V for Vendetta YouTube

SRSM Disaffiliates from the SSP

The following is a letter sent to the SSP [National Secretary Pam Currie] by the SRSM:

Dear Pam,

I write you to notify you that the SRSM platform has taken the decision to disaffiliate from the Scottish Socialist Party. This decision was taken at an EGM on Thursday 19 October.

The catalyst was certainly the recent handling of our motion to conference to entrench clause 5 of the Party's constitution – the third time that he motion has been talked out. You will be aware that the reasons given by the platform was the final straw, for some, who found the explanation unacceptable. I must say that the Chair's remarks, when questioned by one of our members, were highly subjective. We believe that over the past few years sections of the Party did not want this passed and sought to portray the motion as bureaucratic and anti-democratic.

However, the wider reason for our decision is the Party's minimal activity on the national question. While there is no doubting the SSP's unequivocal stance for a Scottish Socialist Republic that has been made clear in manifestoes, there is doubt within the SRSM about how the Party intends to carry it forward. We believe that our cause has been relegated behind a list of issues rather than made central to these issues. I do not mean to open up a long political argument. I merely intend to at least give you the courtesy of a reason. This was a majority decision. A minority of SRSM members, myself included, intend to stay in the Party as individual members. I trust that the SRSM's status as a cross-party movement will mean that this should not pose a conflict.

Yours faithfully,

Gerry Cairns

Convenor

SRSM

Redecoration

You'll notice I've redecorated the place a smidgeon.

I've added a few feeds from places I get information from.

Man... I'm starting to love Google and it's association of companies. The Feedburner bit on the Blogger Beta was inspired.

By the time you've read this I may have found an "alternate science" feed and a "music" feed as well...

Check right, someone's gonnae have done it at some point.

Art as Simplification of Life

I sat next to a guy in work once called Barry. He was an artist trapped in the same shitty job I was and managed to escape to something FAR more interesting. Not quite art yet, but he's on his way.

Check out his stuff: Barry's Art Page

It (as you can see from the left) is astonishingly good.

This proves it then, shit jobs and unhappiness make excellent bedfellows with talent in art. Orson Welles in the third man commented about The Borgia's and the Renaissance and how Switzerland only managed the pigging cuckoo clock (joke courtesy of Craig Ferguson... ahem...)

Anyway. You HAVE to click the link. I won't forgive you otherwise.

Besides, I'm trying to talk him into letting me use that picture for my debut novel...

We'll see how it goes.

Firefox Chronicles Indy First Video

I'm not a folk music fan. That's why the video below doesn't contain any. It's not that I dislike it, it's just I only ever listen when I'm at the various events I go to.

This is an experiment for me. There are a number of far better vids out there, but I figured I'd have a play around with both YouTube and Windows Movie Maker. Bear in mind there is a disintegration of quality on YouTube (because they prefer it to be fast rather than have quality).

Joe Middleton (http://www.scottishindependence.com and http://www.independence1st.org) wrote a good piece about the march: http://scotland.indymedia.org/newswire/display/3284/index.php

Have a swatch:

Novelling

Draft Two of my Novel is complete. Fanks to Mumsie Firefox for the use of her computer while I was delocated from Firefox HQ.

And that bastard thing still isn't done. It was my fault entirely. I had included what was intended to be an 'ironic' character in my sci-fi comedy. It then transpired that it is in fact impossible to create an 'ironic' character using the name 'The Widowmaker'. Who'd've thunk it...

Anyway, there are two female characters he can be replaced by (which DOES work...) So rewrite three will have to get rid of a number of pointless tricks I tried.

My favourite line from the Novel is from a Character called Ben: "My friend Mhari knows a word called ferapy and finks you need it."

So... how are you? I can tell at least a couple of my three readers checked out the Tribal Music post (and someone even replied... it happens so rarely I barely check...)

I also had an e-mail about my rant about "Francis the Second" and who "Francis the First" was and then proceeded to threaten a "Pillar Box War part two" in an otherwise relatively well received article. Firstly, thanks to Jovan for taking the trouble to e-mail me. Always appreciate contact. When I'm not on dial-up I'll reply (still at Mumsie Firefox's).

