FoolPhysio

I'm not, please join the debate and give it your full consideration before dismissing one argument as you are now. No point mucker. It seems I have been brainwashed by the Establishment, and as a result I am far too ignorant to make any valid point since if I was using the correct information sources I would not possibly consider anything less than full independence as acceptable. Ergo all my input is valueless. Right, tongue out of cheek time. This is actually quite a serious point. A significant proportion of our population and eligible electorate have become disengaged from politics, and the politicos wring their hands and ask "why?". Answer is reasonably simple - firstly there is the Punch and Judy nature of the adversarial system. Then we are bombarded by statistics that actually require expert knowledge to interpret, which most people don't have so they rely on the interpretation they get from their chosen media sources. Then they get told that the media they have chosen is twisting it to suit their own ends and political leanings, and we are back to the beginning. And at the end we find that one bunch of self-serving, lying, thieving bar-stewards are no better than the last lot, and will probably be replaced by the same. Is this the end result of a mature democracy? We don't have leaders really - we have managers. And what is politics really meant to do? In the end it is there to protect the wealthy and the powerful. I have become disengaged from it over time because I simply do not believe any of them and I suspect their motives. But I don't have a bad life. I do what is expected - I work, I have bred and despite some worries I am not scratching a miserable existence like many of my fellow humans are forced to do just to survive - many closer to home than we like think. I am in fact, comfortable in my skin. And at the end of the day, if we as a people decide to go independent then I will be sad for what I believe we will lose, and may be reticent about the future, but I probably won't move house or anything drastic like that and I truly doubt it will have any significant effect on me personally. So there is nothing more for me to contribute. I won't be persuaded and to be honest, I am not that bothered about persuading anyone else to match my view. I have told you all why I will vote as I will. It will not matter one jot to me that there are others who disagree, and I am not aiming to make folk see it my way. They will look into it as much as they want to, they will make up their minds and they will vote. All I ask for is a good turn out. This is an important issue and we need to ensure that people use their democratic right to vote, regardless of which way they do so. It has to be seen to be representative. I will not encourage the youngsters and adult staff in my charge to vote one way or the other, but I will encourage them to attend the polling station. I make a very clear distinction between right to vote and actually having something to vote for. I will always exercise my right but I am getting more and more disillusioned and there is good chance that the next time I do I will add a box and tick it - "none of the above".

You are so right. Maybe I shouldn't bother voting at all then . . . Happy now?

Excellent demonstration of your rapier wit yet again PMF. Very much out of the SNP handbook no doubt - when you have nothing positive to say, ridicule the opposition. Yawn.

No, I am getting bored with the aggressive and sanctimonious attitude of the yes-vote proponents who are getting more and more agitated that their evangelical message of hope and prosperity seems to be failing to make a massive swing in their favour. I am content that I know what I will be voting in 2014, and even more content that I am siding with a majority (not something I say very often) so I don't need to make a case for what I believe in. I am not the one on the back foot. I should have said detailed political knowledge - I have no better knowledge of the political scene than the average man on the street. Again, I don't need to. I make a contribution to the economy and my community through gainful employment and volunteering, my life is not unduly stressed by any of the decisions any of the various governmental bodies have over me at national, regional or local level. And that is unlikely to change even if the nation I am a part of is changed. As I said before, I personally will be no better off nor any worse even if we were independent, except a lot of my tax money would be wasted on brand changing and having to pay directly for things that we only contributed towards as a pooled pot previously. And having to hear people drip on about how Holyrood ignores us instead of how Westminster ignores us. The Who said it succinctly - meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I don't know if you are supporting the point on falling attendences or are extracting the urine RiG. Population of Milan: 1.35m (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan) Population of Inverness: 72k (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverness) Average attendances from last season comparison to now - Milan: -20% (no idea if the figures you quote are accurate) Average attendances from last season comparison to now - ICT: -4% (4181 2011-12, 4,017 2012-13 to date) () A drop in income by one fifth would indeed be something to be concerned about!

