Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Engelbert Humperdinck


I'm looking forward to seeing Hansel & Gretel, the most famous of Engelbert Humperdinck's works. His namesake is perhaps more famous: the man who said, "No crooner has the range I have. I can hit notes a bank could not cash." His singing took him to the Knokke contest in Belgium in 1966 and he was number 1 in the Belgian charts but Arnold Dorsey's career really took off in 1967 when he changed his name to Engelbert Humperdinck. People admired EH II's looks but don't you think EH I looks rather dashing?

Friday, August 20, 2010

RIP Edwin Morgan


Opening the Cage: 14 Variations on 14 Words


I have to say poetry and is that nothing and am I saying it
I am and I have poetry to say and is that nothing saying it
I am nothing and I have poetry to say and that is saying it
I that am saying poetry have nothing and it is I and to say
And I say that I am to have poetry and saying it is nothing
I am poetry and nothing and saying it is to say that I have
To have nothing is poetry and I am saying that and I say it
Poetry is saying I have nothing and I am to say that and it
Saying nothing I am poetry and I have to say that and it is
It is and I am and I have poetry saying say that to nothing
It is saying poetry to nothing and I say I have and am that
Poetry is saying I have it and I am nothing and to say that
And that nothing is poetry I am saying and I have to say it
Saying poetry is nothing and to that I say I am and have it

Thursday, August 19, 2010

One I missed


Flicking through an old magazine, I came across the Hillary Clinton look...

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Bear of the day


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Rolling out the red car


A friend told me this anecdote about a trip to see an old American friend:


"I went to visit him in the Chicago area and he had a small to medium French chateau style house. I said that it looked like a French chateau. 'Wrong' he said 'It isnt like one - it is one. I brought it over, every stick & stone from Normandy.' He was lending me a car while I was in the Chicago area for 10 days. We went into his garage palace to collect 'The Red Car for Mr B'. The first car I saw there, among many, was a red Rolls Royce convertible with white side wall tyres. This was a rather cold December so I said that I would find difficulty managing the Roller. 'Not for you buddy! This is the car which Richard Burton bought Liz Taylor for their second wedding and I have just bought it!'
(Sorry I couldn't find the right photo!)

Friday, August 13, 2010

Stardust


My colleague sipped champagne with friends and watched the meteors from her boat last night. She said it was spectacular to see the fireworks in the sky reflected in the sea. Meanwhile it was overcast in Winchester...I'm still blaming St Swithun.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Bear trap


The Japanese stockmarket entered a technical bear market intraday today as it fell 20% from the 18 month high it had reached on 5 April. Unemployment in Greece hit 12% and has breached 20% in Spain. QE2 hasn't yet materialised in the US. The winter of discontent is arriving early.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Limerick of the day



There was an Old Person of Cromer,

Who stood on one leg to read Homer;

When he found he grew stiff,

He jumped over the cliff,

Which concluded that Person of Cromer.

Monday, August 09, 2010

Smile of the day


Thursday, August 05, 2010

Joke of the day