Mike Bloomfield: Drinking Wine Live!!

Toyah & Robert's - Sunday Lockdown Lunch - Enter The Sandman

My favourite video from their lockdown songs. Can't think why

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Robert Calvert Ejection

Bob Calvert - The Right Stuff

CNN "young stupid and white"

Tin Star - Disconnected Child

MILK KAN - GOD WITH AN IPOD (new HD version)

THE SWAN SILVERTONES - If you believe your god is dead (try mine) - HOB ...

Lord Jamar (of Brand Nubian) - "Revolution" (feat. Horse & Reality Allah...

Spacemen 3 - 'Revolution'

The Box Tops - I Met Her In Church

The Box Tops - The Letter (Upbeat 1967)

Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Midnight Moses - Cleveland School of Rock

Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Midnight Moses 1973

the lockdown eating isn't that healthy

The lockdown eating hasn't been that healthy.  I've finally managed to make decent potato cakes (add plenty of butter afterwards), and have been followed them up with cheese, crackers and wine. Yum Yum!

On the other hand, l haven't been eating all of my food.  I've just had to throw away some rolls and cheese, as, despite my rubbish sense of smell, even l could tell they may have gone off a bit.

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political books

If l've been a bit political recently, this recent reading probably hasn't helped.  Then again, with Boris and Trump in power, politics is pretty important.

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laura nyro at monterey 1967

I was watching the out-takes of the Monterey Festival from 1967 last night (as you do), and thought l'd share this mesmerising footage of Laura Nyro from it.  There's only her performance of Poverty Train, plus the end of Wedding Day Blues, but it is outstanding, even to these noise raddled ears and ravaged old eyes. Amazing to think that she apparently thought at the time that she was not liked at the festival and was not well received.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of footage of her to be found anywhere, but she was a special talent, and her first three albums are exceptional, although she is better known for other people covering her songs.

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the new european trump and the corrupt boris

 

A great cover by The New European. Only a few days to go until the would be dictator is removed, but l expect a lot more violence on the day and many days before then. As a general rule of thumb, right wing fanatical supporters who have been constantly lied to, stoked up, and have ownership of military grade weapons, is not a good thing in the lead up to a democratic inauguration. There's an excellent article about how Qanon type beliefs take hold which l was trying to add here (with no success), but if you are interested (and it is well worth it) ...

Look here

Rather sadly, the future of democracy is looking more fragile every year, and l also apply that to the UK and  Boris Johnson's corrupt money grabbing, two faced government, who have been using the same tactics as Trump, chipping away at democracy with blatant lies and lawbreaking since they gained power, and rather sadly, just at the time we need a strong but fair and compassionate  leadership. The right wing press barons and their apologists have a lot to answer for.

Never mind, we've now got blue passports and happy fish.

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Harvey Weinstein, Jeff Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell at Princess Beatrice's 18th

 After the post below about people l would like to have a night out with, here's the opposite.

Prince Andrew might not sweat, but he's got a lot to answer for inviting these three to his daughter's 18th. Then again, l guess they were close personal friends, although he's bound to deny that now.

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going out on new years eve with george best and billy Connelly

 If l was able to go out tonight, here's two fine fellows from a few years ago where l'm sure I'd be guaranteed a wild night out. Billy Connelly and George Best. George in this photo (from 1977) looks as though he thinks Billy might be a bit too much for him. And that is one hell of a statement.

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one of the many reasons why bob dylan is great - a routine playboy magazine answer

 He's not just been an all round genius in music, he's also funny as fuck.

Ladies and Gentlemen (and all of other persuasions), l present to you Bob Dylan's answer to a routine question in Playboy.

Happy New Year

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the new york post turns on donald trump

 It's about time, but The New York Post has finally decided Donald Trump should admit he's lost the election. In what other kind of mad world would it have taken so long?  I understand people want to keep jobs and feed their families, but they should have been on the side of democracy straight away.

Rather sadly, l think the Biden presidency will be a blip, and there will be a lot more right wing fuckers in power in the future

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charles dozsa on how to behave when being arrested

If l had a pound for every time l have watched this, l could retire to dine on succulent chinese meals for the rest of my life. Charles Dozna deals with being arrested in an impeccable manner.  For those that don't know, he used to bugger off from food establishments without paying.  I'd have happily paid for his meal if l could have the privilege of having one with him. What a class pisshead.

GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY PENIS!

