Apparently Tony asked God what he should do about the Iraq war and the result was...
Reading through the rest of this just makes you want to cringe (and a few less savoury things).
Also have a look at an updated posting at.
PM attacked on Iraq 'God' remarks
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Blair 'prayed to God' over Iraq
An unlikely double over Celtic is in the offing. Mind you the Dons have to get there first. Supporters will have even more trouble just getting out of the skating rink that Aberdeen has become this week.
Jimmy Calderwood has beaten Gordon Strachan once this week - now he wants to make it a double by guiding Aberdeen to victory at Celtic on Saturday. The Dons manager...
The Scottish (well at least Glasgow and Edinburgh) Parliament in Edinburgh is beginning to fall down. The 430 million pound waste of space is falling to bits not long after its official opening.
That's another few pence on the taxes for the rest of us, on top of the estimated 250 pounds each taxpayer in Scotland has already paid.
Scotsman.com News - Beam comes loose in Holyrood chamber
Just to let you know its snowing in Tarland and looks like it will be for a while. Also can I recommend the following website Metcheck as a good source of information. My Met Office man recommends it to me rather than the Met Office site.
Mark Oaten has apparently changed his name and appearance and has gone to live in the Sudan. Thanks to my brother for bringing this bit of animal husbandry to my notice
BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Sudan man forced to 'marry' goat
Another mighty win for the lions of Scotland. What a performance they were so good in defence and even managed to look better than England in attack.
Ruaridh is shown here giving a big smile and a salute to the Scottish, whilst wearing his Scotland Rugby Shirt.
BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | Six Nations | Scotland 18-12 England
Here's hoping Alain, and his brother Noel, can do it again, if only so that Aviemore can have a party again, after hosting Tony Blair and his acolytes.
My wife Christina is from Aviemore and Alain lived about 4 doors down the road.
His recent biography about the last Olympics is well worth a read if only to see how persistence can get you there in the end.
BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Winter Olympics | Baxter returns for medal attempt
Could I suggest you read all the details of the bill and then ask yourself the following questions, and then ask your MP what he's doing about it. Follow the link to get more details on the bill and how to contact your MP.
Thirteen Unlucky Questions:
1. Why does the Bill change the current procedures for the enactment into our law of EU legislation?
2. What guarantees are there that the Bill could not be used to bring in the EU Constitution by the back door?
3. If the Bill is just a simplifying measure for deregulation, why does it contain no requirement for any orders to actually reduce the amounts of red tape and regulation?
4. Why does the Bill give the power to create new law, including new criminal offences, to the Law Commissions, which are unelected quangos appointed by Ministers?
5. If the Law Commissions are supposed to be staffed by impartial technical experts, why are Ministers taking the power to amend the recommendations of the Law Commissions before they are fast-tracked into legislation?
6. Why do protections in the Bill against new laws to permit forcible entry, search, seizure or compelling people to give evidence not apply to reforms recommended by the unelected Law Commissions appointed by Ministers?
7. If the Bill allows Ministers to “amend, repeal or replace legislation in any way that an Act might”, does this not give them an unlimited power to ignore a democratic Parliament and legislate by decree?
8. If the Bill is so sensible, why has Parliament used a different way of making laws for 700 years?
9. If the Bill is meant to retain Parliament’s ability to scrutinise regulations and regulators, why does it not contain a provision for automatic sunset clauses in orders issued under the Bill?
10. If the Bill gives Ministers powers to charge fees by decree, is that not a charter to bring in unlimited stealth taxes?
11. As the Bill permits an order to be made by a Minister under the Bill provided its effect is “proportionate” to his “policy objective”, since when in our history as a democratic country has a Government Minister’s “policy objective” directly received the force of law?
12. What guarantees are there that the Bill could not be used to bring in ID Cards by the back door?
13. Why does the Bill give the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly a veto over Ministers’ power to change the law which it denies to English MPs?
I blogged on this before but its beginning to get noticed and most views are distinctly unimpressed. The minister pushing this through, Jim Murphy said the following
"I am thinking of giving House of Commons committees a legal veto over any proposals."
And just why should we believe this. A Labour promise is more often than not a Labour lie.
BBC NEWS | Politics | Fears raised on ministers' power
Now here is one bit of law I do agree with. So you smokers out there remember you only have 31 days left to kipper us.
Just look what it is doing to your lungs.
Don't worry I am not aiming this at anyone in particular (Take note Christina, Neil and Elaine) honestly!