Very good disassembly of my post, PMF. Well done you. Unsure where you get some of your statistics however, but I really have neither the time nor the political knowledge to refute any of your points so you win. However, if you are unclear as to why many Scots are simply not going to vote Yes then post #66 illustrates it beautifully. Remember, in this age of X-Factor and IACGMOOH, it is image and not substance that seems to appeal most to the populace. Unfortunately.

Just had a quick squint at the foreign embassy list for the UK. Seems most are registered in London. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/136377/LDL_March_2013.pdf Then again, so are Irelands: http://www.dfa.ie/uploads/documents/Protocol/diplomatic list january 2013.pdf If we ever did vote for independence we should get used to small-country thinking and only really concern ourselves with ourselves, since our larger and more powerful neighbour will take care of all the bits we are unable or unwilling to deal with ourselves. Right, now lets take a look at the significantly reduced military we will have as that is the next great employer that we won't be needing as we will be too busy running our entrepreneurial economy to need any public sector jobs like those . . . We won't need to worry about being dragged into any wars, "legal" or otherwise, as we will only be providing IT chaps for the IFOR since our physical assets are unlikely to leave our territorial waters due to incapacity. Again, our big brother next door will deal with all that for us and we can hide behind him if it ever did kick off. Sheesh. You wonder why anyone else gets dragged into these things when it is always so more simple to say no. Good thing SNP won't be joining NATO. Oh, wait a minute . . . Fact is, we are stronger together and even if we disagree with some aspects of what goes on in our name, we are active contributors because we are part of a much larger machine. If we pull away, a lot of those aspects will evaporate and we will be left unable to contribute not because we don't want to, but because we can't. There is a general assumption on the part of the YES campaign that we will keep all the good bits and all the bad bits can simply be shrugged off, just because we will be responsible for our own affairs in their entirity. One feature of the good bits is that we can assume our neighbour will cover for us in everything beyond our own border and be happy to pay for it as well, or that the bill will be a nominal amount for us to "hire" their services. And of course they would give us the same level of representation and attention as they would their own citizens. Aye, right.

No, we haven't!! He's scored in 5 matches and we WON in 4 of those. The game we didn't win was the 4-4 draw at Dundee United. Which was stolen from us by a dodgy last minute penalty

PPI - now there is a national tragedy that is only now beginning to bear fruit in the most awful way, yet still the UK government insists in using it to "fund" infrastructure projects now that will in turn become massive millstones round the neck of the local authorities and NHS, at least in England & Wales, for decades to come. All so balance sheets can be manipulated to look better than they really are. jam tomorrow? More like sackcloth and ashes. But why worry about the future when we have problems to solve now? Like getting re-elected. What happened to the SNP alternative though? Has that actually been set up or are we using as similar system to PPI to fund these projects north of the border? Serious question, as I am not up to speed with this aspect. Take your point Alex regarding assumptions on the SNP being the party to dominate the parliament of an independent Scotland, but they would be one of the stronger ones and therefore where there is a Republican-Democrat / Labour-Tory dominance in the US and UK, it is likely to be a Labour-SNP rivalry in Scotland (although I would fervently hope that the strong showing of the lib Dems up this way would mean that there could be a triumvirate rather than a duopoly).

