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Wings Over Scotland


Across the road 230

Posted on November 30, 2019 by

The game is still on 126

Posted on November 29, 2019 by

Particularly alert readers may recall this excellent documentary from 2017, exposing how Labour’s PFI scandal has cost the Scottish taxpayer countless billions of pounds and crippled local government for decades with its extortionate financial legacy, as illustrated by the case of North Ayrshire.

Well, now there’s another one of it.

The title is self-explanatory, and it’s worth half an hour of your time.

The bidding war 330

Posted on November 27, 2019 by

Remember this, readers? What a long time ago it seems.

And we don’t just mean Ruth Davidson being in favour of staying in the EU.

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Selected voices 536

Posted on November 23, 2019 by

The Panel 426

Posted on November 19, 2019 by

This, frankly, is something that we should have done years before now. But it’s never too late to start.

One of the most annoying and undemocratic things about modern politics is the ease with which MPs and candidates can simply ignore the electorate. I’ve attempted to politely ask my own MP, Wera Hobhouse of the Liberal Democrats, a question on several occasions and had only dead air in response, and many readers report similar from their own representatives.

What that means, among other things, is that it can be impossible to have any idea what someone stands for on a given issue before you vote for them. And that’s plainly unacceptable in a democracy.

However, when there’s an election on, there’s something you can do about it.

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The fruits of apartheid 118

Posted on November 18, 2019 by

A new study reported at the weekend has found disturbing levels of sectarian beliefs among pupils at Scotland’s 357 Catholic schools. But there was an interesting twist – sectarianism was higher among the pupils who WEREN’T practicing Catholics.

Whatever could be the explanation?

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We are confused 100

Posted on November 18, 2019 by

We’ve just taken our first week off in eight years, and no sooner are we back than the whole world’s turned on its head. Because this is Brian Wilson in today’s Scotsman.

The only thing we don’t understand is: if a Holyrood majority for independence will be valid in 2021, why isn’t it valid now?

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Going native 213

Posted on November 16, 2019 by

The Secret History Of Ultimate 7

Posted on November 15, 2019 by

Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd, better known under their trading name of Ultimate Play The Game, were the most reclusive and secretive videogame developers of the 8-bit era. Almost never doing interviews and giving very little away when they did, they preferred to let their stream of smash-hit games do most of the talking for them. The anti-Bitmap Brothers, if you will.

The games themselves were just as enigmatic, never really explaining your goal or even how to play. You'd be told the control keys, given a bit of cryptically florid plot waffle and left to get on with it.

But even now, 37 years after the last new Ultimate release, remarkably little is known about how they managed to arrive full-fledged on the scene, already making games that most other releases of the time paled and quailed beside.

And as I'd given myself the week off writing about politics and there wasn't a poker game on, I decided to spend last night having a bit of a dig.

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And they’re off 784

Posted on November 09, 2019 by

An all-time low 142

Posted on November 08, 2019 by

Try to ignore the “regional”, and the fact that it’s framed as the Tories vs Labour. This is a new full-sample (1060) poll from YouGov today, and wow.

(The left-hand bar in each pair is 2017, the right-hand one is 2019.)

And you thought Kezia Dugdale’s nadir of 14% would never be beaten.

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We are lost for words 295

Posted on November 06, 2019 by

It doesn’t happen often, but it has today. Because Nick Robinson said this:

You know, Nick Robinson. It was Nick Robinson who just complained about someone misleadingly editing an interview to make it look as though someone hadn’t answered a question. Seriously, the actual Nick Robinson.

We’ve got nothing, folks.

