How to spot a new mural – from the other side of the world

It’s been an interesting day, as I’ve accidentally, or ‘by chance’ if you prefer, spotted a number of things online that weren’t spoilt by the appearance of morons.

For example, the last time I happened to catch a new mural being created, it was just along the road, and I only realised how new as part of it were yet to be competed in colour – the hand, and other areas, were still plain grey when I passed this one.

High Street Mural St Mungo

Today, while watching a video from ‘across the pond’, I noticed a couple of cherry pickers down a side street, fenced off, and in front of a large mural which was taking over what had been a plain rendered wall.

I’m not too familiar with the subjects depicted, but knowing where this is, could probably hazard a guess.

Unfortunately, although there is an art trail dedicated to murals in the area, as this one is not even completed, it’s not included – so no name or explanation.

What interested me more, for the moment at least, was whether I could make a single view of this mural, by capturing some frames from the video, then stitching them together.

I didn’t expect this to work, as the video moves closer to the mural wall as time passes, and this means the angle of the camera, and area covered, varies too.

Much to my surprise, it actually worked!

Sometimes, even carefully collected and framed shots which I think should knit together just defeat the edge matching and overlap routines.

The only real problem was the street signs and poles/posts, which obscured a lot of the best views, and meant I couldn’t grab the upper area.

In the end, I was able to stitch enough together to make one image – and I’ve left the borders in sight to show their outlines. Normally, those missing parts would be cropped.

New American Mural

There will be more video showing this as it is completed, so there should be another opportunity to collect the completed work.

As they say, “We live in wonderful times” – and I can actually plan to ‘take’ a pic of a mural in a city on the other side of the Atlantic, almost in real time.

I wonder how long it takes the curators to get their ‘mural trail’ up to date?

An American pie plate

While I’m not properly familiar with the American number plate system, I know enough to know that their vanity plate system makes it possible to buy just about anything – unlike our UK system where there has been some mild choice offered for some years, but you still have to stay within the rules.

Thanks to the stunning rise in video definition, I can see much more detail in videos, and there are some intriguing choices made by some American drivers – from the irony of various fuel related words of Tesla owners, to the disgusting lunacy of Trump supporters.

Possibly the funniest are those who choose to buy vanity plates that complain about the tax system – while it seems the owners had to pay MORE tax to get those plates! (No great surprise though, since they’re almost certain to be Trumptards).

Outwith those, the first one I’ve been able to catch on video was this one, which it would be nice to know more about.

OTF PIES

Knowing where it was, I did try to find some sort of local reference, but didn’t come up with anything.

Sadly, despite seeing it many times, I haven’t been able to catch the partner to a plate I caught a few years ago – the one I’m still after is E8 PYE.

Land Rover Freelander [E8 BUN] at McPhies

Small reminder of Interwebs Nonsense

Back in the days of the space race, Gemini, Apollo etc, and the endless media coverage of the differences between American and Russian projects and developments, one of the (apparently) light-hearted tales arose from the need to write things down and make notes.

While it would probably be considered a trivial thing today, with everything being recorded/logged digitally, plus the ease with which still and video images can be recorded, back in the days of early space flight, things were not so well understood, and many mistakes were made, sometimes even leading to fatalities.

When you have not lived and worked in something like the zero gravity vacuum of space, it may be possible to predict many potential issues, but, with the best will in the world, it will still be possible to miss things which are almost impossible to find together in the normal world, and quite harmless, but which can come together to in a new or hostile environment, and become potentially fatal. This is noted in the reference to Apollo 1 below, where three astronauts died in a sudden and rapid fire, without a similarly rapid exit being available.

I have to confess to always wanting a Fisher Space Pen, but not having an easy way to get one in Scotland back then. I didn’t really like the pen design either, as the size and proportions didn’t look all that nice (ergonomic), and even back then, I was fussy about my pens and pencils.

Some years later I did manage to scratch that particular itch, not by buying a space pen, but a refill.

