"One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me I am not mistaken in mine."
I have decided to take a break from all of this.for a while.
The arrival of wee Malcolm means I am trying to spend more time at home wherever possible, and we don't have home internet at present.
I am also fiendishly busy at the Council, either dealing with casework, and I have some fairly hefty projects on the go, or dealing with committee papers, sundry meetings and community meetings and events.
Thus I really haven't got the same sort of time available to keep updating.
It goes beyond that, however.
When I first started blogging in 2006, there were not a lot of SNP bloggers out there, now there are, and without exception they are doing this gig better than me.
Perhaps at some point in the not too distant future, when my home internet is up and running, and I have a bit more time on my hands, I will get back into the groove, and be able to keep on updating.
So long everyone.
Play nice.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Fat Log - Week 8
Weight - 15 stone 5 and a half pounds
Feelings - pleased, another pound off, and that was after a heavy night out on Saturday for Malcolm's headwetting!
Christmas could set me back, but as long as I don't overdo it I should be fine!
Feelings - pleased, another pound off, and that was after a heavy night out on Saturday for Malcolm's headwetting!
Christmas could set me back, but as long as I don't overdo it I should be fine!
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Hoity Toity Angel
I had the pleasure of being invited to the Stoneywood School Christmas Concert this afternoon, a musical production entitled The Hoity Toity Angel.
It was an excellent production, show-stopping, foot-tapping songs, fantastic funny moments, and superb performances from the pupils.
All in all an excellent performance and one of the plus sides to being in this job is that I occasionally get to attend these sorts of events.
It was an excellent production, show-stopping, foot-tapping songs, fantastic funny moments, and superb performances from the pupils.
All in all an excellent performance and one of the plus sides to being in this job is that I occasionally get to attend these sorts of events.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Fat Log Week 7
Weight - 15 stone 6 and a half punds.
Feeling - happy. Three pounds off and back on track.
Edging closer to having lost a stone, the festive season is looming large on the horizon though. Must resist the urge to pig out!
Feeling - happy. Three pounds off and back on track.
Edging closer to having lost a stone, the festive season is looming large on the horizon though. Must resist the urge to pig out!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Rock Superstar to Meet First Minister
Not quite.
Last night I discovered the genius that is Rock Band 2 for the X-Box.
Over at my pal Craig's, with a bunch of other guys, playing pretend instruments and singing along to rock and metal classics, there is no better way to spend an evening.
The game is fantastic, I was sceptical when I first heard about it, I like Guitar Hero, even though I'm not very good at it, but I wondered how the game interface could cope with so many participants and still be entertaining.
I needn't have worried. Do yourself a favour, if you are having some people over for a party, and you own a compatible console, invest in this game and it will guarantee a fun-filled evening, oh yes indeed!
Oh, and the other part of the title?
In my capacity as Vice Convener of Grampian Fire Board, I'm attending the opening of the new Community Fire Station in Aberdeen tomorrow, at which the First Minister is doing the honours. Should be a lark, as they say...
Last night I discovered the genius that is Rock Band 2 for the X-Box.
Over at my pal Craig's, with a bunch of other guys, playing pretend instruments and singing along to rock and metal classics, there is no better way to spend an evening.
The game is fantastic, I was sceptical when I first heard about it, I like Guitar Hero, even though I'm not very good at it, but I wondered how the game interface could cope with so many participants and still be entertaining.
I needn't have worried. Do yourself a favour, if you are having some people over for a party, and you own a compatible console, invest in this game and it will guarantee a fun-filled evening, oh yes indeed!
Oh, and the other part of the title?
In my capacity as Vice Convener of Grampian Fire Board, I'm attending the opening of the new Community Fire Station in Aberdeen tomorrow, at which the First Minister is doing the honours. Should be a lark, as they say...
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Christmas Shopping
I've actually been quite good with my Christmas shopping for a change, almost all the presents have been bought, just a few bits to get as yet.
We also have to get Malcolm's first Christmas gifts, which will be a challenge! We think we know what to get him, we just need to find it all!
We also need to get the tree as well, and then decorate it.
Finding the time is going to be challenging, but we will get there!
So, today, we are off to do some more Christmas shopping. Given that First Bus drivers have decided to go on strike, Aberdeen city centre is to be avoided.
Thus we are killing a number of birds with one stone by heading out to Inverurie where we can let Malcolm visit his granny (Louise's mum) and his great-grandad and great-grannies (all Louise's side of the family) and Louise and I can get some shopping done at Inverurie's little shops, which keeps up our pledge to avoid giving our money to "the man" this Christmas.
