Sometimes the most ordinary things...



Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Make him the cutest that I've ever seen
Give him two lips like roses and clover
Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over.
Sandman, I'm so alone
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream.

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Make him the cutest that I've ever seen
Give him the word that I'm not a rover
Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over.
Sandman, I'm so alone
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream.

Mr. Sandman bring us a dream
Give him a pair of eyes with a "come-hither" gleam
Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci
And lots of wavy hair like Liberace
Mr Sandman, someone to hold (someone to hold)
Would be so peachy before we're too old
So please turn on your magic beam
Mr Sandman, bring us, please, please, please
Mr Sandman, bring us a dream.

can be so creepy...

the only thing to listen to on the radio 1 was always...



John Peel

Obituary: John Peel

I was gutted to hear that John Peel had died. He was the ONLY DJ
in the 70's that played Punk/Alternative music & listening to his
show was the only way to hear the new sounds - they certainly weren't
available in the local record shops - & the Sessions are now legendary.
I used to tape the show; I wish I still had the tapes as the banter
was almost as good as the music. At the time I was amazed that the
show had this really cowboy-like bluesy intro & outro with all the
energy & austerity of Punk/Indie sandwiched in between. I remember
being gobsmacked when I saw JP for the first time & he was this
old guy with a beard, not a Johnny Rotten look alike. He was an
absolute legend & continued to help emerging bands right up to his
death. A great loss to the British music industry.

OK. Teenage Kicks - one more time...

The riddle of the mystery soup flinger solved...



Soup thrown at Ferguson

It just had to be Sol CAMPBELL.

or perhaps it was Gabriele HEINZe...

I bought this CD on eBay a couple of weeks ago...



and it arrived today. I had the LP when I was a kid & it still has
a few good tracks on it - an instant nostalgia trip when I played it.
I wasn't a big GAZ fan but I loved Are Friends Electric so I bought the
album. I'd say it has 5 good tracks, which isn't bad after all these
years - 25 years ago; Wow. I seen a recent photo of Gary Numan on the
net & he looks better now than he did then - it's the money y'know.

I always thought he was a bit of a Bowie rip-off at the time...

Drinking Alone Under The Moon - Li Bai (701-761)...



Among the flowers from a pot of wine
I drink alone beneath the bright moonshine.
I raise my cup to invite the moon, who blends
Her light with my shadow and we're three friends.
The moon does not know how to drink her share;
In vain my shadow follows me here and there.
Together with them for the time I stay
And make merry before spring's spend away.
I sing the moon to linger with my song;
My shadow disperses as I dance along.
Sober, we three remain cheerful and gay;
Drunken, we part and each goes his way.
Our friendship will outshine all earthly love;
Next time we'll meet beyond the stars above.

Pished under the Moonlight - I know that one well...

Shaping the Indie sound in 1976...



Subway Sect

The pre-cursors of Joy Division, Echo & TBM, Fire Engines, Franz Ferdinand...

Want to go to a wedding in Aberdeen?...



2 invitations to a wedding

I hope the bridemaids are better looking than the bride...

What a Nightmare...


Listened to the Celtic V Donetsk game last night via the Celtic website. It costs me a fiver a month to subscribe; it's the only way for me to hear the live matches now that the BBC do not allow access to their live web casts outside of the UK. There was a problem with the sound/access & it kept dropping out. Imagine how frustrating it is to listen to a live match & as Celtic are in the opposing penalty area - the sound drops out. Happened for most of the match, but stopped after Donetsk scored. It must have been a boost in signal as thousands of Tims turned off their computers.

It was the worst I can remember Celtic being since the John Barnes era & if something isn't done soon, we will start to lose ground in the SPL as the players start to lose belief in themselves. So what's the problem? Obviously, the glaring defensive errors are costing us dearly; at no time this season & at any level - Europe or the SPL - have Celtic looked comfortable at the back. I think it's time for some new blood & if there is still an offer of 5/6 million kicking about for Bobo Balde, then I think it should be seriously considered. To buy in a couple of decent younger defenders with a bit of pace would see the cause furthered at every level - sorry Bobo but I've seen milk turn faster than you.