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verrazzano bridge swaying in high winds

Because of high winds, New York's Verrazano Bridge had to close. I'm impressed by how much it's moving in this video, but more impressed by the noise it makes. I could listen to that all day on a loop. You could market this as an alternative to whale songs.

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ruben's cupid escapes at brussels airport

This looks absolutely amazing.  Ruben's Cupid escaping from the painting at Brussels Airport and flying around.  I can't believe there are so many people in the airport not interested in watching it, as l would go out of my way by quite a bit to witness this.  Hats off to all the people responsible.

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how to play any AC/DC song in 30 seconds 🎸

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the brexit festival

 

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the vibra finger

 I bet this Vibra-Finger wasn't used to massage gums, no matter what the advert says.

                                          

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when the pubs open again

 This will be me when the pubs are open again without the restrictions

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lager and scotch eggs

So the pubs are back open for business in our neck of the woods, as long as there is a substantial meal with the booze, which, according to Michael Gove, can be a couple of scotch eggs.  Looks like he's saving his for later.

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someone's selling my old sofa in bootle

 It looks like John in Bootle is selling my old sofa.  What a bargain.

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elaine paige having cock

l've only just seen this from earlier on in the lockdown, but it certainly made me laugh. Elaine Paige dealing with the lockdown with cock, according to The Telegraph. At least she took it well (Fnaaar)

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georgia elections official gabriel sterling condemns trump

More of this kind of talk please. Gabriel Sterling slams President Trump for encouraging violence against his team.  It could be argued that as a Republican, he should have spoken out earlier, but at least he is doing it now, and he is right.  Other Republicans and many news outlets are should also back this kind of talk up, but l'm not holding my breath. Trump's deranged rhetoric will end up costing people their lives, but sadly, l don't think he cares, and l also think he probably wants it to end in violence, maybe even to declare a state of emergency as a grab for extended power. Nothing that twat does would surprise me. 

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our glorious leaders

 I take no credit for this, but agree wholeheartedly

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the brexit omnishambles

I've argued the Brexit point before of rich capitalist bastards trying to do away with regulations, but there's an excellent article in The Guardian a couple of days ago that l have just read by George Monbiot that goes deeper.  Here's a part of it, and the full article can be found here.

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donald trump sitting at his tiny desk

I bet this is produced a  flashback for the orange skinned bullying morally bankrupt charlatan when he had to repeat years due to his general ignorance and belief of self importance, against the teacher's revenge for him being a knobhead.

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history is made - dennis the menace meets gnasher

I haven't posted any comic related nonsense for a while, so here's a beauty, which I'm old enough to remember reading at the time, whilst lying in my bedroom in Bootle, listening to the trains go by.  Dennis the Menace meets Gnasher for the first time.  From The Beano, issue number 1363, August 31st 1968.  Drawn by David Law.

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carl and rob hate everyone cartoon

I don't know which artist is responsible for this cartoon, but it certainly appealed to my sense of humour

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owen paterson mp

 Just leaving this here with no comment

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the infinite universe

I've lived my life not believing in a creator, nor an afterlife of the Heaven or Hell type variety, but believing space is infinite, with infinite possibilities.  This renders our lives on this tiny planet insignificant, and l'm happy with that, but think people should enjoy life as they wish, but try not to harm others.  One of the early arguments about space being infinite, therefore with infinite amounts of stars, is why is the night sky not lit up with them, rather than dark?  Obviously the fault is with our poor optics and the vast distances of the stars, but with advanced technology, we are getting there.  As evidence, here's a recent photograph from the Hubble Space Telescope of a mere 500 million stars (roughly) in the Andromeda Galaxy.

Remember - enjoy life while you can.  There's bugger all else.

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the great boulevards of paris (I grandi verdi parigi) by konstantin korovin and pierre-auguste renoir

I've nothing profound to say about the Konstantin Korovin (1861 - 1939) painting 'The Great Boulevards in Paris' (I Grandi Viali Parigi) apart from l saw it for the first time the other night, and it makes me want to go back there, drink some red wine (and possibly some absinth), until l can view it like this myself. I actually prefer it to the similar painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) with the same name (below it).  Love it.

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rupert murdoch cookies cartoon

I don't know who is responsible this cartoon, but it is always worth sharing to remind people of some of the real enemies.  

It's also similar to 'The Great Money Trick' in Robert Tressell's 'The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists', which is well worth reading or re-reading, and l've blogged about before.

