rocket_scientist

Ross County, between Xmas & NY. Fucking disgrace not having a cash gate option.

Mrs rocket and I can't understand where the occupants are going to come from for the glass boxes at the Capitol and opposite Marishal College. Unfortunately, there's some deal where we are going to pay for the non-occupancy. If the builders/contractors could see the way the wind was blowing, why can't our elected representatives? What did they personally get out of it? How else can this monstrous building have been given the go ahead?

It wasn't a statement. It was a question. I know you said you weren't accusing me of it but what or who are you referring to? Who is lazy? Who is trying to shut down rational debate? I personally knew nothing of the debate at the time but now having invested 10 minutes reading through some of the stuff given in the links, I'm getting the impression that dd was 100% spot on. Ok, you're opening by saying he seems like a nice chap. Not sure dd would agree with you. I think I do have a problem with this public project being privately owned but now we're getting into the meat. It was his vision. Putting aside what you seem to remember about what the local press did and your statement that the North East "masses" are so stupid that we couldn't see beyond something - which the facts don't support as the electorate voted AGAINST Wood - does this bit not include contradictions? How can you open with he seems like a good guy and yet find him repulsive? I think from what I'm reading that he has been quite repulsive over all this. He's been "railroading" exactly like dd said. It was his way or the highway. This was like him building a folly, an act of a rampant egomaniac, surely? So you agreed with the electorate? So the masses aren't as stupid as you say? These questions are good and obvious but I don't understand your last sentence. The public rejected Ian Wood's vision. They were NOT blinded by "£50m min" and quite evidently did NOT go "progress min". How can you possibly describe it as a genuinely nice gesture? It came with heavy conditions. His attempted railroading (which the masses rejected) de-railed what would have been an obvious benefit, the vision by Peacock. It was a fucking appalling "gesture". But you said there was no debate because the proper questions weren't asked? I don't understand this bit. He wasn't assumed to be right. He was rejected. He was telt to go shove it. Quite correctly. I'm not aware of this assumption that rich people are always right. Sir Philip Green in the news this week wasn't assumed to be right. The banker billionaires have also been exposed in the last decade and whilst Goldman Sachs et al continue to fight their dirty fights, Lehman Brothers and others have been scapegoated. There is no public assumption that the rich are right and if there were, how could it possibly apply here when Aberdonians voted that this billionaire was wrong (assuming he is, I don't know his net worth nor do I give a fuck). I'm unaware of what the local tabloids wrote. I stopped getting the P & J delivered well before this "debate" or not arose and stopped reading the EE 25/30 years ago. I have no idea what the relevance is of Trump International. I think you're saying that Aberdeen Journals tried to mislead the public. Well if they did try, they failed. As I say, donsdaft's courage of his convictions is the one ringing very true to me. And if Annie Lennox supports his view, that's good enough for me: - In the letter - which is posted on the musician's website - Lennox said to continue with the project, which was rejected in a public consultation, would be “an act of civic vandalism and abandonment of democracy”.

Follow him on twitter. He's one of only two that I do.

What was the plan that "wasn't very good at all"?

Occasionally, some great humans appear. I've come across two great women recently. My favourite human however is a man. The Walled Off Hotel hit the news today. Further evidence of his genius. Dismaland was genius. This is arguably his best work yet.

That Peacock vision was brilliant. Why couldn't the Council use Wood's money towards that? For some reason I switched off when all this debate was going on. I despise the council and have no trust in anything they do. Seems like my mistrust was well placed. The city is becoming a total toilet.

Please explain. I'm aware that he offered £50m. I am not aware of any conditions he imposed. And what was his motivation to destroy the city centre?

Having never worked in oil and gas, never wanted to and successfully encouraged my kids not to, I'm intrigued about your opinions of Ian Wood, which will be much more qualified than mine. Comparisons to Branson are surely invalid given their starts, daddy's company v. nothing. All I know about him is that he's big into philanthropy and seems to speak a lot of sense in his very many interviews. I've never got why the cooncil couldn't take his £50m for UTG. Is this simply age-old jealously and resentment, a particular human condition sickness that we do very well as Jock Tamson's bairns or is there poison of which I'm unaware in Wood's history? I can hardly see him in the same bracket as Sir Philip Green and other establishment crooks although that may well be naivety on my part. The only thing I'm wary of is his awful idiosyncrasy of shutting his eyes when he speaks. Not having a big enough database nor enough experience of others who do this, I'm not sure what it means but my instinct says it's not good.

Whatever the crowd will be, it will be hugely underreported. It's the SC so a split of the gate always goes to the opposition. It's what Milne does. At the QF v. Celtic a few years ago (they got a late equaliser, Mackie won the replay), they said 10,800 at Pittodrie. It was a Sunday 12.30 ko so it was never going to be full but there was a minimum 13k there that day and probably nearer 14k. 9,059.