Although most of the current injuries have occured in Europe, I think that MON could employ a better squad rotation - as small as it may be - by playing the fringe dwellers & the young fella's in at least 50% of the SPL games - so that if they are called upon to play in the CL, they will be match fit & a lot sharper. I don't think it would lead to us dropping points in the SPL as ALL these players are able to compete at this level. It might even lead to a few of them beginning to shine; look how bright Beattie looked in pre-season... Also, GET RID OF THE DEAD WOOD that are collecting big wages for playing in the reserves.

I am loathe to criticise MON but if you are going to bring in someone with the potential of Juninho, then at least work out where you want him to play. I think he has struggled because he isn't comfortable playing so far out on the left. Stick him in the hole & let him do what he does best - annoy defenders. Camara has been looking better in the last few games but is still erratic when it comes to finishing.
Hartson has played well for 45 mins - all his fitness will allow. I would like to see him coming on fresh in the second half of a game - he seemed to relish coming off the bench with something to prove a few seasons back. Sutton's a great striker - give them a half each - Sutton could play the first 45 mins as striker & the remainder of the game in midfield.

Anyway, what do I know? I know this: Celtic MUST not only win against Donetsk at Parkhead, they must take them apart - for the sake of the UEFA cup & the pride of the players, fans & the club. It's not a big ask if you think about it - if we can't beat Donetsk at home - and CONVINCINGLY, we shouldn't be in Europe in the first place. We must not lose another game in Europe - a bigger task granted, but not impossible - it's time for a few players to earn their wages. The defender situation MUST be addressed in January, as it will not wait till the Summer. The loss of Henrik Larsson hurt Celtic in more ways than one; apart from being almost irreplaceable, there was so much attention paid to who could possibly replace him we forgot about the frailties of our defence. The only thing Henrik can to for Celtic now is to make sure Donetsk don't accrue any more points.

At the end of the day, a lot has been made of our paper thin defence but remember we didn't score last night, which has absolutely nothing to do with our defenders. Also, In my humble opinion, if Balde had remained injured & Sutton had played at centre half, we would still be in with a chance of CL fitba & guaranteed UEFA cup action. Last but not least, stop letting the Celtic board off the hook by buying into the EPL pipe dream - if it happens, I will be as delighted as anyone else but if we rely on it happening, it could be our downfall.

well that's cheered me right up...

What ever happened to nastassja Kinski?...



Paris Texas

maybe she's still in Texas...

Heinrich August Ossenfelder : Der Vampir - 1748...



My dear young maiden clingeth
Unbending. fast and firm
To all the long-held teaching
Of a mother ever true;
As in vampires unmortal
Folk on the Theyse's portal
Heyduck-like do believe.
But my Christine thou dost dally,
And wilt my loving parry
Till I myself avenging
To a vampire's health a-drinking
Him toast in pale tockay.

And as softly thou art sleeping
To thee shall I come creeping
And thy life's blood drain away.
And so shalt thou be trembling
For thus shall I be kissing
And death's threshold thou' it be crossing
With fear, in my cold arms.
And last shall I thee question
Compared to such instruction
What are a mother's charms?

The first poetic mention of the Vampire...

Fancy a Bevvy?...



Absinthe Buyers Guide

Absinthe - the true father of Cubism?...

The Wee man opens his account...



Juninho strike sees off Hearts

The first of many...

They seek him here, they seek him there...



Lord Lucan case reopened on 30th anniversary

Official website of the Countess of Lucan

They still seek Lucky everywhere...

I bought Les Vampires on Video...



Les Vampires

a few years back, but never got round to watching it - I started
the other night. It's a silent film & is surprisingly watchable -
It's not scary but beautiful to look at - with quite a few moments
of suspense, all highlighted by the soundtrack. It's over 7 hours
long so I am watching it in shifts. I'll let you know when it starts
getting on my nerves.

it was the inspiration for the Olivier Assayas film Irma Vep...

