4968 - Justice in time

So tired, woke early, put in a long day
No energy for videos tonight
On and off, had the TV news on. They
Are talking 'how many?' - the usual great
Interest in fatality numbers. Spate
Of dramatic 'stories' as news folk call
'News' items, the more harsh some poor guy's fate
The better the 'story' of that guy's fall
What happened to Weinstein? So forgetful
When something 'better' comes along. But they
Banged him up just in time, before courts shut
Up shop, and juries couldn't congregate
Celebrities film themselves, there's no way
To find camera crews. We feel for their plight!!

4950 - Should've been in Prague Day 4

So although me and Helen should have still
Been enjoying the flat and holiday
I woke at home, and felt the giddy feel
Of having drank too much watching telly
Last night. Today spent hours on phone to the
Other family members, talk was all
About guess what? Coronavirus. Me
Mother had no clue of the risks, appalled
At her blasé attitude. Brother, small
If any knowledge of it either. Kill
Our Mum, potentially then mate, make way
To her bungalow, hug and then touch all
Her door-handles and kitchen things. You will
Not be stopped by her. Told him anyway

4940 - Dahmer drama

So tired, my fault for late night film-watching
American Assassin had a great
Opening scene, with bikini-wearing
Girl machine-gunned, victim of racial hate
The hero plots revenge in various states
As Russia sells nukes to Iran for use
Against Israel. Tonight's film 'celebrates'
The teenage years of Jeffrey Dahmer, whose
'Fame' was murdering people, dissolved in juice
At least it seems so from the beginning
Years of his weirdness, well at any rate
According to this biopic, the views
It seems of a friend who did some drawings
And a graphic novel on which it's based

4884 - Middle Beast

Good night's sleep, and I was right to be good
Last night, because it was once more intense
At work, but I coped like I hoped I would
And had enough left, once home, to do bends
And stretches, maintaining my keep fit trend
Disappointingly, push-ups fell well short
Of last time's record which is one hundred
A landmark, best in decades, so I thought
Whereas today, eighty was all I scored
New podcast today - Behind the Bastards -
Qassem Soleimani the topic, since
He was recently bombed by drone, aboard
A car in Iraq, by the States, this blood
Causing Iranian missiles in response

4877 - Freddie's dead

Decent night's sleep, went to work, tried to catch
Up with it all, so complicated, though
Listening to ASAP Rocky as I walked
Home. Exercised, third time this week, on floor
Then listened to the Fred West podcast more
Played uke, Harry in his room must have heard
Last night's YouTube posts had comments before
I've even publicised them. Is the word
Getting out? I hope so, as I'm so bored
With marketing, telling people to watch
It'd be great if I didn't need to
Self-publicity's strictly for the birds
But, though I hate to do it, oh so much
I must post links on social media

4873 - Ashton fashions

Got up slightly drunk after last night's binge
Of almost ten Guinnesses while I soaked
Up the Disgraceland stories, hearing strange
Tales of excess and death from rock stars coked
Up and more, doing stuff as careers choked
Like Brian Jones in his pool, stoned and drowned
Rock or soul stars, shot, who could not be woke
Most bought their drugs with dollar, some with pound
But today, took a break from Disgraceland
And had a day out in the car which ranged
From Uppermill to Ashton as we Merc'd
Along. I bought new boots, waiting around
For Pearl and Jo finally to re-emerge
From Ashton's arcade, we talked, laughed and joked

4460 - Pictures of silly

It's gone a bit colder, quite Christmassy
Dark and cold, but at least Manchester is
Now full of lights, new flats ubiquity
Had a haircut, arranged some new tattoos
Some funny sayings, three new languages
They're Polish, Flemish, and Ukrainian
Want them to wind like snakes around the place
To reveal them anytime will be fun
Certainly different from most anyone
I've almost caught up now with history
Of travelling in recent years to places
Around and near Europe, in snow and sun
It'll be a shame if they cremate me
When I've spent so much on these images

4240 - Death, where is thy bling?

A horrid dark rainy Easter Monday
No wonder Jesus didn't stick around
And did those feet, etc? Not likely
He preferred preaching where the sun shone down
While being crucified, get a nice tan
And other quite modern things they did too
Instead of pierced ears, try pierced feet or hands
It's briefly fatal, but in no time you...
Wake up, see your mates again, let them view...
Your fab piercings, then take off vertically
Into the clouds, never coming back down
Then you sit on a throne and watch 'em do
Crap hymns saying you're great, and they all pray
To you on Sundays - no rest to be found!

4224 - Leaky boat

Life's a heady brew, drink it while you can
Intoxicating, if you take it in
And drink it all up from bottle or can
The more you take, the more it makes you spin
In sympathy with the globe revolving
It makes us feel sick of course, now and then
It's up to us to keep on strengthening
Keep growing, and when cold winds blow, we bend
Biding our time until the time comes when
It all ends, I mean all goes in the can
Our senses no longer record the scene
And it will not concern us what happens
We're all in this boat on this big ocean
So let's make the most until the sinking

4183 - Boot call

At teatime last night, the painkiller did
Its job at last, and since then, been pain-free
Too early to nail down that coffin lid
I'm in the full mode of recovery!
Bad news about the weather - we'll all be
Freezing our wotsits off next week, they say
There could be snow and ice, yeah, real chilly
What to wear, how to keep warm on my way
To work, and on nights out? Work, rest and play
Makes Jack a cool boy. But I might have slid
On some ice. Still no new boots! Shopping spree
Urgently needed, now we've had payday
It'll take days to get all that I need
Yet there's no time, I'm gonna be busy...

