timothy snyder on why american democracy needs protecting now

There was an excellent article by Timothy Snyder about the future of American Democracy a couple of days ago, a small part of which is below. lt sums up exactly how l currently feel about the future of the USA, and rather sadly, in a different way, the future of democracy in the UK, the longer the current government stay in power, and continue with their corruption and attempts at voter suppression, with the backing of  the right wing billionaire owned press. It's depressing.

Anyway, Timothy Snyder's thoughts are well worth your time, and you can read the whole article here

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georgia elections official gabriel sterling condemns trump

More of this kind of talk please. Gabriel Sterling slams President Trump for encouraging violence against his team.  It could be argued that as a Republican, he should have spoken out earlier, but at least he is doing it now, and he is right.  Other Republicans and many news outlets are should also back this kind of talk up, but l'm not holding my breath. Trump's deranged rhetoric will end up costing people their lives, but sadly, l don't think he cares, and l also think he probably wants it to end in violence, maybe even to declare a state of emergency as a grab for extended power. Nothing that twat does would surprise me. 

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donald trump sitting at his tiny desk

I bet this is produced a  flashback for the orange skinned bullying morally bankrupt charlatan when he had to repeat years due to his general ignorance and belief of self importance, against the teacher's revenge for him being a knobhead.

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nashville radio stations top 40 requests from 1976

This is a Nashville radio stations top 40 requests from 1976.

It looks like it would have been the station l would have listened to if l lived in the area at the time, as a lot of these songs are on heavy rotation at my house to this very day

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my hideous children

Thinking about Elvis and Las Vegas (post below), reminded me of these monstrosities which were done in hotel photo booths in Vegas a few years ago. They photograph you and your partner, and then mix it up a bit to supposedly show what your children would look like.

Put me off having kids, l can tell you - it'd be like The Village of the Damned.

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wes goodman talks crap

This is the sort of story you couldn't make up, and makes me think there may be a God after all. Wes Goodman, an Ohio senator, who has been preaching family values and voting against LGBT rights, has been caught having sex with a man in his office.

Superb! He's even let his own name down.

No wonder l'm so cynical.

More here.

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a tiny donald trump

Want to see photo mockups of a tiny Donald Trump?
Here we go!
More can be found here (Where l got these ones from)

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bruce gilden - faces

Some of New York street photographer Bruce Gilden's 'Faces' project.
Unsettling close ups of 'interesting' characters on the mean streets of the US of A, some of whom you certainly wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.
More from his 'Faces', plus other projects, are here.
You want to look away from some of them, but find yourself being drawn in and studying them more.
Or maybe that's just me.

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trump's inauguration

A rather excellent piece in the Scottish Sunday Herald regarding Donald Trump's inauguration.
All hail that writer!

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excellent pub sign

Witty thinking by whoever came up with this pub sign in Clarkenwell.

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paul simon - american tune (with added bach)

I've heard this song a few times since the American election, and had forgotten how good it is (and relevant now).
Paul Simon, with 'American Tune'.
One of the few great artists of the 1960's who can still sound really great today, and his body of work is more than equal to just about anyone, although if you listen to the Bach piece, it may sound a tad familiar.
Just ignore the bad hairstyle and moustache, and listen to the song.





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new yorker cartoon and uk politics

This New Yorker cartoon sums up how a lot of people in the American election would have voted, but before taking the piss out of the Americans too much, remember that a lot of people in the UK vote for the Conservatives when it is clear that they will bear the brunt of the Tory policies afterwards.

And on a related note...

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todays tune - country joe and the fish - vietnam song

In commemoration of todays victory for Donald Trump and the rise of the idiots.
Country Joe and The Fish singing Vietnam Song at Woodstock.



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bob gruen and his rock and roll history

Bob Gruen is a photographer from New York who has taken many, many iconic rock photographs, some you may well be familiar with already, such as the John Lennon 'I love New York' shot.
He was friends with The Lennons, and was access to many pivotal moments in rock history, documenting them with his camera and his skill as an artist himself. Oh to have been his assistant at that time........
Gruen also has some short programmes about the photographs and their history repeated on a regular basis on Sky Arts.
His website is here, plus l owe a great debt to Anthony Luke and his site, from where l nabbed these photographs, rather than searching the web myself (I'm a busy man). There are many examples to be found there.
Here's some of which l speak. If you don't know ho the people are in the photographs, you need to educate yourself.

And here's the (Now world famous) John Lennon shoot.

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strange yale university library book

There's a strange old book in the library at Yale University from the mid 1880's that was donated by Hans P Kraus. It has many drawings of fauna, but lots of weird text and other illustrations that cannot be fathomed out. 

Obviously the work of a dedicated madman (or genius).

I wish l had half of his (or her) drive to create. I've certainly got the rambling thoughts in my head, although, maybe with some of my thoughts, it's best they were kept where they are. 

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