Jonners

GMTV with a full film crew on the way north to cover the campaign and will have Sakchai's family and hopefully Alistair Carmichael in the studio tomorrow morning.

 

We've got there in that respect at least. Great news!!!

This is a massive coup Davie - nice one!

GMTV might not be everyone's cup of tea but it gets a massive share of the morning viewing figures and it's news agenda setting is respected.

I had worried that the media might have lost interest by now in Sakchai but that doesn't seem to be the case at all. In fact the whole case has become a real human focal point on an issue that can seem remote and all too political. It feels good to be a Shetlander - people everywhere now see Shetland as a place where people stand up for what is right.

As with most things, some people will get Moyles and some won't. Fair enough. I think his show is one of the most inventive, funny media things currently on the go in the UK at the moment but I realise he's not appreciated by everyone.

Still think it would be good to get him to do the show from Shetland. Unlike a lot of DJs Moyles at least seems to like getting out into the country, and it would be a good thing for Shetland.

I might get onto this myself ... despite the fact nobody on this board seems to like him!

Moyles mentioned Shetland a few times during the Idlewild trip and most of it was pretty affectionate. I remember him reading a text from someone who had spotted Steve Lamaq ogling one of the barmaids in Flints.

I still think it would be good for Moyles and co to come to Shetland - they have been to other BBC studio outposts before across the UK including Inverness.

Perhaps we could start a thread on Chrismoyles.net - surely David R Lewis, you are with me on this one?!!

Nothing wrong with Chris Moyles but the BBC can send him up rather any of Shetlands organisations having to shell out for it.

Absolutely Hambone - I didn't say VisitShetland should pay for him to come up. They could just 'create the conditions' that would lead to the show coming up, through a bit of clever lobbying. It would certainly generate more column inches than that Birmingham journo, and that generated loads of coverage.

The people holding out hope for help from radio 1 should have heard the Chris Moyles show this morning.

 

They had a quiz like they sometimes do in the morning among themselves - with one of the questions being - "Which is the most Northerly: The Outer Hebrides, The Orkneys, The Shetlands?".

 

First off the bat, this question would go well with the thread elsewhere on this board referring to whether it's Shetland or Shetlands (my take is its Shetland!) ...

 

... anyway ... they all answered "The Outer Hebrides", or "The Orkneys" apart from Aled who correctly answered "Shetland" ... but was drowned out by the rest ...

I think it was Trout who posted this on the Sakchai thread, but I think it deserves a thread of itself. I groaned when I heard this too. I like Moyles and I was disappointed he didn't know where Shetland was!

What should happen now - in a Birmingham journalist-stylee - is that VisitShetland get the Chris Moyles show to come up to Shetland and do the show from the BBC studios in Lerwick.

Scotland Extra on Radio Scotland this morning - a phone-in programme - was based on Sakchai this morning.

I think most callers were on the side of Sakchai - and justice. But there were some who thought his deportation was ok. The main thrust of the anti-Sakchai crowd seemed to be 'rules are rules', regardless of whether the rules are right or wrong. Thankfully Davy G was on to say Sakchai has already served his time and doesn't deserve to be punished twice.

Although the anti-Sakchai crowd were in the minority, it still makes you worry a bit. Somebody said this before me but it's worth repeating - at times we seem to be moving towards a society that's more concerned with order than justice.

Tried and a bit harder and have now managed to find that article.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/63827.html

Ron Ferguson has written a good article on Sakchai in the Herald today. I can't find it online yet but I know Ron has posted before on this website so maybe he'll post a copy of the article for those who haven't seen a hard copy of the paper today.

I don't suppose there's any indication that the attack on this site had anything at all to do with Sakchai's plight? Or did it? Is there any way of knowing where it originated? Is this just something that happens in cyberspace from time to time?

I have also been in touch with Mr McConnell’s private office who tell me that although he is very likely to have personal sympathies regarding this issue and is not happy with Home Office policy in this respect he cannot comment personally or formally as this is a ‘Reserved Issue’

Just the sort of spineless pish that has resulted in nobody having ANY faith in politicians.

Jack McConnell says he cannot comment. This isn't true. He simply chooses not to because it might upset his political masters in London.

Sometimes I think Labour WANT to lose the next election.

Just signed the petition.

Can't believe this has happened. This government is out of control. We can't just stand back and let this sort of thing happen. It makes me feel sick. What is happening to this country?

HATE SEZAR - what a weasly, bullying, vain twat.

I can't work out whether I'm pleased or not that Shabhaz has walked out. Sure, he was an annoying prat but that sort of person makes BB so watchable. I didn't really like the way the rest of the housemates bullied him but at the same time I can understand why his annoyingness compelled them to turn on him.

Forget all these ridiculous challenges and boring little games. Simply supply some pretty/wierd/gay/thick young things with endless bottles of booze for several weeks during the summer, keep them locked in a house and then watch it kick off.

Totally agree with you on that Ally. The 'tasks' are always crap 'It's a Knockout-style' snorefests. All I want to see is booze induced bitching and sexual shenanigans.

the real decline of Gaelic began in 1707 when Scotland was united with England and English became its official language. After that Gaelic was suppressed very much and even prohibited. No wonder that after several centuries of the domination of English Gaels have started losing faith in their own language.

Absolutely. I think there's very little point in trying to downplay the widespread nature of gaelic as a language in Scotland - especially during the centuries in which Scotland as a nation was becoming a defined thing. The gaelic language and the birth of the Scottish nation are intertwined.

