wee beautiful pict

2 amazing animations about refinding faith & heart after centuries of church & empire in britain

Two animations, by some of my chums aboot 

refinding faith and recovering heart & courage in britain

- enough to re-imagine alternative futures after centuries

of a church wedded to empire (and it's new kid: globalisation).

Fit de youz think?

Dreamday Scotland: can we paint a new picture of Scotland

 2009 being the 10th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, Fee  and I thought we'd pop by the book festival to join the Beyond Devolution discussion. 

The panel: Tom Brown, Charlie Jeffery, Hamish Macdonell and Henry McLeish - chaired by Ruth Wishart. 

We setup #beyonddevolution feed in case any floating tweeters in the audience -as a quick way of aggregating any comments or quotes that stick out.

Some good quotes to set tone:

'The status Quo is not an option' - Hamish Macdonell

'Biggest challenge over next 10 years in Scotland - is for scots 

to go through deep attitude change' - Tom Brown

'80-20% inequality and constitutional questions are 2 main 

issues over next 10 yrs' and 

we scots have more memories than dreams - Henry McLeish

warm vanilla oxygen in granton

Scotland in a heatwave today!  Hanging out with anneleen and tom and hearing feriel's ideas for linking up projects like underground in granton at her place - tea with Tom around the corner after and met his neighbour, who with other neighbours and kids who had built a huge shared holiday campish area with BBQ, mini football field and seating and umbrellas outside in their back yard- out of scrap and wood and bits n pieces.   Happy kids- Sheer joy- Brill!  

Survival skills alive and well here - estates can teach the rest of the city something about 'survival' in challenging times I can tell ye.  Walking home along water edge via Leith took gie longer than I thought it would - but..pink sunset over the city... the smell of the wild yellow bushes after a hot day ...its warm vanilla oxygen following and moving around me gently as I walk here.. aye the lad fae nazareth is alive and well in scotland today methinks...

Latest Edinburgh people and projects in action

latest projects and wild saints encountered on my travels around edinburgh over last week:

James Picardo (jubilee scotland) and Josiah lockhart (grassmarket project) and fee thomson (picnmix media) - at elephant house sharing udeas about action on: global meltdown, debt and grassroots solidarity

Margaret and margot - at malmaison talking about their latest fundraising project
Wendy ball - at renroc cafe talking about her upcoming photo exhibit
Anneleen at the lot cafebar in grassmarket- talking film and photography
Ayley at omni centre, leith walk, on various Edinburgh stuff and her new project down south

mama pop and other nooz headlines from edinburgh

Mama pop the cross denominational, cross dressing, choir-house of funk have outdone themselves again at chai teahoose, even without soundcheck.  Check oot their first EP.   

Phil McBride and Mark Neal, recently launched Sonic Lodge Recording Studio in Leith - they now have a that great looking website online now! it's got a dead handy updated news and local gigs/events section - get in touch with your gig details - Mama Pop's EP is their first release I think.