killer vegetables

I've always said vegetables (and salad) are bad for you.

toodle pip

the nest for the garden

This is the sort of thing l should have in the garden for the summertime. As long as the spiders stayed out of it, l would never come indoors again.
More info here.

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beavis and butt-head come alive

Ever wondered how Beavis and Butt-head might look if they were real?
Wonder no more, as here is a sculpture of them by  Kevin Kirkpatrick.
I'm also looking forward to the new series, as l used to love them years ago, and some of the new acts nowadays could do with being savaged by them.
I just hope they don't let me down, as these things are sometimes better when they are left in the past..

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goya's ghosts (2006) - milos forman

I was actually enjoying Goya's Ghosts right up to the point where they released Ines (Natalie Portman) from prison. Then it just seemed like a farce, with her gurning her way through the rest of the film in a less than convincing way (to say the least). 

She had been Goyas's model, until she was imprisoned by the Spanish Inquisition (who nobody expected) and tortured for following Jewish rituals (not eating pork).

Brother Lorenzo (an excellent, thoughtful, and brooding Javier Bardem) agrees to assist Goya (and Ines's family), to try and get her released, but succumbs to his desires when praying with her (she is, after all, naked).

Lorenzo defends the Inquisition and 'The Question', until he is put to 'The Strappado' himself, after which he confesses to being a monkey, and then disappears, only to return later with the all conquering French army (and a smug grin on his face, seeking revenge).

Ines (and the other prisoners), is released and searches, (with the help of Goya) for the child she said she had in prison (Lorenzo's). 

There is a lot of turmoil around the Peninsular War, but the only thing in the film worse than the gurning and shuffling,  is Alicia, the unbelievably toothy child of Ines (also played by Portman), when she is eventually found.

She came across like a bad Spitting Image caricature of Janet Street Porter back in the midsts of time.

If l had stopped watching the film after an hour, l would have recommended it, but it just gets sillier and sillier as it goes along. 

 It all ends badly, as Ines is pretty insane, Goya goes death, and Lorenzo is garrotted. 

Bardem was great all the way through, but that was it, as l could take or leave the portrayal of Goya.

Interesting at first (albeit mostly fiction), then crap (but with a funky hat).

As a footnote, rather sadly, 'The Strappado' is still used as a torture device today (including by the USA).

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the womans remote

Thankfully, the FPO keeps losing the remote controls in our house.

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murphy' s war posters

I like artwork and films, so have always liked the foreign posters for films, or even just alternate versions, and these Murphy's War posters, l prefer to the actual film (see below).

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and talking of cocaine.....smuggling goes wrong

And talking of Cocaine, this man was stopped with 72 pouches of it that he had swallowed to try and smuggle into the country.
I wouldn't want to be the toilet attendant cleaning up at the police station after he has discharged his unspeakably compact and numerous loads.

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old age medicine - cocaine toothache drops

I got a phone call today from the mother in law, asking if l would pick up some medication for her mother, as l was off work and live nearby. This l did (naturally cursing all the way), and discovered the medication was for codeine, a strong painkiller.
If it had been back in the old days, l could have got some of these toothache drops instead, as l'm sure they would have done a better job, both killing the pain, and making her full of the joys of spring.
Sadly, Tesco were out of them.

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judy fox's octopus and the boob/penis combos

I really like the Octopus (above) by Judy Fox, but there are also a load of strange boob/penis artworks by her at the site here (as well as some of her nudes).
I don't know exactly what to make of them, but l'd much rather have the Octopus in my home (staring out the idiot rabbit) than some nightmarish vision that may put me off boobs for life (and then what would be the point of living?).
I also like the Krishna one, but l suspect people may talk if l bought that one home (I've got a dodgy enough reputation as it is).

