the planets close to earth - ron miller

 Jupiter

 Mars

 Mercury

 The Moon itself

 Neptune

 Saturn

 Uranus

Venus

Ever wondered what the planets would look like if they were the same distance away from us as the Moon? Wonder no more, as artist Ron Miller has produced all of the above. Uranus and Jupiter look the best to me, as Jupiter looks amazing, but Uranus is downright spooky.

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glastonbury tickets and the stones at hyde park

So, once again the Glastonbury Festival tickets have gone on sale and been snapped up straight away.  What a surprise. I could rant all night about how safe and middle class it has become, and just another thing to tick off as a social occasion, rather than a gathering of the freaks and the great unwashed (of whom l consider myself a member).  Once upon a time, back in the olden days, rock music was a form of individuality and rebellion, an outsider interest that would annoy your parents. Now they (mainly the middle class ones) are as likely to attend the festivals as their children. I'd rather there was nakedness, drugs a plenty, and a feeling of chaos, even if it was sometimes a bit dodgy, or your tent got slashed (as mine did at Glastonbury). Much more appealing to me than wall to wall TV coverage, and endless photos of Kate Moss and her ilk slumming it in their wellies, and half of the bands looking and sounding the same. Where are the dropouts and the real alternative folk?  Priced out for one thing.
Check out The Rolling Stones at Hyde park back in the 1960's.  All sorts down at the front, plus some free space.  Now it would be full of 20 year olds and their parents, crushed up and singing along in unison as they all recycle the hits one more time (The Last Time?).  Try getting that close to Mick Jagger nowadays.
Modern life is (in some ways) rubbish.

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jimi hendrix pop art poster

Imagine having this pop art poster on your wall in the 1960's while you were lying around, indulging in free love, smoking pot, taking acid, and listening to Jimi Hendrix while he was still alive and young.
It is from 1967, was on the cover of 'OZ' magazine, and is by Martin Sharp. Reproductions available here.
Colour me jealous.

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going to the dentist in newcastle

Darlington train station 

 Coming into Newcastle

 My  Nemisis

£12.30 for a day return!!

A toilet wall in Bar Loco

A rather dodgy looking record cover on that wall

What a day l've had today.  I had a 3.15pm appointment at the Dental hospital in Newcastle and decided to go up early by train from Darlington, rather than driving and trying to find a decent parking place nearby.  It was a splendidly sunshiny day and l perused the charity and record shops before my appointment, which passed the time rather nicely (Record shop grandad?? It's  all CD's and downloads these days). My glorious day in the sunshine came to an abrupt end when l hit the dentist chair, as l was massaged (not in a good way), manhandled, examined, scrapped, electrocuted, and then X-Rayed afterwards. This was because it was my first appointment at the Dental Hospital, and they managed to get me an X-Ray slot straight away. No wonder l don't like dentists, even if Zara (my current one) is loveliness itself.  I then went for a couple of ales in The Trent House and Bar Loco to recover my composure, indulged in a bit of shopping, and headed home, already dreading the next appointment in a couple of weeks.  Bloody dentists.  Maybe l saw 'Marathon Man' at too early an age (Is it safe?), or was scarred by the crappy butchers/dentist that used to be in Catterick, but either way, it's not something l look forward to.  Then again, l suppose not many people do.  If l could just overcome my fear of the dentists chair and spiders, l would be sorted, as l am now indestructible, and l can handle anything else.

toodle pip

breaking bad - my take and family guy's take

Ok Ok, I know everyone has been gushing about Breaking Bad, but as l have recently watched all of the episodes from the beginning to the bitter end (over 60 hours worth!), l thought l should at least post something, but without giving the ending away (although everybody probably knows it by now). I had seen the first series years ago, but decided to start again so l wouldn't miss anything significant, and I'm glad l did. It was one of the best TV dramas that l have ever seen, even if l thought they were clutching at straws a bit towards the end, with the involvement of the Nazis. Saying that, the 'Ozymandias' episode in season 5  was the best of the lot, and will be up there as one of the best hours worth of TV - ever!. For those that don't know, it is a poem by Shelly about the decline and disappearance of a once great ruler, and let's just say the title was perfect.
The cinematography throughout the series was interesting, quirky and evocative, and as for the acting,  Walter White (Bryan Cranston) performance was colossus, and most of the supporting characters added an immense amount to the story arc, tension, comedy and believability. Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) as Walt's sidekick was magnificent, but there were so many others that also excelled, especially the fast food owner Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), general all round fixer Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), and lawyer to the poor and the dodgy, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk).
My abiding memories will be the shots of the desert and the inside of machines, the walk out of a room after an explosion (with the unexpected facial shot afterwards), plus the high levels of tension and numerous twists and turns that kept you always wanting more (rather like the metamphetamines they were cooking).
It has now joined the likes of The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Boys From the Blackstuff in my personal higher echelon of televisual delights.
I suppose now l should get round to watching The Wire.

