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Wednesday, July 5th, 2006
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3:04 pm - Black Keys
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Hooray, The Black Keys are on tour, dates here.
Glasgow on the 26th Sept at the ABC... that's a Tuesday. Isn't that the place with the really bad sounds system?
OR
Leeds on the 28th Sept at the cockpit..... that sounds better. Mad, you up for it?
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| Thursday, June 15th, 2006
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4:20 pm - Tonight's Fussball
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Gah! I just can't decide who to support for tonight's game, Trinidad or Tobago. Choices, choices....
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| Wednesday, June 7th, 2006
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10:31 am - Edinburger insider knowledge required
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Excellent, my weekend is shaping up. Tool on Sunday, and my fantastic Norge friends are coming down to Edinburgh for Saturday/Sunday.
Can anyone recommend a decent B&B or rental apartment for them?
Also is there anything exciting on that I should be showing them?
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(3 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, June 5th, 2006
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4:02 pm
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My brother (The Sperminator) has struck again. Just found out that they are expecting baby no 4. So lets recap:
Aug 2001: Get married
Jun 2002: Connor
Jul 2003: Logan
Nov 2004: Rachael
Jan 2007: ?
I'm very disappointed, I mean what was he doing in 2005!!! Slacker.
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| Monday, May 8th, 2006
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3:34 pm
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I've been very much enjoying the summery weather we've been having of late, heading out on my bike in the evenings is keeping me extremely happy, a few climbs too, but not enough! Bookswise I've been enjoying David Mitchell's new one, even though I feel I shouldn't. It's nothing like Cloud Atlas, incredibly obvious, simple and clichéd but it's a good read, and there is a couple of ideas which really work. Caught some of Triptych weekend before last, the real highlight for me was Gravenhurst.
Work has been crazy, we have a new satellite office opening, the Norway office to set up and 2 big upgrades heading our way, all over summer. Joy.
Over the weekend I was hosting a dinner for a Norwegian Couple I know through a friend at work and a couple of others, it all went rather well. From the debris we definitely drank more than we ate, red wine, whiskey, heather ale and port.... I was not a sober man.
Off on me travels again this week, unfortunately it's only Norway... and it's for work, but I've got a weekend there and I'll also be there for their National Day. I've heard it's good fun, they all go mental on the night before and on the day they are all in their top clobber or in their national dress waving flags. Hopefully I'll have room to pack the kilt.
It'll also be an opportunity to catch up with my good friend Crazy Norge John, so looking forward to some fun times. I did have a more cunning plan that involved Bergen and seeing Marc Ribot again, but I had to settle with the National Day, damn work, dammit!
Looking forward to some hills when I get back and the Hadrian's Wall jaunt with Mad Paul should be fantastic.
Yes indeed, life is goooood.
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| Friday, March 31st, 2006
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12:07 pm - Strider HoneyMonkey
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| Thursday, March 30th, 2006
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10:31 pm - Orhan Pamuk
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For any fans of Pamuk (me! me! me!) there was a really great interview on Front Row on Radio 4, listen here.
Basically he is a most excellent Turkish writer that was up on charges for talking about the Armenian Genocide, prohibited by Turkish Law. As expected it was eventually dropped, but to me it appears to have effected him quite deeply. I hope he continues to feel free enough to write as politically and culturally interesting books as he has in the past. I pray for another book as great as Snow.
Oh there was also an article about the 'denigration of the Turkish State' in the Observer on Sunday.
current music: The Black Keys - if you see me
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| Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
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4:40 pm - Ode to DAB
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Oh my beautiful Pure PocketDAB® 2000, how desperately desperate my day would be without you.
When nutty cnuts come to my desk with unworthy woes, my hand is stayed from racing to things sharp. Tapping fingers interrupt my happiness no longer, I just reach for the pause button, I've even abandoned my daily 8:30 scissor-sharpening regime!
When that damned Archers tune comes screaming down the wire at me, it's a quick flick of sanity across to the world of BBC 6 Music! It is so gooooood, and when it is not, another flick and I'm listening to my melodious MP3s.
It can record, it can pause, it can save text, it can equalise, it can fit in your pocket, it can save your sanity. The sun is shining brighter, the days seem less grey, all is good and great in the world once more.
Pure PocketDAB® 2000, I love you!
current mood: Fantastic
current music: Melodious MP3s
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| Thursday, March 16th, 2006
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4:38 pm - Henry Rollins Spare Ticket
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If anyone is interested, I have a spare ticket for Henry Rollins - Spoken Word on 25th March at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh: £16.50. Other characters coming along: Sponge, Tales, Cyrus (ex-Jesus) and myself.
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3:10 pm - Last of Holidays
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Back home now, here's how I spent the last of my hoiday:
Baku
National Art Gallery
Carpet Museum
Palace of Shivansha
Lunch in the ISR PLaza
Maiden's Tower
Went on the Red Dress Run along with 40 ex-pats running through the streets of Baku with a big foamy Tartan Top Hat to raise money for charity ($20,000 so far)
Cologne
Cologne Cathedral
Museum Ludwig
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
Lots of Tasty Beer and Food
Frankfurt
MMK(Museum für Moderne Kunst)
Film Museum
Disappointing Church
Lots of Tasty Beer and Food
Really weird, feels like I've been away for 6 months!
current music: Muddy Waters - Nine Below Zero
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| Wednesday, March 8th, 2006
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8:07 pm - Candy Cane Mountains
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Another excellent day. I went up to the Candy Cane Mountains which is north of Baku near Xizi. The trip was pretty funny, we took, the bypass, around this industrial area and we ended up having to negotiate the most unbelievably bad roads, there were no ladas on this road and it was pretty obvious why, they wouldn't have got through.
Anyway, got to these crazy hills, they have red and cream stripes, which I think are made up from iron and salt deposits. There were also these strange little bullet shaped crystal things everywhere. So bizarre.
After we saw them, we went up further into the mountains, where we noticed the temperature starting to rise, and the wind turning quite hot. We went from 10 to 28 Degrees C! Really weird. Anyway after doing a quick retreat from a military facility before we got arrested (hand over a large bribe), we had a picnic by a stream (including Harrod's stilton and Tunnocks Caramel Wafers). I had to hold myself back from going up the huge Caucasus Mountains that were just begging to be climbed.
On the way back we took the main road through Sumqayit which was this massive industrial centre, now it is a polluted abandoned wasteland. Miles of pipes, rusted trains, and empty factories really spooky. This is where the pogroms kicked off in the cities, and really started the escalation towards war.
Tomorrow should be a more conventional trip round the museums in town. I've been here almost a week and I still haven't got round to them!
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| Tuesday, March 7th, 2006
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5:46 pm - Fire!
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I'm now used to seeing the locals set their rubbish on fire in the streets, but tonight was pyro-tastic. In every side street there was a group of kids collecting wood and setting bonfires. I did ask for an explanation, got a garbled answer. Anyway looks like it's all to do with Zoroastrianism and is the start of the festival of Nauroz which is like their new year. It's all very interesting:
http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Celebrations/norooz.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauroz
My Birthday was amazing, well stuffed with caaaake, turkish and chinese food. The food here is fantastic, so much flavour and there is really good Dolma (stuffed vine leaves, my favorite thing to eat), pickled gherkins and olives. The meal was a really eclectic mix of people from the british embassy, financial, teaching, oil and even 2 helicopter pilots. Really nice bunch of people.
Today I walked round all day with Ali, whose from Edinburgh and is a hill-walker so that was good. Coffee and caaaake in the Ex-Pat Coffee house/Library then off up Matyr's Alley (mass graveyard and remembrance for the Armenian/Azeri war). Very peaceful and amazing views. Then off to have a meal in a five star hotel, yum yum, much cheapness too. Such beautiful sunny weather here today, so sunny that I've managed to burn me head.
