July round up

Hey folks it's sure shaping up to be a odd kind of a week here.First off the bat, I've finally gotten this monitor business sorted as I've taken stock of a newer LCD monitor as my old CRT one that was over 10 years old was starting to develop a fault on it making it very uncomfortable to read stuff from.This Dell one doesn't suffer from the pincushion distortion that made trying to align the display a pain in the proverbials.

Unfortunately Moomin's been poorly this week so I've had to spend some time looking after her although luckily it wasn't a vet job as the fees are really expensive. I think she's had a bit of a mini stroke that's left her a bit unco-ordinated but able to remember surroundings.

Also it was a shock to read of the suicide inquest report of the partner of one of my best friends following a period of mental illness which I used to spend a fair amount of my time visiting and generally keeping in touch with. Seemingly, she found him upon returning to the house with the children only to find him hanging on a wire suspended with on the ground a bottle of vodka and a note.I do really feel for her and the children.Having been through one painful suicide , that of my very best friend from high school sometime back from mental illness all I can say is if something is troubling you please do talk to others and get help.

Gladys Knight at Motown

Recently I've finally got around to collecting the five cd series issued by Motown UK in 2006 that features 10 albums by Gladys knight and the pips spread with two albums per cd.
I have a number of these albums some in mono as issued by Tamla-Motown in the UK and so the stereo is new to me although I'd of preferred to have mono for the earlier albums as it's that nothing in centre, with all else hard left and hard right stuff that is so distracting especially on headphones.

Following a period whilst signed to two labels releasing the 45's Letter Full Of Tears and Every Beat Of My Heart re-recorded for their Motown Greatest Hits album, they signed up in 1965 but its fair to say Berry Gordy didn't really know what to do with them.

Everybody Needs Love issued in 1967 was their first Motown album and is a mixture of songs written for them and covers showing from the get go the call and response Gospel infused style they were to become famous for.The Tittle track, Take Me In Your Arms (and love me) ans well as they take on I heard It Through The Grapevine. The first cd couples this with Feelin' Bluesy from 1968 which is all covers as Berry Gordy didn't want then muscling on the Supremes but this nonetheless proved to be great vehicle for displaying Gladys voice on tracks like It Should Of been Me (Yvonne Fair had a top 5 UK hits with this in 1976) and The End Of Our Road.

Disc two kicks of Silk 'N Soul issued in 1968 and is another covers but they were teamed with Norman Whitfield who just put another of a twist to enable the material to become theirs.with songs such as The Look Of Love, I Wish It Would Rain and Every little Bit Hurts.
1969 saw the issue of the second album on this cd, Nitty Gritty, a rousing piece of psychedelic Soul that contains not only the title track, a re-interpretation of Cloud Nine and Didn't You Know You have to Cry Sometime.

Disc three is a gem containing the If You Were My Woman and Standing Ovation albums from 1971.
The first album is a mixture of songs written for the group such as the title track and I don't Want To do Wrong as well as covers such as Let It Be and One Less Bell To Answer.
Standing Ovation was an album of covers -the group felt very much pushed back and were to leave for Buddah Records soon - but among the covers includes their sensual remake of Help Me Make It Through The Night and Make Me The Woman Go Home To written for by Clay McMurray

Zoe Kravtiz

Here's the actress Zoe Kravtiz posed for Xmen First Class in London.
I like how she's teemed the top to a wide short length A type skirt for a casual but imposing look.

Poppies 2011

Just before the recent rainy spell flattened everything those, my Poppies came out in the garden looking rather splendid so I thought I'd share a photograph of them with you all.Currently I have few wild ones out at the from keeping the local bees busy as they cross pollinate them

Equal value?

When I actually woke up this morning I did have a completely different idea as to what this post was going to be about than the one I had been thinking about while at work for the last few days.
I suppose if there has been a recurring theme to my entries this your it's been for the most part one of hard topic entries, sometimes a bit controversial as life in Great Britain in 2011 is shaping up to be inspiration for going on the offensive with words.
Yesterday Tory MP, Philip Davies said something that shocked a good many people including many in his political party when he called for the Disabled particularly the Learning Disabled to be allowed to work for less than the national minimum wage if they wished to further the opportunities for them to gain a foothold in the world of employment. He went on to say "Those most disadvantaged by the national minimum wage are the most vulnerable in society".
Immediately there was an uproar namely around the idea that people who do equal work should be allowed to work for less because they need a job as the notion of worth being expressed in wages is a longstanding one familiar to any seeing the battles for equal pay for both men and women since the 1970's.
What I find so hard to really understand around this proposition is if we accept the notion of the disabled especially the Learning Disabled as being more vulnerable for developmental reasons to exploitation and abuse even, then allowing them to be offered to work for less does put them at risk. How likely is it someone with such as disability would question it and seek out support to be paid the same as others doing this work? It is quite possible they may be worse of financially for taking up a job offer with such low pay than if they had been on welfare.
Don't get me wrong preparation for work schemes like cafes where they may work as trainees are fine because they are learning but once a person has a skill then surely we all should be paid the least amount our society feels is appropriate for our labour.

Back to black

I really like lacy designs and this is just so sassy with it's bold motifs and mesh underskirt teamed with calf length boots.

Not happening in our street!

Phew, I'm feeling all hot today but still life goes on between the cold drinks and ice cream I guess.
Continuing on a bit from what I was talking about last week one of things I recall seeing lots of while growing up was wild life, and they do seem to under threat from us!
You see we're only thinking about our short term needs such as saving time on doing the garden on plonking our cars on gravel just outside our properties and it's making lie hard for all the other creatures.
The bee isn't finding many flowers to pollinate, the butterflies can't get any food and poor old Mr Nutkins is lacking burying space for his nuts!
In 15 years I've seen so much habit go in my locality other than the houses I'd scarcely recognize the roadsides as gardens get hardcored over for cars (and decking if were really lucky) so much so it just seems dead in the summer months.
Please try to make a little space for the people we share the planet with. Thank you.