Afraid I’m going to have to drop off the list for CH too.
The Council Tax folks just helped themselves to the last of my cash for the rest of the week, so I now have no way of getting to Glasgow. 🙁
Probably for the best, since my previous antisocial tendencies have only increased since the referendum result! 😉
Also I have a lot of sleep to catch up on…
ronnie anderson
9 years ago
@ Chipmonkey I sent you a Email re Hotel did you get it.
ronnie anderson
9 years ago
@ Betty Boop There,s nothing wrang wie ma shed it might leak ah bit,but I wont let the Raindrops fall on oor lovely Paula Rose, I,ll give her a big umbarella.
Oneironaut – I’ve just had a dreadful dream where you didn’t show on May 1st, please come along, many friends have made it possible for me to do so, we’ll do the same for you.
Paula Rose
9 years ago
To spend the night in the most famous shed in Scotland alongside the swifts and swallows – I shall spend the night skyclad.
Hope as many make it as possible on Friday..a meeting of Wingers minds in a collective social, ought to be significant.So on the last Friday of the current regime let’s plot the future and make it happen….Umbrellas and sheds..what is a mind to think x
Jock Scot
9 years ago
@oneironaut
TJenny suggested sponsoring bums on seats for the Dundee bus and about £50 was pledged. If the bus isn’t happening and you are needing a help oot from fellow wingers then we are here and 50 quid may get and return you to west coast.
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
I see my post at 9.45pm has been successfully moderated but has been superseded by subsequent arrangements.
.
Betty Boop mentioned,
“The bed is in Ronnie’s shed”
Reminds me of an old Dundee phrase, “Behd in the shed”, the meaning of which can be found on this page:-
That’s the badge list closed. Last entry was cearc.
We’ll have some blanks with us on Friday for peeps who haven’t asked and turn up on the night.
Night all. Take care out there.
Betty Boop
9 years ago
@Bdtt & Paula Rose
Behd in the shed
LOL and I was already trying to get over Paula R “skyclad”!!! Does that mean she takes the stilettos off or leaves them on?
@ Ronnie
There was no implication that there is anything wrong with your shed – I think it’s braw 🙂 Mind you, Paula R thinks she’ll be spending the night with “the swifts and the swallows” – hae ye telt her aboot the spideys and the speugs?
@Oneironaut
As mentioned above, the more the merrier and we’ll see you okay, but, anybody driving over from the west coast who could offer a lift?
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Jock Scot
50 quid is way too much!
Don’t want to become one of Labour’s “scroungers” do I? 😉
Seriously, don’t worry about it.
Betty Boop
9 years ago
@ Natasha
Hope you have a good night at the count. JimT and I were at the Ref count, and JimT is a counting agent for this one too.
I get to sleep this time 🙂
Both doing Postal Vote observing – like watching paint dry at times, but, someone’s got to do it.
Michael McCabe
9 years ago
I was looking for a nice mellow song to play at this time of the Morning. And I settled for this. link to youtube.com
Oneironaut
9 years ago
I don’t do mellow music much these days…
Besides, I’ve had this song stuck in my head for three days straight now, since a webcomic artist from Holland introduced me to these guys via a link two weeks back.
Only right that I inflict it on everyone else too. Sharing is caring! 😉
Lovely, wee tune Michael and very relaxing until, at advancing age, you listen to the words! “…things I might have missed” and “settled for…” and also noting that you’ve probably forgotten anyway. 🙂
No wonder you can’t get that tune out of your head. That was gooooooood!
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
Still playing with cookies …
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
comment appeared straight away and page auto-scrolled to it. name & e-mail field still empty
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
Last comment didn’t appear immediately and no-autoscroll. Fields empty. That was using a full copy of all cookies for Chrome from the laptop which is fine.
And yet, this PC was also fine until I deleted all cookies. Bizarre.
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
yet another try after fiddling with Chrome settings
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
Just sent a help query to Google. This might take a while …
Michael McCabe
9 years ago
@ Oneironaut That was new to me and very very good. Cheers
Michael McCabe
9 years ago
@ Betty Boop Loved that version of the song. Cheers
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Jim Thomson
When I posted my last message, it appeared immediately. But then when I reloaded the page, it disappeared again and took some time to reappear.
Suggests it could be an issue causing the browser to reload an older cached version of the page rather than the new one with the comment on it.
I’ll try clearing the browser cache after sending this and reloading the page.
See you on the other side… 🙂
Oneironaut
9 years ago
Ok, follow up to my last post with the little comment posting experiment in it…
Same thing happened, message appeared instantly, then disappeared when the page was reloaded (by clicking on the thread name “Off-topic” at the top, which is something I do often after posting to clear the ID of my comment from the URL so it doesn’t jump to that every time the page is reloaded).
Clearing the cache and refreshing the page had no effect, and my message still hasn’t appeared.
Hopefully it’ll have appeared by the time this one has posted or this message probably won’t make much sense to anyone!
Oneironaut
9 years ago
ALSO, I just noticed that it IS reloading an older version of the page each time, as the two most recent main article links just disappeared off the list when the page was reloaded after posting.
According to the one I’m looking at right now, “Questions for Jim” was the last main article posted.
I’d say this also explains why some people reported being redirected to the previous page of comments after posting whenever we move onto a new page.
Since the browser cache obviously isn’t to blame, I’d say that for some reason it keeps downloading an older version of the page from the server.
No idea why…
I’m guessing Patrician might have figured all or most of this out already, but thought I’d mention it just in case it helps get to the bottom of this issue in some way.
Right, that’s my good deed for the day done. I’m off to scare some Labour activists!
Thepnr
9 years ago
@Paula Rose
Not sure about moving into Ronnies shed, but glad you found a place anyway.
Hope he is giving you the 5* shed with the Fridge and the AC rather than the old manky one covered in Yes paraphernalia?
Here’s the video my mate made, he payed £100/night you know 🙂
@cearc,
just a question on golden wings. How did the collection for Robert Peffers go – did he get his wings or how far to go?
Patrician
9 years ago
@Oneironaut, The site is getting worse. tonight is the first time I have encountered getting an older page instead of a new one. I have two tabs open, same page on both tabs, it shows 13 comments on one tab and on the other it is over twenty. When I refresh the pages(using all the strange tricks) they both stay at the same number of comments.
I have said this before, this is a server side issue and there isn’t much we can do about it but suck it up.
I’ve been trying to persuade Irene to get on here and start posting, but I think she thinks she’ll have nothing of importance to say, I pointed her to my posts, (steady there Paula Rose)cumon guys what about private messaging her to get her to break her duck,
When she comments on events happening past my bedtime 🙁 her observations are much more incisive than she thinks and the (second hand) influence of Wings is getting her to take a more critical look at what is being said rather than just assuming anything she’s told on tv must be true,
She is a classic example of a L.I.V (I mean that in a nice way) who has had thier eyes opened and if she is anything to go by we are winning the fight with the uninformed and uninterested, we just have to keep plugging away.
A no voter at work initiated a conversation with me(always a good sign) who said that in spite of voting no he would be an SNP voter since Labour were not representing his views but asked when are we going to get over the whole independence schtick since we’re twtpts to run our own country, I simply responded that if after 300 year s of Westminster rule we are twtpts, who should he blame for that and why should we continue down such a self depreciating path as that,
it looked like a paradigm shift took place right in front of my eyes and he turned quietly away and got back on with his work
ITS WORKING GUYS. 🙂
john king
9 years ago
Croompenstein Croompenstein wherefore art thou Croompenstien?
Are you going to the Counting House and if not why not, we’ve met just about everyone else (collectively) but I have never had the pleasure of meeting your good self, get your arse along there. 🙂
X_Sticks
9 years ago
@Irene King
Come on Irene!
I know you can add something worthwhile here and your input will be appreciated. You don’t have to go full frontal on the main thread, you can just dip a toe in here on off topic. It really doesn’t hurt at all.
My only word of caution is that it can become addictive. Look at thon John King, we cannae shut him up sometimes!
cearc
9 years ago
Hoss,
I mooted it here on OT but no-one responded at all to the idea so it didn’t take off.
I now feel a bit bad because I think if I had just gone ahead and posted on the threads that I might well have got it even though it was late in the appeal. He surely deserves one.
cearc
9 years ago
Irene,
C’mon, Irene, c’mon.
bob sinclair
9 years ago
John King,
A friend carried out a ‘Poll’ in her place of work with the following results:
Referendum
12 No
8 Yes
GE 2015
23 SNP
1 Labour
The Labour guy is a party member and is voting Labour out of ‘obligation’.
Ive told my friend im very dissapointed in these figures & she must try harder 🙂
Oneironaut
9 years ago
Did a poll of my own here at home…
Referendum
2 Yes
0 No
Then again, the second voter wasn’t eligible to vote in the referendum as he was a woodlouse I found under the garden shed.
Still, shows some promise… 🙂
Cactus
9 years ago
Ye be right Oneironaut.
I did a poll of my own here at home…
Referendum
2 Yes
0 No
Then again, the second voter wasn’t eligible to vote in the referendum as she was my yes guitar, who sits on her stand.
Sorry to hear you and Alex canny make Glasgow tomorrow.. enjoy the live-streamed version instead! Cheers to yee’s.
Betty Boop
9 years ago
C’mon Irene, C’mon Irene – you even have your own song!
Shove John off the keyboard for a while. Your time is now (Nicolas says so!). A wee comment here and there and you never know where it ends up – like Arbroath for instance. Now there’s a town that seems to have had a change of heart since last summer’s festivities ????
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Cactus “Sorry to hear you and Alex canny make Glasgow tomorrow.. enjoy the live-streamed version instead! Cheers to yee’s.”
Thanks 😀
If I can get on the Livestream, I’ll take a quick peek at you all there.
Hope you’ve invited the Yes Guitar. Does she have a name badge?
Have a great night! 😉
Thepnr
9 years ago
Irene
Noooooo! Don’t do it, no matter how many try and persuade you. It will take over your life.
In saying that, there could be worse things to take over your life. So would like to see you dip a toe in the water, especially if it keeps John off the laptop and we don’t have to hear as much from him 🙂
X_Sticks
9 years ago
@Thepnr
Irene sneaked in on the main thread – I wouldn’t have noticed if it hadn’t been for mumsyhugs!
Hello, I just wanted to say how much I’m looking forward to meeting you all tomorrow. I was supposed to attend the last shindig but couldn’t at the last minute, so try and stop me now!
I’m lucky that I’m only 10 minutes away, but I am hoping that distance isn’t going to put people off cos I’m really looking forward to hearing the nationwide campaigning stories. This election is impossible to call, as we know, but the constituency make-ups are all so diverse that it will be fascinating to hear first-hand experiences from far and wide.
For anyone reading this who’s considering coming tomorrow, but is maybe a wee bit shy, well I’m not a prolific poster or the most outgoing of people but I have met individual wingers at rallies and things and they were very nice!!
Also, the opportunity to speak freely amongst like minded thinkers is to good to pass up 😉 So, go on, go on, go on, go on…
My chauffeur assures me that he will deliver me to the door at 7:30 – my wee cherub Natasha – I expect the seats will have been taken by then. I’m going for flatties as I’ll probably be on my feet all night.
Don’t be silly @Paula Rose. When we walk in wearing our sparkly heels as usual,the gentlemen will dash off to buy us drinks and we’ll have our choice of chairs.
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Gillian_Ruglonian
Not sure if I’ve met you yet. Mystery Winger there 🙂
As for campaign stories… I don’t think I really have any. None that are particularly interesting anyway.
Lots of standing around in the freezing cold lately.
Although we have met some rather interesting nutters at street stalls. Everywhere has its fair share of nutters, but me and the team I’m in seem to attract some truly spectacular ones…
I’m dreaming of meeting an oneironaut tomorrow, and everyone else.
Betty Boop
9 years ago
@Natasha, 10:30pm
What time are we meeting up at the Counting House?
I am sure CH is booked from 7.00pm Natasha.
Paula Rose
9 years ago
Chippymonkey honey – maybe the boys will be discombobulated as to how they should behave – I suggest we let them buy the drinks and reserve their seats.
Macart
9 years ago
Bugger!
If the ladies are wearing their sparkly heels I don’t want to clash.
Pit boots it is then.
cearc
9 years ago
x_sticks,
Well spotted!
Congratulations Irene!
I had looked at those comments this morning but it may still have been in moderation as a first comment.
Been driving down most of the day.
I see Albamac night be there as well, tomorrow.
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Paula Rose
I’ll be there in spirit 🙂
(Watch out, my spirit has wandering hands! hehe) 😉
I must be one of that select group of Wingers, who have met Gillian Ruglonian at least once, if not twice. And both times would have been in George Square.
So there! PARP!
Looking forward to tomorrow evening, 7pm till throwing out (or up) time…
Hi again, back from the twits!
Paula – not to put anyone else’s nose out of joint, but you may very well be the main attraction 😉
Oneironaut – mysterious, I like it!
Brian – Ha, I knew I existed
Thepnr
9 years ago
@Paula Rose
All your links are good. However, post too many together then we will miss out. Stick the Ollie and Hardie on again LOL
Gillian_Ruglonian
9 years ago
Oh no, I’ve just noticed that my tablet corrected Twitter to twits! Just as I was getting comfy too (my first wee riddy) 😉
Thepnr
9 years ago
Just done a really funny thing there. I still have hundreds of posts to read on two different articles.
But decided to go to bed instead. Hey for one less grey hair!
CameronB Brodie
9 years ago
@ Will Podmore
Here’s one to get your teeth stuck in to, if you’re lurking out there. Perhaps Heidegger failed to transcend the boundaries of western metaphysics and ended up rejecting humanism because, unlike Zen Buddhism, he was using western metaphysical tools in his attempt. His dialectic couldn’t get around duality. 🙂
Thepnr & Broughtyboy
Sorry for not getting in touch, its nothing personal. I spoke too soon about getting shot of the lurgie. Now my Sciatica has flared up so I’m not going to get to the CH. Bummer. 🙁
Tam Jardine
No pressure, or have I missed the Edinburgh bash? 🙂
CameronB Brodie
9 years ago
Brotyboy
Sorry. 😉
CameronB Brodie
9 years ago
So the democratic will of an increasing proportion of Scots raiders (voters) looks as if it is about to experience a Pearl (accidentally driving the nose of the board underwater, generally ending the ride).
Remember were still in a parallel universe, where everything is reversed and vica versa. 😉
caz-m
9 years ago
Ronnie Anderson
I am not getting off the oil rig until 4pm today. I will get home too late to go to the Counting House. Really disappointed Ronnie.
Martyn and I will see you sometime very soon. All of you have a great night. If it’s on livestream, i will tune in.
Be good.
All the best,
Caz.
