Saturday 30 July 2011

Playlist:
Battlefield Band - Easy Peasy
Karine Polwart - Sorry
Jock Tamson's Bairns - The Skyeman's Jig
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Ngelekele
Julie Fowlis - Oganaich Uir A Rinn M'Fhagail
Tom Paxto - Katy
Dala - Stand In Awe
Spinners - Ar Lan Y Mor
Norma Munro - Lassie Wi' The Yellow Coatie
Joan Mills - Freedom And Reform
Bert Jansch - Needle Of Death
Fairport Convention - Matty Groves
Owen Hand - Jock Hawk
Mike Vass & Dave Wood - Gion's

Thursday 28 July 2011

Playlist:
Michael Jackson - Remember The Time
Bee Gees - You Win Again
Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love
Pink - Just Like A Pill
Ramones - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
Keith West - Excerpt From A Teenage Opera
Alexander Brothers - Rothesay Bay
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Hazel O'Conner - Eighth Day
Showaddywaddy - Under The Moon Of Love
John Denver - Take Me Home Country Roads
Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
Kim Wilde - Kids In America

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Playlist:
Joe Brown - Shine
Bruce Springsteen - My Hometown
Bay City Rollers - Give A Little Love
Chuck Brown & Eva Cassidy - Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton - We've Got Tonight
Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl
Billy Swan - I Can Help
John Denver - Take Me Home Country Roads
Bobbie Gentry - Ode To Billy Joe
Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
Sweet - Wig Wam Bam
Genesis - Follow You, Follow Me
Adam & The Ants - Stand And Deliver

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Playlist:
Jackie Wilson - Higher And Higher
James Last - Spanish Eyes
Hot Chocolate - It Started With A Kiss
Steve Earl - Copperhead Road
Billy Fury - Colette
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
All Saints - Never Ever
Darlene Love - Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry
Rolling Stones - Not Fade Away
Queen - Seven Seas Of Rhye
Animals - Bring It On Home To Me
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A Changin'
Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore

Monday 25 July 2011

Playlist:
Robson & Jerome - I Believe
Nick Gilder - Hot Child In The City
Wings - Band On The Run
Toto Coelo - I Eat Cannibals
Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
Herb Albert - Rise
Thunderclap Newman - Something In The Air
Seekers - Georgy Girl
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Shakin' Stevens - Green Door
Little Richard - Lucille
Madness - My Girl
James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag

Thursday 21 July 2011

Playlist:
Hues Corporation - Rock The Boat
Boney M - Ma Baker
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Engelbert Humperdinck - Release Me
Bay City Rollers - It's A Game
Elvis Presley - Wooden Heart
Blondie (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear
Atomic Kitten - The Tide Is High (Get The Feeling)
Abba - Mama Mia
Human League - Don't You Want Me
Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger

Saturday 23 July 2011

Playlist:
Norman Mackay - Kenny Gillies Jig
John Williamson - Three Sons
Eliza Carthy with Heather Macleod - Rows of Angels
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Killing The Blues
Eliza Carthy - Hug You Like A Mountain
Emile Benoit - Jerry's Red Mountain Jig + Le Papier "Le Gaboteur"
Angie Palmer - Hunting The Wolf
Maura O'Connell - Western Highway
Hilary James - Bredon Hill
Alex Campbell - John Gordon
Ishbel MacAskill - Fair And Tender Ladies
James Keelaghan - McConnville's
Ewan Maccoll - Blow The Candle Out

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Boney M - Daddy Cool Download
Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil Download
KLF - Last Train To Transcentral
Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman - Stumblin' In Download
Pretenders - Brass In Pocket Download
Duffy - Mercy Download
Buddy Knox - Party Doll Download
Mike Sarne (feat. Wendy Richard) - Come Outside Download
Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes Download
Santana (feat, Rob Thomas) - Smooth Download
Cyndi Lauper - (Hey Now) Girls Just Want To Have Fun Download
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy Download

