Photo a day 2012 (68/366) - campaign trail

Photo taken on the Old Aberdeen campus, Aberdeen University.  The least popular Family Guy character  goes on a charm offensive.  Maybe ;)

Photo a day 2012 (67/366) - living room with a view

Photo taken on the North Sea coast.  Normally I would just call this litter, but the positioning of it made me chuckle.

Photo a day 2012 (66/366) - new toy

Photo taken in my bedroom.  I got a new amp recently, and so far it has performed excellently.  It totally surprised me by keeping up with the band at band rehearsal.

Photo a day 2012 (65/366) - mmm, this is a tasty burger!

Photo taken at the Handmade Burger Company, Union Square, Aberdeen.  Blue cheese and bacon burger.  Mmmm.

Photo a day 2012 (64/366) - cat cupboard

Photo taken in the dining room.  You can't leave a cupboard door open with a cat around :)

Photo a day 2012 (63/366) - the bane of my life

Photo taken at Cafe Drummond, Aberdeen.  This is a CCTV DVR.  Whenever the shit hits the fan and the Police want footage of some drunken shenanigans it's me who often has to extract it from this infernal machine.  On this day it failed twice - right at the point when it had done the hard part and begin burning the DVD.  A half hour job turned into several hours.  It hates me.  But I persist, because I love getting the evidence that helps get violent people who can't handle their booze their comeuppance.

Photo a day 2012 (62/366) - pointing the way

Photo taken in my bedroom.  Sorry folks, nothing exciting today, just some gratuitous mother-of-pearl on black ;)

Photo a day 2012 (61/366) - Kitchen Cynics Orchestra

Photo taken at The Tunnels, Aberdeen.  Went to see local legend Alan Davidson perform alongside Jan and Claire from Seas, Starry.  Guitars, bowed bass, loop pedals, effects, a theremin and a finale of strange things with a horn and a string which the player bows.

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.

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 ;)

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".

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 :)

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 ;)

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.

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.