rocket_scientist

I think the revamp is excellent. Great to see the Monet again and I love the Emin positioned front and centre. Really like the top floor and the idiosyncratically Scottish photos. Only disappointment was Titian's first essay in colour wasn't on display despite the shop having a book with it on the cover. I thought the Francis Bacon was ludicrously positioned in a gallery full of mostly shite but the one next to it was superb, something I'd not seen before. I agree that "Black Bleeding" was hard work and hope that they didn't pay decent money for it. Never saw Black Sky though. Night Sky in the same room was interesting however. Overall a very good experience. Will be back soon no doubt.

But why? I would've gone today but the first hangover of 2019 prevents it. What are your specific reasons for going back?

"Willing" to be enlightened? Wisdom and enlightenment takes time. It requires effort. This assumes basic intellectual capacity + a growth mindset. The latter being minority-held in the NE.

I must admit that I also had a similarly cynical and contemptuous view of some modern art in times gone past... aye, before Ally McLeod was AFC manager, then I grew up. Before condemning a subject, one needs to understand it or at least have invested enough time to be able to make such a judgement and pronouncement without being completely ignorant of it. Rothko sold for $186m and there are numerous modern art works, including the UK's Freud and Bacon, that have similarly sold for over $100m so there is no doubt that some people see value in it. The first Rothko I saw at the RA during the Abstract Expressionism exhibition, I didn't get at all despite my eldest daughter preferring his stuff to the Jackson Pollock's that caught my imagination. Having now seen the Rothko room at Tate Modern, I'm now a big fan and want to go to the chapel he did in Houston. The Basquiat that sold for $110.5m wasn't even his best work but some Japanese businessman thought it was worth paying that. You remind me of the wealthy Nippon. He spent that much just because he can without necessarily having a clue what he was paying for. The vast majority of the people who attended the opening of the revamped Art Gallery at Schoolhill at the weekend like you similarly would have had no idea what they were looking at but they HAD TO BE FIRST. Why would someone who genuinely appreciates art and who understands anything about it want to attend amongst a big crowd of people who have to be first? It's much more enjoyable to share the rooms with less of a crowd, not more.

Are you familiar with Mark Rothko?

The Dundee V & A building architecture is superb. The permanent exhibition was poor and uninspiring, mildly interesting at best and when we went, the pay-for exhibition was about ocean liners, a subject I couldn't give a fuck about so we didn't bother. Not heard of any further exhibitions before or since so not been back. Looking forward to seeing the revamp at Aberdeen and will go this week. From the news, it sounds like they're trying to be "all things to all men". Interactive stuff sounds good in principle but it will be embarrassing if it's done badly. I'm also sceptical that the Aberdeen coonsillors have any clue about anything modern art related so again, trying to fill the place with "something for everyone" could backfire if the quality is shit. I've no confidence that the next Basquiat is Scottish and even less confidence that people running the gallery could even recognise him if he was. That's a distinctly glass half empty approach from a mannie who's glass is usually three quarters full.

According to Cormack on the radio today "we have a strategy, a vision and a plan". If he said it once he said it a hunner times. Newsflash. Corporate management consultancy type spik doesn't work. It has to be based on passion, focus and belief. It's all bollocks and it won't change the direction of the ship, which has been heading to Port Bollocks for many years.

It is not healthy to celebrate the failure of others. Normally. However when the failed lack any degree of humility whatsoever and are consistently disgusting when they succeed, dignity and grace being qualities alien to their tribe, it's fucking hilarious when they lose, especially a big one.

Agreed at 10/1 but if it was 33/1, I would stick on a bet. It's ALL about the value. I got PSG HT FT @ 4/6 tonight. I think that's brilliant value, as are some of my odds on aways this weekend and we know what they say about them. Although it took less than 10 minutes for Celtic to land last Sunday, bet365 paying out (in certain leagues) when your pick goes 2 up. Edit: But when bottom team Dijon get an equaliser in the 51st minute of the first half, 500/1 wouldn't have worked! It was 19-0 the last 4 meetings so they were due one. The first and last time this season I pick PSG. It swings in roundabouts. Cristiano made and converted a 96th min pen on Weds to land a treble after Lazio and Real Madrid got early pay outs.

I've learned through experience that football is a gamble in August/September, in December/January and April/May. In the other months, either side of the deep winter fixtures pile and not the start and end of the season, predictability is much heightened. This should the best weekend of the season so far I reckon for profiting at their expense so I've staked the most amount. I've made 15 picks (including an evens + 2 x odds against) for this Saturday and Sunday and expect that 12 minimum will come in. I'll greet if Cottbus, Coleraine and Lausanne fail to win. Greuther Furth II would be nice too. If all four of them fail, I'll lose more money than the current value of our third car, my favourite driving machine I've ever had. Edit: Actually 17 picks. Stuck Liverpool and Chelsea on in a bet credit even though I wouldn't back them at them odds with my own money, so that was sloppy on my part.

