All my computers that I have owned ever!

It is list time!

C16

First up is a very much a dark horse and for my still my favourite. The commodore 16 or C16 as it was called. Yup 16 k of ram and it was pretty much the wee bro of the C64. Built with a great case and white keys the games were on cassette tape and due to the system only being 16 k the games loaded very fast. Now you are talking 30 seconds or so but don’t let that fool you as the games were fantastic and fun.

C64

The big brother to the C16 but it did come out first and was the most powerful home computer when it did come out. 64k and 16 colours were a very strong characteristic. It was way better than the Spectrums and Amstrad machines. The machine was made from 1982 till 1994, something that may never be done in home computer/console market ever again. For one machine to last 14 years is amazing and that is the reason the machine still has programmers to this day. The machine had a cartridge version made to compeate with the consoles of the early 90s but it had a big design flaw, most cartridges did not fit and if the game had keyboard commands in the game you were rendered with an unusable cartridge or an unplayable game. Shame as the machine had more to offer.

Atari ST fm

A great computer and one of the first 1MB memory machines. The machine was a huge success in Germany as a technical drawing aid and the music industry used it as well due to the great midi connections the machine has. Again it is still being used today by music programmers due to it being so easy to use. Games were good but not great and compatibility was crap.

Atari Lynx

The first real 16bit console and it was full colour portable. The machine went head to head with Nintendo’s Gameboy and lost. The games were great, the console was great but the machine had niggles. Six batteries to power that lasted about 6 hours to the weeks the Gameboy had. Also the software companies were not backing it due to slow sales and little advertising. Such a real shame as I never played a duff game on it. I would even say the machine could out do many consoles now as the graphics were great as was the sound. Just a bit head of its time is the problem.

Amiga 600

I got this second hand due to missing having a computer to play with. It was a great machine smaller than the other Amiga computers by far and the first to have an internal HDD. It was great to play a game with no disc swapping. But the games were running out as piracy was taking its toll. Many game companies went to the PC or console market to make money and sadly the Amiga dies a death. But like the C64 people still do program for it. Windows and Apple both copied many features of the Workbench OS that was shipped with the machine and turned them into Windows and Mac OS.

SNES

The NES was a machine I looked at as a kids toy. A bit block with cartridges like a VHS tape for ease of use. Mario to me was no fun, jumping about some pipes collecting coins was just not what a teenager wants to play in games. The Snes was a big change for Nintendo and it paid off. Arcade games were converted to the system with such success one game made the machine so popular it has cemented Nintendo as one of the main console makers ever since. Street Fighter 2 was a teenager’s game and one that we never thought could be made to run on a home console that was so easily accessible to us. Follow that with Mario Kart, Super Probotector, Final Fight and many football games it was a fantastic machine that could even do PC games like Doom and Cannon Fodder so well the PC fans were respecting it. I still to this day play SF2, FF and others due to this console.

N64

For me this machine was a big letdown. With Promises of virtual reality style games it was never going to happen. The controller was nothing great, ok it was new but had nothing to do with VR or even good gaming. Goldeneye came along and launched the machine big time. Great game then a few more help it sell. But for me still a crap console with nothing new to offer. No wonder Sony done so well.

Cyrix 266Mhz PC

I now enter the PC market and start with a budget CPU. Don’t be confused I was a student and an electronic student so a computer was a must to design PCBs and stuff. Bonus is that you have a catalogue of 1000s of games. And at the same time the 3D graphics card is now taking real effect. Some of the games out were fantastic and pretty much helped staple the PC to the mainstream games market. Long gone were endless commands and set up to run a game. Just install and play.

Celeron 366Mhz PC

When I got this machine now you can sit back and see the PC evolve with games like Halflife breaking down the barriers and showing the game world where it is at. Also about now is when online gaming really took off. Quake 2, halflife and Unreal all going global with online play.

Pentium 2 800Mhz PC

First CD Writer

Athlon 2Ghz PC

First DVD Writer

Gameboy Advance

Just for a year the games world went crazy with Halflife doing so well on the PC and Sega dying. Sony took over and started selling a shed load. Nintendo had the advanced ready for over a year and choose to wait for its launch and it was a gamble that paid off. Great games and a great console I still play ten years later. My nephew plays Mario Kart to this day. It was a rehash of the first Gameboy, cheap, fun and easy to play.

Athlon 3GHz PC, AMD 2.2Ghz x2 PC, AMD 2.3Ghz x3 PC

And now

AMD 3.5Ghz x4 PC,

With the introduction for dual core CPU you now have computers that can be so powerful that you may never actually use its full potential. Most programs and games only use two cores of the processor so the 3^rd and 4^th processor is left unused. But in time this will change and the new games mixed with the graphics cards now will just floor everything else made. That is if the games makers want to. People who are scared to buy a computer in case it is too slow need not fear now as the machines made now will last for 4 years or more. A 4x CPU and 4GB Ram machine can cost about £350. Not much if you consider all the things a PC can do.

Time for Change

Over the last few years I have seen a dramatic fall in the quality of football in Scotland. This is along with a fall in attendances at games and also the fact the game up here is so dull.

