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We got a birthday card!

Posted on November 01, 2012 by

It’s got flowers on it and everything.

Gemma Fox is a rather strange lady who makes Lego dioramas of Royal Marine Commandos and who we had a childish but enlightening recreational argument with on Twitter last night. (Funnily enough after a long and tiring day visiting the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton.) James Mackenzie is a Green activist and one of the editors of the once-popular and increasingly-ironically-named Better Nation blog.

(Mackenzie threw an impressive hissy fit earlier this week when we very politely challenged him to support a seemingly-baseless allegation about another blogger, even going so far as to claim “harassment” on the basis of someone responding civilly to comments made in an open public forum. Presumably, as a Better Nation editor he’s just not used to people answering him back without being able to censor them.)

Ms Fox generously warned us last night that we had until “2000 hrs” this evening to delete unspecified tweets from our account, and that we should also “warn yer pals”. (We’re not quite sure who that means, but it might be you, so we thought we’d better let you know.) If we vanish suddenly at 8.01pm under legal action – the threat of which we’re sure is real and serious, and definitely not just the mad rantings of a delusional internet lunatic – speak kindly of us when we’re gone. We had a good run.

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89 to “We got a birthday card!”

  1. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    at 2000 hrs – WingsOverLegoland!
    Fox is just another spangle on twitter, but Mackenzie serves a purpose – he helps the SNP by making it hard for the Greens to split their vote.
     

  2. Scott Minto (Aka Sneekyboy)
    Ignored
    says:

    What a strange wee argument…

    It all seems to be along the lines of her saying:

    “You said something bad!!!”

    Followed by you asking for a link and being told:

    “No, no link. Find it yourself. No I cant show you the evidence…”

    Ive been right through her timeline and at one point she mentions that a Nat who disowned you is in her timeline…

    Now how are we supposed to see whats on her timeline?

    Maybe if it was in her tweets… but its not.

    And whats with all the statements that National Security is at risk?

    As I said, very strange. But I wouldnt make anything of it.

    If the BritNats are out to get you then you are rattling a few cages.

  3. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “helps the SNP by making it hard for the Greens to split their vote.”

    Aye. My politics are to the left of the SNP and the Greens should be my natural home (particularly as I don’t currently live in Scotland), but the knowledge that the party is full of pious, hypocritical hippy sorts like James is what’s always put me off. As an old punk-rock kid, I never could bear them.

    I didn’t mention his ludicrous jessie-strop yesterday because I don’t particularly want to fall out with other independence supporters, but anything that resorts to censorship as enthusiastically as BN does should always be regarded with the deepest suspicion.

  4. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “Now how are we supposed to see whats on her timeline? Maybe if it was in her tweets… but its not.”

    You can search for “@GemskaF” on Twitter and it’ll show you everything anyone’s tweeted TO her as well as her own tweets. But of course there was nothing remotely akin to what she described. One person said they’d fallen out with us over the Wootton Bassett poster, but they didn’t mention the word “troll” and she didn’t retweet it, so both aspects of her claim were untrue.

  5. sneddon
    Ignored
    says:

    Be fair Mackenzie is a spangle too,  although a special kind of spangle.  I never thought I’d say this but after years of working in pubs I never thought there was another place where there was so much shite spewed by folk but twitter seems to have topped that and they’re mostly sober!  Do they not think potential employers or clients might not look them up? If you’re going to have a public profile at least be sane. Too dumb to use a false name fer fecks sake!

  6. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry I’m O/T but having just watched the weekly Lamont put down show, a.k.a. F.M.Q.’s, I thought those interested in what the Washington Post were rabbiting on about might like to read the article here.
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/scottish-independence-vote-is-part-of-worrying-trend/2012/10/30/4c320fb2-1896-11e2-a55c-39408fbe6a4b_story.html
     
    As far as the childish behaviour of Fox an McKenzie is concerned they appear to me to be a couple of individuals who are all too ready to cast accusations about the place but when questioned about their authenticity or proof of evidence they resort to the typical “throwing their toys out of the pram” response. Still it is nice to know that there after these people around who are willing to do our job for us!

