Author: John Mackie

A Reply to zenrule’s Second Latest Post (‘Blood Matters’)

Quite frankly, I am beginning to wonder why I make the effort to continue to post on this forum. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that the very most that I and other Jocks can expect hereon is cheap abuse and insults. This is particularly distressing to me when I am doing my best to preserve a Union in which I still believe with both heart and soul.

It goes without saying that I would not dream of retaliating by stooping to the same depths and telling anti-Sassenach jokes.

Don’t mind repeating good ones by other people, of course.

Still the best ever such joke on MyT, in my opinion, was by beanbean:- Continue reading “A Reply to zenrule’s Second Latest Post (‘Blood Matters’)”

I Warned Him

There have been very few times in my life when I have thought that I had got it right. Marrying Mrs M, of course. Mostly, I have had doubts about my rightness. Until tonight when another possible example hoved into view.

It seems that one of my fellow Jocks is starting to pall. Billy Connolly is, apparently, getting grief on his current tour for not having new material. I truly did try to warn him about this. Continue reading “I Warned Him”

Mainly for Sipu – a loose end tied up

On another post Sipu used a quote which I was unable to source on Google – “Avast, no more these Scottish monarchs we’ll adore”. He was good enough to give me the title of the book from which it came and Amazon did the rest.

‘Kings and Queens’ has duly arrived. 1983 edition with a foreword by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The last monarch pomed is her daughter.

The quote comes from ‘James II’ and not ‘William and Mary.’ Continue reading “Mainly for Sipu – a loose end tied up”

Scottish Christmas Greetings

When I was young, we did not really do Christmas in Scotland. Many people still worked at least the morning of the day itself. It was only as the 1960’s drew to an end that they started to take the whole day off.

I was a paper boy in the 1960’s. English papers were not published but all the Scots ones were. Sunday Christmas, in particular, was a total pain as every single household on my route took the ‘Sunday Post’ (ask Ferret about said paper) so the bag was twice as heavy. On the other hand, the tips were more generous as a result.
Continue reading “Scottish Christmas Greetings”

18th Photographic Competition Result

Right then

There was a strong chance that this whole thing was going to go seriously pear-shaped when Bearsy posted the first non-entry within a day of my setting the competition. I was minded to go back to reset the rules by saying that it did not have to be your own work and that the closing date was one minute after his entry appeared. Continue reading “18th Photographic Competition Result”

18th Photographic Competition

Good evening

I admit that I do not have a good track record at setting subjects for competitions. I still wake up sweating when I recall the nightmare that was the diptych disaster.

So this time, I consulted the cultural expert in the family, aka Mrs M.

My first suggestion was ‘Revolution’ or ‘Change’ in honour of the day that it is today. I still remember the excellent celebrations which the Russian Society held every year on the 7th November during my time at the Uni of Embra. This used to get played at the end of the night.

Continue reading “18th Photographic Competition”