It certainly was predicted - BP Schiehallion FPSO was operating over a field discovered 20 years ago in 350-450m of water and has been operating since 1997. The issue is not new fields - it is the maturity of the original fields. As assets age they become more expensive to operate. And these involve the larger, more easily accessible fields that are now well on their way to catching up with their estimated reserves. Note - estimated. So while the pro-oil lovers kid themselves that it could mean there is more there than was originally expected, it can also mean the opposite and the well runs dry earlier. The discovery of new fields, or even the exploitation of known fields that were too hard or were too expensive to exploit previously, does mean there is more oil than was known about 10-15 years ago, but these are getting fewer and we still have to bear in mind, this is a FINITE resource. The technology is evolving all the time but as with all research and development, it takes time before it can become feasible as a commercial prospect - look at the news today regarding harvesting nodules of mineral deposits from the ocean floor. The technology exists now, it is whether it can be made a profitable concern that can put a brake on its use. Many of the firms involved in oil and gas exploration and production in Scotland and by extension the UK are world leaders and experts in their field and business is booming. But speaking as someone involved in manufacturing in the industry, we are exceedingly busy - exporting to fields well beyond the North Sea. Our business is global and we have more business than we can handle, but we see less and less activity on our doorstep nowadays. If Scotland was pinning its hopes of significant revenue from the oil fields here, then it will find that will be relatively short lived and actual production taxes will decline over time. Conversely, even though much of their activity is abroad, Corporation tax on companies based in or operating from Scotland may actually go up!

But to support my point above, this is where the UK has representation and to what level: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/find-an-embassy/

Totally agree. There was a vox-pop on the radio this morning that had a young lad say they needed more details for the case from both sides before he could make an informed decision. Apart from demonstrating a mature outlook, it was a plea that is echoed by those significantly older but unfortunately more experienced to know that this will turn out to be a forlorn hope. As I said right at the beginning of this, our opposing views are based on subjective conjecture and not on hard facts, because it simply cannot be. Scotland both pays into and receives from a central pot - it is almost impossible to say how much we would have to pay for Embassy coverage based on what it costs now, as we have no idea where and to what extent the UK is currently represented, not do we know if we would want to simply duplicate what is there now. For example, there is significant difference between an embassy and a consulate in terms of cost and capability. Would Scotland just set up mirror diplomatic representations where there are UK facilities? Would the UK offer a shared option where Scotland takes on some and still allows nationals from both the same protection / service, and vice versa? Would Scotland want to just set up consulates where there are UK embassies, and keep cost low (risky option as it may allow foreign nationals to access visa services but doesn't give diplomatic representation in the same way as an Ambassador does). Up shot is - we don't know. More worryingly, is this even being considered? If yes - then where is the option being presented? If not - then what is the point of separation if we do not have adequate representation abroad? Just one of many "what if's" that cannot be answered. Until it is too late and it turns out not to be jam tomorrow after all.

Interesting choice of word here DD. The implication being that those who vote NO do not have courage and therefore are . . . cowards? I am not averse to use of over-exaggeration, perhaps not as good as Paxman granted, but this is exactly the kind of terminology used by the SNP for decades and now by the YES campaign to make people vote for them by using rhetoric that implies if you don't, you are less of a Scot or worse, a traitor to your people. Or even less of a human being. Still like your posts on ICT matters though!

I've got some chips if you want to widdle on them? You seem to be ignoring the fact that when they are under contract, if they are going to go then the contract holders have the right of getting some money for relinquishing it early. We are not so daft that we think they are bound inexorably into the club until the end of the contract period, but we are more relieved that they have stated a commitment towards ICT for now and that they are not just going to up and disappear immediately should an offer be touted or be actively looking for a new club to ply their trade.

You are absolutely correct PMF. When the entire globe is experiencing a downturn, it is difficult to paint an illusion of a land of milk and honey. It is all just negative, negative, negative. Because that is the reality. But ignore of course that the UK, of which we are a part, is still a world leader and one of the G8 group of countries. Our presence is global and the strength both nationally and internationally comes from us being, even as a relatively small nation in terms of population and landmass, one United Kingdom. The separationist dream is built on a vision where a socialist Republic of Scotland will soar into the stratosphere, unfettered by the burgeoning chains of the scurrilous machinations of an uncaring capitalist UK government who only want us for our oil, and we shall be free to make all the right decisions, the only decisions, that will see us all march happy and contented into the warm glow of a wonderful future. Oh take me there, please, I sooooooo want this to be true. And I will ignore the fact that while the SNP government are busy with the plan to rip ourselves away from a bigger political and economic entity, it is also busy consolidating all those annoyingly independent free spirits within our little society into National bodies. Mind you, it does give us a good indication of the difference between rhetoric and what we can actually expect though. If wishes were horses . . .

