Call of the wild

My sleep has been broken over the last few nights by shrieks and blood-curdling howls. No, not by the usual Drylaw wildlife - the kids have been quite quiet recently! The foxes are back. I don't know if this is the mating season or not - I don't know if foxes have a mating season, but the darkness has brought a lot of activity. When I got home last night I was met by an older fox standing in my front garden. My presence didn't seem to disturb the animal either; he or she just kept a wary eye on me as I got my keys out, then it strolled off (do foxes stroll?) into the back garden.
A couple of years ago I had the real pleasure of a vixen bringing up a pack of five or six cubs almoist right on my doorstep. The fox family had made their home in my back garden under the hedge, and every day - usually at first late and then again in the late afternoon - you could watch the cubs playing under the wachful eye of their mother. It was fascinating to observe - the wee ones were so full of energy and fun. I think th young ones got quite used to my company - sometimes they would come to within a few feet of me. They were a bit too inquisatibve for Mum's liking, though, and one yelp from her would have them all scampering off to safety.
I know how dangerous foxes can be to domestic pets, but I'd love to watch another family growing up in the garden.

Running on Empty
Big news of last week was the strike at Grangemouth, which went ahead at the weekend. It strikes (!) me that key industrial installations like Grangemouth just shouldn't be left to the management of the private sector. I know nationalisation is as popular these days as The Black and White Minstrel Show but I reckon key utilities like gas and oil should be protected under public ownership - ensuring a regular supply and also doing away with the obscene profit these privatised industries make (and pump into the blaoted bank accounts of their big business shareholders). As I said last week - capitalism isn't working.

Hibs fall at the final hurdle (just for a change)
Hibs defence isn't working, either. I've moaned all season that our full-backs just aren't good enough and so it's proving. Even the return of Rob Jones wasn't enough to save Hibs up at Aberdeen on Saturday, and defensive frailties - and an infuriating lack of discipline through petulant dissent - has almost certainly meant that Hibs European dream is over. You've got to hope that Rob Petrie finds teh keys to the Easter Road petty-cash box over the summer - some of the current squad are liabilites, and while it would be plain daft to think that we can compete with the Old Firm, we should be achieving more than we are - third place should be a realistic target for a club of Hib's size, particularly given Heart's current woes.
Talking of the Old Firm, all credit to Celtic for keeping the title race alive with their victory yesterday. I still can't see Rangers letting it slip - although the fixture pile-up and loss of key personnel through injury and suspension won't help - but at least Celtic have given their fans something to smile about.

Counting Down
This week we've got the English and Welsh local elections on Thursday, along with the London mayoral election. Strangely, I don't think the results will be too bad for Labour - but that's only because the party took such a hiding last time round, when the elections were held at the time from anger over the Iraq War was at it's height. Quite simply, there are not too many more seats to lose. Be prepared for the well-used cliches 'mid-term blues', 'bloody nose', 'we've listened to waht teh voters are tellign us', 'we'll learn lessons from this', 'these results are are one-off and won't be repated in the General Election', 'a chance to kick the government' etc, etc.
Meanwhile in the BIg Smoke, they say it's too close to call. Ken Livingstone, the wily old fox, is cleverly talking up Boris Johnson's challenge in the hope that his support will take the threat seriously and crucially get out and vote. My guess is that he'll hold on - and naturally the Tories will say that Londoners voted for Ken, not the Labour Party. Sometimes in politics, even when you are the victor you just can't win!

Don't Panic!

Don't Panic (1)
The news that the oil refinery at Grangemouth was being closed down prior to impending industrial action brought reassuring words from the experts - the closedown will have no immediate adverse effects, there are sufficient stocks, no need to panic buy, etc, etc. In other words - don't panic.
But what is the public reaction when told 'don't panic'? Exactly! I saw it at first hand this morning down at Morrison's (above) - as I was filling up (but not panicking!). The queues got longer and longer over the course of the day - not that I sat there watching them all day, you understand, but I did pass there again this evening and there was no let-up. I heard tonight that both sides in the dispute (which is over pensions) have agreed to conciliation so it appears that a solution may be in sight - panic over?

Don't Panic (2)
The Bank of England has baled out British banks to the tune of £50 billion of taxpayers money, with the promise that there's plenty more where that came from (I paraphrase of course). Not bad going for the banks, that - you make billions in profits through decidedly iffy dealings in the sub-prime market, enjoy years of making big bucks and seeing your shareholders alright, safe in the knowledge that when things get tough - as they inevitably must when the bubble bursts - you can always run to daddy. It seems it's a no lose situation for the Banks and their big shareholders - unlike the poor bank customers faced with ever increasing costs of borrowing, despite interest rates coming down! Do you remember the very effective Saatchi and Saatchi advertising campaign for the Tories - 'Labour isn't working', it said, with huge posters depicting long queues of people filing into unemployment offices? Strikes me that naked, greedy Capitalism isn't working too well these days either.

