Hello again people. The end of another week, with it’s usual mixture of up and down, but mostly up, in music, education and life.

I was extremely flattered earlier this week to discover that Tony at Highway Five had written a very complimentary review of 17 seconds on his blog.
To quote:
” Have been trawling through the blog sphere and found this wonderful music blog.
Written with passion, style and elan its a great place to go a read someone writting well about music that moves them.

A Scotmans living in Edinburgh, Ed has a fine way with words and great taste in music. There are reviews of new releases, video links and other gems awaiting you.”

Apart from the fact that I am only an honourary Scotsman, I am very flattered and touched by this. (You reading this, Mum?!) please check out his blog.

Another blog I must direct you to is The Merry Muses of Caledonia, where the blogger lists his all-time favourite Scottish singles. As with many of these sort of lists, I agree with the inclusion of many, even if mine might rank slightly differently. Do go check it out.

Added to which, given that I do not spend my entire time at my computer listening to music (whatever my girlfriend may think), I have also been getting on with teaching. I showed my head of department at school the You Tube site, which as he’s a bit technophobic (his own description), he hadn’t come across. Anyway, we had been brainstorming ideas for teaching Impermanence in Buddhism, amongst other things. He had heard the song for hurt by Johnny Cash but not seen the video. It remains one of the most powerful videos ever seen. At the end of it, there was silence in the classroom before he eventually managed to open his mouth. I’m still trying to build up the courage to show this, showing as it does, Cash and his wife June Carter, close to death. She died a few months before he did; someone once said that ‘She’d gone to get the house ready for him.’ That’s possibly one of the saddest but most loving things I can think of.

Hurt

Buy Johnny Cash’s The Man Comes Around on Amazon (this version includes the video)