The Incorrigible Plagiarist

De-listed by the listee

2008-09-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I wasn't going to bother mentioning it, but seeing as the ever-fair Jeff at SNPtacticalvoting has raised the thorny issue of Kezia Dugdale's censoring policy.

Kezia took something of a hammering on a list of reasons why Labour are great - which is at least a step up from the usual, "Labour are great and everyone else are rubbish" that I've come to expect from the red corner.

Of course, the follow up post from Kezia where she chastised all the respondees to the list was such a moment of comedy genius, that I clean forgot how miffed I was at my comment not making it onto the blog, plus I do have a real life, I suppose.

I didn’t want to have to do this, but since the commentators have lowered themselves to a banal reproduction of lists to try and rubbish the existence of the Labour Party and suggest that somehow the centre left of politics is natural ground for the SNP…

before she goes on to write a list. LOL!

Anyway, just for posterity and in relation to the original list post, I tried to comment:

Selective Quotes
You can't whine (well you do actually I suppose, but you shouldn't) about selective quoting then try that "didn't mind" crap. I thought you were supposed to be intelligent?

Council Tax
If you hadn't noticed, people are struggling to pay their bills these days - I suppose home ownership is anathema to you, but making us all homeless won't help.

George Mathewson
If even half the things on this wikipedia entry on George Mathewson are true, then I'm truly glad to see him involved in the Council of Economic Advisors and anywhere else Scotland can get him.

The Budget
The SNP are a minority government trying to run the country by consensus, as it demands. Get on board and help out instead of carping.

Daily Mail
Are Daily Mail readers considered unworthy of consideration in your brave new world?

Trade Unions
I'm not a member of a trade union and I'm far more left minded than Tony Blair ever was (Checked with political compass too!)

Wonder which bit failed the reasonable test and whether such a delicate temperment is really suitable for parliament?

Well that's the answer to that one then...

2008-09-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Chris Jones commented here

Or are you just another career policy wonk, in it for the sake of the partisan fight, the cosy little club and the salary

I guess that's taken care of here.

Terry Responds...

2008-08-27T13:06:00.001-07:00

My recent exchange with Terry Keely has provided the following answers from Terry, interspersed with the original questions.

These aren't the actual words used by Salmond in the Ian Dale Interview ?

"We didn't mind the economic side so much. But we didn't like the social side at all."

I don’t understand what you are getting at with the ref. to Salmond (the spiv’s) words.

You don't own a former council-house?

I don’t own a former council house,

The economy was not in need of an overhaul when Thatcher came to power?

The economy was not in need of an overhaul.

The Tories weren't wiped out in Scotland during the Thatcher years, whilst they remained the dominant party in the UK?

The Tories were not wiped out.

Iain Gray did not raise the prospect of pact with the Tories, as reported in the Scotsman

Iain Gray did not raise the prospect of a pact with the Tories.

So, there you have it, humble apologies to the good councillor.

The Union Dividend

2008-08-26T14:46:00.001-07:00

Is it my imagination or do the Labour party still hold an absolute abhorrence for Margaret Thatcher? The wailing & gnashing of teeth (teeth will be provided!!!) over the comments Alex Salmond made to Ian Dale got me thinking... (you have to imagine a slow passage of time here, perhaps the whistling of the wind and the distant tone of a church bell).

If they really hate Baroness Thatcher with such unreserved vitriol, and they know that the Tories were utterly wiped out in Scotland over the course of her reign as Britain's longest serving post-war Prime minister, and the only woman ever to hold that post.

How did she manage to stay in the top job for all that time?
Why do the Tories still fawn over her and hark for her return?
Why did Tony Blair wish to be seen as the natural successor to her?
Why does Gordon Brown express such unstinting admiration for her?

Who are middle England? and why does what they want cause such consternation?

Calum Cashley

2008-08-26T14:39:00.001-07:00

I like Calum Cashley's Blog. We're all treated like adults. It kind of goes like this "Here is an issue. Here are some important points. You make your own mind up." Sometimes the posts are over long - maybe I've got an over short attention span... - maybe I'm just as guilty of rambling - but they're jam packed with actual facts that you can go and check out or you can just take his word for it. Never seem him publish a lie. What I really like about it though is that for almost all of his posts I can imagine him chortling away as he rips the pish out of his next target with quiet sincerity yet again.

Liar Liar pants on Fire...

2008-08-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

Following his recent slating of Alex Salmond for the unpardonable folly of uttering these two sentences.

"We didn't mind the economic side so much. But we didn't like the social side at all."

I left a comment with home-owning, class warrior Terry Kelly:

I'm surprised that as one of the many thousands of Scots who has taken advantage of the right to buy your council house at a vastly reduced cost, you are not in agreement with Salmond.

The economy needed an overhaul, but the way Thatcher went about it was abhorrent to Scots - hence the Tory party was wiped out entirely in Scotland, but remained the dominant force in England.

The social aspect of Thatcherism was what really set Scotland against her. No reasonable person could honestly take umbrage at that view point, particularly not someone when Labour are considering entering a pact with the Tories for political expediency, whilst the Tories still worship Thatcher, Gordon Brown has expressed his unstinting admiration for her (over tea at downing street) and Blair declared himself the natural heir to Thatcher.

