recent books - the liar, booky wooky 2, the three evangelists, my side, the guv'ner, somebody to love

Some excellent writing but some repetitive stuff from his biography. l enjoyed most of it but wasn't too keen on the plotting with false names sections.

Like the guy a lot and enjoyed most of it, but not too keen on the "l was looking for/if only l could find my" soulmate bits)

An interesting tale from France. A murder mystery from someone l had never heard of before, but it was pretty good

Does what it says on the front cover. A hard bastard.

Bloody hippies (who are the kind of people who sleep with Jim Morrison)

Pretty bland for the main part, but it was interesting to read about his side of leaving the glorious Manchester United.

toodle pip

screamadelica

As l was perusing t'internet tonight l noticed 2 Primal Scream tickets were for sale for next Friday night in that there London. The first time Screamadelica has ever been played all the way through. Couldn't resist that so l duly put on a bid and have just found out it was successful. All l need to do now is sort out time off work, transport and somewhere to stay. And l am off to Berlin the week after. Damn! Then again, l am a happy, go lucky, positive kind of fellow, so it will be all right on the night (hopefully all night gig). Then again, it depends on the mood of the FPO. l may have to take little Nozzer instead (the pissing litle bastardo).

Primal Scream mark 20 years since the creation of their mind-blowing landmark Screamadelica by playing the album in its entirety for the first time on26th & 27th November at Olympia Grand Hall.

Since its release in September 1991, Screamadelica has been hailed as thedefining musical statement of the 90s, often one of the greatest albums of all time.

It scooped the first Mercury Music Prize in 1992 while the late Paul Cannell’s cover design was recently chosen as one of the Royal Mail’s ten classic rock album stamps.

Primal Scream have never performed some of the songs live before while many have not been played for years. To fully realise them the band will be expanding the lineup with gospel choir, brass section and singer Denise Johnson rejoining for the night.

Get on it, fill your boots, have it large, crack open the disco biscuits etc. Should be fun

toodle pip

man-ape comic - from beyond the unknown

I don't know why, but l love the cover of this comic. Maybe because l look like the man-ape and like to read a lot (and l'd also like to conquer the World).

All l need now is a gun (and a well stocked bookshop).

toodle pip

its been a long weekend

Back into the full swing of work tomorrow, going in for 8am, got a meeting at 9am, then it's lots of work, supervisions, finances, hospital visits and more bleeding meetings. I won't finish work until about 6pm on Friday evening, (working overnight tomorrow), as l will be working all day and then have to attend a meeting at Northallerton Friarage hospital at 3.30pm.

What the Hell happened to my cushy life?

At least a good time was had at the weekend and on Monday. I even got to slap the FPO around the chops with £5,000 in cash at one stage.

No drink has been taken yesterday or today, so l may have to put an end to that and dig out a can while Mad Men is on.

toodle pip

a four year old strikes gold

A four year old boy from Essex has found this (using a metal detector with his father) in a field in Essex and it has been valued at 2.5 million pounds (to be split between the boys family and the field owner).

To say l am seething with jealousy and hatred would be an understatement.

I blame my father. We never went metal detecting in fields in Essex. I could have been rich by now. No work, the life of Riley, awake all night, sleeping all morning...

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

toodle pip

germany security threat

Germany is increasing security at airports and railway stations in light of "concrete indications" of terrorist attacks being planned for the end of November.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said it followed a tip-off from another, unnamed country.

Germany had information on "sustained efforts" by Islamist extremists to carry out attacks, he said.

He said the extra security would remain in place "until further notice".

"There are grounds for concern, but not for hysteria," Mr de Maiziere told a news conference in Berlin.

(from the BBC website)

This will please the FPO as we are off to Germany at the end of November. Bring it on l say!

toodle pip

spanish civil war photos

In 2007 three small boxes arrived at the International Centre of Photography (ICP) in New York, having travelled from Mexico City. The boxes contained the Spanish Civil War negatives of Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and David Seymour (who was known as Chim).

The boxes became known as the Mexican Suitcase and comprised 4,500 negatives which it was believed had been lost. Despite the film being nitrate-based, it was in remarkably good condition, something that the ICP in part attributes to the relatively dry and stable climate of Mexico City.

Some of the work has been seen in the press and in exhibitions already, but now every frame can be seen in a new publication and is on show at the ICP from the end of the week.

(from the BBC website)

I remember a couple of years ago in Turkey reading a book that was about the Spanish civil war (can't remember what it was called,and certainly can't be bothered looking it up). An interesting time for Europe just before the Second World War, and it was certainly a case of "Which side are you on?".

toodle pip

women in art

This is an amazing slide show of women in art. A great idea, but l can't put a video straight onto the blog, so there is definitely something lacking.

