waiting around to die - townes van zant

This is still one of the most moving films l've seen about music and the effect it has on people. Featuring the Magnificent Townes Van Zandt and 'Waiting around to die'.
Every time l have watched it, l've had a tear in my eye.
The song starts at about 5m in, but to get the whole emotional aspect of the clip, watch it from the beginning. Look for the reaction of the black guy when Townes starts singing. That's emotion.
This is the sort of music that makes you believe in a higher power - of creativity within the human mind..
Made more relevant and poignant by Townes himself being someone who died from being an alcoholic



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earth from cassini

So, Cassini has perished, but has still left us with (amongst many other things) a mind boggling photograph of Earth from Saturn.

Plus,  l never tire of videos showing how insignificant and irrelevant we are in the universe. That's not morbid, just factual and reassuring. Makes it much easier to try and enjoy life without harming anyone else, and not be worried about an afterlife of any kind.

Just sweet oblivion - but hopefully not for a while.

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upside down mural in lithuania

This is impressive - an upside down mural in lithuania which when reflected in the water, looks fantastic (and very weird).

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dairy milk advert

I know l've got a cynical and dirty mind, but Dairy Milk are taking the piss here.

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riding a bike by balancing on the handlebar

Something l have never seen before - riding a bike by balancing on the handlebar.
Colour me impressed.



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spartak moscow versus nk maribor flare

I've seen plenty of flares at football grounds in the past, and on BT Sport tonight, they thought someone must have been one hell of a thrower to reach the centre circle with one during the Champions League game between Spartak Moscow and NK Maribor. However, it was fired from the crowd - something l've certainly never witnessed before. Newspapers are saying they aimed it at the referee, but it could have just been fired at the pitch. Either way, it was travelling at some speed, and bans or fines must be pretty certain to follow. However, it's UEFA that will get involved, so anything could happen.
The World Cup finals in Russia next year should be interesting.



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lloyd grossman parody on reeves and mortimer

When l was out at the weekend, myself and Robbo were chatting about this old comedy clip, from Reeves and Mortimer, parodying Lloyd Grossman. When it was first shown, we had both cried with laughter, despite the fact that we watched it separately, and only found out the next time we met that we both found it so hilarious. Obviously we have the same sense of surreal humour, and it is not so funny to me know, as l have seen it many times, but when l first saw it, was one of the funniest moments of my life.
I think l need to get out more.



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paying on the door at gigs - newcastle mayfair

Back in the day before it became really fashionable for people to go to concerts and festivals, you used to be able to turn up at most gigs and get in that evening, as evidenced here by a flier for Newcastle Mayfair. Cheaper before 10pm, slightly more afterwards. Also very cheap, which is why l went to so many gigs and festivals over the years.

As for the flier, I went to five of these advertised shows, including AC/DC and Motorhead on consecutive nights, without ever having an advance ticket.

Progress! Pah!!!

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owl butterflies

These are owl butterflies, found in Mexico and South America.

Never mind being scared of spiders, I think l would crap my pants if l saw these lurking in the trees while l was walking home from the pub.

They're big buggers as well.

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the teletubbies have aged a bit

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possibly the saddest photograph ever

Hopefully the person recovered and these were then binned. If not, it's one of the saddest photographs around.

From this tweet

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the broken doll - a documentary

An old documentary on The Broken Doll pub in Newcastle, which was knocked down to expand the road system.
I spent many a happy hour in there over the years, and it's crappy the way the old alternative type pubs in Newcastle end up getting demolished.
My favourite was The Haymarket, but that went years ago.
Pah! - Bloody progress and gentrification.

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two weeks off!

Hurrah!  I've got a couple of weeks off with bugger all to do.

 This will be me and Mr Parrot at the end of them.

                                                          It's actually Charles Bukowski

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football - game of the gods

Two examples of how football is so much better than rugby, and takes a lot more skill. 

Pele doing an overhead / bicycle kick, and George Best demonstrating his speed and balance.

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mark renton gets sentenced

There was me thinking that Trainspotting was a film, when it appears to have been a documentary.

Mark Renton has just been done in Edinburgh for selling drugs. More about the sentencing  and case can be found here

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