Misogny

Tom's sat watching a DVD he bought, 'The Big Bird Cage', I searched for a review of it and this is what they said, 'Director Jack Hill followed up his genre-defining women-in-prison film THE BIG DOLL HOUSE with this action-packed sequel, also starring Pam Grier and set in the Philippines. Grier plays Blossom, the machine gun-toting girlfriend of revolutionary leader Django (Sid Haig). His fellow revolutionaries want girlfriends too, so Django and Blossom make plans to liberate the nearby women's prison, a grueling sugar mill work camp. Slender babe Anitra Ford co-stars as Torry, a free-spirited nymphomaniac whose bedding of important political figures has landed her in the prison, and who together with Blossom makes plans for the big, explosion-packed breakout. Grier and Ford are both dynamite with their bad attitudes and skimpy prison attire, and there's plenty of catfights--both in and out of the mud, and showers. Aside from some dated gay-stereotype humor involving the male guards of the camp, this is still pretty rock-solid entertainment, replete with suspense, sex, bloodsoaked vengance, and captivating outdoor cinematography by Phillip Sandalan. Hill and Grier would follow up this success with the blaxploitation classic COFFY the following year.' I say it's misogynistic crap and hardly worth the celluloid it originally occupied. There is a positive to it as a film, it ends eventually.

Test for Mail Publishing

Well this could be a solution for the trip to the Isle of Man, e-mail the stuff in!

E-Libraries

I notice that there is a NHS eLibraries blog which is I presume from Ben Toth. Looks kind of interesting, with a host of librarian friendly links. I'm glad to see that Ben unlike myself focuses on his e-libraries, it's nice to know that other people have way more self discipline than I do. This thing as anyone who reads it will soon find out confines itself to anything that interests and amuses me, as well as the gubbins about libraries!

Idiot Boy

Just finished cleaning the floors throughout the house and I'm shattered. While doing so I was listening to Man Utd - Chelsea, as it was coming to a 1-1 conclusion I was getting more and more convinced that the result was going to go right and that both of 'em would lose points, idiot I am I forgot the two unwritten laws of football, 1) On the occaision of a tight game when Manchester United are a goal behind or drawing the referee shall play enough extra time to allow them to draw or win as dictated by circumstances, and 2) Chelsea are shit. Arsenal play West Ham tomorrow, a fixture that always reminds me of my cousin Stephen who following an incident in a rowing boat, a storm and the channel, died of hypothermia. Stephen was a West Ham fan, a lover of Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds. Mind you I hope we stuff 'em! Strange kid Stephen, from what I remember he was a good man at knocking out the odd prayer or two and had a pathological fear of breaking a five pound note at Bexhill's single amusement arcade (mind you Bexhill though an opencast cemetry was racy enough to be the first place where mixed bathing occured in the UK). Weird isn't it how over the years those people you don't see become merely a distillation of your memories of them, compacted into a concise and abbreviated form. Meanwhile here it's time for a cup of tea while attempting to avoid tripping over the vast range of emergency vehicles Cal's dragged downstairs to play with, and while checking on the steak for tonights steak pie. Please note this recipe has had a major ingredient removed because of Tom, no onions (mind you I've snuck in a lid of hot pepper sauce!)

Should be on the Streets

Should be out on the streets protesting against Blair's stupid war today, instead I get the fun of tidying up while Tom's in Southport and Monst is in town. Cal's upstairs playing and I'm taking a 5 minute or so break. Next to retrieve the hoover and sort the living room next. This cleaning lark never stops. Feel better than I did yesterday when the cold I have made me feel like a sack of ...... (fill in as appropriate). OK enough of the talking about tidying and time to get back to it.....

Start of Scrubbing

News to cheer me up from the US Martin Sheen: An act of faith: president of the peace movement. Imperial War Museum yesterday was truly excellent, no glorification just key explanation of events and the downsides of war. Need something because I'm full of cold and feel horrible. Cal's playing with his Uncle Tom which is great, they get on really well together and last time I looked the UK rail network was being recreated in Brio. Still as long as they both have fun. I've just finished today's Fade the Blog and there seems to be the odd posting problem to blogger.

