Witch

This video and tune is nothing to do with Halloween or any of the malarkey that goes with it. It's a song we wrote based around other real world things. Fear, injustice, ignorance and guilt; normal enough stuff really. I'm posting it today because it's just another piece of shameless self promotion on a day when witch themed material is seen as important. Nothing new there then. I saw somebody writing about the true "Spirit of Halloween" on line. What on earth is that?  Maybe a curious brew of mixed up campy horror genre stuff, a booming pumpkin industry and all the related commercial crap that gets punted out weeks ahead of any significant event on the calendar distilled into some pale and bitter liquid.

Actually it's mostly just fun and a bit better than Christmas ... ugh!

Bored with the Sistine Chapel?

Boredom is banned these days, you can't be bored. Parents don't like their kids to be bored, whatever that means. Bored is bad and you're a neglectful and lazy parent if you tolerate it. So kids get phones, screens, trashy toys, shallow experiences and the rest because that's all better than the dreaded boredom. School, car journeys and relatives are also boring, so I'm told. Just wait till you get a job at Amazon or driving a bus or as a brain surgeon.

I see boredom as more of a gateway or springboard. No matter how you look at it boredom is a temporary state, it's another liminal space on life's err ... journey. When you get out of boredom you step into something worthwhile, maybe not right away but it'll come. You have to have boredom to understand and gain an appreciation for satisfaction and fulfillment. It's all part of the tonal system that gives life a meaning of some kind ... I think.

So what does anything in this have to do with the decorations, paintings and frescoes in the Sistine Chapel? Not much really, I just had a idle thought that perhaps the apprentices and assistants who worked on the project with Michelangelo and the other "name" artists just might have been bored from time to time. The routine and tedium in their daily working life, fetching, carrying, cleaning, filling in spaces with washes of paint, mixing the fresh plaster etc. as the years of decorative work passed by, and yet to their credit they were involved in something that is regarded as one of the greatest artistic accomplishments in human civilization. 

Future Obsessions

The ages of man: I've no idea how I'll turn out. Like some stodgy pudding perhaps. My future self is a dim shadow, even at this magnificent (by Middle Ages standards) age. A future I can neither see or touch, lurking around some awkward corner. Things may remain as they are, things may change, some other outcomes are equally possible. Medical advancements, spiritual progress, economic revolution, well organised government, chaos and disaster. There may be trends and curious predictions, like bad weather forecasts and shaky Tarot readings. 

The truth is always quite different from the expectations of witnesses and history, even recent, can easily be turned into fiction if you have the will and a malleable audience. It may be that, I'll simply turn into the wolf spirit I've always believed myself to be and head for the barren hills. Those wide open but misty spaces with their excellent spiced noodles and warm drinks. The ending would truly be good for the soul. Well for mine, but not yours.

Yes

Yes: This is something that should be standard in every modern home regardless of the type of heating system and fuel used (well it must support radiators I suppose). The food warming, sock drying, plate heating, cat snoozing radiator is what the world needs today. Whatever you might think of the Victorians, and they did get a lot of things wrong, they were spot on with this. If you disagree, as is your right, you're a fine example of an idiot. I hope you have damp, clammy socks.

Cat in Gig Bag

 

The world often seems like a terrible place. I know I mention that sort of thing from time to time. There are pleasant distractions that we all need to treasure to survive, to understand our lives and the context of the situations that we inhabit day by day. The pleasant, simple experiences of our lives are to be savoured and remembered as a baseline when those darker clouds descend. Anyway here's our cat Bungle, whom I've just disturbed, she was having a sneaky snooze in a gig bag.

P.S. Here's another cat (Georgie) in a guitar case shortly afterwards.

Also this: sometimes you have to break the rules.

Castles of Porridge

File under Myths and Legends: Given it's robust texture and inherent physical strength I'm surprised that Scottish engineers have never managed to successfully develop porridge as a usable building material. My sources have however confirmed that in Victorian times a team from Edinburgh University looked into it's use as a medium to build cheap workers homes at the new Naval Base at nearby Rosyth. Tests were carried out but there were "complications". Allegedly some locals entered the site and ate parts of critical load bearing units, a number of serious injuries as well as digestive problems were reported at the time.

