Author Archives: Alasdair

Writeup

Before the new toy, though, the weekend.

Fucking brilliant is almost close, I suppose. Finished off a column that I’m actually pretty pleased with, one that’s spitting bile and hate, even by my standards. Look for it on Friday at Ninth Art. Then Saturday evening, it was off to Uptight. I don’t know if I’ve ever enjoyed a club as much. I used to love The Mission in Edinburgh, but even that wasn’t quite the right music for me. I certainly spent as much (total) time on the dancefloor as I have at any club I’ve ever been to, barring one night at Rock Raider, when I was 17 and had much, much more energy than I do today. Given how hard it is to get me on the dancefloor, this is a serious achievement. They didn’t play every act I’d been looking forward to on the playlist, but that’s just an excuse to go again, in my book.

Sunday I spent mooching about Richmond with Andrew and Andrea. A lovely, relaxed day with fine food, excellent views and good company, although between all the exercise yesterday and the dancing on Saturday, I am now in several kinds of agony. More reasons to get in shape, right there.

Playlist

At work, the technical department is in a separate room. We tend to have music playing, because we can, using the G4 Mac as a jukebox. Now, I know my musical taste doesn’t agree with most of the office, so I listen to my own music on headphones. But a while back, while trying to make a tape for the trip to Bristol, I copied a bunch of MP3s over to the Mac so that I could burn them to CD.

Someone has started them playing, which I’m certainly not complaining about. But this is a room where you’re all you’re normally likely to hear something chilled and ambient, or Another Generic Ibiza Album. Right now, this is the playlist:

New Model Army – Vengance

Dead Kennedys – Holday in Cambodia

Joan Jett – Bad Reputation

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Papa Won’t Leave You Henry

The Pixies – River Euprates

Ramones – It’s Not My Place (In The 9 To 5 World)

Buzzocks – Boredom

The Fall – How I Wrote Elastic Man

Stiff Little Fingers – Alternative Ulster

The Birthday Party – Zoo-Music Girl

The Undertones – Teenage Kicks

The Only Ones – Another Girl, Another Planet

No-one seems to have the nerve to turn it off.

Refrain

Apparently, my friends think I’m a miserable bastard. In a good way, presumably, because these people are my friends. But I remain confused by this. I’ve been confused by it for years, although it’s been some time since I was accused of it. Perhaps people have just given up telling me I’m a miserable bastard. I doesn’t really bother me, although it used to. I just find it amusing that one group of people can ask me if I ever stop smiling (not often, apparently), while another can accuse me of a miserable bastard.

Because, y’know, I think I’m generally quite cheerful. I laugh at the world. It’s a ridiculous and lunatic place, and I love it as much as I hate it.

Like I say, I’m just amused that people think me a miserable bastard. Unpleasant and cynical, I could buy. Slightly neurotic lately, true. But miserable always leaves me faintly confused.

I swear, I will never understand you humans.

Feeling Good

Apparently, I am “disgustingly lucid” this morning, according to my co-workers. Mind you, this may have something to do with the fact they they were out on the town last night, while I only had two drinks, a lot of water, and a rather nice dinner last night. Yeah, I’m feeling chirpy. This is quite unnatural for me.

Knowhere

And today’s link comes via Marcia, on the WEF Knowhere is a guide to places around the UK written by people who actually live there. In a very honest manner. I don’t agree with some of the descriptions given of places I know, but can see how people might feel that way about them. Worth a look.

Attribution

Apparently, song lyrics are Not Acceptable. Too easy, or something. But I’ve not really had much to say, the last couple of days, because, well, not a lot has been happening. Bits of me are turning interesting shades of purple and yellow, after getting knocked down. Spot of mild concern on Tuesday when I spent most of the day feeling nauseous, and therefore wondering if I’d knocked my head harder than I thought, but aside from a tendency to wince if I bang the wrong part of my body against something, I’m fine.

I’m getting irritated by having to wait for my new toy, though. The camera attatchement has arrived, but the rest of it? Of course not. Maybe tomorrow. Then I reall do have to start looking to a re-design. One that’ll handle photos as well. Yeah, then I can bore you with inane and dull pictures to go with the words. It also means I have to get non-blogger-powered version of this ready sooner.

Speaking of the words: A couple of people have asked what some of the unattributed quotes on this pages were from. They’re not from anything. They’re original creations, by me, generally things that leap into my head that demand to be set down quick. I stick them here because I have no idea what to do with them. If I use someone else’s words here, I’ll credit them, thanks.

Stormbreak, I found a spine for, and I’m currently writing up a proposal based on it.

Nightclubbing, I have no fucking clue.

Happy now? :)