It was done by Philip Scott Johnson in 2007.

Classy.

toodle pip

http://www.artgallery.lu/digitalart/women_in_art.html

lulu and the lampshades - you're gonna miss me

Very clever, but also a really good song. Not too keen on the big kitchen though (as he burns up and explodes with jealousy)

toodle pip

paper plane in space

The best thing about the news story is at the end - "there was no point to it". My kind of men.

Also, because it is also the name of one of Status Quo's finest songs (when they were still rock, when their hair was still long, when they were still young etc..) their video is added.

Childhood bliss in 2 minutes and 53 seconds. Not many other things l can think of that would have given me so much pleasure in the same amount of time ("Steady on old chap!!").

Amateur space enthusiasts Steve Daniels, John Oates and Lester Haines made the plane out of paper straws covered with paper.

They attached the aircraft - which has a 3ft wingspan - and a camera to a helium balloon and released it into the air on October 28.

It soared an astonishing 23 miles above the ground, taking dozens of photographs, before gliding back to earth.

The men came up with the idea a year ago.

After months of planning, they put operation Paris - Paper Aircraft Released Into Space - into action, travelling to Spain to send the plane on its journey.

The balloon climbed to 90,000 ft where the helium expanded to a point that caused the balloon to burst and the plane was released, gliding down to earth 100 miles from where it set off.

There was no point to the exercise, IT expert Steve Davies told Sky News Online. "We did it because we wanted to see if we could - and we could!

Toodle pip

summer breeze on soul train

It's crap weather, more crap weather is on the way, and l am at work today.

Damn!

At least l can probably look forward to all the roof tiles getting blown off and the trees in the back garden getting blown down.

Still,The Isley Brothers on 'Soul Train' can cheer me up.

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lp advert

What a great idea this is. It's in Portobello road in that there London, and looks very realistic. Advertising the new Tom Waits album. Nearly makes me want to go out and buy it. Nearly, but not enough.

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lesbian paperbacks from the 1950s and 1960s

I didn't know that these books even existed until earlier today. Classy stuff, which would have been a bit shocking in the 1950's and 1960's. Pulp fiction at it's very best, although the 'girls' in 'After School' look a bit dodgy.

toodle pip

central park then off to see the baby

l got dragged out of bed today at 10.45am as myself and the FPO had to be in the Boro to meet Robbo and Kerry for a meal at 12 (Central Park). All went well (although it cost £60 each), we said our goodbyes, then it was off to the brother and sister in laws for fireworks, food and drink. There was a bit left over afterwards (see the hot dogs and baked potatoes), but again it went well, we saw the baby (Lauren), (me for for the first time) and then headed back to sunny Catterick with NORRRRAAAA.

Just watched Lee Mack live (excellent) and the FPO is currently watching X Factor or some other kind of crap like it. Like a News of the World reporter, l have made my excuses, left, then came upstairs to escape it. Still off work as well. Excellent!

toodle pip

saving money in york

It's bliss at the moment as l am off work until Tuesday afternoon, the last day off being a finance meeting in York last Thursday. This was about as exciting as you can imagine, but the cuts we are to implement will save about £200,000 a year, which has to be done because of the bastard government. I was meant to be working on Friday, but while l was in York l received a call saying that another worker would do my shift if l wanted. Didn't take long to think of an answer to that question.

l am also a hero (again) as l argued the case for the same meals being eaten together within workplaces (it's a long story), and convinced the head honcho of the merits. Result! The staff teams were pretty pleased (to say the least) when l told them on my return (l had to drop off some rotas at various houses). Never trust anyone l say, l'm sure they will still find something to complain about, but you can only do your best and be true to yourself, so sod it.

Off to the brother and sister in laws tomorrow/today for booze and fireworks (and to see their devilish offspring). Also going for lunch in the Boro beforehand, so may be a little tiddly (ooeer) when l turn up. Still, that's the only way to handle families l say.

Also, it's.................................Nearly Berlin time! Less than four weeks to go and l am starting to look forward to it. Hurrah!

toodle pip

spaced out kids after the dentist

"Mum, will you marry me?"

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joel burns - it will get better

Joel Burns is openly gay city councilman from Fort Worth in Texas. Christ on a bike, l don't even know why l watch so much strange stuff, but sometimes l wish l hadn't. l am not gay (and there's nothing wrong with being gay either), but l cried like a little baby watching this, nearly as much as l do watching important football matches. Great stuff, but l may have to stick (literately) to porn and music in the future, l can't handle these proper emotions.

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really impressive cakes

These are what l call cakes!

Very impressive just as works of art.

Buy them here : http://highlandbakery.com/

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mad men - don draper says what a lot

It's a great series and the most recent one has been one of the best, but Don Draper does say "What" a lot.

