To remind ourselves of some of the reasons why we love football in spite of its occasional crassness read a bit about Walter Tull (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Tull) and Bert Trautman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Trautmann) and try listening to any Half Man Half Biscuit records. These “four boys who shook the Wirral” help to illustrate clearly that some of the best football and the most dedicated supporters operate away from the glare of the premiership. On a personal note: Become Tranmere Rovers fans immediately. We need you and will make you all very welcome.

Mmmm I can taste the hotdogs and hear the singing just looking at this picture. TRFC forever!!!!

4. What a difference a day makes. My two teams both drew over the weekend and instantly the lustre has gone from the football season. Not even glorious defeats to stir the soul. So let’s get back to those things that are immune to mediocrity: Music, art and drinking until the pavement bites us in the forehead.

It’s very easy to talk about the natural beauty of life and how diluting this simple poetry with drink and degeneracy is an affront to the innate perfection of the universe. Having said that, after a couple of boxes of wine even the dogshit in the gutter begins to look like an ergonomically designed pillow. How can anything be wrong with that? Obviously most things are wrong with that. For example it’s very difficult to remember to close your eyes (and thus avoid blindness) when using excreta to cradle your ravaged bonce.

Enough about my lifestyle! Through the wonders of facebook I have become aware of an old school pals efforts to breathe some arty life in to Liverpool. This is happening right now so if you find yourself up north swing by: http://www.catalystmedia.org.uk/nervecentre/whats_on.php It looks great and is exactly the sort of thing we all should be doing all the time. Gosh darn super groovy.

Thinking about the old country is making me wistful for the accents and attitudes of the North. Here’s Tony Harrison:

http://www.thepoetrychannel.org.uk/poems/them-and-uz/

Big love little ones I’ll see you soon.

Little bit of class (Man Ray if you care) there to take your minds off the knob jokes. A pal of mine has been showing me some photos by a chap named Stefano Stranges and I rather like them. http://www.strangesimage.com/art/others Not sure about some of this but the kids deffo got something worth keeping an eye on. If you’re in the smoke go and see the following at the Barbican library. Some of it is predictably bland but there are a few little belters lurking in here and it’s free. http://www.cityandcripplegate-ps.org/ There is a gallery you can nose through online but let’s be frank it’s free to go so go unless you’re under house arrest or something like that.

Finally: The Handsome family are one of the most interesting and inspiring bands to ever have graced the world with their music. A husband and wife duo who write and perform some truly original and haunting works of twentieth and twenty first century American Gothic. http://www.myspace.com/thehandsomefamily listen to the stuff on here and then buy all their records (and if you go on their website you can buy some interesting paintings too.)

There’s lots to report so I’ll pace myself and with any luck I’ll accidentally write something interesting which will captivate and entertain (I’ll settle for nobody being sick down their shirts but why not aim high?) Of late I’ve been noticing some really encouraging changes in both online media and the arts in general and my stated intention is to report what I see and hear and hopefully generate some worthwhile discussions and maybe prompt some kind soul to steer me down the path to even more innovative cultural endeavours.

It’s long been a source of irritation to me that those responsible for so called groundbreaking media are really just adding day-glo patterns to the coat tails of the mainstream and that the majority of new trends are neither new nor trendy. I am the first to admit that I will never have an original idea in my life but there are people who do and it makes my blood boil that these heroes are often overlooked in favour of the terminally bland (often appearing interesting at first due to alcoholism or mental illness.) I can’t do but I can find and I can share.

You know about these already but I love them after all this time and I’d hate you to forget how great they are just because they’ve been around for a while:

http://xkcd.com/

http://www.asofterworld.com/

Also watch the station agent (a really wonderful film) and read everything by Christopher Moore (Fool first if your new to Chris.)

In Latin it means “desired things”, but for Max Ehrmann it was about leaving behind a “humble gift”, something that would touch the soul. A poet and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, Ehrmann first obtained a copyright for Desiderata in 1927. Popular belief claims he wrote it the same year, though there are no facts to prove this.

Desiderata is a touching and moving piece of prose that makes one think about life and the world we live in. You might just find it gives you a breath of fresh air on a busy day.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

As well as the top industry people, we invited some of our community customer’s along last week to have a look and see what’s coming this October.

Every single person who attended was blown away by what’s to come this season from Pretty Green.

We wanted to share some of their thoughts and comments with you…

“It was a brilliant day and I left buzzing to get my hands on the majority of the new range! I haven’t been able to stop talking about the new range, whilst making people aware that pretty green is about to shake up the marketplace in a big way! I left knowing that pretty green is creating clothes specifically for people like me. People with similar interests and the same desires about what their clothes should say about the people who wear them and the envy they put into the people who are not wearing them” (Ben D)

“I love my clothes and from what I saw today i have no doubt that from now on all I will buy is Pretty Green. Thank-you Dean and all at Pretty Green, as Liam would say you are all BIBLICAL!” (Jaswant)

“I thought everything in the new range was fantastic, I loved the t shirts, jumpers, jeans in fact it was just all brilliant and as for the leather jacket that was just amazing it’s top of my wish list, got me fingers crossed for that lottery win! However I’m currently throwing most me clothes out to get some space in the wardrobe for an October shopping spree! … Anyway keep up the good work, Pretty Green is shaping up to be the best brand out there!” (Ben P)…”

His photographs have been exhibited in galleries around the world, from LA, Hamburg and Berlin to Cologne and Paris. His works provide a sense of involvement and reality, as if the viewer were really standing in that very street.

His most famous works are his photos of the Paris metro and the streets of Havana in Cuba.

This video comes courtesy of coolhunting and features the young Rye Rye talking about how she started out and where she gets her inspiration from.

Selectism.com is a daily online men’s fashion, footwear, lifestyle, culture magazine and news site focused on covering the latest products and style trends across the globe. From Limited edition Burberry trench coats to trendy cardies and Paul Smith hiking boots that have been given an authentic “pre-worn” look with exposure to mud and stone. Whether you’re in the market for something new or just fancy a peek at the latest trends Selectism appears to have it all.