gateshead, newcastle and stormin norman whiteside

I went up here for a piss - very relaxing

The site of my meeting

The entrance to Chinatown in Newcastle - Rosie's bar is in the middle

The view from Rosie's to The Tynside Irish Centre

Stormin' Norman Whiteside

The ARC, with Norman in the background

One of my many Manchester United t shirts - featuring Norman

I had a meeting to do with work in Gateshead on Friday (which was much better than l anticipated), so afterwards, l decided to have a bit of a mooch around Newcastle, as it was finished by midday. I parked by Chinatown and went for a pint in Rosie's bar, an old favourite from years ago from the time l hung around with a predominantly gay/cross dressing crowd in Newcastle (ahh...they were the days..). While l was in there, l decided to give The Tyneside Irish Centre a go, as l had never been in there before, and thought they might have a decent pool table, seeing as they are few and far between in Newcastle. As it turned out, they didn't have one, but l had a decent (crazy) chat with a couple of the old Irish guys in there (naturally, called Paddy). I say old guys, they turned out to be my age, which was good for me, as l got a load of compliments for how well l looked (I said it was thanks to the copious amounts of drink and drugs). Actually, l probably only looked younger because they acted and dressed like old men, and you could easily imagine them being 60 or 70, and just the same. In fact they probably dressed and acted the same when they were teenagers.  A good day out for all the family, even if, yet again, l got another parking ticket. Bastards! 

On my return to Catterick, l called in at Old Joes, popped home briefly to get changed (well, a different shirt), and then the FPO dropped me off at The ARC for the 'gentlemans' evening Hammy had arranged, featuring the great (Stormin') Norman Whiteside, ex of Manchester United, Everton, and Northern Ireland (who was excellent). He spoke for a while and answered questions, and was also happy to sign stuff and have his photograph taken (which l can't work out how to get off my phone and onto the computer!).  There was also a comedian, but once Norman had finished, we buggered off to The Wine Bar and then home, tired but happy (and minus my phone, which l left in The ARC, realising just after getting in the taxi to White shops).  I telephoned Kung Fu Bez and told him it was by him, and he picked it up and took care of it for me, so at least l knew it was safe (and is now back with daddy).

I demand more days like this (but without the parking ticket).

toodle pip

camille seaman storm photos

Camille Seaman has been taking photographs of storms in the USA, and they make the weather here in the UK look pathetic (but still miserable). More of these photographs, plus her series of iceberg ones, are on her site here.

toodle pip

the banking / libor scandal

toodle pip

monty python out-takes

If these Monty Python out-takes have made an appearance, there must be plenty more out there waiting to see the light of day. They should get them out there on DVD before they are all over the tinternet for free.

toodle pip

zig and zag with robin williams

I used to love Zig and Zag when they were on 'The Big Breakfast', and before that, on Irish TV. In fact I have framed newspaper front pages with them on to the left of my computer as l am typing this. I was sorting through crap in the spare room a couple of days ago (still trying to clean it up a bit) when l found a load of old Zig and Zag DVD's that were transferred from video back in the day (amongst loads of old music ones). Because l used to be a sad bastard (OK l'll admit it - l still am), l accumulated loads of appearances of theirs from about 1988 (or1989) until about 1994 or so. I was thinking of putting them up on a separate blog, or on a specific You Tube channel, but l see there are some already up by fellow nerds like myself. I will check them out to see how much is up, and decide if l can be bothered doing it myself, as the main reason for putting them up would be to preserve them on the net somewhere. In the meantime, here they are with Robin Williams, in a clip that was already up.

toodle pip

the sun is back out!

Hurrah! The sun made a welcome re-appearance this afternoon, so let's hope it decides to hang around a bit all weekend, as, apart from a meeting in Gateshead tomorrow morning, l am now off work until Tuesday afternoon.
Hurrah again!!

toodle pip

adam buxton - summertime blues video

Watching the new series 'Bug' by Adam Buxton (from Adam and Joe) this evening, myself and the FPO had tears of laughter streaming down our faces watching this video. Something about it (the idiot march/dance? The violence? The music and explosions?) certainly tickled our fancy (OOEER!).
As for 'Bug' itself, it started off slow, but got funnier as it went on. The You Tube comments were revealed at just the right speed, and there are catchphrases already in evidence if you can be bothered to take them up. Already looking forward to the next instalment, but it's a shame Adam and Joe don't do their radio show any more. Then again (as Echo and The Bunnymen sang) Nothing ever lasts forever. Adam's blog is here.



toodle pip

eminem in clockwork orange mode

 I saw this photograph of Eminem in Clockwork Orange mode for the first time today, and think it looks great. He's a pretty good looking guy anyway, but l have always loved the (much imitated) Droog look, and this certainly highlights his eyes.
Easily one of my favourite ever films, first seen when l was about 15 at the pictures. No wonder l got into music, drugs, ultra violence and a bit of the old in and out, until l too, was 'rehabilitated' in prison (with the help of 'Bronco').

