tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196621782024-03-05T10:27:26.717+00:00Wrinkled Weasel's WorldAn antidote to bias in the Main Stream Media. News, Features, Comment and Entertainment for a discerning readershipWrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.comBlogger1308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-16984391636200924792012-07-29T11:12:00.002+01:002012-07-29T11:12:25.253+01:00WW - rises again<span style="font-size: x-large;">A new blog, same old crap:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.wrinkledweasel-resurgam.blogspot.com/">www.wrinkledweasel-resurgam.blogspot.com</a></span>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-24255755691873442322011-06-17T12:08:00.001+01:002011-06-27T21:34:08.106+01:00Au Revoir Mon AmisTime to quit while I am behind. WW has never been massive, though at one time the blog was getting 4-5 thousand hits a week and managed to do ok in the Wikio rankings. But that was not what it was about. I was never going to find a niche because I am interested in too many things and if I may say so myself, most readers do not have time (or the intellect) for the kind of considered, researched material it has mostly been.<br />
<br />
Over the weeks, my posts have been fewer and the readership has declined. Some readers came for distraction, which is ok, but the high level of debate in the comments section was severely limited to the few. In the end, everything that needs to be said has been said, several times over.<br />
<br />
So rather than flog this to death, it is time to move on. There is seven year's worth of stuff here and it is by no means parochial or ephemeral. If you are interested search the archives.<br />
<br />
I am moving on to something that is not only very interesting to me, but in the three months I have been doing it, it has been a modest success. <a href="http://www.rock-legacy.com/">www.rock-legacy.com</a> is not only a labour of love, but I have been fortunate in engaging the interest of the music world. It means I can do what I was never able to do with WW and that is go to primary sources for truly new material.<br />
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Out of that I have become involved in what for me is a very exciting project. I am in partnership with Richard Tandy and Dave Morgan (ELO) on a re-issue and promotion of one of their albums.<br />
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<a href="http://www.earthrise-tm.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k-ROieOlAOmOguChxlWd8wANzTmI4unrvmW35PNFXp4mVYQVC7Kt8FgLj0ndj5DMMBSxJT9aaYqxHaCctkkV0iDHLqIj3yl9o1aX504udhLvXZ6iHtoWcbkgyMSK3IDIIri1bA/s400/EARTHRISE16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.earthrise-tm.com/">www.earthrise-tm.com</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.rock-legacy.com/">Rock Legacy</a> itself is time-consuming and unlike WW, I have no shortage of subjects or willing participants. So there you are. No big deal, no hissy fit. I am just moving on. Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-27376797814554656852011-06-13T15:50:00.004+01:002011-06-13T15:58:36.966+01:00Wrinkled Weasel's true identity<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzUnUV3Ry6BLtw6RW-dF1Qa6_0shCWpap1LZqIKWXp2_Zrp8ksyFE-XcIuUGhXB8_KSHPH_6PcXNlNKsX7h8H4vYfG9n7VrS92rtcWH0BjGGjQYOJm8lFBC9pvIjLy2323oxVWA/s1600/the+real+weasel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzUnUV3Ry6BLtw6RW-dF1Qa6_0shCWpap1LZqIKWXp2_Zrp8ksyFE-XcIuUGhXB8_KSHPH_6PcXNlNKsX7h8H4vYfG9n7VrS92rtcWH0BjGGjQYOJm8lFBC9pvIjLy2323oxVWA/s400/the+real+weasel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The real Wrinkled Weasel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Since I have now been outed by the MSM, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8572884/A-Gay-Girl-in-Damascus-how-the-hoax-unfolded.html">like this chap</a> I thought it was time to come clean.<br />
<br />
I am not really a miserable right wing old male git. That was just a hoax. In reality I am a lesbian from The Forest of Dean who votes LibDem, with an interest in intimate topiary. The idea for WW came about because I felt that men (the bastards) who were essentially white, middle class and therefore oppressive to everyone else deserved to be satirized.<br />
<br />
I was sitting in the Ayn Rand Women's Centre one day, discussing with my sisters over a cup of fair-trade Barley-Cup how we might best fight the menace that is white middle class straight men. After dismissing a mass Bobbit option, (by a democratic vote of 7 to 4) we decided to put up a blog which was so egregious and so politically incorrect that it would discredit WMCSMs forever.<br />
<br />
Sadly, this did not go according to plan because people thought it was real. Not only that, some readers complimented "WW" on his comments.<br />
<br />
So now you know the truth. Kind Regards, Moonstar Olthorpe.Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-20004474018919170322011-06-10T00:57:00.053+01:002011-06-10T01:43:42.079+01:00Bob's here, DaveIt's been a strange week for me. A lot of activity last weekend and predictably I caught a cold. That would not have been remarkable if it were not for me not being able to breath properly, to the point of having to get an ambulance. A moment to forget.<br />
<br />
Over at Rock Legacy, the work of doing interviews and transcribing them carries on. I am behind with this due to other kinds of illness that I will not bore you with. At last, I have posted a piece with Nick Magnus, which will be of interest to prog fans. Next week, I have a piece with Nicki Gillis, from Australia. It's difficult to describe Nicki, but she is doing a world tour right now and when we last talked she was off to Nashville. One thing we talked about was her work with Frank Ifield. Yes he is alive and well.<br />
<br />
It is enormously difficult to get musicians to talk, cooperate or be very much use, so when they do I feel rewarded. The ones I get to talk are not difficult or inarticulate and of course they want to collaborate. This is not always the case. This week, through no fault of my own I have mangaged to piss off a major rock star. And I mean major - a household name for decades and someone who is always on TV.<br />
<br />
Because of what appears to be a very simple misunderstanding, the major rock star has had a hissy fit and sent me a lengthy email, in red lettering, in capitals. I hardly believed at first that it was he who had sent it, but it appears so. I am afraid he has conformed to your worst suspicions that major rock stars do not believe it is necessary to be reasonable or to treat us mere mortals as anything other than utter contempt. His nail - spitting communication, and its format is the sort of thing I would delete on sight, due to me thinking the sender was a loony.<br />
<br />
Ah, dear readers, if only you knew.<br />
<br />
