Retro Rama 27b

I ‘ve just found a couple of more old D.J. c.d’s and the track listings on them are ….errr…interesting …… but in my defence , they were not just for my own use……………………………….

Huh – flippin’ kids liking this kind of rubbish - I don’t know ….. :).

Ok bullsh*t excuses over - how about a band called The Angry Samoans and a track called ……….and dare I say this ………..ok ………ok ………errrrrr………

Ok ………….I’ll just come out with it

……………………..…..

……..Hitler’s Cock ……

I kid you not , and this track is so un - f**king - politically correct , I absolutely p*ss myself laughing every time every time I hear it – sorry – sorry – sorry :)

The following explanation is for the politically correct only – the above song is about errrrr…………

……Hitler keeping chickens …………..

……..honest………… :)


Right onwards - Channel 4 in the U.K. used to have a music program called Music Box and this introduced to me to a real rarity at the time , a black rock band called Living Colour, and of course there are two tracks by them on there , plus Hispanic metal band - Suicidal Tendencies who also make a showing with three tracks – take a well deserved bow - Psycho Miko :)

Then there is of course - Green Jelly with The Three Little Pigs , which is basically a metal p*ss take of the kids nursery rhyme and the lyrics include the line……………..

............“along came the wolf on his big bad Harley ”………………………

………saying nothing here :)


Loads of tracks by The Misfits are next , a band I don’t really like………… hate mail to the usual address ……………… please :)

Then we have the token thrash track – Seasons in the Abyss by Slayer , and at the time I remember I was at a friends wedding party , and the video for this was on the screens , but the music coming out of the speakers was Madonna - Like A Virgin !!! , so either someone had a bizarre sense of humour or the gods of chaos were at work here :)

There are loads more , but you’ll have probably all have lost interest after the first sentence - so I’ll desist :)

Wecome to the B- Ark *

( * The B- Ark is strangely nothing to do with dogs :), but was a spaceship in a U.K. science fiction series , on which all the people with the useless professions were put on , when the earth was destroyed )

Right that cleared up - onward …………………….

I was watching a financial program today , and saw an occupation , that on first thoughts , I’d relegate straight to the B- Ark , right next to the life music composers section , but on further thoughts - maybe not :)

This was a company who specialised in “advising banks” – yes you read that correctly ………………….. advising banks !!!


Now correct me if I’m wrong , but I thought the banks themselves were the absolute experts in their own field , and don’t their managers get massive bonuses for this “skill” , although saying that , the ensuing world recession , says otherwise :)

That aside -

This surely makes all the banks - dispensable middlemen - doesn’t it ? , as their advisors are obviously the people we should be listening to as regards finance,
……….or am I being too simplistic or should that be facetious - here :)

Trad' Tue's

It was Shrove Tuesday in the U.K. yesterday , which is better known to every school kid here , since time in memorial as - Pancake Day :)

This age old tradition consists of parents feeding their offspring a high - fat / cholesterol / sugar - diet of pancakes ( like a crepe ) , much to the screaming outrage of the obesity police :) , and then having the ultimate audacity , to allow them to have races carrying cold pancakes in the pans , which is much to the horror of the health and safety killjoys :)

Elsewhere - including my own region , we have other , even more strange customs - which are also carried out on this particular day…………………..

This normally consists of anything goes “football” matches , which originate from the 12th century , and usually involves - a large screaming mob , two goals several miles apart , and the “pitch” itself , well that’s through - both town and over the rivers and muddy fields of the countryside , in all weathers .So you can just imagine the ensuing chaos , carnage and injuries which happen in all the name of sport - kind of like a more violent version of the Pamplona Bull Run :)

Now - strangely enough nobody ever complains about the football , and this is probably because - telling a baying mob they can’t have their game , will probably get your head used as the ball !!! ------ especially in the more countrified areas :)

We English may come across as calm and reserved lot , but mess with our violent traditions …at your own peril …..:)

Let Loose The Poor Yorics of War :)

I saw a program on T.V. yesterday about schools , and it surprised me that Shakespeare’s plays are still on our modern day , national curriculum in the U.K.