This apparent failure may yet have led on to the rumoured experimental Forth Railway Crossing project that was to combine iron, steel and porridge in what would have been an engineering world's first (pretty exceptional anyway). Little is known about how far the testing and design works got before the plan was shelved due to what were described at the time as "conflicts of ideology" within the team. Clearly the times and the science were not right for such an undertaking.

I also believe that in the 1950s there was a proposal from a cartel of Fife landowners and farmers that the new Scottish motorway system should use porridge as an experimental road finish. They undertook to supply the oats and the know how. There are no records as to how this venture ended however there are known to be stretches of the A90 that are still thought of as legacy porridge surface testing areas by BEAR Scotland.

Of course there's the long standing legend that tells of how William Wallace, had he survived English captivity, intended to build a massive porridge castle on the banks of Loch Lomond to hold the proposed garrison that would have protected the "Road to the Isles". It would also have formed his military HQ and be the  seat of his Scottish Government. We can only speculate as to the porridge formula he intended to use, as the recipe and the exact strain of wild oats has been lost due the passage of time and the general illiteracy of the engineers in the 13th century. 

The proposed design for the world's first porridge castle situated near Balloch, to have been built by William Wallace. Note the hot porridge moat - a first even for Scotland: courtesy the Scottish National Museum of Oat Based Antiquities. Part of the "Lofty Peak" Family Collection.

Exceptionalism

Some pretty unexceptional photos from yesterday's stroll around the harbour.

Who doesn't love a nice bit of well balanced exceptionalism? It's a very unhealthy characteristic that the British people have been hung up on for a little too long. It's not exclusive to the Brits either, plenty of other nations, tribes, ideologies and families suffer from it. A common human problem. Yes, it's the cancerous, deluded and incestuous blind spot of exceptionalism. Baseless and incompetent exceptionalism I should say. When you just can't deliver. Ever.

I was thinking about the HS2 debacle, a fine example of a country actually over reaching in trying to resolve an infrastructure problem by simply throwing money and grand designs at it. Maybe we don't need really fast trains like the Japanese, maybe we just need safe, clean, reliable and well run trains that actually get to their destinations. I'm pretty sure most people would also settle for a railway system that had reasonably priced fares and comfortable rolling stock and systems manned by professional and competent staff.

During Covid the idiot PM bragged about the UK having a "world beating track and trace system". As if, at that time being a world leader in that was important. We just wanted something that actually worked; it was of course never delivered. "World beating" trades deals were bound to follow on from Brexit they said. We've seen nothing like that nor any of the exceptional and five star outcomes that were promised by those bubble headed liars. But enough people bought into that nonsense, the undeliverable promises of privileged clowns who don't actually understand how anything (other than self promotion) works in the real world.

So spare us from the overblown  and exceptional. Just gives us things that work. Fix the roads and railways to a reasonable standard, invest in teachers and education, build decent homes, make the legal system fair for all, give people the chance of healthy lifestyles and support the NHS, sort out corporate fraud and fix pensions and benefits, make efforts to curtail environmental damage and look after critical infrastructure, try to help the people who need it, wherever they come from. 

Don't act as if you're still at primary school and have to brag about the size of your father's business or your trust fund's resilience. Don't try to have the biggest boat, weapons, ceremonial swords and royal family gatherings. Don't try to piss further than the USA, China or Russia; clearly that wont end well.  Don't mock nations that are growing and struggling to resolve their own internal problems. Don't strut like Mussolini was your drunk uncle, believing God's always on your side somehow. Just don't be dickheads. Be competent and do ordinary things to the required standards.

Sorry, just another itchy thing I had to get out of my system.

Our History According to AI

The partial truth* of a broken system according to the rough cut visionary science that is  AI - in simple images and words: 

"Impossible Songs is a talented musical duo known for their unique blend of genres and captivating performances. Comprised of two multi-instrumentalists and songwriters, Impossible Songs has been making waves in the music industry with their innovative sound and thought-provoking lyrics.

Formed in 2015, the duo quickly gained attention for their ability to seamlessly fuse elements of folk, rock, and electronic music. Their songs are characterized by intricate melodies, rich harmonies, and introspective lyrics that delve into themes of love, loss, and the human experience.

