Rural living, high-speed Internet access?
Maine's governor is leading an initiative to bring wireless service to areas with at least five people per square mile.
Rob Newell spends his days fixing high-speed Internet connections.
But when he returns to his home office here in western Maine, a two-hour drive from Portland, Newell is forced to use an abysmally slow dial-up connection that takes hours to download material he needs for business and makes it impossible to fix clients' computers remotely.
"It's quite difficult," said Newell, who owns Newell Consulting, a computer networking company. He cannot get high-speed Internet access from the phone company because the nearest central office, in Farmington, is 10 miles away, too far to maintain a connection. Hooking up his house by satellite would cost about $800 a month, he said. Any time he has to download new programs to upgrade his computer devices, he said, "it's almost unfeasible."
Newell and others will finally be able to join the broadband world with help from an unlikely source: the state of Maine.
Gov. John E. Baldacci is leading an initiative to bring wireless Internet service to 90 percent of Maine communities that meet a population threshold (five people per square mile) by 2010. Baldacci, who announced the initiative, Connect Maine, last January, is also pledging universal cell phone coverage by 2008.
"The thing about technology is that you can never rest on your laurels," said Kurt Adams, counsel to Baldacci. "With how quickly technology is developing, Gov. Baldacci believes we have to keep up with the pace in order to keep an advantage."
Part of Baldacci's inspiration for the project came from his own experience driving around the state and losing cell phone coverage, Adams said.
Details are still being worked out. The state has nearly completed a program mapping out cell phone and broadband dead zones, and a task force of telecommunications company representatives, business owners and others will deliver recommendations to Baldacci by the end of the month.
While the price of outfitting Maine with broadband service is still being determined, it will cost roughly $55 million to build enough cell towers to cover the state, Adams said.
Phone and cable companies have not expanded broadband service outside the state's large towns because they see no profit from such an investment; large areas still lack cable television service altogether. The same is true with cellular towers; coverage has been difficult because the state's 1.2 million residents are widely dispersed, and DSL, the phone companies' broadband technology, requires users to be within about three miles of a central office.
Rather than underwrite the entire effort, the state will most likely use a combination of measures that could include tax incentives, direct subsidies to companies and grants to municipalities, those involved with state technology efforts said.
It is also looking toward businesses like Ubiquitair, a broadband company in York, Maine, that is bringing the technology to residential islands in Casco Bay, in southern Maine.
"Initially it was a straight need, a lack of competition and an ability to do something that no one else has done," said Stuart Santoro, the company's founder, of its move to the islands. "Ideally, if you can get into rural areas and be able to provide services that others can't provide, you're helping increase property values, and telecommuters can stay home and work."
The state is also exploring use of the federal government's Universal Service Fund to help pay for the effort.
"There are going to be areas of the state where the economics may be poor, and those are the areas where we need government intervention," said Peter Reilly, a spokesman for Verizon, the state's largest broadband and wireless provider. "The opportunity is there for the government to partner with private industry in those areas where market economics are considered questionable for natural development."
State officials say the program is a way to make the state more competitive by attracting businesses and residents, and giving existing small businesses a way to expand their reach outside Maine.
They also see it as a way to stem the tide of young college graduates who leave the state for jobs, and a means to help recover some of the thousands of manufacturing and industrial jobs the state has lost in the last 20 years with the closing of plants and factories.
"There's an economic development imperative, a human resource drain imperative and an environmental imperative," said Tony Buxton, an energy lawyer who is involved in the initiative. "There's a challenge for any state like Maine with issues such as the loss of talented people to other markets, the effects of globalization on natural-resources-based industries and competition for industries such as call centers, all which can be affected dramatically by the ability of people to use technology."
In many cases downtown areas have broadband service, but not homes one mile away. About one in six residents currently lack broadband access, Adams said.
The state's hilly terrain also makes it difficult to ensure cell phone coverage, and many involved in the effort said this made the notion of statewide service impossible. The state set up a program for residents to report dead spots, which the state is mapping. More than 3,000 people have responded since spring. Most of the spots are along Interstate 95, which runs the length of the state.
For people like Sam Elowitch, a Web developer and editor from Farmington, broadband access is reason enough to move to a new house, as he and his family did two years ago.
Four years ago, Elowitch founded the Rural Broadband Initiative, a program to help bring broadband to western and rural Maine.
Elowitch, who is on the governor's broadband access committee, worries that places like New Vineyard, on the outskirts of a small town, may still not receive service. He is also concerned that the technology may develop faster than the initiative.
"Just because a town offers DSL and cable doesn't mean the problem is solved," Elowitch said.
Some, including Richard Davis, the Farmington town manager, say they think any new technology will be better than dial-up. The rural region, he said, is still struggling to get back on its feet after the loss of manufacturing jobs, and is looking for ways to help ramp up the economy.
"Up here in the wilds of Maine, we're somewhat isolated from the rest of the world, but we have a lot of folks who do business out of their homes," Davis said. "It's important for the economy anywhere, but it will be particularly helpful here in this area, where we don't have a lot of manufacturing jobs anymore."
Discuss: Rural living, high-speed Internet access?


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Headline (1943)
Headline is a 1943 British crime film set against the backdrop of a big city news room.
David Farrar is "Brookie" Brooks, ace crime reporter for The Sun. He's under pressure from his news editor, the hardbitten L.B. Ellington (John Stuart), since Dell (a rather young-looking William Hartnell) of The Daily Record seems to keep beating him to scoops. Now a juicy murder story seems to offer Brookie the chance to steal a march on his rival but Brookie uncovers a piece of evidence that puts him in a difficult dilemma.
We know who the murderer is right from the start, and right from the start we also know that the Mystery Woman spotted at the scene of the crime is Ellington's wife Margaret (Antoinette Cellier) so this is a suspense film rather than a mystery film.
The audience knows what is going on but most of the major characters don't. For Brookie it's just another story and at first it seems like Dell is going to come out on top yet again but Dell makes a fatal error. Arthur Jones (Richard Goolden) is a scatter-brained eccentric who likes to play at being an amateur sleuth. Every time a murder is committed he has a theory that will solve the case, but of course none of his theories actually work. Dell decides to play a bit of a joke on his rival by suggesting that Jones take his latest theory to Brookie at The Sun. This is a mistake because this time Jones really does have the solution.
