FREEDOM!!!!

Hey! I was editing!! How rude!

Sorry Orwell. The Queen (currently in exile in OZ) is of course Scottish and we will be taking her back for tourism purposes, although we will probably let them keep Charles and Andrew. She even has her residences already waiting at Balmoral and Holyrood Palace. And of course we have the Stone of Destiny without which no more Kings or Queens for the English.

If you have no further use for Kate, I could give her a good home.

What give away the cash cow? We're not that buckied you know.

Had to put this up a classic headline from the Scottish Sun.

Alex Salmond gave a speech in which he described Scotlands natural resources as 'bestowed upon us by the creator of the universe'.
The Sun gave it the headline;

'God's Gift to Scotland'
(Salmond's talking about oil, not himself)


Cracked me up over my morning cuppa.

Last day of the SNP Conference today- heres the final 15 minutes of Salmonds key note speech to the party faithful.

Pfft, why the hell would lovely Kate want to go to Aussie Orwell? She's still Britain's sweetheart and she knows it! Us women are still trying to replicate her style, though it's sure hard for us normal gals. She's sure fashionable that Duchess- remember that dress? (I don't, it was a while ago...) and all those other dresses; trust me, not everyone can pull off those v-neckline gowns...

um, but, er yeah...

freedom for Scotland...that's okay I guess!

Well, for Your information, Little Miss All Growed Up Suddenly, I would look after Kate even if she wore no dress at all! And, what's more, with lots of kisses and embraces and pure lovingness, so there... I mean to say, what's more important, "care" or "dresses"? If I had to, for Kate's good not mine, I'd be prepared to pull off that V neck gown - and with alacrity... who cares if you are able to or not, quite frankly! I'll have you know that we Ozhobbits can be very caring, very very caring...

The BBC ain't winning any friends in Scotland. Thats 3 days now since the end of the SNP Conference and all the BBC Iplayer has got to offer is a 30minute highlights package. Salmonds speech is still not available.
I watched on the iplayer David Cameron's conference speech and Ed Milibands the same day as they were broadcast so why am I still waiting to see the speech by the leader of my own country?

A committee of MP's has critisiced the Westminister Governments recent blatant raiding of Scottish oil to pay for stuff in England, calling the UK Treasury's decision to increase a levy on the oil and gas industry as an "opportunistic raid".

'In his March budget, Chancellor George Osborne said he was taking the additional £2bn each year in tax from the offshore energy sector by raising its supplementary levy on corporation tax from 20% to 32%.'
The SNP's Westminster Energy spokesman Mike Weir said the UK government needed to stop regarding Scottish oil as a "cash cow" and realise how important the offshore industry was for jobs across Scotland.
He added: "Last week the prime minister came to Scotland to hail the potential in the new oil and gas fields off the western approaches, but the UK government is hindering these developments and holding Scotland's energy sector back."
Referring to last week's scrapping of the Longannet carbon capture project, Mr Weir said: "The UK Treasury has banked over £13bn from Scotland's oil and gas in the course of this year but refused even a tenth of that in return to secure the future of the clean coal industry in Scotland."

13 billion this year alone!! Roll on independence! (And could it be with Salmond's massive popularity and policies of stimulating growth and jobs that the reason the UK Government scrapped the carbon capture project is that it would have been another feather in Salmonds cap? Surely they wouldn't jeoperdise peoples jobs, livlihoods and well being just for political advantage? What am I saying? These are poiticians of course they would!
But it does amaze me Wesminister still thinks the people of Scotland can't see exactly what they are doing.

Scottish Labour are about to elect a new leader. But not after a speech by the outgoing one Ian Gray. In his speech he said, "The people have decided that we should now debate the future of Scotland and whether it lies within the United Kingdom or not. We have to engage in that debate and we must win it. Because I believe with all my heart that Scotland is big enough, smart enough and rich enough in talent to stand with our comrades, friends, neighbours, workmates and family all across these islands."

