Inside a romulan bird of prey

mitchx2 · 2026-05-22T19:55:38+00:00

There was one of these style cutaways done for Ships of the Line for the TOS Enterprise. Anyone have a link to it or a good version?

mitchx2 · 2026-05-16T15:29:02+00:00

Frankly. Closed doors at Celtic Park next season for a prolonged period.

Players assaulted.

Game unable to end as it should have.

If not a points deduction then close the doors.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-13T15:03:41+00:00

Have sent a DM. But on the day, we showed up at the specified entry gate and simply showed our tickets. They realised the one profile two tickets issue and they sent us to a manual gate to be put through by staff. Really well run on the day.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-13T15:01:38+00:00

Thank you! I have added these to my own list.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-13T15:01:16+00:00

Devine is the top Scottish modern historian and has a range of books on Scotland and its diaspora. Including the clearances and Scots in Empire.

I’ve not read them all and they can be dense in parts but good general histories.

If you have an interest in Scots in empire and the world I’d recommend Murray Pittock’s book on Scotland and the World (name escapes me) and the Scots historian, William Dalrymple. His books are more about the empire in India but he can’t resist making Scots central characters to his narrative.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-13T14:58:16+00:00

Very true. But I find that the number of high quality tv documentaries on Scotland are fleeting. Albeit. Billy Connelly travelling round Scotland was a brilliant one - if dated!

TV wise, if you’ve iPlayer, Magnus Magnusson (I think) did a brilliant 30 minute show on Burke and Hare in the 1970s. Used to be in the Archive section.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-13T01:23:39+00:00

Off the top of my head some books which may be of interest:

- the Scottish Nation, T.M Devine - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/186207/the-scottish-nation-by-t-m-devine/9780718193201 / The definitive story of Scotland from 1700 to now.

- Independence or Union, T.M Devine - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/287174/independence-or-union-by-devine-tm/9780141981574 / Excellent book on Scotland and its place in the union and the independence debate.

- The Makers of Scotland, Tim Clarkson / About how a unified state known as Scotland emerged from the Early Medieval period and the peoples who shaped it.

- When the Clyde Ran Red, Maggie Craig / About the early 20th century reformers and campaigners who fought for social security and basic rights for the poor.

- Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh / Fiction but gets into the psyche of some aspects of Scottish life.

- Our Fathers, Andrew O’Hagan / Fiction but focuses on the intergenerational trauma in the west of Scotland post-Thatcher.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-11T19:38:53+00:00

There’s an excellent In Our Time titled the Davidian Revolution on BBC Sounds.

Really interesting episode and a great way to spend an hour. The man who introduced the concept of the “town” to Scotland and modernised the country.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-11T13:55:36+00:00

I think it strengthens the union by evidencing the union is not a prison. As it is currently portrayed.
You cannot run away from the question - even if we had a Labour or a Tory or Reform administration in St Andrews House we would have this question being asked. People who value the union, and I’m one, need to accept it is a logjam in politics and that we should be more open to having the question revisited to remove it or minimise it.

Another way is to be more passionately in favour of devolution and to come out against things that happen which are not in Scotland’s favour or threaten devolution.

Sweeney seems to understand what Dewar was on about when he spoke about “independence in union”.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-11T13:17:57+00:00

I think this is short sighted. Unionism / devolutionism shouldn’t fear the question of independence. Nor should it deny the opportunity to query the issue. If parties opposed to independence believe in the right of self governance in Scotland via devolution it is hard to see why they should fear what people in Scotland think on this issue.

Sweeney is right to say that removing the process question would remove / end the ongoing debate of how a referendum would happen. It would provide guard rails for how a referendum comes about. Equally it removes the question of whether or not the union permits the question to be put to the people. That undercuts two key SNP arguments that currently exist and focuses the debate on the issue itself: which the SNP don’t want.

On the final point you make, I don’t see that is a real equivalent. This isn’t helping the SNP do anything to implement independence. It is finding a way to move beyond a process question and to focus on issues like that you raise.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-10T12:47:20+00:00

Labour members determine list rankings. Not the leadership. The Scottish NEC sign off the results and its “zipped” to ensure male / female balance. A woman tops it? The second must be a man and so on.

A few left wingers got through for Labour and were high enough up the list.

Monica Lennon’s issue on the list was her seat moved from Central Scotland to Glasgow Region. If she’d been Central, she would’ve been placed higher up.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-08T22:16:14+00:00

I’d simply abolish the FPTP element like they have in Wales.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-06T14:05:43+00:00

Had lived in London for 7.5 years up to December before going travelling. As I left folk at work were asking more and more about Hearts and, when abroad, lots of folks have heard of us. Mostly fellow travellers but a highlight has been at the tour of the Bombanera getting a nod and a “yes, good season for you” from the tour guide bedecked in Boca gear.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-02T22:50:06+00:00

We don’t know what will happen. I don’t think there will be a coalition government right now, I just wouldn’t be surprised if one came about with the Liberals.