Don't Panic (3)
Pundits would have you believe that the Scottish Premier League title has been blown wide open again following Celtic's victory over Rangers in the latest Old Firm derby. I think that's wishful thinking by the broadcast and print media, desperate to keep viewing figures and newspaper sales up. Yes, Rangers struggled against St Johnstone in the cup yesterday, and they face a punishing schedule of games, but really, can you see them throwing away enough points to hand the title to Celtic? Who, other than Celtic, is likely to take any points off them? And listening to Celtic's stuttering performance against Aberdeen, it's my guess that they are far more likely to drop crucial points in the run-in. No, Walter Smith should have no fears - the League title is in the bag. Don't panic!
As for third place, it's still wide open. Once again Dundee United and Hibs couldn't be separated on Sunday - there is so little between so many of the teams that make up the SPL. I still think the league is too small, and I think it would be far better to have a league of 16 teams who play each other only twice. Familiarity breeds contempt - and very predictable football - and playing teams three or four times over the course of a season doesn't make for good entertainment. Granted, the post-split top six games should all have some significance this season but it's an unfair, cobbled together hotch-potch of a system and it should be scrapped.

Chewing the fat
The bombshell of the weekend was the news that John Prescott suffered for years with the eating disorder bulimia. The announcement must have struck joy into the hearts of comedians and satirists across the land, but I for one will resist the temptation to get a cheap laugh out of what is a very nasty condition. John Prescott is a very easy target, though, and many will be surprised to hear that the condition was brought on by 'stress caused by overwork'. Hmmmm ...
His autobiography is being serialised in a Sunday newspaper prior to being published this month, so no doubt 'Prezza', 'Two Jags', call him what you will - is hoping that sales will keep him in the style to which he has grown accustomed over recent years.

The Last Laugh in London?
Meanwhile, quote of the week comes not from Prescott but from another much-ridiculed buffoon - Boris Johnson. The London Mayoral elections are getting very interesting and a close result seems inevitable - it's almost certain to hinge on second choice votes. Boris has been 'bigging up' - excuse the language, but he started it - his empathy with the city's substantial minority ethnic population. "I'm down with the ethnics!", he declared on a radio show. "You can't out-ethnic me!"
However amusing Boris' blusterings can be, Ken Livingstone has been right to take Johnson's challenge seriously from the outset. This time round Ken is again the official Labour Party candidate and he could well suffer as a result of being seen as an establishment candidate at a time when the party is just not popular. Johnson, while a Tory through and through, is seen as a personality - an eccentric one undoubtedly, but a character unlikely to be bound by the strictures of party ties. He's not as daft as he comes across, our Boris - he could have Londoners chortling all the way to the ballot box. I wonder if they will still be laughing when the results are announced ...

Bell tolls in the polls ...

For whom the bell tolls ...
More grim news for the government this week with the publication of the latest set of opinion polls. Politicians claim to take opinion polls with a pinch of salt ('the only opinion poll that maters is the one on Election Day,' etc. etc.)but they do take them seriously, and the latest batch will have made uncomfortable reading for Gordon Brown over his breakfast (whether porridge, continental or full English is unknown). His own personal ratings continue to plummet and the Tories are racing ahead in voters' intentions for the next election. If things look bad down South, there's little cheer up in Scotland either. The polls here are showing an alarming narrowing of the gap between those favouring independence and those who would choose to remain part of the United Kingdom - one poll has it down to a margin of just one per cent. Scotland on Sunday was also due to publish an opinion poll today, but mysteriously it didn't appear ... conspiracy theorists have been busy this morning over this unexplained omission, though I would guess that the reason is nothing sinister ... the electronic survey site has probably been hammered by those tireless cyberhacks of the main political parties who will have rendered the poll result meaningless. Assuming a population of say 6 million (and an SoS readership of say (charitably) 100,000 per week, how would it look if the SoS published results saying that 5 million readers had responded to the survey, with 3.5 million 'voters' saying that Alex Salmond is God or 2.5 million saying that Wee Wendy is an 'Inspirational Leader'?
With the economy in such a fragile state, and with Labour thus far failing to land any punches on the SNP government in Scotland, there is no obvious road to salvation for Labour and the clock is ticking down to potentially disastrous local government elections in England and those ever-popular European Parliamentary elections. The government desperately needs some good news fast, but there's just not a lot of it about.
Happy Birthday Big Ben
Big Ben was recently voted the most famous landmark in Great Britain and the famous bell celebrated it's 150th birthday this week. Readers of this blog are all educated people, of course, and they all know that Big Ben is the bell itself and not the Palace of Westminster clock tower that houses it, (pictured above).
However I thought it was a nice picture, and I don't have one of the bell, so it goes in! For those who are interested, the bell was cast in Whitechapel Foundry in London's east end and the company is still going strong. You really should know these things, you just never know when they will come up in a quiz ...
Money Money Money (continued)
Following on from last week;s theme, more financial woes - personal this time. On Monday I received my bill from Scottish Gas and I find that my monthly Direct Debit has been amended. Amended is perhaps too soft a word - my monthly payment has gone up by 50%! The comforting news, though, is that I need 'take no action' - those good guys at Scottish Gas will do it all for me! I should really feel grateful ..
And in the same cheery batch of post, a reminder that I can now purchase my Hibs season ticket for 2008 - 09 season - only £405! The glossy brochure that accompanied this 'offer' does point out that a Season Ticket: 'continues to provide excellent value for money and a substantial discount on the 'walk-up' price for SPL home games. Price increases have been restricted with prices rising by just over £1 per game'. 'Don't Miss the Moment', we're told: 'buy your season ticket by 16 May and receive a £5 discount voucher for the new 08/09 Away Shirt - soon to be revealed'. I can hardly wait ...
On the Sick
I'm very lucky in that I seldom take ill, but I took an odd turn on Thursday evening. Sounds like a Frankie Howerd intro I know, but I did. (Shush, missus!) I left a meeting at North Edinburgh Arts Centre early because I was feeling a bit washed out (nothing at all to do with catching some of Rangers' EUFA Cup tie, honest!) and by the time I got to my car I was overcome by the weirdest, most violent shivering fit. It was quite scary, almost like convulsions and I couldn't get my car keys into the lock without dropping them. It eventually subsided enough to get home safely, but it happened again at home so it was straight to bed with three duvets, two dressing gowns and pyjamas. While on the outside I was lashing with sweat, inside I still felt icy cold.
I took a day off work on Friday and I am now back to rude health - whatever that may be (Frankie Howerd would know). I don't know what caused it - could have been delayed shock from the Scottish Gas letter(!) - but it wisnae funny at the time. I'll be back next week - if the Lord spares me of course! Titter ye not ....

