Filed under: Rants, business, life, politics | Tags: credit cruch, fionancial bailout, the bail out, the crunch, us economy, wall street, world economy
The Wall Street wanks haven’t had their skins saved. Yet.
But then those twats never needed their skins saved because they were personally never in any danger.
Only us. The ordinary people/victims.
Filed under: Rants, life, politics | Tags: bail out, bi-partizan, bi-partizan agrement, credit crunch, financial meltdown, george bush, global economy, gordon brown, harry reid, the economy, the house, the senate, us bailout, us economy, us election, us house, us senate, wal street
So, US congress reluctantly votes to bail out the world economy by getting tax payers to pay for Wall Street’s greed.
Meanwhile in the UK, the Labour party nationalises Bradford and Bingley witn taxpayers’ money.
Any thoughts on who lost out in all this greed?
Here’s a clue. It wasn’t anyone in the City or on Wall Street because lost jobs or otherwise, they’re all right Jack.
Filed under: Arts, Scotland, humour, life | Tags: couples, love, odd couples
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: BBC, bbc 6 music, electronica, experimental music, freakzone, stuart maconie
Is it just me or is Stuart Maconie’s Freakzone not the best programme on the radio. There is ALWAYS something new and interesting to hear. He’s not afraid to play 30 minute tracks every now and then. He is knowledgeable, likeable and tasteful
6 Music. Every Sunday at 5pm.
Tune in or drop out.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Saw these Timpani covers at The Edinburgh Society of Musicians during Edinburgh’s Doors Open day yesterday.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Jeana and I went into ‘Big Edinburgh’ yesterday and saw some great places including The Drumsheugh Toll which plays host to The Edinburgh Society of Musicians who have a nice line in humour in their signs.
This was at the bottom of the stairs.
And this was at the top!
Filed under: Arts, Scotland, life, music | Tags: daddys gone, glasvegas, phil spector, scottish rock, wall of sound
It’s hard to write about phenomena that are gestating in your back yard.
Glasvegas are Scotland’s latest phenomenon and with with some merit.
My mate Iain, who should have no real connection with this band (he said ageistly), has been quietly raving about them for a year or so.
He was right.
Much has been written about the Spectorish ‘wall of sound’ they create and the similarity to Jesus and Mary Chain. Well, for a start I can reveal that they are as far removed from Phil Spector as I am.
What is intriguing about the production of this record though is the sheer intensity of it – that’s the ‘wall of sound’ I think reviewers are referring to.
But it’s not the volume or the depth of the music that creates that, so-called, wall, it’s the relentlessness of it (for instance there are actually no start and stops between tracks – it’s just a fuzz.)
This is a big and important aspect of this record because it makes it epic.
The vernacular in the vocals are well catalogued but this is one of those rare records (I suppose like White Stripes and Foo Fighters) where actually the drumming is the essence. And the wall.
It is tribal, incessant, preternatural. It is what drives the record forward.
Plenty folk have had their say.
I approve. It is, for me, a much more interesting breakthrough than the flim flam of Franz Ferdinand which has most certainly not stood the test of time.
Filed under: Arts, books, family, humour, life | Tags: cambridge university, engelby, oxford university, sebastian faulks
I have to say, to start with , that this is probably the best book Jeana has ever recommended to me (and purchased for that matter), but I don’t want to get too carried away with it in case it doesn’t deliver.
The fact is; I am on page 112 of the paperback and I am gobsmacked.
It is hilarious. But so, so black.
Anyway the reason for writing this post was not to review the book (that’ll follow) so much as to recall something that had completely left my consciousness. This was brought explicitly to life on page 112 of this wonderful novel – the running out of money in Student Unions in the days before cash machines were commonplace.
Oh ya bugger! How harsh was that?
This book is set in the early 1970’s, but I studied, sorry read, at Stirling a decade later. Nevertheless, the issue was the same.
Would the bar staff cash a cheque so one could get a last round in? Could they? Could they? Will they? Oh thank God. They will.
Two black and tans and a bottle of Nooky Broon please…
(Review will follow.)
Filed under: Arts, life, photography | Tags: babies, baby shots, flickr, infant photo, newborn, newborn photo
Originally uploaded by Hammonds Babies.
One of my Flickr contacts took this outstanding shot of her nephew. Check out her shots; they’re great.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: golf, golf widows, holidays, St andrews
Looking forward to your golf trip then?
Came down the stairs to say cheerio to Mark and this is what greeted me?
You’ll be away then?
Well, as predicted the Yanks are kickin’ ass.
Faldo can’t either pick OR manage a team and AZ is the total opposite. And their dander is up. I think it could get messy.
I took them to win by anything from 17 – 11 to 19.5 – 9.5. I might have underestimated.
Is it just me or is US TV’s coverage simply the worst ever?
Cutting away before holes are complete. Next to no replays. Nothing to help you know what’s going on.
And as for the ’strips’ who thought to give both sides virtually the same clothing. That doesn’t help does it?
For those of you watching in black and white both teams are in grey.
Filed under: Arts, life, photography | Tags: Catherine Balet, hendrick kerstens, Ines connected with Amina, Lottie Davis, national photographic award, national portrait gallery, paula kerstens, photography, Quints, Rupert Murdoch, Tom Stoddart
I was rather taken by this excellent portrait which is shortlisted for the above prize. It’s by Hendrik Kerstens and it’s of his daughter, Paula. I think it’s beautiful in that it looks like an old Dutch master but with a disposable carrier bag in place of a starched white hat.
Great.
And I think it should win.
Here’s the other three shortlisted Portraits
Lottie Davis’ Quints
Catherine Balet’s Ines Connected with Amina
And, Tom Stoddart’s Rupert Murdoch which has a strange but beautiful sadness about it.
Filed under: Rants, jokes | Tags: republican vice presidential nomination, republicans, sarah palin, tories
Slightly hokey Sarah Palin’s a nutjob video.
Filed under: Rants, humour, jokes, life, politics, us presidential election | Tags: mccain, Palin, republicans, sarah palin



