  7. Scott Minto (Aka Sneekyboy)
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arb

    Its a sad case of the worlds media (mostly owned by the same vested interests) reading the UK MSM and regurgitating it (because rational analysis and facts are harder to come by).

    This is then followed by the MSM in the UK saying… “look, we told you so!” and spouting off more rubbish that in turn is taken up by lazy journalism elsewhere etc… etc…

  8. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    @RevStu – me too on the dusty old left-right axis, and I share your opinion of its make-up. I don’t think they’ll ever see it in themselves.
    Anyway, I’m not sure they wouldn’t be better joining the SNP and trying to push from within, but at least it’s useful for the independence minded to have another party in the parly who aren’t outright enemies of the SNP (as the real political vehicle for indy).
    @sneddon – I concede on the spangle attribution 🙂
    I have to confess, twitter is tempting, but noise to signal is pretty high IMO, as is the temptation to engage in futile and fruitless spats – I don’t think I have the discipline or energy.

  9. Scott Minto (Aka Sneekyboy)
    Ignored
    says:

    [Correction]

    “Ive been right through her timeline ”

    Should read – “Ive been right through her Tweets”

    doh…

  10. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    I saw the spat with Dr Mack the other day as I lurked on twitter. It’s just the same old MO, although with an appeal to voluntary self-blocking up front before he ‘pushed the button’ himself like a very big boy.
    From an outsiders pov the “stop following me” bits were worthy of a chuckle…
    I left Bitter Nation alone a loooong time ago.

  11. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “It’s just the same old MO, although with an appeal to voluntary self-blocking up front before he ‘pushed the button’ himself like a very big boy.”

    Yeah, that was a new one on me. “I’m standing here in a public place shouting things, but I don’t want YOU listening so please go away.”

  12. Galen10
    Ignored
    says:

    Bitter Nation has indeed become very strange… which may account for the galloping success of WOS Rev. Stu, as people abandon it in droves! Happy Birthday WOS  by the way 🙂

    The twitter exchanges above made me laugh … as they say, all human life is there, and some you just can’t be too sure about!

  13. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    I wouldn’t worry about “vanishing” at 8.01pm. I suspect that, at 8.00pm, Gemma Fox will reveal to the world that she’s turned into a pumpkin, a Better Together pumpkin of course!

  14. Marcia
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t think we are going to see ‘LIAR’ on the front pages tomorrow. When you look at what some people put on Twitter you think that was a waste of a good education. How do some people have time to spend all day on this twitter anyway.  Who cares for their opinions.

  15. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    Scott Minto said:
    Its a sad case of the worlds media (mostly owned by the same vested interests) reading the UK MSM and regurgitating it (because rational analysis and facts are harder to come by).
    This is then followed by the MSM in the UK saying… “look, we told you so!” and spouting off more rubbish that in turn is taken up by lazy journalism elsewhere etc… etc…

    I remember something quite similar.  Some right-wing Americans tried to get a meme going that Obama was completely dependent on the autocue and couldn’t make a speech without it.  It was absolute nonsense, there was loads of footage of him speaking extempore as well – he has simply learned to use an autocue very effectively.  But they plugged on about it.

    Then one day something was circulated by AP (in relation to a total misunderstanding where Brien Cowan had made a complete idiot of himself at a St. Patrick’s Day dinner as Obama’s guest), which included a bit about some Americans criticising Obama for being over-dependent on the autocue.  The Times in particular got the story wrong, although a version was in most of the broadsheets, saying Obama had got the name of being too dependent on the autocue.

    At which point Rush Limbaugh waded in and told his viewers that the Brits had noticed it was were “skewering” Obama for this.

    (In fact it was Cowan who had slavishly read what was on the autocue, which was wrong, and Obama had made it into a light-hearted joke to spare his blushes – a bit like the story of Queen Victoria or whoveer it was drinking from the fingerbowl.)

    It’s all competely incestuous.  It’s a hall of mirrors.

  16. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arbroath 1320,
     
    Many thanks for the link to the Washington Post article. I particularly liked the authors’ patronising but quaint reference to “European statelets”. That’s like the difference between a ‘real’ kitchen and a wee, pretendy ‘kitchenette’. The irony of this article seems to have escaped its authors also. Two representatives of the most nationalist nation on earth lecturing us about the dangers of self-determination.