The Telegraph is running with a story about leaked memos that supposedly show nefarious plottings by Brown, Balls, et al, to get rid of Tony Bliar. Strangely, these memos are all capitalised, even the hand-written ones from Brown himself. As for the content, it mystifies me. Its mostly utter bollocks, the sort of thing people come up with if they are paid to do something but are not sure what it is. Riddled with spelling mistakes and with no regard for syntax, it records the fact that at the time of the 7/7 bombings, the Brown conspiritors had nothing better to do than engage in occult Machiavellian intercourse, pregnant with malignity and little else.<br />
<br />
My highlight of the week, apart from still being alive, was a wonderful stay with another rock star, this time, a nice one. He told me a story, given to him by one of the principals:<br />
<br />
When the Traveling Wilburys was just an idea, Dave Stewart asked Bob Dylan to come over to his house. Dylan duly got in a taxi and asked the driver to go to the address. <br />
Dylan knocks on the door and a little old lady answers it. "Hi" says Bob, "I'm Bob." Dylan says he is meeting Dave and the little old lady says, "Dave's not here right now, but you can wait in the front room and have a cup of tea." After about an hour or two, the door opens and in comes Dave. Except that it is another Dave, just another bloke called Dave, and not Dave Stewart.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately Dylan made a mistake. He went to Acacia Avenue, not Acacia Terrace.<br />
<br />
Well, what would you do if Bob Dylan appeared by accident in your front room?<br />
<br />
Bon WeekendWrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-72993221855345828732011-06-09T19:50:00.011+01:002011-06-09T19:56:14.583+01:00This Cannot be RightNews today that an MP has been arrested on suspicion of Sexual Assault, and named to the press, is to me an outrage.<br />
<br />
This man is innocent until proven guilty. He now faces trial by media. His female accuser basks in anonymity.<br />
<br />
This MP, who I am not going to name, will find his life turned upside down. There will be an intrusion into his life that none of us would wish on anybody. Whatever the outcome, he has been named and shamed. If he is charged and found guilty, then he must face justice, if not he will have suffered badly on the word of another. And his life will not be the same again.<br />
<br />
What is wrong with us? Can nobody see how damaging this kind of thing is to society? Is there not a case to be made for anonymity on <i>both</i> sides until the verdict?<br />
<br />
You do not have to look far back into the past to see how damaging the reporting of serious crime can be to someone who turns out to be innocent. This is a travesty of natural mercy and justice and must be stopped.Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-79357744795128636582011-06-08T15:12:00.015+01:002011-06-08T15:19:43.357+01:00BBC Bias facts number 193494339Over at the <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/rodliddle/7007098/god-forbid-anyone-would-risk-be-labelled-rightwing.thtml">Coffee House</a>, Rob Liddle posted a piece in which he writes: "nobody wants to appear right wing."<br />
<br />
I take his point. Its the kind of slur that goes along with "homophobic" and "capitalist", terms which have been commandeered by the linguistic terrorists to shut down debate and scare people away from facing the issues.<br />
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My comment on his piece ran thus:<br />
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<div class="column2">
<blockquote>
A quick search in the domain: bbc.co.uk
reveals that the phrase "right wing blogger" yields 638 results,
whereas "left wing blogger" gets 484 - about 25% less.<br />
Simply "left wing" gets 355,000, "right wing" gets 459,000 and again, just a bit less than 25% more references.<br />
It
is not for me to make grandiose suggestions as to why this is, but by
repitition alone, the phrase "right wing" is being drilled into the
subconscious of the BBC's subscribers.<br />
And BTW, <b>"right wing extremism" clocks in at over 3,500 whereas "left wing extremism" gets a piddling SIX!</b><br />
If
anybody had the guts to stand up to this organisation and reveal it to
be what everyone knows it is, we could save ourselves a lot of money
and protect the public from having to pay to be propagandised.</blockquote>
<br />
Clearly the BBC, one of the organisations who push, with evangelical fervour, a left-leaning liberal view on the rest of us, has made an editorial decision to equate "right wing" with "extremism" but cannot bring themselves to do likewise with "left wing" <i>Res Ipsa Loquitor</i>. <br />
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Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-10161815617408969082011-06-07T11:20:00.038+01:002011-06-07T11:56:53.391+01:00If it dresses like a slut and walks like a slut, it's a slut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTczdrq9-bqEnSGsX4Ojdnhzg79X5_wMYftCloKxJoqYcrcNmMoWUnjklYmO56EslT7dwyR3kktQP9h9NuS1VaZk_u8Sr5g3zMSmb2DmIE21lriyck7-8jrHOMrr2aoJCZGfExog/s1600/ISP_slut_walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTczdrq9-bqEnSGsX4Ojdnhzg79X5_wMYftCloKxJoqYcrcNmMoWUnjklYmO56EslT7dwyR3kktQP9h9NuS1VaZk_u8Sr5g3zMSmb2DmIE21lriyck7-8jrHOMrr2aoJCZGfExog/s400/ISP_slut_walk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The recent occurance of something called "Slut Walks" disturbs me. It came out of a Toronto police officer's advice that, "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised."<br />
<br />
Let us leave the rights and wrongs of this for a moment. Let's consider the scenario of the female who gets blind drunk on some coloured fizzy alcohol beverage and hase a one night stand. In the morning she feels a combination of guilt, self-loathing and anger. Instead of taking responsibility for her actions she decides that the casual sex encounter was rape. The police are called in, a man is arrested and his life is turned upside down.<br />
<br />
False allegations of rape are particularly bad, not only because men tend to suffer disproportionately, but also because for women who have experienced rape, it moves justice a few paces further away. When a woman cries rape and it was not rape, the biggest damage is to real victims.<br />
<br />
So another case goes to court. A woman claims she has been raped. There is a jury trial. It transpires that the couple were seen laughing, drinking and petting earlier in the evening. The woman wore clothes which were skimpy and designed to show off the maximum amount of flesh. Her friends say she was very drunk.<br />
<br />
This jury has been convened in the Midlands somewhere. The jurors are chosen according to the system which is supposed to be random and supposed to reflect a cross-section of the general public. Given the nature of the general public, and in particular the concentrations of conservative individuals whose religious beliefs proscribe immodesty, is is not possible that if the "victim" is perceived to be a "slut" by certain jurors, might they not come to the conclusion that she was "asking for it"?<br />
Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-35052301485198588522011-06-03T11:26:00.002+01:002011-06-03T11:31:34.184+01:00Fixing Talent ShowsAn anonymous blogger has claimed that "<b>Britain's Got Talent</b>" has been fixed to favour a contestant who was talent spotted by Syco (Simon Cowell's production company) some time ago. Syco and Sony BMG, the parent company utterly deny the claim and have called in the police. The blogger's site has been taken down.<br />
<br />
There is no suggestion that this story is true, but whatever the facts, talent shows have in the past been rigged. Opportunity Knocks certainly was. The famous "Clap-o-meter" was not linked to the audience, but to a studio assistant who worked it in favour of Hughie Green's choice.<br />
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Perhaps the biggest scandal which blew apart Opportunity Knocks was that of an Australian Band, New World.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Mike Hurst, their producer, told me what happened:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKiR597kkF1fo6EcS3GlPAfywTA3e5JSoLNRctYu5FpKM6Ag6z_AIT0srnOWska8L4kaJXVuyscs1yExWuKm8jc0lwBPvAcX2IWjSPWzuXD77B5jHZvsr8JgAYSglcahj-XCWXQ/s1600/250Mickie+Most.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKiR597kkF1fo6EcS3GlPAfywTA3e5JSoLNRctYu5FpKM6Ag6z_AIT0srnOWska8L4kaJXVuyscs1yExWuKm8jc0lwBPvAcX2IWjSPWzuXD77B5jHZvsr8JgAYSglcahj-XCWXQ/s320/250Mickie+Most.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickie Most</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Mickie Most</b> introduced me to an Australian band called New World. They were on Opportunity Knocks. So, my first comment was, “Surely, we are going to see if they win it” and Mickie said, “Oh, they will”. That was my first intimation that things weren’t quite as they should be. A guy from ATV who produced the show said, “and when they win the final..” and I looked at him and said, “How can you be so sure?” and he said, “Don’t worry, we are very sure. They are going to win.” That’s when it all came home and I realised it was fixed. The fix was nothing to do with me; I was just going to make a record. Mickie came up with the song, Rose Garden. Which Lynn Anderson had just got out in the States.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
In those days, records that came out in America, by Americans, which were hits, there was a time-lag. Today everything comes out all over, instantly. In 1970, there was at least a four or five week gap in terms of release. So what happened was that, if people got wind of something that was about to become a hit in the States they did a cover version for the UK and Europe market. Mickie Most loved covers. It was an easy way, and he said, “Let’s do Rose Garden”, so I did the track. As soon as it came out, Lynn Anderson’s arrived as well. Lynn Anderson’s went to number one, and New World’s went to number five. In Europe, in Germany, for reasons I cannot understand, they went for the New World version and it was number one in Germany. The follow up singles, I really did not like them. I wasn’t picking the songs of course; it was Mickie Most at RAK Records. He’d got this song, Tom, Tom Turnaround which I produced, reluctantly, but it was a bloody great hit. There were others more or less all the same. At that point, I gave up on it. I really couldn’t take anymore and I’d had enough. It was great to have the hits, but they just weren’t my cup of tea. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, the fixing scandal of Opportunity Knocks blew open and that’s what killed New World. They were at my house in Henley, rehearsing. They got a phone call and literally ran out of the house. I had never seen people move so fast. They had a car waiting to take them to Henley station. They went back to London and the next thing I heard, the band had been arrested. Of course they could never be accused of anything but they were material witnesses to the Opportunity Knocks fix. After it all got out it destroyed their career. But it didn’t bother Mickie. He just took it where it came from. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kbX-_pnLpLLnXgo2Yeb9gWDyG_TsN32X87u1QzOuuAVyRnpXuLNFkvamEg2TeeDTBp5Gl-zAHG23Pu358Bokg2_AcB-gCaKpC7aFKqvSxosLgdlQvGK3Ne6WhEyV2vf6GbzDpw/s1600/l_0ab736979c944e2cb8ce43de2a6ac1b4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kbX-_pnLpLLnXgo2Yeb9gWDyG_TsN32X87u1QzOuuAVyRnpXuLNFkvamEg2TeeDTBp5Gl-zAHG23Pu358Bokg2_AcB-gCaKpC7aFKqvSxosLgdlQvGK3Ne6WhEyV2vf6GbzDpw/s320/l_0ab736979c944e2cb8ce43de2a6ac1b4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Hurst</td></tr>
</tbody></table>(You can read about Mike's career in the music business over at <a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/">www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com</a> by clicking the "Producers" tab.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHoIayk9ET0ns3OgRWcGvT4ky22PmacSZZvkOqaKgma-jPktv950YFv7Jq1HVMQeG6YmTHJpxk2s2uGzbxsM9sd9u3BYY6gGejBmutTQUIdEKTSsC0a_kEx7MhxRvCmDE9aFB0A/s400/RL+logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-87865114115892304772011-05-23T19:59:00.003+01:002011-05-23T20:07:19.272+01:00Coming up on Rock Legacy this week...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBK15a3zJ0FBzyvCZcLsDPyd2uz6f6H49GVZyVP8foD59x2QOYKs_XmlXvohOV3kOz5U0-knW22hzOxn2pAOeB7QPzmqgBjrUI7OovWkbYBz7sZ_jI03bLOUydOuGFSscfyLwuHA/s1600/studio720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBK15a3zJ0FBzyvCZcLsDPyd2uz6f6H49GVZyVP8foD59x2QOYKs_XmlXvohOV3kOz5U0-knW22hzOxn2pAOeB7QPzmqgBjrUI7OovWkbYBz7sZ_jI03bLOUydOuGFSscfyLwuHA/s400/studio720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>You know, I am very enthusiastic about Rock Legacy. It is attracting the kind of people I always hoped it would; musicians who are happy to give time and thought to the pieces we do. True to its remit, the majority of the material is from first hand sources. Fans and historians alike will be able to reference it.<br />
<br />
This week I shall be sharing a major interview with Nick Magnus. Nick is well known to the Prog Rock cognoscenti. Nick is best known for his long-term collaboration with Steve Hackett, but has also delivered some stunning solo albums along the way. Earlier, he was a founder member of The Enid. He is an ace when it comes to understanding and breathing life and soul into silicon chip music paraphenalia.<br />
<br />
I am indebted to readers for pointing me in the right direction when it comes to subjects. I must single out Smoking Hot, who insisted that I check out Chantel McGregor. Also Dave Clemo, a very accomplished musician in his own right, whose latest material will be explored soon. He tipped me off about Nicki Gillis, who should be in touch soon about her UK tour.<br />
<br />
Also coming up, an exclusive demo by Carl Wayne, sadly no longer with us, but well known to fans of The Move. This is one for the vaults and certainly a must have for fans.<br />
<br />
If you haven't already done so, check out my interview with Tom McGuinness and read guest writer Raymond Benson on The Canterbury Scene.<br />
<br />
