Friday 29 August 2008

More Mark Foster tottyness!







Thanks to the Digital Spy posters and the ever reliable Age Appropriate Blog (whose owner is rather tasty too) for flagging up these pics of Mark for Cosmopolitan magazine. Don't know why my furious Googling yesterday didn't turn them up. Drool mode on.

Incedentally Mark has an updated photo gallery on his website

BBC's "Merlin" trailer



Just a day after we had our Strictly 2008 line-up revealed, the BBC has released a (cinema) trailer for the other Saturday night biggy, "Merlin". Strictly Come Dancing starts in earnest on my birthday - 20 September - so let's hope this does too.

Looks a lot more promising than "Robin Hood" which I quickly gave up on. Colin Morgan looks pretty cute despite the haircut and big ears, and so does the actor playing Arthur.

Strange search and landing combos ...

I know I'm not the only blogger to be perplexed by how people find me, but some of yesterday's crop had such bizarre combinations of search terms and landing sites I thought I'd share some of them.

28 Aug
22:56:32
www.google.co.uk

searched on tavish scott is a c**t

landed at /2006/11/those-sean-lamont-pics.html

28 Aug
21:35:07
uk.search.yahoo.com
searched on sexy carole kirkwood

landed at /2006/06/nationalism-v-pluralism.html


28 Aug
21:49:31
www.google.co.uk
searched on bailey morgan englishlads.com

landed at /2008/05/in-night-garden.html

28 Aug
10:14:20
www.google.it

searched on exxxposedguys claudio santamaria

landed at /2008/04/doctor-who-fires-of-pompeii-preview.html

I really don't know how these search sites operate.

Thursday 28 August 2008

Strictly Totty - Mark Foster


I'm a little disappointed that the next series of "Strictly Come Dancing" is rather low on male totty - the only one I go for is 'veteran' swimmer Mark Foster, last seen at the Beijing Olympics, where he held the Team GB flag in the opening ceremony a mere 20 days ago.

Anyway, we've got no less than three ex-Eastenders too and that woman from "The One Show" out to raise her profile. Official preview clip below, taken at the shoot for the opening titles (hence the green screen).


Wednesday 27 August 2008

Was it something I said ?


I'm a bit perplexed by my visitor stats of late. I thought it was the Olympics stealing away my readers but now that's over and the slump isn't (the dip around 17 Aug was self-inflicted when I changed the blog template and temporarily switched off the counter).
Up until this month, my stats recorderded around 800-1000ish page loads per day regularly - now it's half that! My returning visitor counts is also down. What happened folks?

Sunday 24 August 2008

Retro Blast - Week Ending 28 August 1993



It's 15 years ago now, and my fave show of the year debuted here on Sky One this month - Deep Space 9. I remember this kicking off my Sunday nights followed by a pint or two at the World's End pub in Finsbury Park, admiring the Australian barmen.



Sean Maguire is the totty pick. He appeared as Aidan Brosnan in "Eastenders" from January to December 1993, narrowly missing a Christmas Day demise. Sean later went on to star in "Dangerfield" and "Sunburn" here before gaining stateside credits in "The Class" and fronting "Meet the Spartans". Least said about the pop career the better ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters_cast/characters/character_aidan_b.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU3gQz7uHnc



Apache Indian's "Boom Shack-a Lak" ended up as my favourite track of the year, even though he has since suffered the humiliation of a "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" line-up. This week the parent EP was at No6.



Departing the top spot for No2 was Freddie Mercury with a posthumous hit - Living On My Own.



Culture Beat had toppled the Queen frontman with this dance hit - Mr Vain.



4 Non-Blondes featuring songwriter Linda Perry dropped to No9.


Billy Joel enjoyed something of a comeback with "River of Dreams" - this week down to No5.

Friday 22 August 2008

Golfer Totty -Patrick Moure - ADULTS ONLY!






My tennis-themed post with Gregory Yuri in June has not left my top 10 most popular list so here's another Brazilian beauty, baring this time on the golf course. Enjoy.