Tomorrow is Women's day (a national holiday, a mix of mother's day and a celebration of the Russians stopping the women wearing veils), so not sure what we'll be up to. It's weird here, this is one of the very few other dominantly Shi'ite Muslim countries in the world, but when the other Shia's read in the Koran, you must not drink wine, they assume you can't drink alcohol. The Azeri's read the same passage, and think OK we'll have vodka instead! Sums up the whole mindset here.
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| Sunday, March 5th, 2006
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6:01 pm - Weekend
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Well, I've had a most interesting weekend in Azerbaijan. On Friday we went up to Kurdimer along with 2 other people (Pam and John), it's in the middle of the country. It took a couple of hours of some of the most hair raising (if I had any) driving I've ever seen.
Once there we met Rose who works for a NGO (Non-Government Organisation) helping with the agriculture of the IDPs (Internally Displaced People). The plan was to go out the next day to see the living conditions of these IDPs, but first we went for a fantastic meal in Kurdimer which worked out as something like less than £2, that included beers. Our accomodation was pretty basic, but it was alright, and we had electricity for the entire night, something unheard of.
Anyway Saturday we drove up to the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is the front line in the still unresolved war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We were within 5km of the actual front line, scary.
If you want a history lesson go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagorno-Karabakh#The_war_for_Nagorno-Karabakh
Basically it's tragic, the IDP's aren't being rehoused as they insist on waiting to go home. From all I've read an heard there may be a war again, but that would be catastrophic for all.
Anyway we met the guy in charge of the whole winterlands region, and hurtled around all day in giant white Land Cruisers with his deputy visiting the school, hospital and some of the IDP's homes. Some of these guys are living in what I can only describe as hovel hobbit holes, as in underground, in single rooms... caves whatever. Pretty crazy, and very sad. Help is getting to them from quite a few sources, including schooling and a new hospital but there seems to be no long term solution, very sad.
Back in Baku now, had a crazy stag night out last night, there was belly-dancers, and lots of beer. Also saw the seedier side of this place, but it was pretty much the same as other offshore towns I've been to.
Had a really good day today, went on an organised run with about 40 ex-pats round the city, the reactions of the local was pretty funny, I don't think they've seen a pair of trainers let alone ran in them.
Birthday tomorrow, birthday breakfast, lunch and dinner. Turns out there is someone else celebrating their birthday, so that should be good. That's all for now!
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| Thursday, March 2nd, 2006
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8:19 pm - Arrived in Baku
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I have now safely arrived in a post-soviet, occupied country.
Almost didn't make it... many times. They almost closed the road to Dundee due to snow, luckily I changed my plans from the train to the bus as I thought it more likely to get through on the road. Then plane was delayed in Edinburgh due to bad weather at Frankfurt, then it was almost cancelled as the plane was broken. 2 and a half hours late, just made it to the Frankfurt - Baku flight with 5 minutes to spare. Good job as there wasn't another one for 2-3 days. Then a blizzard started up, thought we weren't going to get to leave, but we took off in it anyway. Nightmare! Still here now.
Things I have discovered so far:
-They drive in the middle of the road... at high speeeeeed!
-You can live like a king for very little money.
-They all wear pointy shiny shoes.... think of giant tanned pixies.
-The local beer is quite good.
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| Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006
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11:25 am - Dumkoff
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Well I have a passport crisis, it's in date and is valid until May, however to get a Visa I need 6 months validity on my passport...... Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn!!!!
So I've booked an emergency appointment in Glasgow and I go down tomorrow morning. This will involve lots of hanging about, book shopping and going to the gallery... hooray!
This reminds me of almost 10 years ago when I had to bolt down to Glasgow to get a passport in the first place (work sent me away to Norway at a moments notice).
Thing is I've changed so much in the last 10 years I'm going to have to get my photos signed by some kind of professional person, verifying that I'm me. Lucky for me we have an office full of engineers.
