Month: March 2016

Everything will be alright

The man of many disguises, David Bowie, has created more personas than there are characters in the Honoré de Balzac La Comédie humaine collection. Furthermore, the biblical proportions of Cecil B. DeMille’s extras are sparse in comparison with The Ziggy Aladdin Duke’s creations. He did the lot. He sang, he wrote songs, lyrics, performed live, he narrated, he mimed, he acted, he painted. He gayed, he ungayed. He married a model. He was a father, he pushed prams.

Bowie’s music spanned the whole universe of genres. While not many of us are like Midge Ure and love the complete Bowie cake, there are slices of it that taste beautiful. This little gem was released in beware the savage jaw of 1984. A song that always cheers me up.

Hindsight

My father went to University (Embra) in 1932. Started in New College doing Divinity but quickly strayed on to the primrose path of the Arts Faculty. For which deviation I have always been grateful. I just know that I would not have been happy being a son of the Manse like Gordon Brown or David Steel.

Anyhow, he made lots of friends at said Uni of Embra. One of said chums  was a Hebridean Medical student called Donald. Jock-wise,  a very common Christian name but it came with an unusual surname.

Which was Duck. Continue reading “Hindsight”

Iberia Frustrated

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the chance to speak to Spaniards of different origins and social classes concerning their views on Spain’s recent economic and social travails. Among the genteel middle class there’s an overwhelming ennui, a distinct jadedness. Spain has long been a poor country with higher-than-average unemploymen Continue reading “Iberia Frustrated”

Wanted: a new sugar daddy

If the UK votes for Brexit, the SNP will try to defect again. And I can see why! The UK is tired of filling their begging bowl and the defectors need to look for another source of bail-outs. The EU of course is the prime candidate, with a long history of supporting lost causes with other people’s cash.

The fact is: good riddance to bad SNP rubbish! If only the silent Scottish majority would get vocal NOW, rather than when push comes to shove.

Travelling through different dimensions

If you’re insane, do you know you’re insane?

If you can withstand pain, where is the pain?

If you’re a zombie, what is a zombie?

If you’re ugly, why are you ugly?

If you can work any of these out, you’re a better worker outer than me.

Get ova yourself

It’s women’s tennis – a feminist force mustered by Navratilova. There’s now an ova in every final and (the younger) Maria* is their diva. Easy on the eye, persistently histrionic on court, equally successful off the court, she announces her own doping indiscretions, seizing the high pr ground before the authorities have drawn breath. Be sorry for me, I made a mistake (for 10 years!), don’t be harsh.

Serena is closing ranks. Another diva with a unique agenda. Why is she so quick to speak up? Just remember: Big girls don’t cry – they pack a punch.

I don’t expect any comments from the men.

  • to avoid confusion

Nordic Pseudo-Visions

Sweden is an exquisite country. Well, most of Sweden is an exquisite country – there are parts of it that are rather less than pleasant. I arrived in Kalmar late in the afternoon as the sun was starting to set. It’s cold; it’s very cold – and windy. Yes, yes. Of course that’s what one should expect. Kalmar is a seaside town in Scandinavia, Continue reading “Nordic Pseudo-Visions”