Filed under: advertising, business, Scotland | Tags: framework for change, guerilla marketing, scottish marketing, scottish tourism, visitscotland, visitscotland framework for change
The impact of the global recession has hit VisitScotland’s Framework for Change ambitions hard. Even with the injection of energy from Homecoming Scotland our tourism economy has failed to grow at the rate demanded in this economic vision. So, the additional £5m that Mike Cantlay announced for ‘guerilla marketing’ this summer and autumn has to be welcomed. It looks like a clear demonstration of logic, and we don’t always say that when we are critiquing public sector initiatives.
The logic is blindingly obvious. The pound is weak, making the UK a cheap destination; so let’s increase our marketing in Europe. What’s more, there’s a ruddy great cloud of volcanic ash hanging over us that’s making most people terrified to book flights to Europe (me included); so tempt people to stay at home – Cantlay claims 40% of us have never holidayed in Scotland.
I’m impressed with Cantlay’s decisiveness and ambition. Really impressed. He’s acting like an entrepreneur and spotting opportunity – not prevaricating about the bush as the opportunity drifts away like ash on the wind. (Obviously though, Malcolm Roughhead and his team will be the real architects of the plan.).
He claims the £5m additional spend is but a pebble, but pebbles create ripples. And his willingness to take a risk and very publicly throw that pebble into the pool surely has to be applauded.
Sure, you can debate whether the money is being spent in the right way, but that’s a question of tactics that I do not have the right to interrogate. What I admire is the boldness of strategy and a willingness to put VisitScotland into the firing line, although I suspect it wiil turn out to be the line to receive plaudits some time hence.
He points to Obama’s effective investment in tourism marketing in the US believing that this will have a similar effect. Will it? Only time will tell, but for sure this is a very public and welcome act of aggressive marketing at a time when “cut” is the loudest word in most public sector boardrooms. I hope it cleans up at the awards this time next year.
Oh, and Ian Gray: I hope you’re watching. Probably not. You’ll just think it’s mumbo jumbo.
Filed under: Arts, humour, jokes, Scotland, Youtube | Tags: edinburgh state of mind, Glasgow state of mind, jay z, New York state of mind, Tommy Mackay
My mate Tommy did Embra…
Filed under: liberal, Rants, Scotland, tv | Tags: bbc scotland, C4, class, class divide, cultural documentary, cultural snobbery, docudrama, poverty, real life, The scheme
I vented my views on this despicable programme on facebook last night and received a mixed reaction. Some people simply like car crash TV where people, usually lowly educated, are set up for ridicule.
This programme excels. In the suckin g department.
It”s yicky.
And(seemingly) now it has gone.
I watched Newsnight tonight, aghast, as Stuart [sic] Cosgrove defended this vile pish.
Pat LKane, on the other hand, smelt the coffee.
Kane described the project as poverty porn. I agree.
Cosgrove floundered in his defence.
Why?
Because he works for C4 and they do that sort of thing. The BBC don’t (and shouldn’t have to).
Death to the horrible, horrid, nasty scheme.
Filed under: music | Tags: barry mailow, bella vista, elton john, folk rock, gay, gay music, gay singer, John Grant, Midlake, queen, queen of denmark, queens, soft rock, us indy, Van occupanther
Midlake are greedy bastards. Not satisfied with making perhaps the album of the year (The Comfort of others) they have colluded with bandless stablemate John Grant to make eh, perhaps, the album of the year. So expect to see Midlake feature heavily in the year end lists.
This is a very Midlake album. It has their arrangements, touches and noodles for a start. It strays back into Van Occupanther territory in that it explores 70′s soft rock influence (Barry Manilow, Elton John) as opposed to 70′s folk which caught their ear in The Comfort of Others.
But this is not a Midlake album. It is most assuredly John Grant’s. Stridently gay in its copy and occasionally whimsical, it packs a meaty punch.
I was blown away on first listening and then it got better. The gayness of it is very evident. But it’s what makes the album, because it gives him lyrical richness. He combines a mix of ‘fuck you’ attitude and humour. I have to say the only downsides of the album is when he overindulges in the humour and when Midlake over-noodle on the keyboards.
It’s a thing of very great beauty. If you like Anthony and the Johnsons but hated his voice this might be more to your liking, Because it’s outrageously mellow.
For fans of Midlake this is required listening. (In fact I will hazard a guess that some of you who saw Comfort of Others as a retrograde step will find this re-engaging you.)
This is a great record in anyone’s language. If it sells 5,000 copies in the UK I’ll be amazed. Please be one of them?
Filed under: humour, jokes, life, Scotland, Youtube | Tags: Glasgow, Glasgow state of mind
this is just funny.