On the 13^th of March 1873 eight teams formed the SFA and agreed to resolve that:

The clubs here represented form themselves into an association for the promotion of football according to the rules of The Football Association and that the clubs connected with this association subscribe for a challenge cup to be played for annually, the committee to propose the laws of the competition

See the term in the above sentence is to PROMOTE football. That is something that has not been done in a long time in Scotland. I don't see much promotion of football when the TV rights are sold to the highest bidder ESPN who are by any means just SKY TV with another name.

When the SPL was formed in 1998 the whole reason this happened was nothing to do with giving the fans a better quality of game or to make the tickets cheaper but only to make more money. Football was sponsored by one company over four leagues and the bigger clubs complained of a drop in revenue due to sharing the money out over 40 teams. So the SPL was born, to make more money.

Yes this should have gave the teams in Scotland more cash to spend on players but it really only lasted a few seasons till the teams started going bust. Four teams went into administration and the debt the SPL had was over £100m. Then TV coverage is taken by Setanta who also go bust and leave the SPL with no chance to take an offer from ESPN that is way lower than before.

So it is time to change the set up in Scotland, I have always been behind a regional league format as the traveling can be so expensive for lower clubs and the competition can be better locally. More derbies can make more money. Four regions where the top team in each region play off for entry to the SPL 2 league. Playoffs make money as well, just look at England. SPL can consist of 10 clubs, no split at the end of the season and one down and another play off for promotion. Team placed 9^th in the SPL against the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th placed team in the SPL2.

Each SPL league can have its own sponsor and each regional league can have a sponsor as well as the playoffs being championed by other companies. TV money can come in for them as well as gate receipts going up. It is a false economy playing more games to make money; exciting games bring in a crowd.

The Idea of a 14 team SPL is ridiculous, way too many games of no importance. Who wants to see Raith Rovers play St Mirren for who is in 9^th spot? In season 74-75 Scotland got rid of the 18 team set up in the top flight due to the same reason. Way too many crap games that mean nothing. Also the amount of people going to the games dropped as well. I would rather see Morton play Falkirk in a playoff for who is promoted or relegated any day.

Frozen Toes and Numb Fingers

Not sure if it is just me but one change to the football set up I think that has never been discussed recently is a switch to summer football. Who wants to go to a game when it is -10. And further to that when the game has a chance of being called off due to snow.

Year after year SPL teams get a kicking in European football and they blame it on the summer close down. Six teams in and five are out before the end of August. Again take Scotland back to the 80s when we had a 10 team top flight and then we had Aberdeen winning silver in Europe and Dundee United getting to a final after that. That shows the ten team league can work in Europe as well. And with a switch to summer football the teams entering Europe would be about half the way through a season.

I would love to watch football in the summer and being at a game in the sunshine at 3pm on a Saturday is something to look forward to. Not in the pissing rain when it is dark at 4pm and into minus temperatures.

Back to Scotland Vs England

It was all stopped many years ago due to violence at the games but we did enjoy the game every two years. And so did the world. Again starting this one off game every two years would ignite a huge amount of passion for football in Scotland and that is way more that the SFA could ever do. The security issues are all resolved now with the modern policing and technology. Tickets only issued to people with a proven background and tickets with names/photos that have to be scanned to get in the stadium. The trouble now would be nothing like it was back in the 70s. Again the football hooligan has died out as well. I have seen them myself try and fight in the east end of Glasgow to then see the locals come out and give them all a kicking.

Scotland Vs England would generate far more money now that it did back in the day. With TV, advertising, kit sales and ticket sales one game could easily make the SFA £5m for one game.

The Future

When Spanish football fans are making banners saying they don’t want their home football to be like ours that hurts. Even more so as Spain are the World and European champions. So they have problems but still manage to beat the rest of the world at football.

The SPL1 and SPL2 set up will be herald in big changes and the best change is more money for the lower clubs. From £600K to £3M for the second tier. The clubs are scared of the set up as relegation becomes more of an issue and no fan or player wants that. But failure should not be rewarded with a place in a league year after year by finishing 11^th.

Anyway the future for this set up has been placed on the table and does include going back to 12 teams and possibly even 14 in the future so a little compromise may give some clubs what they want in the future.

Interesting that after the SPL was started Scotland has never made it to a major football tournament. This could help change that.

Tramadol is Next.

Many of my friends and family know that I have been in pain for years with problems that arisen with a dislocated foot years ago.

I have had physiotherapy for this in the past and it seemed to get better but the pain never really gets much worse than a dull ache most of the time. But in March last year while working I had a small accident in my work. It was in fact on a building site and I simply tripped up on a piece of steel support that is generally concreted into buildings floors. It was a strange pain when it happened as I could walk ok and I did not feel as if I was in too much discomfort.

Fast forward on a few weeks and the pain is worse and to the point I am limping and a very bad limp at that. I consult my doctor to be given a week off work (That I did not use) and physio for the problem.

At the time I did tell my doctor that the pain was not like I have had before and I feel it is something out with the muscle or bone type of pain. As a rather stupid and young kid I was out on my BMX bike all the time and after riding down steps, walls and well just about anything I could cycle on with my bike had many falls. I know what the pain is like and I felt that it was not worth using physio.

The physiotherapy people are pretty good in the hospital I used and friendly so I tell them my story to be told they can only do as instructed. The pain is worse after six visits and I am then given a Podiatrist to see. Podiatry is something I know nothing about and on the first visit am told I have damaged my foot before and I also have a short leg. Both true. I am advised to use inserts in my shoes to cope with the height change and given painkillers.