Smoking Ban Scotland, Scottish Executive Smoke Free Laws - Clearing the Air Scotland
Why these residents are getting their knickers in a twist I don't know. This road is unlikely ever to be built. As far as I know they have been talking about it since before I was born back when Aberdeen was a fishing village. The Labour/Lib Dem coalition that masquerades as an "Scottish Executive" just roll it out every so often to buy some votes and to pay each other back for favours done elsewhere in their heartlands. Who cares about those rich residents of Milltimber!
Mind you Mr Nicol Stephen does have a history in drawing road maps where he would like them, against the advice of those who know better.
Mind you it is also great fun calling your friends from the affected area "nimbys" and saying how much we require this new road!
Legal threat after M74 decision
Also have a look at
Aberdeen Greenbelt Alliance
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire residents campaigning against the proposed route for the city's bypass have pledged to take their crusade to Europe. Around 800 people last night attended a packed public...
I see Mr Brown can't even be bothered to meet up with his fellow members in Scotland. Perhaps he is running scared of their reaction to his part in the defeat by the Lib-Dems in Dunfermline. I enjoyed the following letter to the Herald.
Brown has failed crucial tests of leadership
THE Dunfermline and West Fife by-election result will send shock waves through Downing Street. Number 11 Downing Street. The chancellor, a resident of the constituency and MP for its neighbour, was in Moscow on polling day. His postal vote, personal prestige, his numerous constituency visits and ultra vires pronouncements on Forth Bridge tolls have only helped deliver this catastrophic result in his own Fife fief. If Gordon Brown can lose a seat where people vote Labour just as dogs bark, what chance has this dour Fifer of wooing women voters of a certain age in Middle England? Boasting "Britishness" and waving the Union flag cannot compete with the psephological charms of young David Chameleon (as we now must call the Tory leader). Sitting Labour MPs must be asking themselves the question: will this man lose my seat too?
The trouble with Brown is that he is really a very bright policy wonk and not a real leader at all.
Peter Mandelson got the message in 1994: Brown is a loser. That is why Mandelson, a man seriously interested in power, deserted Brown for Blair. Brown has failed crucial tests of leadership in government. Ability to delegate? Brown lumbered Scotland with Henry McLeish. Determination? Brown blinked first when Mandelson switched to Blair. Decisiveness? Initiative? Courage? For almost three years it has been obvious that the premiership of Tony Blair will end in contemptible failure. Yet Gordon Buggins waits his turn as viceroy in the twilight of a "Scottish Raj".
Gordon Brown is no longer even "Thane of Fife". That honorary title surely belongs to Sir Menzies Campbell. If his party has any sense it will now ensure his formal reign as "king hereafter".
Thomas McLaughlin, 4 Munro Road, Glasgow.
Scotsman.com News - Politics - Brown set to miss Labour conference
This is my old school in England.
A quick fag roung the back of the Boarding House used to be the nearest we got to any drugs.
Crisis Talks Over RGS Head Dingle (from Bucks Free Press)
Original article from the Daily Mail avaialable here.
Daily Mail Article
As a resident in rural Aberdeenshire (30 odd miles from Aberdeen) This article in the Scotsman picks up some worrying trends. We are lucky enough in our village to have a few shops including a Pharmicist, Newsagent,General Shop, Hardware shop, Hairdresser and a Post Office. This is pretty good for a village of just over 500 people. But, we must remember that only a few years ago there were 3 or 4 more shops in business that have now closed. The butcher closed as he could make more money working in Aberdeen for a Superstore!
So what can be done. Well the most important is to support your local business. Use it or lose it! It may be a few pence more but the time saved and petrol costs mean it will probably be cheaper for the small shopping or the emergency items.
Don't forget it will also probably be more informative and fun shopping locally as you will certainly hear something of what is going on in the Village and around the area.
Also highly worrying is the demise of local Post Office's, these are a lifeline to many in the community who cannot travel far. Our local Post Office is a hubbub of activity on most days but its days look numbered.
Have a look at this recent debate in Parliament.
Post Office Card Account
See the following from the Citizens advice bureau on rural Post Offices.
The future of the rural post office network
This is the article in the Scotsman.
Scotsman.com Leisure & Lifestyle - Living - Latest Update: "High street shuts up shop as 1,600 stores forced out"
Aberdeen have now had their longest winning run this season, now we just need Caley to lose a few and its the top six for us. However the next game might be a little more tricky....
