Day 5, actual day 3

Kelvin Flats.  Was going to say that we moved on when it was first built and that during demolition I climbed over the fence and was the last person to go in our old flat.  But I'm not, so bollocks to that.

Oh, what a giveaway.


Hedge trimming is much about as hard as I was expecting, quite heavy work with a petrol trimmer.  And what a fine collection of multi-legged creatures ended up living in my shirt.

Wasn't expecting that.

Michael Palin at The Crucible, he did very nearly three hours.  Approaching Ken Dodd proportions.  VG & VFM.

Day 4, actual day 2

A good sharp cooking implement.

Why would anyone want anything else.

I use it.

Made from razor steel.

Kitchen knife, hand made by Stuart Mitchell using SF100 grade Stainless Steel. SF100 grade Stainless is usually used for manufacturing razors, scalpels and other surgical instruments and has this composition - CARBON - 0.60% - 0.70% SILICON - 0.50% MAX. MANGANESE - 0.50% - 1.00% CHROMIUM - 12.00% - 13.50% SULPHUR - 0.025% MAX. PHOSPHORUS - 0.03% MAX. The presentation box contains this note - "This Centennial Knife has been manufactured to celebrate 100 years of Stainless Steel - an invention that was born in Sheffield and rapidly spread worldwide. The original Stainless Steel knives were crafted by Ernest Stuart 100 years ago for R.F. Mosley & Co. of Portland Works, Randall Street, Sheffield. They were made from an experimental block of steel provided by Harry Brearley of Brown-Firth who invented what is universally known as Stainless Steel in August 1913. This celebration Stainless Steel kitchen knife has been crafted and produced by Stuart Mitchell in his workshop at Portland Works in 2013. It has been made using Sheffield Stainless Steel donated by Brinsworth Strip Mills/TATA specifically for this project. This is a Limited Edition of 100 numbered knives. It has been designed and made to be used. It will last a lifetime...."

Day 3, actual day 1 of holiday

How the capitalist system mangles language in an effort to create more $$$.

Profit!

Bought some ear plugs.

2 pack foam ear plugs.

Now that to me says it’s a 2 pack of foam ear plugs as, unless I’m mistaken, ear plugs come in pairs.

Most of us have two ears and would use two at a time, therefore a pack of earplugs equates to two earplugs, hence the plural, earplugs.

Not earplug.

When a packet is labelled '2 pack foam ear plugs' it conjures up an image of there being 2 sets of earplugs. A set being enough for one human being, and there being a second set for another human being. Or, for the first one of those two beings to use as a new set in the event that the first set become ineffective, or for spares in case one of the current plugs drops out and into a drain, or a slugs nest.

2 pack.

The only time that 2 pack equates to a single entity is when referring to the deceased rap/hiphop artist of similar name.

2 pack. 2 Pac. Tupac.

This pack contained one pair of ear plugs.

Surely that’s - 1 pack.

For goodness sake.

1 pack.

Now what sort of name is that for a rap, stroke, hiphop artiste?

This is quite clearly a capitalist ploy to mislead, inconvenience the customer, and make an absolute shedload of cash on repeated purchase of these £1.99 earplugs.

They’ll be first up against the wall when the revolution comes.

And on that day I’ll be wearing ear defenders.

Not ear plugs.

Day 2

1984 was mentioned on QI.

Apparently most people that claim to have read it haven't read it.

I haven't read it.

That doesn't mean I've read it.

No reverse bluff going on here.

I'm currently reading -
George Orwell
Essays
Penguin Modern Classics
New Edition
29 June 2000

I've read almost all his other books, the exceptions being A Clergyman's Daughter, and 1984.

There are some essays in this collection that I haven't come across before.

It's almost 30 years since I read the rest of his works, over a period of a year or two.  That was interspersed between pretty much all the Hunter S Thompson writing available at the time, and a mass of other stuff, some trashy, some high-falutin'.

But I've not read 1984.

Perhaps that should be remedied.

Day 1

Here's to this.

Apparently on this day in 1860 the Second Opium War finally ended, and in 1964 on this day the New York World's Fair closed for its first season after a six month run.

Perhaps a secret deal has occurred somewhere today to legalise the trade of some narcotic substance, and maybe there's been an event where the noble objective of achieving Peace Through Understanding has been taking place as was the aim of that World Fair.

If either of those things have happened they've passed me by.

It's more likely that mafia, extremist, fundamentalist activity has been taking place where funds have been raised by the trade in narcotics with the aim of destabilising governments and generally causing a fuss.  Whereas our government is in the process of yet another mission to achieve Peace Through Bombing the Shit out of People.

Today I've refrained from consuming heroin derivatives and from being a club wielding chest-beater, which might be considered an achievement in some quarters.

I have however been to the shop and bought groceries, and also supplies for the birds.

My world-view is not always so narrowly defined as by my activity over the last 16 hours.

Getting To It

Doing stuff. That’s doing stuff, not stuff.  Diving in and getting on, pushing through the non-existent barriers that are created as we interface with the world.  Odd that it appears so difficult, doing something that ostensibly you might enjoy but keep putting off as it requires periods of concentration and sustained effort.

Whereas the outcome is satisfying. So why delay.

Currently the task is to create a setting from an existing piece of poetry for voice and piano, create a vocal melody suitable for the words and harmonise it with simple piano accompaniment.  Rules of harmony have to be observed, and the setting uses primary chords in their root positions only.  The brief appears quite simple, and there have been grumbles from those that have more advanced composition skills, however it does very usefully highlight the structures that are required in the foundations of composition.  It is also an interesting challenge to stick as closely to the rules as possible, making sure there are weak and strong cadences, and no consecutive fifths or octaves throughout the accompaniment.

Obviously while doing this then that is not being done. So, halt this.

A previous winter walk

Pitch black, 7.30am, rolling down the hill like an ambulant corpse, following the tail end spliff smoke of another worker on their way to the hive.

Playing the bus 'so we meet again' game during the short stretch between The Grindstone and Roslin Road, couldn't make out the number plate, grime, grit, smeared from slush splash yet to be cleaned. Game abandoned.

Choices:

Down the greasy Victorian paving on steep Roslin, with potential for slippage, or take to the tarmac/cobble mix of the middle.

Take the middle.  Road's fenced at the top, little danger of being run down.

Short-cut by the Environment Centre or stick to the pavement? Chance of treading in leaf-masked dog shit is high so take the pavement by the massive, student-filled houses.

Past a giant silver condom in the shape of a VW camper van, the vehicle silently bearing up under the ignominy, built for freedom and the open road, cocooned in an anti-rust, featherlite skin.

Northumberland Road, its surface delaminating already before the freeze, now flaking with tarmac psoriasis.

Toward the Spiritualist Church, it's changed hands, being re-roofed. Once here a 2nd degree acquaintance declared himself to be Christ arisen whilst being in contact with ‘the other side’ causing pursed-lipped mayhem before subsequently absconding with a white witch from Cemetery Road.

Here we are, in the office, how did I get here.