I am also delighted, and somewhat relieved, to have completed phase one of The Mike Hurst Story. It's 20,000 words and you can access it on the "Producers" tab. <br />
<br />
Readers are encouraged to tell me about their favourite bands and people, and if I like them too, I will do my best to contact them and do a piece.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ftuvEXxRVRymPTwQBaVdLug7232XFsnVguq9EN_fHoG2t0qzFqqwftIl5OTvlF72HbOIcE2bgLswQ26nSm6G8pi0N-fg_SmqVP23rANTtJN8s-Wz-58URytWkAI51jicmVciuw/s400/RL+logo+text+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-41263440363695754092011-05-23T14:11:00.002+01:002011-05-23T14:15:09.046+01:00I'm Spartacus and it's Ryan Giggs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96JBXaURMv1mhRo41IkLRFuMMUaXKtSdrreoibcyr2GnNDLKntwYgLpvAyRQkpa-XZLWQuamtH8J-nycddETZxvAtAPdFpnBoWwDGIlENsoeknIg-91CXR6WZ-Y-1hiSgSmBDqQ/s1600/player_58_ryan+giggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96JBXaURMv1mhRo41IkLRFuMMUaXKtSdrreoibcyr2GnNDLKntwYgLpvAyRQkpa-XZLWQuamtH8J-nycddETZxvAtAPdFpnBoWwDGIlENsoeknIg-91CXR6WZ-Y-1hiSgSmBDqQ/s320/player_58_ryan+giggs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nobody in particular</td></tr>
</tbody></table>To draw a football analogy, Bloggers 5, Ambulance Chasers 0. The law has come into further disprepute over the super injunction fiasco. Not content to chase public bodies for ludicrous amounts of compensation (which they always settle out of court) for allowing their employees to use a stapler without proper training, Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Runne have of late mined a deep vein of cash in the form of super injunctions. These have been taken out by, as far as I can tell, utter nobodies. Had these nonentities gone to Max Clifford for maximum exposure, poor Max would not have been able to match the amount of chatter that the name Ryan Giggs has generated. Apart from the fact that he is an octogenarian in terms of a football career I knew little of the man, and could not have cared less who he was playing away with. In the bubble of mediocrity and sychophancy in which he lives, Mr Giggs somehow felt that his reputation should come before freedom of speech, particularly the freedom that is taken away by people with money.<br />
<br />
So yes, I am Spartacus and I name Ryan Giggs as the utter git who has attempted to gag the free press.<br />
<br />
Line up folks and join the chorus.<br />
<br />
(PS, I live in Scotland.)Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-79999143216568997122011-05-20T13:41:00.000+01:002011-05-20T13:41:33.671+01:00Parliament's Climate of Fraud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0F0M7qeXOKjlrktKI_sORZbgZs4SZheBe10sCOrEjD3HZ-CU70HqeUbX_zspxonHgVvbN2wQ_PdSKw4-sKiRcmR5sfvxHc57mZx-ygMz4BAP7IFwAmarnDwdOTe0LMeavv7cMA/s1600/London_fog-mist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0F0M7qeXOKjlrktKI_sORZbgZs4SZheBe10sCOrEjD3HZ-CU70HqeUbX_zspxonHgVvbN2wQ_PdSKw4-sKiRcmR5sfvxHc57mZx-ygMz4BAP7IFwAmarnDwdOTe0LMeavv7cMA/s400/London_fog-mist.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Years ago I worked for several well known businesses. Before that I worked for a large Government Department on contract. I submitted expense claims that probably amounted to well over a hundred contracts. Not once did I cheat. Read that again. Not once did I cheat. The majority of the claims were for black cabs, for which, in those days, we did not have to produce receipts. You simply sent in your bill and your cab fare. As far as I know, nobody else cheated either. I guess you might say I was old-fashioned, but the idea of cheating the tax-payer was well off the agenda. I could have doubled my income had I done so, and believe me, I had plenty of reason to do it.<br />
<br />
What did not exist, in that department, in those days, was an ethos of fraud.<br />
<br />
A couple of decades later I was unfortunate enough to work for a railway company. The situation was quite the reverse. Almost everybody stole from the company, including my boss, who departed, with a clean sheet, when he was eventually found out. Almost on day one I was advised on how to steal from the system.<br />
<br />
So, there does not have to be a climate of fraud in any corporation. The extent to which it occurs is premised on whether those in charge will do anything about it, and of course, if everybody is at it, those who choose to be honest can get a rough ride. I reported a colleague who tried to get me to steal, during my first week there. He was "questioned" by my corrupt boss and eventually moved with a promotion. I would probably have kept quiet, but I was pressured to defraud and that was a bridge too far.<br />
<br />
Well, if I can do it, how come our MPs cannot? It is clear there was a climate of laxity at best, and at worst, an encouragement to steal. Theft is for people who are weak, for people who are essentially sociopathic. So it is all the more worrying that our Parliament was complicit in mass fraud, and it took a newspaper to reveal it and get something done.<br />
<br />
Today we see the jailing of a former Labour Minister. The judge's summing up is damning:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><i>Passing sentence, Mr Justice Saunders said Morley was guilty of "blatant dishonesty" and had "thrown away his good name and character." <br />
<br />
He said: "I am satisfied from the nature of the mortgage transactions and the correspondence that the excessive claims were made deliberately and are not explicable even in part by oversight."(<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/8525441/Elliot-Morley-jailed-for-cheating-his-expenses.html">Telegraph</a>)</i></blockquote><br />
Elliot Morley simply failed to apply normal standards of morality to his job. What is much worse is that there are still many who, for reasons that are inexplicable, have not been arrested and charged, most of them are Labour. It is clear that the Labour goverment had 13 years to address this issue and ignored it right up until election time, making sure that any prosecutions would arise after the vote.<br />
<br />
I am aware of some Labour politicians who were never involved. Sadly, they have chosen to stay very quiet over the issue, probably because of party loyalty. It makes you wonder if there was ever one man or woman among them who had the guts to speak out. Apparently not.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8TbeLWXUH6Tt867zNTXEza0zrEzrJ0OGO7OSp8rip1eumV3RZH1rHJgmpoa53WsuGIfwNKvTVksxu3sPz5CBUntCwiIXjZbAxnidBtOmLaR2rTSaSiWE4frETcBFaS9wMo8SWg/s1600/morley_1900549c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8TbeLWXUH6Tt867zNTXEza0zrEzrJ0OGO7OSp8rip1eumV3RZH1rHJgmpoa53WsuGIfwNKvTVksxu3sPz5CBUntCwiIXjZbAxnidBtOmLaR2rTSaSiWE4frETcBFaS9wMo8SWg/s400/morley_1900549c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elliot Morley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today there are one or two more cases pending, though not necessarily over expenses. The ground swell of public opinion is anger, not disbelief. But the public wants blood. A jail sentence, in these cases seems to me mis-placed. Those found guilty have terminated their political aspirations with extreme prejudice. They should of course be made to pay back every penny, and they should be made to do community work, out of doors, in a high vis jacket, with the words "thief" on them. These people need to be taught a lesson, not accommodated in a cushy open nick for a few months.<br />
