mister lonely ( 2007) - harmony korine

This was a strange film whichever way you look at it, which l am all in favour of, but ultimately, at the end, l felt as though there was something missing.  It looked great, and the storylines were certainly surreal enough for my tastes, but it was just a bit flat and unfulfilling.
There is a slim chance that is how the film is supposed to make you feel at the end, as it concerns stories about faith, hope, and aspiration, that all ultimately turn out to be worthless, but l very much doubt it.
Mister Lonely has two stories running concurrently.
The first concerns a Michael Jackson impersonator, who is living and working in Paris.  He meets a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, who he then follows to Scotland, to live as part of a commune in a Scottish castle, help build a theatre, and put on 'The Greatest Show on Earth' in it. Did l mention the commune houses other impersonators only, and the Charlie Chaplin one is Marilyn Monroe's partner?  All is sweet and hunky dory at the commune, until Chaplin's dark side presents itself, and the sheep have to put down due to disease.
Is that surreal and dark enough for you?
What about the second story, in which a nun accidentally tumbles from a small aeroplane, and survives the fall, supposedly due to her faith in God while falling.  This leads to other nuns testing and confirming their faith by also leaping out of the plane.  News of this reaches Rome and The Vatican, and the nuns are invited to meet The Pope, but while flying there, the plane crashes into the sea and kills them all.
Did l also mention that there are roles for Samantha Morton, Anita Pallenberg, Richard Strange, James Fox and Werner Herzog (amongst others)? Plus the soundtrack features Jason Pierce from Spiritualized?
That, to me, sounds like one hell of a magnificent movie, but as stated above, something is not right about it, and despite the stupendous ideas behind it, plus some worthwhile performances, it ended up being just a little bit............................well, boring actually.
What a shame.

toodle pip

billy bragg and harry styles on margaret thatchers death

Once again, Billy Bragg has expressed my feelings much more eloquently than l could have done myself.  On his Facebook page he stated  :

This is not a time for celebration. The death of Margaret Thatcher is nothing more than a salient reminder of how Britain got into the mess that we are in today. Of why ordinary working people are no longer able to earn enough from one job to support a family; of why there is a shortage of decent affordable housing; of why domestic growth is driven by credit, not by real incomes; of why tax-payers are forced to top up wages; of why a spiteful government seeks to penalise the poor for having an extra bedroom; of why Rupert Murdoch became so powerful; of why cynicism and greed became the hallmarks of our society.

Raising a glass to the death of an infirm old lady changes none of this. The only real antidote to cynicism is activism. Don't celebrate - organise!

Top Man!  I'd vote for him as a new Labour leader.

Meanwhile...
Don't get me started on the One Direction fans replying to Harry Styles' tweet (below)

With the less than clued up responses of..

Bloody scrounging  layabout kids and welfare hoodies nowadays (etc etc).  They need a damn good thrashing (and a decent education).
From here

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the return of the polyphonic spree

I'd kind of forgotten all about The Polyphonic Spree, until l saw a video of them performing Nirvana's 'Lithium' on The Afterword blog, despite the fact l have three of their CDs and have seen them live.  Maybe this is because they have not had an album out since 2007's 'The Fragile Army' (if you ignore the Christmas album), or maybe it's my crappy memory.  Either way, they are back with a new album in May (Yes It's True) and their new song can be heard below (from Consequence of Sound).



A friend described them as sounding like Beatles psychedelic out-takes when we saw them in Newcastle, but he meant it as a bad thing, whereas l call that high praise indeed.  I'll be looking out for a UK tour later in the year (hopefully with all 22 members), and maybe try to sneak on stage wearing my grandad's old nightgown..  Time to stock up on the acid and ecstasy, and recreate the old days!



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baby milk being rationed

On the same day that Margaret Thatcher (milk snatcher) dies, it is announced that baby milk is being rationed.
You couldn't make it up.

On a related note....

She's only been in hell for

a couple of hours, but has already closed six furnaces and sacked 2000 demons. And privatised two of the nine circles.

(From here)

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the agony of phil jones

A pretty funny picture from tonights game.  The agony of Phil Jones as Aguero scores. Click on it to enlarge it for the full effect!
Nicked from here.

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capitalism poster

This has been posted before, and it will be posted again in the future.
How capitalism works.

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contrasting press photographs - debbie harry and zz top

Both of these photographs are for press and publicity.
That is where the similarity ends, as the Debbie Harry (of Blondie) one oozes sex and punk attitude, whereas the ZZ Top one features three raggedy old blokes coming to your town to scare the crap out of the ladyfolk.
Saying that, l actually like ZZ Top a lot, especially on their early albums, and have seen them on more than one occasion.
On the other hand, if Debbie Harry was appearing nearby as she was in the photograph, l would happily trample 'The Top' (as l call them) down as l made a beeline for her, and sod the southern fried blues based riffola that they might be producing at the time.
After all, I've got eyes.

