the ox bw incident (1943) - william a wellman

The Ox Bow Incident stars Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan (as Gil Carter and Art Croft) and sees then getting dragged along to assist in some rough justice and a lynching by an angry mob from Bridger's Wells, where they had been drinking. The three men about to be lynched plead there innocence, but have a hard time convincing the mob.
It's about justice, racism, giving a man a fair trial, family expectations, bravado, the power of a mob, and who will stand against then and do the right thing, especially if it means putting themselves in danger.
It doesn't end well.
It was good to see Harry Morgan in a different role, as l was used to seeing him in M*A*S*H from when l were but a nipper, and l love watching Henry Fonda when he plays cowboys (he has such expressive and solemn eyes).
Another classic.

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another childhood (like) photo

Ah, what's not to like about this photo? The crazy ladies are one thing, but the naked old timer in wellies sitting on the fire just takes it to another level.
Another reminder of my childhood.

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some recent weather photos

Ah....the beauty of nature and all it's heavenly glories.
Some shots from when l have been out and about, and at one with the environment, absorbing the cosmic energy like a jedi master.

OK - I admit it (and not for the first time) - l'm a sad bastard.

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more 3d sidewalk art

I can't remember where this picture is from, who did the artwork, or where it is, but l haven't put up any 3d artwork for a while, so l thought l would stick it up anyway (and forget about everything else).

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the informers (2009) - gregor jordan

As The Informers was based on some Brett Easton Ellis short stories,  l thought it might turn out to be interesting, but l was sooooooooooooooo wrong about that.
It stood out as a bit of a stinker from the start, when there is an upmarket party full of annoying and unlikeable prats, then someone (unfortunately only one of them) gets knocked over by a car, and as they are flapping about dying, they reach up and wipe some blood on their friends face.
However...the blood wiped on the face and then shown a few seconds later are nowhere near in the same place. That is when the magical bullshit detector alarm bells went off in my head, and should really have hurled the idiot rabbit at the TV to prevent further nonesense, but l struggled valiantly on, as l was enjoying some of the music (gothy early 80's stuff), and thought it couldn't get any worse.
Then it went to a video shoot featuring a drug taking band, and l cracked and lost the will to live (and the idiot rabbit started flying towards the goggle box).
This film is is a right old turkey and no mistaking - don't waste any valuable milliseconds on it, as you will only live to regret it (if you don't kill yourself out of sheer boredom).
And if you do like it, piss off and stop reading this blog - l don't want your sort around.

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washington beauty contest - 1922

And thinking about skewed ideas of beauty (see below), here are the winners of a beauty contest in Washington, 1922 (from Shorpy)..
Believe it or not, the one holding the larger trophy actually won.
What a rip off!!
If l was the other girl, l would have demanded a recount.


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cleopatra - the great beauty

Pretty much everyone knows the story of Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor), Julius Caesar and Mark Antony (Richard Burton), and think that Cleopatra was a great beauty.
She may well have been as portrayed by Taylor, but not in reality, if these likenesses are anything to go by (a bust and a coin with Cleopatra's image).
I'd rather look at the bust, and saying that, preferably Taylor's.

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a busy week and the romanzo criminale series

It's been a long and busy week with no peace for the wicked, as l have been slaving away, including all over Easter, and attending to lots of other matters.
I've been to parties (photo's at a later date) and had way too many trips to hospitals. l was there all this morning (Sunday) and am going again tomorrow morning, and probably tomorrow evening as well.
In the meantime, Kelly is now 16, Dazzer is now 40, myself and the FPO are struggling onwards towards 20, and everyone is being taken ill with hip transplants, infections, heart trouble (not mine), amputations and blood loss. This is however, other people who are ill, as l am still indestructible.

The footie has been great and then bloody awful.
United beat QPR and then City got beaten by Arsenal, thus opening up an 8 point gap, but then United lost against Wigan. Sanity has been restored with a victory over Aston Villa today, and the lead is now 5 points with five games left.

Also...
At long last l have got around to watching the first series of Romanzo Criminale (one episode after another in one block) and am now cursing myself for leaving it so long, as l really enjoyed it.
A criminal gang start from a humble kidnapping, and end up running the Rome underworld - all based on a true story.
It's Italian, subtitled, violent, slow in parts, based in the 70's, but outrageously well done.
Of course the leaders start getting more messed up as the power (and drugs) go to their heads (especially the crazed Lebanese), but that's only to be expected. I'm sure l would go the same way (as Fleetwood Mac nearly sang).
Now l have to dig out the film version and get my grubby little paws on series two.
There's always something else to do - it's neverending.

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south park cookery show - crem fraiche

I don't watch South Park religiously these days, and it can definitely be a bit hit and miss, but when it is good, it is really, really good.
The episode myself and the FPO watched last night was one that will have us chuckling for years, even though the kids weren't in it that much (and Cartman is my favourite character).
Called 'Creme Fraiche' it starred Randy and Sharon (Stan's parents), who both become obsessed. Randy with cookery programmes and food, and Sharon with her Shake Weight.
It is an episode that is 100% aimed at adults, and it was hilarious, but pretty damn saucy.
Even though the Shake Weights are sexual anyway, this programme will have you looking at them in a different light altogether, and who would have thought that would be possible?.

