Sunday 11 February 2007

The Sunday Times is winding me up

Up here, we have a different edition:


Sunday Times
Originally uploaded by David Farrer.

Two weeks ago the Times website dropped its link to the Scottish edition (scroll down) although they suggested that the link would return soon.

In today's issue there was a very important article by one of Scotland's most prominent economists. David Simpson, formerly chief economic advisor to Standard Life, has come out in favour of independence. This is a major story. See here for details of Gordon Brown's recent "secret" meeting with top Scottish business leaders, including the Chairman of Standard Life. The agenda was independence.

But of course I can't link to the David Simpson's article because apart from sports the Times has cut Scotland out of its website (for the time being I presume). From the new sitemap I can get complementary medicine, gastro pubs and, bizarrely, New Zealand, but the future of the Union simply isn't newsworthy.


Sunday Times
Originally uploaded by David Farrer.


Sunday Times
Originally uploaded by David Farrer.

Imagine my surprise when I came across this advert for the new Times website on page 8 of today's Scottish paper.

Shouldn't it carry a warning? "Not valid in Scotland". This is exactly the sort of annoying thing that sends voters over to the SNP. Is Rupert Murdoch a secret Nat?


Sunday Times
Originally uploaded by David Farrer.

1 comment:

David Farrer said...

Comments made on previous template:

David Farrer
Stuart, 
 
Don't mention zee Var!

16 February 2007, 18:03:43 GMT
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Stuart Dickson
O/T 
 
Thought you might like this one David!!  
 
The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility. 
 
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English". 
 
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make  
the sivil servants jump with joy. 
 
The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up 
konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. 
 
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like 
fotograf 20% shorter. 
 
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. 
 
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. 
 
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is 
disgrasful and it should go away. 
 
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v". 
 
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl. 
 
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru. 
 
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze 
forst plas. 
 
If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.

15 February 2007, 17:48:32 GMT
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David Farrer
Though is this the same Prof David Simpson who stood as an SNP candidate in 1970? 
 
Yes, I think that he is the same person.

14 February 2007, 00:18:56 GMT
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David Farrer
James 
 
There's only the one UK site. It used to link to the Scottish print edition as well as the English one, but no longer. For now anyway.

14 February 2007, 00:16:44 GMT
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james higham
...But of course I can't link to the David Simpson's article because apart from sports the Times has cut Scotland out of its website... 
 
Maybe you could access the English version?  
 
By the way, I liked your Isle of Man Parliament idea best.

12 February 2007, 12:49:33 GMT
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Jeff
I really don't think I'm one of these conspiracy theorists but there does seem to be substantial anti-SNP bias in the media right now. Even the first paragraph of the article, electing to say that David Simpson supports "separatism" rather than simply calling it independence is a bit suspicious. 
 
Though is this the same Prof David Simpson who stood as an SNP candidate in 1970? If so, it's not such a big news story that he has come out in favour of the SNP financial figures if he was wedded to the party to begin with.

12 February 2007, 02:51:09 GMT
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Bill (Scotland)
Is Rupert Murdoch a secret Nat? 
 
I doubt if he knows or cares very much about Scottish Nationalism, although I think it probable he cannot be considered a friend of the British state - which probably amounts to the same thing. I really think that my decision on how to vote will be quite unaffected by how the 'Dirty Digger' has his minions organise a website in one part of his Empire.

11 February 2007, 23:12:41 GMT