IT'S NOT COMING HOME

It's not coming home then afterall, the F.A. that is. Hand of Posh, and it was all over(thank you for concurring with me about that "none goal" Stephen) .To add insult to injury, blogger was a nightmare yesterday, along with the server here making me yes Mr Hyde, a unhappy bunny. Didn't do sensible other blog post 'til late and couldn't post anything on this the darkside at all.So Lily, you weren't the only one with posting problems. Think the gremlins are at work to undermine the blogging community.

So after the debacle of the football I was not in the mood to be disturbed. Tell that to my neighbour, and I do hope at some point you read this somewhere. You are an idiot. You are inconsiderate. You have no idea what you are doing. The silly litte man next door is buliding an extension , on a new house...for the last 6 YEARS. We have only been in a year. Drilling, hammering, tapping, breaking bricks, for 6 hours straight. The back garden resembles a buliders yard. What the hell he is doing I don't know. The extension remains the same shell it always has been. But the final straw was going out the front door to find he has dug up his own lawn to our side, where a lovely cherry tree sits, now with it's roots exposed on his side. The idiot had also dug up the dividing fence and get this, thrown it onto our lawn. Needless to say, it got thrown onto his and words were had to the effect he reinstate it or else. Why do I have to live in a nice little cul-de-sac, in a nice little semi, unfortunately attached to the semi detached brainwise D.I.Y. calamity from hell. Ps. Your wife and and 3 young boys are charming personification of politeness, you are spoilt brat that should be ashamed of yourself. The words are good morning, not grunt, or look the other way and pretend we aren't there. You imbecile.

The Tulip Pic, Peek-A-Boo was from a bunch Barker bought to console me. That and Jaffa cakes washed down with lashing of Baileys.

WALLABY WATCH!
Digging an underground tunnel to collapse the neighbours extension and put him in it's place instead.

ZIMBABWE ELECTIONS

If I stop this post mid flow it means I have been dragged out of here off the Island, and possibly en route to Zimbabwe. The "Barker" is in hiding as it is, travelling between safe houses, (well relatively safe houses), trying to email messages out for an emergency airlift.

First though the smoking ban. The streets of Ramsey were today littered with smokers huddled on doorsteps of pubs and workplaces with upturned collars. Obviously the reason they didn't introduce it mid winter as islanders would have been very reluctant to go outside. So far so good.

Back to the emergency airlift. The "Barker" thought it would be a good idea to upload a cartoon he's drawn of Mugabe's head on a set of crossbones with the words "DANGER! ELECTION RESULTS AHEAD." It's on his Barker Bites Back blog( see links). I would have uploaded it here but we think it's best if i stick to rants, tangents, photos, etc. why?Becuse today his blog suddenly went a bit mad with hits in Zimabwe and neighbouing countries. So a little check on Google earth pinpointed where, and oh dear it may be the man himself, but certainly Government buidings. He's also had some very worrying(not threatening yet, but certainly disconcerting) emails about it from some very strange sources.

Political cartooning can be a dangerous occupaition, and hate mail, obnoxious comments go with the territory, but this is altogether unchartered waters for us. So seriously folks Babooshka and Barker may be whisked away for our own safety for a wee while. If so can I please request the South of France as my hideaway. You can check the cartoon out yourself at the "Barker Bites Back " link, if you dare.

The photo. It's part of Peel Castle, at er Peel. I had the setting on for cloudy even though it was a sunny day as you can sometimes get very vibrant rich colurs and textures this way, hence the depth of colour. Doen't always work, but when it does it's very pleasing on the eye.

WALLABY WATCH!
Disgused as a cone and infiltrating Laxey cones and claiming not to be the Wallaby that features on this blog or knows of any Political Cartoonist. PS. Mr Mugabe you don't scare me, it's time for you to GO!

THEY TRIED TO SEND ME BACK TO THE BANK , BUT I SAID NO,NO,NO.

Firstly an apology to those of you that have strayed here from my other blog the sane "Isle Of Man Daily Photo." You have entered the dark side, the warped recesses of my killer cones, escaped wallabies demented mind we over here refer to as "Purple Haze", the darkroom of photography. Linger at your peril. I urge you not to read the missives, just concentrate on the "pretty pictures" before you make your escape and you should exit ok. You may be plagued with the odd nightmare for a few days about wild wallabies, wearing killer cones, being stranded taxi less or riding a one way railway to oblivion, but apart from that you should be ok. To the rest of you, you should know better by now!