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l don't feel like chicken tonight

We keep getting these adverts for our local chicken takeaway shop at The White Shops in Catterick.
They are certainly persistent with their advertising policy, as this must be about the twentieth leaflet that has come flapping through our letterbox in the last couple of years, so l guess they must know l am a greedy chicken loving pig.
As l just stated, l love a good chicken meal, especially of the KFC kind, but the stuff for sale in this shop does not taste anything like the wondrous delight that the good Colonel introduced to a grateful public (me especially) back in the day.
You can also buy boxes of 'Southern fried' chicken at our local Tesco for about £3 or £4 (depending which amounts you want), which only require heating up a bit and then devouring like a madman while watching the football (at least that's the way l eat it, others may be different).
It's a shame, but unless the quality improves dramatically, l can't envisage a rosy future for this outlet.
The KFC outlets are often dirty looking and badly run, but at least the taste of those secret ingredients keep enticing me back for more of the same, whereas the chicken in this place just put me off.
I once drove to Newcastle from Catterick to get a KFC. With this place, l can't be bothered walking 10 yards from the pub doorway to get some, even when slightly worse for ale. Now that IS bad.

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the changing faces of cereal boxes

These are American cereal boxes from the good old days, and what they look like now.
I don't know about you, but l much prefer the old type of boxes and cartoons, as they seemed to have a lot more character.
I hate the rounded 3D type pictures they use nowadays, but then again, what do l know? l'm just a sad old git who's stuck in his ways and tastes.
From Retronaut.

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murphy's war (1971) - peter yates

Peter O'Toole is his usual charismatic self as Murphy, the only survivor after his ship (Mount Kylie) had been sunk by a German U Boat in the Orinoco. He wants revenge, as survivors were gunned down in the water, and while recovering at a missionary settlement, he finds an old plane that he can attack the ship in, which is taking cover in the river. Even when the war is declared to be at an end, he is still relentless in the pursuit of the submarine, and refuses to call an end to the hostilities. The trouble is,  Murphy's War is not that great a film, neither an out and out revenge/war movie, nor a comedy showcase for O'Toole, it can't decide which option to take, and falls somewhat short inbetween the two.
It is also a film that was showing at our local cinema in1971 (the Bootle Odeon, Liverpool), which my parents probably went in to watch, as it was on the corner of our street (turn left straight after the Odeon sign), less than 100 feet away.
Sadly, the cinema is no more, and is now a snooker club, but l had some great Saturday mornings in there, watching the matinees.
Progress - pah!

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out and about at hospitals

My exciting life part 42. I have been out and about a bit this week, including visiting hospitals hither and a yonder. I had to go to the Catterick one yesterday evening for an emergency out of hours doctor (for work), and earlier on in the week l was at Northalleton, visiting someone and taking someone else (work again) for an appointment. That's without the trips to James Cook at Middlesbrough.
At Catterick hospital, the only other person l saw was the doctor, as there wasn't even anyone on the gate when l drove in (excellent security), no one in the corridors, and on the way out l just ignored the security post and didn't stop, as it still looked empty.
Northalleron hospital was busy (apart from the waiting room), but l wanted to avoid photographing other people, so it looks as though a plague has struck.
Still, it's always a ride out and something different to do, so there is no way l am complaining about it, it's great to get out and about as far as l am concerned.
Bring it on.

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59 seconds - richard wiseman

I enjoyed 59 seconds (by Richard Wiseman), but all the way through it l had a nagging feeling that l had read it before (which l hadn't). This is probably because a lot of the interesting information in the book has been repeated elsewhere or reported on in newspapers or magazines. It's interesting psychologically wise, but most of the stuff l already knew about (how use body language, advertising, the art of persuasion and touch, failure of brainstorming, visualisation  etc).
Still, there were the odd bits that were new to me, such as how to praise children, so it wasn't a complete waste (not that l'll be praising any children in the near future).
A very interesting book if you haven't already read this sort of thing before, otherwise, it's just a matter of jogging the dusty old memory banks, which (let's admit it), l could certainly do with.

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