Terry's response has been:

There is nothing here absolutely nothing which is true, not a single thing.

Well, if that's the case I'll withdraw the points which aren't true. I await with baited breath an update on the following response:

Really? Which bits have I got wrong?

These aren't the actual words used by Salmond in the Ian Dale Interview ?
"We didn't mind the economic side so much. But we didn't like the social side at all."

You don't own a former council-house?

The economy was not in need of an overhaul when Thatcher came to power?

The Tories weren't wiped out in Scotland during the Thatcher years, whilst they remained the dominant party in the UK?

Iain Gray did not raise the prospect of pact with the Tories, as reported in the Scotsman ?

Petulance and Excrement

2008-08-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the radio and heard the BBC interview with Stewart Maxwell - the SNP minister for sport, who much to the chagrine of Labour, has declareed that he thinks that Scotland should have its own Olympic team. Given that he also thinks Scotland and Scots are grown up enough to look after their own affairs and make the right decisions regarding the nurturing of our assett-rich little corner of the globe, this really shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone. In answering the obvious question about what he would say to those athletes who prefer to represent Britain, he reasonably opinined that Scotland was an appropriate level of representation for international competition, as anyone who regularly attends Hampden or Murrayfield will testify (unless we're playing the All Blacks of course - population of NZ anyone? Should NZ join Australia to form a trans-tasman federation?)

Mr Maxwell replied: "What I would say to them, do Irish athletes want to rejoin the UK and be part of the UK team?

"Do we want to get rid of the GB team and have a European team because a European team would sweep the board?

"So I think you have to think about whether or not it's appropriate in the level you represent your own country in. I think it's quite right you represent your own country."

I make the point though that in his interview Stewart Maxwell was the model of diplomacy. Courteous and reasoned.

Kezia Dugdale describes it as : in one petulant, beligerent outburst,the Nats have lost the rag and demanded a separate Olympic team once again.

Hardly!

Meanwhile over in Paisley, home-owner (** removed **) Terry Kelly tells us that Alex Salmond's interview with Ian Dale,

The SNP has a strong social conscience, which is very Scottish in itself. One of the reasons Scotland didn't take to Lady Thatcher was because of that. We didn't mind the economic side so much. But we didn't like the social side at all.

in which he opines that Scots found the Social aspect of Thatcherism much more distasteful than her economic policies directly, was unpardonable folly.

Execrable indeed, Terence!

They do seem a very excitable bunch don't they...

** Terry informs me that he did not buy a former council house

Oh dear...

2008-08-23T13:25:00.001-07:00

Kezia's taking a hammering on this, but JuanKerr has cracked me up with this.

You base your assumption on miss quoted articles which go onto deride Thatcher in the next paragraph.

With obfuscating tactics like this it is no wonder people trust Labour about as much as Gary Glitter in a creche.

"ID: Ten years ago, the Conservatives were seen as a terrible enemy by the SNP, and they saw you as very left-wing. It seems to me that you have tried to change that, and create a big tent for the SNP.
AS: I suppose I have tried to bring the SNP into the mainstream of Scotland. We have a very competitive economic agenda. Many business people have warmed towards the SNP. We need a competitive edge, a competitive advantage - get on with it, get things done, speed up decision making, reduce bureaucracy. The SNP has a strong social conscience, which is very Scottish in itself. One of the reasons Scotland didn't take to Lady Thatcher was because of that. We didn't mind the economic side so much. But we didn't like the social side at all.
ID: Doesn't that illustrate the problem, that Scotland is seen as having quite a big public sector and, as the country of Adam Smith, it is no longer seen as the country of enterprise?
AS: I think that betrays Adam Smith. He was not just a friend of economics. He was a moral philosopher. Margaret Thatcher could have only ever read the Penguin edition of Wealth of Nations and she missed out the moral sentiments. I would absolutely defend the reputation of Adam Smith against the Adam Smith Institute. I said to Eamonn Butler [Deputy Director of the ASI], if Adam Smith could sue, you'd be in real trouble."
How can that be support for thatcher?

All you have done on your party is show Scotland how devious, 2 faced and double speaked your blinkered party are.

Alex Salmond is right on 1 thing. The Tories ARE proving themselves more grown up on issues affecting the people of Scotland. Whereas your party wishes to use anything to do it down.

Ouch!

Labour's slavering dogs of war...

2008-08-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

I was going to write about Labour's faux outrage over Alex Salmond's comment in the Ian Dale interview . The usual suspects have bitten and gone for it, presumably forgetting that Gordon Brown had invited the Iron Lady round for tea and expressed his unstinting admiration for her.

As far as I can tell, all the venting of spleens, gnashing of teeth and wailing has done is convince me further of what a basket case the current crop of Labourites are. Even Ian Dale himself is astonished at the reponse!

Although I'm not really sure how you differentiate between the economic side and the social side, I'm pretty comfortable with what Alex Salmond has said. I remember the country being something of a basket case, and the history books would appear to back up those who claim she brought about an economic recovery. Economics isn't my thing though and I wasn't really old enough to understand the stories as they were happening. A search on Thatcher reveals that the Tories generally still have a simpering affection for her and that Labour consider her something akin to Mephistopheles in heels. I just remember the milk being taken away ;-(

Anyway, all this aside, I was laughing at the comments on Kezia's rant and about to heap further ridicule on her - if you've come to the same conclusion as Terry Kelly on a subject, you're really f*cked up! - when one Chris Jones covered all my ire in one go. Seeing as I'm the Incorrigible plagiarist, I'm just going to copy his post here for posterity.

