For The Record Readers!

When was the last time that you bought a newspaper?

I mean actually reached into your pocket and paid your own money for one?

You don’t do you?

If you do then you are in an ever decreasing minority.

Like most people,  you’ve probably been aware for years that the sales of daily and Sunday newspapers was on the decline.  But like me you’ve not known how far their sales have fallen.

Check the graph below,  newspapers are dead in the water with the rare exception of The Evening Standard which is a free London only newspaper full of city and business news.

For more information on the actual numbers,  have a read at the attached page produced by the UK Audit Bureau of Circulations,

The reasons for this?

Basically they are crap,  full of celebrity bullshit and people can get this news in other ways.

The allegiances to the old political newspapers are dead.   No-one reads The Sun or The Mirror now for political news.   Most people get their information from tv,  which is why the sound-bite has became so important over recent years,

Glasgow’s or Scotland’s traditional read,  The Daily Record has seen serious decline in sales tumbling form 323k to 203k in only the past 5 years.

It’s a matter of time until it is defunct.

More info and historic stats,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_newspapers_in_the_United_Kingdom_by_circulation

When Love Runs Dry? – Tempted?

6 inches and a million miles between them.

You can almost taste the venom in her stare.

So what happened?

Did he call it off or her?

A public embarrassment at this function perhaps?

Whatever has happened, She hates him.

But is it because she has had enough of the relationship or because of what he’s done?

He looks as if he has stated his case and got it off his chest, possibly apologised. But is now resigned to his fate as she has made her decision.

I like it because it’s typical Jack glamour with a twist.

We’ve all been there. 🙂

—

When Love Runs Dry – A painting by Jack Vettriano,  I’m a big fan,  he once laughingly called me a “Dirty Bastard” of which I”m proud!

That story is on here somewhere.

Tonight Squeeze play The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

I’m looking forward to all their classics,  particularly Tempted originally sang with Paul Carrack.

Maybe the pic inspired the lyric.

Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered!

Golden Slumbers and I will sing a Lullaby

Can you imagine losing your brother,  or sister?

It’s tragic when it happens from some terrible accident,  but theres something worse when its a dehabilitating disease and you’ve watched them suffer and fade for years,   going though all the medical procedures to increase their life span whilst simultaneously reducing their quality of life in the process.

Can you imagine that this terrible disease is genetic and its already killed two or three of your siblings?

How would you feel?

Imagining that you could be next,  that even if you manage to miss it then it might affect your own children.

Cancer is an evil, relentless disease that can affect us all,  but affects some families more than others.

Today,  I’m at a family funeral,  my brothers wife’s sister.   With two sisters already taken,  I cannot imagine how she is feeling.

I can only imagine myself in her place and empathise.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to watch one of my 4 brothers to suffer and die in such circumstances.

I’m the eldest of 5 sons,  we love, we fight, we are there for each other.  All different but with a common bond,  I can’t imagine life without any one of them,  the gap left behind would be immense.

Today,  I’ll pray for Sarah, for her loss.

But I”ll pray for Liz and her children,  my god-daughter more.

I’ll pray for anyone out there suffering from this awful disease and thank God that my own family has avoided it.

If you happen to read this, maybe you could say a silent prayer too.

If you and yours are cancer free then count your blessings.

Pray for the living.

“And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make”

No Time For Time-Wasters?

I came across the following quotes from the gorgeous intelligent Meryl Streep .. isn’t she bang on with the money?

She has no longer has time for time wasters.

Her wisdom comes with age and maturity,   I realised that myself a few years ago but wished I’d known sooner.

But there is really nothing wrong with wasting time now and again,  just do it with the right people.

The people who make the effort for you and will stay in your life ..   think of that as investment.

From Meryl …

“I no longer have patience for certain things, not because I’ve become arrogant, but simply because I reached a point in my life where I do not want to waste more time with what displeases me or hurts me.

I have no patience for cynicism, excessive criticism and demands of any nature. I lost the will to please those who do not like me, to love those who do not love me and to smile at those who do not want to smile at me.

I no longer spend a single minute on those who lie or want to manipulate. I decided not to coexist anymore with pretense, hypocrisy, dishonesty and cheap praise. I do not tolerate selective erudition nor academic arrogance.

I do not adjust either to popular gossiping. I hate conflict and comparisons.

I believe in a world of opposites and that’s why I avoid people with rigid and inflexible personalities.

In friendship I dislike the lack of loyalty and betrayal. I do not get along with those who do not know how to give a compliment or a word of encouragement.

Exaggerations bore me and I have difficulty accepting those who do not like animals.

And on top of everything I have no patience for anyone who does not deserve my patience.”

Making Yourself Happier? #inspiration #science

I came across the article below where a neuroscience researcher,   has investigated the brain and its responses using the latest medical techniques during various states of emotion including happiness, sadness, anxiety, empathy, etc.

It’s a fascinating article and well worth a read.

I particularly like the third action of being decisive as sometimes when in a quandary about an issue and wondering whether you are making the right decision can be very stressful,  but just deciding and accepting a better solution and not necessarily the best solution can help you remove that anxiety.

I hope you find it as interesting and helpful I did.

Here’s a summary of what the researchers say will make you happy.  I’ve attached the more detailed article below.

• Ask “What am I grateful for?” No answers? Doesn’t matter. Just searching helps.
• Label those negative emotions. Give it a name and your brain isn’t so bothered by it.
• Decide. Go for “good enough” instead of “best decision ever made on Earth.”
• Hugs, hugs, hugs. Don’t text — touch.

So what’s the dead simple way to start that upward spiral of happiness?