This is where I get uneasy as I have never been a tablet person. When I have a sore head I don’t even take aspirin or Paracetamol. Don’t get me wrong I have tried some recreational drugs (but found them to be crap) and I like alcohol but I am allergic to many tablets and even tablet coatings. It is more of a stomach problem than an allergy but it is something I have found just too nasty to warrant taking tablets for a simple sore head.

I kindly take the prescription but do not get the medication like I have done for years. Weeks go by and I find myself on a few days away in Blackpool for a weekend. The pain has increased so much when I am sore I start to sweat very bad and also feel sick (This is a big sign of chronic pain when sweating and feeling nauseous).

The pain is so bad I can't sleep and I am getting increasingly depressed. All the time waiting for the next investigation on my foot to be done. I am told a wait of four weeks for the next part which is a consult on a possible surgical procedure. I see my doctor who gives me Amitriptyline. This is a wonder drug as it is used for Pain, depression and for insomnia. One big area is that it can be addictive. I wonder why? First week is great, amazing sleeps and some of the pain is away. I can work without snapping at people and shouting at strangers on the bus for “looking at me funny”. A few weeks later I am struggling to get out of bed. This is a sign of depression and I know due to having problems in the past. I see my doctor who increases my Amitriptyline prescription. And back to feeling better again, no more shouting at my family when they ask me if I would like a cup of tea. But again a while later I start to feel really depressed and I MEAN really bad. I miss work a few days and end up going in to fall asleep at my computer at random times. My foot is killing me and this is what is causing the problems. It is well known that chronic pain causes depression. My doctor gives me Dihydrocodeine as well as Amitriptyline.

I have heard of this drug before as it is used by people as a recreational drug and is very strong. I decide not to take any till the pain is really bad. About two hours later I take some and feel the effects, a great pain killer but it really does make you light headed. It is like a real buzz you get more like cannabis but it does relax you to the point I don't move from my seat in four hours.

I am now taking two pretty strong drugs and both are very addictive. Dihydrocodeine is taken by drug addicts and I mean heroin addicts. It can be that addictive the way to get people off the drug is to give them methadone. I will not bore you with what methadone is and what it is used for as we all have seen Trainspotting and like me do have eyes and see what it does and how bad it can be.

I now see why my dose went up on the Amitriptyline I was getting used to it and my body needs a higher dosage to make it work again. The Dihydrocodeine makes me so dizzy I can’t do my job and I have been signed off work for five weeks. During this I see a specialist who x rays my foot and shows me it (I did ask for a print out for my fridge door but I was told no way). No sign of damage to my bone or muscle. The evidence may point to nerve damage. I am now getting a scan on my foot to try pinpoint a nerve that is causing this.

And around all this I have to endure pain or take the pills that could lead onto other problems if you are not careful. I can see how someone can be hooked on drugs and a simple search on Google shows many people who are addicted looking for help.

My point is surely this can all be missed out if diagnosed quicker. In the long run it could be cheaper as I have missed tax payments due to not getting paid by my work and the pills alone could cost hundreds and all the time in physio/podiatry include all the office time for appointments… the list is endless for costs. Just think if someone is then addicted to painkillers after this, is the NHS to blame in the long run? It makes me look at a junkie in the street with a bit of sympathy.

Albums of 2010

The Blood of Heroes - The Blood of Heroes

Justin Broadrick of Godflesh is the big name on this album. But it is a real collaboration of great music minds that has created one of this year’s best albums for me.Nothing new in metal to mix the electronic beats of techno take Fear Factory and Pichshifter in the past have done a great job.but this goes one step further in making a genuine sound scape that could be used as a million selling sound track for a film.Bill Laswell who has produced some iconic albums throws in some bass guitars that really make the album feel fantastic.The album was recorded in many locations and over time this has moulded an real unique sound that any individual interested in music should own.The beats and groves on the album driving into the metal/punk/industrial classic sound with a real twit in that it never gets boring.A great album for 'music' fans and one that I think I will still play in years to come.Each track has been worked on between people with such great music understanding that you never know what is coming up next. Find it hidden at the back shelf of many music shops as it is only a few who will ever know how go

 

Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier

15th studio album by heavy metal kings Iron Maiden is here. Big question. Is it any better than the last three albums? No. But we have been spoilt of late. Brave New World in 2000 was a great start for the band after the return of Bruce Dickinson and the follow up in 2003 Dance of Death was for me the best album they have done since Seventh Son... A Matter of Life and Death in 2006 was a continuation of the last album and again a great sounding album.Five years after that we have the new offering and it is a great album and again the band move in a slight prog direction for this one album. Not so much guitar prog but more of an attitude in the album. Five of the songs are over 8 minutes long and unlike prog it does not get too boring.The first track has shades of 1995s X Factor with a long space themed intro that then slices you with the guitars and it is time to rock. El Dorado follows and is the weakest song for me on the album. Mother of Mercy bring the band back to the galloping sound we love then a bit of a ballad follows (as ballad as Maiden get).The album does get better and better as it goes and unlike the last few albums does not have as big a riffs as before. Still more of a sound than an all-out riff fest.Nico's drums are far less punchy on this album from the last, that is a shame as he deserves to be heard. Isle of Avalon shows that the band can still do the long into build up like Fear of the Dark. Starblind does the same with a nice arpeggiated intro that gets filled up with a classic rocky sound into a wall of vocals by Bruce and then solo time for the three guitar players. As the album progresses you get a bit of a feel of "is this still maiden on the stereo" and that is a good thing as the songs continue you then hear what we all love. The album is a great addition to the maiden catalog and i feel a big risk sound wise. As so many people hated X Factor and then loved A Matter... even thou they both sound very similar. If fans like em they will like this. But give it a few plays and album 15 is a good un. Four albums from 2000 and all up there with the best metal bands around.