War's still good for Nothing

and yesterdays final posting should have read.... Dropped Cal off at school today because he asked for a ride in the car. Bad move, because I wasn�t dressed for work he�d kinda thought the weekend had hit early so resented getting off at the school. On return Monst nipped to Lil�s to check she was alright and I shoved on sausages for sausage sarnies for breakfast. I then woke Tom up at what for him is an hour of the day that don�t exist, 9.00am. By 9.30 we�d hit the road and were on our way to the museum. The weather was dreadful but once there we had a mooch round the place for a good couple of hours. Next stop the hell that is the Trafford Centre. Tom needed to pick up some presents for the folks in Scotland so it was into the bookshops and HMV. We also found time for lunch and had a reasonable Chinese. Also spent the day trying to contact Liz Farrel, but no joy, re: the subletting of Cairs. It�ll have to be Monday now. Plan for tomorrow is that Tom want�s to go to Southport and I don�t, Monst needs to do some birthday shopping for Callum so I�ll take the pair of them to Hunt�s Cross and they can catch a train to town and Southport respectively and ring me when they need picking up. In the meanwhile Cal can play upstairs and I�ll put on Radio 5 and clean the house.

Aditus My Fuck Up

Just running a search to send to Tracy in the morning, why? Because idiot me forgot to save it earlier. BBC4 promised a programme about the excellent Robert Wyatt and so far it's a no show so I've just plugged into Teenage Fanclub and the excellent 'Songs from Northern Britain'. Need to ring Liz tomorrow at some point and check the stuff with Cairs was alright as well as drag Tom over to the Imperial War Museum North. Need to shine me sink before I kip this evening. Lil across the road is ill, so while cooking for the folks here did an extra plate, it's the least we could do, she's looked after Cal enough for us in cases of dire emergency or funeral.... and it was only another flattened chicken breast to fling in the casserole.

The Price is Right

Quick bit of cataloguing this morning, priced the notion of subletting Cairs to Salford PCT (checked it was OK with CAIRS at the same time). Back home and idiot boy on automatic pilot drives into Sainsbury�s only to remember he don�t need anything, back home and Tom was kipping upstairs so a quick tidy of the kitchen. Monst came back from visiting Knowsley�s speech and language unit out in Kirkby, she wasn�t impressed, and suspects that while it would undoubtedly improve Cal�s language skills it would leave him struggling educationally. Don�t know where that leaves us.

Nougat

To cheer us up from the post Christmas 'January's such a bloody depressing month' and to clear her house of tat that didn't get eaten for Christmas, Tracy has dragged in some 'Temptations: Luxury Fruit and Nut Nougat' and is causing much confusion with the rice paper on the ends. So Mic'll be able to get his sugar fix before he and Clair throw themselves on the mercy of the hordes at Propel.................... Pantomime horse race round Aintree anyone?

It's a Mod, Mod, World

Sat in the library listening to the The Chords, it's always nice to have a quiet library. People still believe as a profession we run around going Shhh! all day. I've only ever had to do that once in 13 years and then I giggled so much at the twat I was having to be, I had to Shhh! at myself! The only acceptable form of Shhh! is Chumbawamba's.

Where's the Train

Man, what a day, in early having scooted round the kitchen at 5.30 am like a demented speed freak roadrunner. Then to get chocolate for the feeding of primary care folk at Propel at the 24 hour Tesco. Next into work and amazingly my addled brain worked out I shouldn�t do Fade the Blog �cos Mic and Mo (almost a Julian Cope number but that was Mik-Mak-Mok) were going to work on it so Mo could get familiar with blogging, so strutted my grey literature stuff and began work on my search backlog. Next thing I know, I need to see Adam to get the lowdown on his meeting with Paul Charnley. Surprise, surprise, he�s due to be seconded to sort ETD out for him for a couple of days a week (Paul clearly spots a top bloke when he sees one). Got to say I�m chuffed for Adam, Cheshire and Mersey�ll be the stronger for it. Afternoon with Clair, shooting the breeze and getting on with the search backlog. Completed the Fade the Blog promotion by sending details to North PCT. Bit uncertain �bout South Sefton PCT. Great call from an American nurse at Old Swan Walk-In, she was made up at what we could offer her as a library service and I was made up because she was so enthusiastic. That�s what I want, enthusiastic people. She rang back later to ask how we were about stock suggestions and loved the answer that they were always welcome as long as we have some dosh. Think we�ve found a friend who�ll see us right with the PCT. Evening and it was time to pick up Tom, the brother-in-law from the station. Tech hitch I was at Lime Strret and Tom was at Central. Still the mobiles came in useful and it was home via the Chinese to find Monst, Helen and Lonan round. Feast eaten and I got the job of putting Cal to bed. After much screaming and putting on the Aristocats everything seemed cool. So I�m off for a bath, to enjoy a glass of wine and �The Sacred Art of Stealing�.

Runaway Train

Reminder to myself, got to pick up my brother-in-law Tom from the station tonight, then Cal and Monst from the music club she's found for Cal to go to in Penny Lane.