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mick jagger when he was cool

My love and admiration for The Rolling Stones has been stated many times, but one of the things that is often overlooked when people talk about them nowadays, is how cool Mick Jagger used to be.  He might well have been an educated and well raised young man, but at one time, he was cool as fuck, and a proper thorn in the side of the establishment.  Keith Richards gets all the plaudits nowadays for being 'Mr Rock and Roll' (with some justification), but Mick more than stood his ground when it was all  fresh, dangerous and exciting, and these are some of my favourite photographs of him.
As for the Glastonbury festival and Hyde Park appearances,  l'd rather remember the band how they used to be, so l'm not going. Christ on a bike, l thought they were old when l saw them in 1982, and that was over thirty years ago.
Mind you, if they did an acoustic show in our local village hall, l'd be there in a jiffy (but that's unlikely, to say the least).
Here's a promotional film for Mick in 'Performance'.



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everyone was young once (part 845) - bruce lee

Who on earth could this 1958 Crown Colony Cha Cha champion be?
Only the charismatic and hard as nails Bruce Lee, that's who.
I pity the fool that tries to make fun of his dancing, or tries to nick his girl.

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ding dong the wicked witch is dead

Heading up the itunes chart at this very moment.
Ding Dong The Wicked Witch is Dead (come on -  join in everybody!)

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elvis costello - tramp the dirt down

I'm not that keen on this actual song, but as far as the sentiment and lyrics go (it's about Margaret Thatcher dying), Elvis Costello's 'Tramp The Dirt Down' does it for me, and echoes my thoughts on the matter.

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margaret thatcher is dead - hurrah!

I have just heard on the BBC news that the ex Conservative prime minister, Margaret Thatcher has died.
Hurrah! And about bloody time!
It is a sad day for her family, but not for me. Far from it.
I despised the woman, her policies, her disregard for the working classes and society in general, her privatisation of the countries assets, the destruction of communities, and her lionisation by the blue haired, twin set, pearl wearing Tory hard line and right wing support.
No doubt there will be countless tributes stating how wonderful she was, but don't come here looking for any praise, and never mind 'don't speak ill of the dead'.
l'll happily celebrate her passing, and I will be raising a glass to the grim reaper this evening, that's for sure.
Thanxs to the rather wonderful 'Is Thatcher Dead Yet?' blog, there's a spotify playlist for any street parties.  Enjoy the moment.
Photo artwork by Dylan Jeavons

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john simm's hanging scene

There was much hilarity in our household this evening, and l assume in many others up and down the country.  We were idly flicking around the TV channels when we stumbled upon the BBC series 'The Village'.
I was just commenting to the FPO that it was all so depressing looking, with the washed out colours and  'it's all so grim' outlook, that the John Simm character was probably going to hang himself with the rope that he was carrying.  Lo and behold, a couple of minutes later, there he was, strung up from a tree, trying to kill himself, as (I assume) the grimness must have got to him.
How unfortunate and sad you may think, but no, quite the opposite in fact.
The look on Simm's face as he was choking was hilarious, cross eyed, with tongue flapping in the breeze.
How we laughed and laughed, pausing the TV, rolling around on the floor gasping for breath (a bit like Simm, but without the cross eyed look), rewinding it back numerous times, and then eventually taking the picture above for posterities sake.
Life doesn't get much better - My ribs and sides are still aching.

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the grand national bet

I hardly ever bet, but putting some money on The Grand National makes it that little bit more entertaining, and gives me some interest in it.
I was going to head to the pub for it, but l had been working overnight, was falling asleep at home,and the FPO came back from Tesco's with bottles of wine, so we stayed in for the race, then sat on the doorstep in the sunshine with Tubbs (the idiot rabbit), drinking wine (Tubbs abstained), like a middle class Andy Capp and Flo.
As for my bet, l know bugger all about horses, so l just chose some at random. People said l was a madman to pick such outsiders to win, and of course l wasn't successful,  but the eventual winner (Auroras Encore) was priced at 66-1, so maybe l should have been more daring with my £2 to win bets.
As usual, close, but no cigar.

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james earl ray forgotten footage

This is pretty amazing footage that has just been unearthed after 45 years.  Not for the quality of the film, but for the historical significance.
It shows the killer of Martin Luther King, James Earl Ray, being taken into custody, and strip searched.  Potential jurors are also filmed, but these turned out not be be needed, due to Earl Ray pleading guilty.
It would have been better if this had been posted yesterday, as it was the anniversary of Dr King's death, but it's still a fascinating document of America's not so distant (and racist) past.
I still think George Wallace, the right wing politician and racist politician should take a lot of responsibility for what he had been preaching, as this encourages fanatics and idiots, but l suppose he got shot and paralyzed in a 1972 assassination attempt, so it's all Yin and Yang, cause and effect etc, even if he later renounced his views.
In related news, l been past The Lorraine Motel (now known as The National Civil rights Museum), where Dr King was shot, and witnessed and support what Jacqueline Smith is protesting about outside.  That is, the gentrification of the area, which resulted in pricing out the locals, and the wrong use of the motel as a museum, rather than as a clinic or college.  She used to live in the motel, and was the last person the leave it,
and has been protesting outside for the last 20 years or so, and good luck to her (although the money always talks, so l think she is on to a lost cause).

