I'm closer to the Golden Dawn...



A bit of light reading

Immersed in Crowley's uniform of imagery...

Awright, I know it's only Trinidad & Tobago but...



Scotland 4-1 Trinidad

The way the national side have been playing, if Trinidad & Tobago had won
they would be saying 'OK, I know it's only Scotland but...' Well done lads.
The game seemed to tail off after the break, but as it was at Easter Road,
maybe Scotland were shooting uphill in the second half.

Right - Bring on Andorra & we'll gie them the thrashing they deserve...

Who's going to outbid Saatchi & Saatchi for the ashes...



Emin Hurt by 'Sniggering' at Loss of her Work

Apparently Art has no boundaries but Comedy has...

Bowie & Eno - now you know thats gotta work...



I was in my last few months at Secondary School when I bought
Low. I used to sit & listen to it with headphones on while my
folks watched TV. It sounds as strange now as it did then, a
breakaway from the guitar based sound that Bowie had made his own
into the realms of ambient computer generated music. It encapsulates
the zeitgeist of that long forgotten grey area that traversed the punk
movement from 1976 onwards and is the basis for modern electronic music.
What in the World could be released tomorrow as contemporary - after 27 years.

WHAT IN THE WORLD

You're just a little girl with grey eyes
Never mind, say something
Wait until the crowd cries
Oh, wait until the crowd cries
You're just a little girl with grey eyes

So deep in your room
you never leave your room
Something deep inside of me
yearning deep inside of me
Talking through the gloom
What in the world can you do
What in the world can you do
I'm in the mood for your love
For your love
For your love
For your love

I'm just a little bit afraid of you
Cause love won't make you cry
But, wait until the crowd goes
Oh, wait until the crowd goes
I'm just a little bit afraid of you

So deep in your room
you never leave your room
Something deep inside of me
yearning deep inside of me
Talking through the gloom
What in the world can I do
What in the world can I do
I'm in the mood for your love
For your love
For your love

Oh, what you gonna say?
Oh, what you gonna do?
Ah, what you gonna be?

To be real me, to the real me

the first - and the best - of a trilogy with Eno...

Andy are you goofing on Elvis...



Andy Kaufman returns

Now who can I pretend to be? pass the guitar & my white jumpsuit...
No - NOT Sydney Devine!

My last word on Mr Larsson...



As big a fan of Henrik Larsson as I am, surely it is time to move on.
Let's wish him well & let him get on with the rest of his football career.
Celtic are a HUGE football club & will, I have no doubt, go forth & prosper
without the services of HL. Would I like him to be at parkhead next season?
Of course, but lets not talk of a downward spiral because he won't be.
When Henrik finds himself in another league, with a mid-table club & a
set of demanding fair-weather fans maybe he too will wish he was back in
Glasgow. Even for a player of his ability it won't be easy but I'm sure he
will make it work - and so will Celtic.

Blackburn Rovers? oh dear Mr Souness - Behave...

Aussie Princess - gie's a brekk...






At last the Aussies have a royal of their own, and don't we know it.
The bloody wedding was on LIVE on 2 stations the other week & there
have been various highlight shows - HIGHLIGHTS, C,maaawn. I think her
faither is a Jock as he had the kilt on at the wedding & his name is
Donaldson, although kilts are de rigueur at weddings of the rich & famous.
Well - name one without a kilt in the last few years, answers on a postcard.
I suppose it could have been worse - her faither could have been Greek.

Have a swatch at the pom-poms on yir man...

Watched Alfred Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND last night...



Brilliant piece of Noir cinema - murder, mystery & intrigue as only
Hitchcock can deliver. A good cast including Gregory Peck & Ingrid
Bergman with a few other familiar faces in the supporting roles. I love
B&W movies - you know, the ones the never show on the TV - not here in
Australia anyway. look out for a shitty re-make coming your way soon.

Particularly notable for the Dali dream sequence...

The Monochrome Set - Volume, Contrast, Brilliance...



Click here to listen to samples of the late 70's cult band
The Monochrome Set.

Check out Goodbye Joe - a personal favourite...

Is Paradise built like a house of cards...



Congratulations to the Bhoys for a record 32nd win in the Scottish Cup Final.
Also, well done Dunfermline for making a game of it for most of the contest. I
listened to it on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound - quite exciting listening to a
match on the radio. Now that Henrik's gone and - if the rumourmongers are correct -
Martin O'Neill isn't far behind him, the fragile structure of a successful football
club is exposed & appears to revolve around two key club members.
The loss of Mr Larsson will be difficult to deal with but is certainly a resolvable
problem. To lose Martin O'Neill at the same time would be a different story and
one which, in my opinion, would take the club a couple of years to sort out.

Stay where you are Martin - the job's not done yet...

Cup of coffee anyone?...



Everything you wanted to know about coffee but were afraid to ask.