Betty Boop
9 years ago
@caz-m, 8:40am
Sorry to hear you won’t be at CH. Next time, eh? Safe journey home.
john king
9 years ago
Cameron Brodie @ 2.37 am
Will just sent me a response to you post Cameron,
He said
“well that was Zen this is Tao” 🙂
john king
9 years ago
Like a bairn going on holiday, counting the minutes.
see you all tonight folks shame you cant make it Alex, Caz-m and Cameron (get well soon,)I hope you can find a way to come Oneironaut 🙂
CameronB Brodie
9 years ago
Last one on a surf theme, but it’s a pity I missed this little known mid-60s Northwest stomp-per from the album “Riot City”, when the LibDumbs plunged Scotland into anarchy. 🙂
Just boarding plane ( Corfu ) hope to see you all tonight in the CH
CameronB Brodie
9 years ago
john king
Sharp. 😉
Post-indyref revilation – I hadn’t realised David Carradine had had such a profound effect on me. 🙂
indigo
9 years ago
Hi folks, I’m not going to make it tonight sadly, it was lovely to meet some of you last Saturday, hope you have a fabulous night, look forward to hearing about it x
CameronB Brodie
9 years ago
I wonder if this will be the next excuse from the Project Fear team, explaining the First Minister’s popularity. 🙂
Does anyone have details about a get-together at St. Peter’s hall in Hyndland Street, Partick on the 8th? My daughter would like to go but I can’t remember any details, or even where I read about it. Definitely getting doatit!
Oneironaut
9 years ago
Well, thanks to a very kind last minute donation of the train fare from a friend here, I’ll be able to make it tonight after all 🙂
(Now I just need to see if I can sneak my cheapo mini Lidl cola bottle in past the doormen…)
See ya all later then! 😀
Cactus
9 years ago
Hey Oneironaut, aint gonna bring my 6-string to this gig but am looking forward to hearing one of Ian B’s musical guests performing for us 🙂
To confirm, the Counting House has been booked from 1900hrs (till 3am!)
The VIP area has been reserved in the south-west corner of the bar, AKA the library.
For first time navigators, this part of the bar is situated directly across the road from the ‘Subway’ junk food shop on St. Vincent’s Place.
See ye all there Scotland.
Thistle
9 years ago
Del (10badges) and myself will be seeing some of you folk later at the WoS meetup.
I was thinking if people interested we could do wee livestreams from George Square about election etc.
JLT
9 years ago
Am in george sq. Away for a coffee …and a wee bit studying. Catch you all later.
James
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
Sitting in the CH in “our” corner just now. Quite busy.
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
Damn phone screen not updating straight away. Apologies if I seem to be ignoring. 🙁
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Jim Thomson
Heading there now. Should be with you in about an hour or so, depending on whether anything slows the train down on the way.
See ya! 😉
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
And just to add to the joy, the library has signs saying private party from 6:30pm
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
our wee bit of the CH starting to empty now. Betty is getting fractious – nae pals yet.
The A team will be about another 20 mins at most. We are on our way:-)
Tam Jardine
9 years ago
Hope you all have a great night in Glasgow – sad not to make it through this time..
Wee Jonny
9 years ago
To all attending the Coontin Hoos – Enjoy yirsells.
Tam Jardine
9 years ago
CameronB Brodie
Aye – never organised another Edinburgh mate – I could give you all the reasons but it boils down to being busy and lazy. And not really feeling there was anyone else pushing for one. 190,000 Edinburgers voting no is another reason. There are other, better reasons
Salut Cameron. One day when we’re auld tins we will tell young folk about these crazy pre indy days
Tam Jardine
9 years ago
auld yins…
Michael McCabe
9 years ago
To Everyone who makes the Counting House Tonight. Have a great time. Wish I was there. link to youtube.com
Thepnr
9 years ago
To all my friends and Wingers in the Counting House tonight, I’m sorry I couldn’t make but here’s the instructions for the dance around George Square.
@Thepnr
Message from Irene King – Missing you tonight 🙂
Thepnr
9 years ago
@Oneironaut
Glad you got there, tell Irene and John I’m missing them too 🙁
Also to Ian, thanks for the mention on Indy Live.
Ian Brotherhood
9 years ago
@Thepnr –
Hope all went okay for you today. When I went into CH I spotted someone at the bar, thought it was you – thankfully, I didn;’t clap him on the shoulder! (He was a fine figure of a man, so, I’m sure you’ll agree, the mistake was understandable.)
@Caz-M –
I’m sorry mister – said hello to you via the Live stream but got your lad’s name wrong. 🙁 Apologies…
Proper bummer youse weren’t there though – a lot of the usual suspects were there, all looking well up for it. And a good few new faces besides.
Big hoots tae ane an’ aw. Ye’s are diamonds.
Macart
9 years ago
Had a great night at the CH tonight. A huge pleasure to meet everyone and share a few tales and some laughs.
Here is a link Nana Smith put up on the main thread. Deserves to be on here too. Labour must hate this guy. Enjoy. link to youtube.com
Jock Scot
9 years ago
A Wings social.. use your imagination if you didn’t see it on livestream cos We did. Had a word with Kevin about setting up multiple socials on the same night in different areas, more local to many and do livestreams from them all. If each venue manages to produce 5 laptops for example, every venue could interact whilst those elsewhere will be spoilt for choice. Maybe I had a pint of imagination too many. I blame Paula Rose. Wingers can’t help but enthuse others so thanks to the many, merry band who provided the opportunity to be enthused so much.
Paula Rose
9 years ago
Wow – this shed has wi-fi as well as a jacuzzi! Heaven.
Paula Rose
9 years ago
Oh my – here’s ronnie with the cocoa.
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
Got back into YES City just after 2pm, after another successful meeting of ‘Cybernatz Central’ in that Glasgow’s Counting House.
It was so successful on the scale that we even had a lurker (Hello Shona!) asking for a badge.
Ian Brotherhood – I’m not sure you actually exist on this astral plane. Umpteen times tonight, I asked various peeps to point you out so I could say hello and the answer, every time was “He was over there. Maybe he’s gone out for a fag.”
Now, I thought Ronnie Anderson HAD to be a figment of our collective imagination but I KNOW he exists!
So, in the race for the next Wings get-together, is it gonna be Dundee (Invergowrie) or Edinburgh in early July?
Stay tuned for the news where you are…
Cactus
9 years ago
Rockin’ it out in Glasgow wingers.. after the CH, me, Cearc & Gillian were bigging it up inda merchant city. These girls know how to party!
Time to sleep some, kali spera pretty people.
Gillian_Ruglonian
9 years ago
@ cactus, you know x
John king
9 years ago
I’ve just been chucked out of our hotel room by irene for making too much racket and it’s too early for her,
bUt I’m hungry whaaaaaaa ????
Caroline Corfield
9 years ago
Alex Waugh
Shindig in Hyndland hall for GE….
I saw something about that on fb, think it was Yes Partick, I won’t find it trawling back because it was a couple of days back, but try their internet presence, fb or maybe they have a site?
Thanks Caroline. I went to the Yes Partick facebook page and sent them a message.
Oneironaut
9 years ago
Everyone manage to survive last night then? 🙂
@Thepnr
Sorry I didn’t get your reply. I wasn’t even sure that message made it through.
My mini laptop couldn’t connect to the crappy wi-fi in the CH, so I ended up connecting through Glasgow Council’s wi-fi (which wasn’t much better!)
I tried to send that message at Irene’s request before having to pack up and dash off for my train before the page had fully reloaded.
Last night was fun though 🙂
Happy to meet Paul, A.K.A. the Wee Ginger Dug at last, even if it was just a brief wave since I was jammed in behind at least three other people!
Also, nice to meet JLT, and the mysterious (and very pretty!) Gillian_Ruglonian! 😀
Hope everyone isn’t feeling too rough.
We must do this again soon! 😀
HandandShrimp
9 years ago
Nice meeting you all again. I should have been more definite about attending and got a wee badge 🙂 However, all in, a very pleasant evening.
Quentin Quale
9 years ago
@Thepnr, we all missed you, man, hope you are well. We didn’t manage the River Dance but wait for this – Paula Rose might have had one sherbert too many but a Fan Dance was performed. If you were luck enough to have seen it then, like me, that is one memory that will stay with you forever.
Great to meet up again with old friends and a big hello to all the new friends. Roll on the next shindig.
Hoss Mackintosh
9 years ago
@cearc,
maybe Rec Stu could give Roberts Peffers – “Honorary Gold Wings” for all his efforts?
hint, hint…
🙂
cearc
9 years ago
QQ,
Ahh, You have recovered your voice after being stunned into silence by the fan dance.
I’m not sure that some of the guys will ever be the same again. It was quite a show!
cearc
9 years ago
Hoss,
Well I certainly think he should get one.
Perhaps we (preferably you), could gather names and petition Stu?
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
I have just surfaced.
I blame Paula Rose’s fan dance and the Tsing Tao.
Now off to meet Ronnie and Paula Rose (I think) at the YES Bus at City Square.
Cactus
9 years ago
Hey Alex Waugh, I’m in the sunny climbs of Glasgow. Was listening to some Zorba when I got back home.. Yamas!
Have a smashin’ time in Cyprus 🙂
castle hills chavie
9 years ago
What..
..you mean I missed the fan dance from the delightful Paula Rose.Knew I shouldn’t have left so early and all for the want of not having to wait for a bloody taxi.
Anyway, so good to meet up with old friends and now new ones, Lollysmum, Macart etc
Excellent night last night! Far, far too many names to mention, but finally have faces to many names and pseudo names. Without giving too much away, it was an absolute pleasure to meet Paula Rose.
Also great to catch up with John and Irene King, whom I hadn’t seen since before the Referendum, when they disappeared somewhere in West Lothian after the great Livingston convoy slightly came apart at Fauldhouse!
So far, I have done hee-haw studying today (somehow LOL …you have all worn me out from last night, and I only had 3 pints!!!). I really have to motivate myself as I have a final assignment to hand in this week, but I also need to tidy the bathrooms (my orders from Mrs JLT) as well as post final letters around Livi Village …sigh …it never seems to end.
Anyway …catch up with you all soon! Cheers!!
Thepnr
9 years ago
@JLT
Yes, I know what you mean. Paula had exactly the same effect on me when first meeting. Starstruck is all I can say. Shame I couldn’t make it, looked like a great doo!
Natasha
9 years ago
I saw the fan dance. I may never recover from the experience. 😉
Quentin Quale
9 years ago
Recover, Natasha? I’m still blushing. So hot I need a fan to cool down. Dammit, there’s that image again.
Thistle
9 years ago
Hi folks
thank you all for your generosity at CH 🙂
Anyway…
LIVE 7th May: Glasgow Emirates Arena #GE2015 We will be livestreaming through the night so please join us and let us know what you think… (Also for you special wingers we could be doing some Skype livestream chats so if you fancy joining us on that then add me to your Skype: indylive1)
Really enjoyed the get together last night. What a great bunch of people you all are. Always good catching up with faces old and new.
Just a pity Alex and Caz didn’t make it and Alexandra was missed too 🙁 Ah, well, next time guys.
Ian Brotherhood
9 years ago
Just got e-mail from Craig Murray – turns out he was going to join us last night in CH, but last-minute family stuff prevented it. Have replied, saying it’s the thought that counts and I’ll certainly let him know as and when another is arranged.
Just want to say hi to the charming SNP supporting rickshaw driver who conveyed me to Cambridge Street car park last night and who should now be lurking here on off topic. Don’t be shy, say hello – we’re very friendly!
Thepnr
9 years ago
Anybody fancy a visit back to the Ferry in a couple of months time?
A big yellow bus from the central belt would be most welcome.
To be honest ronnie anderson’s shed is not quite the five star residence that I suggested in the early hours.
The wind did blow, the rain did infiltrate – but a brave spider persisted and eventually succeeded in spinning her web…
Reminded me of something…
Paula Rose
9 years ago
Very cross the Murphy – snuggle xx
Paula Rose
9 years ago
Very cross the Murphy – SNIGGLE.
Betty Boop
9 years ago
@Thepnr
Gee, Alex, what a night! Really sorry you couldn’t be there. Our thoughts were with you and your family.
Also, shame that Caz-m was too late off the rig to attend – next time, eh?
Well, the fan dance was going well until Paula Rose, feathery, pink fans swooshing, became distracted by JLT, who looked as though he was going to join Paula on the table, and that was when Paula’s stiletto stuck in the table top.
Ooh, it was an awkward moment but Paula saved herself with a timely pirouette. She is an absolute class act.
ronnie anderson
9 years ago
Not long in from my sojour to Breichin @ coffe with the delectble Paula Rose & La Contessa ( linen napkins still not back from the laundry)so paper wans. La Contessa made me ah couple of BLT (without the L ) on Wry for my snack back down the road.I.ll need to get somone else to drive Paula Rose, she keeps finding Parking Tickets on my windscreen, (2 to date from the unfair city of Dundee).Onnyhows I hope everybody got home safely from CH & by reading some of the posts another great night.
@ Thepnr, well missed my friend, by all.
Noo where,s that wee Lurker that highjacked me, Cmon lets hear from you.
Great nite as always Guys N Gals,shall we do it again sometime SOON.
Ian Brotherhood
9 years ago
@BDTT – I was so close to saying hello, twice, but you looked very busy, no doubt with badge-related business. And thanks for leaving mine with Handandshrimp, I got it when I came back in. A superb wee souvenir I will always treasure alongside all the other WOS campaign medals.
@Natasha, JLT, X-sticks, Chipmonkey, Ian B aka Cactus, Seona ‘the Lurker'(?), John & Irene, Cearc, Jim T, Gwen and BettyB, as well as all the usual reprobates – a total pleasure, and I’m just so sorry I had to bolt early. Hope the raffle went okay – it was just getting underway as I left. (And, naturally, I missed the ‘fan dance’…)
Hoots tae ye’s aw!!
Betty Boop
9 years ago
@ Natasha
Your rickshaw driver didn’t have a megaphone, did he? 🙂
@ A’body else – great meeting up again and good to meet quite a few new faces. Shona, if you are lurking about, pleased you stayed with us – we only do friendly abductions!
@Paula R, dear, I am hoping that you have completed the appropriate customer service form Chez Ronnie. Was breakfast full service? Hopefully, the fans were professionally laundered.
@ Bdtt & Petethecamera
You guys are heroes designing and making our bespoke Wingding badges.
@Thepnr Another meet in a wee while at the Ferry sounds like a good idea as does a bus from several points in the central belt.
@Ronnie
Hero
JLT
9 years ago
Betty Boop
Well, the fan dance was going well until Paula Rose, feathery, pink fans swooshing, became distracted by JLT, who looked as though he was going to join Paula on the table
What! My drink must have been spiked! I cant remember dancing gracefully around the Counting House. Certainly blethered a lot about the Reformation and the theme of authority (which will now have Kininvie groaning! LOL) …and I only had 3 pints of Heineken …honest!!!!
