bug

.....and ( I may be wrong here) is it not the case that the coastguard tug expected to prevent another "Braer" pranged onto rocks outside Scalloway and caused a damn sight more scunner than the Braer did.

Good point - and helps me make my point above. All the resources available (or in hindsight should have been available - see Lord Whatsisname's report) made not the slightest bit of difference.

SP, you are correct - this is indeed a very serious matter. But in my humble opinion, it is not a matter that means too much to an islander. The people "in power" South will come and go, at a 5-yearly election, as is their want. The European Parliament will extrapolate. Meanwhile folk in Shetland will do what they have always done. Look after folk aff. Shutdown the coastguards (all coastguards) right now....and..we (the islanders) will manage fine...as we have always done and will continue to do.

http://emindmaps.software.informer.com/ I've been using the Free version of emindmaps for years and have found it extremely useful (and dead easy to use - simplest one around). Can do hyperlinking and stuff if you desire but for a general capture and organisation of thoughts its brilliant. Have derived many an essay using it. Have used it as an agenda tool on a projected image and updated the page with the attendees thoughts as they said them to make it the minutes of the meeting. You can cut and paste to MS Word (el al) to expand bullet points as necessary. A great tool for Free. Highly recommended. p.s. You seem to be in 2007 - check your Shetlink settings EDIT - oh no you're not - your back into 2011 ??

Just read the SN headline re Sumburgh Lighthouse http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/2011/January/news/Government%20green%20lights%20Sumburgh%20Head.htm A thought springs to mind - Funding already secured so why not incorporate a 24/7 state of the art Coastguard Control Room within the Lighthouse. Apt building, apt location with airport handy, apt surroundings and an added "live" visitor attraction where the public could see a working coastguard station in action for a small fee towards ops costs. (Obviously taking the access away when there's an incident "in progress".) The old LK site could be sold off to developers, or make a cracking site for LKs own mega wind turbine.

Not a viable option - was tried/threatened by the local fishing fleet sailing up to Yell Sound many moons ago when tanker traffic was at it's busiest. (blockade didn't actually occur but the threat did get a snippet of National publicity though it had zero effect). Nowadays with minimal tanker movements and huge storage capacity it would take weeks to make the slightest impact if any impact whatsoever. There's nobody I can think of that would even consider such a foolhardy undertaking.

Hi, You missed the tiny 0.9p in the upper RH corner of each price display - 143.9 & 140.9 Effectively £1.44 & £1.41. ouch.... glad I filled up last week.

Perhaps but we should maybe first try coming together to find a more practical and workable solution to the situation ourselves. I know..... We could start an internet forum...... ....where like minded, and alternate minded, people have (virtually) open debate......... We could call it ..................... erm........... Shetlink

Of course we will. Here's to all of our tomorrows Koy -

So we now birl into another decade. 2011-2020. What do we call it? We've left the "Naughties", 00's, or whatever they were called, behind. Is there a naming protocol for decades or should we just start with Elevenses and then decide later? Shetlinkers - we must get to a speedy resolution to this/(my) dilemma before the national media usurps us. Any suggestions for my poll?

nope

That's probably a result of the long dark nights. Thank goodness noone in Whitehall is thinking of banishing GMT and moving the clocks onto BST all year round.

Z - you nailed it.

Attempts "at" wid be nearly acceptable - attempts "on".. nah nah doos speaking pish.... and dool ner wind wis up athoot a troosip aboard. Shetland is not a small community. It is probably the biggest and probably the bestest. Cum alang an see - do might enjoy. .... and as aside - a bug is not always just an insect, it is occasionally referred to as a listening device..or da feery, or..........................? and noone above told you where to go, and no doubt noone will by by - venecular for by by

Dinna fret aboot it - Just ask Magnie at Grantfield damorn - He'll put you right.

BF - if doos goin tae get intae a tangle o sharn at least gate dee venecluar properly connected. OOR ... nah nah (dats for Dundonian Pubishers of Da Broon's and da lik). WIR.... wid be mare representive. I doot Somerset or sum idder ingindshire place wid soot dee better. by by.

wow - hard hitting stuff...and rightly so. UK broadasters (BBC/ITV/SKY et al) should broadcast. ........ Starting now. Thanks for posting

Once the strangulation wears off (some folk would enjoy throttling you) why not open a new thread under that auspice. However I would suggest changing the title to "Moderation or Censorship?" I accept the reprimand for my poor spelling in good grace, bug. Another reason first rate schools like Scalloway should be applauded rather than closed. A somewhat tenious link! - but I see your point and accept your hat doffing - attendees at Scalloway school (unlike yourself) would be grammaticaly correct also.

Once the strangulation wears off (some folk would enjoy throttling you) why not open a new thread under that auspice. However I would suggest changing the title to "Moderation or Censorship?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pike He was a clever bu**er as you can see from his profile. We all called him Dick.

Ok so it's Hollywood - but I reckon this brings this thread to commonality Watch these snippets and get a gist - watch both complete films and then go forum responding. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAiWwjHvid0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-akbfcr45Gc&playnext=1&list=PL67CA324F49807E66&index=3

Dr. Richard Pike (good name for a swimmer) swam Yell Sound in the 1980's - non-stop. (He worked for BP at SVT). I'll try and dig out how long he took although idders might know off the top of their heads.

I think not. Although quite eloquent Smart merely fails to elucidate.

^ and they seemed to get the paraffin/diesel mix right - did anybody get the recipe to pass to Mark E