....Celtic at Parkhead on the 4th March.
BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Aberdeen
The first is the resignation of an Italian Minister for wearing a T-shirt depicting the cartoons.
The Reform Minister, can you believe it? Was the man responsible for this. At least he has the decency to resign. Can you imagine if he wore a T-shirt depicting the Pope in this sort of way in Italy.
BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Italy cartoon row minister quits
Second is a view from BBC News's man in Karachi, Aamer Ahmed Khan. In it he muses as to whether the rioting there is really against the cartoons or against the Liberalism of the current Pakistani Government. I leave you to make your mind up,
Hidden Motives behind Cartoon Riots
Interesting thought's on Sky and Murdochs Empire.
Don't be scared of Sky | The Register
Have a read of a few of the following stories, and wonder, just how this can possibly happen in a Democracy. This is just the typical sort of law that a Government that wants to bypass Parliament needs, particularly as it starts to have trouble getting Bills passed.
Typically this bill popped out when most attention was focused on the Terrorism and ID cards bills.
I first saw the BBC post a week ago and have been following it since then as more and more people pick up on it.
Get onto your MP, MEP, MSP and anyone else you can think of and make sure this bill, in its current format, is never passed.
Andrew Miller the Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston had the following to say on this
This bill must be scrutinised with particular care. Our report recognises that there is widespread support for removing redundant regulation and costly red tape. But the problem many people will have with part one of this bill, as drafted, is that it provides ministers with a wide and general power that could be used to repeal amend or replace almost any primary legislation. That can't be right. We need extra safeguards.
BBC NEWS | Politics | Red tape law 'must not be abused'
Guardian Unlimited | Columnists | Marcel Berlins: Government seeks to pass laws without parliament's approval
How I woke up to a nightmare plot to steal centuries of law and liberty - Daniel Finkelstein
Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill - Explanatory Notes
Arbitrary powers for Ministers by Order
Lovely to see the English having a problem with a possible Scottish PM. (You can't count Blair as Scottish)
And as far as I 'm concerned the best way to deal with this would be to get rid of all regional assemblies and get back to one Parliament. The Scottish Assembly has little relevance to anyone outside of The Glasgow/Edinburgh area of Scotland.
Campaign for an English Parliament News - England
In a speech, included at the bottom of this entry, on the 13th February Gordon Brown said some of the most cynical and hypocritical distortions of what he and his new Labour Party really stand for.
Have a look at the opinions that some real Ex-Servicemen/women have to say about his suggestions in particular the following.
Real Ex-Serviceman Speaks
And perhaps a Times article on him
How Project Gordon failed to put a more human face on the Iron Chancellor
and finally a blog from Tommy English (I'll forgive him for not being Scottish)
A poem
Britishness
I have suggested that we do more to value the ideals of Britishness - our commitment to liberty, responsibility and fairness - and its symbols and institutions and in particular I suggest today we recognise and show we value the contribution of our police, emergency and security services, our military and our armed forces and the contribution of all those who fought in the great wars of the last century.
Far from failing to teach history on these great times of conflict and courage we must do more to remember them so that they will never be forgotten.
In Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday "we remember the fallen" - and it is right and fitting to honour them.
So, after approval from Her Majesty the Queen I can announce that the Treasury will allocate £1.5 million from the proceeds from the coin celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar to help fund the memorial in Staffordshire for the men and women in our armed forces who have given their lives.
The national Veterans' Day is designed to thank today's generation of ex-servicemen and women for their service to our country. I propose ceremonies in every constituency and locality of the country to mark national Veterans' Day - where we present veterans with veterans medals at local ceremonies and we will consult with veterans' groups in taking this forward. Today the Defence Secretary is announcing that we will extend veterans badges to all those who served until 1960 including all who did national service.
And to involve young people more in celebrating the contribution of our armed forces - he and I would like to pilot an expansion of our cadet forces, especially in state schools. So we have asked Ian Russell to fundraise with the private sector, with funding matched by the government.
And we should ask young people to play a leading role in future Veterans' Day celebrations - in particular volunteering to tape and video the memories of veterans for a veterans archive - led by a prominent national figure and supported by government and hopefully lottery funding - so that we have a local and national record of pride and achievement that measures up to the contribution our armed forces have made.
I started by saying that on July 7 the British people stood as one. The victims of that day will never be forgotten. Accordingly the Treasury stands ready to play a part in funding a memorial that victims families may consider fitting.
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