While Brookie and Dell are frantically trying to out-scoop each other they're not neglecting their love lives. Brookie's girlfriend is Sun newspaperwoman Anne (Anne Crawford) but their romance faces one major obstacle - Brookie is already married, to his job, and he thinks it would be unfair to ask any woman to marry a reporter.
The romance angle and the rivalry between Brookie and Dell are treated in a breezy light-hearted manner and both these elements provide a certain amount of comic relief (comic relief being something William Hartnell was often called on to provide in his early film career).
There is however a more serious side to this movie and the suspense story is pretty effective with a nice twist at the end. There's also a surprisingly serious and subtle treatment of newspaper ethics and it takes a slightly jaundiced view of the newspaper game.
David Farrar does the brash pushy reporter thing well and still manages to be a reasonably sympathetic character. William Hartnell (best remembered of course as the first Doctor Who) is delightfully unscrupulous and doesn't overdo the comedic moments. Anne Crawford is charming and likeable. Antoinette Cellier is quite good also - Margaret Ellington is not exactly a femme fatale but there are perhaps hints of the femme fatale to her character. And she has the right touch of glamour.
John Harlow's career as a director was far from glittering but he does a solid enough job here and there are one or two fairly atmospheric moments.
The script is very competent and the balance of humour, romance and suspense is just about right.
Network's Region 2 DVD is typical of this company's releases - there's virtually nothing in the way of extras but the transfer is good and the price is reasonable.
Headline is basically a B-movie and it's really rather lightweight but the well-executed and suspenseful ending makes it worthwhile and as a bonus the climactic action scene takes place on a train. You just can't go wrong with train thrillers. On the whole this is an entertaining little movie, especially if you enjoy newspaper crime thrillers. Highly recommended.
Labels: 1940s, B-movies, british cinema, crime movies, newspaper movies
Western Union (1941)
Western Union, made at 20th Century-Fox in 1941, was Fritz Lang's second western. Lang, rather surprisingly, actually liked westerns a good deal. While his movies in this genre don't attract the same critical plaudits as his exercises in film noir like Scarlet Street and The Big Heat they do tend to be interesting. Western Union is not as eccentric as Rancho Notorious but it's a little unusual.
In 1861 Western Union completed the first transcontinental telegraph line. It was an epic tale of adventure and danger. Well actually it wasn't apparently, it was fairly uneventful, but screenwriter Robert Carson took care of that little problem.
The movie opens with a chance meeting between Western Union's chief engineer Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger) and Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott). Shaw is a bank robber on the run and he steals Creighton's horse but just as he's about to make his getaway successfully he realises that Creighton is badly injured. So he takes Creighton with him to seek medical help.
Creighton owes Shaw his life and he soon gets a chance to repay his debt. Although he knows Shaw is an outlaw he gives him a job with the company as scout. It's a vital job since the telegraph is going to be laid through some mighty hostile country. Trusting Shaw is a gamble, but will it pay off?
The third of the movie's stars is Robert Young who plays a dapper tenderfoot from the East named Richard Blake who's not quite such a helpless fool as he first appears.
The film's love interest is provided by Virginia Gilmore as Creighton's sister Sue who soon finds herself with two ardent suitors in the persons of Blake and Shaw.
John Carradine plays a supporting role as the company's genial but cynical doctor and he steals every scene he's in.
The screenplay throws in a few unexpected twists. Attacks by hostile Indians provide the biggest hazard faced by the crew building the telegraph line, although that's what appears to be going on but in fact things are not at all what they seem.
The movie was supposedly based on a novel by Zane Grey but in fact it has little in common with the novel beyond the title.
The movie was shot in Technicolor and it really does have an epic feel. There are two action climaxes coming one on top of another at the end and both are impressive. Opinions seem to vary quite a bit on the final action sequence with some people believing that Lang made a hash of it whilst others believe he handled it perfectly. I fall into the second camp. It works for me.
Opinions on the film as a whole also diverge sharply. It's a movie that changes gears dramatically in the last half-hour. The first hour is quite light-hearted but then the mood darkens significantly, and becomes quite overtly Langian. I think that makes the latter part of the film more effective - it comes as a shock when we realise just how completely trapped the hero is.
While I mentioned the three main stars earlier in actual fact the movie belongs totally to Randolph Scott. By 1941 he had already perfected his minimalist approach to acting and it serves him very well. Robert Young is, surprisingly, quite good. Dean Jagger drew the short straw and got the least interesting of the three main roles but he's solid enough. Virginia Gilmore is charming.
This is the story of a great feat of engineering, and it's a love triangle, but the only real plot strand that matters is the one involving Vance Shaw and it's handled well enough to qualify this as one of the first great classic westerns.
Western Union is a fine movie, visually very impressive, and is highly recommended.
Labels: 1940s, fritz lang, westerns
The Black Camel (1931)
Made by the Fox Film Corporation in 1931 The Black Camel is apparently the earliest of the Warner Oland Charlie Chan movies to survive (although it's not the earliest surviving Charlie Chan movie). It's also interesting as being one of the few Charlie Chan films to be set in the famous detective's home town, Honolulu, and one of the few in which we get to see Charlie's entire family.
Movie star Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier) is in Hawaii to shoot a picture. She's also just about to marry the rich and handsome Alan Jaynes (William Post Jr). She hasn't actually said yes to him yet - first she has to consult her psychic advisor Tarneverro (Bela Lugosi). There may be a reason why she can't marry her young man.
Also on the island at this time is Shelah's first husband Robert Fyfe (Victor Varconi). She's arranged to meet him, for reasons unknown.
Shelah's friend Julie (Sally Eilers) seems to have some idea as to the reason Shelah may not be able to marry Alan Jaynes). She knows that Shelah has a secret from the past.
Inspector Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police is already on the scene. He's also interested in events in the past but soon he's going to be distracted by events in the present when a murder takes place.
