Friday 30 June 2023
when football was different
An Arsenal fan is led away during the Arsenal versus Manchester United game in 1973. A very strong 'A Clockwork Orange' vibe, which was all the rage at the time (although it was released in 1971).
gary neville mural in bootle
I've been enjoying Sky TV's series 'The Overlap' starring Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher, and the unveiling of the Gary Neville mural in Marsh lane (the road next to where l lived), Bootle, was pure comedy gold. Well played to whoever came up with that idea.
Toodle pip
the sweaty nonce is still loose
It's all gone quiet on the sweaty nonce front but some of us haven't forgotten.
harrison ford hasn't aged
Harrison Ford hasn't aged according to this load of crap from The Daily Mail. They think Karen Allen is unrecognisable at 71, but there is no mention of Ford aging as well. Who the fuck looks the same as they did 42 years ago? Sexist, ageist crap, and from a woman 'reporter'. Then again, it's endorsed by The Daily Mail, and l expect nothing less from them.
Toodle pip
think the jam is a bit off
I went to put some jam on my toast this morning, but soon changed my mind. I should start my own penicillin farm.
Toodle pip
Thursday 29 June 2023
Wednesday 28 June 2023
Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Wild World 1971 / Salman Rushdie
I enjoyed the Yusef / Cat Stevens set at Glastonbury, although he did brush past a few hits in a melody early on. I might even buy his latest album, but I can't believe most reporters these days take what he said about Salman Rushdie as a misquote, or words put in his mouth, regarding Stevens supporting the fatwa placed on Rushdie. On Desert Island Discs Stevens states :
“I was certainly not prepared or equipped to deal with shark-toothed journalists and the whole way in which the media spins stories.
“I was cleverly framed, I would say, by certain questions, where I couldn’t for instance rewrite the 10 Commandments. You can’t expect me to do that.
“At the same time I never actually ever supported the fatwa. I even wrote a whole press statement which, very early on, which the press ignored – completely ignored.
“They went for the one which was written by the journalist who originally wrote the story. And so I had to live through that.”
However he can be found here endorsing it (with a really annoying presenter). The thing is, l don't care if he thought that then, as everyone has the right to evolve and change their minds, hopefully becoming a better person as the live and learn. But the mistakes of the past should also be admitted, and then moved on from, not re-written.
Anyway, here he is in what to me was his peak.
Toodle pip
more bob dylan art
More artwork from the rather talented Bob Dylan. I think the lads got a future.
liverpool kids in the 1960's
I'm not in this photograph, but this is exactly what myself and my mates were like in sunny Bootle. Pretty much all we did every day was play football, either in North Park, or in a cinema car park.
Happy days indeed, but unfortunately l wasn't good enough to become professional.
egyyptian doctors at work
This is an old Egyptian mural. I don't know what these people have got wrong with them, or what the doctors are doing, but it all looks a bit dodgy to me.
Toodle pip
Tuesday 27 June 2023
matt hancock is very sorry
Matt Hancock is today giving evidence at The Covid Enquiry, and has said he is very very sorry.
My thoughts and best wishes are with him at this dreadful time.
Toodle pip
mr parrot strikes again part 362
I've been off work and watching the Glastonbury footage, while in the meantime, Mr Parrot has managed to pull out the kettles wires from where l unplugged and hid them, and naturally enough, bitten through them. I've ordered another kettle, but in the meantime, l've separated the wires, and have been dancing with death every time l make a cup of tea. Wish me luck.
Toodle pip
Troika artwork - Squaring the Circle
No matter how many times l watch this, it still confuses me.
More information about it can be found here.
Toodle pip
magnetic sock buddies
These magnetic sock buddies look fantastic, and l was tempted to buy some for Christmas presents, until l saw the $37 price. However, should you wish to buy some, look here.
Toodle pip
the governments priorities outlined
This was interesting, but not unexpected. By Michael Marmot in The Guardian (full article here).
In the meantime...
Unicef reports child poverty among 41 OECD (mostly rich) countries. It uses a relative measure of poverty: children living in households at less than 60% median income. On this measure, the UK ranks 31 out of 41 countries (1 is the best); the US ranks 38. Using the same measure, where people are relative to others, child poverty in England, after housing costs, rose from 27% in 2010 to 30% in 2019. The government prefers an absolute measure of poverty – one that bizarrely takes relative poverty in 2010/11 as the standard – because that looks more favourable. A better absolute measure is the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s minimum income standard. Under this measure, 39% of children were in poverty in 2008/9; 40% in 2020/21.
Not only is child poverty high, and rising, in the UK; we don’t spend very much on young children. The same Unicef comparison looks at public spending on child education and care for children aged nought to five. The average for OECD countries is $6,000 per child per year. Norway and Sweden spend around $12,000, France close to $9,000. In the UK, we spend $4,000, limping along below average. The US is worse, at $3,000.
In our evidence to the Covid inquiry, Clare Bambra, professor of public health at Newcastle University, and I concluded that we entered the pandemic with “public services depleted, health improvement stalled, health inequalities increased and health among the poorest people in a state of decline”. David Cameron and George Osborne, the architects of a decade of austerity, looked at the evidence of the damage their policies had caused – and rejected it.
Toodle pip
Sunday 25 June 2023
elton john's crowd
There's quite a few who have turned out for Elton John at Glastonbury tonight. I'd pity the people in front of me if l was there as l'd be pissing down the back of people's legs. Let's face it - you can't just pop out to the loo, and l'm not getting any younger.
Good job l'm watching it from the comfort of my settee.
mr parrot strikes again
Serves me right for foolishly leaving paper items about. I should have learned my lesson by now.
Toodle pip
records from thursday
As l had an appointment in Northallerton on Thursday morning, l naturally went second hand (and cheap) record shopping afterwards. This was the result.
Once again - I need a bigger house
Toodle pip
off the boats and straight to the benefits office
I've replied to tweets before, but this is my first tweet. Look at me moving with the times (many years behind the curve)
king charles' boxing gloves
It looks like King Charles is doing a boxing move here. Good job he's got his boxing gloves on.
Toodle pip
Saturday 24 June 2023
the russian coup is underway
It looks the Russian military coup, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group, is taking hold, and at the moment, looks like they are heading towards Moscow. President Putin must be crapping himself that his days of power may be coming to a end, but let's hope it does not get too nasty, with other countries getting involved. Today is going to be pretty newsworthy, as l hazard a guess that a lot of the normal conscripted Russian soldiers won't want to fight the Wagner group, and may well join them.
Who could have possibly predicted that a psychopath in charge of ex criminals might turn on it's supposed master?
Watch this space.
The bottom news report is from The Guardian
Friday 23 June 2023
witch hunter romps home
I was in my local pub last night and all the people l was with (apart from myself and another lad) had a bet on Witch Hunter at Royal Ascot, as it was such an outsider. Some of them managed to get bets on at 100/1, while the lowest was 50/1. It then romped home to everyone's delight. Apart from me of course.
Bitter? Me? Of course not.
Bastards!!!!
Toodle pip
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