Jackdaw4 - The Eternal Struggle For Justice

Something of a hidden gem is Jackdaw 4. Previous two albums were lessons in how to make perfect chart music. 2005s 'Gramophone Logic' and 2008s 'Bipolar Diversions'. This is again a follow on from the other albums and song after song are chart hits and pop melodies with harmonics that catch you and make you turn it up on a sunny day. But the band have yet to really tour or even make a video so it will always be between us so keep it to yourself. Not a bad song on the album much like the other two, play it to friends and see em sing along after a few minutes. Great production and sound on the CD help to give this music a real wow factor. With a range of other instruments and big harmonies you would think you have went back to the 70's glam rock era at times. Go on risk a few quid on this and you will have one of your albums of the year. Easy!

Jason & the Scorchers - Halcyon Times

Album number seven for the cowpunk band, on the back of some touring in 2008 the band felt it was time for a new album and a shot at bettering the last 30 years. Time has been very kind on the band and a rip roaring rock and roll album is included with the fantastic country mix that the band are well known for. The album starts with Mr Hodges guitar in a riff that takes you back to 1981 and provides the first glimpse of how good this is going to be. The band even know this as in the middle of the song is a small sample from years ago. Again just to show that they are back. Much of the album is more a rock and roll album and old Status Quo does come to mind. But that is a good thing as one time they were able to put out great new albums. The band has two new members and it feels just as good as it was back then. You can tell the new guys make the album feel a bit different from others but that is in the long run a good thing as the band are happy to start a fresh. Great songs and great song writing by the band and guests, some big names in rock are asked for input and this has helped to keep every song on the album interesting, you try to find the songs that are written by who and see what one is better. Very good production and a great vocal performance help this to be one of the bands best. No fillers and all out rock n country to the end.

Rotting Christ – AEALO

Now and again an album comes along that makes you ask what the fuck you are listening to. Most people deem this bad music as they are used to listening to the same style or artist. Nothing wrong with only liking a few bands but at the end of the day if you are like me and want to hear new music and mostly to hear albums that make you play it again right after it has finished then, start with this one. The band has been going for years and the name of the band is a big talking point, not anymore! The music is so good on this release that they may never follow it up. An amazing mix of extreme music that contains some great riffs and a rhythm section that twists and changes so much during the album you would think it is different people playing on each track. The vocals may for some be too much as the growl can put many non-metal fans off. But a few tracks in the melody is so well made within the band that the vocals are only another instrument. The album contains Greek nationalistic overtones and nods to ancient Hellenic culture but this helps the band to move on from the Black Metal past they have.  Melodic touches also come in with help from a Greek choir, staple that with clean female vocals the album has more to give than simply head banging.  Worth the money alone is Diamanda Galas guesting on the last track helping the band to cover her own song “Orders from the Dead.” I have said it many times but extreme metal has so much to offer and I feel it is the most progressive music in the world, I give you evidence in the form of this album.

Burzum – Belus

Yeah I know he is a murderer and a racist but he has made some great albums. Seriously if you like industrial/noise/electronic you should have a listen to ‘Dunkelheit’ and ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’. Both are great albums and his latest follows up on that. Some great long drawn out riffs with the usual down tuned sound you expect. As he has improved as a guitar player the keyboards are now shoved aside and replaced with the six stringer. But the atmospheric feel of other albums is not quite present on this album. It does feel more of a rock album as the guitar includes some great riffs and true to the style keeps the repetitiveness that the keyboards had. Also at times it feels like a real band playing but it is almost entirely him playing everything. And two songs are from twenty years ago; this does show in the song writing and gives a classic best off feel.  Again this music is always given the Black Metal tag and at times yes it is but at the end of the day it is also as far removed as you can get from metal.

 

 

Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones

Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal bands Hellhammer and Celtic Frost broke up Frost after the amazing Monotheist album and now his new project. Not a big difference in the music content but a great album again. Very heavy, dark and hate filled music is contained on the album. Much of the time Celtic Frost were a very melodic and at times pop in content as they were the reason many people got into metal, easily accessible and still considered metal. This doom riff filled album has been made to cross no boundaries and showers the listener in metal from start to finish.  Think of Electric Wizard crashing into GG Allen and you can get an idea of some of the sound and vocals that are here. The production is top notch and helps to portray the avant-garde metal that fans love so much. This will never make it on Radio 1 like Celtic Frost did.

