Thursday 15 April 2010

bloody germans


Who says the Germans haven't got a sense of humour (or is that supposed to be the Americans?).
This is a Lego re-enactment of Bayerns goals at Old Trafford. Still sickening.
toodle pip

notorious, agnes of god and blackball



Another finish at 7.30am today, so I have had the place to myself and did my usual crap (literally), reading, listening to music and podcasts, and watching films. Once again, the films were of varying quality and all were completely different from one another.
I will get Blackball (2003) out of the way first. It stars Paul Kaye and Johnny Vegas (who I usually really like, even in the Sex Lives of the Potato Men), as a couple of scumbags taking on the establishment (maaannnn). The reason for this is Paul Kaye plays someone who is in love with, and brilliant at, bowls. Therefore lots of stuck up blazer wearing stereotypes being offended by the young upstart, who of course, manages to also fall in love with the chairmans daughter (no one saw that bit coming). I managed about 40 minutes before I got really tired of it and switched off, crap dialogue, bad acting and no laughs. Who decides this rubbish should be made? Sadly, I would not be surprised if a lot of people like it, although I would despair if that was the case.

Agnes of God (1985) has Meg Tilly playing Agnes, a nun who supposedly has a miracle birth and then kills her baby. It is from the play by John Pielmeir and also stars Jane Fonda and Anne Bancroft. There was a similar case in real life which is where John Pielmeir probably got his inspiration from, where a nun gave birth and killed her baby (in 1977?), and said she could not remember giving birth. Police however, found that she had been out of the convent on a trip approx nine months before, but in the film, a secret tunnel is discovered. It was pretty dated in its look (and clothes!), but well worth watching. Lots of questions about faith and miracles, although I am probably bigging it up too much now.

Notorious (1946) I didn't enjoy that much. Considering it is an Alfred Hitchcock film, the main bit of suspense was whether Cary Grant would end up with Ingrid Bergman, instead of Claude Rains (of course he did). There was a plot involving Nazis and a key to the wine cellar, but nothing as good as Dial M for Murder. The Grant/Bergman love story was like an episode of Friends, where Ross and Rachel keep prating about and not expressing how they really feel for each other, creating problems and misunderstandings. Bah! Still a pleasant enough morning/afternoon, followed by a long bath and a read of my Manchester United fanzine (United We Stand - highly recommended).

Now if I could just stop pooing and collapsing..............my poor arse and head.
toodle pip

Wednesday 14 April 2010

freddie starr and ali


Great story from Freddie Starr and just as good a reaction from Ali (Parky 1981)
toodle pip

Javi Martínez goal for Athletic Bilbao against Almería


It's like someone filmed me years ago
toodle pip

garage, the class and the boat that rocked



In a desperate bid to forget about football and Chelsea beating Bolton tonight, I have been watching films during the day, with varying results.
Garage(2007) is set in Ireland and has Pat Shortt playing a man with learning difficulties. He is a bit of a loner, but comes out of his shell with the help of a young lad of 15, but then gets in trouble with the law for showing the lad some porn and giving him beer (not in a perv way, just being friendly).
The end of the film is a bit ambiguous, but my reading of it was that he feels such shame about what he has done, he sets free a horse he has been feeding and then drowns himself. It was really slow paced, but had some great acting by Pat Shortt, and it was the sort of quiet and slow film I like.
Another one was The Class (2008), a French film with subtitles, about a teacher (Francois Begaudeau) and his relationship with his other members of staff, the Parisian inner city pupils, having to deal with their problems and issues of racism. Once again, it was pretty slowly paced, but another film I enjoyed.
Last and definitely least was The Boat That Rocked (2009), a so called comedy from the mighty pen of Richard Curtis. I got through about 50 minutes of it, didn't find any of it funny, and thought it was all too clichéd and one dimensional. The music was great but the storyline, dialogue and acting just annoyed me. The Spice Girls movie (Spice World - 1997) was about the same level of entertainment, and I never managed to sit through all of that (nor have I seen much of Four Weddings and a Funeral). What do they all have in common? Written by Richard Curtis and staring the so called cream of British comedy (God help us). Someone at work said they liked The Boat That Rocked and thought I should as well. They are going to get such a slap when I next see them.
toodle pip

