Halloween Extra

On 10.31.08, In Holiday, Life, Monarchs House, Scotland, St Andrews, By Mike

It’s difficult to believe that Halloween with its goblins and witches is upon us already. But imagine a place where you can encounter ghosts and the paranormal not just in October but every month.  Due to it’s somewhat bloody history, ghosts are not unusual in Scotland. However, they are positively commonplace in St. Andrews and the County of Fife.

I’m sure you need convincing.  How about the “ghost car” driven by a malevolent looking man that speeds down the “A7″ causing reoccurring accidents?  You need more don’t you?  Of course you do.  There’s always the assassinated Archbishop of St Andrews, James Beaton, who rides down Strathkinness Road in a phantom coach drawn by four large horses.  The murdered Prior who can be observed on moonlit nights watching over the Tower of St. Rules might convince you. Or the “white lady” would definitely scare your hair straight.  It’s not unusual for this “ghosty” woman to run right through you by the square tower.  I know I’m not making a strong case for you but name one other country who recognizes the Ghost Tracking profession.  A few years ago, one of our friends in St Andrews awoke to a wee, ghoulish, girl at the foot of her bed…on a regular basis.

About two years ago, I was at our home in St Andrews while Christine was in Boston. One Sunday afternoon, I called Chris from the drawing living room while making myself comfortable in a big winged back chair. Five minutes into our conversation I heard the unmistakeable sound of hoovering vacuuming from the next floor. Chris heard the startle in my voice and asked what was up. “I thought I was in the house alone. Someone is upstairs,” I hesitantly remarked. I shifted in the chair, mistakenly thinking that somehow I would hear better. But there was no doubt that someone was vacuuming. I got out of the chair and moved toward the living room door. Chris was still on the phone with me. The sound was definitely louder and coming from the 1st 2nd floor landing. “Chris, I can’t explain this. I have to go upstairs,” I told her in a completely unconvincing tone. And up the stairs on tiptoes, I went. The stairs are carpet covered stone and there was minimal noise squeeking out from under the weight of me. Chris asked what was going on but I didn’t dare respond. It was unnecessary because she could hear the vacuuming too. When I reached the midway landing, the noise stopped…dead. I bounded up the remaining stairs and looked in the rooms. Nothing. Then, I opened the linen closet and found the hoover still hot from finishing its chores. Gulp.

Next time I will tell you about the case of the missing cushions pillows.

See for yourself, visit St. Andrews.  Have a ghoul on us.

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
3 Comments
Leave A Response

Michael Franti & Spearhead

On 10.31.08, In Don't Miss This, Music, Video, By Mike

Michael Franti used to be an angry young man. His hip-hop was in your face and antagonizing. No longer. Franti, the leader of Spearhead, is now a socially conscious singer with a brand new attitude. He’s been singing about problems, hope and solutions for over a decade and now his new album, All Rebel Rockers, may be the vehicle that finally gets Franti the wider audience he deserves. Chris and I saw him in concert the last time he was through Boston and if he’s coming to your town; See the show. It’s infectious.

This new music video, recorded in Jamaica, is my favorite track on the new album. The tune is called Say Hey (I Love You). It’s hip-hop, it’s reggae, it is fun as hell and it is positively joyous. I hope you like it too.

AND Happy Halloween to one and all! Guising anyone?

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

Boris

On 10.30.08, In Eccentric, Government, London, Politics, United Kingdom, By Mike

If James Spader and Donald Trump were British and could somehow procreate (crikey, what am I saying here), their male offspring would be the spit and image of Boris Johnson. Johnson is the Mayor of London. I will spare you the details of Johnson’s resume but it is broad and deep but it hardly gives you any sense of the man. If one said that Boris Johnson is quirky, it would be akin to saying Usain Bolt is speedy. Usain Bolt? He’s really fast.  Boris, and he hates being called by his surname because he doesn’t want to be perceived as likeable,  was in the news this week. As usual, he was in the news because the man just doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut and for Johnson, political correctness never applies.

Johnson, a former journalist, still likes to write though he is a busy mayor of one of the world’s largest cities. He always has something to say and he still likes to memorialize it. On Tuesday, Johnson scribed a piece for the (London) Telegraph about the financial crisis. On one hand, his words look commonsensical, on other hand he misses the point that we are in the soup because we spent our way into it. The consumer cannot get us out of this problem given what has happened to real estate, retirement plans et al. But this is Boris at his best.

