Shhhh, reading!

In case you missed it yesterday, I have some lovely postcards to read in order to choose a winner. Looking forward to that.

And hey! My photo of the Howff appeared in the Dundee Evening Telegraph last night. Thanks for taking a picture of my picture, sweetie :-)

Tuesday's Overlooked A/V: The CundeeZ

Wi language az rough az a rhino's erse
Oary Dundonian in poetic verse
Itz oor tongue, oor dialect, itz how wi converse

I heartily recommend The CundeeZ: punk rock with Dundee accent and a DIY can-do spirit. And not just because lead singer/songwriter Gary Robertson was the punk rock cupid that brought me and my sweetie together :-) but because the music is terrific. I've written before about Gary's book Skeem Life (which he tells me he's now turning into a musical) and about finally seeing them play -- albeit briefly -- for the the first time back in December. I suspect I will have plenty of opportunities to see them again when I am back in Dundee.

Their latest CD Lend Wiz Yir Lugs can be bought or downloaded for just £5 and it's a fine set of ear scorchers, veering from punk to ska to a little old school rock-n-roll. It's a wild ride from the evocative pipes of "Caleil" to the blistering "Mr E Go" and the plain-talking "Yir Talkin' Shite" (dedicated to politicians everywhere and all the rest who sling manure). It's all good: check out their first CD, Cundee Radio, too.

Find them on ReverbNation, Facebook and Twitter. Here are some of their videos to give you a taste; if you are of delicate constitution or easily alarmed by frank language, this is not the band for you. Everyone else: Enjoy!

As always, see the full round up of TOA/V at Todd's blog.

BitchBuzz: The Digital Revolution Will be Gendered

I should start this post with a shout out to the fabulous Maura McHugh, a new friend who shared a fabulous, nigh on four hour lunch with me on Tuesday. Obviously we found a lot to talk about. Those of you who tend to think of me as taciturn would have been surprised. Of course we are now plotting world domination -- that's just how we roll.

I'm off to Scotland today: big smiles all around.

My column today brings together a number of things that have happened lately. If it's less light-hearted than most of my columns, it's because I'm fed up. Again. As I say at the end, I have been fighting the same fights since childhood. World, you're on notice.

The [Digital] Revolution Will Be Gendered

By K.A. Laity

Someone on Facebook shared a link to a film that looked like it hit directly at the conundrum of the digital age: suddenly the world has opened up to a lot more people who can share their creations with a much wider audience than ever before. A film no longer requires a torturous studio system of development hell and artistic interference; just kickstart and go.

On the other hand, the burgeoning cacophony of the digital explosion gets harder and harder to wade through. As the traditional gatekeepers disappear, how do audiences find the good stuff—and how do artists find their audiences?

The film is PressPausePlay. Created by a Swedish "creative agency" (which seems to be the new name for "advertising agency") it has a description that seems full of potential and a screen capture of Moby:

The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities. But does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out? This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a documentary film containing interviews with some of the world's most influential creators of the digital era.

I should say I did enjoy a lot of the film and there are many interesting points made in it (as well as a lot of blather that could have been cut) but as I watched I began to experience a familiar sinking feeling: about twenty minutes or so went by before they spoke to someone who was not male. Another fifteen minutes before they spoke with someone who wasn't obviously Caucasian.

Is it really that difficult?...

Read the rest over at BBHQ. And think about your privilege before you ask for that cookie.

Connemara

I met up with the Fulbrighters in Ireland, new and old, for a trip out to Connemara. Here are some lovely photos! We had music and Irish language (including a visit to TG4, the Irish language television station) for our visit to the Gaeltacht, the remaining areas where Irish remains a primary language.

Working on a couple of things before I head off to Scotland later this week, so must dash!

BitchBuzz: Making Small Talk

The light begins its return today: a relief. It was beginning to seem like the sun had gone down before I'd properly gotten up. Then again, that could be due to my lazy schedule. I am getting some good relaxing in :-) and a bit of writing, too, as well as watching Allan battle angry penguins in cars (o_O).

It's Short Story Day, I hear. May I suggest my collection Unikirja? Or if you like something more gruesome how about It's a Curse: Drunk on the Moon 7. Guaranteed quality!

My column today may seem a tad ironic: who's less qualified than me to talk about conversational skills? Ah, but those who can't do, teach or so I'm told. Better than I used to be.