When I was outside the Counting House last night for one of my rare ‘real’ fags, TJenny arrived. I threw down the gauntlet.
Edinburgh was offered its chance for a get-together after the 22nd November get-together in Glasgow, and dropped the baton. Since then, we’ve had Invergowrie 2 in February and Glasgow on Friday evening.
I told her that if Edinburgh doesn’t get its act together, there will be Invergowrie 3 in early July. It’s up to Tam and TJenny to sort out Edinburgh.
Now, the reasons I cite Invergowrie are,
1. The staff are ‘YES friendly’ (remember the number of Wee Blue Books that were asked for / accepted on 13th September) and
2. We can have music videos and Cactus and his guitar, if we want and
3. The CH in the Ferry won’t allow ‘live music’, or videos, and
4. If Thistle wants to Livestream from Invergowrie, there won’t be a problem.
A couple of peeps last night said that Invergowrie was ‘out in the sticks’, mentioning the train times back to wherever.
Invergowrie is nearer to Dundee’s city centre than the Ferry!
If we give Edinburgh until the end of May to organise something, and they don’t, we could have Invergowrie 3 in the first half of July, which gives travellers plenty time to organise their overnight stay in Dundee, to allow leisurely travelling home on the Sunday.
If WE can arrange travel to Glasgow from Dundee and Brechin, surely Glasgow and the west coast can arrange a minibus from their locale for a grand night out?
Thepnr
9 years ago
Tough shit JLT as they say in Dundee.
Also I’m having none of the “only had 3 pints of Heineken” you’ve been found out as a secret admirer of our Paula.
No point denying it now 🙂
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
Aye, Shona the lurker got a special handwritten badge/souvenir of the night.
I told her that she’d better get her @®$e inti gear and post in ‘off-topic’ as an easy option for dippin’ ‘er toe in the wahttir’ that is Wings Over Scotland…
Whaur ir yi?
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
I had 4 bottles of Tsing Tao and Pete was able to get me home to Dunkeld ok…
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
Sorry, not Dunkeld, I live in Dundee.
It was the ospreys that done it.
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
Sorry to hog the page but…
There’s a march and rally in Dundee next Saturday from noon. A march round the city centre, followed by a rally in City Square (until 5pm) with live bands, including the Graham Brown Band, Sheena Wellington, speakers, etc. Rumour is that Dundee’s newly elected SNP MP’s will be there also.
There will be a Wings stand at this event, under the supervision of Ronnie Anderson. So, if any Wingers are coming to Dundee on the 9th, for the “Dundee Sunshine City Fest”, look out for the Wings banner in the Square.
Making do with Natasha’s budgie feathers was maybe a mistake – sorry.
Thepnr
9 years ago
Well Ian Brotherhood, that was FUCKIN brilliant.
You sly old fox, you. SSP full of numpties LOL.
Ian Brotherhood
9 years ago
@Paula Rose –
I missed your performance, so I’m not too sure what went awry, but please be assured – you’ll always have a big fan right here.
I just hope your table-top mishap didn’t damage either of your lovely Chaz Jankels.
Thepnr
9 years ago
So good I had to watch it twice. Just don’t get it do you Mr McTernan LOL.
Ian Brotherhood
9 years ago
@Thepnr –
What’s the betting there’s some simple psychological reason behind McTernan’s behaviour?
Could it be that, once upon a time, someone called him a crater-faced fud?
Just a guess, but these wee things are important when assessing why apparently sociopathic individuals assume the right to tinker with the ‘democratic process’.
If you happen to read this, McT, please do yourself a favour – find another nation to ‘advise’. Wasting your time here – we are not worthy of your exalted, sophisticated input.
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
It’s official! It’s been announced!
Our Queen, Queen Elizabeth of Scots (Not the 2nd of Englandshire) has announced the name of the new royal baby.
She, with appropriate recognition of the the role of Scotland in the building of the empire, will be named ‘Princess Senga’.
So there…
Gillian_Ruglonian
9 years ago
Hey no-one around?
So, my first wings social was something else! You guys all surpassed my expectations, and I now feel slightly corrupted (but in a good way) 😉
Michael McCabe
9 years ago
@ Gillian Ruglonian Welcome to off/topic. Glad you had a great night on Friday. You will probably be hooked now and already looking forward to the next Social Gathering. Anyway here is a wee song which I think is appropriate right now. link to youtube.com
Gillian_Ruglonian
9 years ago
Hi Michael, yeah I had a ball at my first ‘do’ and can’t wait for the next one!
Your song is appropriate at any time 🙂
Michael McCabe
9 years ago
That is the Boxing about to start. So I will leave you with a nice mellow track. link to youtube.com
JLT
9 years ago
ThePNR
LOL …I’m not saying another word!
Right …I did absolutely hee-haw studying yesterday. I need to get stuck into it today. Catch you all later!
Wee Jonny
9 years ago
For the next night oot or the ane eftir that or the ane eftir that, there’s a band called A Right Couple O Charlie’s that would be perfecto for the night.
They do a great Bonnie Dundee, Flower Of Scotland and even do some of their own stuff.
My wife’s auntie had a wee get together in The Neptune Bar in Montrose for her 70th and the Charlie’s were just setting up as we arrived.
Now I’m not a fan of bands (techno for me) but as soon as I saw the Yes stickers on their guitars and their Yes t.shirts I knew we were in for a belter o an afternoon. They were great and a very nice couple o boys too.
So either we could go to them or we could ask if they could come to us?
They’re on Facebook – A Right Couple O Charlie’s.
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Gillian_Ruglonian “…and I now feel slightly corrupted (but in a good way)”
Yeeeeessssss. Give in to the corruption and come over to the Dark Side… We have cookies! 😉
Glad you enjoyed the night.
Was nice meeting you at last 🙂
Wishing I could have stuck around for this intriguing Paula Rose fan dance everyone is talking about! 😀
Also hope our new lurker speaks up at some point (assuming we didn’t scare her off!)
Albamac
9 years ago
@ Michael McCabe
Great song, Michael, and it sparks some memories for me.
I left home when I was 15 and traveled down through the borders into Northumberland, then across the north of England and into Wales, working for my keep as I went. I don’t know how I’d have fared without the kindness, hospitality and generosity of the people that I met on the way. I joined the Army at seventeen and the next chapter began in Catterick.
Sorry I couldn’t make it to the CH. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. Watched the video and it was great to see everyone having such a good time. Sorry I missed it.
Kelpie
9 years ago
Guys,
you haven’t scared me off.
Thanks all for making me feel so welcome on Friday night, I can recommend abduction by nasty cybernats to anyone as they are lovely folks indeed. Next time I’m nearby I’ll be much less shy about coming over to say hello.
Bdtt,
thanks for the badge, it has pride of place next to my Yes badge.
@Ian Brotherhood Sorry I didn’t manage to have a chat on Friday. Loved the John Martyn link. Here’s a brilliant guitarist using different tunings (Slack Key). Sort of goes with a day of rain! link to youtube.com
Paula Rose
9 years ago
Kelpie honey – welcome to cybernat central xx
Macart
9 years ago
Just got back a few hours ago folks and have to say thoroughly enjoyed Friday night at the CH. Met so many great people and put faces to names.
Privilege to meet you one and all.
As for the fan dance (blush)…
… Mrs Macart is super jealous of Paula Rose. 🙂
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
Hi Kelpie (Shona?)
Always good to meet an incomer to the cause! Get posting on the main pages now, yi hear?
HandandShrimp could have had a badge as well. All you had to do was make your name known and you could have had a handwritten one! Like I typed on the 29th,
“We’ll have some blanks with us on Friday for peeps who haven’t asked and turn up on the night.”
Shona fitted that profile perfectly!
_______________________________________________
As I typed above,
“When I was outside the Counting House last night for one of my rare ‘real’ fags, TJenny arrived. I threw down the gauntlet.”
Is Edinburgh gonna get their act inti gear?
_____________________________________________________
I like Wee Jonny’s mention of “A Right Couple O Charlie’s”,
“Now I’m not a fan of bands (techno for me) but as soon as I saw the Yes stickers on their guitars and their Yes t.shirts I knew we were in for a belter o an afternoon. They were great and a very nice couple o boys too.”
Maybe we could crowdfund having them at the next Invergowrie get-together (Jolly’s wouldn’t allow music).
_____________________________________________________
Lastly, I’ll repeat the info re next Saturday in Dundee…
There’s a march and rally in Dundee next Saturday from noon. A march round the city centre, followed by a rally in City Square (until 5pm) with live bands, including the Graham Brown Band, Sheena Wellington, speakers, etc. Rumour is that Dundee’s newly elected SNP MP’s will be there also.
There will be a Wings stand at this event, under the supervision of Ronnie Anderson. So, if any Wingers are coming to Dundee on the 9th, for the “Dundee Sunshine City Fest”, look out for the Wings banner in the Square.
Had a great night out on Friday! Thanks all you scary people.
Very glad QQ and I came after all.
@Paula Rose Thanks for giving us a big push in the right direction. Good job we are ‘besties’ – others might have been concerned to have their husband turn up quite late for tea with the famous Paula Rose in the back of his car and then mumble all night about the fan dance!
@Oneironaut – @Cactus photobombed our selfie – it’s not a good photo from my phone but I might post it later.
@Briandoonthetoon – I really suit your hat -again I might eventually post proof. @Cactus also thought it was tasty.
@Kelpie – nice to see you online, glad Brian came up with the badge 🙂
@Everybody else – nice to meet you all, again for for the first time.
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
Here’s the graphic for next Saturday’s shindig in Dundee.
Welcome to Off Topic and Wings in general. Pleased to meet you on Friday.
We only kidnap nice folks and always send in big Ronnie. He’s our best diplomat, like an ambassador; granted, a unique type of ambassador 🙂
Notice you’ve ditched the lurker moniker. Kelpie is good; is it a clue?
Cheers
Betty Boop
9 years ago
@ Paula Rose
Notice you pouring oil on troubled waters over on the main thread today. Honestly, sometimes a soothing stroke is all that is required 🙂
@ Chipmonkey, Apologies, didn’t get much of a chat on Friday although QQ and I chewed the fat for a wee while.
@ Thepnr, 11:21pm
That video is properly weird and just a wee bit creepy. I didn’t dare go to the website to find out some weird facts about Michael Rodd!!! Probably the stuff of nightmares O-(
Paula Rose
9 years ago
Every time I go to a wings thingie I get this tinglie thingie…
Just remembered that (I think it was) Hoss that proposed that Robert Peffers should get any honorary gold Wings badge.
I’d support that, but I also think that Nana Smith, Call me Dave and Lollysmum should also get them for their wonderful contributions to Wings.
Would Stu be up for 4 honourary badges?
Kelpie
9 years ago
Betty Boop
I like swimming.
I think some of the local pensioners might also complain that I threaten to drag innocents to their death in my haste to get a few lengths in before heading off to work!
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Kelpie
Yay! Welcome to the infamous Cybernat Central! 😀
The bar is on your left, the Cybernat Mind Control Lab is on your right, and refreshments are just over there.
Don’t go through the big doors marked “Cybernat High Command”. The Rev gets a bit cranky when someone disturbs him while he’s plotting (also the white cat keeps escaping!) 😉
Savannah cats are a cross between a domestic cat and the Serval, which I understand have been, or are being banned by various nations, due to the threat a feral population of these would pose to indigenous ecosystems. The F1 is the first generation from wild and grow to about the size of small Collies. 🙂
This is perhaps tangential evidence that Laissez-faire socioeconomic practice is not compatible with the holistic balance of all things. Man. Or woman Reg. 😉
Brian Doonthetoon
9 years ago
And now it’s time for a game of “Spot The Bob Sinclair”!
And it contained GOOD NEWS!
It would appear that the Labour Party has caved in and now is promising home rule if we vote Labour!
The graphic below (from the email) lays out Labour’s promises and, right at the top left, is HOME RULE!
Ya beauty! “We’re on the way…”
Ian Brotherhood
9 years ago
@Ronnie Anderson –
In your avatar I’m sure there’s a set of toes at the end of the shed, peeking out. You sure Paula Rose isn’t still in there? Best knock first, mind…
X_Sticks
9 years ago
@Ian
I’ve heard from various sources that Paula is often peeking out 😉
Thepnr
9 years ago
I’m going to come across as a raving loony here but so be it.
NOW IS THE TIME.
The best and only opportunity you have had in my lifetime to really make a difference. If you don’t knock into your your Labour voters heads friend why they should vote SNP this time. Than you are doing not just yourself a disservice but your community and your country.
I truly can’t be arsed with the sectarian shite either, just another divisive to be used against us. I can’t be arsed with any Nationalist shite either, just another way to divide us.
The politics I envisage for Scotland is better than that. A politics of the people. I will not put a name to that, the Scottish people will.
The establishment is screwed now here in Scotland, you know why? In my view we only want the best for all our people. Westminster in the disguise of Tory or Labour will continue to screw our people.
Fuck them, two days to the election. Tell everyone you know. Fuck them that have screwed us for years.
Macart
9 years ago
@Thepnr
Nope, you come across just fine Alex. If you’re anything like me, you’re just tired of the politics of self. Sick to death of the adversarial nature of our politics which generates the party before people culture of our parliaments. Weary of a caste and patronage system which sees no problem with corporate and media compromise.
What has it given the electorate? What has it done for the electorate in the past fifty years especially? Corruption, wars, financial crashes, scandals, mis managed deindustrialisation and a system which uses the power we grant it to line the pockets of the few at a terrible cost to the many. Its given successive governments the green light to direct and manipulate the perceptions of their electorate for plain, old fashioned greed, their own agendas.
The arrival on the scene of the SNP, SSP and Greens during the referendum has given people a chance and it gave them a voice with which to speak. During that two year period the voice spoke to the establishment quietly, with this general election we can raise that voice to a shout.
With the right result this week, I think they’ll hear us loud and clear. 🙂
Jim Thomson
9 years ago
Bloody ear-worms. I have to share to get rid of them …
Right, that’s it, I’m voting for Dave. The things he has to put up with. Now the Herald is reporting that a man with a Scottish accent heckled Cameron when he was addressing supporters ‘at a garden centre in Twickenham’. The chap had the temerity to shout ‘Come on the SNP’. Disgraceful. Nicola must condemn this behaviour immediately.
chipmonkey
9 years ago
Shouting promises in England, I’ll give you shouty promises.
Jim Murphy and Eddie Izzard were “threatened” by four choobs with a megaphone. We had an actual Combat 18 thug protesting, and a wee girl with a saltire wasn’t afraid of him.