Had to go to the bank again today, you know the one i used to work at, the one I got locked in during the powercut. Horrible. So the gossip is, my old Line Manager has be seconded to Gilbrater(lucky boy), my ex playmate colleagues has been kicked up to the dreaded "4th" floor and the whole department I worked in, now defunct. It's been assimilated(very Borg) into another department, a departement Babooshka would not have been a happy bunny in. But hey, there's a job there if Iwant it, towing the corporate line, nodding donkey, work set you free job if this photography lark doesn't work out. Er, think that's a NO and the offence is intended.

Todays pic was taken at Niarbyl and entitled "Pink Moon." Yes, I know it's not moonlight glistening, but the sun shining I'm not that barking, but I am a huge Nick Drake fan. I know, if you don't know who he is that particular piece of info is, useless at best, confusing at worst. Pink Moon is one of his songs, I am rather partial too( it's the album title also) the hues in the pic have a subtle pink tone and it was playing on my ipod at the time. Besides that, it's my image so I can title it "blueberries in arsenic" if I so choose. And you can take that to the bank.

WALLABY WATCH!

Has taken my old job at the bank, subject to him securing a work permit.

ALMOST FAMOUS

After months of unsucessfully trying to get my foot in the door on the island, it looks like it has finally opened and i have jammed my little high heeled boot in there before they slam it back shut again. Try as they might it's there. I've had a broken toe before, and quite prepared to get another. It's called suffering for your art or some such crap.

A bit like buses, this photography lark, nothing for ages,then they all turn up at once. Finally got a pic in the Isle of Man newspapers, who have also kindly(just in case the manx mafia are here) added my blog link. Yippee. They are also hoping to put together a Isle of Man blog directory, so all you I.O.M BLOGGERS out there contact me and i will pass your links on.

Second bit of good news is blagged my way into putting together a gallery for the BBC I.O.M website page. Putting the stuff together now. Will let you know when it goes live.

Thirdly, Barker accepted as a member of the Sayle art Gallery and we have been invited to an exhibition. So after several wines i will no doubt be be blagging my way to getting Barker artwork on the island. His BBC Barker Gallery is all well and good, but believe me it doesn't pay enough to cover the Jack Daniels Bar bill, and you all know how i love my jack and coke. Even the ice cubes cost a fortune on the island. Check out his blog too, it's under my links, "BARKER BITES BACK."Bloody good it is too!

It's pissing down here. Typical bloody British Bank Holiday weather. Ferries cancelled, no doubt flights will be delayed and the island will be on lockdown. Happy Easter eh! Pass me my easter egg and a bottle of soutern comfort someone.

Todays pic is called "morning glory." Do get some gorgeous colours when the sun is out. Ten mins later the angels are taking a leak over the island.

WALLABY WATCH!
Stranded at ronaldway airport, but hoping to catch the next available flight to just about anywhere that's sunny.

PRECIOUS!

Don't know what the Carrion Crow found fascinating with the tissue, but it reminded me of the film character, Gollum from Lord Of The Rings with his "precious." He wouldn't part with it, even for a juicy worm. Anyway, on a photographic note, thought the subject would be enhanced as a straight down the line classic black and white shot, emphasizing the contrasting black of the crow with the stark white of the tissue.

Speaking of Lord Of The Rings,( well i was not you) did you know one of it's stars is an Isle Of Man resident, John Rhys-Davies , or Gimli the dwarf. Wonder if he has ever met any of the Manx Fairy folk? Should you find youself on the island and you drive/walk over the Fairy Bridge, be sure to say hello. It is considered bad luck not too. It's also rude, they can be easily offended you know.

WALLABY WATCH!

No sighting of wallabies, fairy folk or hobbits. Obvioulsy all away on some sort of quest to triumph over evil. Must be across then, the UK.

BARKER BITES BACK

Image today I can't claim credit for, this belongs to Gary Barker, of the blog "Barker Bites Back!".

Gary Barker is the political cartoonist for the BBC Politics Show Website. The link Barker Gallery can be found in my links.

The cartoon above proved to be quite controversial, depicting the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, crucified on a cross of newspapers after his comments on adopting Shariah law in th UK. Offensive, funny, ironic, and thought provoking, everyone seems to have a view on this one.

Gary produces a cartoon a week based on a topical political story. All parties, all politicians, uk and international, no prisoners taken.

If you are into political cartoons, politics, humour, and like to see the powers that be getting a pictorial kicking then check out the links, and if you like them you can even buy them, prints and originals. Unlike photographs, they increase in value, especially if signed by the artist. Good tip for all you ebayers out there.

Todays link is for the Barker Bites Back Blog, Again under links. Link to the bbc politics show barker gallery can be found in links under Barker Gallery.


Oh yeah, my claim to fame, he's my partner. Photographer and a cartoonist went into a pub, sounds like a bad joke doesn't it?

WALLABY WATCH!

Not an wallaby to be found. Bugger.