JARBOE  - The Path

Another great solo album by Jarboe . Her ‘Men Album’ in 2005 was a great album that collaborated over 2CD with male guest musicians from around the world was a classic return to form and this new album takes her back to the Swans days.  This album is a soundtrack for a game called The Path and marks her first ever task in making music for a game. Dark and organic experimental music is her choice for this soundtrack as the game is basically about a child wandering about a dark wood trying to find grandma’s house (No really it is).  The game has been looked on as a real change in direction for computer games and that is pretty much Jarboe in a nutshell. Dark ambient music with at times vocals that are made to make you feel uneasy, helped by Kris Force the music is so addictive I feel I want to switch the CD player off but can’t.  You never can review an album like this as it is so hard to describe but you can single it out as being very good. I have for years said Jarboe is an amazing artist and this album shows this.

The Fall - Our Future Your Clutter

A band I have liked from a far for many years but due to the band being run like a shambles I have never seen them live. I hoped for a classic performance and that is what I got. Mark E Smith lasted 35 minutes before walking off. The album again is in the post punk/Alt Rock category but the band does play very well making it a highlight of the year for me but not one of the best gigs I have been to mind you.. Much of the album the rhythm section is used very well and it really gives the album a positive feel. With the album being co-produced by a drummer I am not surprised it sounds like this. Mark has a very distinct vocal range that seems to bellow over anything that is on the album but he is the co-producer.   Also his wife handles the keyboards on the LP and again the sound comes over so striking that it should not work but somehow they have pulled it off.  Mark just does not want to stay in the past and that is something I like as well. The riffs and lyrics contained here at times make to giggle and also ask how they get away with it. The album just gives of such character and a want to be listened to by the young to show that an old dog can learn new tricks. He is on the same label as the Arctic Monkeys and music wise he could bury them.

Nachtmystium - Addicts: Black Meddle, Pt. II

This band a few years ago turned the metal world on its head with the 'Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1' album. And again they have done a great album that has made the listener really think if the like it or not. A fool would hate this kind of music with some great drum work and amazing production the album shines with ideas. A big thing that Nachtmystium do in the studio is to involve many session musicians in the recording of an album. With this element the album has a really mixed sound that incorporates other styles. Welcome to this album the sound of gothic and industrial music tangled up with the Black Metal thorns of the bands past. Many metal bands have never tried to mix and match an album like this as they would scare the fans away. Metal is full of fans that only like one style or band. I know many Metallica fans that don’t like thrash metal but this is not so with Black Metal. The music has evolved by band so much that a change is welcomed with open ears and when it works it can be amazing. Nothing new on this album but the guts to mix styles and play with real passion. Some great guitar riffs and solos give the music the stereotypical patches but it never once gets boring.

Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons

Real odd one this band were one of the pioneers of Black Metal and I mean way back in the day when it was really just noise. They have done some great albums like Hate Them in 2003. The band then decided to change the style the write and play and this album is the 3^rd album into the new era. What I like is how the album catches you with the guitar hooks. Simple punk riffs flowing one after another. Fairly clear vocals are trying to entice some sort of sing along tune in your head. The band has been reported to have switched to a punk style but overall if you look at the world of guitar music it is all just rock music. Drums, Bass, Guitar and vocals are what make Punk, Metal, Rock and even many pop bands. If you like rock music you may well love

SFA Vs. SRU

SFA Vs. SRU

 

Many people know me as a fan of Rugby and to a slightly lesser extent Football. As a kid I loved football and followed it with passion, as I got older and into my early 20s I felt that I was more of a Rugby fan then a Football fan. A big reason was not so much in the games but how each sport was run.

I have never been a "Die Hard" team follower and could not care less if a team wins or not. It is fun and as long as it is entertaining I am happy. So as a kid I never really supported a football or rugby team. I more supported the national sides. Something I still do today and will pretty much always do. But my interest has moved as I get older due to how both organisations are run.

Scottish Football Association

The SFA are the big boys in Scottish Football. They run the national team and also the FA Cup. The money that comes into the SFA is from all areas of the international team And SFA Cup. All sponsorship and ticket sales is done buy them.

When the SFA makes all this money they are expected to spend this on areas that need attention in the sport. Mainly youth football and the training youngsters for the future. But the SFA spend practically nothing on this area at all. Some small junior tournaments and a chosen few get to be trained for a few weeks via professionals.

The SFA are also the employer of all referees in Scotland. And assign them to the designated games and leagues. Anyone who has seen a game here will know most of the refs are useless. Again the SFA don't spend any money on this area. And in fact it was not long ago the referees were going to go on strike due to payments being very low.

Gordon Smith was appointed Chief executive in 2007 and instantly wanted to make changes. As he was an experienced player, spectator, manager, agent and also a TV pundit, many regarded his experience to be what was needed for the job. But three years later he left, he blamed the SFA for not letting him change anything and accused them of being too stubborn. He is right the SFA has done nothing to change the shape of Scottish football in years and is still just sitting back making money.

The money machine generates 30 million pounds a year and after wages where is the money going? The new chief executive Stewart Regan was employed after Smith. His background is in business and that is why he was taken on. Where he gains knowledge in sport is by running Yorkshire County Cricket Club. A club who have lost millions due to poor ticket sales. But he did help the English Championship "re brand" to what you have today. The same league with a new sponsor is not a success. 

SFA are to promote football to people and the best way to do this is to have a good TV deal. They did have a good deal with a PPV company in SKY TV and Setanta Sports. If you can't get the channels like me or if you just don't want to spend nearly £500 a year extra to watch a few games then you lose out. Also a great way to show the game is to get it to more people say the BBC or ITV. SFA took the extra money over the promotion of the game. Where is the money going to?