Filed under: liberal, life, politics, Rants, Scotland, stories, tv | Tags: bbc scotland, deprivation, deprived, documentary housing in scotland], drug addiction, drug addicts, irresponible, kilmarnock. the scheme, scottish deprivation, scottish scheme, slum, social deprivation, social deprivation in scotland, social documentary
I’ve just watched this programme for the first time tonight. It’s had a lot of watercooler talk and I can understand why. But my reaction to it was of horror. This is the BBC’s customers that are being systematically abused, having the total piss ripped out of them and becoming the butt of a bunch of lefty, right on producers living in Glasgow’s trendy West End enjoying the joke.
Nothing, but nothing, of it was sympathetic. The whole thing was evil, judgmental, prying. It was easy to laugh, superficially, because half of the ‘cast’ was totally stoned and inevitably talking utter shite. But this is just voyeuristic trash.
I thought it was interesting that at the end of tonight’s episode there was some legalistic bullshit (no doubt negotiated by the BBC to protect their misdemeanors) that said the rest of the series was being pulled – but no reason given.
I think I know why.
It’s called fairness.
Filed under: advertising, business, Rants, stories | Tags: edinburgh optician, edinburgh opticians, optical express, optical express the gyle edinburgh
Jeez. Do I like a rant?
Bad service is top of my list of ranting (see recent O2 pishereama). So it’s nice to be able to report a company having a good customer attitude and great service.
I’ve bought my last two pairs of specs from Optical Express and paid richly for the privelege (£700 a go including the “free” second pair).
Anyway, the new pair I just got a fortnight ago don’t work. Or not for my eyes. Top of the range varifocals they are. But they don’t work. What’s worse is that after only one week I dropped and scratched them.
So, I went to see the lovely ladies in The Gyle Centre Store and told them my concerns.
The result?
New lenses. No charge. (mainly because they realised that the change of lens style that I had ordered just doesn’t work for some people.)
Brilliant service. With a big smile.
I love that shop and anyone that wants new specs would be recommended to go there.
So. I’m not just a moaning old git. Am I?
Filed under: Uncategorized
beauty.
Originally uploaded by mark gorman.
My best shot of the day at the most enjoyable Suntrap open day.
Filed under: Uncategorized
ria gurning
Originally uploaded by mark gorman.
an oldie but a goody.
Filed under: conservative, Labour, liberal, politics, Rants | Tags: Barnett formula, Benedict Brogan, cameron, clegg, Daily Telegraph, david cameron, fascism, Thatcher, thatcherism, the Telegraph, tories in Scotland, tory power, west lothian question
Yes, in a few hundred words, this explains why I hate the Tories so much.
Benedict Brogan is a self righteous prig writing for an embarrasingly tunnel visioned anachronism. The Telegraph.
I share with you, dear reader the utter pish that this man and this paper and this party spouts.
It’s almost enough to make me a true blooded nationalist. Almost.
Here you go. Have a laugh because if you took this seriously you’d lose your mind.
With the global economy teetering on the brink of something horrible, and Westminster paralysed, the issue of Scotland is second or third order. (Oh really? Fuck you). But it is there, and the outcome of the election has made it more explicit. You could argue that by swinging to Labour, Scotland merely did what England did as well, namely back the opposition against the party in power. But there are plenty of MPs of all parties who are desperately uneasy about the deepening political gap between Scotland and England. Conservatives in particular can see the long-term threat: for some there is a question of legitimacy. In the tough times ahead, can you be a credible national government with just one seat in Scotland? (nope) Expect voices to urge David Cameron, if he ever gets into No10, to offer that referendum on independence the SNP claims it wants. If Scotland then votes no, the price will be a root and branch review of the financial relationship. Some Tories want a confrontation with Scotland about money. (this is interesting and dangerous but I don’t think it will come to that)
But that disguises something which is more deep-seated. The Tories have no idea how to undo the damage done to their reputation north of the Border under Margaret Thatcher. (She was a total bitch and raped Scotland at every opportunity so what do you expect). When Gordon Brown was a mere opposition spokesman on the make, he was part of a successful movement to equate Thatcherism with the English. It fed Scotland’s conceit that it somehow has a more caring and effective social model. Of course, all the statistics from public sector productivity to mortality rates for preventable diseases tell you the opposite is true. (OK. So we die younger. Therefore we are a lesser species. This is a scandalous statement from a FUCKING self righteous Tory tit.) But Scotland was turned, and a smooth-chopped public school English guy who proclaims his passion for the Union hasn’t reversed it. A Scots chum (Chum? fuck off.) suggested to me that the Tories might have better luck if their leader was Michael Forsyth, (LOL) the Freddie Kruger of the battles between Labour and Tories in Scotland in the late 80s and early 90s. Interesting idea, but something tells me England has had its fill of Scottish politicians.
