Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Equality is great, when it is Graphic.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I was talking to a fella in the bookies today, I used to have the odd drink with him years ago when I worked on the South side of the city, the pub was called “The Laughing Pig”, ironically he never laughs now, he’s an over serious old bugger these days.
Anyway he was on about how everything is about to change with this corona thing, a brand new normal, then he used an expression I never liked, he said “Everyone is going to have to start thinking outside the box”.
Jaysus I hate it when intelligent people say that “Thinking outside the box”, sure everyone is thinking outside the box as it is, when your in the box you cannot think because you are dead, and just as well you can’t think whilst inside the box, for can you imagine the horrific thoughts that would flow through your mind if you were buried alive?
Give me a non thinking carefree fool any day.


The Fool?

He never worries nor cares about plans
His life is completely his own
He’ll do his own thing and ignore all the bans
He’s happy and not one to moan.

If the sky fell down he’d jump on a cloud
And float high above it all
Smiling at the Sun and shouting out loud
“Sure it’s not me who’s the fool atall”

Fools are so lucky, the trouble is we all can’t be fools, fools are a selected few, most other poor unfortunates have to keep the ball rolling and be upright serious responsible people all through life, what a boring existence!

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Love it Jem.

It is inspiring.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I forgot to mention when I was on about our former council dustmen that Phyllis, the wife, used to leave out a 2 litre bottle of chilled water for them during the Summer months, she’d have it in the fridge and take it out to put behind the gate pillar when she heard them coming, a small gesture but it was appreciated by them.
Strange that she met one of them at the shops yesterday, he’s now retired but the first thing he said to her was “Are you still leaving out the water for the new lads?”


BBC had a late film on last night, I hadn’t seen it for a very long time and really enjoyed it all over again, “Young Frankenstein” with Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman, it was directed by Mel Brooks.

I have always admired Wilder's comic genius, rest his soul, he died in 2016 from Alzheimer's disease.
It was filmed in nostalgic black and white, a wise decision in my opinion because it includes many scenes ‘copied’ from the original 1931 film “Frankenstein” starring Boris Karloff, but all the ‘copied’ scenes have a lovely comical twist to them, and surprisingly Gene Hackman has the part of the blind old man who tries to befriend the monster with disastrous results.
The script was written by Wilder and Brooks and contained many of those silly little jokes Brooks is known for, for example, Wilder as young Frankenstein is being driven through woods in a horse drawn cart to Frankenstein’s Castle, he hears howling coming from the woods and asks the driver (Feldman) what is it.
The driver answers “A werewolf”
Wilder: “Werewolf?”
Driver: Pointing to the woods and then to the front of him “There wolf, there Castle”
I mean it’s so stupid it’s hilarious.

I couldn’t help laughing out loud when Wilder and his female assistant are in Frankenstein's laboratory where there are glass cases containing old heads and skulls, when they come to Feldman’s head he bursts into song “I ain’t got nobody…”
Yes a great combination of comic talent Brooks, Wilder and Feldman, alas none of them are still with us, but I for one will never forget the laughs they gave me.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I had to laugh at Russ abbot today, I think he was my mentor.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I saw Russ Abbot in one of the Miss Marple TV stories recently, he played the part of a retired Scotland Yard detective, I thought he made a very good serious actor, maybe we’ll be seeing him playing more such parts as he ages, comics can only stand up for so long you know, then it becomes painful.


When I watch old British films I notice at the beginning some of them show a portrait of a fine lady and state “A Gainsborough Picture”, Gainsborough was indeed a fine artist, but when it comes to art and artists every individual has their own likes and dislikes, and as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

However I have a question about that saying.
Why have beholders only got one eye?, shouldn’t that be “Beauty is in the EYES of the beholder”
Vincent Van Gogh was on the ball when he snapped back at one beholder who said his efforts were crap “Your a fine one to talk” says Vinnie “Sure what would a one-eyed beholder know about beauty or art?”

I have no liking for abstract art, I always feel it’s a chancers game, albeit a very profitable one if your name got around and you only painted a few dozen pictures before you died tragically, and the more tragic your death the more valuable your ‘works’, I reckon if Van Gogh hadn’t cut off his ear and committed suicide at 37 we would never have heard of him, I know he wasn’t an abstract painter, but let’s be honest, all his paintings look they they were painted by school children.

As that famous Russian/American billionaire, film director, and patron of the arts Ivan Nufforlife said “The only skill involved in abstract and modern art is thinking up a title for the thing when it’s done”
He later went on to direct “Paint your Wagon” for United Artists using various artists, he brushed aside the initial bad reviews and canvassed the film himself.

In the 50’s Ivan visited London and met that weird painter Francis Bacon, they were having a few drinks together and an argument broke out about paint colours, Ivan called Bacon (who was Irish born) a green pig and Bacon called him a red capitalist, Ivan said he couldn’t understand what the pig meant, maybe Bacon was jesting, just squeezing his tube.
Oh God i’d better stop now before I get carried away completely.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

There was a program on BBC TV today and it featured a piece about a young man who had a condition known as Auto-brewing syndrome, it seems his body was brewing alcohol unknown to him or anybody else, he would get periods of drunkenness out of the blue without having touched a drop, his wife would never believe him and neither would his friends, terrible state of affairs until he saw a specialist who carried out many tests till he found the cause.

“Auto-brewery syndrome (ABS) (also known as gut fermentation syndrome, endogenous ethanol fermentation or drunkenness disease) is a condition characterized by the fermentation of ingested carbohydrates in the gastrointestinal tract of the body caused by bacteria or fungi. ABS is a rare medical condition in which intoxicating quantities of ethanol are produced through endogenous fermentation within the digestive system. The organisms responsible for ABS include various yeasts and bacteria, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. boulardii, Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. glabrata, C. kefyr, C. parapsilosis, Torulopsis glabrata, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecium. These organisms use lactic acid fermentation or mixed acid fermentation pathways to produce an ethanol end product. The ethanol generated from these pathways is absorbed in the small intestine, causing an increase in blood alcohol concentrations that produce the effects of intoxication without the consumption of alcohol.
Researchers speculate the underlying causes of ABS are related to prolonged antibiotic use, poor nutrition and/or diets high in carbohydrates, and to pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and genetic variations that result in improper liver enzyme activity.In the latter case, decreased activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase can result in accumulation of ethanol in the gut, leading to fermentation. Any of these conditions, alone or in combination, could cause ABS, and result in dysbiosis of the microbiome.
Claims of endogenous fermentation of this type have been used as a defence against drunk driving charges.” Wiki.

So there it is explained in easy to understand words , next time you see a well oiled fella acting the maggot don’t jump the gun and say he ought to be ashamed of himself, he could be suffering from ABS.
I can honestly say I have never heard of that condition before, can you imagine having your own built in little brewery producing booze and all for free?, you learn something new everyday in these times, I wish the pubs were open, the old lads would get great mileage and craic out of that amazing fact.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I'm in heaven catching up on this thread.

By the way, I never think outside the box, but I have been known to color outside the lines from time to time.

Being the fool and all...

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

ABS would have saved a fortune in ABV, would not have had to call SOS to the TSB.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Applying finesse to foolism is an art, not appreciated by the Hoi Polloi, who think an Artesian Well is just a Bore Hole.