the jewel caterpillar

I saw some pictures of the Jewel Caterpillar the other day, and l must admit, l was impressed. Probably part of the Dalceridae family, they look better before they develop properly. More information can be found at Scientific American.

toodle pip                  

donkey punch (2008) - oliver blackburn

I would have thought beforehand that Donkey Punch would have been a film l might enjoy. After all, there is plenty of sex, drugs, murders and gore, but there was just something lacking in the film that l can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it was because it was difficult to identify with any of the characters, as they were annoying, posh, stupid and callous. No, hold on, that can't be right, as l am at least two of them. I don't know, maybe l'm complaining too much and just expected more, as the film was OK, would probably appeal to a lot of people (especially the younger 18 - 30 crowd), and maybe l'm just too fussy. Three girls (including 'the daddy's' daughter) go on a Spanish holiday, and meet three lads who persuade them to go out on a yacht for the day. A sex game goes wrong (the 'donkey punch'), and arguments and murders ensure. It does not end well. At least l can't envisage a sequel happening.

toodle pip

world war 2 plane found in the desert

 This plane from World War 2 was found in the desert recently, and it is a real relic from the past. I love a bit of history (not too much, or my dicky heart might explode), but this is one magical find. It's in the desert between Libya and Egypt (not a good place to be), but is in great condition (for a 1942 Kittyhawk) , and is still pretty intact, which is very (very) rare.
If  l was loaded, l would have it shipped intact and placed in my massive museum. That would be a museum that no-one else would be granted access to (like my private pub), just for me. Maybe the FPO if l was given a written in advance (and in triplicate) warning, but a museum mainly for my own selfish gratification.
Luckily for the rest of mankind, l am not loaded.
Damn!!!

toodle pip

all the water on the earth in one place

According to the United States Geological Survey, if you rounded up all the water on the Earth into one ball, it would have a diameter of about 860 miles and look like this. Not a lot of water if you look at it that way, but it is still a mighty plentiful amount if you were stuck, all alone,  in a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (other Oceans are available).

toodle pip

tartuffe (or the imposter) - molier

l will be the first to admit that l had never heard of Tartuffe (or the imposter) until a couple of weeks ago, so, as l have a curious mind, l decided to give the book (by Moliere) a go. You have to give old books some slack, as this was written in 1664, and a lot of the humour does not travel well over the centuries, so l did, but it will definitely not go down as one of my favourite reads. Orgon, the father of the family, is under the influence of Tartuffe, a pious, apparantly extremely religious man (and ex vagrant), and trusts everything he says, even though his loved ones try to convince him Tartuffe is a fraud, not that religious, and has been trying it on with them. Ruses are concocted so Orgon can witness his (so called) friends treachery with his own eyes, until he finally comes to his senses, only to remember he has signed away his deeds to him. I can see why it was banned in those God fearing times, and it could easily be (and probably already has been) updated to appeal to a modern audience, but this is just the sort of thing that, when performed in the original way, with have intellectuals  and pretentious idiots rolling in the aisles with laughter, falsely in my eyes. I'm glad l have read it and understand the significance of the work, but that's about it.

toodle pip

a job application that is dope

This letter is doing the rounds on t'net at the moment, and l am not sure if it is a genuine application, but if it is, respect to the guy who wrote it (as long as he was being ironic and piss taking, rather than serious).

toodle pip

rise of the planet of the apes (2011) - rupert wyatt

I used to really like the original series of  'Planet of the Apes' films when l was younger, so l was looking forward to seeing the new version of 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'. Not looking forward enough to go and see it at the pictures mind you, but l did have high hopes for it. Usually, because l am so sad, any film that was directed by someone called Rupert (educated at Winchester - named public school of the year in 2010 by Tatler, and the oldest of the public schools) would get my back up straight away (class war and all of that), but l'll admit he did do a good job with this, although the story was straightforward enough (evil lab / experiments going wrong / a good intentioned scientist / it all going tits up and the apes rising up). I shouldn't complain about unbelievable parts of the film if l am already watching a movie about apes talking and taking over, but there were a few scenes which annoyed me, such as  Caesar not telling of the cruelty being inflicted in the ape sanctuary by the guards. There was also a lot of fuss beforehand about how the ape effects and CGI  had moved on so much from the earlier films, and l do agree they have, but there were also plenty of action scenes where l thought people would look back on them in a few years and consider them dated. Anyway, l used to love Roddy McDowall in the earlier films, and he certainly bought a different kind of identifiable reality to the apes. Wasn't too keen on the apes running up buildings, as they reminded me of spiders, but overall, it was good enough to make me want to watch the sequel, and there are plenty of films where l don't feel that way. Andy Serkis must be wearing his hands away, rubbing them with glee at the amount of money he will be making from this franchise.

toodle pip

comic book guy into tron

This guy is obviously into Tron, and l admire his dedication to the cause, but dressing up like that just gives the rest of us geeks a bad name.
Virgin.

