I need a new bag...

I just can't decide which one!

Much more Engrish here

Oh, I want one!

Lots of nice games....

....at this site

One for the gents....

Male Restroom Etiquette....and guard against the end of civilisation

Comic interlude

For more of Dan Piraro’s comic, check out: Bizarro

Recipe.....

I'm posting this after a request from Anne and John (actually, what they REALLY asked for was for me to make them some!) I couldn't find the original recipe I'd made up but this is the nearest I can come up with after perusing the interwebs (and my kitchen cupboards for available ingredients).....it smells and tastes reasonably close to the original!

Pretendy 'Old Bay Seasoning Mix'

'T' stands for tablespoon
and 't' stands for teaspoon (both heaped)

4T salt
2T celery salt
2T paprika (you could use smoked if you happen to have it)
1T dried english mustard powder
1T white pepper
1T kalonji (onion seeds)
1T ground cumin
1t nutmeg
1t allspice
1t turmeric
1t cinnamon
12 dried bay leaves, chopped small

Mix the lot together and store in an airtight container. Sprinkle with abandon on potatoes (or any other vegetable for that matter) before roasting.

The Bonzo Dog Do Dah Band....

....what's not to like?
Found this animation set to 'Jollity Farm' that's rather pleasant. And if anyone's interested in listening to the 3 John peel sessions that Viv Stanshall did many moons ago, I'm yer man!

Wonder whether Anne has seen THIS one?

Music Box

Over on the right you'll spot a new addition to the blog. It's a music player loaded with some, er, novelty music...description of which follows

"This album was the first of three that were put out by the Green County Medical Society for scholarship aid to medical students. These albums were sold at the society’s headquarters in Springfield, MO for 3.25 each.
All of the bands members were doctors from the area. The record was sold in a plain white sleeve with no information to speak of."

Avian enigmas

First off I should mention that this is the 200th post....so, Happy Birthday folks!!

On with the show....a couple of bird related items of interest. First, you've heard of double yolkers, well this is a double sheller.....

Full story here

And then the second one is from the archives...

The Internet has crashed!!

Yet another video.....this one from The Onion News Network

Breaking News: All Online Data Lost After Internet Crash

One for the wine snobs!

The 419 scam from the point of view of the scammer

Jolly Nigerian pop video, "I go chop your dollar" by Nkem Owoh
Watch it and I guarantee you'll have the tune running through your head all day!

Anne told me to do it!!

New audio in the the box files

You maybe missed Marcus Brigstock ranting about religion on The Now Show on Friday....I've posted in the boxfiles, just click and it should play (assuming you have speakers turned on of course). Now that's what I call 'stand up'!!

I KNOW I shouldn't laugh......

....but I just can't help myself!

glumbert.com - News anchors can't stop laughing at falling model

Another "Thriller"

Further to an earlier post, here are the inmates from a Philippino jail strutting their stuff.....complete with ladyboy

MOUTH OF TYNE FESTIVAL

Another good night was had by our merry trio at the festival again this year. Turning up at 5.00 armed for the weather and laden down with an impressive selection of picnic goodies and an array of wine we settled down to enjoy the evenings entertainment. Three good acts varying from Celtic to Salsa to African - you cannot say you do not get variety - the link below lets you sample some of the headline acts recorded material. It has to be said the organisation was pretty poor this year with an hour between the final two acts but that does not stop us already looking forward to next year! Feel free to join us if you wish...

http://www.morykante.com/media/index.html#sabou

As well as the acts on stage it was also amusing watching Anne battle against the cold

adding layer upon layer of clothes as the evening went on.

John

No real point to this one except it's fun to play with!

Make some nice noises.....BEWARE, it's a bit addictive

Click to play

While I'm here....

....and before the next flood

Here's some more retro entertainment

Bad me

OK.....no real excuse, I've been on 'holiday' for the best part of a week and no posts. No, tell a lie, I've just mopped up a kitchen flood when the sink blocked up and the washing machine (which shares the same pipe through the wall) decided to make it's presence known....it hasn't all been "sun, sand and sex" (this IS Whitley Bay after all!)
Anyway here's a blast from the past, t'internet as I remember it in the old days (and I've never used Times New Roman since, except when forced to!)

1917 Catwalk Show

Watch out for the "walking suit".....ouch, those shoes must pinch!

Oh joy, Mrs Hannah Jack Williams has been back in touch

She's using a Czeck Republic email address this time.....

"MY BLESSING
My name is Mrs.Hannah Jack Williams I am a dying woman who have decidedto donate what I have to you/Organization. I am 59 years old and I wasdiagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago, immediately after the deathof my husband, who had left me everything he worked for. I have beentouched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my latehusband to you for the good work of God than allow my relatives to usemy husband hard earned funds ungodly.

