WHEN IT ALL GETS BIT TOO MUCH....

YOU NEED TO LEAVE IT BEHIND

Sometimes the news is so depressing, your Twitter feed so full of Neanderthals and Facebook has come a solid wall of hate.

At time like that you need to walk away from it.

And smile:

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Oh, and yesterday was Petula Clark's birthday. She was 83, and she's in the charts in Canada with a duet with Paul Daraiche "Laisse moi te dire ce soir". Way to not get old.

Happy birthday, Clarky, à bientôt j'espère. x

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON SATURDAY

I'm stuck in the house with a throat infection, feeling rotten, and for the want of anything else to do, I'm passing the time looking at Twitter and Facebook.

And how depressing is that today?

Here's just a small selection of the stories that are coming up on my feeds.

A million elderly Brits are malnourished as councils reduce the meals on wheels service. The welfare state is being dismantled on a daily basis. And there is often nothing left to take its place. There are, of course, families and volunteers to fall back on. But that's not really like it was before when millions of people, often middle and upper class women, had time on their hands for good works. Everyone has to work so hard now just to get by, that there is not the same amount of free time for helping others. Cameron doesn't seem to see this.

There has been a 600% increase in the last four years on people with mental health problems being sanctioned by the DWP. It seems Iain Duncan Smith has hit upon the idea that folk with mental health issues are less likely to kick off about being sanctioned... and it's a neat way to make money.

Then there was this beauty. Someone needs to tell the DWP that a man who has suffered 4 heart attacks, and has a variety of other illnesses, including fluid on his lungs, and all at the age of 61, is truly unlikely to be able to find a job, and should be left in peace. How many people need to die for IDS to save enough money for DWP management bonuses. 

And there is this story about a guy who, on hearing a threat that his money was to be stopped, had a heart attack and died. More money saved, Iain. Maybe some fresh underwear on expenses? Or another £40 breakfast?

Some of the comments on Paris have been sad. Johann Lamont joined Humza Yousaf to respect the dead in Paris. It's something you would have thought might have promoted a bit of harmony between Labour and SNP... but no. Some of the comments made dreadful, sickening and disheartening reading.

Then I saw this story. It seems that if you live in England you must be careful not to upset Mr Cameron. This lady was protesting at cuts which were causing people to die, and shouted out to Cameron that he had "blood on his hands". She was charged (and allegedly beaten) by the police. 

The judge said that her comments "must have hugely upset" the prime minister, and what she said could "hardly have been more insulting to anyone, whether a politician or not".

For the judges information (and from the safety of Scotland) I'd liek teh judge to know that I can think of thousands of things that I could say to Cameron which would be far more insulting. Never mind that her particular comments were true. He is responsible for his government and his government is responsible for death and misery across the four nations of the UK. He has got blood on his hands both in the home countries and in Libya where he took part in a campaign that completely wrecked a reasonably stable if unpleasant regime. And one which had excellent public services, unlike the ones he oversees.

Worrying that it is now a punishable offence in England to upset the Brit PM as if he were one of his Gulf royal mates or his Chinese buddy. The company he keeps has been rubbing off on him.

AND YOU WILL BE WELCOME...

I saw this on Facebook. It looks as if it may have come from a local newspaper, perhaps the local version of the Metro. It's the kind of thing they do. It originated on the Free Scotland page.

It has a shedload of comments too, the majority favourable.

As someone pointed out, that's not the kind of news you'd hear on the BBC.

HE WAS A LOUSY CHANCELLOR, A DISASTROUS PM, AND NOW HE'S AN EXPENSIVE EX POLITICIAN

So, the question is, where is the other £2.5 million, give or take a Euro or two?Well, it appears to have gone on expenses for them travelling around the worldin the style of billionaires. On top of this Mr Brown drew on  the Public Duties Allowance that ex UK PMs awarded themselves (unlike ex Scottish, Welsh or Irish FMs who get sod all) to the tune of over £200,000 in the last two years. Additionally he has collected his salary of £66,000 a year but has failed to turn up at parliament most of the time.What exactly has he done for this money?

And while we're a bit indignant about stuff:

Absolutely gold that one. Public responsibility or financial probity are the last two things these rapacious monsters should mention in the hearing of decent  ordinary taxpayers

What was that about Britain leading the way out of recession George?
That will be them leading from the rear again.

Oh yes, and one last thing...

I just hope it was HIS money, and not OURS that he spent buying friends on Facebook.
If he gives me £10,000, I'll like him (on Facebook)!

A LOOK AT THE 1603 AND 1707 TREATIES

Reading around the Facebook pages this morning, I noticed this post on "EU Citizens for an independent Scotland".

In what seems like, I have to admit, another rather lazy post for me, I wondered if anyone had any opinions on this aspect of the law (particularly given Mr Carmichael's recent references to international law) which I had not considered before.