I read on the BBC site that two Big Brother contestants have been asked to stop speaking in Welsh because it was like using a 'code'

This is just awful of course. I thought BB was all about diversity? All they need is a translator and subtitles. If the welsh people choose to exclude people from their conversations then that's their business. It's just like going into a quiet corner for a snidy, clandestine gossip.

I only watch it because somebody else in the flat does, honest!

I'm a proud Big Brother watcher. Utterly compulsive. It's only about as ridiculous as watching 22 half naked men kicking around a pigs bladder, or following the soap opera that is British politics. And as a newspaper article pointed out, the 'freaks' in the BB house are probably far more representative of the UK population than the men in suits who inhabit Westminster.

I think I'm going to hate Shabhaz - the self confessed 'wacky Pakistani poof'. He's already annoying. I like the black wife who thinks that all people are evil and that love is a pointless waste of time.

Moe Sizlack to Homer, when Homer is being worshipped as a prophet.

"I was wondering if you could help save my soul. I've done stuff I aint proud of and the stuff I am proud of is disgusting."

I think they're a bit dull. But the sax player is a complete and utter babe isn't she? Despite being a scouser, obviously.

Shetland should be looking to be selfsufficent in energy and not to turn Shetland into a energy factory.

I don't think this is right at all.

Whether we like it or not we live in a pretty horribly capitalistic world. We either try and change that or we try and do the best we can within that.

I don't see it changing anytime soon so making the best of it is probably the best option.

So when an opportunity arises that gives Shetland a chance to make lots of cash - and allows future generations to continue living in the style to which they have become accustomed - it's probably a good idea to go for it.

Shetland has few features that give it an economic advantage over other areas, but wind energy seems to be a goer. I think it's a great plan, and I'd like to see Shetlanders get shares in the development to ensure that the wealth generated reaches the pockets of the people of Shetland.

Theo Walcott is an extraordinary player in the Wayne Rooney mould. I hate to say it, but England seems to have some sort of thing going at the moment that is producing footballing wonderkids with jaw-dropping skills and pace to burn. Admittedly Walcott doesn't have much experience but I would love to see him on the pitch at the World Cup. I think he would give most experienced - and slower - defenders a hell of a time.

The Shetland Times is turning into a localised 'Sun'! It's getting beyond the joke how bad some of the journalism in it is..

I would say the Times is looking a lot more entertaining now than it has done in recent times.

I agree that the reporting on Marshall was a bit cheesy. It didn't really fit with the rest of the style of the paper. It was obviously written by a freelancer rather than an in-house reporter. As with most freelance reporters he would have 'sexed' up the language as much as possible in the hope of attracting as many editors nationally to pick up on it and buy his wares. The Times would have been better of doing it themselves, as it was basically a rehash of the article two weeks before with the sentencing added in the first and last paras.

But on the whole I think the Times is looking a bit more vibrant in general. We always used to complain of a Friday that 'there's nothing in da paper'. Now we complain about stuff we obviously read. I for one want more revelations about 'Flawsgate', rather than stories about dusty old cooncil meetings. Did he play? Am I on the wrong thread?

just walked past the Glasgow Gaelic Primary School in the west end of Glasvegas this morning. The bairns were all running around shouting in Gaelic. I just hope they're as profficient in English.

I think it's probably safe to say they would be.

I think we should be pretty supportive of efforts to keep gaelic alive. We're all pretty sensitive as Shetlanders when it comes to the dilution of our own way of spikking. Surely we should try and support other areas, like us, that differ from the norm. I think there's still room in the world for people to speak in different tongues.

As for the 'oh, it's inevitable' argument that gaelic will die out - that's just ridiculous. Far from being in a powerless situation, the powers-that-be are doing all they can to keep gaelic going. Legislation is being put in place - with money stacked behind it - to keep gaelic alive. The people in the areas where gaelic is spoken also want to keep it alive. A new gaelic television station is going to be set up. I know lots of Gaels in Glasgow and almost all of them still speak gaelic. I think it's a very healthy state of affairs.

It's just sour grapes from other small town Scottish football clubs. They would all love it if another money-bags like Brooks arrived at their club. It's not as if Brooks is the first businessmen to put money into Scottish football. Almost every club in Scotland is run by some sort of petty-bourgeosie. Brooks just happens to have more money than the lot of them put together.

The two things I really like about Brooks is that that he expects nothing back from his investment, and his goodwill and general positive attitude radiates throughout the club and into the community.

While I don't like to knock anyone who's talking up Shetland, poor old Bob Macbeth either has never been to Shetland or is a bit odd.

Even with the best will in the world nobody is going to be all that inspired by your atypical Shetland Parish 'abbey'. Last time I looked at the Brae Kirk I was mildly underwhelmed.

And I'm surprised he's latched on to the Shetland breed of sheep as a major tourist magnet. Is this really one of our strongest selling points?

As for the stag thing, I would contend the beer halls of Prague still have the edge in terms of splendour and cheapness over the delights of Da Wheel Bar. But maybe I'm just being defeatist.

Totally agree with you Muppet.

The Leighton Flaws story is the kind of thing everyone has been talking about in Shetland during the week. Used to be that kind of thing got ignored by the Times and on Friday you had to endure another front page 'splash' about a dusty old SIC meeting in which they dithered over making spending cuts.

Good to see the new editor of the Times has the populist touch!