Please pray that the good Lord forgive me my sins. I have asked God toforgive me and I believe he has because He is a merciful God.I will be going in for an operation tomorrow morning I decided toWILL/DONATE the sum of $3,500,000(Three million five hundred thousanddollars) to you/Organization for the good work of the lord, and alsoto help the motherless and less privilege and also for the assistanceof the widows according to (JAMES 1:27).

At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now due to thefact that my relatives are around me and my health status. I haveadjusted my WILL and my Executor is aware I have changed my will, youand him will arrange the transfer of the funds from the Private Financecompany to your humble self.

I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, andPlease use the funds well and always extend the good work toothers.Contact my Executor (Barrister Edward Hayes) with thisspecified Email:(adv_hayeschamber09@yahoo.co.uk) with your full namescontact telephone/fax number and your full address and tell him thatI have WILLED($3,500,000.00) to you and I have also notified him thatI am WILL-IN that amount to you for a specific andgood work. Thanks and God bless.

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter untilthe task is accomplished as I dont want anything that will Jeopardizemy last wish.And Also I will be contacting with you by email as I dontwant my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me.

Regards,
Mrs.Hannah Jack Williams"

Oh, for a complex local transport system....

....then we could maybe find strange beasts on the metro map!

Check out the London fauna here

The Nigerian Scam.....and I'm an all-time winner!

I've had to do a bit (OK, a lot) of registrations for online services this week for the Berlin fieldtrip. I made the mistake of using my Yahoo mail address for some of them.....whoops, remind me not to do THAT again! On Thursday alone I had 10 emails telling me that (in total) I'd won slightly in excess of £15million in various European lotteries (spelling and grammar universally atrocious!) and also could also help out miscellaneous widows, orphans and cancer sufferers, thereby netting a further £8.5million in the process.....and all I needed to do was provide my bank details to rake in the cash. Maybe I'll keep the day job! There's a selection in the shared box for your delectation. DON'T CLICK ON ANY LIVE EMAIL LINKS, unless you want to take them on at their own game!!!!

Check here for some Nigerian scam entertainment UK style "The Massage Parlour Proprietor" counter-scam is particularly good! "Baiting the scammers" could become an Olympic sport!

AND here's some videos...first off, "A Dramatisation of 419".....the typical message, by Ze Frank

then we move into an american "expose" in 4 parts.....
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

and if you've made it this far, here's a clip about what "they" are doing about it....well, maybe! My money's still on the "let's con the conners" option, at least we could have some fun!

One for Johnny....

....even though he probably never reads this!

Tom Jones.....but, could he still do it today?

The Frug that is? (I'm sure he still manages to pull off the giving of the sweaty hanky to the fat lass in the front row, we'll gloss over the 'snogging sisters stage left' bit....let's not even go there!)

"Sexology" cover, 1964

No comment........except "what the hell was on page 413?"

An answer to the smoking ban?

Put the two together, add a woolly jumper/some stout thermal knickers (double gusset preferred), possibly a pair of wellies.....and it might just work!!!

I want one...and I don't even drive!!

There's something about vintage camping equipment that appeals. I remember avidly reading Dad's "Amateur Caravanner" (but come to think of it, is there any other sort?.....maybe I've got the title wrong!) checking out the ads for "a complete camping kit (tent, sleeping bags, primus stove etc) for 20gns"....oh, happy days! This above though is the dog's bollocks, you even get a boat!

I won some Southern Comfort in a raffle a while back...

....and now I've found this my life is complete! If there's any left, expect cocktails at that end of term party!


Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

A Martian in Paris

I've been a bit remiss in the blogging department this week so by way of apology here's a vintage French photostory.....



Un martien à Paris

Quantity Surveying Berlin.....

....is just about finished. Have a look and let me know what you think.

Click here to view it in all it's glory!

Want a new desktop wallpaper?

I typed in "rendezvous" and got this.....

But then again, you might prefer something more tropical!

Go here to grab lots of nice possibilities.....type in a keyword in the box at the bottom of the page, click on an image you can live with, then when it loads right click and select "Set as background"

(But if you want something with a bit more street cred go to Pixelgirl !)

Sorry, game overload!

Starts easy then ramps up the pressure!
Play online here

Wall to wall Monty Python videos

Click here

And another game

Play here

Improve your mouse control to the backing of 70's style cinema advert style music

More games from the same author here

Another point and click game....

....that I haven't tried yet, but if it carries on bloody raining I might!
Play it here

Lovely, messy, flash game/web art thingy

"game, game, game, and again game is a game/net artwork created by Jason Nelson which is both an interactive flash game but also a ruthless rant against the glossy clean design which bombards the net. Jason attempts to deconstruct this cleanliness by creating an interactive game that is neither clean nor easily readable."
(Try to) play it here

Sarahs Final Show

The photos didn't come out too well, but at least you get the idea....well done that girl!

More Berlin pictures

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

One of those productive days.....

I've got to grips with YouTube and Flickr, Odeo, Jimdo and Twango, and all in the space of a day.....amazing what you can do when it's quiet at work and there's no students about! I even wrote myself some notes so when I have to actually DO something with them I won't have to go back to square one. Time for a celebratory glass methinks.....

This is the proper test post

Reichstag01
Originally uploaded by surveyingberlin07

This is a picture I took in the cuppola of the Reichstag on the last Berlin fieldtrip, it was fab weather for November as you can see! (by the way, "surveyingberlin07" is my temporary work alter ego this year!)

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Next time I come to stay at your house....

......I want one of these

or maybe this















Instructions posted in the shared box.....napkin folding instructions on request!

This cost me a bloody fortune!

Build your own Eiffel Tower

Because you know you want to! (and wouldn't it be just perfect as a table centrepiece/talking point for that awkward "cooking dinner for the boss" occasion?)

Printable version if you click on the image then right-click to "save picture as".

Merci! Agence eureka

There's Escher's "Relativity"....then there's Lego "Relativity"

Construction details and big pictures here.....and for other Lego versions of Eschers work

Wish I'd known this this morning!

Picture the scene, I'm on target for getting to work early for once. I'm showered, I've ironed some clothes to wear, got dressed (I can just about manage these tasks blindfold).....but then comes the moment of truth and I reach for my glasses (I always put them in the same place because without them on I can't see the damned things)....and, horror, there's nothing there!!! Frantic scrabbling around and much swearing ensues and it's 10 minutes before I find them (by touch!) sitting on the windowsill where they'd slid during the night.

Now if only I'd had a copy of the book on the left........

How to wash a cat.....

1. Put both lids of the toilet up and add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the water in the bowl.
2. Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
3. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids. You may need to stand on the lid.
4. The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.
5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power-wash and rinse".
6. Have someone open the front door of your home. Be sure that there are no people between the bathroom and the front door.
7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
8. The cat will rocket out of the toilet, streak through the bathroom, and run outside where he will dry himself off.
9. Both the toilet and the cat will be sparkling clean.

They've got me convinced!!

But then again, a couple of those names just don't ring true......Ransford Triggs/crack marksman??, Myrtle Sawler/x ray technician??....nah, surely not! Maybe I'll stick with the Silk Cut after all
As usual, click on the image to see the readable version

MONTHS LATER...Seems I was dreadfully mistaken (see comments) for which, humble apologies....but I'm still waiting to hear from Myrtle!

Expect some strange test postings......

....but I promise I'll try to make them tasteful! "But for why" I hear you ask...well, it looks as if I might be doing the Berlin fieldtrip again this year. My mission this time (alarmingly there was no mention of whether I wanted to accept it or not, the cassette player just blew up in my face) will be to get the students to produce 'attractive and informative' group websites including pictures, video and audio while only using free software/host sites etc (keep in mind this will be on the last day of a footslogging weeks visit.....we covered effing miles last year!) in some friendly, local unversity computer lab where all the software menus are presumably in german which by the way I don't speak....tell you what, that's no mean task when the boys and girls would really rather be out shopping and drinking (come to think of it, I'D rather be out shopping and drinking, so I need to keep it simple!) This is by way of some preliminary research in case they want to put up some dirty jokes or undercover late-night recordings of salacious gossip in the hotel bar.

The following is neither a dirty joke nor salacious gossip, it's some wistful oriental music.....I hope!
You may need to click twice on the play button....I always have to

One for the gents.....

....."from the pages of the gripping October, 1949 issue of Detective World Magazine"




via Eye of the Goof

PS.....30 DAY TRIAL OFFER???

Ages ago.....

I posted a link to 'possibly the worst music video ever'.....then only today came across a 'tribute?' video. You have to wonder whether this interweb business is always such a good idea!

John Peel 3 hour special on BBC7

I guess it must be some sort of anniversary because BBC7 is doing a repeat commemorative 3 hour broadcast (Saturday 2nd June) of a John Peel 'life and times' special.....I'm recording it and will later burn to CD for anyone who either missed it or would like to load onto their version of an ipod (you know, for that problematic 'journey-to-and-from-work.....oh bugger it, I've finished the crossword' moment)

500 years of women in art

Incredibly slick and clever.....worth watching!

Women, know your limits!

Just because it's funny

Optical illusions galore

Click here and be prepared to not believe your eyes. 71 optical illusions for your viewing confusion.

How to bake a car

You'll have seen the advert, but this is the mini documentary showing how they did it

Schroedinger's LOLCat

The best LOLcat sighting this week!

