
3.2.06
New Milne

2.2.06
After Dinner Group Photo



1.2.06
At Attention in Comic Book Colours

Arsenal went & cocked it up again. The team is self-destructing at a rapid pace and if they can't stop it, no amount of record-breaking goals is going to keep Thierry Henry at the Arsenal. Although Aston Villa did keep Chelsea at a draw and Blackburn (more accurately, ex-Gunner Bentley) showed ManU(re) just who's the dog's bollocks at Ewood Park.
Just fucking around with Paint Shop Pro to create this image.
Opened image, created a threshold layer set to 122 with Soft Light. Sort of a comic-book feel to it.
Wastrel On!
(Listening to: Desert Monsoon by Wolgemut)
Killiecrankie House Dinner

30.1.06
Queen's View

27.1.06
Mother & Child

26.1.06
Dunkeld Cathedral on a June Day

25.1.06
Birnam Oak

The Birnam Oak A quick visit to Dunkeld on the recommendation of our hotelier at Killiecrankie House revealed two gems rather than the one we were expecting. First, Dunkeld is a beautiful little town with a lot to offer the non-traditional tourist. Boot-sales, churches, river walking etc. rather than the over-the-top touristy bits in places such as Pitlochrie. Secondly, on the overside of the River Tay is the beautiful hamlet of Birnam. Sadly, due to my unique brand of selfishness, I had alienated myself, again, from so many of my friends during this little stopover. Hopefully those wounds I caused will someday heal over. Digression. Birnam is home to the Birnam Oak. The Birnam Oak, which is now supported by crutches is purported to be the last remaining tree of the Birnam Wood made famous by Shakespeare in his play Macbeth.
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him.
Malcom's forces did indeed bring Birnam Wood against Macbeth by cutting branches from the trees to disguise their movemement & number. Barring it's supposed history, the oak is spectacular in it's ageing beauty. It eminates a sense of majesty & power seldom found in nature. Truly marvelous & despite the bugs very much worth the walk.
Sven Gorn Eriksson has apparently been given leave to locate another job prior to his departure as coach of the England team. Wonderful, the crackpot screws up, decides to breach his contract 2 years early and the FA are allowing him to search for a job while trying to prepare "the best England team in decades" for the World Cup. Talk about a division of loyalties. I'm fervently against this whole thing and the FA are just proving to be a batch of ball-less wonders that don't have the bottle to handle a coach effectively. Kick his ass out on the street and bring in someone now to salvage the morale that might remain in the England squad. Bring in Curbishley or Allardyce, hell bring in O'Neill if you're going foreign, but do it now. Eriksson doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt, he's already held the job for 2 years longer than I'd have allowed. if only the FA would listen to me, wot. Arsenal won the game but lost the tie. Wigan's hero, Roberts, snuck a ball into the bag on the 120th minute of the game to give Wigan the tie on the away-goal rule. The aggregate score was 2-2, however Wigan scored 1 at home & 1 away while Arsenal only managed to score at home. Thus, the tie goes to Wigan and they proceed to the finals, while Arsenal must surely hang their heads in blistering shame.
Wastrel On!
(Listening To: The Coverville Podcast)
24.1.06
Peacock at the Palace

23.1.06
Scone Palace

Scone is a place that breathes history like nowhere else in Scotland. Today, in the 21st century, it is the home of the Earls of Mansfield, and a major attraction to visitors from all over the world. Fifteen hundred years ago, it was the capital of the Pictish kingdom and the centre of the ancient Celtic church. In the intervening centuries, it has been the seat of parliaments and the crowning place of Kings. It has housed the Stone of Destiny and been immortalised in Shakespeare's Macbeth.I've been here a couple of times, and it never ceases to amaze me just how beautiful it is. Of course, like most of the palaces & houses in Scotland, taking photos inside is verboten, however there's nothing wrong with taking outside photos. This is one of the first days on our trip where we actually had sun. Warm enough that I was in shorts today and had relegated the hoody to the boot. Finally. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Nightfist - Chapter III by The Herman Spectre Legacy)
21.1.06
Everton 1 Arsenal 0
20.1.06
Mary King's Close

