Progress with Autism - Gene Variations

Ruaridh

Good to read this story that gene variations have been identified that may be a cause for Autism. Five years ago my family were DNA tested and the whole story was printed in our local paper the Press and Journal. You can read it here.

From Ruaridh P and J

You may need to magnify to see the whole story.

Since then Ruaridh our youngest has progressed really well and starts at Aboyne Academy after the summer. A combination of pure stubbornness and a thirst for knowledge has brought him from a youngster who had little language and poor social skills up to a confident and bright young child who has achieved more than we ever believed possible when he started Primary School. He has just had his last Primary School report which was excellent and was in his school quiz team where his knowledge of History is tremendous.

Let us hope that these new advances lead to insights into the condition’s underlying biology that could eventually lead to new treatments. There will be no miracle "cure" just hopefully a better understanding of how we can help.

If you want to learn more about Autism please go to the NAS website.

More of my stories on Autism.

My brothers stories on autism.


Biggest autism study identifies gene variations behind condition - Times Online

Second Best

Second Best, that's what we get when we fiddle with the election system.

After the fifth count using the wishy-washy sandals and cardigan voting system(STV) at the Aboyne, Deeside and Donside By-Election and despite beating her opponent by over 170 votes in a "normal" first past the post vote Jo Pick came second to Rosemary Bruce.

So instead of getting the best candidate we have now elected a councillor who is on more peoples second most OK person list. This voting system is of course a Lib Dem preference and now we see why. Anything that can produce this sort of result is surely a travesty of true democracy.

Unfortunately for us, accepting second best, has become what we expect in this nation.

I do hope that Rosemary can juggle her family life, Office Manager job (As hubbies 30k Diary Secretary) and the work of a Councillor,, or will being a Councillor be second best to helping her hubbie.

Call me a sore Scottish Tory but this sort of result is a joke. Second Best democracy at work. Maybe Dr David Starkey had a point when he called us a

"Feeble little nation. The Scots and the Welsh are typical small nations with a romantic 19th century-style nationalism."

Full result here. Makes interesting reading. Note the lack of any Labour candidates, even the BNP put up a candidate.

Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside by-election result announced - Donside Today

Rosemary Bruce - Office Manager

I see our prospective Liberal Democrat Councillor Rosemary Bruce in the Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside by-election advertises herself as an Office Manager.

She is currently an office manager, but has previously worked in both training and hotel management

Strange. I thought she was the Diary Secretary for her Husband, Malcolm Bruce M.P. , at a cost of about £28,500 to us, the general public.

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Liberal Democrats

Honest Guv it Wasn't me!

Literally 20 minutes before this happened I was in this shop purchasing some potting soil for my wife. I have a genuine alibi for the time of the fire as we were walking round Loch Kinord very shortly after this.

We went past at about 6pm and it was a real mess with the roof down in both the main shop and the big extension at the back.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | North East/N Isles | Firefighters tackle Aboyne blaze

Line Out

Today Malcolm was playing at the the North Midi Finals at Ellon for Aboyne.
Aboyne did pretty well for one of the smaller teams at the competition winning 3 and losing 2 games. Malcolm is lifting at the front of the lineout on the left as Aboyne win the lineout.