Dos and Don'ts for Holiday Small Talk

By K.A. Laity

Holidays bring the often trying task of making small talk with people you do not really know, whether they are co-workers in distant cubicles, business acquaintances you've never really had a chance to develop a rapport with or relatives you can't actually recall having met before, or at least not since the age of three. While Oscar Wilde maintained that, "Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative," I say any port in a storm when faced with days of chit chat with unfamiliar people.


As a person accustomed to spending the better part of her time alone, I find it taxing to make conversation. Like most introverts, I am stressed by time spent in groups.


While I have been able to develop extrovert abilities for my professional life, the fact remains that I am not a good conversationalist except with a few intimate friends (or online -- the internet is a great gift to introverts). But it can be possible to make small talk without falling into Eliza Doolittle perils...

Read the useful tips over at BBHQ. I guess penguins are the theme of the day :-) Yes, I was pleased to work in that scene from My Fair Lady as well as The Testing of Eric Olthwaite. Black pudding at the ready!

Rocking with The Cundeez

Awesome to finally see The Cundeez in Dundee and talk to Gary and Stevie in person. I even got a shout out from the stage. Alas, we were too late to have a chance to sing back up (we just missed the bus!). Doubtless there will be other opportunities in the future. Headliners TV Smith and the Valentines did a great set of Adverts tunes. And I got a signed copy of the new CD. Wonderful night out!

Scotland Bound

Doubtless my column will post some time today at BitchBuzz. I am dashing off shortly, though: planes, trains and automobiles on my way to Dundee. Doubtless tweeting and FBing along the way. Wish me luck. Oh hey, a short story up at A Twist of Noir, too! Sorry -- in haste!

Know-vember: Mark Walker

In the States, today is Thanksgiving day; depending on who you ask it's either a day to commemorate when the Pilgrims survived the vagaries of New England despite their ignorance and arrogance with considerable help from some of the indigenous folks (who would come to regret that kindness), or it's a day to stuff yourself comatose with all kinds of foods and watch sporting events while ignoring endless family arguments.

Okay, it's also a day to show you're grateful and give thanks, so while I'm grateful for all the friends I'm featuring in Know-vember (and all the ones who didn't let me feature them here >_<) I am especially grateful for this friend. He's why I'll be going back to Scotland for my birthday and Xmas, too. Here's a very sweet picture of Mark with his son Allan.

 

1. What's the first thing you do upon waking in the morning?

I reach for you. If you are not there, I reach for my phone and look for messages from you instead.

2. What's a song you might be persuaded to dance to?

I love to dance so will be quite happy to dance to pretty much anything. Personal favourites include: Panic by The Smiths, ABBA’s Dancing Queen and anything by The Fall. [Ed: smart man!]

3. Where in the world do you live?

I live in a little house in Dundee, Scotland. It looks a bit like Paddy’s market in places but it's home and I like to think full of love.

4. What's a great night out for you?

Good company, something nice to eat, a few drinks and some live music. Pretty much the perfect evening.  

5. What's a great night in?

A little drink perhaps. Nice cozy up on the sofa with a decent film on the telly and a really nice cozy in bed just to finish the night.

6. If you were offered an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

It’s a tough call as there are quite a few places I would love to see. The Great Lakes and Northern Scandinavia would be high up the list. If I had to pick just one I would plump for Iceland. It just seems such an amazing place and who knows I might just run into Björk. 

7. What book do you wish everyone would read so you could talk about it?

It would be great if everyone was to read The Bridge by Iain Banks. Then maybe just maybe one of you might be able to tell me what the hell is going on. Other than that my wish would be simply that more people take the chance to read.

8. What movie makes you cry?

Oh dear, this question should have a subtitle of ‘guilty pleasures’; I am a sucker for a RomCom. Bits of Notting Hill have been known to have the old tear ducts in use. My god did I just admit to that? [Ed: yes, yes, you did o_O] ET had me in floods of tears as did the child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

9. What makes you laugh?

Ah, now we are talking. In no particular order as it would change pretty much on a daily basis. The genius of Peter Cook, Tony Hancock, Sid James, The Goons, The Goodies, Monty Python, Tommy Cooper, Eddie Izzard and Kenneth Williams. Oh and of course, Steptoe and Son.

10. Are there fairies at the bottom of your garden?

Not any more as I have invited them all into the house along with the little people.


