St Patrick's day fun

I like this, especially as I fly Aer Lingus twice a week to/from Dublin!

Aer Lingus Flight 101 was flying from Heathrow to Dublin one night, with Paddy the Pilot, and Seamus the co-pilot. As they approached Dublin airport, they looked out the front window.

"B’jeesus" said Paddy "Will ye look at how fookin short dat runway is".
"You’re not fookin kiddin, Paddy" replied Seamus.
"Dis is gonna be one a’ de trickiest landings you’re ever gonna see" said Paddy.
"You’re not fookin kiddin, Paddy" replied Seamus.
"Right Shamus. When I give de signal, you put de engines in reverse" said Paddy.
"Right, I’ll be doing dat" replied Seamus.
"And den ye put de flaps down straight away" said Paddy.
"Right, I’ll be doing dat" replied Seamus.
"And den ye stamp on dem brakes as hard as ye can" said Paddy.
"Right, I’ll be doing dat" replied Seamus.
"And den ye pray to de Mother Mary with all a’ your soul" said Paddy.
"I be doing dat already" replied Seamus.

So they approached the runway with Paddy and Seamus full of nerves and sweaty palms. As soon as the wheels hit the ground, Seamus put the engines in reverse, put the flaps down, stamped on the brakes and prayed to Mother Mary with all of his soul.

Amidst roaring engines, squealing of tyres and lots of smoke, the plane screeched to a halt centimetres from the end of the runway, much to the relief of Paddy and Seamus and everyone on board. As they sat in the cockpit regaining their composure, Paddy looked out the front window and said to Seamus "Dat has gotta be de shortest fookin runway I have EVER seen in me whole life". Seamus looked out the side window and replied…."Yeah Paddy, but look how fookin wide it is".

Gaelic events in Edinburgh: March/April 2009

Info from Com-pàirteachas Gàidhlig Dhùn Èideann (Edinburgh Gaelic Partnership)


Sunday 01.03.09 – 12.30pm Weekly Gaelic service, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Mr John A. Macmillan. (Cont: 225 1900).

Tuesday 03.03.09 – 7.30pm Gaelic Conversation Circle – SNP Rooms, North St. Andrew St. with Calum Cameron. (Cont: 334 7005)

Wednesday 04.03.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 664 2228)

Thursday 05.03.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. (Cont: 664 2228)

Saturday 07.03.08 – 11.15am Family Gaelic Club, TollX Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 07729 307487)

Friday 06.03.09 – 8.30pm “Bothan” at new venue - GRV, 37 Guthrie Street, Edinburgh with Mary Macmillan. (Cont: 07906 318561)

Saturday 07.03.09 – 7.30pm Comunn Tir nam Beann Ceilidh, St. John’s Church Hall, Princes St. with Gaelic singers Kirsteen Grant, Ian Maclean, Dougie Gillespie, Rena Gertz, Martin Gourlay & instrumentalist Robbie Greig. Piper - Neil McClure. MC – Dougie Gillespie. (Cont: 334 7005)

Sunday 08.03.09 – 12.30pm Weekly Gaelic service, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Mr Neil Martin. (Cont: 225 1900).

Tuesday 10.03.09 – 1.00pm Gaelic Lunch Club, Mount Royal Hotel, Princes St. Speaker: Dolina Maclennan. (Cont: 07906 318561)

Tuesday 10.03.09 – 7.30pm Gaelic Conversation Circle – SNP Rooms, North St. Andrew St. with Calum Cameron. (Cont: 334 7005)

Wednesday 11.03.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 664 2228)

Thursday 12.03.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. (Cont: 664 2228)

Saturday 14.03.08 – 11.15am Family Gaelic Club, TollX Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 07729 307487)

Sunday 15.03.09 – 12.30pm Weekly Gaelic service, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Mr Alasdair Macleod. (Cont: 225 1900).

Tuesday 17.03.09 – 7.30pm Gaelic Conversation Circle – SNP Rooms, North St. Andrew St. with Calum Cameron. (Cont: 334 7005)

Wednesday 18.03.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 664 2228)

Thursday 19.03.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. (Cont: 664 2228)

Saturday 21.03.09 – 11.15am Family Gaelic Club, TollX Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 07729 307487)

Saturday 21.03.09 – 1pm – 6pm Edinburgh Saltire Gaelic Choir – Gaelic singing workshop for phrasing, vocal techniques, harmony, Gaelic pronunciation etc. Duddingston Kirk Hall, Duddingston Rd.W. £10.00.

(Cont: http://www.edinburghsaltiregaelicchoir.org.uk )

Sunday 22.03.09 – 12.30pm Weekly Gaelic service, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Mr Neil Martin. (Cont: 225 1900).

