helmet talk - bf mcdonald engraved - is it worth it

The B.F McDonald helmet

Flemish armour ca 1575 (inscribed D.G.V Lochorst)

The Roman helmet (with detachable face) 1st - 2nd century AD

I am impressed by this. It is a normal BF McDonald hard hat, engraved? embossed and punched? repoussaged? by a guy called 'Winsa', from back in the day. Very similar work to that which used to be on the old Flemish and French army uniforms. Not as good to own as the Roman helmet sold last year(http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/10/07/england.roman.helmet/index.html?hpt=Sbin ), but still impressive. It has since been sold on Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190543838359&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_6406wt_1141) for the outrageous sum of 600 of your old US dollars, but these kind of things can be bought in Far Eastern markets, with individual designs, and they are very cheap (50 to 100 dollars) in comparison. I do still think the artwork is great, no matter what it is worth, and some of the people in the Far East will be very skilled, but as usual, because they are unknown, they are ignored by the art world, unless a profit can be made in the future. I've got a good mind to travel to the Far East and bring a load back to sell, of course (eventually) flooding the market (in both senses).

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l could have ruled the world

If only my parents had bought me this when l was younger. I could be an evil tyrant by now. Mind you, the FPO would probably say l turned into one anyway.

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we love the kids so bomb the schools

Where America goes, England follows. So be careful out there.

Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling

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pods for the garden

These things look great. I want to state now that l do not work for the firm or have any connection to them, but l could live in one of these things if it included a toilet and hammock. They are a genius idea and full details are here - http://www.archipod.com/en-us/.

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cy (edwin parker) twombly has died (April 25, 1928 – July 5, 2011)

The soon to be artist - looking worried about his bum

The great piss taker himself (hopefully)

Phaedrus before and after the 'kiss'

Yin and Yang 1970

Untitled 1951

White poems to the sea 1959

Min Oe 1951

My rabbit - yesterday (not really, it's Arcadia 1958)

Ok, so he died yesterday (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14038987), but l have been at work. Cy Twombly, is probably most famous (to laymen) for his Phaedrus painting being kissed by Cambodian - French artist Rindy Sam in 2007, and the ensuring argument about whether it was a valid artistic statement, or just plain vandalism (story here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6910377.stm). As it was just plain white (and expensive) beforehand, l thought the painting looked better with the red smudge, although it certainly did not look like a kiss. I also like to think of myself as a man who appreciates artistic endeavours, and much as l might not wish to have some paintings in my home, l can usually see their attraction. However.... Twomby's later works left me cold, unless of course it was one great piss take from him, to show so called art experts would buy and praise anything, as long as the painting's meaning could be explained, and the artist was famous enough. I could put some coloured crayons up my idiot rabbits arse and get him to run around a canvas for a couple of minutes and reproduce an equal to some of the later works. I really don't want to come across as just picking on the dead, as his earlier (before 1954 ish) works I didn't mind, it's just that l really do wish it turned into some kind of abstract piss take, but l doubt it very much.

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owen hargreaves training

According to the BBC news website, Owen has started a You Tube channel to show how fit he is, to encourage clubs to take a chance with him, as he has been injured for so long. Unfortunately, he has always had injury problems, so clubs will be wary of investing or paying too much, even seeing the new fangled training with the strings and ball. He had also better not leave Manchester United and then turn out to be brilliant elsewhere, as l would be sick that we have missed out on his best years, but good luck to him.

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the jiaozhou bay bridge

This is the rather impressive Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, the longest bridge over water in the world, at 26.4 miles long, and it only took the Chinese four years to build - very impressive!.

I imagine it might be a bit scary if the weather gets bad or your car starts playing up.

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scott pilgrim vs the world

This was a brilliant surprise at the weekend (watched it on Saturday afternoon). I did not know anything about it beforehand, and was a bit unmoved at the very start, but turned out to be really inventive and it had a great deal of effort put into minor details, which always helps make a movie, (but is hardly ever done). It is directed by Edgar Wright and stars Michael Cera as Scott, who has to defeat his new girlfriends ex partners in fights. Sounds a bit boring, but there's a lot more to it than that, and it is a film l will definitely watch again. Hell, l might even lash out and buy the DVD (or even the comic books it is based on, by Bryan Lee O'Malley).

Why can't the Spider-Man films have been like this?

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another busy weekend - the mcorville - cross keys and jt's.

The McOrville - venue of thefree meal

Inside The McOrville

The view down to Middlesbrough from The Robinsons abode

The Cross Keys, venue for the cider, pate and toast (with Roseberry Topping in the background)

Mark, the manager and drunken birthday boy - outside JT's

Another splendid time was had at the weekend. First off, it was off to Middlesbrough to meet Robbo and Kerry, for a meal on Saturday night at The McOrville, a new 'Gastro pub' just off the A19 (http://www.themcorville.co.uk/). The FPO had won a meal worth £100 through a competition with Nivea, and as luck would have it, the meal came to £110, but we were let off the extra £10 as her food was rubbish first time round(they changed it). Everyone else's food was fine, and the manager was really friendly, so we let them off (and left a tip).

