invites are out for the nhs emergency summit

This visualisation is by Ben Goldacre, and shows just who David Cameron sends the invites out to when calling for emergency summits regarding the NHS bill. Why does none of this surprise me?

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andy warhol injury photos by richard avedon

I was re-watching a documentary tonight about Lou Reed's  (excellent)  Transformer album, and when they spoke about Andy Warhol being shot (by Valerie Solanas), l was reminded of these splendid pictures of Andy by Richard Avedon, after Andy had been operated on. The scars put the one on my leg to shame.

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apt tattoo for knife in face guy

I bet he was glad he got to display his tattoo at the hospital, but that knife looks like it might smart a bit.

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space age pool table on radiance of the seas

This space age self balancing pool table is on board a cruise liner (Radiance of the seas), and the clip shows it operating in rough seas.

Outstanding stuff - exactly what technology should be used for.

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127 hours (2010) - danny boyle

James Franco film stuff above - the real life Aron Ralston stuff below

The true story of a trip that went wrong, 127 Hours stars James Franco as a better looking version of the real life Aron Ralston, who went for a hike in the Blue John Canyon, Utah, and ended up getting his right arm trapped by a boulder in a slot canyon. Unable to escape, he eventually had to cut off his own arm with a crappy 2 inch knife attached to a multi tool (after breaking the bones first). Rather him than me - l'd have stayed and given up. Mind you, my blubber would have kept me going for a while, and l'd have drank my own piss and eaten some ants before the water ran out (but that's another story).
The film mainly has Franco filmed alone in the canyon, but there are also flashbacks, a short back story, and some hallucinations. After all, you've always got to include some kind of love interest, even telling a true story like this.
The film flew by, and the suspense never eased up, which must have been a difficult thing to achieve, seeing as most people would know the true story (and the ending) beforehand. Franco was excellent in it, but maybe should have called on some of his Green Goblin powers to try to escape. I think Danny Boyle should have included the swimming sequence with the two girls (if it had to be included at all), as a hallucination, rather than an event (which never happened), but that was my only quibble. I enjoyed it so much, l am off to have a celebratory drink of my own urine, nibble on some rabbit droppings, and trim my fingernails as a homage. I thought about trapping myself in the airing cupboard, but l'm not that stupid.

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super hero costumes for dogs

This makes me want to go out and steal a dog just so l can dress it up (not for the first time).
Costumes are available here.
Only $11.40!

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steve martin - born standing up

I finished Steve Martin's 'Born Standing Up' in the bath yesterday evening, and it was really interesting, if you are interested in comedy, fame, magic and death (which, of course, l am).
It deals with his upbringing, up to achieving (and dealing with) his fame, and the later death of his parents, but is mainly about trying to make it for years, constantly changing his act to be new and original, and his anxiety attacks, probably bought on by too much work and stress (with the help of some drugs).
It is not a hilarious book by any means, but the parts about his drive and desire to learn, plus his insights into dealing with fame, are fascinating and well written, and the death of his parents and his relationships with them was very moving.
It's just a shame about 'The Pink Panther' and 'Sgt Bilko' remakes.
Recommended.

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beatles 'a hard day's night' lobby cards

More crap that l could easily collect. Lobby cards from cinema showings. I used to have some when l was younger, but they were lost years ago, when moving house.
Here's some l would like now, The Beatles 'A Hard Day's Night' ones.
Another collection to be cracking on with.

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the trip bbc series - 2010

This series could so easily have been a bit of a luvvie fest, as it features two friends (Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon), travelling Oop North to review some posh restaurants for The Observer newspaper. Coogan and Brydon play exaggerated versions of themselves, and are shown amusing each other, bickering, and being competitive with quotes, accomplishments and impressions. The Trip also portrays Brydon as a happy family man, and Coogan as a lonely individual, searching for love and striving to be taken seriously, but caught between two worlds. At one point he falls into a river while crossing it, and Brydon shouts he's 'Stuck in a metaphor'.
It took some persuading for the FPO to watch it, and l was not keen myself when it was first shown, but we both found it hilarious and sad. Even more sadly, it made us think meals where cheap when they were £50 per person. Where the Hell have my working class credentials disappeared to? I did think it was good at the end when they said the cheap fry up in the sunshine was as good (if not better) than most of the meals they had (like a good KFC, or sausage and mash can beat most meals).
They should definitely do another series, but stop then (like Fawlty Towers).

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off work and crying to john prine and the trip

Here's John singing the tale of the two girls and a rocky marriage



Bonnie Raitt singing John's Angel from Montgomery, which she has made her own. Some superb lyrics and a real feel of regret and yearning

If dreams were thunder
Lightning was desire
This old house it would've burned down
A long time ago


I'm still off work and been indoors for the majority of the time, which is fine by me. However, l am still going to bed really late and then waking and getting up early, so l have had a distinct lack of sleep for the last couple of weeks. This has resulted in a tear coming to my eye whenever l have been listening to sentimental songs, or watching decent comedy. This has not been helped by listening to some John Prine and watching The Trip (more from that later). Saying that, it's great! Makes you feel alive (and surprised l have a still functioning heart (albeit a dodgy one), not a lump of black coal in it's place).
Might have an early night tonight though, as post is expected tomorrow, and l don't want to sleep through the knocking.


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the hurt locker (2008) - kathryn bigelow

Although l enjoyed The Hurt Locker, it still fell into the old cliché of having a maverick (William James - played by Jeremy Renner) having issues, being a loner, working to his own methods, and  putting others in danger (but obviously getting results), to such an extent, his performance felt like a parody (although it was praised by most).
The film was also let down by some of the unbelievable sequences, such as James going out of the compound by himself looking for a child's killers, and also persuading his two colleagues to give chase where they think a bomber is hiding (it's best if we split up'), without informing anyone else, and after being told that 'It's infantry's job').
There is enough tension involved with the areas and situations that they were put in, let alone the dismantling of the bombs, without having to go down the same route as so many other movies.
I thought they should have just shown the squad at an arbitrary point in time, and the tensions they are under. Squad members (not those sort of members) could have been fired at and blown up at random, with no great rhyme or reason, and new blood shown taking their places. Then, you would have ongoing, relentless tension, as you would never be who (if any) would survive any of the incidents (like at the beginning of the film).
The film could also just end at a random point, with more new squad members arriving (or straight after another death), to highlight that the insanity just goes on.
I should have been involved in sorting this out before it was made, it would have been so much better and hard hitting. Ah well, close but no cigar.
Next time, they should call me first.

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the real david bailey and jean shrimpton

                                              David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton back in the day

 Jean

 Jean and David

                                                                               Jean

 David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton, yesterday.

After the last post - here's the real deal.

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we'll take manhattan - bbc 2012

It's David and Jean! (not really)

It's Jean! (not really)

It's a pretty young Bailey! (not really)

It's an iconic shot (really)

Gor blimey guvn'r, this was a right old carry on, and no mistake.
We'll Take Manhattan follows the young David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton, as they travel to Manhattan in 1962 for a Vogue photographic assignment, with the Vogue old guard  in tow to keep an eye on them.
Of course Bailey ignores instructions, demands Shrimpton is used, shoots the pictures his own way (Whaat! No tripod!) and is applauded as a genius on his return.
It's a love story between Bailey and Shrimpton, and a clash of the old and new, but it was like watching Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, just totally unbelievable.
The cockerneee was either over the top, hardly there at all, or the rhyming slang just weren't right (Surely it should have been 'Eartha's', not 'Eartha Kitt's').
Although Karen Gillian is attractive, she is not in the same class as 'The Shrimp', as there is just some magical element missing that is (admittedly) hard to define. They should have put a wig on Aneurin Barnard (who played Bailey) and used him as the model instead, the handsome young self confident tyke.
A right old cockernee knees up laugh out loud and slap your thighs program, but not in the way the makers would have wanted it to be.
Bailey even gets to slag of the Beatles who he hears singing 'Love Me Do' on the flight home (he doesn't like skiffle). That was ironically shoehorned in to represent the new world coming.
Slapped wrists all round (and cancel the pearl necklace's).
Alright guv' (Now jog on).

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old valentine day cards

Saucy cards from back in the day. More cards here.

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valentine day cards

I should just print one of these off and save myself some money.

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you will meet a tall dark stranger (2010) - woody allen

One of the recent Woody Allen films set in London, albeit an upmarket, clean and interesting version of The Smoke that has avoided me most of the times l have visited it.
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger deals with faith bringing consolation and hope, even if it is false faith, and may also prove to be wrong. There are various break ups, and the difficulties of trying to find new relationships, which can be problematic if a partner is still in love with his dead wife (as one example).
It's not too taxing, and certainly not too intellectual, even for a Woody Allen film, but it is outrageously middle class, and exists in a world where just about everyone is an artist, writer, gallery owner, talented musician, book store owner, or work for the foreign office.
Jealous?
Me?
Of course I am - l'm a bitter working class Scouser, who's had it hard (phnaar).
Still enjoyed it though.

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