June is "National Accordian Awareness" month

Oh yes it is!!.....well, in America anyway. In honour of the occasion here's a virtuoso performance of "The Flight of the Bumble Bee"
via Neatorama

A little something for the weekend

Well, it was the last day of term for me today, so it's now officially summer! Daizy's already pestering me to set up camp on the north face of the garden again.....but for the rest of you there's this paper model to keep the dream alive. Click on the images for the full-sized versions
From Agence eureka

Lots of pretty pastel games with relaxing music

Definitely suitable for the young 'uns.....and jaded adults too! Available for free at Orsinal

Brain training

Get your free online brain training here while it lasts....when it comes out of beta you'll probably have to pay!

Makes you feel kinda humble somehow....

Have you ever tried to use MS Paint to do anything constructive? (that's the bog-basic 'drawing' package hidden away in the Accessories menu in Windows.....now I can do boxes in primary colours, possibly a bit of text in Times New Roman....any colour as long as it's black).....if so watch this and weep!
PS "Original drawing time 2hrs 30mins"....maybe Leonardo will be joining us!

Finding their inner goddess

Circa 1909....from Shorpy....the 100 year old blog
(Tell you what........'Mrs 2nd from left' looks as if she's only there because she was forced, either that or she swallowed a wasp!)
You have to ask yourself if this was the sort of thing that happened as a matter of course in American libraries a century ago.....and was it even legal?
Click on the image to revel in the full glory of the moment

Toys from the 70's

I suspect Richard and John secretly lusted after some of these!

Another point-and-click game

This one I haven't really tried.....but the graphics look nice!

Ouch!.....one for the ladies

My legs are crossed and eyes watering at the very thought!

My 'source' had this to say......
"I'm a registered member of the male gender, so I can't truly empathize with the woman who followed this ad's instructions, but I can surely sympathize with them. I'm about to swoon, is what's about to happen. If these poor women didn't want a spectral doppelganger to sabotage their relationships, they were supposed to use a liquid that was a "concentrated germ-killer," but which was also supposedly wouldn't "harm delicate tissue." Which is why I always gargle with Paraquat and use battery acid to keep my eyes moist."

via Do What Now

The birth of Snap, Crackle and Pop

Daizy's first post - The Begging Cat

The girl shows good taste! .....signed, 'Orange Grandma'

Molecular gastronomy comes to the Lakes

"The white block was an impossibly light, and yet completely sturdy marscapone foam, topped with salmon roe, on a bed of parsley puree. The pink powder was grated frozen tuna, which reminded me of freeze dried astronaut food. The white puree was grapefruit foam, with passion fruit seeds. This was a riot of contrasting textures, with absolutely surprising complementary flavours."

A review of just one of the 24 courses on the 'Underground Menu'....available at L'Enclume, Cartmel

Check out the whole meal at L'Enclume in pictures and words
When I checked the restaurants website to find out how much the meal would set you back it was "price on application".....so that told me all I needed to know really......maybe when I win the lottery then!

Chris, Nick and I sampled a similar sort of menu at a restaurant directly under the flightpath at Nimes airport a couple of years ago.....it was quite an experience!

Parting shot for tonight

This ones for Lizzi.....a rat apparently spaced out on methsAnyone not targeted today.....so I'll get you next time!!

Inspiration for those of you who labour over lunchboxes...

Just watch the pretty pictures (click on any image that particularly takes your fancy for details of the contents, click on the thumbnail image to return to the slideshow) then check out the fridge! I did a double take on one image, it looked like raw liver in the top left-hand box......turned out it was chocolate pudding. Haven't checked out the one that looks like raw chicken yet.....it's over to you gang!!!

Amazing but true....there's a thriving community of people out there that take daily photos of what they're packing in their lunchboxes.....this is just the tip of the iceburg! And just in case you lust after a trendy number like the one shown you can get one here. For the moment I'm sticking to my trusty faux tupperware, it has a certain retro charm!

Now one for John....

I've posted a mournful blues number called "Dissertation Blues", featuring a deep-down and dirty kazoo backing track, in the boxfiles (click on the filename to play) to prove you're not alone in these times of tribulation. The end is nigh me dear!!

Now I feel guilty.....

.....so by way of an apology here's some silly cats antics set to music to make it all better!

Thought I'd better put something on for Anne....

But she's probably not going to thank me for it! I came across this rather unfortunate photo of her hero.....now I initially assumed he was done up in a bad slaphead wig for a theatrical appearance, but apparently not. This was a promo shot for him reopening a theatre in Northampton last year following a refurbishment (full story here).....so that'll be the theatre, not Mr Essex then?

Indian Thriller

Compare and contrast.....I'm not sure which is the scariest!

Oh no, silly me.......I nearly forgot to include the Lego version!