Scottish Rugby Union

Both sports have a similar background but in Scotland are run totally different. The SRU unlike SFA do promote and back the playing of rugby very well. Youth teams and leagues are paid for by them and professional coaches are used to get the best from the kids. Teaching in schools is regular as is free tickets and days out playing touch rugby (Kids version of the game).

The four leagues in Scotland are run by the SRU as is the international teams. The money that the SRU makes is more than the SFA but the SRU makes sure it never makes a profit and puts the money right back into the sport.

The SRU runs the Scotland international team and the other Scotland teams like Scotland A, U21 and U18. They also own and run the two professional teams in Scotland. This is a big plus for sport as the governing body running a professional club is a great set up as the money can then be dispensed fairly.

The sort of set up that they have is unique to the sport. The pro players in Scotland are assigned to a armature team as well. They are expected to play for the club team whenever they can or give coaching and advise when free. Another thing that helps to keep the game genuine is the introduction of a wage cap on the players. No more than £120,000 a year. And even that amount has only been paid out a few times. The wage cap is something that has come into French Rugby this season and soon you will see a big change in the game in France.

Ticket prices and TV deals are very important to the teams in Scotland. The TV for the Six Nations is via the BBC. This means all 5.5 million homes in Scotland can see the games. The SRU make money and get a great advertisement for the sport for 8 weeks a year. Ticket prices are kept as low as can be. The lowest in the sport, £15 to see Edinburgh or Glasgow compared to when I was in Dublin it was 70 Euros!

Any Spare Change?

The two companies are set up to do the same thing but one is far smaller in peoples eyes than the other. Rugby is a dieing sport in Scotland due to the game turning Pro in 1995 many people turned there backs on it. But now the game has evolved into a much better sport and can draw the crowds Internationally. Football has always been the dominant sport in Scotland and deservedly so. 

But where are the SFA spending all the money? They have only to pay the players and keep a few projects going. It was not that long ago the footballers played for free on international duty. I just can't help but feel ripped off when paying money for a ticket for the footie.

Some of My Favorite Stand-ups

"There was once this woman..."

Rich Hall  

By far my favorite stand up, he has been going for so long I can't even imagine stand-up comedy without him. I just love how he can improvise so much of a show and still be very funny even when he messes it up. On top of being an improvised legend he is also one of the best at topical as well. No hold barred on America as well has given him a great career in the UK. He recently done the Stand Up For the Week on channel Four and was by far the best on many of the shows. His routines make you think and also second guess his topics. He has also done stand up as a musician in the role of Otis Lee Crenshaw. With that character he won the Perrier Award and went on a hugely successful tour. The Otis character builds on his skills of improvisation and mixed with the music really makes him a great all round stand up. 

Ricky Grover

Many people may not know him as his stint on the comedy circuit was never too large but he was very good when out in the clubs. He takes on the role of a rather overweight and scared person who seems to have the mind of a bullied child. Backed up with some great lines and a great persona he has the audience in his hands within minutes. He also done another character who was a bouncer, this one was again on the circuit and done well due to his experience before.

Lee Evans

So many people love him and know him as he is a star of TV now. Before Lee worked the men's clubs for years. His stage show for many is an act and they think he is playing the role of a childlike adult. But he is not, Lee Evans is pretty much as real as it gets. With some TV time in stand-up he went on to do some TV roles and after a few false starts made it big. He also done some films as well, acting in Hollywood but his comedy is the place he shines and in his TV roles he still plays the kid like adult but at times he does do well. His stage show is like no other. He can be topical, slapstick, musical and role playing all in one night. Not only that but he is one of very few who don't repeat old material. He writes a brand new two hour show every year. And I feel he deserves his success on stage as he was the first stand up to play Wembley arena.

Stuart Lee

The 41^st best stand up in the world, we all know he should be higher but so many people just will not get him as his comedy is for a select few. He was on TV for years performing in sketch shows but after a break he has went back to the format he is best at. One of the few comics that know the physiology of playing in front of a room of people that well they can have the show include spots of solitude as comedy. He did a show for BBC 2 that was stunning and really gave his comedy a new stage to show the country. He for years survived on tours and self-funded DVD releases but I think his art is now ready for the nation.

Jack Dee

Jack for many people is a kind of old school stand up, he has been in the business as long as I can remember. Remarkably he was going to quit as his show did not go down well. Before his stage presence now he was far more positive on stage. He took advice from someone to go on stage and be himself and his stand-up act flourished. His demeanor on stage is so dour and provides for us the moaner old man of comedy. For over 20 years on stage and on TV he still is on the box even now doing stand-up. Many see him as only a deadpan comic but his jokes and stories are easily identified by anyone who has had a bad day. He co-wrote the Lead Balloon TV show that is just a bit close to his own self to call.

Jo Brand

The UK stand up gigs across the country consists of mainly working men's clubs (Or it did in the 80s). Jo Brand was billed as an overweight lesbian would play the clubs as the name The Sea Monster. To do this you must be mad or very good. She has been on many TV shows over the years and will always stand out due to her comic talent. After coming through the alt comedy of the 80s she has had great success in keeping her show fresh and fun. A woman who said in a British Legion "men are fantastic – as a concept" has the guts to not take any crap from anyone. One of the best at putting down her hecklers and can use that as part of the show if she wants.