Tuesday 13 April 2010

tommy cooper dying


Never seen this footage before and I never saw it when it was out live (1984) as I was playing tennis. It's really strange how you can just die like that - poof! Obviously the audience had no idea he was in trouble and thought it was just part of his act, fooling around as usual. I suppose he went out on stage with people laughing, which is one way he might have wanted to go, but life can be so fragile and fickle (I should know, with my collapsing. Good job I am indestructible)
toodle pip

the baghdad blog - salam pax


I have just finished reading this in the bath, as I was back home this morning for 7.45am and the FPO is out till about 9pm tonight, therefore plenty of time to read and catch up with stuff. It is a book by an Iraqi calling himself Salam Pax (Salam being a play on the word for peace), which was put out by Guardian books. It is a gathering of all his bogs before and after the bombing and invasion of Iraq and Baghdad (where he lives). It was pretty interesting as you were reading the thoughts of an Iraqi which were not just concerned with the war. He was also posting about the mundane consequences of war such as internet connections going down and the price of food and drink going up, as well as looking foreword to the new Massive Attack album. When writing about the Musaharati walking around banging his drum at night during Ramadan (to wake up people for their last meal before dawn - Suhur), it took me back to a holiday in Turkey a couple of years or so ago. We arrived at our villa (posh eh!) at night, got settled in and then got awakened by the Musaharati in the early hours, as it was the first day of Ramadan. This was unbeknown to us, so we thought the locals might be about to start some kind of Straw Dogs attack. Slept with one eye open that night, that's for sure.
toodle pip

a cat that stands up


Jacksie is getting taught later on today
toodle pip

Monday 12 April 2010

Sunday 11 April 2010

the season has blown up

Manchester United's season is just getting worse game by game. Obviously a lot of people will be very chuffed by that fact but it's doing my head in. Finished work today and rushed back to watch the United v Blackburn game. I shouldn't have bothered (0 - 0). It is now going to take some kind of divine intervention for United to win the league, and I hold out no hope of that happening. it's even more galling watching Match of the Day 2 later on and seeing Tevez scoring another couple of goals, we really need someone to harry defenders and cause mischief in the opposition box. Sadly Rooney is injured and I have dodgy knees, so I don't know who is going to step up to that roll. Berbatov gets some stick, but he was probably our best player today, he is just not a man to lead the attack, he is better playing behind it. At the moment, there is no way I can see us overtaking Chelsea, who now look as though they will do the League and Cup double. I would try to live in hope, but I have non left.
On a related note, I have just watched Barcelona v Real Madrid (2 - 0 to Barcelona). Once again, Messi produced the goods and scored the first goal. There was a lot of hype beforehand that it would all be about Messi and Ronaldo, but to me, there is no contest. Messi has been the best player in the world for a while, but he plays more for the team. Much as I admire all Ronaldo did for United when he was there, he still came across as though he was playing for himself and for his own glory, rather than the teams. Messi is different. He goes on long dribbles and shoots when he gets the chance, but is always willing to pick out a team-mate if it is a better option. He is still only 22 (I think), and I hate to think how good he would be if he was taller and stronger. Probably a lot like me when I was younger. Ah, those where the days...
toodle pip

