Category Archives: Community

An Excess of Ego

Posted on March 17, 2020 by

There was a time when neighbourly consideration for your fellow man, let alone woman, was a downright impediment to the advance of the species. Primitive man was like the big vats—a lone hunter that followed where the prey went. Then … Continue reading →

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A Promise the SNP Should Have Kept

Posted on March 8, 2020 by

Some 14 years ago, in the run-up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, the SNP campaign made a number of promises which won them the election for the first time ever. One with appeal right across the country was this: … Continue reading →

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No Country for Old Men

Posted on March 6, 2020 by

America prides itself in being “The Land of the Free”, celebrating the ability of anyone to prosper in a land of opportunity. Compared to other countries, this is largely true. But, with this attitude comes a dislike of rules and … Continue reading →

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The Antiquated States of America.

Posted on February 19, 2020 by

The USA is rightly regarded as the birthplace of many ideas that now underpin the modern world.  From mass production to  household white goods to air travel to semiconductors to genetics, to computers, mobile phones, space travel, not to mention … Continue reading →

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Turkeys Vote for an Early Christmas

Posted on October 30, 2019 by

So the Brexit centipede’s final shoe has dropped and we are to endure the first General Election at Christmas for a century. Broadcast media are already hoaching with rentqaquotes from every party, burbling over their keenness to come to grips … Continue reading →

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No Way to Run a Railroad

Posted on October 22, 2019 by

ScotRail (Scotland’s railway) has come into some stick from customers for habitual poor service, especially since the franchise was taken over by Abelio three years ago. But things have improved immeasurably since ScotRail was formed over 20 yeas ago, with … Continue reading →

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Fankle of Fearties?—Part I

Posted on July 21, 2019 by

An article in today’s Sunday Times is highly critical of the present Scottish Government and its penchant for blaming Brexit and Westminster for Scotland’s sluggish economic performance. Is this fair? Compared to the rest of the UK, Scotland is falling … Continue reading →

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Costing an Arm & a Leg

Posted on July 19, 2019 by

Across the board, the NHS is regarded as an institution of which we are justly proud. Its fundamental principle on which it is built is that health care should be based on need and free at the point of delivery. … Continue reading →

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Charity Chiefs—Paragons or Parasites?

Posted on June 7, 2019 by

Ten years of austerity have put the squeeze on public spending, especially among councils. With any increments being soaked up by the NHS and ballooning demands on Social Work, much of the social burden had fallen on the so-called ‘Third … Continue reading →

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The Poem Is Mightier Than the Gun

Posted on May 30, 2019 by

My California friend Jeanne Watson has penned many fine, eloquent poems over the forty years I have known her. But none touched me as this one did, capturing as it does the anguished despair of most Americans at the excessive … Continue reading →

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