Errr.. isn't it your good pal Iain Gray that has proposed hooking up with his Tory mates for the sake of political expediency - see here.
Tell me what do you actually stand for these days in the Labour Party? Apart from just being viscerally against the SNP? What personally makes you loyal to them? Social justice, left of centre politics, doing the right things by Scotland? I believe in those things and that's why I left the Labour Party - which in Scotland is now fully of career policy wonks looking for safe seats, "paranoid baffoons" such as Foulkes, or those that still think the Labour Party has an automatic right to govern Scotland, such as Kerr.

It obviously still hasn't sunk into the Labour Holyrood set that your're losing voters because ex-voters and ex-members like me despise everything that the Labour Party has become - under people like Brown, Blair, Alexander and the god-awful Foulkes and Cairns. Nor will we ever believe you with the SNP scare stories. The persistent negative campaigning and crude spin just doesn't work - and the ex-members/voters are turned right off by it. You'll need to change or enjoy playing politics with an ever smaller little "club" of activists....

I'm looking forward to seeing a few more posts from Mr. Jones.

Scottish Tory Boy

2008-08-23T11:48:00.001-07:00

On my quick scan of the political blogs I like to to look in on Scottish Tory boy. Given the name, I did hope that it might be a bit of a spoof, but no, fair play to the boy. He genuinely believes in the tory party and takes a fairly moderate view to most things - you don't have to look for on the internet to find the lunatic fringe who insist that Margaret Thatcher is the greatest living Briton. Despite the fact that Annabel Goldie is just about the most grown up member of the Scottish parliament, I still reckon the tories are too far out of the Scottish political psyche for them ever to be a force North of the border again - certainly not before Independence.

Anyway, Scottish tory boy provided a link to what he described as the most ridiculous censorship ever.

My mind boggled as I read the story, I snorted derision, I shook my head in disbelief. I thought this Chief Superintendent Julian Kirby sounds like some sort of poofter, nancy boy who could do with a bit of a thrashing with a birch to bring him to his senses along with that bloody Pete Doherty anyway, just for good measure... hmmm! Maybe not so far from my psyche after all ;-)

Anyway, it reminded me of what I'd always thought was political correctness gone mad, and I'm pleased to say that I managed to find a link to the story of the hospital doctor who failed to get funding due to his IT department banning the word spastic.

This and many more like it on the campaign against political correctness web page - which I have nothing to do with, but I thought that seeing as I nicked the scan from their page, the least I could do was tell you where I got it from.

Labour needs to get honest with itself

2008-08-21T13:13:00.001-07:00

I regularly read 2 Labour bloggers. One is Kezia Dugdale, who seems to have won the hearts of many of her fellow political bloggers, though I find it all a bit too much head-girl like for my tastes. The other shouldn't really be described as a political blogger, as I generally read it for comedy value, but Terry Kelly is the proverbial monkey behind a red rossette that Paisley could well do without.

Neither of them seems willing to concede that the SNP are making a decent fist of the administration of Scotland, so bog themselves down in utter bollocks. Terry Kelly's lies that the National Unison strike against the proposed COSLA pay settlement, is down to the Renfrew SNP led administration approving an excessively large pay-rise for senior officers, illustrates all you need to know about his petty partisan outlook.

Over in the East though, Kezia tries to pick apart the news that up to £100 million is to be brought forward from the 2010-11 budget for housing projects in order to "promote growth and support business confidence".

Kezia's main gripe seems to be that the people who are applauding the intiative are all saying that although it's a good initiative it won't solve all their problems and they'd like more money thrown at them... FFS!!!!!

In support of this, she then goes on to quote the people who you would quite reasonably expect to be asking for as much money as possible, complaining that they weren't actually given Canute's riches to deal with their myopic view of the problems of the universe. Brilliant! She may as well add my name to the list - I want more money to make my house more affordable too! Better still though, Kezia tells us that the 6% cut in last years budget will effectively be a much bigger cut now because of inflation... INFLATION??? So, who's been running the UK economy for the last 11 years? Despite rocketing International oil prices (the apparent cause of all this inflation) and Scotland being a net exporter of oil, who should be addressing the problem of budget deficit's due to inflation?

Who is standing at number 11 Downing Street, telling us all to show some pay restraint? Is it the Labour chancellor telling the unions to accept a 2% pay settlement? Whilst his colleagues trough out on inflation busting improvements for their own settlements?

Hospitals

2008-08-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Like those rubberneckers passing a motorway pile up, I find myself compelled to visit the carnage that is, Paisley town councillor, Terry Kelly's blog site. Unashamed to spout his drivel on any subject, he's one of the reasons I've grown to loathe the Labour party in Scotland, and probably one of the reasons why, what should be a thriving town on the outskirts of Glasgow with it's own International airport, seems to have descended into the depressingly run-down state that you'll find it in these days.