Our First Minister and Spain's Prime Minister are both correct in their interpretations of EU Law.

Spain cites a part of the EU Treaty relating to a "region" of a country. The First Minister is correct to point out Scotland is a country and not a "region" therefore the part of the Treaty cited by Spain does not apply to Scotland.

The Treaty of the Union 1707 is an International Treaty. The Scots negotiating the 1707 Treaty cannily insisted on it being an International Treaty.

The legal ramifications of a Yes vote are far more integrate than the current assumptions. First, the Union of the Crowns 1603 will still be in place and it is this Union which gave rise to the establishment of the United Kingdom.

Therefore the title United Kingdom will have to be removed from the Union of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Secondly, the 1707 Treaty established the new nation state of Great Britain; with a Yes vote Great Britain ceases to exist. Given that the United Kingdom between Scotland and England will still exist it could be seriously argued that two new nation states would exist upon a Yes vote: Scotland and the Union of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This is not the simple issue the Unionists' make it out to be; this is not my opinion but the law of the land.

Jim Dear

Arbroath

DON'T BE AN INTERFERING OLD BUSYBODY

I understand that Cameron's man in Scotland, Alistair Carmichael, has asked Facebook to take down a page which ridicules Alex Salmond.

I suspect that it may be the page that was referred to by an angry unionist who posted it anonymously on this blog. 

I wonder why.

What has it got to do with him?

I suppose he thinks it makes him look statesman like. It doesn't. It makes him look like an interfering old busybody. 

Firstly, I'm sure that the First Minister is capable of dealing with Facebook himself, if he wishes to. 

And secondly,except where we are talking illegal pornography, terrorism or crime, politicians should keep their noses out of what people wish to discuss, down the pub, at the water cooler, in the canteen and on line. Even then it's a police matter, not political.

There is nothing illegal in calling Alex Salmond a deluded wanker. Sticks and stones, etc. 

And there are no brownie points in trying to look like you care when you don't. We still have freedom of speech in the UK, or certainly in Scotland, or did i miss something overnight?
**********
I see that Carwyn Jones was paid by London to come to Edinburgh and do the Tory government's bidding in selling his fellow Celts down the river. He wants more power for Wales (devo max which Scotland was denied) and less from Scotland, however, he may find that if he persuades Scots to vote no to independence, the courting of the Celtic nations may well stop, and he will find himself with a good deal less. 

Barnett, which he wants rid of,  may favour Scotland because of its size and the need to provide Scots with the services that their taxes pay for in more populous parts of the UK, but with the Tory (and Labour) fixation for making sure that London wins in every matter, if the really powerful Celtic tiger, Scotland, is slain, and independence put back in its box, Wales may find that Barnett will be replaced with something that will do the Welsh no favours at all.

The Tories don't have much to lose in the Celtic fringe; the memory of Thatcher just won't go away. And Labour takes us for granted. 

It's only when we look as if we may leave them to stew in their own juice that they take any notice of us.

SNAPS ON SATURDAY

WELL, WHY SHOULD TESCO GET AWAY WITH THE BEST IDEAS?

HOW MANY SPARE BEDROOMS  DOES THIS COUNCIL HOUSE HAVE?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO A WELL-MATCHED COUPLE

MOST DEMOCRACIES HAVE THE GOVERNMENTS THEY ELECTED. SCOTLAND HAS
THE GOVERNMENT ITS NEIGHBOURS ELECTED

IT'S MOVING IN OUR DIRECTION

AND, IT WOULD SEEM, AMONG THE UNDER 8s

AWWW POOR WEE GOVEY

THAT INDEED IS SOMETHING TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT

THEY WILL DO AND SAY ANYTHING TO KEEP THEIR SEAT ON THE SECURITY COUNCIL
BUT, ALTHOUGH THEY WILL NOT ALLOW US ANY UK ASSETS, EVEN ONES BASED IN SCOTLAND, THEY WILL GENEROUSLY ALLOW US TO PAY OUR SHARE OF THEIR DEBTS

THE GOOD OLD  PORKIES TORIES

PROBABLY THE LATTER

I DECLARE YOU MAN AND WIFE. YOU CAN UPDATE YOUR FACEBOOK STATUS

STILL WANT TO VOTE NO TO INDEPENDENCE?

'So', says Andy Auchterlonie on Facebook, 'you think you should vote NO to Scotland being independent? Then you better be aware what exactly you will be voting for by voting NO...............