  17. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    I haven’t read all the comments on the W.P. YYY but from what I have read it appears that there is a certain level of incredulity running. Most, if not all posts seem to be amazed that the W.P. could be so incompetent in their writing of this article. This is all the more surprising, in my view, when you consider the history of this paper and the “Nixon”  saga.

  18. MissPerkins
    Ignored
    says:

    Am I the only gal who sort of wishes the Greens weren’t on our side? It’s good that it’s not just the SNP, but I think they do the cause more harm than good with all their nagging and complaining.

  19. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    I think Patrick Harvie is still smarting from the SNP overall majority.  There was a lot of speculation that the SNP would be the largest party but that the Greens would get a handful of seats and an SNP-Green coalition would come into being.  In which case Patrick was being tipped for deputy FM.

    Then look what happened…

  20. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arbroath 1320,
     
    True Arb, but it’s been a long time since the Washington Post has been a ‘crusading’ newspaper and Bob Woodward is, nowadays, very much an establishment figure.
     
    Having said that, there’s a wonderful line in my favourite film, ‘All the President’s Men’, based on Woodward’s and Bernstein’s breaking of the Watergate story, and I think it has an analogy with the iron grip that unionism used to have in Scotland.
     
    In the film, the political editor of the Washington Post, Harry Rosenfeld (played by Jack Warden), is trying to explain to the rookie Post reporter, Bob Woodward (played by Robert Redford), who Charles Colson is (Nixon’s special counsel in the White House). And Rosenfeld says to Woodward:
     
    “Charles Colson has a plaque on his wall. It reads, when you’ve got them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow”.
     
    Unionists used to have Scotland by the balls, and our hearts and minds used to follow. But no more. And no matter how many third-rate American journalists they may recruit to their cause, they’re toast.

  21. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    @MissPerkins

    We need to welcome more parties, individuals to the independence movement if we are to succeed. Liberals, Labour, Conservative members should all be made welcome if they had the same desire for independence. Regarding the Greens, they will probably pick up the protest vote, student vote and maybe some disillusioned liberals. However, they are very anti-road building and this and other things will probably cost them support. Patrick Harvey seems like a decent guy and is a good speaker, but I am not sure if he is a good political strategist. I think you are right about their moaning! This chance we have is rare and don’t come around often.

  22. MissPerkins
    Ignored
    says:

    @muttley Yes, but how many votes might the Greens bring in compared to how many people they put off? Like you say, drivers hate them for a start, and that’s a lot of people.  

  23. rableather
    Ignored
    says:

    Has anyone ever actually been sued over a libellous twitter remark? Just curious, accademically speaking? Have to have a hell of a lot of money to persue that in real life… hmm

  24. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    @MissPerkins
     
    Difficult one as Yes campaign needs to be more than the SNP.  The SSP and the Greens are also part of the campaign.  I don’t think it would scare off many voters because it is not an election, so as many different views the better.  It is really an idea, in this case independence, we are voting for in two years time.  Labour voters for independence have an important role to play as well.  I reckon there is a wide gap between the SNP and the SSP and Greens at the present time.   I think a proper Scottish Labour Party could fill that gap in an independent Scotland. 

  25. Fred Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    Careful Stu. You may have upset some powerful people here. Don’t be surprised if Lego SAS crash through your window at 20:01, put you on a Lego rendition flight at 20:02 and have you being Lego waterboarded by 20:03. But enough of Gemmas fantasies eh. As for MacKenzie, he’d rather bitch and snipe about those who are *broadly* on his side – he’s a factionalist and better ignored – a waste of bytes.

  26. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “Careful Stu. You may have upset some powerful people here. Don’t be surprised if Lego SAS crash through your window at 20:01, put you on a Lego rendition flight at 20:02 and have you being Lego waterboarded by 20:03.”

    Don’t worry – we’re ready for them:

    http://wingsland.podgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/townhall.jpg

  27. Craig P
    Ignored
    says:

    She has you legally?  I think that means you are now married. 

    Was nice knowing you Rev.  

