Archive
Short memory
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has declared that the people must decide who leads Scotland.
I had time for the guy until I read that, for there are a couple of gaps in his logic. When his party fulfilled its manifesto promise in 1999 by setting up the Scottish Parliament, the voting system was put in place in the expectation that there would never be a majority administration, and that if by some chance there was it would always be Labour.
In fact ‘the people have decided’ only once, when the SNP won 69 seats out of 129. On every other occasion we have had a minority government, or a deal cobbled together behind closed doors.
And then there’s Anas’s own position. Did the people vote for him? I don’t think so.
Persnickety
I am pedantic, okay, but I am annoyed, genuinely, by the number of journalists who do not know the difference between principle and principal.
Shame
I saw a post on Facebook today by someone I have actually met, someone I like and respected. Why that past tense?
Because the post was a photo of a novel by a celeb that she had received but not read, accompanied by one deprecatory word.
Because the poster has a following the slur attracted, even inspired a flood of similar insults by a motley crew of losers, all of whom I have now blocked.
Please friend, don’t demean yourself. Take it down.
Prophecy or irony?
Out of interest, the neisman-bischoff motor home online marketing includes the phrase ‘Breaking all the rules.’ Could you make that up?
Candy
Now that Rishi has made it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after 2009, without the population rising up en masse to protest against such despotic legislation, is there a case for applying the same principle to wacky baccy and Peruvian marching powder?
Take note, Sir Keir, when your time comes. You could even extend it to Marmite. Who knows, that might make you popular.
Imagine that
Am I the only guy in Europe who saw the PSG goalie give one of the officials, possibly the ref, a smile and a big hug in the tunnel before the game last night?
Sands of time
I might be more interested in Dune 2, but for the fact that I will need to rewatch Dune 1 to find out what it’s all about. But what guarantee is there that I won’t do what I did last time and fall asleep halfway through?
No, they can market it as hard as they like, but that obstacle, coupled with the fact that I don’t actually give one about the mythic journey of Paul Atreides and all those other bozos, will make me pass it by.
That said, I haven’t been sleeping too well lately so ……,
Open secret
Skinner 36 will be called ‘Secrets and Lies’, first format publication, November 7.
Skinner 37? Gimme a break.
‘The Cage’ paperback is due to escape from the warehouse on June 20x
New one
We have a title for the new Skinner, which is nearing completion. Watch this space.
Perpetual
Watching the Masters on telly I continue to be gobsmacked by the utter bullshit of the Rolex ad copy. It’s a watch, that’s all.
Quintin Jardine's blog 