1. Privatisation of the NHS.

2. Privatisation of the Royal Mail.

3. Privatisation of the Post Office.

4. Privatisation of Scottish Water.

5. Privatisation of the Forestry Commission.

6. Roads and bridges tolls with a vengeance.

7. End of free student tuition fees.

8. End of free care of the elderly.

9. End of free travel for the elderly.

10. End of free prescriptions.

11. Trident at a cost of £30+ Billion.

12. Toxic waste dumping in Scotland.

13. More foreign owned, heavily subsidised, nuclear power stations.

14. More scrap nuclear submarines being dumped in Scotland.

15. All 33,000+ civil service jobs in Scotland being moved south.

16. Faster oil extraction to spend the revenue before we can become independent.

17. Massive increases in PFI/PPP expenditure building huge debts for future generations.

18. All planning powers taken back to Westminster to allow them to do whatever they want in Scotland.

19. Drastically reduce Holyrood powers.(best keep the natives under control)

20. Huge increases in Council Tax.

21. Most FE colleges will be closed.

22. All private firms will be encouraged to relocate south with tax breaks for those complying.

23. Sickness, disability and unemployment benefits slashed in Scotland.

24. Winter Fuel payments triggered by average temperatures in Torquay.

25. Lots of, all expense peerages, for all the Bitter the Gither quislings.

26. Keeping your local MPs on the London gravy train. MPs like Gordon Brown, who earns £65000 for being an MP, £120,000 for being an ex PM, and UNLIMITED EXPENSES. Or Margaret Curran, £65000 wages and UNLIMITED EXPENSES (she claimed £155,000 last year).

27. Finally you will be voting yourself out of work, having no benefit system to fall back on and a future of uncertainty, all whilst London and the SE of England lap it up at our expense.

OK, maybe I don't agree with everyone of these claims... 100%, but make no mistake, if we vote no, we will have to privatize; we will have to cut. You can't have nuclear weapons and play at being the worlds's deputy policeman, and look after your own people. 

It can't be done on the kind of money Scotland/Britain has at its disposal.
There will be no real benefits system and with all this QE, which will have to go on and on, you can forget having a pension of any worth. So get used to the idea of poverty, and big business owning everything and cheating you at every turn.

STILL WANT TO VOTE NO TO INDEPENDENCE?

SNAPS ON SATURDAY

WHAT WAS THAT GIDEON? NO ONE WILL DO BUSINESS WITH SCOTLAND?

OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO BELIEVE YOU... WHY WOULDN'T WE?

YOU'RE RIGHT, NESSIE. THEY DON'T. OTHERWISE SOMEONE
WOULD HAVE COME UP WITH ONE BY NOW

HE'S A BUSY MAN, WHAT WITH RIPPING THINGS AND DOING PEOPLE

AND IT DID AGAIN THIS WEEK. IT WOULDN'T KILL IN AN INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND

STRANGE THAT THEY WANT TO TELL US HOW MUCH WE DEPEND ON IT,
BUT THEY FORGET TO COUNT IT

AND MORE IF IAN DAVIDSON GETS HIS WAY...
...AND WATCH OUT FOR A GOOD DOING TOO

APPARENTLY MRS LAMONT IS A BOMB LOVER, THE SCOTTISH BRANCH
HAS JUST ANNOUNCED IT IS PRO NUCLEAR

ERM YEAH

IT MAY BE NOTHING TO DO WITH US, BUT IT WILL AFFECT US.
WE'LL STILL PAY THE SAME TAXES AND WE'LL HAVE TO
ACCEPT ENGLISH STANDARDS OF HEALTH CARE

AND YOU DIDN'T THINK THEY HAD FACEBOOK BACK THEN?

IT'S ALL THEY HAVE BLESS THEM, LIES AND MORE LIES AND FIDDLED STATISTICS

9% INFLUENCE = 0% INFLUENCE IN REALITY

Click on the pictures to enlarge....

WE NEED THE RIGHT TO CONTROL OUR OWN TAXES: WE ARE LOSING OUT TO IRELAND

I see that Dublin is to be the European home of Twitter.

Enticed perhaps by the lowest corporation tax in Europe, the American internet technology company has decided to look no farther than Ireland.

This will be a smack in the teeth to Davie Cameron and his mate Boris, who were determined to secure the company for London. London you'll note; not Cardiff, nor Belfast, nor Edinburgh, but London.

The Irish Development Authority has been working flat out to make Dublin the Digital Media capital of Europe, having already succeeded in persuading Google (2200 employees), Facebook (300), LinkedIn (140), Zynga (100), Paypal (1,300) and eBay (1000)....5,000 jobs in all from just these 6! Edinburgh could do with 5,000 jobs of that kind.

The 12.5% corporation tax certainly seems to clinch deals for them.

Edinburgh needs the right to vary the corporation tax in Scotland. It's too late for these companies, but not, perhaps for the many others that will be looking for European bases. These other countries are at such an advantage being able to juggle their taxes to suit their economic needs. Would that we were.