Find more videos like this on Male Strippers and Male Solos

Monday 18 August 2008

The 'Naughty' Blog and other housekeeping notes ...

Unless you're reading this on a feed you can't help but have notice I've changed the formatting on the site again. Should be stable for a while now as it achieves the compromises I wanted. I had to go outwith Blogger for the template and it was a bit fiddly but I rather like it. It works best on Firefox and Safari - looks a bit odd in Internet Explorer from what I've seen.

Some people have noted that the 'naughty' blog had gone - it hasn't but it will. The link just moved from the topmost part of the page but still remains lower right (now in black). However, I'm putting in far too much effort for, frankly, zero feedback and I'll probably stop updating from the end of this month. All is not lost though as the latest posts from ALL the blogs I subscribe to on Google reader are now in a similar panel, in the near right column. Note that this means I haven't picked the posts that appear specially, so beware what you might see. All these posts now come with a credit for whichever blog they appear in.

Sunday 17 August 2008

Retro Blast - Week Ending 24 August 2002



Seeing as we're not travelling back far this weekend (a mere SIX years), here's a spot of double-retro by way of the cameo strewn opening to the third Austin Powers film, "Goldmember" which was on release this week in 2002.



The Sugababes dislodged Darius' Colourblind and enjoyed a solitary week at No1 with this, but it was my fave track of the year - Round Round. It was written by no less than 12 people (including the girls themselves)! Just who toppled them from the top will be revealed when I put up the Retro Totty for 2002 ...




Coldplay
slipped to 13 with In My Place but the source album it preceded, A Rush of Cold Blood to the Head was released the following week and immediately topped the album chart.



Also falling - to 18 - this week in 2002 were Scooter with a cover of The Logical Song (aka Ramp!). I quite liked the novelty of this at the time, before this squeaky/thumping style became annoyingly dominant for the likes of Cascada and Basshunter, destined mainly for ringtone culture.



Dropping to no20 was Nelly with a suitably summery observation - Hot in Here - one of the ubiquitous background tracks of the year. Well, the lyrics do lend themselves to certain situations ...

In the album chart, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers remained at No1 with By The Way. The highest new entry was at no9 for Royksopp - Melody AM.



On your tellyboxes, the first revival of Crossroads was in it's last few breaths (before the second, desperately camp, revival in early 2003 really nailed the coffin lid shut). The titles are above for those of us who enjoyed this version the best.

Something else by the same name was about to do very rather well though.

Also of note was that we were between two high watermarks of reality TV. Big Brother 3 had ended the previous month and the housemates were enjoying their limited shelf life. This was the one that was won either by Kate Lawler or Jade Goody, depending on your perspective. But reality TV fans were just about to be tickled by the debut of "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here" - the first zelebs were flown out to Australia this week.

Thursday 14 August 2008

Camp Classics from August 1980



Camper than a row of tents this one - not released as a single, but one of my favourite numbers from the Village People movie, "Can't Stop the Music" which was in cinemas in August 1980. This is a rather overlong edit (I'd start at 2.20 mins) of "The Milkshake Song", featuring 'all-in-white' and kiddie versions of the band. Arlene Phillips choreographed the dance sequences.



Sliding dow the chart this week (at no20, having been at No1 earlier in the summer) was Olivia Newton John/Electric Light Orchestra with the theme to another 1980 musical, "Xanadu". Marvel at Gene Kelly on rollerskates!



Going in the other direction is Kelly Marie's "Feels Like I'm in Love", which rose to No16 this week but eventually topped the chart. I remember those backing dancers, who were always dressed even more ridiculously than Kelly herself. Remarkably, the song was originally earmarked for Elvis Presley, but he died before it could be recorded.



Another Scottish lass, Sheena Easton, rises to no3 with '9 to 5' - which infamously clashed in ethos with the rather more feminist "Modern Girl" which was about to rejoin this track in the same chart. Easton got very lucky with breaks after this, soon singing the next Bond theme then going on to star in "Miami Vice" and work with Prince.

