Skyumpi

Yup, Flightline has gone out the 'arris today. Just managed to get bookings made on Flybe for tomorrow instead - wonder if I can claim back the extra costs against travel insurance?

That's just crazy!!! These oil companies make squillions of pounds every day and their workers have to rely on a jigsaw helicopter for rescue. What would happen if it was all put together and it turned out that a piece of the tail rotor had slipped down the back of the couch or something? How they got this past the CAA I'll never know.

.....and you knew you could never do justice to the magnificent scene you were viewing! I was up at Lamba Water, the Loch o' Lunklet and Scalla Field today and was actually grinning from lug to lug with pleasure at just being there, enjoying the huge views, frozen lochs and tumbling burns with their mini-waterfalls, the low winter light, the grouse, woodcock and hares, etc, etc - you get the message! I had a camera with me but experience has taught me that the images I capture are a pale shadow of what you see in the flesh. In the right hands a camera enhances what the human eye sees - but I always manage to do the opposite.

^^^ Nobody can say that you don't work hard to offend, Styles. Challenging a deity to fight might seem quite brave, but Allah is an honourable God and probably wouldn't want to engage an unarmed opponent in a battle of wits.

Ahh, Styles! Fightin' drunk again with nobody to take on, I see.

I find it very hard to believe that cannabis use has no effect on the mental health of some of its users. Sure, there are those that can and do smoke every day to no ill effect and will even assure you that smoking is what keeps them sane, but if you spend enough years as a sustained drug user (I'll restrict this to cannabis for the moment) you must agree that in some cases it really does screw you up. Maybe it's because some people may have an existing nurtured or genetic tendency towards mental health problems but I'd say that if you were "in the balance" at all then smoking dope isn't going to do you any favours. It doesn't have to be a gateway towards the more professional end of the spectrum and I'm in no position to lecture on abstinence, but to try and say it is without risk is just nonsense. PS Obviously you could substitute "alcohol" into the above and it wouldn't change the meaning much.

.....on second thoughts, edited out.

^^^^^^ Great idea, Khitajrah. That's definitely the way to do it! I'm all for this initiative. Anyone who wishes to go big game hunting should be positively encouraged to do so in this manner. Maybe Styles could start it off in a bare knuckle dust up with a 400lb "pile of crap" panda?

I've gone back over the original post that started this thread after reading through all the replies it generated with increasing disbelief. I don't know Smaadrink and haven't read their previous contributions to gauge what sort of poster they are, but I really don't see where offence was intended in this post. Smaadrink says they were "astounded" at hearing a negative reaction about Shetlink. They go on to ask a question that, to me, sounds as if they're purposefully exagerrating the qualifications for classing oneself as a Shetlander. Some of the replies on the thread are nothing but trolling - it's as if some people want to be called a Soothmoother, take terrible offence at it and use it as a stick to beat others with. I try not to judge people on where they come from (or don't come from). Shetlander is how I choose to identify myself and I don't care if you call yourself a Brit or a Brummie or a Burraman. Racism and all its nasty little subforms almost always have their roots in ignorance. Soothmoother isn't an offensive word - it's only how it's used that can make it offensive. I don't fulfill the stringent, if tongue in cheek, qualifications that Smaadrink has given but I'm still a Shetlander because I want to be - and nobody can take that away from me. So, welcome all, it's a great place. Have a look round and enjoy it, maybe try and be nice to one another too, eh?

I heard from a good source that the French don't like you either, Styles - 'specially when you've a drink in you.

Did du manage ta win tae ony lochs whan du wis hame, Medziotojas?