Anyway, like a dog returning to it's vomit Terry often returns to the subjects of hospitals and how they should all be centralised, in Paisley apparently! Well, fair enough, that's one view, not shared by the BMA or the people of Scotland, but it's a view. Before the last election the SNP told us that it wasn't their view and they would not be closing the Monklands or Ayr A&E units Labour had earmarked for closure - and so it came to pass, neither unit has closed.

Here's how I see it. We need local hospitals.

In the case of A&E, it is well recognised that there is a golden hour in which seriously injured patients must be treated. If we're serious about looking after seriously injured accident victims then we can't be centralising A&E resources, requiring people to make unnecessarily long ambulance trips before receiving the expert care they need. Never mind the fact that our intemperate climate often causes bridges to be closed and the lack of infrastructure makes getting anywhere quickly in rush hour or bad weather, almost impossible. Don't even think about the weakness this presents to the terrorist...

In the case of maternity care, we shouldn't be asking mothers late in term to undertake longer journeys than are necessary and to be further from their families than need be. The BMA well understand the minimum requirements for a maternity unit and as we generally have more than a few months notice of impending births, there's absolutely no reason why we can't maintain efficient maternity units strategically round the country. I find that I agree with these mums, who might know a thing or too about it.

For these reasons I applaud Nicola Sturgeon's stance in asking the health boards to think again and for maintaining existing facilities. Let's see them all brought up to 21st Century standards and maintained, rather than allowed to run-down for political expediency (yes, I'm blaming 50 years of Labour rule for the state of our hospitals, just in case you were wondering - I do suspect that much of it is down to Labour's fear of asking Unions to actually do their job well, so allowing a building to decay with the prospect of that justifying a new investment is the path of least resistance for them.)

SNP tactical voting

2008-08-21T12:14:00.003-07:00

I'm kind of jealous of Jeff from SNP tactical voting. He's managed to find a blog name and to pretty well articulate my own feelings towards the SNP and Scottish politics in general. I should be glad of all that, but the bounder does it with so much more panache than I'm able to muster. I like the way that he's able to straddle the line between supporting a party and still make constructive criticism of that party and anyone else who comes within range. This non-partisan debate / airing of views is the way it should be, so a wee tip of the hat in the general direction of SNPtacticalvoting.

What's the word for this?

2008-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

An anonymous contributor to Terry Kelly's hilarious home of Labour ranting, makes the point

You just cannot hide your sexism, can you."Lady curator" indeed!
What a waste of space you are.

To which the laughing stock of Labour responds:

(Anonymous) 13/08/08
And you can’t hide your bile and stupidity can you.

To an anonymous contributor. Brilliant!

Strange findings!!!

2008-05-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

Saw this article today and was most bemused. Particularly the line "Studies have shown that living in one of Scotland's most deprived communities increases the risk of heart disease as much as being 10 years older or having diabetes."

As far as I'm aware, living somewhere shit isn't the problem, it's how you deal with it and much more to do with diet and lifestyle choices, such as smoking, alcohol abuse and how often you're willing to 'go large'.

Still, they're the experts...

Uncle Tom Fraser

2008-05-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

Fresh from telling us what a great job Wendy Alexander is doing in the Scottish parliament, councillor Terry Kelly responds to my link to what I think is a pretty decent wee spot of Satire at her and Labour's expense with the news that the journalist is better known as "Uncle Tom Fraser" .

Now, I'm familiar with the term, from Muhammed Ali using it to cause great offence to Joe Frasier. As I understand things, it's an insult used by Black Americans against other Black americans when they think that those black americans are behaving in a subservient manner to the white authorities. It's a Black against White kind of thing! It's a racist thing too for my money. It's an insult based on the premise that those black Americans are somehow betraying their fellow black Americans through their attitude to the white American authorities. I know that it is an insult that caused Joe Frasier a great deal of distress.

Where I'm kind of stuck though is why a white Political journalist in Scotland should be called an 'Uncle Tom'. It seems to me that those people calling him an Uncle Tom feel that he is somehow betraying them. Why should Douglas Fraser be beholden to the Labour pary? I don't know Douglas Fraser's history by the way, which is why I have asked Coucillor Kelly 3 times to explain who calls him 'Uncle Tom' and why.

So far, I'm it turns out that I'm not as clever as a I think I am .

Does anyone know? Is Douglas Fraser actually known as 'Uncle Tom Fraser' ? If so, why?

Terry Kelly & Self Awareness

2008-04-22T02:53:00.000-07:00

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Credit where it's due) 21/04/08

I’m very rarely wrong !

Monday, April 21, 2008 9:29:00 AM

Then

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 10:53

I very much doubt if you have ever done an honest days work in your life, most people who indulge in self praise are the same.

Monday, April 21, 2008 11:24:00 AM

Labour Arithmetic II

2008-04-22T02:22:00.000-07:00

I'm astonished at the current wailing and gnashing of teeth from within the Labour party. The internal bickering over the doubling of the lowest rate of income tax is incredible, given that Gordon Brown announced this in March 2007 and it was pointed out back then that this hit the lowest paid in order to bribe those earning just a little bit more with a 'tax cut'.

