serial - the podcast series from an american life

Adnan Syed

Hae Min Lee

Serial is a podcast series, a spin off from 'This American Life', and was one of the most riveting pieces of real life drama that l have had the pleasure of listening to, despite (or because of) the fact the series was dealing with real events, real people, and a real murder. Plus because you are only listening to the show, your mind fills in loads of gaps, and it is easy to become really engrossed and involved with it, probably more so than if you were watching it on TV.

From episode to episode you are left reeling, not knowing what to believe, or who to trust, and swinging from 'That person must have done it' to 'Damn! It's probably that person instead'.

The gist of it is this. The murder of Hae Min Lee takes place in Baltimore, and her ex boyfriend, Adnan Syed, is charged and convicted of the murder, mainly on the testimony of one of his so called 'friends' who said he helped Adnan move the body.

There are phone calls aplenty to Adnan, and interviews with others involved. Court records and statements are scrutinised, and re-enactments of movements undertaken. Even the person behind the interviews and podcasts, Sarah Koening, doubts her own judgement as the evidence mounts one way or another.

I don't want to give away the ending, but all of this is in the present, and still ongoing, and l cannot recommend it enough.

Superb stuff.

It can be downloaded from here.

Do it!

Now!!

As a bonus, here's the spoof Saturday Night Live Christmas version

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the seal to tutankhamun's tomb

Here's another fascinating piece of history.
The seal to Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. His mummy is below.
Howard Carter must have been wetting himself with excitement before entering inside.

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the titanic - pathe news and charles lightoller

As l am a bit of a saddo, l have been watching a load of old Pathe News films, which used to be shown years ago before the main feature films in UK cinemas.
One interesting item (to me at least) featured the sinking of The Titanic, and film of the survivors.
I know the story has been endlessly told, and has been the subject of countless books, films and articles, but let's face it, it was such an amazing event, that may have been considered slightly too far fetched if it was pitched as fiction, and it is still a fascinating story.
The Pathe film is below, and the photograph above?
It is the last known photograph of the ship before it sank.
Just imagine being on the ship and then surviving, especially if you did it the Charles Lightoller way, staying on the ship till the bitter end, then diving off it, being sucked under a couple of times, and then shot back to the surface, ending up on an upturned lifeboat, and being the last man to board RMS Carpathia, the rescue ship.
Not only that, he also rescued soldiers during the Dunkirk evacuation.
The Titanic story just gives and gives.



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the secret homosexual handshake

Praise the Good Lord that we have people such as Mike Huckabee to prevent us all turning (he would probably say backsliding) and batting for the other side.
No wonder l have ended up in the past performing unnatural acts with gay men in toilets, and have seriously been thinking about changing my sexuality to full on homo.
Maybe there is a God after all - Hallelujah! I am now saved!!.

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world cup sweepstake cds

 

 

As if l didn't have enough CD's already.
After winning last years World Cup sweepstake with The Afterword crew, l'v finally got around to putting the CD's (a selection of which are above) onto my itunes and ipod.
The losers had to send a CD featuring the music of whichever country they were lumbered with. As you would probably imagine, some of the music is great, and some of it is appalling, but who knows, if they crop up on 'shuffle songs' enough times, they may grow on me, and it least they were all free, and much appreciated.
The blues and Ramones ones are my favourites, but the Croatian Indie Rock was much better than anticipated (how could it not be?).
As for the World Cup itself, that seems a lifetime ago, as time is flying by.

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mr parrot is after attention again

Once again, Mr Parrot is after attention, spoilt git that he is.

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new romantic hair

My hair going all New Romantic after a wash and rub down.
Appearing at a revival tour in your nearest town soon.

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ptolemy elrington's hubcap creatures, and ian dury

There ain't half been (and are) some clever bastards (as Ian Dury used to sing).
Such as Ptolemy Elrington, a UK artist who makes amazing metallic creatures from hubcaps, which he sells on his site.
If l could afford it, l'd get the parrot one at the bottom, just to freak out Mr Parrot.

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jb barrington - woodchip anaglypta and nicotined artex ceilings

JB Barrington is still on tour and still has his poetry collection 'Woodchip Anaglypta and Nicotined Artex Ceilings' available.
Buy it here

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recent car boot sale purchases

Sometimes it's actually worth dragging myself out of my pit on a Sunday morning.  Here's some recent car boot purchases, some of which l already have, but my old scratched copies will be replaced by these and moved on elsewhere (when l eventually get around to it). Also, l've already read the 100 year old man book on my kindle, l just fancied a hard copy for the bookshelves.
If l only had more money and time on my hands...............(and a bigger house).
I'd be even more of a sad bastard.
And in the meantime, l'm also trying to plough through these..

It's a hard life.

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sleaford mods - the duchess, york march 5 2015

 

Filmed by JB Barrington (the support act) from the back of the stage, the magnificent aural onslaught that is The Sleaford Mods at The Duchess, York, at the start of the month.
I certainly enjoyed The Sleaford Mods, who lived up to my prior high expectations, but was also chuffed that JB Barrington was on first, a modern day bard of Salford, following in the footsteps of John Cooper Clarke. He was also great, and an unexpected surprise. As his favourite book is Robert Tressell's 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist, plus the fact that he was good enough to sign my copy of his poems, l will even overlook the fact that he is a ciddy fan. As they say at the end of  'Some Like it Hot' "Nobody's perfect".
A top night all round




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the dave clark five - get together, and dave clark's eyebrows

I've just watched a documentary on The Dave Clark Five, which, although good, was overly long, and way too sycophantic towards Mr Clark himself. Hardly a surprise when he is in control of all of their affairs, but what on earth possessed him to go full so on with the plastic surgery?
His eyebrows are now a wonder to behold, and seem to have a life of their own.

 Still, this is still a cracking song - done by The Youngbloods in the USA.

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paul young - nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul Young murders 'Wherever l lay my hat'.
Oh dearie me.
All l can say is times must be hard, but even l can sing better than that (maybe).
He used to be a pop star you know.

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zlatan gives a live interviewer a hard time

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of my favourite players, and l love his attitude, both on and off the pitch.  Here he gives a live interviewer a hard time, but with a cheeky grin and laugh at the end.
However, I bet the reporter / cameraman was still crapping himself when the interview was taking place.

I shall now start using 'Low Budget' as an insult. Be warned.

As for his football talent, below is a reminder of one of his goals from the hat - trick he scored against England, with a more than appreciative commentary from Stan Collymore.
Magical stuff.



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