old bootle postcards

Sorting through some crap in the house, l found an old book of Bootle (Liverpool) postcards (by Peter W Woolley) that belonged to my mother. It's pretty interesting to me (and my family) as l was born in Bootle and spent many formative years there. The book is going to be gifted to my sister (I'm a generous lad), so l thought l would take some scans from near to where we lived (in Markfield road, just down from Johnson's Dyers and Cleaners factory). The Google scans show my entire universe when l was a nipper. Happy days indeed.

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a bright star surrounded by gas

A new image from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope this week. It's a bright star surrounded by gas (sounds like me).

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2012 magic art special, china

This show looks pretty good. You can get your photograph taken in front of the 3D artwork (with hilarious results), which is at the 2012 Magic Art Special Exhibition in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.
All l need now is the money to get there and the time off work.

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the answer me jesus 8 ball

The 'Answer me Jesus' 8 Ball has sold out, but if you want to ask Jesus any questions, go here.

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a church up a tree

A church up a tree. This would usually be followed by 'only in America', but the tree/church hybrid is actually located in France in a small farming village called Allouville-Bellefosse. It's called Chene Chappelle (chapel oak), and the tree is about 800 years old. The chapel was first built in 1696, after the tree was hit by lightening and two monks thought it would make a good sanctuary to the Virgin Mary.  Now I'm not religious in any way, shape or form, but it's one of the many places l would like to visit.

#Sings#  'If l only had more time (and money)'

Those crazy French monks etc

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reformed hippie advert

I'm still waiting for my Carling lager and Jack Daniel's intake to have this effect on me. Maybe l should switch ales and start on the Colt 45.

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john uslie about to take a dive

Picture the scene. It's July 28th 1922, and John Uslie, who, let's not forget from looking at the photograph, is armless. He is also about to dive  into the water.  It looks like a lot of people were curious to see how he got on, and despite not knowing how far down he was going to dive, l'd have been pretty interested in seeing it for myself (only l'm not that old).
He could probably still swim better than me, as l am crap at it (I blame my parents).

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the desperados (1969) - henry levin

If you want to check out a classic old western, make sure you give 'The Desperados' a miss, as it's crap. The Gault family and their followers maraud and pillage, until one of the sons, (David - played by Vince Edwards), turns his back on it, and tries to lead a normal life, until (of course) his past catches up with him. So far, so stereotypical, but there's nothing in the film to excite or stimulate (and Lord knows l need both). Jack Palance gives a stupidly over the top performance as Pastor Gault (the father and leader), but apart from that comedy aspect, forget it (and Vince Edwards has no screen presence at all). What a farce. If you want to check out a decent Jack Palance performance, 'Shane' is the place to look, where he plays the hired gunslinger Jack Wilson. A proper, menacing and cocky role.

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trouble maker - janet and alex evanovich (with joelle jones)

Trouble Maker is not the kind of comic l would normally read, but l thought l would give it a go, as l liked the bright colours and voodoo storyline (it doesn't take a lot to perk my interest). Unfortunately, l didn't find it that interesting, as it was too cute and seemed like a strip that could have been found in a girls comic years ago, and (to me) resembled a sub standard version of 'Tin Tin' (as most 'cute' comics do). The Miami scenes looked good, but that was about it, apart from the fact Sam Hooker got on my nerves. I don't think l will be perusing Janet and Alex Evanovich's next project, and l have no idea how it became 'The New York Times #1 Bestseller'. People have no taste (or l don't).

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hans and eva rausing, and the law being equal

So, Eva Rausing's husband has been charged with delaying her funeral, after her body was discovered in their Belgravia home, with police thinking she had been dead for a week (after he was stopped driving allegedly under the influence of drink or drugs). The death is being classed as 'unexplained', as a post mortem failed to find a formal cause.  The couple were multi millionaires who donated a lot of money to drug charities, and were obviously addicted to drugs themselves.  Their addiction  and downward spiral is tragic, but it annoys me that they look to have been treated differently by the law in the past (and possibly now) because of their wealth. In 2008 Miss Rausing 'allegedly' tried to smuggle 'small amounts' of crack cocaine and heroin into the American embassy in London. Crack, heroin and (get this bit) 52 grams of cocaine were subsequently found in their home.  Now l may be an old cynic, and extremely class conscious, but the couple were given a caution, and charges dropped. Trust me, if that had been myself and the FPO, charges would not have been dropped, and l would be re-acquainted  with my old cellmate 'Bronco' in Durham nick.  Don't get me wrong, l think people should be able to do what they want as long as they don't harm anyone else, and if this couple wanted to stock up on drugs and destroy their lives, that is up to them.  What l hate is one law for the rich, and one for us poor old working class scumbags. Maybe if they had been prosecuted and made to attend drug rehabilitation courses they would both still be alive now, but possibly not, because it is difficult for most people to give up crack, as it is certainly moorish (and yes, l speak from past experience). I'm waiting now to see what he gets for the driving offences, but l'm not expecting much.
Photographs are from The Daily Mirror.

One other thing. Don't believe everything you read. According to The Daily Mirror site, the Rausing's lived in a £16m home. According to The Telegraph, it's a £70m  fortress. Everyone's got an agenda.

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behind the scenes at a clockwork orange

As it says in the post title, behind the scenes shots from Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange'. What's not to like?
The last shot is my favourite. The shape and shadow of Alex looks menacing and disturbing even in profile.
If you haven't already seen the film - do so.
NOW!

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raising the flag on the reichstag, 1945

This iconic photograph of a Russian flag being raised over the Reichstag in Berlin was taken by Yevgeny Khaldei on May 2nd 1945.  If you look closely, it may be different from the ones that are normally seen, as the soldier at the bottom had one of his (what look like) two watches airbrushed out, as it was thought it looked as though he could have been looting. There's also controversy over which soldiers were used, and smoke was also added to the picture. War eh? You can't trust the governments, and shouldn't take the word of anyone as 100% accurate. Great photograph though.
Here's the Reichstag now, and in 1945.

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turf - jonathan ross and tommy lee edwards

Turf was originally a 5 issue run of comics (2010 - 2011), but it's the collected works in a graphic novel l have just had the pleasure of reading. Written by Jonathan Ross (yes, him off the telly from that there London), it's packed with plenty of dialogue, and the artwork by Tommy Lee Edwards is pretty cool as well. It's a tale of gangsters, prohibition,1920's New York, and with vampires and aliens thrown in for good measure. Not the best comic l have ever read, but a fine and promising start by Rossie (as l like to call him).
Now if he'd only bequeath me his comic collection.........

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victim (1961) - basil dearden

Starring Dirk Bogard and Sylvia Syms, Victim is a ground breaking film in that it portrayed the absurdity of a law that made homosexuality illegal, opening the way for blackmailers to exploit them, threatening them with exposure and probably prison sentences. Bogard plays Melville Farr, a closeted married barrister who decides to hunt down the blackmailers and prosecute them, even if it results his own exposure and downfall. This is due to a young man he had relations with committing suicide, as he was being blackmailed (and trying to protect Farr). When the film was made in 1961, Bogard himself would have been dubious about coming out, as he was a homosexual and could have been prosecuted under the law at the time (it wasn't changed until 1967). This film is often stated as one of the things that helped change public opinion, and should be essential viewing for all. I won't give it away, but there's also a neat twist in the plot, and that is always a bonus in any movie.

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