The circular argumnents of an addled mind

Caught a wee segment of some representative of the retail industry arguing against minimum pricing for alcohol, on Radio Scotland this morning.

The point was made that the Police, the BMA and the chief medical officer of Scotland all support a minimum pricing structure for alcohol. "Are you saying they're all wrong?"

His reply was that it's not to do with pricing, but how we deal with alcohol in general as a society, our culture of drinking and what we're brought up to believe is acceptable.

Strange though that if he wants us to treat alcohol with more respect and for our cultural regard for the bevvy to change, he thinks supermarkets should still be allowed to sell apple flavoured alco pop, masquerading as cider, at 37p for 2 litres - whilst half a litre of water should be closer to a £1.

These Jim Murphy's have no interest in changing our cultural attitude to the bevvy, they simply chase the easy money and exploit us for all we're worth, then some. The fact that the Labour party is willing to support them over the will of such luminaries as the BMA and chief medical officer, for political expediency, is a disgrace.

Lollipop heroes

It's a howling gale and pouring rain outside. I'm thinking myself lucky that I work in an office for the first time in a long time, and on route to work I'm safely cocooned in my 2 ton diesel powered, lethal weapon, being warmly entertained by the Tog-meister, with his barely concealed innuendo and eclectic musical selections, when I see some real heroes doing the thing that they do every day, year in year out. Wearing fluorescent waterproofs and brandishing a big pole, they alert me to the possibility that some cold, wet and miserable school kids are about to cross the road, thinking only of getting inside soon. They're generally an older generation. They take a great deal of care in their work, shepherding the youngsters safely across the roads and they must prevent hundreds of accidents in a Scottish Winter. In the worst of weather is when we need them most and they were out in force today. I salute them!

Fast and loose with the truth

I always worry when governments cover things up for reasons of 'public confidence'. It's a wee bit banana republic. Governments deciding what we as the public can and can't afford to know. It's definitely a slippery slope. But what of a stitch up between the government, the Bank of England and HBOS with a massive loan, just as the Loyds shareholders were being asked to approve the HBOS takeover. Presumably the scale of this loan was not disclosed to the shareholders. Given that I'm just a fella that thinks that the banks are there to provide a service for us, providing a convenient means for doing business with the farmer, fisherman and housebuilders, you shouldn't take my word for it, but that seems criminal to me. I'm glad I'm not a Lloyds shareholder who has watched the value of his investment plummet as a result of this. I'd probably be wanting to speak to someone who knew about such things...

From the mouths of babes...

I note the Herald headline "Angry Business bosses demand SNP U-turn on GARL"

In a letter to Finance Secretary John Swinney, the business leaders called for alternative methods of funding to be considered. The CBI said later that a form of private finance, such as PFI or PPP, should be used.

Well, they would wouldn't they? Business men who stand to make money from such a venture demand that the government stop spending money on the things that they were elected to spend the money on in order that said money can be diverted the way of said businessmen. Decent of the Herald to publish it, although why the headline couldn't have been "Self interested business bosses demand government money to be given to them instead of school children" I don't know. Maybe it doesn't roll of the tongue quite so well.

How about these business bosses actually turn their attention to the long term benefit of the country and demand that the UK rail network is brought up to 20th Century European standards, reducing the need for flights from Birmingham, Leeds or even London to Glasgow. Ah! Wait a minute, they're actually just a bunch of self-interested Jim Murphy's.

L'esprit de l'escalier

"Much of your general comment on wider topics demostrate the Scots inability to 'grasp the nettle'" anonymous posts

"What? Vague, irrelevant and unsubstantiated?" I retort, rapier like.

Scotland 9 Australia 8

Yes! Yes! Yes!
Get in there! Ya dancin' bear. Ya beauty!

I'm soooo happy!!!!!!
I knew they had it in them, but that was something special, if a wee bit lucky!

Positive thinking

It's very noticeable how downbeat people here can be. I often refer to it as the Presbyterian attitude, rightly or wrongly. That Reverend I.A.M. Jolly "We're aw Doomed" or "We'll pay for enjoying ourselves" kind of outlook. Maybe it's the weather? but I wish we could learn to talk ourselves up a wee bit more and actual have some positive expectations

We've got the Australians at Murrayfield this weekend. They've not been in the best of form, but they're bedding in some pretty exciting talent. We've got a cracking coach, a really decent set of forwards and some big powerful backs. Without Tom Evans I feel we do lack a wee bit of devil or elan in the backs, but otherwise the Scottish National team have got plenty to shout about, not least the fact that for as long as I can remember we've been producing genuine world class talent at scrum-half. Roy Laidlaw, Garry Armstrong (in particular!), Andy Nicol, Brian Redpath and the current duo of Mike Blair and Chris Cusiter, all capable of fitting right into any team on the planet.

Why oh why then is all I'm reading in the press this week about how Australia produce the best half-backs and how great this young Will Genia is. F*ck him I say! Let's have Cuister cutting loose and playing with the kind of tempo he's capable of. Let's have our big powerful backs looking to make runs off his wee darting breaks. Let's keep that Aussie back row interested in the fringes and mix it up for them. Knock 'em over. Carry the ball forward and most of all "Feet, Scotland Feet!". We can beat this mob if we don't go into the game thinking they're world beaters. They're anything but, and we can do them! So come on press! big it up for the boys! Come on Murrayfield! Come on Scotland!