Thursday, 18 February 2016
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Cuts
So some of the council cuts in the Western Isles have been reversed in the face of popular
(sic) opposition. Isn't it more like the SNP group on the council (see http://www.hebrides-news.com/snp-oppose-council-cuts-12216.…)
prompted this volte-face. Actually quite disingenuous, bearing in mind
that it is SNP policy (Scottish Government) to starve local authorities
of funding through the council tax freeze (popular measure, I'm sure)
and blaming Westminster for depriving Scotland of funding, of which
the SNP administration do not use about 400 million a year and
relinquish back to the UK Treasury. Sorry, this is an intensely
party-political post, but don't expect me to have anything good to say
about any of the opposition parties either. Labour has become a pallid
reflection of itself, and is heading for annihilation at the Scottish
Parliament vote in May; and the Tories I like even less. Politics. No
thanks.
Tuesday, 16 February 2016
Fifteen years on-line
This month, it will be 15 years ago since I set my first steps on the
World Wide Web. My Hotmail account records my first email on 1 February
2000. I still have that account, and it is active. Also active is
my pharmolo account with AOL; any email that comes into that inbox is
automatically redirected to my adb422006 account with Gmail. An email
account with Yahoo is only used because of its link to my Flickr photo
accounts. I set it up whilst staying in a place which blocked the AOL
website.
I joined AOL for its dial-up ISP service in April 2004, and brought me the first experiences of social networking on-line. The News Debate Chat was a rough and ready affair, invaded at times by the less appetising elements in British society. Following my relocation to Scotland in the summer of 2004, this fell by the wayside for a while, as I changed to blogging.
AOL Journals allowed me to record my travels in the north of Scotland in the summer and autumn of 2004. A year later, the much maligned VIVI awards introduced me to the circle of journalers; the untimely death of Pam (his1desire) at Easter 2006 turned me into a full member of Jland.
Jland ceased to exist in October 2008, after AOL decided to scuttle its journals division. A fair few of us migrated to Blogger, but many others abandoned the community.
My fifteen years on-line has seen a marked change in my personal circumstances, much of which I have decided not to discuss on here. Reading back through the emails from 2000 to 2015, I can see that quite clearly. The biggest shock, which I did share, was the death of my mother, now nearly 7 years ago. I tend to operate on a "live by the day" basis, which means I do not make a forecast for the next few years.
The Internet has proved an invaluable source of information to me, and a way of meeting new people, new friends. The Internet has also caused me a fair bit of distress, both directly and indirectly. Not all my friends understand the concept of social networking involving people you have not met, and are unlikely to ever meet. The Internet has an extremely unpleasant dark side to it, the least manifestations of which are the spam emails. However, it is here, and here to stay.
I joined AOL for its dial-up ISP service in April 2004, and brought me the first experiences of social networking on-line. The News Debate Chat was a rough and ready affair, invaded at times by the less appetising elements in British society. Following my relocation to Scotland in the summer of 2004, this fell by the wayside for a while, as I changed to blogging.
AOL Journals allowed me to record my travels in the north of Scotland in the summer and autumn of 2004. A year later, the much maligned VIVI awards introduced me to the circle of journalers; the untimely death of Pam (his1desire) at Easter 2006 turned me into a full member of Jland.
Jland ceased to exist in October 2008, after AOL decided to scuttle its journals division. A fair few of us migrated to Blogger, but many others abandoned the community.
My fifteen years on-line has seen a marked change in my personal circumstances, much of which I have decided not to discuss on here. Reading back through the emails from 2000 to 2015, I can see that quite clearly. The biggest shock, which I did share, was the death of my mother, now nearly 7 years ago. I tend to operate on a "live by the day" basis, which means I do not make a forecast for the next few years.
The Internet has proved an invaluable source of information to me, and a way of meeting new people, new friends. The Internet has also caused me a fair bit of distress, both directly and indirectly. Not all my friends understand the concept of social networking involving people you have not met, and are unlikely to ever meet. The Internet has an extremely unpleasant dark side to it, the least manifestations of which are the spam emails. However, it is here, and here to stay.
Thursday, 4 February 2016
More Syria
One of the reasons I got so thoroughly fed up with the news tonight was that image of self-congratulatory politicians, only capable of working their tongues, uttering meaningless words on a catastrophic situation that is Syria.
Russia's president Putin accuses the Turks of preparing for a ground invasion - read, he wants a bust-up with the Turks; Putin can safely be accused of exacerbating that situation by propping up a vile regime, which has sent its entire populace to flight. Why? 'Coz Mr Assad is best described using an expletive, and Mr Putin finds that Mr Assad is his sole remaining ally in the Middle East. By continuing the civil war, more people will flock into Turkey, i.e. Europe, and the EU stands in grave danger of political paralysis and collapse. And that's what Mr Putin would REALLY like. But the Turks have their nefarious part to play as well, facilitating the transit of those hapless refugees to Greece, a country they historically dislike. Cameron, Tusk, Juncker - shut your faces and stop treating the symptoms. Address the root cause.