Stayed overnight in Nunthorpe, then sat in the back garden catching some rays on Sunday morning, before heading off to The Cross Keys, (just up the road) for a lunchtime snack and some ale (http://www.pub-explorer.com/nyorks/pub/crosskeysupsall.htm). Louise and her that shall not be named came and met us all, so we stayed for a while in the outside part, as it was really sunny and no-one was in any great hurry to go anywhere. Very pleasant (and my cider, pate and toast was really tasty).

We then called into JT's (http://officialpubguide.com/pubdetails.php?pubid=4737) on our return to Catterick (the FPO was driving), and discovered it was Mark (the managers) 40th birthday. Sat outside with him and some of the other lads for a while, then back home to fire to the bonfire, to try and get rid of all the bushes and crap that was cut last week. Managed to do it, but it took a mighty long time, and l also managed to fall forward when picking something up and banged my shoulder and forehead. Blithering idiot that l am. I think l may also have concussed myself slightly as l got up during the night and was sick, which l never usually do. Fine now though, although l still have the scratches/marks. Battle scars of the weekend is how l shall be describing them.

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the girl can't help it (1956)

This is one of the best Rock and Roll films going. Admittedly, it is not that funny, but it does have the odd moment, such as Tom Ewell playing a drunken Tom Miller, and the start of the film, which l was not expecting when l first saw it many moons ago. What makes it is the performances. It is great seeing Little Richard, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent when they were still young, but my favourite part is probably Julie London singing 'Cry me a River', a song l first heard when sharing a prison cell at Durham prison with a guy called Bronco, as he (thankfully) had a radio in the cell when l arrived (and also, thankfully, he never came on to me). It is also an amazing thing to see the wonder that is Jayne Mansfield's bra. It is just very, very silly.

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food rotting

Check out the maggots!

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a cymbal hit in slow motion

l never knew they did this - l'm freaked out!

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christian vander (from magma) sings otis

This is pure class, especially when he starts shrieking at about 1.40 minutes in

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on strike

I suppose l should have posted this on Thursday when the striking was going on, but this is me until 4pm on Tuesday, as l am off work again. Hurrah! (although l don't like the look of that spider).

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the lovely bones

Watched this with the FPO last night and was mightily disappointed with it. This is the Peter Jackson film of the book (2002) by Alice Sebold. I really liked the first half of the book, but thought it got weaker and weaker as it went on. The film was just rubbish. It looked really arty and there were some great shots and colours, but the storyline was a mess and some of it was unbelievable. I certainly can't believe that a dungeon could have been built in front of the houses, as depicted in the film. How did he dig something that big without anyone from the houses spotting it? Where did he put all the earth? Stanley Tucci recieved a lot of praise for his portrayal of George Harvey, but l didn't like it myself, as it seemed too heavy handed, too odd. Saoirse Ronan (Susan Salmon), was good, but it was all too airy fairy/hippyish for me. What a let down.

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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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muhammed ali - attica state prison poem and the lighting of the olympic torch

What a handsome, cool, hard, funny and intelligent guy he was.

It bought a tear to my eye seeing him carrying the Olympic torch in 1996.

Still cheated 'Our 'Enry' out of a title though.

And another thing......... People can be crazy. Here's a post on You Tube after an Ali clip.

@dudetube911 He is a great human being, and I believe God loves Ali so much that he made Ali suffer from the disease so all his sins could be burnt away and so Ali can go to heaven as a pure soul because he deserves it.

WavinFlag92 1 week ago

So, if l have understood this right, the good people that God loves the most are the ones who he makes suffer the most to burn away sins. Hasn't he heard of repenting for your sins?. Idiot.

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status quo - paper plane and down down advert

Something l never get sick of. Quo sounded so good back in the day, when they sounded like a real heavy (maaaan) rock band. The difference in the sound of this compared to the 'Rocking all over the World' album does not bear thinking about.

Things have changed since l were a lad, jumpers for goalposts, leaving the front doors open, looking after your own etc etc.

On another Quo topic, what kind of hellish advert is this?

Lie down time soon

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batman - alan moore - the killing joke

I have re-read this again (it came out in 1988) as it is without doubt and absolutely certainly (is that the same thing?) one of the best short graphic novels ever printed. The Joker and his crew goes on one of his rampages, they all end up in an amusement park, and sanity is tested, along with ethical codes, especially Commissioner Gordon's. As Pop Will Eat Itself sang, Alan Moore certainly does know the score. It is also the story where Barbara Gordon (due to what happens in the story) finishes her stint as Batgirl, although she later became Oracle. My copy has been signed by the great man himself (Alan Moore, not Batman), so l have a tenuous connection to him. Anyone who does not like or enjoy this is a blithering idiot. There! - l've said it now. Get with the beat.

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frankie boyle - my shit life so far

What it says on the front. A lot funnier than most comedians autobiographies, and he also recommends comics (as in reading) to get. What's not to like?

He has had issues with his put downs to a parent with a Down Syndrome child, and the Daily Mail tried hounding him about his 'near the knuckle' humour, but l'm not sure where l stand on this, as l do think you should be able to make fun of anything, as long as it is funny. This however, opens up the can of worms that is racism and bullying, so it is a bit of a conundrum. Stuff should be judged on whether it is funny or not, even if it is close to the bone, so l would like to think the racist or bullying jokes would be ignored/put down/vilified for the simple fact they are not funny, just embarrassing. Then again, l am just an old stinking hippie libertarian.

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some great adverts

Very clever indeed.

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the front of the house

It's Hiroshima all over again.

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