Thackray Searches

Had a couple of people after poor old Jake Thackray today, thought occured to me did they follow his song 'Last Will and Testament': I, the under-mentioned, by this document do declare my true intentions, My last will, my testament. when I turn up my toes, when I rattle my clack, when I agonise, I want no great wet weepings No tearing of hair, no wringing of hands No sighs, no lack-a-days No woe-is-me's and none of your sad adieus. Go go go and get the priest And then go get the booze, boys. Death, where is they victory? Grave, where is thy sting? When I snuff it bury me quickly then let carousels begin. But not a do with a few ham sandwiches A sausage roll or two And "a small port wine please". Roll the carpet right back Get cracking with your old Gay Gordons and your knees up, shake it up, live it up, sup it up Hell of a kind of a time. And if the coppers come around Well tell them the party's mine, boys. Let best beef be eaten, fill every empty glass, Let no breast be beaten let no tooth be gnashed. Don't bother with a fancy tombstone or A big-deal angel or a little copper flower pot Grow a dog rose in my eyes or a pussy willow But no forget-me-nots, no epitaphs no keepsakes You can let my memory slip. You can say a prayer or two for my soul then But make it quick, boys. Lady, if your bosom is heaving don't waste your bosom on me Let it heave for a man who's breathing A man who can feel, a man who can see. And to my cronies you can read my books You can drive around in my motor car And you can fish your trout with my fly and tackle You can play on my guitar, And sing my songs, wear my shirts You can even settle my debts. You can kiss my little missus if she's willing then but - no regrets, boys. Your rosebuds are numbered Gather them now for rosebuds'sake. And if your hands aren't too encumbered Gather a bud or two for Jake.

I am a Malcontent

Screaming in at 31 in a Yahoo search for 'job dissatisfaction amounts librarians' is this blog, so I must be a minor malcontent. Er.........help! I see the poxy pixies back home. Thank non-existent deities, the butcher's apron was beginning to irritate me. It always strikes me a flag is a step away from patriotism, patriotism is a road leading to nationalism and when your there you really start believing that asylum seekers and foreigners are dreadful subhumans who should be deported and that experiments should be undertaken on prisoners and no right thinking person could really think that, other than to take the piss, could they?

Mogwai Chillout

Sat listening to some of the excellent Mogwai, pondering the days events. Had to drop Cal at school on the way to work so was running late. Rushed in and people kinda noticed I was a touch more manic than usual, reason, I had booked time with Mo to run through the SDI service she's piloting and I didn't want to duck out of the meeting. Needed to get the days Fade the Blog out the way, let South Liverpool PCT know that it exists and turn my rough case studies for the primary care study day into Trumpton scenarios. Luckily everyone rallied round, fed me coffee and let me blag my way onto their PCs, good on 'em. Steve the QPR fan and teacher of mafia (it's a regular management course who for reasons that are obscured in the mists of mists are known to the library crew at FADE as the mafia) popped in to ask if I'd seen the Milburn (spoof involving the voice of Bill Connolly*). Damn I haven't so he'll keep an eye out for me. Plus he wanted to arrange library tours.... (I can never remember Steve's surname but I do remember his love of Queens Park Rangers, poor misguided fool). PM rushed over to pick up Marie Ford at St Helen's PCT before onward journey to Liz Farrell's in Salford. Tracy had kindly printed directions but to the old gaff 'cos that's what the purple book said. (Shan, if your reading this, hurry up get it sorted I'm getting lost 'cos it's wrong!) So we had to ring the library to get the number of Liz's new gaff for instructions on how to find it. It all went remarkably smoothly. Meeting was good, need to tweak a few things in the case study and add a little more detail. As ever it was a delight to spend time with Liz and Marie. Looks like Primary Care Workshop is a-go-go. *Should Alan Milburn be passing by, it ain't that I don't like you or what your doing to the NHS but if you didn't want me to take the piss you shouldn't be Secretary of State for Health, I've taken the piss out of all of your predecessors from Ken Clarke onwards so I ain't stopping now.

Ricin Poison

Doing a regular trade in searches for 'ricin poison', obviously the papers are right, good news don't sell! Both Google and Yahoo users are going for it. Bizarre or what.

Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

Meeting pm of Cheshire and Mersey library folk at the Peelhouse Plaza in Widnes. It's an old art deco cinema converted into a GP practice with the old dress circle turned into a couple of lecture theatres and meeting rooms. A nice space. Pity bout the meeting though. A few of the Confederations malcontents and out of the 22 or so in the room only about 4 or 5 of us spoke. The malcontents sat silent, but I bet they've gone back to their libraries to whinge. Still as Mr. Bragg (no that's Billy not Melvyn) would say; 'You can be active with the activists Or sleep in with the sleepers While you're waiting for the Great Leap Forwards' Earlier in the day meeting in the library re: the future of the gaff. Some sensible suggestions and some crackers from Mo around marketing. Felt quite depressed during it but man was my brain fizzing by the time I'd hit the car to go to Widnes. No pen or paper handy so on arrival in Widnes I hightailed it like a loon into the nearest newsagents, the poor woman who served me must have thought I was mad as I scribbled furiously on the pad she sold me. Home via the chippy and just about to visit the plans for the Primary Care day.

