Spam Shortage

Don't know about anybody else but I've been getting a lot less spam over the last couple of weeks. Maybe the spammers think I'm down the online casino, checking the time on my fake Rolex whilst in a state of advanced priapism?

If, on the other hand, Google have ramped up their spam filters then I must applaud them. The list of things I hate is a short one but spammers are right up there with wasps and thieves. Having the bastards dragged out into the street and beaten around the legs with a large stick would be a fine start.

Note to self: check for anti-spammer e-petitions.

Y'all have a nice day.

Trail and Tribulation

Well, they've lured me back; I've just signed up for a year. The Markill stove offer was what finally won me over. That, and the fact that I'd bought the last few issues and not been that disappointed.

I've been a subscriber before, a long time ago, but gave up when the endless recycling of articles and features became all too apparent. The puerile "look what I'm eating" photies of the staffers in every issue didnae help either.

So, we'll see how it goes.

I may as well sign up for TGO while I'm at it. The April 2008 issue was one of the best I'd seen and trying to buy a copy round here is nigh on impossible.

Both their forums are still rubbish tho'.

Idle Hands

I'm tinkering again. Just ignore me.

1,2,3,4...........

"What are we campaigning for?"

There's the beginnings of a chant right there. Current e-petition signatures stand at 1,233 at time of writing. Somebody's gonnae get a nicely rounded number if they get off their arse and spend the whole 2 minutes it takes to sign up.

I could use a "ghost" account and bag it myself but that would make a mockery of the democratic process and, as we've already got a Scot or 2 in the door doon South, it's probably best not to rock the boat.

I've been busy and lost track of how things were going. I expected the number to be much higher. Just shows my faith in human nature and how often it leads to disappointment.

But hey, I'm on holiday and have a whole country to gallavant around if I so choose.

I love being Scottish, I do.

In Da Club

Back in my teenage years, I was in the school hillwalking club. We didn't have much in the way of kit at first; it was all jeans, wooly jumpers, bobble hats, anoraks and DMs. What we had in spades was enthusiasm and, more importantly, teachers that were happy to give up the odd weekend to drive a minibus full of teenagers the length and breadth of Scotland. (We made one foray to The Ponds, thought “Aye, it's quite nice” but decided the hills in our own back yard were much finer and never returned).

Hillwalking - 70's Style

There was nothing methodical about planning our hill days. Somebody would make a suggestion and, if met with general approval, that's where we went. We could be on The Lowthers one weekend and gallumphing across the Cairngorm plateau the next.


No such thing as risk assessment in those days either. The school were told we were going away for the weekend and we're taking the minibus and that was it. We knew what we needed to carry on our backs and were actively encouraged to be independent. We'd pile out of the bus, somebody would ask “Where we goin', Sir?” and a finger would be pointed in response. Wee groups would form up and away we'd go, bantering back and forth and generally having a jolly time of it. Nobody ever got lost and, only the once, did anybody get hurt; a turned ankle within sight of the car park. The casualty was evacuated on the back of Big Gordon. No helicopters required.

Happy days.

Fast forward 30 years and you find a man with an aversion to clubs of any kind but hillwalking clubs in particular. I'm no' sure why but I think what I get from being in the hills these days is a lot different to what I got out of it back then. These days I like my own company, the solitude and the freedom to make my own decisions; where to go and when and for how long. It's good. It'd be nice to share it
with someone now and again but it's not the end of the world.

Maybe it's the thought of sharing it with a bunch of relative strangers, hee-hawing about the place and crowding folk. I've had a few peaceful moments shattered by big groups and it's no' something I'd wish on others.


So, whenever I see a club diary on the interweb, I don't think “Ooo, that sounds good. I wonder if they'd let me join?”, it's more “Well, I know where I won't be going this weekend”.


Anti-social? Not at all. Grumpy old man? I'm working on it.