Can’t remember where that was now, but it would have to have been Glasgow as I was, I think, still at school.

The refills are handy for anyone that needs a ballpoint that will write just about anywhere with no need for the usual gravity assist a ballpoint needs – the cylinder is pressurised, so works in any position.

I’ve never/barely used mine – it was too expensive!

I kept it for occasions when I actually needed it, and those were few and far between.

They’re still available today, and just as expensive – about £7 each from Amazon when I made a quick check.

No need to put up with that original space pen body either.

The refills fit any Parker ballpoint pen – even the classic gold cap original I have from the early 1960s.

But let’s not forget the real point of my post – and the stupidity that can spread unchecked online, as the Russians were mocked for their pencils.

Supposedly cheap and safe compared to the decadent American’s solution, yet they were anything but, and could be deadly.

Space Pen and Pencil Reality

I used to think the Russian story was funny, and even mentioned it myself sometimes.

But, then it turned from being a bit of fun, and the Interwebs effectively turned it into a ‘fact’, and the original was all but forgotten.

Canadian haggis ban lifted after 46 years – but what of the US?

Grumpy haggis

It’s taken a long time, but it seems that Canada will no longer be shooting Scottish haggis that tries to cross its border.

I’ve followed developments for a few years, but the reports I read previously referred to a US ban on haggis imports (due to some of its ingredients), and rereading them (those I have referred to previously) makes no mention of Canada.

The new story is specific to Canada in this case, and while I only had a quick search, I can’t find anything to suggest the US has relaxed its rules, just the same stories I’ve seen from earlier years bemoaning that ban, and more recent ones suggesting that progress is being made in having the US ban lifted, but not that it is actually happening.

It’s funny that all those earlier stories were specifically aimed at the US ban, and as far as I can see, NONE of them mentioned the fact that CANADA also banned the treat, or that one ban might be lifted independently of the other.

Preferential reporting? Bad reporting? Offal reporting?

Media kicks the US yet seems to totally ignore Canada’s implementation of the same ban?

Scots haggis exports to Canada to resume after 46 years

Haggis on display at Glasgow Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Update

Received this later…

Can’t see the haggis though (unless it’s in the bag).

Canada Thanks

Thugs on bikes head to court in US after beating driver and threatening family

 

 

 

Although the media has been happy to refer to the thugs involved in this incident as ‘bikers’, I prefer not to reinforce the misnomer, as the story is really about thugs who happened to be on bikes when they decided to victimise a family that was unfortunate enough to be on the piece of road they had decided was ‘theirs’. It was a gang of thugs out to cause (and were causing) trouble, and they just happened to be on bikes.

I’ve been following this from the moment it hit the news, and been wondering what would happen as the story developed and became ever more involved.

I won’t try to summarise this. There have been many items published regarding the circumstances and they can be referred to for background, some are given in the quote below.

What is more relevant today is the announcement that accused are going to court on charges, and that there does not seem to be any cover-up regarding some of those who were present on the day.

There’s an interesting point raised on liability, where one of the thugs (who claims to have been paralysed, and has hired a famous lawyer to sue the driver who was beaten up) has his ultimate position summed up as being a joke. Well, not really, because this is far from funny, but the anchor avoid comment, while a lawyer explains that the person he should be suing is not the driver, but the person who instigated this attack, as his actions are the  ones that led to his injuries and condition (assuming this supposed victim is not actually feigning his injuries for the purpose of a massive lawsuit.)

Charges have now been issued after last month’s attack on a New York City Range Rover driver. Eleven bikers have been hit with 14 counts for their involvement in the attack, including an undercover cop.

The charges include assault, criminal mischief, and rioting. The 32-year old undercover police officer was one of the people on the scene, and he faces charges of first degree assault, rioting, and coercion charges.

He faces 25 years in prison if convicted.1

…

Related:

Everything You Need To Know About The Terrifying SUV Vs Biker Attack

 

Undercover Cop Stood By As Bikers Beat Range Rover Driver

Via: 11 Bikers Charged In Hollywood Stuntz Attack On NYC Range Rover

 

The offal truth about American haggis

It’s January 25, and that means we’ve made it as far as Burn’s Night in 2013.