I get the feeling jumpsuits and spandex were in that summer ...

Wednesday 13 August 2008

School Daze - ADULTS ONLY!


Find more videos like this on G World - Mundo G


William Higgins did about five of these 'school' themed features a few years back. Like 'Airport Security' they seem to have died a death, but this is my favourite I think.

Sunday 10 August 2008

Retro Blast - Week Ending 16 August 1980




My totty of the week is Christopher Atkins (19 in this month) as we're between US and UK releases of "The Blue Lagoon". Atkins went on to follow a slightly stereotyped career, posing artistically nude for "Playgirl", filling out speedoes as 'Peeder' in the 1983/84 series of "Dallas" and as a student/male stripper in "A Night in Heaven". I recall he had a heart attack or suchlike on set of that and that's certainly when he started going below the radar. His role as "Ricky Rocket" did win him the dubious honour of a worst actor"Razzie".

A shedload of Chris scans at http://www.lostinthepast.net/CAtkins.html


Rock Hudson headed up the cast of "The Martian Chronicles" which had began it's 3 episode UK run on the 9th.

THE UK SINGLES CHART (click sleeves and/or track titles for extra YouTube videos)


Rising to no13 was The Pirahnas cover of "Tom Hark"

David Bowie is a new entry at No4 this week with the fantastic "Ashes to Ashes"


Up to no5 was Roxy Music with "Oh Yeah", from the "Flesh & Blood" album.

The Clash were making slow progress to no31 with "Bankrobber", one of my favourite tracks of the year.



The B-52s languished even further down at no61 with "Give Me Back My Man".
NEWS
Main news item this week were the 'Solidarity' strikes in the Gdansk shipyards, organised by Lech Walesa, later to spread across Poland.
ADMIN NOTE: sorry this post has been so long drawn out and cack-handed - I still haven't sorted out the formatting to my satisfaction.

Thursday 7 August 2008

Two more from August 1968



Dusty Springfield - I Close My Eyes and Count To Ten. Dusty beginning to drift off that iconic 60s look (platinum bouffant and panda eyeshadow) by this performance, where she's gone for 'Georgian redhead'. In this week she'd climbed to no6. The next month Dusty went Stateside to record "Dusty in Memphis".



And one place higher climbs this rare vocal outing by Herb Alpert - coincedentally covered by Dusty Springfield on her next album - This Guy's In Love With You. The track is on the album "The Beat of the Brass".

Alpert was the A in A&M records.

Tuesday 5 August 2008

Calendar Girls On Stage


I'm more a calendar boys man myself but I did appreciate this pic to publicise the new stage version of the 2003 film. Opens in Chicester next month but hopes to transfer to the west end.

The fairly familiar cast (from left) are Gaynor Faye, Patricia Hodge, Sian Phillips, Lynda Bellingham, Elaine C Smith and Julia Hills. Brigit Forsyth (unpictured) also features.

David Tennant as Hamlet


From today until November with the RSC. This production also stars Patrick Stewart (as Claudius). These are actual pics - it's done mostly in modern dress apparently.

Wainwright & Bacharach - Kentucky Bluebird



Found this on one of my YouTube rummages.

From a 2005 edition of 'Later' Rufus Wainwright performs "Kentucky Bluebird" accompanied by it's composer, Burt Bacharach.

I've always loved the versions by Dionne Warwick and Adam Faith (published as "Message to Michael" and "Message to Martha" respectively) but this is another fine rendition, despite Rufus slightly odd tones.

Monday 4 August 2008

Two more recent photos



Another couple of shots I've taken recently. One is a close up of a rhodedendron on the Dalmeny Estate and the other was taken along the River Cart in Glasgow looking towards Pollokshaws East station above.

The latter was taken last Saturday evening when it was glorious weather in the city.

