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Scottish Picks: February 2001

Welcome to Scottish Picks, handpicked by our Scottish web connoisseurs. If you have a suggestion for a
cool site you'd like to see included in a future edition, why not send us an email?

National Archives of Scotland

The National Archives of Scotland are described on the site as, "A repository for all public and legal records of Scotland which are considered worthy of permanent preservation." We are in no position to argue with that, as the site itself presents a seemingly endless mine of documents, maps, and transcripts covering Scottish government (pre- and post-1707). Court records, deed registers, and Church records, including reproductions of handwritten Kirk minutes, are also archived. There's hours of reading here for the history buff or the curious enthusiast, and the well-designed, easily navigable site definitely kindles an interest in a visit to the physical location of the archives in Edinburgh.
Healthy Gay Scotland

This site has been around for a while, but the simple, slick way in which it achieves its goals is still impressive. A resource for gay and bisexual men, it includes help and advice for men thinking about coming out of the closet, a wealth of information on HIV and getting tested, a directory of AIDS/HIV health departments and clinics throughout the country, and best of all, a page where you can sign up to have condoms and lube sent directly to you in a discreet package, in case you aren't able to acquire them any other way. That's what I call getting on the front line of HIV prevention!
New Music in Scotland

Created as a meeting place for everyone involved in the music industry to get together with the common goal of supporting and promoting new music, this site provides a directory of representatives from every facet of the business: artists, DJs, lawyers, labels, distributors, pressing plants, etc. Other sections feature resources for the struggling musician, including information on copyright and advice on starting your own independent label. This is probably the best part about it - the site encourages artists to take matters into their own hands and make things happen for themselves. It's unrealistic to expect that you can record a four track demo in your shed and have Richard Branson squeezing past Dad's Black and Decker Strimmer with a blank cheque and a bottle of champagne. Hopefully the site will expand soon to include in-depth information on making your music available online - that's all that's really missing for the budding Scottish pop star.
SambaYaBamba

It's not exactly new music, and it's not particularly Scottish either, but Samba is the rhythm of the night on this month's final pick. If I hadn't seen it for myself I'd never have believed it, but SambaYaBamba are a 42-member community band from Glasgow who have played concerts and festivals all over the country, and provide workshops for beginners. The site includes a background to Samba itself, as well as photos of the group in action, a message board, and links to other sites related to Samba and Brazil. It all looks extremely fun. See you next month, the Picks team is going dancing!

Sites Featured in Scottish Picks:

National Archives of Scotland - they're waist deep in history over there.

Healthy Gay Scotland - "Safe sex doesn't mean no sex, it just means use your imagination" - Billy Bragg

New Music in Scotland - "DIY means Do It Yourself, don't sit around waiting for someone's help" - Beastie Boys

Sambayabamba - maybe if we danced like this instead of doing the Gay Gordons we'd have a half decent football team.

Previous Scottish Picks of the Month:

[ January 01 | December 00 | November 00 | October 00 ]