football, bloody hell (the biography of alex fergusun) - patrick barclay

'Football, Bloody Hell' was the famous line uttered by Alex Ferguson (now Sir Alex) after the 1999 Champions League final (European Cup final in old money) after Manchester United had come back from 1-0 down in the dying moments to win the game 2-1 in injury time.  Football doesn't get much more emotionally draining, as that was also the culmination of a treble, and as a Manchester United fan, watching the game at Nevada Smiths in New York, following United could only go downhill afterwards.
However, l still persevere, there's always a new season (with or without Alex Ferguson), and always more football to watch, and football books to read.
This biography didn't tell me a lot that l didn't already know, but Patrick Barclay is a reporter from the old school, who goes way back with his knowledge of players, managers, events and games, so it was still highly entertaining for the likes of me.  Like Ferguson himself, Barclay can be a stubborn old coot with strong opinions (catch him on Sunday Supplement), but l am all for that (being one myself).
Now l'm eagerly awaiting Ferguson's autobiography - out before Christmas!.
I'll admit it, I'm an addict.

toodle pip

the construction of the hoover dam

Whenever l go to great structures, l am usually astounded at the time, effort, and skill that had been used to build them, and how impressive they are.  I wouldn't know where to start on such large projects (apart from delegating all of the work).
The Hoover Dam, between Arizona and Nevada, is a fine example. The construction of it, even more so. When there, standing at (or on) the edge, it is mightily impressive, and well worth the trip out to see it it if you are in Las Vegas (hire a car).
It was built in the mid 1930's and previously known as The Boulder Dam, drawing it's water from The Colorado river, forming Lake Mead, and like anything high up, it draws you to the edge, or at least it does to me (as did The Grand Canyon).
About 100 people lost their lives working on the dam, and l wouldn't be taking a wild guess that they would have been the poor old labourers, working for peanuts (whether they were allergic to them or not),  who, during the depression (when it was built), Health and Safety regulations would have been pretty slack, or non existent as far as they were concerned.
Still mightily impressive, and an excuse to feature this song.

Sugar - Hoover Dam.



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ben leshchinsky photographs of easter island

What fantastic photographs these are. They are by Ben Leshchinsky and have the Easter Island statues (Moai) set against The Milky Way in the background.  The top one would look great in a large frame.
If only the house was bigger.

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felix dennis in leeds

Off to Leeds with Rocker yesterday to see Felix Dennis reading his poetry, accompanied with all the free wine you can drink.  I thought there might be a catch (apart from the train tickets costing £22.70), but the waiters kept coming to our table and dropping off new bottles whenever there was the slightest hint that we (or the others on the table) were running out.  The reading of the poetry was a lot better than l expected, and Felix also told some brief tales about people he has had dealings with, such as John Lennon and Germaine Greer. We hit The Stone Roses bar afterwards, then a taxi to my brothers to crash out there.  He couldn't come and meet us as he was working till 11pm, but we managed to entertain ourselves, especially talking to people from Batley in The Ship pub on Briggate beforehand (cheap, noisy, rough and cheerful - and that was just us). Rocker had earlier driven to Northallerton, as we thought we would get a return train ticket each so we could hit the centre of Leeds straight away when we got there. A wise (but expensive) move. I have since had a soak in the bath to rid myself of the Leeds grime, and am especially pleased l decided to take today off work, so l could lounge around and chill out.  Stone me - what a life.




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everton fans in london for the 1906 fa cup final

Football is not the same as it used to be, everybody understands that, but that goes for the fans as well. Here are some Everton supporters in London for the 1906 FA Cup final against Newcastle United. I wonder if my grandad was amongst them?

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the etymologicon (mark forsyth) and l am the secret footballer (dave kitson?)

Two of the books that l got for my birthday from Louise and Dazzer (and Lolly).  I read 'The Secret Footballer' in one sitting, and found it pretty interesting, as it enlightened me with the odd detail l wasn't aware of beforehand, such as top players having their boots broken in for them before they wear them. However, l actually preferred Mark Forsyth's 'The Etymologicon', as it was full of the sort of useless information that l thrive on, even if l do tend to forget most of the stuff afterwards (that will be the old age and drugs). It is also handy for picking up and reading the odd page here and there (especially on the loo). I am appeased!

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the scale of the planets

After the earlier post about the planets close to Earth, here's the scale of them.  The one that shows the Earth in relation to our Sun emphasis just how tiny and insignificant we are in the great scheme of things.

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penguin horror books re-imagined

These Penguin books are a collaboration between art director Paul Buckley, and the film director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth amongst others). They look so good that they make me want to go and buy them again (which l suppose is the point).