toodle pip

more dali! - the lady skull

After the earlier post about Dali, it got me a thinking (always a bad thing) about his lady skull. I'll rephrase that. The top picture is of Salvador Dali and his skull made up of women, from a photograph by Philippe Halsman (Dali Skull - 1951).  The guy (Dali) was a genius.
It's been much copied, and two of the examples are above. One is self evidently from 'The Descent', while the other is from 'Silence of the Lambs'.
Don't forget though, Silence of the Lambs is a much, much better film.

toodle pip

13 conversations about one thing (2001) - jill sprecher

Life. What's the point? We live it, our lives get intertwined, coincidences abound, but is anybody really, truly happy?
That's what '13 Conversations about one thing' is about, and pretty good it is too, with a fine cast (and set in New York). Too much to explain, but l'd definitely recommend seeing it.

toodle pip

old foreign music posters

I can't understand what they say (apart from the obvious), but they both look suitably weird, different and great.

toodle pip

allans anti-fat

Smarten up this advert for the modern magazines, and l bet loads of women (and some men) would still buy crap like this. Times haven't changed that much.
Lose two to five pounds a week?  Pah!  Eat a bit less or do more exercise, it's pretty bleeding simple. Either make the effort or don't bother, but don't be wasting money on crap like this (or the modern day equivalent).
I bet Allan made a fortune.

toodle pip

so close to a dream come true

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Three ladies in the bed ?
Hurrah!!!
Only.....hold on a minute..............who the hell is that with the glasses?
That just looks wrong - time to make the excuses and leave, cursing under my breath and slamming the door in disappointment on the way out.









Who am l kidding? Of course l'd still stay, l'm a bloke (in the loosest possible sense). The only difference is they'd be the ones slamming the door in disappointment on the way out.

toodle pip

if jupiter was the same distance from the earth as the moon

It would look like this (if it wasn't still pissing down) and be very cool (looking wise - not weather wise).  Though l hate to think about what the tides would be like when l go swimming.

toodle pip

the monkees and jimi hendrix

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience were opening shows for The Monkees on a tour of the USA, and not going down too well in front of The Monkees young audience. I'm a fan of both bands, and it's one of the concerts l would like to have been witness to, but (for a change) l'm far too young (and l was in Singapore at the time).
However, l would rather have been hanging out backstage with the bands (and the ladies), as shown in this photograph taken by Micky Dolenz and put up on his Facebook page. Ahh, they were the days (my friends).

toodle pip

the mc5 and keith chegwin

My admiration and love for the rather wonderful MC5 is second to none, and here is a rare concert from the German TV programme Beat Club in 1972. It's a shame they where never that succesful, but my reasoning for this is that (much as l love him), Rob Tyner (the singer) looks like Keith Chegwin nowadays, but with a fright wig/afro on his ample bonce. Now l don't mind Cheggers, and he was very nice to someone l knew a while back (and, like me, he's from Bootle). He is not however, trying to front a band at the moment (although l'm sure he would do so if he got the right offer). Everyone knows the rule about singers - the fans have got to want to be them, or have sex with them. Rather sadly for Rob, even though l'm sure he would have got plenty of offers of sex (and drugs) because he was in a cool band, on a larger scale, he is not going to appeal to lots of the ladies out there, and blokes would rather be someone else (Heeeeeeeeeeellllllllloooo, Keith). It happens all the time with bands, but let's face it, they are in a popularity game, and the looks play a huge part in it. The flip side of this is pretty boy/girl bands who are popular due to their looks and marketing, but their records are shite.

If you don't believe Rob looks like Cheggers - check out his showreel and imagine him covered in sweat, with a tan and the wig. Oooooooohhhh.....sexy!

And don't forget......

Kick out the Jams motherfuckers!!!!!





toodle pip

driver's paltry road rage fine

This motorist (Scott Lomas) tried to knock a cyclist (Martin Porter) off his bike, and admitted he was trying to kill him when confronted.  Luckily Porter caught it all on his helmet camera, and the driver has been taken to court and fined. But only fined £250, which to me, as a sometimes cyclist, is a load of crap. If he had actually hit Porter and sent him flying, there is a possibility he could have killed or seriously injured him. He would also be the sort of person who would drive like this on a regular basis, but because there is no evidence, gets away with it. Don't get me wrong, l have broken the law many times when l have been driving, and if caught, l expect to be harshly punished. £250 is bugger all, and acts as no deterrent to anybody. Bloody horses in the road get on my nerves, and it drives me mad having to slow down and be careful to pass them, but l haven't started beeping my car horn and driving into them (yet). If it will only cost me £250, l might re-consider my options. Saying that, the judge (or magistrate) probably does not like cyclists himself (I assume it's a man), but would punish me more for upsetting the horse riding community of (mainly) posh bastards that will be part of his social set. Purely a speculation you understand, and we may indeed find out more in the near future.
The video and more information is here.

