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Interview with the Pink Half of My Drainpipe

Q. Do you think that Animal Collective kick started the current trend in freak folk wonderfulness?

A. Although I assume Animal Collective are firmly based in an off-kilter psychedelic, mushroom bath of the marriage between The Beatles and The Beach Boys, I can see that they punch way beyond their weight & lean heavily towards blending a breakfast @ Siggis, Kabul, Michaels Hurley & Kandel, Peter Stampfel, Tuli Kupferberg & Allen Ginsberg freakiness to their folkiness.

Psychedelic Dreams of an Octafish

Why does it take a staple diet of electric prunes & a lifetime to understand and appreciate what David Axelrod was trying to achieve?

Winter Warmers


Dreaming of warm bowls of Cullen Skink as we smoke the salmon

Crazy Album Titles by Govan Mbeki, pt 77



As a lapsed Govanite, I love the Harmony Row title, but I smiled a little when listening to Mike Shiflet & Jessica Ryan's 'Disguised as Librarians.


What is that all about?

The Doors of Perception

At the start of last week with the frost & all, my continental car doors (electrical) decided to lock in the open position.

This presented some fine challenges, when driving upon icy roads ignored by the sleepy gritters.

Always the genius & with a nod to my late father, I tied the 2 front doors with string & my passenger & downstairs neighbour took it all in his stride as we slipped along the road to work.

I had put the car in the garage for a different problem i.e. slow starting & they were going to give it a cold start to check. I phoned up & was told it started first time, but there was a slight problem a Mitsubishi Shogun had whacked the door in. He must have had killer bull bars. Anyway I now need a new door, fortunately the other driver stated it was his fault & admitted liability so that his insurance will cover the repair.

Tree Hugging


I dont know why, but recently I find myself lost in the woods more & more. I also end up taking lots of photos of rocks & trees.

Maybe there is something mystical going on?


I got a mad phone call from my neighbour, who for his first xmas married had decided he wished for a real xmas tree. I would support him wholeheartedly in this, if he had studied the logistics of moving a 7 foot beast of a pine/fir from Byres Road fruit shop to next door.

I mean it would not fit in their car & in addition it would do serious damage.

As usual superda was there, the ideal man in a crisis.

Cross Country Dancing

I had to put up with the insults, threats, red cards again this year, as I opted for the pre-xmas Scottish country dance class instead of my usual 5s.

I had been told that Sunday’s St Andrew’s George Square Social Dance was the event of the year.

Apparently the Orcadian Strip the Willow was tremendous & such a big hit.

I am hoping to be ready for the 2012 Winter Olympic Cross Country Dance event.