Numbers

OK so scores on the doors, last month 394 visits and 648 page views.

Chartership

It dawned on me earlier as I glanced through the previous posts that I hadn't put a link into CILIP - Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. Now I think that partly that's 'cos subconciously I recognise that we pay subs to this organisation and I'm not convinced we get a lot in return. Like most things in the UK they are rediculously London-centric, their courses are overpriced and require a trip to the smoke and there impact on pay seems to be negligible. However they are what professionally we have and I'm sure they do something useful somewhere with everyone's hard earned cash. Anyway the link situation is now addressed and it means no more searching for the buggers anymore. Not that they were any better as the Library Association. On their site they say: CILIP - writing and saying it 'CILIP' is pronounced with a soft 'c', as in 'cyber'. When writing about CILIP, you should use the full form of the organisation's name the first time you refer to it - i.e. 'CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals'. Thereafter, you can use just the acronym, but please put it in capitals - 'CILIP' - not in lower case as in the logo design, so that it stands out prominently in the text. Picky bastards!

Home and Just About to Shine My Sink

Great, got Monst to work and got back in the house with no need of a return to Faz. Bath went reasonably with the usual amount of protest and Cal's now upstairs watching the Aristocats. I'm just about to pour myself a large glass of red wine (I opened a bottle to sove some in the steak pie), see I can drink cultured occaisionally! Good news at last the Labour Party are taking this threat of war seriously and beginning to respond appropriately, 'Back away from war, Labour warns Blair'. Poxy Pixie news, he seems to have pissed off down the pub, and has been replaced by a butchers apron (union jack or onion jock take yer pick). Hope he comes back soon because I don't do nationalism if I can help it.

Half Time Score and Pie in the Oven

2-0 up at half time in Brum, mind you the whole thing's 25 minutes late 'cos the Brummies couldn't find 50p to shove in the metre to get all of the floodlights working. Rumours that they were planning on the application of massed subbuteo floodlights proved false and a sparks rescued the day. In the meanwhile, commiserations to Everton who lost at Spurs. Bugger. Busy cooking steak pie for tonight having been told I'm only allowed to cook one roast a month and I've already used up this month's ration. Monst is threatening to join a Gym, help I can see a health kick about to happen.... If only she read the blog she'd realise I'm a fat bastard 'cos I'm ill.

Ha! It's Back

Everything seems to be back to normal with blogger, thank non-existent deities. This thing is now more than a habit, it's a compulsion. More searchers located the blog, I'm at 20 for a google search for ricin poison, or at No. 3 in yahoo, oooh 'er missus, it weren't me in the library with the ricin. I'm still not taking back what I've said about Yahoo in the past, I still think it's bloody awful. Now the pinny needs to go on and I need to don the rubber gloves (yes that'll excite the perverts) and clean the kitchen, in preperation for the kick off against Birmingham. Oddly enough the Desktop Wenger's been suspiciously quiet today. Hope he gets more chatty later.

Blogging Grief

Swim went well, Everton started well against Spurs but the lads from Shite Hart Lane have equalised, the swines. Been having some grief blogging today, hasn't posted my posts so be interesting to see if this works.

Food Disaster

Bugger, Cal's done some extra breakfast so it'll be more time before the swim. Busy morning so far with Fade the Blog. Mind you Plan B (Not from PLanet 9 or even Planet Zog) is to do the stuff we need to do before going swimming and that should take a little while. I see one of the viking horde has visited from Norway. Say hello to the Norwegian bit of tha family as you go by, if you come back.

Breakfast Club

Tea and marmite toast, a great way to start the day. If you're not familiar with marmite check out The Marmite FAQs. It is without doubt a food of the non-existent deities. Now food is a bit important today as Cal and I have to time our swim right. We don't want to go too late because we need to arrange lunch afterwards and go to drop some books off at Ann Nolan's. Plan is to shove a couple of spuds in the oven before we go out and then eat them on our return. Need also to get fruit for Cal's week at school. So the UK's dispatched it's largest naval task force since the Falklands, so that'll be two boats and a rubber duck then. As Edwin Star put it, 'war, what is it good for, absolutely nothing'. Check out Chumbawamba and their 'Jacobs Ladder (Not in my Name)'. Nice track, nice sentiment. Nice to see protest in the States too. Oh, well work on Fade the Blog beckons.