Suddenly when it's actually upon us, they realise that's not really fair. Rather like suddenly when the housing market in the south of England which has provided "10 years of economic stability" and "the end to boom and bust economics" has gone tits up with thousands of people holding 120% mortgages, apparently requiring the nationalisation of a bank and £50 Billion plus to be injected artificially into the market to save the banks - whose greed allied with a slackening of the regulations on lending, has led to the situation in the first place.

Gordon Brown. Prudent! My arse!

Making the tax system less complicated - by removing a simple band which allowed the lowest earners to keep more of their hard earned mullah, in order to offer more tax credits. Tax credits!!! What the f*ck are they all about?

See if you can spot a control freak in action
Tax credits

Basically he robs us of as much money as he can then tries to claim credit (without having to fill in forms in triplicate) for giving it back to us.

Gordon Brown. Huge Intellect! My Arse!

Labour arithmetic

2008-03-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

Wendy Alexander has given herself 10 our of 10 for her performance as Scottish Labour leader, according to the BBC , who I'm inclined to believe in the circumstances. Now, I'm sure Wendos must have said this as a joke, but surely she must realise that noone outwith the Labour party has been taking her seriously for some time, particularly not after publishing this rambling nonsense. So, what we've got is the woman who'd like to lead Scotland jumping on the bandwagon of her own ridicule. Perhaps it's a double bluff! After all, we're told that Wendy has a 'towering intellect', as proven out by her 3 whole years as a graduate recruit to a management consultancy.

Anyway, all joking aside - I'm sure she must have been joking - it seems that Wendy thinks 'Socialism' is the cure to all of Scotland's ills. Funnily enough, I did have the time to sit down on Sunday afternoon and enjoy Iain McWhirter's Iain McWhirter's analysis, putting the lie to Labour's latest wheeze (tartan tories, how they must have laughed when they came up with that one). So, on the one hand we've got a party implementing progressive social democratic values whilst on the other we've got "new / old / what do you want us to be again?" Labour.

But, SOCIALISM is the cure!!! Where have I heard that before... over in Terry Land, where Terry has allowed his daughter to bring some sense to the table and publish articles that at least read correctly (note to self - don't publish any glaring grammatical error for fear of ridicule!). Having weaned myself away from the councillor, I couldn't help but pop back to see what he might be saying... Sure enough, comedy gold. It's Perrier award winning stuff... or has Al Murray cornered the spoof idiot market?

First of all I'm an eejit for believing Wendy would award herself 10 out of 10.

But what about some Labour arithmetic, as Terry gleefully points us to a story about Alex Salmond's expenses before informing us that at a cost of 20k per day it equates to over £5 million pounds a year of tax-payers money PLUS interest!!!!

Question 1: How was the figure of £20k per day derived?

Question 2: How would Salmond attending Westminister more often affect the figures?

Question 3: How many marks out of ten can you award yourself for not answering either question?

Brace yourself!!!

Q/1 - It was in the papers.

Same paper as is carrying this story .

Q/2 - Because if £20,000 is the cost of his expenses for a day then £40,000 would be the cost of two days.

He's got to be joking right? Laugh-a-long with the Labour party.
10/10 for humour every time!

Q/3 - I can’t take the credit for this courageous example of truth seeking, corruption busting Scottish Journalism but, it makes you proud to be Scottish, don’t you think ?

Och!!! He was joking!!!! I thought I had him for a minute there...

Terry Kelly - Visionary

2008-02-27T12:12:00.000-08:00

Having been rather unfairly tarnished as a racist coward by Paisley's own living cartoon character, I must admit I took it all a bit personally. Stupid really when I'm an anonymous blogger amongst the millions of much smarter wordsmiths with more to say. Some might say that the resentment I'm feeling might be an inner feeling of guilt and acknowledgement of my underlying racist attitudes. That would require an advanced Catholic guilt complex I imagine, and as I've pretty well abandoned the church on every other issue, I'd hope that I could shake of the guilty for maybe not even thinking about something thing.

I'm pretty certain that what annoys me more than anything is the cheap use of the race card, unwarranted and unnecessary. Overplaying it is only likely to cause racial division in my opinion. Imagine I fell out with someone and they claimed that I thought they were being a tit purely on race grounds, they've pretty much brushed off any criticism of themselves. They fail to learn what it is I'm objecting to and I have failed to make my point, it being drowned out in the accusation of racism. Net result, we've fallen out, but not for the reason we should have. Little chance of reconciliation, because we've not even fallen out over the same thing. Do I then become wary of ever criticising someone with a different race? does it then make me wary of different races? Does the unfounded accusation become a self-fulfilling prophecy? You'd hope not, but it's not an amazing stretch of the imagination is it?

Anyway, I'm a white fella with a number of Black and Asian friends. In the steel-trap mind of our hero, this was proof beyond all doubt that I'm a racist. Quite how having such friends immediately casts me as a racist is beyond me, but it did give me the opportunity to ask them a bit more about the racism they've faced growing up in Scotland. After all Bashir Maan recently had many positive things to speak of his experiences in coming to Scotland, admittedly with a book to sell, and as the girls I was planning to ask fall into that jaw-droppingly good looking category, I felt sure I would get some decent ammunition to pour further scorn on my nemesis.