Imagine on BBC iPlayer has a couple of must-sees just now. The Nawal El Saadawi portrait was fascinating but the programme on Maya Angelou was a profile of one of the greatest human beings in history, on a number of different levels. Some interesting parallels between the two. The best in anything come through adversity but they both came through a lot. Their courage and selflessness was almost unimaginable given the weakness, lack of integrity and valuelessness of the modern era. I love seeing/meeting/hearing about better and more intelligent people than me and these two women are uncatchably strong in so many ways. I could/would have loved Maya.

Paid. Good cause. Good post. Happy to help.

Tonight proved how shit the standard is in Scottish football. AFC a clear second coming off "a good run" (in terms of results) get beat by pure shite. A good run that included major luck v. Killie, Ross County (twice) and other than a thrashing of a hapless McGoo shit show, nothing at all in terms of real quality. When you persist in playing both Reynolds AND Taylor and you stubbornly persist in Consi at LB and Shinnie in midfield, it WILL bite you, and most probably at the business end of the season. What about AOC? Hung out to dry. When the final was already over, which it was before kick off by the manager fucking it up big time by changing a winning formula coming off two good away wins where Shinnie was LB and re-introducing Taylor after FIVE weeks out - O'Connor conceded a penalty. He's never been given a run since. WE WERE ALREADY 2-0 DOWN GOING ON TEN when AOC made that mistake. McInnes is the problem. And Milne of course. Same old. AFC are shit, just not as shit as most in this shit league, as they couldn't possibly be given the budgets.

He's just a horrible man with anger management issues. I wonder where the root source of frustration derived? Actually, he's such a fucking pig of a man, I couldn't be arsed listening to the cunt explain that one. Y'know.

Well said. It's like the Lord Provost. In the 21st century? They get a chauffeured car and cost us tens of thousands. For what? Zero value back. If it was up to the people to spend their own money, they wouldn't piss it down the drain. Oh hud on, the people voted for the public sector wanks who piss our money down the drain.

Specifically what's wrong were decisions made by civil servants. In the early 90's, we were recruiting for a management position and the boss said to me - don't interview anyone who's worked in the public sector. I don't want anyone who's been near the government. Even if he's walked past a government building, we don't want the cunt. There are some times when generalising works. Never met anyone other than useless cunts in the public sector. That's why they're there. Wouldn't survive two seconds in real life.

There is a fine line between nationalism and jingoism. I'm very pro independence but I recognise that we've got a massive number of total bellends and useless fucking cunts in this country. My award for today's biggest Scottish dickhead goes to Jackson Carlaw. Him and Mundell would be multiple winners. One thing I'm not is "proud to be Scottish". Fuck that shit. I've been more embarrassed to be Scottish, numerous times over the years.

:laughing:

I think this may be the place that won a big U.K. wide award recently, the place owned by the same guy who has the Light of Bengal. So it doesn't surprise me that it's good. There's nothing else that could attract me to Inverurie so must pay a visit sometime.

Will definitely try, cheers.

Castletons is good but for a breakfast, the place in Stonehaven is very good, Kirktown Garden Centre I think it's called. A "mini breakfast" for a fiver there is superb quality and value.

BBC4 right now. Hockney. Total genius. IPlayer it from the start. Beautiful man.

Madame Mews. In the New Market. Last time I mind being in there was 1976 when I bought Queen's Night at the Opera. Well this place was recommended to us so we went in yesterday. A starter, two main courses and a couple of drinks = less than £20. It was full of Thai folk so that was a good early sign. Fucking tremendous. I ended up loving my wife's no. 38 - chicken in tamarind sauce - as much as my chilli beef but what a fantastic find. Going to visit the HK cafe next door next as it was full of Chinese folk. Can't beat that as an endorsement although our recommender was selling the trip advisor ratings hard. He needn't have. Not only are ratings subjective and capable of exploitation, the food at Madame Mews is just the best value for money ever.

Obviously. But like the bread cunt at the hunnery, like the Deila cunt at the piggery, I'm just pointing out uselessness where it exists. The y'know cunt at Motherwell is the abomination I want to see emptied next.

The only harshness here is your interpretation of the truth, of what he said. He is as limited as Donkey Irvine, who was good enough to play for Scotland, I think, if I recall correctly. Therefore he is a more than competent footballer, just not world class. As he said, Considine is best in the centre of defence, certainly better than Reynolds (who isn't these days?) and Taylor but by continually being forced to play in Shinnie's best position, will obviously see his weaknesses exposed. Consi is a great servant, an excellent man.