Noel Gallagher is always a great interviewee, and this months The Word magazine interview is no exception. However, the cover illustration by Howard McWilliam is even better. Rather sadly, l think l am turning into him (Noel, not Howard, and without the money). 
I thought this had to be a joke, but it turns out Downs Designs are making specially made clothes for people with Down's Syndrome. 
After the post below about the flooding in Thailand, here are some pretty excellent weather pictures. I don't know who took them, but it certainly wasn't me (I wish l had).
I was talking to Jit after the football yesterday, and he was telling me about the flooding that has been happening in Thailand, and how bad it is (he has a Thai wife who is visiting family back in Thailand at the moment). I didn't even know there had been any flooding (I'm a busy man etc), but have just been checking out some of the photographs of it. In amongst them was the photograph of the old feller above, who is currently being rehoused in a shelter. I don't know how old he is, but he certainly has a lot of wrinkles (or laughter lines). Poor sod - he sure aint laughing now.
Yesterday David Cameron unveiled changes planned to the Life in the UK citizenship test, which must be taken by all those seeking indefinite leave to remain or who apply for a British passport. Could you pass the test as it stands?
The test is here.
I watched 'The Grave of The Fireflies' with the FPO the other night, and she was in tears nearly all the way through it. That does not mean it is a bad film (or l had done something wrong), in fact it is quite the opposite, as it is superb, although pretty gloomy. Based on a true story of the same name (by Akiyuki Nosaka) of the bombing of Kobe during the Second World War and his sisters death through malnutrition, it deals with a young boy (Seita) trying to survive and keep his sister alive after Kobe has been destroyed, and the hardships they endure. Brilliant, and who cares if it is animation, you soon get sucked into the story and swept away with the tale. Very similar to the 'Barefoot Gen' graphic novels by Keiji Nakazawa, which are also superb and highly recommended. Go and get your money out and buy this stuff immediately! (the film might still be on Sky, so funds can maybe be saved on that).
Rebel Without A Cause is a tale of poor ( but middle class) misunderstood, loner teenagers, trying to gain acceptance, love from their families, and friendship with their peer groups. There are homosexual undertones between Jim Stark (James Dean) and Plato (Sal Mineo), and (to my eyes at least), possible past sexual abuse on Judy (Natalie Wood) by her father. Maybe l am just reading too much into it, but l do have an eye for such stuff (and a superb Gaydar). The teenagers certainly look way too old for school, and a right rum lot they are as well. Two kids die, but Jim (Jamie to his close friends) gets the girl and his father eventually gets some courage and stands up like a man, so all is OK after all (apart from the fact all of the stars died young in real life). Some hammy and dated acting is involved, but it is still a classic (if you are an old git like me)."We expected a one game ban"
"Two games are a hammer blow"
"three is a dagger to the heart"
I am nearly as ecstatic as the Dinosaurs in the bag. I have just finished work until Tuesday afternoon, it's Manchester United away at Liverpool tomorrow morning (one of the the most important games of the season), I have new books to read, DVD's to watch, pubs to frequent, and l am off to see Art Brut tomorrow night. Hurrah!!!!!!!!!
You often see pictures of the bombing in London and elsewhere, but they are usually in black and white.
With 'Bobby'. Inbreeding has a lot to answer for, even in them old days. Mrs Kern looks resigned to a life of hell on earth.
No it's not mine, but it is hilarious (unless you are the poor sod who has to walk on it).
This is undoubtedly one of the greatest punk LPs of all time. I have been listening to it tonight (while the FPO watched the X factor), and l had forgotten how really 'out there' it is. Recorded in 1978 as a cash in on the punk movement, it is a Spanish album, which is a straight copy of The |Sex Pistols album. Why's it so good? Because it also sounds like they are just going for it punk style, with the singer not even having a proper translation of the lyrics, so he just sings anything that sounds right (with attitude). One example is 'I'm a lazy seven' instead of 'I'm a lazy sod', but there are many, many more. The girl on the cover looks like she was dragged off a street and dressed as a punk, and the production is pretty 'raw' (to say the least. A bona fide classic!!!!! (now worth lots of money).
That's the way to do it. Bit of a pain in the arse if you are in a hurry to leave though.
I started watching The Social Network this evening after putting it off for quite a while, and nearly switched it off early on as l was not particularly enjoying it. I am glad that l stuck with it though, as it was well worth the perseverance, because it just got better the longer it went on. You would think it would be pretty boring, as it mainly concerns geeks (and Harvard geeks at that) plus a court case, but they managed to keep the film moving at a decent pace, so it was fine in the end. I don't think Mark Zuckerberg should have had to pay out 65 million dollars for (supposedly) running off with the idea, but at least he is not skint now. Wish he would send me some of the money he has left (the selfish bastard).
