Author Archives: davidsberry

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About davidsberry

Local ex-councillor, tour guide and database designer. Keen on wildlife, history, boats and music. Retired in 2017.

Leader of the Free World? Baggie Not

Posted on September 15, 2012 by davidsberry

American politics is something that rarely interests Europeans, not least because of its simplistic tenets and absolute belief in itself. But as long as its 300m people constitute the biggest consumer market and source of innovation on the planet, who … Continue reading →

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If It’s About Money, You’re in the Wrong Job

Posted on September 13, 2012 by davidsberry

For six years as community councillor and thirteen as a local authority councillor, most of which I served on a SEPA board, I have earned a grand total of around £149,000. Put another way, that works out at £3.50 per … Continue reading →

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The Sillars Season

Posted on September 12, 2012 by davidsberry

Jim Sillars has been a weel kent face in Scottish politics since before he won the Govan by-election for the SNP in 1988 and repeated the wet-fish-in-the-puss-for-Labour act his irrepressible wife Margo MacDonald had achieved 15 years prior. As a … Continue reading →

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Costly Lessons

Posted on September 10, 2012 by davidsberry

Just back from a week wandering Appin, Morvern and Mull, I make no apology for having silenced this blog for a whole week. We all need a break but watching sea eagles bringing sudden death to the fish of Loch … Continue reading →

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Union ‘Dividend’: No’ Like the Co’

Posted on August 30, 2012 by davidsberry
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Independent School; Private Politics

Posted on August 29, 2012 by davidsberry

Earlier this week there was a flurry of press around a Lloyds/TSB research detailing how fees for private schools had risen by a whopping 63% over the last decade. While I respect the motivation of parents who choose to shell … Continue reading →

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Going South North by Northwest

Posted on August 28, 2012 by davidsberry

Time was centuries ago that brave explorers in fragile wooden ships probed the bewildering series of ice-bound passages separating the islands of Northern Canada. Unlike the later Antarctic explorers, these were not quests for knowledge but hard-nosed attempts to find … Continue reading →

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A Trip to Avalon

Posted on August 27, 2012 by davidsberry

Hanging about the local harbour has its charms, especially on a sunny day, such as Sunday was. Sometimes you get to crew one of the fishing boats hauling creels and snag a nice lobster for your troubles. Sometimes it’s more … Continue reading →

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Wake Up and Smell MR BO

Posted on August 26, 2012 by davidsberry

Much though it may appear an incomprehensible circus of brassy showmanship taking place far away from our lives, the outcome of this year’s US Presidential elections matters. Since post WW2, when the US became a superpower, their political postures—from the Cuba … Continue reading →

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There’s Nothing Surer…

Posted on August 24, 2012 by davidsberry

…the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” was a line from a twenties song popular through most of the last century—probably as much for its social commentary as for its musical appeal. It should be coming back into fashion … Continue reading →

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