donkey trouble

I know we are talking about a disability here, and the runner is blind, but come on! If this isn't funny, what is?

Copied from Channel 4's 'The Last Leg' 

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marc aspland aintree photograph

It's taken me just over a week to get over not winning anything on the Grand National last weekend, but on a related note, here's a rather impressive Aintree photograph by Marc Aspland, at Beecher's Brook in the Foxhunters (whatever that is).
It's all about the focus and timing, something l will never achieve with my crappy camera.

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the american national anthem at boston before the ice hockey

This is the American National Anthem (Star Spangled Banner) before the first game of Ice Hockey played in Boston after the Boston Marathon bombings, between Boston Bruins and  Buffalo Sabres.  The 8 year old that died in the blast was supposedly a Boston Bruins fan.
It's easy to take the piss out of the USA, as it can be so insular, bigoted, narrow minded and optimistic, and waaaaaay too religious for my liking, plus places like Boston gave plenty of money to the IRA  when the troubles were on (which l did not agree with), but their patriotism is also to be commended, and at least when you get into America as an immigrant, you are adopted as an 'Italian American/Greek American/Irish American' or whatever.  The singing of The National Anthem helps forge the bond and encourages all the citizens to believe that wherever they (or their families) originated from, they are all Americans now (The land of the free).  This helps because the Anthem is about the country, unlike the UK one, which gives praise to our rulers (God Save The Queen), which l also don't agree with. There is also the belief by the general populace in America that anybody can become president if they work hard enough, but that is obviously crap of the highest order.
Anyway, the crowd take over the singing, and it is all pretty emotional.
Watch, listen, and rub that itch in your eye.

And as for the UK, here's The Sex Pistols.



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mckayla maroney looking less than impressed

The USA gymnast McKayla Maroney was snapped looking less than impressed when she only won the silver medal at the last Olympic games in London.  Since then, people have been adding her image to iconic photographs (see the middle one), but even better than that, she met the newly re elected President Barack Obama last Thursday, and showed him how to do the face, and of course, being the good sport that he is (and understanding how the press work), he copied it.  If you are sad enough to want to add her to photographs, the cut out picture is at the top.  Fill your boots.

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the queen at the olympic opening ceremony

It was good of the Queen to appear with James Bond as part of the Olympic opening ceremony last night (God bless her etc), but it was terrible the way she responded to the actual event.  Looking pretty bored and disinterested throughout, with an opening speech that was thankfully short but also short on any kind of joy or emotion, the nadir was when the Great Britain team went past, full of the joys of spring, happy and celebratory.  Let's hope they didn't look up at her majesty, as she was busy examining her nails and looking pissed off that she was being kept up.  The commentator afterwards sprouting on about how proud she must be was a load of old sycophantic nonsense as well.  He should have had the guts to state what everyone had just witnessed, an old lady who was bored and just fulfilling her duties.  Don't give me any crap about her being 86 either.  Her (stupidly well paid) job is to attend functions and represent the country.  If she is not up to it, she should step down.  Saying that, as l always say, just get rid of the sponging bastards.  They couldn't look down their high falutin noses at the people with any more contempt if they tried.
By the way, the ceremony itself was great (and highlighted left wing causes).  Even Boris Johnson today said he enjoyed it, and if he isn't a blue blooded Tory toff, then l'll kiss our piss stained old cat full on the lips.

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andy murray beaten in the final

So, Andy Murray got beaten in todays Wimbledon 2012 final by Roger Federer.

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa

Great stuff!!
I'm not particularly proud to be English, but the thought of some Scotsman who always wants England to be beaten at football (nothing wrong with that), becoming the first Brit to win at Wimbledon since my dear old dad was a lad, gets my gander up. I don't mind him wanting England to lose, but why English people should support him beats me. I never really thought he had a chance, but even him getting to the final riles me.
Anyway, if l'd have started playing tennis at an earlier age and had access to courts on which to practise, l'd have been champion by now (not that l'm bitter or anything).

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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.

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team great britain's new kit

What a load of old tosh this new Olympic Games kit is (by Stella McCartney and Adidas), although l want one of whatever the guy on the left has stuffed down his trousers.

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senna (2010) - asif kapadia

Considering that l usually have no interest in motor racing (in fact l still haven't), Senna, the documentary film by Asif Kapadia about Ayrton Senna, was riveting.
You certainly don't have to be a fan of the sport to enjoy it, and l am so glad that l persevered with it, as l was tempted to switch it off after a few minutes. After all,  there's limited memory on the old Sky box,  life's too short (as Ayrton found out) and l've got plenty of other things to be getting on with.
Thankfully, the off switch remained untouched, and the film drew you in, with the pace of the documentary spot on,  including a few tearful moments chucked in for good measure.
Even though the ending is well known, the build up to it, plus all the events looked at in hindsight, make for a truly moving experience, unless of course, you have a heart made out of coal (which l usually have).
Brilliant.