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Playlist:
Mamas & Papas - Dedicated To The One I Love
Pretenders - I Got You Babe
Janis Joplin - Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)
Placido Domingo - Spanish Eyes
Small Faces - Lazy Sunday
Beatles - Help!
Chi-Lites - It's Time For Love
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Billy Ocean - When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)
Rita Coolidge - All Time High
Kylie Minogue - Never Too Late
Toy Dolls - Nellie The Elephant
Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers - Got To Get You Into My Life

Monday 18 July 2011

Playlist:
Billy Jo Spears - This Ole House
Kenny Rogers - I Will Always Love You
M People - Sight For Sore Eyes
Johnny Mathis & Denice Williams - Too Much Too Little Too Late
George McCrae - Rock Your Baby
Tina Charles - Dr Love
Martha & The Vandellas - Dancing In The Street
Madonna - Like A Virgin
Village People - Y.M.C.A.
Red Hot Chllli Peppers - By The Way
Gordon Lightfoot - Me And Bobby McGee
Rolling Stones - Not Fade Away

Saturday 16 July

Playlist:
Mike Vass & Dave Wood - The Sutherland Set
Shooglenifty - Delighted
Eamon Friel - Put The Past Away
Hilary James - O'er The Ocean
Norma Munro - Hush Hush
Die Inntaler - Breinosl Marsch
John Williamson - Camp Fire On The Road
Chloe Hall - Born In The Morning
Judy Collins - Suzanne
Clydesiders - Brandane Jigs
Isla St. Clair - The De'il's Awa' Wi' The Exercise Bike
Jennifer & Hazel Wrigley - Shapinsay Polka + Jimmy O' The Bu's Polka + Scapa Flow
Jack Hallam - The Water Is Wide
Mike Oldfield - Portsmouth (the Folk Show theme tune)

Thursday 14 July 2011

Playlist:
Richard Marx - Right Her Waiting
Status Quo - Whatever You Want
Kinks - Lola
Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man
Dire Straits - Walk Of Life
Everly Brothers - Walk Right Back
Francie & Josie - La Di Da
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Scaffold - Lily The Pink
Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love
KC & The Sunshine Band - That's The Way (I Like It)

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Playlist:
Sheryl Crow - The First Cut Is The Deepest
Human League - Together In Electric Dreams
Sly & Family Stone - Family Affair
Goombay Dance Band - Seven Tears
The Firm - Star Trekkin'
The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
Hedgehoppers Anonymous - It's Good News Week
Kiss - God Gave Rock And Roll
Eagles - Take It To The Limit
Nat King Cole - Smile
Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn & Diane Keaton - You Don't Own Me

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Playlist:
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Egyptian Reggae
Coasters - Little Egypt
Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man
Carl Perkins - Memphis Tennessee
Guy Mitchell - Singin' The Blues
Shirley Bassey - Moonraker
Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies
Gareth Gates - Spirit In The Sky
Human League - Don't You Want Me
Johnny Horton - North To Alaska
Meatloaf - Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

Monday 11 July 2011

Playlist:
Adam Faith - Message To Martha
Tanita Tikaram - Good Tradition
Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin Something
Carpenters - Top Of The World
Robert Palmer - She Makes My Day
Kinks - Dedicated Follower Of Fashion
Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love)
Bon Jovi - You Give Love (A Bad Name)
Mel & Kim - Respectable
Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink & Li'l Kim - Lady Marmalade
Chimes - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Saturday 9 July 2011

Playlist:
Van Morrison & The Chieftains - Star Of The County Down
Catherine Howe & Vo Fletcher - An English Tale
John Williamson - Home Among The Gum Trees (Live)
Breabach - Clueless
Norman MacKay - Pressed For Time
Wild Sarachs - Laggan's Braes
Hilary James - Bay Of Biscay
Tangle Eye - O Death
Black Country Three - Dudley Canal Tunnel Song
Jock Tamson's Bairns - MacGregor of Ruara + The King's House
Tom Paxton - Wasn't That A Party
Donovan - Colours

Open Letter to Coalition MPs on News International

News International's governance is clearly inadequate, as, if the current allegations are true, it failed to prevent illegal payments to the police for information, and it condoned, or neglected to detect, illegal phone tapping. How then can the UK government clear it for a BskyB takeover? Surely the Coalition's own governance would then be in doubt?