I don’t want to seem indifferent to suffering, and I don’t want anyone to accuse me of minimising the likely effect of the recession, because the coming months will very probably be a lot tougher – for millions of people – than the boom times we have all recently enjoyed.

But after reading the BBC’s special market crisis website, complete with its jagged red arrow pointing at the floor, and after hearing the pornographic glee with which we are told that another small country has gone up the spout, and after Mr Bean, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, has informed us that this could be the worst financial crisis in history, I am afraid I want to thrash my FT on the table and shout, Whoa! Come off it, folks! This isn’t the Black Death. Pinch yourself. Are you still there? Got a pulse? Thought so. Look out of the window. Those aren’t zombies. They are men and women engaged in the normal business of getting and spending.

This isn’t some disaster movie about a virus from Mars. It’s a recession, a downturn, a correction of a kind that is indispensable to any kind of human activity, and it does not require that we all go around under a special kind of credit-crunch pall. It does not mean we have to cancel all parties and talk in hushed credit-crunch tones. It doesn’t mean we have to line our rooms with newspaper, get in the foetal position and live on tins: in fact, it means the opposite.

Classic Boris.  Have a read of the rest of Johnson’s bylined story here.

+ =

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
2 Comments
Leave A Response

PDB – Early Voting

On 10.29.08, In Election, Patriotism, Photo, Photo of the Week, Photography, Pure Dead Brilliant, Voting, By Mike

In the United States, 31 states can vote before the general election date of November 4. Twelve million Americans have cast their votes already or 10% of 2004’s election total. In Colorado, 30% of register voters have selected our new President already. Whatever you do, who ever you support, make certain that you vote. It is your right and your duty to vote. Do not be cynical about whether your vote counts or not. It counts. We live in a free country precisely because we can vote. Once you ignore that duty, you relinquish all rights to complain about what’s wrong with this country.

If you would like to keep track of where the states are with early voting you can click here.

My friend Carolyn mentioned this video in her comment below. I think it is worth seeing and will include it here for your consideration.



Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

I Can’t Sleep – Aye Wonder Instead

On 10.28.08, In Aye Wonder Tuesday, Barack Obama, Election, John McCain, Music, Politics, Presidential Candidates, Quote, Song of the Week, Stock Market, Technology, Video, Wall St., By Mike

I’m back to the sleepless nights again. It’s brutal. Ultimately, I decided to get out of bed at 3:00 AM and went back for a snooze around 5:30 AM. Even then, I feel like I am bouncing around the bed like a kid in a trampoline tent but having a lot less fun.  Instead of sleeping though, I wonder. I wonder about EVERYTHING.

By the way, on a quick housekeeping note, the Golf in Scotland tab that you see above has been vigorously updated. If you are a golfer and interested in a trip to the Home of Golf, I would recommend that you pay a visit to this page.

☞Today, we are one week away from electing a new President. With my entire heart, soul and brain, I hope that new President is Barack Obama but I hardly feel complacent about its likelihood. Anything can happen and usually does. Today, I read  a great posting on Andrew Sullivan’s blog, Atlantic Magazine columnist and author of the book The Conservative Soul, about the Top 10 Reason Why Conservatives Should Vote for Obama. If you are still undecided, this may be of help. Sullivan makes a rational and compelling argument for an Obama Presidency even if you list to the Right.

☞Will someone please tell me why McCain has latched onto Joe the Plumber like a dog with his favorite chew toy?  Sure, I get the metaphor but use it once, maybe twice but don’t revolve your last week of campaigning around a plumber. Joe is now finding out that everyone may get their 15 minutes of fame but as John Oliver says, ” 12 of those minutes are a rectal exam.”

☞Late last week, this story was reported by Reuters: during the Cold War, two U.S. fighter planes were scrambled over the English countryside to shoot down a UFO that was as big as a aircraft carrier. When the U.S. pilot was seconds away from firing 24 rockets into this mass, it vacated the area at 7600 miles per hour. The pilot was sworn to secrecy but the secret files were opened on October 20. Here’s the rest of the Reuters’ story.

If that didn’t creep you out a bit, this surely will. This is considered to be the most important photograph ever taken.

