august friedrich schenke and mackenzie thorpe's sheep

Mackenzie Thorpe has created many paintings of sheep in his distinctive style, is pretty local (Middlesbrough) and has a gallery in Richmond, North Yorkshire, not far from my home. Even my local pub has some paintings of his, and l do like them.
However, although it's obviously completely different, August Friedrich Schenck's 'Anguish' is my favourite sheep painting, a rather harrowing and distressed sheep / ewe bleating and pining for what one assumes is it's dead calf, surrounded by crows.
I wouldn't want it displayed at home, and l understand humans anthropomorphize, especially with animals, but l think it's captured the extreme emotion perfectly.

To lighten the mood after that, here's some by Mr Thorpe

toodle pip

the 1927 jasper tornado on lp covers

It was only recently that it was pointed out to me on another blog or tweet (I can't remember where), that the photograph of the 1927 Jasper Tornado, taken by Lucille Handberg and on one of my favourite albums, Deep Purple's Stormbringer, was the same one on used on Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, plus Siouxsie and The Banshees Tinderbox. It's blown my mind, as l'd never noticed before, and l have been looking at the Deep Purple and Miles Davis albums for years.
Sometimes l amaze myself at how stupid l can be.
Below is the famous photograph, captured 8th July 1927 in Jasper, Minnesota, plus drawings of the other two photographs she took before and after. There's also an article from The Milwaukee Sentinel about it, plus the album covers mentioned.
More information about the tornado and the photographs can be found here (and also here).
A large blow up of the news story in The Milwaukee Sentinel can be found here

Here's something from the albums







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chinese construction worker dancing

My mate can 'dance', and does so at every opportunity, despite my opposition, but l love the moves this Chinese construction worker has in his locker. There's plenty more of him on you tube (the Chinese fellow - not my mate).



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the the labour party split and the ragged trousered philanthropists - the money trick

With The Labour Party seemingly in disarray (although The Conservatives are also pretty fragmented) here's a reminder of why they the left wing are so important. From Robert Tressell's The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists - The Money Trick.
I'm not saying this is the most important book of all time, but every time l return with family members to Liverpool, we visit his grave (Opposite Walton prison - now just before Rice Lane City Farm) as a mark of respect. The language is antiquated, but the message is unequivocal.

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albert finney, charlie bubbles and old trafford

So the great Albert Finney has passed away (last week). In all of the tributes to his great body of work, one that seems to have been forgotten is Charlie Bubbles, written by Shelagh Delaney and featuring some long forgotten Manchester sights, including what Manchester United's Old Trafford used to be like, before it evolved into the 'Theatre of Dreams', and kids could still afford to attend en mass.
Reminds me of when l was a lad, back in our day when it was all bomb sites etc blah blah blah blah blah blah......

                                                     
                                                     Shelagh Delaney on the Smiths covers

                                                         Excerpts from Charlie Bubbles



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off work with keef and the new mojo

I'm off work today, and have just been dossing about, trying to wake up while watching the latest episodes of Black Mirror, when this pops through my letterbox.
Get in!!
If l believed in a God of some kind, l'd be praising him (or her) at this moment

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recent work / holiday stuff

Some bits and pieces from the recent work trip to Fuerteventura at the start of February, including my reading material. As you can tell from the end photographs, the hotel was excellent and also empty - a great combination as far as l'm concerned.
It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it!

toodle pip 

my little holiday buddy

My little holiday buddy. How cute is he (or she?)

Birds love me - he / she stayed with me for ages

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danny baker's wife at the baftas

So, tonight it's the Baftas, where the great and good come out to party. Just don't believe everything you read though, as this picture from The Mirror site apparently shows Danny Baker and his wife Bonnie. You may well think Danny is punching above his weight, until you realise that he is married to Wendy (who he has gone on about for years) and the lady in the picture is actually one of his daughters.

It will probably be changed at some time, but in the meantime, the article is here.

For his tweets about the occasion, go here

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it's a hard life

While Britain has been freezing during the last week, l've been off to sunny foreign climes with work, and as you can see by the picture, staying in a  fancy hotel, getting a tan.
It's a hard life.

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At long last l'm back!!

Haven't posted for ages as l have been having some issues with the blog and a widgetserver link but it all seems fine now - so new posts will follow very soon.

Hurrah!!

Jamie

angry looking magpie in australia

I've only just seen this, but think it's a great picture / screenshot.
A Magpie in Queensland Australia swooping on a biker, which was captured superbly on their GoPro.
It looks annoyed!

Here's the full video



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listening to country music - it's great!!

While l've been off and cooking (see last post), l've also been listening to a fair amount of country music. But some of the less popular stuff (see screenshot below of the latest plays). It may well be that l'm getting older, but take it from me, l still love rowdy stuff. It's just good to have a change now and again and open your ears and mind to something different.
There's a couple of really good documentaries that feature this 'Outlaw / Outsider' country - Heartworn Highways and Heartworn Highways Revisited, sadly, not featuring a personal favourite of mine, Todd Snider.
Anyway, here's a clip l've put up more than once, the magnificent Townes Van Zant with 'Waiting around to die' (starts one minute in), plus some other corkers for you deification.



Larry Jon Wilson - Ohoopee River Bottomland (starts properly about 5.45)



John Prine and Bonnie Raitt - Angel from Montgomery



Guy Clark  -  LA Freeway



Todd Snider - Conservative Christian....



Here's an old classic that l grew up listening to - Marty Robbins - El Paso

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