Thanks to the BBC, we’ve had a reminder that the Good Old US of A is not impressed by the star of traditional Burn’s suppers, and has now maintained it ban on the import of genuine, traditional haggis for some 42 years, and has resisted all attempts and appeals to have it rescinded in recent years.

We first noticed this back in 2010, and then a saw a story about the ban being further confirmed in 2011.

Authentic Scottish haggis has been banned in the United States since 1971, when the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) first took a dim view of one of its key ingredients – sheep’s lung.

While millions of people around the world will enjoy, or endure, a Burns Night helping on 25 January, those in the US who want to celebrate Scotland’s national bard in the traditional manner are compelled to improvise.

Some choose to stage offal-free Burns suppers, and for most people not raised in Scotland, the absence of the dish – comprising sheep’s “pluck” (heart, liver and lungs) minced with onion, oatmeal, suet and spices, all soaked in stock and then boiled in either a sausage casing or a sheep’s stomach – might be no great hardship.

But for many expat Scots and Scots-Americans, the notion of Burns Supper without haggis is as unthinkable as Thanksgiving without turkey.

via BBC News – The offal truth about American haggis.

I find myself in an odd position about this one these days.

While I have no doubt that the ban is ridiculous, and that it ruins the custom and spirit of the traditional Burn’s supper by replacing the star of the table with a synthetic pretender to the title, I also have a sneaking admiration for some of the vegetarian versions – and I am not a vegetarian, just someone willing to try something different.

While I wouldn’t accept a substitute being presented at a Burn’s supper, I’ve had some vile preparations offered to me as genuine haggis, some tasting and smelling so bad that I refused them, but I’ve tried some prepared meals which were complete with veggie haggis, neeps, and tatties, and found them to be better than many that claim to be genuine, but appeared to have been made from floor sweepings from a factory with dogs on patrol as far as I could tell.

Macsween seems to put a reliable offering together, but I still tend to rely on the convenience of good old Grant’s tinned haggis, since I can have it any time, without having to go catch a fresh one!

Incidentally, the BBC also tells us: “A 2003 survey suggested that a third of US visitors to Scotland believed the haggis was an animal. Nearly a quarter thought they could catch one.” As seen below perhaps?

Haggis on display at Glasgow Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

I asked a well-known American trendsetter for her opinion of haggis, be it traditional Scottish or synthetic American:

Ok, I admit it… not offering toona flavoured haggis meant the answer was a foregone conclusion.

:)

And a suggestsion from: BBC Food – Haggis ‘not just for Burns Night’

US maintains its 40 year ban on haggis

I note that we are approaching Burns Night (January 25) and are one year past my last posting about the US ban on imported Scottish haggis, and suggestion of: US ready to relax ban on haggis imports.

Unfortunately, such suggestions in the media were premature, and were quickly followed by: US not ready to lift ban on Scottish haggis.

This year, it is reported that Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has invited a US delegation to Scotland – perhaps to try and educate them in the way of the haggis, and maybe even to have them try a sample. It would appear that the American culture is somewhat anti-offal, and the inclusion of some 10-15% of lamb’s lung (plus heart and liver) within the ingredients is not only problem (this use of offal offend a US ban on UK products which include it), and the non-Scottish-American is not even prepared to entertain a taste of the haggis in order to sample it.

My haggis of choice still remains with Grant’s tinned variety, which is not such a travesty as some might assume, since the majority of ‘natural’ haggis is inside a plastic bag, not a traditional sheep’s stomach (and boiled plastic probably leeches more strange chemicals than a tin can). It’s more convenient, and can be kept ready for use at any time, as it last for years.