Mr Cameron has other fish to fry. But if he becomes Prime Minister, it will be without Scotland. Mrs Thatcher, from memory, had 22 Scots MPs on her benches in 1979 before they were wiped out. He will have to consider how to address this legitimacy deficit. Does he keep signing large cheques to keep a troublesome province quiet, much as Ms Thatcher used to do every time Malcolm Rifkind threatened to resign? Does he give Scotland a chance to say in or out? And does he insist on the Barnett formula in reverse? For every cut in English budgets to come, should Scotland be made to swallow its share?
Filed under: conservative, Labour, liberal, life, politics, Scotland | Tags: clegg, communications, david cameron, election 2010, george osborne, gideon osborne, gordon brown, horse trading, lib lab pact, plaid cymru, Scottish Politics, UK election, web, welsh national party
shit happens.
I’d like to think we can read quite a lot into this. Particularly that Brown is getting out of the way of a Lib Lab pact, perhaps even including a deal for Scotland and Wales. This is turning out to be a very interesting game of deceit and counter-deceit. The great thing is that at least Clegg is taking his time to show his hand, but, I repeat, if he eventually does do a deal with the devil I will never EVER vote Liberal again. I feel I am not alone in this respect. This is a very fundamental election because it could shape the long term future of both the Liberals and the Conservatives. The only ones that cannot really lose (apart from in the short term) is Labour. Absolutely fascinating.
Oh God, how much would I laugh if Cameron loses this one. And poor old Gideon.
Filed under: humour, jokes, life | Tags: big issue, cartoons, gesundheit, sneeze
Very clever. Surprised no-one saw it before.
In case you didn’t know Germans (and Americans) shout “Gesundheit” (Good health) when someone sneezes.
Filed under: Arts, movies | Tags: alfred molina, an education, carey mulligan, nick hornby, peter sarsgaard
Carey kicks Nick Hornby's ass.
What a charming, lovable but vacuous film this is.
Carey Mulligan lights up the screen from start to finish and won the best supporting actress nomination that her outstanding performance may have deserved.
Likewise, Peter Sarsgaard is brilliant as the creeping ‘peado’ with a charm to bowl over Carey’s dad (Alfred Molina) and Mum (whoever she was – doesn’t really matter because she was crap).
To give this movie credit you have to look at the magic between Mulligan and Sarsgaard because apart from that it’s mostly awful.
Nick Hornby’s script cracks along at a right good pace for 70 minutes until it hits the white cliffs of Dover and then falls horribly to its death. It looked like he couldn’t find a suitable ending and just gave up. It reeked of pish and ham at the end.
The Continuity Dept was obviously on a holiday season because it’s rank (openng scene in the rain is on and off like an Icelandic volcano threat) and Alfred Molina is pathetically cast for two reasons. Firstly he hams up his part and secondly he has a “jew ” problem about Sarsgaard despite being one of the UK’s most prominent Jewish actors.
It’s a mess. It really is. And yet; for 70 minutes I loved it.
7/10
She even blew the BAFTA’s away with the best dress of the night. (And haircut. Ed.)
"that" dress.
Filed under: Arts, family, life, movies | Tags: anne Hathaway, dysfunctional families, Jonathon demme, rachel getting married, robyn hitchcock, Tunde Adebimpe, tv on the radio, wedding movie
Anne Hathaway in a career defining role.
I caught up with this 2008 gem on Sky last night. How on earth could I have missed a cracker like this so completely at time of release?
Maybe I thought it was a chick-flick given its overwhelmingly female dominated cast.
It stars Anne Hathaway and RoseMarie DeWitt (plus that bloke from TV on The Radio). The movie engages from the opening frame in a deliberately low budget looking arthouse style from director Jonathon Demme (Silence of the Lambs). OK, some of you won’t like the hand held camera work, contrived as it can be. But on this occassion it creates the feeling of a home movie and that is precisely the point of it and the film because it’s a film about home and what home means.
Hathaway was a bit of a scene stealer in Alice in Wonderland as a cookie White Witch. In this she is by turns vulnerable, beautiful and tortured. Really it’s a barnstorming appearance.
The premise is simple Kym (Hathaway) is released from a long term rehab institution to attend the wedding of her sister Rachel. The family reveals itself as increasingly dysfunctional and Hathaway’s drug dependency is at the core of the problem. The reason why is unfolded in subtle layers until it becomes the fulcrum for the events that unfold at the wedding. I won’t spoil it by telling you what happens but believe me when I say this is a stunningly acted and observed family drama that is really quite moving. As a big music fan (including TV on The Radio) the phalanx of indie musos that make an appearance was the icing on the cake for me. (Robyn Hitchcock, Tunde Adebimpe, Fab 5 Freddy)
Oh, and did I mention Debra Winger as the mother? No? Outstandingly bitchy.