Here's the Beavis and Butt-Head promo it features in.
Hur Hur Hur (and a new series of theirs starts on 16th April - hurrah!!)




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til, the rabbit with no ears

This is Til, a rabbit that was born in a zoo at Limbach-Oberfrohna with no ears. It looks outrageously cute and vulnerable, and the zoo publicised it's birth and played on the pity and cuteness angle to get some (probably much needed) publicity.
It was (probably - l'm guessing) named after Til Schweiger, who did the German comedy Keinohrhasen (No Ear Rabbits), which shows the Germans have a sense of humour (if my guesswork is correct).
All well and good, and nothing wrong with that at all.
Except........
One of the cameramen stood on it by mistake and killed it.
Yep, that is correct.
Dead.
Just think of how much grief that cameraman will get, and how bad he will be feeling.
Poor little bunny - l bet there were millions of homes and families that would have taken him in (including ours).

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billy two hats (1974) - ted kotcheff

Starring Gregory Peck as 'Arch', a 'hoots mon, it's a braw bricht moonlicht nicht taenicht' Scottish outlaw and Desi Arnaz, Jr as his half breed mate (the Billy Two Hats of the title). They are pursued across the desert by Gifford, a mean old sheriff (Jack Warden), who can't understand why they are so close to one another, when they are not related. Peck's Scottish accent is pretty broad and kind of unbelievable coming from him, and Arnaz is better at acting when he is just being silent and moody, rather than trying to get the dialogue across convincingly (which he fails to do). Warden however, is excellent. Rugged, old, bitter and looking for retribution. There is also an appearance by four whisky loving Indians, Copeland, an old timer (David Huddleston) who helps the sheriff out (by shooting and wounding Peck), and (of course), there is a love interest (Sian Barbara Allen) for Arnaz. Superb (if you are into old school westerns).

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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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the telegraphs ugliest buildings

Aldar headquarters building in Abu Dhab

Grand Lisboa Hotel in Macau

The National Library in Pristina, Kosovo

The National Library of Belarus in Minsk

I know l shouldn't be annoyed or exasperated by anything that is in The Telegraph (the right wing, Tory loving rag that it is), but their list of 'the ugliest buildings in the world' got to me, as there are plenty on the list that l actually like, such as the ones above. I also understand they are probably printing the list to get a reaction from the likes of me and some free publicity for the paper, but what the heck, they are still wrong.
Plus they're a bunch of narrow minded arses with no taste.

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diet the ayds way

Bit of an unfortunate name they chose for a diet product.

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the bluebird - charles bukowski

there's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out

but I'm too tough for him,
I say, stay in there,
I'm not going to let anybody see you.

there's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him
and inhale cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders and the grocery clerks
never know that he's in there.

there's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say, stay down,
do you want to mess me up?
 you want to screw up the works?
you want to blow my book sales in Europe?

 there's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out
but I'm too clever,
 I only let him out at night sometimes when everybody's asleep.
I say, I know that you're there,
so don't be sad.
then I put him back,

but he's singing a little in there,
I haven't quite let him die
and we sleep together like that
with our secret pact
and it's nice enough to make a man weep,
but I don't weep,
do you?


 Another classic from the mighty pen of Charles Bukowski.
From in The Last Night of the Earth Poems and The Pleasure of The Damned.

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van heusen ties - a man's world

Naturally l have a few ties kicking about the house, but l think l might have been buying the wrong sort, as they certainly don't have this affect on the FPO. Methinks it's time for some new ones, but who on earth would wear a shirt and tie in bed?.

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philippine baby crocodiles

Ahh, they look kind of cute when they are born, but l wouldn't fancy bringing one of these up at home. They are Philippine baby Crocodiles, best left to get on with things by themselves, in the wild, and far away from me.

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garden state (2004) - zak braff

Garden State is a pretty slow paced romantic film, featuring Zak Braff as Andrew Largeman, an aspiring actor who returns home for his mothers funeral, comes off his medication, and tries to live his life a bit, trying to make amends with his father in the process. He also meets some old friends and a gets himself a love interest (as they always do in these type of films). Not much else happens, apart from some drug taking, some heart to heart talks, and the regaining of his mothers bracelet. It passed some time this morning (allowing me to slowly wake up), and the soundtrack was pretty good (which won Braff an Emmy), but it's nothing special, unlike similar films such as 'The Graduate'.

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the singing detective (2003) - keith gordon

No-where near as good as the British TV series starring Michael Gambon, The Singing Detective sees the setting transported to the USA, and the old crooner songs replaced by early Rock and Roll tunes. Robert Downey, Jr's performance is pretty impressive, but can't touch Gambon's original one. Mel Gibson is unrecognisable as Dr Gibbon, Katie Holmes plays the Joanne Whalley sexy nurse role (not as sexily), and that's all there is to say really. It was an effort that deviated a lot from the series, as the plot had to be condensed, but in reality, there is no comparison between them. The TV series is fantastic, but this was pretty boring for large segments. Downey Jr - good, the film itself - dull.

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