Saturday 10 April 2010

dazzer's birthday


A splendid time guaranteed for all. We all went out for Dazzer's birthday tonight at the Indian at White shops, which was OK, pretty quiet, and the food was not that spectacular (should have gone to Shute road). By we, I mean Dazzer and Louise, me, Mandy, Ruck, Debbie, Maria and John. We all ate loads and got pretty drunk, apart from Louise, who is with child and had the scan to prove it. Who's it is is anyones guess but at least she's happy (only joking!). Couldn't make head or tail of the scan though, just a smudge to me, but I do think I saw a snout there somewhere. Anyway, off to J.T's afterwards for more drinkiepoos, leaving about 1pm I guess, can't really remember. On the good side, I didn't collapse again so I managed to retain a little bit of dignity (what little I still possess), although I did manage to scratch my nose, which I did not realise until it was pointed out to me and the blood started running down it. Damn! What can I say? I have issues. Argued playfully with a conductor guy at the bar in J.T's about music not having to be perfect, which was a bit of a laugh (I was right, he was wrong). Walked home with Ruck and Debbie as the rest of them buggered off back to Stockton in the car (Louise driving). Same time again next year!(at Shute road).
toodle pip

Friday 9 April 2010

old photos 1924



To carry on from the last post showing the old film, these are photos taken in 1924 of Fleet street in London and the Thames. The one from the Tower of London is from 1913. Once again, where the hell is everybody?
toodle pip

Thursday 8 April 2010

the great north road 1939




This film is from August 1939, showing a car journey from London to Grantham, up the A1 (Great North road). It is remarkable for the lack of people about. Most places look deserted, and this is in the middle of summertime. The Second World War started a month after this film was shot (there are black and white markings on the pavements in London, for better visibility during the expected blackouts). If the country looks empty in this film, it was emptier a short while later, when lots of people were killed during the war.It really was a different country then.
toodle pip

mad men dolls and the beatles waxworks


Mad Men Dolls

Having a quiet night in with the FPO tonight and catching up on the TV. Nearly finished the new series of Mad Men, which has been really good so far, but I don't fancy spending any money on the Mad Men dolls above. Let's face it, they are crap. Not as crap as the Beatles in the Great Yarmouth waxworks museum though. I think they just got any waxworks they had and then clothed them in Beatles jackets. It doesn't work.
toodle pip

the match facts

Man Utd 3-2 Bayern Munich FT
(HT 3-1)
(agg 4-4)

Gibson 3
Nani 7
Nani 41
Olic 43
Robben 74


Man Utd
01 Van der Sar
03 Evra
05 Ferdinand
15 Vidic
21 Rafael Da Silva yellow card, red card
16 Carrick (Berbatov 80)
17 Nani
24 Fletcher
25 Valencia
28 Gibson (Giggs 80)
10 Rooney (O'Shea 55)

Substitutes
29 Kuszczak, 22 O'Shea, 23 Evans, 11 Giggs, 18 Scholes, 09 Berbatov, 27 Macheda


Bayern Munich
22 Butt
05 Van Buyten
06 Demichelis
21 Lahm
28 Holger Badstuber yellow card
07 Ribery
17 Van Bommel yellow card
31 Schweinsteiger
10 Robben (Altintop 76)
11 Olic (Pranjic 84)
25 Muller (Gomez 46)

Substitutes
01 Rensing, 26 Contento, 08 Altintop, 23 Pranjic, 44 Tymoschuk, 18 Klose, 33 Gomez


Ref: Rizzoli

Att: 74,482

bloody football (again)



I am still trying to get over the elimination last night against Bayern. I was not expecting a lot from the game, as I actually thought United would draw and be knocked out that way. After the start they had (3-0 up, then 3-1 at half time), I had changed my mind and believed they could do it (with some trepidation). Unfortunately, the goal just before half time for Bayern gave them hope, and Rafael getting sent off destroyed Uniteds hopes of punishing the Germans further. It is a real shame, as Rafael had been playing great, containing Ribery, and the Bayern players definitely influenced the referee to get him sent off for his second bookable offence. A really soft and stupid sending off, coupled with Rooney still not being fit, left United exposed to attacks, which eventually paid of for Bayern. It was a great strike by Robben, but with 11 men, I think he would have been picked up at the corner and United would have got another goal or two in the second half. Still, life goes on I suppose, but I can't see United winning all their remaining games in the League (with Chelsea dropping points), so the season is very nearly over. It reminds me of so many times in the 1970's and 1980's when United played really well and looked like they might win something, only to fuck it up at the end (usually with Liverpool winning the trophy). I thought those days had long gone. Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
toodle pip