That'll be Jack Ross next Hearts manager I guess.

I started watching it but switched over to Chelsea Man U simply cos I'd never heard of half the players. Shame how their league cup has been so devalued by playing second strings. At least we got all the goals during the boring match I did end up watching before switching back for the pens. The quality of the goals was amazing. Lampard and OGS at least played most of their best players.

That's not my opinion. He played with some of the very best AFC footballers. The best central defence without question in Miller and McLeish. The best left back in Davie Robertson. The mercurial Hans Gilhaus was equally sublime. He and Eoin used to bang in goals for fun. Without looking back at his regular teammates, I don't remember many duds. Charlie Nicholas was supreme, Jim Bett was arguably the best footballer we ever had and for me the 1990/91 season was the best footballing side Pittodrie has ever seen. Edit: just looked back at the records. You're right. He played with some shit in his last few years but when he broke through as a teenager, he was playing with some of the best.

That's a valid point and a good argument. However he's become very error-prone where he was consistently reliable before. I think there's much more to it than simply the ageing process. At 31 now, he's been much less from the age of 28/29 onwards when he really should have been in his prime. McGinn should never have been re-signed. If he's of the right standard, forget competing for and winning stuff. A good team has consistent performers. He's incapable of 2 good games in 10.

Logan was superb in his first year and a half. His decline has been consistently regressive. The best question to consider is why? Therein will be found a LOT of answers as to why it's all turning to shit. Consistently and regressively.

And yet McInnes described the fans reaction as "hysteria" in his interview last night, at the same time as saying "I totally get that" AND attempting to apologise for it. The cunt's lost it.

I don't "salute" our fans going tonight. They've obviously got nothing better to do and/or have a warped sense of "loyalty". It's only by turning our backs on Milne's AFC, collectively, strategically and intelligently, as I proposed over a decade ago, that change can be effected. Unfortunately the missing thousands - which now includes me - are damaging the club by not investing any more money. My proposal was action to be taken whilst filling Pittodrie on a buckshee game, what I called the reverse stadium protest. There was support for it too until Ab Mad or whatever they're called got scared of debate and shut me down. Now we are left with the hardcore dross who sang for McInnes the last TWICE at Hampden and who only go to games to get away from their shit wives and to break up their shit lives.

I agree. Nothing about him suggests bare competence in a managerial position but there won't be a position to fill anyway so it's all academic. Unlike Dick Donald who was always keeping an eye on things and mindful of succession planning, this dwarf chairman doesn't give a fuck.

Lampard and Gerrard had barely any managerial experience, at any level far less a "decent" one and they've both done rather well in their early days. It's all about the personality and whether they've got the materials to deliver.

Given the semi final and the final v. the OF within the last 12 months, those who rate him are the more vocal. I couldn't believe you lot all singing for McInnes. Not only are you blind to human nature and ignorant of football, you give licence to Milne. The damage they're doing to AFC is severe and may already be fatal. Who the fuck would want to come here now? You got the club you deserved, one that may never recover. Milne was the catastrophe but your being unable to see what he was doing was the bigger crime. His patent agenda was invisible to most of you "fans" for one of either two reasons; it was hidden by the "public incredulity" syndrome in that you didn't want to believe the truth or more likely, you were too stupid to see the signs over a period of over 25 years. It was sheep-like behaviour from the vast majority of you that sunk the ship.

I watched it. The red card and the rain were contributory factors but Leicester were immense. It's the best league in the world, without question.

I backed Lazio at 13/5 in-play midway through the first half so that result wasn't what I was looking for! But I'm not sure that they'll have any tiredness from over-exertion, rather the confidence they'll get from beating a Serie A side and the manner they did it will help them going forward. It's 11 v. 11 at the end of the day. Lazio are just above mid-table, as are Aberdeen. They've lost twice in their league. So have AFC. The likes of Hamilton, St Mirren, Livi etc. would tank the likes of Sampdoria, Genoa, Spal etc. because Scottish is better than eyetie so it'll be ok on Sunday. There's a flaw in that critical thinking path I feel. The assumption may be its weakness.

Given the timing of it, as well as the sheer kwolity, that buys him hero status already. Amazing hit.

The cricketer who lamped a boy outside a club and who's wife likes him to grab her face will win. Can't remember his name just now but every guffy will know who I mean. A ging er.

The dog died