<br />
Will anything like this ever happen again in our Government? Evil shape-shifts. Wickedness is a rat run. The authorities have plugged one hole, but there will be many others. I behoves the Government to be vigilant, swift and moral.Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-42992342628041247262011-05-15T10:49:00.000+01:002011-05-15T10:49:36.091+01:00Chris Huhne - How long will he last?There is little doubt in my mind that stories like the Chris Huhne saga are subject to the controls and whims of Fleet Street. Remember that Mark Oaten was exposed shortly after he decided to run for leadership of the Lib Dems. The implication is that of course they knew what he was up to but were prepared to keep a lid on it until Oaten got too big for his boots. It is also curious that David Laws has been given an easy time of it. I have been unable to find out exactly which "six breaches" of Parliamentary standards he was guilty of. Fleet Street is reluctant to go for him it seems. Certainly, had the findings in the Laws case been published in full, it would cast doubt on the "it's cos I is Gay" defence. (Interestingly, <a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23949668-laws-has-betrayed-his-party-and-his-fellow-gays.do">Ivan Massow agrees with me</a> "Cooking the books had nothing to do with being gay, it was due to his utter lack of integrity." he writes) But that does not suit Fleet Street, or the Political Classes; <b><i>Laws is in</i></b>.<br />
<br />
Chris Huhne most certainly is out. The question is how long has he got? <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6946528/huhne-falls-victim-to-another-secret-microphone.thtml">The news today </a>is that there is a tape which, while not being conclusive, certainly paves the way for an investigation. Did someone say, down in the vaults of the Establishment, "Mr Huhne has become a nuisance. Let's hope he meets with an accident."<br />
<br />
I doubt he will last the week at this rate. The MSM have decided to go for him and that is that.Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-11037659873474804722011-05-13T21:30:00.002+01:002011-05-13T21:31:11.543+01:00Eurovision 2011Weasel's comments and predictions for Eurovision 2011, over at <a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com./">www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHqB2AYM8cY2__JJhovjRiMb1vOulu4KdcxXBUQa2lqp5_3PJLox8aDYfpn9n5N6HopaUa3odqG3-7GRmpIU4hCYyHL5G9Nx0tKHLdrEOd3EgouiMkFZvGqwjBnuTHijzljZzEA/s400/eurov.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I have reviewed all the finalists and placed my bets. Am I right or wrong?Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-8002363938036820882011-05-11T12:26:00.000+01:002011-05-11T12:26:03.891+01:00Quote of the DecadeIn seeking to criticise the actions of the US over the death of his father, Omar Bin Laden said:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"We maintain that arbitrary killing is not a solution to political problems"</span>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-47758129466027021472011-05-09T10:57:00.000+01:002011-05-09T10:57:56.275+01:00Super Injunction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1DLbSVK6WehTI-QF5bcwIHCdq5uhbzVhAiqw9SQ6L5wabOc0_-jTbqH-3sAW-jvNtFtCKPi9e0G4Iqp7vzLTvoioSRF0hNtQQPTx90huqFRb3SuTP0MeNvBWdsFIumFeXPrG6Q/s1600/Rimsting_Schild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1DLbSVK6WehTI-QF5bcwIHCdq5uhbzVhAiqw9SQ6L5wabOc0_-jTbqH-3sAW-jvNtFtCKPi9e0G4Iqp7vzLTvoioSRF0hNtQQPTx90huqFRb3SuTP0MeNvBWdsFIumFeXPrG6Q/s200/Rimsting_Schild.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I am really very disappointed at the weekend revelations of who has a super injunction and why they got one. None of the people concerned are remotely of interest to me and what they have been getting up to is, well, to say the least somewhat predictable.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A bit of spanking? A bit of rumpy pumpy outwith the marriage? A visit to a reasonably priced prozzie?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimk5VqxTeOiG5X1In9PTE_QeMsnDxwS-g5t5q-F20UiFEhI_ynH9UcweAt7wbI9dwJvadpvGRa2PKP-edUlgcOkD4xZ98b5LAtKQSehPOTBKR2jNX05EbqkZOcFEY4wkhMQluNLw/s1600/Fucking%252C_Austria%252C_street_sign_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimk5VqxTeOiG5X1In9PTE_QeMsnDxwS-g5t5q-F20UiFEhI_ynH9UcweAt7wbI9dwJvadpvGRa2PKP-edUlgcOkD4xZ98b5LAtKQSehPOTBKR2jNX05EbqkZOcFEY4wkhMQluNLw/s200/Fucking%252C_Austria%252C_street_sign_cropped.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The only reason I can imagine that these rather very sad people got a Super Injunction is because it has somehow replaced adoption of a poor black kid as the latest must-have accessory.<br />
<br />
So, folks, perhaps you should aspire to getting one for yourself.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIQMijdk423WVUBHouvPDvudzJOhwfY-Zv4k2s-jnvW63zHw4N952YySWAstChtxkH15k82zUsIV8Xb1-L50JpTAf0kwN0T0zYEXMgfa_FcFfOTU9DBv-CasvLuD1eHD9dZPMOQ/s1600/rodeo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIQMijdk423WVUBHouvPDvudzJOhwfY-Zv4k2s-jnvW63zHw4N952YySWAstChtxkH15k82zUsIV8Xb1-L50JpTAf0kwN0T0zYEXMgfa_FcFfOTU9DBv-CasvLuD1eHD9dZPMOQ/s400/rodeo.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>Go on. Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on.<br />
Go on. Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on.<br />
Go on. Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on.<br />
Go on. Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on.<br />
Go on. Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on. <br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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NB: No C list celebs were harmed during the writing of this post.Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-35571215860997715382011-05-06T10:51:00.000+01:002011-05-06T10:51:59.978+01:00Elections: The election result is about the mood, not the politicsJust had a look at the latest results of the local elections. If there is a story, a big story, it is not Nick Clegg. Clegg, along with his party, is a side-show. All I will say on that is that Cameron should now support Clegg to the hilt and do everything he can to strengthen the position of his deputy. It goes along with the old rule about being nice to people on the way up because you will certainly need them on the way down.<br />
<br />
Tories on the way up?<br />
<br />
Yes. Latest figures show they have actually made a net gain in the number of councillors and one council. This is astounding. The "others", the parties of the loony left and right have made massive losses, many, I suspect, have had voters migrate to the main parties. Except the Lib Dems, that is. Labour has not done as well as it may seem. They are clearly benefiting from an anti-Lib Dem vote.<br />
<br />
No, the astonishing thing about yesterday's election is that the Conservatives have not only remained resistant to everything we have been fed about them, the people have given them what at least is a partial thumbs up to the way they are running the country. A majority of voters support the need for economies. You have to be deluded to be in favour of continuing the profligacy of the last government. Finally, people are catching on to this and the vote last night proves it.<br />
<br />
The AV vote has yet to come in, but see my post below about that. Nobody wants weird changes to the system in times of stress. It is sad news for those who want voting reform because it will be a long time before there is a political will to do this again.<br />
<br />
Scotland has its own story. My local MSP Iain Gray, scraped in with 150 votes. Gray of course is the leader of Labour in Scotland so his personal result is nothing short of a near disaster. Alex Salmond must be more than his usual oleaginous self this morning. Don't get me wrong, I voted for him, but he does have a way of looking far too pleased with himself.<br />
<br />
The fact is, in Scotland, the result has little to do with Labour. Politics works in Scotland. The SNP have managed a rare balancing act of being old fashioned socialists and at the same time have mostly avoided becoming obessed with providing free translation services for Lithuanian Lesbians.<br />
<br />
Some of us remember that it was the SNP who assisted the fishing industry during the fuel crisis a few years ago when Gordon Brown absolutely refused to help. This kind of thing gets remembered. Labour has been just about crap at everything, having never really torn itself away from the Westminster government. Your man in the street sees potholes being repaired, gets free prescriptions and a mood of fairness about austerity. Nicola Sturgeon's dumping of PFI, almost the day the SNP formed a government, was far-sighted and showed clear blue water between the SNP and Labour. All these things are easy to see and they are real.<br />
<br />
So, really, this is not about politics - I mean the result - it is about the voters' reaction to the times we live in and we either dismiss that which we do not understand (AV) or cleave to what we know (The Conservatives and the SNP)<br />
<br />
All the rhetoric in the world cannot stand against our basic emotion to hunker down, stay calm and wait.Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-62515053558679130932011-05-04T13:54:00.001+01:002011-05-04T13:57:22.281+01:00Change? Not at the moment, we are too stressed outAn observation on tomorrow's vote:<br />
<br />
I emailed a friend the other day, in fact two days ago, and he hasn't replied. This is unusual for him, but for the fact that tomorrow he has an important event, unrelated to the vote. I say important; in fact it is very important and certainly something that will have absorbed his time and energy for some days and in reality my email was of little consequence.<br />
<br />
In times of stress people shut down a little bit. If I am doing a particularly difficult bit of driving during poor conditions, I turn off the radio.<br />
<br />
Well, we are living through quite a lot of national stress right now. Anybody who is not suffering from what are for some, catastrophic rises in the price of base commodities is very lucky, and, probably very wealthy, or living somewhere not in Europe.<br />
<br />
We stare into an abyss. The indicators are that in real terms we shall be relatively impoverished. Most of us understand why this is. Most of us know that 13 years of maxing out the national credit card created a bubble that has now burst. And it's payback time. Those who are lucky enough to have work and an income are paying the bills, not just for themselves, but for every screwball "initiative" that was designed to inflate the state, and in so doing, maintain Labour in power forever.<br />
<br />
Well, that investment did not work. Sooner or later people were going to resent the fact that feckless, anti-social tatterdemalions were getting social housing, benefits and free everything in return for making no contribution to society whatsoever, and in some cases, actively seeking to destroy our society all together.<br />
<br />
So we live in a time of stress. We also live in a time when hatred of minorities is acute. Some might link economic stress and scapegoating, but that would be something of a glib answer. Hatred is not the preserve of the envious poor. I read that a man called Philip Sallon was the subject of a horrendous attack in London recently. Sallon, some might argue, was asking for it. Flamboyant is not the word. Sallon is also fairly showily gay. Being different is clearly something that attracts hatred. Being gay clearly does and there seems to be an anti-gay element to an attack that resulted in a fractured skull and broken bones. In an interview, Sallon's pal Boy George expressed dismay at the attack and told a paper of "his fears of a growing intolerance towards people who stand out from the norm".<br />
<br />
"Growing intolerance"? Society has always been intolerant to people who stand out. Not a lot has changed. Intolerance is not "growing", it is endemic in our society. It is merely the case that there is a tectonic slip between what we are supposed to think and say officially and what really think, mostly, privately.<br />
<br />
However and whatever, it is with a shed load of irony that another flamboyant character, John Galliano, the fashion designer, has been dropped from his sponsors and employers, Christian Dior, for allegedly making several anti-semitic remarks and also hurling insults at an Asian. He is about to stand trial and we shall find out if he has a case to answer.<br />
<br />
So, perhaps there is a prevalence of hatred, perhaps it is more shocking in times that are thought of as liberal. Whatever the case, people are stressed and quite honestly do not have a lot of time for anything other than their own personal problems.<br />
<br />
My case here is that perhaps the collapse in the "Yes" to AV vote, and the poor showing of Labour in Scotland, suggests that change on this kind of scale is not wanted at a time when there are too many changes to contend with and they are all too close to home for comfort.<br />
<br />
COMMENTING IS ON FOR THE TIME BEINGWrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-74900714652316809182011-05-03T20:19:00.000+01:002011-05-03T20:19:13.433+01:00Dead Terrorists<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2keMf1xzxznpj5jlNTTMDgvbNXuIj36bbKjuJXiqbDylM82zGdz1rvoPn4oinQwiB8IJGpdWjjJXKYKDZmrJjBge0n21XPqJpMS0omBoB6zIKe0867OCLs16kUzzbZyhoDv0gg/s1600/dad-s-army-original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2keMf1xzxznpj5jlNTTMDgvbNXuIj36bbKjuJXiqbDylM82zGdz1rvoPn4oinQwiB8IJGpdWjjJXKYKDZmrJjBge0n21XPqJpMS0omBoB6zIKe0867OCLs16kUzzbZyhoDv0gg/s400/dad-s-army-original.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THEY DON'T LIKE IT UP 'EM MISTER MANNERIN'</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Who do you think you are kidding Mister Laden...<br />