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the planets close to earth - ron miller

 Jupiter

 Mars

 Mercury

 The Moon itself

 Neptune

 Saturn

 Uranus

Venus

Ever wondered what the planets would look like if they were the same distance away from us as the Moon? Wonder no more, as artist Ron Miller has produced all of the above. Uranus and Jupiter look the best to me, as Jupiter looks amazing, but Uranus is downright spooky.

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glastonbury tickets and the stones at hyde park

So, once again the Glastonbury Festival tickets have gone on sale and been snapped up straight away.  What a surprise. I could rant all night about how safe and middle class it has become, and just another thing to tick off as a social occasion, rather than a gathering of the freaks and the great unwashed (of whom l consider myself a member).  Once upon a time, back in the olden days, rock music was a form of individuality and rebellion, an outsider interest that would annoy your parents. Now they (mainly the middle class ones) are as likely to attend the festivals as their children. I'd rather there was nakedness, drugs a plenty, and a feeling of chaos, even if it was sometimes a bit dodgy, or your tent got slashed (as mine did at Glastonbury). Much more appealing to me than wall to wall TV coverage, and endless photos of Kate Moss and her ilk slumming it in their wellies, and half of the bands looking and sounding the same. Where are the dropouts and the real alternative folk?  Priced out for one thing.
Check out The Rolling Stones at Hyde park back in the 1960's.  All sorts down at the front, plus some free space.  Now it would be full of 20 year olds and their parents, crushed up and singing along in unison as they all recycle the hits one more time (The Last Time?).  Try getting that close to Mick Jagger nowadays.
Modern life is (in some ways) rubbish.

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jimi hendrix pop art poster

Imagine having this pop art poster on your wall in the 1960's while you were lying around, indulging in free love, smoking pot, taking acid, and listening to Jimi Hendrix while he was still alive and young.
It is from 1967, was on the cover of 'OZ' magazine, and is by Martin Sharp. Reproductions available here.
Colour me jealous.

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going to the dentist in newcastle

Darlington train station 

 Coming into Newcastle

 My  Nemisis

£12.30 for a day return!!

A toilet wall in Bar Loco

A rather dodgy looking record cover on that wall

What a day l've had today.  I had a 3.15pm appointment at the Dental hospital in Newcastle and decided to go up early by train from Darlington, rather than driving and trying to find a decent parking place nearby.  It was a splendidly sunshiny day and l perused the charity and record shops before my appointment, which passed the time rather nicely (Record shop grandad?? It's  all CD's and downloads these days). My glorious day in the sunshine came to an abrupt end when l hit the dentist chair, as l was massaged (not in a good way), manhandled, examined, scrapped, electrocuted, and then X-Rayed afterwards. This was because it was my first appointment at the Dental Hospital, and they managed to get me an X-Ray slot straight away. No wonder l don't like dentists, even if Zara (my current one) is loveliness itself.  I then went for a couple of ales in The Trent House and Bar Loco to recover my composure, indulged in a bit of shopping, and headed home, already dreading the next appointment in a couple of weeks.  Bloody dentists.  Maybe l saw 'Marathon Man' at too early an age (Is it safe?), or was scarred by the crappy butchers/dentist that used to be in Catterick, but either way, it's not something l look forward to.  Then again, l suppose not many people do.  If l could just overcome my fear of the dentists chair and spiders, l would be sorted, as l am now indestructible, and l can handle anything else.

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breaking bad - my take and family guy's take

Ok Ok, I know everyone has been gushing about Breaking Bad, but as l have recently watched all of the episodes from the beginning to the bitter end (over 60 hours worth!), l thought l should at least post something, but without giving the ending away (although everybody probably knows it by now). I had seen the first series years ago, but decided to start again so l wouldn't miss anything significant, and I'm glad l did. It was one of the best TV dramas that l have ever seen, even if l thought they were clutching at straws a bit towards the end, with the involvement of the Nazis. Saying that, the 'Ozymandias' episode in season 5  was the best of the lot, and will be up there as one of the best hours worth of TV - ever!. For those that don't know, it is a poem by Shelly about the decline and disappearance of a once great ruler, and let's just say the title was perfect.
The cinematography throughout the series was interesting, quirky and evocative, and as for the acting,  Walter White (Bryan Cranston) performance was colossus, and most of the supporting characters added an immense amount to the story arc, tension, comedy and believability. Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) as Walt's sidekick was magnificent, but there were so many others that also excelled, especially the fast food owner Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), general all round fixer Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), and lawyer to the poor and the dodgy, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk).
My abiding memories will be the shots of the desert and the inside of machines, the walk out of a room after an explosion (with the unexpected facial shot afterwards), plus the high levels of tension and numerous twists and turns that kept you always wanting more (rather like the metamphetamines they were cooking).
It has now joined the likes of The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Boys From the Blackstuff in my personal higher echelon of televisual delights.
I suppose now l should get round to watching The Wire.

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