I’ve now been permanently banned from https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotland/ 72 and never ever banned from anything ever before. Unfamiliar with the site, I had missed the message banning me for 5 days and so, unable to respond to the barrage of joyful and offensive comment from some of the readers who had earlier had a humour bypass on my satirical spoof mock-ups, I blogged and shared with the National. Again, denied the normal in this country, right to explain to those who do not/cannot get satire, indeed were worryingly maddened by it, I did ask friends to share the blog piece doing … Continue reading Banned permanently from Reddit Scotland for not lying down

In December 2021, a judge ruled that the NHS Tayside surgeon, Sam Eljamel, was solely liable for a £2.8 million payout to patients including, I assume, the above woman, ‘who is in constant pain‘ (see below). He had tried to have NHS Tayside share the cost. The judge was having none of it. If the health board was then deemed not responsible in any way, the Health Secretary was equally not responsible. Despite that, Scotland’s media and the opposition parties continue to feed on the narrative that the new First Minister should do something, including hold a public inquiry. In … Continue reading Eljamel ruled ‘solely liable for botched surgery’ but Yousaf is the media focus

So, 4 hours after I awake to discover I’m banned from r/Scotland. I’m not aware of any notification of an explanation. I would have expected an email but, hey, maybe I’m old-fashioned. However, here’s the justification: So, they’re talking about the satirical spoof/mock-ups of the BBC website that I’ve been posting for years now on Twitter and FB with no warning far less banning and no complaints even from the BBC. Is satire not allowed on Reddit? Here are their published rules: Are they using the editorialising criterion? 1: to express an opinion in the form of an editorial 2: to introduce opinion … Continue reading Reddit Scotland moderators not able to understand political satire but are happy with c**ts?

I’ve never been even reprimanded mildly, far less banned, by Twitter, Facebook or WordPress but, today, I’ve been banned from Reddit. I’ve been reposting the same content from my blog on r/Scotland, as Carridon90 (no one on Reddit used their real name) for a few weeks now much to the annoyance of some, who have sworn at me, called me a ghoul, suggested I have mental health problems and called for the moderator to pull me. I do not remember ever being abusive. Anyhow, I’ve been banned and my four bairns are now proud of me. I can see no … Continue reading Leading retired professor (72) banned for talking Scotland up and using hard-to-understand satire?

The media reporting has commonly used the term ‘commissioned by the SNP’ and BBC Scotland used ‘produced for the SNP‘ but none have given details of the status of the research group – UKMOD. Note the not-so-SNP-friendly logo? Always, the SNP research suggesting 80 000 affected by the two child cap, has been weighed against the more modest 20 000 suggested by the House of Commons Library. Why are the researchers used by the SNP not fully described? Based at the University of Essex Institute for Social and Economic Research, UKMOD do research for policy-makers at the EU, UK, Scottish … Continue reading Child poverty – Who did the research for the SNP?

In the Herald today: SNP urged to act as Scotland behind England in sewage monitoring: The Scottish Government has been told to better monitor sewage after it was revealed the country is lagging significantly behind England and Wales in reporting storm overflows….only 3.4% of storm overflows are monitored and reported on in Scotland, compared to 96% in Wales and 91% in England. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23666989.snp-urged-act-scotland-behind-england-sewage-monitoring/ Leaving aside the propagandist use of ‘SNP’ rather than the correct ‘Scottish Government’, what will look bad at first sight for some, is a classic example of misleading reporting of percentages. Scotland has 18 743 km of coastline … Continue reading Leading expert – Most of Scotland’s waters are not cause for concern so do not need the same level of monitoring as takes place in England

By iamsoccerdoc One of the things to remember is that under the devolution settlement welfare is devolved only to a limited degree, focused mainly on the disabled and carers. Such as Universal Credit- where the two child limit (and indeed the bedroom tax) live here is most definitely NOT devolved. The point here is that, if/when Starmer becomes PM, it would be possible politically at least to address these two unfairnesses. Listening to Starmer increasingly reminds me of a less radical Harold Wilson (1964). At that election, and indeed through most of that administration, Wilson banged on about “productivity” (eg … Continue reading Starmer increasingly reminds me of a less radical Harold Wilson

On Sunday 23rd March 2020 Boris Johnson broadcast to the nation telling us to “stay at home” and isolate in an attempt to stem the spread of a virus named Covid 19 (Covid) which at the time we knew little other than since late in 2019 it had made its way round much of the world doing great damage in neighbouring countries such as Italy and France where the health care systems were barely able – and arguably on occasion unable – to provide health care. Johnson’s announcement marked the beginning of what has come to be known as “the … Continue reading Epidemics, Pandemics, Syndemics and the short life of Margaret Devlin

By cuckooshoe Re “The BBC Scotland broadcast this morning finishes with ‘Scottish Labour accusing the SNP of attempting to distract from their own failure to drive down child poverty.’” BBC Scotland should have ended by asking what a UK Labour government would do. From the statement by Shirley-Anne Somerville on the tackling child poverty delivery plan annual progress report for 2022-23. On 13 June 2023, during his response to Shirley Anne Somerville’s statement in Holyrood on Child Poverty, Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Labour), see above for a picture….of his dad, said “It is revealing that the cabinet secretary was only … Continue reading Child poverty – BBC Scotland should ask what a UK Labour government would do

Less than a week ago, the Herald’s Scott Wright was just back from Croatia to tell us how CalMac could learn from his one experience of just one of their many crossings and operators. Today, Alison Rowatt tells us about one day, ‘a few weeks ago‘ when her day was spoiled: We were booked on the 09.45 to Brodick. In the queue early, small people and dog excited, can’t wait to get there and start the holiday. The sailing time came and went. Still parked in the queue. The word went from car to car: it’s too windy to sail. … Continue reading Herald has second ‘what we did on our holidays’ report in effort to keep ‘ferry fiasco’ afloat