Excellent. I used to love the Charlie Brown and Peanuts books when l was a kid, and l love The Velvet Underground now.
A win / win situation for me.
This would look great on a t-shirt.
And as proof that The Velvet Underground is not just weird music, here's one of their many slow love songs. Lou Reed sure knew how to write a tune.
I've had a busy time lately.
I was at York and Middlesbrough with Robbo last weekend, and then this week, there was Squibbs' funeral on Wednesday, (although l went off to work after it), then an Adam and the Ants tribute band at Catterick Village on Friday, followed by The Motive in Richmond on Saturday night. Plenty of people out and about, and stoppy backs on both Friday and Saturday (and in York). Apparently there's a load of photographs about to be emailed to me from Saturday in Richmond (I insisted they were not to be put on Facebook), and it was a pretty raucous affair, but excellent fun.
Adam Ant has let himself go a bit recently
It's a hard life, but sometimes you've got to put the hours in, and the funerals bring it home that you've got to try and enjoy life while you can, although l do have an assignment l have to complete and send off this week.
Next up, a Slade tribute band in Darlington on Saturday. So to get me in the mood....
By the way, the Adam Ant picture is actually two people l know, Jacket and Mrs Jacket.
Both mad.
Now this is what l call a rat! Killed by Wapping on the London Underground.
I'm glad l haven't had to deal with any that size in the back garden.
What a beast.
This is a simple idea, and has no doubt been done many times in the past, but l'm impressed by these papercuttings / photographs by Nikolai Tolstyh, which have cut out animals, coloured in by being held over colourful backgrounds, mainly from nature.
Simple yet very effective. Check out his instagram page, where there are plenty more to be seen.
I'm currently still trying to work my way through the 18 cd version of the latest Bob Dylan boxset 'The Cutting Edge', which, for a sad geek like me is 100% enjoyment, as it features some of his best work (1965-66). Sadly, l've only got the cds, not all the packaging and extras, but l'm living in bliss street at present.
Rather like The Rolling Stones (amongst others), I'm slightly obsessed by him and his music, but have no great desire to listen to any of his current releases, and especially don't want to go and see him live these days, as l'd rather remember him when he was good. And when he was good, he was very good indeed.
Here's one of my favourite comedians, Rich Hall's view on the current Dylan live shows, something l wholeheartedly agree with.
As a flipside, here's Dylan when he was special. A live version of 'Tangled up in Blue' from the 'Desire' album.
I'm not her greatest fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Adele entering an Adele impersonator contest in disguise as 'Jenny', was really well done, and l actually found it pretty moving at the end, when the other 'Adeles' realise who it is.
From Adele at the BBC
I'm waiting for my ebay delivery of the book version of 'Er Ist Weider Da' (Look who's back) by Timur Vermes , and while eagerly hanging around my letter box for it, have been checking out the trailers of the film, which look pretty good.
l guess l may have to catch it on DVD or Sky, as l can't see any local cinemas putting it on, but hopefully l may be proven wrong (and it's not often l say that).
Hitler has returned to face the modern age, and he's not a happy man.
Who say's the Germans haven't got a sense of humour?
I'm actually going out tonight to see my mates band, but just in case any trick or treaters decide to pop round, this should give them a loud and clear message.
Urgh, good night last night with the boys. These were great. The Doors Alive at Darlington Forum.
Will definitely be going to see them again (possibly on acid next time).
I've recently been transferring some old cassette compilations that l made back in the day to CD for itunes
etc. It was good hearing some of the songs again after such a long time (I'm guessing about 10 years), but most importantly, it also confirmed what excellent eclectic taste in music l had, and still have (Track listings are above).
Anyone disagreeing must have cloth ears and a tiny brain (and crappy taste in music).
Although l have sympathy with people who have mental health problems, and who are obviously seeking attention and help when they try to kill themselves on numerous occasions, the person above, Robert Kenyon (who is actually nicknamed 'Firestarter' and 'Rubber legs' around Catterick / Richmond), used to live below me in Hipswell, and was one of the main reasons for me wanting to move, as, apart from lots of noise at all hours, he tried to kill himself and set fire to his place when myself and my wife were living above him, and at one time we were tempted to go round and smash up his stereo with a baseball bat (I'm from Liverpool). Instead, the council were informed about the noise, (the fire brigade dealt with the fire) but they were pretty hopeless, despite warning him about disturbing neighbours (so to speak). Luckily, a house nearby that we wanted became available to buy at that time, so we moved out, otherwise it would have ended badly, one way or another.