toodle pip

deadeye dick and look at the birdie - kurt vonnegut

Another one of the great Kurt Vonnegut's  book ticked off!  I've been loving them all, and 'Deadeye Dick' is no exception.
A 12 year old boy commits murder, his family are dysfunctional, there's some real history thrown in, and it gallops along at a cracking pace.
It's also about perception, isolation, guilt and and society, which makes it sound dull, but it's certainly not that.
Highly recommended (as most of his stuff is)

Look at the Birdie is a collection of  his unpublished short stories - also excellent. He sure knows how to grip a reader straight away, and then develop the story very quickly, wanting you to know more with every sentence. My favourite story was probably the one about the singing teacher who gets stalked by a pupil, as l really wasn't expecting the ending. I had lots of scenarios in my head, but he completely threw me on the last couple of pages. Bloody smartie pants.

toodle pip

andy murray beaten in the final

So, Andy Murray got beaten in todays Wimbledon 2012 final by Roger Federer.

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa

Great stuff!!
I'm not particularly proud to be English, but the thought of some Scotsman who always wants England to be beaten at football (nothing wrong with that), becoming the first Brit to win at Wimbledon since my dear old dad was a lad, gets my gander up. I don't mind him wanting England to lose, but why English people should support him beats me. I never really thought he had a chance, but even him getting to the final riles me.
Anyway, if l'd have started playing tennis at an earlier age and had access to courts on which to practise, l'd have been champion by now (not that l'm bitter or anything).

toodle pip

insomnia (2002) - christopher nolan

A couple of LA cops are sent to Alaska to solve the murder of a 17 year old schoolgirl. Along the way, Will Dormar, the senior cop who is under investigation in LA (Al Pacino), manages to shoot his younger partner while chasing Water Finch, the suspected killer (Robin Williams). Dormar can't sleep due to the perpetual sunlight (hence the 'Insomnia' title), he then gets involved with the killer, and he also tries to cover up the shooting (which Finch had seen). Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), a younger Alaskan copper who worships Dormar, has to investigate the shooting, and starts getting suspicious about what took place.
The film was alright l suppose, Pacino and Williams were both good, but there were parts of the plot that just seemed unbelievable, mainly in the way Dormar behaved, sleep deprivation or not. Not one of Pacino's best, but the scenery looked fantastically mind blowing when they were flying to Alaska.

toodle pip

leon keer 3d pacman

A marvellous looking 3D Pacman artwork by Leon Keer in Venlo, The Netherlands. These things never cease to amaze me.

toodle pip

ethyl fuel adverts and salvador dali

I've said it before and l'll say it again. I love Salvador Dali stuff, and he is the first one that really got me into liking pictures that could be looked at in more than one way (I was already into surrealist comedy). I also like old stuff and adverts, so these Ethyl gasoline ones hit the spot for me.

Years ago, l went by inter rail around Europe, and one of the areas l went to was around Figueres, Spain, where Dali's museum is. I also called at Dali's house in Port Lligat, (near Cadaques), but no-one answered when l went a knocking, although he was living there and still very much alive at the time. It was probably my hopeful knocking that sent Gala (Dali's wife) completely demented and into her grave. Anyhows, what a place - eggs on the roof and right next to the sea. I could easily live there in my dotage, if it wasn't for the bloody annoying tourists, mooching around and trying to get an invitation inside the house, which of course, was exactly what l was trying to do was when l swung by. We won't be seeing his like again for a long long time. The Dali picture above (The Metamorphosis of Narcissus from 1937) l have had for years (sadly not the original), and it is framed by the top of our stairs. Sheer brilliance.

toodle pip

keeping the mixing old school

This is how they used to do the mixing back in the day. It shows that hardly anything is new, and most ideas have been tried before. It's a Gaumont Chronophone system, and dates back to 1910.
No, l didn't have one when l was younger. I know it's hard to believe, but even l'm not that old.

toodle pip

bloody english summers

The view out of my back window at this afternoon, in the middle of what us English laughingly call a 'summer'.
Still,  l've got work at 3pm - life couldn't be any sweeter.

toodle pip

jeremiah mcdonald talks to his 12 year old self

Jeremiah McDonald was filmed in 1992 when he was 12, supposedly talking to his future self. He has now completed the circle by making a film of himself talking to his younger version. He did one a while ago, but this is the updated and much superior one to watch. The comedic timing in this one is pretty good, so l will ignore the various short film clips at the beginning of him growing up that would normally want to hate some precocious actor child like him.

toodle pip

and thinking about fireworks....

This compilation never fails to amuse.
There are a lot of fucking idiots out there.

toodle pip

san diego fireworks go off all at once

Here's a couple of videos of the firework display at San Diego, that went (to put it mildly) slightly wrong.
All of the fireworks were accidentally set off at the same time, resulting in an outrageously spectacular display, but sadly only lasting for 30 seconds or so.
Myself, l would rather see a display like this. It's certainly unforgettable, and the unplanned part would have made it even more memorable. Much better than an everyday run of the mill display.
It's like a firework version of the old 'live fast - die young' motto, or 'burn like a super nova - and then fade away'.
I may have made the last one up.

toodle pip