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    • Aidan on The Pit Of Vipers: “Tbh I don’t respond for “James” and Geri. I know there is nothing anyone can say or do at the…Apr 23, 14:30
    • James on The Pit Of Vipers: “Geri; Well….that’s one way of describing the pair of them…..Apr 23, 14:24
    • Aidan on How To Get Away With Crimes: “It is in theory a possibility Rob, however: – as a private citizen RevStu lacks the statutory powers to gather…Apr 23, 13:07
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    • Alf Baird on The Pit Of Vipers: “‘The Propaganda Blitz’ by David Edwards and David Cromwell tells a similar story about how the British media operates and…Apr 23, 12:51
    • Captain Caveman on The Pit Of Vipers: “There’s nowt “little” about Fatso, I’d wager. (Certainly not according to his inebriated-tramp-on-park-bench mugshot avatar) The guy’s likely to have…Apr 23, 12:51
    • sarah on How To Get Away With Crimes: “Good idea, robertknight. I’m in for a crowdfunder. Though I’d understand if the Rev doesn’t want several more years of…Apr 23, 12:36
    • Geri on The Pit Of Vipers: “They don’t even live in Scotland so what would they know? Absolutely nothing. They’re just nosepoking trolls.Apr 23, 12:22
    • Aidan on The Pit Of Vipers: “What a great comeback, that’s me telt ? Sad little man.Apr 23, 12:03
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Pit Of Vipers: “I imagine the DVD version you mention has become the following YouTube. However punchy and immediate, it remains but a…Apr 23, 12:01
    • Geri on The Pit Of Vipers: ““material change in circumstances” Brexshit was the material change. Nawbags cried their remain vote didn’t count. The UK is not…Apr 23, 11:59
    • James on The Pit Of Vipers: “But…..but….”Adrian & Wilma” say everything was fine, none of that happened; nothing to see here…..who should we believe???Apr 23, 11:36
    • James on The Pit Of Vipers: “LOL Making it up as they go along now as usual. Typical Yoon behaviour. What a pair of numpties. (Adrian;…Apr 23, 11:31
    • Geri on The Pit Of Vipers: “I have it on DVD so an excellent watch too. I think it came free with iScot magazine at the…Apr 23, 11:30
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on How To Get Away With Crimes: “The parents of the “botched circumcision” child were advised by tragically misguided psychologist John Money, whose story features from about…Apr 23, 11:28
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    • Aidan on The Pit Of Vipers: “Lol Geri – to be called thick by someone like you, just wow! The idea that you can’t make “new…Apr 23, 11:07
    • Nicky T Naquetti on How To Get Away With Crimes: ““Spitfire Cannon”, huh… Does this dude/dudette even have his cannon anymore, never its spitting function?Apr 23, 10:51
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Pit Of Vipers: “The opening paragraphs of G.A. PONSONBY’s book: « Chapter 1 – TURNING YES INTO NO « The 2014 independence referendum…Apr 23, 10:39
    • Geri on The Pit Of Vipers: “Jeez you’re as thick as pigs shit. It doesn’t allow you to introduce new offers. Devo Max & the vow…Apr 23, 10:30
    • robertkknight on How To Get Away With Crimes: ““It is possible to bring a private prosecution for harassment in England and Wales under Section 6(1) of the Prosecution…Apr 23, 10:26
    • Geri on The Pit Of Vipers: “Scotland was so pro Union do you know what they did? They returned 56 Nationalist MPs for the 1st time…Apr 23, 10:25
    • Alf Baird on The Pit Of Vipers: “Aye, if only we had nationalists instead of colonialists leading the national party, we wad be hame and dry lang…Apr 23, 09:53
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Pit Of Vipers: “And fulsome tribute still to G.A. PONSONBY for his watershed achievement in meticulously compiling irrefutable evidence of the BBC’s default…Apr 23, 09:49
    • Aidan on The Pit Of Vipers: “Purdah rules restrict the use of official government functions like official communications channels or the civil service to announce major…Apr 23, 09:40
    • TURABDIN on The Pit Of Vipers: “«SCOTTISH NATIONALISM» the love that dare not speak its name without a paroxysm of cringe.Apr 23, 09:27
    • 100%Yes on How To Get Away With Crimes: “Seats projection for Holyrood election in latest poll. SNP 59 down Greens 23 up Reform UK 17 up Liberal Democrats…Apr 23, 09:21
    • Geri on The Pit Of Vipers: “The broke the rules, continually. The broke rules on Purdah. They continually abused the state mafia TV who were not…Apr 23, 09:07
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