Apart from the characters already mentioned there are several other possible suspects including a down-and-out artist, a sinister butler, a mysterious maid and a couple of pompous movie people.
Yet another unusual feature of this movie is that it's based on one of Earl Derr Biggers' actual Charlie Chan novels (although I have no idea how much resemblance it has to the novel apart from the title). It's a decent moderately complicated murder mystery plot with a few good twists.
I'm rather fond of mystery plots involving show business or the world of movies and this one has the nice combination of Hollywood glamour (and a little decadence) with the exotic location.
This is of course the Honolulu of 1931, still a true unspoilt tropical paradise, a far cry from the Honolulu of today. And there's actual location footage, actually shot in Hawaii.
This was in fact a more expensive and more ambitious film than the later Chan films made after Fox became part of 20th Century-Fox. It's also visually quite impressive overall, with the fortune-telling scene between Tarneverro and Shelah being very moody and very atmospheric.
Warner Oland had already played Charlie Chan in Charlie Chan Carries On (one of several Chan movies that are tragically now lost). While I'm quite fond of the Sidney Toler Chan films it has to be admitted that Oland is overall the best of the many actors to play the great Chinese detective. In general Toler's slightly harder-edged performance is perhaps closer to the Chan of Earl Derr Biggers' novels so it's interesting that in this film Oland gives us a Chan who is spikier and more forceful and more cop-like compared to his performances in later movies in the series.
Of course there has to be some comic relief and it comes in the form of Charlie's Japanese side-kick Kashimo (Otto Kamaoka), an insanely energetic and enthusiastic if not overly competent Honolulu PD junior detective. The good news is that he's actually funny. It's a performance you could never get away with today, but then you could never get away with making the Charlie Chan movies today either.
The supporting cast is solid with Robert Young as Julie's boyfriend Jimmy being marginally less hyperactive than usual.
Bela Lugosi is perfectly cast as the enigmatic psychic Tarneverro. It's a fairly restrained performance by Lugosi but a very effective one.
20th Century-Fox spent a lot of money restoring the Chan films for their DVD boxed set releases and it was money well spent. The Black Camel looks pretty good. There are a number of extras including an audio commentary track with film critic Ken Hanke and film historian John Cork.
The Black Camel is fine B-movie entertainment with the added bonus of a slight hint (a very slight hint) of the supernatural. In fact it's definitely one of the very best of the Chan movies. And you get Bela Lugosi as well. Very highly recommended.
Labels: 1930s, B-movies, charlie chan, crime movies
The Third Alibi (1961)
The Third Alibi is a rather obscure little 1961 low-budget British murder mystery. It's always a joy when a movie like this turns out to be a lot more special than one would expect. This one is in fact a neglected gem.
Composer Norman Martell (Laurence Payne) is married to Helen (Patricia Dainton) but he's having an affair with Helen's half-sister Peggy (Jane Griffiths). Peggy is putting a lot of pressure on Norman to ask Helen for a divorce. Peggy is determined that Norman is going to marry her. Unfortunately (for Norman) Helen absolutely refuses to consider giving him a divorce. As so often happens in crime movies it occurs to the adulterous couple that murdering Helen would solve all their problems. Norman has cooked up an elaborate plan for the perfect murder. He has gone into the matter in painstaking detail. Both he and Peggy will have rock-solid unbreakable alibis. Two alibis that will guarantee success.
Of course if every perfect murder went according to plan there wouldn't be any murder mystery movies. Something will go wrong and to the film's credit the plan goes awry in an interesting and original manner. This provides the first of the movie's nasty little twists. It's the third alibi that provides the really vicious sting in the tail and it's very clever indeed.
Maurice J. Wilson and Montgomery Tully wrote the screenplay and it's a very fine piece of work, intricately constructed and with a very neat symmetry as the third major plot twist kicks in at the end.
Tully also directed. He was responsible for numerous low-budget features and his directing style is unostentatious but quietly effective.
The cast is equally impressive. Patricia Dainton is excellent as Helen, giving a subtle performance that becomes more and impressive as the movie progresses. Laurence Payne is equally as good as Norman, a selfish man and a weak one and there's nothing more dangerous (and pathetic) than a weak man who tries to be forceful and decisive. Jane Griffiths is also very solid as Peggy, a woman who is in her own way every bit as reprehensible and conniving as Norman. Norman and Peggy are very unsympathetic characters but that actually works to the film's advantage - they're awful people but they're awful in a way that keeps us engrossed.
John Arnatt is quite splendid as the quietly spoken Superintendent Ross, a man who does his job without fuss but with thoroughness and efficiency.
Look out for brief cameos by Cleo Laine and Dudley Moore (playing the piano).
This is a low-budget movie but the great thing about crime pictures is that they don't need big budgets. It was obviously shot mostly (or even possibly almost entirely) in the studio but it doesn't look cheap or shoddy. Production values are perfectly adequate. It's the writing and the performances that matter and there are no problems in those departments.
Running time is 68 minutes and there's not a wasted minute in the movie.
Renown Pictures have released this movie as part of a three-movie DVD set (the other movies being A Stranger in Town and Night Was Our Friend). It's a single-disc set but since each movie only runs for a bit over an hour there are no problems at all with this method and the transfers are quite satisfactory. There are no extras but the set is still excellent value for money. Of the other two movies Night Was Our Friend is also pretty good. I haven't had a chance to watch A Stranger in Town. It's a UK DVD but the good news is that it's all-region.
The Third Alibi is a very nifty little movie with a clever plot and and excellent performances. Very highly recommended.
Posted by dfordoom at 5:17 PM 3 comments:
recent reviews from my other movie blog
Some recent reviews from my Cult Movie Reviews blog that might be of interest -
Duel in the Jungle (1954) is a lightweight but fun Anglo-American adventure romp with Dana Andrews.
Tarzan and His Mate (1934) is one of the most notorious of all pre-code movies and it's also quite possibly the best-ever Tarzan movie.
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929) was the first of the Paramount Fu Manchu movies with Warner Oland (better-known as Charlie Chan) as Fu Manchu. And it's quite entertaining.