I don’t know why , as I personally covered several plays as part of my English Literature course at school , although it was years ago , and yes I’m one of those idiots who can quote from it too :) , although I reckon this is probably due to me being scarred by the exposure to the very strange language and unfathomable plot lines contained within the plays - more than anything else :)

I can remember picking Macbeth up , for the first time , looking at it and thinking …..

..........“what the f**k is all this about” …………………

...and I was going to say - like most kids of my age , but I’m not sure whether this is strictly true , either then or now :)

Prior to that we’d been raised on classic American fiction in the class room , likeThe Grapes of Wrath and To Kill a Mockingbird , with various collections of classic English poetry thrown in for good luck , the poetry I could get away with , but this sharp introduction to Shakespeare’s metaphorical - symbolism , was as they say – a curve ball …...........................

Personally I think reading this and a few other of his plays , certainly enriches my own adult life - on several different levels , mind you - I certainly didn’t think that at the time ……….

...”Tree’s …….. walking around ……by themselves !!! ”*

……........what’s that – a - f**king 'bout” ...........:)

( * Dunsinane Woods from Macbeth )



Simple as That :)

Amnesty International came up with a great idea the other day ,with a call“ to stop selling Israel and the various Palestinian groups – weapons “

…………Hence in one fatal swoop – you take the silly little children’s dangerous toys away , so they can’t do each other any harm :)

I’d like to add to that motion , and say - can you stop their sweets ( candy ) for a few weeks too :)

Watch out Nat ' Geo :)

New photo is called - Never Too Late ………………….

I took this photograph a few weeks ago of some local graffiti , and ever since its just been sat on my computer almost forgotten about .

Well that was until I saw an awful program about teenage suicide at the weekend , so I decided in my “wisdom” to modify the original subject matter from one topic to another , as I thought the figure holding his hand out was highly significant in my particular context :)

It may be a little too modern art (y) for mainstream tastes , but the real purpose is to catch the eye , and maybe give people second thoughts , sort of ……………………ArtInfo …………..i reckon :)

Watch out Nat’ Geo’ :)

I was sitting in the Amazon Jungle ……….no……….no …………sorry ……. my back garden at the weekend :) - idly watching the usual Starling feeding frenzy on the bird table in the corner of the garden , when I saw what I thought was a pigeon fly up and knock one of the starlings over , so I immediately think ………. .that’s odd :)

I t was only then , that I noticed the sharp talons , beak and feathering around the wings of the interloper and realised it was a hawk , the Starling was on the ground - moving but dazed and the hawk ready to pounce , well - until a Converse flew past its head - it missed , but the hawk got the message and swooped off , leaving a very lucky Starling - to do the same .

I looked up and saw a very bemused looking feline watching the proceedings – it was Monty, the cat from across the road .

Monty has been here for ever and ever , and according to my cat / human age conversion factor is 88 yrs old , so is what I would call a grizzled old streetfighter, and has definitely in the past kept me sane after the death of my own cats a while ago , and I suppose he made me realise cats are still for me , hence after a years absence I got two more of my own :)

Monty used to be a regular , but I havn.t seen him for months , so considering his age I thought for the worst …………….thus it was excellent to see him again , and indulge in some nice kitty cat entertainment , to welcome him back , as I then had to additionally - stalk all the way across the muddy lawn to get my boot back from over the fence and out of the croc’s mouth :) .

In to the Pit

New Photograph is called - Terminal Adjustment



Ok ………..get those trees chopped down and put them over the pit ……………….
…………… the Triceratops will be along soon ………………

Nah - just having you on :)


I reckon Wed’s gig probably deserves one of these to itself – so here goes…….