But apprently not big, smart or rich enough to be independent. Labour will continue to support the Union- only now they are not, the genius new plan is to "...engage in that debate now not to save the Union but to save devolution." (and yes devolution is within the Union so it amounts to the same thing)
So their argument is Scotland should have greater powers but isn't big or good enough to have all of them, best leave those to Westminister. Mmmmm, think their strategy might need bit of work still.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Scottish Labour are about to elect a new leader. But not after a speech by the outgoing one Ian Gray. In his speech he said, "The people have decided that we should now debate the future of Scotland and whether it lies within the United Kingdom or not. We have to engage in that debate and we must win it. Because I believe with all my heart that Scotland is big enough, smart enough and rich enough in talent to stand with our comrades, friends, neighbours, workmates and family all across these islands."

But apprently not big, smart or rich enough to be independent. Labour will continue to support the Union- only now they are not, the genius new plan is to "...engage in that debate now not to save the Union but to save devolution." (and yes devolution is within the Union so it amounts to the same thing)
So their argument is Scotland should have greater powers but isn't big or good enough to have all of them, best leave those to Westminister. Mmmmm, think their strategy might need bit of work still.

Ian Gray sounds like a sensible hobbit. Here to help!

Quiet, Odo.

Scotlands First Minister is in Quatar, talking up Scotlands credentials as a good place to do energy business. His trip has been viewed as highly successful, securing a great deal of new investment and opening eduction links beyween coleges and universities there and ones in Scotland.
Here's how the LIberal Democrats choose to view it;

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They have since putting this out been forced to apoligise and withdraw it. If this is the best the Unionist parties can manage then Indepence is propbably on the way.
But to treat it vaguely seriously at the moment- lets look at these accusations.

1. Absolute Monarchy controls all aspects of life- obviously not comparable, the Scottish Parliament is one of the the most transparent in Europe, and far more than Westminister, for example the reason there was no MP's tax scandal in the Scottish Parliament is because it would be impossible. All Scottish Members finances are in the public record- right down to a taxi fare or a sandwich and are published every year.

2. Gay rights supressed and no recognition of same sex marriage- well really stupid this one, as right now the SNP are embroilled in a battle with Scotlands religous groups over the SNP plans to have gay marriage instead of civil partenrships, marriages which would not only be just like any other marriage as far as the law is concerned but which can be held on religous ground. So I suppose it's sort of true if the SNP get their way Scotland will have no same sex marriage- it will just have marriage regardeless of the sex of the people involved. If the SNP go ahead with this it will make Scotland one of the most open countries regarding gay marriage in the world.

3. Death Penalty used for crimes against the State - the SNP are of course famously the party which released the Lockerbie Bomber, although I like many think he was a patsy the law considered him a mass murderer and terrorist, and the SNP still let him go on compassionate grounds becasue he was dying of cancer. Scotland has no death penalty and is not likely to get one if we go independent.

So all in all a rather poor attempt to have a go at the SNP there. The worry is every government needs a good, honest opposition to act as a check and balance, especially on a government with a large majority- and Scotlands opposition parties are, well, they are producing childish nonsense like this instead.

[quote="Pettytyrant101"][img][/img]

Mmm... so, Petty, you're saying you prefer an unrespectable (un-Kingly), sexually depraved, and serial murderer supporting regime?

I don't know, Orwell, I suspect if Petty's like get into power it'll be, for all his fine idealizing, a Big Brother state all over again. God Save the Queen, I say!

It's ok we are keeping the Queen! Just not as an absolute monarch, more of a tourist trap.

The small town of Oban, not to far from where I live, had a spectacular fireworks display for Nov 5th celebrations- it was suposed to last for about 20 minutes but thanks to a technical hitch they all went off at once, lasting just 60seconds!
Probably a metaphor for something.

Well, at least it was 20 times as awesome

Congrats to Miss Scotland for a repectable last 7 placing in Miss World. (Would have been 1st but for some reason foreign judges can be a bit odd about women who smell of buckie). As a law student I am sure she is striking a blow for women everywhere and not taking part in a contest which parades women for our judgement and discards the ones we don't like. (Although in fairness that is a valuable life lesson for women, as lets face it, its going to happen to most of them quite a lot).

Here she is, in a no way gratuitous pic, furthering the female cause by wearing a bikini and being judged on how well she wears it (but in a post modern ironic manner no doubt).

