Tramp Island

Tramp Island Part One – They Lived Too long

2009-05-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

People often ask me; why am I a tramp?
And I say; a tramp to me is the best kind of man, a man who is both seen and unseen. A tramp will fight each day to stay alive on the knife edge of life.
But this is astruggle seen and heard by no-one except others like himself; others
marooned on Tramp Island.
You don't need to be a down-and-out to have a home on Tramp Island.
You can have money and you can have friends.
You can hobo your way through life along a path of seeming success
which can lead you to heaven or hell. And to Tramp Island.
Tramp Island is my hyperspace home where I welcome the lost from every
walk of life.
Squeeze my five grubby fingers and let us walk together
along the litter strewn paths.
This is Plato's true Republic – the home of all who live one day too long, and see their triumphs decay.
Listen! From the home of acting tramp hero Oliver Reed we can hear the
music of Vivian Stansthall play.
Stanshall was the finest example of a great British tramp dandy.
He was known to wear Billy Bunter check trousers, a Victorian frock coat and carry a euphonium.
He also wore pink rubber ears.
He formed the "Bonzo Dog Freaks".
The un-Tramped will know him as the voice of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells".
But success for Viv was dogged by long spells on Tramp Island, shaking
with panic attacks and sitting out his alcoholic reveries.
Stanshall loved to perform pranks.
He went into a tailor's shop to buy a pair of trousers.
His friend, tramp generalissimo Keith Moon came in, lusting for the same wild sixties strides.
Stanshall fought for them with Moon, pulling them in two so they ended up with one leg each.
A one-legged actor was hired by Stanshall and Moon to wear the trousers
and say "Ah! Just what I was looking for."
Old Viv was found dead on the 6th March 1995 at his Muswell Hill, London flat. Stanshall often smoked and drank in bed and set fire to his ginger beard on more than
one occasion.
However, the coroner found that the fire was caused by faulty wiring near his bed.
A tramp right to the end, a life marred by
genius and madness, that rose by his own creativity and fell into
decline.
A happy hero on Tramp Island.
But let us step on now; past the Reed Mansion is a deep, dark cave.
A strange, hermit like tramp of an artist called Steve Ditko is found
here.
Ditko worked on Amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Strange and others with
Stan Lee.
In the sixties, Ditko was to adopt the philosophies of arch
antitramp Ayn Rand.
Stressing personal improvement and self betterment, these were to have the opposite effect on Ditko, due to his innate tramp nature.
The Rand school of Objectivisim could be thought of as conservative and restrictive; concerning itself with absolutes such as good and evil. Accordingly the Tramp Artist sees only black and white, with little or no gray areas between.
Steve and Stan fell out as Ditko and his work became less and less flexible, and
the tramp artist left Marvel for obscurity.
Subsequently the character of Spider-Man which he had designed and plotted was made into a hit cartoon series, a series of very profitable films and has since gone
on to make millions – billions – for Success God Stan.
Ditko's Tramp Island cave opens in the New York City of our world.
He refuses to give interviews or make public appearances, instead he inks
tract like pamphlets all day, supported by a charitable foundation of
well wishers.
I went to visit him, as I eventually visit all Tramp Islanders.
I knocked and listened as he made his way towards me and opened his giant steel warehouse door.
Ditko examined me through his huge glasses, but refused to sign my copies of his rare tracts featuring Randian right wing vigilante "Mr. A".
Ditko shouted at me and slammed the door in my face.
Like most on Tramp Island Ditko has chosen to forego the money and success he deserves to live the tramp existence of solitude and misery.
Mr. Ditko we salute you!!! Tramps everywhere; we salute you!!!

2007-10-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Tramp living room

2007-09-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

My home in Birmingham, United Kingdom. This is my Tramp living room. Music, comics, movies, and books surround! Makes for good insulation or is that isolation!!!

2007-08-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

When problems overwhelm and sadness smothers us where do we find the will and the courage to continue? Well, the answer may come in the caring voice of a friend, a chance encounter with a book, but also from a squirrel. Not so long ago I lost my father. But not only did I survive this I worked my way out of despondency and now, life is good again. How could this happen? Late one autumn day when I was at my lowest I watched a squirrel storing up nuts for the winter. One at a time he would take them to the nest. And I thought, if that squirrel can take care of himself with the harsh winter coming, then so can I. Once I broke my problems into small pieces I was able to carry them, just like those acorns, one at a time.Take all your problems and rip 'em apart! The problems in hand you should know from the start are lighter than at heart. Be like the squirrel, give it a whirl, be like the squirrel!!!

