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Off-topic

Posted on January 02, 1968 by

For off-topic chat. Duh.

39612 to “Off-topic”

  1. AuldA says:

    It looks like a second grand slam for the National today.
    link to mobile.twitter.com

    Reply
  2. Paula Rose says:

    @ Brian Doonthetoon – apologies from moi, footstamping now over, j’ai beaucoup des emails pointing out that I have le premier comment sur le thread et toute les autres sur les subsections count pour nought. Je will be en Dundee – mais je pondre si ils étais une lift from un(e) winger pour l’évent – Tartan Tory ou est tu?

    Reply
  3. Jim Thomson says:

    @Paula Rose

    Tartan Tory will need his sore bits rubbed. Have a look at his Facebook page. Not a happy bunny 🙁

    Reply
  4. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:

    Let me say unto you that I am gobsmacked, flabbergasted and even discombobulated by the fluency you have acquired in Frenglish.

    Just one thing though: ‘je pondre’ ? ‘Pondre’ means ‘lay an egg’. That’s because you would describe yourself as a lark, maybe? 😛

    Reply
  5. Paula Rose says:

    I’m not just a pretty face my wee bunnies xx

    Reply
  6. Paula Rose says:

    (@ AuldA – I’m somewhat over the moon that you picked up on the pun xx)

    Reply
  7. Betty Boop says:

    @ AuldA, 3:28pm

    @Betty Boop:

    you have weird German tastes!

    Nah, I just have a weird sense of humour 🙂

    Reply
  8. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:

    Over the Moon? Riding a comet? Let’s call you Paula Rosetta!

    @Betty Boop:

    Nah, I just have a weird sense of humour.

    Indeed. Learning German just to fry cats is a bit… err… whimsical?

    Personally, I am very happy to have learnt German because I can use a lot of coarse words in a quasi-total confidentiality. If you shout F*** in the street, even in France, everybody turn around and scowl. If you use ‘Verflixter Mist’ instead, nobody gives a hoot (unless you’re in Germany or Austria, of course!)

    Reply
  9. Paula Rose says:

    Is that some sort of flexing one’s wrist in a male sort of way?

    Reply
  10. Jim Thomson says:

    Have you ever found yourself in the tricky situation where you have a bottle of wine (not screwtop!) and there’s not a corkscrew available?

    Here’s a bloke who can help you open it in a non-destructive fashion.

    Enjoy

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  11. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA – and now the Rosetta stone – are you out to uncover me as a learned person?

    Reply
  12. Paula Rose says:

    Must admit though – that BtP is an absolute gent, paid for twenty bottles of wine and never mentioned the spittoon.

    Reply
  13. Lollysmum says:

    This is where you’re all lurking. Can’t take any more discussions of Murphy today so I thought I’d wander in & see what’s occurring. Looks as though I should have come in earlier.

    Can I join the party?

    Reply
  14. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:
    No, ‘verflixter Mist’, I can assure you, is just a scatologic exclamation. It has nothing to do with sawing lumber. 😐

    Besides, with Rosetta, I was more alluding to the space probe you may have heard of. I am sort of moony, you know…

    Reply
  15. Jim Thomson says:

    @Lollysmum I know the feeling. Skeletor is seriously off-putting at any time.

    Jump in and offer any light relief you feel we all might need 😉

    Reply
  16. Lollysmum says:

    Anyone know if BtP has surfaced yet?

    Reply
  17. lollysmum says:

    Light relief coming up-try this

    //www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiQ3-vkOM44

    Reply
  18. Lollysmum says:

    Now for the Irish

    //www.youtube.com/watch?v=upEBdKFGlPg

    Reply
  19. Tartan Tory says:

    Paula says “Tartan Tory ou est tu?”

    Je suis ici ma chérie, mais je ne’ai pas parlé français depuis trente-cinq ans, quand je fréquentais l’école. Je ne’ai pas une voiture pour vous emmener à la soirée, après mon accident. La vie est une chienne parfois.

    Alors, pourquoi cet intérêt soudain pour la belle langue des Gaulois?

    Vive l’Ecosse! 🙂

    (I’ll be amazed if that’s all gramatically correct as I prefer to talk & drink, than write the stuff!)

    Reply
  20. Lollysmum says:

    Welsh this time

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  21. Jim Thomson says:

    @Lollysmum

    the trick to posting links is to first check to see if themain bit starts with “www”.

    If it does, remove the entire “http://” or “https://” prefix.

    If it doesn’t have the “www” bit, just leave the address intact, don’t remove anything.

    That way, your 9:48 becomes link to youtube.com

    and your 9:51 becomes link to youtube.com

    Simples 🙂

    Reply
  22. Lollysmum says:

    Like being back at school in here-didn’t know Wings taught languages as well 🙂

    Posts taking ages to show!

    Reply
  23. Jim Thomson says:

    @Tartan Tory

    Grand to see you in good spirits after the Audi Arse event.

    Bet the insurance company’s crying into its lap though.

    Reply
  24. Natasha says:

    @Jim Thomson 9.59pm
    Now I understand why one of my links didn’t seem to work!

    Left the Sunday Herald and The National lying about in the staffroom; head teacher hasn’t removed them yet, but she hasn’t been in much!

    Reply
  25. Lollysmum says:

    & finally the Scot

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  26. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Fleetwood Mac, ‘Shake Your Moneymaker’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  27. Paula Rose says:

    My darling Tartan Tory – I’m all a-tremble, gosh – sound of Paula collapsing to floor. Um, btw are we going to Dundee? The Bentley’s still available?

    Reply
  28. Lollysmum says:

    This is like watching paint dry. Is anyone else having trouble posting tonight?

    Reply
  29. Jim Thomson says:

    Need to head off to bed folks. The dreaded Morag’s Lurgy has descended upon me and I need to try and shake it (the lurgy, that is).

    Enjoy the banter 😛

    Reply
  30. Betty Boop says:

    @ Tartan Tory

    Whilst at home practising your school French, I hope you are relaxing after your traumatic car incident. Relaxing is and attempting to speak French is generally much better, I find, with a glass of good, red vin in hand.

    Take care. Cheers.

    Reply
  31. Natasha says:

    I’ve got a lurgy and I don’t even have the consolation of having acquired it from any of you lot! Horrible school kids sneezing all over me. Btw, I got third post on a new thread (bet Paula Rose is feeling very smug!)

    Reply
  32. Tartan Tory says:

    Paula – send me a message on Facebook. I don’t know anything about Dundee and I’m kind of ‘out of circulation’ at the moment. We’re living out of a suitcase in a building site just now and yesterday’s incident has just compounded things. 🙁

    Reply
  33. Tartan Tory says:

    @ Betty – Normally it’s Burgundy for me, but tonight is definately MacAllans. 🙂

    Reply
  34. Lollysmum says:

    Thanks for the tip Jim-much obliged to you

    Ian-Fleetwood Mac-don’t remember that one. Perhaps age catching up on me 🙂

    Reply
  35. Lollysmum says:

    Natasha
    Head teacher not pro-indy by any chance?

    Reply
  36. Betty Boop says:

    @ AuldA, 8:36pm

    If you use ‘Verflixter Mist’ instead, nobody gives a hoot (unless you’re in Germany or Austria, of course!)

    Or in Alsace, perhaps? One never knows who is about. Try asking someone north of Thessaloniki in Greece whether or not they speak English when asking for directions. They may well come back with “nein” and direct you to the bahnhof…

    Reply
  37. Natasha says:

    Just testing my gravatar.

    Reply
  38. Natasha says:

    Well that was a huge success – not!

    Reply
  39. Lollysmum says:

    I thought it looked rather good.

    Reply
  40. X_Sticks says:

    What have I missed? What’s happened to your lovely Audi TT?

    I am planning to head down to Dundee on Sunday from Aberdeen, so if I can collect anyone en route (see what I did there?) I’ll be happy to do so.

    Plan to go down fairly early though – leaving Aberdeen about 10-10:30 in the hope of getting parked somewhere around the station/sensation.

    Reply
  41. Tartan Tory says:

    Nothing wrong with the Audi X_S. My Range Rover got T-boned yesterday afternoon, so I’m not a happy bunny. If there’s a Wings thing on in Dundee on Sunday then it looks like you’ve just volunteered to be a carriage for Paula!! 🙂

    Reply
  42. Betty Boop says:

    @ Natasha, 10:36pm

    Is that dog called Patch? 🙂

    Reply
  43. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Ike & Tina Turner, ‘Nutbush City Limits’ (Live, 1974) –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  44. Natasha says:

    Wow! It worked! When my post first came up, it wasn’t there. That’s my little American cocker spaniel, by the way – name of Phoebe and a little madam who rules the roost in our house.

    Reply
  45. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Lollysmum –

    You may like this one too, possibly from the same session.

    Fleetwood Mac, ‘Stop Messing Around’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  46. Betty Boop says:

    @ Ian Brotherhood

    Thanks for Tina, enjoyed that. Och, now you’ve got me into youtube again. Might never get to bed tonight.

    Reply
  47. cearc says:

    Cheer up Tartan Tory, it’s only a car (unlike the Audi) as long as you are ok it doesn’t matter that much.

    Reply
  48. Lollysmum says:

    Ian

    Hmmm-prefer this

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  49. JGedd says:

    Couldn’t get The National from local shop today, though got one yesterday and it’s on order for the rest of the week. I was told that there had been a late print run and none had been sent from Irvine apparently. This is Galloway in the south west, by the way. Just wondered if any one had had similar problems.

    Reply
  50. cearc says:

    To everybody sufferingfrom Moragitis, or less distinguished variants of the bug, Gezondheid.

    Reply
  51. X_Sticks says:

    Whew! Just the RR, well, that’s ok then 🙁

    I’ll happily provide carriage to Paula Rose any time I can just to make Ian go that green colour!

    The only proviso being she would have to wear the heels!

    Reply
  52. Taranaich says:

    You meet Wings readers in the strangest of places! I met some tonight. I won’t out their identities, but it was really very special meeting them, and I hope I meet you again!

    Reply
  53. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi peeps.

    Ian B – those Fleetwood Mac tracks were on the first FM album I bought, “The Pious Bird of Good Omen”.

    link to en.wikipedia.org

    .
    The wee dabbling in the language of ‘furriners’…
    I find this goes towards giving you the jist:-

    link to translate.google.com

    .
    Onnyhoo, kinda on the same topic and repeating a phrase I used up above with no comment from anyone…

    I work in the lab block at Ninewells Hospital. There’s a German guy called ‘Raffie’ (Raphael) whom I was getting to know a couple of years ago.

    Onnyhoo, one day, I bumped into him in a corridor and said to him (his English is good but his Dundonesian can only be described as ‘improving’), “Mein Luftkissenfahrzeug is voller Aale!”

    After he had finished peein’ himself, he taught me that the phrase is “Mein Luftkissenfahrzeug is voller Aalen.”

    link to youtube.com

    Turns out that he is a big fan of Monty Python and, in Germany, preferred watching the subtitled broadcasts, as opposed to the dubbed ones, because he found it easier to understand the humour when he could actually hear the nuances within the English speech. When it was dubbed into German, it lost all subtlety and nuance.

    He also thought the “Mr Hilter” sketches were worth a laugh.

    link to youtube.com

    Onnyhoo, at the moment, he is wandering round the Lab Block wearing ‘Academics for YES’ and ‘EH!’ badges.

    .
    Right, Sunday.

    I was gonna go over to email re the Wings presence at the ‘YES City’ Gathering in Dundee on Sunday but it seems that all, intending to be there, are keeping an eye on ‘off-topic’.

    We have access to Fat Sam’s from 2pm Saturday for stall setting up but I don’t think we’ll need that. I think Sunday morning will suffice but I can play it by ear on Saturday afternoon. We have to deliver badges to ‘YES We Care’.

    I can borrow a lightweight 6 foot collapsible table from work; we’re not gonna need a gazebo or any such nonsense, coz it’s indoors. I can do A3 posters to hang off the front of the table and Pete and I intend inviting donations for badges, to help towards covering our ‘charity’ badge construction over the past few months.

    I am protecting the two Wings banners, so one could be left in Fattie’s for the stall, and one taken to be a presence on the march, then added to the stall subsequently.

    What we are bereft of is Wings/YES promo material, like leaflets, stickers and posters and original badges. If anyone has any stuff we can use/give away, can you get in touch with Ronnie Anderson, or anyone else who’s coming up to Dundee on Sunday?

    Looks like we could have a significant Wings presence on Sunday. The more the merrier! I wonder if any of the Dundee Wingers, who don’t come to the get-togethers, will make their presence known on Sunday? It would be pleasing to put faces to hitherto unmet names…

    Reply
  54. AuldA says:

    @Tartan Tory:
    Your French is amazingly good. The only mistake I see is “je n’ai pas une voiture” which should have been “je n’ai pas DE voiture” but otherwise it is fine! Kudos.
    Sorry to hear about your crash, but since you’re here and obviously whole and unscathed, as somebody else said, that’s all that matters.

    @Betty Boop:
    Alsatian is not much spoken these days, except by the old ones or in rural areas. The idea is that Alemannic is to German what Scottish English is to English: basically the same language but with vocals shifted. Eg: ‘Schießhüs’ = German ‘Scheißhaus’ (literally ‘shit house’ = bog, loo).

    Reply
  55. Tartan Tory says:

    @ AuldA

    Merci! 😉

    I’m guessing from your user name that you have a French connection? Apologies if this has been explained by you before, but I’m very forgetful. The early 80’s are very much like yesterday (hence the recollection of the schoolboy French), but the bit inbetween then and now seems like a blur. 🙁

    Reply
  56. Graeme Doig says:

    Anyone heard anything from Robert Peffers recently? Sure i haven’t seen any comments from him for a wee while.

    Robert, if you’re around, i wanted to ask if you wanted to meet/go out for a coffee. You have mentioned you stay Lochgelly way (i’m in Dalgety Bay). I’m currently off work with a dodgy back so would be free to come pick you up if you want to get out.

    Would be good to chat. I’m a bit of a novice to this political lark (all passion/no knowledge) so would be good to pick your brains.

    Reply
  57. Oneironaut says:

    @Natasha
    Awwww, cute avatar 🙂

    I have a bit of a soft spot for dogs. Actually I seem to get along with them much better than I do with humans.
    I bet they could solve all the world’s problems if they could talk… 🙂

    Reply
  58. gerry parker says:

    @ Tartan Tory.

    Now’s your chance to get an Alfa.

    See you on Saturday if you make it to Dundee.

    🙂

    Reply
  59. AuldA says:

    @Tartan Tory:

    I’m guessing from your username that you have a French connection?

    Well… You know what? I AM French, warts and all. 🙂

    @Natasha:

    I just failed to congratulate yourself for your avatar. My gentleness is going to the dogs. 🙁

    Reply
  60. Betty Boop says:

    @ Graeme Doig, 10:41am

    I’m a bit of a novice to this political lark (all passion/no knowledge) so would be good to pick your brains.

    If so, you have the no knowledge bit in common with most politicians! A bit of passion from some of them wouldn’t go amiss and might make up for some of their inadequacies.

    Having read many of Robert Peffers’ comments, I think many of us would all love to have a coffee with him. 🙂

    Reply
  61. Betty Boop says:

    @ AuldA, 5:59am

    The idea is that Alemannic is to German what Scottish English is to English

    In that case, a German might never understand and Alsatian 🙂

    Given your interest in toilets, can I say that even with an understanding of vocal shifts, I am fairly certain that the average English speaker would never understand sitootery or cludgie.

    Reply
  62. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi Gerry.

    The Gathering in Dundee is on Sunday – St Andrew’s Day.

    .
    Betty Boop – would they not misconstrue ‘bog’ as well?

    Reply
  63. Stoker says:

    Meant to put this on here yesterday.

    This is for all of you, like myself, who are interested in
    Green/Wildlife issues.

    The most important 2 sentences in the article are the very
    first and last one’s.

    Very interesting and enjoyable article.
    link to archive.today

    Reply
  64. Graeme Doig says:

    Robert’s back. No need for a search party 🙂

    Betty

    Not sure Mrs D would agree that my passion makes up for my inadequacies 🙂

    I do think that, for a politician to have passion they need to have a conviction for a cause. This conviction will come across in honesty, consistency and lack of waivering in the face of opposition and public opinion. I don’t think we should expect too much from labour. They don’t know what they stand for yet.

    Reply
  65. Paula Rose says:

    A ride with X_Sticks? YIPPEE!

    So far I’ve had a memorable one with Tartan Tory in THE Audi,

    A gentle one with Ronnie Anderson in his Roller,

    A group one in Pete the Camera’s Hummer

    and quite a few in Thepnr’s Lotus Elite.

    What’s your’s X_Sticks?

    (anyone able to email me his address in case he doesn’t read this?)

    Reply
  66. AuldA says:

    @Betty boop:

    Yes, Germans do not understand Swiss or Alsatians when they speak their patois. It sounds familiar to them, they can catch words here and there, but that’s all. Compare, for example, ‘lützel’ (small) with standard German ‘klein’ (Lützel Burg, ‘small town’ > Luxembourg).

    I am not obsessed with toilets, I assure you. It’s just the first example that came to my mind, it featured two sound shifts and I have always found funny the way the word was made up.

    Cludgie is apparently Glaswegian. But isn’t a ‘sitooterie’ just a place outside a house where you can relax and talk, a sort of gazebo?

    Reply
  67. Paula Rose says:

    Scots and English have the same root but they are different stems.

    Reply
  68. AuldA says:

    @Paula: except when Scottish words come from Gaelic, e.g. ceilidh! 🙂

    BTW, you may meet at Dundee’s rally the guy that dragged me into this site…

    Reply
  69. Paula Rose says:

    Ou est t’il?

    Reply
  70. gerry parker says:

    @ Brian,
    oops – senior moment. Sunday it is.

    Reply
  71. X_Sticks says:

    @Paula Rose

    J’ai un grand blanc voiture et c’est tres vite. Est-ce ok?

    Mon email est colinizat (at) Hotmail (dot) com

    Laissez moi un message et nous pouvons aller faire un tour.

    N’oubliez pas vos talons s’il vous plait 😀

    Reply
  72. chipmonkey says:

    I’m grumpy. I can’t have a gravatar because someone has pinched ‘Chipmonkey’ on wordpress. I can’t even call myself ‘fionamay’ like I do on twitter. Hurrumph.

    I’m livid. I have a vote in the labour leadership election. That means my opt out of political contributions hasn’t been adhered to. That lot have had my money!!!!!I’ll be sending strong words.

    I’m confused. What to do with above vote. Do I:
    1. Put it in the bin
    2. Send in but waste it.
    3. Vote for someone – and if so what’s the vote which is strategically best for our side.

    Reply
  73. chipmonkey says:

    Ah. You’ve got to tick a box to say you are not a supporter of any organisation opposed to the labour party. Bin then!

    Reply
  74. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:

    If you refer to that friend I’ve mentioned, he’s not known here. I think he reads the articles but he does not comment. Maybe he’ll drop by and say hello on my behalf, if I succeed in convincing him, and if the Winger’s team is sufficiently visible.

    Reply
  75. AuldA says:

    @X_Sticks:

    French is becoming trendy on this site!

    BTW, Stu’ must be honing his axes. Tomorrow is the release date of the Smith commission report… I don’t know why, but I think it”s gonna be a bloody day. 😛

    Reply
  76. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi AuldA.

    If things go according to a cunning plan, there will be a Wings banner on the stall in Fattie’s and a Wings banner on the march.

    The two will meet up when the march gets to Fatties and, who knows, maybe we’ll have a clutch of wee banners in a few months.

    Mind you, the two banners are currently entwined in my son’s bedroom so the gods only know what they’re getting up to.

    BTW: got some nice new Wings badges for Sunday. I’ll try to let yooz see them in the next couple of days.

    Reply
  77. Paula Rose says:

    “Un grand blanc voiture et c’est très vite”, does that sound like a good idea AuldA?

    Reply
  78. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA – I was hoping to have expressed the concept of where was he – simples I have a lift now. Do tell your friend we will be visible and we are also (unlike the Rev) very friendly and welcoming, he/she would not need to mention a name to be welcomed with open arms – but do tell them we are looking forward to a direct contact avec toi (or is that too familiar?).

    Reply
  79. AuldA says:

    @Brian & Paula:

    Allow me to differ my answer to tomorrow morning. I am tuckered and have to start early tomorrow, so I’m going to hit the hay (it’s 10 pm here). But I will answer you before leaving tomorrow.

    Have a great evening!

    Reply
  80. Paula Rose says:

    Brian honey I am in a quandary – X_Sticks will give me a lift if I wear my heels, but I can’t help carry the banner unless I wear my fur-lined boots, what shall I do?

    Reply
  81. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Seemples, Paula!

    Wear the hipster, footless wellies! You know, the ones with the tartan lace trimmings; all over…

    link to slm-assets0.secondlife.com

    Reply
  82. Natasha says:

    @Paula Rose 9,22pm
    Wear your heels in the car, then change into your boots!

    @Oneironaut 10.59am
    Try googling ‘If dogs could text’. You’ll wet yourself laughing. And if my two could talk, all they would say would be, “Food, food, run around, poo, pee, more food, sleep, run around, poo, pee, try and kill other dogs, food, more food, sleep . . .” you get the picture. They’re better than anti-depressants, though. 🙂

    Reply
  83. Paula Rose says:

    Oops – earlier up the thread is a confusion

    Minxie is my lovely black cat – you didn’t think otherwise?

    Surely not.

    Reply
  84. Paula Rose says:

    Natasha – we will meet on Sunday, we will be both surprised.

    Reply
  85. Paula Rose says:

    @ Natasha – shh dear – the mighty X_sticks is abroad, darling we will meet on Sunday.

    Reply
  86. Natasha says:

    @Paula Rose
    Is it pronounced ‘crossed sticks’ or ‘ex sticks’? I don’t want to get it wrong. 🙂

    Reply
  87. Taranaich says:

    Wee trip report!

    link to wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com

    Reply
  88. Paula Rose says:

    @ Natasha sweetest – you just look for the Wings banner and ask for the blessing of the hairy string, at which point the biggest most beautiful Ronnie Anderson will ensure that you are inducted into a world of folk that include people like me – I’m so looking forward to saying hello.

    Reply
  89. thechipmonkey says:

    Mmm trial,

    Reply
  90. X_Sticks says:

    @Natasha

    With those big puppy eyes watching me you can pronounce it any way you like, eh’ll be your dawg as they say in Dundee 😉

    @Paula

    Pit the wellies in a bag. They’ll no go wi’ the tartan mini skirt onywie.

    Are we gettin’ badges? Oh, please tell me we’re gettin’ badges 😀 😀

    Reply
  91. Natasha says:

    @Taranaich 10.24pm

    It WAS you I saw in the foyer doing a wee dance! I didn’t dare come up to you and ask if you were a Winger, in case I was wrong and looked like a weirdo (although I still managed to accomplish that later on in the Yesbar). I’m sure I also saw you taking that footage on your mobile; we were up in the gods on that side of the auditorium too.

    The fact is, I’m not very good at recognising faces. I have to meet people at least five times before I’m sure it’s the same person (I honestly think I have a mild version of a condition called prosopagnosia).

    I even failed to recognise a neighbour from across the road when I met her in the High Street one day, despite having lived opposite her for four years. That’s how hopeless I am. And people regularly come up to me and start chatting away as if I’ve known them for years (which I probably have). I’ve become very good at remaining totally non-committal in my conversations. Let’s hope I don’t embarrass myself too much on Sunday! 🙂

    Reply
  92. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi X_Sticks.

    Believe it or not, we have 4 new Wings designs for badges for Sunday! They won’t be personalised though, unfortunately. No’ enough time.

    .
    Hi Natasha.
    If you get to Albert Square, stand on tippie-toes and look over the cribbie for a pair of tartan high heels. If you find them, that’ll be the lower end of Paula Rose. She may give you a badge for your sighting.

    .
    Hi Taranaich.
    Enjoyed your post at the link above but… … … …
    Your comment box didn’t like me.
    Rejected a spacebar hit so I used an underscore. Then it totally ignored my typing.
    Well, I didn’t get to where I should have been today by meekly accepting interweb software sticking two fingers up to me so I removed myself from that confrontational text box and posted here.
    Your post was a good read. And it was fine to meet you and Geraldine – and crazycat and Oneironaut and the rest.

    Coming to play in Dundee on Sunday?

    Reply
  93. Stoker says:

    @ chipmonkey (8.13pm)

    Bin it – that way your conscience remains clear.
    😉

    Reply
  94. X_Sticks says:

    Ooooo…new Wings badges….yummy.

    @Taranaich – Enjoyed your awstruckness at the Hydro AND meeting Paula Rose, just wish I could have made it there on Saturday too. The Wings activists are a welcoming bunch as you have found, and I hope I’ll meet you at a future get together, maybe Edinburgh if Tam gets his hits together ;D

    Dundee on Sunday will be fun, AND I’ll get to swoosh Paula around too AND new Wings badges AND Ian will be green with envy. Excited!

    Still have a couple of spare seats if anyone else between Aberdeen and Dundee require transport.

    Reply
  95. Cherry Loudon says:

    Hi Wingers where can I buy a WoS badge. Wish I could join you on your pubcrawl erm meeting.. enjoy your march!

    Reply
  96. Oneironaut says:

    “Hi Natasha.
    If you get to Albert Square, stand on tippie-toes and look over the cribbie for a pair of tartan high heels. If you find them, that’ll be the lower end of Paula Rose. She may give you a badge for your sighting.”

    Yep, you might even be lucky enough to get one of the highly-coveted “I’ve been stroked by Paula Rose” badges!

    It’s quite an experience! 😀

    Reply
  97. AuldA says:

    Haha. In the National, a photo of Nicola S. Playing a Fender guitar.
    A must have!

    Reply
  98. Jim Thomson says:

    @ AuldA, 7:15pm

    But isn’t a ‘sitooterie’ just a place outside a house where you can relax and talk, a sort of gazebo?

    Not where I came from…

    Reply
  99. Betty Boop says:

    Oops, did it again. Jim Thomson’s post 9:09 is from Betty Boop!!!! Don’t know how we can fix this problem with the address block 🙁

    Reply
  100. AuldA says:

    @Betty Boop:

    you’re a changeling? 🙂

    Reply
  101. chipmonkey says:

    Well… I couldn’t get a gravitar as chipmonkey (or as Fiona May), so I tried TheChipmonkey. That worked so I tried to post as that. Failed (or else will turn up in a month).

    Doh! The gravitar doesn’t go with the name – so my original post saying I can’t have a gravitar has one 🙂

    @Stoker – yes, ripping up labour ballot.

    See loads of you on Sunday 🙂

    Reply
  102. Betty Boop says:

    @ chipmonkey, 9:36am

    Hey, chips, haven’t seen you since Arbroath (not sure that young dolphin rescuer will have cheered up yet – hard work but I did give him a balloon). Sorry we probably won’t be able to come to Dundee on Sunday (it will be a blast with a lot of my fav people) unless we get the house moving sorted early. Maybe catch you at the next Wings ding!

    That horse doesn’t look like any sort of monkey – time for a modified moniker? JimT reckons you should just go for a casino chip as a gravatar.

    Reply
    • chipmonkey says:

      @Betty Boop and @Jim Thomson…the horse isn’t the monkey. The horse IS CHIP! I am the monkey who sits on his back telling him what to do!

      Reply
  103. Oneironaut says:

    Doubt I’ll be there on Sunday. Used up all my remaining fare funds for this week yesterday.

    Besides, after reading the main article on the Smith Commission report, I’m a bit too angry to be allowed anywhere near members of the public right now anyway, so probably for the best.

    Saw this coming a mile off, but it’s still an outrage when I think that all those No voters who still refuse to believe that they made a historically huge mistake on the vote will now believe this and use it to soothe what little conscience they already didn’t possess…

    Excuse me, I’m just gonna go lock all the doors and play some rock music at extremely loud volume and hopefully work off all this rage by blowing something up in my novel… Ahh, imagination, you are my salvation! hehe.

    Reply
  104. Jim Thomson says:

    @Chipmonkey how about this one?

    link to 4.bp.blogspot.com

    😛

    Reply
  105. Jim Thomson says:

    @Chipmonkey, or there’s these ones:

    link to media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com

    link to encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com

    link to encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com

    link to encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com

    And, yeah, I know that, technically, they’re apes but, hey, when was the last time anyone on Wings ever moaned about semantics?

    😉

    Reply
  106. Jim Thomson says:

    @Chipmonkey

    Ahhh, right, ok, hmmmm.

    Cryptic crosswords have nothing on this group!

    😛

    Reply
  107. Jim Thomson says:

    @Chipmonkey

    One last try (or set of tries) then

    link to encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com

    link to encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com

    link to encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com

    link to encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com

    link to encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com

    You just have to tell me to stop 😉

    Reply
  108. Jim Thomson says:

    Oh dear, last post is awaiting moderation – probably far too many URLs in it (sorry Stu).

    Reply
  109. Betty Boop says:

    @ chipmonkey, 2:02pm

    blockquote>…the horse isn’t the monkey. The horse IS CHIP! I am the monkey who sits on his back telling him what to do!

    I didn’t want to be rude and over-familiar anyway by hailing you as “Hey, monkey! :-))

    All is now clear as mud.

    BTW, that vote – think I would write “not interested” over it and send it back.

    Reply
  110. Jim Thomson says:

    Sorry Stu (again) – really not concentrating today (I’m going to blame the Moragitis for that). Just posted a YouTube video without cropping the front end.

    So, doing it right this time – QotSA: No One Knows
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  111. Jim Thomson says:

    And a bit of West Coast US of A chill music

    Blue Oyster Cult
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  112. Jim Thomson says:

    Some Fat Boy Slim for you dance addicts
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  113. Jim Thomson says:

    Last one for tonight.

    Never did figure out why they gave it the title they did.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  114. Paula Rose says:

    @ Brian bestintoon – had a whizz round the local yes group, can lay my hands on a couple of hundred Aye Right flyers – I think they’re still valid in terms of sites mentioned, shall I bring them? (Mon chou, c’est pour toi xx.)

    @ One and only ironaut – mon lapin, c’est pour toi xx.

    Reply
  115. AuldA says:

    @Paula: I can’t tell you how proud I am of your French. It is just perfect! I’m staggered.

    Now, tell me, between the rabbit and the cabbage, who will eat the other? 🙂

    Reply
  116. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA – when crossing the river le reynard comes into his own.

    Reply
  117. X_Sticks says:

    @Brian

    I think I too still have some Aye Right flyers I can bring along if I can remember what I did with them.

    Reply
  118. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:

    Le reyanard? You mean ‘renard’?
    I thought you were the foxy one?

    Reply
  119. ronnie anderson says:

    @ BrianDT/PeteTC. Where do we meet up on Sun & time.

    Reply
  120. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA no easy access to an acute angle so tried to be phonetic, and use the old english name – but maybe renard has no acute so my wit was wasted.

    Reply
  121. Natasha says:

    @Jim Thomson (or Betty Boop)1.45pm

    And, yeah, I know that, technically, they’re apes but, hey, when was the last time anyone on Wings ever moaned about semantics?

    Yesterday! It was petite moi, pointing out that ‘renegade’ does not mean the same as ‘renege’. Sorry, just couldn’t stop myself. 🙂

    Reply
  122. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi Chipmonkey.

    I’m totally confuzzled over your whole avatar scenario.

    I see your horsey avatar when you post as “Chipmonkey”, as above at 2.02pm.

    .
    Hi Paula Rose and X_Sticks.

    We need ANYTHING that we can put on the stall!

    .
    Hi Ronnie.

    Apparently, “they” want the stalls set up on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon. Can’t see why but, presumably, all will become clear on Saturday afternoon when Pete and I take badges to Fattie’s for the ‘YES We Care’ group.

    Plan A is that those who are helping with the stall should be at Fattie’s on Sunday morning for around 11 – 11.15am. Those who want to can just assemble at noon outside the McManus – some of us will make sure one of the banners and flags will be there for the march.

    Pete will remain at Fattie’s to look after the stall (with the other banner), while the rest of us can toddle along to the start of the march.

    I can do posters to decorate our table; Pete will have a stock of badges and we’ll have the ‘Aye Right’ leaflets/cards courtesy of Paula and X_Sticks. Any other promo materials would be useful.

    Plan B will be formulated on Saturday, if our Plan A meets with any disapproval but I can’t see why it would.

    .
    Lastly, Paula Rose.

    Did you not fancy the hipster, footless wellies, then? You know, the ones with the tartan lace trimmings; all over…

    link to slm-assets0.secondlife.com

    Reply
  123. Ian Brotherhood says:

    “When all the parts of the puzzle start to look like they fit…”/I>

    Van Morrison, ‘Days Like This’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  124. cearc says:

    Good choice, Ian.

    Reply
  125. Alexandra-M- says:

    Who is the lovely Winger I keep meeting everywhere? I am absolutely horrendous with matching online names to real names, but I bumped into you at George Square just before the referendum, and I saw you again at the Hydro on Saturday, we mouthed a conversation to each other across a few rows of seats!

    Reply
  126. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:

    “Un grand blanc voiture et c’est très vite”, does that sound like a good idea

    Well, I don’t mean to be offensive in whatever manner, but first of all it sound a bit like gibberish. “Une grande voiture blanche” (‘voiture’ is feminine in French, it’s a “she”, which reflects a very macho’s view of a motor), and “c’est très vite” means “it is very fast” – if you mean “it drives very fast”, you should say “elle va très vite”).

    But back to the brass tacks. If you like whirling sensations, well… why not? Personally, from the first day I took one of our TGVs (200 mph), I find every car’s a big snail.

    Do tell your friend we will be visible and we are also (unlike the Rev) very friendly and welcoming, he/she would not need to mention a name to be welcomed with open arms – but do tell them we are looking forward to a direct contact avec toi (or is that too familiar?).

    No, it’s not familiar in anyway. It’s perfectly standard. Nobody would use ‘vous’ instead of ‘toi’ here, given the level of ‘familiarity’ we have achieved. I have tell him, now it’s up to him to show up or not…

    AuldA no easy access to an acute angle so tried to be phonetic, and use the old english name – but maybe renard has no acute so my wit was wasted.

    You don’t need any accent for ‘renard’. It is just written with plain letters. The word, which originally is a given name ‘Renard’ from ’Regin hart’, old German meaning ‘of a strong counsel’, which is obviously ironic), has completely superseded the former name of the fox, ‘goupil’, ultimately from Latin ‘vulpes’ (modern Italian ‘volpe’), because the book was a huge success, a bit like in English calling someone a Scrooge rather than a miser (i.e. antonomasia).

    @Brian Doonthetoon: (Sunday’s banners) Does Wing banners lay eggs or are they mammals?

    Reply
  127. AuldA says:

    Pffff… I myself write gibberish. Read: ‘first of all it soundS …’
    then ‘Personally, from the first day I took one of our TGVs (200 mph), I FOUND every car’s a big snail.’

    Reply
  128. X_Sticks says:

    @AuldA

    Here am I trying to impress Paula Rose with my (very poor) French and big fast white car and you’ve just come along and burst my bubble! 🙁

    I may have to take the deux chevaux instead, though we might not get to Dundee until Monday…

    Reply
  129. Betty Boop says:

    @ Briandoonthetoon, 11:39pm, 27/11/14

    Hi Paula Rose and X_Sticks.

    We need ANYTHING that we can put on the stall!

    Maybe some of the Wingers could print out a few copies of the Smith proposals (for what they are worth) and quite a few more of the Rev’s posts in response for the stall.

    Failing having enough literature – make tablet !! 🙂 That always attracts folk to a stall!

    @ AuldA

    re BrianDTT’s post referred to here, “confuzzled” is a real word – honestly… It is a common state of mind hereabouts :-).

    Reply
  130. Betty Boop says:

    @ X_Sticks, 10:34am

    I’m sure we are all fair scunnered at your lack of proficiency with the old francais. Apologies, no cedilla available 🙁

    Remember to put the saddles in the Deux Chavaux , err… Chevaux (Freudian slip there) 🙂

    Sorry we are unlikely to make the Dundee fun on Sunday – any excuse to visit suits me.

    Reply
  131. AuldA says:

    @X_Sticks:

    I deeply apologize for having inadvertently put the kibosh on your plan. But I’m sure you’re very resourceful and have a lot of other impressive knacks to boast! 🙂

    Deux chevaux is nice. It was the favorite car for rookies back in the time when I got my licence. It’s not very efficient, you’re right (though 70 mph is feasible), but it so easy to fix when something goes wrong. Now, with all the fancy stuff under the hood, nobody can figure out anymore what’s amiss when your engine falters.

    Did you see the SNP’s “Independence” #22 magazine front cover?

    Reply
  132. AuldA says:

    @Betty Boop:

    sorry to hear you won’t make it on Sunday.

    re BrianDTT’s post referred to here, “confuzzled” is a real word – honestly… It is a common state of mind hereabouts :-).

    confuzzled… you mean disconbobuaddled? 🙂

    Don’t forget to take your shot of vitamin D!

    Reply
  133. Jim Thomson says:

    To assist those attempting to type in a furrin language, try the following keyboard shortcuts:

    129 = ü
    130 = é
    133 = à
    135 = ç
    136 = ê
    138 = è
    160 = á

    You’ll find that there are many possibilities if you play around with the key and the keypad numbers.

    Reply
  134. Jim Thomson says:

    ahhh, ok, in front of those numbers should have been the left chevron then “alt”and then right chevron. Damned HTML tag rules …

    Reply
  135. AuldA says:

    @Jim Thomson (or Betty Boop?):

    The combinations of keys you mention are for the hapless owners of flaky silicon things called ‘PC’. 😛

    For those who care about and own real computers (i.e. Macs), then the combinations are somewhat different.

    Reply
  136. Oneironaut says:

    @Paula Rose
    “@ One and only ironaut – mon lapin, c’est pour toi xx.”

    Umm… Merci buckets! C’est ne err…thingummy…whatsit… Danke amigo! Or something like that! 😀

    @Alexandra-M
    A lovely Winger? Can’t be me then! 😉

    @AuldA
    PCs are ok, as long as you’re not running Windows on them! 😉

    Reply
  137. X_Sticks says:

    On a PC you should only have to hold down the Alt key and then type the number to get the furrin characters.

    @Brian DTT

    I do have some Aye Right flyers, and some of the WBB flyers too. I’ll bring themon Sunday.

    @AuldA

    Haven’t seen the mag front page – thought I might get it online, but logged in and found you can only get it on subscription. Any chance of a link or scan?

    Reply
  138. Betty Boop says:

    @ AuldA, 11.23am

    confuzzled… you mean disconbobuaddled? 🙂

    prezactly! 🙂

    Re keyboard shortcuts, that WAS JimT.

    Reply
  139. AuldA says:

    @Oneironaut:

    PCs are ok, as long as you’re not running Windows on them!

    Makes sense, even if the hardware on cheap PCs tend to be somewhat crappy. But I myself for a long time ran a NetBSD/PC system (http://www.netbsd.org)

    @X_Sticks:

    Any chance of a link or scan?

    I don’t have it neither. I saw the cover on the flyer the SNP sent me with my membership card. I’ll scan it:

    link to evernote.com

    It’s not super quality (the original image is minute). I wonder if the SNP HQ could send me a PDF of it, there seems to be something about the Brussels branch I’m supposed to be attached to.

    Reply
  140. Jim Thomson says:

    @AuldA & @X_Sticks

    seems you have to subscribe to get it
    link to my.snp.org

    I see that image has Nan MacFarlane mentioned in the footer, she’s one of the Troon SNP Councillors.

    Reply
  141. AuldA says:

    @Jim Thomson:

    yup, and I have not my membership card at hand so I can’t do it right now. But I wonder if subscribing means getting an access to all former issues.

    Reply
  142. X_Sticks says:

    Merçi AuldA

    Christian with his Oui board and the Yes DC, braw!

    That man worked unbelievably hard for the Yes cause. He has my total respect in perpetuity.

    Reply
  143. AuldA says:

    @X_Stix:

    Merçi AuldA

    You’re most welcome. Note that ‘merci’ does not require the cedilla (ç) which is only used before ‘a’ and ‘o’ to signal that the ‘c’ must be pronounced like a ‘s’ and not like a ‘k’ –façade, François – ‘s’ which is the standard pronunciation (geez, can someone explain me why ‘to pronounce’ is written with ‘ou’ while pronunciation has the ‘o’ removed?) before ‘e’ and ‘i’. Cedilla is of Catalan origin, and still found in some names like ‘Vicenç’ (Vincent).

    Reply
  144. Jim Thomson says:

    @AuldA

    The beauty (debatable) of English is that it has so many roots. I blame the Germans 😉

    Reply
  145. AuldA says:

    @Jim Thomson:

    I agree. As a rule of thumb, English has about twice as many words as any other western language (~ ca. 120,000 vs 60,000 in the other languages). However, that does not mean that the standard English speaker knows more words than their continental counterparts. Both are rated at around 12,000 to 15,000 words. 25,000 to 30,000 for the most lettered.

    The German are not to blame. If I remember correctly, more than 50% of all English words come from (old, middle or modern) French. That’s actually way more than the orignal German pool, which represent just a wee part of modern English. But basic words and grammar have endured, and that’s why, if French is the most Germanic of all Romance languages, English is the most Latin of all Germanic languages.

    Reply
  146. Paula Rose says:

    Yippee – linguistics forum plus the neolithic, some knitting and a spot of baking.

    btw a wee elve has delivered to moi a couple of hundred ‘Alert Reader’ badges for Sunday.

    X_Sticks honey – coffee guaranteed, please state preference – espresso, au lait etc etc.

    Reply
  147. Paula Rose says:

    Oh btw AuldA – that’s why we have brilliant crosswords, Araucaria was the best.

    Reply
  148. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:
    If you want, we can also discuss astrophysics or quantum mechanics!

    Coffee. Please some Moka Harrar from Ethopia for me. No sugar.

    I am looking forwards to the Wingers’ crosswords!

    Reply
  149. X_Sticks says:

    We never have crosswords on Wings. All is blissful harmony here.

    Quantum phisics and astro mechanics, there’s almost nothing between them. 😀

    @ Paula

    Brown is fine with me. May have to revise my eta if Brian & co want us there earlier. I wouldn’t want to deliver the main attraction late to the party 😉

    Reply
  150. Thistle says:

    Any meetups planned people? I need a drink, lol – one that is!

    Reply
  151. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi AuldA.

    I’m not aware of their species or gender – one could be a bannerman and one a bannerlady but I’m not sure; I’ve never looked after them before.

    Also, as you type, those characters are relatively easy-peazy on a Mac. This example involved holding down the ALT key while I hit the U key, which gave me ¨. †hen I just had to type the vowel I wanted under the umlaut, like this…

    Würzburg.

    None of this numerical key nonsense!

    BTW: through experience at work, I see windoze still has the user-friendly means of shutting down which, microslothly logically, involves clicking on “Start”…

    .
    Hi X_Sticks.

    Re: your “We never have crosswords on Wings. All is blissful harmony here.”

    But we can take advantage of the commercial availability of this sort of thing…

    link to youtube.com

    Onnyhoo, I will firm up plans for Sunday some time after I’ve been to Fattie’s tomorrow afternoon. Still looking at 11.00 – 11.15 at Fattie’s or 12 noon at the McManus for the parade.

    Reply
  152. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Thistle –

    Eh? What? You’ve taken a night off?

    If you’re free next Saturday you’re invited to an SSP social night in the Turf Bar, Irvine. It’s open to abody, and we’ll charge a couple of quid entry for non-members. Someone’s bringing a fiddle, other folk might bring other instruments, and we’ll just wing it, see what happens.

    Everyone else is invited too, unless you’re Danny Alexander.

    Reply
  153. ronnie anderson says:

    @ BrianDTT & PETETC thanks to Kevin Kane (SMNT)I have another 2 Yes flags (again)Im no lending any mair to people at Demo,s only Wingers.

    Reply
  154. Ian Brotherhood says:

    If you feel in the mood for some shrooms but don’t have any, try this instead.

    Pink Floyd, ‘See Emily Play’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  155. AuldA says:

    @X_Sticks:

    when it comes to the birth of the universe, you’re right.

    Good night everybody!

    Reply
  156. Oneironaut says:

    @AuldA
    “Makes sense, even if the hardware on cheap PCs tend to be somewhat crappy. But I myself for a long time ran a NetBSD/PC system (http://www.netbsd.org)”

    Well I’m actually kind of a Linux geek in self-training at the moment 🙂
    I gave up on using Windows ever again when they discontinued XP, which was the last half-decent OS they came out with.

    Got one of those little netbooks second hand. Asus EEE PC (not too sure which model exactly).
    It came with a clean install of Windows 7 Starter on it and it was so slow it was completely unusable (and that was WITHOUT any additional software installed!)

    Wiped the hard drive, installed a lightweight Linux OS on it with the Enlightenment desktop. Now it’s actually faster than my old desktop PC was 🙂 Using it as my “mobile workshop/photo lab/internet connection” right now.

    Never used NetBSD before. Looks intriguing though… 🙂

    @Ian Brotherhood
    “Everyone else is invited too, unless you’re Danny Alexander.”

    Aww, no comedy act then? 😉

    Reply
  157. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Oneironaut –

    The great tragedy about Danny Alexander’s physical appearance is that it detracts attention from the essentially sociopathic character of the person occupying the freckly wrapper.

    It’s easy to dismiss him as a clown, largely because he resembles one, and that allows him to get away with behaviour which would not be tolerated for ten minutes in any normal family or workplace.

    He is a despicable excuse of a human being who deserves nothing but scorn and hounding. I dare say he could serve a purpose at specific types of ‘parties’, but (last time I checked at any rate) Ayrshire SSP still hasn’t adopted cannibalism. Wee sausage rolls and Pringles will do nicely.

    Reply
  158. cearc says:

    Ian,

    So what’s wrong with ordinary crisps? Pringle socialists!

    Reply
  159. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @cearc –

    I’ve been rumbled. ;0)

    Reply
  160. ronnie anderson says:

    @ Ian Brotherhood SSP members are on a slippery slope it,ll be Voulevants next Salmond wans lol

    Reply
  161. Bob Sinclair says:

    Fame at last. A few drinks with some fellow indy supporters and I was recognised as ‘that wings guy’ that will do for me.

    Reply
  162. Ian Brotherhood says:

    As I’m writing this, the most recent comment viewable is by Bob Sinclair at 12.06.

    It’s now 1.42.

    Friday night on O/T, and there’s nothing for an hour and a half?

    Nah.

    Delays in waiting for comments to appear? That’s one thing…90+ minutes with nothing?

    Something’s not right.

    Just sayin’…

    P.S. It’s now 1.46!

    Reply
  163. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Don’t know if this will post ‘immediately’ – my last two posts were ‘awaiting moderation’. Last one, from a few hours ago, still is.

    Ronnie – there’s a lot more Wingers coming on Sunday than I had thought. When my last comment is through moderation you’ll see that I will update plans late tomorrow.

    So I don’t know if this link will ‘break’ this post. It’s the latest updated poster about Sunday.

    link to sites.google.com

    You’ll see that Team YES Bus are having a collection for Dundee foodbanks in the hour before the march sets off. Albert Square is handy for Tesco in Murraygate and B&M Bargains in Wellgate.

    I’ll post more info Saturday evening.

    Reply
  164. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi Ian.

    My post at 9.28pm on Friday night says,

    Your comment is awaiting moderation
    Interestingly, the post I’ve just done at 1.52am Saturday morning has posted ok.

    Reply
  165. AuldA says:

    @Oneironaut:

    Never used NetBSD before. Looks intriguing though…

    Some UNIX history. UNIX (a pun referring to a former OS named ‘Multix’) was invented by a team of CS scientists at the Bell laboratories, amongst which Brian Kerningham and Dennis Ritchie, who also developed the C language, itself an evolution of the former BCPL (in fact C and UNIX grew together). The first version of UNIX (System I through IV) were essentially envisioned as a research platform to implement some computer science concepts that were floating around (paginated memory, multi-threading, multi-user, network connections…). As such, System IV was acquired by the new computer science laboratory at the U of Berkeley in California, that considerably expanded and reworked the code, and produced what was called the Berkeley Standard Distributions or BSD, starting at 4.0. Concurrently, System IV progressed at the Bell laboratories until it evolved into System V. Both ‘brothers’ exchanged ideas (Sockets are a BSD idea, while RPC and Shared memory segments are System V ones), until the University of Berkeley decided to close the CS lab. The decision was then made to publish all the code of the BSD 4.3 version, which was the most recent one, under an almost-public-domain licence (called the BSD licence). But the Bell laboratories sued the U of Berkeley over the fact that some lines of the BSD code were still directly borrowed from System IV, which was copyrighted. At the end, a compromise was brokered and the U of Berkeley was given free rein if they first removed the offending lines from their code. That gave birth to BSD 4.3 “Unencumbered”, a system which was not fully functional. So the Berkeley’s lab was given some extra time to complete a rewriting of the pulled-out code, and it finally released a free BSD 4.4 version and then close for good.

    Now, BSD 4.4 being free, some teams of developers endeavored to continue the development. For historical reasons, the project split in three: OpenBSD/FreeBSD and NetBSD. The first is widely known for putting a strong emphasis on security, and its development team has been the first to release a free implementation of the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol that is now routinely used over Internet to cipher the communications (https://), OpenSSL. FreeBSD was somehow hemmed into the Intel/PC hardware, and NetBSD insisted on producing a lightweight, highly portable UNIX system, working on devices from a toaster to big cluster of supercomputers.

    So NetBSD is a very light, but almost basic Unix system. When you install it, you have no GUI, just a console (a.k.a terminal). It’s up to you to install whatever you need through the pkgsrc package manager. It’s definitely the option for advanced users (but I’ve been playing with BSD UNIX since the era of the Sun 2, that was 1989).

    FreeBSD was chosen by Apple to implement the “BSD layer” of MacOS X. So what you get when you type commands in the “Terminal” application on a Mac is a BSD-like interface, and so are the standard C calls to the kernel. That’s why it is possible to run almost every Open source program on a Mac.

    As for Linux, it is a total rewriting of System V by Linus Torvalds and other peers. It does not share a single line of code with System V (which sidesteps the copyright issue). But it is System V like in its design, and though BSD and System V are mostly identical, there are small differences. I shun System V, and so I’ve never been really acquainted with Linux other than superficially. In fact, the web servers that I administrate at work are all running FreeBSD.

    Now, you can have ”fun” with some commands on your Linux system using the terminal (Xterm, I suppose): try, for example, to type ‘biff’ or ‘ncal 2015’. Unix is riddled with some funny references. ‘biff’, a program that ‘bays’ each time a mail arrives, has been christened after the name of the dog of Heidi Stettner, who was the janitor of the Berkeley CS lab. His dog had the bad habit of barking each time someone passed by, wherefore the name of the utility. ‘man biff’ will give you more information.

    Have a great week-end!

    Reply
  166. AuldA says:

    PS: I forgot to say that another criterion that led me to choose BSD over GNU/Linux was my personal despise of the GPL licence and of Richard Stallman. The GPL licence is fine for softwares which are released under a dual licence, commercial and free, such as the Qt toolkit or the CGAL library. The idea is that if you use the library to develop a product that you sell, you have to pay the licence; on the other hand, if you develop an Open sourced product, then you can use the library free of charge. The GPL insures that you cannot dodge this requirement, since the software you build over the library has to be released under the same terms (‘viral licencing’).

    However, my idea of a free software is that a free software is free to use, whether in Open source or in commercial software. This is the gist of the BSD licence, which only oblige one to cite the original developers.

    Besides, Stallman has perverted the concept of Open Source software. Theoretically, an Open Source GPL’d software is free for everybody to use and modify. However Stallman himself has recognized that the code of the most famous C, C++… compiler suite, GCC, ubiquitous on GNU/Linux and other systems, to which he has heavily contributed, had been deliberately obfuscated to render it very difficult to modify. This is somehow dishonest: we hand you the code, but you’ll be a dotard when you finally figure out every aspect of it.

    In fact, GCC is so hard to maintain by third-party developers, and the GPL in version 3 so obscure in its wording, that Apple has ditched the support of it and hired a young Ph.D. student, Chris Lattner, that had begun to develop a modern, portable and modular compiler, LLVM, under the BSD licence, and offered him to continue his project at Apple’s HQ. The result is that, five years later, we have a mature alternative to GCC which is capable of achieving the same level of performance, if not a better one, than GCC, is BSD-licenced, and used by major software/hardware players such as Nvidia or ATI besides Apple, and has been adopted as standard compiler by other project such as Free and Net-BSD.

    Reply
  167. Paula Rose says:

    (@ AuldA – is that the lecture over, honey?)

    Reply
  168. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:
    Sorry, I did not want to appear sanctimonious… 😛

    Are you ready for tomorrow?

    Reply
  169. cearc says:

    Teaching old hackers to suck zeros?

    Reply
  170. Paula Rose says:

    No no AuldA – just didn’t want anyone to interrupt such a fascinating subject – now where’s that smiley winky thing.

    Reply
  171. Paula Rose says:

    Btw re tomorrow, am I ready – It’ll have to be the fur-lined boots rather than the heels as I’m probably going to be on my feet all day.

    Reply
  172. Oneironaut says:

    @AuldA
    Wow…
    Have to admit, I tend to get hyperfocused on the actual technology itself, so I know very little about GPL and all that stuff outside of it.
    And I have very little knowledge of coding. The only computer language I’ve ever got anywhere close to learning in my life was BASIC, when I was spending my early teenage years trying to figure out how to program games on an old Amstrad CPC6128 system (shows you how old I am! hehe).

    I’m just a nuts and bolts hardware hacker at heart 🙂
    Using Windows PCs for far too long has unfortunately left my “command line” skills very rusty, so I’m essentially trying to learn the Linux console completely from scratch.

    Ideally, I’d like to learn more about customising something like the Linux Kernel, to create my own “distro” (though not for distributing, just to use on my own systems).
    Hardened security is definitely a priority for it though, especially in this day and age…
    *puts on tinfoil hat* 🙂

    Reply
  173. AuldA says:

    @Cearc: Yeah, I suppose so… That’s what I do myself part of my time! 🙂

    @Paula Rose: I don’t think it is fascinating, as Mr Spock would have it. It is just a piece of computer history. In hindsight, I just realized some details are a bit wrong, but that does not change the nub.

    I’ll warn my friend you intend to leave your heels at home and wear boots instead. I hope he will be bold enough to meet you. Sometimes I think he’s pretty shy.

    Reply
  174. AuldA says:

    @Oneironaut:

    Well, I also started as a hardware specialist. IC, discreet parts, soldering iron, oscilloscope, etc. And we are about the same age. I started on ORIC machines, then had sundry computers like a Sinclair QL before settling on Atari for a while (as Stu’ was writing articles on an Amiga magazine, I was writing on an Atari-ST one).

    Ideally, I’d like to learn more about customising something like the Linux Kernel, to create my own “distro” (though not for distributing, just to use on my own systems).
    Hardened security is definitely a priority for it though, especially in this day and age…

    Customizing the kernel is not that difficult. Basically, you have a file with various options that correspond to included drivers, and you left out those you don’t want; besides, you can tweak some memory and process-related parameters. Then a script crunches all these informations, pulls the right modules in and give you a kernel that you can then execute. That way you save some memory since your kernel embeds only the drivers you need.

    With Linux you get extra security alright. Note than you can hardly get worse than Windows anyway.

    Reply
  175. Natasha says:

    @Oneironaut & AuldA

    F*ck “layman’s terms”, do you speak English?

    Reply
  176. X_Sticks says:

    @ Oneironaut & AldA

    I think you’re on the wrong forum – you need Tom’s Hardware forum:

    link to tomshardware.co.uk

    😀 😉

    Reply
  177. AuldA says:

    @Natasha & X_Sticks: I feel so contrite, I won’t do it again, I promise. I beg forgiveness.

    Reply
  178. Oneironaut says:

    @AuldA
    Yeah, I’d heard it was something like that. I’m still figuring out all the various options though. And it would be nice to try to learn some kind of coding knowhow for when I want to dig into the source code and tinker with something manually without breaking it…

    As for security, I’m also trying to learn as much as I can about that. About how networking actually works (beyond the basics of just how you get two or more computers to communicate and all that).
    I think the only way to really be sure your security is tight is to challenge some professional cracker to actually try to break into it and let you know how they got on…

    Reply
  179. Oneironaut says:

    @Natasha and X_Sticks
    oops, sorry… Got a little carried away…

    *hides*

    Reply
  180. X_Sticks says:

    Only kiddin’ guys – you know O/T is for anything and everything. No one forces us to read the posts 😀

    Reply
  181. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Today I am liking this:

    The Chateau Generals, ‘Planet 35’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  182. AuldA says:

    @Oneironaut: security is a vast subject… There’s a lot to learn, and everyday something emerges. I won’t elaborate, otherwise I’ll be banished from this website!

    @X_Sticks: No, really, I know, this discussion was way off-off-topic ! 😛

    Reply
  183. Oneironaut says:

    @AuldA
    “…security is a vast subject… There’s a lot to learn, and everyday something emerges.”

    And that’s exactly my problem… Hehe.

    Ok everyone, I’m shutting up now 😉

    Reply
  184. Bob Sinclair says:

    Wee bit of assistance required. Does anyone know if withdrawal of implied right of access can be served on SLAB.

    Reply
  185. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Aretha Franklin, ‘I Say A Little Prayer’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  186. Bugger (the Panda) says:

    Anybody interested in understanding a “bit” of the nonsense that consists international indebtedness should read this,

    link to tinyurl.com

    I do not recommend this blog as a fountain of wisdom but he does have an ability of stripping down and analysing.

    It is informative.

    Reply
  187. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Nina Simone, ‘Feeling Good’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  188. Paula Rose says:

    Girl’s nite!! Aretha in one of my favourites…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  189. cearc says:

    BtP,

    That’s a pretty neat, easy to follow explanation without getting bogged down in the detail (something I always do!).

    Reply
  190. Paula Rose says:

    Oh and one from Nina – to do with tropical midges!

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  191. cearc says:

    Do many people set up twitter accounts for their pet mosquitoes?

    Reply
  192. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Eartha Kitt, ‘Where Is My Man’ (a rewrite of an obscure Joe Dolce flop called ‘Where Is My Van?’) –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  193. AuldA says:

    @Cearc: I don’t even have a Twitter account. Neither Facebook. Nor Linkedin. Nothing. I hate being social. Except with Wingers.

    Reply
  194. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi peeps.

    Promised update about arrangements for the YES City Gathering in Dundee tomorrow.

    Wingers will have two assembly points:

    1. The stall at Fat Sam’s. I intend getting there around 11 – 11.15am with posters ‘n’ stuff. Ronnie – I’ll have the banners and flags at Fattie’s initially. Anyone else with leaflets and so on should make this your assembly point.

    When you enter Fat Sam’s, the way through to the stalls area is a few yards in, on the left, at the ‘YES We Care’ and ‘Team YES Bus’ stalls. The Wings stall will be in the stalls area, immediately to the left when you enter that room, which is also doubling as the ‘Family Room’.

    Once we have the stall in order, Pete the Camera is going to stay there as ‘parkie’, to let the rest of us get along to Albert Square to join the march.

    2. The other assembly point for Wingers is at Albert Square. At least one of the Wings banners will be there for noon, to assemble around. The bodies from Fattie’s will meet the rest of the Wingers there for the march.

    Then it’s an afternoon of promoting WOS and having fun and drinkies, not necessarily in that order, and hearing some good speakers and good bands.

    For those of you from outwith the Dundee environs, make sure you see The Graham Brown Band and Independence.

    I think that’s the bases covered. See you tomorrow!

    (I’ll post my intended music link for tonight in a separate post, in case of moderation problems.)

    Reply
  195. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    But, before the music link, I’ll try this Google Maps link.

    If you go to the link below, Assembly Point 1 is at Fat Sam’s, marked with an A at the bottom left of the map. Assembly Point 2 is at the McManus Galleries, at the top right of the map.

    link to goo.gl

    Reply
  196. X_Sticks says:

    Ah, girls night eh? Well, here’s a couple of my favourite ladies.

    An often overlooked gem:

    link to youtube.com

    and she can do it unplugged too:

    link to youtube.com

    And an all time favourite of mine from one of the best ever:

    link to youtube.com

    Enjoy.

    Reply
  197. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    OK, my most recent post with a Google Maps link is awaiting moderation. I’ll try a YouTube link.

    This features a band called ‘Krazy Kat’. I saw them at the Bowlin’ Alley in the 70s and they were the only band who gave me a feed from their mixing desk to record them on my reel-to-reel.

    They were on tour, promoting their second album “Troubled Air” so, as was my habit with bands appearing at the union, I got hold of their first album the week before the gig. It was called “China Seas” and, interestingly, featured a song called “Dundee Calling”, which was about Dundee’s whalers.

    I’ve never been able to discover the connection between the band and knowledge of Dundee’s whaling industry. Onnyhoo, this is “Dundee Calling”, an appropriate song for tonight.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  198. Paula Rose says:

    Spookily enough it’s time for… Dusty!

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  199. AuldA says:

    Did you watch the first trailer of the next Star Wars flick?

    If not, it is here: link to youtube.com

    Do you think the guy @50s from beginning could be Stu’ chasing Gordon Brown in winter in some remote and dark forest?

    Reply
  200. X_Sticks says:

    Speaking of girls, how could I not add this one – the incomparable Liz Fraser. The only problem is choosing a track. Every song makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and sends a shiver down my spine and sound as good now as the first time I heard them.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  201. Croompenstein says:

    @X_Sticks…

    Makes my hair stand up…..

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  202. cearc says:

    Croompenstein,

    Nice one.

    Reply
  203. X_Sticks says:

    Here something that is a recent find for me (thanks to Ysabelle Stewart) Natacha Atlas.

    One for Paula Rose

    link to youtube.com

    And one the boys might enjoy – Bahlam

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  204. Ian Brotherhood says:

    No naked flames if you please…

    Def Leppard, ‘Animal’ –

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecFPU–vvf0

    Reply
  205. Paula Rose says:

    Many lassies…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  206. Paula Rose says:

    @ Ian Tinyhood – Deaf Effing Leppard! You will be chastised – neither ladies nor songstresses, I am displeased.

    Reply
  207. Stoker says:

    Melissa Etheridge – I Need To Wake Up
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  208. Paula Rose says:

    Mes chous – I have to go to bed soon, I’ve got to get all glammed up for tomorrow and the hunky X_Sticks coming to my door (swoon) – but a wee tune for your delectation…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  209. Paula Rose says:

    The quiet joys of brotherhood… (for you Ian my joy)

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  210. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose –

    Cheap jests about the size of my helmet (or ‘parapluie’ si vous prefere) do not become you.

    You don’t like Def Leppard?

    Quelle dommage.

    What about this?

    Rainbow, ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  211. Paula Rose says:

    Talking of doors –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  212. Oneironaut says:

    Who needs Bowie? I like this one better! 😀

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  213. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose –

    Sorry for being snarky there, but my hackles rise when people diss ‘The Deff’.

    Next time we meet I would like to sing you a song, but there are lengthy instrumental interludes which I cannot fill, and I was hoping you’d bring your paper/comb.

    Here it is, so you can familiarise yourself with the awkward spaces.

    Foreigner, ‘Waiting For A Girl Like You’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  214. Paula Rose says:

    Curtsey to the Goddess…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  215. Paula Rose says:

    @ Ian Sillyhood – oh you are so young and sweet

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  216. Paula Rose says:

    Always the same – too much pressure…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  217. cearc says:

    X_sticks,

    You are a wonder. I heard Natacha Atlas a while back, loved her and then couldn’t remember the name.

    Love you, lots of hugs and kisses,

    xxxxx.

    Reply
  218. Croompenstein says:

    These guys are hero’s of mine…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  219. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Let’s have a wee lullaby, eh?

    Matt McGinn, ‘Coorie Doon’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  220. cearc says:

    That was lovely Ian.

    Reply
  221. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    I hope everyone who’s coming to Dundee today has managed to read my posts at 6.28pm, 6.37pm and 6.49pm.

    link to wingsoverscotland.com

    The middle one is still saying that it’s awaiting moderation so I’ll try the link from that post in this post. It shows the locations of Fat Sam’s and McManus Galleries – bottom left and top right.

    Of course, it may destroy the post…

    link to goo.gl

    Reply
  222. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    JEEZ!!!

    My last post at 3.34am is saying “Your comment is awaiting moderation.”

    I give up. I hope you can all muddle through later today.

    Reply
  223. Bugger (the Panda) says:

    link to youtube.com

    My ironic and late contribution

    Reply
  224. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    As a matter of interest, can anyone see my posts that are marked “Your comment is awaiting moderation”, like the ones at 6.37pm last night and 3.34am this morning?

    Onnyhoo, for those of you heading to Assembly Point 1 at Fat Sam’s between 11 and 12: if the front door isn’t open, go round the corner into Lindsay Street and you should be able to get in the door with the “Stage Door” sign above it.

    Reply
  225. AuldA says:

    @Brian:
    No message dated 3.34 am. Sorry 🙁

    Have a great happy Dunday (or a great happey Dundee? 😉 )

    Reply
  226. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    In case anyone has problems with entry, you can phone me or Pete.

    0-7-5-1-1 3-9-1-6-1-9

    0-7-9-8-6 8-8-7-9-9-8

    Reply
  227. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Thanks AuldA.

    I just got Pete to check – he reported the same.

    Reply
  228. cearc says:

    Briandtt,

    Saw your afternoon post when it went up. Your posts seem to be appearing ok.

    Have fun today and love to everyone there.

    Reply
  229. AuldA says:

    @Brian: you’re most welcome.

    Have fun. Tell me if you meet my ‘local’ friend. He said he would show up.
    Enjoy!

    Reply
  230. Oneironaut says:

    Hope everyone is having fun in Dundee (Or Faslane, to the ones who went there).

    Wish I could have joined you all. 🙂

    Reply
  231. Patrician says:

    courtesy of gerry parker:

    Some of the usual suspects in Dundee today.

    link to dl.dropboxusercontent.com

    Reply
  232. Paula Rose says:

    I’ve just got back from Dundee – all my other chauffeurs eat your hearts out babes – kiss_Sticks is the king of the road and of course Jock Scot is the king of the dance floor – oh my – and everyone else, I’m entranced.

    Reply
  233. Taranaich says:

    45th post on Wilderness of Peace, and I couldn’t help but have some fun with the latest hyperbolic nonsense from the papers with the “Vow Delivered”:

    link to wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com

    @Natasha: It WAS you I saw in the foyer doing a wee dance! I didn’t dare come up to you and ask if you were a Winger, in case I was wrong and looked like a weirdo (although I still managed to accomplish that later on in the Yesbar). I’m sure I also saw you taking that footage on your mobile; we were up in the gods on that side of the auditorium too.

    Argh, sorry to have missed you, Natasha! Still, we’re in for an exciting time in Scottish politics, no doubt our paths’ll cross again. I’m great with faces, but terrible with names, so I’ll constantly be saying “Hello!… you!”

    @Briandoonthetoon:
    Enjoyed your post at the link above but… … … …
    Your comment box didn’t like me.
    Rejected a spacebar hit so I used an underscore. Then it totally ignored my typing.
    Well, I didn’t get to where I should have been today by meekly accepting interweb software sticking two fingers up to me so I removed myself from that confrontational text box and posted here.
    Your post was a good read. And it was fine to meet you and Geraldine – and crazycat and Oneironaut and the rest.

    Coming to play in Dundee on Sunday?

    Thanks, Brian! WordPress can be temperamental, so sorry about that. It was great meeting yourself, too. Sadly I couldn’t make it to Dundee, but Edinburgh might be doable depending on timing.

    @X_Sticks: @Taranaich – Enjoyed your awstruckness at the Hydro AND meeting Paula Rose, just wish I could have made it there on Saturday too. The Wings activists are a welcoming bunch as you have found, and I hope I’ll meet you at a future get together, maybe Edinburgh if Tam gets his hits together ;D

    😀

    Reply
  234. Oneironaut says:

    @Taranaich
    That is my new favourite blog post of the year! 😀

    Respect is due…

    Reply
  235. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:

    Hope you had a great day.
    My friend didn’t come: he got up at 3 pm!
    I hope you did not wait for him!

    Reply
  236. Paula Rose says:

    Taranaich honey – I’m saving the next dance for you!

    Reply
  237. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA – I’m somewhat miffed. I’ll go get the bus now.

    Reply
  238. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose: I’m sorry. Don’t be too sulky at me.
    Get the bus? You’re not home yet?

    Reply
  239. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA – I’m home my wee cabbage, courtesy of kiss_sticks, but was disappointed not to meet your friend – or maybe I did, our stall manfully manned by Brian DTT and Pete TC with oversight from Natasha and my dear pal Chipmonkey was very busy all afternoon, perchance they met the elusive one?

    Reply
  240. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:

    I am not sure he made it to the stall. He flatly apologized:

    Glaaargh, my apologies. My sleeping patterns betrayed me, and I’ve managed to miss the rally. I’m terrible at this business. Come be a Scottish nationalist in my place, you’d be better at it.

    I feel sorry for him, too. He forwent a great afternoon with delicious people.
    Next time, I’ll give you his address so that you come to his door and knock until he’s awaken! 🙂

    Reply
  241. X_Sticks says:

    Well that was a thoroughly enjoyable day in Dundee with the usual Wings reprobates 😉

    Meeting lots of old friends and new. Always good to catch up with you all.

    And to have chauffeured the delectable Paula Rose, mon dieu! I don’t know how I managed to keep my concentration on the road. It was not easy, and that was with the fur lined boots rather than the heels.

    I have to admit a touch of jealousy when Jock stole the limelight on the dancefloor, but then I had to drive back up the road and it was probably the slowest I’ve ever driven from Dundee to Brechin. Unfortunately only got flashed by a speed camera though 🙁

    Hope to see you again soon once Tam get his hits together (lookin’ at you Tam 😀 )

    On we go Till victory

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  242. Graeme Doig says:

    Here i go again. Worry Worry.

    Would all Ronnie Andersons please report to WOS pronto.

    We took a fair bit of refreshing after the Indy rally yesterday. Nice wee pub in the Canongate. Does anyone else visit pubs and not pay attention to the name?

    Was great meeting up wi Billy and bumping into James Caithness. It was all a fascinating happenstance.

    Reply
  243. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Sounds like y’all had a blast.

    I’m mightily hacked-off at missing so many recent Wings getthegithers, but it can’t be helped. Exams looming, and I’ve just taken on a wee job which I’m dying to tell youse about but can’t. Yet. (Be assured – whatever flabber you possess will be well and truly gasted.)

    Reply
  244. Pete the camera says:

    Graeme, Ronnie is in the couting house with mysell and doon the toon I can assure you he is taking care of himself well

    Reply
  245. Graeme Doig says:

    Pete the camera

    🙂 I’m sure he is. Cheers for that. Ask him if he’s done any shimmying today.

    Reply
  246. Paula Rose says:

    Ian honey – flabbier my gast! Pete the peephole – keep the boys safe, especially grandpa Ronnie.

    Reply
  247. Natasha says:

    Who’s carrying Ronnie home? He was well into the whisky when I left at ten to four! Had a great time meeting you all, and loved my badge. Paula Rose – what can I say? You defy description. Love to you all. xxx

    Reply
  248. Graeme Doig says:

    Ian

    Be good to see you again bud.

    I’ve dusted down an old flabber of mine 🙂 (never thought i’d hear masel think that)

    Reply
  249. cearc says:

    Paula Rose,

    Oi! None of this down-grading our Ronnie. He’s a great grandpa, so he is.

    Glad you all had fun.

    Reply
  250. cearc says:

    Ian,

    Congrats on the wee jobbie.

    Our gasts are fair flabbering in anticipation.

    Reply
  251. Paula Rose says:

    Cearc honey – he is my big huggie grandpa – total upgrade man of all time xx + he’s a gent.

    Reply
  252. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose –

    Forgot to say thanks for the badge, to you and whoever made it. Very special, and it will have pride of place in my campaign medal collection. Oneironaut gave me one last week.

    @cearc and Graeme –

    Many thanks for the good vibes and getting your gasts prepared – can’t tell you yet because it’s too much like chicken-counting, but so long as I don’t make a total arse of it? it’s a cracker.

    Reply
  253. Oneironaut says:

    @Ian Brotherhood
    “Oneironaut gave me one last week.”

    Freudian slip there?

    Anyways, flabber is standing by ready for gasting! 😀
    Had to go out and buy a brand new flabber recently too, it’s taken quite a lot of gasting over the whole year…

    Reply
  254. Paula Rose says:

    Anyone else want a stroke? (giggle)

    Reply
  255. Jock Scot says:

    Great day spent with some Wingers(usual suspects, minus some)
    link to facebook.com

    Reply
  256. Jock Scot says:

    Just in case my previous post doesn’t make it..I had a grand day with some of the Wingers in Dundee and am now the proud owner of a I’ve been stroked by Paula Rose badge and she did literally dance me to heaven..photos are on Yew Choob’s FB page in the photo album section.

    Reply
  257. cearc says:

    I’d like a stroke.

    Reply
  258. Paula Rose says:

    @ Jock Scot – honey bunch, that’s all the photos I took! Silly boy, I knew we shouldn’t have had that last stroke! I’ll send the ones of me by email then you can massage them.

    Reply
  259. Paula Rose says:

    music from St Andrew…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  260. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Help –

    Trying to remember title of movie (early 80s?) which was about large cockroach-type beetles which crawled over people and then burst into flames.

    At the end of the film the beetles confronted the main man by spreading across a table (or maybe a wall) then rearranging themselves to form the words ‘WE LIVE’. The actor was a well-kent face, and brilliant in the role, but never a superstar.

    Anyone remember what it was called?

    (Special mystery prize for whoever gets it!)

    Reply
  261. Ian Brotherhood says:

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  262. Ian Brotherhood says:

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  263. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Never seen this before – didn’t realise KB was such a good dancer.

    Kate Bush, ‘Running Up That Hill’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  264. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Nana Smith –

    That’s the one!

    Many thanks. I’ve been meaning to ask on here about that for ages, and kept forgetting.

    Your mystery prize?

    The trailer for the movie, which I’ve just watched – that brought it all back. Great movie, but I’m genuinely shocked it was made as far back as 1975. The actor’s name – Bradford Dillman.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
    • Nana Smith says:

      @Ian Brotherhood

      Can’t imagine how that ever stuck in my brain, considering I can barely recall what I saw last week!

      I’m ‘astonished’ it was made so long ago.

      Reply
  265. ronnie anderson says:

    To all Wingers am no Buger the Panda, I sign in at some point in the day/evening.I,ve had a great day in great company with Wingers & The good people of Yes City 57% DUNDEE. an am no drunk just. slighty ascue

    Reply
  266. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Sorry about the Kate Bush overload there – don’t know what happened.

    Reply
  267. Oneironaut says:

    It’s amazing what sort of oddness you can stumble across on Youtube…

    Dedicating this one to all the Wingers and everyone else who turned out in Dundee! 😀

    *posts up the link and runs for the nearest exit…*

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  268. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Oneironaut –

    ‘Gloryhammer’?!

    Superb.

    BTW, anyone else just experience a 15-minute shutdown of WOS? Seemed to start at midnight.

    Reply
  269. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Not quite ‘Gloryhammer’ quality, but let’s make these guys famous (it’s only had 148 views, bless…)

    The Chateau Generals, ‘Intergalactic Sex Warrior Goddess’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  270. Oneironaut says:

    @Ian Brotherhood
    The title alone made it worthy of investigation 😀

    Reply
  271. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Here’s Lisa Stansfield doing her thing with Barry white. Almost as good as the rendition by X-Sticks and Paula Rose in Broughty Ferry’s Wetherspoon’s all those months ago.

    Lisa Stansfield & Barry White, ‘All Around The World’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  272. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Chums,

    My mysterious wee jobbie is on page 11 of the National.

    Clue – I’m not Greg Moodie.

    Reply
  273. cearc says:

    Ian,

    Hidden talents coming across and going down as well.

    A wee jobbie not to be poo-pooed.

    Reply
  274. AuldA says:

    @Ian:

    link to mots-croises.ch

    Click on the 1 to 4 buttons to watch the full strip. It’s in French, but it doesn’t need a translation (it is self-explanatory). Enjoy!

    Reply
  275. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @AuldA –

    Nice one. Salut!

    Reply
  276. Ian Brotherhood says:

    The Two Ronnies, ‘Crossword’ sketch –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  277. Graeme Doig says:

    Mr B

    Well done sir. Very impressed wi your work.

    I’m to crosswords what Murphy is to integrity, totally clueless (I’ve got ma coat) , but nice one never the less.

    Reply
  278. AuldA says:

    @Ian:

    I concur with Greame. It’s way too obscure for me. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s edition to understand how your obviously twisted mind works 😛

    Reply
  279. Stoker says:

    A response to TV Licensing:
    link to archive.today

    Reply
  280. Graeme Doig says:

    Stoker

    🙂 Excellent! I’ll have a copy of the book.

    Reply
  281. Paula Rose says:

    Ian honey – romped through that wee puzzle in ten minutes, hope you’ve got more to come and a bit harder.

    Reply
  282. Natasha says:

    @Ian Brotherhood
    Hooray – a crossword! I’m stuck on 11 down. Haven’t I seen ‘Calgacus’ somewhere before? The Herald, maybe?

    Reply
  283. Paula Rose says:

    Natasha – would you like the answer?

    Reply
  284. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Natasha –

    Could be you’re thinking of oor ain Calgacus? – had to pick a Scottishy name quickly and one of Calgacus comments happened to be onscreen.

    Reply
  285. ronnie anderson says:

    Oh Natasha ya wee kliper ah shared a couple of Balmenys with the delightful Paula Rose & ah dance with Paula an Jock Scot but no way was I drunk, an ah hiv 2 good witnesses tae that BrianDTT & PeteTC & many thanks to Pete for running me home to Invergowrie.

    I hope the many Wingers enjoyed the day & got home safely another great outing in the Wings calendar.

    Reply
  286. Ian Brotherhood says:

    The greatest darts shot of all time –

    Super, smashing, lovely, great…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  287. Paula Rose says:

    The quiet joys of brotherhood xx

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  288. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose –

    Curiously enough, my lass is called Joy. Must show her that, she’ll like it.

    Reply
  289. cearc says:

    Ian ,

    Snap! I have a lass (well, grown woman with four weans) called Joy.

    Reply
  290. Michael McCabe says:

    @ Ian Brotherhood congrats on the crossword. Trying to solve a prize crossword myself but am stuck. Help. The clue is. Another name for a postman. Cheers in advance.

    Reply
  291. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Does anyone know why wombats are not extinct?

    They don’t appear very dynamic, you know, all that fight/flight stuff. Check out this big lump…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  292. Paula Rose says:

    Michael dear – might help if you gave us the number of letters (smiley thingie)

    Reply
  293. Michael McCabe says:

    @ Paula Rose. A Sackful. Sorry could not help myself there. Looking forward to meeting up with you all the next time Wings have a bash in Edinburgh.

    Reply
  294. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Michael McCabe –

    Cheers mister.

    I haven’t the faintest idea…is it Pat?

    How many letters, and do you know any of them already?

    Reply
  295. Oneironaut says:

    @Stoker
    Love the letter! 😀

    Inspired to try something similar myself now 😉

    Reply
  296. Ian Brotherhood says:

    This is just too good – even better than ‘fork handles’?

    The Two Ronnies, ‘Mastermind’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  297. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Stanley Unwin meets the man behind the voice of Bill & Ben –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  298. Bugger (the Panda) says:

    For da BrotherHood

    link to tinyurl.com

    Reply
  299. AuldA says:

    @Ian:

    Since you appear to be mastering every single word of the English language, maybe you can help me. For months I’ve been desperately striving to remember one (or two) verbs in four letters which mean ‘stuff something in the head, repeat until cloy’. A bit akin to ‘rote memorizing’. I stumbled on these verbs once, and then forgot them, and was never able to find them again. I asked a few people but were unable to help me. Maybe you?

    Reply
  300. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @AuldA –

    Could one of them be ‘cram’ as in ‘cram-school’ (Japanese-English)??

    Reply
  301. Mat says:

    @AuldA

    Cram?

    Reply
  302. AuldA says:

    @Ian, Mat: good guess, but no. It was very very specific, meaning exactly ‘to cram something into someone’s brain by repeating it over and over’. It’s baffling, and I have cursed myself an uncountable number of time for having forgotten this. Thanks for the help!

    Reply
  303. Nana Smith says:

    @AuldA

    rote

    Reply
  304. Paula Rose says:

    brainwash, beguile, bludgeon?

    Reply
  305. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @AuldA –

    Is it ‘swot’?

    Reply
  306. AuldA says:

    @Ian: ‘Swot’ I didn’t know. I’d have used ‘bone up’ instead (since I have, for various reasons, historically been more US oriented. That is, until I switched back and embraced the Scottish cause. As a result, I am more familiar with US colloquial or slang words than British ones. But I am compiling a wordbook of Scottish terms).

    @Nana: nope. ‘Rote’ I know and, if am I correct, it is no verb but just a name.
    @Paula: it’s just four (or five?) letters long. 🙁

    It must be a seldom used, maybe dated verb, because I never saw it written, and I read a lot of English these days. If I remember correctly, I made a typing mistake while looking up some other verb on my computer, this one showed up, and I was happy to have discovered a hidden gem. Then I let it go. Blast me! 🙁

    Thanks so so so much everybody, you’re just all adorable.
    My lexical quest goes on… 😛

    Reply
  307. Paula Rose says:

    Inculcate?

    Reply
  308. Nana Smith says:

    @AuldA

    Must it be 4 letters? Only other one I can think of is ‘tamp’ as in to tamp down as in compress.

    Reply
  309. Nana Smith says:

    @Ian Brotherhood

    Reading through the last few posts am I right in thinking you are compiling crosswords for our new newspaper The National.

    I am housebound right now so sadly not been able to get my hands on the paper this week.

    Reply
  310. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Nana Smith –

    Yep. Paula Rose has complained that my first effort (yesterday) was too easy, so I’m determined to stump her.

    Reply
    • Nana Smith says:

      @Ian

      Well done you! Really fed up now as I can’t get my mitts on a copy.

      Reply
  311. Oneironaut says:

    @AuldA
    There’s “Prep”, though I think that’s more of an American one.

    Also “Mull”, as in “mulling something over”.

    “Edify”

    “Pore”, as in “pore over”

    If it’s none of them, I’ve no idea…
    Maybe you should try doing crosswords too 😉

    Reply
  312. Paula Rose says:

    No Ian – not too easy, just not hard enough to make it really pleasurable.

    Reply
  313. Graeme Doig says:

    Nana

    Don’t know how exchanging of contact details works here (technophobe me) but i’d be happy to post you a copy every day til you get mobile.

    You’d be a day behind everyone but still a step ahead of me 🙂 (i blame my back meds)

    Reply
    • Nana Smith says:

      @Graeme Doig

      Just seeing your kind offer Graeme, I phoned a friend at teatime and her daughter is going to drop one off tomorrow.

      Thank you for thinking of me!

      Reply
  314. ronnie anderson says:

    @ PeteTC & BrianDTT .as we were discussing on Sunday look at Greater Maryhill foodbank site, they’re logo,s on the van photo.Let me know what you,s think.

    Reply
  315. ronnie anderson says:

    Hiv ah jist stuck ma heid intae the Oxford Dictonary site sos i,ll go back tae WoS musta hut the wrang key.

    Reply
  316. Graeme Doig says:

    Ronnie

    Indeed. Looks like we wasted our Saturday. Should have been brushin up on our wordsmithery 🙂

    By the way Sunday? Dundee? What am i missing?

    Reply
  317. CameronB Brodie says:

    AuldA
    I think someone said the more you learn, the more you realise there is even more you don’t know. Or something similar. 😉

    The Big Bamboozle (a.k.a. Better Together)

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  318. Natasha says:

    @Ian Brotherhood
    Abacedarians? Abacedarians? Are you taking the p*ss? Now I feel like a complete ignoramus! The only consolation is that they clearly would have been crap at crosswords. 🙂
    Btw, does anyone know the answer to 6 down in today’s crossword?

    Reply
  319. Paula Rose says:

    Abecedarians – it’s an anagram, simples.

    Reply
  320. ronnie anderson says:

    @ Graeme Doig aye but wee can beat them wordshiths whene it comes to questions on the constellations,due to that crash course we had in the Tollbooth Bar.

    Reply
  321. Natasha says:

    @Paula Rose
    Yes I knew it was an anagram, but to work out the anagram you had to know the word to start with! I’m still smarting from being exposed as less than an authority on 16th century sects. Let me wallow in my self-pity, woman.

    Reply
  322. Natasha says:

    I notice you haven’t provided the answer to 6 down. Not so smart now, are you? 🙂

    Reply
  323. Paula Rose says:

    EEK – just had a look at today’s, also stuck at 6 down, that’s me pulled down a peg or three.

    Reply
  324. ronnie anderson says:

    @ Graeme Doig if you thought Sat was a good day Sun was even better every band waas great in Fatties Jock Scot & Paula Rose on the dance flair doing the balloon dance.

    Reply
  325. Paula Rose says:

    A good cryptic crossword does not necessitate knowing the word if it is well crafted – in my opinion Ian’s was well crafted unlike today’s.

    Reply
  326. Natasha says:

    @Paula Rose
    Do you think the second word might be ‘parts’? Don’t know why, except that it’s a plural and it fits!

    Reply
  327. Natasha says:

    4 across is spruce, which means 6 down starts with a c. I keep thinking of ‘computing’ but the t in berths won’t let that happen.

    Reply
  328. Natasha says:

    communist party!!!!

    Reply
  329. Natasha says:

    Btw, careful, today’s might have been done by another Winger who is now sobbing in a corner somewhere at having been dismissed by the delightful Paula Rose . . .

    Reply
  330. Paula Rose says:

    Well done honey!!

    Reply
  331. Paula Rose says:

    @ Natasha – oops, you don’t think that’s possible do you? Lots of wingers setting crosswords? I’m sure ronnie won’t.

    Reply
  332. CameronB Brodie says:

    Abecedarian rhymes with Austro-Hungarian, authoritarian, communitarian, disciplinarian, documentarian, egalitarian, humanitarian, majoritarian, nonagenarian, octogenarian, parliamentarian, postmillenarian, premillenarian, predestinarian, sexagenarian, totalitarian, utilitarian, veterinarian. 🙂

    link to merriam-webster.com

    Reply
  333. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi Ronnie.

    I think “wordshiths” are a very underrated minority within the community. The more publicity they get, the better!

    Onnyhoo, I’ve kinda run out of quality computer time tonight. I had a Google Image Search a wee while ago re: Maryhill Foodbank with little success but I’ll look at their Facebook and Twitter pages tomorrow evening.

    .
    RIGHT! PAY ATTENTION WINGERS!

    An anti-austerity march and rally is happening in Dundee on Saturday. You can see the details on the leaflet at the link below. The speakers include Stewart Hosie, Cat Boyd and Craig Murray.

    link to sites.google.com

    A Wings presence is planned for this march but, obviously, we need Wingers to support the banner and flags. If you can make it on Saturday, please let us know here, in ‘off-topic’.

    Last thing…
    I have some pics and videos from Sunday but a shortage of time for processing and uploading. I’ll try to get some of the pics on the webspace tomorrow evening but it’ll probably be the weekend before I have the videos ready for upload to YouTube.

    Reply
  334. Natasha says:

    Well honestly, Bdtt, it’s just not good enough. Why aren’t you working round the clock to get this important information to us? 🙂 (Make sure you cut out the footage of Paula Rose and Ronnie dancing on the bar).

    Can’t be there on Saturday as am organising very important social event for local SNP branch. Only very important people allowed. Got that? Very important. xxx

    Reply
  335. Natasha says:

    @CameronB Brodie
    You are even sadder than I. 🙂

    Reply
  336. CameronB Brodie says:

    I wonder how many No voters are Sad?
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  337. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    This is interesting…

    “CIVIL servants visited a controversial nationalist blog almost 14,000 times in the six months before the independence referendum.
    Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats through a Freedom of Information request show that the Scottish Government employees, who must be politically impartial, accessed the Wings Over Scotland site on average 77 times per day.”

    That’s from:-

    link to heraldscotland.com

    Reply
  338. Paula Rose says:

    I can only but concur with Natasha – some things are best left in the file marked “wonderful memories” – if you weren’t there you missed true beauty. Btw, sorry Bdtt can’t be there as I’ll be in Edinburgh at a family event.

    Reply
  339. Grouse Beater says:

    Sigh. I wrote about the bloody BBC again and made myself thoroughly depressed. I should have chosen ‘best domestic cats to cuddle,’ or ‘breeding racing pigeons.’

    Tried hosing down my brain by nipping out to see Tommy Lee Jones’s The Houseman, a well made western good to look at, about poor, lonely prairie dwelling women, a film with a supposedly modern femanist edge, but actually with a very old message – a woman needs a men. Another depressing story. If I was a boozer I could drown my sorrows. Sheesh.

    Anyhow, came home, tidied the essay; will attend to other bits tomorrow. Took a real effort to find an uplifting line to finish it. I hate Scotland’s dark evenings and dreich nights. Sorry for the interruption…

    The Bastardisation of the BBC Grouse Beater on WordPress.

    I’m off to bed for an early rise…

    Reply
  340. Paula Rose says:

    @ Grouse Beater – go and be sad on a grouse moor elsewhere honey, this is O/T we only do positive invigorating stuff.

    Reply
  341. Paula Rose says:

    @ Grouse Flogger – only one western worth watching xx

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  342. Paula Rose says:

    Hi ronnie anderson (dearest) – tu asked about tu-tus here’s two two many…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  343. AuldA says:

    @CameronB Brodie:

    I think someone said the more you learn, the more you realise there is even more you don’t know. Or something similar. 😉

    That’s what happens routinely in science, where new discoveries frequently lead to further questioning. For example, with the now relatively accurate measurement of galaxies’ dynamics, we are faced with the obvious evidence that more than 80% of the galaxies’ mass is hidden and of an unknown nature (called elliptically ‘dark matter’). Likewise, we now know that our universe is not only expanding, but expanding faster and faster as time passes, bloated by a type of unknown energy that pervades the whole space-time continuum, and called, as elliptically as the dark matter, ‘dark energy’. So, while we thought that improving measurements would allow us to better understand our universe, it turned out to be completely the opposite!

    But for words, if you take a second to introspect your knowledge, you find staggering conclusions. Often, you forget a word, but you don’t forget you knew it, nor its definition. That means your brain registers two pieces of information. The information itself, i.e. the word, and a ‘meta-information’ (information about this information), i.e. definition, number of letters, example of use, etc. And while the first is relatively volatile, the second is more permanent, and can persist even if the word it refers too has been swept away of consciousness. Memorization is definitely a complex process that involves very intricate neurologic processes (and that is only lexical memory. Factual and non-verbal memory is still more complex).

    Reply
  344. Oneironaut says:

    Tempted to try making a crossword puzzle for the paper myself now.
    Though I think most of my words would be on techie stuff, ‘cos that’s all I know! 😉

    Reply
  345. AuldA says:

    @Oneironaut:

    Try to create the geek’s cryptic crossword! 🙂

    Reply
  346. AndyC says:

    The truths are coming out thick and fast now….
    Todays daily express front page..’Death of the State Pension’
    Team GB can’t afford it, so you work till you’re 70 then get NO pension.
    We all knew this was going to happen!
    Thanks NOBUTS, you’ve just doomed your kids and your grandkids.
    Vote NO…keep your pension safe, eh?
    They really are rubbing our noses in it, and will continue to do so.
    This will not end peacefully the longer it goes on, which seems to have been their intention all along.
    They want to smash the SNP, destroy the Scottish Parliament and loot and plunder all our assets at an accelerated pace till we are left a barren wasteland.
    Christ, we won’t even have WATER after they’ve fracked the life out of us.
    If you vote NO, run for your lives right enough!
    Even if we’d voted yes. this wouldn’t have ended peacefully.
    Remember? Team GB reserved the right to reject the outcome of the referendum,
    I’ll say it again – this was always about revenue from OIL.
    If they lost control of it rUK was doomed.
    They will NEVER allow us independence!

    Reply
  347. gerry parker says:

    Letter writing group had another success this week.
    Going to keep up the pressure till next May.

    Reply
  348. Natasha says:

    Andy C
    You clearly need to be stroked by Paula Rose. Have a drink (or five) and relax. 🙂

    Reply
  349. Taranaich says:

    Alright Wings, I’m cordially inviting one and all of you to come along to the Yesmas Ceilidh fundraiser on the 13th of December:

    link to wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com

    The Town Hall is just a couple of minutes’ walk from Greenock Central station, so you can get the train from Glasgow Central.

    We’d really appreciate it if you’d come along. We’re looking to set up a “Yes hub” in Inverclyde: while our neighbours in Dunoon and Largs still have their Yes shops, ours closed in September, and with a constituency of 80,000+ people, we really could do with a home base. We’ve done a lot of work outside Inverclyde, such as the successful Largs by-election, as well as our activists working Largs, Govan, and several mass canvasses in Glasgow: if we had a base, there’d be no stopping us!

    Tickets are £12 a head, there’s a light buffet (out of respect of the 1 in 4 children living in poverty in Inverclyde it would be offensive to offer a lavish banquet), music, and more. Really hope you come!

    Reply
  350. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose –

    You know your Blockheads from your elbows…who do you reckon that is singing in this clip?

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  351. Paula Rose says:

    @ Ian Brotherhood – Hi honey, that’s Derek Hussey, stage name Derek the Draw, used to be a sort of minder to Ian (picking him up when he fell over), he took over vocals after Ian’s death and co-writes many of their new numbers.

    Good reason to play this… (I consider it one of his best ever songs – very layered in meaning)

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  352. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose –

    Long time since I’ve heard that one.

    I had that album, but me art-school mates didn’t think much of it.

    Anyway, I had it in me heid that the big guy singing could’ve been ‘Spider’ Rowe – I remember hearing Dury screaming for him during (a recording of) a live performance, ‘Oi! Spider! Let’s get a bit of order ‘ere!’ But I’m obviously mistaken. The big guy does a decent enough job though, and I daresay that’s probably one of Dury’s own scarves he’s wearing.

    Good stuff. Cheers indeed.

    Reply
  353. Paula Rose says:

    Fred ‘Spider’ Rowe was another minder as was The Sulphate Strangler, btw Mr Dury was by no means a saint – but if he was till with us he would be able to claim an “I’ve been stroked by…” badge!

    Reply
  354. CameronB Brodie says:

    Some reflections on recent events.

    Joe Morris – Weasel Walk. (I’m looking at you Willie Rennie)
    link to youtube.com

    Gang of Four – Damaged Goods (remember the kippers)

    The change will do you good
    I always knew it would
    You know the change will do you good
    You know the change will do you good

    link to youtube.com

    Johnny C. & The Blazes – Inferno (for the Renfrewshire naz…nast..nationalists 🙂 )
    link to youtube.com

    Wake up Scotlandshire!

    Johnny and the Hurricains – Reveille Rock (just for you Paula 😉 )
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  355. CameronB Brodie says:

    How are the BBC going to respond to the threat that free thinking Scots present to the Establishment?

    Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  356. CameronB Brodie says:

    you’re equal but different
    you’re equal but different
    you’re equal but different

    The Au Pairs – it´s obvious
    link to youtube.com

    Not through the UKOK looking-glass it isn’t. Israel merits statehood whilst Scotland doesn’t, and Britannia waves the rules.

    The European Court of Human Rights and domestic Human Rights Act face ongoing political and media attack. The government failed to honor its promise to convene an independent judge-led inquiry into UK complicity in overseas rendition and torture, giving the task instead to a parliamentary committee lacking the necessary independence and transparency. Alleged mass phone and internet surveillance by a UK intelligence agency raised concerns about privacy rights in the UK and abroad and prompted a belated review by the deputy Prime Minister and calls for reform from the political opposition. A government draft bill aimed at tackling modern slavery omitted reform of immigration rules that heighten the risk of forced labor for migrant domestic workers.

    link to hrw.org

    Reply
  357. AuldA says:

    @Ian, Paula Rose and others:

    I got one of the verbs I was looking for. Apologies, it was not 4 but 3 letters long. It’s “to din”, as in “Stiffness had been dinned into them”.

    But I’m sure there is a synonym in 4 letters.

    Reply
  358. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @AuldA –

    This is a long shot, but could it be ‘lash’, as in ‘to have something lashed into someone’?

    ‘With the final exam looming, the teacher lashed the French vocabulary into his pupils…’

    Reply
  359. Stoker says:

    Test – The Westminster cesspit rats start to turn on each other:
    archive.today/52Ls3

    Just removing the https part of the archive link to see if it works.

    Reply
  360. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    In recent days, Stanley Unwin was mentioned (interview with the voice guy that did Bill & Ben).

    Also, AuldA seems to have an unquenchable thirst for words.

    This may appeal…

    link to sites.google.com

    Reply
  361. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    I’m gonna repeat some of the contents of a post I did on Tuesday, re Saturday, 6th December.

    An anti-austerity march and rally is happening in Dundee on Saturday. You can see the details on the leaflet at the link below. The speakers include Stewart Hosie, Cat Boyd and Craig Murray.

    link to sites.google.com

    A Wings presence is planned for this march but, obviously, we need Wingers to support the banner and flags. If you can make it on Saturday, please let us know here, in ‘off-topic’.

    A couple of regulars (Paula Rose and Natasha) have said they can’t make it. As far as I know, Ronnie’s coming up for it. Any other Wingers coming?

    Reply
  362. Stoker says:

    Stoker says:
    4 December, 2014 at 3:13 pm
    Test – The Westminster cesspit rats start to turn on each other:
    archive.today/52Ls3

    Just removing the https part of the archive link to see if it works.
    ___________

    Nope, obviously doesn’t!

    Reply
  363. AuldA says:

    @Ian —
    No, it wasn’t lash. As far as I remember, ’twas a monosemic verb.
    But thanks for introducing me to this meaning of lash. For me, except ‘lashing down’ for the rain, it was a synonym of ‘pan’, ‘thrash’ or ‘thong’ (no Paula, no! :P).

    @Brian:

    Thanks for the link, full of Scottish words, and a sweet ballad. Today I learnt ‘stooshie’ reading The National.
    Cheers!

    Reply
  364. Paula Rose says:

    Oh din – there’ll be one hell of a din on a certain Friday in May.

    Reply
  365. crazycat says:

    @ AuldA

    How about “drum”? (I confess I’ve forgotten your original question and am basing my answer on other people’s more recent suggestions, so apologies if I’ve got it entirely wrong!)

    Reply
  366. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @crazycat –

    That sounds a good shout CC…

    Reply
  367. AuldA says:

    @CrazyCat:

    Nope, not drum, but thanks!

    The original definition was a verb synonym of ‘to din, force someone to rote memorize’ in four letters. It was, as far as I remember, a verb that had only this meaning (monosemic).

    Reply
  368. Paula Rose says:

    Ian honey – ah dinnae ken i yu ken enou Scots tae mak a braw speir.

    Reply
  369. Natasha says:

    @AuldA
    I doubt if any word in English is monosemic, but could it be bore? (That was not a sarcastic putdown!)

    Reply
  370. Natasha says:

    By the way, did anyone else find yesterday’s crossword in the National insultingly easy? Today’s is definitely better. And I noticed that someone else has been covering up the unionist rags in my local Sainsbury’s with copies of the National! Between us, we might manage to make it look as if it’s the only paper on sale.

    Reply
  371. Paula Rose says:

    Ian mon chou (shh AuldA) your’s was definitely the most delightful crossword of the week, wit , word-smithery and well thought out red herrings, mwah, mwah – I want more!

    Reply
  372. Paula Rose says:

    Natasha dear – monosemic, oh you are a wee delight!!

    Reply
  373. Natasha says:

    Less of the wee – I’ll have you know I’m 4 feet 11 and 3/4 inches tall and the 3/4 is very important! 🙂

    Reply
  374. Jim Thomson says:

    @Stoker unless there’s a “www” bit in the address, you can leave the “http://” or “https://” in place.

    It seems that WordPress can figure out web addresses if they start with www but not if the start with anything else.

    Reply
  375. Jim Thomson says:

    @Brian Doonthetoon re the Dundee gig on Saturday, the Troon contingent are likely to be ripping up dog-infested carpet at a flat in sunny Glesca.

    Really looking forward to that – not.

    I’m going to be making sure that my mates Stanley & Stanley are fully up to the task and a few suitably sized, heavy-duty, black bin-liners are to hand. Not stinking my car out with dog dander (and whatever else it left behind) as I journey to the coonsil cowp.

    So, pretty much a racing certainty Missy Boop and I will not be in tropical Angus for Saturday.

    Apologies in advance.

    Reply
  376. Jim Thomson says:

    @Natasha, if you measure yourself in the morning, after a guid nicht’s kip, you might manage to capitalise on an extra inch or so 😉

    Seems the effects of daytime gravity are nullified overnight 😛

    Reply
  377. Paula Rose says:

    OMG – how stupidly remiss of me, no wonder our dear John King has such anger management problems. I’m so sorry dearest apart from THE Perfectly Normal Romantic you were the first winger to be stroked by me – He has no badge!

    Reply
  378. Paula Rose says:

    Natasha honey – you were much taller than I expected.

    Reply
  379. Natasha says:

    Very funny. I’m still small enough to bite your kneecaps. My grandmother had to sit on a cushion to see over the steering wheel.

    Reply
  380. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose (8.28) –

    Pardon?

    Reply
  381. Paula Rose says:

    It’s an anagram.

    Reply
  382. clochoderic says:

    Well, well.

    With regard to the death of Jeremy Thorpe today I just heard the BBC give Labour grandee Jack Straw free rein to give his take on the events surrounding the scandal that brought Thorpe down.

    No doubt the BBC radio journalist had no idea of the contents of this story in the Spectator magazine detailing Straw’s complicity in criminal behaviour:

    link to spectator.co.uk

    No doubt it will be dropped in the memory hole shortly.

    Reply
  383. clochoderic says:

    Check out this link for interesting detail about today’s news.

    link to spectator.co.uk

    Reply
  384. Paula Rose says:

    I know dears – but I couldn’t resist… (a love affair with nina)

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  385. Paula Rose says:

    Sorry clochoderic – didn’t mean to brush you out the way.

    Reply
  386. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi peeps.

    I’m gonna have to pull out of any involvement in tomorrow’s march/rally in Dundee. I’m off work, full of the cold and with a recurrence of the gum infection I had last week on top of that. I’m rattlin’ wie tablets…

    I’ve emailed Ronnie to let him know but as far as I know from ‘off-topic’, nobody else had indicated they were coming onnyhoo.

    Reply
  387. Jim Thomson says:

    Just stumbled across the auction for the First Minister’s Gifts. Next Saturday (13th). No idea what’s included yet but they normally put the catalogue on-line the Wednesday before sale day.

    link to greatwesternauctions.com

    Looks like they’ll accept on-line bidding for the items too.

    Reply
  388. AuldA says:

    Geez, I’ve just being clobbered for having a clunky and florid style and a grandiloquent vocabulary. What do you think about it?

    Reply
  389. Paula Rose says:

    @ Brian DTT and Pete TC mes chous – j’ai une image – A badge with hairy string with the motto ” I’ve been stroked by Ronnie Anderson” (giggle). Ronnie honey should the first letters of your name be caps?

    Reply
  390. Paula Rose says:

    Pantomime season my lovely AuldA – Oh no you don’t!

    Reply
  391. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose:

    merci, adorable Paula! 🙂

    Reply
  392. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @AuldA –

    Who was the bounder guilty of levelling such baseless calumny against your good self?

    Reply
  393. Paula Rose says:

    AuldA – mercy? But I’ve not even begun to stroke you (smiley thingie).

    Reply
  394. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Friday, May 8th next year, all across Scotland, let’s say a big cheerio to SLab by doing something like this:

    Northern Soul Girl Dancing:

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  395. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi AuldA.

    You typed,

    “Thanks for the link, full of Scottish words, and a sweet ballad. Today I learnt ‘stooshie’ reading The National.”

    How was your understanding of the Stanley Unwin version?

    Onnyhoo, you may find this link of benefit, in understanding the Dundonesian dialect of Scots.

    link to sites.google.com

    Reply
  396. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Oh, and AuldA, here’s the default version of that “sweet ballad” – the version that most Scots, over a certain age, know.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  397. liz g says:

    Ronnie Anderson
    Just a wee heads up cause its in you’re neck of the woods
    Road to Monklands back car park still has no thanks posters on the North Lanarkshire owned lamposts.
    Don’t know if you could/would or should do anything about this but if it’s actionable I am assuming you will know.

    Reply
  398. ronnie anderson says:

    @ Liz g thanks liz on the case already in my own scheme Gartlea Kevin Kane (SMNT) winding me up put 2 on my window sill last Thurs,he was going to take more down I told him to leave them, if the BT mob dont remove them the council have to & bill Lab ect.

    Reply
  399. CameronB Brodie says:

    How about a crunchy one to get the day going? Perhaps a reflection social policy dictated by American and Chinese corporations? What’s that you say? Shut up and eat your soup?

    Soup is good food!
    link to youtube.com

    The workers were eventually coaxed down after two days on top of their three-floor plant in Wuhan by Foxconn managers and local Chinese Communist party officials.

    link to telegraph.co.uk

    Reply
  400. CameronB Brodie says:

    Would British Labour’s desire to bypass the Scottish Parliament, along with post-TTIP social policy, drive Scotland back to the future? Is China squeamish when it comes to dictating human reproduction?

    It wasn’t just figures on the extreme right of politics who backed the eugenics philosophy. Some of British socialism’s most celebrated names were among the champions of eugenics – Sidney and Beatrice Webb (the founders of the Fabian Society), Harold Laski, John Maynard Keynes, even the New Statesman and the Manchester Guardian. They hoped that a eugenic approach could build up the strong section of the population and gradually remove the weak. In July 1931, the New Statesman asserted: “The legitimate claims of eugenics are not inherently incompatible with the outlook of the collectivist movement. On the contrary, they would be expected to find their most intransigent opponents amongst those who cling to the individualistic views of parenthood and family economics.”

    link to newstatesman.com

    Reply
  401. CameronB Brodie says:

    Is Marxist-Leninist criticism of the Fabian Society, sufficient evidence of the Fabian’s ‘moderate’ influence on politics and economics?

    To mark the centenary of its first publication in 1848, the Labour Party issued this important special edition of the Communist Manifesto. In his (then) new historical introduction, Harold Laski discussed the authors of the Manifesto, their background and the development of their ideas. He outlined the history of the Communist League, the struggles of the different sects and the emergence of Marx as a leader mandated to produce a programme. After surveying the genesis of the Manifesto, Laski discusses its contribution to world thought.

    link to amazon.com

    “…who, remembering that those (policies of high taxation and centralisation of credit) were the demands of the Manifesto (issued by Marx and Engels in 1848), can doubt our common inspiration.” – Professor Harold Laski.

    Reply
  402. CameronB Brodie says:

    Don’t forget, “Stalin is a good Fabian, and that’s the best that can be said of anyone”.

    One truth that certainly bears repetition is that the idea that Stalinism equals socialism is pereposturous, the great lie of the twentieth century. This lie, more than anything else, has provided the ideological underpinning for Blair’s assault on Clause Four. It is the one thing that all liberal politicians, police dictators and media pundits can agree upon.

    link to workersliberty.org


    François Furet was acknowledged as the twentieth century’s preeminent historian of the French Revolution. But years before his death, he turned his attention to the consequences and aftermath of another critical revolution—the Communist revolution. The result, Le passé d’une illusion, is a penetrating history of the ideological passions that have fueled and characterized the modern era.

    link to amazon.com

    Reply
  403. CameronB Brodie says:

    The new collectivism?

    The UK at the heart of a renewed globalisation
    link to bankofengland.co.uk

    Way past grumpy now. ;(
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  404. CameronB Brodie says:

    The new collectivism?

    The UK at the heart of a renewed globalisation

    link to bankofengland.co.uk

    Reply
  405. Natasha says:

    Dear CameronB
    You need to be stroked by Paula Rose as soon as possible. Chill out and read Volume 38 (you’ll be asleep within 5 minutes). 🙂

    Reply
  406. CameronB Brodie says:

    Sorry Natasha, but I’m on a roll. Or is it a bap? The nature of being can be very complicated sometimes. 😉

    Like many other opposition parties across Europe, the British Labour Party has been relatively quiet when it comes to matters of foreign policy. It is however important for social democratic parties to develop and defend clear and credible positions in foreign policy..

    Remember though, Scotland was extinguished in 1707, so we have no business in worrying our little heads over foreign policy.

    Neither of these strategies (multilateral trade liberalisation and global financial reform) has proved particularly effective in advancing the national economic interest. The laissez-faire globalisation of the pre-crash era produced a ruinous mix of squeezed living standards, growing imbalances in trade and finance, sub-optimal growth, de-industrialisation and unsustainable speculative bubbles. We will be living with its destructive consequences for many years to come. The current government’s export drive, which was supposed to contribute to the goal of national economic rebalancing, has failed spectacularly. Despite a 25 per cent depreciation of sterling, the Office for Budget Responsibility projects that the UK will continue to run a trade deficit until at least 2019. Far from rebalancing the economy, the government has fallen back on house-price inflation and rising personal debt as substitutes for genuine wealth creation. The seeds of the next crisis are already being sown.

    Yet the Fabian Society and British Labour were the most vociferous opponents of Scottish self-determination. To the point of rabidity. I wonder if that had anything to do with our oil, and other high-value exports? Better Together UKOK?

    The last Labour government concluded in 2006 that “an independent British nuclear deterrent is an essential part of our insurance against the uncertainties and risks of the future”, but reduced the number of operationally available warheads by 20 per cent. The coalition government announced plans in 2010 to reduce this number further for the current submarine fleet, and to cut the number of missile tubes on the next generation of ballistic missile submarines so that the maximum requirement for operationally avail able warheads would fall by about another 25 per cent, to no more than 120. Even so, the projected cost of the Trident replacement programme is around £20bn.

    A future Labour government will have to decide whether 120 warheads is a threshold below which the deterrent would lose credibility; whether four submarines and a continuous at-sea deterrent are more stabilising and less escalatory than a smaller number of boats whose deployment at a time of crisis could lead an opponent to conclude that the UK was planning a pre-emptive strike; and whether current and potential threats to national security still include some which can only be deterred by nuclear weapons.

    Alternatively, we could simply scrap these grossly offensive phallic projections, for the betterment of mankind. A bit too socialist, eh Fabian Society?

    link to fabians.org.uk

    Reply
  407. Jim Thomson says:

    @CameronB Brodie errmm you’re not part way through a sociology dissertation by any chance?

    Reply
  408. CameronB Brodie says:

    London is the world’s greatest city. It is the engine of the UK economy, an international hub, a home to millions and the cultural capital of the world. Maintaining this status depends crucially on improving the veins and arteries of this marvellous metropolis: its transport and infrastructure.

    Blah, blah, blah. Do you think the jocks will notice as we sook their wealth dry to pay for Crossrail 2, a Thames Gateway bridge (possibly), and increased airport capacity for London, as well as various other congestion relief projects? Then there is the rest of England to think about.

    Reforming London’s transport and infrastructure may not be easy, but it is essential. Our city’s history is a story of adaptation and growth, and it is time for a new chapter. Improved tube capacity, better railways, new bridges and expanded airport capacity must all complement a big increase in housing supply. Only by doing this can London be a bigger, better and fairer city.

    Have they sorted the Greenbelt problem out then and increased the supply of land?

    I’m away to be sick. Cheery bye.

    link to fabians.org.uk

    Reply
  409. CameronB Brodie says:

    Sorry Jim and anyone else who’s perhaps getting bored. I suppose I just got a bit annoyed with Will. I’ll away and be quite in a dark room. 😉

    Reply
  410. Jim Thomson says:

    @CameronB Brodie

    Not a problem, young man. It’s interesting to see other takes on “life, the universe, and everything” 😉

    Reply
  411. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Hi Jim.

    If you’re a student of ‘life, the universe and everything’, these two links may help you out.

    link to en.wikipedia.org

    link to lib.ru

    Reply
  412. Betty Boop says:

    @ Natasha, 4/12/14, 9:00pm/blockquote>

    Less of the wee – I’ll have you know I’m 4 feet 11 and 3/4 inches tall and the 3/4 is very important! 🙂

    Natasha, I’ve met you and I am 5ft standing up – gain a bit if I lie on the floor!! – that seems an awfully wee 1/4 inch of a difference… I’m sure I wasn’t on a step in George Square and I hadn’t borrowed Paula’s heels 🙂

    On the subject of your grannie’s driving cushion, it has been suggested that I put blocks on the foot pedals!

    Reply
  413. Oneironaut says:

    @Brian Doonthetoon
    “If you’re a student of ‘life, the universe and everything’, these two links may help you out.

    link to en.wikipedia.org

    link to lib.ru

    Ahh ok. I’d noticed the little reference to it at the start of Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life”, but didn’t know it was referring to anything at the time.

    Still, anything by Douglas Adams is probably worth a read… 🙂

    Reply
  414. Bugger (the Panda) says:

    Hi

    BB

    You looked taller to me.

    Reply
  415. AuldA says:

    @BtP:

    Eh! Monsieur du Panda! How are you?

    I apologize for not being that garrulous on WoS these days, I have a lot of papers to grade, and THAT’S A PAIN IN THE…

    Reply
  416. CameronB Brodie says:

    Eventually calmed down to double plus grumpy, but I would still love to see Will rubbish the various schools of Phenomenology. I can’t see it happening somehow, as his kind is useful to the British state, so long as they doesn’t blow their cover.

    St. Petersburg Ska Jazz Review – Policy of Truth
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  417. X_Sticks says:

    @TJenny

    Home safe.

    Great catching up this afternoon. Thanks for the coffee. Hopefully beers (or wines) next time, so no pressure then Tam 😉

    Reply
  418. Betty Boop says:

    @ BtP, 7:01pm

    Hi

    BB

    You looked taller to me.

    Hello, Btp – I sit tall! 🙂

    Glad to see you didn’t get waylaid in Glasgow. ‘Twas a good and interesting evening. 🙂

    @ CameronBB, 8:03pm

    I see an awful lot of reading in your posts of late. I haven’t been online much in the past week or so and I shall try to catch up. Glad you are almost all grumped out now though. A nice mug of cocoa laced with dark rum before bedtime is very soothing 🙂

    Reply
  419. CameronB Brodie says:

    Betty Boop
    Thanks BB. I suppose I did get a bit carried away today. 🙂

    Reply
  420. Paula Rose says:

    @Cameron B

    Home safe.

    Lovely stroking you this afternoon. Thanks for the coffee. Hopefully beers (or wines) next time, all pressure lifted 😉

    Reply
  421. Paula Rose says:

    Here’s an interesting concept…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  422. TJenny says:

    X-Sticks – glad you’re home safe and thanks for the treats. 🙂

    See you soon hopefully at the next WOS night in Edin, whenever that may be.

    Reply
  423. CameronB Brodie says:

    Paula Rose
    Shhh. BTW, plying me with drink will get you nowhere Paula. But you might as well give it a go. 😉

    Reply
  424. CameronB Brodie says:

    TJenny
    Long time no see. 🙁

    Hope you are well. I’m up for a get together, whenever that may be.

    Reply
  425. Taranaich says:

    Anyone read this Gerry Hassan piece? Normally I think he’s pretty good, but I frankly think he’s completely wrong on several of these points (the “nationalism & socialism cannot mix” fallacy, false equivalencies, “golden mean” fallacies, and whatnot):

    link to thepeopledemand.org

    Might do a post on it.

    Reply
  426. TJenny says:

    CBB 😉 – Hi, OK now thanks, after having been double – dreaded lurgied for the past 10 days. Looking forward to an Edinburgh WOS night, ‘though timing can be a bit tricky at this time of year.

    Reply
  427. Paula Rose says:

    @ Taranaich – I think he makes some interesting points, I look forward to reading your take on it.

    Reply
  428. Paula Rose says:

    The double-deaded lurgie in Auld Reekie is worse than midges – I was lucky to get out of there in one piece!

    link to bellacaledonia.org.uk

    Reply
  429. Paula Rose says:

    The double-deaded lurgie in Auld Reekie is worse than midges – I was lucky to get out of there in one piece!

    link to bellacaledonia.org.uk

    Reply
  430. cearc says:

    I’d rather flee naked than in that onesie!

    Reply
  431. Paula Rose says:

    cearc – ma petite poussin xx

    Reply
  432. X_Sticks says:

    @Paula Rose

    I hope you weren’t instrumental in Cameron’s distress. He seemed quite electrified there (although I thoroughly enjoyed that – maybe I have some sort of virus :} ) and you have to be careful of the static with all that stroking, it can damage you memory 😀

    A Wings over Edinburgh soiree would be just he medicine. I’ll be there if at all possible.

    @ Paula
    BTW if you keep plagiarising my posts I’ll be forced to spill the beans about the comfort stop at the Brechin Garden Centre 😛

    Reply
  433. Paula Rose says:

    cearc honey – considering the effect you had on the boys after our Inverwotsit late night skinny dip – I’m somewhat surprised you use such phraseology!

    Reply
  434. Natasha says:

    @Paula Rose
    First comment on a new page! We are not worthy . . .

    Reply
  435. Natasha says:

    @CameronB
    Why on earth are you reading anything by Will? Has he resurfaced again? Give yourself a break and steer clear of him – he’s a waste of space.

    Hi Betty Boop – maybe I’ve grown a bit without noticing! I may have been wearing a slight heel that day, mind you.

    Taranaich, how are numbers looking for your Yesmas Ceilidh? I’d like to come to it, but husband may not be well enough.

    Reply
  436. pete the camera says:

    Its official Alex has thrown his hat in the ring and put his boxing gloves back on link to bbc.co.uk

    Reply
  437. pete the camera says:

    Its official Alex has thrown his hat in the ring and put his boxing gloves back on link to bbc.co.uk

    Reply
  438. pete the camera says:

    Sorry for the double dunt

    Reply
  439. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    The link below is Glenn Millar’s video of the St Andrew’s Day march in Dundee on 30th November.

    No prizes for spotting the numerous appearances of the Wings banner.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  440. AuldA says:

    This morning I was watching Popeye with my lad.
    I don’t know, but I was thinking of Ian and Paula fighting off the evil Jim Murphy.
    I have a free-reined imagination.

    Reply
  441. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Here’s the video of Tommy Sheridan’s speech at the ‘YES City’ gathering in Fat Sam’s on 30th November.

    (A wee glitch with the sound in the first few seconds but it clears.)

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  442. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Sheena Wellington sings “Indy Dundee”.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  443. CameronB Brodie says:

    Natasha
    I finally got him to admit he is a Marxist-Leninist, so we had a bit of a disagreement. I was just finishing things off yesterday, I hope. 🙂

    link to wingsoverscotland.com

    I agree, he’s a waste of time, as all you get from him is his blind faith in the Stalinist regime. I just wasn’t happy with him spinning his counter-revolutionary bilge here.

    Lenin and the Bolsheviks were top-down, authoritarian elitists with totalitarian tendencies and ready access to financial, humanitarian and military assistance from the western imperialist powers. Martov and the Mensheviks were pluralist democrats with socialist tenancies, and so were not to be allowed to succeed. Once you are aware of this, you can see why the Communists support Better Together.

    Just between us, I kind of enjoyed myself and have hopefully put him off trying to spin his repugnant and delusional dissembling here. 😉

    Reply
  444. Ian Brotherhood says:

    How slick are these dudes?

    Detroit Spinners, ‘Working My Way Back To You’ =

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  445. CameronB Brodie says:

    Where are all the Party People? 🙂
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  446. CameronB Brodie says:

    If nobody else is going to step up.

    ADF – Committed to Life
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  447. Paula Rose says:

    CameronB dear – don’t be silly it’s Monday but go on express yourself…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  448. Paula Rose says:

    Ian wouldn’t want you to miss this…

    Ian darling mwah mwah, a little bit harder and all over in twelve minutes but I loved every bit. Many of the clues were top notch and 26 across – oh sweetie xxx

    Reply
  449. CameronB Brodie says:

    I suppose you’re right Paula. Thing is, I didn’t sleep last night so I’m getting towards the end of my day. It’s some time since I was eighteen 😉

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  450. Paula Rose says:

    Eighteen?

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  451. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose –

    You really are oto dink.

    Reply
  452. Natasha says:

    Ian Brotherhood – loved 25 across; shades of Elizabeth Goudge and Rosemary Sutcliffe.

    CameronB – can’t believe I missed all that! I obviously didn’t read far enough down the thread. Actually, I’m just bored by him now – sad little man with nothing better to do than poke his nose into other countries’ affairs. I doubt if he’s ever even been to Scotland.

    Reply
  453. Alex Clark says:

    Arrived in Florida today, looking forward to a week in the sun.

    Its cold and pissing down. C’est la vie.

    Reply
  454. Paula Rose says:

    Thepnr honey – we’ve got that weather as well!!

    Reply
  455. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Natasha –

    I had to look up those writers.

    High praise indeed – cheers!

    Reply
  456. Paula Rose says:

    Natasha dear – do you not use that word for ragamuffins in everyday usage!

    Reply
  457. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Alex Clark –

    Hey mister, here’s a wee bit sunshine to tide you over.

    Have a braw holiday! Hoots!

    ‘Na na na na na na na na na na na!’

    KC & The Sunshine Band, ‘Give It Up’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  458. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Alex –

    Here’s another one to have a wee indoors boogie to –

    Boney M, ‘Sunny’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  459. Natasha says:

    Paula Rose – I have to dumb down my vocabulary for my audience! (wee smiley thingy). By the way, I think you should restrict your prey to those over the age of consent – young Braden quite clearly belongs in the cradle.

    Reply
  460. Natasha says:

    Dear Ian Brotherhood – I’m afraid I was burdened with a middle-class English upbringing; I’m doing my best to overcome it. 🙂

    Reply
  461. CameronB Brodie says:

    Natasha
    The fun continues. 😉

    Ragamuffin?
    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  462. Natasha says:

    CameronB
    I had a very sheltered childhood . . .

    Reply
  463. Paula Rose says:

    Continuing the tatterdemalion theme…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  464. Paula Rose says:

    No stopping me now…

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  465. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Natasha –

    Ha!

    Nae worries. No-one here will hold that against you. The only toffs deserving of contempt are those who masquerade as Labour high-heid yins.

    Ooooh! Masquerade…’The Skids’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  466. Paula Rose says:

    Oi! I thought ‘tatterdemalion’ was tonight’s theme!

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  467. Alex Clark says:

    Thanks peeps. The good tunes put a smile on my face, never mind the weather! Paula, Cher has always been a favourite, I’m playing it on the balcony at full blast and getting a couple of waves from passing strangers 🙂

    Reply
  468. Paula Rose says:

    Tatter – Dam – E – Lion rock on Freddie!!!

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  469. Ian Brotherhood says:

    Jobson doing ‘Masquerade’ is one thing.

    This guy doing it is something else again.

    George Benson –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  470. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Alex –

    If you’re still near that balcony, give them some of this…grow some flowers in the desert.

    Big Country, ‘Big Country’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  471. Ian Brotherhood says:

    34 years since John Lennon was killed…

    34 years?!

    ‘Nobody Told Me’ –

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  472. Paula Rose says:

    Ian honey – are you old enough to remember that?

    Reply
  473. Ian Brotherhood says:

    @Paula Rose –

    52 next year, so I am indeed.

    One of my wee sisters woke me up, telling me he’d been shot dead. I had an exam that morning and should’ve been up already, so it was a double-whammy. Surreal, and horrible, even at the time – remembering it is even stranger.

    Tell me something Paula – I assume you were a reader of the NME and/or Sounds. Do you recall the NME doing an extraordinary centre-spread (and it wasn’t just the two pages, it was at least four, maybe even eight) all about Mark Chapman, perhaps a couple of months after the assassination?

    Reply
  474. Jim Thomson says:

    This will chime (not very comfortably) with Missy Boop. Our current minor issue …

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  475. AuldA says:

    @Morag – if ever you read this, I finally got a reply from the SNP about the “Europe” branch. Here it is:

    “The constitution of the Party forbids the setting up of Branches outwith Scotland, with the exception of London (for Wesminster) and Brussels (for EU).

    “Europe” is one of the Headquarters branches covering the Georgraphic areas which do not have branches.

    However, you are free to be a member of any branch – so if you wish to be a member of a branch in Scotland this is permissible.”

    Now, that’s a quandary. Given that being attached to the Brussel’s branch won’t make much difference to me over a true Scottish branch, I wonder what I shall do.

    Reply
  476. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA – join the branch in Brechin!

    @ Ian Brotherhood – I have a faint recollection but nothing substantive, always was a bit dubious about people posing as working class heroes.

    Reply
  477. AuldA says:

    @Paula: precisely I was thinking about it, but you’re not a SNP member, are you?

    Reply
  478. AuldA says:

    @Paula Rose: By the way, it’s “mon petit poussin” (as ‘poussin’ is masculine).
    “mon petit lapin”, “mon petit chou”, etc.

    Reply
  479. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA –

    I’m undecided at present whether to renew my Green Party membership or join the SNP. I will be voting SNP in the GE – if a Green candidate stands in this constituency I will be mightily hacked off.

    I’m afraid the Green Party are still a bunch of middle-class do-gooders rather than a viable political entity. Their speakers at a local meeting were abysmal.

    Reply
  480. Paula Rose says:

    @ AuldA – ps

    Having worked closely with the local SNP folk – I can only say that they are a lovely bunch of people.

    Reply
  481. Paula Rose says:

    How can a young hen be masculine?

    Reply
  482. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    Och Paula…

    You know these continentals – they can have strange ideas! In German, ‘the door’ is also feminine. “Die Tür”. Maybe because she opens up to all and sundry… A bit like a certain vamp from Brechin.

    8=)

    Reply
  483. Paula Rose says:

    My tur (with dotty things above the u) is always open to lovely wingers!

    Reply
  484. Natasha says:

    @Paula Rose & AuldA

    A bit like ‘das Madchen’ (can’t remember how to do umlauts) which literally translates as ‘the maiden’, but ‘das’ is neutral, not feminine. Weird.

    Ha! I’m only 46, so there.

    Reply
  485. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    On a Mac, while you are entering text, you just press the ALT key with the U key, the umlaut appears, then the next ‘umlaut-friendly’ character you type appears under the umlaut.

    Don’t you wish you’d stolen a Mac?

    8=)

    Reply
  486. Chic McGregor says:

    The National crossword, struggled today, maybe just me.
    Still unsure on a couple but will find out tomorrow if I’m right.

    Reply
  487. Natasha says:

    Hi Chic
    Me too, it was quite hard. Did you get 5ac, 22ac, 23ac and 16dn? I managed the rest, but I’m stumped by those. Come back Ian Brotherhood, all is forgiven!
    🙂

    Reply
  488. Chic McGregor says:

    Natasha, yep got them, although one of them is one of those I’m not 100% on. (maybe 95%)

    Are wee extra clues allowed on off topic?

    Reply
  489. Brian Doonthetoon says:

    I have a vocabulary of cross words but most of them can’t be typed in front of genteel ladies like Paula Rose.

    I have to utter them under my breath, when nobody, who has any influence over my life, is within earshot.

    In other words, crosswords are not my forte. So there!

    But all that reminds me of my favourite crossword joke…

    Man A is sitting in a railway carraige compartment, when, at the next station, a bishop, in full regalia, enters his compartment and sits down opposite.

    The bishop bids Man A “good morning”, then pulls “The Courier” out of his attache case and begins to do the crossword.
    After around 20 minutes, Man A hears the bishop muttering to himself. This goes on for about 5 minutes, the bishop becoming more and more agitated.

    “Something wrong?” says Man A.
    “Maybe you can assist me.” says the bishop. “I’m doing this crossword but I must have a wrong word here, because it leaves me with one word that doesn’t make sense.”

    What’s the clue?”, says Man A.
    “Well, it’s four letters, ends in “u-n-t” and means ‘essentially feminine’.” replies the bishop.

    Man A has a think and says, “That’ll be ‘aunt’.”
    “Right enough!” says the bishop. “Can you lend me a rubber?”

    Reply
  490. Chic McGregor says:

    Are xword posts off off limit or is it the gremlins again?

    Reply
  491. Natasha says:

    Chic
    Any extra wee clues gratefully accepted. The annoying thing is I have quite a lot of the letters for all of these, but still can’t work out what they are!

    Reply
  492. Natasha says:

    Chic, remember when you post on off-topic, you often get taken back to the previous page of the thread.

    Reply
  493. cearc says:

    Ah, Paula Rose, dotty and adoorable.

    Reply
  494. Chic McGregor says:

    Natasha, didn’t realise that thanks. However allowed me the opportunity to make a wee joke over on main street to try to defuse another potential spat.
    OK lets think
    5 Ac A degree closer to home and you would get hotter.

    22 Ac (This is my 95% one) He is no expat.

    23 Ac Angle for this role and you might be stuck in it.

    16 Dn Sounds like if said about Darling, in that case it would take on almost opposite meaning to the answer.

    Reply
  495. Natasha says:

    Hi Chic
    Yes, it’s getting nasty over there. I got 5ac, thanks. Still stuck on the others; I must be quite dim!

    Reply
  496. Chic McGregor says:

    Nastasha
    16 A truth following Alistair? Certainly not true of him.

    23 When your secretary creates the player list for a movie.
    Some of whom might fear this happening to them.

    Reply
  497. Natasha says:

    Just got 23 ac! Now I see what you meant!

    Reply
  498. Natasha says:

    Dearest Chic
    Thank you! I can see why you’re not sure about 22ac, but there can’t be many options. I really must go to bed now; too many crosswords addle the brain. 🙂

    Reply
  499. Chic McGregor says:

    22 Ac I had wrong and it threw me. What I think is the right answer, I think the word ‘this’ in the clue may be misleading depending on what connection the compiler wants you to make.
    With one connection, it isn’t misleading but the answer becomes more obscure, with the other it is a clearer answer but like I said, I would question ‘this’ in the clue.

    Reply
  500. CameronB Brodie says:

    I was going to post this on the main thread, then thought better not. 😉

    link to youtube.com

    Reply


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