  28. Colin Dunn
    Ignored
    says:

    Just 8 minutes to go. This is so exciting 🙂

  29. Tearlach
    Ignored
    says:

    20.01 – Still here?

  30. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    Are you still with us Rev?

  31. Michael Neil
    Ignored
    says:

    The lego isn’t working.
     

  32. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh no it’s 20 past eight and no indication the Rev Stu has survived the “onslaught”. 🙁
     
    Please everyone be upstanding for a one minutes silence in memory of the bravest of the brave! 😀
     
    Is anyone taking charge of the memorial fund to build a great and proper memorial the the warrior of warriors, Rev Stu? 😆

  33. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    [tentatively peeks out of panic room]

  34. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arbroath 1320,
     
    Never mind the memorial fund, who’s going to take charge of Wings? Mind you, when the cat’s away…

  35. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    Glad to see that the allotted deadline for WingsOverLegoland came and went as quietly as expected!
    I notice that Doctor James Mackenzie has decided for me what I meant by the word ‘spangle’. Just in case proof were needed that he always knows better than you, regardless of the facts.
    For clarity (since he clearly still visits the website of the person he blocked after some comedic pleas to stop being followed on the following platform that is twitter), a spangle was the term i used to highlight my sense that GemsakF is one of those wonderful people who inhabit twitter who believe themselves to be a little highlight thereof (erroneously in my view); a glistening little highlight, a sparkling, glinting decoration in the superchatroom of the interwebs.
    That’s it, I think they think rather a lot of themselves and their presence, Mr Mackenzie too. To simply decide that the term I used was intended as homophobic or intended to insult others by making out it’s a derogatory term for people with ‘special needs’ just goes to show how easy it is to be the ‘nasty people’ on the internet.
    Spangles! I hope their mutual association continues for ever.
    This is exactly the sort of crap that keeps me off the internet.

  36. Alex McI
    Ignored
    says:

    Spangles were sweeties used to like as a youngster. Quite good they were too. In fact bring back spangles!

  37. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @mrbfaethedee,

    There’s nothing homophobic about liking Spangles. I remember them, they were great wee sweeties. As for the charge of being homophobic, there’s a standard riposte to provide, from the inestimable Peter Kay, with a Scottish inflection: I’m not homophobic, ah love ma hoose. The old ones are the best.

  38. Domhnall Dods
    Ignored
    says:

    I used to quite like a packet of spangles. I had no idea they were homophobic, no wonder you can’t buy them these days. 

  39. Tearlach
    Ignored
    says:

    Colin Dunn of this Parish – in his business life – has a great free website product called spanglefish, inspired – or so I’m told – by that wonderfull tounge ripping sweet of the 70’s, the Spangle.

    Of course they have their own Wiki page –    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spangles

  40. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Just got back in and checked this site as is my habbit.

    Whut in the name o the wee man??????

    The Rev is being threatened by Lego special forces and a strange tweeter???????

    NURSE, meds time. 😀

  41. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    I agree.
     
    BRING BACK SPANGLES! 😀
     
    We the free thinking peoples of Scotland demand the return to the sweetie shops across the land of SPANGLES! :llol:

  42. Tamson
    Ignored
    says:

    Regarding the Scottish Greens (they’re a separate party from Caroline Lucas’ mob, remember), I’ve never understood how they supposedly have joint leaders in Harvie and Wardrop, but you never hear a cheep out of Wardrop (she’s a Glasgow councillor BTW). She’s not given to turning up or commenting on every LGBT rights issue going* unlike certain other Green Party convenors, so perhaps the Greens should consider using her more?

    *not that there’s anything wrong with these things of course, but they shouldn’t be the main focus of a Green Party politician.

  43. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    Or,
     
    For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any condition be brought under non-Spangle rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom, the freedom to eat Spangles, for that alone, which no man gives up but with life itself. 

  44. Alex McI
    Ignored
    says:

    I just can’t take the greens seriously. Patrick Harvie should come to my house at 6.30am and tell me just how I’m going to get to whatever building site I’m working at, with a few hundred kilos of joiners tools. Public transport just isn’t going to cut it. A bicycle is out of the question. But they are wanting to horse me silly with tax havin having a car instead of a horse and cart.
    so Im glad that they support independence, but you wouldn’t let them run a bath , never mind a country.

