Christmas Adventure.

After arriving at Granny and Grandad Martin's house, I was given a list of chores which I ignored and went to bed. Sleeping till after noon on Sunday(Xmas eve)before being woken up to do my duties. However in typical fashion nothing was were it should be so Granny had to go and buy a screwdriver before I could begin (putting up blinds) then when she got back asked why I hadn't started.
We went for a meal at Canasta when Grandad arrived back from Edinburgh with Amy, Stewart, Teri and the kids. It was a lovely meal despite a lengthy wait for our starters. Charlie took a dislike to the waitress and threw her milk at her mostly getting Granny and Grandad in the process. It was BYOB so I had a beautiful Chateaux neuf du pape to wash down my grilled seafood platter. Delicious!
Later that night we all settled down in the middle room to watch 'Still Game 5' possibily the funnest show on TV which led to an incident where Grandad went supersonic while howling with laughter even more than usual. Everyone eventually fell asleep and slunk off to bed. My few days at Andy's flat had knocked my bodyclock off a bit so I was just heading to bed when earlyburd Granny woke up.
A few hours later and I was up again for Santa's first stop.











Unfortunatly Granny felt it neccessary to take the camera off me so there are no pictures for the rest of the Xmas adventure.

Off to the 2nd of Santa stops, Granda Frew and Gran's house but Gran wasn't in, so Charlie and Phoenix had to wait patiently before getting tore in to their prezzies. FeeFee was glad to hear it because she was knackered, Gran's absence gave her the opportunity for a nap. When Gran arrived she started dishing out the presents.
A while later Phoenix surfaced and Charlie graciously offered to help open her gifts.
Later again and big cousins Patrick and Gary arrived with Aunty Steph and Uncle David declining Charlie's offer to open their presents for them.
Dinnertime eventually came after being held up by the late arrival of the Proven clan. Greenliped mussells to start and a buffet dinner the pick of which was turkey and haggis. After dinner it was competition time Boys versus Girls (haha). Grandad's Pub Quiz DVD was the task settled upon. Didn't think I needed to mention that the girls were grannied in the 3 matches that were played but you know how Amy likes to re-invent the past, so I thought I better.
After dinner we were meant to go stay at Aunt Steph's house, but Mum had been really rude and whined all day saying she wanted to stay at Gran's, so Amy and Stewart went to stay instead (which really made more sense, but that doesn't excuse Mum's behaviour)

The next day we needed 2 cars to get all the presents through to Edinburgh. Dad and Granda Frew were too late to see the opening of presents at Santa's 3rd stop, our house.
After Gran and Granda went home we went to check out Santa's final stop in his Chaz and Fee shift, Granma and Granda Pugh's house.
Built up Charlie's bike and Heidi's 'puter and had steak pie, mashed and roast tatties with broccoli for Boxing day dinner which was beautiful.

3 days of amazing different dinners that's what Xmas is really about!

Pre-xmas gathering.

Arrived in Glasgow on Thursday before getting bus to Andy Thyne's new flat in Cambuslang to meet up with Paul, Andy and Chris. Paul back from Headhunting in London for Christmas (he has even given up hash in favour of his "career")
Except of course when the boys are together! So we got stoned and watched films, Borat and Rocky VI were the memorable one's. Borat as everyone knows is great although I was so stoned by that point, all I could manage was internal sniggers. Rocky VI on the other hand was pish! It had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Chris went home to burn Rocky VI to disk for us before we went across to pick it up, after watching it working boy Paul fell asleep. Andy and I stayed up till 8am or thereabouts discussing various things, but especially my hot topic at the moment - hemp history.


On Friday I woke up around 3pm and watched more films, planned to go out but Paul was never on board, instead got a Chinky for pick up but argued among ourselves for half an hour about who was going across the road to get it(20 yards tops) nobody backed down so Paul phoned and changed our order to delivery.
Rediscovered a love for buckets which Paul was unimpressed with; he's always worried I might embarrass him, poor lad. We had an old skool night with Bloodsport and Kickboxer getting in on the action. Chris stayed this time but like Paul didn't last the distance. Finished off the night with MarioKart and some Tiger Woods game. Up till about 10.30am.


On Saturday I woke early because I was in the living room. (maybe 2 hours sleep)Watched some more films until I left with Chris and Paul and was dropped off at my Dad's house.

Merry Christmas xxx

Save the World.

If all fossil fuels and their derivatives, as well as trees for paper and construction, were banned in order to save the planet, reverse the greenhouse effect and stop deforestation; then there is only one known annually renewable natural resource that is capable of providing the overall majority of the world's paper and textiles; meet all of the world's transportation, industrial and home energy needs, while simultaneously reducing pollution, rebuilding the soil and cleaning the atmosphere all at the same time... and that substance is the same one that has done it before . . . CANNABIS/HEMP/MARIJUANA!

In the link I have added, under the title 'The Emperor wears no clothes' by Jack Herer. The history, uses and effects of the King of plants is explained. It has been a tragic history since 1937. I think it's about time the truth about the greatest life giving plant is known.


Why Not Use Hemp to Reverse the Greenhouse Effect & Save the World?

In early, 1989, Jack Herer and Maria Farrow put this question to Steve Rawlings, the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Department of Agruculture (who was in charge of reversing the Greenhouse Effect), at the USDA world research facility in Beltsville, Maryland.

"First, we introduced ourselves and told him we were writing for Green political party newspapers. Then we asked Rawlings, "If you could have any choice, what would be the ideal way to stop or reverse the Greenhouse Effect?"

He said, "Stop cutting down trees and stop using fossil fuels."

"Well, why don't we?"

"There's no viable substitute for wood for paper, or for fossil fuels."

"Why don't we use an annual plant for paper and for fossil fuels?"

"Well, that would be ideal," he agreed. "Unfortunately, there is nothing you can use that could produce enough materials."

"Well, what would you say if there was such a plant that could substitute for all wood pulp paper, all fossil fuels, would make most of our fibers naturally, make everything from dynamite to plastic, grows in all 50 states and that one acre of it would replace 4.1 acres of trees, and that if you used about 6 percent of the U.S. land to raise it as an energy crop - even on our marginal lands, this plant would produce all 75 quadrillion billion BTUs needed to run America each year? Would that help save the planet?"

"That would be ideal. But there is no such plant."

"We think there is."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Hemp."

"Hemp!" he mused for a moment. "I never would have thought of it. . . You know, I think you're right. Hemp could be the plant that could do it. Wow! That's a great idea!"

We were excited as we outlined this information and delineated the potential of hemp for paper, fiber, fuel, food, paint, etc., and how it could be applied to balance the world's ecosystems and restore the atomosphere's oxygen balance with almost no disruption of the standard of living to which most Americans have become accustomed.

In essence, Rawlings agreed that our information was probably correct and could very well work.

He said, "It's a wonderful idea, and I think it might work. But, of course, you can't use it."

"You're kidding!" we responded. "Why not?"

"Well, Mr. Herer, did you know that hemp is also marijuana?"

"Yes, of course I know, I've been writing about it for about 40 hours a week for the past 17 years."

"Well, you know marijuana's illegal, don't you? You can't use it."

"Not even to save the world?"

"No. It's illegal", he sternly informed me. "You cannot use something illegal."

"Not even to save the world?" we asked, stunned.

"No, not even to save the world. It's illegal. You can't use it. Period."

"Don't get me wrong. It's a great idea," he went on, "but they'll never let you do it."

"Why don't you go ahead and tell the Secretary of Agriculture that a crazy man from California gave you documentation that showed hemp might be able to save the planet and that your first reaction is that he might be right and it needs some serious study. What would he say?"

"Well, I don't think I'd be here very long after I did that. After all, I'm an officer of the government."

"Well, why not call up the information on your computer at your own USDA library. That's where we got the information in the first place."

He said, "I can't sign out that information."

"Well, why not? We did."

"Mr. Herer, you're a citizen. You can sign out for anything you want. But I am an officer of the Department of Agriculture. Someone's going to want to know why I want all this information. And then I'll be gone."

Finally, we agreed to send him all the information we got from the USDA library, if he would just look at it.

He said he would, but when we called back a month later, he said that he still had not opened the box that we sent him and that he would be sending it back to us unopened because he did not want to be responsible for the information, now that the Bush Administration was replacing him with its own man.

We asked him if he would pass on the information to his successor, and he replied, "Absolutely not."