Wednesday 7 April 2010

niagara falls power station






Behind Niagara falls, there is a power station built in 1906 that is no longer in use and closed off. Some guys have broken into it, had a good look round, and taken a load of pictures, including directly behind the waterfall. What a great experience that must have been.
The whole story and more pictures are here :

foghorn leghorn

brian cox

Tuesday 6 April 2010

messi does it again


I have been saying for a while that Messi is the best player in the world, and he has just turned on the magic again tonight, with Barcelona beating Arsenal 4-1 and Messi scoring all the goals. Barcelona didn't play as well as they did in the first leg, but contained Arsenal better and Messi (who had a quiet game in the first leg), was clinical in his finishing, especially in the first half, when he scored his first three goals.
Manchester United play their second leg tomorrow (2-1 down v Bayern), but I have a bad feeling about it and think it may well be a draw, meaning United are knocked out. Let's hope I am wrong.
At least I have no work untill Friday afternoon, so I can doss about before the game and prepare myself for it (lucky socks etc).
If only I believed in that or thought it could make a difference. Rather sadly, I will be reading and keeping myself busy, just to try and take my mind off it.
toodle pip

Monday 5 April 2010

cute animals




I am a busy lad today, so here's some cute animals, just so I can keep up with posting daily
toodle pip

Sunday 4 April 2010

friday in the boro

Easter Friday report coming up!
Left Catterick at about 3pm and met Robbo and Kerry at their place for a few drinks and a chat before heading into town by taxi. Stopped at the Camels Hump first, meeting Danny and Gill there, before going to the House for a game of pool and to meet the others. Mandy had a bottle of vodka on her to add to the drinks of coke/apple juice the girls were having (which quickly went). Emma and her sister Tina (first base only) turned up, plus Mat and Nat, Chris and Hill. Taxis to the old Purple Onion followed after lots of ale had been consumed. The upstairs of the Purple Onion (now known as the Medicine bar) was small but pretty good, old Northern Soul music and a pretty English backdrop (Union jacks), but no threat of any violence about to kick off, like would have happened in the old days (maaaan). I was impressed with the toilets, which changed colour as you were weeing - trippy! Went downstairs to the indie disco whatever time that opened, with Rick Whitter from Shed Seven spinning the wheels of steel (not that we saw him or paid any attention). Got pissed, danced, pratted about and headed back to Nunthorpe for drinks and a burger. Splendid night and no collapsing. It's a shame I then had to head home in the morning so I could watch the footie before moseying off to work. What a waste of time that was. Anyway, clothes got soaked and dirty, I didn't collapse, and everyone got on after they had felt the dents in my skull. Amazing. Same again, same time next year.
toodle pip

chris kamara - genius



Chris Kamara misses the sending off - what a character and how much is he being paid?
toodle pip

Saturday 3 April 2010

bloody football

Damn - I really think Manchester United have blown the chance of winning the Premier League this year after the defeat to Chelsea today (2-1 at home). I do think more points will be dropped, but I don't think United will make up the points they are now behind, especially with Rooney out. It's not looking too good for the return game against Bayern Munich this week either, as apart from Berbatov, we have no real tried and tested strikers (Kiko Macheda is still too young), and Berbatov is not suited to playing upfront by himself. I am also aware that football is a funny old game and things don't always go right for you, but the amount of easy passes going astray against Chelsea and Bayern was ridiculous, just like the final against Barcelona last year, even when no pressure is being applied. It makes you harp back to the days of Cantona, Hughes, Robson etc, they would have put up a lot more of a fight. I am not looking foreword to the Bayern game on Wednesday, I have a really bad feeling about it.
In other news, Barcelona were fucking fantastic for the first half an hour against Arsenal. I am so glad they were not playing United.
toodle pip

