It’s taken me four weeks to write this, because I barely knew where to start.
Channel 4 showed the singular and vastly wonderful The Banshees Of Inisherin at the weekend, and as brilliant as it is in its own right, it also came loaded with all sorts of resonances and finally prodded me into action.
The equally singular and wonderful Jonathan Nash, who will be known to readers of this isolated and quiet island parish under a variety of names, died last month, of death. It was sudden yet expected, and in those respects very much the opposite of the man himself.
Alert viewers may have already noticed a new addition to the central links column: The Sealand Gazette. (If so, they should award themselves 200 Alert Viewer Points and add them to their Viewerscore card.)
The Gazette came about because I have a bad habit of using Twitter as a sort of Post-It Note for news stories I want to keep on file for future reference. It is, of course, singularly badly suited for this purpose, because finding anything you posted on Twitter more than a couple of days ago is a hideous trial and – as I learned only recently – Twitter deletes your old tweets forever when you exceed your quota, which varies according to how prolifically you tweet but can be as little as a few weeks.
So instead, now there's the Gazette, the newspaper for people who increasingly wish they lived on an isolated former gun platform in the middle of the North Sea. Published through the rather nifty Scoop.it platform, the benefits are that it's incredibly easy to use – a couple of clicks adds a story – and both persistent and searchable.
(NB To search the Gazette use the "FILTER" function below the banner, not the Search box at the top of the page, which searches the whole of Scoop.it instead.)
At launch many of the stories are old-ish, because I've been going through my Twitter account grabbing everything I've posted there since April before it gets wiped, but from now on it'll be hot-off-the-presses stuff, and there's even a Page Three girl today as an introductory bonus. (Though of course, it's a rather sinister and troubling one.) Readers can also easily suggest stories to add.
The Gazette should be a lot less trouble to maintain than the short-lived "Reasons Not To Recycle" blog, and fulfil much the same purpose. (Misanthropic nihilism, essentially.) But I'll make a special effort to throw in a few nice stories too, because mass reader suicide isn't the goal. Although in the broader sense, it is a bit.
Aidan on Failure To Learn: “If we assume that NSGT=colony then Scotland doesn’t meet the definition of a NSGT either so whether or not the…” Jan 6, 11:04
Captain Caveman on And every day was exactly the same: “Another incoherent, booze-fueled 4am rant from Rambo, as broadcast from the muddy banks of some godforsaken puddle or other in…” Jan 6, 11:01
100%Yes on Failure To Learn: “The so called advocate for Scotland and its people, why should the SNP and its leadership benefit by winning the…” Jan 6, 10:49
Alf Baird on Failure To Learn: “The Treaty of Union was never fully implemented hence the ‘UK’ state does not (yet) exist. The fact remains that…” Jan 6, 10:46
100%Yes on Failure To Learn: “This is why Wings and I have constantly tried to advocate to people that ridding ourselves of the SNP is…” Jan 6, 10:39
James Cheyne on Failure To Learn: “Always getting his fact checker facts wrong, The British parliament ended by dissolution the parliament of Great Britain in 1800.…” Jan 6, 10:38
The Flying Iron of Doom on And every day was exactly the same: “Hatey McHateface says: 4 January, 2026 at 1:14 pm Let a True Sovereign Scot who has never worn a baseball…” Jan 6, 10:30
Alf Baird on Failure To Learn: “The colonizer “seldom misses an opportunity to de-base the colonized” (Memmi).” Jan 6, 10:21
Hatey McHateface on Failure To Learn: “Stop pussyfooting aboot, Xaracen. Just call the UN a bunch of male reproductive organs. Or is your New Year bottle…” Jan 6, 10:17
James Cheyne on Failure To Learn: “Now I don’t know much about football except it was in Scotland in the sixteen hundred and prior to that…” Jan 6, 10:17
Xaracen on Failure To Learn: “factchecker said: “Neither [England and Scotland] is a colony, according to the UN.” The UN is merely repeating what the…” Jan 6, 09:42
Hatey McHateface on Failure To Learn: “Fa’s Professor Baird the day? Fa’s Northy? How odd that on Nollaig Beag (January 6th on the modern, colonially imposed…” Jan 6, 09:38
factchecker on Failure To Learn: “The Professor says (regarding his claim that “Scotland is the only colony and non-sovereign state in the World Cup final…” Jan 6, 09:31
Hatey McHateface on Failure To Learn: “Nah. The real problem with Scottish fitba is that some real men are allowed to play the women’s game. One…” Jan 6, 09:25
Willie on Failure To Learn: “Dumbarton Rock @11.19pm. A good letter in the waiting to send to the Minister who is responsible for the outrage…” Jan 6, 08:14
Young Lochinvar on Failure To Learn: “Day zero? Would that not be the incumbent Unionist parties at that point in time? Love a bit of unearned…” Jan 6, 05:02
Young Lochinvar on And every day was exactly the same: “Wilma Flintstone @ 6.32 Oh dear! Not so young “unrequited love”.. Have you tw8ts not worked out that your idols,…” Jan 6, 04:47
Peter McAvoy on Failure To Learn: “Regarding anthems I believe that Flower of Scotland was inspired by the Battle of Bannockburn.Then what inspired the Star Spangled…” Jan 6, 02:46
Willie on Failure To Learn: “The creation of an additional bank holiday is not in the gift of the SNP. They do not have the…” Jan 6, 02:12
BLMac on Failure To Learn: “The problem with Scottish fitba is the real men play shinty… 🙂” Jan 5, 23:25
Independent on Failure To Learn: “Just a couple of thoughts from a long time reader/ lurker. Why not a party solely set up to recreate…” Jan 5, 23:22
Dumbarton Rock on Failure To Learn: “We await a decision by Scottish Ministers . Here’s a letter to send to Ivan McKee – send to MinisterPF@gov.scot…” Jan 5, 23:19
Campbell Clansman on Failure To Learn: “How much will it cost (in lost work, tax revenue, etc.) to have this “holiday?” Millions?” Jan 5, 22:15
Scot Finlayson on Failure To Learn: “In 78 Peru were the Copa América cup holders, having beaten Brazil on the way to the final, and beating…” Jan 5, 22:03
Ross on Failure To Learn: “Or they just think it’s a nice idea to signal giving ordinary Scots a day off for the day after…” Jan 5, 21:35
100%Yes on Failure To Learn: “The SNP don’t even mean it. Its a political stunt, all in bad taste, for a party who’s done nothing…” Jan 5, 21:11
Alf Baird on Failure To Learn: ““England is also a non-sovereign state.” Naw, yer wrang thair: England’s parliament was never dissolved in 1707, it continued. England…” Jan 5, 20:56
agentx on Failure To Learn: “A Bank Holiday = a sobering up holiday in Scotland.” Jan 5, 20:52
100%Yes on Failure To Learn: “I was just wondering what is the real state of affairs in the SNP with regards to money and support,…” Jan 5, 20:35
