the ramones first album minus the dead people

The groundbreaking Ramones' first album cover, with all of the dead people removed from it.
What a depressing image.

Remember them this way




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the new york bombings, plus prince buster - madness

As I've been out and about the last few days, l didn't know anything about the recent bombings in New York until this evening. I will also admit that l am making a judgement and jumping to conclusions without any great knowledge of the events, but l would like to suggest that any suspected bomber such as Ahmad Khan Rahami that falls asleep in a doorway of a pub / tavern afterwards, rather than going into hiding, is not part of an organised and well drilled terror organisation, no matter what the captured individual or credit seeking organisation may subsequently claim. More like a lone (or small group of) disenfranchised and radicalised person (or persons) with an skewed take on religion and the (in their view) imperialistic war mongering west.
Then again, what do l know?

Here's todays video. The recently departed Prince Buster - 'Madness'




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a video a day - michael c hall - lazarus

A rather excellent performance at The Mercury Music Awards from Michael C. Hall (Dexter and Six Feet Under fame) of David Bowie's 'Lazarus'.
I love Six Feet Under and Dexter, but l never knew the good Mr Hall could sing, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. Plus, the song relates on a highly emotional level, knowing, in hindsight, how ill David Bowie was when he wrote it, and the fact he'd have known people would be listening to the song and message within it after he had died.
I think l may have got something in my eye while watching it.



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two funerals - bruce and kellie, plus a death sweepstake

On my two days off work last week, l went to two funerals.
Living the dream.

First off last Tuesday was Bruce Clark, a lad l knew from going to concerts and hanging around with many years ago. He died suddenly at Rosedale nursing home after a short illness, and did not want a religious ceremony, so was cremated at Darlington with little fuss, a good speech by Raz, an easy going vicar, and drinks at The Hildyard Arms and White shops afterwards. Also, his coffin was taken into the crematorium to the sound of Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid', and was sent to be cremated to the sound of Motorhead's 'Killed by Death'. Fine choices by Bruce, and certainly something different.
Here's one of the few photos l have of him. From many years ago at The Travaux club in Catterick. A tasty looking crew indeed, with Bruce the large fellow in the white shirt. There's also a photograph of me butt naked in The Hildyard Arms with Bruce pointing a dart at me (a mad night), but luckily for you lot, l don't know where it has been stashed.

On Friday, it was Kellie Kean's funeral at a packed Hipswell church. I know her family, and knew her mainly from drinking in The Wine Bar (Hunter's) at Catterick, and although she had been having seizures for years, it was still a shock when one killed her, as she was only 38 and so full of life. Her daughter Kennedy had just given birth to Kellie's grandaughter, so that made it even more emotional and sad. Don't know how her brother Gareth managed to read his poem about her between his sobbing, but he did so. Drinks at The Arc (Hanson club) afterwards, then back to The Wine Bar.
 
                             

Some may deem it in bad taste, but after Bruce's funeral, we talked of starting a sweepstake amongst myself and male mates, as to who would be next to visit the reaper. We are going to get a few of us who are roughly the same age, and all place some money with a safekeeping person for the winner. Here's the drunken starter list from that night.

That's it - off to check my insurance, and cut their brake pipes.

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alan vega has died

Damn! Another death.

Alan Vega is probably unknown to most people, but Vega and Martin Rev were responsible for some groundbreaking music when they were in 'Suicide', and their debut album is one of my all time favourites.
A man with serious bottle, and l don't mean the numerous ones that were thrown at him during their gigs.
At least there's still the music.





And last, but not least, the unsettling 'Frankie Teardrop.' Tension, a build up to a murder, and the most unhinged screams of desperation in a song. Not for the faint hearted.



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praying for tubbs

After the rather sad recent death of Tubbs, my old (and ancient) rabbit, l was reminded of this.
I'd like to think that he is now skipping around in rabbit heaven with his long deceased brother Sid, but unfortunately, l very much doubt it.

