My guitar, sans strings 
I could not resist putting this on the front page - I felt it deserved a front page introduction!
I am in possession and playing a beautiful, classical blanca by Per Hallgren from Sweden.
To read about the guitar and my journey to owning such a fine instrument, please see the Guitar page.
(Photo by Per Hallgren, Luthier)
This is not a nasty jibe out our premier’s ocular impediment.
It is for real - he is going to state his vision. Now that he has attained top job he has another focus other than power-lust. And it is to be revealed.
Brown to unveil policy ‘vision’
Why does it leave me cold? The prospect of a career politician using “visionary” pics and talking of vision. Such a desperate attempt to appear like JFK. Stirring and uplifting.
Not in a million terms of office. People like Brown are not visionary leaders. They are old-school and tempered by a desire not to rock-the-boat.
Wooly attempts to be anything else look silly and are a tad like Uncle Dave “dancing” at the wedding reception. He really should just hide in the background.
Journalism can be used to remind us that the world is a complex place.
It is not all about “us” and our economic situation. Or celebrity. Or politics. We need reminded that a big and curious world exists beyond our safe one.
Horror of Kenya’s ‘witch’ lynchings
Isn’t one definition something like “repeatedly doing something which will upset you or cause you harm” - or some such thing? Never learning from past experience?
Well I did it again. I signed onto Friends Reunited and re-awakened all the things which gave me nightmares for years. I was very happy to hear from a few people this time, especially Stuart, Kevin, Jenny, Judith, Dave and Mel. Good and “adult” people. They made me smile! Nice hearing from you all - if you read this
But too many folk are still living in Abercorn House circa 1982! They think I will still find the same jokes and jibes at other people’s expense funny - or at my own expense. Not theirs, I notice. Never them.
I think all the people I would like to contact me know how to find me. I am glad I met them again. However, I utterly, absolutely and - without any redemption - hated, abhorred and was totally miserable as a school kid.
I have had a happy and much more contented adult-hood! Being a kid stank - to be childish about it! ha! Forget all the cr*p song lyrics about the Joy of Children saving the World. I would like to live my life over again but I would skip childhood.
There - laid a few ghosts to rest.
Sorry - not the man himself. Rather, the way he likes his architecture.
He likes traditional buildings. In keeping with the historical standards in the nicest of Palaces. The kind of buildings built of stone and with big, wooden framed windows and classical styles. Balconies and stain glass.
He might let some fancy, Italian Palladian building be constructed. He draws the line - very firmly - at modern buildings. None of that 20th - 21st Century new material and technique nonsense.
The plebs might start getting all revolutionary if the architecture is.
So he calls his pal’s if one of those “new” or “modern” carbuncles is planned. And he stops it dead in it’s tracks. Strike a blow for Bonnie Prince Charles. A £2 - 3 Billion total cost project killed dead.
Well done, your highness.
It was a while back! I bought flowers and chocs - not very original. I hope she liked them!
Kevin Gallacher, on the other hand, recorded a video of a tune by Enrique Granados called - appropriately - Dedicatoria. I love the tune. And Kevin plays it beautifully.
hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ims65L0IRNo
Now I wish I could have played that for a Mothers Day gift! As for Mr Gallagher - I am sure his mother would have loved it. It is a beautiful version.
Now is the time to say it - Ban the Monarchy!
All their second and third and fourth homes allowances.
Now is the time!
I think that here, in the UK, Labour have given up any hope of victory in the next election. They are resembling the Tories in the mid 90’s.
And the most disappointing thing for me is that after a long period in power, so many opportunities have been wasted, spent and tainted.
I do not feel it is enough to take solace that the Conservatives were not in power. I do not relish a Cameron government. However, I look at the New Labour years with almost as much despondency as many people view the Bush administration.
I think there were very good changes. Equality did get pushed up the agenda, a bit. Social justice was pushed up the agenda, a bit.
However, we cannot avoid the war, the bypassing of parliament, the petty political appointments and the fact that - in my view - the changes were very minor in comparison to what we had hoped for in 1997.
Maybe I am a touch “down” and it is not so bleak. I just think we ended up with a period when the people of Britain were in a “concensus” and prepared for change. 1997 seemed to give a signal that we wanted a new approach. Honesty and outcome ahead of traditional party entrenchment. Possibly a greater concensus than we have ever had in recent times. We wanted to give youth a chance and change was anticipated. In the end, we got ego and career building.
And an ex-PM who started a war, ignored the consequences, left office and became a peace envoy and converted to catholicism. Did he ever have a single conviction he was prepared to put his name to whilst in power?
I just watched a short interview with Kate McCann who is the mother of the girl who disappeared in Portugal.
It has been 2 years since the whole thing started and it showed on her face.
I don’t want to comment on the case but I simply found myself thinking “How could you watch this if you had been the person/people who kidnapped the girl?”
How could you live your daily, ordinary life? There must be so many people in the world recovering from horrors perpetrated by people who just “melt” back into the background and live their lives as “usual”.
If I do something as malicious as cut someone up in the car I dwell on it for hours. How do people manage to live with themselves? I don’t understand.
Beethoven wanted to study with Mozart. He had to “make do” with Haydn.
I am listening to Mozart - the Piano Concertos - especially 20.
Nothing can describe the perfection of his music in this piece. It seems tormented, awe-inspiring and lost. He has been portrayed as a misunderstood genius. Yet, when you read about the times - it seems this judgement is largely based upon the patrons’ vanities. Musicians knew what was what! They recognised the genius. Mozart may have been looked down upon in the “social” circles he badly wanted to inhabit. Beethoven, however, would never have looked down upon him even with his ego and his personality issues. Gluck would surely have collapsed, prostrate, at the feet of Beethoven. And then there was Haydn - perhaps the least remebered - in modern popularity - of the greats. Bach was virtually an unknown amongst the public at that time. Yet he still altered Mozart’s composition immediately upon recognition. I guess I am trying to say - the media and popular opinion have always been fickle.
Bach, for me, has harmony and perfection in his music. He has been described as a Xerox machine of composition. Probably by some mortal who knew how to attempt humour better than he knew how to compose. Yet it is still the lost and disconsolate yearning of Mozart which has the greatest impact upon me, personally.
History seems a better judge of talent than the X-Factor. Thankfully enough.
I was reading a bit about the spats between Boris Johnson and Keith Vaz.
Vaz is a Labour chameleon who should probably actually be in the Conservative party such is his shallowness. He would take any political stance to gain favour. He is the type of public servant I really find it hard to stomach, no convictions other than self aggrandisement. Johnson is - well - Johnsons. ‘Nuff said.
Anyway, what I objected to was the title. The Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP.
Right and Honourable. Well I never. Why do we describe politicians in this way? “My Rt Hon colleague who just lied his ar*e off” is the way they refer to each other - and they are also members. The Rt Hon member for Blahblahblah…
For some reason I approve of them being called members. That seems more apt.
Pet Shop Boys reject Peta request
Yawn…
I bet loads of people are proud of how clever they are. It’s a play on words, gerrit? Hee. And it is a very important issue - admittedly. But, really, raise awareness some other way.
When they appeared on an awards show recently my kids said that the music must have been REALLY bad when they were able to be successful. I said it was just one of those strange flukes. Not to be alarmed.
Please just retire and enjoy life in the country. The music and the “funny” stage outfits weren’t.
Chris
Based near Edinburgh, Scotland