[img][/img]

Now you too can judge her and not feel bad about it! Marks out of 10?

Hm... I was looking at her thinking: she looks human! I like that! No air brushed impossible plastic look. She even has thighs and tiny bit of belly! ...when not so many years ago I would probably think she DID have a too perfect and impossible look.

Brainwashed by the media...?

ARGH! Sarcasm overload!

Wozers, I think she looks sooo thin! Maybe a crafty ploy to enlarge her breasts. To be fair to her she doesn't look insanely plastic (like those supermodels) just very very pretty. Obviously thin, but not stick-thin that we normally see in advertising and there's definitely some natural looks and curves there somewhere! Looks a bit like the Duchess Kate! I wonder where Miss Wales came in the rankings; if there was indeed anyone from Wales there...

Not sure how I'd rate her, don't have that much experience judging women by appearance, but obviously she's extremely pretty!

Amarië wrote:Hm... I was looking at her thinking: she looks human! I like that! No air brushed impossible plastic look. She even has thighs and tiny bit of belly! ...when not so many years ago I would probably think she DID have a too perfect and impossible look.

Brainwashed by the media...?

No you haven't! I think that lots of men have been though, which is why more of them see thin as beautiful (which has been promoted in the media) and this is an unrealistic representation of beauty! Miss Scotland, while obviously slim, does seem to have more about her as she studies law and is an intelligent women and still has a bit of belly as Amarie said! Still it would take like two million years for me to ever look that good, so it's an impossible look for me!
Ah well, I'll have to rely on my brains to get me through; I swear there was an extra word on the end of that saying...

I am of the opinion that fashion and the media might love a stick thin model but actual men do not, bit of meat on the bones is always better. As my Dad used to say to me, 'pretty and thin is nice when they are still pretty, but when they get on you will just be left with thin, marry a girl with a bit of heft about her and at least when her looks ae gone you will at least still be guaranteed a decent meal.'- ok not exactly enlightened but he does have a point, probably.

However if she is so clever what's with the choice of footwear? Heels with beach wear?? How's that going to work on a Scottish shingle beach? Thats a 2 second recipe for a couple of broken ankles that is. And where's her thermals? What sort of a beach in Scotland could you go to dressed like that? You'd be dead from exposure and a dose of the 'leering neds' within five minutes. That's not teaching young Scots lasses the right things at all!
Fortunetly I can be magnanimous seeing as she curves in all sorts of pleasing ways and forgive her her female silliness. (I know, I am too kind).

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I am of the opinion that fashion and the media might love a stick thin model but actual men do not, bit of meat on the bones is always better. As my Dad used to say to me, 'pretty and thin is nice when they are still pretty, but when they get on you will just be left with thin, marry a girl with a bit of heft about her and at least when her looks ae gone you will at least still be guaranteed a decent meal.'- ok not exactly enlightened but he does have a point, probably.

However if she is so clever what's with the choice of footwear? Heels with beach wear?? How's that going to work on a Scottish shingle beach? Thats a 2 second recipe for a couple of broken ankles that is. And where's her thermals? What sort of a beach in Scotland could you go to dressed like that? You'd be dead from exposure and a dose of the 'leering neds' within five minutes. That's not teaching young Scots lasses the right things at all!
Fortunetly I can be magnanimous seeing as she curves in all sorts of pleasing ways and forgive her her female silliness. (I know, I am too kind).

Perhaps she was going swimming at her local pool? Admittedly my preference would be a one-piece costume if you want to actually get some swimming done, but that does look a bit of a beachy bikini!

I do take your point though, women probably have also been brainwashed about the ideal body, but lets be honest, who wouldn't want to strive for the perfect body, in fact maybe I've been brainwashed into thinking that skinny is beautiful! Argh, I am indeed a stupid women!! I'm conforming to the ideals of the men in charge of advertising and business!

Ah. Isn't life complicated?

Thin women don't have good child bearing hips, if they are the future the race is doomed! Can't be a coincidence that whenever they dig up some ancient statue, or fertility idol its always a chunky female, never a skinny one that looks like she'd snap in a Scotiish breeze. Give me a women that likes her porridge any day!