Scotland

Long overdue, but interesting to see a % and not a flat fee like most taxes are. Quit yappin and get it done!

Now I know what I need for breakfast!

Pretty funny. Some lighter news for us all today. We're gonna need it

In a sea of bad news this morning, here's some cool photos. Happy Monday folks!

How are we peoples? Ony plans this weekend?

Fuck aye, mon the biffy! Good news Friday piece fer us aww

What a tree. Skippinish are good fun too, can't wait to hear a song about an oak tree. This one you could probably do a concept album with the eco system surrounding it

Clickbait title removed. Scotsman site and so adblocks (and hence Firefox) essential. But it's a guid collection of Hallowe'en traditions. Who's dookin fer apples? Who's gettin guisers chappin? Who's carved a tumshie?

That settles it. No more exercise for me. Incredible achievement and such a tragedy too. RIP

You know it's bad when STV lead with this story. Labour have tied their own hands by obeying Tory fiscal rules. Quite obviously not keynsian and not working for the UK. Where is the renationialism of anything? Any investment plans? Social care reforms? Universalism on anything?

The budget this week will be worth a watch

Hullo loons an quines, how are we this week?

A cause close to my area of knowledge. And a ban on overnight parking in laybys makes total sense. The number of caravans is totally out of control on the NC500, and Skye. Highland council need to add more camp sites, and some passing lanes to make life bearable for locals at the same though. And a tourism tax should be paying for it!

Can't believe I missed this hoard when it was first discovered, great to see it retained. The Galloway hoard is also fabulous if you get a chance to see it

Medical professionals are reluctant to yank licenses because it removes independence (debatable in a city of course). This clearly should have happened in 2021 by this story, but I'd put I'd bet there was someone who susoected before the creash. Do we need cognitive tests or to start fining Drs who fail in this duty? Who thinks the DVLA will administer this? I'd bet it gets put onto GPs anyway, so you need a Drs note to renew over 80 essentially. And why also 80? Plenty of doddery 70 year olds. You can bet there would then be appeals too.

A tragedy all round, but we didn't see a law change after the Glasgow bin driver either

> The sports programme will include athletics and para athletics (track and field), swimming and para swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling and para track cycling, netball, weightlifting and para powerlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and para bowls, and 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball.

No rugby sevens, hockey, or rowing. No shooting, no sailing, no archery even. No skateboarding, no surfing, no bmxing. I know they were to pair things back but I am very unimpressed with the list of sports. Gymnastics isn't even a full gymanastics schedule

200 years old this month, pretty mad to think about no fire brigade today, but Auld Reekie 200 years ago was full of nasty coal - even spotting a fire would have been troublesome!

48, far too young. May his remaining years be good to him and his family

Proving there is no real news on the weekend with STV and the BBC leading with 'normal October weather' story. Aberdeen travel to Celtic today, who will remain on their winning record?

Hullo folks, good week? Good weekend ahead?

Fucking finally. Been going on far too long this one. May Utah dispense speedy justice, he doesn't deserve long

And he just opened (or is opening?) a second. Strike him off now, seeze his assets before he can fail to pay any more bills

He said there was 'no genocide' in Gaza and has now been expelled. The SNP line has now been set. Interestingly https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide lists a legal definition which broadly equates to an attempt to destroy a group. It is very hard to argue that Israel is not attempting to destroy the Gaza strip and it's peoples. And impossible within the SNP now

Never any news on a Sunday, so here's some pictures of the former FM. Lots of obituaries published today also for reading. But look how young he was in 1990 to be leading the SNP. A party at the time with just 4 MPs

Hullo, sorry its late! What are we sharing this week?

No plastic packaging recycling still. No shifting on nuclear. Increasing rail fares. The environment is obviously not not their priority. The SNP about to have a very hard time passing the budget too. Is this a zombie government? What are Holyrood passing that is worth anyone's time?

> If approved, it would have enough capacity to generate energy for around 40% of current homes in the city.

Not often we hear of solar farms in Scotland! A welcome addition though

A wealth of news today, but this one worth most to me. Our children and grandchildren are going to ask us: why didn't we stop?

The single UK power market means that peoples of the highlands and islands pay the most for their electricity despite it being generated on their doorstep. It is no wonder we have nimbys. These proposals were originally Tory, and follow American proposals with nodal rather the zonal models that the article suggests. Nodal pricing is insane with Texas having at least annual power problems, that we would likely replicate. Zonal pricing follows a more european model and this isn't as insane as 5 minute settlements across thousands of nodes. Hourly settling across a few zones, with capacity pricing and such. It's a half way house and a sensible reform for the industry imo

Anyway. I'll bet you Miliband doesn't reform energy wholesale pricing. That would likely mean higher prices for the SE in the short term. And in the longer term power plants where they are needed, can't be spoiling that!

What a brilliant Monday morning story. Hope yous have a great day, wherever you are

A bit of local news rather than Scotland wide, but it highlights just how inept Edinburgh City Council is. Labour/Tory/LD run btw despite SNP having most seats. Anyway, I miss the farm, an easy afternoon out with the kids here and a valuable addition to Gorgie.

Late, but fit like?

A real tragedy for this animal. I personally find zoos really troubling for anything bigger than a house cat

Margo MacDonald may yet get her final wish. The Torygraph suggesting it beyond Holyrood's purview however.

Very little newsworthy today. So here's a lovely photo instead for the 1st of October. Feeling very autumnal across the land now, with russet reds and auburns everywhere you look. Glenfinnan itself has a fascinating history, not just Harry Potter. This was where Bonnie Prince Charlie first raised his banner in 1745 on the mainland of Britain, and there stands a memorial on that spot today still

£1.30 for a pint tinnie of Tennents. Have definitely had Williams' Joker for close to that in the recent past too

A nice little speach from sausage fingers. He plainly loves Scotland as a country, but little of its peoples. Given it has been 25 years, what are its biggest achievements? Answer with a comment, I'll start

Up early as I'm aff oot drinkin later. Any plans tae share?