G is for…

…one of my favourite creatures!

How could anyone not be excited upon discovering there was a real animal called a Gila MONSTER?

Mind you, this was nothing compared to when I found out the Cotswold Wildlife Park, fairly close to where I used to live, actually had one of these lads (in an enclosure in the restaurant!) If we’d had the money I would have adopted him. But he was always first on my list to visit when we went there.

Can you blame me? Isn’t he simply darling? Here’s a lowdown:

http://www.scz.org/animals/g/gila.html

Mmm, must take a peek at The Gila Monster and Its Allies… and while we’re in that vein, the Gila Monster is also responsible for inspiring a truly inspiring film:

An American acquaintance kindly procured me a DVD of this art object. Words still fail me. C’mon everybody, let’s all do “The Gila Monster Crawl“! Oh, all right then, be that way.

Harry Stephen Keeler 1890-1967

Go here

http://home.williampoundstone.net/Keeler/Home.html

here

http://staff.xu.edu/~polt/keeler/story.html

and here

http://www.ramblehouse.com/HarryKeeler.htm

to learn more about a writer who makes  ——– ——–  look like ——– ———– 

“‘Twas the sort of thing, you know…HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…”  (Fr Bartholomew Dunne)

monk chant

Here’s a wee history lesson for y’all….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5iI0__9S1c

Call me.

Jacques Tati

My favourite film director.

From Jour de fete to Playtime, he always does it for me. In his own space, neither behind or ahead of his time. A great craftsman, humanist, humourist and perceptionist. 

He also possessed, in all likelihood, the most vicious tennis serve of any film director.

For Tati, life is a ballet, albeit interspersed plentifully with pratfalls.

 I can’t wait till Traffic is reissued. 

What a hard man fi dead

Originator, innovator, pioneer…keep those words coming.

After all, this is Cecil Bustamente Campbell aka Prince Buster we’re talking about. Rude, lewd & likely as not more than a little crude, yet simultaneously without a doubt one of the most sophisticated, perceptive and influential musical artistes of the last 50 years. Politics (street, ballot box, sexual and philosophical), humour, militancy, religion…often all in one song. First to feature Rastafarians on a recording, one of the first to release a dub LP, one of the first to release music on his own label…

…oh, and did I mention he made some of the greatest dance music ever?

Don’ argue.

Mansour Bahrami

Forget George Best, Ian Botham, Jocky Wilson etc:

This is the greatest sporting entertainer I’ve ever come across.

Bung his name into YouTube search, sit back and enjoy. Also go here for more info:

http://forums.iransportspress.com/showthread.php?t=7717

If only more sportspersons were like this bloke.

Raspberries

I cannot vouch for the quality of the output of the 1970s US “power-pop combo” featuring Eric Cartman of this name as I’ve never heard anything by them.

The luscious fruit of the same name is another matter.

Drool.

F is for…

If you’re a lickle creature on Madagascar, best to avoid this character:

S/he’s a fossa and they mean business. Here’s a lowdown:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/fossa/Fossa.shtml

More critters coming to a blog near you real soonish.

Danny & the dressmakers #4 (the final frontier)

In conclusion, the last 3 pages of “The boys’ book of ill treating amplifiers”:

 How privileged we are to have lived in an age where such wisdom and foresight prevailed in the arts.

Now where’s my fucking CDrs?  Eh? Eh?

The greatest song of all time

How to describe this song? Where to begin?

Though many years have elapsed since it burst upon the civilised world, thankfully, via the wonders of post-modern technology we are now able to archive for the benefit of future generations its genesis and development thus:

1. Initial rehearsals and first public performance (complete with critical reaction)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsISf1HW_nU

2. The allegedly obligatory video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8linZiGYSeE

3. The event, complete with the “competition” (snigger) and eventual triumphant performance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP30TSC2aw0

Of course, we all know what happened in the end; “It’s a terrible story”. But life is seldom fair. Let us remain unsullied by fate and instead gain inspiration from the artists’ visionary zeal and commitment to their art. RIP Len Hoogan and the Hugenotes.

“Hang on, I can get this…”