The Elephant in the Room

[pmcd]

Is this the calm before the 2 year storm? I gather there was a shaking of hands in Edinburgh today which marked the starting line for the interminable race towards possible Independence for Scotland. Nearly 12 hours on, and not a peep. Neither any words concerning the excellent Mr. Baumgartner, who "stepped out" for a wee bit of freelance skydiving yesterday. In both cases, actions which would normally take the breath away. But on both you who have opinions on everything from Birnam Wood to Dunsinane, from the pain of separation to the Thane of Cawdor, from the sale of cheap Buckfast to the principles of Dawkinsism, choose to remain silent. Are you, like the Unionists, keeping your powder dry? Or are you really mute after tremendous changes have taken place in this lovely world of ours?

[Alrock]

Don't really see what the big deal is... It's nothing more than a technicality to be sorted out before the referendum takes place...
What made me laugh was the fact that someone assumed it was going to be such a big deal that they needed to lay on large crowd control measures for a crowd that briefly peaked at 13... lol

[Phill]

Well, is Baumgartner mad as a box of frogs or a heroic legend that is helping mankind make giant 'leaps' (pun intended)?

As for the two clowns in Edinburgh, I fear some missed the opportunity to slap 'em both with one swift movement.

[ducati]

Baumgartner (made up name) is my kind of nutter. As for the rest, I'm fed up of it already, just waiting to find out how much of my hard earned it's going to cost before the electorate (if anyone shows up) says don't be daft and we get on with our lives.

[secrets in symmetry]

I know Eck is fat and ugly and grey, but that's no excuse to call him an elephant. It's an insult to elephant-kind.

[pmcd]

Nothing was further from my mind! How do you stand on baboons?

[John Little]

Nothing was further from my mind! How do you stand on baboons?. Easy - place a bunch of bananas on the floor, wait till they lie down, then stomp on 'em wi a pair of size 12s - but don't lose your balance...

[secrets in symmetry]

Make sure Nicky the Fish isn't with him first. She swings her handbag like an African elephant's ears, and she doesn't understand the words "No! Nicky, No!"

[Rheghead]

SIS, Just wondered what was your opinion on what the state of science funding in an independent Scotland would be like? Try to be objective. :lol:

I haven't seen any figures but my first impression is that this would be the first thing to suffer unless Salmond sees a chance to gain some kudos for some research that he thinks would fit his vision of Scotland.

[secrets in symmetry]

I agree. I could have written all that. :cool:

The best Scottish science is excellent because we get a lion's share of the UK science pot. The pot we'd get after secession would so small that we'd become irrelevant in most branches of science. There would be a brain drain to England, to the USA, and to many other countries. Researchers would leave, our universities and research institutes would be less attractive to both staff and students, Eck would force his hobby horses upon us, and Scottish science would sink inexorably.

The SNP doesn't have a science policy and its science minister has a PhD in Gaelic - or something equally stupid. The only positive development in recent years is the Scottish Science Advisory Council (http://www.scottishscience.org.uk/members), which has a lot of good people on it - although I think its origin predates Eck'n'Nick's crackpot régime. Anne Glover, the previous chair, was pretty awesome -although she sometimes seemed to be in love with the fat ugly one. I once met the new co-chair, Muffy Calder, but she wasn't very memorable. I have a meeting scheduled with one council member next week. This should be interesting....