It’s the height of insulting for Murphy to dare call what happened yesterday “the ugly face of nationalism” when you had people who represented a group which is considered by many to be an actual terrorist organisation in Greenock.
Hello Taranaich, another solid article, well done! As I’ve said before, your style is great – very precise and accessible.
Best of luck for the final stretch 🙂
Ian Brotherhood
9 years ago
@Taranaich –
😉
Soo-perb stuff.
Hope you can remember to take a selfie ASAP after your man Ronnie wins – loads of us will be watching carefully, but not much chance we’ll get to pinpoint you – would be priceless to see your expression after all the work you’ve done.
More power to ye mister! You deserve to win, and I’ve no doubt you will.
Hoots!
Chic McGregor
9 years ago
Sent the following to the rev a wee while ago.
Oil price is recovering, nudging towards $70, but is still at a low level for recent years. So some folk may well be wondering why the British establishment still seem so desperate to hang on to a Scotland in possession of only one oily banana.
In the past I have tried to point out that the UK has many more reasons than oil for holding on to Scotland. I have, for instance, attempted to show the importance of the Food and Drink sector in the equation.
However trying to do so using nominal monetary value which is confused by a plethora of ‘adjustments’ – tax breaks, subsidy levels, tariffs, voucher systems, GVA calculations with confusing, inconsistent and somewhat arbitrary assumptions of when a subsidy is a subsidy or not? has made for a less than satisfactory result.
Whether deliberate or coincidental, the result of all that mind-boggling confusion, obscures the underlying message.
Also, when numbers go above about a billion, folk’s minds, including mine, tend to start wondering where a squirrel is when you need one.
But a few days ago, I hit on the idea of concentrating on raw produce levels instead of nominal monetary value and also, and I think crucially, drastically reducing the number sizes by calculating the amount produced for each and every man woman and child in Scotland per day.
And to do so in terms of measurements which are readily understood in the everyday real world.
In that way, potentially distorting accountancy measures are avoided, and daily volumes are more readily recognisable and familiar.
So in the following you will often see an abbreviation I have coined ‘p4d’ which is shorthand for Production Per Person Per Day.
I have also calculated comparative figures for England or rUK.
I have been data crunching this for about three days and have only got through three sectors, albeit main ones.
It would be better with piccies, a photo of two plates say with the food amounts shown for Scotland and England, rather than verbal examples, but no time for that just now.
Anyway, have a swatch if you can spare the time.
FOOD and DRINK SECTOR
Not exhaustive, just the key staples.
Fish Production
Conventional fishing
Landed at Scottish ports i.e. less than the total actually caught in Scottish waters. Scotland lands about 2/3 of the UK’s fisheries production.
About 190 g production per person per day (p4d). Taking haddock as an illustrative example that would be about two and half of Tesco’s Prime Haddock Fillets (86% fish) p4d in Scotland (of course, in reality, it is a much more diverse catch than just haddock)
England landed fish figure equates to only about 6 or 7 g p4d or less than a quarter of an ounce, not even a proper mouthful .
Salmon
The main product of Scotland’s rapidly expanding aquaculture industry.
Scotland 85 g p4d. According to M&S that is just about two servings of their smoked Lochmuir salmon side.
England, of course, virtually nothing.
It is worth a mention, that although smaller in weight volume, salmon is now worth more in monetary terms than the conventional fisheries catch.
Meat Production
Beef (nearly 30% of UK herd)
Scotland 93 g p4d Enough for a Birdseye original 1/4 pounder burger (77% beef) for every man, woman, child in Scotland every day
England p4d only a quarter of said burger.
Lamb (nearly a quarter of UK herd)
Scotland 28.5 g p4d Just over an ounce. Might not seem a lot but that is several times more than Scots actually consume, we are not big lamb eaters.
England only around 7g p4d Also, the English eat three times more lamb per head than Scots
Pig meat (10% of UK herd)*
Scotland 30 g of pig meat p4d Equivalent to two Tesco streaky bacon rashers.
England a little less. However the UK, including Scotland, remains a big net pig meat importer.
Poultry(just under 8% of UK stock)*
Scotland chicken 61 g p4d About two and a quarter ounces or around 3 Tesco roast chicken slices.
Scotland Eggs, just under half an egg p4d
England a little more
*Pigs and poultry
Pigs and poultry are in a slightly different category from sheep and cattle because the distribution of nominal production is not tied to land use per se, unlike for grazing animals.
Cereals Production
Scottish cereal production is, overall, about 12% of the UK total, therefore, per head, nearly one and a half times the UK average. However, cereal does not generally find its way to the table directly. Therefore we must be careful not to be guilty of double accounting.
Barley
Scotland just over 1Kg p4d. The equivalent of 4 X 250 gm (9 oz.) bags of barley from Tesco.
England 0.2 Kg p4d. A fifth of Scottish p4d levels.
However, 34% of Scottish barley goes to maltings (whisky) and 54% to animal feed. Still, the remaining 12% could form the basis of a pretty big pot of soup.
Wheat
Scotland just over half a Kg p4d
Only around 2/3 of rUK p4d but well more than offset by the barley production.
Oats
Scotland About 80 g p4d Over one and a half servings if all were used for porridge but some, again, is used for animal feed.
RUK around 25 g p4d. About half a porridge serving equivalent.
Oilseed Rape
Not strictly a cereal. It is used increasingly as a vegetable oil, animal feed and biofuel
This crop also increases other grain yields through rotation with them.
Scotland 76.5 g p4d
rUK 85 g p4d. Slightly more.
Potato Production
Potatoes
Scotland 590 g (1.3 pounds) p4d Equivalent of two reasonably large portions of chips.
rUK 240 g, (about 8oz) p4d
Note Scotland produces most of the UK’s seed potatoes.
Milk Production
Scotland 1.214 pints of milk p4d
England 0.79 of a pint p4d.
Milk is obviously used to also produce butter and cheese and other table bound items as well.
Whisky Production
Scotland about 70% of a bottle p4d.
rUK, not a lot.
Because this uses 34% of Scotland’s barley crop and the land used to grow it (around 100,000 hectares) it is effectively, despite its nutritional dubiety, an agricultural product. But, it would be beyond silly not to point out there is a unique value added for this product that sets it apart from other agri-products.
Scotland’s distilling industry also makes significant and increasing volumes of other spirits. I believe even the majority of that quintessentially English product, gin, is now made in Scotland, though I have not seen the detailed figures.
What does the Food and Drink Sector mean in money terms and for independence?
The UK annual food and drink consumption in money terms, the annual grocery bill if you like, comes to a little over 50 billion pounds.
Currently the UK exports about 19 billion pounds worth but imports about 40 billion pounds worth.
A current trade deficit on food and drink of 21 billion pounds.
What does that amount mean (apart from the UK needing to import about 40% of its food and drink)?
Well, to put it in context, it dwarfs oil revenue, even in good oil price years. It is a huge amount.
Looking at it again on a per person basis might be more meaningful. It amounts to nearly 400 quid a year for every person in the UK, or about 1500 pounds per family per year.
It represents an in built deficit which has to be paid before anything else can be paid for.
And of course with ‘pooling and sharing’ Scots also have to share that bill in whatever ways it manifests itself.
But what if Scotland were on its own?
Scotland has a food and drink annual turnover of around 13 billion pounds.
Scotland exports about 5.4 billion pounds of food and drink overseas, almost a third of UK food and drink exports, plus about another 2 billion to the rUK.
Scotland’s consumption of food and drink is something south of 5 billion.
The massive UK food and drink deficit is not of Scotland’s making.
What would independence mean re food and drink for the rUK?
5.4 billion would disappear from the positive side of the UK balance sheet and the 2 billion Scottish exports to rUK would appear on its negative side, Scotland then being outside the UK.
Plus there would be 8.3% less people to share that bigger bill.
A big reason to hang on to Scotland.
ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION SECTOR
You could easily be forgiven, if you only listened to the MSM, that Scotland was in danger of running out of electricity and will be needing to rely on the rUK some time soon.
What is the reality?
In 2013, latest complete DUKEs analysis, Scotland produced 53 TWh (net 49.6 )
A terrawatt hour is the amount of energy you would use if you ran 1000000000000 amps through a 1 ohm resistor for an hour.
Err right.
But fear not, like for food production, I am converting this into a smaller and hopefully, more understandable figure in terms of p4d and expressing it in kWh (the familiar ‘unit’ on your leccy bill).
Scotland 26 kWh (‘units’) p4d
England 13.4 kWh (‘units’) p4d
Scotland consumed 32 TWh which gave it a production/consumption ratio of 1.55
England generated 259 TWh but consumed 295 TWh, production/consumption ratio is 0.88
Unfortunately, because of England’s much larger population, this means that once again the UK as a whole is running with another deficit. Around 15TWh imported from Europe. Assuming 10 p per unit, that amounts to about 1.5 billion pounds per year.
Scotland on the other hand ‘exports’ about 15 TWh to the rUK, nominally 1.5 billion pounds worth per year if 10p per unit is taken. Again, on an annual basis this should represent a gain for the Scottish economy of around 300 pounds per person per year, 1200 pound per family.
Of course, in the event that Scotland became independent this would also nominally double the rUK deficit from 1.5 billion to 3 billion.
Another reason for hanging on to Scotland.
WOOD PRODUCTION SECTOR
In terms of production to consumption ratio, the UK, overall, is in an even bigger trade deficit situation than for food and drink. The UK uses nearly 5 times the wood it produces.
This amounts to a wood trade deficit of over £5 billion annually.
How does that break down when comparing production levels between Scotland and England?
There is a bewildering array of metrics used in the timber production industry.
Greene tonnes, sawn tonnes, overbark cubic metres/tonnes, under bark, cubic metres/tonnes, recovered tonnes/cubic metres.
Unlike other land use crops, it is not a case of an annual harvest where the harvest yield = the annual production.
Trees actually recovered can and do vary as matter of planning considerations.
I therefore took the view that the best guide to true production levels was the estimated standing annual growth figure i.e. irrespective of whether it was actually harvested that year, and that people would be slightly more sure of what a volume meant rather than a weight.
In volumetric terms – millions of cubic metres (overbark, standing)
Annual timber production in Scotland is about 10 million cubic metres per year.
For England, it is about 5 million cubic metres per year.
Since people, I think, would be less familiar with what a fraction of a cubic metre meant.
So to make everyday sense of these figures, I converted into litres of wood production per person per day. Unconventional, I know, but a litre is a volume most folk are pretty familiar with. (and yes it is a fraction of a cubic metre, I know)
For Scotland, that works out at 5.2 litres of wood p4d.
For England it works out to 0.26 litres of wood p4d
A plank v a ruler in pictorial terms.
Consumption of wood in the UK is around 3 litres of wood per person per day perhaps a little more.
The deficit is again entirely down to England, indeed Scotland has a trade surplus on wood.
‘Export’ to rUK from Scotland is reckoned to be nearly 2 billion pounds a year.
Another potential trade deficit increase for the rUK if Scotland became independent.
Another reason to hang on to Scotland.
And we still haven’t got to oil or engineering, electronics, software, quarrying, life sciences, financial services, tourism, woolens and textiles, university technology spin out partnerships, publishing or design.
Paula Rose
9 years ago
I want a “selfie” with Taranaich’s mum – that Nicola is hogging the limelight.
Ian Brotherhood
9 years ago
Here’s one for Auld Preacher Broon, before he bows-out once and for good –
Just back from Bath – any chance anyone knows what happened to one of the eggs I was using for the Rev’s omelette? Got a bit distracted by one of the rats.
Gillian_Ruglonian
9 years ago
Paula, naughty girl!
Are you insinuating, or denying involvement? 😉
Sorry I missed you, caught the last ten minutes xxx
Gillian_Ruglonian
9 years ago
I went to the CH from work, but next time I’ll glam up and we can paint the town red together!
AuldA
9 years ago
So, it’s about time to hone your spears, isn’t it?
We are all supporting you!
The English call Nicola a battle-axe? Well… she might use it pretty soon! 🙂
X_Sticks
9 years ago
@Gillian
NO! No! Not red dear, yellow and black please.
Red is so last century now 😀
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@Taranaich
Good article there 🙂
If we ever get around to getting rid of the biased has-been mainstream media in this country, then I hope it’s people like you who’ll replace them. You got a talent there! 😀
That picture of the two C18 thugs getting shown up by a little girl with a flag is definitely my favourite picture from the whole campaign now, hehe.
If someone in the distant future ever asks what this whole thing was about, I’m gonna show them that picture. Says it all for me.
Chic McGregor
9 years ago
Everyday, in every way….
?dl=0
Chic McGregor
9 years ago
Found a great lake in NZ last month. Its only a wee one but its perfectly formed.
?dl=0
Oneironaut
9 years ago
@AuldA “So, it’s about time to hone your spears, isn’t it?
We are all supporting you!”
Funny, I found this earlier. Thought it seemed oddly appropriate 🙂
@Oneironaut
Totally agree with you about the flags photo. Have you seen the photoshopped version that looks like a banksy? It’s incredible (sorry I don’t have a link).
I love the comic strip!
Disney’s sword in the stone film was one of my favourites when I was wee, I still like the song about karma that Merlin sings, it’s always appropriate 😉
@X_Sticks
someone needs to wrestle the colour red (& anything else left of value) from the labour party’s cold dead hands, I’m up for the job, fancy joining me!!
Just Craig Allan Stewart to sort out.
Where will Craig Allan Stewart be on Friday pm?
Happy to help with the cost of the bus.
Guess what? I get to be a counting agent! Yayyy!
Afraid I’m going to have to drop off the list for CH too.
The Council Tax folks just helped themselves to the last of my cash for the rest of the week, so I now have no way of getting to Glasgow. 🙁
Probably for the best, since my previous antisocial tendencies have only increased since the referendum result! 😉
Also I have a lot of sleep to catch up on…
@ Chipmonkey I sent you a Email re Hotel did you get it.
@ Betty Boop There,s nothing wrang wie ma shed it might leak ah bit,but I wont let the Raindrops fall on oor lovely Paula Rose, I,ll give her a big umbarella.
Oneironaut – I’ve just had a dreadful dream where you didn’t show on May 1st, please come along, many friends have made it possible for me to do so, we’ll do the same for you.
To spend the night in the most famous shed in Scotland alongside the swifts and swallows – I shall spend the night skyclad.
Im still on for £20 to help with bus costs
Too late dolly.
@ Oneironaut I,ll punt up for your fare just get there.
Oneironaut – I’ll buy you a dreamy cocktail xxx
@ronnie anderson
Thanks for the offer, but Glasgow is a bit too far to walk to from the west coast.
@Paula Rose
I don’t drink alcohol, but thanks for the offer.
Also dreams are fascinating things. Especially skyclad dreams! 😉
Some papaya honey?
