:: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 ::

Super Troupers


Camera Obscura, originally uploaded by alister.

Camera Obscura live at Edinburgh Liquid Rooms Tuesday 27th March 2007

Glasgow's favourite daughters and sons returned to Scotland after two months on the road to play at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh. I suppose all their good clothes were in the wash...only kidding.

They saved the best for last with a cracking rendition of Abba's Super Trouper.


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:: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 ::

Tigerfest


Dunfermline Abbey, originally uploaded by alister.

Baby Tiger have announced a series of gigs in Dunfermline in May under the Tigerfest banner.

A bit more information can be found on the Tigerfest Dunfermline myspace.

Bands playing include Camera Obscura and DANANANANAYKROYD. The Carnegie Hall is a great venue and it's a nice wee trip. I hope to get along.


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:: Monday, March 19, 2007 ::

Secret Squirrel

Red Squirrel's Lair.

New blog from my exiled Hellenic comrade.

"Dear Humans,
For centuries, you have been watching us running about, climbing up and down trees and munching on nuts. Little did you know that we too, have been doing some watching of our own and that in fact, we have a very good idea of what you should do to save yourselves (and possibly us as well) from a variety of unpleasantries, such as poverty, war, depression and environmental doom. Here, dear humans, we offer you our ideas.
Yours,
The Squirrel Vanguard."



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:: Friday, March 16, 2007 ::

The Cost


The Cost, originally uploaded by alister.

Next time Labour or the Tories tell you that there is no money for social uses, remind them of this.


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Health Warning


Health Warning, originally uploaded by alister.

Mural outside St. John's Church on Princes Street.


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:: Thursday, March 15, 2007 ::

Let there be light

Another one to upset the creationists with.

Stephen Hawkings explains the origins of the universe...from nothing.

“If one believed that the universe had a beginning, the obvious question was, what happened before the beginning,” Hawking said. “What was God doing before He made the world? Was He preparing hell for people who asked such questions?”

According to Hawking, the origin of the universe can be depicted as bubbles in a steam in boiling water. Small bubbles that appear and then collapse represent mini universes that expand only to disintegrate.

A few “bubbles,” Hawking said, will grow to a certain size until they are safe from collapse, and will begin to develop galaxies, stars and eventually human life.

“The universe began with accelerating expansion which we call inflation, because the universe grows in the way prices go up in some countries,” Hawking said. “It expanded in a million trillion trillionths of a second.”


via Slashdot

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DMZ


DMZ_20_cover_final, originally uploaded by brianwood.

Recently read Brian Woods second collection of DMZ in which he reimagines an Iraq style civil war taking place in the US from the point of view of a journalist stuck in a New York 'no man's land'. Really good stuff. He doesn't miss any chances to poke the cynicism of the media and military.


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:: Thursday, March 08, 2007 ::

LibriVox

Now I'm not one of those knee-jerk libertarians who is "against censorship" in any context. I think some things are indefensible and deserve censorship. However it has been interesting to watch the various attempts to hold back the information tide of the internet by national governments. China has done a lot of blocking of sites, Egypt recently arrested a blogger for insulting islam. And this week Turkey has blocked YouTube because it hosts a video (a rather childish video by a young Greek nationalist) that insults Ataturk.

In light of this it is refreshing to come across LibriVox. This site "provides free audiobooks from the public domain." Works include Darwin's Origin of the Species, Marx and Engels Communist Manifesto and big chunks of the bible. Worth a look.

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:: Friday, March 02, 2007 ::

Seth Lakeman


Seth Lakeman, originally uploaded by alister.

Seth Lakeman
Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
Tuesday 27th February 2007

Seth Lakeman is being marketed as the acceptable face of folk music. Yes he plays traditional tunes and traditional instruments. And there is no denying his virtuosity on the fiddle. But there is a bass guitar and drums in there too. What is more he is a good looking chap with a six pack and an enthusiastic female following. They certainly made themselves heard on Tuesday in the Liquid Rooms. I was a bit worried that Mr Lakeman would be a little too bland and FM for my tastes. However for the most part he stuck to sweaty, bouncy tunes that went down a storm with the crowd. An entertaining evening.

Seth's website, myspace, wikipedia entry. bebo bands page.


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:: Thursday, March 01, 2007 ::

New SLLU Voice

There is a new site for the Second Life Left Unity Voice.

http://slleftunity.blogspot.com/

There is also a new issue out now with a focus on the G8. We have an article on SL in the next frontline due out in a few days.

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