Saturday, 14 August 2010

Seven Years as a Freelance Writer or How To Make Vitamin Soup

Jimmy Reid 1932 - 2010

We are not going to strike. We are not even having a sit-in strike. Nobody and nothing will come in and nothing will go out without our permission. And there will be no hooliganism, there will be no vandalism, there will be no bevvying because the world is watching us, and it is our responsibility to conduct ourselves with responsibility, and with dignity, and with maturity.
I really don't want this blog to turn into an obituaries column, I'm no Mathew Bannister but I thought that it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the passing of a hero of mine.
Jimmy Reid was just an "ordinary working man who believed in equality and fairness". I became aware of him through a TV programme in which he travelled around the Soviet Union, a country which for a 15 year old studying the Russian Revolution fascinated me.
I found out that he had led a work in in the shipyards in Govan and asked my uncle Jimmy, who was a figure in the steel workers union around the same time about him and the quote above was the response that he gave me.
From then on I followed Jimmy through his columns in the Glasgow Herald and The Scotsman but drew a line at buying The Sun, I always thought that it a strange decision to write for that paper although I suppose he was trying to convert the readership of the rag to socialism, fat chance.
I didn't agree with all of his columns but his arguments were persuasive and eloquent. I was also dismayed in his decision to back the SNP post 1997, I understood why he did it but just thought it misguided.
In Reid's passing, I think we have lost one of the last heavy weight political activists and politicians we had in Scotland. One thing is for sure Jim Murphy and Nicola Sturgeon and the rest of our representatives couldn't hold a candle to the likes of John Smith, Donald Dewar or Jimmy Reid.
Dick Gaughan - The Freedom Come-All-Ye

Beautifully written, as a just about to be teenager in Glasgow when the UCS dispute was on the news it has to be said it was the dawning of my socialist principles that I still try to hold true.
RIP Jimmy.
Regards/

Drew @'Across The Kitchen Table'

Friday, 13 August 2010

An Ayn Rand fan with way too much time on his hands

So he drove his car that adheres to NHTSA safety standards on roads owned and operated by state and federal governments to write a message utilizing a device made by someone else entirely that utilizes signals from satellites orbited by... you guessed it, the federal government. How Randian.

Read the Story @ Gizmodo

The REAL Jeff Mills

via kfmw

♪♫ Eels - That Look You Give That Guy

Now you know!

A picture released by Japanese animal theme park Adventure World and received through Jiji Press on August 12, 2010 shows the twin babies of giant panda, Rauhin, after they were born at the park in Shirahama. By Adventure World/AFP/Getty Images.

Seconds out...

(Click to enlarge)

@'Newsweek'

Spooky!

(Thanx Audiozobe!)

Anti-Piracy Failure Takes Down Creative Commons Videos

Richie Hayward RIP

Richie Hayward passed away. According to the official LITTLE FEAT Facebook fanpage, Richie Hayward (from the band LITTLE FEAT) passed away August 12,2010.

2 messages have been posted reporting this:

One from the member of the family, Amanda Condry-Krizan : "RIP Uncle Richie, we love u so very much!!!"

The other one from Little Feat: "Respected by many as a musician, loved by more as a person. R.I.P. Richie."

@'West Coast Music'

Now go and get this and be blown away!!!

A message from his wife:

Hello everyone x

The long journey to finding out the why and the what, became clear to us all yesterday.

Richie had Adult respiratory fibrosis, for many many years.

Left untreated, this disease compromises the lung tissue.

He then got pneumonia last week. Which with his history of lung damage, made him unable to successfully overcome it.

His body, as a response to the pneumonia, developed ARDS, Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, which means for most who get it, automatic life support systems. This would be one condition, he was looking at never being without.

He fought a long battle with liver, and all that comes with that.....and quite successfully managed to get it in pretty good shape, with his name going on the list as he was now ready and able as of Sept 1st.

His additional battle with lung disease however.....he did not manage to win.

He passed away in my arms, at 11:45 am this morning.

There could never be more love between two people x

As I was helping him to continue on his journey, I asked him to let me know every day of my life, that I am not alone...and he is still with me.

I told him to be the wind that blows my dress up at the corner,...or be the wave that splashes me when I don't want to get wet....just be with me, and let me know he is there, and I am not going to be without him.

I told him that our love is stronger than these bodies,...and this life xo

And we will be together forever x

I want to thank you all, for your love and rainbows x

It meant the world to us both, on this beautiful journey Richie and I were so blessed to have shared xoxo

Richie Hayward.....you are my champion xoxo

I miss you already xoxo