Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (60/366) - post-practice tidy-up


Photo taken at Musical Vision, Aberdeen.  First band practice in a few weeks tonight, it was a good session, trying some stripped back, acoustic versions of songs and it went very well.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (59/366) - plaza ornamentation


Photo taken near the New Library, University of Aberdeen.  These strange stones appeared recently.  Not sure what it's meaning is, but I suppose it breaks up the cube-ness of the nearby architecture ;)

Monday, February 27, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (58/366) - The end of history


Photo taken in the Brewdog Pub, Aberdeen.  We went to a beer and cheese tasting session and had a great time, nice cheese, tasty and challenging beers with a friendly guide taking us on our gastronomic journey.  Here I am holding a bottle of "The End Of History" - the (second) last word in strong beer - a 55% freeze distilled beer.  I tried the "Sink the Bismarck" - 41% freeze distilled IPA, not too bad, better than the "Tactical Nuclear Penguin".

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Why I am turning my back on Formula One

I've taken the decision to completely boycott Formula One this season (and all the subsequent seasons that the entire season is not available free to air in its entirety) and considering that F1 is a sport I have followed since I was a kid it's not one I've taken lightly.  I am so angry that the BBC sold out - years ahead of the end of the current contract.

The coverage was getting good again, after the ITV nonsense (ad breaks in Formula One?  Gadzooks!) and having had a couple of seasons of a changing of the guard at the top of the pecking order the racing was quite compelling at times.  The BBC team were getting into their stride (the occasionally cringeworthy exchanges between David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan notwithstanding) and things were coming together nicely.  The on screen info was good.  The driver tracker was a revelation (albeit a few seconds behind what was actually happening).  All these things I will miss.

However, I object most strenuously to my TV license being devalued.  I already pay to watch television in this country.  I refuse to pay more to another company in order to watch the stuff I used to be able to watch in the monthly amount I already allocate to watching television.  I am incensed by this cheapening of the quality of the BBC's output.

Half a season of total weekend coverage is worse than none at all.  I'd rather the BBC had just sold out completely rather than present me with their half baked, half arsed, completely ineffectual half-way house offering, for which no doubt they expect me to be grateful.  Well, I'm not.  I am baffled, disappointed, confused and a little upset, in case you hadn't already noticed.

I've been mulling this over ever since the fateful announcement.  Despite the BBC being a public service it seems that our opinions as licence payers have been completely ignored, nay not even asked for.  There was no vote, there was no seeking of points of view on the matter.  This is what we're doing whether you like it or not, so suck it up, peasants.

I don't suppose that my statistically irrelevant teeny tiny blip on the viewing figures will make much difference, but the various F1 powers-that-be have seriously overestimated my desire to pay extra money to receive the same thing.

In summary: up yours, BBC.  Up yours, Sky.  Up yours, Bernie.  Up yours, F1.

Photo a day 2012 (57/366) - I have the power!


Photo taken directly above my laptop's power button.  The camera's not great at focusing, but it's produced this neon effect as a consequence of its frailties which I think looks quite cool :)

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (56/366) - leaving the harbour


Photo taken on Greyhope Road, Aberdeen.  The Grampian Don leaving the harbour.  Please excuse the awful photo, it's times like these when you wish you had a real camera instead of the phone, but when you're out and about on an unplanned walk it's better than nothing.

I'll also say sorry for the infrequent updates and resultant big splurges of pictures.  Will try to keep on top of it in the future.

Photo a day 2012 (55/366) - guts


Photo taken at work.  The innards of a Dell Precision M6300 "laptop" (for suitably sturdy laps - it's a massive mobile workstation).  Dodgy video card, and unfortunately out of warranty.  I might try to bring it back to life if I can score a suitable replacement part cheap on eBay ;)

Friday, February 24, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (54/366) - bye bye


Photo taken near Meston Walk, Aberdeen.  Remember the tree that got damaged in a storm?  Well, only in pictures now as it's been chopped down.  Not sure why, the rest of it looked sturdy enough.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (53/366) - spring has sprung?


Picture taken in my garden.  There have been a few mild days, and the crocuses are responding in kind.

Photo a day 2012 (52/366) - confidence inspiring


Picture taken on the way to work.  A street light wedged in with some bits of wood.  A temporary measure, one hopes :)

Photo a day 2012 (51/366) - lunchtime practice


Picture taken in my office at work.  I am extremely fortunate that I am allowed to indulge in my hobby in my lunch hour at work.

Photo a day 2012 (50/366) - semi successful sushi sojourn


Photo taken at Yo Sushi, Union Square, Aberdeen.  Food was good as always, but we were quite disappointed to find that the Sumo Sunday deal has been reduced from a 2 hour time limit to 1 hour.  I felt rushed.  The price remains the same.  It feels a bit greedy.  I have registered my displeasure, for all the good it'll do.

Photo a day 2012 (49/366) - you're not from round here, are you?