I had wondered if it might also have a production capable recipe that might beat the US ban, but no luck, as the ingredients list still offends:

• Lamb Lung 45%
• Oatmeal 19%
• Lamb Suet
• Scottish Water
• Onion
• Salt
• Spices

Interestingly – no additives or e-numbers. But, the makers do suggest adding a wee dram just before serving, and I tried this recently, and it works too. I’m not usually impressed by the addition of alcoholic brews to food – just put it in a glass, where it belongs – but haggis and whisky seems to be an exception.

Perhaps the Rural Affairs Secretary should arrange a Haggis Hunt for his visitors from the US – after all, if their films are anything to go by, Americans seem to love running around shooting things in forests:

 

Haggis on display at Glasgow Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Other references

Macsween – Guardians of Scotland’s national dish

The haggis website

Grants Tinned Haggis

National Trust for Scotland receives American millions

I hope the recent reorganisations and reforms at the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) have the desired effect that its members seek.

Although it is some years since I was a member, I would have to admit that I was left with a feeling of unease, and uncertainty about where my money was really going, or what it was achieving. I couldn’t put my finger on anything specific, but just couldn’t close the loop in my mind, and convince myself that it was a sound investment. This shouldn’t be misinterpreted as suggesting anything untoward, rather that I seemed to have a gut feeling that it was wasting money, despite the good works it seemed to be achieving.

I gave up after a few years, and had run out of spare cash anyway, and economising meant it was cheaper to pay the straight admission to a few properties, than for the various subscriptions I used to maintain.

Maybe what I was feeling unconsciously was reflected in part of the reform, where it was suggested that the Trust had accumulated “all sorts of bits and pieces over the years”, and that these were nothing to do with heritage, and should be ditched. If this was the case, then it would be good to get on with the clear out, and perhaps see it return to the preservation of some of the treasures that it may have divested itself of in recent years.

Looking through some past issues of The Scots Magazine (and realising I haven’t seen new issue for years, such is my collection – thank goodness they are small! ), I was reminded that there seemed to be frequent clashes between the Trust and those who had made bequests of properties and/or gardens, with significant acrimony between Trust and executors in some cases,   and exchanges being made in public through the pages of the magazine, which would probably have been better kept in private. Hopefully this sort of foolishness is also something that the above mentioned reforms will consign to the past. (Oops, all of a sudden I’m beginning to remember why I departed.)

There’s no doubt the NTS has, and has demonstrated a fine ability to look after some wonderful properties, and recruit many skilled craftspersons to carry out work which requires almost lost and forgotten techniques, and this has won it friends around the world, such as William R Lindsay, an American millionaire from Las Vegas, who died recently and is thought to have left a substantial sum of money to the charity.

Although he wished to remain anonymous, it seems The Scotsman newspaper reported his identity.

Within the preceding 18 months, it was revealed that he had donated some £2.5 million to the NTS, although the final donation from his estate was still to be determined as lawyers were dealing with his estate. His past contributions had helped with projects at Culzean Castle and the Burns centre in Alloway.

 

US ready to relax ban on haggis imports

As we head towards Burns Night (January 25), it looks as if the haggis, Scotland’s iconic dish, which has been given a pretty hard time by the American, may be ready to return to tables across the Atlantic.

Imports of haggis were banned by the US back around 1989 because it contains offal ingredients such as sheep lungs, and widespread concerns about the safety of British meat during the BSE scare. However, on the eve of Burns night, the US Department of Agriculture indicated that new regulations were being drafted, in line with international standards.

There have been numerous calls for the ban to be lifted in recent years, as other countries have recognised the changes introduced since the disastrous incidence of BSE, and the measures taken to eliminate those animal parts that could be transmitting the disease.

There are those who believe that haggis is something created in the butcher’s shop, while there are those who believe, with equal conviction, that wild haggis roam the hills of Scotland, are a rare sight, and can only be hunted during the open season.

I hate to spoil a good story, so have shown below one of the few displays featuring examples of both wild and captive haggis as seen in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Both are, of course stuffed, as no-one has ever succeeded in keeping a live haggis in captivity.

Haggis on display at Glasgow Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

I have to confess that it’s some time since I bought and tasted a decent haggis from a supermarket.