Friday 2 April 2010

ok go




Very very clever - now I definitely have to go and get ready
toodle pip

off to the boro


Just off to go and get myself ready for the big push in the Boro this afternoon/evening. Time of departure is 3pm so I am going to go and have a shave. The picture above is what I look like at at the moment. Let's hope there is an Easter miracle and I don't collapse again, I can only rise from the dead so many times.
toodle pip

cool keith

Finished reading this magazine this morning. Once again, Keith is a star.

new labour poster

This is a spoof poster, but I wish it was really used by them.

nozzer's return and back to work


I am glad to say little Nozzer has come back from the vets and he has survived another operation on his cheek. He is still a bit subdued, but a lot better than yesterday, and as is plainly visible from the before and after pictures above, looking a lot worse for wear. He has to go back on Wednesday, and at the moment he has a pellet in his cheek, plus he has to have antibiotics until his return to the vets. At least he is back home, I was a bit worried something might go wrong this time, and let's face it, like his daddy, he is no longer a spring chicken (think he is about seven years old). It did say however (in the Observer giveaway about small animals), that rabbits can live to about twelve years old. Let's hope so.

In other news, I returned to work yesterday and finished at 2.30pm today. Oh it was great too be back, back amongst the thick of it and keeping myself out of mischief. At least I could sit around watching the first leg of Arsenal v Barcelona while getting paid for doing so (Barcelona relaxed too much and should have hammered Arsenal). I had to get a 'OK to return to work' note from the doctor, and was praying he would say he couldn't give me one (that's another story), but unfortunately, the note was no problem. I never bothered getting a sick note for Tuesday either, so I used one days holiday when I could have got it back. Never mind, it was still marvellous to be off again last week. It was no trouble cycling to work, but coming back I had the bloody wind blowing directly at me and it is nearly all uphill. Christ my legs were aching by the time I managed to drag myself off the bike. I was cursing all the way home, but it's character building I suppose. Legs like tree trunks for the summer.
toodle pip

Thursday 1 April 2010

handsome men's club




My t-shirt is in the post
toodle pip

Wednesday 31 March 2010

life - bah humbug!

What a crappy day it is today. Still getting over last nights 2-1 defeat to Bayern in the first leg of the quarter finals (1-0 up from the start, then lost in injury time.) Rooney also hurt himself, so he is unlikely to play on Saturday against Chelsea, and probably the return leg against Bayern next week. Damn.
Also, little Nozzer is not himself. The little blighter is very quiet and doing very small hard poos, plus his cheek has swollen up again. He is off to the vets tomorrow morning, as there were no appointments available for this afternoon.
I am also back to work today (extra special DAMN!!), so will be cycling in in aprox one hour. I wouldn't be surprised if it pissed down as well, just to rub it in. If I believed in a God I would be cursing him now. The milk has run out again so I can't even have a coffee. Certainly don't want to go near the soya milk again.
At least I finish work tomorrow afternoon until after the Chelsea game on Saturday, plus there is Friday in the Boro to look ahead to (Good Friday day out/piss up). I also still have my dents in my skull to fiddle with, so I suppose I will struggle on.
Damn again! It has just started to rain a little bit!
toodle pip


Tuesday 30 March 2010

latest collapsing news


Just got back from the doctors again, as he wanted me in to discuss the results of my tests. Everything is fine at the moment, my heart seems to be in tip top condition (like a 21 year old), and all my blood tests were fine, except for one that showed a possible under active thyroid, which the doc does not have too much concern about, as there is no family history of it and I do not have intolerance to cold, or feel tired a lot (the opposite in fact).
I have to return in two weeks for more blood tests and get strapped up with a heart monitor for 24 hours. I will look like a suicide bomber when I go out. If nothing is found then, it's a call to a neurosurgeon and a cardiologist for further detailed investigation.
As for the dents in my skull, as long as I am suffering no pain from them, they are nothing to be worried about. Still feel impressive though, I hope they don't heal up.
Back to work tomorrow. Damn!
Highly coincidentally (or not), I have also just received the above in the post. Talk about striking for a new market straight away. Cheeky bastards. I definitely do not need a pro skid chair, that's for sure.
toodle pip