Hope as many make it as possible on Friday..a meeting of Wingers minds in a collective social, ought to be significant.So on the last Friday of the current regime let’s plot the future and make it happen….Umbrellas and sheds..what is a mind to think x
@oneironaut
TJenny suggested sponsoring bums on seats for the Dundee bus and about £50 was pledged. If the bus isn’t happening and you are needing a help oot from fellow wingers then we are here and 50 quid may get and return you to west coast.
I see my post at 9.45pm has been successfully moderated but has been superseded by subsequent arrangements.
.
Betty Boop mentioned,
“The bed is in Ronnie’s shed”
Reminds me of an old Dundee phrase, “Behd in the shed”, the meaning of which can be found on this page:-
link to sites.google.com
Just to let yooz ken…
That’s the badge list closed. Last entry was cearc.
We’ll have some blanks with us on Friday for peeps who haven’t asked and turn up on the night.
Night all. Take care out there.
@Bdtt & Paula Rose
LOL and I was already trying to get over Paula R “skyclad”!!! Does that mean she takes the stilettos off or leaves them on?
@ Ronnie
There was no implication that there is anything wrong with your shed – I think it’s braw 🙂 Mind you, Paula R thinks she’ll be spending the night with “the swifts and the swallows” – hae ye telt her aboot the spideys and the speugs?
@Oneironaut
As mentioned above, the more the merrier and we’ll see you okay, but, anybody driving over from the west coast who could offer a lift?
@Jock Scot
50 quid is way too much!
Don’t want to become one of Labour’s “scroungers” do I? 😉
Seriously, don’t worry about it.
@ Natasha
Hope you have a good night at the count. JimT and I were at the Ref count, and JimT is a counting agent for this one too.
I get to sleep this time 🙂
Both doing Postal Vote observing – like watching paint dry at times, but, someone’s got to do it.
I was looking for a nice mellow song to play at this time of the Morning. And I settled for this. link to youtube.com
I don’t do mellow music much these days…
Besides, I’ve had this song stuck in my head for three days straight now, since a webcomic artist from Holland introduced me to these guys via a link two weeks back.
Only right that I inflict it on everyone else too. Sharing is caring! 😉
link to youtube.com
@ Michael McCabe, 2:55am
Lovely, wee tune Michael and very relaxing until, at advancing age, you listen to the words! “…things I might have missed” and “settled for…” and also noting that you’ve probably forgotten anyway. 🙂
Jings, I’ll get my slippers.
Actually, no I won’t:
link to youtube.com
@ Oneironaut
No wonder you can’t get that tune out of your head. That was gooooooood!
Still playing with cookies …
comment appeared straight away and page auto-scrolled to it. name & e-mail field still empty
Last comment didn’t appear immediately and no-autoscroll. Fields empty. That was using a full copy of all cookies for Chrome from the laptop which is fine.
And yet, this PC was also fine until I deleted all cookies. Bizarre.
yet another try after fiddling with Chrome settings
Just sent a help query to Google. This might take a while …
@ Oneironaut That was new to me and very very good. Cheers
@ Betty Boop Loved that version of the song. Cheers
@Jim Thomson
When I posted my last message, it appeared immediately. But then when I reloaded the page, it disappeared again and took some time to reappear.
Suggests it could be an issue causing the browser to reload an older cached version of the page rather than the new one with the comment on it.
I’ll try clearing the browser cache after sending this and reloading the page.
See you on the other side… 🙂
Ok, follow up to my last post with the little comment posting experiment in it…
Same thing happened, message appeared instantly, then disappeared when the page was reloaded (by clicking on the thread name “Off-topic” at the top, which is something I do often after posting to clear the ID of my comment from the URL so it doesn’t jump to that every time the page is reloaded).
Clearing the cache and refreshing the page had no effect, and my message still hasn’t appeared.
Hopefully it’ll have appeared by the time this one has posted or this message probably won’t make much sense to anyone!
ALSO, I just noticed that it IS reloading an older version of the page each time, as the two most recent main article links just disappeared off the list when the page was reloaded after posting.
According to the one I’m looking at right now, “Questions for Jim” was the last main article posted.
I’d say this also explains why some people reported being redirected to the previous page of comments after posting whenever we move onto a new page.
Since the browser cache obviously isn’t to blame, I’d say that for some reason it keeps downloading an older version of the page from the server.
No idea why…
I’m guessing Patrician might have figured all or most of this out already, but thought I’d mention it just in case it helps get to the bottom of this issue in some way.
Right, that’s my good deed for the day done. I’m off to scare some Labour activists!
@Paula Rose
Not sure about moving into Ronnies shed, but glad you found a place anyway.
Hope he is giving you the 5* shed with the Fridge and the AC rather than the old manky one covered in Yes paraphernalia?
Here’s the video my mate made, he payed £100/night you know 🙂
link to youtube.com
@cearc,
just a question on golden wings. How did the collection for Robert Peffers go – did he get his wings or how far to go?
@Oneironaut, The site is getting worse. tonight is the first time I have encountered getting an older page instead of a new one. I have two tabs open, same page on both tabs, it shows 13 comments on one tab and on the other it is over twenty. When I refresh the pages(using all the strange tricks) they both stay at the same number of comments.
I have said this before, this is a server side issue and there isn’t much we can do about it but suck it up.
Oh Oh Labour Pains. link to youtube.com
Gonna leave you with a couple of songs from the band. link to youtube.com
Goodnight Folks. link to youtube.com
I’ve been trying to persuade Irene to get on here and start posting, but I think she thinks she’ll have nothing of importance to say, I pointed her to my posts, (steady there Paula Rose)cumon guys what about private messaging her to get her to break her duck,
When she comments on events happening past my bedtime 🙁 her observations are much more incisive than she thinks and the (second hand) influence of Wings is getting her to take a more critical look at what is being said rather than just assuming anything she’s told on tv must be true,
She is a classic example of a L.I.V (I mean that in a nice way) who has had thier eyes opened and if she is anything to go by we are winning the fight with the uninformed and uninterested, we just have to keep plugging away.
A no voter at work initiated a conversation with me(always a good sign) who said that in spite of voting no he would be an SNP voter since Labour were not representing his views but asked when are we going to get over the whole independence schtick since we’re twtpts to run our own country, I simply responded that if after 300 year s of Westminster rule we are twtpts, who should he blame for that and why should we continue down such a self depreciating path as that,
it looked like a paradigm shift took place right in front of my eyes and he turned quietly away and got back on with his work
ITS WORKING GUYS. 🙂
Croompenstein Croompenstein wherefore art thou Croompenstien?
Are you going to the Counting House and if not why not, we’ve met just about everyone else (collectively) but I have never had the pleasure of meeting your good self, get your arse along there. 🙂
@Irene King
Come on Irene!
I know you can add something worthwhile here and your input will be appreciated. You don’t have to go full frontal on the main thread, you can just dip a toe in here on off topic. It really doesn’t hurt at all.
My only word of caution is that it can become addictive. Look at thon John King, we cannae shut him up sometimes!
Hoss,
I mooted it here on OT but no-one responded at all to the idea so it didn’t take off.
I now feel a bit bad because I think if I had just gone ahead and posted on the threads that I might well have got it even though it was late in the appeal. He surely deserves one.
Irene,
C’mon, Irene, c’mon.
John King,
A friend carried out a ‘Poll’ in her place of work with the following results:
Referendum
12 No
8 Yes
GE 2015
23 SNP
1 Labour
The Labour guy is a party member and is voting Labour out of ‘obligation’.
Ive told my friend im very dissapointed in these figures & she must try harder 🙂
Did a poll of my own here at home…
Referendum
2 Yes
0 No
Then again, the second voter wasn’t eligible to vote in the referendum as he was a woodlouse I found under the garden shed.
Still, shows some promise… 🙂
Ye be right Oneironaut.
I did a poll of my own here at home…
Referendum
2 Yes
0 No
Then again, the second voter wasn’t eligible to vote in the referendum as she was my yes guitar, who sits on her stand.
Sorry to hear you and Alex canny make Glasgow tomorrow.. enjoy the live-streamed version instead! Cheers to yee’s.
C’mon Irene, C’mon Irene – you even have your own song!
Shove John off the keyboard for a while. Your time is now (Nicolas says so!). A wee comment here and there and you never know where it ends up – like Arbroath for instance. Now there’s a town that seems to have had a change of heart since last summer’s festivities ????
@Cactus
“Sorry to hear you and Alex canny make Glasgow tomorrow.. enjoy the live-streamed version instead! Cheers to yee’s.”
Thanks 😀
If I can get on the Livestream, I’ll take a quick peek at you all there.
Hope you’ve invited the Yes Guitar. Does she have a name badge?
Have a great night! 😉
Irene
Noooooo! Don’t do it, no matter how many try and persuade you. It will take over your life.
In saying that, there could be worse things to take over your life. So would like to see you dip a toe in the water, especially if it keeps John off the laptop and we don’t have to hear as much from him 🙂
@Thepnr
Irene sneaked in on the main thread – I wouldn’t have noticed if it hadn’t been for mumsyhugs!
link to wingsoverscotland.com
As you say Alex, a slippery slope…
Raffles will be king.
@X_Sticks
I saw your post today and mumsyhugs and was lost. Hahaha I missed the Eccles reference and was searching for Irene. Good handle choice Irene.
Love and kisses 🙂
@Paula Rose
Or she may prefer to be Queen LOL.
Takes the cake.
Raffles honey – will we have the pleasure of your company at the CH?
What time are we meeting up at the Counting House?
Can’t resist – sniggle
link to youtube.com
Hello, I just wanted to say how much I’m looking forward to meeting you all tomorrow. I was supposed to attend the last shindig but couldn’t at the last minute, so try and stop me now!
I’m lucky that I’m only 10 minutes away, but I am hoping that distance isn’t going to put people off cos I’m really looking forward to hearing the nationwide campaigning stories. This election is impossible to call, as we know, but the constituency make-ups are all so diverse that it will be fascinating to hear first-hand experiences from far and wide.
For anyone reading this who’s considering coming tomorrow, but is maybe a wee bit shy, well I’m not a prolific poster or the most outgoing of people but I have met individual wingers at rallies and things and they were very nice!!
Also, the opportunity to speak freely amongst like minded thinkers is to good to pass up 😉 So, go on, go on, go on, go on…
Time Natasha? this much
link to youtube.com
xxx
Gillian_Ruglonian – sweetie I can’t wait to meet you and everyone else, I’m the sassy blond.
Hmm, not getting the Eccles reference… Is that an in-joke or am I just thick? hehe 🙂
@Paula Rose
Yes, very nice darling, but I still don’t know what time to turn up!
My chauffeur assures me that he will deliver me to the door at 7:30 – my wee cherub Natasha – I expect the seats will have been taken by then. I’m going for flatties as I’ll probably be on my feet all night.
Don’t be silly @Paula Rose. When we walk in wearing our sparkly heels as usual,the gentlemen will dash off to buy us drinks and we’ll have our choice of chairs.
@Gillian_Ruglonian
Not sure if I’ve met you yet. Mystery Winger there 🙂
As for campaign stories… I don’t think I really have any. None that are particularly interesting anyway.
Lots of standing around in the freezing cold lately.
Although we have met some rather interesting nutters at street stalls. Everywhere has its fair share of nutters, but me and the team I’m in seem to attract some truly spectacular ones…
Seeing as we are in this world…
My mum’s favourite…
link to youtube.com
@Oneironaut
Eccles is John King’s avatar.
I’m dreaming of meeting an oneironaut tomorrow, and everyone else.
@Natasha, 10:30pm
I am sure CH is booked from 7.00pm Natasha.
Chippymonkey honey – maybe the boys will be discombobulated as to how they should behave – I suggest we let them buy the drinks and reserve their seats.
Bugger!
If the ladies are wearing their sparkly heels I don’t want to clash.
Pit boots it is then.
x_sticks,
Well spotted!
Congratulations Irene!
I had looked at those comments this morning but it may still have been in moderation as a first comment.
Been driving down most of the day.
I see Albamac night be there as well, tomorrow.
@Paula Rose
I’ll be there in spirit 🙂
(Watch out, my spirit has wandering hands! hehe) 😉
Too much, much too much
link to youtube.com
I must be one of that select group of Wingers, who have met Gillian Ruglonian at least once, if not twice. And both times would have been in George Square.
So there! PARP!
Looking forward to tomorrow evening, 7pm till throwing out (or up) time…
Nevermind the Paula Rose…
link to youtube.com
See y’all later today 🙂
I’m dreaming…
Pedicure booked
hair sorted
Tottie rock outfit procured
See you all soon xx
Hi again, back from the twits!
Paula – not to put anyone else’s nose out of joint, but you may very well be the main attraction 😉
Oneironaut – mysterious, I like it!
Brian – Ha, I knew I existed
@Paula Rose
All your links are good. However, post too many together then we will miss out. Stick the Ollie and Hardie on again LOL
Oh no, I’ve just noticed that my tablet corrected Twitter to twits! Just as I was getting comfy too (my first wee riddy) 😉
Just done a really funny thing there. I still have hundreds of posts to read on two different articles.
But decided to go to bed instead. Hey for one less grey hair!
@ Will Podmore
Here’s one to get your teeth stuck in to, if you’re lurking out there. Perhaps Heidegger failed to transcend the boundaries of western metaphysics and ended up rejecting humanism because, unlike Zen Buddhism, he was using western metaphysical tools in his attempt. His dialectic couldn’t get around duality. 🙂
link to partiallyexaminedlife.com
Thepnr & Broughtyboy
Sorry for not getting in touch, its nothing personal. I spoke too soon about getting shot of the lurgie. Now my Sciatica has flared up so I’m not going to get to the CH. Bummer. 🙁
Tam Jardine
No pressure, or have I missed the Edinburgh bash? 🙂
Brotyboy
Sorry. 😉
So the democratic will of an increasing proportion of Scots raiders (voters) looks as if it is about to experience a Pearl (accidentally driving the nose of the board underwater, generally ending the ride).
Too early in the day? 🙂
The Surf Raiders – Point Conception
link to youtube.com
Remember were still in a parallel universe, where everything is reversed and vica versa. 😉
Ronnie Anderson
I am not getting off the oil rig until 4pm today. I will get home too late to go to the Counting House. Really disappointed Ronnie.
Martyn and I will see you sometime very soon. All of you have a great night. If it’s on livestream, i will tune in.
Be good.
All the best,
Caz.
@caz-m, 8:40am
Sorry to hear you won’t be at CH. Next time, eh? Safe journey home.
