Thane of Cawdor

Bit harsh on St Andrews that, despite being currently rated "top university, they would be excluded. But, that's what you get for being too hoity-toity to associate with your peers. Maybe they should get something like a Royal Warrant to compensate.

Co-written with this Scottish author (d. 20/8/2017). Incidentally, Williams thought that Venables' cheeky, cockney chappie image was a front for a deeply serious character. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/21/gordon-williams-obituary Excerpt from the obituary below: Any estimate of Williams’s work is always likely to be complicated by the variety of styles and genres in which he wrote, but most of his admirers would probably settle on From Scenes Like These (1969) as the book which most perfectly showcased his gifts. Set on a bleak mid-1950s Ayrshire farm, and featuring a teenage boy who yearns to be a professional footballer before settling for the traditional male pursuits of drink and women.

Having watched the latest film version of Mary Queen of Scots. I thought I should know more about John Knox's polemic "The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women." My in-depth historical and theological research (Wikipedia), introduced me to this unfortunate woman: Susan M. Felch, director of Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship.

The failure of TV subtitles to accurately reflect the spoken word. Today, I have learned about the number of politicians (Palestinians) killed in Gaza and that there is a political issue concerning the number of maggots (migrants) entering the United Kingdom. We do live in a dystopian society, but f**k knows what the hard-of-hearing make of what is, apparently, going on.

What does the endgame look like in this phase of the conflict? Hamas have committed an atrocity, and Israel has responded with an even more heinous atrocity. The only leverage that Hamas possesses is the captive Israelis, and these are to be freed. Israel has been utterly ruthless in the destruction of Gaza, even when their own citizens were endangered, so what happens when this is no longer the case? Since the Israeli objective is to eradicate Hamas, does this not mean resumption of normal service, i.e. the total destruction of the geographical entity of Gaza, and much of its population? Or do we assume that wiser counsels prevail and Biden (or a sentient advisor) tells Netanyahu to stop his Old Testament shit and begin to act like the responsible leader of a nation?

Assiette, of course. I wonder if the French adopted any words from the Scots in recognition of our special relationship. I once proofread an article, written for a magazine my employer published, by an American academic. In the spirit of nitpicking, I changed "while" to "whilst" in the text. The author wanted her original word reinstated on the grounds that Americans would not be familiar with the word and/or would not be able to pronounce it.

I was relieved, and a wee bit surprised, that the crowd didn't do that ironic cheer when he made a routine save. Shite keeper, but he doesn't deserve utter humiliation.

Eddie Marsan? Kayak enthusiast and insurance fraudster.

Indeed. The illegal immigration policy turns out to be an illegal, illegal immigration policy.

Utterly nonsensical article in the Guardian discussing a broader interpretation of "glorifying terrorism". However, whilst the definition could not remotely apply to a rugby crowd singing a de facto national anthem, about a historical battle seven hundred years ago, it might be applicable to more current, localised practices. Perhaps the powers-that-be should be more focused on taking action where daft songs are sung at Celtic Park and Ibrox (and at every ground in Scotland). Scottish football won't miss dafties singing about imaginary involvement in paramilitary action, e.g. the merry ploughboys and the martyrs of the high gallows. “Because terrorism is defined without geographical or historical limits, it was pointed out that a straightforward prohibition on glorification could have criminalised supporters of the suffragettes, Nelson Mandela, or even the crowd at Murrayfield [rugby stadium, Edinburgh] belting out [the anthem] Flower of Scotland. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/13/plan-to-tighten-law-on-glorifying-terrorism-could-criminalise-crowd-at-murrayfield

Bit of a digression from the thread theme, but Sunset Song is a masterpiece of Scottish literature. A long time since I read it, but my recollection differs from yours and Brookmyre's. My recollection is Chris (the book's protagonist rather than Brookmyre) listening to her widower father pacing outside her bedroom in his agonies of sexual frustration and temptation. As far as I remember, the father doesn't act on his awful impulse. Again, as far as I remember, the Great War features significantly as the appalling slaughter of working class men who had no voice in the matter.

Aye, Alexandria is twinned with Dundee. You would think they might make more of an effort.

Surely that can't be right. If McGrath had been booked at the penalty award it wouldn't be rescinded?

Personally, I find it rather boorish.

I think the claim was even worse than that. Supposedly the baby was first cut from the womb. I think you have to take the ambassador's word for that, or ask for the evidence, and nobody would want to see that.

Covid Inquiry Counsel reading out extracts from Cummings' communications with a range of parties. Don't think I have heard the word "c**t" on BBC News before.

Covid Inquiry currently being screened on BBC News. Martin Reynolds ("Party Marty"), Principal Private Secretary to Johnson, is giving evidence. Looking and sounding very uncomfortable. However he, unlike all others in the room, is wearing his poppy. Must be hoping it works as a deflector shield,

That may be the theory, but I strongly doubt it is the practice. The idea of a monkey with red/blue/yellow rosette being electable is closer to the truth. Occasionally there may be a personal bond between candidate and electors, e.g. Dennis Skinner, but he too, was dumped in 2019. Clearly, the policies that were presented to voters were much more important than the individual attached to these policies. To take this argument to an improbable extreme, what happens if an incumbent MP, elected on a manifesto that includes a local issue of great significance to their voters, reneges on that position to adopt a diametrically opposing view. They no longer represent the interest of their electorate and should put their "personal popularity" to the test via a by-election.

William Morris insisted that people should: "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." These two must be incredibly utilitarian. Here's a look at Morris' compo face. .

Energy suppliers can only back-date for one year's consumption, unless the consumer has behaved "unreasonably".

Farrell's petulance and the ten yards advance costing them the game. Natural justice.

I thought there was a 90% probability that he did mean to score. However, let's not overestimate the skill levels of "top level" players in the EPL. National treasure, Alexander-Arnold, put in some crosses in the earlier match that were 10-15 yards too deep for his team-mates in the penalty area.

Having Googled one of the most recent Deadpool casualties, I was surprised to see that she was one of the 200 signatories of the pre-referendum letter to The Guardian in support of the Union. I had not previously looked at the full list of signatories, but they are listed below. An eclectic bunch, to say the least. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text

BBC journalist telling the nation that two hostages are being released for humanitarian reasons. Subtitles telling us they are being released for monetary reasons.

I actually bought the book from which the excerpt below is taken, but can't find it now. I can't remember what comprised the "loose coalition" but it might have been an unholy alliance of the military-industrial complex, the Anti-Defamation League and Christian nutters. The Israel Lobby," by John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen M. Walt of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, was one of the most controversial articles in recent memory. Originally published in the London Review of Books in March 2006, it provoked both howls of outrage and cheers of gratitude for challenging what had been a taboo issue in America: the impact of the Israel lobby on U.S. foreign policy. Now in a work of major importance, Mearsheimer and Walt deepen and expand their argument and confront recent developments in Lebanon and Iran. They describe the remarkable level of material and diplomatic support that the United States provides to Israel and argues that this support cannot be fully explained on either strategic or moral grounds. This exceptional relationship is due largely to the political influence of a loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively work to shape U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction.