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Post by rsmith7 on Apr 28, 2011 10:02:15 GMT 1
Next thing? Blair, Broon and now Cameron - I feel I should apologise on behalf of Scotland for foisting these three on you poor chaps. But spare a thought for us; it looks like we're going to get a Labour government possibly propped up by the greens and the Scottish socialists..... Where's my passport! Can I come to England - I've never worn a "skirt"? ps Interesting piece on Newsnight Scotland last night. A very learned chap, with the backing of the society of engineers and confederation of business, described the "folly" of Scotlands renewables targets - 100% by 2020. Ahh, they've got it on iplayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=newsnight+scotland
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Post by marchesarosa on Apr 28, 2011 11:06:27 GMT 1
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Post by StuartG on Apr 28, 2011 20:45:26 GMT 1
My Mum is in a care home and not fully in charge of Her faculties but does have flashes of inspiration. I got Her a new telly permanently on Sky News. She seems to retain the ability to quote from the news [even if She does forget who I am] and the nurses and carers want the latest update on some subject 'go and speak to Joan'. When the subject of face veils or whatever they're called was news, Mum, me and two nurses were watching together in Her room. One of the nurses asked 'I wonder if it will happen here?' Mum replied, thinking it was me who spoke, said 'Have you seen some of them Stu, it's better they don't.' The two nurses were torn between PC and laughter, eventually the latter won. On an unrelated subject, Mum cannot remember who I am sometimes and definitely cannot remember my Dad. So to help I brought in a picture of Him, as of 1946 wearing uniform and Sam Browne, very smart and presented it to Her. 'Who's that?' She enquired. 'That's Dad' Oh....., He's nice looking. [no recognition] I let it be. Next day She'd obviously had some thoughts on the matter, and had been talking to the nurses about it, who were there when I arrived. Mum was holding the picture, 'Who did You say this is, Stu?' 'It's my Dad...Your Husband...You remember ' Nurses stopping what they were doing and listening to the exchange. 'No, I'm not married, but He's coming to see me again...soon' 'He's Your husband, my Dad' 'No, but I do like Him' At this point I admit it was getting a bit painful, so I said, 'Mum, if You're not married and He's my Dad, That makes me a bastard.' A grin/smirk appeared on Mum's face, 'Yeah' Hoots of laughter from both of the nurses, one said 'There confirmation, as if we needed it!' More hoots and big grin from Mum. Mum still doesn't remember, but I console by knowing that the picture is constantly looked at, and She fancies Him all over again. ------- Mr Smith, I was listening to the World Service the other day, they were on about the Orkney/Shetlands et al, by the sounds of it the same 'news base' as Your 'Newsnight-Scotland', but given a more positive WS twist for more global appeal/selling Britain etc. Can't You encourage a move to Independence at least to get rid of that Salmond [have I spelt it right] fellow and that parliament, spanking the furniture every few minutes when in session. Westminster is bad enough, but...Gordon Bennett. Cheers, StuartG
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Post by principled on Apr 28, 2011 23:54:16 GMT 1
Smithy Good grief . You mean to say those three made it across the wall and threw away their tartan skirts? Scots dressed in disguise, that's all I need. Still, I always knew there was something about Brown's English accent, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. The wife says I should get my hearing checked just in case there are more of the buggers lurking under those green benches they all sit on. I put the blame firmly on Hadrian, if he'd used Irish navvies to build the bloody wall instead of those Latin lover soldiers, the infiltration would never have happened. Yours as always P PS: Became a granddad again today. Now have 3 English grand children and 1 Canadian!
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Post by rsmith7 on Apr 30, 2011 0:05:17 GMT 1
Congrats Old boy! But watch out for those tartans under the tee pee - most of Canada was infiltrated by Orcadians in the early years. Tomison of the Hudson Bay company, Rae of the Northwest passage (Franklin, not so much) As an aside, my uncle's got Franklin's telescope - big wooden mother. Think his grandfather piloted him through the Pentland firth to Stromness for victuals and loose wimmen - nothings changed in Stromness (Orcadian in-joke). Is that open water over there....wish that Orcadian bastard hadn't nicked my telescope...hmm that chap's leg looks mighty tasty....
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Post by rsmith7 on Apr 30, 2011 0:07:48 GMT 1
Welcome back stu! Sorry to hear about your old mum. Independence would be great....from all those central belt window lickers! Up helly ah!
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Post by principled on Apr 30, 2011 0:57:43 GMT 1
Smithy Thanks for the congrats. As you know, everyone with the exception of the First Nation people are really immigrants here. My own grandchildren have a heritage of German, Irish, Ukrainian, Polish, Spanish and, of course, English!
You're right about the Scots, they certainly played quite a role in the early days. I've been reading up on Canadian history out of interest. The feats of some of the early frontiersmen are truly remarkable. As was the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Being serious for a moment, the issue of integration here has gone really well with very few problems , except for one group and they are the "original Canadians" (First Nation people). It is sad but having been given everything by the state, they seem to have fallen into a spiral of state dependency, alcohol and drug abuse. Not too dissimilar to the problems we (UK) are experiencing in deprived inner city areas where the social security system appears to have also produced a dependency culture with lack of ambition and self worth.
Weaning any group off such deep-rooted dependency is not going to be easy. P
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Post by rsmith7 on Apr 30, 2011 10:22:55 GMT 1
Indeed, but I think the only solution is for the government to leave them alone and let the hunt and fish like they did in the past. Could the addictive, self destructive trait be rooted in the inuuit history of severe struggle for survival. Once the pressure to survive is lifted they fall into destructive activities. I saw the same problem with the natives in Australia.
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Post by jonjel on May 3, 2011 14:26:05 GMT 1
And Mr Smith you find it in shedloads in the US. A fair few of the 'native Americans' live very well on govt. handouts and I have seen a few semi-trailer parks were the car that was bought last year and crunched is parked up gathering rust together with others from previous years while the new one is parked outside and the owner is sitting on the steps drinking beer.
If people no longer have any motivation to survive then you have a problem. Just the same as the easy handouts available in this country are creating a sub culture.
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