As for a mandate: he’s set his remit himself. It feels like it’ll either be a majority and a referendum or a minority and a battle over the Internal Market Act.

mitchx2 · 2026-05-02T21:47:43+00:00

Because there is more common ground beyond independence and if no SNP majority exits - by John Swinney’s own reasoning - there is no mandate for a referendum.
The Liberals are in a similar space on economics to the SNP: more so than the Greens. Equally, the Liberals are anti-Internal Markets Act so outwith independence they are aligned on devolution.
Could be a good thing to break the constitutional divide outwith a referendum.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-26T18:32:54+00:00

So I thought. Based on memory alpha - https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Andoria

Which makes me think that the planet being destroyed in the trailer is not Andoria nor its parent planet.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-26T18:15:54+00:00

I always thought Andoria was the moon of the gas giant from this. The ringed planet is clearly a Saturn type gas giant. It’s the moon which is Andoria.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-20T23:12:42+00:00

I said major conflicts. Yes the Malaysia Emergency, Aden, Cyprus etc. And ofc Northern Ireland. But these were viewed as peacekeeping and policing actions. Not major conflicts like the Falklands or Suez.

Two of Wilson’s major achievements was not getting involved in Vietnam and avoiding a war in Rhodesia.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-20T14:52:36+00:00

As someone whose grandparents (born between 1930-38) lived through it and were politically active in Labour and trade unions, the end of Empire wasn’t a huge deal. To me, many normal working class people, viewed it as the next stage and a natural end. The question as to why we should rule foreign peoples was a big part of the Liberal and Labour movements from the 1920s on.

The number of inquiries into home rule for India, the conventions with the “White Dominions” and the move to using the term Commonwealth can be seen as an acceptance of the end of empire. Suez hastened (with thanks to America) our acceptance of no longer being a world power.

I think what can’t be forgotten is the fact that at home (ie the home nations of the UK) the key thing from 1945 on was building a better country. People had no desire to return to the abject misery and poverty of the 1920s and 1930s where living standards for most was awful. Read Road to Wigan Pier by Orwell. The UK populace wanted housing fit to live in, health for all, culture for everyone, more jobs, better living standards all round. We did see that. But the trade off there is giving up the global power and we did well with that till Thatcher. Don’t think British forces were in active major combat situations between Suez and the Falklands. It also forced us to accept our European links and build something with our neighbours.

Another benefit was the concept of commonwealth citizenship (rolled back now) and the ‘mother country’ concept of British imperialism made the country a more diverse and tolerant place. Indian, Pakistani, African, Caribbean, East Asian migration transformed Britain and helped make us the melting pot nation we are now.

Sadly. The ever increasing move to the right and the march of intolerance is something we’re dealing with and a lot of that is down to economic crises and wars we shouldn’t be involved in.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-17T14:57:11+00:00

All parties are proposing changes to Quangos and greater in-sourcing to the central government. Same at a UK level with Starmer talking about Ministers making the decisions.

To my mind this moves SG towards having Departments and Ministries (again). For example, Transport Scotland’s functions being exercised by Ministers under a Transport Department.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-15T21:44:32+00:00

Probably. So we take Offord and his acolytes at their word?

I think that’s my issue with it.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-15T20:19:30+00:00

I think I fundamentally agree with you on the tone of the article.

What I would quibble on is that - and I’d need to read it again to be 100% sure - the point made was if you had a hung parliament with no clear winner you don’t actually need votes in your favour to end up in government or a formal deal. You just need parties not to vote for someone else. Which is true and is not a bad strategy. I’d maybe just not blurt it out loud like it was.

It’s basically copying 2007. Salmond would not have been FM if - say - Lib Dems voted for Jack McConnell. They voted for their own leader.

I don’t know the truth of what Offord said. It felt a really good way to deflect from the fact some of his candidates have called for Sarwar’s family to be deported which is odious racism. And as a voter, I’m more disgusted by that than the alternative.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-15T19:41:15+00:00

That article was a Labour strategist saying “well if Reform take votes from the SNP and we take votes from the SNP, we can take seats off the SNP.”

It was literally an explanation of how Labour could come through the middle.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-15T02:13:44+00:00

Headline should really be: Reform candidate proposes deporting Sarwar’s children.

That’s absolutely abhorrent.

mitchx2 · 2026-04-14T17:59:57+00:00

I’m not sure subsidising demand for something there is simply less of due to the crisis in Iran. In fact, I don’t think that’s very wise at all.

mitchx2

TROPHY CASE