9/10.
Filed under: conservative, humour, jokes, Labour, liberal, life, politics, Rants | Tags: clegg, david cameron, gordon brown, Hung parliament, liberal, liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, photos, the kingmaker, tory, UK election
As the “Kingmaker” and co got more and more tired masks started to slip today.
Cameron looked more and more like the toff boy wank with loadsamoney and no talent that anyone with half a brain recognises.
But Brown emerged scowling, prowling, defiant, indignant, unremitting, warrior-like to a press conference yards in front of the door of number ten.
He looked like a leader that had one more fight in him. He should have been sponsored by Nike,
Clegg “the Kingmaker” (wank phrase of the year) meanwhile looked all pasty faced and tired, needing his bed as he faux-negotiated with Cameron. (I think/hope that’s all just a front for the real deals that are being done behind wanky boy’s back)
So, come Monday I just wonder if the real deal will actually turn out to be the Lib Lab pact that most Libs hoped for; and the result might possibly still be a minority govt.
But one that sends that bunch of pansy public schoolboy tosspots back to where they came from.
(Wealth and mummy – at least they’ll be able to afford the ignominy.)
It’s actually getting more exciting again.
And that’s what the commuters on the tube thought yesterday…
Filed under: football, Hibees, humour, jokes, life, Rants, Scotland, sports | Tags: amateurism, cabbage and tibs, Edinburgh, edinburgh football, Hibernian FC, Hibs, Hibs manager, hibs v mothwell, john hughes, motherwell 6 - 6 hibs, pish, pisheroonie, pishness, psh football, schoolboy football, SPL, the cabbage, yogi, yogi hughes
It's nice that Nish got a hattrick. But this will be his memory of it.
You sit down to watch probably the poorest match of the season (The Sky commentators were not exactly overwhelming in their early minutes enthusiasm) and then…BBBBAAAAANNNGGGG. The match of the season unfolds.
OK. Good for you. Glad you liked it. Glad we could entertain you. You can fuck off now. This is for the brothers.
Now. Let’s get down to basics.
If you are a Hibs fan , couch (like me) or terracing (like Will) you have to feel that this performance on top of the last 17 is more than unacceptable. Played out, as it was, on national TV we we looked like schoolboys, playing, it must be said, schoolboys.
Our team managed by the enthusiastic young goon that heads PE and theirs by the enduring old git, the Heedie.
The hare trapped well, the wise old tortoise caught up.
Yuk.
Really, this game was one of the most embarrassing advertisements for Scottish football that I think I have ever seen.
If Thicot (thicko) made one pass count I’d be surprised. Every single shot seemed to go in. Hibs were denied two stone wall penalties and Motherwell even missed one.
It was inept (from both sides) from start to finish.
I despair of our game, and especially my team, because this is not a pretty sight.
Goals? Sure. Quality? Aye right.
Celtic and Rangers are very poor football teams and yet they STILL dominate our game.
We, the scrappers, in a huge game, had to play in a sandpit and act like kids.
Barf.
Utterly scunnering.
I have to say Yogi’s naive enthusiasm is endearing. But 2 wins in 17 at the business end of the season?
One more chance. One only.
Well, you can take that fucking smile off yir face eh?
Filed under: conservative, Labour, liberal, life, politics | Tags: david cameron, death of the tories, election debate, election outcome, election result, gordon brown, Hung parliament, hustings, ITV debate, Labour, Lib Dem, liberal, liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, tory, tory decline, UK politics
"You're Shite.. And you know you are."
And so, the great British public is about to have its say. In the first election in a lifetime there are political choices to be made. Real ones.
In one night at the hustings (the first ITV leaders debate) politics was changed forever, because Nick Clegg emerged as leader of an electable party. The momentum has been maintained and now it’s the Tories who will suffer.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Nick Clegg is particularly inspiring, but look what he was up against.
The real catastrophe for the Tories was that they did not put their ace in the pack in charge. In fact I would go as far as to say that we may be about to see the death of the modern day Tory party as a result. There can be no question that Kenneth Clarke is the most gifted Tory politician (if William Hauge wasn’t such a geek that mantle may have been his but he “peaked” too young) and should be leading the party. I believe that if this scenario had unfolded Clarke would have a commanding lead in the polls and would be PM elect.
But that hasn’t happened. Cameron (the fool) has withered as this campaign has progressed. Clegg (the pretty boy) has appeared from nowhere in a sort of protest vote and has effectively split the Tory vote.
The outcome will be, I believe, a Tory lead in seats but a Lib Lab pact with the main condition being the adoption of proportional representation as a much fairer electoral measure.
The result of that will be a strengthening of the Liberal vote (and to some extent Labour) and a weakening of the Tory vote.
Oh, and I expect a very strong showing from the BNP.