Good plan :-) Thanks, sweetie.

Know-vember: Mr Tumshie

All right, it's not his real name, but if you're on Twitter (as so many of us are) that's how you know him. A canny chess player, a friendly chauffeur (^_^) and blipper of tunes, Mr Tumshie keeps us all amused with his sardonic humour. But he won't let me tell you his real name because he's shy. Or the church police are after him. Or maybe it's just a fear of ocelots. Yes, I think it must be the latter.

1. What's the first thing you do upon waking in the morning?

Work out where I am, shortly followed by sighing with disappointment at where I'm not.

2. What's a song you might be persuaded to dance to?

Not sure I should say but the one I find hardest to resist is Night Boat To Cairo by Madness.

3. Where in the world do you live?

I live here -- what a silly question!

4. What's a great night out for you?

A drink with friends, preferably after a concert by a good band.

5. What's a great night in?

Being alone with that special someone -- everything else is just details.

6. If you were offered an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Well, I've been to Paradise but I've never been to me. I looked on maps but couldn't find it so that's where I'd like to go. I hope the weather is better there.

7. What book do you wish everyone would read so you could talk about it?

Tiger's Modern by Grandmaster Tiger Hillarp Persson. For some reason most of my friends don't read chess books. Their loss.

8. What movie makes you cry?

Difficult to answer that one as I'm not much of a one for watching things that make me cry. I have wept with laughter watching Way Out West -- will that do?

9. What makes you laugh?

Lots of things make me laugh. Clever puns are a favourite maybe. Silly cleverness or clever silliness might be a better answer.

10. Are there fairies at the bottom of your garden?

No, the leprechauns chased them all away.

Alas! Thanks, Mr T.

Know-vember: Jeanne Andrew

Meet the fabulous Jeanne Andrew, a most amusing and lovely woman. I met her on Twitter, part of the extended network of Scots that I have somehow found myself amongst. She's a "stand down" comedian and budding screenwriter and writes a blog appropriately named "Funny Girl" -- and she's a lot of fun.

1. What's the first thing you do upon waking in the morning?

Shut off the alarm! If it’s a good morning I bounce out of bed, wake my daughter, get washed and dressed then head downstairs to start making breakfast. On a bad one, I give my partner a dig in the ribs, grunt and go back to sleep.

2. What's a song you might be persuaded to dance to?

Might? I don’t need much persuasion. I’ll boogie on down to almost anything especially while I’m cooking. Right now, my favourite is “You And I” by the Mother Monster herself, Lady Gaga.

3. Where in the world do you live?

I live in Tollcross, which is what you say when you don’t want to admit to living in Parkhead in Glasgow. We live near Tollcross Park.

4. What's a great night out for you?

Great food – Japanese, Spanish tapas or Tex Mex and lots of plum wine, Long Island Iced Tea or frozen margaritas followed by either a cracking movie in a comfy cinema with big seats or even couches like the Grosvenor in Hillhead and a family bag of Maltesers or a rollicking good laugh watching some home-grown stand-up comedy like Janey Godley or Scott Agnew. By then I’m usually flagging…but I’d love to go dancing after. 

5. What's a great night in?

Friends over for some grub and grog and gabbing, preferably round a fire out in the back garden on a starry night.

6. If you were offered an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

San Francisco to find Barbary Lane (from Armistead Maupin’s Tales Of The City) and then up to Portland to see Christian Kane playing at Dante’s.

7. What book do you wish everyone would read so you could talk about it?

I don’t hold with there being a “must-read” for everyone because we’re all different. I tend to talk books with my teenage daughter – we like ones such as The Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries by Charlaine Harris or The Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill.

8. What movie makes you cry?

A Matter Of Life And Death – the Powell and Pressburger one about the British airman played by David Niven who is shoot down in WW2 but doesn’t die as expected and falls in love with an American radio operator played by Kim Hunter. He has to go on trial to stay living. It was my dad’s favourite film.

9. What makes you laugh?

Filth. Absolute filth and bawdy badinage, usually with my Twitter Twibe. Plus great comedians like Janey Godley, Jo Caulfield and Jo Brand. I love “Getting On”.

10. Are there fairies at the bottom of your garden?

If there are then they are like The Wee Free Men. But I fear the dog has eaten them all because I’ve never seen any.

Ah, the poor wee men! Thanks, Jeanne!

