the master and margarita

The Master and Margarita is one of my favourite books, and may possibly be my favourite.  Over the Christmas and New Year period, l watched Vladimir Bortko's subtitled 10 part Russian TV series based on it (thanxs to You Tube), and was also mightily impressed with that.  The devil and his crew (including the cat) were great, and there was also plenty of nudity if it began to sag (fnaar fnaar). There was the odd bit of overacting and hamminess, but overall, it told the story just as l would have wished, and certainly did not let the book down. The soundtrack (by Igor Kornelyuk) was also excellent, and that has been downloaded and blasted out on more than one occasion, as you can really immerse yourself in its grandeur (Pretentious? Moi?).
Get me.  You would never think l came from good, hearty, working class stock (and still am)

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everyone was young once - james dean

It just goes to show that everyone was young once.  Here's James Dean in 1949 when he was just a fresh faced and cheerful 18 year old.  Hardly recognisable from the moody superstar he became.

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rod stewart - the autobiography

I finished the Rod Stewart autobiography the other day, and must admit, it was a lot better than l anticipated.  I really liked Rod back in the day, when he was juggling his solo career with being a member of the Faces, but went off him after he buggered off to the States and started asking if I thought he was sexy or not (yes....l know it is a character in the song asking the question, but that didn't sound so good).
Anywhoos, he is funny, honest (it seems), self deprecating and has many a tale to tell, so l would recommend the book to anyone with a passing interest in his work or life (and what a life he has had).

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danny's artwork

I work with a girl who's partner does artwork as a hobby, and is pretty damn good at it.  Here's one of his works, a black and white pen picture of Charles Darwin.
Impressive stuff, and l'm madly jealous of his talent.

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vortex illusion carpet

This is enough to make you puke.  A vortex illusion carpet in the gaming section of a store in Paris. It must be great working there, watching the customers trying to navigate it, but l wouldn't like to visit the store after a few ales (or on psychedelic drugs).

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an upset daily mail reader

If this is true, it is excellent.  Supposedly from The Daily Mail a while ago.

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return of the fishermans blues

Back in the day, l was a big fan of The Waterboys, and when they were on the Fisherman's Blues tours (one of which is above), l followed them around, selling a magazine that l had put together about them (much to Mike Scott's annoyance in the end).  Still one of the best experiences of my life, and l got to see the concerts on numerous occasions, plus plenty of the UK and Ireland. I am still interested in the band, have seen them since, and have only just finished Scott's 'Adventures of a Waterboy'. This, for the most part, was pretty good and interesting, but l got a bit bored towards the end with the Findhorn spiritual adventure (bloody hippies!). It got to be like someone describing their dreams or drug experiences, probably great for them, less so to the listener (or reader).  Then again, that's probably just me (miserable sod that l am).
I  found out today (here) that The Waterboys are to release an anniversary edition of 'Fisherman's Blues' with the original and re-released versions, plus 85 new songs, over 7 cd's.  Furthermore, tickets have just gone on sale for a December tour, revisiting the album and era, and with original members Steve Wickham and Anthony 'Anto' Thistlethwaite on board as backup. That is more than enough, even for an obsessive like myself.
I gave away a load of my magazines outside a show in Liverpool a few years ago, so l think l will try and dig out any remaining copies l can find lying around, and do the same outside this years Liverpool gig (I'm from there).  That is, if l don't get hassled by the security this time.
Bring it on!  All of it!!

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drunken night in with the rolling stones

Myself and the FPO stayed in tonight and knocked back some wine after our chicken soup.  While we were knocking back the wine, we were also prating about to a Rolling Stones compilation which featured the two videos below, both of them magical, but for different reasons.

The Jingles version of The Rolling Stones' 'She's a Rainbow' is done in the style of Oasis, with the front Jingle doing a more than credible Liam Gallagher impression. It's also cool that they are covering one of the lesser known Stones songs (from Their Satanic Majesties Request), so l assume whoever chose to do it must be a fan.

The Wayne Gibson one is from Crackerjack, in front of a bunch of young children, and the subject matter and lyrics couldn't be more out of place if they tried.  Under My Thumb is a real put down of a girl and how she has been made to be submissive and weak.  A treat for any five year old.  What madman booked this, thinking it would be a good idea?  A great Northern Soul classic, and a top Rolling Stones song, but pleas...not in front of the children!

On a related note, l can now do the splits and rest my arm and head on my extended leg while doing so. I'll never walk again, and my scrotum will never be the same, but it was worth it.  To see a martial arts master doing the same, check out the end video of Lou Reed (at 2:48). It's not as easy as it looks.








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equality street

The funniest thing on Red Nose Day

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the retarded and god

I was at a training course on Monday morning, so l had to drag myself out of my pit early for a change, and try to stay focused while l was there.  As it was a refresher, l remembered most of the stuff from the last time, so l can't really say it was that exciting.  One the other hand, times have certainly moved on for the better.  I would not like to pass too much judgement on this book, 'Helping the retarded to know God', as l am guessing there will be plenty of judgement contained within, but l can't imagine the contents to be level headed, or something that l would like to practise. I could be wrong, but somehow, l doubt it.

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lebanon (2009) - samuel maoz

Based upon Samuel Maoz's own experiences during the Lebanon war of 1982, and shown from a viewpoint from inside an Israeli tank, this is an excellent film, highlighting the tension, fear, abandonment, paranoia and claustrophobia within it's body (as the tank is portrayed as a living entity).  There are long stares of rapprochement, fear, hatred and anger towards the tanks gunsight, and war is shown in all its haphazard, indiscriminate and bloody 'glory'. It ended a bit suddenly for me, but it had me hooked and reeled in from the beginning.  Great stuff, and anything that demystifies the attraction of fighting a war in a real and believable way, is fine by me.

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mad magazine

I don't think l have bought a new Mad Magazine for a few years, but once upon a time, l was an avid reader and collector, and still have a load of them stashed away.  The humour was obviously geared towards American tastes, but some of the writing was razor sharp, contemporary, ironic and sarcastic. I also loved some of the cartoons, especially the Don Martin and Mort Drucker ones.  Here's some of the better covers from the recent (and not so recent) past.  Like a pub that l no longer visit, l'll miss it when it ceases to exist (apart from in my memories).

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look out ladies, it's coventry city

Footballers nowadays are all buffed up, self admiring prima donnas who spend hours on on their appearance and complain too much when they hurt their toes or have to play too many games (I'll make an exception for Lionel Messi).  However, it was not that long ago when footballers were mens men, and looked like the ones above. All are Coventry City players from about 1970. A diet of steak, chips and beer, followed by showering and hairwashing with carbolic soap was probably responsible. Ladies, form an orderly queue.

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the angel of the north

Whilst out and about on my travels with work, l had some time to kill before heading home from Gateshead, so l called in at Antony Gormley's 'The Angel Of The North' and took these photos.  I'm mad for a bit of sculpture and having pride in your region, and because l had only seen this in passing before, l thought it was time to get close up to it (and personal). Although l think it would have looked better with 'angel type' wings, l really like it, and l also have a lot of time for Gormley's 'Another Place' sculptures on 'Bootle Beach' (as l call it), which l have visited on many an occasion (being born just up the road).  None of the colour in the photos has been altered, it was just very cold and  staring to get dark, which produced some atmospheric (and hard earned)  results.

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and talking of cool - george best on totp

Following on (rather quickly) from the post below about Mick Taylor being cool, here's a man who could out cool him.  George Best.  Not only was he a good looking and charming footballing God (OK, with one or two issues), but here is in the crowd for Top Of The Pops in the early 1960's, watching and dancing to The Rolling Stones themselves (before Mick Taylor joined). However, both George and the Stones were already  producing some pretty impressive goods, even back then.

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mick taylor looking cool

Watching the Crossfire Hurricane documentary on The Rolling Stones again the other night (amongst others),  my long held belief that they were at their peak when Mick Taylor was in the band (1969-74) was reinforced (I'm never wrong).  My admiration for Keef is second to non, but when Mick Taylor joined, they upped their game, knocked out some classic songs and albums, sounded great, and were as fashionable as a band could be, elegantly wasted, and with a devil may care attitude thrown in for good measure.  Here's Mick looking cool, guitar in hand, and a bottle of spirits near by. Just as a rock star should be. Class.

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the golden shower man comic

The superhero you don't want to show up in your town.  The Golden Shower Man, from 1947.

Actually it's a spoof comic (not done by me) based on The Fire Demon one below.  A fine job, and certainly believable, but God knows where l found the Golden Shower version, I've just had a look but turned up nothing.  It's a pity it's not real, as l would rather read the top one than the original (but that probably says more about me).

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out and about at work

One of the great things about my job (apart from the free holidays), is that l get to drive around the area and have a break from the usual routine.  When the weather is good, life can certainly be sweet. These were taken around the Masham area last month.

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listen to the psychedelic cat!

Pass me my drugs - the cat is sending me telepathic signals

From here

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the daily mail in decent article shock!

The Daily Mail online has an excellent article by Sonia Poulton slagging off the way the current government pick on the poor, needy, desperate and defenceless. Something l have been banging on about for a while, but l was suprised to find it on the Daily Mail's (an outrageously right wing paper) website
Some of the article is below, and the full piece is here. Enjoy!



 There we were thinking it impossible that David Cameron's Tory party could become even more dastardly, even more duplicitous, in their devastating aims against those in vulnerable groups - sick, disabled, single parent families and the elderly - but they have.
Take their next much-vaunted initiative - the Workfare programme. Controversial certainly - who can forget the graduate who declined to work at Poundland as part of the scheme? She who was reviled and martyred, depending on your political persuasion, reading pleasure and sense of justice, for refusing to work at the budget chain store so that she would continue to receive 'benefits' as she searched for the job she had studied and qualified for.
I agreed with her.
I deplore the Workfare programme for many reasons but primarily because it is deplorable. Trumpeted as a programme that will give the unemployed key skills, it serves nothing of the sort.
What it is, in actuality, is a benefit system for sections of our work force. And there was I, foolishly, thinking that when you are part of the capitalist work force then the appropriate term for remuneration received is salary.
Apparently not.
These days, and under Cameron's stewardship, we receive 'benefits' to become part of the job market. So I ask just this: how can it possibly be right for a multi-national - such as Tesco - to benefit from free labour? What Tesco, and other participants in the Workfare scheme, receive is far greater than what they give.
We, as the country, are, quite literally, paying the consumer giant to make even more money. And we are doing that by having our taxpayer funded job seekers work free for the company.
As a result of Cameron's spurious recent behaviour in pushing through crippling, quite literally for some, amendments to disability benefits, it has become clear that the attached issues are even more heinous that the blueprint of the Welfare Reform Bill, itself. And it is this: disabled people will now face the prospect of unlimited unpaid work or they will be subject to cuts in their benefits.
For millions that is nothing more than a line on a page but for many terrified and suicidal others, it is anything but.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) have written to the Coalition outlining the dangers of forcing sick and disabled people into the job market (the one that currently stands at almost three million unemployed by the way).
The RCP have a number of fears about the inadequacies of such a system.
They worry, quite rightly, that managers in job centres and private companies - whose job it is to get people back to work - have inadequate health expertise and will push those with mental health issues into inappropriate placements.
Forcing people who have more than six months left to live - yes it is that stark, again - to earn a living is an outrage on a previously unseen scale.
If nothing else the Coalition are proving themselves, over and over again, to be worthy defenders of the rich. If you're in the top percentage of income earners in this country then you, too, should be OK. I'm talking about the CEO, the landowners and shareholders. The banking industry, the pharmaceutical giants, the retail multi-nationals.
It's no great secret that one of the main reasons that MP's take care of business is because so many of them have financial interests in the businesses that they do business with. They are protecting their own interests while governing over the rest of us and insisting we do the same.It's no great secret that one of the main reasons that MP's take care of business is because so many of them have financial interests in the businesses that they do business with. They are protecting their own interests while governing over the rest of us and insisting we do the same.



The thing is, the government don't really care about the poor, and unless direct action is taken (or they are booted out at the next election) this sort of policy making will continue. Don't blame me - l vote Labour (and no, it's not all their fault either).

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albums as books

I'm sure l have posted this sort of thing before (maybe even the same books) but l can't be bothered looking, and they are worth a re-run anyway.  Classic albums redesigned as books. Good stuff. Loads more are available for viewing on Google images (other search engines are available).

The Bob Dylan / Zimmerman one is my favourite.

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the nani red card - baaaaaaaaaaaastaaard!!!!!

Just as Manchester United had gone in front and l thought they were going to do it (although it was still squeaky bum time).  Luckily there were no razor blades lying about when l went a lookin'.

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