Russia's president Putin accuses the Turks of preparing for a ground invasion - read, he wants a bust-up with the Turks; Putin can safely be accused of exacerbating that situation by propping up a vile regime, which has sent its entire populace to flight. Why? 'Coz Mr Assad is best described using an expletive, and Mr Putin finds that Mr Assad is his sole remaining ally in the Middle East. By continuing the civil war, more people will flock into Turkey, i.e. Europe, and the EU stands in grave danger of political paralysis and collapse. And that's what Mr Putin would REALLY like. But the Turks have their nefarious part to play as well, facilitating the transit of those hapless refugees to Greece, a country they historically dislike. Cameron, Tusk, Juncker - shut your faces and stop treating the symptoms. Address the root cause.
Sunday, 31 January 2016
Friday 29 January
Today, we had a severe gale with stormforce gusts, which took its time to abate through the day.
Buildings gone
Had a browse through Google Streetview, with imagery of Stornoway dating back more than 6 years. Came across a number of buildings that have since been pulled down.
Nicolson Institute
Shell House, Shell Street
Shellfish Factory, Shell Street
Smith's Shoe Shop, Kenneth Street
Nicolson Institute Shell House, Shell Street Shellfish Factory, Shell Street Smith's Shoe Shop, Kenneth Street
Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Denmark
Like most European countries, Denmark has been subjected to a large influx of migrants fleeing the upheavals in the Middle East, southwest Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The country feels overwhelmed by the flood of people, and has reinstituted border controls on the sole land border it has, with Germany. There are also more stringent checks on the border with Sweden, at the Øresund bridge across the sea strait between the two countries.
Yesterday, the Danish parliament approved measures that grant police officers powers to seize valuables from migrants, if valued over £1,000 and not of sentimental value, to pay for their keep in Denmark. Whilst acknowledging that the current situation is unprecedented, and outwith any experience of such an inflow in recent times, I have serious reservations. Put it bluntly, to my mind it is daylight, state-sponsored theft and robbery. Never, ever, have migrants into any European country been forced to hand over money to be able to stay. The migrants that are flocking into Europe usually have had to pay thousands of dollars for their passage across the Mediterranean, in leaky, rickety, unsafe craft, donned with lifevests that (in some instances) help you sink, rather than keep you buoyant in the water.
As I have written before, the current migrant crisis has to be resolved internationally, involving all parties involved. Not just the European Union, but also Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya (and other countries from which people flee). Turkey has turned a blind eye to the floods of people passing through its territory en-route to Greece. Russia is exacerbating the Syrian crisis by supporting the dictator Assad by bombing his opponents, under the pretext of fighting Daesh. Within a few months, weather conditions in the Mediterranean will improve as spring arrives. Unless something is done, 2016 will become a worse repeat of 2015. It will jeopardise the lives of the migrants, threaten the stability of Europe - something that would benefit nobody.
Yesterday, the Danish parliament approved measures that grant police officers powers to seize valuables from migrants, if valued over £1,000 and not of sentimental value, to pay for their keep in Denmark. Whilst acknowledging that the current situation is unprecedented, and outwith any experience of such an inflow in recent times, I have serious reservations. Put it bluntly, to my mind it is daylight, state-sponsored theft and robbery. Never, ever, have migrants into any European country been forced to hand over money to be able to stay. The migrants that are flocking into Europe usually have had to pay thousands of dollars for their passage across the Mediterranean, in leaky, rickety, unsafe craft, donned with lifevests that (in some instances) help you sink, rather than keep you buoyant in the water.
As I have written before, the current migrant crisis has to be resolved internationally, involving all parties involved. Not just the European Union, but also Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya (and other countries from which people flee). Turkey has turned a blind eye to the floods of people passing through its territory en-route to Greece. Russia is exacerbating the Syrian crisis by supporting the dictator Assad by bombing his opponents, under the pretext of fighting Daesh. Within a few months, weather conditions in the Mediterranean will improve as spring arrives. Unless something is done, 2016 will become a worse repeat of 2015. It will jeopardise the lives of the migrants, threaten the stability of Europe - something that would benefit nobody.
Holocaust Memorial Day 2016
Sunday, 24 January 2016
Migrants
A surge of the desperate, or a surge of desperados. How many villains in that piece.
The Turks? For standing by and doing nothing, most likely profiting from it to an unimaginable degree.
The French? For standing by and doing little about the Jungle Camp, the successor to the camp at Sangatte in the 90s and 00s, and allowing the UK-bound migrants to congregate there, jeopardising the lives of all involved, including their own.
The EU? For falling apart and falling out in ostensibly formulating a response to the flood of people - and never speaking with one voice.
EU should go back to being the EEC, an economic trading pact, rather than a failed attempt at political unity. Another summer like 2015, and the EU will cease to exist, and David Cameron doesn't need to hold his in/out referendum, as all member states will be headed for the door.
The Turks? For standing by and doing nothing, most likely profiting from it to an unimaginable degree.
The French? For standing by and doing little about the Jungle Camp, the successor to the camp at Sangatte in the 90s and 00s, and allowing the UK-bound migrants to congregate there, jeopardising the lives of all involved, including their own.
The EU? For falling apart and falling out in ostensibly formulating a response to the flood of people - and never speaking with one voice.
EU should go back to being the EEC, an economic trading pact, rather than a failed attempt at political unity. Another summer like 2015, and the EU will cease to exist, and David Cameron doesn't need to hold his in/out referendum, as all member states will be headed for the door.
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