I have blogged on this not too long ago but the issue has raised its head again as The Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) Bill has passed stage 2 in parliament and the minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol is the preferred amount of the Scottish Government.
Today Nicola Sturgeon said, "Too many Scots are d…
Blog posts in Gemma's Blog
Alcohol minimum pricing - alcoholism isn't about price
Posted May 14, 2012
Do you agree that this question could have been worded better from the start?
Posted May 8, 2012
"Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?"
As most people know this is the proposed question to be set to the Scottish people in the referendum of 2014. Today a report, Do You Agree This Is A Biased Question? was released by the Scottish Affairs Committee which concluded that th…
Our elderly deserve more than the mediocre care from low paid workers
Posted April 24, 2012
Like myself, many of you will have watched last nights Panorama programme Undercover: Elderly Care. It was a truly horrific programme that focussed on the care of one elderly woman who suffers with dementia.
That woman is Maria Worroll and she was treated horrifically in Ash Court Care Centre in…
Breaking victims anonymity rights is not the right of a Tweeter
Posted April 23, 2012
Twitter is a great tool. It's a great place to share, promote and meet. It's a great place to debate and discuss.
Recently though, it's become, sadly, a place where people hiding behind their keyboard, and often a nickname, write things that they believe should be "out there" with no regard fo…
Gilroy should give Suzanne's family closure
Posted April 19, 2012
A partial justice was done yesterday in the Edinburgh High Court. Lord Bracadale sentenced David Gilroy to life imprisonment for the murder of Suzanne Pilley. He won't get out for a minimum of 18 years.
David Gilroy had a relationship with Suzanne Pilley in which he tried to own her. She tried t…
Having a bad week? You're not alone, the SNP can sympathise
Posted April 3, 2012
It's been a bit of an odd week for the SNP (and it's only Tuesday). North Lanarkshire Council candidate Lyall Duff, who is standing for election in the Murdostoun ward, may find his campaign difficult because the SNP have had to suspend him. There is now immense pressure on Alex Salmond to sack th…
Talking doesn't work when Assad is killing for fun
Posted March 12, 2012
Still the killing goes on.
Kofi Annan visited Syria this weekend to engage Assad in dialogue aimed at bringing to an end the year long conflict in the country. He left with nothing. Assad said that terrorist groups threatened the country and that while they did, a political solution was impossi…
An alarming time at the supermarket
Posted February 18, 2012
Haven't blogged for a bit and I thought about returning with a serious blog on Syria, the Scottish referendum or about the death of Whitney Houston (I was affected by this, I liked her music, grew up with it) but instead an incident at the supermarket tonight gave me a better idea.
For those of you …
Scottish Independence: Salmond, all we want is answers
Posted January 10, 2012
So following today's political back and forth about independence here's some things: Cameron asked why Salmond is waiting for what looks like being 2014 for the referendum? It's Bannockburn baby. He wants what he thinks will be an historic event to fall on the date of...an historic event. Get your …
New year but starting anew means dealing with the old problems first
Posted January 2, 2012
Welcome to 2012. A bright new year full of possibilities and new beginnings. Have you made your resolutions? More importantly, will you keep them? Good luck with everything you promise yourself.
Now, away from that it certainly looks like the year has started off exactly where 2011 left off. Th…
The Arab Spring: A year of change and more to come
Posted December 29, 2011
The year has, without a doubt, flown by but it's not done so quietly. Just over a year ago a street vendor in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia set himself alight in protest at the confiscation of his wares. He was trying to provide for his family and the authorities were making it impossible. He died a short…
"Fare Dodger" thrown from a train for not producing a ticket
Posted December 14, 2011
Another week, another video Internet hit. Previously we had racist rants being filmed, and not covertly either, and this week we have the ScotRail Fare Dodger. That should read "alleged" fare dodger, obviously.
Sam Main is the alleged dodger and he readily admits he was half asleep after being o…
My mother abused - wasn't November 30 a revelation
Posted December 10, 2011
Here we are a week and half after the great November 30 strikes. Working in the private sector I have little interest in it.
I pay my tax, I pay my private pension and I pay for public sector pensions...hmm, I have the right to feel peeved by this.
Yet I didn't say this on November 30. No, it w…
My Tram Experience - would you have confronted her?
Posted December 1, 2011
I imagine many people saw or at least heard about a video that appeared on YouTube at the start of the week.
Dubbed "My Tram Experience" it's a video, seemingly taken by a member of the public, taken on a crowded tram showing a woman with a young child on her knee. The woman is white and she's o…
We're failing the elderly - again
Posted November 23, 2011
Here we go again. Another report about the poor care and treatment the elderly in this country are receiving from a system that is supposed to care.
This time it's not care homes or hospitals it's actually the care that elderly people are receiving within their own homes.
Elderly people, whether i…
Want a cigarette? In your own car? The BMA says NO!
Posted November 16, 2011
I don't smoke yet I am horrified that the British Medical Association has today announced that they are urging governments within the UK to consider banning the public from smoking in all motor vehicles.
This means your own private car. Yes, that car you work hard to pay for probably within a build…
The Poppy: not political, not religious, but Remembrance
Posted November 10, 2011
On Monday I spent a humbling hour at the newly opened Field of Remembrance on Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. It's the first such tribute to fallen soldiers in Edinburgh and compliments the established Garden of Remembrance.
Strolling along the rows of crosses with individual names, thanks and …
Fancy getting your legs waxed? Just pop along to Tesco
Posted November 6, 2011
It won't be long until you can spend an entire day in a supermarket without leaving for anything. This statement comes after the news that supermarket giant Tesco, is planning to open, within their supermarkets, hairdressers, as well as some beauty treatments like spray tanning and waxing among oth…
Is Rab C Nesbitt telling Scotland to cut down on the drink?
Posted November 3, 2011
I've noticed something this week that may or may not be accurate but it certainly is something which has happened with 'good timing'.
My last blog was about Scotland's drink problem and that may be a factor into why I have noticed this interesting thing, which actually happened last night.
I was wat…
Minimum pricing on alcohol is not going to solve Scotland's drink problem
Posted November 1, 2011
Alcohol consumption in Scotland is worrying. With statistics reading that alcohol consumption in Scotland is 25% higher than in England it's pretty obvious that Scotland has a problem and something must be done about it.
The SNP has resurrected their plans to introduce a minimum pricing for alcoho…
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