recent books

 As I'm trying to cut back on the clutter in the house, l've started getting rid of books that l have just read, unless they are favourites or ones l do want to keep, for sentimental reasons, or to read again. These are the ones l have read recently that are going.

The Ian McEwan one l only realised l'd already read it with about three chapters to go.  I did think a part of the plot seemed pretty familiar, but it was also something l thought l may have read in another book. Saying that, l do read a lot, and probably read it when it was released, so a mere 25 years ago.

Toodle pip

official - boris johnson is a liar

The most unsurprising news of the year, and the most unsurprising newspaper front pages.

Rather sadly and totally predictably, this also applies to the right wing Johnson mouthpiece, The Mail.

Remember.  While Johnson repeatedly lied about parties, repeatedly broke lockdown rules that he had made, and repeatedly mislead (lied to) parliament, people were dying and not being able to comfort loved ones. The full report is here, Also remember, the journalists who are calling out Johnson for being a liar now, should have been doing it a long time ago.  They're just as responsible.  The police security at Downing Street must also have known about the parties, or they are pretty crap at their job. All complicit.

But of course the toady sycophantic right wig press have another view.

Toodle pip

you said peerage

 

takeaway success and failure

Rather rarely for me, last week l decided to get a takeaway from one of our local Gurkha Takeaways (little Buddha).  I asked for something that would taste like a Chicken Korma, and it was excellent. However, when asked if l wanted chips or rice, l opted for the rice, as l thought I'd have too much food with chips as well.  Unfortunately, I discovered afterwards the rice cost £5, l ended up not eating it, and also discovered you shouldn't keep it and reheat it for longer than a day, so it was wasted.

There was a lot of it though, and probably an excellent meal by itself if you happen to like rice. 

Toodle pip

boris - big boots to fill

 By Nick Newman in Private Eye

Toodle pip

silvio berlusconi is dead

 Good riddance to the old fascist. He won't be missed in this household.

Toodle pip

the past master at eton college's letter in the times

An honest assessment by John Claughton, a former master at Eton College, but  l would argue that the pupils attending Eton are already privileged and have a sense of self entitlement inbred into their psyche, that no schooling is going to address.  I'd abolish all public schools, so everyone can have the same kind of education. Then we'd see more money pumped into the system and also be able to highlight how thick some of these privileged knobheads are, and the fact that they are classed as charities is a fucking joke.

 

Toodle pip
 

Pop Will Eat Itself - Can U Dig It?

Calexico - Crystal Frontier

charlotte owen to the house of lords

Now obviously l am only guessing, but there must be a reason why this is happening, and my guess is, seeing that she is a young lady who worked with Johnson, and knowing what Johnson is like, sex is involved on some way.  A favour after sex or in the hope of sex, hush money after sex or attempted sex, or she's linked in some way to a previous sexual exploit of Johnson's.  Normally you follow the money trail.  In Johnson's case, you can follow the money and sex trail, and (I'm guessing), she not a multi millionaire Russian who could benefit Johnson, my money's on the sex trail. 

Watch this space - I'm sure more will be revealed. 

Toodle pip

max hastings on boris johnson

It's fair enough Max Hastings writing this in The Times, obliterating Boris Johnson, as any reasonably educated person would already know that what he writes is true.  However, Johnson has always been like this, and Max Hastings is one of the enablers that employed him (twice), after Johnson had already been sacked from his previous job for lying. People like Hastings are happy to support Johnson and his like when it is beneficial to themselves, so have no right to take the moral high ground now (although he has criticised Johnson over the last few years).

Toodle pip

Van Morrison - And the Healing Has Begun (Official Audio)

Beck - The Golden Age (Official Music Video)

richard vernon in goldfinger

 This is Richard Vernon, who played Colonel Smithers in the James Bond movie 'Goldfinger'.

Reader, he was 38 at the time.

Toodle pip

krishnan Guru-Murthy gets the tone right

 

the boris johnson supporting press

Yet again, the sycophantic press support Johnson with barefaced lies, no doubt hoping for their peerages in the future when he returns with an even more right wing party. It's a sad day when you have to rely on The Daily Star for honest reporting. The sad thing is, most people don't really follow politics at all, so will just believe the headlines. A reminder - The privileges committee was Tory favoured, and a vote in the Commons would have been Tory favoured as well. Johnson resigned to save his own skin from a possible by election defeat, and in his resignation letter, tries his best to disrupt or destroy the party that mainly supported him. Twat.

Never vote Tory.

Toodle pip

Kirk Franklin - Revolution

The Beatles - Revolution

Spacemen 3 - 'Revolution'

the question time fuckwit

This man was on BBC TV's Question Time last night, basically saying all parties are the same, plus..

"Both parties are incompetent. And those who are not incompetent are corrupt. Stay behind afterwards, both of you, have a word with me. I'll give you some home truths"

I'd have told him to fuck off, and look at what Labour achieved the last time they were in power, compared to the last 13 years of this corrupt, money grabbing (quite literally) Tory shit show, and wouldn't entertain him for a second, the bigoted knobhead. He's the sort of ignorant loudmouthed buffoons who are presented with way too much air time pontificating that all politicians are the same. That encourages others to not bother voting, or to question who they should be voting for, allowing the real bastards such as the Tories to get in. Unless Labour win the next election, this country is going to become much more right wing, and everyday peoples rights will be eviscerated.