If you think this makes Murdoch appear racist, l pass no judgement, but here's a couple of old cartoons from his papers

                   The New York Times, 2009, referring to Obama after the police had shot a chimp

                                                           The Australian,  June 2020

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diego maradona has left the building

Although l grew up loving George Best, Diego Maradona is in with a good shout of being classed as the greatest footballer of all time, especially during the time he was playing for Naples.  He obviously had many issues, but that just made him more human, especially coming from the dirt poor background he had, and didn't distract from his enormous talent and ability to alter the outcome of games, despite (like Best) some of the ferocious tackling he had to endure. Personally, although it was annoying that he got away with the 'Hand of God' against England, most other players on that pitch would have done the same thing if they could have, so l've no issues with it (apart from the debate about players wanting to cheat in the broader sense, but that's for another day). Lionel Messi has been the modern days nearest equivalent to Maradona, and some (insane) people prefer Cristiano Ronaldo, but comparisons are kind of pointless, as they involve different types of games and opposition, but Maradona was certainly something very very special, and should be lauded for his exceptional skills, outrageous balance, and bravery on the field.  There's an excellent piece by Maradona's former Argentina teammate Jorge Valdano in The Guardian (look here), which is an infinitely superior tribute than anything l could muster up and is well worth reading.

I love this film of Maradona warming up and juggling a football, and speaking from personal experience as someone who could also do lots of tricks with a football, Maradona's touch is gobsmacking. Another great player who will be missed by anyone with a love for the game.

On the other hand, l have nothing but contempt for the way he mistreated his records

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latest dispatches from cold war steve

 More excellent stuff from Cold War Steve.  Enjoy!

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barack obama being cool (again)

Here's a reminder of what a true leader should be like, intelligent, cool, charismatic, and compassionate.  We could do with him now.

And a reminder that, after 9/11, this man was being touted as a possible future president

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priti patel bullying charges and the rule breaking

So, at long last, the bullying investigation regarding Priti Patel has been leaked to the press, and it's a good job it was, as there is no way our great and glorious leader Boris Johnson would have released it.  This time, the rather delightful Ms Patel was found to have been in breach of The Ministerial Code (again), but the bullying may have 'been carried out unintentionally' (but did cause the resignation of Philip Rutnam, the then Home Office Permanent Secretary). If this was her first offence, l would have had some sympathy for her, although a lot more for the victims.  However, this is the third time she has been accused of it, in three different departments, and has already had to settle out of court and pay damages with a former employee (and has already had to resign once for previously breaking The Ministerial Code). She is a serial offender. Who would have expected that from her? Even the apology was a classic case of a non apology along the lines of 'I'm sorry if other people have been offended'. Of course Boris Johnson has backed her, and gone against the report, basically dismissing it, and getting other MPs to show support to her, leading to the resignation of the person who oversaw the report, Sir Alex Allan, Whitehall's independent advisor on ministerial standards, who at least has shown some backbone. If Ms Patel had burned the report in the middle of The Houses of Parliament and crapped on it, Boris would just say she hadn't, and exonerate her, saying the matter was now closed, but that does not make it right. However, what do you expect from this rule breaking government, in anti bullying week, and just after axing anti LGBT bullying projects in schools?  All they have done is lie and bluff, meanwhile lining the pockets of their friends and backers, with a total disregard of what is expected of a government, which should be leading by example, especially in the middle of a crisis and the Brexit shitshow.  Apart from their general ineptitude and disregard for what is right (such as feeding hungry children), l do think that it is also a deliberate ploy to undermine democracy, rather  like Trump has been doing in America.  Once all the rules as are no longer effective, and the population becomes blasé about the rule breaking, they are free to do away with freedoms, worker protection, housing regulations, and all the other irritating titbits that prevent the rich getting richer. All of this is being done right in front of our eyes both here and in America, and things are only going to get worse. Well done to all of the fuckwits who voted these bastards in, and expected them to change, show compassion, and not be corrupt. I didn't expect anything else.

There may well be some kind of a civil war in America soon, but where's a revolution when you want one?

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part of the reason people shouldn't buy the daily mail

This is only part of the reason people shouldn't buy The Daily Mail.  They're absolute scum, and the government's press buddies hounding of Marcus Rashford looks as though it has already started.  Twats.