Nothing left to rattle in the biscuit tin?...



Celtic reduce debts and losses

Surely not...

Vote for your favourite Book...



My Favourite Book

I did...

Frances keep your mouth shut dear...



Ugly Little Dreams by Everything but the Girl

Frances keep your mouth shut dear
We don't want the neighbors 'round
With their ugly little schemes
That make the pretty world go 'round
And there's a place in it for every one of us
I'll keep the home fires burning
Only don't make a fuss
And if you're not impressed
With the wares life has to show
You can take them or leave them
They choose their own fare who say no
There's some ugly little dreams
For pretty girls to buy
It's enough to make you mad
But it's safer just to break down and cry

It's a battlefield Frances
You fight or concede
Victory to the enemy
Who call your strength insanity
What chance for such girls
How can we compete?
In a world that likes its women
Stupid and sweet
I bet you rue the day
The angels gave you your share
Of bright cornflower blue eyes
And golden hair
And there's a lot of ugly little dreams
For pretty girls to buy
It's enough to make you mad
But it's safer just to break down and cry
It's safer just to break down and cry

We don't want the neighbors 'round...

Under the Harvest Moon...



Under the harvest moon,
When the soft silver
Drips shimmering
Over garden nights,
Death, the gray mocker,
Comes and whispers to you
As a beautiful friend
Who remembers.

Under the summer roses
When the flagrant crimson
Lurks in the dusk
Of the wild red leaves,
Love, with little hands,
Comes and touches you
With a thousand memories,
And asks you
Beautiful, unanswerable questions.

by Carl Sandburg - (1878 - 1967)...

Interesting Book review site...



London Review of Books

Excellent reading...

David Bowie's illegitimate son? - perhaps not...



The Essential Suede

Trash

Oh maybe maybe it's the clothes we wear,
The tasteless bracelets and the dye in our hair,
Maybe it's our kookiness,
Oh maybe maybe it's our nowhere towns,
Our nothing places and our cellophane sounds,
Maybe it's our cheapness

We're trash, you and me
We're the litter on the breeze,
We're the lovers on the streets,
Just trash, me and you,
It's in everything we do, it's in everything we do

Or maybe maybe it's the things we said,
The words we heard and the music we play,
Maybe it's our sweetness,
Oh maybe maybe it's the times we've had,
The lazy days and the crazes and the fads,
Maybe it's our cheapness

But we're trash, you and me,
We're the litter on the breeze,
We're the lovers on the streets,
Just trash, me and you,
It's in everything we do,
It's in everything we do

but certainly Ziggy Stardust & Cockney rebel's lovechild...

A voice of reason...



Jews for justice for Palestinians

in a sea of troubles...

I was half watching TV in the early morning...



The Brandon Teena Story

When a movie called Boys don't cry came on. It's a fascinating story
of a female transexual who ends up being brutally murdered in small-town
America. It prompted me to do a bit of research into the main character
as the film is based on a true story.

Teena Brandon, Born 1972 - Brandon Teena, Died 1993...

The Kid from the Gorbals...



Benny Lynch

Scotland's World Champion - died in poverty at the age of 33...

Yama Yama Yama - Yama Yama Yama...



X-Ray Spex

The Day The World Turned Dayglo

I clambered over mounds and mounds
Of polystyrene foam
Then fell into a swimming pool
Filled with fairy snow

And watched the world turn
Day-glo you know you know
The world turned day-glo you know

I wrenched the nylon curtains back
As far as they would go
Then peered through perspex window panes
At the acrylic road

I drove my polypropolene car
On wheels of sponge
Then pulled into a wimpy bar
To have a rubber bun

The x-rays were penetrating
Through the latex breeze
Synthetic fibre see-thru leaves
Fell from the rayon trees

Boredom, Boredom, Boring Boredom...