zurich_allan

The beach at Stevenston while out cycling in the summer.

Ok shall bring everyone back to Earth now. !!

Loch Lomond from the hilltop behind Balmaha village before the sunset appeared a bit later...
 
 

Took this photo a few days ago from Balmaha looking out to Loch Lomond. Took the photo then just stood for a good ten minutes pretty much with this thread title in my head.
 
 

Waiting for the ferry at Iona in May

A couple of mine from Loch Lomond (on different days clearly!)

A couple of mine from Loch Lomond (on different days clearly!)

A couple of mine from Loch Lomond (on different days clearly!)

Meanwhile, back at 'Only An Excuse', I thought the Andre Rieu plays Scottish Football Songs CD sketch was funny, as was Sturgeon doing a tour of Europe in high heels.

Re: Mallan, I've been thinking about this as in my opinion he is very talented, but has a habit of doing the complicated things well but the basic things poorly. In the central midfield role, the game often passes him by, and his basic passing / choices are dire. He performs much better with a gritty player beside him doing the hard work. I don't think he should be played as a central midfielder in a 4-4-2. Should be played as one of a 5 man midfield, or played between the midfield and a front man such as Sutton.

I'm not blaming Mallan for anything btw, but he has definitely been weak in the position he's being played for the whole season so far, the odd game aside.

Francis Rossi's statement on the Quo website...
 
From Francis Rossi 

I was not ready for this. Rick Parfitt had been a part of my story for fifty years. Without doubt the longest relationship of my life: this was also the most satisfying, frustrating, creative and fluid. From those early days, we worked together to create the Quo sound, look and hits. We spent years on the road, on the stage and in the studio, rarely far from each other, honing what we did. 

We were a team, a double act, a partnership and yet also two very different people, handling the pressures of growing older, constant touring, dealing with success and keeping the creative flame burning in different ways. He developed his own sound, his own style, casually inspiring a generation of players. 

Rick was the archetypal rock star, one of the originals, he never lost his joy, his mischievous edge and his penchant for living life at high speed, high volume, high risk. His life was never boring, he was louder and faster and more carefree than the rest of us. There were any number of incidents along the way, times when he strayed into areas of true danger and yet still losing him now is still a shock. Even in a year that has claimed so many of our best, including now George Michael, Rick Parfitt stands out. I was not ready for this.
12:00 26/12/16

That's a great wee cinema. Im in Alexandria Egypt so new experience at the cinema.  In English with aribic subtitles thankfully.  

This sums up Mallan really well this season, but thought he looked much better on Saturday and was one of our stand out players, along with McAllister. A fit Rocco Quinn helps him and the rest of the team big time.

Have said as much since last season. Mallan in a midfield five with confidence and a free reign is a matchwinner.

Sadly, like McGinn... like McLean... Hell, like Billy Stark, many of our fans will not see his true value and will wait till he is the mainstay in a bigger teams midfield before wondering why he never did it for us and thinking that proves them right!

Re: Mallan, I've been thinking about this as in my opinion he is very talented, but has a habit of doing the complicated things well but the basic things poorly. In the central midfield role, the game often passes him by, and his basic passing / choices are dire. He performs much better with a gritty player beside him doing the hard work. I don't think he should be played as a central midfielder in a 4-4-2. Should be played as one of a 5 man midfield, or played between the midfield and a front man such as Sutton.

I'm not blaming Mallan for anything btw, but he has definitely been weak in the position he's being played for the whole season so far, the odd game aside.

At the Winter Gardens? I love that wee cinema! Not seen the film yet, but going on Friday, so hoping it's good.

At the Winter Gardens? I love that wee cinema! Not seen the film yet, but going on Friday, so hoping it's good.

I think it's more that everybody knows somebody who suffers or has suffered through substance (whether drugs or drink) abuse, and many will also know people who have struggled or had issues related to their sexuality. Criminal conviction doesn't mean people are 'bad' as such either. He was human.

Five days still left of 2016. Bruce Forsyth must be shitting it.

Slade were a big part of my teenage years and the first band I saw live in 1974. The fact remains, that when Noddy Holder pops his clogs, he was a pop singer who I never knew, never met, wasn't related to or was best friends with.
I see no need for me to go to his house, cry, light candles, leave flowers, scrawl a 'I love you Noddy you touched my life' note... and try to get my fizzog on the telly while doing it. Unlike some when Bowie kakked it.
Bad news for Quo though. There's the 'best of Quo' CD's chances of being the New Year No1 well and truly fcuked.

Merry Christmas buddies everywhere! Just sitting down after a day of firstly visiting my brother and his family in the morning followed by Christmas dinner at my house with both my parents and in-laws round, just left a few minutes ago. My birthday today too, glad to finally get beer and sit down without having to run about after everyone else!

Merry Christmas buddies everywhere! Just sitting down after a day of firstly visiting my brother and his family in the morning followed by Christmas dinner at my house with both my parents and in-laws round, just left a few minutes ago. My birthday today too, glad to finally get beer and sit down without having to run about after everyone else!

Merry Christmas buddies everywhere! Just sitting down after a day of firstly visiting my brother and his family in the morning followed by Christmas dinner at my house with both my parents and in-laws round, just left a few minutes ago. My birthday today too, glad to finally get beer and sit down without having to run about after everyone else!

This isn't an appropriate comparison. Elderslie doesn't have its own legislature capable of creating laws that meet EU standards. Elderslie doesn't have it's own judicial system with judges capable of interpreting and applying EU laws within its judgments. Elderslie doesn't have official measures for ensuring respect for human rights and democracy. Elderslie doesn't have a functioning market economy capable of integrating and operating within the single market.

All of those are elements within the Copenhagen criteria (the criteria that is expanded into the chapters which candidate countries to the EU must demonstrate with evidence that they meet prior to a vote being allowed to be taken within the EU parliament to allowing them to be granted EU membership). Scotland has all of those in place currently due to the unique way that the countries within the UK are devolved as well as historical separation of our judiciaries to a massive extent.

The only main stumbling block with Scotland applying for Member State status in its own right if made independent would be to have evidence of an economy that it controls independently of the rest of the UK. It would need its own central bank or an agreement to separately control its currency in some way.

Not written on the thread before now, but been interesting to read the mixed opinions. Personally I think it's brilliant. I totally appreciate that both Elaine C. Smith and Jonathan Watson can be like marmite, and indeed in some previous things they've done I've not been keen, but in Two Doors Down I think they've both (along with all of the rest of the cast) played a blinder!