Thanxs to people like this twat.

Toodle pip

trump, johnson and dorries on the same day

So - On the day Boris Johnson rewards his toady sycophants and fellow partygoers with peerages, Donald Trump is indicted, and Nadine Dorries resigns, closely followed by Johnson himself, as he is found to have lied to and misled parliament, and partied during lockdown, which would have forced a suspension on him, and a by election in the place he is never seen in, Uxbridge. No-one in Johnson's case can say this was unexpected, as this old cover of The New European above demonstrates..

Obviously Johnson's resignation letter is full of self pitying falsehoods and Donald Trump levels of self delusion and deflected blame, but the whole system is at fault.  The system which breeds such entitlement and old boys networks in the first place, which is then enabled by the majority of the press, and party donors after favours, with many no doubt promising vast rewards at the end of Johnson's tenure, needs to be abolished (but won't be).  Johnson (along with Trump) should be in prison, not just resigning (again). 

On a day l should be celebrating, there's still so much to be pissed off about, especially the honours list, (Including Mogg and Patel FFS) and don't get me started on the PPE scandal and Michelle Mone, it's probably not good for my blood pressure.  Time for the WhatsApp messages to be released to further expose their self serving corruption and incompetence.

What a bunch of fucking rotters.  The sooner they bugger off or are locked up, the better. 

Never vote Tory

Above by Cold War Steve, below by Peter Brookes /the Times.

Toodle pip

T.Rex - Mad Donna (The Cilla Black Show, 27/01/1973)

This was 50 years ago, but now in HQ.  Followed by Marc Bolan and Cilla Black duetting on 'Life's a Gas'.

Toodle pip

ian ure signs for manchester united

Every time l go over the river Ure, l remeber Ian Ure signing for Manchester United from Arsenal in 1969.  Obviously l own all the early copies of football magazines such as Shoot, Goal and Jimmy Hill's Football Weekly, and it was a time when footballers looked much older. Such as Ian Ure.

Reader - He was 29 when this photograph was taken.

Toodle pip

Louie Duffy's statement regarding Martin Duffy and Primal Scream

I'm a major fan of Primal Scream, and there are two sides to every story, but this statement from Louie Duffy regarding his father Martin Duffy's death, and Primal Scream's dealings with him, is pretty hard reading. What a sad state of affairs. 

See the statement here

Toodle pip

New York is not looking very nice today

 This is due to wildfires in Canada.  It is pretty unhealthy, but l'd also like to be there just to experience it.

Toodle pip

escaping criticism - pere borrell del caso

Now this is what you call a painting! It's Escaping Criticism, by Pere Borrell del Caso, from 1874. The 3D style is called Trompe-I'Oeil and is certainly effective.

Toodle pip

nothing does not exist

Everything you know could be wrong.  Ever heard of Quantum Foam?  Me neither.

Lot's more information here.

Toodle pip

Kirk Franklin - Something About the Name Jesus

the new york times savages the tory party

It's a shame the papers in the UK are mainly right wing and Tory supporting, as this piece from The New York Times should be parroted across our fearless and independent press, but of course that is not going to happen.  

 Toodle  pip

the singles chart - 1971

The UK Singles chart from November 27th 1971.  Some classics i there, and the rise of T'Rex about to take off!

Toodle pip
 

high hopes for the cup final

As  I am an optimistic, devil may care son of a gun, I'm actually looking forward to today's FA Cup Final between Manchester United and City. 

I've had a rare bet for Manchester United to win and Garnacho to score, and am wearing my lucky Eric Cantona 'Sardines' top.

What could possibly go wrong?

  Toodle pip

The Tom Robinson Band on Revolver 1978-07-15

This takes me back!  I used to love The Tom Robinson Band and liked them even more when Tom Robinson put a load of us on the guest list when we didn't have tickets. Obviously before the modern trend of fans having to pay for a meet and greet.

How times have changed.

Toodle pip

mr parrot - good and bad boy

Treated Mr Parrot to a day in the garden while l cut the grass. The little git then repaid me by chewing through the packaging of my drill box, while looking at it as though he was completely innocent.

Little git.

Toodle pip

today's charity shop haul

Today's charity shop haul. All for £4, although once again - I'm going to need a bigger house (or treatment).

Toodle pip

T.Rex - The Groover (Top of the Pops, 01/06/1973)

First time this has been available for 50 years.  From the Roger Hill Super 8 footage and Demon records.

Toodle pip

private eye - unwise but not illegal

 

cold war steve

 

the non existent uk / usa trade deal

It will come to no-ones surprise that this was all lies and there was no such deal, but duly reported as such by the client newspapers. They have now admitted they have given up all hope of a deal.

The most corrupt government l have ever known (and l'm old!).

Never vote Tory.

Toodle pip

tory corruption #22456

 

young ladies advice from the suffragettes

 Can't say l disagree

if carlsberg did karma