digitaldodo

Sadly, Scotland hae no hope at all of qualifying for Euro 2008. Level on points with three teams that are better - two of which are far better (as the Italy match showed) - and some of which have games in hand. You read it here first - our campaign is officially over. Even useless England hae more chance, given that they are in a group wi a bunch of numpty teams.

SPEAKIN of reports, I just heard on RS da coonty is lookin to commission a report into the future of oil and Sullom Voe Terminal. Now, there is a pot of goald awaitin for anyone wi the credentials to undertake such an assessment.

If maintaining US wealth vis the rest of the world means invading foreign countries, ransacking them, killing their civilians and appropriating their natural resources - essentially what's happening in Iraq - then I don't want Shjetland to play any part in the US military industrial complex. US foreign policy is not as benign as has been painted by some here. If keeping the price of oil/burgers/whatnot in the US low means suppressing foreign labour movements, fighting aggressive wars and dictating the terms of international trade then this is precisely what the US is prepared to do. To a large extent, the preservation of US wealth does mean maintaining the gap between rich and poor, especially when you are running a massive, negative trade balance and owing a fortune to the world banks - whoever they are.

Incidentally, we don't have a socialist MP or MSP. Who is "they" you refer to Sparks? From the rest of your comments, "they" would appear to be Islamic terrorists who don't possess ballistic missiles. In which case the anti-missile system is no defence against them. Despite the vast and disproportionate ballyhoo in the media, you have more chance of being killed by lightning in the UK than being struck down in a terrorist attack. There is no evidence whatsover that SVOT or any other part of Shetland is a "target" for anyone, nor, given the pattern of terrorist targetting hitherto is it at all likely to become so. The US may not have lost many battles in Vietnam, but they were no nearer to defeating the North and VC after 10 years than they were in 1965. After dropping more tonnes of bombs on the country than were used in WWII and huge amounts of chemical weapons (in my view an appalling war crime) they still had not broken the spirit of the people to resist. Thank God the US public turned so heavily against the war and succeeded in ending involvement. Human decency sometimes prevails against the evil nutters.

I don't want Shetland to be a base for US defence interests - whether or not they provide security for us. The main, global, impetus for instabillity is the inequality of wealth between the west and the third world, including the Muslim states. US strategy is to maintain that gulf, whatever the costs. I don't want to be part of that programme, and if anyone really believes it's OK for the west to hog global resources while much of the world starves, I'd say, morally speaking, they become legitimate targets for terrorism - the counterpart force for change to the western military's role of protecting the status quo. So, let's hope we're not going to have this foisted on us. Unlike the wind mills, people here won't have any choice if Shetland becomes a key part of US defence plans.

Anyone seen recent DNA studies that place the Brits ie Scottish and English, but most especially Welsh and Irish firmly in the same genetic line as the "Celtic" Spaniards - ie people from the north and west of Spain and Portugal? The genetic markers are virtually identical for Basques and people from the west of Ireland. Seeing the number of fine-lookin black haired gals in Donegal that's not hard to believe. There's a certian similarity in DNA type distribution throughout the west of Europe, including Norway and Iceland, though the Scandinavian countries also show considerable correlation with eastern and central Europe. As someone else has said "it's all a big melting pot". Me, I'm a half-breed Picto-trow.

The poet Hugh MacDermid lived in Whalsay either in the 1930s or 40s and was the subject of a probe by the police. He apparently had a public meeting on socialist issues in his hoose which was attended by a few curious locals and the rozzers as well, including the chief of police. He wrote a very caustic and pretty funny reply to the chief of police (I think his name was Gordon) which I have read but cannot for the life of me remember where it was published - either New Shetlander or Shetland Life I suppose. I don't think much came of the socialist movement in Whalsay after that, but it was interesting that the police would take such a public interest in any organisational movements - I suppose it was the climate of the times with the "red menace" looming.

Frank - Magnie Williamson's younger brother Mattie still bides in Waas (possibly Sunnybank), he micht be able to help.

Magnie Williamson from Walls (now deceased) said he was injured during a bombing raid in Spain when he was in the merchant navy - had to be Spanish civil war. Dunno the port or the exact year.

There may be more to this than meets the eye. Don't be surprised if matters don't end there. As to the general point about work being hived off to outside agencies - there are large pots of cash in Shetland adminstered by people who appear to have little or know knowledge of who can do or supply what locally. Generally, if you are not in the loop, you will not have access to, or even know about, these contracts. As to the quoted claim that "there was no other contractor based in Shetland who could have provided this complete package within the tight timescales involved" is just specious sprootle - whose oversight led to such tight timescales anyway?

Read somewhere that the old Gaelic name for Shetland was something like Inish Cait - supposedly the "island of the Cat people" this would give pre-Norse Shetland a connection with Caithness - the Ness of the Cat people. Hardly surprising if there was a strong historical link between Caithness, Orkney and Shetland. Anyone (Njugle) got ony mair info on the Spanish influence in Whalsay adn Skerries. El Gran Griffon ran aground on Fair Isle putting over 400 sailors and marines ashore. It'd be surprising if they didn't leave some seed in the process.

Haven't heard of ony een kale casting for yonks. Used to be a popular pastime for wiz in early teen years. Not so good to be on the recieving end of a dad o kale and dirty great neep though.

The wulver is mentioned in an old 19th cent book aboot SHetland folklore by Jessie Saxby. Never read it, but I think that's where the Wikipedia reference comes fae. If I mind right, it is supposed to be a Yell monster (no surprise there) and there is suposed to be (or have been) a rock caad the Wulver's Stane where it would fish from. I've never heard this story from any other source but recall hearing about a black dog in Orkney that was supposed to walk about on its hind legs scaring the pants affa travelers on lonely roads.