Dog Bite Dog

2007-08-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Insane film alert!!! Dog Bite Dog is a totally over the top Hong Kong action movie. So Bleak it repels instead of involves. If this is your type of movie, get ready to get bitten!!!

A Bitter Sweet Life

2007-08-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

My expectations for this movie were high.
It did not let me down. This movie has a lot in common with Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. The story is pure revenge. The central character gives a brilliant performance. Plenty of great martial-arts fighting and gunfight scenes! This movie is very harsh and in some places reminded me of the black humor of GoodFellas. Cool movie!!!!

London to Brighton

2007-08-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

Check this movie called London To Brighton. Quality film with excellent performances by the whole cast. Got all the ingredients of a good british film, seedy, underground, bad guys, johns and pimps! The amount of cursing, screaming and beating that goes on in this movie is heartbreaking. Gritty, unpleasant, realistic, harrowing. Compelling viewing. See this movie as soon as you can!!!

SPEAK TO ME.....please?

2007-08-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Work in Birmingham, United Kingdom as a government slave which along with teaching, nursing and prostitution is one of the UK's longest running professions!!!! Having a great life at the moment. Happy and have wonderful friends. In the future I intend to travel the world further adding to the fantastic places I have been!!! Music, Comics, Movies, Books, Art are what make my world go round. Welcome any comments, information regarding the above pursuits leading us all ever closer to illumination and enlightenment in this big old place we call earth!!!

Tramp reading!!!

2007-08-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

Read tramp!!! League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Catch 22, Andrew Vachss, Mishima, Burroughs,lord of the rings, gormenghast, Swimini Purpose,......

Tele-visual tramp!!!

2007-08-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

Viewing of a tramp!!! Dexter, The shield, Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Deadwood, The Thick of it, Snuff box, Prison Break, Heroes, simpsons, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Extras, The Office, The Mighty Boosh, Scrubs, Dr.Who, Futurama, League Of Gentlemen, Spaced, Black Books, Jam, Brass Eye, Nathan Barley, Peep Show, I'm Alan Partridge, Catterick, Twin Peaks, The Prisoner, the lost room, Laurel and Hardy.......

Tramp music

2007-08-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of music a tramp listens to on the road!!!The Fall, Smog,Nick Cave, the Violent Femmes, the Arcade Fire, the Futureheads, Queens of the Stone Age, the Kinks, the Pixies, Low, the Cardigans, Nick Drake,Soundgarden, The Beach Boys, Blur, Graham Coxon, Weezer, the Stones,Cat Stevens,Belle &; Sebastian, Talking Heads, Faith No More, Pulp, Neil Young,Super Furry Animals, David Bowie,The Boredoms,Coltrane, Chet Baker, Jimmy Smith, Charles Mingus, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz, Johnny Hartman, Eels, The Clash, Johnny Cash, Ben Folds, The Ramones, Kaiser Chiefs, Deftones, Primus, Tom Waits, The Beatles, Lostprophets, Primal Scream, Frank Sinatra, Dead Kennedys, White Stripes, Massive Attack, The Killers, Rancid, Franz Ferdinand, System Of A Down, Radiohead, Dean Martin, Oasis, Snow Patrol, The Pogues, Flaming lips, Pussy Galore, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Heavy Trash,Sonic Youth, Racontours, Blondie, Siouxsie and the banshees ,Death In Vegas, Butthole Surfers, Soledad Brothers, The 13th Floor Elevators, Bob Dylan, Joy Division, Copter, The Doors, Blondie, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Mudhoney, Air, Beck, The Beta Band, The Seeds, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, White Stripes, Heavy Trash, The Strokes, Black Lips, Make Up, The Kills, AC/DC,NIN, The Smiths,Bo Diddley, The Cramps, Black Sabbath,Marilyn Manson , Johnny Cash, Captain Beefheart, Chuck Berry, Dr John,Link Wray, Sonic Youth, The Verve,Nirvana,The 5,6,7,8's, Chicks On Speed, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kings Of Leon, Ladytron,Peaches, Human League, Devo,Arctic Monkeys,Howlin' Wolf, MC5, Weird War, The Rapture,Modern Lovers, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays,Relaxed Muscle,James Brown.....