Bill Hicks

Most people know Hicks and I find he is a love or hate comedian. I think he was great at what he does and also I feel he was capable of far more. Bill started as a teenager and never really changed his act at all over the years. It may have got angrier in later years but it was always compelling to listen to his shows on CD. You do get many people who are fan boys of him and ok he was good, great even but he was not the best ever. I think his alcohol problem really messed up his career as he for years drank heavily and never achieved much success in those years. Move to the UK and he was a big name and rightfully so.

Ross Noble

I love a comic that can go out and do proper stand-up. As in improvising a good bit of a show. This man only improvises his set as it seems. He is a great stand-up and one that many people will never really get. Due to the topics and the way he provides the laughs he is seen by many as very unfunny. But that is alt comedy for you and he is right up there with the best. I have seen him live and it is remarkable how he can stay on stage for 3 hours or more. One of is live DVD shows the audience start to leave due to the buses stopping at 11.

Billy Connolly

You have to have him on a list as he at some point was the best in the world. Five years before alternative comedy was started he was doing alt stand up in Glasgow. No mother in-law jokes or one liners his show was made up of original story telling with a knowledge of his audience would get what he says due to him having a similar upbringing. He was very popular in Scotland but even bigger in England where they got him on the spot and also one of a very small number of comedy people to make it in America.

Lee Mack

This guy is one of the few that could have existed before alt comedy came in. His stand-up is well rehearsed but he can at any time go off on his own and ad lib much of his set. He mixes quirky one livers with jokes and storytelling to get his giggles. His DVD from 2008 is one of the very best made and I can watch it over and over so many times as it is just so good.

I have so many more to write about like Tim Vine, Frankie Boyle, Dave Allen, Reginald D Hunter, Phil Kay, Al Murray, Mark Thomas and many more I could not bore you as unlike me you probably have some work to do.

Films that changed the world

Ok the title of the blog is a bit out but some films have changed countries in a big way. Film has a chance to show the worlds problems in a different way to TV or newspapers 

Some films over the last 20 years have really changed the country they were made in. It starts with independent films as they more than most have nothing to lose when portraying a country or city. Due to lack of money or even interest they have made the film and got it on the big screen. Once on the screen it then will be subjected to the review of the world's media.

When a review is made it will tell the reader where it was made and what it is about. This at times is a story in its self. A few films I like that have showcased the problems of the country to the world had a massive impact on the country on a political status. When a film does well financially it is a success but the following few films I will detail were not just a cash generator they seem to hit on the worlds media and political minds and help to make changes that live on even now. It is easy to place documentaries in this list but I have chosen feature films that have been made in the last 20 years. Enjoy.

Trainspotting (Scotland 1996)

As a Scot it was pretty much a must see film. But to me it was more a documentary, I am not stupid I know drugs exist and I know where they take em and all that. But this film had a massive impact in the whole of the UK. It was at its release talked about in parliament and even talk of banning it as it glorified drugs. But it did do one thing very well and that was to embarrass Scotland around the world. Forever Scotland was the kilt wearing haggis eating nation with a colourful football support and the shortcake tin image. Not anymore, we have a big drug and alcohol problem that has existed for years and was always brushed aside. Also the housing shown in the film was a real wake up call to the UK. Some of the scenes were deliberately shot in Glasgow as the slums were so bad in Glasgow. The reality is Edinburgh bore the brunt of blame in the state of the housing shown in the film. But it was not just Edinburgh but the whole of Scotland that needed to be changed. More money was then put into changing the boarded up slums and at times demolishing them completely. It did help and at times worked well, some streets were no go areas and now are populated with people again. The drug side of the film has been addressed but that will never change in this country. Scotland has a greater per-head use of heroin, ecstasy and cocaine in this country than almost any other. And even on a list of worst countries in the world for taking drugs Scotland is fifth after Iran, Costa Rica, Russia, Afghanistan and Mauritius. So still work to be done then.

Bus 174 (Brazil 2002)

This was a true story and so true it was shown by the news channels live on TV in Brazil. On June 12th, 2000, a bus full of passengers was kidnapped in Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight. This is more of a documentary as it does have real footage of the incident and includes many people who were held hostage on the bus. Ok this is not a big film with a plot or anything but some of the hostages felt they were in the middle of a prank or a move for TV. Brazil has a TV culture much like what Japan has with mocking people on live TV as the big shows. So when hundreds of cameras turn up the hostages get a feeling of it may be a scam. The hostage taker even at one point shouts out a window about it being "real shit". The man who took them hostage was a local man who had lived on the streets and slums of the city from boyhood. The film focuses on Sandro do Nascimentoand his childhood of growing up and also gets the hostages to talk about this as well. What this film shows more than anything else is the utter uselessness of the police. They stand aside the whole time and do nothing, as if they just don't care. The police did say that they would have used force if the cameras were not present but that would have resulted in the deaths of many of the passengers. With the police being so corrupt and badly trained they have no skills in this type of crime and that is what is on show in the film. You see this at the end when the criminal is talked into surrendering and a police officer tries to shoot him and misses only to kill a passenger instead. Even Sandro do Nascimento was killed but only later on when the police threw him into a van. His official death was caused by asphyxiation (aye right). The officers who took him into custody were charged with murder; after jury trial they were found not guilty. The shooting of the woman was recorded as accidental.