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| Tuesday, February 21st, 2006
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3:44 pm - Travels
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Looks like my trip is getting more interesting. I've been offered a trip into the hills in Kurdamir with someone who works for a NGO. On the way I can check out petroglyphs and mud volcanoes in Gobustan. :)
current music: Blind Willie Johnson You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond
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| Monday, February 20th, 2006
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2:49 pm - Travels
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Just about to book my trip.. here's my itinerary:
1st March: Aberdeen – Edinburgh
2nd March: Edinburgh - Frankfurt – Baku
10th March: Baku – Tbilisi or Climbing in Caucasus Mountains
12th March: Tbilisi/Caucasus Mountains – Baku
13th March: Baku – Frankfurt – Cologne
15th March: Cologne – Frankfurt – Edinburgh – Aberdeen
So...
A week in Baku
Weekend in Tbilisi/Caucasus Mountains
2-3 days in Cologne
Hooray!
current mood:  excited
current music: Clap your hands say yeah! - Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young...
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| Monday, February 13th, 2006
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4:17 pm - Update
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Goddam! It's been a while. OK so err, what's happened.
I had the most tremendous summer last year, out almost every night cycling, sometimes out along the Dee, sometimes down to the cliffs for a bit of climbing... until August when I was doing some downhill and lost it on a dirt jump. Thought I'd only dislocated my shoulder but it turns out I shattered my collar bone too.
So I reallocated all my spare time in to the pub (all hail Under the Hammer), going to the most amazing gigs, reading (god bless Aberdeen Library), and watching films.... which was all soul-fillingly fine. All is back in order now healed really quickly, which is more that can be said for my bike. Oh and I did manage some hill walking before the winter totally took a hold.
My mother moved out to Baku last year for a new job, from what I hear she's having a great time. I'm trying to get out there in early March, which will involve a weekend trip to St Petersburg! Hermitage Museum, yee-hah!!!
Xmas and Hogmanay were a big thumbs up, Xmas I had lunch with my Dad and his partner(first time in about 14 years), then down to Edinburgh for 2nd Xmas with my Bro's brood and Hogmanay. The kids particularly enjoyed my non-PC presents of big noisy guns! Ah uncledom is fab.
January has been work-crazy. Since the day I stepped back in the office just mental, believe me, I know busy, this is something else. I had a winter skills course booked in January, and despite having all the spikey kit and getting all excited, it was cancelled due to lack of snow :-( Never mind.
The weekend before last, we had a Aberdeen invasion of Edinburgh, saw Nick Cave, bloody brilliant. This weekend past was Fil's balding, pics to come. What a great time... surreal but it was amazing and all for such a worthy cause . I was especially honored by Fil, getting to cut off one of the braids, my face was plastered with glee as I hacked into his goldilocks. Went to Ma's then decanted into the Moorings to show the peeps from Edinburgh what good beer was all about and how great Aberdeen can be. I'm worried about Choppa, he appeared to be in some kind of transcendental state after drinking a bottle of Delirium, I think all he could see was bright colours.
Anyway, I'm sure I've missed loads out, but might start updating this more often, well until summer anyway. Byeeee!
current mood:  cheerful
current music: Two Gallants - Steady Rollin
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| Tuesday, March 1st, 2005
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3:15 pm - Chemo's Birthday Plans
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Hello!
All are welcome to come along and join my birthday celebrations this weekend. I'll be in Aberdeen on Friday and heading down to Edinburgh for Saturday.
Friday 4th March-Aberdeen:
Ma's from 8:30pm
Saturday 5th March-Edinburgh:
Brass Monkey from 8:00pm
Hope to see you there!
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| Wednesday, February 9th, 2005
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4:34 pm - Fil's Birthday
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If you are in the Aberdeen Area on Saturday, we are meeting at 5pm at the Superbowl on George Street to celebrate Fil's Birthday.
Bowling then drinking seems to be the plan. If you are coming along then let me know so I can book lanes..... and no I'm not sure if Jesus is wearing his one-piece purple bowling suit.
This has been a public announcement on behalf of Jesus.
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