☞In honor of the above and Richard Garriott, the first space tourist (paying $30 million for the privilege) and who just returned after 12 days in space, I present for you this week’s Aye Wonder Song of the Week. It’s an oldie, Bowie’s Life on Mars.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

☞Lately, I have been thinking a great deal about the economy, the stock market and employment. I don’t agree with what I have heard lately about the timing of the recovery in all of the above. I think that much of the depression in prices, the economy and employment is demographically driven and it is likely you haven’t heard anyone say that before. I thought the bull market in the 90’s was demographics driven also. Here’s what I mean: the baby boomers are the largest demographic mass to ever move through any era in the history of the world. That’s significant because it represents demand. It’s one of the reasons that housing costs skyrocketed. But now baby boomers are in an asset dispersal mode. Plain and simple, they are getting old. Second homes are not selling because the demand has disappeared. This will continue for…a decade. I hope to hell that I am wrong but the fundamentals, to me, look horrific. Keep your powder dry.

☞I know I am kind of late to this party but Facebook seems to have taken on a life of its own. For awhile it seemed like it would disappear but now it’s virtually ubiquitous. Here’s my Facebook badge for whatever it is worth.

☞I just read that the NFL is investigating 6-8 players for steroids violations. After all that has been written about this subject, it is hard to believe that in this day and age, there are still knuckleheads out there attempting to get away with violating the league’s drug policy. They must not be paying enough in the NFL.

☞I want to throw another song at you this week. If you are a fan of the Dundee, Scotland based Snow Patrol’s building crescendo of BritPop goodness then you may like their new single, Take Back the City, as well. It doesn’t have the nervous romanticism of Chasing Cars but there is a bit of an endearing classic rock/anthemic feel to it.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

☞The following quote is one of my favorites and one that is apropos of the upcoming election. I present to you, this week’s Aye Wonder quote:

Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it. ~Mark Twain

☞Finally, I have to think that with Sarah Palin becoming a national joke, we would be having a much different conversation had John McCain selected either Tom Ridge or Mitt Romney as his running mate. She may be charming but she adds absolutely nothing to the national conversation. You couldn’t have a more damning indictment of her candidacy.

Aye Wonder

And I hope all of you are wondering too.

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
3 Comments
Leave A Response

What Would You Do?

On 10.27.08, In Bigotry, Racism, Religion, Video, By Mike

I was going to write about the idiocy that has surrounded “Joe the Plumber” for the past 10 days until I saw this video. It’s everything Colin Powell spoke about regarding prejudice and bogotry when he was on Meet the Press two Sundays ago. I urge you to watch this. It becomes worthwhile around the 7 minute mark and you will be glad you took the time. Also, you will begin to understand the goodness and the evil that permeates the country that we all love.

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
2 Comments
Leave A Response

Photo Hunter #16 – Scary

On 10.25.08, In Photo, Photo Hunt, Photo Hunter, Photography, Religion, By Mike

This week’s Photo Hunter theme is scary. Christine and I live nearby to the Boston headquarters for the Church, and I use that word loosely, of Scientology. For awhile, in the spring and summer, it seemed like there were bi-weekly demonstrations in front of the “Church.” The group that is protesting is a group called Anonymous. Bold name, huh? Originally, the protesters claimed that the Church of Scientology was censoring the Internet. Later, the group changed its focus to attempting to get the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the Church of Scientology’s tax-exempt status.  I am all for religious tolerance but I’m not sure who is scarier, the Church or its faceless protesters.

Photo Hunter

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • •
 
7 Comments
Leave A Response

Ron Howard at 54, Still Boy Wonder

On 10.24.08, In 60s, 80's, Movies, Ron Howard, Television, Video, By Mike

The category to your left is probably a bit presumptuous.  My thought was if you are sitting there reading a blog, you might want to be aware of the water cooler conversation piece. And I am sure you would return the favor and turn me on to the don’t miss piece. If I started this, say, last week, Marvin Gaye singing a capella would have been the first “DON’T MISS THIS.” If Marvin Gaye was last week, this week’s entry would be much, much better.

Ron Howard is an American institution. In the sixties, he was on every single television show that mattered, most notably Mayberry RFD. Later, He starred in Happy Days, one of America’s most beloved sit-coms. After all these great successes on the small screen, Ron Howard relentlessly turned to directing and producing movies. Today at age 54, he has been married for 33 years to his high school sweetheart. In 2007, he became a grandfather.

Ron Howard has never reprieved any of his acting roles, until today. I loved every second of this video and I hope you do too.

