Tonight’s games went as badly as they could have done for Scotland, pretty much as we suggested they would at the weekend, after a truly abysmal Scottish performance (an embarrassing 28% possession) saw them beaten 3-2 by Germany while Ireland scraped past Georgia 1-0.
But as we also said, and despite the clueless honkings of just about every pundit working in a TV studio tonight, it didn’t actually damage the team’s chances of making the playoffs very much.
As we write, Alistair Carmichael’s QC is two hours into a seemingly-interminable drone in an Edinburgh courtroom, in a case brought by ordinary citizens against a former government minister funded by a public appeal. Our own recent fundraiser, inspired by a case a world away from such high-minded concerns, closed a few days ago on a phenomenal total of £16,083.
Indiegogo have now disbursed the first half of the money (the rest, specifically that part that was donated by credit card, should follow in the next fortnight), so now we need to decide what to do with it.
A very brief post about football, because it was irritating to listen to the avalanche of gloom on social media on Friday night as Scotland lost to Georgia (again), and then have to watch this honking oaf go trolling.
You know that bit in Superman 2 where Superman is forced by General Zod and his evil Krypton buddies into the magic power-removing chamber, except that Supes has somehow cunningly rewired it so that the space rays or whatever get deflected to everywhere OUTSIDE the chamber instead and they're the ones that lose all their powers while he stays super?
That's basically what's happened in Weston-super-Mare this month.
Summer is, as we’ve said before, the “silly season” for politics. Wings readers will have noticed that like everywhere else, we’ve been rather lighter on content than usual for the last three months as politicians celebrated their general election victories by giving themselves long holidays – sorry, “time for constituency work” – and in the absence of a referendum campaign to fill the gap there wasn’t much going on.
So we can’t blame the media for raking over old ground in search of anything to fill threadbare column inches with. But it’s less excusable when the things they choose to reheat, repackage and reissue are ancient, endlessly-disproven lies.
Let’s start off by losing some more friends. This site has no time for the Gaelic lobby. The obsolete language spoken by just 0.9% of Scotland’s population might be part of the nation’s “cultural heritage”, but so were burning witches and replacing Highlanders with sheep and we don’t do those any more either.
Being multilingual is an excellent thing, but the significant amount of time and effort taken to learn a literally-pointless second language (because everyone you can talk to in Gaelic already understood English) would be vastly better directed to picking up one that was actually of some use, and every extra fraction of a second spent scanning a road sign trying to find the bit you can read is a fraction of a second spent with your eyes off the road.
Non-primary native languages are a tool whose main utility in practice is at best the exclusion of outsiders, and at worst an expression of dodgy blood-and-soil ethnic nationalism. They’re a barrier to communication and an irritation to the vast majority of the population, who are made to feel like uncultured aliens in their own land.
But we’d still rather put up with Gaelic than complete idiots making our laws.
We were greatly amused to learn this morning that Professor Adam Tomkins of Glasgow University, the bad-tempered darling of the Scottish Conservatives and the only political pundit who can make Alan Cochrane of the Telegraph seem measured and thoughtful, plans to stand for election to the Scottish Parliament next May.
We suspect he’ll succeed, too. It now seems plain that Ruth Davidson’s move earlier this month from the Glasgow list to the Lothian one was a ploy to get Prof. Tomkins to the top of the former, and while a Tory list seat in Glasgow is by no means a certainty next year, it’s more likely than not.
(We’ll be somewhat startled if the irritable English academic finds the courage to even try contesting a constituency in Scotland’s largest city. It’s moderately possible that his abrasive hectoring of Scottish voters’ stupidity in continuing to elect the SNP might not go down too well in the council schemes of Easterhouse and Drumchapel.)
Trying to pick out the funniest line in the announcement is no easy task.
