Ceud Mìle Fàilte

Photography Nature Technology Food
Movies Music Politics

and life in the Highlands.

Fàilte

Thank you for dropping-by, I hope you enjoy your visit. The main content is to be found in the blog where I discuss everything and anything but topics including photography, nature, technology, food, movies, music and politics make regular appearances.

I commonly write reviews of movies (or films, if you prefer). Some movie reviews are short, others will be discussed in more detail. The scope covered will be mainly mainstream English language movies from the 1930s until the present day.

About me

My name is Iain MacDonald and I live in the Highlands of Scotland (although I have lived elsewhere in the past). I am a big fan of Free & Open Source Software which I use both professionally and at home.

Computing and technology tend to infuse themselves into my other interests, as once you learn some skills in one area it is convenient to use them to solve problems in other spheres.

When not tinkering with computers, I am likely to be found repairing things because living in the countryside you learn to be resourceful.

Of course, man doesn't live by SSH tunnels and kerosene vapour burners alone so food, as a subject, makes regular appearances too. Did I mention I used to work in hospitality?

Latest Life articles

My most recent ramblings.

  • Feeling sheepish

    I went for a walk along a forestry style track, yesterday. Ahead of me was a ewe, with two lambs. The ewe felt nervous about my approach, and started to trot away from me. The lambs were, of course, following her closely. However, the sheep didn't trot away uphill or ... [Read more...]

  • Regatta Hydrafort Matt Jacket

    I needed to buy a waterproof jacket for use when working. I also have a Gore-Tex jacket from Craghoppers, which is excellent, but I didn't want to ruin that jacket by using it for working every day. I have a few other Regatta products which are well made, so, for ... [Read more...]

  • Highland Life and the Coronavirus

    It is quite extraordinary, I've never experienced anything like it. We are now a couple of weeks away from Easter, which is normally the time when the summer tourist season starts. The roads would see increased traffic, and the tourist hotspots would start to be busy. Not this year. [Read more...]

  • New Manual Coffee Grinder

    I was without my vintage wooden Zassenhaus, so I rushed out and bought a new manual coffee grinder. The one I got is from Maison & White, and it is amazingly good. It is adjustable from very fine to coarse. Grinding is done with ceramic burrs, and the rest of ... [Read more...]

  • Push or Pull?

    A couple of days ago I saw these two boats coming up the canal towards us, as we were doing the daily dog walk. It was clear from a distance that the two boats were very close together, and I assumed the first boat was towing the second. [Read more...]

Click here to view the whole Life section.

My latest Mastodon posts

Mastodon is a microblogging app that is part of the decentralised web known as The Fediverse. See this article for more details.

Fitheach (@fitheach@mstdn.io)

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 19:14:15 +0000

Àm uisge-beatha.
Laphroaig, 25 bliadhna a dh'aois.
Slàinte mhath!

.

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 17:09:59 +0000

In recent times I've bought a new tablet and smartphone. Buying the devices wasn't the expensive bit, it was all the accessories.

The accessories included:

* soft neoprene pouch
* USB data/charging cable
* screen protector
* 12v charger for car use
* car dashboard mount
* 12v power adapter
* gel case
* micro-SD card

Tech addiction is expensive.

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:29:44 +0000

The co-star of the movie, Steve Cochran, never made the big-time. Although, he was often compared to Clark Gable and Errol Flynn, not only for his dark, good looks, but, also for his dalliances with Hollywood actresses.

Steve came to a tragic end. He hired an "all-girl" crew to sail a schooner to Mexico, with the stated purpose of scouting for film locations. He died of a lung infection, mid-cruise, and the ship was rescued after drifting, on the ocean, for a week.

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 06:32:51 +0000

Come Next Spring (1956)

A very much under-rated (and relatively unknown) drama and romance movie, set in depression-era Arkansas. Matt, a reformed alcoholic, returns to his hometown, to win back his wife and family, whom he deserted, 9 years earlier.

No great surprises in the plot, which employs some well-worn devices, but, everything is exceedingly well done. The leads, and the two children, deliver great, believable performances.

Thoroughly recommended.

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Fri, 16 Apr 2021 18:23:14 +0000

Blàr Chùl Lodair
Battle of Culloden

On this day, 275 years ago, the biggest disaster in Highland history took place on Drummossie Moor, Culloden, near Inverness.

A Highland army, supporting Bonnie Prince Charlie, made the fatal error of fighting a *pitched* battle against the British army, led by Butcher Cumberland.

To-night, I'll be drinking a toast to Rìgh Seumas an t-Ochdamh.

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Wed, 14 Apr 2021 20:38:52 +0000

Yeah, yeah. I know black isn't a colour.