<br />
So, Farewell then<br />
Obama Bin Laden<br />
Your name<br />
caused confusion<br />
perhaps<br />
it is for the best<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I read that five people, of dusky middle eastern appearence have been arrested for taking photos and videos of a nuclear power station. With a view to what?<br />
<br />
In the end it will be a battle of the people. Over in Pakistan, the people have been keeping mum about Osama. Over here, we need vigilance, vigilance I tell you. We are the eyes and ears of the war on terror. And unless we have the Muslim population of this country on our side, our defenses will be sorely tried.<br />
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In other news, more and more luvvies are signing up for AV. Yes to AV they say. Well, if an actor says it's good for the country, what more do I need?<br />
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Shameless plug once again but if you keep on visiting this blog, that is what you are going to get.<br />
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Read my interview with Tom McGuinness over at <a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/">www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com</a>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-36675591412853129872011-04-29T10:26:00.001+01:002011-04-29T11:47:30.762+01:00Not the Royal WeddingI wish the Royal Couple well. An emotional and very long event. (There wont be a a dry seat in the Abbey).<br />
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While the world of politics takes a break today for something else, I thought I would just drop a line to the few souls who miss WW.<br />
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Several things have made me want to dash to the keyboard over the past few weeks, but alas, I am busy with the other blog and related projects. I now have several interviews with musicians to transcribe and edit. Those who agreed to talk have been very generous with their time.<br />
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Angela Eagle, who has most certainly some sort of habit of sucking piss off a nettle, appears not to enjoy being the butt of a fairly thin, desperately un-groovy allusion to popular culture. "Calm Down Dear" I think the phrase was, used by David Cameron at some point during the machinations of the Mother of Parliaments, possibly in a failed attempt to be <i>with it</i>. Elsewhere, someone was arrested for playing <b><i>Kung Fu Fighting</i></b>, since this was clearly a terrible slur on a passing oriental.<br />
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The lesson for today then is not to speak to anybody but your closest and most trusted friends and relatives, becuase otherwise you may become the target of some playground bickering. Only in this case, instead of telling teacher that he or she was "mean to me", the stakes have been upped to include parliamentary debate and recourse to the increasingly preposterous plod, who seem to have nothing better to do than to look for scapegoats and undermine the rules of common sense and justice. I don't blame the police by the way, they are institutionally incapable of thinking for themselves - the direction comes from above and they are still carrying out the daft political diktats of Labour.<br />
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This nonsense is changing. Eric Pickles is clamping down on wasters and self-styled guardians of the wheelie bins. If all else fails, Pickles can sit on detractors.<br />
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There is a real world out there that needs to be addressed. Since the police have taken to burying their heads up their bottoms over black on black violent crime, what better displacement activity than to arrest anybody who plays crap disco music. Gosh, perhaps Anybody who plays crap 70s disco music should be arrested.<br />
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Symbolism is overrated in my opinion. I don't have much to do with manufactured observances and I only dance naked in the moonlight at the solstice, a natural and entirely politically resistent occurance.<br />
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We are coming up to a referendum on our voting system. A lot of people, including me, are being influenced by the "stars" who have aligned themselves one way or another. I am inclined to do a tally of the loonies, the luvvies and the liars, and then vote for the solution they don't endorse.<br />
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Labour is desperate. They mostly want AV. It is the only way they can see a return to Government. That in itself should be a warning.<br />
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Soon on <a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/">Rock Legacy</a> I shall be publishing a review of a Chantel McGregor gig and a review of her new album, doing a piece on an incredible keyboard player and a few snapshots of things like The <b><i>National Steel Guitar</i></b>, how <b><i>When I'm Dead And Gone</i></b> got to be made and all sorts of stuff. Raymond Benson, a prolific and respected American writer and musician has sent me a piece about the <b><i>Canterbury Scene</i></b>, which will go up later today.<br />
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In the meantime I wish you well. WW is not dead, merely hibernating and attempting to do some actual primary resource journalism, and unless you have a juicy, first-hand bit of info to pass on, things will just tick over for the time being.<br />
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For those who seek a genuine and refreshing alternative to today's big bash, here is a song that I remember from the days of Children's Favourites. God help me if it contains references to sensitive orientals.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W_Z5LpHuXVE?rel=0" width="425"></iframe>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-57719335509881951352011-04-22T17:30:00.000+01:002011-04-22T17:30:50.971+01:00Chantel McGregor - On Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9CYhL1eHyRc_ZHWDw9-Kd8i11x3YikNiYCNO10OYaccnm9ucXoP_NIBjWWFqL_P2pqlUj6QeBnJaqrobRolTSMiEh6jtfR1B0DE2gFVt62yYN8KToY7HlaD_HqUBGbuv6Pbegw/s1600/6440_109838326081_514431081_2669960_3778636_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9CYhL1eHyRc_ZHWDw9-Kd8i11x3YikNiYCNO10OYaccnm9ucXoP_NIBjWWFqL_P2pqlUj6QeBnJaqrobRolTSMiEh6jtfR1B0DE2gFVt62yYN8KToY7HlaD_HqUBGbuv6Pbegw/s400/6440_109838326081_514431081_2669960_3778636_n.jpg" width="362" /></a></div>Just a bit of news of Chantel McGregor. If you want to know more about this amazing performer, just pop over to:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKwLqoiURhgKjJACEpXwpOHlmiqwlHrsp9amnKBEN3oR6VPty8pUH6Ki_9KL7yIpH_EYqaVDVvT6QCGLxHAJTqYZqhmy_W5djP73qFQOAuVT601GfXB88i8Z532nP7eKpJsyIWg/s400/RL+logo+text+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-41729801564763146392011-04-19T18:49:00.000+01:002011-04-19T18:49:09.293+01:00SongsSongs are funny things. Nobody knows how to get a hit. You can try to get a hit but it is not until that hit comes out of the blue and you think that maybe you have something that the whole thing clicks. Of course, you can turn out drivel and people will buy drivel, especially if it ticks all the boxes, but then you have to think ten or twenty years down the line and if it is drivel, well, then you wont even be thinking about it.<br />