Certain types of music hit you on different levels and thrash metal is definitely primeval , although I’m not quiet sure what that says about the audience in general - and I include myself in that statement :)

I ‘ve been to lots of gigs at the Academy but this one was absolutely jam packed , and it never ceases to amaze me the amount of long haired young people and indeed families who go to these gigs , remember if you believe , all for instance the music industry and their recent Brit Awards - preach , this music is and never was “fashionable” - if that’s the right word to use .

The gig itself was good , but I wont go in to it as I’m not a professional reviewer and unless you like the bands it will be of little or no interest to you anyway , although I have been writing a bit of a biography for a while and there are certain gig reviews on there but that’s mainly for my own personal reasons , hmmmmm - not that I can remember very much , as it is on floppy disc , written on a Win 98 program and guess what , it won’t even run on my current version ……….. rats :)

Anyway – yes our viewing enjoyment was punctuated by Evil Don’s ex wife collaring certain members of the male population , and telling them off for leaving certain messages on her Facebook page , the messages and her dialog - I simply cannot repeat on here :), but believe you me , these guys faces were absolute pictures when they got cornered and verbally baseball batted :)

I always reckon – don’t say anything to anyone on the net , you wouldn’t say to their faces, hence me smiling and saying - “ unfortunately - it is now…….. “ in response to her shouting “ its not funny – it’s not funny” ……..for ages afterwards …….
………and yes even she started laughing in agreement – eventually :)

I really, really have to be careful with my humour because of my personal
appearance and attitude , as unfortunately , people who don’t really know me ,
can really take my wisecracks the wrong way , and the rule with me is if it sounds humours - it usually is :),

I always think conveying the fact that someone is being unreasonable through humour is a good way of disarming a situation , and it does work :)


After the gig we dropped Don’s ex off and his daughter came out to talk to us.

Now - she’s a lively 17 yr old punk gal , and was showing us her new various tattoos in the street at 11.30 !! , and generally chatting about her new interests in art and design and showing us her portfolio - well in to the night , and guess who was just wearing a t- shirt ……….now where’s my spear ………….GRRRRRRRRRRR :)

Seriously , its nice to know our legacy is still alive with the kids – perfect end to a perfect evening :)

..........coats are for polar bears ..............

Following on from yesterday’s garbage – My part of the world has got a strange , and whole , country wide reputation for us wandering around on the streets in the winter time , not wearing a great deal of clothing , and no its not one big nudist colony either :)

This strange northern custom , can range from both scantily clad men and women on a night on the town in sub zero temperatures and blizzards , to very fat , tattooed football supporters stripped to the waist in a snowstorm - no joke .

I’m not sure what this is due to , as its not a macho thing as the women are the true leaders in this art :) , and somebody at a local university must have also been pondering these facts too , as they have commissioned a study in to it , and from my information , were currently theorising on whether people from this area maybe had…………. ……thicker skins……????

....…..thicker heads more like… :)

Ha !!! - you don’t need a publicly funded , research grant or a doctorate in psychology to work that particular one out :)

Just in case your wondering - my own particular excuse is I’m hot blooded – well that , and the best formed cranial bones , this side of the Neanderthals :)

….. which slips quiet nicely in to tomorrows blog, which is called – Into the Pit , now is this about trapping dinosaurs , or something else - you’ll have to wait and see………

Winters Child

New photo is called - See the Light

Now if you believe in that sort of thing I’m a winters child :)Yes - I love seeing the kids and indeed – adults , enjoying themselves , building snowmen , having snowball fights , and of course riding their sledges through barbed wire fences ………… breaking their limbs in the process :)

Now with all that said :) - I’d gladly move to a place where it was a steady mild temperature all year round , with a bit of rain during the night , and heaven forbid – if I ever wanted to remind myself of the cold , snow , ice , frost or howling gales - I’d look on the T.V. :)