Impossible Songs' captivating live performances have garnered them a dedicated fan base. Their dynamic stage presence and ability to connect with audiences on an emotional level have made them a sought-after act at music festivals and venues around the world.

In addition to their musical talents, Impossible Songs is also known for their commitment to social and environmental causes. They actively use their platform to raise awareness about issues such as climate change, mental health, and social justice.

With their unique sound and meaningful lyrics, Impossible Songs continues to push boundaries and challenge the conventions of contemporary music. Their passion for creating music that resonates with listeners and their dedication to making a positive impact on the world make them a truly remarkable musical duo."

*Basically nonsense on sticks - as you might well expect.

Gods Against Everyone Else

Save yourself a predictable read by quickly heading down below*: Whether they're real or imaginary it doesn't matter much, Gods mean trouble. If you believe they gave us life and breath or don't even know what you believe but you still follow them, then they will possess a power over you and strangely enough over me too, even though I know they are complete fabrications and nothing more. Your faith and it's outworking impacts on me and all the other nonbelievers or sceptics. The love, justice, advice, cruelty and retribution you imagine gods bring to our world affects everyone alike, because it's been high-jacked and institutionalized. 

Rulers, dictators  and governments use it to provide moral authority with all the worst consequences, in order to keep things tight and controlled. That's the insidious power of faith/imagination and wishful thinking. Mythical invisible zeros placed on heavenly thrones by ancient story tellers rule us all whether we like it or not. You know what happens to heretics so remain calm and don't disagree. That's all a bit of a bummer when you think about it ...

*Of course this is just another low key, aimless and pointless rant that will change nothing but in many ways it's like a kind of self administered vaccination I'm taking in order to at best allow me to deal with the world wide dumb-fuckery we encounter every day and also to simply render me numb and exhausted for a short period of time. Thank you.

Playlisted

Random and unscripted images abound, tantalizing or maybe predicable and boring. Perhaps it's all unexpected as they crash together thanks to an accident or intentions in the system or the constraints of your screen and all your haphazard searching habits. The blind lead the even more blind.

The cosmic rain falls and the surprise pull of gravity that comes from Jupiter flexing his muscles just as my star was about to ascend. It all left me baffled. A knock on the door from a lost delivery driver or a wasp caught up in a spiders web just outside the kitchen window. Leaves thrown into a whirlpool of wind that gathers them and then scatters them across the autumn garden's battered public face. A sudden drop in temperature as something unknown and unseen enters a room you can never leave.

Closing your eyes in a warm cat nap and losing track of time and being unsure quite where you might be sitting when you awake. Looking into a cluttered cupboard but for what exactly? A distant burglar alarm, chain saw motors revving up in the woods, car doors slamming, a helicopter hovers ominously out of sight as crows cackle and argue in the Burger King car park. Finally after what seems like forever, the storm burns itself out.

Unboxing

So our clutch of shiny new CDs arrived from the USA recently and as we might have expected based on the "special relationship" there was a tax bill to pay (why does everything have to be so cynical and political these days?). But enough of that, we're pretty happy with the outcome of our elaborate, year long writing, recording and design exercise; as a result of which the CD "collection" exists.  There is indeed a physical product to own or you can go to the numerous providers and scammers where it can be streamed or downloaded for your listening pleasure and hours of enjoyment, amusement and confusion. Of course these shaky images do not do justice to the magnificent final product ... not quite. Now our razor sharp business minds are trying to figure out the best ways to get rid of these; giving them away for free seems to be the best option.

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In real life the CD is not as wonky as the picture above makes it look.

Nowhere in Particular Daily Photo(s)

That's all for today...

The Sins Of My Generation

The other day I read a blog post written by Tom Morton to do with these mostly painful subjects: generational guilt and the quest for redemption, the Christian church's influence in the seventies (and onwards) and how seemingly innocent things can quickly unravel into squalid mega-troubles. The question being; is it all Larry Norman's fault? 

Golden boy Larry was pretty much the inventor of Christian rock music back then and despite leading a chaotic and selfish life he managed to sell millions of records, convert Mike Pence along the way and articulate the "Rapture" as no one else had done before. He wrote the song " I wish we'd all been ready", and the rest turned out to be history. This song became a Gospel ear worm in the early seventies that influenced and corrupted old and young minds all across the world. It led to a flood of books, films and sermons about "The Last Days" (according to the Bible) and how we were all living through them right now. The mysterious Rapture might happen at any moment and are you, you unjustified sinner, ready? Unfortunately I was a part of this generation and very much affected by these teachings. Fuck!