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I am doing an interview next week with Tom McGuinness, he of Manfred Mann, McGuinness Flint and The Blues Band. McGF had a big hit with "When I'm Dead and Gone" and the story of how that song was inspired will be revealed on <a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/">www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com</a> in a week or two. I loved that record. I bought it when it first came out and I still play it. It has stood the test of time.<br />
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Another artist you may like to check out is Catherine Howe. I have just posted an interview with Catherine, together with a review of her new album English Tale. It's a collaboration with Vo Fletcher and Ric Sanders (he of Fairport fame).<br />
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Catherine's songs are really rather good, as befits a Novello winner. See you, over at<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFbXcMaLWb4nMGYBDQL91Tt68oKKe4oLSUrkoh-hfFFxLTgt2EiGOSWRZRcPWLSmIG9r9FMfEwSkaj8repp_W0VVJGPEkXASYT0W4AeRqJZ3TdFjUTN6bH2Ujs9KtQ2EPV__gyw/s400/RL+logo+text+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-48398962479395424192011-04-13T15:29:00.000+01:002011-04-13T15:29:55.497+01:00Tandy Morgan interview for Rock Legacy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoc2F5yPmgjXtqB9upkDnDn8dGzlYYiT-WGSeNiHXEI6V482xTZgMHkLeo02y-DzAPNw0csGxShfoEdXcxuvzf6XPaz8vXh7TgNxHYweEK2J-3A2GbtQsxDAOhu7An6yf7OuFlg/s400/RL+logo+text+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Over at Rock Legacy I have just done an interview with Dave Scott Morgan about his 80's collaboration with Richard Tandy. There are some good tracks to listen to if you like that sort of thing. I do. You can read it <a href="http://rock-legacy.blogspot.com/2011/04/earthrise-tandy-morgan.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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Tandy and Morgan toured extensively as members of ELO. If you are familiar with the Electric Light Orchestra, you will hear the similarities.Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-85525881437381974222011-04-07T00:34:00.000+01:002011-04-07T00:34:11.915+01:00Over at the other place..Coming soon over at my other blog <a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/">www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com</a><br />
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For <i><b>ELO</b></i> fans and indeed any lovers of intelligent European-influenced electronica and pop; an exclusive interview with <i><b>David Scott Morgan</b></i>, who toured as a member of ELO for five years and has had a working partnership with <b><i>Richard Tandy</i></b> for over four decades. The Tandy-Morgan album, <b><i>Earthrise</i></b> is discussed in detail.The interview will be published in the next few days, but until then, here is a song from Earthrise, <i><b>Thousand Worlds.</b></i><br />
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I am very excited indeed to have a forthcoming interview with <i><b>Catherine Howe</b></i>. Catherine won an Ivor Novello award for her song, "Harry" and after quite a break from the business is writing, singing and recording again and will be talking to me about her new album. I couldn't decide which video to put on this blog so here is Catherine's re-recording of "<i><b>Harry</b></i>". You can see the others over at:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rock-legacy.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh6vFGkhKAE9ChYXy5HPgIv5aUKdd_nnObxRhDxkAfYqUt7ys2P9V8llOs7UQSDhj5i3b5xkKwfmpMMmyGEoqbGBh0px3oWIyc6woednphKiilrbRKfIq_NgIFUbXOMD59QzDgw/s320/RL+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BA3rnvjQ6_s" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-12841605986849095182011-03-31T19:27:00.000+01:002011-03-31T19:27:15.565+01:00Edward Stobart dies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcmAG8l7_tZo7V49UTQ6FLMDxumvdGJRjc5x-06Dx_i50tk3Q-h_ZO7fqKI9vA9ZOHc-0nXcoohsa3xVcvP68CsfTc12sBgPJaF7FcKy137Y_m1yXo3_tpDgeJ6ZpcXb1lO4B0w/s1600/edwardstobart-1301586459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcmAG8l7_tZo7V49UTQ6FLMDxumvdGJRjc5x-06Dx_i50tk3Q-h_ZO7fqKI9vA9ZOHc-0nXcoohsa3xVcvP68CsfTc12sBgPJaF7FcKy137Y_m1yXo3_tpDgeJ6ZpcXb1lO4B0w/s320/edwardstobart-1301586459.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This blog regrets to pass on the sad news of the death, age 56, of Edward Stobart. Edward was the son of the famous Eddie Stobart, who survives him. As a former, early member of the Eddie Stobart Fan Club and Eddie Spotter, my condolences are with his family and friends.<br />
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Edward turned an ordinary haulage firm into a national icon. The lorries always cheer me up on a long, tedious journey. Very British, very sturdy, very Eddie.Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19662178.post-72066167087489461982011-03-30T21:17:00.000+01:002011-03-30T21:17:15.163+01:00Marc Bolan - Early Recordings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF98RjOtmA_9LwX6Pvhr24iUDT87HXgSNAUFbTa_iHiRjzys_4Dnm1NMPbAS6DnGCb2ELuEFcpkDt3u16-1XCxvKuEnZSpCQCl1IapT0Ex3uMFc_igEU6bx5nmR_87zMwvsRy9ew/s1600/bolan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF98RjOtmA_9LwX6Pvhr24iUDT87HXgSNAUFbTa_iHiRjzys_4Dnm1NMPbAS6DnGCb2ELuEFcpkDt3u16-1XCxvKuEnZSpCQCl1IapT0Ex3uMFc_igEU6bx5nmR_87zMwvsRy9ew/s320/bolan.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
Over at <a href="http://rock-legacy.blogspot.com/">Rock Legacy</a>, there's a short piece about Marc Bolan and one of his first recordings for Decca Records. Of course, a music track is included.<br />
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Fingers crossed, but coming up on RL, I have clinched an interview with a former member of a major rock band and brilliant songwriter. Bookmark the site now! Demos, interviews, stuff you have never seen anywhere else.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://rock-legacy.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NKVp5eYncL4B-9OH0mKExU8tRRMSWY6q2FOkEIIMtNmjg-t9b1j-EnjKsMisXqJNWApWvXLkt4VRGHOjJKmDEsjSEL5z0LPzoeQGNdYrq_GjfcLSbOZLz67bPrjxXFaAtXssDg/s400/RL+logo+text+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Wrinkled Weaselhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.com0