I think this has probably been brought on by the weeks of snow, frost and black ice we have had here in the U.K., which has been the coldest winter for ten years , what with that and last Summers washout it doesn’t exactly put you in a …………..……….errrrrr…………positive frame of mind :)

Although saying that , it was a balmy five degrees C riding to work Mon to Wed - the birds were singing and there was a very, very slight hint of blue in the sky , that coupled with the prospect of a wonderful - 11 degrees for the week ahead – can’t be bad :) I finally got my Metallica ticket today and the Megadeth and Testament gig is tonight - and I wonder if its warm enough just to wear just a T- shirt ………………………WARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH…… :)

More on this tomorrow ………………………

No Publicity

-------------------Well my ..errrrrrrr…….antics ………..???..........……..yesterday …… got me a mention in our new Chief Exec’s Blog !!!

Which I suppose is not really surprising , considering , but now I’m wondering if this public “fraternization with the enemy” dents my street cred , or indeed if I should be even be telling you all this :)

……..as it drops to zero ……….no doubt :)

Up Periscope>>>>

Well I think I’ll appoint myself a submarine captain , as I certainly felt like one today - hat on backwards , firing the metaphorical torpedo’s ..............................

The venue was surprisingly not the Northern Atlantic, but a Management / Union liaison meeting , the kind of place where only women don’t wear suits and ties – which says a lot about me :) - sorry I digress .

I always unintentionally get the seat at the head of the table at these occasions – totally opposite our Director , and next thing you know the Chief Exec’ comes in and sits down beside me, just as I was pressing the launch buttons – so to speak :).Now I wont go in to the details , as I shouldn’t be broadcasting this kind of information over the web , but be aware ships were sunk, but all in a good cause :)

I’ve been away from being a Union rep’ for a few years , but by god today was a great start to being back , and I’m just thinking - if something hadn’t happened to me three weeks ago , I wouldn’t have been there halting what has become a total debacle and that is truly , a magnificent feeling – believe me .

People always say to me be careful what you say in these situations , but to be honest I’m beyond redemption because of my antics in the past , and subscribe to“the truth will set you free” – school of thought , so other than an occasional diplomatic slip , what I say will always be truthful if nothing else , and that’s all you need in most school of life - situations

One of my very , very few talents is an ability not to be overawed by authority , which thankfully worked well today , and this probably stems from my equal treatment for all ethos , and I know by the black looks from certain quarters that this is probably viewed as ideas above my station , but that’s their opinion .

I had a quick chat with the new Chief Exec ‘ - later as I was surprisingly impressed with something he said , and my parting words to him were….........................

....................“keep up the good work “……........

.................talk about inadvertent - role reversal :)

Don't Ask

A question – and your probably not going to like this - especially on a Monday :) ……Can I have some - special treatment within society – please ????

How about , maybe - a nice slice of positive discrimination , being tret with kid gloves , or special allowances being made because of my status , oh yeah and maybe a little financial incentive, to name but a few , as I’m …………

…….and wait for this …...........……

…a black , female , lesbian and follow the Judaic Faith ………

….No ….no …….hang on , I’m not am I ……silly me :)

…Right ………..how about a…………………

a 10% disabled , preganant , transgender person of the Satanist Faith ……

Ok – Ok ……third time lucky …………

...........a white , male , heterosexual with aetheist tendencies ..............

I only ask , as this in line with the various official policies that other sections of society seem to have, simply because of their various status and beliefs , but I appear to be oddly barred from. :)

Now - is this -

Racism because I’m white ?

Sexism because I’m male ?….

........or maybe a straight case of discrimination on the facts that I’m - straight and am not religious.

How about a combination of all four together , or maybe I’m just being totally and utterly ridiculous ?

….None and all - I’m simply just proving a point :)

Off White Friday :)

Well Friday the 13th certainly lived up to its chaotic name today - as usual :)

I’m never quiet sure whether this is in part - psychological or not , in that it makes people behave differently , thus possibly causing problems ( misfortune ) for themselves , which would have never usually happened if they had acted normally , if you see what I mean :) .