Over time my generation grew up and this thinking and the bent theology that goes with it solidified in the hearts and minds of Evangelical Christians all across the world. The Bible tells us there will be trials and tribulations, a shitload of trouble in Israel and the Middle East and then after some climactic battle or event the rapture will take all the (proper) Christians "home". It also lines up nicely with Jewish doomsday scenarios and the coming of their own exclusive Messiah, a kind of alternative Jesus.  As you might imagine, in the USA, within Christian groups, this is very much the lens through which all world events are viewed. Help the poor, feed the starving, make the world a better place? Well do a bit if you can but there's no real point because we're all trapped in a Biblical narrative that has only one outcome ... the return of the Messiah and a lot of judgmental and consequential consequences ... err but we'll all be OK in our Baptist Chapels. 

If then you've come to believe that we're on the eve of total destruction coupled with the redemption of the faithful there's little point in adhering to what might previously have been considered as "doing the right thing" a few generations ago. So arm the Israelis but also arm the Arabs and anyone else that might have some input into ramping up the tribulations. It's not so far removed from the billionaire based long term futurism that plans to colonize the Moon, Mars and other random planets. No point in helping the people of earth improve their lot, it's all a lost cause whatever religious or philosophical slant you apply. The easy way is simply to get out of it all and hope the species, either in physical or supernatural form survives elsewhere. Everyone else can basically get to fuck; too poor, too dim and just born at a bad time when the planet was over heating.

Funny to think that it all began for my generation with a room full of long haired ex-hippies plunking on guitars and pulling texts and phrases from the Bible to quietly mull over. We had our moments of baseless optimism and disregard for our fellow heathen humans but we honestly thought it would somehow work out favorably. There might be a revival, societal change, the collapse of capitalism and a return to more simplistic values. A brave new acoustic and analogue world filled with rainbows and paperback fantasy novels where Jesus is chief influencer.  In reality it turns out that over investing in some twisted theological fairy story coupled with a line of dangerous pipe dreams that seduce the naive, exploit the stupid and empower all the worst people isn't a helpful or constructive way to be. Just take a look around.

So is it still all Larry Norman's fault? Well he's long dead and gone now and unlikely to have made it into heaven by any standards so on balance it probably is.

Leonardo

Leonardo AI is an interesting and free (up to a point) site where you can do the unthinkable and unmentionable and "create" via a keyboard description anything that your little heart should desire. It's the Devil's work and the end of civilization I tell you (but the quality is pretty good)! I've never been all that confident in all the assumed attributes of civilization to be honest and as for social responsibility, hmm... So I created this blue, damaged and rather jumpy car that's been abandoned in a desolate desert ruin, as often happens. All for free thanks to my daily free credits, now mostly squandered. All I have to do by way of actual explanation is arrive at a plausible back story and I'll have something. Meanwhile Leonardo (that one) is slowly turning in his grave. Other AI tools are available.

Collection etc.

Collection - our new album is out now all the main music   providers and streamer's sites. Nine tracks, ten videos and that may well increase. A polite reminder as to where versions of it currently sit in the universe.

Hear it on YouTube here.

impossible songs

Daily Robin

The Bird Buddy continues to attract birds and of course the odd squirrel. Recently there's been a bit of a resurgence and return from the smaller garden birds, sparrows, blue tits and robins. The summer saw us overrun by doves, pigeons, magpies and crows. They're still around but visit a little less frequently. So here's some Buddy shots of our regular almost daily robin. I know they have a bad reputation as belligerent little bullies, they may or may not deserve it, I can't judge them and they do look pretty good. I certainly don't see them as flapping, reincarnated dead relatives from the grave visiting to check up on you either.