toodle pip

a liverpool busker - upside down

What a way to make a living. A busker in Liverpool, probably sleeping on the job.


toodle pip

andrew garfield as spider-man

Here's Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-man, complete with the new costume. This annoys me sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. Why change the bloody thing. It's such an iconic part of the appeal of the comics, and, although l understand they want to sell lots of new products with the reboot (ah! I have answered my own question!), it does not bode well for my expectations of the movie. I know l should move with the times (granddad), but if the original comic books stories were followed from the start, there is enough there for anyone to be going along with. The trailer of the new film looks good, but don't get me started............

better off ted - plus the veridian dynamics adverts

Myself and the FPO have just started watching series one of 'Better off Ted', and are really enjoying it. I can imagine it was probably pitched as 'Like '30 Rock' with the hard edged boss and respected colleague dynamic, PLUS an in office will they/wont they romance, PLUS the main male character looking good in a suit 'Don Draper - Mad Men' style, PLUS different things to test each week for slapstick humour 'Testees' style. A long pitch, l'll agree. One of the many highlights are the spoof adverts for Veridian dynamics, the company they all work for. They have certainly come up with some clever stuff, and l hope the standard stays as high, but we also expect it to improve as the characters develop and we get to know them better.
Shame it was cancelled after only two series.

                                                        

                                            

toodle pip

my old man, said 'be a city fan'...

Another bad day at the office, as Ciddy win at Newcastle, and United didn't win 14-0. So it's all over bar the shouting. The only thing that cheered me up was the panning to Ciddy fans. I thought my brother lived in Leeds (and didn't like football).
Last day of torment next Sunday.
I'd start praying (if it would do any good).

toodle pip

a 'thing to do' note by johnny cash

So, Johnny Cash was mortal after all (but certainly not just a 'mere' mortal.

toodle pip

bound for glory (1976) - hal ashby

Grasshopper David Carradine plays Woody Guthrie in 'Bound For Glory'. Not too convincingly for my liking, but it was OK l guess, and it certainly evoked the period of the dust bowl. Based on the 1943 Guthrie autobiography of the same name (which is a lot better).
It's a shame Carradine will now always be remembered as dying in a accidental (it's assumed) sex hanging.
What a way to shuffle off (sort of) this mortal coil. Master Po would have been most disappointed.

toodle pip

henry fool (1997) - hal hartley

I really enjoyed Henry Fool, and l am going to check out more of Hal Hartley's films when the chance arises (especially the sequel, Fay Grim).  l am all for deadpan acting, with some clever, interesting and philosophical dialogue,  and there was plenty of that in this film. The Henry of the title drifts into town and meets Simon Grim, an awkward and socially inept refuse man, who he then persuades to write the 'Great American Novel'. Grim (and especially his family) are unsure at first, but he eventually starts, and it is met with mixed reactions. Some think it (and he) is brilliant, some think it is badly written and pornographic (and a bad influence on 'the kids'). The charismatic and intelligent Henry persuades him to stick to it, and the novel is eventually published to great success. While this is going on, Henry has his own writings (The confessions) rejected, and he goes into a downward spiral, which includes admitting to being a paedophile, having sex with Grim's mother, and then marrying Grim's sister. There's more to the movie than that, and it including the longest and noisiest bowel movement l have seen (apart from myself), which was pretty funny. Slightly too long, but worth the effort (the film and the bowel movement).


toodle pip 

before and after airbrushing

This is why you always have to be on your guard. Although the girl is attractive, the airbrushed photograph just makes her flawless.
I think l'll have to start doctoring some of our family ones (especially the night out ones).

toodle pip 

the super moon in march and in germany

I was thinking about the Super Moon (or, if you prefer, a Perigee-Syzygy) that happened in March, and was reminded that when l was younger, and living in Bielefeld, Germany, myself and some friends decided to camp out for the night (tent wise - not going to gay bars). At about 6am (at a guess), some of us went for a walk as we couldn't sleep. We were strolling and chatting along a wide path between some trees, when a large object appeared in the sky in front of us, with a yellowy/reddish colour. I realise now that it must have been a Super Moon, but for many years l thought l may have imagined it, as l have never seen the moon so large again. This would have been in about 1971. So, to conclude. I am not mad, l just have a crap memory (and it sure did look impressive).
By the way, that was also the same walk where l thought l saw a ghost (of my grandmother amongst some trees), but that l do think l imagined. I was probably just seeing shapes in the trees, as l was young, and would have been pretty tired. Or maybe l am mad.

toodle pi

some great recent (ish) classic art

 Francis Bacon

Grant Wood

Piet Mondrian

Rene Magritte

Roy Lichtenstein

Banksy

Now l know what l like about art, and here are some recent (kind of) classic paintings that pass the test in my eyes. I dug them out from the recesses of my computer when l was looking for the Francis Bacon one, as it reminds me of 'The Scream' from the earlier post (about it's sale). I think the Bacon one is even scarier, but that's probably just me.