In May, 1989, we had virtually the same conversation and result with his cohort, Dr. Gary Evans of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Science, the man in charge of stopping the global warming trend.

In the end, he said, "If you really want to save the planet with hemp, then you [hemp/marijuana activists] would find a way to grow it without the narcotic (sic) top - and then you can use it."

This is the kind of frightened (and frightening) irresponsibility we're up against in our governments.

Bebo

I've recently set-up a Bebo profile at
http://zarathustrah.bebo.com
This is brilliant for getting in touch with long lost pals, since setting it up I have been chatting to Gareth and Donald who I had lost touch with since leaving school.

The other good thing is that uploading photos is much quicker than blogger and uploading a video is simple (although you can only post one at a time.) So whenever I have a video to post i'll just mention that there is a new vid in Bebo, rather than arsing around with Blogger.
I've added a link at the side so it's just a click away - Currently the video is of Charlies first bothy trip.

It is far more informal than email which means you can speak to folk without having anything to say. Which I find is the trouble with phoning or email old friends.

An altogether different type of shuffle.

Since the weekend Phoenix has started shuffling along furniture on her feet. It was Aunt Aimpots who initially witnessed this feat on Sunday morning. Her favorite spot is the radiator under the window in the livingroom where she continually shuffles back and forth.

See right Ah sceen it Furst, am pure kewl!!!

Charlie and Dad up the Crags

Decided this morning to take the kids for a trip up Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags on our way to Ally's flat. However after getting all wrapped up Mum opened the door ready to leave only to feel the wind and rain then threw the toys out the pram and refused to go aswell as banning Phoenix from experiencing traditional Scottish weather. Her loss for being such an Americanized pansy, imagine living in Scotland your whole life and not leaving the house when it's windy or raining - sad loser...
Above is Charlie at the start of the 'Innocent Railway'

Here we are fighting the high winds at the top of the Crags, this is just a photo op. We decide to take the safer pathway below the cliff faces and miss out Arthurs Seat. Still had to be careful though the wind was very strong.
This is where modern geology was founded, this out crop is what James Hutton looked at to finally blow the whole thing wide open and put to bed some of the moronic ideas that had been floating about in the 1700's. Cool.

We walked past the Parliament building, up next to Calton hill then down to Stocky a fair walk for the wee one. When we got to Ally's gaff Charlie had to go for a nap. While Thomo, Josh and myself had a few games of Worms (an oldie but a goldie)


The heavens opened as we decided to head back home so rather than wait out in the wind and rain we went into the pub where Ally and Josh were going to watch the fitbaw. Unfortunatly children weren't allowed in so the nice bartender chucked us out to wait 40 minutes for the bus, which turned out to be a part-route, limited stop piece of Sunday service shit taking us to bristo place. Since I only had a pound on me I had to walk the rest of the way (3 times the distance the bus took us) with Charlie on my shoulders - a tough shift.

Happy Birthday Iona xxx

Happy 2nd Birthday Iona from all at the Martin household,
especially your cousins Charlie and Phoenix...and of course Fred.

RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!

Aimpots has decided to move back to Leith, the spiders in Oxgangs were just too much for her. So she has moved back into our brother Duncan's flat because she kens there's nae creepy crawlies. So we all took a trip over to help with the flit. Grandad, Granny and the kids fooling around before the van arrives.

Granny at home rifling through the mail, Aimpots at home preparing scran. This event was interesting as I witnessed the power of authority in the hands of my own family; they didn't handle it well! Amy was storming round the flat furious, proclaiming that the 'dirty bitches' weren't getting their deposit back, that professional cleaners would have to be brought in to clean it up. It was sad to see the auld yins in agreement, they obviously belong to the breed of landowner that think the tenents should pay for refurbishment of the premises on their way out the door. There was nothing wrong the flat that couldn't be fixed by a splash of bleach and some elbow grease; professional cleaners my arse, you lazy cunts. Lets hope the true landlord isn't as much of a twat - doesn't look good, does it?

Phoenix as you can partially see is now pulling herself onto her feet, she is making massive strides towards toddlehood. Now she is pointing, cut her first tooth, picked up about five signs and a few new facial expressions in the last week or so. Here they are in front of Louis' tank.