Monthly Archives: July 2012

Made Fae Gurdurs? Shairly No’!

…or, for outraged feminist readers who believe men really ought to have evolved beyond this sort of thing by now: …and for those really hard-core feminist readers who didn’t get a giggle out of that either, the truth is out … Continue reading

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Labour for Independence

The title of this blog is not nearly as bizarre as the present leadership of Scotland would have you (and many of its membership) believe. But while official party policy appears stuck in a miasma of denial that anything beyond … Continue reading

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Out of Our Shell

This week has seen a resolution to the ‘prawn wars’ brewing off the West Coast as larger boats from the East Coast, having meagre pickings in home waters, muscled in on their brethren. Another example of the idiocies perpetrated by … Continue reading

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More Important Than Knowledge

Albert Einstein was no dummy. He believed imagination to be more important than knowledge. And that mantra that would serve Scots well as they gather information to help them decide their future in about two years. None of us should … Continue reading

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Eff Ofgem

The legacy of Thatcher is a long one. Despite folk tradition (especially in Scotland), all that she did was not evil. But her successors’ efforts to create a real market in industries like railways and energy have proved illusiory.  See … Continue reading

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Buildin’ a Brig Tae the Bass

It’s a truism that natives of any given place seldom appreciate what they have all about them: sunshine in LA is a given, as is the waterborne romance of Venice or the cultural kaleidoscope of London. As a kid growing … Continue reading

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North of East Coast Eden

On June 26th, the UK Department for Transport published its Consultation on the East Coast Rail Franchise, to which all assiduous anoraks will have replied by the closing date of September 18th. The summary of results are to be published, … Continue reading

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Disease in Common

Those keen on Scotland becoming a normal country often cite other countries as examples for such a situation. Many serve well in this role—including affluent Norway who “separated” peacefully from Sweden just over a century ago and has been a … Continue reading

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Don’t Get MoD, Get Even

Fibre-optic broadband is humming with the opening salvos of debate on the announcement from the SNP’s highheidyins that they have placed Scotland’s defence strategy—including NATO membership—as a keynote topic for discussion at the party’s upcoming Autumn Conference. Defence Spokesperson Angus Robertson … Continue reading

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Go Get ‘Em, Gramps

The following letter was sent by an 86-year-old to their bank manager, who, displaying far more chutpah and humanity than most modern bank managers display, had it published in the New York Times: “Dear Sir: I am writing to thank … Continue reading

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