With the incident making headlines only in Brazil the film was a worldwide hit in independent cinemas. The world asked questions and Brazil had to hang its head in shame. They have been doing what they can to stop corruption and the city does have more help for street kids. The film really does show what the city was capable of.

City of God (Brazil 2002)

Back to Rio de Janeiro again and this time a film that was adapted from a book. The film shows what life is like for kids in a slum on the outskirts of the city. Most of the cast were from real-life favelas and only one actor was a professional. Most people would know the slums of the city were full of crime and not a very nice place to live. Life is hard and no jobs means most live in utter poverty. Again most people know poverty attracts crime and again drug problems are rife in the slum. What shocked people about this film were the crimes the kids commit, murder is the big one and with a very young boy shooting as if he has a toy gun. Again the police are shown in a bad light and the part of the film that shows how the police treat the street kids is a real nasty piece of work. But true. After the film the world took notice as the film was nominated for four Academy Awards and was awarded many awards in other countries. The reality then hits many people as the police do go out and shoot kids in the street, thinking they are cleaning the city of criminals. The film touches on this and done more than any charity could have done in bringing this to the news rooms of the world. Again after the film many charities and countries show their disgust at the killing of the orphan children. The government did react and have done so very well. Winning the 2016 Olympic Games shows how far the city has come in under a decade. More police stations were introduced in a way they were more like community centres so that the locals get more involved in the policing of the city. Murders are down by half from when City of God was made. Kids can now play in the street where before it was the kids who ruled the street.

District 9 and Invictus (South Africa 2008)

After Nelson Mandela was released from prison it was a huge day for the country. People really thought the country would change and hoped that Mandela was the man to do so. In 1994 he became the first democratically elected South African president. The country had elected him to help change the fortunes of the country. For many years people had an idea that South Africa was a changed nation, it was in many aspects like the way black and white people learned to live together peacefully. Finally everyone came to agree on a majority rule constitution. This constitution states that racial discrimination it is against the law. Black people were given back the vote and the country was opened up to the world again after the end of apartheid. The film District 9 was a bad blow to the country as it really showed the slums have not changed in nearly 20 years. A well-made film that depicts aliens landing in South Africa only to be treated like second class citizens. Forced to live in shanty towns on the outskirts of the city. It is a huge wake up call to the government of South Africa and it was the first time people really started to question Rolihlahla Mandelas and Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki time as Presidents of the country. The questions are rightfully asked and the country still has a shameful excessive amount of people in poverty. At about the same time as District 9 a film Invictus was out in some parts of the world. A film about the country's rugby team winning the World Cup in 1995. Black South Africans would never have supported the country's rugby team as they were looked on as everything that was bad about the white rule. The people united to support the team and then they went on to win the tournament with the captain giving an interview at the end of the match went like this,

"Francois, fantastic support from 63,000 South Africans here today?" TV anchor-man David van der Sandt said straight after the Boks had beaten the mighty All Blacks in the final. Without missing a beat, Pienaar replied: "David, we didn't have the support of 63,000 South Africans today, we had the support of 42 million South Africans."

Both films portray the country in a very different light and I do think both will do something to change the fortunes of many. Rugby in South Africa is getting more popular throughout the whole country and only time will tell if the government will do anything to get rid of the shanty towns.

Slumdog Millionaire (India 2009)

Danny Boyle is a fantastic director and has made some iconic films. One is Trainspotting this is his other ground breaking film. I was not all that impressed with this film but the world loved it. A huge international hit that has put the eyes firmly on India and the slums that the film was set. Not much of a story here but it does show the corruption in the police department and mostly on the lives of the people living in the slums. This film surprised India more than most as it was a very low budget film made by a The European Union. The sweat houses and slums of India have been shown to an international audience that had no clue they existed in a country that has been growing so well. America took to the film very well and again a whole new audience to witness the realities of the slums of India. Shocked people around the world donated money to help the kids who stared in the film. The kids in the film were not from wealth families but children who grew up in the slums. I hope this film does for India what City of God done for Brazil.

Supersize Me (USA 2004)

Directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock this film is a documentary but unlike may other is focused on the maker of the film. For once the director is the subject of the film and in this he decides to eat junk food for 28 days and see what the outcome was. To many people who know know a good bit about what they eat it is not much of a film. Many people who don't know what is contained in their food were shocked. Some fast food had such a high amount of fat, salt and sugar it even shocked the knowledgeable viewer. The guinea pig (Spurlock) was subject to sleepless nights and stomach pains. He was told not to do the experiment by his doctor but went ahead anyhow. In the end it was a great documentary that shows how bad eating fast food on a regular basis can be. In reality and not too long after the film some food chains started to reduce the about of fat/salt in the food. It was also a big shock to people in the UK as the country has a similar outlook on fast food as America. It has influenced the politicians to the point the food chains may have to advertise on the menu the details of what is contained in the meal and its calorie content. This is a real big change for the stores and one that would put of many people buying the meals as much. The film was a big hit and was seen around the world many millions and also quickly shown on the TV to an even better effect. The documentary did have a real impact on people and the companies selling the food. More laws and regulations were introduced to show people what exactly they are eating. I has helped some for now but it will take 15-20 years to see the real change.