Gil Scott-Heron (1 April 1949 - 27 May 2011)

I first heard Scott-Heron in my early teens. His Winter in America album remains for me one of the greatest recordings of it’s generation, a classic that resonated with me then as it does now. The work of a master poet and songwriter.

The first song I heard of his, Peace Go With You, Brother, seems apt today. If you have not heard his works, or listened to his lyrics, I commend him to you.

Rest in peace, Gil Scott-Heron.

Had a very busy week, so a corporate theme seemed fitting. More living to work than working to live at the moment. Gotta do something about that…

Back blipped. See, too busy to post on the day! Either that or I forgot last night!

Some days you are the bread, and others the filling. And some days, just toast!

Two things for today.

First, sometimes it’s better to give in and do nothing than keep at it. Although I have my regrets about catching some of that dreadful school drama thing on the telly! That’s 20 minutes of my life I feel will never be redeemed.

Secondly, companies that offer high quality support are worth every penny in the times when the support is not needed! Perhaps even more.

Dull blip tonight, but heh the world’s karma balance is topsy-turvy, so learn from the philosophers Logan & Preston and be excellent to each other! I can vouch for the results.

The aftermath of the storms was being addressed in Dundee today. Many trees fallen or damaged, at least one car written off, and carpets of leaves across many paths.

And this evening, peace in Angus. Dickmontlaw bathed in the sunset, with no hint of yesterday’s gales.

And in-between… mostly I have been drinking coffee and timetabling. Each of these tasks wholly and inseparably interlinked.

Our life and nation was shaken today by 100mph winds. My shoreline jaunt was more of a battle than a stroll.

But as things settle down on the sleepy east coast, the air feels clearer, the world cleaner. The chaos fades, and normality will no doubt return soon enough.

Tomorrow is expected to be tempestuous.

Today we rested. Catching up with The Shadow Line. Pretty decent thriller, brilliantly shot and with great accompanying soundtrack. Recommended.

Until tomorrow…

Out for a tasty steak dinner after hearing Kengo Kuma talk about his architecture in Dundee. His keen use of local materials and interest in blending in with the environment is truly inspirational. I have high hopes for the V&A Dundee project, and look forward to blipping the building in 2015!

Me by Spike Milligan

Born screaming small into this world-
Living I am.
Occupational therapy twixt birth and death-
What was I before?
What will I be next?
What am I now?
Cruel answer carried in the jesting mind
of a careless God
I will not bend and grovel
When I die. If He says my sins are myriad
I will ask why He made me so imperfect
And he will say ‘My chisels were blunt’
I will say ‘Then why did you make so
many of me’.

Anyone know how to solve unsolvable problems? They are fun to play with, but it seems I have a deadline to miss tomorrow.

I have enrolled in the Douglas Adams School of Deadline Appreciation - the accelerated learning programme…

Heh ho, it will soon be the weekend! :-)

Embrace your inner geek… then simple things can make you happy.

Tonight I shall sleep soundly knowing that my ‘puter at work is busy all night dutifully carrying out calculations for me, all so that I might rest!

And I go to sleep with optimism (having not long ago checked in to make sure all is well) that tomorrow will bring only pleasant surprises… Fingers crossed!

It’s been a busy year/month/week/day/evening but the battery is fully charged!

Too many hours staring at too many screens… leaves me both tired and wired.

Gzzzkt…night!

Treading water at the moment, when it comes to my to do list… Just when things look like they are clearing up, along comes a beast from the shadows…

That sounds a bit miserable, but to be honest I probably manufacture the situation for myself, so I must enjoy it really!

The first rule of deadlines is… when it looks like you might make it with time to spare… procrastinate!

Not sure I should have had the weekend off, but it sure was relaxing!

Family meals, Samurai movies, Dr Who, car stuff, cakes, and dog walking. All the stuff that makes a happy me…

But now time to focus. Set the controls for the heart of the Sun!

Scottish weather. Rain and hail, followed by a glorious sunshine. Nothing new there.

And then to the cinema…

13 Assassins. A well shot samurai drama, with all the usual elements. If you are looking for something to do, you could do much worse than this. It’s rated 15, so I couldn’t blip it. So I blipped the weather instead!

Worked past midnight every night this week. Until tonight. I needed a break. Escapism. Doctor Who. Ecclestone. Fun!

But unlike the good Doctor, I am not the master of time. Seems that Karma and Cnut are making a comeback. I cashed too many chips this week. And so to sleep. Good night.

There’s an informal group called Purpos/ed that are currently debating the purpose of education. They are just one aspect of a growing global debate on this topic.

In Scotland it is now well and truly exam season. For many schools the Purpos/ed debated is probably an irrelevance, as since the very first marked assessment the purpose of education has been clear to them: to rubber stamp individuals through a vetting process for continued access to the education system.

Perhaps tomorrow it will be something more.

Ten years ago today, Douglas Adams discovered exactly what the Universe was for, and why it was here. And thus for him it utterly disappeared.

If you have not read his books and articles, I urge you to. He was an insightful and intelligent writer, passionate about the planet and technology.

A whole night’s work down the swanny…

My virtual machine virtually bit me. Virtually hard. Ouch.

Today was going so well. Busy, but good. So I guess the Karma chips had to be cashed. Looking forward to doing all that work again tomorrow night! Hurrah!

… in your DNA!

Had a productive day, fighting the tide of too many things to do but just like Cnut, twice a day I appear to make progress…

And a lunchtime visit to the DVLA and Tesco. Not a combination that would ordinarily spark the emotions, but I guess it’s all about the company!