Thanks, Moe

 A pal sent me this and I'm glad he did:

*boast warning* I'm chuffed that 2 x projects for which I composed music have been nominated for Scottish BAFTAs: this one and this one. *warning ends*

Yonks ago I flew with BMX Bandits to Japan via Aeroflot, the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of customer service; you flew Aeroflot or you didn't go.

Unsmiling staff stomping about serving disappointing food. Loose carpets and ceiling panel. And (though I didn't witness it myself) my fellow travellers claimed that a steward and stewardess got under a blanket together on the back row for a mid-flight snogging session.

We had several grimly boring hours to kill in Moscow airport where the toilet hand dryers didn't work before our connection to Tokyo. And that, along with subsequent jaunts to Talinn and Helsinki with Teenage Fanclub, is as close as I've ever come to visiting Russia. But Russia has been on my mind more and more in recent times. 

Following on from the profoundly brutal "Last Witnesses: Unchildlike Stories" I found this interesting:

And I enjoyed this radio doc about Russian Bells. 

Speaking of Russia, I had occasion to re-watch Rocky 4. A montage-laden hoot...

I'm now reading this:

I read the novel years ago but can't remember much about it. I do remember loving "True American Tales" which was edited by Paul Auster. Maybe I'll have another look at that sometime.

I had a wee look around the Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art.

Talking of mental health and black metal, which we weren't, I stumbled across this

I've got 2 x episodes of ye olde BBC production of "Smiley's People"  to go.

I'm glad to hear there's going to be a Ghosts christmas special.

2 episodes in to "The Hairy Bikers Go North" and I am giving serious consideration to their recipe for Key Lime Pie.

And doesn't this look a bit good: