MUST the beat go on? There's a guy who's been squatting in Princes Street playing bongo/conga drums all summer and I worry for him.
A musician in London has been struck down by deadly anthrax poisoning and died, believed to have contracted the disease from the bongos he makes in his workshop.
Removing hairs from the drums, made from West African animal hides, released anthrax
spores which cost him his life at the weekend, have left him in "critical" condition.
Perhaps the Princes Street busker doesn't use this type of drum but wherever and whoever you are, be careful.
Previously a Hawick man died, believed to have contracted anthrax from handling West African drums.
Nuts to £2 loaf I WAS on the pistachios last night and I have a hangover.
What's sobered me up, smartish, is a sort of fruit-and-veg league table (Hibernian are lying sixth) in a newspaper that revels in spreading fear and alarm among its readers.
An EU ruling could, before you can shout "murder, polis!," see a 2.5kg bag of spuds rocket from £1.98 to £5.94, a 70p cauliflower to £2.10 and, according to the National Farmers' Union, expert at predicting a nightmare scenario, a loaf of plain white zoom from 84p to £2.52.
If all this comes to fruition, you're thinking, life won't be worth the bother.
We're simple folk, after all. Grim enough just trying to earn our bread and butter.
Two pounds and fifty-two pence for a bloody loaf? I'm going right back on the pistachios.
Song for 2009 DULL note. Always an accolade when your church is chosen for Songs of Praise and South Leith Kirk (I'm its hallelujah man) was up for it again. Despite heavenly support, it missed out on the BBC's schedule for this year.
"But we live in hope for 2009," says the Rev Ian Gilmour. "We've got so much history and we are camera-friendly."
And presumably there are staunch Leithers who still fervently believe they've something to sing out loud and proud about on telly.
The full article contains 357 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
