Systeme D

4 July 2006

And I will go 7,800 miles

which is the total length of the GPS tracks I've just (finally) converted from heavily monged GPSy format into real, proper GPXs, ready for upload to Openstreetmap. (See overview diagram, right.) Maybe OSM could be part-funded by reclaiming mileage at the usual rate of 40p/mile whenever users go surveying.

Thought of '10,000 Miles' brings me inevitably to Eliza "not bad for a fat lass" Carthy who appears to have included it on every single album she's recorded. I haven't seen the delightful Ms C in concert for many years, but on Saturday, we did go and see Shooglenifty at the Saul Festival. And they were really bloody marvellous. (Anna: "I think that's the first time in 15 years I've seen you dance." Yes, that's as frightening as it sounds.) No Garry Finlayson, so sadly we missed out on the hyper banjax tunes (like 'A Whisky Kiss', or the one off Solar Shears with the circular saw). But 'Scraping the Barrel' was absolutely blinding and 'The Eccentric' (off the forthcoming album, out in August) not far behind.

Also, Angus R Grant is not just to Shooglenifty what Dan was to Batter the Haddock... Angus R Grant is Dan. Just with a Scottish accent. His quote of the evening:

"And you can buy our CDs from the stall at the back, in the place where the bar usually is... but it's never knee deep at the CD stand. Or you can visit shoogle.com. Things would have been so different if we'd called ourselves Googlenifty."

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