1979 Thatcher survival kit - Coffee, 10 regal & Mr Kipling...

Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you - The Flying Dug...
Thomas Atomicus










I'll bet even Philippe Halsman couldnae dae it wi a dug...

Found a great Francis Bacon site...



Francis Bacon Image Gallery. A friend of mine was really into
FB when we were in our teens & showed me a book of his work. I
had never seen anything like it - absolute horror. I especially
like the Popes series. Must be the Catholic roots. I went to a
local auction just before Xmas and bought a signed Bacon print for
$20.00, I don't think anybody at the auction knew who FB was, and
sold it on eBay for - well lets just say I made a tidy profit.

I wish I had kept it now...

I remember the fear this caused back in the 70's...



Dna hope in World's End murder hunt. I hope they catch the bastard/s.
After nearly 30 years - wouldn't that be something. I am imagining after
30 years the killer/s would have thought it was all forgotten about, filed
away in some dusty cabinet & that they had gotten away with murder. Not so.
I used to live across the road from the world's end - above the rug shop -
and we used to sit at the big bay window of the flat & watch the wildlife nightlife.
Better than the telly and entertaining into the wee hours of the morning.
Even then - 1985 - I couldn't look at that pub without thinking of it's grisly history.
I think they ended up changing it's name.

I wonder if the stigma has stuck with the pub?...

It wid bring tears tae a gless eye...



Tears End Larsson's reign at Paradise - BBC Scotland.
When the dust clears & the talk of Brazilians has all but
dried up, the question on every Tims lips will surely be:
"how the fuck are we gonnae replace Henrik Larsson?"
Unfortunately, trying to find the answer might bring even more tears.

Good Luck Henrik - You'll be well missed...

Guess who picked the winner in the Eurovision Song Contest...



Too easy really - the rest were pish. WTF was the prat from the UK?
I did miss the wisecracks from Terry Wogan, we have a local host here
in Australia. Actually, Sweden wisnae bad for an old girl.

What? Your not seriously suggesting it's judged on the music...

A classic piece of American Cinema...



Mean Streets. Responsible for launching the careers
of Martin Scorcese, Robert DeNiro & Harvey Keitel. Also
responsible for popularising the word Mook.

What the Fuck is a Mook...

Two posts without a photo - this just won't do...



Mr Jones to the rescue. That's better, creepy - but better...

I read this blog on a regular basis...

Mint Tea & Sympathy. I don't know why but it has a real calming effect, like a
scene cut from a bygone age - although the subject matter is contemporary.
An oasis of calm in the madness of a busy day; snapshots from the authors day
shot in soft focus against the backdrop of idyllic summers and festive winters.


Did I really say that? pass me the scone mix...

A campaign for the good...

I hope that you all Show racism the red card

'if Adolf Hitler flew in today, they'd send a limousine anyway' - Joe Strummer 1978

Rugs to Riches as Zeigler Carpet Piles in at £110,000 at auction in Edinburgh



From the Lyle & Turnbull website

Scotland's Fine Art Auctioneers, Lyon and Turnbull, sold a rare Zeigler
carpet for £110,000. With over fifteen telephone lines and a packed
saleroom there was tremendous interest from around the world as the
carpet, which comes from a house in the North of Scotland, went
under the hammer at Lyon and Turnbull's Edinburgh auction room.

Gavin Strang Carpet and Rug Specialist at Lyon and Turnbull said
"The carpet is an extremely rare cream filled Zeigler. It was made
in the town of Sultanabad, Persia in the late 19th century by an
Anglo Swiss company for the European market. The rarity of the
cream colour, its large size and un-restored condition made it
very attractive to bidders from around the world."

The owner of the carpet, who wishes to remain anonymous said
"I cannot believe it, I found the carpet when I bought the contents
of a house in the North of Scotland and thought it was something
special. I called Lyon and Turnbull in to have a look and the price
they have achieved far exceeded my expectations, it came as a complete
surprise. This sort of find comes once in your lifetime, I am not sure
what I will do with the money as I am still reeling from the news."

In the words of Billy Connolly - fir a fuckin' carpet?

One of my boyhood heroes...



Much maligned then & now, but wouldn't you like someone with
his football genius to pull on a Scottish jersey now?

or the hoops for that matter...

The digital clock - back to the future...



Check out the link here for a novel re-working of the digital clock.
While you're at it, check out the links to Yugo Nakamura's web page.
Stunning interactive graphics & innovative design. I like the way this
is going - and not a smiley to be seen anywhere - thank fuck!

I feel sorry for the wee man in the clock - he must be knackered...

Five in a row - not before time Bhoys...



Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 today completing a series of 5 wins over
the other half of the old firm. It's the first time in over 30 years
they have managed to beat Rangers in every meet in one season.
Keep up the good work Celtic - Brilliant stuff!!

Rivaldo at Paradise next season? - Bring it on...