  45. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    YYY
    ROFLMAO! 😆

  46. sneddon
    Ignored
    says:

    Spangle me a kipper,  I’ll be back for breakfast!

  47. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @sneddon,
     
    You’ve reminded me of one of the few downsides of being a Spanglephile. Like kippers, if you had a Spangle at breakfast, you kind of had them for your dinner and your tea as well!

  48. Keith B
    Ignored
    says:

    Totally o/t

    Just back from the inaugural Yes Scotland meeting in Edinburgh. They’re going to need a bigger hall next time – stonkingly good turn out and a good cross section of society as well. I was up beat before the meeting, but I am now convinced that if we put the effort in, the prize of independence is there for the taking. We all need to sign up and get involved if we are serious about independence.

  49. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    Mines the the blackcurrant one.
     
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/32705854@N04/4002097506/

  50. sneddon
    Ignored
    says:

    @keithB

    I was there as well, around 250 folk maybe more as there was not enough seats for everyone!.  A good range of people and some very good questions and answers.  Certainly has inspired me to get more involved especially writing cheeky wee FOI requests to wastemonger.

    So anyone seen 37 Commando yet? Or are they patrolling the streets of Camblewick green looking for those effing firemen.  Oh and by the way troops out of trumpton!

  51. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @cynicalHighlander,
     
    Now that’s not fair, you’re just toying with us now.
     
    Just looked at the line-up for BBCs Question Time tonight, just on the off-chance that someone interesting might be on. As usual, fat chance. Question Time seems to be leading the new Better Together campaign strategy – they intend to bore us into submission.

  52. Colin Dunn
    Ignored
    says:

    “Colin Dunn of this Parish – in his business life – has a great free website product called spanglefish, inspired – or so I’m told – by that wonderfull tounge ripping sweet of the 70?s, the Spangle.”

    Indeed. I used to love them, all except the strange pale yellow brown one.

  53. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    @Yes, Yes, Yes
    Spangles are indeed of fine nostalgic confection! They always seem to be remembered fondly.
    It’s just bit disheartening to see a fairly soft insult (i mean even the form of the word itself), forced into becoming something it’s not – thanks to the proclamations of the sanctimonius.
    I was just saying earlier on in the thread how easy it is to get sucked into futile and fruitless spats – and boom! There it is. If only i’d realised how important those two actually were, i’d never have tried to imply via a little appellation that they were self-important and overly dramatic. 🙂
     
    I do have a fair amount of time for the Greens though, I just wish they’d consider developing and presenting a viable roadmap rather than just telling people (they do know better than us) to get to the destination.
     

  54. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    @cynicalhighlander
    Very nice, but it’s the top-drawer 60/70’s typeface that does it for me.
     

  55. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry I’m O/T but does this qualify for the title of “How others see us”?
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiIiXjjEcjE

  56. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t do Twitter or Facebook, but I knew what mrbfaethedee meant by “spangle” the minute I read it, and I smiled.  A cheap, meretricious shiny thing on a Christmas decoration or a cake or a ballroom dance dress.
     
    What on earth was this dingbat thinking?

  57. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    RevStu, she wants you legally, and she’s got you – who is going to be your best man?

  58. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arbroath 1320
    Maybe BBC Scotland will follow up the Washington Post routine by accusing Salmond of wanting to spend Scotland’s future revenues on on a ‘phenomenal’ IrnBru powered spaceship instead of a navy?
     
    @Morag
    Canny now, who knows what mischief will be made of the word ‘dingbat’!
     
    I’m going to leave Spangle-gate alone now – it’s not fair of me to use RevStu’s comments section as a forum for moaning about people trying to misrepresent me on the internet. I should get a twitter or blog account myself, and I’m not going to, so time for me to wheesht.
     

  59. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @mrbfaethedee,
     
    I know exactly what you mean, I’m sure many others do too. I used to live with a gay guy (not in the biblical sense). He was hilarious, sharp as a razor, loud and proud and didn’t give a flying fanny what anybody thought about him. In the flat, he used to hold court with the ‘twinkies’, as he called them, young gay kids who were going through the trauma of coming out to their family and friends. He was in his element, but he was also very helpful to them.
     