Then home to watch the Strictly Come Dancing quarter final, which promises to be very exciting!
And then, I am off to play computer games at another games night.
An eventful and entertaining Saturday beckons!
We also have to get Malcolm's first Christmas gifts, which will be a challenge! We think we know what to get him, we just need to find it all!
We also need to get the tree as well, and then decorate it.
Finding the time is going to be challenging, but we will get there!
So, today, we are off to do some more Christmas shopping. Given that First Bus drivers have decided to go on strike, Aberdeen city centre is to be avoided.
Thus we are killing a number of birds with one stone by heading out to Inverurie where we can let Malcolm visit his granny (Louise's mum) and his great-grandad and great-grannies (all Louise's side of the family) and Louise and I can get some shopping done at Inverurie's little shops, which keeps up our pledge to avoid giving our money to "the man" this Christmas.
Then home to watch the Strictly Come Dancing quarter final, which promises to be very exciting!
And then, I am off to play computer games at another games night.
An eventful and entertaining Saturday beckons!
Friday, December 5, 2008
An Inconvenient Truth
For some people, the budget crisis at Aberdeen City Council has been an opportunity to exercise in a healthy dose of schadenfreude.
Us pesky young councillors, clearly not capable of doing a decent job, SNP proving heartless and uncaring towards children, disabled, the elderly, add any other section of society you care to mention.
Did I enter politics to make savings, close schools, rationalise facilities and make decisions which prove decidedly unpopular?
No, of course not.
The simple fact is, however, that expenditure was never really brought under control and was allowed to simply go unchecked at any stage.
The figures which were published the other day, showing a £200million overspend on education and social work since the authority's inception, demonstrates that these budgets were never reined in.
The P & J editorial talks about money being taken from other services to plug the gap and thus "protect" these two services. Well, there comes a point when you simply can't keep on doing that, and we reached and breached that point some time ago.
So, we arrived into power in 2007, and landed up in a position where we had to take drastic action in order to try and balance the books.
The budget process at the Council was ridiculously hectic, and led to a number of savings being put forward which were undeliverable in the timeframe required.
As a result we are looking at a further £25 million of savings being needed next year. This is not pleasant, it is not comforting, but if we want to try and get the Council back on an even keel it is necessary.
We are currently going through the most open and transparent budget process in the Council's history, and there is ample opportunity for people to put forward suggestions for alternatives to any savings that they do not like.
I don't dispute that there are people out there who are angry about the way things have developed, I'm not exactly tickled pink either, but to insinuate that we could simply avoid taking these sorts of decisions and keep on spending beyond our means is, frankly, unrealistic.
Hopefully this next budget round will set the Council back onto an even keel, and we can start trying to focus on some of the positive things that are happening.
Like winning a UK-wide award for housing, or successfully lobbying for a reduction in bus fares for example...
Us pesky young councillors, clearly not capable of doing a decent job, SNP proving heartless and uncaring towards children, disabled, the elderly, add any other section of society you care to mention.
Did I enter politics to make savings, close schools, rationalise facilities and make decisions which prove decidedly unpopular?
No, of course not.
The simple fact is, however, that expenditure was never really brought under control and was allowed to simply go unchecked at any stage.
The figures which were published the other day, showing a £200million overspend on education and social work since the authority's inception, demonstrates that these budgets were never reined in.
The P & J editorial talks about money being taken from other services to plug the gap and thus "protect" these two services. Well, there comes a point when you simply can't keep on doing that, and we reached and breached that point some time ago.
So, we arrived into power in 2007, and landed up in a position where we had to take drastic action in order to try and balance the books.
The budget process at the Council was ridiculously hectic, and led to a number of savings being put forward which were undeliverable in the timeframe required.
As a result we are looking at a further £25 million of savings being needed next year. This is not pleasant, it is not comforting, but if we want to try and get the Council back on an even keel it is necessary.
We are currently going through the most open and transparent budget process in the Council's history, and there is ample opportunity for people to put forward suggestions for alternatives to any savings that they do not like.
I don't dispute that there are people out there who are angry about the way things have developed, I'm not exactly tickled pink either, but to insinuate that we could simply avoid taking these sorts of decisions and keep on spending beyond our means is, frankly, unrealistic.
Hopefully this next budget round will set the Council back onto an even keel, and we can start trying to focus on some of the positive things that are happening.
Like winning a UK-wide award for housing, or successfully lobbying for a reduction in bus fares for example...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)