Cameron Brodie @ 2.37 am
Will just sent me a response to you post Cameron,
He said
“well that was Zen this is Tao” 🙂
Like a bairn going on holiday, counting the minutes.
see you all tonight folks shame you cant make it Alex, Caz-m and Cameron (get well soon,)I hope you can find a way to come Oneironaut 🙂
Last one on a surf theme, but it’s a pity I missed this little known mid-60s Northwest stomp-per from the album “Riot City”, when the LibDumbs plunged Scotland into anarchy. 🙂
Rocky & The Riddlers – Riot City
link to youtube.com
Just boarding plane ( Corfu ) hope to see you all tonight in the CH
john king
Sharp. 😉
Post-indyref revilation – I hadn’t realised David Carradine had had such a profound effect on me. 🙂
Hi folks, I’m not going to make it tonight sadly, it was lovely to meet some of you last Saturday, hope you have a fabulous night, look forward to hearing about it x
I wonder if this will be the next excuse from the Project Fear team, explaining the First Minister’s popularity. 🙂
Charles Sheffield – Its your voodoo working
link to youtube.com
Does anyone have details about a get-together at St. Peter’s hall in Hyndland Street, Partick on the 8th? My daughter would like to go but I can’t remember any details, or even where I read about it. Definitely getting doatit!
Well, thanks to a very kind last minute donation of the train fare from a friend here, I’ll be able to make it tonight after all 🙂
(Now I just need to see if I can sneak my cheapo mini Lidl cola bottle in past the doormen…)
See ya all later then! 😀
Hey Oneironaut, aint gonna bring my 6-string to this gig but am looking forward to hearing one of Ian B’s musical guests performing for us 🙂
To confirm, the Counting House has been booked from 1900hrs (till 3am!)
The VIP area has been reserved in the south-west corner of the bar, AKA the library.
For first time navigators, this part of the bar is situated directly across the road from the ‘Subway’ junk food shop on St. Vincent’s Place.
See ye all there Scotland.
Del (10badges) and myself will be seeing some of you folk later at the WoS meetup.
I was thinking if people interested we could do wee livestreams from George Square about election etc.
Am in george sq. Away for a coffee …and a wee bit studying. Catch you all later.
James
Sitting in the CH in “our” corner just now. Quite busy.
Damn phone screen not updating straight away. Apologies if I seem to be ignoring. 🙁
@Jim Thomson
Heading there now. Should be with you in about an hour or so, depending on whether anything slows the train down on the way.
See ya! 😉
And just to add to the joy, the library has signs saying private party from 6:30pm
our wee bit of the CH starting to empty now. Betty is getting fractious – nae pals yet.
Wingers now drifting in …
The A team will be about another 20 mins at most. We are on our way:-)
Hope you all have a great night in Glasgow – sad not to make it through this time..
To all attending the Coontin Hoos – Enjoy yirsells.
CameronB Brodie
Aye – never organised another Edinburgh mate – I could give you all the reasons but it boils down to being busy and lazy. And not really feeling there was anyone else pushing for one. 190,000 Edinburgers voting no is another reason. There are other, better reasons
Salut Cameron. One day when we’re auld tins we will tell young folk about these crazy pre indy days
auld yins…
To Everyone who makes the Counting House Tonight. Have a great time. Wish I was there. link to youtube.com
To all my friends and Wingers in the Counting House tonight, I’m sorry I couldn’t make but here’s the instructions for the dance around George Square.
link to youtube.com
Have a good one.
@Thepnr
Message from Irene King – Missing you tonight 🙂
@Oneironaut
Glad you got there, tell Irene and John I’m missing them too 🙁
Also to Ian, thanks for the mention on Indy Live.
@Thepnr –
Hope all went okay for you today. When I went into CH I spotted someone at the bar, thought it was you – thankfully, I didn;’t clap him on the shoulder! (He was a fine figure of a man, so, I’m sure you’ll agree, the mistake was understandable.)
@Caz-M –
I’m sorry mister – said hello to you via the Live stream but got your lad’s name wrong. 🙁 Apologies…
Proper bummer youse weren’t there though – a lot of the usual suspects were there, all looking well up for it. And a good few new faces besides.
Big hoots tae ane an’ aw. Ye’s are diamonds.
Had a great night at the CH tonight. A huge pleasure to meet everyone and share a few tales and some laughs.
See you all on threads when I get home Monday.
Rihanna, ‘Diamonds’ –
link to youtube.com
Here is a link Nana Smith put up on the main thread. Deserves to be on here too. Labour must hate this guy. Enjoy. link to youtube.com
A Wings social.. use your imagination if you didn’t see it on livestream cos We did. Had a word with Kevin about setting up multiple socials on the same night in different areas, more local to many and do livestreams from them all. If each venue manages to produce 5 laptops for example, every venue could interact whilst those elsewhere will be spoilt for choice. Maybe I had a pint of imagination too many. I blame Paula Rose. Wingers can’t help but enthuse others so thanks to the many, merry band who provided the opportunity to be enthused so much.
Wow – this shed has wi-fi as well as a jacuzzi! Heaven.
Oh my – here’s ronnie with the cocoa.
Got back into YES City just after 2pm, after another successful meeting of ‘Cybernatz Central’ in that Glasgow’s Counting House.
It was so successful on the scale that we even had a lurker (Hello Shona!) asking for a badge.
Ian Brotherhood – I’m not sure you actually exist on this astral plane. Umpteen times tonight, I asked various peeps to point you out so I could say hello and the answer, every time was “He was over there. Maybe he’s gone out for a fag.”
Now, I thought Ronnie Anderson HAD to be a figment of our collective imagination but I KNOW he exists!
So, in the race for the next Wings get-together, is it gonna be Dundee (Invergowrie) or Edinburgh in early July?
Stay tuned for the news where you are…
Rockin’ it out in Glasgow wingers.. after the CH, me, Cearc & Gillian were bigging it up inda merchant city. These girls know how to party!
Time to sleep some, kali spera pretty people.
@ cactus, you know x
I’ve just been chucked out of our hotel room by irene for making too much racket and it’s too early for her,
bUt I’m hungry whaaaaaaa ????
Alex Waugh
Shindig in Hyndland hall for GE….
I saw something about that on fb, think it was Yes Partick, I won’t find it trawling back because it was a couple of days back, but try their internet presence, fb or maybe they have a site?
Cactus says ‘kalispera’
Kalimerasas,
Are you in Greece or Cyprus Cactus? I’m in Cyprus
LIVESTREAM video from Counting House here: link to livestream.com
G’morning, party poppers!
xx
Thanks Caroline. I went to the Yes Partick facebook page and sent them a message.
Everyone manage to survive last night then? 🙂
@Thepnr
Sorry I didn’t get your reply. I wasn’t even sure that message made it through.
My mini laptop couldn’t connect to the crappy wi-fi in the CH, so I ended up connecting through Glasgow Council’s wi-fi (which wasn’t much better!)
I tried to send that message at Irene’s request before having to pack up and dash off for my train before the page had fully reloaded.
Last night was fun though 🙂
Happy to meet Paul, A.K.A. the Wee Ginger Dug at last, even if it was just a brief wave since I was jammed in behind at least three other people!
Also, nice to meet JLT, and the mysterious (and very pretty!) Gillian_Ruglonian! 😀
Hope everyone isn’t feeling too rough.
We must do this again soon! 😀
Nice meeting you all again. I should have been more definite about attending and got a wee badge 🙂 However, all in, a very pleasant evening.
@Thepnr, we all missed you, man, hope you are well. We didn’t manage the River Dance but wait for this – Paula Rose might have had one sherbert too many but a Fan Dance was performed. If you were luck enough to have seen it then, like me, that is one memory that will stay with you forever.
Great to meet up again with old friends and a big hello to all the new friends. Roll on the next shindig.
@cearc,
maybe Rec Stu could give Roberts Peffers – “Honorary Gold Wings” for all his efforts?
hint, hint…
🙂
QQ,
Ahh, You have recovered your voice after being stunned into silence by the fan dance.
I’m not sure that some of the guys will ever be the same again. It was quite a show!
Hoss,
Well I certainly think he should get one.
Perhaps we (preferably you), could gather names and petition Stu?
I have just surfaced.
I blame Paula Rose’s fan dance and the Tsing Tao.
Now off to meet Ronnie and Paula Rose (I think) at the YES Bus at City Square.
Hey Alex Waugh, I’m in the sunny climbs of Glasgow. Was listening to some Zorba when I got back home.. Yamas!
Have a smashin’ time in Cyprus 🙂
What..
..you mean I missed the fan dance from the delightful Paula Rose.Knew I shouldn’t have left so early and all for the want of not having to wait for a bloody taxi.
Anyway, so good to meet up with old friends and now new ones, Lollysmum, Macart etc
Hope to see you all again soon..
Billy Davis & the Legands – Spunky Onions
link to youtube.com
Afternoon folks!
Excellent night last night! Far, far too many names to mention, but finally have faces to many names and pseudo names. Without giving too much away, it was an absolute pleasure to meet Paula Rose.
Also great to catch up with John and Irene King, whom I hadn’t seen since before the Referendum, when they disappeared somewhere in West Lothian after the great Livingston convoy slightly came apart at Fauldhouse!
So far, I have done hee-haw studying today (somehow LOL …you have all worn me out from last night, and I only had 3 pints!!!). I really have to motivate myself as I have a final assignment to hand in this week, but I also need to tidy the bathrooms (my orders from Mrs JLT) as well as post final letters around Livi Village …sigh …it never seems to end.
Anyway …catch up with you all soon! Cheers!!
@JLT
Yes, I know what you mean. Paula had exactly the same effect on me when first meeting. Starstruck is all I can say. Shame I couldn’t make it, looked like a great doo!
I saw the fan dance. I may never recover from the experience. 😉
Recover, Natasha? I’m still blushing. So hot I need a fan to cool down. Dammit, there’s that image again.
Hi folks
thank you all for your generosity at CH 🙂
Anyway…
LIVE 7th May: Glasgow Emirates Arena #GE2015 We will be livestreaming through the night so please join us and let us know what you think… (Also for you special wingers we could be doing some Skype livestream chats so if you fancy joining us on that then add me to your Skype: indylive1)
link to tvl.ink
Really enjoyed the get together last night. What a great bunch of people you all are. Always good catching up with faces old and new.
Just a pity Alex and Caz didn’t make it and Alexandra was missed too 🙁 Ah, well, next time guys.
Just got e-mail from Craig Murray – turns out he was going to join us last night in CH, but last-minute family stuff prevented it. Have replied, saying it’s the thought that counts and I’ll certainly let him know as and when another is arranged.
Martyn Bennett, ‘Nae Regrets’ –
link to youtube.com
Just want to say hi to the charming SNP supporting rickshaw driver who conveyed me to Cambridge Street car park last night and who should now be lurking here on off topic. Don’t be shy, say hello – we’re very friendly!
Anybody fancy a visit back to the Ferry in a couple of months time?
A big yellow bus from the central belt would be most welcome.
John Martyn, ‘Don’t Want To Know’ –
link to youtube.com
To be honest ronnie anderson’s shed is not quite the five star residence that I suggested in the early hours.
The wind did blow, the rain did infiltrate – but a brave spider persisted and eventually succeeded in spinning her web…
Reminded me of something…
Very cross the Murphy – snuggle xx
Very cross the Murphy – SNIGGLE.
@Thepnr
Gee, Alex, what a night! Really sorry you couldn’t be there. Our thoughts were with you and your family.
Also, shame that Caz-m was too late off the rig to attend – next time, eh?
Well, the fan dance was going well until Paula Rose, feathery, pink fans swooshing, became distracted by JLT, who looked as though he was going to join Paula on the table, and that was when Paula’s stiletto stuck in the table top.
Ooh, it was an awkward moment but Paula saved herself with a timely pirouette. She is an absolute class act.
Not long in from my sojour to Breichin @ coffe with the delectble Paula Rose & La Contessa ( linen napkins still not back from the laundry)so paper wans. La Contessa made me ah couple of BLT (without the L ) on Wry for my snack back down the road.I.ll need to get somone else to drive Paula Rose, she keeps finding Parking Tickets on my windscreen, (2 to date from the unfair city of Dundee).Onnyhows I hope everybody got home safely from CH & by reading some of the posts another great night.
@ Thepnr, well missed my friend, by all.
Noo where,s that wee Lurker that highjacked me, Cmon lets hear from you.
Great nite as always Guys N Gals,shall we do it again sometime SOON.
@BDTT – I was so close to saying hello, twice, but you looked very busy, no doubt with badge-related business. And thanks for leaving mine with Handandshrimp, I got it when I came back in. A superb wee souvenir I will always treasure alongside all the other WOS campaign medals.
@Natasha, JLT, X-sticks, Chipmonkey, Ian B aka Cactus, Seona ‘the Lurker'(?), John & Irene, Cearc, Jim T, Gwen and BettyB, as well as all the usual reprobates – a total pleasure, and I’m just so sorry I had to bolt early. Hope the raffle went okay – it was just getting underway as I left. (And, naturally, I missed the ‘fan dance’…)
Hoots tae ye’s aw!!
@ Natasha
Your rickshaw driver didn’t have a megaphone, did he? 🙂
@ A’body else – great meeting up again and good to meet quite a few new faces. Shona, if you are lurking about, pleased you stayed with us – we only do friendly abductions!
@Paula R, dear, I am hoping that you have completed the appropriate customer service form Chez Ronnie. Was breakfast full service? Hopefully, the fans were professionally laundered.
@ Bdtt & Petethecamera
You guys are heroes designing and making our bespoke Wingding badges.
@Thepnr Another meet in a wee while at the Ferry sounds like a good idea as does a bus from several points in the central belt.
@Ronnie
Hero
Betty Boop
Well, the fan dance was going well until Paula Rose, feathery, pink fans swooshing, became distracted by JLT, who looked as though he was going to join Paula on the table
What! My drink must have been spiked! I cant remember dancing gracefully around the Counting House. Certainly blethered a lot about the Reformation and the theme of authority (which will now have Kininvie groaning! LOL) …and I only had 3 pints of Heineken …honest!!!!
Hi Ian.
So you are real!
8=)
_________________________________________________________
Hi Alex Thepnr.
When I was outside the Counting House last night for one of my rare ‘real’ fags, TJenny arrived. I threw down the gauntlet.
Edinburgh was offered its chance for a get-together after the 22nd November get-together in Glasgow, and dropped the baton. Since then, we’ve had Invergowrie 2 in February and Glasgow on Friday evening.
I told her that if Edinburgh doesn’t get its act together, there will be Invergowrie 3 in early July. It’s up to Tam and TJenny to sort out Edinburgh.
Now, the reasons I cite Invergowrie are,
1. The staff are ‘YES friendly’ (remember the number of Wee Blue Books that were asked for / accepted on 13th September) and
2. We can have music videos and Cactus and his guitar, if we want and
3. The CH in the Ferry won’t allow ‘live music’, or videos, and
4. If Thistle wants to Livestream from Invergowrie, there won’t be a problem.
A couple of peeps last night said that Invergowrie was ‘out in the sticks’, mentioning the train times back to wherever.
Invergowrie is nearer to Dundee’s city centre than the Ferry!
If we give Edinburgh until the end of May to organise something, and they don’t, we could have Invergowrie 3 in the first half of July, which gives travellers plenty time to organise their overnight stay in Dundee, to allow leisurely travelling home on the Sunday.
If WE can arrange travel to Glasgow from Dundee and Brechin, surely Glasgow and the west coast can arrange a minibus from their locale for a grand night out?
Tough shit JLT as they say in Dundee.
Also I’m having none of the “only had 3 pints of Heineken” you’ve been found out as a secret admirer of our Paula.
No point denying it now 🙂
Aye, Shona the lurker got a special handwritten badge/souvenir of the night.
I told her that she’d better get her @®$e inti gear and post in ‘off-topic’ as an easy option for dippin’ ‘er toe in the wahttir’ that is Wings Over Scotland…
Whaur ir yi?
I had 4 bottles of Tsing Tao and Pete was able to get me home to Dunkeld ok…
Sorry, not Dunkeld, I live in Dundee.
It was the ospreys that done it.
Sorry to hog the page but…
There’s a march and rally in Dundee next Saturday from noon. A march round the city centre, followed by a rally in City Square (until 5pm) with live bands, including the Graham Brown Band, Sheena Wellington, speakers, etc. Rumour is that Dundee’s newly elected SNP MP’s will be there also.
There will be a Wings stand at this event, under the supervision of Ronnie Anderson. So, if any Wingers are coming to Dundee on the 9th, for the “Dundee Sunshine City Fest”, look out for the Wings banner in the Square.
link to youtube.com
@JLT, 11:00pm
You see, that’s the thing about a Wings do, so much happens that it is like being in a parallel universe – total recall is not possible 🙂
Okay, this is a wee bit show-offy, but, god almighty, it’s impressive –
John Martyn, ‘Seven Black Roses’ (live) –
link to youtube.com
Making do with Natasha’s budgie feathers was maybe a mistake – sorry.
Well Ian Brotherhood, that was FUCKIN brilliant.
You sly old fox, you. SSP full of numpties LOL.
@Paula Rose –
I missed your performance, so I’m not too sure what went awry, but please be assured – you’ll always have a big fan right here.
I just hope your table-top mishap didn’t damage either of your lovely Chaz Jankels.
So good I had to watch it twice. Just don’t get it do you Mr McTernan LOL.
@Thepnr –
What’s the betting there’s some simple psychological reason behind McTernan’s behaviour?
Could it be that, once upon a time, someone called him a crater-faced fud?
Just a guess, but these wee things are important when assessing why apparently sociopathic individuals assume the right to tinker with the ‘democratic process’.
If you happen to read this, McT, please do yourself a favour – find another nation to ‘advise’. Wasting your time here – we are not worthy of your exalted, sophisticated input.
It’s official! It’s been announced!
Our Queen, Queen Elizabeth of Scots (Not the 2nd of Englandshire) has announced the name of the new royal baby.
She, with appropriate recognition of the the role of Scotland in the building of the empire, will be named ‘Princess Senga’.
So there…
Hey no-one around?
So, my first wings social was something else! You guys all surpassed my expectations, and I now feel slightly corrupted (but in a good way) 😉
@ Gillian Ruglonian Welcome to off/topic. Glad you had a great night on Friday. You will probably be hooked now and already looking forward to the next Social Gathering. Anyway here is a wee song which I think is appropriate right now. link to youtube.com
Hi Michael, yeah I had a ball at my first ‘do’ and can’t wait for the next one!
Your song is appropriate at any time 🙂
That is the Boxing about to start. So I will leave you with a nice mellow track. link to youtube.com
ThePNR
LOL …I’m not saying another word!
Right …I did absolutely hee-haw studying yesterday. I need to get stuck into it today. Catch you all later!
For the next night oot or the ane eftir that or the ane eftir that, there’s a band called A Right Couple O Charlie’s that would be perfecto for the night.
They do a great Bonnie Dundee, Flower Of Scotland and even do some of their own stuff.
My wife’s auntie had a wee get together in The Neptune Bar in Montrose for her 70th and the Charlie’s were just setting up as we arrived.
Now I’m not a fan of bands (techno for me) but as soon as I saw the Yes stickers on their guitars and their Yes t.shirts I knew we were in for a belter o an afternoon. They were great and a very nice couple o boys too.
So either we could go to them or we could ask if they could come to us?
They’re on Facebook – A Right Couple O Charlie’s.
@Gillian_Ruglonian
“…and I now feel slightly corrupted (but in a good way)”
Yeeeeessssss. Give in to the corruption and come over to the Dark Side… We have cookies! 😉
Glad you enjoyed the night.
Was nice meeting you at last 🙂
Wishing I could have stuck around for this intriguing Paula Rose fan dance everyone is talking about! 😀
Also hope our new lurker speaks up at some point (assuming we didn’t scare her off!)
@ Michael McCabe
Great song, Michael, and it sparks some memories for me.
I left home when I was 15 and traveled down through the borders into Northumberland, then across the north of England and into Wales, working for my keep as I went. I don’t know how I’d have fared without the kindness, hospitality and generosity of the people that I met on the way. I joined the Army at seventeen and the next chapter began in Catterick.
Sorry I couldn’t make it to the CH. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. Watched the video and it was great to see everyone having such a good time. Sorry I missed it.
Guys,
you haven’t scared me off.
Thanks all for making me feel so welcome on Friday night, I can recommend abduction by nasty cybernats to anyone as they are lovely folks indeed. Next time I’m nearby I’ll be much less shy about coming over to say hello.
Bdtt,
thanks for the badge, it has pride of place next to my Yes badge.
A wee twist on the surf theme. Awesome video.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Torture Me (steady Paula)
link to youtube.com
@Ian Brotherhood Sorry I didn’t manage to have a chat on Friday. Loved the John Martyn link. Here’s a brilliant guitarist using different tunings (Slack Key). Sort of goes with a day of rain!
link to youtube.com
Kelpie honey – welcome to cybernat central xx
Just got back a few hours ago folks and have to say thoroughly enjoyed Friday night at the CH. Met so many great people and put faces to names.
Privilege to meet you one and all.
As for the fan dance (blush)…
… Mrs Macart is super jealous of Paula Rose. 🙂
Hi Kelpie (Shona?)
Always good to meet an incomer to the cause! Get posting on the main pages now, yi hear?
HandandShrimp could have had a badge as well. All you had to do was make your name known and you could have had a handwritten one! Like I typed on the 29th,
“We’ll have some blanks with us on Friday for peeps who haven’t asked and turn up on the night.”
Shona fitted that profile perfectly!
_______________________________________________
As I typed above,
“When I was outside the Counting House last night for one of my rare ‘real’ fags, TJenny arrived. I threw down the gauntlet.”
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Is Edinburgh gonna get their act inti gear?
_____________________________________________________
I like Wee Jonny’s mention of “A Right Couple O Charlie’s”,
“Now I’m not a fan of bands (techno for me) but as soon as I saw the Yes stickers on their guitars and their Yes t.shirts I knew we were in for a belter o an afternoon. They were great and a very nice couple o boys too.”
Maybe we could crowdfund having them at the next Invergowrie get-together (Jolly’s wouldn’t allow music).
_____________________________________________________
Lastly, I’ll repeat the info re next Saturday in Dundee…
There’s a march and rally in Dundee next Saturday from noon. A march round the city centre, followed by a rally in City Square (until 5pm) with live bands, including the Graham Brown Band, Sheena Wellington, speakers, etc. Rumour is that Dundee’s newly elected SNP MP’s will be there also.
There will be a Wings stand at this event, under the supervision of Ronnie Anderson. So, if any Wingers are coming to Dundee on the 9th, for the “Dundee Sunshine City Fest”, look out for the Wings banner in the Square.
link to youtube.com
Had a great night out on Friday! Thanks all you scary people.
Very glad QQ and I came after all.
@Paula Rose Thanks for giving us a big push in the right direction. Good job we are ‘besties’ – others might have been concerned to have their husband turn up quite late for tea with the famous Paula Rose in the back of his car and then mumble all night about the fan dance!
@Oneironaut – @Cactus photobombed our selfie – it’s not a good photo from my phone but I might post it later.
@Briandoonthetoon – I really suit your hat -again I might eventually post proof. @Cactus also thought it was tasty.
@Kelpie – nice to see you online, glad Brian came up with the badge 🙂
@Everybody else – nice to meet you all, again for for the first time.
Here’s the graphic for next Saturday’s shindig in Dundee.
___________________________________________________
Aye, Chipmonkey, you do suit my hat…
Yir no’ gittin’ it…
Jiss a shottie, noo an’ then.
A May Morning – good one. Pete Wishart posted it – enjoyed and indeed seems right for now so sharing.
link to youtube.com
I want you to hear a song first linked to on here by IB almost a year ago.
True, it’s a wee bit sentimental and won’t be to everyones taste. It is though still relevant now, just put you feet up, close your eyes and enjoy.
link to youtube.com
By way of contrast here is the first link to a music video ever played in Off Topic.
Well done Jon D 🙂
link to youtube.com
We certainly have not given up and onward we march and …
link to youtube.com
@ Kelpie
Welcome to Off Topic and Wings in general. Pleased to meet you on Friday.
We only kidnap nice folks and always send in big Ronnie. He’s our best diplomat, like an ambassador; granted, a unique type of ambassador 🙂
Notice you’ve ditched the lurker moniker. Kelpie is good; is it a clue?
Cheers
@ Paula Rose
Notice you pouring oil on troubled waters over on the main thread today. Honestly, sometimes a soothing stroke is all that is required 🙂
@ Chipmonkey, Apologies, didn’t get much of a chat on Friday although QQ and I chewed the fat for a wee while.
@ Thepnr, 11:21pm
That video is properly weird and just a wee bit creepy. I didn’t dare go to the website to find out some weird facts about Michael Rodd!!! Probably the stuff of nightmares O-(
Every time I go to a wings thingie I get this tinglie thingie…
link to youtube.com
@ Betty Boop
I wish I could be everywhere stroking everyone.
Fun dilly mun dilly…
link to youtube.com
Fundilymundily, rejection has always been a weak position to sell from. 😉
The Monotones – What would I do?
link to youtube.com
Second go. 🙂
link to youtube.com
Here is a wee relaxing song. link to youtube.com
Michael McCabe
Was that a hint Michael? 🙂
Just remembered that (I think it was) Hoss that proposed that Robert Peffers should get any honorary gold Wings badge.
I’d support that, but I also think that Nana Smith, Call me Dave and Lollysmum should also get them for their wonderful contributions to Wings.
Would Stu be up for 4 honourary badges?
Betty Boop
I like swimming.
I think some of the local pensioners might also complain that I threaten to drag innocents to their death in my haste to get a few lengths in before heading off to work!
@Kelpie
Yay! Welcome to the infamous Cybernat Central! 😀
The bar is on your left, the Cybernat Mind Control Lab is on your right, and refreshments are just over there.
Don’t go through the big doors marked “Cybernat High Command”. The Rev gets a bit cranky when someone disturbs him while he’s plotting (also the white cat keeps escaping!) 😉
Love your avatar by the way 🙂
Now these are kittens. 🙂
F1 vs F5 (Savannah cats play fighting)
link to youtube.com
Savannah cats are a cross between a domestic cat and the Serval, which I understand have been, or are being banned by various nations, due to the threat a feral population of these would pose to indigenous ecosystems. The F1 is the first generation from wild and grow to about the size of small Collies. 🙂
This is perhaps tangential evidence that Laissez-faire socioeconomic practice is not compatible with the holistic balance of all things. Man. Or woman Reg. 😉
And now it’s time for a game of “Spot The Bob Sinclair”!
link to mobile.twitter.com
(Video of Murphillydillydally arriving for ‘fundemallyrally’ this morning.)
Glad you all had a good night on Friday. Sorry I couldn’t make it this time.
Inspiring picture over on the “Waiting for Nicola” article there.
The music player was running this in the background too. Quite a nice effect… 🙂
Making it my music link for the day.
link to youtube.com
@Quinie
Ye were well missed Quinie 😉
Come on a’body, cheer up. Just a few more days, and we’re looking at a near-enough clean slate.
(If this disny make ye smile, get sumdy tae call the co-op, cause ye’re deid.)
Seasick Steve, ‘Down On The Farm’ –
link to youtube.com
@ Shona see we telt ye its no say hard to find your voice on WOS,whit we never telt you is Its addictive.
A Big Wingers Welcome SHONA.
@Brian Doonthetoon
Yes, I also spotted Oor Boab on a different video. Well done Bob my friend. One of the Wings heroes.
This is for you buddy 🙂
link to youtube.com
See that Ronnie Anderson wi’ the ladies!
A big Wingers welcome to the murky world of O/T from me too though to Shona and Kelpie 😀
I feel really privileged.
I checked out my emails when I got home from work tonight. And, guess what?
I have received an email from Jimmilly Fundimurphilly.
From: Jim Murphy admin@scottishlabour.org.uk
And it contained GOOD NEWS!
It would appear that the Labour Party has caved in and now is promising home rule if we vote Labour!
The graphic below (from the email) lays out Labour’s promises and, right at the top left, is HOME RULE!
Ya beauty! “We’re on the way…”
@Ronnie Anderson –
In your avatar I’m sure there’s a set of toes at the end of the shed, peeking out. You sure Paula Rose isn’t still in there? Best knock first, mind…
@Ian
I’ve heard from various sources that Paula is often peeking out 😉
I’m going to come across as a raving loony here but so be it.
NOW IS THE TIME.
The best and only opportunity you have had in my lifetime to really make a difference. If you don’t knock into your your Labour voters heads friend why they should vote SNP this time. Than you are doing not just yourself a disservice but your community and your country.
I truly can’t be arsed with the sectarian shite either, just another divisive to be used against us. I can’t be arsed with any Nationalist shite either, just another way to divide us.
The politics I envisage for Scotland is better than that. A politics of the people. I will not put a name to that, the Scottish people will.
The establishment is screwed now here in Scotland, you know why? In my view we only want the best for all our people. Westminster in the disguise of Tory or Labour will continue to screw our people.
Fuck them, two days to the election. Tell everyone you know. Fuck them that have screwed us for years.
@Thepnr
Nope, you come across just fine Alex. If you’re anything like me, you’re just tired of the politics of self. Sick to death of the adversarial nature of our politics which generates the party before people culture of our parliaments. Weary of a caste and patronage system which sees no problem with corporate and media compromise.