18.1.06
Deacon Brodie's Tavern

17.1.06
View of the Castle

This is the view that many tourists don't get because they just simply don't get off the Royal Mile. We're standing on Prince's Street; more accurately, I'm standing on Prince's Street while Marita Beth is shopping for shoes. I've acquired the Scottish Strip and done with my shopping, but MB is just starting. So, I while away the time and amuse myself with photo-snapping. The weather was very misty, raining at times, prompting many an umbrella or slicker to come out. We have neither with us, but I'm dressed in a fabulous Cross of St. Andrew hoody that I picked up at the Glamis games early in the trip (one of my better buys) while Marita Beth has her hoody from Cairn O'Mohr.
Manchester United have lost their appeal against Ronaldo's dismissal on the weekend, which rules him out for the Burton Albion FA Cup replay tomorrow at Old Trafford. Personally, having seen the clumsy, retaliatory lunge he performed I think he should be banned for more than just one game, but so the jaffa cakes crumble, eh?
That crazy
16.1.06
Scottish Architecture

Thanks to IDG (an excellent photographer with a pro Flickr account - check it out) who informed me that this building is the Balmoral hotel ( a luxury hotel)- located just off Princes street Edinburgh - close to the Railway station. There are other photo examples of this building out there, like this one
Added 17 January 2005: According to Nad, the "bridge goes over Waverly Station", while mrry adds that "the bridge in the foreground is North Bridge, which meets Prince's Street to the right of the picture."
Don't you LOVE the internet and social communities within it's confines?
Marita Beth & I, having completed lunch and sent Ginger, Larry & Denise on up to the castle, continued on our quest. Desperately seeking the Scottish National Team Football Strip, we trolled many of the kitschy shops that dot the Royal Mile. After way too many of them, we decided to pop off the Royal Mile & check the side streets looking for a sporting goods shop of some sort. Sometime after leaving the Royal Mile, we walked down the street/hill and around the corner to see this magnificent sight. It's magnificent, isn't it? Shortly after this photo, we stopped into a "Sports Bar" to ask the bartender & grab a pint. The barkeep was clueless, but luckily they had these stainless steel (yes, monitor, keyboard & mouse were all stainless-cased) computers set up all 'round the place with a free hi-speed connection. As long as we were eating or drinking, the surfing was free. So, we located a JJB Sports (the largest sporting goods conglomerate in the U.K. - the owner also happens to own Wigan, an English Premier League team), finished our respective pints (cider for her, pint of the 70 shilling for me (McEwan's I believe) and set out to finalize our adventure in the Edinburgh shopping district. Eventually we worked our way to JJB and purchased my Scottish Stip (I buy a national strip in each country I visit). While there we noticed a HUGE Arsenal poster advertising the fact that Arsenal were soon to release their new commemorative strip...but that's a story for a different (brilliant!) day.
Speaking of Arsenal, they thrashed Middlesborough over the weekend with a full 7 - 0 score. Henry got a hattrick while Hleb, Senderos, Pires & that useless bag of dung Gilberto each bagged one. 'Borough were outclassed, outgunned and it seemed their defence decided not to show at all. All this while ManCity stomped on ManU(re) 3-1 with Robbie Fowler, having not played since April of last year, putting the final nail in at the death. And then of course, Sunderland surprised everyone by scoring first in the Chelsea/Sunderland match at the 12th minute. If only they could have held on, but sadly, Crespo & someone else, probably Robben or Cole, put two in the bag sealing Sunderland's loss & pretty much assuring their relegation at the season's end. What a miserable season they're having. 7 - 0! Up the Arse!
Wastrel On! (Listening to: Eye in the Sky by Alan Parson's Project) & (Listening to: Drowning by Boiled in Lead)