Notes

Shorter posts, links, or thoughts. No schedule, not heavily considered.

  • Blood and cursing

    My (step) father-in-law has been helping me try and remove a headlamp from our motorhome. It has not been a fun job. We may have done a swear. Or three. I tried it myself for about an hour late last week, to no avail. It’s one of those awkward jobs that was, probably, very easy…

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  • Crucial Track – 06 July 2026

    What song would you dedicate to your younger self? I likely wouldn’t have listened, what young person listens to some as old and ancient as me! But if I could sit myself down, and ask for a moment of patience and attention, I’d play this. Even as a young man I had a sense of…

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  • Week 27

    📝 Life Notes Monday was a day off, already can’t quite remember what I did with it. Oh yes, a wander round the shops and some sushi. Nice to hang out with my beautiful wife, sans Jack for a change. Tuesday was the day of the Alanis Morissette gig, and it was glorious. The weather…

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  • Crucial Track – 05 July 2026

    What’s a song that feels like magic every time you hear it? Magic in terms of immediately makes me smile. Magic in terms of uplifts my soul with a quality that is as easy as it is to describe (upbeat pop music with gorgeous soaring melody) as it is to quantify. Why does this song…

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  • Allez Le Tour!

    The Tour de France starts today. I’m still debating shelling out for HBO Max so I can watch stages live on my iPad while I work —the joys of working at home— but I’ll be following along regardless. It should be a fascinating race this year, even if the winner is more than likely to…

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  • 250 years old

    Happy Birthday America! You did it. 250 years old. Well done!We just won’t ask those guys over there about it though (you know, the natives). Anyway, as Aimee Mann says: Today’s the Fourth of JulyAnother June has gone byAnd when they light up our town I just thinkWhat a waste of gunpowder and sky You’ve…

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  • Crucial Track – 04 July 2026

    Share a song that makes you want to call an old friend. I have a fairly small circle of close friends. We used to go to a lot of gigs together and I can’t recall which of us discovered this band but we saw them live many times, and whenever this song pops up I…

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  • Radio App Vibed

    Not sure that title even makes sense to be honest, but on we go! I listen to BBC 6Music most mornings when I’m working. The joys of working at home, my music choice, my coffee, my desk and a window I can open as wide as I wish. However that means keeping a browser tab…

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  • Crucial Track – 03 July 2026

    What’s your favorite song to sing in the car? ALL OF THEM! I love singing in the car, volume up loud, completely invisible to the world, we can let our inner divas out, our hidden rock goddesses to the fore!! But one track? Well it has to be a rock classic, something you can really…

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  • Crucial Track – 02 July 2026

    Share a song that feels like it was written specifically for you. Off he goes I am the friend who disappears. I am the friend who doesn’t keep in touch. It’s something I’ve been aware of for many many years —that my small circle of best friends keep in touch with each other far more…

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  • Best gig, ever

    One of the Summer Sessions gigs that takes over one part of Bellahouston Park, last night saw Alanis Morissette headlining a line-up of amazing female led bands. Local Glasgow band Lucia and the Best Boys were already on stage when we arrived and delivered a stripped back set. First time hearing them and already eyeing…

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  • Crucial Track – 01 July 2026

    What’s a song you only listen to when you’re completely alone? The Other Side by David Gray. I went through a dark spell in my life which, like many people do, I faked my way through. This song feels like it’s describing my feelings at that time, my awareness of my sinking sand, and the…

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  • Why Digital Detox?

    Since late last year I have been slowly (very slowly) removing digital artefacts from a few places in my life. It partly goes hand in hand with the death plan I’m building —more on that later— and partly just a reaction to my loathing of having too much clutter, something that feels like a constant…

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  • Moments Gone Pro?

    Moments, a beautiful photo sharing, quiet community, site has revealed their pricing. As an early member —sorry Founding Supporter— I get the opportunity to pay $89/year for some additional features. Is free still worth it? Is their paid for tier good enough to stump up the cash? I’ll admit when I first signed up for…

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  • Week 26

    📝 Life Notes 📚 Books 📰 Articles 📺 Media 🎧 Music 🫀 Health 🗓️ Next Week

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  • RIP Om Malik

    Sad news indeed. I traded emails with Om many years ago, it was no doubt on the topic of the nascent blogging boom that was happening at the time, and whilst I don’t recall the specifics, I do remember the kind consideration. Always a sensible voice, there was a balance to his writing, a gentle…

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  • ALWAYS Wear a helmet

    Wear a helmet, says Bino Seconded! Before I met her, my wife came off her mountain bike whilst and even WITH a helmet on was in hospital for a few days and now has a metal plate in her head, and no memory of the incident at all. Edited: Apparently she does not have a…

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  • Insincere social media

    Last night I deleted my Threads account. I have beenmostly avoiding Threads/BlueSky/Facebook for a while now but occasionally dip in to check… nothing of real importance. I only popped on last night ahead of the Scotland vs Brazil match —a match we are not gonna talk about— to share the camaraderie and whilst I was…

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  • SCO vs BRA

    My first memories of World Cup football are Mexico ’86. After Jock Stein died at the end of the qualifying match against Wales the previous year, some bloke called Alex Ferguson took over as manager. Not sure what happened to him after that though. Scotland, as usual, didn’t make it out of the group stage…

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  • Fuck Brexit

    10 years ago I woke up in a tent in Glastonbury and realised that the utterly unthinkable had happened. We spent the morning, we festival goers, wandering around in a daze. It can’t be true?! Can it? It was. The magical otherworldliness of Glastonbury faded quickly that day as the real world, the horrible hateful…

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