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recent meals out

No wonder l have to slave away every bloody day. All this food (and wine) is killing me. What a way to go though.

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the dakota building in 1912

The Dakota building in 1912. This is where John and Yoko lived and where John was shot. Strawberry Fields is just opposite in Central Park.

l would have loved to have been able to visit or live in New York in those days. Look at all the space. l also reckon it would have been pretty damn violent.

toodle pip

football - bloody hell

Another splendid evening of watching Manchester United destroy an inferior (Turkish) small time European team. Then again, there are other things to consider this fine night.

1 : Bebe was homeless and the press are trying to make the guy seem like he is useless, but seeing as l know better, he can hold up the ball, has skill, and can play a bit (master class talk). He will turn out fine and the seven million will seem like a bargain.

2 : Messi. Still the best player in the world, by far. He might have had a poor World Cup (by high expectations), but l am sure he also had the most shots. He was just unlucky. Still easily the best player in the world.

3 : David Villa. He is an excellent player and will turn out to be class. He has just been unlucky so far, hitting the post a lot. Then again, he has fitted in well to the Barcelona team and has linked up well and assisted others (l am a European follower of football). Cream rises to the top eventually (and all that clichéd crap). He is class.

4 : Real Madrid. it's difficult to like them them. Even though they have Ronaldo playing for them (ex Manchester United obviously), to me they are still Franco's team and l prefer Barcelona.

l also have happy memories of going to see Barcelona (up in the Gods) when l was travelling round Spain in the 1980's. If l can dig out an old ticket l will scan it (might be hard to find amongst my other junk). l also prefer Barcelona (easily) to Madrid as a city.

5 : The Bursapor fans against Manchester United tonight were outrageously buoyant and vocal. l know they have only been on the go for a short while (1963?), and may just be happy to be playing a top team, but their support was magnificent. lt puts to shame all the wankers that leave before a game finishes 'to beat the traffic'. Rather sadly, they were a lot more vocal and funnier than an Old Trafford crowd (or Liverpool). The United away fans are class, but those crazy Turks take some beating (and let's not be stereotypical and mention knives).

6 : Nani at the weekend. Yes he cheated (in my eyes). OK he played to the whistle, but he knew he handballed it and it should have been a free kick against him. Unlike De Canio for West Ham, he took advantage against an obvious injustice. I would rather United won games in an attacking, honest and (pretty) cool way, than win them in a boring defensive 1-0 or by cheating (in my eyes). l remember the 5-3 against Spurs a few years ago. That was class. This turned out to be (in my eyes again) grubby. The worst thing was, we would have won 1-0 probably anyway. lf we are going to win the league by cheating, then l will not be celebrating, even if we go above the enemy (Liverpool) by doing so. Class or Ass. It's not difficult.

Then again, no-one mentioned Gomez tried to cheat by throwing the ball miles away from where the handball occurred. I would still rather win (or try to win) the league with dignity and class, or not at all.

toodle pip

halloween dogs

I saw a couple of examples of these on 'Have l Got News for You' at the weekend and thought they were great. Hence the above. The top one is my favourite (although l would stamp on the bastard if l ran into it).

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halloween magic

Just spent the evening hiding behind the settee to avoid having to give the young kiddies some sweeties, but they are about the only things l am scared of, apart from spiders (and l mean the sweetie hunting kiddies, not the sweets themselves).

l was talking to the FPO earlier and said that, although l don't believe in ghosts, if l thought l saw one coming towards me, l would put out my hand and try to pass it through it, even if l got a bit scared at the time. It's a bit like heights. l go up tall things and mess about, but l still have a slightly worried feeling about it, l just overcome it, so l can experience more (and overcome my pathetic mind). l would do the same with a (so called) ghost (although heights are real, ghosts are not).

l also think that if l did think l was seeing a ghost, l would be convinced it was just my (pathetic) mind trying to play tricks on me. Bloody stupid thing, l will have to get it removed, but where do you start? ls the mind just contained in the brain? The possibilities are endless and it is getting late, so l will leave that argument for another time.

l do despise people who take advantage of sad gits and pretend they are communicating with the dead as in " He wants to talk to you and say everything is OK, but it's not a clear line" sort of brigade. lf they could really produce a real talking skull, l would be first in line.

l do like the old posters though.

toodle pip

a new baby has been born and l am scared

Had some outrageous news tonight. The FPO's sister (Louise) has only gone and dropped a baby. When l say dropped, l mean suffering for ages and then producing a rather large (9 pound something) baby. Looking at the father, and the size of his fat head, l did think the baby might be a bit unusual. But there is more. Louise was born on Friday the 13th, and this baby (girl, no name yet), has been born on Halloween. I am scared, very scared.

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