    One of the big changes that has occurred over the last thirty years or so is that coming out as gay has kind of lost the shock value it had for many (heterosexual) people in the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, what’s more shocking today is if the latest bright young thing in acting or music comes out as a heterosexual!
     
    But we live in a confessional culture, in which everyone’s a victim and everyone seems to thrive on the therapy of the talking cure. Foucault anticipated this a long time ago, and it’s difficult today to avoid discursive regimes, they’re everywhere.
     
    As for the Greens? I agree. When I indulge myself with games of fantasy politics, I imagine a new political party being formed. The SNP will move to the left and the Greens will make enough concessions on the environment that they will be able to join forces with this newly-oriented SNP. That’s a party that I could not only support, I’d probably join it and happily campaign for it. Fantasy politics can be fun. I just wish I could have my political fun in the real world, particularly as there’s a huge political space in Scotland right now for such a party.  

  60. Elizabeth
    Ignored
    says:

    Talking of Twitter exchanges – i liked this one tonight between Willie Bain and Chris Glendinning:

    WB: UK Govt: has legal advice, says separate Scotland would have to go through re-accession to become member state of EU gu.com/p/3bhx4/tw 

    CG: @William_Bain Well, can we see that legal advice then?

    WB: @GlendinningMSYP One thing’s for sure – it won’t be a blank sheet of paper…

    CG: @William_Bain I’ll take that as a “no”, shall I? Great to see#bettertogether practices openess and transparancy that it preaches…

    WB: @GlendinningMSYP If this is what passes for wit and wisdom round your way, I’ll bid you good night

    CG:  @William_Bain Merely pointing out your hypocrisy Willie. Good night.

  61. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    @Yes Yes Yes
    The confessional culture – yes. i think of it more prosaically; as some people living soap opera lives, where they see themselves at the centre, and every one of life’s little events a cause for drama and and a very public retelling. The ones on the bus are the ones that get me the most – there’s no escape till your stop! 
    I too like to think a left&green party is going to be the major force in Scotland over the next few decades, as you say there is a huge space there just waiting – just as soon as we fry this big indy fish…

  62. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    First off here is a link to this weeks comedy show, a.k.a. the Lamont put down show, a.k.a. F.M.Q.’s.
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Xz-DRbLoI2M
     
    Also here is a link to the Washington Post that has an article written in response to the bile that appeared there yesterday.
     
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/an-independent-scotland-would-be-a-victory-for-democracy/2012/11/01/8248177e-2384-11e2-92f8-7f9c4daf276a_story.html

  63. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    @Yes Yes Yes
    btw – ‘discursive regimes’ thanks for the concept, I haven’t read much in the way of philosophy and the like, and no Foucault at all. Looks interesting, I presume that things like linguistic framing would be the way turf wars are fought in these regimes?
    Anyway, I’ve not read anything much for a while, so at least you’ve put an interesting option on the table for me if only I can overcome my laziness 🙂

  64. velofello
    Ignored
    says:

    So which politico would you describe as a Wee Dolly Mixture? And who as a Soor Ploom?

  65. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    Back from the YES Edinburgh meeting too.  For info, I wore the WoS T-shirt, my luminous yellow cycle jacket and shaved my head specially just to draw attention to myself.  At the end a WoS lurker approached saying “would you be MajorBloodnok” and I said wryly  “yes, I would”.

    Yes, 250 was a good turnout and the comments and questions were interesting.  I liked Colin Fox’s comments, even though his mental arithmetic didn’t stand up. The input from the NUJ guy (Kerr?) was interesting as he said they were very aware of the lack of balance and were pushing for this. 

    Basically though it’s down to us now to do whatever we can.  I may have to get directly involved…

  66. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @mrbfaethedee,
     
    Yes. Medicine is a good example of a discursive regime and this as well as sexuality were two of Foucault’s primary research interests. The History of Sexuality, volume one, is a good place to start with Foucault. It’s brief, around 100 pages, and surprisingly easy to read, but it communicates a lot of his ideas, including the concept of discourse and a discursive regime. A good secondary source is Dreyfus and Rabinow’s book, Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics. It’s a wee bit heavier but clearly written and really helpful for understanding some of the key themes in Foucault. 

