Category Archives: Scottish Independence

Land Seer

July 25, 2018Art, Brexit, Edinburgh, Movies, Scottish IndependenceAlan Warner, Bill Forsyth, Dr Jonathan Murray, Edwin Landseer, Monarch of the Glen, National Galleries of Scotland, Peter Blake, Peter Saville, Public Enemy, Talking Heads, The Queenricky

On the bus into Edinburgh’s New Town yesterday, I was reflecting on a short story I’ve been working on, a historical fiction about the Ross-shire Sheep Riots (also known as the – ten-day long – Year Of The Sheep). As the name suggests, it’s set in Scotland. My work tends to be set most often there, or in NYC, or in some imagined hybrid of the two.

Yep, I would wear basically that to work at least once a week in Manhattan. — Where presumably everyone looks like this

Don’t worry – I’m going somewhere with this.
Check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter for a soundtrack while I wend my way. Continue reading Land Seer →

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Now We Are Five

October 3, 2017Brexit, Current Affairs, Edinburgh, EU Referendum, Mindfulness, Poetry, Referendum, Rehab, Scottish Independence, StrokeBruno Mars, David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, Mark Ronson, T2: Trainspotting, Winnie-the-Poohricky

This past weekend, I celebrated my Fifth Strokiversary (1, 2, 3, 4). Which I guess means Stroke Bloke is five.

He's aff his heid on honey again — *FIVE*, you dozy ursine prat!

A fair amount of water has passed under the bridge in five years. Let’s reflect, shall we?

[For more personal reflections, join me at the Apoplexy Tiny Letter.] Continue reading Now We Are Five →

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Outward Bound

June 6, 2017Books, Death, EU Referendum, GE2017, Scottish Independence, TheatreCitizens Theatre, In Failure & In Ruins, Kneehigh Theatre, Tristan and Isolde, Tristan and Yseultricky

Phew! That was quite a weekend! On Friday evening, I had the great pleasure of co-hosting the launch of the chapbook In Failure & In Ruins by my friend, former Into the Void Poetry Competition winner Mark Bolsover.

BOO! Go back to the shaved head, Stroke Bloke! — “Pure sex for a particular niche market”

The next day, Mrs Stroke Bloke and I headed through to Glasgow to see the latest production from Kneehigh Theatre, whose Mayday Mayday had such an effect on us in the months after my stroke.

[For more whimsy and reflections, check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter.] Continue reading Outward Bound →

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Prouder, Stronger, Better

May 16, 2017Books, EU Referendum, Politics, Referendum, Scottish IndependenceBrexit, George Orwell Prize, gun control, Hillsboroughricky

Before we get started, I’d like to direct you to Marcelo’s comment to recent post Into The Trees. and the associated Wired article.

🎶You’re gonna die, you’re gonna die, you’re gonna die alone🎶 — I’m pretty sure you’ve got that the wrong way round, dude.

[For more cheery, knockabout humour, check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter] Continue reading Prouder, Stronger, Better →

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Thought For The Day

October 18, 2016Economics, Edinburgh, Interrobang, Mindfulness, Nerd Bait, Sci-fi, Scottish Independence, Stroke, US ElectionsDonald Trump, Grassmarket Community Project, Interrobang, Nerd Bait, Oxjamricky

My love for BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, as hosted by Eddie Mair, is well-documented on this website (1, 2). During #indyref the first, I remember him conducting one of the better interviews I heard with Scotland’s First Minister.

You should see Blankety-Blank with Lilly Savage! — Eddie & Pals: Call My Bluff’s changed!

However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent – from, for example, the Today programme’s coverage of yesterday’s news that the Westminster government is mulling making substantial payments to the EU to retain financial services passporting rights for the City of London– that The Herald‘s chief reporter has captured a larger truth about the BBC’s output.

I think the talking heads who review newspapers on London TV shows like Marr are running out of excuses for not understanding Scotland.

— David Leask (@LeaskyHT) October 16, 2016

[Yes, somehow I’ll pivot this into strokes and art. Read on to find out how.] Continue reading Thought For The Day →

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Relax

July 18, 2016Death, Dr. Who, Edinburgh, Politics, Scottish IndependenceFrankie Boyle, Raif Badawi, Scottish Parliament, Trident debatericky

Over the last two weeks, Stroke Bloke has reported from Berlin and London on modern iterations of democracy. Today, a report from closer to home…

Last week’s post, Monarchy had a hint of the oracle about it. I asked

Can Angela [Eagle] fit 172 Labour Party MPs in her tiny battle bus before its square wheels fall off?

And that very night, the Labour Party’s National executive committee voted to allow Jeremy Corbyn, as the incumbent leader of the party, to enter the party’s leadership election without having to collect the nominations of 50 of his MPs and MEPs.

Now the square wheels have fallen off #AngelaEagle‘s tiny battle bus at #LabourNEC, a rerun: https://t.co/m9EbDySqAi pic.twitter.com/7fyReZEnTi

— Ricky Brown (@ricky_ballboy) July 12, 2016

But let’s leave that aside for now – who can predict British politics at the moment?

The other question that was left hanging at the end of last week’s post was

What happened when I had a chance to visit the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood…?

Need more whimsy and obscure ’90s indie references to getting through the working week? Check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter. Continue reading Relax →

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Vote Man Returns!

June 6, 2016Dr. Who, EU Referendum, Politics, Referendum, Scottish Independence, Stroke, TravelBack to the Future, Bertie Ahern, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, EU Referendum, Immigrants Welcome, Ireland, Vote Manricky

I’ve been trying to tell myself that it’s too early for an #EURef post. But even now, still two-and-a-half weeks out, the media coverage is suffocating. It’s hard to focus on anything else. Europe touches so much that goes on in the blog.

Last week, Mrs Stroke Bloke and I had just returned from our trip to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. One thing that really caught our eyes – other than the crazy number of Deloreans on the ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast – was the ease of crossing the border.

The Stena ferry IS bigger on the inside — “Are you sure this is the Cairnryan ferry, Stroke Bloke?” Pic by Mat Moura at DeviantArt

[Enjoy apoplectic.me? Get close and personal with the Apoplexy Tiny Letter here.]

Continue reading Vote Man Returns! →

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Panama

April 12, 2016Edinburgh, Fiction, Politics, Pop Music, Scottish IndependenceAnnie Mechin, Daniel Defoe, Edinburgh Spy Week, Reggie Watts, Stella Rimingtonricky

Well, if there’s one thing that this week’s news has encouraged me to do, it’s go off and listen to some good music. With a hat-tip to Longsufferingreaderoftheblogpaul for sharing it aaaaages ago, here’s Reggie Watts’ cover of Van Halen’s Panama:

https://youtu.be/xetZZLmmEw8?t=1m30s

Where the original is – I’m told – about a race car, Reggie’s version is about the country. What do you think about, when you think about Panama?

[For more absurdity, whimsy, and brain droppings, check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter.] Continue reading Panama →

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Apoplectic Me

the scribblings of a bloke who had a stroke…

Category Archives: Scottish Independence

Land Seer

Now We Are Five

Outward Bound

Prouder, Stronger, Better

Thought For The Day

Relax

Vote Man Returns!

Panama