Money, money, money ...

It's a rich man's world, indeed. There's been a bit of a backlash by Labour MPs over the abolition of the 10p tax rate which takes effect this week (although the decision was actually part of Gordon Brown's last Budget as Chancellor, but was tucked away in the small print). While Labour MPs were cheering the announcement of a 2p cut in the basic rate of taxation back then, they were unaware that the 10p band would go (Gordon was always a master of the smoke and mirrors type of Budget)and it's now clear that over 5 million of Britain's poorest people will be paying more in tax as a result. It's hard to stomach, even more so as that arch-Socialist David Cameron has promised to come to the aid of the poor and oppressed and is appealing to disillusioned Labour MPs to support his crusade!
If that makes for uncomfortable reading, the worsening economic situation is adding to the Government's headaches. Inflation is rising, with people feeling the effects of increasing food and fuel prices, and house prices are beginning to fall back. Now I happen to think that a downturn in house prices is a good thing - at last there is some sanity, with an end to 120% mortgages and easy credit based on irresponsible lending. It had to stop, and reality has finally kicked in: the slowdown in house prices and the end of crazy mortgages has got to be good news for those people who are struggling to buy their first home.
What must worry the Government, though, is an economy that is teetering on the brink of recession. Voters will forgive almost anything - take Blair's Iraq adventures - but mess with their savings or pensions and you are heading for oblivion.
And still on the subject of high finance - what can you get for 10 pence these days? Well, 10p can make the difference between getting on a bus or not in Edinburgh now. Fares recently went up 10p to £1.10p as I found out to my cost the other night (I don't use the bus too often). Now thanks to an understanding bus driver I was able to make my journey, but as I was travelling I did some calculations. I'm no financial wizard, but you don't have to be an economist to calculate that that's a 10% increase - substantially more than the rate of inflation.
So black marks to Lothian Buses but a gold star to the driver who let me on his bus for £1 - I hope it doesn't affect the company's profits too much!
So much for spring!
What happened to Spring? Easter Road was as bitterly cold as it has been all season on Saturday, and after a very bright opening ten minutes there wasn't an awful lot to warm up the freezing supporters (though a major fire nearby lifted temperatures a bit). On Saturday night we drove down to Cardrona, travelling through snow flurries and on Sunday got up to a fair covering of snow ( . Very nice to look at, but you've got to pity the poor wee lambs we passed on the way down - they must be freezing. I hope the weather changes soon and we get a couple of dry days at least - I never look forward to my first grass cutting of the year and it's looking like a bigger challenge than ever this year.
April Fool?
It's hard to believe we are a quarter way through 2008 already. I thought that this would be an appropriate time to look at my New Year resolutions and at some of the predictions I foolishly made.

Resolutions:
STOP SMOKING - Not yet
LOSE WEIGHT - As above
BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT - Hmm ...
STOP BUYING THINGS I DON'T NEED - Well ...

However it's not all a tale of abject failure. Oh no! Some of my predictions look like being quite accurate (okay then, one of them anyway). More on this next week - unless I am cutting my grass, while developing a glorious bronze sun tan! I'll keep the snow shovel handy just in case though ...