4173 - The Vinyl Countdown

My second day off sick, but much better
Didn't need the heat on during the day
I read Byron, watched Kyle, played uke later
But I forgot my diary yesterday
So I'm writing this tomorrow, you'd say
In a way, sort of - you know what I mean
It's no longer Thursday, it's now Friday
And back to work tomorrow I have been
If tomorrow's today, staying on this theme
Back to yesterday now, can't remember
Much now. Added more tracks to Spotify
Watched most of Question Time, the usual scene
Brexit, the NHS. Shame about the
Fall of Mark Smith, whose vinyl I once played

Thur 25 Jan 

4138 - Christmas highway star

It's the shortest day of the year today
And it felt like it as I drove the car
Homewards in the dark and wet rush hour, way
Unclear, rush hour in full swing, as the dear
Folk of Bolton headed home, Christmas cheer
No doubt in their hearts, no work for a few
Days - turkey, wine, the in-laws now a mere
Matter of hours away, the people who
We avoid all year round, unless they do
Something daft like dying, or maybe they
Make almost as big a mistake, they are
Determined to get married. My car's due
Back in a week. Til then I will make hay
And maybe be a Christmas highway star

4127 - Don't worry, no do, no don't, oh I don't know!!!

Not done much so far today, but finished
'Happy' by Derren Brown, concluded by
Saying don't just try for that happiness
The whole book was about, even to die
Happy. No, don't ignore anxiety
By studying how to relax or hide
No, and don't repress worries, and do cry
And all that, thus undoing all he'd tried
To say all through the book. Despite this, I'd
Say he was correct, and maybe that it's
Impossible to be fully happy
And be successful or fulfilled besides
With fear reduced by calmness and detached
From what's outside our control, let's still try

4118 - Gorillaz in the mist

This day was initially in the office
Got some feedback from Katherine, on a failed
Interview from two weeks ago, and this
Didn't come as too big a surprise tale
I talked too much. You don't say! Caught the rail-
way train to Wilmslow, met Josie and went
To the Arena, the place where a hail
Of nails from a bomb blast caused huge torment
In early summer, lost young lives that meant
So much to Manchester people - but this
Was a concert by Gorillaz - assailed
Our ears with heavy bass, but each moment
Was entertaining. Late night train delays
Slept on Tania's mattress, slept really well

Fri 1 Dec

4031 - Romania Day 8

A good morning buying three new t shirts
From a cheap place round the corner from here
At the Umbrella Hostel, then hurtled
Towards Unity Square, Bucharest. there
Just in time for  the tour, which went to squares
And so-called palaces, and museums
There's actually quite a lot to like, but spared
Myself the tour of the inside within
The massive Parliament building that sums
Up Ceaucescu's madness. Ended up shot.
His wife Elena was a little queer
They were shot in '89, Christmas-time
After the tour I walked til my feet hurt
Now I've seen Bucharest, I can declare!!

Tue 5 Sep

4013 - Ramblas shocker

The big shock of the day, while ironing
Was seeing news about Barcelona
Only a few days ago, was walking
With Jo along Las Ramblas with no care
And now I see people have been killed there
Reports varied about how many, but
It reached 13. It must have been a scare
And a half for the thousands who were caught
In the panic, on the floor, feeling hot
Crushed against others, trapped, and panicking
Mothers without their children, unknown where-
abouts, the police hunting, atmosphere fraught
With tension. Although I'm always missing
Spain, I'm glad I'm home, away from the fear

Thur 17 August

3950 - London's burning

What a terrible fire, more tragedy
In London, so soon after London Bridge
And Borough Market. What's really scary
Is this could inspire arsonists, alleged
Muslims or others using religion
To spread fear and death once more. An echo
Of 9/11, trapped people amidst
The smoke and flames, towering inferno
Families wiped out, unable to go
Down the lethal staircase to their safety
The fire service doing what they could, badge
Of honour once again, they were heroes
Now the recriminations start early
The health and safety implications huge

3935 - Flowers in the rain

Sun and rain and Josephine, together
All mixed up like the slushie that she drank
First off Pizza Hut, refillable cola
I had the buffet, £6.99, thanks
Very much, I thought, but the palate sank
With each small plateful - pizza, not much else
Walked to St Ann's Square, give Jo chance to think
And reflect, look at the flowers and text
Scrawled on the statues, rain-washed, now a mess
But the flowers a carpet, a huge floor
Of respect and remembrance, a week's thanks
And praise for innocent lost loveliness
Looked at CDs in Fopps, vinyl in the
Piccadilly Records shop - boogie, skank

3929 - Villa Killer

An early start, the 7:07
Train to Birmingham for a work conference
It was about HMRC's vision
A corporate, deemed necessary event
The day after the shock waves that were sent
By the Manchester Arena attack
Killing 20 young people, innocents
The venue, Holte Suite, inside Villa Park
Home ground of Aston Villa. The train back
To Manchester, a chance to rest. Going
To the King's Arms tonight, a defiant
Comedy show, to show we will not slack
In continuing a lifestyle that's gone
On for centuries, which we must defend

Tue 23 May 17

3890 - Fri 14 April 17

Somehow forgot to write this piece last night
I was obsessed with finishing a book
The Mammoth Book of Tasteless Jokes, a right
Rivettin' read, humour that can't be spoke
I did it, and today I bought new books
To take with me to Israel, both travel
Accounts, of Spain, and Nice, France, where I've looked
Already, or would like to. A young girl
From the UK's been stabbed, her blood was spilled
She's dead, aged 20, Jerusalem's blight
Has claimed a traveller, days before my booked
Flight to Ben Gurion Airport, Israel
Today went to Liverpool with Jo. Quite
Tired, but we enjoyed our food, and our walk