Every little thing she does...

One of my regular Friday morning reads is the "Readers Recommend" music blog at the Guardian. A simple idea: a theme is proposed each week and people write in their suggestions for appropriate songs. Usually I find my utter musical ignorance exposed at every turn.

This week's topic is magic, which brings us stuff like Black Magic Woman, Magic Man, That Old Black Magic, Abracadabra, anything by Wizzard and of course, Paul Daniels' classic, Me and Debbie McGee ("Busted flat in Baton Rouge, I'd cut my girl in two...").

However, the undoubted highlight is this version of When You Wish Upon a Star. I wouldn't normally post clips from the My Little Pony Movie, until you realise the singer is none other than Gene Simmons, from Kiss.



If you look up mind-boggling in the dictionary, you'll find this video.

Seven words I muttered this morning...

...when I read George Carlin had died.

"Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker" and "tits".

Ever the cunning linguist, Carlin was one of the great angry comedians. His most famous routine is, of course, his "Seven Words You Can't Say on TV". Here's a nice long follow-up to that where he explores the ramifications of his list.

BTW, if this is NSFW, you should probably get a different job:

"...asskickers, shitkickers and... methodists!"

Sad news from America. Comedy actor Harvey Korman has died, aged 81. Still, that does give me a good reason to post some clips from his finest film performance, as Hedy Hedley Lamarr in Mel Brooks' classic, Blazing Saddles.

Brazilian Tribe Latest

You have no doubt by now seen the pictures of the "lost tribe" in the Amazon, apparently uncontacted by humans.



The natural reaction of many of us has been to wonder how these people would respond to this external contact, and indeed if they would cope with the the technologies available to developed society. Despite the apparent hostility towards the camera in the photograph above, which was taken several months ago, breakthroughs have been made by the research group in charge of the region and after some negotiation, friendly relations have been established.

I can now exclusively reveal the latest video from the scientists at the heart of the investigations. Here, three of the tribespeople have agreed to closer observation by American experts in what to them is clearly an unfamiliar environment. You may observe their natural curiosity as well as their extraordinary capacity for mimicry and language acquisition:

How do you eat yours?

Too much time on someone's hands here, methinks...



H/T: Boing Boing

G-g-g-g-goodness me!

Well, well, well, wonders never cease. Not only has an Australian man shown all those old XXXX adverts to be based in sunny reality, rather than hoary folklore, but I've discovered a fascinating Portuguese television show (if you've ever watched the box here, you'll know how rare such programmes are).

Tuning in atypically to channel three this evening, I came across something that looked vaguely familiar.

Watching the titles a little longer, I realised that not only was it familiar, but it was in fact a Portuguese version of an old English favourite. You can picture the scene already, I'm sure: A grocer's shop stacked high with tins and pickle jars, the tight-fisted grocer himself sporting a fine brown jacket, a youngish tank-topped sidekick, the buxom target of the grocer's affection leaning ever-so-suggestively out of her window opposite.

Yes, that's right folks, there is a Portuguese "Open All Hours". Almost every detail is the same as the Ronnie Barker/David Jason original, from the layout of the shop, with the flat behind, to the savage cash register that bites Arkwright's hand at every opportunity. Of course, there is the unrequited pursuit of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, known here as Julieta. In fact the only thing that's missing is the stutter, w-w-w-w-which I think is a bit of a shame.

So, for your delectation, I am only too happy to present: "A Loja do Camilo" (Camilo's Shop)

A Mrs Trellis...

...of North Wales has written to me asking that I post this clip:



Mrs T also asks about my friend Samantha, and I'm pleased to update her. Samantha tells me she has to nip out now as she's been invited to an exclusive club to meet a group of aristocrats. She's very excited to see where all the big knobs hang out. She says at such a posh function she and the other girls will probably end up trying to speak with plums in their mouths.

RIP Humph.