What a long strange journey it is...

25 years of Love and Rockets. We are both getting old. I remember reading these as they came out (and I could afford them) in a housing association flat with the first of the white cats. And I am re-reading Locas from the beginning.

Now, back to work...

The kids are alright

Indeed they are. I finally met with a selection of the often mentioned (and maligned) youth of today, and you know what? They are fine. Probably less spotty and more together than I was at their age.
Every generation thinks that their parents (and grandparents) were gods, and that they are the last civilised generation. Every generation is wrong. There were no golden ages. There will be no monsters raised entirely by Playstation 3.

You think we would learn...

For the dead

Music by Gene.
One of those times. Couple of people I heard about but didn't know have died young (ish). It happens every day, and one day most of the world will never know when it happens to you, me and everyone we know. Unless it is really out of the ordinary.

Love your family, love your friends, love everyone.
It is a short day in the sun.

to serve them all our days

Apparently, Russian fishermen have found a strange alien creature making squeeking noises ... and eaten it. Let's hope it does not have friends who come a looking. Unless of course they say, "It's ok - Fred did look sort of delicious", and don't follow it up with "and so do your children. Can I borrow some ketchup?".

http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/07-02-2007/87167-alien_monster-0

In other news, Pravda is still going? In other, other news, there is a Russian Fark?

Picture is a New York grafitti artist. Nice isn't it?
Title is from Microdisney

Context is everything

Two matches, sucessive 0-1 defeats after outplaying our opponents. Two different reactions. Losing to the Scum was gutting, losing to Barca but still putting out the best team in the world completely different. The Scum should win the Premiership - they have the luck. We could easily have won three or four nil.
But now I am dreading the draw for the Champions League - I really want a foreign club, but it could be that 4 of the 7 are British (more realistically, forget Celtic).

Curiously Mrs Breadwinner is Barca for a few days trying to earn a shekel or two. Leaving me with the breadcrumbs and more work than I can manage. So, I'm not managing and mainly letting it wash over the top of me. Life is not helped by a kind of collective nervous breakdown by the family technology. Amongst the victims are the Purple People Carrier, the washing machine and at least one of the DVD players.

Don't get me started on the fucking Virgin/Sky debacle. Tonight I missed Battlestar Galactica for the first week. The fuckers are going to pay for that.

The short, sharp cut is healing nicely. Stitches out tomorrow.

out, out damn spot

So, a small vertical incision, and a biopsy. Do you think it will make me look hard? Maybe be some protection for when the Mighty Reds play the Scum tomorrow lunchtime. Or maybe a provocation. Who knows.

Meanwhile Virgin Media are denying me my Battlestar Galactica. To say the least I am pissed (in the American sense of the phrase). Where do they think they get off? "it was too expensive, so we decided to drop it and not pass the savings along to you..." Jeez. What a shower.

To quote the most excellent Ms Winehouse, what kind of Fuckery is this?

I feel like getting all Executioner one Richard Branson's ass. This is probably my favourite page in comics. Certainly top 5 along with Cerebus and the countess, The Death of Speedy and death of the Invisible Man in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and you are in here with me from Watchmen. In case you need a clue it is from Walt Simonson's Thor.

NSFW - but funnier than real comics

I recommend http://mightygodking.livejournal.com/

A guy reworking the dialogue of Marvel Civil War for comic effect. And it is funny. Even though I have never read the original. If you look it up, see if you too think that the artist has got a real thing going for Dagger (or is it Cloak) - the white jumpsuit looks like it has been drawn by photoreferencing a whole bunch of porn. Or is it just me?

(Scans daily motto: It's never just you...)

Words of Wisdom - from Douglas Adams

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."-- Douglas Adams (1952-2001)

Ain't that the truth?

Aeroplane stars

"You have to sing to aeroplane stars."

Words of advice from Kid A.

... you might as well live

So the docs seem to think that I'll survive having a mildly disfigouring and not at all uncomfortable spot on my face. Even if it is technically a cancer. They seem determined to talk me out of surgery. Wonder if they will change their minds if they find out I have health insurance?

Anyway reasons to go on living include the third League of ExtraOrdinary Gentlemen. Sadly not with us until 2008. And not understood until 2009. If you've only ever seen the film, you will not understand that this is a big deal.

Current Listening - Ladykillers by Lush, and a load of Go-betweens.

Jesus. I'm Arthur C Clarke

Which is something of a surprise, you have to admit. All those years I never knew.
Though I did read quite a lot of him when I was a kid.
See below.

Off now to see a plastic surgeon. Second time in my life I've been told "there is a million to one chance that you have cancer". So, realistically I've only got 999, 998 chances left. Trouble is that I have read my Pratchett, and therefore know that million to one shots work nine times out of ten. It's the narrativium.

I am: Arthur C. Clarke Well known for nonfiction science writing and for early promotion of the effort toward space travel, his fiction was often grand and visionary.

Which science fiction writer are you?

But seriously

this is ridiculous. Not to mention unfeasible.

But funny, though.

Grey's anatomy

Curiously hooked by this. Serious Scrubs? Flipant House? ER for kids?
All of the above, but still very enjoyable and leads to ploughing through the DVDs.
The rental company must hate us - we have a couple of series on almost next day return. The postage alone must be a killer. What are they?
ER (Mrs Breadcrumb only)
Battlestar Galactica
Supernatural
Lost
Grey's anatomy

And funnily enough I was not convinced by the idea of any of them.
Meanwhile, the hard disc drive on the cable is still full of last years "things we think we will watch".

Luckily the twin thrashings by Arsenal are not recorded for posterity in this household, nor ever mentioned. You hear me? Never mentioned!

Michale Caine

Thomas Midgeley made two contributions to our modern world. He invented both lead additives for petrol, thereby poisoning most of us living in cities, and CFCs, which destroy the Ozone layer and speed global warming.

Not a lot of people know that ...

Now I may not have actually done anything today, but you've got to admit that is an improvement on old TM....

When I grow up to be a man

How touching can you get? Kid A has been telling me that he dreamt of being a big boy, but he doesn't think he will be one because he doesn't get any bigger.

All too soon, the days will flow all to quick my boy. All too soon.

hello, it's 2007

Seems quite futuristic really. Not a real date at all.
So, I'm back. And the piles of bills are not really threatening at all.

This is posted with New Blogger. Being a Luddite, I was quite happy with
the previous version that was as basic as I could cope with. I am a real fan of "good enough" technology. Which is why my mobile phone is 3 years old.

I need a shower

I've been trying not doing work, seeing if it ends up doing it by itself. You know what - it doesn't.

Next week on statements of the bleeding obvious - I shall be mostly away from home.

That Tesco Bastard

Tesco home delivery gave me an added bonus - a damaged front wing for the Purple People Carrier. Not chuffed. They are no claming that the parked car with no one in it leapt out in front of them. Not that they hit it anyhow. "We don't see how we could have...". Well I never said you did it deliberately.

So, my feelings can be summed up in the picture by the previously unheard of (by me) Chris Weston parodying Frank Miller. Just think Tesco instead of Green...

Anhedonia

And you know, it did look like that. And I still wasn't happy.
Must be Anhedonia.

Music: Wire, Map ref....
Do you image they will ever use that on Lost?

Where I am going next week

No seriously. I am. How about you?

BTW, Stockton on Tees Riverside - better than you would think. Or than I did.
And, no that is not a picture...