Image of An Emperor: Augustus

"In person he was well favoured and charming, and these qualities marked him at all stages of his life. Yet he was negligent in his dress, and so careless about the grooming of his hair, that he usually had it done in great haste, by several barbers at a time, such as might be available,it mattered not whom; and one clipped, while another shaved his beard, during which time he either read or wrote and attended not at all on ceremony. ... He also had very clear and shining eye, wherein (as he was willing to have men believe) there shone a kind of divine vigour; and he was much pleased when he looked steadfastly at people, if they dropped their lids, as if from the brightness of the sun. But in his old age he could not see very well from the left eye. His teeth were thin set, small and scaly, his hair somewhat curled, and of a light yellow colour. His eyebrows came together, his ears were small and his nose aquiline. His complexion was between brown and fair; and his stature was said to have been short ..."

[Suetonius, Augustus, 79]

Augustus and the Pax Romana

"He never made war upon any people without just and necessary cause; and so far was he from desire of enlarging the empire, or advancing his own military glory, that he compelled certain princes of the barbarians to take an oath in the Temple of Mars the Revenger, that they would faithfully continue in their allegiance and not violate the peace which they had implored"

[Suetonius, Augustus, 21]

Lake Como

[A Sleepy Mountian Lane. Lake Como, Italy]

River Dance

Its amazing how bored you can get at work - I received this video from my crazy brother. I really love the fleeting look of pride and satisfaction that fills his face just after the dance. I think its brilliant. His future's bright ...

A Haunting Statue

I came across this haunting figure of sadness in the park at Linlithgow.

(enlarge the pic and look into the eyes)

Something in the way he had oxidised and weathered - particularly around the eyes - lent a great tragedy to this noble figure.

A Windy Day on the Forth

Today we took an afternoon walk down to one of our favourite beaches at Gullane.

The wind was most fierce and I enjoyed watching the Kite Surfers skiting at speed across the Forth estuary.

I have always loved the power and drama of windy days. As a child on such occasions, I was often warned by Mum "... to watch out for falling chimney pots". That good advice has stayed with me and I can honestly say that I have not been hit by a chimney to date :-).

At School we boys used to upturn our jackets above our heads and use them as human sails to propel ourselves at otherwise unachievable speeds across the playground.

A previous windy day at St Abb's Head on the East coast had reminded me of this exhilarating feeling. It was all I could do, just to stand up!

Film: Last Resort
I found Last Resort to be an unexpected and understated modern British gem.

Bleak documentary-style camera work and grey urban backdrops of the concrete hell that is ‘The Resort’, lead the viewer to expect a similarly bleak storyline and conclusion. The mocking irony of 'holding' bereft refugees in what is a seaside pleasure beach - all be it a decayed shell of its former self - cannot be ignored. (Its rougher than Porty!)

However, despite the main characters - a refugee mother and son – undergoing depressing experiences, this is surprisingly a touching and somewhat uplifting wee film. An uncomplicated and innocent love affair that develops between the mother and the local hard-bitten arcade owner proves that love can grow even where there is no light. On one level the film is a simple human micro-story and yet on another, it is a stark commentary on the ludicrous British asylum bureaucracy that can actually 'trap' people in this country and render them helpless.

The film certainly raises the question of just who would want to put themselves through such a de-humanising process, if at all, they had any other choices? The story inherently acknowledges that far from all asylum seekers are in genuine fear for their lives. However, it also recognises - through the actions of its main characters – the aspirations and dignity of some refugees who would certainly not choose to idly subsist on state handouts.

Whatever, your political viewpoint on the asylum question, this film is worth a watch, depicting a more rational view of an issue that the press has often depicted as a modern-day bogeyman.