The 20 Year Password
Back in 1991 I left University and started work. I came from Glasgow to live at home with my parents in Edinburgh. But my job was in Glasgow. The weekend before my first day, I went into Princes Street and bought 3 books to keep my entertained on the train journeys to...
Blu-Ray Review : Synecdoche, New York
As I start this review, I know from the outset that I will almost certainly fail to convey what it is like to watch or, indeed, why you should watch it. I could fall back on something straight forward like "if you like Kaufman's other work, you should watch this"....
TV Ads Missing The Brief
Apropos of not very much, earlier tonight I saw an advert on TV for Barclays Business Banking. In it you see a very slow transparent shoe making machine. The voiceover tells you that 4 out of 5 business loans are approved and suggest that this particularly shoe...
Writing in the Cloud
My keen eyed reader will have noticed that I recently mentioned my first tentative steps towards a new novel. Being far more of a techy than a writer, I obviously spent far more time worrying about how to organise the writing process rather than doing much writing and...
Note to 16 year old self
As I approach the end of my 20th year of professional life, I'd like to leave this short note to myself just in case, by some miracle of future technology, I end up reading this in the past. First thing to say is that choosing to work in IT wasn't a bad choice, far...
56 Free Abstract iPad Wallpapers
After a lot of experiments, I found that abstract textures or background work well on the iPad. Here is a big free collection of abstract textures and backgrounds for the iPad that I put together after a very long trawl through all my photos. Hopefully there is...
Never Be Too Busy
I like to be busy. And I usually quite enjoy being too busy. I was once given some very wise words. You should never say you were too busy to do something. Instead you should just say that you were doing something else more important. Being "too busy" sort of implies...
Book Review : Magnum Magnum
Description Here is the popular yet complete edition of the hugely acclaimed Magnum Magnum which was an instant sellout on first publication in 2007. It celebrates sixty years of the vision, imagination and brilliance of Magnum photographers in over 400 photographs by...
Wayback Machines – My Songs
Last week I posted an idea for a meme for listing the songs that transport you back to a specific time in your life. Here are the songs that I've come up with (so far, might add more as they occur to me). I've added all the songs to this collaborative playlist on...
When I Feel Heavy Metal – Book 2
A new year and some new fun to have. After much faffing, I've started writing another book. Under the sagely advice of Stu, I have stopped working on the plot that has been kicking about for ages now and, with his help, have thrashed out something entirely different...
PhotoBlog : Happy New Year! 2010 in Pictures
Just did a whistlestop tour of all the photos I took in 2010 ( there are a lot ) and picked a favourite from each month. It was tricky in quite a few months but I had to plump for something. So, here they are, some that have appeared online before, some that have not,...
A Special Hogmanay #FF
I've been pottering about on Twitter for a few years now but 2010 really felt like it become part of my daily come and go. Whether it was as a simple SMS replacement or a way of making X-Factor entertaining, it has permeated through most aspects of my daily life. This...
PhotoBlog : Much Fun at Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura
Being an Edinburgh resident it is all too easy to think the attractions on your doorstep are only for tourists. Luckily, having the excuse of a young child to entertain during the holidays gives me the chance to try out some of the available entertainment. I'd been to...
Wayback Machines – Evocative Songs of the Past
It has become a recent personal tradition to unleash a soon to be forgotten meme on the world around New Year time. You can peruse the previous ones thusly. This year's meme is very simple but, at the same time, quite tricky. The good news is that the process of...
…also by Scott M. Liddell
During one of my endlessly entertaining blethers with Obverse Books supremo Stuart Douglas last week, I realised I had been remiss in playing my part in the promotion of the latest in the Obverse Books series of Iris Wildthyme books, Iris Abroad. The 4th in the...
Blu-Ray Review : Oldboy
There are people who will say that I watch so many foreign films to appear cool. Well, I've got a beard, how much cooler do I need to be? No, I watch foreign films in a quest to find something different. I read Empire magazine every month in a quest to find Hollywood...
It’s An Emotional Snow-llercoaster
Are we all enjoying the snow? It has been interesting to watch the emotions ebb and flow as the horror of the ongoing winter has hit us all. I think it has gone a little like this. I wonder how many winters like this we'll have before this cycle changes and we add...
@Sucata Runs – Free iPad Wallpapers
In these cold times, thoughts turn to the warmth of the summer and, perhaps, travelling about Europe in a banger. If you're feeling cold, why not think about signing up for a banger rally across Europe. Both the Sucata Run and Sucata Split are open for teams to...
Blu-Ray Review : La Vie En Rose
Love or hate her voice, you can't deny that Edith Piaf had quite a rollercoaster of a short life. Unlike many biopics, La Vie En Rose doesn't have to struggle to find entertaining events to portray. So varied are they that you may be that they wouldn't be out of place...
Book Review : William Eggleston’s Guide
Description William Eggleston's Guide was the first one-man show of colour photographs ever presented at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Museum's first publication of colour photography. The reception was divided and passionate. The book and show...