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des o'connor

Des O'Connor, who has just died, always came across as a very pleasant, self deprecating man, and was certainly up for making fun of himself with Morecombe and Wise, a staple from many peoples childhoods. Although he had a extremely long career, partaking in many forms of showbiz, he released many, many records, some of which (such as 'I Pretend') l don't actually mind (although l would never dream of buying any of them). However, my favourite ones of his were the listing of celebrities, of which he had a few versions. This was very clever indeed, and what a memory, even in his dotage. If he only had the one version it would be impressive enough, but changing it over the years is even more so. If l was wearing a hat l would raise it to him.

Here's one version

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turn off your mind

If the Covid lockdown is getting on your nerves and driving you up the wall, just relax and look at the picture. That's it......relax.....drift away........

Now send me all your money and the keys to your house - you'll remember nothing in the morning

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a one eyed shark caught off mexico

 A one eyed shark that was caught off the coast of Mexico. If it's real, it manages to be both cute and spooky at the same time.

Photo by Enrique Lucero Leon  

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the new blue passport

Just Fuck off with your precious blue passport and stick it where the son doesn't shine. The passport that actually makes life worse for us. Congratulations you poisonous git, and where's the report on your bullying charges?

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the macaulay library of wildlife

As if l haven't found enough ways to waste time and avoid the dusting,  this was recently recommended to me.  It's the Macaulay Library Archive that provides copious amounts of scientific information about wildlife.  However, as a rather magnificent bonus, you can also play various recordings of them.  Mr Parrot is not enjoying it as much as me, and is currently losing the small amount of marbles he still has left.

Their website is here.  Enjoy

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the proposed new vaccine roll out

 That's me sorted at least  -  #1 on the list, and not because l'm an old git.  Obviously l'm indestructible, but what a result!!  Not just a care home worker, but also a peripatetic one, although l suppose that may change in the future.

But hold on a minute   -   In related news.....

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golf european masters 2020 - john rahm's water skip hole in one

I'm no fan of  golf, but fuck me!  What a shot!!

 

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sir john major's treasurer's lecture - november 9th 2020 – the state we're in

Although John Major is a Conservative, this is a pretty good speech about the state we are in at the moment.  From The Treasurer's Lecture, 9th November 2020.  Text is on John Major's site.

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a solar flare against the earth

 Solar flare 10 21 10 by Jason Major.  The circle at the top left corner is the scale size of The Earth.

  We are all so insignificant in the great scheme of things*

* There is no great scheme

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how more reporters should be - cnn's poppy harlow threatens to shut down Brian Morgenstern.

This is how presenters should act now when unfounded allegations about voter fraud or basic everyday lies by Boris and his chums are being aired without too much scrutiny. The rather excellent Poppy Harlow from CNN threatens to shut the interview down when Brian Morgenstern tries to discredit the New York Times reporters a month or so ago.

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colourised snowball fight in lyon, france 1896, plus les enfants terribles and la machine infernale by jean cocteau

An 1896 colourised Lumiere brothers film of a snowball fight in Lyon, France. As usual, the colourisation process (details of the process used is here) really brings it to life, and,  trying not to sound like too much of a pretentious twat, it reminded me of 'Les Enfants Terribles' by Jean Cocteau (1929), which l have recently re-read, and which starts with a snowball fight in Paris. You can really imagine the people in this film being around and involved in the same kind of mayhem, although it doesn't end well in the book.

To be even more pretentious, the above book was at least the English translation, but l am currently (very slowly) struggling with the French version of  Cocteau's 'La Machine Infernale', and trust me, l only know very basic French, so am painstakingly translating parts l don't understand.  This may take some time, so it's lucky l also have other reading material on the go at the same time. I need more time off work for these kind of endeavours.  No wonder l never get round to cleaning up and finishing the painting jobs.

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priti patel and the immigration bill

Great stuff Priti.  So this means that non of us Brits (or Scousers) can work, travel, live or retire freely in the many European countries that we used to be able to.  Well done indeed you glory hunting, smug, dogs arse of a  mouth hobgoblin.  And fuck off if you think l believe you were taken out of context regarding starving the Irish, or that your self satisfied smile during the TV interview a while ago is your normal relaxed facial expression. You're a fucking liar who treats the populace as idiots.  Don't forget to take Cummings,  Gove, Johnson,  Hancock, Raab and all the other fuckwits with you, and don't fucking come back.

And in related news....

Good job they never tried coming here on a boat, as Priti would not have had their best intentions at heart

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wank the dog colouring competition

Those crazy Japanese!  Currently, there's the competition being run to colour in an outline of a dog.  Nothing unusual there you may think, apart from the fact the dog is called wank (wank the dog). If you live in Nagasaki and want to enter the competition, the full details are here.

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