  67. mrbfaethedee
    Ignored
    says:

    @Yes Yes Yes
    Thanks. I’ll put those suggestions on my virtual coffee table for now, and consider picking at least one up for a taste in the near future.
    I read a little on speech act theory some years ago and found it interesting, it also piqued my interest in the purposeful indirect uses of language and communication.
     
    Signing off for now though, thanks again.

  68. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    vellofello I’m still working on who should be awarded the title of wee Dolly Mixture however the award of Sour Ploom can only ever be awarded to one individual, Gordon Brown!
     
    Glad to hear all you Edinburghers had a great time at the inaugural YES Scotland meeting in Edinburgh tonight. I just hope the inaugural Dumfries meeting on Saturday will be just as successful. 😀
     
    Going O/T for a wee sec, I’ve come across this wee video.
    Now I know it was created with the intention of being what is called an “inspirational” video  I think you’ll find the quotations included in the video  inspirational from an Independence point of view. More over I think the title of the video could become a sub title to the pro independence campaign. 😀
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=syIm5MHG4O4

  69. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @vellofello,
     
    Dolly mixture? That’s easy. Christina McKelvie and Jenny Marra.
     
    Soor plooms? We’re spoilt for choice here. But my vote would be between Mags Curran, Jackie Baillie, Johann Lamont. I’d also make a special case here, straying abroad for a moment, for Yvette Cooper at Westminster. Every time I hear her speak, I’m reminded of that classic song by Bill Withers (with a slight and deliberate change in the title), ‘Aint No Sunshine When She’s Here’:
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=tIdIqbv7SPo

  70. Keith B
    Ignored
    says:

    @MajorBloodnok

    Yes, Colin’s mental arithmetic was mental. However, good news that we have the Scottish Prison Officers Association on board – the first trade union – 1 delegate against an independent Scotland, 3 abstentions and 94 for – or something like that – from 100 delegates.

  71. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    O.K. folks here is the REAL reason that we are Better together.
     
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-pm-on-standby-to-send-warplanes-to-gulf-as-iranian-tensions-rise-8274748.html
     
    I don’t think I’ve known a bigger bunch of warmongers in my life!
     
    What the bloody hell is this sh*** all about?
     
    “The arrival of British aircraft is bound to fuel the Iranian sense of insecurity even if there are assurances that the move is not aimed at them. The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond yesterday said European nations must be prepared to “take a bigger role in relation to North Africa and the Middle East”.


    Now why on earth should the European nations take a bigger role in the Middle East and Africa? Jeez! Don’t we have enough problems at home to worry about without sending our young men and women to “foreign fields” to die for some unknown cause?
     
    Surely the Middle East is the problem for the MIDDLE EAST to sort out and Africa is the problem for AFRICA to sort out.  Warmongers Central is running scared about something else and they have not yet admitted to it so they have decided to announce this deployment and will slip out the “other” news in the hope that no one will notice.

     

    Still as we all know THIS is the reason that we are all better together. Better together my e****!

    Rant over, normal service will be resumed later! 😀

  72. dadsarmy
    Ignored
    says:

    Happy Birthday! Interesting site, I’ll have a look around and maybe put in the odd post, having finished with my vain attempt to lead the Gruniad and SC onto the path of righteousness, truth and enlightenment – and plain unvarnished unbiased fact. Doh!

    Like your moderation policy, about to give up on NNS where posts take about a day to get up. Being how it’s a Rev in charge, I’ll watch my language 🙂

  73. Juteman
    Ignored
    says:

    Spangles? Pah! Bring back the Lucky Tatties!

  74. sneddon
    Ignored
    says:

    Foucault  never heard of him, has he been on Jeremy Kyle?
    I’ll get ma coat. 

  75. Scott Minto (Aka Sneekyboy)
    Ignored
    says:

    @dadsarmy

    Hello Dads. Welcome to the site.

    Lots of good articles in the “Most Read section” although some are rangers related, not politics 🙂

  76. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Knew ye’d find yer way here dads. Welcome.

