pictures out. In
order they are Tubs and Sid (Now an ex Sid), Norrin, Mowgli and Jack. My money is on Mowgli next, unless Tubs starts pining and refusing to eat. Bloody animals (love them really).
Toodle pip

latest news - Sid




Here's the new update - good and bad stuff.
On the good side, l am still dossing around, doing the usual crap. Latest stuff l've watched :
Superman - Doomsday (animation, it was alright but the fighting went on too long)
Syriana - Very good
Amelia - French subtitled comedy, very good and slightly strange
Some Fawlty Towers - always excellent although dated
Books l've just read :
A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby - OK but very far fetched
Ascent of Rum Doodle - WE Bowman - old fashioned but pretty funny
Safe Area Gorazde - Joe Sacco - fantastic, one of the best things l've read for ages (and it's true)
Plus there's been football, other TV and the lovely lovely computer.

Had a couple of letters to post so l thought l would walk (hobble) round to the letter box and get some fresh air. What a stupid move. By the time l got there, my leg was sore, but walked back and it was then swollen and bruised. Bastard! Still extra sore now, which means l have to sit around more to recover (so it's not all bad).

Talking of bad, the horrible bad news is one of the rabbits has died (Sid). Sid and Tubs live outside and l went out to feed them yesterday, but Sid was not his normal self. He was at the front of his hutch but not diving out of the way, which he normally did when approached. l gave him some food and a stroke for a while as l thought he did not seem OK. l came back out to check on him about 15/30 minutes later and he ran to the far end of his run. That was more normal but he then did not move. When l went over to stroke him again and check on him (only about one minute after he had run to the bottom of the run), he was dead. Couldn't believe it. Have no idea what caused it or what was the matter with him. The other rabbits (Norrin and Tubs) are both fine. l can't even bury him at the bottom of the garden as my knee/leg is so sore. Mandy is going to do it tomorrow (lucky her). May have a few drinks after the ceremony.

Toodle pip

Tuesday 14 October 2008

capitalism

After all the banking bail outs etc, here's an old poster. Revolution, that's what we need. Eat the rich.

still not busy

Another marvelous day. Watched Fear and loathing in Las Vegas (again), Atonement (not that keen on it although the ending was a suprise), Stephen Fry across America (could have spent longer in the places and explored more), Manchester United v Everton 1985 FA cup final (tight shorts, kevin Moran getting sent off, great result), Manchester United v Benfica 1968 European cup final (David Sadler missing two great chances, Bestie going round the keeper, great result and childhood memories), Leeds v Derby from 1975 (3-2 to Derby, great game, Lee and Hunter getting sent off and fighting as they walked off).
Listened to a few podcasts and cds, been on the internet and done some reading. Bored? No way!

Toodle pip

Monday 13 October 2008

Forces of anarchy

Genius

THE ALIENS MAGIC MAN

Another great song from those lovable Aliens (l'm a robot man etc). The lp's great as well (if you like tripped out catchy tunes)

l would love this

Jay Walker is an American entrepreneur.He lives in an extraordinary house containing a genuine Sputnik 1 satellite, a model of the moon signed by nine astronauts, and an orginal copy of the first bible translated into English. [ http://icanhaz.com/crikey ] Jammy bastard.

Homer Simpson tries to vote for Obama...

post back up - last one stopped

oh what a life

Another busy day today. Watched 'There will be blood', which l thought was excellent (Mandy got bored). Read the Sunday papers, had sunday lunch, watched Peter Kays pisstake of the X Factor, read 'The balcony' by Jean Genet (which wasn't that good), had a bath (miracle!), watches the sunday supplement, listened to some music and l am now pratting about with the computer. Marvelous.

Toodle pip

Sunday 12 October 2008

Birds of Paradise

l'd feel deflated after all the effort he put in - what a bird.

busy busy busy (not!)

This is great. Still only been three days since my knee operation and l already feel as though l have been off for ages. Watched some films and TV (Blood Simple, Green Colour, Brokeback Mountain, Sahara, Life on Earth, Mick Jagger Doc, All you need is Love), been reading loads of magazines and newspapers, just finished Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (which was pretty interesting) and watched the England game against Kazakhstan (which wasn't).

Listening to podcasts and music, chilling out and hobbling about. Mandy deserted me and went out to Newcastle on Friday night, though l enjoyed having a bath and lazing around (no change there then). Fell asleep with music playing loud through my headphones, made me have some wierd dreams, so l left them on all night. lnteresting when you are in a half dream like state and the music or artist gets incorporated into the dream.

Robbo called round today with some lager, chicken and flowers, wish he would just come out with it and admit he fancies me. The gropes with Mandy are just to save face, l'm sure.

Going to have to sort out some pictures from new York and my brothers wedding and put some up. May do so tomorrow, still haven't seen the wedding ones yet (from last Saturday in Leeds).