Just send someone a thank you email.   If you feel awkward about it, you can send them this post to tell them why.

This really can start an upward spiral of happiness in your life. UCLA neuroscience researcher Alex Korb explains:

Everything is interconnected.
Gratitude improves sleep.
Sleep reduces pain.
Reduced pain improves your mood.
Improved mood reduces anxiety.
Reduced anxiety improves focus and planning.
Focus and planning help with decision making.
Decision making reduces anxiety and improves enjoyment.
Enjoyment gives you more to be grateful for, which keeps that loop of the upward spiral going.

Enjoyment also makes it more likely you’ll exercise and be social, which, in turn, will make you happier.

— The full article can be read at the following link

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-neuroscience-researcher-reveals-4-rituals-that-will-make-you-a-happier-person-2015-9?IR=T

Not Getting Any Younger? #poetry #humour

Oh God please hear my silent plea
And bring my princess here to me
Shes good and kind for all to see
And I’m not getting any younger

Her long dark hair and smile wide
Her touch that thrills me deep inside
I think I’d let her be my bride
Cos I’m not getting any younger

But alas my God he didn’t hear
And now I’m stuck with you I fear
I think I’ll cry a pool of tears
Cos you’re not getting any younger

Hell Hath No Fury?

Hell, hell, yet I’ll be calm.
Now the dawn begins
And so hand of fate is stretched to draw the vale and leave thee bare.
Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned
No hell a fury like the woman, scorned.

William Congreve – The Mourning Bride

The quote above often wrongly attributed to Shakespeare is used as the closing lines from the first episode of the recent BBC drama Doctor Foster starring the beautiful Suranne Jones in the title role as the woman cheated by her husband.

At first,  after she spots a blonde hair on her husbands scarf,  her mind us full of paranoia,  that knot in her tummy, natural overreaction,  suspecting his newly blonde assistant,  their friends.

When the opportunity presents herself, she checks his phone but finds nothing.

But the doubt doesn’t stop as she bumps in to his assistant at the school gates who tells her that her husband usually leaves at 5 and she locks up the office every day.

The next day,  she leaves work early,  parking outside his office,  then following him,  as he picks up flowers,  hoping to catch him with the other woman only to find him visiting his mother at her care home.

She’s obviously feeling guilty and its written all over his face,  which he notices.

They have a private chat away from his mother and she confesses that she was suspicious and followed him.

How stupid of her ..

Stupid for showing her hand too soon,  stupid for following him,  wasting that time when there are so many other checks she should have done without the chance of being spotted.

Work Stories – Silhouetto?

So .. I had some good news on the job front ..

An outrageous contract in Luxembourg with money beyond riches that I’m not really interested in, a contract at a bank in Glasgow that I interviewed with last week and an interview for a staff job at a place I contracted previously.

Yep staff job – heaven help them!! 🙂

Early days, nothing definite yet, but a few bites raises the confidence level and I’m feeling good and playing music on the hifi in random mode as I do domestic stuff.

My daughter Claire comes home from university and I make her a late lunch.

All good so far.

Until Bohemian Rhapsody comes on and I turn the volume up to 11.

She opens the lounge door behind me, but I’m a bit preoccupied playing my air guitar and shaking my head as you do at 1:47 in the clip below.

“So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye”

When my little darling turns the music down, face fizzing to tell me that she’s studying.

Little ungrateful shits, if you haven’t got them then don’t have kids! 🙂

The Game Changer?

Beautiful blue blonde new
Face Eyes Hair You
Warm Soft Tender Skin
With your smile my life begins

Your shiny face looks up at me
No words express your silent plea
I promise to give you all you need
A warm bed, a midnight feed

My life before seemed overflowing
Now I spent it watch you growing
new born tears when in your bath
but how I love it when we laugh

Now you’re tall dark and handsome
For you I’d give a kings ransom
Having you wasn’t in my plan
Yet you have made me a better man

—

The game changer .. everything changes when you have kids,  the games stop, family becomes the focus.

Now my 3 are all grown up and new games begin.

Catching up with Game Of Thrones,  just finished Season 2 and loving it .. bloody box-sets take over when I should be getting on with things!!

The Lannister song,  The Rains of Castamere is particularly haunting.

Family Isn’t Always About Blood. #Scotland

Just had a fantastic weekend starting on Thursday night with a visit to Balmaha on the shore of Loch Lomond then a trip to Ardlamont Point south of Tigbnabruich with its fantastic views to the isles of Arran, Bute and The Mull Of Kintyre. 

There’s just something fundamental about wild camping,  no electricity or running water that brings you back in touch with nature and makes you realise what is important in life. 

The most important thing in life isnt money, clothes, music, concerts or everything that city life in Glasgow or Edinburgh provides.  All of wlich I enjoy to one degree or other. 

But it’s about having friends and people that care about you.  Having them around doing all the basic things like cooking together, helping set up tents, finding firewood,  sitting chatting about life rather than watching tv. 

It’s very grounding. 

New friends and old friends including  Jim and Tommy, my two best pals from childhood. 

People that know you from your earliest age,  like having another two brothers that know you inside out and will back you or give you it straight as real friends should. 

I love my 4 real brothers but family isn’t always about blood. 

—

A few pics below.   

How beautiful is the west coast of Scotland?

I count myself very blessed to have been born here. 

Balmaha Bay   
Loch Lomond

  

The Rest And Be Thankful   
Argylls Secret Coast – Kyles Of Bute

  

Ardlamont with Arran in background   

 Portavadie Marina

 

FREEEEEDOM!!!!  🙂