I was listening to some teenagers moaning on the bus the other day and one said that they wished that they were “as free as a bird or something”. Continue reading
Tag Archives: language
fun with word games – would you vote for these men?
As a child I loved those word puzzles that would be in the annual that I got for Christmas and have loved playing with words and language since. Whilst in the USA back in 2008 I played around with a campaign bumper sticker and came up with: Continue reading
the joys of writing part five
This week I received from the printers my proof copy of “Trousers” in paperback. The moment of joy at having my own book in my hands was soon over though when I spotted the errors on the back cover. Now these are mine as I had used a precis of an existing piece with some changes to tense, but had failed to carry the changes through fully. Easily fixed though. Continue reading
Filed under about me, Books & Reading, writing
a little light relief from The Muppets
The Muppet show was always a highlight of the weekend TV for me when the children were small. This clip is from an episode that featured Mark Hammill fresh from his Luke Skywalker role, but strikes a chord for me as a lover of DooWap singing.
So for a bit of innocent pleasure on the anniversary of a dark day for the world, enjoy a Muppet take on Ramalamadingdong.
when tv adverts were fun – good sport your missus – another from Castlemaine XXXX
With their Ute teetering an the brink of disaster, could this pair have misunderstood the lady?
Watch it here and make up your own minds. Castlemaine XXXX at its finest perhaps.
Filed under fun stuff
why are publishers so reluctant to pay up for content?
I’m in the process of having to take strong action against one publishing house and am actively chasing another for payment for articles that I have written for them and, in the former case, for several photos to accompany the article. Both articles have been published against agreed terms, so what is the problem with coughing up what is owed?
One problem is that it is taking me longer to chase them than it did to write the darn things in the first place, but I am going to keep going even if I end up taking them down the small claims route.
It is a shame as it takes away both the pleasure of having something published and any feeling of support for that publication, but such is life. There are a lot of shysters out there.
Filed under business life, random rants, serious stuff, writing
when tv adverts were fun – something for the ladies?
Australian lager adverts in the UK have always shown an element of dry wit. This one is the old favourite “something for the ladies?” overloading of the ute (pick up truck) from Castlemaine XXXX. Enjoy:
Filed under fun stuff
when TV adverts were fun – whitbread abdul the bulbul emir
This is just one of a series, but features a young Stephen Fry as Ivan, an equally young Blackadder colleague Tim McInnerny as the minstrel and Tony Cosmo as Abdul.
The words used in the song in the ad are obviously geared around the product, but use the tune and general theme of the original as written by Frank Crumit in 1941 (ish) using Percy French’s 1877 poem,
A number of references to the song and the ad call it Abdul la BulBul Emir (and have assorted spellings of Emir). This possibly comes from a mis-hearing of the proper title Abdullah BulBul Emir. I had alway known it as Abdul the BulBul Emir from having first heard some rather rude versions over the years prior to seeing the Whitbreadversion, but, anyway, here is the clip:
when TV adverts were fun – the Water in Majorca courtesy of Heinekin
With apologies to Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, Heinekin took a shot at how their beverage might just help this young Sloane Ranger (played by Sylvestra Le Touzel) with her steet cred. Bryan Pringle also stars as her tutor. Enjoy:
Filed under fun stuff
when tv commercials were fun – carling black label king arthur
Having written recently about Monty Python and Fawlty Towers as being series that I did not find funny I though that I would use some examples of TV commercials as things that did amuse me because of their style and wit. Last Monday I blogged a link to the Weetabix Robin Hood spoof and that has been well received, so I’ve had a trawl around YouTube and found a few more.
So here is another light hearted piece, this time from the Oblivion Boys series of ads for Carling Black Label, here featuring the Knights of The Round Table and the Arthurian Legend.
I have a few more up my sleeve, so over the next few weeks watch out each Monday for a new one.
Filed under fun stuff
The Voice of the Bloke at the Back 