Ok here’s a scenario - you step in to the road to avoid walking under an empty ladder and you get run over by a car , now in my opinion the accident was caused by a fear of superstition , rather than superstition itself , as if you had walked under the ladder you wouldn’t have been ran over :)

Superstition is an interesting and emotive subject , personally - I won’t walk under a ladder simply because I don’t want a piece of heavy machinery dropped on my head , and I like cats , so black ones crossing my path in any direction - is a bonus :)

I think some aspects are good as if you believe in maybe a lucky charm this could put you in to a positive frame of mind which could help you succeed , but if you fail , well maybe that faith was misplaced .

There are of course the extreme levels as to which it is taken , like certain people I know , who shall remain anonymous , taking Friday 13th off work simply because of what it is , which again is behaving differently from their normal life pattern…………………saying nothing here :)

Back Around

I have in the past few months , complained of lack of bands to go and see , and I reckon its like waiting for a bus - as none turn up for half an hour , then three turn up all at the same time – marvellous :)

I say this , as it has all turned around big style , what with Megadeath and Testament next Wed’ , Metallica and Machine Head on the 3rd of March , and ………wait for this…………………………………………………………………………………………….

................Linkin Park and Metallica are headlining a two day festival at Knebworth in August ……………HOOORAY ………………:)

The tickets are £157 including camping .............camping …!!! …. what the f**k is that ……………. oh yeah - that’s what you do with that strange looking nylon thing that’s been rotting under my stairs for the past few years …………..silly me :)

I think the chances of me sleeping in a tent in muddy , rain lashed field , after riding 250 miles on my Harley are less than zero, and to quote myself …………………”been there , done that , and got the t shirt” - …….more times than I care to imagine :)

Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed every single minute of it , and will miss the- wonderful - toxic smell of plastic bottles roasting gently on the fire , the gentle aroma of campsite toilets wafting in on the breeze , drunk /stoned people making an aggressive nuisance of themselves , over priced festival drinks and food - YUK , the plastic wannabee’s who populate festivals now a days , but my favourite is - being unable to sleep and then having the prospect of a 250 mile ride home in the rain .

You can probably guess what my accommodation plan is , and I just wonder if any of the bands maybe - have he same idea :) , as like 99% of the rock population I’d love to punch a certain whining Euro’….. right in the head :)

See I have my uses - after all :)

Keeping The Faith.........yet again

I’m not religious as you all know , and speaking from this perspective –

I saw an article yesterday , about a head teacher of a school in the U.K. , trying to stop separate morning assemblies for Christians and Muslims pupils , and because of this action , she ended up being forced out of her job , and then accused of being racist !!

Now - instead of my usual rant against those with hidden agendas , who have no doubt instigated this silly situation , and of course my old friends the politically correct who no doubt support them in their ” important endeavours “.

I surprisingly offer an amicable solution ……well two actually ………

How about - either not having an assembly at all - like the secular French education system , or if you are religiously inclined - alternatively a multi faith assembly - exploring each others beliefs in a process of multicultural religious education……..........................
......................…….I don’t believe I just wrote all that :)

I must admit its years since I attended school , but in my naivity , I thought maybe - educating all our children in to all aspects of life , in a fair and even manner , is what that system is all about - isn’t it ? , or am I missing the point here – yet again :)


I must say - without ranting ( I promise ) -

I totally and utterly support the head teacher in her brave effort to end religious segregation , and liken this particular system as to that of apartheid , which as you all know was separation of races due to colour .

Thus with this in mind , can you be actually be legally or morally accused of racism by actively trying to break down the barriers of segregation - I think not .


I’m glad Martin Luther King didn’t have to put up with this :)

Locals Only

I was just thinking , and whilst I know its not real life - It’s odd how movies can subconsciously define how people from other countries / cultures can view and perceive you , and the place where you live .