Tuesday 24.03.09 – 7.30pm Gaelic Conversation Circle – SNP Rooms, North St. Andrew St. with Calum Cameron. (Cont: 334 7005)

Wednesday 25.03.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 664 2228)

Thursday 26.03.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. (Cont: 664 2228)

Friday 27.03.09 – 8.00pm “‘S math sin” Ceilidh/Dance for Edinburgh Gaelic Community – Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh. Singers/musicians and Black Rose Ceilidh Band. Tickets from Ceilidh Culture Box Office (228 1155) or tickets@gaelic-edinburgh.net

Saturday 28.03.08 – 11.15am Family Gaelic Club, TollX Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 07729 307487)

Sunday 29.03.09 – 12.30pm Weekly Gaelic service, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Rev. Angus Smith. (Cont: 225 1900).

Tuesday 31.03.09 – 7.30pm Gaelic Conversation Circle – SNP Rooms, North St. Andrew St. with Calum Cameron. (Cont: 334 7005)

Wednesday 01.04.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 664 2228)

Thursday 02.04.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. (Cont: 664 2228)

Thursday 02.04.09 – 7.30pm Lothian Gaelic Choir - Gaelic Singing Workshop with Kenna Campbell, Colmcille Centre, 2 Newbattle Tce. (Cont: 07818 067524 or http://www.lothiangaelicchoir.org.uk

Saturday 04.04.09 – 7.30pm Comunn Tir nam Beann Ceilidh, St. John’s Church Hall, Princes St. with 2008 Silver Pendant winner Lynn Phipps; Norrman Mackinnon (Gold Medallist), Ceitidh Smith, Angus Montgomery (accordionist), Scots singer Scott Gardiner, Highland Dancers & piper Neil McClure. MC – Angus Montgomery. (Cont: 334 7005)

Sunday 05.04.09 – 12.30pm Weekly Gaelic service, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. (Cont: 225 1900).

Tuesday 07.04.09 – 7.30pm Gaelic Conversation Circle – SNP Rooms, North St. Andrew St. with Calum Cameron. (Cont: 334 7005)
Wednesday 08.04.09 – 7.15pm Ulpan tuition class, Tollcross Community Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 664 2228)

Airson tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mu ghnothaichean Gàidhlig an Dùn Èideann, cur fios gu Iain Macleòid, Oifigear Coimhearsnachd air 07906 318561 no post-d gu john@andarach.com.

For information on Gaelic activities in Edinburgh & to add your contact details to the circulation list, contact John Macleod, Gaelic Community Officer on 07906 318561 or john@andarach.com Weekly updates on Gaelic activities in Edinburgh now featured in the Stornoway Gazette (paper & website). See also http://www.duneideann.net

“’Is fheàrr a bhith lag, seòlta na bhith làidir, aineolach!”
(‘Better to be frail and perceptive than to be robust and ignorant!)

The Fred Goodwin pension problem

OK, so the Government and most sane people reckon that Fred's £16m pension reward for the biggest failure in UK corporate history is unjustifiable. I would agree it's an outrageous reward for the biggest fail ever in UK corporate history, however if it's in his contract what can be done?

1. First of all the government should realise that by trying to weasel around contract law and pension law by claiming back his legal entitlement, it opens the floodgates for all those hard-done-by benefit claimants that really need the government's support and are all too often eliminated from the basic money they need by government red tape. I know, I've had the chancellor of the exchequer tell me so personally (he used to be my MP). The government all to regularly hides behind legislation that results in the needy being denied money because of red tape (e.g. form says "please return this form within a month otherwise your claim may be delayed" without informing the claimant that the underlying legislation requires the form to be returned within a month otherwise the claim will be invalid and so on). If the government can twist and bend the legislation to get back some of Sir Fred's pension then it should certainly have a thought for the hard done by citizens of this country, struggling in a recession on a lot less than Fred's feather bed nest egg and who the government is all to happy to exclude from a basic minimum entitlement, despite paying national insurance etc. If the government can bend the rules to rake in money, it can surely bend the rules to pay it out to those who need it most.

2. If the government is adopting the new found stance of ensuring that failure isn't rewarded and that people don't want away from failure with large fat-cat salaries then we really need to question what example MPs are going to set. After all, Gordon Brown has presided over the biggest economic failure this side of the great depression yet in 2 years will walk away from that failure with a well paid job in the city and a pension that even Sir Fred Goodwin would enjoy. Surely if bankers are to be penalised for failure, the same rule should apply to the politicians which allowed the bankers to be so reckless in the first place. The buck stops with government. I'm sure the politicians that preside over failure would be a lot less keen on calling for Fred to pay back some of his pot if the same politicians were having their pension pot culled by the same percentage and for exactly the same reasons.

That's what I don't like about Labour. One rule for them and another one for everyone else.

Shoe on the other foot, Gordon Brown?