Alas, it wasn't to be. Both of the girls, emminently capable and having reached boardroom levels in their respective careers were particularly scathing about their high-school experiences. Now, they did acknowledge, as I was arguing that everyone at high school does indeed struggle with some form or another of abuse. Gangs of malcontent young men did run around bullying and terrorising one another, but they had certainly been singled out for racist abuse.

This being a high-school in Paisley, apparently bearing frightening resemblance to the nightmarish picture painted by Christopher Bookmyre in "A tale etched in Blood and Hard Black pencil". And Damn his eyes, I realised that when I had previously pulled Terry up for using Flashman as his refence point for the British Military, I should have countered his claim that George MacDonald Fraser knew plenty about the Military with Brookmyre's knowledge of Scottish Local politics, indeed I wonder whether Terry and his Mate Williamson have actually featured in one of Brookmyre's novels, though their antics may be considered too far fetched even for such satire.

Anyway, I was horrified to hear that the overwhelming racism they encountered came from a specific group of kids, predominantly those from the Ferguslie Park area of Paisley.

As sad as it was to hear how these cracking girls had had their youth ruined by the unrivalled ignorance of the Paisley ned, we wondered how such attitudes could ever be changed. I still feel that those ne'er do wells spraying the racist abuse about would be as likely to be use any sort of vitriol they could muster and it's more a question of ignorance and nurture rather than nature.

With the girls proclaiming that the boys were likely to be in jail and the girls single-mothers, we indulged in our own little bit of class prejudice, when it struck me. How to keep the streets clear of these nasty bits of work and their horrible racist outlooks? Prison's no good! I abhor the unnecessary jailing of our citizens as much as the good councillor does. Something to teach them the error of their ways, or if not, at least to keep them off the streets.

Suddenly it was as clear as a bell. The Digital Inclusion Project! Free PC's and all the internet porn you can shake a stick at. No wonder Terry couldn't or wouldn't explain it's merit's to me. Sheer genius!

I do hope the SNP will reconsider their draconian cut to this important service as councillor Terry Kelly , Visionary for our times, advocates.

Too long as ever, IP!

Spring is on the way! Life's great!

2008-02-27T11:41:00.001-08:00

So, I live in the Southside of Glasgow. It's a pretty nice place to live if I'm honest, although the litter gets so much on my tits that I even gave Tory councillor David Meikle 2nd choice on my list, as he was willing to make such a song and dance about it in his campaigning - several months since the election and I notice the bold David has got himself onto plenty commitee's but f*ck all sign of the streets getting any cleaner. Ho hum!

Anyway, my OCD litter problem apart, life on the Southside is pretty good. Kilmarnock Road is lively enough with plenty decent bars, restaurants and coffee shops. We're surrounded by parks and despite what those Go-Ape eejits want to do to Pollok park one of them was even voted not just Britain's best, but also Europe's best park for last year. The Carling academy is just down the road, Hampden is just over the hill and the city centre about 6 minutes on the train that does indeed occasionally drop by.

In the mornings it's pretty well daylight when I leave for work and in the evenings, it's still light when I leave work, although dark by the time I get home, but I know the days are getting longer and in the meantime I'm enjoying the greatest pleasure known to man. I get to come home from work and mercilessly tickle my 6 month old son, who goes nuts when he sees me coming in the door.

Roll on Summer! and come on Nature! you owe us a decent one this year!

The Workings of Terry Kelly

2008-02-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

I know it's a bad habit, a bit like self falgellation I suppose, but I've been returning to Councillor Terry Kelly's web site a lot lately and sometimes trying to get some sort of interchangegoing with the great man. After all, he's a Labour party coucillor and was Wendy Alexander's election agent, so clearly a man well thought of within the Labour party. Particularly given that he spouts forth on so many subjects with views opposite to the Labour leadership,although he is also quite willing to call for Labour MP's to be de-selected for having views outwith those he holds. The emminently capable Jim Dobbin appears to have survived the attack so far.

Anyway, on a couple of threads now, Terry has simply resorted to accusing me of prejudice. Here's an example of how he works, when discussing the Renfrewshire Digital Inclusion project, which I was simply trying to understand the exchange went along the following lines, after Terry had described a cut in funding which was to cost 3 full-time and 8 part-timeposts. Of course the fact that the SNP had refused to honour Labour's guarantee of no compulsory redundancies heightened the indignation of the honourable councillor.

I asked him:

Can you explain this project and it's benefits please?

I've looked it up and can only find that it was a project to provide 400 homes in Ferguslie and Moonpark with PCs and Broadband internet access.

Presumably those homes have all been provided - What were all the staff needed for?
Presumably the PC's will still be in the homes, connected to the internet???? Given that the Libraries already provide free internet access and run computer training courses for free, I can't see the problem - am willing to listen to a sensible argument though. Can you quantify the issue in any way at all? (without describing it as a 'Shameful SNP attack on the weak and vulnerable' (c) Scottish Labour )

Fairly reasonable I thought, but suggesting that these people had actually learned something about the computers they had been given along with training, for free, is somehow a cruel joke, as Terry points out.

TK wrote :

It’s been done already these people were doing well and their support has been taken way. Many of them will not, for various reasons go elsewhere and their hopes have been dashed.