Against All Flags (1952) was one of Errol Flynn's later swashbucklers. Not in the same league as the great Flynn adventure films but it's worth it for Anthony Quinn's gloriously over-the-top supporting performance.
Carry On Cleo (1964) was the best movie of the entire Carry On series. And, very surprisingly for a Carry On movie, the production values are remarkably high.
The Night Has Eyes (1942), a British thriller with a very strong admixture of the gothic. One of James Mason's early starring roles.
Labels: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, adventure, B-movies, comedies, gothic movies, swashbucklers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Welcome to Miss Heidi's Tattoo and Body Piercing!
Dubbed Orlando's finest tattoo studio, and owned by Miss Heidi, who has been tattooing for over 20 years, our studio strives to not only exceed but change industry standards. We're primarily a custom studio but walk-ins are welcome (based on availability). Please see our hours of operation, and stop by to meet our award-winning artists. We're honored to have your business, and look forward to working with you!
Body Piercing and Permanent Makeup Services also available!
Miss Heidi's Tattoo website is currently being redesigned. We appreciate your patience. Once the site is completed you will be able to view the missing artist portfolios. Please call the studio at 407-296-8860 or email Heidi@MissHeidisTattoo.com for further information.
Miss Heidi has been tattooing for over 20 years, and has become known for her love of fine-line, black & gray, portraiture and pinup work.
Nathan Rodriguez (Nasty Nate) has had a passion for art since he could remember. He studied various art mediums while in college to further his knowledge, and that has transitioned into his attention to detail while tattooing. He is well versed in many styles but focuses on fine line, detailed work, black/gray and color. He definitely makes your tattoo experience one to remember!
Michael has always had an appreciation for art, in all forms, from painting to architecture. When this Florida native was introduced to tattooing in 2014, he was instantly hooked. This launched his journey as a full-time tattoo artist who specializes in black and grey work, but enjoys all styles.
Kali has been inspired by art all of her life. She became the Studio Manager in 2018, and will help you with anything you need! Along with being the Studio Manager, she offers Permanent Makeup services and has started taking on a tattoo apprenticeship as well!
Pam "Sea" is the piercing lady at Miss Heidi's Tattoo. Having been at the studio since 2006, she is obsessively and willfully consumed by piercing. When not working, she surfs, dives and secretly hums Cat Stevens songs.
Lauren has been working in the industry for over 3 years. Her initial interest was in photography and design but she is excited to see where her newfound love for tattooing takes her! Lauren will be running the front counter at Miss Heidi's and is here to help with all your questions and booking needs!
Keylan Ballentine's passion for art initially landed her an animation/illustration career path—until realizing that tattooing is what scratches her artistic itch. She is a self-proclaimed Marvel and DC dork and loves all styles related to Disney and comics.


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Scenting blood
Jan13 by weegingerdug
The Scottish media pack has got itself a bone, and it's going to chew it. And chew it. Lost amonst the vast tundra-like acreage of the Scottish media's coverage of Alex Salmond, there was an article this week entitled Alex Salmond Is Looking For Blood. And I thought to myself, clearly, he's not the only one. You could say the same about the vast majority of the Scottish media. Today there was yet another column, this time entitled It's Not Going To End Well. And indeed it's not, although I suspect that it's not Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon who need to be worried in the longer term.
Despite the MeToo movement, despite what seemed to have been a new consensus that allegations of sexual harrassment should be taken seriously and treated with sensitivity, that the feelings and voices of the alleged victims should be central to the investigation, the Scottish media is hell bent on using the allegations against Alex Salmond as a political tool to bring down the Scottish government and the independence movement. They're doing this without the slightest consideration of the alleged victims, Alex Salmond, or indeed anyone else.
What makes the entire episode even more distasteful is that the cheerleaders are the Scottish branches of the Labour and Conservative parties, parties which have themselves very poor recent track records in the investigation of complaints against prominent party members. Their hypocrisy is breathtaking, and entirely unremarked upon by their tag team partners in the Scottish media.
Not that we should be surprised. This is a country where, as it has often been pointed out, the media is wildly unrepresentative of the views of the public it claims to serve. The overwhelmingly British nationalist Scottish media doesn't see its job as being to hold up a mirror to a Scotland where half the population – and growing – support independence, but rather to do all it can to deny, deflect, and damage the independence movement.
The media in this country are lost in their monomaniacal pursuit of SNPbaddery. Now of course when there are allegations made against a former First Minister, allegations which are not properly investigated leading to that former First Minister taking the government he used to lead to court, that's a story, no one is denying that. The Scottish civil service has not covered itself with glory here. However the anti-indy media in Scotland is so all-consumed with its hatred of the SNP and the broader independence movement, that it's unable to put this story into its proper perspective. This is fundamentally a story about individuals, a story which will have limited political implications and effects.
Compare and contrast with what's going on elsewhere. Right now we've learned that the FBI opened an investigation into the sitting president of the USA in order to discover whether he's a Russian agent. That's mind-boggling in its implications. The FBI can't just open an investigation on a whim. There has to be credible and serious evidence. The investigation has to be approved by the US Department of Justice. Yet according to the New York Times, such an investigation was started by the FBI into Donald Trump, an investigation which was apparently then folded into the ongoing Mueller investigation into the president. It is entirely possible, and some would argue plausible, that we live in a world where the American president is acting as an agent for Vladimir Putin. That has enormous implications not just for the USA, but for the rest of the world. No one in the Scottish media has bothered to examine the ramifications of these developments on Scotland, a key part of the NATO alliance and the site of some of Trump's business interests, because hey, SNPbad.
Somewhat closer to home the British government is in the terminal stages of its Brexitosis disease. For all the talking up in the Scottish media of a supposed SNP civil war, there is a very real and very obvious civil war going on within the Conservative party and the British government. This is a government which preaches about respecting the EU referendum result while using it as an excuse to undermine parliament and treats democratic accountability with open contempt.