Thursday 7 July 2011

Playlist:
Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
Rihanna - Umbrella
Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA
Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
Elvis Presley - I Love You Because
Seekers - I Am Australian
Hamish Imlach - The Calton Weaver
Laura Branigan - Gloria
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Little Jimmy Osmond - Long Haired Lover From Liverpool
Pink - So What
Tracey Ullman - Breakaway
Ivor Slaney & His Orchestra - Harry Worth Theme

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Playlist:
Showaddywaddy - You Got What It Takes
Madness - Our House
Abba - Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)
Bill Haley & The Comets - Rock Around The Clock
Santana - She's Not There
Real Thing - You To Me Are Everything
Nanci Griffith - From a Distance
Texas - I Don't Want A Lover
Paul Nicholas - Dancing With The Captain
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Murder On The Dance Floor
Michael Jackson - Blood On The Dance Floor

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Playlist:
Beatles - Eight Days a Week
Rod Stewart - Ooh La La
Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town
Ronan Keating & Lulu - We've Got Tonight
Spandau Ballet - Only When You Leave
Huey Lewis & The News - Power of Love
Marc Cohn - Walking in Memphis
Sheryl Crow - My Favourite Mistake
Mantovani & His Orchestra - Moulin Rouge
Wham - Everything She Wants

Monday July 4 2011

Playlist:
Ronan Keating & Yusef - Father & Son
Rod Stewart & Ronald Isley - This Old Heart of Mine
Sugababes - Hole In The Head
Pink - Family Portrait
Beach Boys - Surfin' USA
Pink - Just Like A Pill
Neil Sedaka - Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen
Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine
Maxi Priest - Close to You
Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi
Fleetwood Mac - Oh Diane
Beatles - Do You Want to Know A Secret
Stereophonics - Have A Nice Day

What's SEO?

I use it, I advise on it, but many don't get the need for it or its meaning.

Search Engine Optimization is all about getting web sites noticed, and ranking well in search results. Above all, it is about writing clear, cogent, relevant textual content. It is not about repetitive "spam", hidden phrases, flashy appearance and irrelevant links.

These two links from Jill Whalen, a leading practitioner, help explain well.

    Back to SEO Basics With Keyword Research
    Back to SEO Basics: Choosing Keyword Phrases

Saturday 2 July 2011

Playlist:
Corries - Derwentwater's Farewell
Breabach - Shoals Of Herring
Cathal Hayden - The Donegal Tinker + The Dublin Reel
Judy Dunlop & Simon Nichol - Tomorrow May Come
Malinky - Follow The Heron
Chris Flegg - Through The Window
Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham - The Queensferry Cooper + Derry Cunningham's Jig
Judy Collins - Since You've Asked
Archie McAllister - Sean McGuire's
John Williamson - Coolabah Blue
Bob Dylan - Nettie Moore
Emmylou Harris, Dolores Keane, Mary Black - Sonny

No-fault accident - a tele-phishing incident

So there I am at my desk, trying to sort out a user's data mountain only partly stored on a failing PC, when the phone rings. A voice says "I'm from XYZ Co.", of whom I've never heard. It then asks "Do you remember that no-fault road traffic accident you had in the last three years?". I immediately smelled a rat, and if you smell one, there usually is one. As the vagueness of the wording suggested cold calling and phishing, I soon brought the "conversation" to a close.

Blogs, tweets and leaflets

I'm reminded tonight of the late David Penhaligon's mantra: "If you have something to say, write it on a piece of paper and stick it through a letterbox". A recent email exchange about a web site prompted this. Now, are not blogs and tweets the modern equivalent of the leaflet through the letterbox?