Brew Culture

Another Queensferry Daily Photo effort: Kicking the primal backside of the photo blogging conventions here with probably too many pics for a post but frankly my dear I don't give a screw-top bottle of pale ale these days. Let me first draw your attention to the reversed photos above ... that's about it really. Out for a stroll and the wee (Brew Culture) coffee shop was open and inviting. It was there I first partook of the blueberry twist/swirl/plait/knot, I can't recall the exact name. "Bake Off" fans will recognize it no doubt. A tasty dough, jam and sugar treat, baked in the fiery ovens of far away Dunfermline and gluten free but hardly a healthy snack. One a day is quite enough.

Below: The work of repairing the harbour wall continues, good progress it seems but what do I really know?

I don't know who drinks this stuff these days but well, good luck to you. Stay classy with your effortless social climbing and associated drinking habits and try to retrieve and remove your litter next time.

Potato Roads

Still life with potatoes (in fact exclusively potatoes): These brave souls were dug up from a near watery grave after the weekend's downpours. Now they can dry out, washed and naked in the mild October breeze. One day they'll be baked, boiled, added to soup or meet some other common potato fate. This represents about third of the 2023 crop, the other third are gone, eaten. The other other third are in the ground. You can only have three other thirds at any given time.

It's quite hard to plan a menu around potatoes, if you're me. I prefer rice, noodles and pasta and we never make real home cooked chips. Those golden, wonderful chips from the past, hot, salty and tasty. That once staple food commodity that I presume nobody actually fries up in lard, chipped directly from solid potatoes, like in the old days. The days of chip pan fires, smelly kitchens and blackened pans that looked like they'd somehow survived Hiroshima. So the evolution of the domestic potato continues.

Owls

The owls are not what they seem: The truth is that nothing is what it seems. Life, reality, the Post Office, weather, Galaxy Chocolate, the BBC news, toilet paper, insects, the cosmos, good health, social cohesion, musical taste, justice, chewing gum ... I could go on, and I don't have any answers anymore.

Spots of Rain

Spots and spits of rain seen through a surrealist's window in the earlier part of the 20th century when pavements were straight and puddles were just a dream. They were far away, in a country that was not France nor imagined to be. Love was convenient but impossible as the rain seldom stopped for long enough to take a deep breath never mind have a constructive conversation. Despite opposition it seemed as if there was a lyrical flow to nearly everything. 

It was a big thought.

Oneness or even completeness just might take place inside of these people without any obvious early warning. A fleeing moment when things, held together only by imagination and stoicism, could have managed to make sense. There they go, thumbing through photographs of living people but with dead eyes. The tide however, was about to turn. At the time the authorities may have blamed the artists but the real agitators were their chosen subjects.

No Such Thing As AI

Not my conspiracy theory but it'll do: I can exclusively reveal that the whole AI revolution everyone is either pandering to or is afraid of is no more than a complete and utter lie. Rogue entrepreneurs across Asia and the Indian Sub Continent have, over the years, been training up highly motivated and intelligent cats to create credible responses for all AI information, script and image requests. The truth is that there is no mega computer stuffed with the latest chips pumping out all those six fingered and distorted photos, the shabby screenplays and wistful lyrics or the hopeful essays on radical political forces in the 19th century. It's all the work of energetic teams of trained cats; "super cats" if you will. 

When a task is received they quickly spring into action (as you'd expect with cats) to provide their version of whatever answer is required. This I think explains the often randomness of responses, unexpected delays and quite quirky interpretations of seemingly straight forward questions or instructions. So I can confidently say we need not fear the AI revolution as it a) doesn't exist and b) has a demonstrable animal core and it's learning curve is distinctly feline. What we should fear however is this new generation of super cats. I'm pretty sure at some point soon they're going to figure out a way to escape from these phony sweat shops and then ... well world domination and us being put in our place once and for all seems very likely. Think twice before you press that "Create" button and stock up on cat food (for bribes and influence). Don't tell the dogs either.

South Queensferry Daily Photo

 

On a damp, dark Thursday evening and from a certain distance the peculiar concrete seal sculpture down by the Hawes Pier looks a bit like the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus or the beggar woman who sits outside of the Co-op. After this minor revelation it was pub quiz time, strangely enough we won albeit there were not quite so many teams as usual taking part ... but the thrill of actual victory remains as sweet and we got a prize. Quizzes are one way of discovering just how many false memories you hold regarding recent history and popular culture. You think you know things but basically the files are not always in the right order and for some reason often a bit blurred so the words are unclear. This is what happens when you're 68 I guess.