The British state currently has the most inept, casually cruel, and irresponsible government in living memory. The British state is perched on the verge of a precipice due to the single minded pursuit by large factions of the Conservative party of the fantasy of British exceptionalism. The government may not last the week, and we could be facing a snap general election in which the Conservatives tear one another apart. Their abnegation of reality and single minded concentration on their narrow short term party political interests has created the most serious crisis in the British state since the end of WW2.
The fantasy is apparently shared – albeit in a British Parliamentary Road to Socialism version – by large parts of the Labour party. Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn confirmed on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday morning that he would fight that snap general election on the basis of his own Brexit fantasy, a so-called jobs-first Brexit. There's no such thing as a jobs-first Brexit. That's like saying that there's a patients-first bubonic plague.
We have a British government, a British political establishment, led by chancers peddling a lie. However the British government hasn't just pursued an unrealistic Brexit fantasy, it has also used Brexit as a tool to undermine the entire devolution settlement. This was then presented by the Scottish media as some minor quibbling about food standards and package labelling.
Throughout this entire sorry episode in the decline and fall of the British state, the Scottish media has avoided a detailed and thoughtful examination of the effects of Brexit on a Scotland which voted to remain in the EU by a considerably larger margin than it voted to remain in the UK. Scotland sits powerlessly on the sidelines, and that's just fine with the vast majority of the media in Scotland.
As soon as the story broke about allegations being made against Alex Salmond, it was entirely to be expected that the Scottish media would go to town on it. In this country we have a media which has not come to terms with the new Scotland that arose in the 21st century, a Scotland which is increasingly confident within itself and questions its place and role within the UK. The Scottish media still hankers for the days of the late 20th century when talk of independence was marginal and absent from the Scottish political mainstream. As soon as they scented the whiff of blood they were going to go for it, losing themselves in an orgiastic frenzy of SNPbaddery.
The modus operandi of the Scottish media has always been to personalise the cause of independence, to desperately attempt to corral it within the confines of a single political party and its leader. We saw that in the constant repetitions of the phrase Alex Salmond's referendum during the campaign of 2014. We still see it in the Scottish media's single minded pursuit of SNPbad stories as a proxy for attacking the broader cause of independence.
Sadly for them it's not going to work. Whatever the outcome of this story, it won't have the slightest effect on the demand for Scottish independence. The reality which the British nationalist media in Scotland cannot and will not accept, which they wilfully refuse to comprehend, is that the Scottish independence movement is not driven by the SNP. It's not a creature of Alex Salmond. It's not a creature of Nicola Sturgeon. The driving force for the campaign for Scottish independence is the manifest shortcomings, failures, and inadequacies of the British state. Those are shortcomings, failures, and inadequacies which are only set to get worse. No amount of SNPbaddery will change that.
The British state is bleeding to death from its self-inflicted wounds. Nothing that the Scottish media can say about Alex Salmond is going to alter that political and historical reality. It's not just the Scottish media which scents blood. So do we. The difference is that our teeth have purchase.
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42 comments on "Scenting blood"
davidmccann24 says:
Nailed it!- Again!
Therapymum says:
As ever – bang on!
JSM says:
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a 50+ Female and commented:
Very good Paul and spot on.
Indyman says:
As soon as Scotland becomes independent and starts issuing Scottish passports I'll get one, tear my English one up and flush it down the toilet. It can then join the global influence and leadership once enjoyed by the UK that has been flushed down there by the self serving traitors in Westminster.
The UK is now the subject of derisory political cartoons the world over. The use of Great in Great Britain will have to be dropped to avoid laughter. I am afraid that once the last foreign owned companies like Toyota, Nissan, (Now co-owned by the French) Honda and Land Rover/Jaguar have relocated their production to the EU and the financial institutions dependent on membership of the EU have moved back to the EU along with their tax receipts we will be seeing an economic disaster without precedent in our history.
And even then there will be those who will be incapable of admitting that they got it wrong and were conned into voting for Brexit by a privileged elite and their servile media whose only concern was to keep their tax bills low by hanging on to their tax havens (which the EU are going to start going after this year. Coincidence? I think not.). Sheeple doesn't begin to describe the sheer stupidity of these people. It is a tragedy that so many innocent lives are going to be destroyed by their ignorance and delusions.
My only hope for the future is that the whole clusterbourach will wake enough people up to destroy the class system in England and break the grip that the public school posh boys and their arse licking minions have on our political system.
Eric the Cheeseman says:
Whilst I have more confidence (this time round) in the Scottish electorate to see through the bulls*** that will be thrown our way ahead of indyref2, I too fear for the mess that awaits our southern neighbours, in lieu of the shambles that awaits them after March.
In 2014, I saw a reinvigorated Scottish electorate, many from impoverished and lower income backgrounds, vote for the very first time. My hope is that the same will happen in England one day (post Scottish independence) to show that the majority of voters do not need austerity, and do not need an overpriveleged, tax-dodging establishment telling them what's best for them.
England is better than that… and as soon as THEY realise that the Empire is dead, and that wartime spirit doesnt make good economics, then maybe they'll have a chance of being taken seriously in this modern world.
Scenting blood | speymouth says:
[…] Wee Ginger Dug Scenting blood The Scottish media pack has got itself a bone, and it's going to chew it. And chew […]
Shug Curtains says:
Paul, a wee typo/autocorrect problem. Paragraph 13; Should it no be "Modus operandi"? Your article is a wonderfully, cogent expose of the Scottish press and media.
weegingerdug says:
So it should. Don't know how that happened. Fixed it now. Thanks.
John McLeod says:
I agree with your argument that independence is bigger than the SNP or any particular political leader who might happen to be First Minister. However, there are two aspects of the Alex Salmond sexual harassment case that really trouble me. The first is that, in more than 50 years as a taxpayer and voter, Nicola Sturgeon has been the first Prime Minister or First Minister I have known, who has articulated, and acted in accordance with, values that are fundamental to the kind of society I want to be able to live in. I know that there are many other very capable figures in the senior ranks of the SNP. But I think that it would be a great loss if the current situation had the effect of forcing Nicola Sturgeon out of office. My second concern is that I believe that one of the drivers for independence is a hope and belief in the possibility of a society that is headed up by people who have integrity and compassion. I think there are many people who do not share this hope, and say things like 'you can never trust a politician' or 'they are only in it for themselves'. Over and above any specific damage to the SNP, the approach taken by most of the media has been to exaggerate any relevant evidence that might be interpreted as showing corruption or dishonesty on the part of independence-oriented political figures: 'they are no better than the rest'.