The first Lou Reed album I bought - Still my favourite...



Never really warmed to any of Lou's other solo albums; a few have good tracks
but none have the constant quality displayed on Transformer. I think it could be
the Bowie/Ronson influence, although Reed is no slouch. Includes the 1973 hit
Walk on the wild side. I remember at the time Paul McCartney & Wings had their
single Hi Hi Hi banned by the beeb while Mr Reed's Walk on the wild side, with all
it's talk of transvestites & giving head managed to make it to No.1 and enjoyed
constant airplay on radio 1. Got to love the beeb!

And the less said about Metal Machine Music the Better...

Everything but the girl top twenty - in my humble opinion...



I was perusing the official EBTG website & came across a readers top 20.
Pardon me for disagreeing but - mine's is better!

1. Fascination (live) - Acoustic
2. Mirrorball - Walking wounded
3. Two Star - Amplified Heart
4. Feeling Dizzy - Single B side (Night & Day)
5. Lullaby of clubland - Temperamental
6. Single - Walking wounded
7. A piece of my mind - Like the deserts miss the rain
8. Troubled Mind - Amplified Heart
9. One Place - Worldwide
10. No Difference - Temperamental
11. I always was your girl - Idlewild
12. Apron Strings (live) - Acoustic
13. Bittersweet - Eden
14. I don't understand anything - Amplified Heart
15. Frost and fire - Eden
16. Good cop Bad cop - Walking wounded
17. Lonesome for a place I know - Idlewild
18. The Road - The language of life
19. Little Hitler - Baby the stars shine bright
20. Sean - Love not money

Yes, Yes - I know it's a matter of personal taste & opinion & that's fine,
As long as everbody agree's with ME...

I have a few books that I read every other year or so...



The ballad of the sad Cafe by Carson McCullers is one of them. I think I have
probably read it 7-8 times in the past few years - maybe more. I find there
are very few books that I can re-read & that entertain me over & over again
but I have a penchant for vintage American titles set in provincial towns &
The Ballad of the sad Cafe fits the bill perfectly. Set in the deep South It's a
beautiful piece of Southern Gothic. Other titles that deal with Provincial
America in the early 20th century that I read over & over again are:

Other Voices, Other Rooms - Truman Capote
Walk on the Wild Side - Nelson Algren
Welcome to Hard Times - E.L. Doctorow
To kill a Mocking Bird - Harper Lee
Cannery Row - John Steinbeck

Obsessive? or just too thick to take it in the first time...

I would have died for a guitar like this when I was a kid...



In the late 70's/early 80's the only Gretsch guitars available were the original
US vintage models. They were de rigueur for the budding underground guitarist.
They were also tres expensive & hard to find. Gretsch are now sold as re-issues
licensed by Fender - and are still tres expensive. I had a Gretsch Clipper when I
was a teenager; a real budget model produced in the late 50's. It cost me 100 quid
from Mev taylors in Shandwick Place? I think. It looked great but didn't play very well -
maybe that was me - so I swapped it for a modern Ibanez. I wish I had it now. I noticed
Ben Watt (EBTG) playing one in an early video - classy. I found the Gretsch site here.

I'm going to save up & buy one, in the mean time - pass me that tennis racquet...

Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! It's Daddie's Birthday...



Little Shit, wait till it's YOUR birthday! Wait a minute - since I don't know
when you were born that means I can choose a date - Hmmmm...

How about YESTERDAY!!!!

I have been buying a few CD's on eBay lately...






It's a good source for buying cheap & rare CD's, etc. I have been buying on eBay
for 5 years & have had 2 problems in 2000+ transactions with USA, UK, Europe, etc.
It was really handy when I was living in the country & the local shops were - well
local shops. I find it easier to deliberate & buy things I REALLY want when online
compared to buying in person when I end up with too many impulse buys, especially
with music, that remain unplayed or played once & consigned to the shelf. I have 300+
CD's & always seem to play the same 20-30 CD's all the time. Probably a common thing.
I have just bought This is Stina Nordenstam which I picked up for $13.00 Au including postage
from the USA to Australia. If I was to buy this CD locally as an import it would cost $35.00 Au.
No bah eh? Favourite song so far is Everyone else in the world:

EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD

You'll have to stand perfectly still
You have to close your eyes
And when I am finished
I don't believe you can go

Everyone else in the world
Would love me by now
Would love me from the day one
But not you

Everyone else in the world
Would love me by now
Would love me in a crowd
But not you

False promises of love
Still promise love
You get what you want
When you just
Want what you get

Everyone else in the world
Would love me by now
Would love me from day one
But not you

Everyone else in the world
Would love me by now
Would love me in a crowd
But not you

You will either love or hate Stina Nordenstam - I LOVE her...

Return of the Killer Moth - ain't he pretty...



Lovely pattern - ain't nature clever? Oh Dear - I've went all Kathy Burke ... innit?