It was a terrible thing to do and suggesting that they fend for themselves after a year is no more than a cruel joke.

With hopes dashed and cruel jokes being played on an unsuspecting public, I was close to tears when I asked.

IP:
Seriously, someone capable of using a PC can't go to the library?
and doesn't have any alternative avenue of help?

Can you explain how the support was delivered?
It just doesn't make any sense the way you're describing it.

"IT backup" came the reponse.

TK:

They helped each other with IT back up and no,
lots of them will not go to the library for reasons that you
don’t have a clue about and I can’t begin to explain to you,
your prejudice and ignorance is too deep.

Oops! It's my deeply ingrained prejudice. Well, to be fair I've had plenty experience with IT departments and the big man is right, I think they're lazy conniving jobs-worths who spend as much time working out how to cover their arses for having achieved nothing than they do playing whatever the network game of the month happens to be, rather than delivering anything resembling "IT backup".

Still, I thought I'd ask further whether the people spending our money on "IT backup actually had any idea as to the benefits we were receiving. I was also interested in those who wouldn't go to the library - for reasons I couldn't understand - perhaps having an IT geek coming round to their house would be the last thing these people would be after.

IP asked:

So, how was that delivered?

and no, lots of them will not go to the library for reasons that you don’t have a clue about

I've already asked you to explain it to me, I'm willing to listen.

TK:

and I can’t begin to explain to you, your prejudice and ignorance is too deep.

IP asked again:

So, that's a no then, you can't explain it.

Isn't it more likely that these people have far more pressing needs than "IT backup" ?

I've got no idea how you think that providing someone unable to get out of the house and to visit the local library will have their job prospects improved by "IT backup" ...whatever that means.

Terry Kelly:

You are far too superior and arrogant to grasp what life is like in some places where poverty is rife, you remain in a position where you think that computer/internet access is not for people like this I’m happy to leave that up there.

I remain in the position that free internet access with "IT backup" is no kind of panacea for people unable to go to the library... for whatever reason. However, thankfully the good councillor has exposed me as superior, arrogant bigot.

It's too much...

2007-12-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

Anyway, this week, 1st week in December 2007, the Labour party have finally gone into meltdown. I was never really able to put my finger on just exactly what it was I never really liked about them, but it seems I'm not the only one ( (c) John Lennon).

The Labour party have, for me, for a long time exhibited this idea that it was only they who cared about the poor, the meek, the humble ((c) The Bible). They have propogated the myth, particularly in Scotland, that only the Labour party care about the poor and disinherited of the Earth.

What an astonishing fallacy. As if, the other political parties could actually accept that these lies belong soley to Labour. I'm firmly in the camp that all political parties will eventually be corrupted in one way or another by power. We only need to look at who was attracted to "serving" the Scottish people in the first place though, to realise that anyone with half a brain and a wee tad of influence would be jumping on the gravy train, then pushing through the idea that life in Edinburgh meant they should have to purchase a property in the Capital at taxpayers expense, with no discernible benefit to the taxpayer after said "service to the community" was completed... a 4 year term with serious interest...

Anyway, that's only half the point. Labour have finally gone into meltdown as they seem to have forgotten that the rules they imposed to prevent the SNP from accepting donations from Scots actually allowed to benfit from their talent, ie those living abroad, rather than those who stayed at home and slimed their way up through the union movements, actually applied to them too. It's a familiar scene. The Labour party have decided that only they are able to represent 'true Scots' views. The SNP are parochial teuchters and the Tories are public school Stock brokers ((c) Daily record - Scotland's National Newspaper... when it suits...). The Labour party are immune to the rules. A bit like the smoking prefect grassing in the 3rd year rebel... I digress... again!

Wendy Alexander, brother of SNP hero Douglas, he who ensured victory at the last election, is refusing to resign from her post after illegally accepting a contribution from a tax exile, despite ackowledging the importance of the contribution through a thankyou note. Wendy claims she didn't mean to intentionally do anything wrong... Son, for I'm sure you're the only one I'll actually direct this way, when some twat describes you as a 'towering intellect', just remember... it's hardly likely to be true, even if you wish it to be so. When you're in a hole, show the good grace to recognise it and stop digging. Don't lie, don't blame others. Stand up and take it on the chin. You may well lose position, but at least you'll always have your dignity.

Trams...

2007-06-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

I've lived in cities with trams. They're very nice. However to suggest that trams are immune to traffic congestion is idiocy at best. The merest block on the line holds back the tram. I've actually been on a tram that hit a car turning across the tram track. It was a perfectly legitimate manouvere by the car, but the driver stopped for oncoming traffic and underestimated how long it would take the tram to stop. Collision! Only one winner too!

I've stepped of trams with tracks going down the middle of the road, only for car drivers to ignore the open doors and endanger our lives.

I've been stuck on trams going slower than walking speed due to traffic congestion, where the street was not broad enough that the tram track could be given a lane of it's own.

Don't get me wrong, they're very pleasant and a whole lot cleaner than the diesel fumes that pollute our cities, particularly where buses congregate, ie Union street in Glasgow, but to suggest that trams are some sort of panacea to our traffic problems is an utter nonsense. The politicking from Edinburgh and Labour on this issue is pathetic.