Richard Wickenden says:
John. You have hit the nail on the head. The number of times when I talk to people on the doorstep while canvassing, out in the street on action days around the Pitlochry area where I live and generally talking about independence the phrase 'I never trust a politician of any party' or 'They are only in it for what they can squeeze out of it' I hate to say it, but even most of the Tory, Labour and LibDem politicians are reasonably honest. It is just a small minority of MP's MSP's of these main parties that are crooked despicable scum (larger proportion of Tories than the rest). MSM including the BBC, STV, Channel 4 and Sky News are the main cause of the general public's distrust.
Rob McKenzie says:
Can't see how it'll force her out of office. What's she done that would be so bad as to warrant such an outcome? At worst she'll be found to have breached the ministerial code. Hardly a resigning matter.
mountainvoyager says:
Brilliant Writing Paul.. Says it all
mullwharcharcom says:
Thank you Wee Ginger Dug, for putting it into words. I haven't words left for the media campaign to discredit the only true political leader in the UK whose integrity, clear direction and humanity is respected throughout Europe and the world, as opposed to the dangerous mess at Westminster. She has been presented with a dangerous and difficult situation, at a time of rapidly changing culture so that the law is trying to catch up. She has tried to uphold the system and the law with integrity. She has also demonstrated humanity to all concerned. While the world wonders at the arrogance and destructive stupidity of the appalling Westminster charlatans, nothing the establishment media can do will change international respect for Nicola or Scotland's right to choose a better path. They say? What do they say? Let them say! Scotland is leaving them behind, once and for all.
diabloandco says:
Yes Paul . I get so depressed , irate and so pissed off with a media so intent on twisting, spinning and lying .
I do so wish that they would reap what they have sown.
I hope that when we are free a law will be passed to make all media more honest. Penalties have to exist to stop witch hunts. First we must ban all our current titles and make ownership Scottish. I appreciate this sounds a bit daft but why not.
I like the Norwegian model where no media business can exist unless it is owned by a resident Norwegian.
Not daft at all Andy. Our media are damaged goods. I'm sure that Scotland has many decent, hard working journalists whose integrity is solid. It's just a shame that they work in an industry who's leaders are hell bent on attacking the Indy movement, regardless of any truths involved.
Thankfully, the younger generation appear to be able to research and form their own opinions through the interweb, and have little time for print media… but sadly, there are still too many people with inky fingers who believe that "it must be true…it was in the 'paper"!!!
Convincing voters that the newspapers and BBC are not quite telling the truth, will be a vote winner next time around.
Jo1 says:
I think you've omitted the most important aspect of the case.
A judge ruled earlier this week that the investigation carried out was:-
Unlawful.
Unfair.
Tainted with bias.
That is a damning verdict indeed of Ms Evans'and Ms MacKinnon's methods. For reasons that are not clear Nicola Sturgeon chose to back Ms Evans, despite that ruling by a judge. Why? Not only that, this case involved accusers as well as an accused. Was the accused person not due an apology too? After all, he was the one subjected to an unlawful, unfair investigation tainted with bias!
Now, we have worrying signs of a Parliamentary Inquiry which will be no sort of Inquiry at all because it will be steeped in Party-politics and nothing else. Carlaw and Leonard have one target in mind, Sturgeon. Not the Permanent Secretary Evans who was the one running the dodgy Civil Service investigation process.
We need an Inquiry all right but it should be an independent Inquiry. What Labour and the Tories plan will be exactly the sort of thing Leslie Evans would approve of…it will be grossly unfair and tainted with bias.
Jack collatin says:
I commented earlier over on WGD and with your permission and forbearance C&P my humble observation on the Brit Nat MSM propaganda machine here:-
"Clearly BBC Scotland's Ministry of Truth excelled itself today.
Lesley Laird (Who? you may well ask.) was sat on a couch with fluffed up beige cushions and, heavily edited by The BBC Propaganda stockade, was 'interviewed' by Hang On A Minute Just To Be Clear What You Are Saying Is 'Shedload of Powers' coming to Scotland after Brexit Labour Man Gordon Brewer.
It was clear that his 'questions' were edited into the hand wringing stumbling taped bumblefest that was the Shadow SoS for Scotland's rambling replies.
No Yes buts, hang on a minutes from the Brewdog.
There were no interruptions, just a waffling nervous gibbering about clarifying the process from Labour's 2017 Conference, Keir Starmer's 'six tests' which were apparently based on May's Lancaster House speech and 'what Jeremy said' mince.
This lass clearly is not cut out for speaking in public, hence the BBC 'remastering' her car crash interview.
Marr had 75 year Old Vince Post Office Sell Off Cable on, and Stephen Barclay, the third and most abject Brexit minister, and old wheezing chuckling Jeremy on, who, like that Dick Leonard on GMS Radio Jordanhill,didn't have a clue what the Rd Tories policy was going to be in the upcoming UK GE: Brexit, Revoke A 50, or Norway Plus Plus?
This man hasn't a clue, and is dangerous because of his quite blatant ineptitude. He's 71 and the microphone picked up his wheeziness as he laughed in Marr's face. Andrew Marr, proud Scot, who couldn't find time on his wee Propaganda broadcast for a representative of the third biggest WM Party the SNP.
Some guy called 'Moray MacDonald PR Executive', and Angela Haggerty 'Journalist', and Andrew Tickell waffled nonsense about Brexit and indulged in a bit of AleckSammon Sex Pest trivia.
Were Tom Gordon, Paul Hutcheon, and David Clegg, regulars on Brewer's Droop not available? He might have asked them to name their sources in the Civil Service?
And that would never do; the Polis might come knocking on their doors yet."
I've since Googled 'Moray MacDonald, PR Executive', who like John Major seems to have risen without trace, and joined BBC Scotland's guest list of pliant Brits.
He really does exist, despite his troll sounding name.
( For no reason, I thought of Robbie Coltraine's excellent 'Mason Boyne' skits.)
He apparently works for the US PR group Weber Shandwick, and cut his lobbying teeth in NZ before heading back to Scotland.
So the impartial BBC offers him a wee promo slot to give us his pearls of wisdom..aye, right.
Has Police Scotland raided the Dead Tree Scrolls offices yet and seized laptops in their search to discover which Civil Servant(s) has been leaking details to Clegg, Hutcheon, and Gordon yet?
This will backfire bigly on the grubby wee hacks.
We are within days of England imploding in on itself, but our Dead Tree Scrolls are nudge nudge, wink winking in the hope of destroying Nicola Sturgeon.
What a grubby wee fucking herd of troughers they are.
I look forward to their rags going under.
Paul Hutcheon tweet today:-
"Difficult not to see the Salmond row dominating Holyrood until at least the spring and gradually wear down the SNP administration".
I'm sure his 28,000 readers(and declining as they die off) will love his wee sex scandal florid smutty prose.
Alec Salmond as Nicola Sturgeon's Yoko Ono?
After all, it's not as if there is any 'politics' for the Scoop Hutch to be writing about, is there?
With every Salmond the Sex Pest, Sturgeon must resign piece by these hacks, the YES Movement grows even stronger.
It has all the hallmarks of the Brit Nat Dirty Tricks Brigade.
Shot their bolt way to soon Jack all they have done is pissed off a giant that's very bloody touchy right now , reap what you sow BBC and hell mend you ,
Robert, I and many hundreds of thousands of Scots citizens who will not rest until Scotland is free of their corrupt little association with the English Iron Heel oligarchy, nay, we surely number in the millions now, are not members of the SNP, so the 'gutter press' are wasting their time on us.
The heartening conclusion is that the Brit Nats know that Brexit is the deal breaker, and that any attempt at Project Fear II would be laughed out of Glenn Campbell's 'Leader's Debate' studio.
The readership of the midlands Rags, the Herald, the Scotsman and the Record numbers roughly 160,000, which means that 5.2 million Scots won't even read this deplorable dross.
We are witnessing the death rattle of the Brit Nat hacks.
There are only so many vacancies for Advertising Sales Executives on the Findo Gask Thundered when Newsquest pulls the plug on Herald Britland.
Total unadulterated tripe from Smith & BBC Scotland tonight ,
Civil War in the SNP aye right in yer dreams sweetie , the biggest problem of Nicola Sturgeons political career oh give it a break dear ,
This clown outfit pretending to be a news outlet have really lost the plot , all guns blazing but their obvious hatred for the SNP has really clouded their judgment because they have really pissed off a whole lot of people now .
This outfit will be closed down and their masters in the English treasury can pick up their redundcy payments because it certainly won't be Scottish tax payers . only following orders won't wash , guilt by association and no bloody appeal allowed .
"Not another one" we haven't cleared the streets of all the dead from the last SNP civil war.
The Britnat media – the lowest of the low in Scotland. People with no integrity.
pictishbeastie says:
Reblogged this on pictishbeastie.
Scenting blood | pictishbeastie says:
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Iona says:
As eloquent as ever, Paul, and bang on the money.
This whole farrago has all the signs of being a concerted smear, designed to bring down the SNP and NS, while keeping AS unelectable. British diplomacy at work.
Patsy Millar says:
Succint and spot on
Malcolm says:
Its unbelievable how the Scottish media is hunting down Alex Salmond and Nicola. When you think what the Britnat MPs have got away with re behaviour against woman in Westminster then several of them who were under suspension got their suspension lifted so they could vote in the commons. Theresa May just tells lie after lie and gets away with it. Just read on the BBC website that we must have faith in the democracy of Britain. Quote…Imagine if an anti devolution house of commons had said to the people of Scotland that despite voting in favour of a devolved legislature Parliament knew better and would overrule them. Or else firce them to vote again. Thats exactly what the Tories have done. Total liers the whole corrupt lot at Westminster. Please lets get out of this corrupt system.
Illy says:
"the Scottish independence movement is not driven by the SNP"
Correct, the SNP are driven by the Scottish Independence movement.
Kill it, and it will rise again with a different face.
(I really wanted to say "cut off one head, and two more will take it's place", but that is probably not a good idea, given the media's love of conflating "National" with "Nationalist")
Excellent summation
'There is now outright civil war inside the SNP'.
Sarah Smith, BBC Propaganda Brit Nat Unit Anglo Scot Branch, Pacific Quay Stockade.
What grubby little hacks the ProudScotsBut swarm really are.
Have the Police confiscated David Clegg's lap top yet?
Surely 'protecting a journalist's source' doesn't extend to criminal acts?
There are only one or two civil servants who could have provided the details which Clegg and the others jumping on the head of the 'Bring Me The Head Of Nicola Sturgeon' bandwagon have described in lurid generalisations.
The Sun's headlines today tell me that the Anglo Branch of the English Oligarchy know that Free Scotland is now inevitable.
Well, Mr Clegg. I know that you read this excellent blog.
Names please?
Here is a sample of Clegg's purple prose from late August 2018.
"Acting on a tip off, we submitted a series of questions to the Scottish Government on October 31 in a bid to ascertain if any complaints had been made about Alex Salmond during his tenure as first minister."
A 'tip off'?
"We continued to look into the allegations about Salmond over the following months but were not able to establish anything that met the legal and ethical threshold for publication. However, that changed this week when we uncovered fresh and compelling evidence that official complaints against Salmond had been made by two female staff members."
Cleg uncovered 'fresh and compelling evidence inn mid August 2018',
Who illegally provided this 'fesh and compelling evidence'?
The 77th Brigade?
"On Thursday, we managed to establish with confidence that Scottish Government officials had conducted an internal probe into the matter and decided to pass on to police details of allegations that amounted to sexual assault."
Clegg 'established with confidence' did he?
He was handed illegal 'confirmation' of an internal Civil Service 'probe'? By whom? There are only a couple of civil servants who would have had knowledge of this. Narrows it down, Police Scotland.