I will (therefore) explain to the rest of you about Francis I. It is not that I didn't "know" who Francis I was. It was just that I didn't actually care. I checked Wikipedia for him, and a couple of online sources and soon realised I wanted to go to "mysistershotfriend" and consequently stopped and went for a cold shower. And that was my point. However legitimate a claimant he may or may not have been, he lost. Bonnie Prince Charlie TRIED and failed. From what I can tell, the later ones didn't even try. Why am I supposed to care?

The same is true of Elizabeth the Second, while she may well have had an ancestor called 'Elizabeth I' a) I remain "uncaring" because she's royalty and b) we never had an Elizabeth I in SCOTLAND. You need to remember that I'm a Republican and while I can tell you what colour clothes Scottish Republican John Baird wore while in the army regiment he was in a good ten years before the 1820 insurrection (Green - he wasn't a Red Coat) I haven't researched too much shinto about Jacobite claimants.

I know I'm not interested in it and act accordingly. Fortuntely I know people who ARE into that kind of thing, and their enthusiasm and general interest in their subject usually makes it more entertaining to listen to.

I'm happy to publish a Jacobite article or two explaining things I've little chance of researching. Besides, I like Jacobites. Don't agree with them, but think they're perfectly nice and fun people to get drunk with at commemorations, and you can't say fairer than that. So, there you have it: a free offer of Jacobite propaganda on a Scottish Republican Website. We'll call it an Xmas present. My e-mail address is on the right. Mark the subject heading: "You are a Commie Republican Bastard."

Anyway, bored now, bye.

Independence First March - Saturday - 1st set

Independence First March - Saturday - 2nd Set

Independence First March - 3rd Set

Independence First March - Saturday - 4th Set

Ted Christopher and William Wallace

Ted Christopher, widely acknowledged as a well accomplished mistrel of the Scottish variety, has a few interesting things to say about William Wallace at the few events I've seen him speak at.

I've seen him at Elderslie, Stonehaven and, more recently, at the Independence First march and Rally in Edinburgh.

He has a bit, where he mentions, almost in passing that politicians are as scared of William Wallace as they were back in the day when they had him brutally executed.

Every time I've heard it (and it's not been for the first time at Embra) it has been met with a general - and usually loud - murmur of agreement. I think the most precient, however, was at yesterday's rally. Maybe it because the Rally just about matched expectations, or maybe it was because the matchstick vichy parly was the background to his songs and views.

For me, the William Wallace I have read about would be rabble-rounding inside the chamber, demanding something a bit more substantial than pointless epitaphs on sporting acheievements being given cursory mentions as "Motions" inside something built for Scots designed by someone with the artistic eye of a blind banana inspector.

This, as I growled from the crowd at Bill Speirs at the Elderslie Rally, was Revisionism, which I usually despise. In my belief system, I can't 'argue' what William Wallace may or may not have done but seek to do what I believe should or should not be done. Therefore instead of William slamming the desks of Parliament demanding something better, then would I be willing to do it myself?

But the general agreement that Ted's words got, was a point that I took away from all times I've seen him speak it. It wasn't because they just wanted to give William a simple "gaun yersel" but because they actually bought into it. It seems astonishing to exist as a threat, 701 years after your own death. Robert the Bruce never achieved that, and he was the superior military tactician as well as general.

I think you could even see the spirit of Wallace inside Neil Caple as he spoke between each "act" and was, at one point heckled by someone who didn't know and cared less about. Instead he wanted him to make his points to "his face" and in due course sent him homewards tae think again. I've got to say I especially liked that bit. For info, if you're intending to heckle someone with a microphone, it makes less sense if the crowd can't hear you, no matter how benign and 'high brow' your points might or might not be.

William Wallace was walking amongst us in the crowd yesterday. The police were around trying to find him. He's still a wanted man, 701 years later. The real big yin still scares unionists and despite what Bill Spiers thinks, he still gives a fuck about US; unlike the Trade Unions, unlike the Labour Party, and unlike all the plastic unionists too delusional to realise that the day is coming when we shall rise again.