PS The claim that we have to continue because we've already spent £100m is a nonsense too, when not a single track has been laid. Where has the money been spent? Land & Surveys. Land can be sold to recoup outlay and the surveys should be worthy in their own right... otherwise, why were we paying for them in the first place?

Edinburgh's trams

2007-06-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Another day... more Labour carping!
They're determined to shove on with the wasteful tram system through in Edinburgh, whilst the rest of Scotland is made to wait for essential upgrades.

Today in the Scotsman, George Foulkes greets "They want it for dualling the A9. I've driven up the A9 - there are some parts of it where you don't see any cars for miles."

George may well be correct, but I wonder if it occurred to him at the parts
where he suddenly ran into a massive weight of traffic might have been due to the Italian campervan or Tesco Articulted lorry that was holding back the traffic for 10 miles on the single lane road.

We need upgraded infrastructure across the entire country, not some nice trams - which have more than enough disadvantages - for the privileged few who live in the capital.

Labour carping

2007-06-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well, the Labour party are still struggling with the will of the Scottish people. Tony Blair is too busy on his farewell tour to bother to congratulate Scottish first Minister Salmond, whilst the Queen and Rev Iain Paisley have both managed to find the time... Gordon Brown finally picked up the phone after 2 weeks but the back benchers in Westminister feel they can hoot derision when the subject of how the devolved parliament interactions with Westminister is raised. Interesting times!!!

More locally the SNP have asked the Auditor General to investigate the projected costs of Edinburgh Tram and Airport Rail links. A perfectly sensible move given the history of Labour Lib Dem administrations previous project costings... Scottish parliament origally quoted at £40m, finished costing nearly £400m. Des McNulty, though, is "worried the Auditor General might be being brought in to find something that would justify SNP policy."

Is it just me? Of course that's what's happening Des. The whole country hopes that's what's happening. It makes perfect sense, given the appalling overspend on so many other projects... In fact, it's a surprise to me that it isn't standard practice for the Audotor general to go over all major projects... otherwise, what is his job??

Glasgow IS Manky!!!

2007-05-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Apparently the leaders of the Glasgow bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games have taken the mighty huff with a Nigerian offical for claiming that Glasgow is a crime-ridden midden.

I don't know why that should come as a surprise to anyone, as Glasgow is easily the dirtiest, most litter strewn shambles I've ever come across. Don't get me wrong, I love living here, and I have had the benefit of having lived in a few great cities around the world, but the fact of the matter is the streets are filthy and the council do a terrible job in cleaning up, despite the ridiculous levels of council tax which they collect.

Still, here's a great initiative from the council...

I kid you not. I watched a group of guys working at a bin and when they left, this
is what they'd done. They'd screwed a new sign to a bin, telling us that the district council were screwing signs to bins... OK that's not entirely true, the sign says "It's our city, play your part" and is part of the CleanGlasgow campaign which has a web presence and a group of guys screwing signs to bins, so far as I can see.

Am I being simple? Honestly, does this strike anyone, apart from the Primary 6 class whose idea it might have been, as anything other than a massive waste of time and resource - I mean they didn't even empty the bin when they were there.

Interesting Times

2007-05-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

'May you live in interesting times!' apparently an Old Chinese curse - but probably not! Still, it applies to Scotland these past few weeks, as for the first time the Scottish people have granted the Nationalists a greater share of the vote.

As a result of this, the Labour party have gone in a massive huff with the electorate, refused to acknowledge the victory and taken to the courts in order to overturn the result. No word on how long this petulance will last.

The Lib Dems, whose policies as far as I can see were almost identical to the Nats policies have declined to join a leading coalition on the grounds that the Nat's are keen to ask the people of Scotland whether they'd like to run the show for themselves, but they don't want to ask the question - presumably in case they don't like the answer... I think my dictionary must have 'Democrat' wrong.

The Green party were almost wiped out at the election, returning 2 MSPs. Many people have mused over whether the smaller parties lost out due to the increase in Nat sympathy, but closer to the truth is more likely to be the fact that all the parties are now taking Green issues more seriously - hence less need for a Green pressure group. Whilst the socialists massive public falling out with Tommy Sheridan plus the ridiculous behaviour of the likes of Rosie Kane throughout the last parliament simply made them unelectable - good intentions or otherwise!

We're now heading towards a minority administration lead by easily the most capable man in Scottish, or probably UK, politics being propped up by your kindly old neighbour who tended his garden fastidiously and worried about streetlamps polluting the night sky. Alex Salmond's enemies are licking their wounds and waiting for him to fail in order that they can reclaim lost ground... No word on how any of them intend to best serve the people who elected them.

Interesting times indeed!

Here I am...

2007-05-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

Having dithered for years, I've finally dived in and joined the covert world of semi-anonymous blogging.

For some time now I've been transfixed by the battle raging between Terry Kelly, recently re-elected councillor in Paisley, and a merry band of 'fiskers' over on Terrywatch.

Given the level of vitriol that flows over there I often wondered whether I might be able to join in and retain some sense of humour about it all. It's easy to imagine being cool and calculated from the safety of anonymity, but here at the coal face of red-hot political debate, will I blossom or perish? Only time will tell.