Am I starting to turn Scottish?? Or, at the very least, am I developing some deep bond with aspects of all things Scottish??

Here’s the deal.

For some time now, I’ve mentioned how my favorite late-nite TV talk show host has been Craig Ferguson – a Scot. A flaming Scot!! He just connects with me at least, kickin' out some of the most original monologues I’ve seen.

Then, one of my favorite finds of 2006 was the “Born To Roll” CD, by Canadian country artist Johnny Reid. To the best of my knowledge – Scottish! With that vocal blend of classic Rod Stewart (pre-schmaltz-era) and John Mellencamp (one of which at least has another Scottish connection), his album was amazing – every song fantastic.

Then, just the other night on The Tonight Show (with Jay Leno – sorry Craigster…we hit it by accident…), we caught this new kid – Paolo Nutini. Decided yesterday to pick up his CD, and it is also an aural treat. Original, with tons of soul, and great even on the first spin. This kid could be as big as James Blunt!!

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why am I sitting here raving about some French kid?? Well, it would appear by his brogue and inflections – HE’S SCOTTISH!! Yes, with a French name like that, he’s a Scot!! At least, that’s my assessment.

All of this is making me think of another band I used to enjoy, back in the day – The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. They were fronted by a quirky Scottish lead singer, whose name just escapes me at the moment…No matter – they were Scottish, and they were a pleasure to listen to.

So, there you have it. I’m either going mad, or turning slightly Scottish. Only time will tell which it is…

Chow for now!!

PS - today's "word verification" letters were "sjjar", almost exactly Jar Jar Binks!!