"A drink-fuelled Alex Salmond allegedly asked a female staff member into his bedroom at Bute House before making sexual advances.
In allegations passed to the police, the woman claims that the then-First Minister subjected her to sexual harassment in his official residence in December 2013."
Presumably this grubby little tale came from the victim herself, or more worryingly, a source inside the Civil Service who recorded and is dealing with the woman's accusations.
Clegg has quite deliberately contaminated this piece of evidence. There is no way that Salmond will get a fair hearing; still it sells Dead Tree Scrolls and blackens Nicola Sturgeon. Ker-fucking-ching!
"She claims Mr Salmond invited her to enter the bedroom, where he kissed and touched her sexually for several minutes – and only stopped after she repeatedly asked him to.
Mr Salmond also allegedly made unwanted sexual advances to a second female worker during his time in office."
Really? Really?
James cheyne says:
Can someone explain to me why we the people of Scotland are asking Westminster for permission for Scotland to legally be sovereign through a referendum,surely we the people of Scotland are sovereign, we seem to be going about an independent sovereign Scotland from the wrong angle.when we make it about politics we become political targets,And no before the usual people claim UDI, I am absolutely against that,and cannot emphasis enough how dangerous that is,We the people of Scotland should challenge the legalities of the treaty of the union for a start.
However first of all the people of Scotland need to look at their sovereignty and wether they voted on,or gave up their country 1707 or not. As far as I can tell from reading history,we the sovereign people of Scotland were not asked to vote to join the treaty of union in 1707.So legally we are not bound by the treaty of the union,So why are we asking for a vote in a referendum to get something back we already have.
Just to clarify and simplify my thinking,my understanding of 1707 is that some elite big bugs who lived in Scotland at the time were having financial problems,so they decided to sell Scotland to south of the border,did their deals and signed off on it.
The big question is,Was it theirs to sell in a business deal,was it put to the sovereign people of that nation country.to sell their/the peoples land in a business deal to help the wealthy elites, The answer is NO. Legal court case could be interesting.
That is equivalent to any one of us living in england( Even if were Scottish) having financial difficulties, so to solve our problem,we decide to sell england to Scotland,don't ask the English to vote on the deal cos they will say" No". Do the deal and let them complain afterwards. So what happens if you sell something to another person that does not belong to you and was not legally yours to sell.is it calledTheft,? As they did not have the consent of the nation/country/or people of Scotland.and the nation/country/or people's did not select/choose the sellers as their representatives.the financial settlement of the sale was not passed on to owners of the real estate,only to people claiming to be representatives
And there are other legal challenges within the treaty of the union itself that have good possibilities But I think we need to start at the beginning and sooner rather than later.
When Scottish people put their heads and hearts together along with their ability to crowd fund a good cause we outshine Westminster.
Why such a late challenge.
The poor never had lawyers back then,comes to mind.
Millsy says:
The Britnat Press live in a bubble , uncontaminated by recent events ( last 10 years at least ) and continue to churn ( right word! ) out their propaganda , believing in their ignorance that someone out there is reading and accepting their twisted view of Scotland .
It is a depressing thought that Scotland which provided so many truly fine journalists in the past is , today , served by these dregs writing their foul and unpatriotic vitriol .
The sooner their rags are mercifully killed off the better for all concerned .
I haven't been commenting much recently. Just content to lurk and enjoy the read. Get some distance and perspective. Chill.
The party politics of the UK and the mass media. Oh lordy what a mess! Where to start? They know that they lie, that they misrepresent, obfuscate, quote out of context. They know that they troll and undermine to cause maximum disruption. They must also see that this practice of politics has brought us to the place we are in today. This isn't conspiracy theory. It's representative of historical fact and public record. It's not even a matter of debate. It's what they do.
Yet they do it anyway. Why? What does it take? What kind of human being do you have to be to cause so much harm to others? How cynical, uncaring and callous?
For the life of me, I still don't understand it (hopefully never will). How anyone can do and say the things they do. How they can cause so much hurt and be so ideologically driven by their party politics or personal greed that they place their own population/readerships/viewers in harms way for personal advantage. Is it the big chair? The bottom line kerching? Is that it? Win at all costs. Any cost? My tribe right … or wrong.
When the UK is stated by the UN as legislating against major demographics of its own population and our system of politics and elements of our media support this injustice. What does that say about our electorate? That majorities were convinced into voting against their better natures, or even against their own interests and well being? The bastards doing this were put there by a voting public made to believe and accept … basically any old thing. When was it ok for us to accept that causing pain and distress to our friends, neighbours, communities were good things?
The argument of course, being that we don't have to believe. That we don't have to vote for. That it's all on our choices as a population. Which is, y'know, true to a point. The point being their control of both the political system and their saturation of the media. Their control of both the choices available and the narrative you're fed.
Thing is. The false choice statements aren't a get out of jail free card. Surely not this time round? We're looking at the real world ramifications of manipulating populations right this very moment in the UK. Real hardships. Real injustices. Real heartache. Real anger and frustrations. Very real economic, political and societal breakdown.
Politics as it is practised. The dirty game. Is it worth it? The win that is. Do they even give a shit what they've done and are continuing to do to people? Certainly they don't seem overly bothered about their idea of a day job.
If anything should convince people that this needs to change, then the past five years political carnage really, REALLY, should be a heads up.
We can be better than this you know. All you have to do is want it badly enough.
Ace, Sam.
Just sayin' like, but…
… called it.
Dave tewart says:
Aye SAm
They have forgotten the Aesop fable of the boy who cried wolf.
The demise of the media is consistent with telling lies and spinning so much that first we decide not to believe then not to buy their out of date news.
The media in scotland is away on holiday hunting squirrels.
Carless Jacklaw must be asked about his friend Cook and the dark money, donated to the DUP and used to support Johnston press.
Was there not something about missing works of art in his last business venture?
Now surely that's something for an 'Investigations Reporter' to get his teeth into.
Ian Blackford's speech from 14.37 onward.
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/27d512b5-9b1d-43a4-80dd-371b0c5c1a5e
He didn't beat about the bush. 🙂