Knee is sore but l have taken off the bandages as they were getting on my nerves. Still walking like a pirate with a wooden leg, so that's pretty damn good, a dream come true.

Started watching 'There will be blood' tonight, but a certain girl got tired and wanted to go to bed. Watching the rest of it tomorrow, but l am enjoying it so far. Daniel Day Lewis is one hell of an actor. Talking of actors, also watched Colin Farrell on J. Ross, who came across as vunerable and self effacing, plus looked good and rock star like. Someone else Mandy now fancies (tart).

Anyhows, till tomorrow...

Toodle pip

Friday 10 October 2008

Palin On Foreign Policy

Dear Lord above - McCain is 72 and has survived four bouts of cancer. If he dies in office, this woman will become president of the most powerful nation on earth.Thing is, there's a good chance that will happen.

Toodle pip

ls this why obama won't get in?

Thursday 9 October 2008

Joe Kinnear's first official press conference

The following is an edited transcript of Newcastle interim manager Joe Kinnear's first official press conference last week - l know it's a few days late but what the hell, it's outrageous


JK Which one is Simon Bird [Daily Mirror's north-east football writer]?
SB Me.
JK You're a cunt.
SB Thank you.
JK Which one is Hickman [Niall, football writer for the Express]? You are out of order. Absolutely fucking out of order. If you do it again, I am telling you you can fuck off and go to another ground. I will not come and stand for that fucking crap. No fucking way, lies. Fuck, you're saying I turned up and they [Newcastle's players] fucked off.
SB No Joe, have you read it, it doesn't actually say that. Have you read it?
JK I've fucking read it, I've read it.
SB It doesn't say that. Have you read it?
JK You are trying to fucking undermine my position already.
SB Have you read it, it doesn't say that. I knew you knew they were having a day off.
JK Fuck off. Fuck off. It's your last fucking chance.
SB You read the copy? It doesn't say that you didn't know.
JK What about the headline, you think that's a good headline?
SB I didn't write the headline, you read the copy.
JK You are negative bastards, the pair of you.
SB So if I get a new job next week would I take the first day off? No I wouldn't. If I get a new job should I call my boss and tell him I am taking the first day off?
JK It is none of your fucking business. What the fuck are you going to do? You ain't got the balls to be a fucking manager. Fucking day off. Do I want your opinion. Do I have to listen to you?
SB No, you can listen to who you want.
JK I had a 24-hour meeting with the entire staff.
SB Joe, you are only here six weeks, you could have done that on Sunday, or Saturday night.
JK No, no, no. I didn't want to do it. I had some other things to do.
SB What? More important things?
JK What are you? My personal secretary? Fuck off.
SB You could have done the meeting Saturday night or Sunday. You could have had them watching videos, you could have organised them.
JK I was meeting the fucking chairman the owner, everyone else. Talking about things.
SB It is a valid point that was made in there. A valid point.
JK I can't trust any of you.
Niall Hickman Joe, no one could believe that on your first day at your new club, the first-team players were not in. No one could believe it in town. Your first day in the office.
JK My first day was with the coaches. I made the decision that I wanted to get as much information out of them.
NH But why Monday, no one could believe it?
JK I'm not going to tell you anything. I don't understand where you are coming from. You are delighted that Newcastle are getting beat and are in the state they are? Delighted, are you?
NH Certainly not. No one wants to see them get beaten, why would we?
JK I have done it before. It is going to my fucking lawyers. So are about three others. If they can find something in it that is a court case it is going to court. I am not fucking about. I don't talk to fucking anybody. It is raking up stories. You are fucking so fucking slimy you are raking up players that I got rid of. Players that I had fallen out with. You are not asking Robbie Earle, because he is sensible. You are not asking Warren Barton? No. Because he is fucking sensible. Anyone who had played for me for 10 years at any level ... [but] you will find some cunt that ...
Other journalist How long is your contract for Joe?
JK None of your business.
SB Well it is actually, because we cover the club. The club say you are here to the end of October, then you say six to eight games which would take it to the end of November. We are trying to clarify these issues. We are getting no straight answers from anyone. How long are you here for. It is a dead simple question. And you don't know ...
JK I was told the length of contract. Then I was told that possibly the club could be sold in that time. That is as far as I know. That's it finished. I don't know anything else. But I have been ridiculed. He's trying to fucking hide, he's trying to do this or that.

There follows an exchange regarding the circumstances under which Kinnear had met the owner Mike Ashley and executive director (football) Dennis Wise.

