Friday 18 September 2009

Thanks to Jamie Maclean for drawing my attention to Melodyne first thing this morning. It's very clever and faintly sinister: in their demo, it's just another way to make music sound bland.  But we're sure it can be put to much more creative and entertaining use ...  

I've had a stinking cold for three days now. So I made it to Special Collections at Glasgow University Library in time for it opening, to look through Henry Farmer's bound volume of Schetky's music for some songs. Then, photocopying duly ordered, I declared the rest of the day a day off and I was knocking on Greg's door by 10.40 so that we could go to the Western Baths for the next couple of hours to steam out my cold. Then we sat outside the patisserie on Byres Road eating cream horns, watching this year's intake of students go by. When I was cycling home, one of our neighbours hung out of his car window to wave as he overtook, which led to an impromptu community action meeting across the road when I got home. In a long-overdue burst of public-spiritedness, last night I went to a meeting of our local community council, and I now have a list of tasks to accomplish in order to improve our immediate environment. 

After dinner I wielded garden tools until Scott Williams brought me a new 'Rooster' beer and some promotional clothing; I told him off for the antique state of the brewery website, and now I've just checked and seen it's had a major facelift - sorry Scott!  Tonight I've started on 'Community Activism 101', writing a letter to deliver around the neighbourhood tomorrow morning.  Quite busy for a day off really.