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foreign beatles 'yellow submarine' posters

More things l would like to own.  Foreign film posters for The Beatles 'Yellow Submarine' film.  The bottom one is my favourite.  I can't say l love the film (I'm not a madman), but some of the songs and the artwork for the posters are still great.
Pass the drugs and album, it's time to trip out and open the old doors of perception (if they can still creak open).
All together now....



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living by the countryside (part 583)

This is the view a mere 5 minutes or less from my bedroom, and by car, not jet pack or aeroplane.
I like being able to get to the A1 within 5 to 10 minutes, and therefore head out to Leeds, Newcastle, York or Middlesbrough within the hour (which l can), but the countryside and it's lack of other people is still handy to have nearby.

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a new elliot erwitt book

Elliot Erwitt, one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century,  has a new book out (Snaps), and l will use that as an excuse to stick up some examples of his work, which is always worth checking out, even if he did become a bit focused (see what l did there?) on dogs later on.
It sounds by the above as though he is dead, but he is still alive and kicking.
There's an interesting article about Elliot in the Guardian (by Sean O'Hagan) here, which also contains a link to buy the book from them.
If l only had more time, money, and spare space, the coffee table would be bulging (rather like my wasteline).

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the solar system to scale

A superb representation of the solar system's planets and sun - to scale.
It all makes us look so insignificant, and that's just in our tiny little part of space.
From here.

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good news for ralph the rabbit

It's good news for Ralph the Rabbit, as he has regained his crown of being the heaviest rabbit in the UK, after weighing in at nearly 4 stone (3 stone 8lb). He eats nearly £50 worth of food a week, and is cared for by the Sussex Horse Rescue Trust.
He makes our similar looking, tubby, idiotic prat of a rabbit appear anorexic.
The full story was in the Tory supporting 'The Daily Express' and can be found here.

Plus any excuse for a bit of John Cooper Clarke!



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victoria coren's touching up (fnaaar!)

Once again, call me cynical, but in the top picture, Victoria Coren is either really holding in her stomach, while pushing her boobs forward (not a bad look for anyone, but preferably on a woman), or she has been touched up a lot (not in that sense).
I know where l would place my money (stop it!)

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paul o'grady - at my mothers knee

I picked up this book cheap and second hand (like me), as l had enjoyed Paul O'Grady's follow up book 'The Devil Rides Out - The Second Coming', last year, but must admit, much as l like his media persona, and what little l know of him, the book was disappointing for me.
I'm sure a lot of it must have been interesting (and hard work) for him to write, dealing as it does with a lot of his family background, but l just wasn't that enthralled by his relatives and family tree.
I did enjoy it more towards the end, when he starts coming out, going to the gay bars, and moving to that there London for work (and his subsequent police record).
The last part of the book however, was really moving.  An honest and thoughtful account of his mother and fathers heart attacks, and his reaction to them.  A really moving piece of writing, and with a surprise at the end, which would have been enough by itself to make me want to read the second volume (if l hadn't already done so).
I will however, be looking out for the third one 'The Savage Years', and hope that his own heart doesn't give up in the near future, as he has had some past trouble with that.

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the daily mail blames childrens deaths on the welfare state (suprise!)

Once again, The Daily Mail has managed to get in there quick, and use the unfortunate deaths of six children as an excuse to blame the 'Welfare UK' culture of scrounging, workshy spongers, who exploit the system.
I would never argue that some people on benefits abuse the system, and it appears that the family involved in the story may well have done.
However, the 'abusers' are in a small minority, and no matter how much they may abuse the system, it does not turn them into the 'product' of it and into heartless killers.
Blaming the system for these deaths is ridiculous   Others have killed in the past, and have had decent jobs and paid their taxes (Harold Shipman for one), but this is all part of their drip down news and political agenda of stigmatising the poor, whether they are unemployed, ill, live in too large houses, or have too many children.
The killers were bad people, but compare the front page of The Independent, which rightly condemns the father, while highlighting the real tragedy of the children's deaths.
Much as l think Polly Toynbee talks a load  of rubbish sometimes, there was a splendid piece by her a few days ago, highlighting some of this governments agendas, and it's not pretty. Check here if you are interested.
The current government couldn't care less about the poor and disadvantaged, as has been shown by their welfare cuts, bedroom tax, offensive and inflammatory language ('strivers not skivers' etc), and their tax cuts and help to the rich, both individuals and mega rich companies (and that's without their cuts to legal aid).
They have always looked after their own, but this is heading towards the dark days before benefits, the NHS, and decent schooling for all.
Why would they do that?
Call me cynical, but maybe a cheap to employ workforce with hardly any rights?
Bring back means testing, workhouses, flogging and hanging - it's what they want.
Otherwise vote Labour (and l'm meaning old school Labour).

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