How not to do negative

Not all negative campaigning is bad - if your opponents have a poor record in office or policies that are damaging then to point this out may be negative but fair. This isn't fair comment - this is just a particularly nasty little rant.

I don't care who wins this ward - I just hope it isn't the Lib Dem.

Scientists for the Union

Ok, apparently 61 scientists have declared their support for the Union. Good for them. Like the rest of us they are entitled to their opinion.

The story claims that if Scotland becomes an independent nation its position as an inventive nation would be jeopardised. Scotland has three of the world's top 200 universities (I'm assuming Glasgow is one of them - all the best people go there :-) ) but it seems that this wouldn't be the case after independence.

Why?

Would independence cause all Scottish academics to lose their brains? Would Scottish scientists lose their knowledge of the periodic table? Would the microscopes in Scottish labs be taken back to England on the submarines carrying Trident?

It's a pathetic argument. Argue from a principled position - don't scare-monger. Let's not pretend that Scottish independence will cause a leaking of IQ points. It won't. The cultural arguments for the Union are strong - despite being a member of the SNP I have a great deal of attachment to the Union, I love the Royal Family - the thought of a republic horrifies me. I think unionists have exceptionally strong emotional, cultural, economic, political and historical arguments. They aren't using them. They're being negative and demeaning the intelligence and talents of the people of Scotland.

Labour are getting desperate. They know it's time.

I spoke too soom

So there I was just the other day congratulating the Catholic Church on their eminently sensible and compassionate decision to abolish the state of limbo for babies who died before baptism. Was this a breakthrough into the 20th Century (still probably a bit early for the 21st)? Then this!

The Pope is planning to bring back the traditional Latin mass. O-kay. Which includes a prayer calling for the conversion of Jews. Not okay. The prayer reads:

"Let us pray also for the Jews, that the Lord our God may take the veil from their hearts and that they also may acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ." and asks for Jews to be "delivered from their darkness."

Really? When anti-semitism is still prevalent in Britain is this really the best message for the Vatican to be giving out?

Jews (I assume as I'm not Jewish) don't want to be delivered. They have nothing to be delivered from. They aren't in darkness, they have their own faith and beliefs and these should be respected.

The Church is apparently concerned about the decline in church numbers and the alienation of some of the more traditional figures. It should consider people who are still basically Catholic but abhor the position on homosexuality and regard the position on contraception as killing millions of people across the world of AIDS.

One step forward - three back I'm afraid. For a more sensible point of view visit the Council of Christians and Jews.

Catholic Church Abolishes State of Limbo

This is a story that I first picked up on back in October last year. The Church has announced that the state of limbo for babies who die before baptism has been abolished

This is a great move which will bring comfort to thousands of religious parents who lose their babies before baptism. Previously babies were believed to exist in a state somewhere between heaven and hell and not able to experience the peace of heaven and the love of God. I would think that for a religious family this is a added burden at the worst time in their lives.

All we need now is for some movement on homosexuality and contraception and the Catholic Church will be moving into the 20th Century.

The dangers of Lemsip....

Our beloved Government have mooted the idea of taking cold and flu medicines off the shelf as people are using them to make crystal meth. Apparently.

While I'm not denying this is happening I'm pretty sure that a knee-jerk reaction of clearing the shelves of lemsip, night nurse and benylin won't help. What it will do is start to place an intolerable pressure on GPs. In the past couple of years I've had 4/5 colds - probably pretty average. I've been to the doctor once (and I'm convinced it was a bout of the flu rather than a cold), the rest of the time I've dosed up on lemsip, night nurse, benylin, tixylixx, sudafed and got on with it. I think most people probably do.

The chaos that will ensue when everyone with a minor sniffle turns up at their GP needing a cold medicine doesn't bear thinking about.

Working time will be lost as people don't go into work but wait by their phones to be the first to get the one appointment available that day. Others will not bother and hope that they don't still have it in two weeks time when the next appointment is available.

Pharmacies will get much busier with chemists taking up much of their time on cold remedies.

And drug dealers will continue to manufacture crystal meth and causing misery in our communities.

Surely a better plan is to invest more in frontline policing to stop the drug dealers and leave the rest of us alone?

Has Salmond Slain the Business Dragon?

For as long as I can remember one of the biggest arguments against independence has been that Scotland couldn't go it alone and that businesses would desert Scotland creating a business-free zone. Alex Salmond has clearly spent a lot of time and effort in courting the business community - and presumably upset some of the more leftie elements of the SNP in doing so - and this is now paying dividends. Today the SNP announced that 100 business men and women had signed up to the following statement:

"Scotland can be more successful. That is why we are supporting Alex Salmond and the SNP on May 3."

Looking at the list there seems to be a mix of small and large businesses and I wonder if Salmond has finally slain the dragon of lack of business support?

As someone from the right of the political spectrum this is something which is really quite encouraging - no longer are the SNP viewing the business community with suspicion instead there is now a recognition that a strong independent Scotland must have its own strong and successful business community. I look forward to the SNP continuing with its campaign of drawing in all elements of Scottish life in its efforts.

Any Dream Will Do

I'm already loving Any Dream Will Do the follow-up to last year's How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria. And narked that poor Johndeep got booted out on Saturday - I'd liked him.

My favourite is the fabulously twinkly-eyed Lee. I really do want him to win. No-one else is really standing out for me so far, although Lewis was great on Saturday.

But has anyone else noticed that the boys are much cry-ier than the girls were last year? Fabulous. And musical theatre has never seen quite so many "girlfriends" in the one room. Mmm-hmm.....

Something I Don't Say Often...

Here is an excellent speech by George W Bush. This is why Holocaust remembrance is just so important.

Bush at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Yom Ha'Shoah

Facebook...

....crazily addictive and I'm not quite sure why

Rules of life #639

If you come into more emails on a Monday morning than you received all of the previous week it's going to be a busy one....

Am Confussed

For some reason I have been reading the statistical analysis of the Glasgow Shettleston constituency for the elections in a couple of weeks. Great bloke standing for the SNP :-) Anyway among all the usual guff there was a section on how people get to work and the categories?

By Public Transport - aye
By car - aye
By motorbike/bicycle/on foot - aye
Other - Whit? What other methods are there? and how can 4.4% of the Shettleston workforce be using them? Helicopters aren't much cop down the Shettleston Road and would heelies not count as going on foot?

Any help in letting me know what other could possibly be would be most welcome. Otherwise my brain will continue to hurt.

Treating...

One of my favourite breaches of election law, delighted to see it in the news after too long an absence. The good old provision of meat and drink....

Just a warning to candidates - buying the team a round in the pub after a good day's canvassing is not treating, and you are legally allowed to do it - so do!

Celeb Spotting

I saw Frances de la Tour for the fifth time just outside Tesco at King's Cross today. Time to acknowledge it. She's obviously stalking me until I tell the world she has been celeb-spotted. But no more mentions, after seeing someone for five times in the same place then it's no longer a celeb spot - it's just someone who lives/works near you.

Also saw Michael Winner coming out of the Ivy a couple of weeks ago.

Must try harder to get better celebs....

Time Wasting Nonsense

So Christine Grahame thought it would be fun to hijack the Tory manifesto launch.....

Bully for her. Fighting against a Lib-Dem majority of 538 Ireally wouldn't have thought this was a good use of her time. Instead it's the kind of petty, annoying stunt that confirms all the bad preconceptions about politicians.

Hen, in the couple of hours spent planning and carrying out that stunt you could have delivered a thousand leaflets.