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: ““including the Tories” Do they fuck. Short memory – those Tories were the only ones to hold the SNP in…” Dec 20, 10:28
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Contempt Of Government: “Big questions. Partly a terminology thing here. Dooyeweerd loads the word “norm” with specific human meaning which presupposes personal accountability…” Dec 20, 10:01
Billie on A matter of class: “The Tribunal had to come out in favour of Sandie Peggie but only did so one one ground. It is…” Dec 20, 09:50
Andy Wiltshire on A matter of class: “Do we know that there is definitely going to be an appeal, and if so, whether there is a date…” Dec 20, 09:32
Bilbo on A matter of class: “With just over a year and a half in power, the Labour government have become deeply unpopular. The economy is…” Dec 20, 09:27
Northcode on A matter of class: “Ah! We see here the sexual bonding – created by my imprint-laced posts designed to ensnare and enslave colonialists- in…” Dec 20, 09:12
Hatey McHateface on Contempt Of Government: “The “black books” idea is a bit of a red herring, and borderline racist too. Astute investigators would naturally know…” Dec 20, 09:03
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Scotland’s largest public sector trade union, UNISON, with a membership of 150,000+ has a new leader this morning. And pink-haired…” Dec 20, 08:58
Hatey McHateface on Contempt Of Government: “Read Twat H, 100% Yes. There is only the tribe. Deny your fealty to the tribe and you deny your…” Dec 20, 08:43
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: ““blindfold and with both hands tied” Ah’ve telt ye afore, Northy. Nae discussion o yer sex life afore the watershed!” Dec 20, 08:28
George Docherty on A matter of class: ““Honestly inaccurate” is right up there with “Economical with the truth.”” Dec 20, 08:26
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “There’s an interview with Sandie Peggie on Mail Online this morning. Of course, once the SNP and the wider Indy…” Dec 20, 08:25
Northcode on A matter of class: “More a matter of incompatible cultures than one of class. Here in the ‘Peggie palaver’ we see the anti-Scots racism…” Dec 20, 07:53
twathater on Contempt Of Government: “Your memory seems to be failing you again 100% yes , EVERY party in HR and WM including the tories…” Dec 20, 03:03
Cynicus on Contempt Of Government: “An interesting hypothesis. Do you have any evidence to support it?” Dec 20, 02:37
Angus on A matter of class: “Following the successful appeal, Judge Sandy Kemp must be sacked, no ifs no buts.” Dec 20, 00:06
Kevin Cargill on Contempt Of Government: “I’m sick and bloody tired of saying it but once more for those not listening. Transexual prostitution is one of…” Dec 19, 23:57
Oneliner on A matter of class: “Humbug (or any other kind of topical bug)” Dec 19, 22:53
GM on Contempt Of Government: “Bang on the money there Robert. Non the less it is interesting that she was picked out from the crowd…” Dec 19, 22:09
Peakcrew on A matter of class: “This not the first time Kemp has done this. Claims under multiple heads failed because he found doctors more “credible”…” Dec 19, 21:44
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “So why did you leave early?” Dec 19, 21:05
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “They’ll be sniffing aroond yer erse next, Northy. It must be the dug in ye. Bad dug! Nae biscuit! If…” Dec 19, 20:53
Oneliner on A matter of class: “I’m just back from the Duff & Phelps Christmas party. They’re all having a good laugh over there.” Dec 19, 20:36
Northcode on A matter of class: “I feel it is incumbent upon me to warn those who find themselves, perhaps in a confused daze, perpetually sniffing…” Dec 19, 20:29
Marie on A matter of class: “Significant falls in the number of mainly women (working class) applying to Scottish nurse training courses year on year. This…” Dec 19, 20:10
Lorncal on Contempt Of Government: “Start stealing their knickers, Lee. If they say anything – they’ll probably blame each other first – step in and…” Dec 19, 20:10
Lorncal on A matter of class: “You hit the nail plum on the head, Rev. It was a travesty. Legally, contemporaneous notes can be strongly evidential…” Dec 19, 19:58
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “Socialism is a parasite that feeds on the host nation (fanny).” Dec 19, 19:58
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “It’s naw, though. I’ve checked. Your vision’s getting blurry, Northy. What have you been up to?” Dec 19, 19:52
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “The Red menace contaminated the water long before that. Or was it the will of God. No. Alas it’s University…” Dec 19, 19:43