Over the years, I’ve tried all the stuff on their shelves that claims to be haggis, and this includes well-known names, and some rather strange names that the supermarket’s marketing teams have dug up, and I wouldn’t give any of them plate space. They may look like traditional haggis, but are usually trapped inside plastic sleeving instead of something a bit more authentic. Without picking any particular one, I find they are generally disappointing, and appear to be filled with some sort of sandy brown mud, instead of the usual ingredients, which I like to be able to see and identify. The taste is just about as inspiring as the appearance.

I didn’t have any great expectations, and wasn’t disappointed, but I even tried the sliced frying haggis, usually packed along with sliced sausage and sliced fruit dumpling.

Surprisingly, because the first time I came across it was when we having a laugh at haggis humour, the only one that has stayed on my list is tinned haggis – maybe because it’s relatively unprocessed since all they have to do is top and tail the freshly caught haggis, cut of the legs and slide it into the tin ready for cooking.

But, seriously, Grant’s tinned haggis is the only one I buy now. It looks the part on the plate, it’s the right colour, I can see the bits and identify them, and it doesn’t look or smell like something that come out of a baby. It also looks and tastes the same as what I was served in the days when I was dragged along to Burns suppers, so I think I’ll be staying with it, and not wasting any more money on trying to find an alternative. I’d rather be laughed at for eating and enjoying tinned haggis, than bothering about what anyone that sees me with it thinks.

Better still, you can buy it online, so you don’t even have to depend on your local emporium being embarrassed by the idea of having tinned haggis on it shelves.

Only in America – Kittygarten

It’s true, it must be, the Beeb ran the story on breakfast telly this morning.

How to train your cat

Americans send their cats to kittygarten in the belief that their pet can be trained to sit on command, walk on a lead, and sit quietly while they have they have their claws clipped. Well, it is said that a fool and their money are soon parted.

Let’s look at the popular maxim applied to cats and dogs:

Dogs have masters, cats have slaves.

Which part of that is beyond the American cat owner?

Dogs are pack animals at heart, and need a dominant owner to ensure they have a happy life. They don’t need submissive, indulgent owners that treat them as playthings, (or worse, as little people), allow them to dominate their households, and end up misbehaving and being classed as dangerous, which is the almost inevitable result of such “loving” care.

Cats are solitary, and can survive quite happily without the “guidance” of humans, and watching the report on kittygarten showed little more than the use of bribery through food to divert the cat’s attention, or the offering of advice that would be obvious to anyone that stopped and thought for a moment. For example, one owner was advised not to try and trim all the cat’s claws at one time if their cat got restless after a few were trimmed. Good money if you can get it.

Probably the best example comes from film and TV, where animal wranglers are used to get dogs and cats to perform on screen. The dogs are trained to perform their piece, and shooting (of the scene, not the animal) generally follows a schedule. When they have to wrangle cats, things go a little differently, and these people are not stupid, depending on their wrangling skills for their income, if they do it wrong, they’re out of a job. The smart ones don’t try and train the cat to get their scene – instead, they study the cat and learn what it will and won’t do, then they arrange their shots to take advantage of what their star would be doing anyway. Much smarter than shouting and bawling at the cat, which will probably respond by going to sleep.

The sad thing was the response from some viewers, who still think that their neighbours and their cats have personal agendas against them, and used the opportunity to complain about both and how the cats don’t stay only in their owner’s garden, and that cats are decimating the country’s wildlife.

Again, the first complaint shows they think the cats are human, and understand the concept of “garden” and “fence”, while the second shows prejudice, or they’re just vexed by the cat’s disdain towards them – or they just don’t like their neighbours, and any excuse for a fight will do . With or without humans around cats will hunt and kill prey, oddly enough that’s part of what being a cat (and not a human) entails. And I suppose wrongly applying human values to animal behaviour is part of what being a poorly informed human entails too.

Education… one of the wonders of the modern world.

How to run your own kittygarten.