Nothing else seems to be working

I think that's why I liked Don Paterson's attempt to sort out Israel and Lebanon:

(...) I end the day in prostrate delirium, trying to figure out how you could solve the Middle East crisis at the mixing desk. Basically, if we can get some hard-knee compression on Syria, we can reinvert the phase on Hizbullah, run it through a high-pass filter and then bury it under the hi-hat. I bounce Israel to mono and pan it hard right, but it sucks even worse. Hand me my bitcrusher, Keith. Sleep claims me. I dream of sleet.

News, island style

We've been on holiday, camping in Lewis, Skye and the highlands. There are some pics on Flickr, and I'll write more soon. For now, here's a taste of island life courtesy of my very favourite newspaper, the Stornoway Gazette:

For the second year running, the Point and Carloway will be running the exciting 'Bravest Dog' category at their shows. Isabel Badley expained: "My former husband (...) looked through all the entries and decided this animal was the most deserving."

14 year old Labrador cross Sonny Jim, who had spent nearly five years in a wheelchair due to a congenital abnormality of the spine, was presented with the award. Sonny Jim did not let his disability get the best of him, and continued to live his normal life, becoming a well known member of the community with his daily walks up and down the village.

I kid you not. I really wish I had come across Sonny Jim when we were in Lewis. It would have been a great honour to meet such a brave dog. Plus I've never seen a dog walking up and down a village in a wheelchair before.

Close second to this article comes with the headline "While islands swelter, New Zealand freezes". Been having some bad weather back in kiwiland? No hiding it from the Leodhasachs - exiles like Angus Finlayson (formerly of Aird Tong but now living in Wellington) keep the islands informed, by sending cuttings from the local (Wellington) paper, to be rehashed in the local (Stornoway) paper.

"Swelter" may be pushing the point a bit, but it was hot and sunny. And even at the busiest time of the year, in the middle of the Hebridean Celtic Festival, it was easy to find a whole cove, beach or cliff to yourself.

good things

• making it home before the heavens opened and turned our street into a river today
• the smell just before the storm - like an Auckland summer's day
• schoc chocolate - dark chocolate with cardamom
• strawberries, raspberries, warmed by the sun
• my ingenious new bedside table - a wooden box with a lid that slides. You can open it without moving your books.