toodle pip

milky edwards and the chamberlings do david bowie

This has been on the go for ages, but seems to be getting viral now.  It's Milky Edwards and The Chamberlings doing David Bowie covers, from a great lost Motown type album from the early 1970's.
The only trouble is, it is a hoax, and although Tom Jones' people deny he is involved, it sounds suspiciously like him.  By the way, I'm not saying it is him, but if it is, fair credos to him and his advisor's. Whoever has put this much time, dedication and attention to detail into the hoax is worthy of my upmost respect (whatever that is worth).  It's still great music, and whoever is behind the scam, l hope they do a whole albums worth.

toodle pip.

tim minchin's acceptance speech to the uwa

Tim Minchin's speech after receiving his honoury doctarate from the University of Western Australia.  It's clever, funny and insightful, and worth watching to the end.

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the cartoon graph of wealth

No comments on this, as once l get started, l'll never get to bed.

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more of 'nasty' nicks poems and dylan thomas reading 'do not go gentle into that good night'

I take my time, but eventually get round to doing things.  Here's some more of 'Nasty' Nicks poems.
I scanned them because if l have to type them out, they wouldn't have got posted anytime in the foreseeable future.
For the original post about him and them, look here.

For a classic poem, read by it's author, look no further than Dylan Thomas reading 'Do not go gentle into that good night', although l would recommend Richard Burton's readings of Dylan Thomas' poems and 'Under Milk Wood' as his voice suits the poetry perfectly. All available on youtube.
Modern life and easy access to everything - it's great.



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poisonous spiders heading north!!

This is just the sort of news l don't want to be hearing.  The venomous False Widow spider is heading oop north, probably due to nice weather.  It's bad enough having to contend with the usual eight legged beasts without these additions to impede upon my already fragile and terrified mindset.
I like the way Mark Champion from the Wildlife Trust says'although the spider will bite, it's not something to worry about' (l take it that will be apart from the swelling, burning and pain).
He can fuck right off - l don't want one of these bastards biting me, that's for sure.
I blame God

toodle pip

the walker library

A clutch of fossilized dinosaur eggs

A field surgeon’s kit from the American Civil War

A first edition Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1768

A French map from 1692 that depicts California as an island

A full skeleton of a juvenile raptor (about the size of a cat) - 45 million years old

A globe of the Moon signed by 10 of the 12 astronauts to have walked on its surface

An Egyptian wooden sarcophagus (approx. 1800 BC)

An original backup of the first artificial space satellite, Sputnik

First image of the eye of a fly through a microscope, published in Hooke’s Micrographia (circa 1666)

Flag flown to the Moon and back on Apollo 11

Hand-painted illustration of Noah’s Ark from the Nuremburg Chronicles, the first illustrated history book (circa 1493)

I've written about The Walker Library before, but l am so envious of the contents, that l am going to do so again.  If l was a multi millionaire, the contents feature the sort of stuff l would collect, and l also love the way it is displayed. I'm pissed off l don't live near its location in Stamford, Connecticut, as l would love to visit the place (school trips are welcome), but they would have to frisk me properly, otherwise some of the items might be leaving with me attached to my jam covered sticky fingers. As far as l am aware, this is the resulting accumulation fired by Jay Walker's imagination, curiosity (and money). If l still had a cat, l would go and boot it in frustration.
More about the library and it's contents here.

toodle pip

peru women to be probed for six months

According to the BBC, Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid, the two UK women who have pleaded guilty of trying to smuggle cocaine out of Peru, may face a 'six month probe'. I don't know if that is a punishment or a reward.
More on the story here.

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