Know-vember: Lovely Dundee

We're taking a brief detour from people to get to know a city: Dundee. I haven't been to Scotland for decades! What a delight to return. And I had never been to Dundee, so it was all a pleasant surprise to me to get to know the land of McGonagall.

The Tay gives the city its distinctive flavour and the Gulf Stream provides its unexpected warmth. And the haar! The thick fog nearly kept me from leaving Scotland (which I wouldn't have minded at all).

Speaking of unexpected warmth :-) I found the locals to be very friendly: Mark, my native guide, showed me the ropes in his town and made me feel right at home.

It wouldn't be Scotland without a tribute to Robbie Burns. The statue sits outside the McManus, Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum.

And one of the attractions at the museum is the Tay Whale, who hangs over the main exhibit hall.

One of the delights of the city are all the whimsical sculptures. These penguins appear around the back of a church near a shopping centre.

What better way to honour Captain Scott, whose ship the RRS Discovery can be found docked on the Tay (more penguins there!).

But here's an impish monkey playing with the letters on the signboard...

And here's DC Thomson's famed Dundee residents, Desperate Dan and Dawg with Minnie the Minx.

The star may be the fabulous Dundee Dragon...

But how wonderful is the Lion and the Unicorn clock? See it in action here.

Britannia tops a building that was once a bank; Mark showed me a Ladbrokes, too, that had been a bank and had a gloriously baroque ceiling. We were probably the only people to look up at it for some time. Everyone else had their eye on the screens and their betting forms.

And here on the same building, perhaps Abundantia, the goddess of prosperity. Given the hard times Scotland's facing at present, more offerings should be left at her feet.

The Howff, Dundee's beautiful city cemetery: a gorgeous and peaceful place.

I will have to take more photos here when I go back; I know my cemetery-loving pals will appreciate them. Great history.

The beauty of a chance photo. I don't know why I like this snap so much, but I do.

This one, too: I call it "£25 Pink Moon" in honour of Nick Drake's lovely song (although clearly it's the sky not the moon that's pink >_<). This was about twilight on Guy Fawkes Night. We went over to Baxter Park to catch the fireworks. A crisp clear night and quite beautiful.

Inevitably, people ask about haggis. The "Scottish" shop in the airport had piles of it. There it remains. I was not tempted. The green labels indicate "vegetarian haggis" -- no, not sure what's in it.

I wasn't able to resist these coasters though. Pleased I already knew these words, though that's probably mostly due to Terry (thanks again for being my chauffeur, by the way). Thanks to Mark and his boys for a warm welcome. I had a very lovely time.

It's been a good week: I was art! And look, I had an insect named after me! Here's Kate with Irfaan, as photographed by Ayub at the Butterfly World Project (a wonderful place that's helping preserve those beauties). Life is good.

BitchBuzz: NaNoWriMo

Lots of folks I know are knee-deep in NaNoWriMo; if you've ever thought about trying to write, it's a good boost with a lot of support and encouragement. If I'm not doing it, it's only because with me every month is NaNoWriMo at least in quantity although not always novel format (she says hastily trying to finish a short story to send off).

NaNoWriMo: Get Your Novel Going!

By K.A. Laity

It takes audacity to assume you've got a novel in you, although more and more people lately seem to find that audacity regularly -- pity they're mostly illiterate celebrities who pay someone to do the paperwork. Regular women often have more difficulty taking up the proverbial pen because they lack the chutzpah, but also because they lack the time. It's all that unpaid labour that's not really on the clock but somehow takes up an awful lot of hours.

I'm convinced the key to writing success is simply not cleaning anything and buying ready made meals.

If you've thought about the idea of writing but couldn't quite figure out how to get started, try joining NaNoWriMo -- National Novel Writing Month, or as their catchphrase puts it, "Thirty days and nights of literary abandon!" That sounds a lot better than "thousands of people hunched over computers around the world." Indeed there's some magic in the idea of all these people engaged in the same creative pursuit for a whole month. You can get a word count widget for your blog or website, read pep talks from successful NaNoWriMoers, and join a discussion forum for your region or genre..

Read the rest as always over at BBHQ.

Today I'm sailing off in the Pirate Pub to Scotland: doubtless I will have some lovely adventures to share and maybe a few pictures, too. Guy Fawkes Day on Saturday and there will be fireworks. More when I return. Or perhaps I will just recite some poetry.