The reason I say this , as un be known to me the British movie - Billy Elliott which is now apparently a very successful worldwide stage show , is according to my friends - very popular in Japan , and this particular movie just happens to be set , a mere ten miles or so from where I’m writing this , and in a place very nearly identical to where I grew up myself.

To be totally honest , I’ve only ever seen this once and that was of idle curiosity , but from what I do remember – it paints a grim but true , picture of the district , as its set in a tough mining community , during the industrial upheavals of the 80’s , and the story centres around a young guy wanting to become a ballet dancer , against the old school attitudes which prevailed at that time , from both his family and the community .

I suppose it is a social commentary on change, as Billy succeeds in a place where people would call you gay, and probably beat you up if they knew what was going on , and this attitude is certainly a twisted form of the traditional roles of men and women and their gender - occupations , which thankfully - only exists in the mind of a few - today .

Other “noticeable” movies set in my area include – Get Carter , Goal , Stormy Monday , and bits of Harry Potter .

I dread to think what signals that lot puts out to the rest of the world :)

Tornado Alley

We English , certainly used to deliver cutting edge technology to the world , for example inventing things we all use in modern everyday life like - television , jet engines, tin cans , Viagra , the flush toilet ,and of course the world wide web , but this was alas all ancient history and at a time when the world was painted a fetching shade of “Empire Pink “ :)

With all of the above in mind , I had a smile to myself when I saw an article on the news , saying a group of enthusiasts from my own home county had built a steam train , not a model but a £3million - full size , running one , something which hasn’t been built here for at least - 50 or so years - talk about reverse engineering :)

The main - east coast line runs fairly close to my house , and one night, last year November I was out on my mountain bike , and I heard this train in the distance and saw it go screaming by belching smoke and flames , and not knowing about this before hand I honestly thought I was f**king hallucinating in seeing a spectral train or experiencing some kind of time slip ……a steam train in 2008 !!!....... I ask you :)

I got back home and saw a local news article saying the steam train was on a shakedown run that evening , thus no corpses - shaking their ”gory locks” at me , that particular night :)

http://www.a1steam.com/

Now without going too far in to it , and risking boring you all – even further :)
I reckon this spirit of innovation still exists , its just we haven’t got either the finance or the forward looking leadership - anymore , so I think we just carry out eccentric projects to fulfil that need – shame really.

Now where’s that tin of pink paint – again :)

Aspirations Anonymous

Supermarine Spitfire , Kawasaki Z1 and the Aston Martin DB8 are three of the most wonderful and elegantly designed pieces of automotive art - ever , and In my opinion all of them have the definite lines of a woman , but that’s probably just me :)

I’ve personally owned several Z1’s , but not an Aston or even a Spitfire for that matter , but its like that nine year old kid seeing a Harley for the first time and thinking “gotta have one “ , and all those years later – well I’m sitting here with the ownership of several under my belt , try telling that nine year old that fact - then , and he’d have probably have told you to p*ss off :)

Saying that this particular cheeky kid could have born and be living in a third world country and aspire to - a descent place to live , regular food and clean water, or a run down council estate in the U.K. and aspire to escape from their surroundings to a better life .

Thus the Aston , Z1 and Spitfire become absolutely meaningless in this light , and of course this reminds me how well off I actually am - relatively speaking - compared to some , and this is probably just due to a mere geographical fluke. Looking back on the above , It’s strange how this starts on one topic and ends on a completely different one , but that’s life I suppose…………………



Five Second Politico

I’m glad politicians are seeking either to cap , or indeed stop bonuses paid to managers within the various financial institutions around the world , which have been bailed out using taxpayers money , as we can’t have those who were actually responsible for the global recession being rewarded for their actions – could we :)

United We Stand...................

Well - I’ve been talked in to becoming a Union Representative - yet again , although to be honest I did miss quiet a few aspects of this unpaid , voluntary position – yes
really :).

