Friday 29 June 2007

Answer.

Since you were all so good and nearly answered my question, I'll reward you with this:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/games/bloxorz

It's fiendishly addictive (I love the word fiendish- my sister calls my nephews fiends, it's very apt) and fun. Don't all thank me at once for losing days at work to it. Oh, and I'll perhaps post a picture or two of Mitch's new bit of jewellery for you to peruse at will.

Friday 22 June 2007

Thursday 21 June 2007

Don't all thank me at once.

Since I know there is a large chunk of Scots predisposed to deep fat fried food (it's in our genes) who read this blog I found this for you guys. It's a great offer and I know how much everyone probably wants it so be quick! Oh and you don't need to thank me, you can just fry me up some chips or pizza. Remember to fold and batter the pizza before frying!

Runnin'

Remember how I said I was on a treadmill? Well, it was to get a pair of running shoes. You know, for running. The things I do to get the right fit eh? Still, check out these bad boys:


Look, I even put 'em on!


Oh yes, I've been RUNNING in them!

And I looked like this before I went:


Sadly I don't have any photos apres running, but Mitch can vouch for me!

Tuesday 19 June 2007

New favourite quote #8.

"I've realised I'm a liberal about my own behaviour, a fascist about others'."

Bec, 19/06/07.

Sunday 17 June 2007

Slidin'

It has been brought to my attention (by Lorraine no less) that I've been neglecting my dear readers in not telling you all my exciting times in Londinium (I mistakenly called it Londonium in a previous post). As a result I have decided to rectify this with a rip roaring yarn about how I went sliding down the slides at the Tate Modern. This will of course include pictures of me and Mitch and even a VIDEO! Yes, I videoed myself going down the slide and you'll get to hear me giggling like a wee lassie as I go down. Stop sniggering in the back there.

So, we went wondering along to the Tate Modern, perhaps for the second time, to go on the slides. Just outside it has a great trees and light combo:


The Tate Modern looks like this at night:


It's terribly dramatic looking- it used to be a power station you know.

So after we queued up and got out tickets we were ready to go! So we wandered around the buillding for a wee while as I took photos of the glorious 10 second ride facilitator that awaited us.

Look at it! A wonder of technology!


It looked so good I had to go upstairs and get another picture:


So, once we had our tickets and got in the queue, we were almost set to go! It is so arty in the Tate that even the shadows of the slide looked good enough to photograph:


The slide itself is one of a number located on different floors, so naturally we went for the top floor slide the daredevils that we are! Look at how high it is!


Dead high. So, being the man in the relationship, I persuaded Mitch to go first so I could get a photo of her before she went. Nothing to do with me being scared either, honest.



Mitch claims that she was too tall for the tattie sacks we were given to go sliding in, contributing in no small way to her "thump thump thump" noises all the way down, resulting in the bored attendant looking at me and saying: "that's a slow one". I don't think she was talking about Mitch's mental faculties though, but one can't be sure (only kidding!).

I had to smuggle my camera inside my sleeve to get the following footage- they are very keen you don't take anything on your person when sliding these days. See the dangerous situations I put myself in for the avid readers of this blog?


And of course, when you get to the bottom it's all over, bar the shouting. But you do get to land on the big comfy pillow things at the bottom.


Well, you did. Apparently they've now taken the slides away. Shan't be going back if that's the case- I'll be headed to the Tate Britain where apparently my Flickr show has been on display...

Friday 15 June 2007

The irony...

... of Luke Pritchard of The Kooks laying into the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. He at least has the good grace to apologise unreservedly for not liking it, but sadly not for his own horrendous output.

http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/story/0,,2102991,00.html

The audacity of a musical no-mark like Pritchard slagging an album written by a partially deaf 23 year old as a 'teenage symphony to God' that comes closer to achieving its aim than anything else would be understandable if he had anything like the talent Brian Wilson had. I suppose he has another year to come up with something comparable to Pet Sounds. Anyone care to bet he will? Luke Pritchard will be a washed-up has-been trying desperately to relaunch his career in 5 years time while people will still be listening to Pet Sounds and wondering where it came from and how. The conceited eunuch also has the cheek to slag the front cover of Pet Sounds. Let me compare his album's front cover with Pet Sounds for a second:




Hmm, let me see. I can look at a bunch of tousle-haired drama school wannabes trying to look cool, or I can see a bunch of guys feeding cute animals at a petting zoo. Conceit vs. Fun. No contest really. I've tried really hard not to put any sweary words into this post, so as a result if I ever see the clown on the street I'll use them then.

Thursday 14 June 2007

Bothering the Fourth Estate, again...

You all heard that Gordon Brown is apparently considering reinstating the post of Secretary of State for Scotland to full-time status right? Oh you didn't? Well, luckily for you I wrote a letter to The Herald talking about it. Just so you know...


Not since the times of Willie Ross and Jack MacLay has the Secretary of State for Scotland had arguably any real relevance to the political climate. Andrew Marr described Willie Ross as viewing Scotland as "his own fiefdom". Douglas Alexander, on the other hand, has managed to make the position more of an irrelevance than it was even under Margaret Thatcher.

Gordon Brown's consideration of the reintroduction of the position to full-time status is nothing more than a tokenistic gesture designed to pay lip-service to his numerous critics in the country of his birth, now that he's got the big job down south and is making a show of his "Britishness". Far better than restoring the Secretary of State to full-time status would be to recognise the politics of not just Scotland but the UK itself has changed. More co-operation between Whitehall and Holyrood would be a start.

And of course, the all important link for posterity: http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/letters/display.var.1470046.0.0.php

And before anyone starts moaning about my thesis and me not having time to write letters, the letter is of direct relevance to what I am writing! And funnily enough I just co-wrote a joint paper last week that discusses the role of the Secretary of State for Scotland in the post-war period at great length. It is apparently finding its way into a book about economic leadership in small countries in the twentieth century. Don't worry about finding it, I'll let you know ALL about it when given half the chance.

Wednesday 13 June 2007

New favourite quote #7.

"Note to self: F*ck You."

Dick Valentine, Electric Six, 12/06/07.

Braw.

Thursday 7 June 2007

Continuing on the running theme...

Today for the first time ever I went on a treadmill. It was really weird. WEIRD.