Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 56

9 April 2021 - SNAP FROZEN SNAPSHOTS

 

SNAP FROZEN 

SNAPSHOTS

 

G'day folks,

Here, it's autumn, but winter will soon be upon us. Check out these snapshots from areas that suffer from extreme cold.

Brrr! Can you feel that chill down your spine? And on the tip of your nose? And everywhere else? Yeah, winter’s here, bringing with it rain and ice and snow, covering the land in shades of white. Lakes and rivers freeze over. Trees lose their leaves and don a frosty, white foliage. Everything seems to be slower and quieter. Winter can also be a sculptor, manipulating the water in the air into spectacular shapes: 










Clancy's blog: Too cold for me!
I'm ...


      
 

14 April 2021- PHOTOGRAPHY AND PERFECT TIMING

 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

AND PERFECT TIMING

 

G'day folks,

Life is all about timing ... and balance.
 We survive on a routine, following schedules for work, travel, and even leisure. At the same time, we also enjoy facing the unexpected, at least in certain situations. When things in life go off their usual path, a good sense of timing can bring humor or beauty to those moments.  To really bring out the comedy and fascination of the strangest moments of life, cameras are our best tool, and the internet is the ultimate sharing ground. Check out these special moments ... 










Clancy's comment: Brilliant! I've taken a few similar shots ... like the one below.

I'm ...










 

6 April 2021 - MAN BUILDS CHEAP HOME IN THAILAND

 

MAN BUILDS CHEAP 

HOME IN THAILAND

G'day folks,

 This man started by drawing a circle on the ground, and within only six weeks managed to create an amazing vacation home in the middle of a mango plantation in Thailand. This is what a private paradise looks like.

When most people imagine their dream home, a magnificent villa, costing millions of dollars comes to mind. Steve Erin, on the other hand, made an incredible house for less than $10,000 dollars. Erin got a little piece of land in the middle of a friend's mango plantation to build his dream vacation house.

Although building materials are cheaper in Thailand than most places, it's still an amazingly low price. To finish the small details and furnish the cabin, they invested another $3,000. That means the whole project was made for the low price of about $9,000 dollars. This required a lot of personal effort, creativity and improvisation. But when you see the final result, you understand it was worth every drop of sweat.

Clancy's comment: Well done, eh?

I'm ...

 

 

 

 

 

5 April 2021 - PHOTOGRAPHS THAT DEPICT FAMOUS MOMENTS

 

PHOTOGRAPHS THAT 

DEPICT FAMOUS MOMENTS

 

G'day folks,

Perhaps the greatest tool to any fan of humankind's history is the camera, which captures it in their truest essence moments and people that could have been forgotten with time. Here are some photos that anyone can enjoy, history buff or not, that make these moments from the past come alive!  








 Clancy's comment: Brilliant memories of some good and bad times. 
I'm ... 



     
 

13 April 2021 - THE MOST FAMOUS RUGBY STREAK

 

THE MOST FAMOUS

 RUGBY STREAK

 

G'day folks,

Streaking used to be famous and entertaining at sporting events. Here is one that was both.

January 2, 1982 — Described by the BBC as “perhaps the most famous of all streaks,” 24-year-old Erika Roe stripped to the waist on this day and bounced onto the pitch at London’s Twickenham Stadium during a rugby international between England and Australia.

Her dash onto the pitch with a friend (Sarah Bennett) – partly caused, she said later, by alcohol – came at half time.

“I still can’t really explain what happened,” she said in an interview. “It was very unlike me.

“But on that day, it was a case of just being swept up in the atmosphere, which was electric. At half time, someone said, ‘Isn’t this where someone is supposed to streak on the pitch?’ and that was it — I just went. I ripped my top off, then my bra.

“When I heard a roar I thought that the game had restarted and I thought I must get off the pitch. But then I realised that the crowd was yelling in appreciation of me.

“The next thing, I was shrouded in a Union Jack flag carried by an England supporter and marched off by policemen.

“It’s still a bit of a blur. I don’t even know where I left my clothes.”

Ms Roe, a boarding school girl whose father ran a tea estate in Africa, was working at that time in a book shop. Now married, she moved later in life with her husband and three children to Portugal where she became an organic farmer of sweet potatoes.

For the record, England beat Australia by 15 points to 11. Other vital statistics from that day, which are not recorded by the Rugby Football Union, the game’s governing body, are that Ms Roe’s bosom – displayed to 60,000 spectators and millions on television – measured an ample 40 inches.

 

Clancy's coment: Go, Erika!

I'm ...

 

4 April 2021 - THE BIRTH OF THE BEATLES

 

THE BIRTH OF 

THE BEATLES

G'day folks,

We've all heard rumours over the years, but here is a good one laid to rest.

January 1, 1962 — On this day, the Beatles – scruffy, clad in leather and unknown outside their home town of Liverpool – travelled through snow in a van for 220 miles to make a recording audition in London. And they were turned down.

In charge at the Decca studios where the audition was held was senior A&R man Dick Rowe. His assistant, Mike Smith, had seen the Beatles perform at what was to become the famous Cavern Club and had put forward the audition suggestion to their manager, Brian Epstein.

 It lasted about an hour and the Beatles – John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and the original drummer, Pete Best – performed 15 songs. They were nervous and the session did not go particularly well but Smith told them afterwards that he “saw no problems” and they would have a decision “in a few weeks”.

Epstein let the “few weeks” pass, then, fed up with waiting, phoned Rowe and asked for a decision. It was not what he expected. “Groups with guitars are on the way out,” Rowe allegedly said, adding that he believed “the Beatles have no future in show business”.

Rowe, who died in 1986, always denied the story, saying it was actually Mike Smith who turned down the Fab Four. Another group, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, also had an audition on the same day and according to Rowe: "I told Mike he'd have to decide between them. It was up to him – the Beatles or the Tremeloes. He said, 'They're both good, but one's a local group, the other comes from Liverpool.' We decided it was better to take the local group. We could work with them more easily and stay closer in touch."

Whoever made the decision, Rowe went on to redeem himself by subsequently signing, among others, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Moody Blues, the Small Faces and Tom Jones.

And on musical grounds, maybe it was the right verdict. Years later, George Martin, the Beatles’ legendary producer at EMI, said that he, too, would have turned them down on the basis of the mediocre Decca audition tape.

 

Clancy's comment: I still think they were one of the best. Just sayin' ...

I'm ...

 

 

5 March 2021 - AUSTRALIAN GRAFFITI

AUSTRALIAN GRAFFITI

G'day folks,

Yes, graffiti exists everywhere. Here are some examples from Australia.

 

 

 

Clancy's comment: Like it or not, some of these works are very clever.

I'm ...

 

 

3 March 2021 - GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE PAST

 

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS 

FROM THE PAST

 

G'day folks,

Welcome to some very old photographs of a bygone era.

 

Clancy's comment: Mm ... sad picture of the kids in a trench.

I'm ...

 

 

 

8 April 2021 - ANCIENT PRAYER-BOOK PISTOL

 

ANCIENT 

PRAYER-BOOK PISTOL

 

G'day folks,

I've held a few prayer books in my time, but none like this one.

This unusual Italian ‘prayer book pistol’ was custom-made for Francesco Morosini, the Duke of Venice (1619-94). The book, which also contains a few prayers, was made sometime in the 17th century.  
It was designed in a way that it fired only when the book was closed, by pulling the silk 'bookmark'. When the book was closed, it was impossible to make out the outline of the gun. This makes historians believe that it was most likely used for personal protection.   Clancy's comment: I wonder under what circumstances it would be used? A poor sermon?
I'm ...







 

3 April 2021 - ANCIENT ROMAN SHOE - 2000 YEARS OLD

 

ANCIENT ROMAN SHOE 

- 2,000 YEARS-OLD -

 

G'day folks,

This stylish ancient Roman shoe is on display at The Saalburg (a Roman fort) in Germany. It is another terrific example of the intricate craftsmanship of ancient Romans.  This elaborately-designed shoe was found in a well and is believed to be more than 2,000 years old. It shows how fashionable the Romans of that era could be. According to some historians, the Romans were the originators of the entire-foot-encasing shoe.  
This particular one is heavily embellished, conveying serious wealth and status. It is likely to have belonged to a wealthy woman as ancient Romans sometimes liked to demonstrate their wealth through fancy footwear. This shoe also appears to be on the heavier side which indicates it was worn for outdoor use.  Clancy's comment: Wow, so fashionable.
I'm ...