Weekend Roundup: leading exports - odour, fire engines

Cherry blossoms in the Meadows.

• Why does Norway smell? Oh, it's our fault...


• Only four months late, three lucky Serbian kids get their ideal Christmas present!


• Edinburgh University students still protesting Robert Mugabe's honorary degree; despot still sleeping untroubled.


• Staying with EUSA, the poor students of Edinburgh are going to have do with one less bar, at least for six days of the week.

Edinburgh University: failing to trouble despotic slumber

Seemingly Edinburgh University's decision to review the honourary degree it awarded to Zimbabwean presidespot Robert Mugabe hasn't triggered a rethink from Harare.

Mr Mugabe, 83, will not "lose sleep" over the threats, said George Charamba, his spokesman.
[...]
"It is not like the president suffers a crisis of achievement. He has seven solid degrees, which are more than enough to earn him a living and recognition."

I'm not so sure. I mean, I'd certainly start reconsidering all that land 'reclamation' and electoral fraud if it meant losing the letters after my name. Particularly the ones that spell "tyrant".

Headlines: rights? You ain't got no rights...

• An Edinburgh barman discovers that his First Amendment Rights don't cover threatening to stab customers in the face. Also, we don't have a First Amendment.


• Efforts are underway to attract Arnold Schwarzenegger to Dunbar in September. Kidnapping may work.


• We knew there had to be a reason to keep the Tattoo going - turns out there are 86 million of them.


• We're pretty sure that there's not a lot more to be said about the weekend's sewage uberleak, but A Scandal & A Disgrace's post is worth checking out, if only for Google's targeted ads - Sewage Water / Sewage Plant...


• Tonight: CSS at the Liquid Room; Fujiya & Miyagi, Errors at The Bongo Club (part of Triptych 07).

Headlines: not an approved babysitting technique

• Punch a baby in the face, get nine months in prison. Simply, really.


• Edinburgh city council leader unveils his 10-point masterplan for global domin- sorry, giving Scotland the capital it needs. Hmm? What superiority complex?


• One more time for the hard of thinking, try and stay away from the raw, untreated sewage carpeting the southern shore of the Forth.

Dead by Dawn 07

I had made a New Year's resolution not to write about any festivals that may be happening in Edinburgh, but y'know, 19 horror movies in 4 days is kinda hard to resist. They even schedule a breakfast break in the Saturday/Sunday marathon...

Weekend Headlines: Obviously we couldn't have polluted the Forth during the week

• Scottish Water prove once again that they are teh awesome at screwing shit up.


• Pagans of the East Coast rejoice! This year's Beltane festivities have begun with...um...a photo exhibition.


• Another free daily newspaper aims to emulate the Daily Record Edinburgh PM's success at accumulating stacks of unwanted recyclable material.


• Living in the capital isn't getting any cheaper - only the 173% increase in the past decade.


• Someone, somewhere, seems to think that bringing Edinburgh and Glasgow closer together is a good idea.


• There is a suspicion that professional rugby union in Scotland might not be working quite as well as it could.


• Old Town requires saving from dastardly "redevelopment"; pervert-suited hero possibly required.

Headlines: file under "hopelessly optimistic"

• The City of Edinburgh Council "unanimously" backs a plan to revamp the Grassmarket which does not, curiously, include banning 14 year olds from learning to be alcoholics.


• Edinburgh is the only UK city to be voted into the top 10 travel destinations by users of Expedia. (Interestingly enough, I can't seem to find a reference to this story on the Expedia site...)


• Looks like Tigerlily and Bramble were the big winners at last night's Theme Awards, although we're still awaiting official confirmation...


• Incoming music goodness: Mark Eitzel at Cabaret Voltaire, Thursday from 7pm; The Go! Team at Mansfield Traquair Centre, Friday from 8pm.

Today's headlines: special political theme edition

• Hey, what's another £35k when you're already spending £1.9m on spin doctors?


• We can add dodging TV licences to the list of things Scotland excels at; right behind obesity and short life expentancy.


• For those too lazy to leave the house, the postal vote registration deadline is looming.

The only thing worse than bagpipes...

...are bagpipes played at full blast in tartan-clad tourist traps, a view I seemingly share with anonymous Old Town residents.

If I hear Highland Cathedral one more time I think I'll scream," she said.
[...]
The owners of the gift shops today defended the practice, saying it was an important part of promoting their wares and denied the music was too loud.

Link

Another day, another festival

It's Tuesday which means, of course, that it's about time to start preparing yourself for another Edinburgh festival. This time, it's wine.

The Edinburgh International Wine Festival launches next month. It aims to build on the Scottish capital's long-standing position as one of Europe's leading importers of fine French wine.

Hotel owner James Thomson, one of the founders of the festival, which is sponsored by broadsheet Scotland on Sunday, said he hoped it would give rise to an annual two-day event incorporating wine workshops and tastings.

Link