He more than likely requires psychological help rather than imprisonment, but he certainly needed to be removed from his housing, as he posed such a risk to us, and laterly, to others.
I'm just surprised it has taken so long, as the earlier episodes living below me were over 10 years ago.
The story was taken from here.
Sometimes when l read about stuff, l am amazed to discover facts that have been unknown to me, despite the fact that l feel l should have been aware of them.
One case in point is Ayers (Uluru) Rock in Australia. That's it in the bottom picture, looking magnificent, and yes, l have been aware of it for many, many years.
However, what l was not aware of until last week, was that it is not even the biggest rock hill in Australia, as there is also Mount Augustus / Burringurrah (The top two photographs), which is more than twice the size of it.
Admittedly Ayers looks aesthetically better, but even so, l never knew there was another one.
Annoyingly, the more you try to learn, the more you realise how much you don't know (including the fact that rock hills are known as Inselbergs).
I think l need a lie down.
To call me sceptical about Spiritualists and Palm Readers / Forecasters would be massively understating my contempt and disbelief for the money grabbing charlatans. This advert in Blackpool made me chuckle though, 'Tony Christie to make a comeback', as forecast by Gypsy Petulengro 34 years ago. I bet she would have lost count of the amount of stars she would have forecast would make a comeback in those intervening 34 years, and if you have enough non specific guesses, you are bound to strike lucky. Sadly, lots of people part with their hard earned money in the hope of some comforting news from dead loved ones, and to rip them off is contemptible. Either they are deliberately fleecing the public (lock them up), or truly believe they have a gift (in which case they are delusional).
Gits.
A random photograph from Giz's birthday do on Friday night. It must have been good as we ended up in Club Louis until about 3 or 4am. Watched some TV while eating kebab on our return home, then off to bed, where l had to put up with Robbo's snoring, before dragging myself out of the pit early doors so l could collect my car, visit Joseph, and head to work (admittedly l wasn't at work till 3pm, so it wasn't that bad).
Us old bastards still know how to party!
The wedding scene above from 1878 doesn't look that interesting, and was bought in 2010 for $2 at an antique shop by Randy Guijarro. It has since been established that it features 'The Regulators'. and one of the guests is no other than Billy the Kid (see close up at the top). Because of this, it may be worth millions, being only the second photograph of him known to exist.
My first thought was 'Jammy bugger'. The second one was 'Billy the Kid' played croquet????.
Here's the other, well documented photograph, (owned by William Koch, who bought it for $2.3 million).
I've recently had two new front tyres put onto the car in preparation for it's MOT. I was going to wait for the MOT time, but when l parked up one evening, l noticed that one of them was actually down to the wire.
Oops!
Shows how much love and attention l pay to cars.
My hatred of spiders knows no bounds, so when one appeared in the living room the other day, l managed to kill it, and left it on the wooden flooring in the living room as a warning to others (as you do).
Lo and behold, the next day one nearly gave me a heart attack by dropping from the light attached to the ceiling in the living room, so l chased it down and managed to kill that (and a smaller one that tried to ambush me).
So, imagine my surprise when another one came running from cover in the living room the next day (to also meet it's premature death). AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Since then, l may be tempting fate, but the coast has been clear, and the dead spiders cleared away. l am however, a lot more on edge and unable to relax at the moment.
Bastard things (and they were bigger than they look in the photographs).
I honestly don't spend every hour of my day looking at photographs of men on the beach, but on the odd occasion l do, it often pays off (and not in a happy ending kind of way).
Here's an old one of Robert Mitchum, a fine figure of a man, with a marvelous chest and shoulders, plus gazelle like, well toned legs (It's hard to believe l'm not gay sometimes).
However, the thing that l noticed the most, was his waist (or lack of it). How tiny is that?
It must have been a nightmare for him to buy clothes that fitted well.
Colour me impressed.