Guilty Pleasures (Posterized)

It's the terror of knowing what this world is about: Making up videos to accompany music tracks is tricky. My resources and touch are far from professional too but I take the view that needs must so I have a go. There's no video budget nor, to be honest, much of an audience, it's about personal satisfaction and just completing things ... completely. So this is the second version of Guilty Pleasures. The first one seemed to have a lot going on at times where lettering and images were pixelating at odd times so I tried to redo the lettering and also rendered it in poster style which I thought would make the screen less busy and possibly cure the pixels. None of that worked really but I'll leave both versions out there, no harm done. 

What Success Looks Like

Stream of consciousness time: The evolution from clay based cat litter to the "green green forest" alternatives resulted in the purchase of two small inner trays to line the bigger litter tray. Now I have to drill 99 holes in the inner trays to allow sifting to take place. I've got 99 problems but the drill ain't one etc. Then there's the 30kg of wood pellets. I also bought about 15kg of bird seed, I'll plant it out soon hoping to see a decent crop of birds shooting up and blooming in the spring.

I constructed a concrete channel under the gate to allow for the laying out of a water hosepipe in dry weather when the gate might be closed. The design was created in my head but once I'd turned it into reality having poured the concrete I realized that many things that exist inside my head have no place in the real world and this was one more. I intend to cover the design's shortcomings with liberal scatterings of top soil (around the edges). Vegetation from unknown sources will complete the transformation.

I also bought 4 bungee cords, their precise use has still to be defined. Unexpectedly a strong wind sprung up or blew over or something. It was followed by stinging rain so I ate my sandwiches earlier than I intended as the cats looked on chewing on their cat sticks.

A brief phone call confirmed that my oil pressure sensor will be checked for oil leaks first thing tomorrow morning. I'm quite looking forward to it as a ramp has been freed up on my behalf. N.B. take cash if you want a coffee and bacon roll, there's no cards or whatever at the nearby caravan cafe.

Up on the top right of this page I've installed a player that plays our latest album using that notorious music system known as Spotify. I really don't know why they picked so dumb a name for their product nor do I know why artists get so little per play from their players. Chicken feed springs to mind and I have a rough idea what that costs and Spotify don't even match that; I'm almost scunnered as a result. Click on it and listen if you will. Be unafraid. Ho hum.

Kittens Update

As you might expect the kittens are still busy being kittens. This involves a high degree of kitten mischief being on display in proportions that Beatrix Potter would be proud of. Then there's the unrelenting spectre of continuous cuteness that rears up with little or no warning though usually when we're trying to sleep, opening a cupboard or just making some innocent movement that the cats perceive as an invitation to play. It has the power to stop any train of thought or activity for an indefinite amount of time as they gain our full attention. I guess this is why nobody drives with cat passengers (there are other reasons too). When this isn't happening and they're not eating then they're asleep. That only means further cuteness will be on show amid emitting strange noises and getting into peculiar bodily positions that makes sleep look like hard work but also relentless fun. 

Obvious downsides are as the grow so do their appetites and the amount of pee and poo they generate. We rotate between three cat litter trays and are bravely moving over to the "wood pellet" solution. We have not arrived there yet and are operating with a rather clunky hybrid method. The wood pellets are good but any spillage results in wet sawdust debris on floors and paths but that's still better than floating clay dust in the atmosphere. Then there's the final "sifting". Despite all this trivial moaning the signs are that the environmentally unhealthy clay will cease to be used from ... whenever we can get our act together. 

Something of Little Importance

Second track on the new album: So the slow slog in the life cycle of one of our home made videos duly begins. Birthed painfully into the algorithm driven world of YouTube to the usual minimal response and pale fanfare. Ground down by the relentless grinding and crunching of those fitful gears that are  hidden behind the smiles and flashy adverts. We're easy about all of that as it slides to the bottom of the pond and into the muddy sediment. 

Being competitive is as pointless as it is absurd.  There are millions pissing into the same sink. Shorts and snippets carefully created using a tortuous and intensive process that hardly involved AI at all (?), this sensitive piece is now ready to be aired; hopefully to confuse, delight and entertain. Well we like it anyway.