Tubbs refusing to move from the living room rug

Tubbs' hair on my crotch after lying on me

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muhammad ali - the greatest

Muhammad Ali was certainly a flawed and sometimes hypocritical human being, and l have a lot of misgivings upon his attitudes towards women (including his wives), homosexuals, Joe Frazier, and 'White Devils', but he was also an intelligent*, quick witted, devilishly handsome, supreme athlete and entertainer, who wasn't afraid to stand up for his beliefs, no matter what the cost. Just a shame that he didn't retire after regaining the title against Leon Spinks in 1978. If you haven't seen them, check out the interviews Ali did with Michael Parkinson over the years. Fascinating stuff.

The Greatest - and probably the most famous man in the world.

See him fight Superman here.

* Yes, l know he supposedly had a low IQ when tested for call up, but any one who thinks Ali was stupid, is a fucking idiot.

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animation of the titanic sinking

This animation of  The Titanic sinking in real time, is actually (to me at least) pretty relaxing, until just near the end. Obviously some of the images must have been just a close approximation, as witness accounts even straight after their rescue would have differed, but l'm so glad there are people out there in the world willing to put the time and effort into making films such as this. It also has time captions of some of the events as they happened, and sound added at appropriate moments. The caption about the passengers still on board about 2 minutes from the end reminds the viewer of what a tragedy the sinking was, as, by then, because it takes so long, you are lulled into believing everyone must have got off, despite already knowing what had happened through numerous films and TV specials.
I've only skipped through chunks of it so far, but if l ever find a load of spare time and a hidden box of acid, l'll be entertained for half the evening, and probably blubbing like a baby at the end.



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be prepared - order your coffin now!

Looking forward to the sweet release of death?
Plan ahead and order your coffin now - many are available, including these little beauties.
Order them here.

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michael jackson's children

Prince and Paris Jackson

                               Michael Jackson himself, in various stages of colour and appearance

                        Michael's dermatologist, Arnold Klein (now deceased).  I'm suggesting nothing

It's long been speculated that Michael Jackson's children (his birth ones, not the allegedly interfered with ones), are not genetically his, and anyone seeing them growing up must be pretty blind if they thought otherwise.
However, l've nothing against Michael bringing them up as his own, as long as everyone is happy and taken care of (with no fiddling). It's also good to see Paris having a laugh and doing the moonwalk, but l think that deep down, they may be very damaged individuals, who will be in and out of the news for years to come. Especially the girls.

                              For The Daily Mirror film of Paris doing a short moonwalk - look here.

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holly woodlawn is dead

As a fan of pretty much all things Lou Reed wise (discounting Metal Machine Music), and a lot of the Andy Warhol stuff, the death of Holly Woodlawn on Sunday was another addition to that great art collective in the sky.
Don't know who she is? Only the 'Holly came from Miami FLA' in Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side', one of the greatest singles of all time, which reached the giddy heights of #10 in the UK charts back in 1972. 'Little Joe' is still alive, but he's the last one of those mentioned in the song that is still alive now.
Luckily, there's still John Cale, Moe Tucker and Doug Yule left from The Velvet Underground.
Enjoy them while you can.
More about Holly here.



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squibb's funeral, adam and the ants and the motive - plus slade!

I've had a busy time lately.
I was at York and Middlesbrough with Robbo last weekend, and then this week, there was Squibbs' funeral on Wednesday, (although l went off to work after it), then an Adam and the Ants tribute band at Catterick Village on Friday, followed by The Motive in Richmond on Saturday night. Plenty of people out and about, and stoppy backs on both Friday and Saturday (and in York). Apparently there's a load of photographs about to be emailed to me from Saturday in Richmond (I insisted they were not to be put on Facebook), and it was a pretty raucous affair, but excellent fun.

                                                        Adam Ant has let himself go a bit recently

It's a hard life, but sometimes you've got to put the hours in, and the funerals bring it home that you've got to try and enjoy life while you can, although l do have an assignment l have to complete and send off this week.
Next up, a Slade tribute band in Darlington on Saturday. So to get me in the mood....





By the way, the Adam Ant picture is actually two people l know, Jacket and Mrs Jacket.
Both mad.

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the original gypsy petulengro and spiritualists

To call me sceptical about Spiritualists and Palm Readers / Forecasters would be massively understating my contempt and disbelief for the money grabbing charlatans. This advert in Blackpool made me chuckle though, 'Tony Christie to make a comeback', as forecast by Gypsy Petulengro 34 years ago. I bet she would have lost count of the amount of stars she would have forecast would make a comeback in those intervening 34 years, and if you have enough non specific guesses, you are bound to strike lucky. Sadly, lots of people part with their hard earned money in the hope of some comforting news from dead loved ones, and to rip them off is contemptible. Either they are deliberately fleecing the public (lock them up), or truly believe they have a gift (in which case they are delusional).
Gits.

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jungle's well attended funeral

Now that is what you call a send off - the well attended funeral of Jungle in Darlington.  Told you (in an earlier post) that he was a nice guy.



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the death of jungle

Although there is no way that l was a friend of his, and l won't be going to his funeral, l used to see Jungle (who changed his name from the much less frightening 'George') on a semi regular basis back in the day when l used to drink in Darlington a lot, and he is a character that will be missed by many.
Forget the cliche of bikers all being aggressive gits, most of them are approachable, and very pleasant and funny company if you actually make the effort to talk to them, and Jungle was certainly that (as long as you weren't a git).  

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henry and nessie's funerals

Rather sadly, l have just been to two funerals within a week of each other at St Anne's church in Hipswell, Catterick.  One was for a friends mother l knew (Nessie, Podge's mum), and the other was for an ex serviceman who l knew from drinking with in my local pub (Henry Jennings).
Nessie had cancer, and l called in at her birthday party in Richmond on 9th August, as everyone knew it would be her last, seeing as she was given about two months to live six months ago.  She looked well, was in top form, but sadly died two weeks to the day afterwards. lt was all back to the sunny Unicorn beer garden afterwards, and she would have laughed at the cd getting stuck as she was carried out of church,as she was certainly a character. The picture of her drinking a pint is from the aforementioned birthday bash, making the most of what life she had left.
As for Henry, he was a man who rose through the ranks in the army (Royal Signals), but was captured during the war in Korea, and spent nearly three years in a prisoner of war camp in the 1950's, which he described as a very harrowing place (to put it mildly). Sadly for him, his wife and children suffered early deaths, and he developed Dementia in the last stage of his life, but after he died, was bought up from his care home in Eastbourne to be buried at Catterick (where his home was).

He is also commemorated in a painting smashing up his radio set before being captured, a copy of which is still displayed  in Hunters wine bar, and is used as the cover of the above book.
Both services were kept short, with only the one song/hymn, which in both cases was 'All things bright and beautiful', but in Henry's case, it was back to The Wine Bar (Hunters) afterwards.
Everyone grows old and dies, but it was a great idea to have an early picture of Henry larking about on the back of his order of service, to remind people that he was once a young, good looking man with a wicked sense of humour and fun.
It's a cliche to state that funerals put things into perspective, but that's not going to prevent me from stating that it is true, so try and enjoy life. In the great randomness of the Cosmos, most things aren't worth the hassle of worrying about.
Or to quote Bobby McFerrin - Don't worry - be happy.

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the comparative size of continents and countries, plus the afterlife

Most people have probably seen the comparison of the map of Africa with other countries (above) by Kai Kraus (which is here), but Business Insider have done some more, which can be found here, and some of the comparisons are certainly surprising, with China being 12 times the size of Texas for one.
It's a big old (insignificant) world.
Arthur C Clarke said 'Either we are alone in the Universe, or we are not.  Both are equally terrifying', which l don't actually agree with, because unless an evil alien force comes to conquer us, l believe we will all just live and die, with no consequences regarding any kind of afterlife.
And l'm happy with that.
Now watch me get struck down by a thunderbolt thrown by God.

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another funeral - hazel foster

Unfortunately, l had to attend another funeral yesterday, that of Hazel Foster, a woman l had known on and off for years, but got to know well over the last year. She will be missed by a lot of people.

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famous albums with the dead people taken out

Famous album sleeves with the dead people taken out.
What's not to like?
From here

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