What has it given the electorate? What has it done for the electorate in the past fifty years especially? Corruption, wars, financial crashes, scandals, mis managed deindustrialisation and a system which uses the power we grant it to line the pockets of the few at a terrible cost to the many. Its given successive governments the green light to direct and manipulate the perceptions of their electorate for plain, old fashioned greed, their own agendas.
The arrival on the scene of the SNP, SSP and Greens during the referendum has given people a chance and it gave them a voice with which to speak. During that two year period the voice spoke to the establishment quietly, with this general election we can raise that voice to a shout.
With the right result this week, I think they’ll hear us loud and clear. 🙂
Bloody ear-worms. I have to share to get rid of them …
link to youtube.com
The late and great Mr Cocker.
Right, that’s it, I’m voting for Dave. The things he has to put up with. Now the Herald is reporting that a man with a Scottish accent heckled Cameron when he was addressing supporters ‘at a garden centre in Twickenham’. The chap had the temerity to shout ‘Come on the SNP’. Disgraceful. Nicola must condemn this behaviour immediately.
Shouting promises in England, I’ll give you shouty promises.
link to youtube.com
🙂
Two more sleeps, and I think I narrowed down just why I find the stramash about the “chaos” in Glasgow so repulsive:
link to wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com
Jim Murphy and Eddie Izzard were “threatened” by four choobs with a megaphone. We had an actual Combat 18 thug protesting, and a wee girl with a saltire wasn’t afraid of him.
It’s the height of insulting for Murphy to dare call what happened yesterday “the ugly face of nationalism” when you had people who represented a group which is considered by many to be an actual terrorist organisation in Greenock.
Taranaich honey – another gem xx
Hello Taranaich, another solid article, well done! As I’ve said before, your style is great – very precise and accessible.
Best of luck for the final stretch 🙂
@Taranaich –
😉
Soo-perb stuff.
Hope you can remember to take a selfie ASAP after your man Ronnie wins – loads of us will be watching carefully, but not much chance we’ll get to pinpoint you – would be priceless to see your expression after all the work you’ve done.
More power to ye mister! You deserve to win, and I’ve no doubt you will.
Hoots!
Sent the following to the rev a wee while ago.
Oil price is recovering, nudging towards $70, but is still at a low level for recent years. So some folk may well be wondering why the British establishment still seem so desperate to hang on to a Scotland in possession of only one oily banana.
In the past I have tried to point out that the UK has many more reasons than oil for holding on to Scotland. I have, for instance, attempted to show the importance of the Food and Drink sector in the equation.
However trying to do so using nominal monetary value which is confused by a plethora of ‘adjustments’ – tax breaks, subsidy levels, tariffs, voucher systems, GVA calculations with confusing, inconsistent and somewhat arbitrary assumptions of when a subsidy is a subsidy or not? has made for a less than satisfactory result.
Whether deliberate or coincidental, the result of all that mind-boggling confusion, obscures the underlying message.
Also, when numbers go above about a billion, folk’s minds, including mine, tend to start wondering where a squirrel is when you need one.
But a few days ago, I hit on the idea of concentrating on raw produce levels instead of nominal monetary value and also, and I think crucially, drastically reducing the number sizes by calculating the amount produced for each and every man woman and child in Scotland per day.
And to do so in terms of measurements which are readily understood in the everyday real world.
In that way, potentially distorting accountancy measures are avoided, and daily volumes are more readily recognisable and familiar.
So in the following you will often see an abbreviation I have coined ‘p4d’ which is shorthand for Production Per Person Per Day.
I have also calculated comparative figures for England or rUK.
I have been data crunching this for about three days and have only got through three sectors, albeit main ones.
It would be better with piccies, a photo of two plates say with the food amounts shown for Scotland and England, rather than verbal examples, but no time for that just now.
Anyway, have a swatch if you can spare the time.
FOOD and DRINK SECTOR
Not exhaustive, just the key staples.
Fish Production
Conventional fishing
Landed at Scottish ports i.e. less than the total actually caught in Scottish waters. Scotland lands about 2/3 of the UK’s fisheries production.
About 190 g production per person per day (p4d). Taking haddock as an illustrative example that would be about two and half of Tesco’s Prime Haddock Fillets (86% fish) p4d in Scotland (of course, in reality, it is a much more diverse catch than just haddock)
England landed fish figure equates to only about 6 or 7 g p4d or less than a quarter of an ounce, not even a proper mouthful .
Salmon
The main product of Scotland’s rapidly expanding aquaculture industry.
Scotland 85 g p4d. According to M&S that is just about two servings of their smoked Lochmuir salmon side.
England, of course, virtually nothing.
It is worth a mention, that although smaller in weight volume, salmon is now worth more in monetary terms than the conventional fisheries catch.
Meat Production
Beef (nearly 30% of UK herd)
Scotland 93 g p4d Enough for a Birdseye original 1/4 pounder burger (77% beef) for every man, woman, child in Scotland every day
England p4d only a quarter of said burger.
Lamb (nearly a quarter of UK herd)
Scotland 28.5 g p4d Just over an ounce. Might not seem a lot but that is several times more than Scots actually consume, we are not big lamb eaters.
England only around 7g p4d Also, the English eat three times more lamb per head than Scots
Pig meat (10% of UK herd)*
Scotland 30 g of pig meat p4d Equivalent to two Tesco streaky bacon rashers.
England a little less. However the UK, including Scotland, remains a big net pig meat importer.
Poultry(just under 8% of UK stock)*
Scotland chicken 61 g p4d About two and a quarter ounces or around 3 Tesco roast chicken slices.
Scotland Eggs, just under half an egg p4d
England a little more
*Pigs and poultry
Pigs and poultry are in a slightly different category from sheep and cattle because the distribution of nominal production is not tied to land use per se, unlike for grazing animals.
Cereals Production
Scottish cereal production is, overall, about 12% of the UK total, therefore, per head, nearly one and a half times the UK average. However, cereal does not generally find its way to the table directly. Therefore we must be careful not to be guilty of double accounting.
Barley
Scotland just over 1Kg p4d. The equivalent of 4 X 250 gm (9 oz.) bags of barley from Tesco.
England 0.2 Kg p4d. A fifth of Scottish p4d levels.
However, 34% of Scottish barley goes to maltings (whisky) and 54% to animal feed. Still, the remaining 12% could form the basis of a pretty big pot of soup.
Wheat
Scotland just over half a Kg p4d
Only around 2/3 of rUK p4d but well more than offset by the barley production.
Oats
Scotland About 80 g p4d Over one and a half servings if all were used for porridge but some, again, is used for animal feed.
RUK around 25 g p4d. About half a porridge serving equivalent.
Oilseed Rape
Not strictly a cereal. It is used increasingly as a vegetable oil, animal feed and biofuel
This crop also increases other grain yields through rotation with them.
Scotland 76.5 g p4d
rUK 85 g p4d. Slightly more.
Potato Production
Potatoes
Scotland 590 g (1.3 pounds) p4d Equivalent of two reasonably large portions of chips.
rUK 240 g, (about 8oz) p4d
Note Scotland produces most of the UK’s seed potatoes.
Milk Production
Scotland 1.214 pints of milk p4d
England 0.79 of a pint p4d.
Milk is obviously used to also produce butter and cheese and other table bound items as well.
Whisky Production
Scotland about 70% of a bottle p4d.
rUK, not a lot.
Because this uses 34% of Scotland’s barley crop and the land used to grow it (around 100,000 hectares) it is effectively, despite its nutritional dubiety, an agricultural product. But, it would be beyond silly not to point out there is a unique value added for this product that sets it apart from other agri-products.
Scotland’s distilling industry also makes significant and increasing volumes of other spirits. I believe even the majority of that quintessentially English product, gin, is now made in Scotland, though I have not seen the detailed figures.
What does the Food and Drink Sector mean in money terms and for independence?
The UK annual food and drink consumption in money terms, the annual grocery bill if you like, comes to a little over 50 billion pounds.
Currently the UK exports about 19 billion pounds worth but imports about 40 billion pounds worth.
A current trade deficit on food and drink of 21 billion pounds.
What does that amount mean (apart from the UK needing to import about 40% of its food and drink)?
Well, to put it in context, it dwarfs oil revenue, even in good oil price years. It is a huge amount.
Looking at it again on a per person basis might be more meaningful. It amounts to nearly 400 quid a year for every person in the UK, or about 1500 pounds per family per year.
It represents an in built deficit which has to be paid before anything else can be paid for.
And of course with ‘pooling and sharing’ Scots also have to share that bill in whatever ways it manifests itself.
But what if Scotland were on its own?
Scotland has a food and drink annual turnover of around 13 billion pounds.
Scotland exports about 5.4 billion pounds of food and drink overseas, almost a third of UK food and drink exports, plus about another 2 billion to the rUK.
Scotland’s consumption of food and drink is something south of 5 billion.
The massive UK food and drink deficit is not of Scotland’s making.
What would independence mean re food and drink for the rUK?
5.4 billion would disappear from the positive side of the UK balance sheet and the 2 billion Scottish exports to rUK would appear on its negative side, Scotland then being outside the UK.
Plus there would be 8.3% less people to share that bigger bill.
A big reason to hang on to Scotland.
ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION SECTOR
You could easily be forgiven, if you only listened to the MSM, that Scotland was in danger of running out of electricity and will be needing to rely on the rUK some time soon.
What is the reality?
In 2013, latest complete DUKEs analysis, Scotland produced 53 TWh (net 49.6 )
A terrawatt hour is the amount of energy you would use if you ran 1000000000000 amps through a 1 ohm resistor for an hour.
Err right.
But fear not, like for food production, I am converting this into a smaller and hopefully, more understandable figure in terms of p4d and expressing it in kWh (the familiar ‘unit’ on your leccy bill).
Scotland 26 kWh (‘units’) p4d
England 13.4 kWh (‘units’) p4d
Scotland consumed 32 TWh which gave it a production/consumption ratio of 1.55
England generated 259 TWh but consumed 295 TWh, production/consumption ratio is 0.88
Unfortunately, because of England’s much larger population, this means that once again the UK as a whole is running with another deficit. Around 15TWh imported from Europe. Assuming 10 p per unit, that amounts to about 1.5 billion pounds per year.
Scotland on the other hand ‘exports’ about 15 TWh to the rUK, nominally 1.5 billion pounds worth per year if 10p per unit is taken. Again, on an annual basis this should represent a gain for the Scottish economy of around 300 pounds per person per year, 1200 pound per family.
Of course, in the event that Scotland became independent this would also nominally double the rUK deficit from 1.5 billion to 3 billion.
Another reason for hanging on to Scotland.
WOOD PRODUCTION SECTOR
In terms of production to consumption ratio, the UK, overall, is in an even bigger trade deficit situation than for food and drink. The UK uses nearly 5 times the wood it produces.
This amounts to a wood trade deficit of over £5 billion annually.
How does that break down when comparing production levels between Scotland and England?
There is a bewildering array of metrics used in the timber production industry.
Greene tonnes, sawn tonnes, overbark cubic metres/tonnes, under bark, cubic metres/tonnes, recovered tonnes/cubic metres.
Unlike other land use crops, it is not a case of an annual harvest where the harvest yield = the annual production.
Trees actually recovered can and do vary as matter of planning considerations.
I therefore took the view that the best guide to true production levels was the estimated standing annual growth figure i.e. irrespective of whether it was actually harvested that year, and that people would be slightly more sure of what a volume meant rather than a weight.
In volumetric terms – millions of cubic metres (overbark, standing)
Annual timber production in Scotland is about 10 million cubic metres per year.
For England, it is about 5 million cubic metres per year.
Since people, I think, would be less familiar with what a fraction of a cubic metre meant.
So to make everyday sense of these figures, I converted into litres of wood production per person per day. Unconventional, I know, but a litre is a volume most folk are pretty familiar with. (and yes it is a fraction of a cubic metre, I know)
For Scotland, that works out at 5.2 litres of wood p4d.
For England it works out to 0.26 litres of wood p4d
A plank v a ruler in pictorial terms.
Consumption of wood in the UK is around 3 litres of wood per person per day perhaps a little more.
The deficit is again entirely down to England, indeed Scotland has a trade surplus on wood.
‘Export’ to rUK from Scotland is reckoned to be nearly 2 billion pounds a year.
Another potential trade deficit increase for the rUK if Scotland became independent.
Another reason to hang on to Scotland.
And we still haven’t got to oil or engineering, electronics, software, quarrying, life sciences, financial services, tourism, woolens and textiles, university technology spin out partnerships, publishing or design.
I want a “selfie” with Taranaich’s mum – that Nicola is hogging the limelight.
Here’s one for Auld Preacher Broon, before he bows-out once and for good –
Bob Dylan, ‘Gotta Serve Somebody’ –
link to youtube.com
@Taranaich
Lovely article; great pictures too! I’ll be thinking of you on Thursday.
xxx
Just back from Bath – any chance anyone knows what happened to one of the eggs I was using for the Rev’s omelette? Got a bit distracted by one of the rats.
Paula, naughty girl!
Are you insinuating, or denying involvement? 😉
Much as I love little furry things – it was a bit unexpected.
Paula – Ah little furry things! I was expecting to see you on Friday, surrounded by them! Sorry I missed you, but it’s a date for the next meet x
Sorry I missed you, caught the last ten minutes xxx
I went to the CH from work, but next time I’ll glam up and we can paint the town red together!
So, it’s about time to hone your spears, isn’t it?
We are all supporting you!
The English call Nicola a battle-axe? Well… she might use it pretty soon! 🙂
@Gillian
NO! No! Not red dear, yellow and black please.
Red is so last century now 😀
@Taranaich
Good article there 🙂
If we ever get around to getting rid of the biased has-been mainstream media in this country, then I hope it’s people like you who’ll replace them. You got a talent there! 😀
That picture of the two C18 thugs getting shown up by a little girl with a flag is definitely my favourite picture from the whole campaign now, hehe.
If someone in the distant future ever asks what this whole thing was about, I’m gonna show them that picture. Says it all for me.
Everyday, in every way….
Found a great lake in NZ last month. Its only a wee one but its perfectly formed.
@AuldA
“So, it’s about time to hone your spears, isn’t it?
We are all supporting you!”
Funny, I found this earlier. Thought it seemed oddly appropriate 🙂
link to imgs.xkcd.com
@Oneironaut
Totally agree with you about the flags photo. Have you seen the photoshopped version that looks like a banksy? It’s incredible (sorry I don’t have a link).
I love the comic strip!
Disney’s sword in the stone film was one of my favourites when I was wee, I still like the song about karma that Merlin sings, it’s always appropriate 😉
@X_Sticks
someone needs to wrestle the colour red (& anything else left of value) from the labour party’s cold dead hands, I’m up for the job, fancy joining me!!