^^^^ Ooooohhh, you can have a lot of pleasure YouTubing most of these and drinking it in. For what it's worth, here's a few of mine, in no particular order (although they will probably all be different next week) Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd Richard Thompson - Beeswing My Bloody Valentine – Sueisfine Cygnus X – The Orange Theme News at Ten - The Vapors Soul Man – Sam and Dave Feeder – Just a day SLF – Gotta Gettaway Up around the bend – CCR Redemption Song – Marley In the city – The Jam Farewell, farewell - Sandy Denny/Fairport Convention

Some advice required from those in the know, please........ I was up at Kirkhouse Water yesterday morning and it is showing signs of what is probably blue-green algae. I've never seen it before but from descriptions I'd think that's what this is. There was a band of milky green colour running along for about 1-2m off the windward shore and in some places this had come together to form a solid scum on the surface. There were quite a few dead and dying sticklebacks noticeable in the affected areas. Does this sound like blue-green algae and is this enough of a concern that any official body should be notified about it, or is it more commonplace than I realise?

Thought I'd have to say something in defence of the the garage I assume is being referred to in this thread. Twartree years ago we decided to buy a brand new car for the first time. I did the internet research and phoned a couple of dealers Sooth and added on the cost of a ferry fare to get an idea of what my best price would be. I usually prefer to spend my money in Shetland where practical, I'm even willing to pay a premium for certain goods such as this that may require servicing or warranty work. I figured that if they could come within £500 of the mainland price then it would be worth my while buying it here. There initial price was not good but after a little bargaining we took the car from the local dealer for £35 more than the best price (new that is, not pre-registered) I could get South. We've had the car regularly serviced with the garage, they've kept in touch with us, all dealings have been transparent and I've been surprised by what they've covered under warranty work. I've certainly no complaints about them so far. That said, if I'd been a peerie old wife come seekin a car and had taken the first price that had been offered........ well, that wouldn't have been good, but I guess that that's no different to any garage in the world. It seems that you must expect to haggle a little at a garage if you want a good price.

Cheers for the info on the shed, Clanchief. Thought it might be troot-related given the lochs past reputation. Great to hear that good seatrout are being caught again, hopefully as you say partly as a result of the SAA's re-stocking program. I was slipped a copy of last years re-stocking numbers recently and I have to say that I was staggered by it. I had no idea that so much work was being carried out. Well done to all involved. The outflow burn from the loch is much bigger than I realised......... http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/6988/gossawater009xm9.jpg ......wouldn't it be great to watch fish making their way back up here!

I am not trolling here - just offering a different viewpoint, there is a difference. A couple of observations: Baron Farkoff makes several contradictions in what he says. It's OK to compare us with the rest of the country when it suits but he is ready to cry foul when the circumstances don't fit his viewpoint. If I was a local businessman who had put in the hours to build up a successful business that sold say, for example, eggs to make my living and then the council announced that they were going to spend several million pounds of public money building a magnificent cultural edifice that would attract many to buy the world class cheese that Shetland produced (but as an aside would also sell eggs to cash in on the many people who would pass through it gates to spend their finite amount of money) then I don't think that I would be out of order to feel aggrieved. If no-one had offered me millions when I was struggling to set up a business and some of the Shetland Arts people offered me up as some sort cultural saboteur when I tried to make myself heard then I'd probably be quite rightly pee'd off. I think that the notion that the rest of the world is laughing at us exists only inside the minds of those for whom the development of Mareel has a large significance. It really is not that big a deal. A purpose built musical venue would hopefully be a real asset to Shetland but the idea bandied about that our young will leave these isles in droves should it not happen It's scaremongering on a level that would nearly embarass a Viking Energy or Sustainable Shetland press officer when it comes to sensationalism.

^^ Yup, dat wis wan o da tings I spok aboot whan I got hame - definitely wan o da worst hills at I ever trekket trow. I windered if it hed o been some kind of rest hoose fir anglers as Gossa Water wis wance famous fir da fish dat cam up da Laxo Burn fae da sea. It wis a braaly big industry wance apon a time wi a lok o eens comin up fae sooth tae fish fir Shetland seatroots. Da constructshion o da ting disna look dat auld bit da waas o it wis clean rotted awa. I windered if it wis blaain dere as weel, bit tocht it lookit lik it wis been med tae fit in yun peerie denkie ida banks o da loch.