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george best vs northampton

I was talking to old Joe about football earlier on today, and how it has changed so much since the time when l started watching (and loving) it.
It's an old story to be banging on about how the players earn too much, the ticket prices are too high, and the fan base is being eroded as more middle classes have taken up going to the games, but that is because it is true.
Youngsters are being priced out, so they will have to find their enjoyment elsewhere, such as in Play Station games (the new rock n roll) or the Internet (which l certainly wish l had when l was a nipper - l would never have left the house).
Although they will probably watch football on the TV, and support a (usually already successful) team, going to a game will be an occasional treat, and not have the chance to become an addiction. Also, because it costs so much nowadays, it is treated more (especially by the middle classes) as entertainment, so they are more likely to complain and desert a team if they start doing badly, like the fly by night characters they are (hello Arsenal fans).
Players, although well paid in the past, used to have a lot of contact with ordinary fans. Living in the community with them, frequenting normal shops and drinking in local pubs (and buying them when they retired). Even a superstar like George Best used to get hounded by the fans, whereas today he would be hermetically sealed off in a mansion somewhere with extra large gates (and probably a built in bar). The protection they have from the fans and everyday life nowadays is unbelievable.
Remember Kevin Keegan falling off his bike on Superstars?  Imagine Fergie  allowing Wayne Rooney to participate in something like that.
The picture above is from 1970 when Best was already in the last stages of being a God, and he still managed to score six goals (in a 8-2 victory) for Manchester United away at Northampton Town in the FA Cup (his first game back after a suspension).
Check out the fans by the pitch, the lack of advertising and branding, and the tiny ground.
A magical day for everybody, as even the Northampton fans admitted they were privileged to see a genius at work.
Happy memories of when the game wasn't full of arrogant,  gangsta lovin', big earphone wearing,  multi millionaire tossers who couldn't care less about their clubs if they can get a heftier pay packet and flashier cars elsewhere.
And yet l still love it.

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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)

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life magazine muhammed ali covers

Now l certainly enjoy collecting things (some would say junk), and l certainly have a lot of crap already, but there is soooooooo much more out there that l would also like to get my stinking mitts on. Take these Life Magazines with the Ali covers. Mmmmm, methinks l may have to crumble and add them to the collection. Then again, where will it all end? There are plenty more Life mags where these little beauties came from, and there are plenty more little beauties that l would also like to have. There's the Beatles ones, the wacky ones, the historical ones, the comedy ones................................AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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invictus (2009) - clint eastwood

As the FPO has been slaving away on college work, l have still had plenty of time to watch stuff and read, so today was the turn of Invictus, the story of how Nelson Mandela unified South Africa, using rugby and the 1995 rugby world cup as an emblem of togetherness, forgiveness and looking to the future to create a 'Rainbow Nation'. Morgan Freeman is splendid (as he always is) playing Mandella, and Matt Damon (who has certainly beefed up a bit) plays Francois Pienaar, the captain of the Springboks. I put off watching the film because l have no interest in rugby, but it was pretty moving (but l still don't like rugby).

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feel good autistic basketball story

Ahh - Something nice from the land of basketball.

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great beer advert

This was done for Australian TV for the cricket (which every upstanding Englishman/normal man knows is crap), but it is still a clever and funny advert.

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building bridges the georgetown and bayi rockets way

This is great. The good old US of A send over a basketball team (Georgetown) to play the Bayi Rockets on a goodwill trip to China, and it ends up in a mass brawl. You couldn't make this sort of stuff up.

Classic.

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the changing face of trophies

This is the golfer Cristie Kerr with her trophy

This as the Arsenal team with their trophies (when they still won them)

How times have changed.

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andy murray loses the semi final against nadal (again)

Thank the heavens for that. For one millisecond every year, l have a tiny smidgeon of doubt in my own beliefs and foolishly imagine Murray (or in the past, Henman) had a chance. Thankfully (as usual) my fears have been abated and all is well with the gods of lawn tennis. As someone who used to play a lot ( a working class kid who was a natural), l loved playing tennis (and was undefeated), but met nothing apart from obstacles when trying to find somewhere to play. Luckily l was fantastic at football, so l followed that path (and had a lot more respect from my working class mates). I only watch football on TV, but was pleased to see that Murray had gone out today (on the BBC news website). Scottish bastard. By the way, one of my heroes was/is the Lawman (Scottish), but l would respect Murray if he stated he wanted to win Wimbledon for Scotland, and sod the English. He has no backbone or self belief as far as l am concerned. When the football is on, he has stated he wants anyone to win 'apart from the English'. Now l have no problem with that and l respect him as a Scotsman if he feels that way inclined. On the other hand, he will happily take the support of the (middle/upper class tossers) at Wimbledon who are desperate to see an English winner (but would, at the moment, settle for a British one). If he told them all to bugger off and say he was doing it for Scotland and l would respect him and love his attitude, but l can't see that happening until he starts waning and wants to appeal to the Scots as a local hero (although he has been abroad since he was about 15). Wanker.

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