Listening to the game on Radio Nan Gael, it would appear that the sandy bit only affects a small area of the pitch which is easily handled by the players, and County had sold out while we had failed to make our full allocation! Does Uncle Roy have plants in there or something?? Or maybe he has the pictures in a safe somewhere . . .

Brass

Actually, I am secretly pleased with the result last night, for a couple of reasons. One - when we beat them twice between now and the split, we will have re-established a minimum of 6 points between ourselves. Two - the look on Kenny Shields face just now must be a picture, with two Highland teams taking the 2nd and 3rd place spots at the erse end of the league and not just the opening 2 games! But I agree that it would take a bit of the shine off our season if we ended up in our best ever league position only to find the gypos are above us in their very first foray into the top division. Won't happen though, so not to worry. Cue a re-post of the Downfall video . . .

And all that will come to a juddering halt in a weeks time! To be confirmed on the 16th, once they have taken a breath and stopped crying. :-)

You'd be safe enough with most of the away support there - most would be wondering why there is notepaper in the cubical and why you would want to write anything anyway when there is a perfectly good wall to scrawl on. Unless they riot because there isn't a pen provided . . .

Of course this subject was covered at the weekend on BBC Scotland radio and one of the pundits trotted out the line about how well C*unty have been doing with attendances compared to us. It was then revealed by the wassock spouting this drivel that they had got most of this from Uncle Roy OTB. Surprise surprise. Some good stats have been posted on this site not all that long ago to show average attendances in the SPL over the last few years, and also for our average attendances as compared to Caley and Thistle in the HL days. Made for interesting comparisons and it would seem we are not along in seeing a general fall in attendances. We have to realise that we live in the digital age. When I started taking an interest in football, there was no such thing as a 5th TV channel - let alone dedicated sports channels beamed directly to your 52" LCD TV! There is so much more to capture the attention of people nowadays that it will forever be a struggle in a cold and damp wee country to encourage people to leave the warmth and comfort of their home or local hostelry to go stand in a stadium and watch it live, when they could be watching it on screen with reverse angles and replays to show the goal / foul / controversial incident ad nauseum. And that's assuming they are not watching Spanish league of course. For one I think our attendances are not so bad, when compared to others with much larger and concentrated populations that are served with a much better transport infrastructure as well. Could always be better of course!

No, she wasn't. Scots law of contract (which is not dissimilar from English law) has a simple path to a legal transaction - the person owning the goods offers them for a price, the person wishing to take them tenders a price (does not have to be the same) and offers a method of payment, the seller then agrees the detail and the goods / service is provided. The transaction is only complete when the goods / service is delivered and the payment is cleared. Easy-peasy. In this case, the offer has been made but the method of payment has been refused. No transaction takes place. The customer is free to either negotiate an alternative method of payment or seek another seller who is more willing to accept their tender. No one is forced to do anything in any of these scenarios. The only time that would become an issue is if the goods / service has been delivered and the payment is not forthcoming or proves to be valueless, or the goods / service was defective in some way after payment has been received and the seller refuses to make suitable amends. At which point force (through legal measures) may be necessary to satisfy the injured party. Knew that university education would be useful some day! :-D

Vanities

Disappointing as it was, I did smile when TB was interviewed and his opening lines included "if this had been a boxing match the referee would have stopped it long ago". He was paraphrasing another SPL manager who had said the same thing about Dundee Utd earlier in the season. Sadly, TB's statement was more accurate on this occasion. While the other one continued his flights of fancy last night. As much as I detest KS, one thing I grudgingly admire is that he always talks up his team after every game. Even if it does border on clinical delusion.

Any word on the condition of Shinnie and Foran?