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
3 Comments
Leave A Response

Another Icon on Life Support

On 10.23.08, In Beer, Drinking, England, Ireland, Life, Scotland, United Kingdom, By Mike

First, it was London Bridge that was sold to unsuspecting, dolt businessmen in Lake Havasu City, Arizona who thought they were buying Tower Bridge. Later, British Telecom, during their privatisation, began selling off the ubiquitous British red telephone boxes before someone realized that they might be culturally significant. Today, London’s black cab is being manufactured in Shanghai. And now…the greatest horror of all… pubs are closing at an alarming rate in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Public houses or pubs, were the hub of village life in the United Kingdom for centuries. In many respects, they helped to define British life. Families and friends gathered in pubs to celebrate life, laugh, commiserate, eat and mostly, to drink ale. The family dog could always be found in front of the pub’s well-used fireplace. This way of life, an important aspect of British culture, is on the way out. Today, 35 pubs a week close across England. Over a 1000 English villages are now without pubs where at one time, those villages had 2, 3 and sometimes 4 pubs. There are projections that in Scotland, 12% of its pubs will shutter in 2009. Ireland has closed 1500 pubs since 2001. On top of all of this, the pub closures are costing thousands of jobs.

There are many reasons for this pandemic but the biggest reason of all is pure economics. If you read my fellow blogger, Katie from Long Aye-Lander, she wrote a post yesterday about the cost of beer in the supermarkets versus the price in a pub. As Katie points out, you can buy a can of Skol lager for 23p or less than 39 cents in the supermarket. Admittedly, Skol isn’t fantastic but compare 23p/39 cents to £3/$5.70 for a pint in a pub. Her Majesty’s tax collectors add approximately 30% to the price of a pint in a pub dependent upon the percentage of alcohol in the beer.

The government has made a well meaning move to focus on health throughout the U.K. but combined with pub economics and the smoking ban, pubs are now in more trouble than Tom Cruise’s acting career. The government has come to realise that with every action there is a reaction and now they have taken up the cause for the pubs. Can it be long before all hell breaks loose? Where will I get my McEwans 80/?

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
6 Comments
Leave A Response

Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan

On 10.22.08, In Inspirational, Iraq, Middle East, Photo, Photo of the Week, Photography, Pure Dead Brilliant, War, By Mike

This is a crap title for this posting but I am hoping you will overlook it. On Sunday, Colin Powell endorsed the candidacy of Barack Obama. In doing so he also condemned the divisive and disgusting rhetoric of the McCain/Palin ticket. One example he pointed to was the story of a 20 year old soldier named Kareem R. Khan who died in August of this year. Khan, from New Jersey, was 14 years old when the attacks of September 11 occurred. Every day since that tragedy and until he was old enough to enlist in the Army, Khan wanted to prove that not all Muslims were fanatics and many, like him, were willing to lay down their life for this country. In 2005, immediately after his graduation from high school, Khan enlisted. A year later he was sent to Iraq. Two years later, he was killed in an explosion resulting from clearing bombs in the Iraqi town of Baquoba. Khan was the recipient of a bronze star and a purple heart.

Powell told the story how he was moved by this recent photograph of Khan’s mother at his gravestone.

“Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no. That’s not America. Is there something wrong with a seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion that he is a Muslim and might have an association with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America,” ~ Colin Powell, Meet the Press, October 19, 2008.

Possibly Related Posts:


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
2 Comments
Leave A Response
Page 1 of 3123

 

10.CathedralSt Andrews Castlest andrews university: st saviour's collegeSt Andrews CastleThe inner harbour, St. Andrews 

I have written…. 

  • Time for an AWT Good News Edition
  • A New Decade AWT – I Feel Better Already
  • Happy New Year One and All
  • AWT is on the Record
  • The Insanity Continues
  • Two Days Remain
  • Marvellous. Just Marvellous.
  • The Decade in Review – The AWT version
  • I Feel So Good, I’m Gonna Break Somebody’s Heart Tonight
  • Has Anyone Seen the Winter Sun
 

Categories 

 

Archives 

 
Locations of visitors to this page
 

Stats 

Pageviews: 552
Hosts: 37
Users: 4
 
Go To Top »

Looking for something?

Use the form below to search the site:

Still not finding what you're looking for? Drop a comment on a post or contact us so we can take care of it!

Visit our friends!

A few highly recommended friends...

Archives

All entries, chronologically...

8 visitors online now
8 guests, 0 members
Max visitors today: 9 at 12:01 am UTC
This month: 19 at 03-12-2010 10:56 am UTC
This year: 28 at 01-21-2010 10:38 am UTC
All time: 28 at 01-21-2010 10:38 am UTC

Video & Audio Comments are proudly powered by Riffly