Drunk Zone??? Is that you Drunk Zone........? Gosh, it is - isn't it? How ya been? It's so long since I saw you last. ........Well, you know how it. Work commitments and all that, I just haven't been out and about much. It's good to let go once in a while and relax with a few glasses of your favourite tipple. Yes, yes. I hope we don't leave it so long till the next time. You look after yourself and don't do anything I wouldn't do, eh? What? One more for the road? Ach well - go on then, don't mind if I do..... Cheers!!!!

Sorry if this is taking the thread a little bit off track but I thought that some of the trooters out there might be able to answer my question for me. I was up at Gossa Water in the East Kames the other night. I didn't catch anything although I saw a few small fish jumping. The loch itself has shallow rocky shores with very dark water and isn't very suitable for spinning although it might be better flicking a fly around the stanes and peerie isles. Anyway, what I wanted to know about was this old shed that stands on the north shore. It's a 25 minute hike up the Atler Burn from the North Nesting side and I wondered just why a sizeable building like this would ever have been there in the first place. Any ideas? http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8136/gossawater011vw2.jpg http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8425/gossawater012xs0.jpg http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/606/gossawater014lw5.jpg http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/9972/gossawater017si2.jpg PS Can anybody tell me how to post the images themselves rather than these thumbnails?

Apparently today is the start of http://www.nationalfishingweek.co.uk/index.php so maybe we should aa tak up wir waands an geen tae da craigs - or da lochs, da piers, da beaches or wir boats. I solemnly promise to support this initiative on at least a couple of occasions this week!

Whits the crack wi aa this "My supermarket is better than your supermarket" thing? Jeezo - it's starting to sound like a Rangers vs Celtic discussion where both sides lose their powers of reasoning. There are now two supermarkets in Lerwick. If you find that Supermarket A makes you happy and fluffy and Supermarket B makes your waters boil then I don't think it's a difficult decision as to which you should shop in. If you can't stomach either of them, shop somewhere else. As an afterthought, anyone who find that much of their life is consumed by hating supermarkets should consider some therapy or at least a relaxing holiday

I've actually been putting off cutting the grass in case we're living out our last few days before being sucked into a singularity of infinite density full of Toblerones, cuckoo clocks and Nazi gold. If they don't get on with firing the thing up till later in the summer and then the world doesn't end......Well, I'll have ruined my lawn for nothing and it'll take forever to get it back in shape

I'll have to take issue with that, Infiltrator. If you can point out where I've posted about my strong opposition then I'll carry out your weekly shop for you. ...and this is something that really cheeses me off - "Oh, you don't have kids, do you?" as if it means my opinions can carry no weight and I "just wouldn't understand". There are other things in life that can be a lot more awkward than fitting in a shopping trip with your children. (Although it obviously is quite distracting as it certainly causes some parents to forget their manners completely and behave as if their time is somehow much, much more valuable than my own, but that's another gripe for another thread, I s'pose.)

I can hardly work out what all the excitement about Tesco is at the moment - it is just a supermarket, isn't it? It's not as if we've been living in some sort of dark age, some sort of subsistence living that the opening of this new store will miraculously make better. If anyone is having trouble putting food on their plates with the deals that the Co-op and Somerfield had on then I don't think you're going to be mightily better off now. I also can't understand how people feel they will shop at one to the exclusion of the other - is it really that big a deal? Both will probably continue to have plus points over the other and I'll use each one as it suits me while continuing to do the bulk of my grocery shopping and refuelling at my local shop (as I'd miss it a helluva lot more than any supermarket in da toon).

^^^ For me, the opposite is true and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. I think that this is probably a matter of personal opinion and circumstance as there will be plenty others who'd agree with you instead of me. The point is that that this is always how it has been and how it always will be. There have always been a fairly vocal contingent of people, incomers and indigenous, who are quick to tell you how rubbish Shetland is and how they can't wait to leave. This is sort of balanced by those who view our isles through rose tinted spectacles as some sort of idyllic utopia without seeing any of the problems, old and new, that we have. The truth lies, as usual, somewhere between the two. Yeah - I can definitely think of more appealing places to live and more exciting ways to earn my living but I'm thankful for what I have and recognise that there are almost infinitely worse circumstances that I could have been landed in.