the (bleeding early) london trip for work

Well dear reader, l did it. I managed to drag myself out of bed, drove to the train station (setting off at 5.45am) and caught the early train to that there London.  I was a bit tired early on at the meeting, but perked up until the train journey home, when l could have easily fallen asleep, but, the trooper that l am, l hung on gallantly, drove back from Darlington, and was home for 8pm, in plenty of time for some chicken and a soak (and no, they are not euphemisms).

The meet was at The Holiday Inn by Kings Cross, where l discovered there were only about 100 of us staff invited (from about 7,500) and due to our splendid work, money has been put aside for our development within the organisation (whatever that will entail). At lunchtime l managed to go outside for some fresh air and have a wander round the surrounding area, as Tavistock Square was nearby (plus Kenneth Williams' childhood home/flat).  I know about the Bloomsberry group centred around the area, but it was bugging me what else l remembered Tavistock Square from, and thought it may have been the location for 'Performance', which, it turns out, was at Powis Square.  It was only when l got home and checked that l found out - it was the scene of the 7/7 bombing, when an explosive went off on a double decker bus, in the same place as the one in the photograph above, outside the British Medical Association, where there is now a small plaque (which l didn't see).
If you are wondering what the drawing is, it is a representation of my passions, drawn by someone else as an exercise during the day. I'll let you guess what they are from the artwork.
What a gay day.

toodle pip

better off ted - plus the veridian dynamics adverts

Myself and the FPO have just started watching series one of 'Better off Ted', and are really enjoying it. I can imagine it was probably pitched as 'Like '30 Rock' with the hard edged boss and respected colleague dynamic, PLUS an in office will they/wont they romance, PLUS the main male character looking good in a suit 'Don Draper - Mad Men' style, PLUS different things to test each week for slapstick humour 'Testees' style. A long pitch, l'll agree. One of the many highlights are the spoof adverts for Veridian dynamics, the company they all work for. They have certainly come up with some clever stuff, and l hope the standard stays as high, but we also expect it to improve as the characters develop and we get to know them better.
Shame it was cancelled after only two series.

                                                        

                                            

toodle pip

south park cookery show - crem fraiche

I don't watch South Park religiously these days, and it can definitely be a bit hit and miss, but when it is good, it is really, really good.
The episode myself and the FPO watched last night was one that will have us chuckling for years, even though the kids weren't in it that much (and Cartman is my favourite character).
Called 'Creme Fraiche' it starred Randy and Sharon (Stan's parents), who both become obsessed. Randy with cookery programmes and food, and Sharon with her Shake Weight.
It is an episode that is 100% aimed at adults, and it was hilarious, but pretty damn saucy.
Even though the Shake Weights are sexual anyway, this programme will have you looking at them in a different light altogether, and who would have thought that would be possible?.

Here's the Beavis and Butt-Head promo it features in.
Hur Hur Hur (and a new series of theirs starts on 16th April - hurrah!!)




toodle pip

muhammad ali and sammy davis jr

Sammy Davis Jr has got some boxing gloves on, but he had better be praying that Muhammad Ali doesn't put some on himself, as l know who my money would be on if it came to a bout of the old fisticuffs.
A clue - it wouldn't be on Sammy.
Richard Pryor has a routine where he talks about sparring with Ali for charity (or a press shot), and even though Pryor had done some boxing in the past, he said all he could see of Ali's gloves, was when they were moving away from his face after hitting him, as his jabs were so fast.
A bit like me back in the old days down at The Walkie.

toodle pip

beavis and butt-head come alive

Ever wondered how Beavis and Butt-head might look if they were real?
Wonder no more, as here is a sculpture of them by  Kevin Kirkpatrick.
I'm also looking forward to the new series, as l used to love them years ago, and some of the new acts nowadays could do with being savaged by them.
I just hope they don't let me down, as these things are sometimes better when they are left in the past..

toodle pip

rock and roll graves

 Bon Scott of AC/DC in Fremantle, near Perth

Jimi Hendrix in Seattle

George Best in Belfast

John Belushi in Martha's Vineyard 

 

Brian Jones in Cheltenham 

 Buddy Holly in Lubbock, Texas

The King at Gracelands

Here are some rock and roll graves, with a couple of rock and roll characters thrown in for good measure.

That's another thing l would like to do if l had unlimited time and money, travel and visit a load of them. I've ticked off the Elvis one, only hundreds more to go.

Where's that bleeding lottery win when you want it?

toodle pip

sarah silverman - the bedwetter

I enjoyed Sarah Silverman's 'The Bedwetter', even though there were no hilarious bits, or anything that made me (as the kids say nowadays) 'laugh out loud'. She basically wet the bed until she was 16, (unintentionally - not as a protest), she is a Jew who is agnostic, she suffers from depression (and got addicted to drugs through the treatment for it), and she has a fondness for risky jokes, dirty jokes, sex and drugs. All OK as far as l am concerned. Although the book was enjoyable, l can't believe she apparently got paid a $2.5 million advance for it. I still think the funniest thing she has done is the 'I'm fucking Matt Damon' video, but then again, l haven't seen 'The Sarah Silverman Program', so l'll have to give that a bash at some stage, as it sounds pretty interesting in the book. As with many other autobiographies, l'm glad l have read it, but even happier l didn't have to pay for it.

toodle pip

white men can't jump (1992) - ron shelton

This film brings back soooooo many unhappy memories, which for me must be pretty damn bad. The reason?  I saw it while on honeymoon, so it brings back the hideous and long lasting memory of that.
Only joking (of course).
The honeymoon was great, and  'White Men Can't Jump' is a pretty funny film, with some great performances, especially by Wesley Snipes as the wise cracking basketball hustler, who treats Woody Harrelson's character as a chump he can exploit, until they pair up to hustle money together.
It deals with the racial preconceptions each of them have, and the issues they have with their gambling, their environment, and their women.
It's just a shame that they had to show so much basketball, which would have gone down well in the USA market, but it is a game that leaves me cold (although it looks as though both of the stars can play a bit).
If only it had been about football  (and l mean football - not American football)

toodle pip

movie - the movie

Great stuff. - an excellent piss take of all the movie genres.

toodle pip

the inbetweeners (2011) - ben palmer

I never got around to seeing The Inbetweeners movie at the pictures, after all, I'm a busy man, things to do, fish to fry etc.  The DVD arrived this evening, and myself and the FPO watched it while we were having our tea (because we are pretty classy people).  If you have ever seen the TV series, you know what should be in store and what to expect, and this film certainly doesn't let you down.  The boys go on holiday, act as they usually do back home, but all (somehow) manage to cop off with the ladies. Plenty of laughs all the way through, and the film just flew by. You can see why it was such a success at the old box office, as l bet the approving word of mouth afterwards would have bought plenty more punters in. Apart from the fact Will managed to pull his girl (Alison, played by Laura Haddock), it was all sooooooo believable. Funny, gross, sad, and with plenty of nudity, it even has a stripper who performs autofellatio ferchristsakes. The film has got something for everyone. That is, if you are not easily offended. Thankfully, l most definitely don't fall into that particular category.


toodle pip