Views from Home continued




Back when I first moved in to the new flat I posted some snaps of what I see from my window. Those were taken in the early morning in early May. Here's three more I took in late June around 10pm at night when it brightened up after a summer shower.

Spot the wabbit!

Ad Totty - Scottish Widows Olympics TV ad



Thanks to Stuart for alerting me to this. Unusually the girls here are treated more modestly than the boys. No complaints from me though ...

1968 Totty - Christian Roberts




Not decided yet whether to put these in the main retro blast post or just follow up in the week.

Anyway, first up on the retro totty front is actor Christian Roberts, who was 24 in 1968. I'm cheating slightly as these shots both come from his role as Denham in the previous year's "To Sir With Love" but I first remember lusting after him in the 1968 Bette Davis film "The Anniversary" (which I'd urge everyone to see). In that he looks more mod than rocker and I do believe you get a flash of his tight white y-fronts in it too! (Trailer below)



Actually if you have another look at the "To Sir With Love" video I posted recently you'll spot him brawling in 1960s PE kit.

Looks like he may have retired from acting, but in the 60s and 70s he also appeared in The Avengers (Invasion of the Earthmen), The Persuaders (Take Seven), UFO (The Long Sleep), Secret Army (Weekend) and Blake's 7 (Breakdown).

Sunday 3 August 2008

Retro Blast - Week Ending 10 August 1968


This is something I've wanted to do here for a while but there hust weren't enough archive resources available - now I think there are. This is especially after I was pointed in the direction of the Chart Stats site which is a monumental effort of catalogueing the UK music charts from the early 1950s to the present day. Where it scores over others is by having the entire chart for each week online, both singles and albums. Bravo to the webmasters there as this will provide the foundations for my new feature. Also indebted to YouTube, Wikipedia and others.

My choices will come from the first 40 years of my life and will flit all over the decades. The only other restriction is that consecutive choices must be at least five years apart. I've a schedule drawn up until the end of the year which I hope to follow. The feature will be dated for the Sunday, but may appear before then, depending on my internet access.

I'm starting, not entirely randomly with this week in 1968. For arguements sake it's the one ending Saturday 10 August. It's made more complicated in this era as the week ending dates on the charts are Thursdays. That's on top of matching them up to the right week of 2008!



Second highest climber (to no4) are Simon & Garfunkel with "Mrs Robinson", from "The Graduate" (as well as the album "Bookends" which itself had just climbed to the runner-up spot in the album chart).



Richard Harris' epic version of "MacArthur Park" was on the slide at No8 in the singles chart. It came from the film musical, "Camelot"



Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch enjoy a "Last Night in Soho", also slipping to no9.



Highest new entry at no27 are The Bee Gees with the death row anthem, "I've got to Get A Message To You"



Meanwhile Tom Jones was at No1 in the album charts as well as climbing to no7 in the singles with the jaunty "Help Yourself"

This was also the week that "X Files" actress Gillian Anderson was born and the second episode of "Dad's Army" was broadcast on BBC1.

Can't really go without a "Doctor Who" mention for the closing Saturday of this week saw a season launch. Though two later seasons began at the tail end of August this was doubly unusual as it made for a very short break between seasons - the previous one had only bowed out on 1st June for a repeat of the previous year's "Evil of the Daleks" 7-parter. In fact season six was being split in two to accomodate the Mexico City Olympics in the autumn and the first ten episodes had been pulled forward. The opening story, "The Dominators" has not got a great reputation among fans, mainly for its inept handling and anti-pacifist message. It's best known for those little fellas to the left - the Quarks - one of two squat monster races brought in to attempt to replace the Daleks (Terry Nation had taken his ball away basically) and failing. They're a nice curiosity but never really menace the viewer as they look even more like condiments.

At five episodes "The Dominators" was indicative of the sprawling nature of the coming season where the average episode count for each story was greater than six - there's only one four parter in it!

Back in the real world Richard Nixon won the US Republican Party's nomination for President and the Clint Eastwood film "Hang 'Em High" was released in this week.

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