Another finish at 7.30am today, so I have had the place to myself and did my usual crap (literally), reading, listening to music and podcasts, and watching films. Once again, the films were of varying quality and all were completely different from one another.
Booze, news and views from a drunken opinionated fool who can't spell very well, may well repeat himself, and can't blame it on dislexia
Thursday 15 April 2010
notorious, agnes of god and blackball
Another finish at 7.30am today, so I have had the place to myself and did my usual crap (literally), reading, listening to music and podcasts, and watching films. Once again, the films were of varying quality and all were completely different from one another.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
freddie starr and ali
Javi Martínez goal for Athletic Bilbao against Almería
garage, the class and the boat that rocked
In a desperate bid to forget about football and Chelsea beating Bolton tonight, I have been watching films during the day, with varying results.
Tuesday 13 April 2010
tommy cooper dying
the baghdad blog - salam pax
I have just finished reading this in the bath, as I was back home this morning for 7.45am and the FPO is out till about 9pm tonight, therefore plenty of time to read and catch up with stuff. It is a book by an Iraqi calling himself Salam Pax (Salam being a play on the word for peace), which was put out by Guardian books. It is a gathering of all his bogs before and after the bombing and invasion of Iraq and Baghdad (where he lives). It was pretty interesting as you were reading the thoughts of an Iraqi which were not just concerned with the war. He was also posting about the mundane consequences of war such as internet connections going down and the price of food and drink going up, as well as looking foreword to the new Massive Attack album. When writing about the Musaharati walking around banging his drum at night during Ramadan (to wake up people for their last meal before dawn - Suhur), it took me back to a holiday in Turkey a couple of years or so ago. We arrived at our villa (posh eh!) at night, got settled in and then got awakened by the Musaharati in the early hours, as it was the first day of Ramadan. This was unbeknown to us, so we thought the locals might be about to start some kind of Straw Dogs attack. Slept with one eye open that night, that's for sure.
Monday 12 April 2010
nicky campbell slip up - twice!
Sunday 11 April 2010
the season has blown up
Saturday 10 April 2010
dazzer's birthday
A splendid time guaranteed for all. We all went out for Dazzer's birthday tonight at the Indian at White shops, which was OK, pretty quiet, and the food was not that spectacular (should have gone to Shute road). By we, I mean Dazzer and Louise, me, Mandy, Ruck, Debbie, Maria and John. We all ate loads and got pretty drunk, apart from Louise, who is with child and had the scan to prove it. Who's it is is anyones guess but at least she's happy (only joking!). Couldn't make head or tail of the scan though, just a smudge to me, but I do think I saw a snout there somewhere. Anyway, off to J.T's afterwards for more drinkiepoos, leaving about 1pm I guess, can't really remember. On the good side, I didn't collapse again so I managed to retain a little bit of dignity (what little I still possess), although I did manage to scratch my nose, which I did not realise until it was pointed out to me and the blood started running down it. Damn! What can I say? I have issues. Argued playfully with a conductor guy at the bar in J.T's about music not having to be perfect, which was a bit of a laugh (I was right, he was wrong). Walked home with Ruck and Debbie as the rest of them buggered off back to Stockton in the car (Louise driving). Same time again next year!(at Shute road).
Friday 9 April 2010
old photos 1924
Thursday 8 April 2010
the great north road 1939
This film is from August 1939, showing a car journey from London to Grantham, up the A1 (Great North road). It is remarkable for the lack of people about. Most places look deserted, and this is in the middle of summertime. The Second World War started a month after this film was shot (there are black and white markings on the pavements in London, for better visibility during the expected blackouts). If the country looks empty in this film, it was emptier a short while later, when lots of people were killed during the war.It really was a different country then.
toodle pip
mad men dolls and the beatles waxworks
Mad Men Dolls
the match facts
(HT 3-1)
(agg 4-4)
Gibson 3
Nani 7
Nani 41
Olic 43
Robben 74
Man Utd
01 Van der Sar
03 Evra
05 Ferdinand
15 Vidic
21 Rafael Da Silva yellow card, red card
16 Carrick (Berbatov 80)
17 Nani
24 Fletcher
25 Valencia
28 Gibson (Giggs 80)
10 Rooney (O'Shea 55)
Substitutes
29 Kuszczak, 22 O'Shea, 23 Evans, 11 Giggs, 18 Scholes, 09 Berbatov, 27 Macheda
Bayern Munich
22 Butt
05 Van Buyten
06 Demichelis
21 Lahm
28 Holger Badstuber yellow card
07 Ribery
17 Van Bommel yellow card
31 Schweinsteiger
10 Robben (Altintop 76)
11 Olic (Pranjic 84)
25 Muller (Gomez 46)
Substitutes
01 Rensing, 26 Contento, 08 Altintop, 23 Pranjic, 44 Tymoschuk, 18 Klose, 33 Gomez
Ref: Rizzoli
Att: 74,482
bloody football (again)
I am still trying to get over the elimination last night against Bayern. I was not expecting a lot from the game, as I actually thought United would draw and be knocked out that way. After the start they had (3-0 up, then 3-1 at half time), I had changed my mind and believed they could do it (with some trepidation). Unfortunately, the goal just before half time for Bayern gave them hope, and Rafael getting sent off destroyed Uniteds hopes of punishing the Germans further. It is a real shame, as Rafael had been playing great, containing Ribery, and the Bayern players definitely influenced the referee to get him sent off for his second bookable offence. A really soft and stupid sending off, coupled with Rooney still not being fit, left United exposed to attacks, which eventually paid of for Bayern. It was a great strike by Robben, but with 11 men, I think he would have been picked up at the corner and United would have got another goal or two in the second half. Still, life goes on I suppose, but I can't see United winning all their remaining games in the League (with Chelsea dropping points), so the season is very nearly over. It reminds me of so many times in the 1970's and 1980's when United played really well and looked like they might win something, only to fuck it up at the end (usually with Liverpool winning the trophy). I thought those days had long gone. Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
toodle pip
Wednesday 7 April 2010
niagara falls power station
Behind Niagara falls, there is a power station built in 1906 that is no longer in use and closed off. Some guys have broken into it, had a good look round, and taken a load of pictures, including directly behind the waterfall. What a great experience that must have been.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
messi does it again
I have been saying for a while that Messi is the best player in the world, and he has just turned on the magic again tonight, with Barcelona beating Arsenal 4-1 and Messi scoring all the goals. Barcelona didn't play as well as they did in the first leg, but contained Arsenal better and Messi (who had a quiet game in the first leg), was clinical in his finishing, especially in the first half, when he scored his first three goals.
Monday 5 April 2010
cute animals
Sunday 4 April 2010
friday in the boro
chris kamara - genius
Chris Kamara misses the sending off - what a character and how much is he being paid?
toodle pip
Saturday 3 April 2010
bloody football
In other news, Barcelona were fucking fantastic for the first half an hour against Arsenal. I am so glad they were not playing United.
toodle pip
Friday 2 April 2010
off to the boro
Just off to go and get myself ready for the big push in the Boro this afternoon/evening. Time of departure is 3pm so I am going to go and have a shave. The picture above is what I look like at at the moment. Let's hope there is an Easter miracle and I don't collapse again, I can only rise from the dead so many times.
nozzer's return and back to work
I am glad to say little Nozzer has come back from the vets and he has survived another operation on his cheek. He is still a bit subdued, but a lot better than yesterday, and as is plainly visible from the before and after pictures above, looking a lot worse for wear. He has to go back on Wednesday, and at the moment he has a pellet in his cheek, plus he has to have antibiotics until his return to the vets. At least he is back home, I was a bit worried something might go wrong this time, and let's face it, like his daddy, he is no longer a spring chicken (think he is about seven years old). It did say however (in the Observer giveaway about small animals), that rabbits can live to about twelve years old. Let's hope so.
Thursday 1 April 2010
Wednesday 31 March 2010
life - bah humbug!
Tuesday 30 March 2010
latest collapsing news
Just got back from the doctors again, as he wanted me in to discuss the results of my tests. Everything is fine at the moment, my heart seems to be in tip top condition (like a 21 year old), and all my blood tests were fine, except for one that showed a possible under active thyroid, which the doc does not have too much concern about, as there is no family history of it and I do not have intolerance to cold, or feel tired a lot (the opposite in fact).
the sky from our house
I took the dark pictures while out feeding Tubbs the rabbit, very late on. The rainbow was early on in the day from the spare room window while at the computer. It's a pity I couldn't find the decent camera for the night ones as it looked really spooky. Sadly, these were taken on my mobile and I didn't know how to zoom in and capture the scene effectively. Never mind.
Monday 29 March 2010
apt correspondent
Vienna Boys’ Choir caught
up in
sex
abuse scandals
(Alberto Pellaschiar/AP)
Georg Ratzinger has admitted hearing of cases of ill-treatment during his time as director of the Regensburg choir
The most famous choir in the world has been caught up in the wave of paedophile scandals sweeping Germany and Austria, with eight former choristers denouncing their teachers in the past few days.
An open letter from the management of the Vienna Boys’ Choir to parents expressed regret at the incidents, which were recounted by former singers now aged between 40 and 70
This report goes on for longer, but the main thing I noticed was the name of the Berlin correspondent. Didn't anyone else spot this? The world's a funny old place (not for the boys involved though)
toodle pip
google books
footballers as pop stars
head caved in
Sunday 28 March 2010
tory posters
Saturday 27 March 2010
Sistine chapel
carra
Friday 26 March 2010
oranges are not the only fruit and new york dolls
More fun and games as I am still off work. Finished watching Oranges are not the only fruit, as I had Sky+'d the series when it was being repeated recently. It was still great after all the years that have passed since it first came out. The book is good but I prefer the series for the dialect and accents. reminds me of the FPO and her family.
Thursday 25 March 2010
hippie coffee
toodle pip
Wednesday 24 March 2010
cocaine cowboys
toodle pip
Tuesday 23 March 2010
collapser update
toodle pip
Monday 22 March 2010
the collapser returns
toodle pip
Saturday 20 March 2010
the death of bunny munro
I am at work at the moment, nothing much to do apart from waiting for Match of the Day to come on. I say there is nothing to do, but there is, I just don't feel like doing it at the moment, as I have been poking my ear again, so my ear and jaw are pretty sore ... again (idiot that I am).
I won't be able to put in my earplugs or earphones tonight, so I hope it's quiet.
Really looking forward to the United v Liverpool game tomorrow. I'll be watching it as soon as I burst through the door back home. I will hopefully be able to get away and home for 1.30 (kick off time). Hope United don't blow it.
toodle pip
Friday 19 March 2010
night in with sport relief
toodle pip
Thursday 18 March 2010
notes from a defeatist
I have just got out of bed after finishing Joe Sacco's 'Notes from a Defeatist'. It was pretty good in some places, mainly about the air strikes during the wars (Second World War over Germany and Japan, and the first Gulf). Some of the other stuff was not that great though, I much preferred his other books (Safe Area Gorazde and Palestine).
Off to check Sky news and see what time the footie starts on Sunday. United play Liverpool, so I think I may have to finish work early to get back for it. My favorite game of the premiership season (as long as United don't get beaten like they did last year).
At least that's something to look forward to at the weekend - it had better be a good result!
Ah well, may squeeze in a quick bath before heading off on my trusty steed to work. Deep joy.
toodle pip