    Huullloooooooooo Rev. Did you get through the night without a rendition team from mothercare smashing in through your windows? 

  77. James McLaren
    Ignored
    says:

    Scott Minto (Aka Sneekyboy) says:
    1 November, 2012 at 3:58 pm
    @Arb
     
    I am sure this this sort of shite is spewed by London based “foreign” correspondents who never seems to get out of the pubs and clubs of their peers and are essentially have gone “native” and see everything through the prism of London or the stringers who are just graduated “Meedja Specialists” who are floaters in the pubs and clubs of the stout Press.
     
    It strikes me that there is a strange parallelity in this News merry-go-round and the way the City operates its money merry-go-round. In the City it is IOUs they sell on around the World, buy back later and declare a profit. With the MSM it is suborned and lazy journalism which feeds itself on the back loop of stuff they have passed off as real journalism.
     
    Both exists in a surreal World, bot products are virtual and substantially nonexistent.
     
    The City has been shown to be  a gigantic pyramidal fraud scheme only kept on life support by Westminster bucketing loads of money (virtual) into their coffers. The MSM will implode too; it is just a question of time.

  78. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    Hello dadsarmy – always enjoyed your contributions on the Grauniad.  Anyone that uses an image of Pvt. Walker as their avatar is alright by me.

  79. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @sneddon,
     
    Foucault, or as one of my mates pronounces it, ‘Fuck all’, was never on Jeremy Kyle. But he did sport a rather fetching leather jacket when he was alive, which he often wore bare-chested, and he liked the odd gay orgy here and there, so he wouldn’t have disappointed the typical Jeremy Kyle audience had he made an appearance. Unionism is an example of a discursive regime or, alternatively, you could try Jerry Springer, I hear that he’s very good.

  80. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    I can’t help thinking that Foucault is just the French version of Terry Tibbs.

  81. YesYesYes
    Ignored
    says:

    @MajorBoodnok,
     
    The resemblance is uncanny. But the bum’s the wrong sex and where’s the leather jacket?

  82. Ysabelle
    Ignored
    says:

    Hi dadsarmy – like you I’m fed up with the G and a certain reporter over there. As for NNS, last time it took over 2 days for my comments to get through. The one thing that bothers me about leaving the Guardian is that people need to critique their biased reporting BTL on the threads and not elsewhere where it’s less likely to be seen. Hence, I feel like I ought to go back, but at the same time I really don’t want to contribute to their site traffic or revenue in any way. 

  83. dadsarmy
    Ignored
    says:

    I like the Terry Thomas avatar, kind of similar in a different way, to Private Walker.

    Yes, this is grand. I’ve been able to have a “conversation” on A Tiny Epiphany, in the time it would have taken to perhaps get one posting up on NNS. And it’s nice to be able to think and discuss, without have to answer the “Subsidy Junkies”, or “Go now”.

    Or indeed to have to rip a badly written, fact-free and inaccurately biased and anti-Scotland article such as always written by SC, who clearly hates and sneers at Scotland and all of us.

  84. Juteman
    Ignored
    says:

    And as for NNS! I was blocked from posting, and despite umpteen emails, was never told why.
    My disdain for the SDA must have been obvious. Exel and his cohorts have free run of the site,

  85. Adrian B
    Ignored
    says:

    Juteman

    I think that exel gets away with the comments that he does because he keeps banging on about a Federal system – I saw a link that I came across on twitter that was from someone who was one of the people behind NNS – he also had words to the effect of ‘supporter of Federal system’ or words to that effect on his Twitter description.

    Upspake is good at trying to recruit to the SDA through his impatience directed to both the SNP and Alex Salmond, despite having no real political influence – I think that they have one councillor in Leith. While I wish them well in creating a new political party I find them a bit two right wing and concerned on bits of paper from Europe. They overstreach their importance massively and I don’t think that acting like Ruth Davidson is going to win then friends and influence people.     

  86. jake
    Ignored
    says:

    If a celebrity tweeter stops you from following them….does that make them a star spangled banner?

  87. Juteman
    Ignored
    says:

    That’s why i like Stu and WoS, Adrian. Fellow lefties. 🙂

  88. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    ROFLMAO Jake! 😆



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