the sky from our house



I took the dark pictures while out feeding Tubbs the rabbit, very late on. The rainbow was early on in the day from the spare room window while at the computer. It's a pity I couldn't find the decent camera for the night ones as it looked really spooky. Sadly, these were taken on my mobile and I didn't know how to zoom in and capture the scene effectively. Never mind.

Monday 29 March 2010

apt correspondent

Vienna Boys’ Choir caught

up in

sex

abuse scandals

Georg Ratzinger

(Alberto Pellaschiar/AP)

Georg Ratzinger has admitted hearing of cases of ill-treatment during his time as director of the Regensburg choir


The most famous choir in the world has been caught up in the wave of paedophile scandals sweeping Germany and Austria, with eight former choristers denouncing their teachers in the past few days.

An open letter from the management of the Vienna Boys’ Choir to parents expressed regret at the incidents, which were recounted by former singers now aged between 40 and 70













This report goes on for longer, but the main thing I noticed was the name of the Berlin correspondent. Didn't anyone else spot this? The world's a funny old place (not for the boys involved though)

toodle pip

google books

Google books is great - loads of books on it for free and also loads of old magazines. I have just been wasting some more of my precious time looking at old issues of Spin (USA music magazine). There is definitely not enough time in the world to read everything. It would help if I was off work permanently.


toodle pip

footballers as pop stars

Dimitar Berbatov with Spandau Ballet

Joey Barton with the Small faces


This could keep me entertained for hours, footballers who look like they should be in a pop band.
toodle pip

head caved in

I am getting grief off the FPO as I have discovered I have a couple of dents in my skull from collapsing, one of them being pretty impressive, even if I say so myself.
As they do not hurt, and try as I may, I can't push my finger into my brain, I am not bothered about them, (apart from to show off and let people feel them - fnaarr). Unfortunately, the FPO wants me to make an appointment at the doctors to get them checked out. As I have to phone about my tests last week, I think I will just explain on the telephone and only go in if they really think it is necessary.
It's a good job I've got a thick head or I would be dead by now.
Sadly though, the dents are not as impressive as the fellow above. He had an accident which caved his skull in (still lived) and he was like that for a couple of months. I can't remember now where he was from. Anyhow, he makes my dents look rubbish (the git).
No work till Wednesday though, as they phoned today and said they would cover my Tuesday shift - result!!
toodle pip

Sunday 28 March 2010

tory posters


When watching the Russell Howard show last night, he featured a couple of piss taking Tory posters. Well here's two more that I was just about to post. Damn! He beat me to it, although they have been knocking about for a while, so it serves me right.
toodle pip

Saturday 27 March 2010

Sistine chapel

This is a link from the Vatican, showing the Sistine chapel, and it is so outrageously good. Those painters knew what they were doing (Mike and Joe?)

carra

I borrowed this off someone at work on Sunday, as 'Carra' is from Bootle like me, so I was curious to read about his early days. Sadly, he is from Marsh lane, very close to where I was born (the other side of North park) but it meant he went to a different primary school than me. Didn't plan on reading the whole book, but decided I might as well as I am off work. Skimmed a lot of the talk about Liverpool and was not interested in the stories about their triumphs (so long ago now!), so overall it was not that interesting for me. Think it's good that he is so proud of his roots though, still hangs around with his old Bootle mates and although he plays it down in the book, I know he has helped out supporters financially when they have been stuck. Just a pity he plays for Liverpool really. Admits as well that he would rather Liverpool were successful rather than England. Substitute Manchester United in place of Liverpool and I am in agreement.
toodle pip