Monthly Archives: March 2018

Union? What Union?

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Grouse Beater

Glancing through some intelligent and some not so bright posts on a social website I noticed one irritant who had only one argument: Scotland lost it sovereignty on signing the Union of the Crowns. This is arrant nonsense. Post after post … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Independence Referendum, Scottish Politics | 62 Comments

Isle of Dogs – a review

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Grouse Beater

This latest animated offering, Isle of Dogs – named after the island in the Thames – comes from the wild imagination of Wes Anderson. It’s a visual feast but a dogs dinner of a plot. There is something studenty about … Continue reading →

Posted in Film review | 2 Comments

Never Really Here – a review

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Grouse Beater

With accusations of invisible Russian assassins in the air it’s something of a coincidence we have one in the cinema, but he uses nothing more sophisticated than a blunt hammer and no sickle to the skull to do his dirty work. To … Continue reading →

Posted in Film review | 7 Comments

Car News: Geneva Motor Show

Posted on March 10, 2018 by Grouse Beater

A weekly guide to all that’s rotten in the auto industry, plus some good bits This year’s Geneva Motor Show emphasises what the perceptive already see, car manufacturers still concentrating their output on producing costly toys for the mega-wealthy, ably … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | 13 Comments

Mudbound – a review

Posted on March 9, 2018 by Grouse Beater

Mudbound had such a short, limited release in Scotland and England that I didn’t bother to publish a review judging it too late to be of any use, but then I noticed it had been nominated for Oscars. That usually means … Continue reading →

Posted in Film review | 2 Comments

For the Glory of the Empire

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Grouse Beater

 Empty pockets One of  the lamest taunts aimed at Scotland’s just political ambitions – unionist barbs rarely rise above a snotty grunt – is the one about independence reducing Scotland to “a basket case like Greece”. This insult was thrown at us at … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Independence Referendum, Scottish Politics | 3 Comments

Of Jocks, Nats and Nazis

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Grouse Beater

Yoons and baboons In my own political writings I avoid using the term ‘Yoon’, the diminutive of unionist. I disliked it the minute it appeared. In past studies of the tragic, illegal Vietnam war waged by the US on a purely agrarian … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments