Archive
Pedigree
Game of Thrones: by the end, Ramsay had really gone to the dogs.
Question
In two years, the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in Russia.
Should it?
Music while I laze
Soulsville – Beverley Knight, singing her little heart out.
Courage
The YouGov daily panel questions are always interesting, but sometimes their purpose can be a little obscure. No ambivalence about one of yesterday’s three, however, only a little grammatical quirkiness:
‘If the UK were not a member of the EU at the moment and there were a referendum on whether we should join (on current terms) wold you vote to join or stay out?’
The result? Out of 4427 total respondents,
I would vote to join: 28%
I would vote to stay out: 60%
I would not vote: 1%
Note sure: 11%
Okay, it didn’t ask for voting intentions on June 23, but if I was part of Operation Fear this morning, I’d find that more than a little ominous.
No Small issue
The notorious ‘Named Person scheme’ and the SNP’s sudden coyness?
Who is SHANARRI?
What influence will the personal views of a man named Alan Small have on every family in Scotland?
For the answers to these quesions, required reading from the invaluable Scottish Review:
The Greatest
I was fifteen when I saw Cassius Clay on television for the first time. He put on a masterclass in the Olympic final in Rome, dismantling the best opponent Europe had to offer. And he was only three years older than me.
When he turned pro, I followed his career in the Ring magazine, my monthly read, and on telly when his fights were shown on Grandstand. They thought he’d be lucky to escape with his life against the brutal Sonny Liston, who would probably have beaten every other opponent that Clay faced in his career. The young man humiliated him.
Ten years later Muhammad Ali faced another monster, someone else who was going to kill him, George Foreman, christened ‘The Mummy’ by Muhammad. The 34-year-old humiliated him.
That was the point at which he should have quit for the sake of his health, and for that of Joe Frazier. But he didn’t. He fought on, too long.
And yet afterwards, when he couldn’t any more, he didn’t drift into a punch-drunk slumber. He went on, as best he could, spreading the word of tolerance and understanding, making people laugh, until they couldn’t any longer, so badly was he maimed by the affliction that followed his career.
There has never been an icon who has transcended his sport as Muhammad did. Yes there have been others; Pele, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, even David Beckham. But when they die, their passing will not dominate the world’s media, or provoke such a wave of love and regret as his does today.
The Closers
Now I can talk about it.
The Bloody Scotland programme is out, revealing that I will be sharing the stage for the closing event, 5pm Sunday September 11, with the great Ian Rankin, who is, genuinely, apart from being a top bloke, my favourite crime author.
Come and join us.
Closed
Some of them may be dinosaurs who may be living in the wrong century, but the members of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers own the Muirfield course and have the right to determine how it is used and by whom.
As it happened 64% of those proprietors voted in favour of admitting women to membership of their club. Most people would see that as a significant step forward, but they tend not to be the people who take to the social airwaves, for fear of being pilloried by the politically correct.
The tail wagging the dog isn’t a sustainable situation in the long term. I suspect that it won’t be long before the matter is revisited, maybe with a little gentle persuasion by the R&A, which really doesn’t want to lose the course as an Open venue.
Fitting
I’ve just seen a TV ad for coins commemorating the Queen’s 90th, by an operation calling itself Windsor Mint.
Sounded official, but I looked it up to be sure. It’s German.
Not inappropriate, I suppose.
Music while I laze
Corinne Bailey Rae – The heart speaks in whispers. If you can only buy one album this month …….
Unburnt
Well, did Dany stick it to those sleazy Khals or did she not?
Public investigations
Private Investigations has been released. It is out there, officially, and selling like churros, as they say in Spain.
I’ve just completed a short series of events, curtailed so I can start on the next Skinner. As always, when I do these things, I find myself being moved, in the most surprising and unexpected ways. By George Rattray, who went to great lengths to get to the West End yesterday and arrived bearing gift: by the lady in WHS who made me feel famous: by Dr Johann Dvorak, from Vienna, who just happened to be passing: by the guy with the motor cycle helmet, who bought a book for his mum, then tore straight off to the Royal Infirmary to delivere it; and by the impeccably mannered little girl in the pink dress who approached me at the signing table and asked, very politely, if I had any books by Michael Morpurgo. (I didn’t but I knew a man who had.)
To all of them and to all of you, thanks, yet again.
Music while I work
Run — George Strait. Thank you, Wallace, for making me a serious country listener.
Still going strong
Excellent event in the Eric Liddell Centre last night, courtesy of Marie and the rejuvenated Edinburgh Bookshop. Thanks to her and Cat for spreading the word about Private Investigations and for giving the Capital’s readers a choice.
Independent book shops are really important; they know their own customers and they cater for their tastes, rather than being tied to pushing what head office, hundreds of miles away, dictates.
Listen out
By the way, Private Investigations is also published today in downloadable audio format, on Audible.com.
Deck of cards
So it’s Trump 10, Republican Party 0.
I wonder what my friend the Senator thinks of that.
Escaped
May 5, 2016: official publication date of Private Investigations, the 26 Skinner novel. A huge thanks to everyone at Headline for their skill and commitment in getting it out there, and to everyone in the book trade for making it available to you.
We’ll be celebrating at 7pm this evening at an event hosted by the Edinburgh Bookshop in the Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road.
Look for me also on Saturday at WHS in the Gyle, midday, and AtkinsonPryce in Biggar, then on Sunday at Waterstones West End at 1pm and at Costco Loanhead at 3pm.
Hyperbole?
‘The greatest story ever told,’ that’s what Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler declared, as the final whistle went last night at Stamford Bridge, and Leicester City became Premier League Champions.
Stand aside, Jesus.
Quintin Jardine's blog 