Steve Brenner (football writer for the Sun) We are all grown men and can come in here and sit around and talk about football, but coming in here and calling people cunts?
JK Why? Because I am annoyed. I am not accepting that. If it is libellous, it is going to where I want it to go.
Newcastle press officer What has been said in here is off the record and doesn't go outside.
Journalist Well, is that what Joe thinks?
JK Write what you like. Makes no difference to me. Don't affect me I assure you. It'll be the last time I see you anyway. Won't affect me. See how we go at Everton and Chrissy [Chris Hughton, assistant manager] can do it, someone else can do it. Don't trust any of yous. I will pick two local papers and speak to them and the rest can fuck off. I ain't coming up here to have the piss taken out of me. I have a million pages of crap that has been written about me. I'm ridiculed for no reason. I'm defenceless. I can't get a point in, I can't say nothing, I can't do nothing, but I ain't going to be negative. Then, half of you, most of you are trying to get into the players. I'm not going to tell you what the players think of you, so then you try and get into them in some way or another, so I've got a split camp or something like that, something like that. It's ongoing. It just doesn't stop.
Journalist It's only been a week.
JK Exactly. It feels more like a year.
Journalist It's early days for you to be like this.
JK No, I'm clearing the air. And this is the last time I'm going to speak to you. You want to know why, I'm telling you. This is the last time. You can do what you like.
Journalist But this isn't going to do you or us any good.
JK I'll speak to the supporters. I'm going to tell them what the story is. I'm going to tell them. I don't think they'll interpret it any different, I don't think they'll mix it up, I don't think they'll miss out things. I mean, one of them last week said to me ... I was talking about in that press conference where you were there, I said something like "Well, that's a load of bollocks ..."
Journalist "Bollocks to that" is what you said.
JK Bollocks to that. And what goes after that?
Journalist That was it.
JK No it wasn't, no it wasn't. What was after it? I don't know if it was your paper, but what went after it?
Journalist I don't know.
JK It even had the cheek to say "bollocks to Newcastle".
Journalist I didn't write that.
JK That was my first fucking day. What does that tell you? What does that tell you?
Journalist Where was that? Which paper said that?
JK I've got it. I can't remember. It was one of the Sundays, not a Saturday. It was a Sunday.
Journalist But you didn't say that to the Sundays, you said that to us. That was during the Monday press conference.
JK I'll bring it in and show it to you. Why would I want to say that?
Journalist Are you saying that someone has reported you saying "bollocks to Newcastle?"
JK Yes. Lovely.
Journalist I don't know who's reported that.
JK I'll tell you what, I'll bring it in.
Journalist That's obviously going to damage you. That's not a good thing. But I don't think someone's done that. We have to have some sort of relationship with you.
JK So have I. But I haven't come in here for you lot to take the piss out of me. And if I'm not flavour of the month for you, it don't fucking bother me. I've got a job to do. And I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. I'm not going to spend any more time listening to any crap or reading any crap. Stick to the truth and the facts. And don't twist anything.
Journalist You know, you know the game ...
JK Of course I know, but I don't have to like it.
Journalist Today we'll print the absolute truth, that you think we're cunts, we can all fuck off and we're slimy. Is that fair enough?
JK Do it. Fine. Fucking print it. Am I going to worry about it? Put in also that it'll be the last time I see you. Put that in as well. Good. Do it.Much, much later after long discussions over whether Kinnear had promised Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan would be returning to the club
Press officer Let's get on to football. Let's have an agreement that everything said so far, if anyone has got their tapes on, it's wiped off and we're not discussing it.
Journalist But that's what Joe has said he thinks of us.
Press officer I'm saying don't push it. Let's accept what's been said and try and move on.
Journalist: Move on to not doing any more press conferences?
PO: No, to doing something now.
Journalist: What, one press conference only?
(Silence)
Journalist: Any knocks?
PO: Come on , let's go football.
Journalist: What are your plans for training in the next three days? How's the training going?
JK It's going very well. No problems at all.
Journalist Enjoyed getting back in the swing of things?
JK Absolutely. I've loved every moment of it.


Toodle pip

planet of the apes comic

All the planet of the apes comics from the 1970's online! Download, resize or just read. Excellent stuff


http://pota.goatley.com/marvel_uk.html

knee operation

Northallerton hospital yesterday ( Wednesday ) for an operation ( at long last ) on my knee ( right knee ligaments, since you ask ).

Had to be there for 8am and got operated on at 12.15pm. Good job l had the trusty ipod with me. Anyhows, l now have a huge bandage on my knee with stitches underneath. Mandy picked me up when l was ready to go at about 4.15pm, and l foolishly decided to walk out of the hospital leaning onto her. Pretty sore afterwards, even though we only walked to the car.

Now doped up on painkillers at home, listening to CDs, watching TV and reading for three weeks so there should be a lot more posts on the blog. Been getting a bit slack recently ( ooeer! ) so l had better get back into the habit ( said the vicar to the nun ) while l have nothing to do.

Till then Toodle pip

advantages of being rich and famous

Good to see Peter Crouch being so honest in an interview


Interviewer: "Peter, what do you think you'd be if you weren't a Premiership footballer?"

Crouch: "Um... probably a virgin."

Wednesday 1 October 2008

Cool Hand Luke - No man can eat 50 eggs scene.

Nothing to say really - what a cool bastard