And finally from my Scottish Friend a piece of brilliance

This is something which was almost, but after a bit of discussion and thought, not posted to Scottish Unionist's thread onSuppressed anti-Englishness.

Clearly it doesn't belong there, because that's turned into a serious and lengthy discussion, while this is just a bit of tongue-in-cheek hooliganism. Nonetheless, it does illustrate some of SU's points about the fairly unique nature of British national identity.

This isn't new - you'll have seen it knocking around before - but I've added a Scotland-specific coda.

For those who are offended all I'd like to say is: Hee!

"European Terror Alert Status Update

The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent bombings and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved". Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross". Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorised from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance". The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate". The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability.

It's not only the British and French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing". Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides".

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs". They also have two higher levels: "Invade Several Neighbouring Countries" and "Lose".

The Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

Meanwhile in Edinburgh, the devolved SNP Government has also been forced to respond. After initially declaring that it could not do anything because it lacked the full portfolio of policy levers available to an independent state, it has now declared that it has delegated the matter to its local councils via a "Historic Concordat" which does not actually commit them to do anything, but serves the purpose of deflecting any blame away from the SNP.

Well-placed sources indicate that more robust measures have been discussed, but these depend on funding being available from something called the "SFT", which unfortunately does not exist.

The same sources indicate that in the last resort, First Minister Salmond will communicate directly with any terrorists, blaming their grievances on the English and quisling, traitorous, lickspittle Scottish unionists, and beg them to restrict their activities to south of the border."

Second part of Mythbusters Porn subject

Still off-topic: CVF porn

Enjoy pics of the future flagships of Her Britannic Majesty's Royal Navy.

Which will, of course, be substantially built in Scotland (some blocks on the Clyde, and final assembly at Rosyth), unless a certain idiotic separatist party gets its way and manages to destroy both a major Scottish industry and the integrated defence of the United Kingdom.

But it's not going to happen, so why worry?

LMAO at this post by the Mythbuster from Scotland

Off-topic: submarine porn

Now isn't the Astute seriously cool and sexy?

There are all sorts of features on that hull which make you want to sit down with the designer and ask "Why that?"

Except, of course, that all he could do would be to shrug and make slitting motions near his throat.

Creeping sort of back on-topic, it is of course highly gratifying that as part of the UK we will have babies like the Astute defending us. Not something an "independent" Scotland could afford by any stretch.

And, of course, the Astutes are a bit late and over-budget. This is because there was too much of a gap between the last order for the Vanguard-class bombers and the first for the Astutes, which meant that the one yard in the country which can build subs (Barrow) suffered significant de-skilling.

Which leads on to further thoughts about Trident replacement. If this is cancelled or delayed, then we might find ourselves having to order extra Astute-class SSNs. Otherwise, Barrow will shut and the UK will lose, for ever and ever, the capability to build nuclear-powered subs. Which are literally in a different order-of-magnitude class of effectiveness from conventional diesel-electric boats.

This feeds in to the Trident-replacement debate, as you can see. A huge chunk of the apparent cost-saving from not replacing Trident disappears, unless you are also willing to see Barrow close and the loss of a UK SSN construction capability. It's not just about morals or costs, it affects industrial strategy.

LIBYA MEDICS TO BE TRAINED BY OUR NHS

Following on from the previous story on this blog about the SAS training Libyans we now have this story from the Daily Express:

PLANS for the NHS to train Libyan doctors after an agreement signed by a Cabinet minister last year provoked anger last night.

The deal is the latest in a series of moves to improve relations between Britain and the north African state.

But it comes amid growing concern over Britain’s co-operation with Libya which was an international pariah for years following the 1988 bombing of PanAm flight 103 over Lockerbie, which killed 270 people.

Last night the Department of Health dismissed as “nonsense” suggestions the agreement had any link with the recent controversial release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi or trade deals with the oil-rich regime of Colonel Gaddafi.

Critics, however, said the move was a clear continuation of a “strategy of appeasement” to Libya.

The row over Britain’s relations with Libya intensified after police leaders accused the Government of being willing “to sell its soul for trade deals” following the disclosure that Jack Straw agreed the killer of Pc Yvonne Fletcher would not be brought to justice in Britain.

Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation, said he was “appalled”.

Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats said: “This appears to be part of a concerted strategy of appeasement which has seen the Lockerbie bomber go free while denying justice to the family of Yvonne Fletcher.”

Under a memorandum of understanding, signed by former Health Secretary Alan Johnson in spring 2008, Libyan medical staff will get a year’s instruction in Britain in areas such as intensive care, anaesthetics and endoscopy, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology.

Links have also been formed between London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital and the main eye hospital in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said Britain had similar agreements with many countries, including China and Brazil, adding: “Co-operation with other countries is standard and sensible practice.”

But opposition MPs said it appeared to fit a pattern of measures to appease Col Gaddafi, including the release of Megrahi.

Tory Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “The suspicion and confusion surrounding ministers’ dealings with Libya will only be sorted out by the independent inquiry we continue to call for.”

Traitors, Quislings and Cowards betray our Heroes

Today I see yet more of our brave heroes have died or have been injured in the Taliban War. Yet Commissar Brown and his Stalinist buddies are away on their long "well deserved break". This reminds me of how Hitler and of course Stalin used to like to get away for a few weeks from the trials of leadership and war yet used to send their spokesmen out to bully up their respective countries and try to put a good spin on the War, sounds like today's government doesn't it!!!
It is time for all proper minded people in this country to stand up and say NO MORE to their lies and spin and to recall these traitorous dogs back to their workplace where they belong at this time, Churchill would never have gone on a 3 month holiday and even when he did take a break their was always a speech from him to look forward to on the radio. Our Heroes are suffering for these traitors yet Brown has not been seen or heard from since Parliament broke up for its annual holidays. Personally I would like them hauled through traitors gate and then handed over to the Marines for some preferential treatment.