I treat this part time occupation as giving something back to society by going out and actually helping people ,and not just in a work situation , be it with – simple advice or full representation in formal settings - no shirt and tie for me - though :).

There are some downsides to it , if you can call it that , like the worry of “their job in my hands” , but then again , presenting for example - disciplinary cases to one of our directors and winning is definitely a great feeling .

I liken most of the more involved tasks to being a defence lawyer , as you have to research , prepare , and present a case , and be knowledgeable of the rules and regulations from for example a corporate and /or legal perspective , surrounding the situation , and I also insist my ”client “ tells me the truth from day one , to alleviate any nasty surprises further up the line.


My first job today was a mandate to management as regards staff concerns , and it was signed by all staff without even reading it , this trust is absolutely marvellous from my point of view , so I for once in my life will not joke about it :).

mah motorsicle and a switchblade knife .........................

I was watching Kerrang - the U.K. satellite metal , music station at the weekend and it was the top 50 loud video’s , which was the usual sublime to the ridiculous selection that we know and love in the rock world .This ranged from the gothic pomp and circumstance of Evernescence- Bring Me To Life to the sleaze rock of Girls Girls Girls by Motly Crue , and just watching the Girls’ video of the band cruising Sunset Strip on their Harleys just made me realise - ………been there , done that , got the t shirt ……literally :)

That was when I was a ruff tuff biker , and nowadays I just supposedly - look like a Hispanic gangbanger – minus the tattoo’s of course , I’ve still got the Harley I hasten to add , but certainly not the plastic image that goes with it now a days.

I’ve never been a part of the “herd mentality” that goes with this and other types of similar interests , be it wearing official Harley clothing on your motorcycle or the latest dayglow gear and matching helmet , on your mountain bike , and in fact I don’t even know anybody – socially who rides a mountain bike as they all look and act like geeks !!! .

Talking of herds , I’m just wondering what the collective noun for geeks is …………A Microsoft of geeks – maybe

Zoom In...........

Guess what – I’ve bought myself yet another new lens for my camera at the weekend ……………. this is becoming an expensive hobby :) .

No seriously , I’ve been in to photography for years and years , although only using compacts , but this makes me wish I got a SLR camera years ago , as there is so much more scope for creativity with this item , then add digitalization and Photoshop in to the equation and the skies the limit .

I’ve said this before- photography apart from the odd piece of prose is my only real artistic outlet , and I have been accused of cheating by one of my workmates for putting my own photo’s through Photoshop , but as I said to him they are mine to do with what ever I want , and that means modify , as you all know , and this compensates for my lack of true artistic skill in the more recognised form of the word .

I suppose in my meagre defence , you need some skill to operate a SLR and then there’s of course the inbuilt - eye to spot something worth photographing , and the modifying – well that is as they say…………………………

…………………. “in the eye of the beholder”………………….

Killer Squirrels from Outer Space

Now - I live in a very quiet corner of the U.K. , so you can imagine my surprise when I saw this on the local news –

Apparently , those usually - lovely and cute , grey squirrels have been terrorizing local nurses looking for nuts , and the nurses have now been advised to-
“ wear protective head gear , walk in pairs and carry umbrellas “ by the local health authority , as one of the nurses who was attacked had ……and wait for this…….. ………………………………
.........................“a reddening of the scalp” ………………WOW .. :)

Now I just wonder what would happen if we had real , f**k off - vicious animals running around in the U.K. , maybe a few lions , the odd tiger , all sprinkled with a few alligators , would the local authorities be issuing us all with AK 47’s , or telling us all to stay in the house and not go out – ever , in yet another……………………… “ back covering – exercise “

Thinking about this , I travel through the woods on the way to work every day , which have squirrels living in them and you can just see me riding along on my bike being chased by a viscous gang of squirrels - demanding nuts with menaces , for my
cheek :)