Photo taken on Palmerston Road, Aberdeen.  A hat missing its hombre resting in the shade.

Photo a day 2012 (48/366) - anti-hunger


Photo taken at Darcy's, Princes Square, Glasgow.  A generously proportioned antipasti.

Photo a day 2012 (47/366) - the last thing you see before a fatal cat attack


Photo taken in my kitchen.  The boy must be hungry - attempting to use rock climbing techniques to scale the kitchen worktops.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (46/366) - 1981 Gibson Victory Artist


Photo taken in my bedroom.  I know I've featured this bass before on these pages, but just look at it!  It's probably the prettiest bass I own.  I'm so glad I was able to rescue it.

Photo a day 2012 (45/366) - Shedio, Mk II


Photo taken from the top of the outside stairs.  Following on from my picture showing the water damage in the shedio, here is the first attempt to make it watertight - a layer of felt along the ridge.

Photo a day 2012 (44/366) - colourful tea


Photo taken in Union Square.  I just liked the look of this tea and the swirly patterns of the mesh bag.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (43/366) - mmm, pie


Photo taken in my living room.  Mmm, pie.  No, I didn't make it - pie provided by M&S ;)

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (42/366) - a taste of capitalism


Photo taken at Starbucks, Union Square, Aberdeen.  A cup of coffee that I didn't have to make myself.  That is its raison d'être.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Moffat bass bash, videos emerge

I had a great time at the Moffat bass bash last weekend.  This was the fifth one I have attended and they keep getting better and better.

This year was probably the best one yet - a structured, organised "bassyokey" where we pick songs in advance then go up and take our turns with the house band.  A nerve-wracking experience, considering the audience was made up almost exclusively of bass players - most of whom have been playing for many more years than me.  It would be like a driving examiner conducting a driving test in a people carrier full of driving examiners.

Anyway, I chose to play the theme from the TV series "True Blood" - if you don't know it it's a song called "Bad Things" originally by Jace Everett.  I did OK, a couple of bloops but I held it together.  Due to nervousness I lapsed back into bad left hand habits (excessive movement, "any finger will do as long as you get there on time" sort of mentality) which irritated me because I've been trying to get that out of my system.

Anyway, have a video:


There was a vast collection of basses on show as ever.  I took a sweep of the room where most of them were:


I had a great time, already looking forward to the next one!

Photo a day 2012 (41/366) - ignoramus


Photo taken on Abbey Road, Aberdeen.  This is pig-ignorant parking at its best.  To the immediate left of the shot the road narrows significantly, so it's a stupid place to park anyway but blocking two people's doorways? It shouldn't really need to be spelled out but I've enlarged the relevant information that this motorist ignored.  Of course, if the owner of the car is also the owner of both these doorways then I retract the second point.

It was there all of yesterday and it's still here this morning.  Out of  interest, how long should you leave it before reporting it abandoned to the police?

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (40/366) - sprung a leak :(


Photo taken in the shedio.  Heavy rain last night and today we have this.  Oh dear.  Builder is coming to look at it tomorrow, I hope.

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (39/366) - guess the substance 2


Photo taken in my kitchen.  OK, same drill as previous pic - what is it?

Photo a day 2012 (38/366) - guess the substance 1


Photo taken in my kitchen.  I've been running low on stuff to photograph so I thought I'd play a wee game.  What is this?

Monday, February 06, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (37/366) - king of the castle


Photo taken in the dining room/storage area for junk.  Chico assessing his descent from the top of a vertically stored divan.

Photo a day 2012 (36/366) - bass bash!


Photo taken in the Old Well Theatre, Moffat.  Some of the basses belonging to me and my friend Rich.

Photo a day 2012 (35/366) - snowy road trip


Photo taken in the vicinity of Dundee.  On the way down to Moffat, the weather took a turn for the worst.  For 5 minutes.  Thank you, Scottish weather!

Friday, February 03, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (34/366) - boxed and bagged up


Photo taken in my bedroom.  Road trip to Moffat tomorrow for the fifth bass bash!  Getting pretty excited about it.  If it wasn't for the fact that all my shirts are still hanging up it kinda looks like I'm being kicked out of the house :)

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (33/366) - rescue mission


Photo taken at work.  This didn't look good at the start, but I was able to see the files via USB and so it's a case of lifting them off there as quickly as possible before the thing crumbles completely.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Photo a day 2012 (32/366) - practice makes perfect


Photo taken in my bedroom.  This is a Tascam MP-BT1 bass trainer.  For me it's an indispensable tool for learning songs as it can slow songs without altering the pitch, and can also change the pitch without changing the tempo.  It can EQ out the bass to a degree for playing along, and it can boost the bass so you can hear it above the rest of the music.  I use it for all my silent practice.

Photo a day 2012 (31/366) - h is for...


Photo taken in my car.  This is the only logo I want to see on any car of mine.  Until I win the lottery, that is ;)