Jackson Carlaw is on Twitter today complaining that Jeane Freeman, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport is an unpleasant person who can be sharp with people, at least, according to an article in the Times Of London.
I’ve never met Jeane Freeman and I have no idea whether she is sharp or rude, so I can’t comment.
But Mr Carlaw thinks that: “This leaves serious question marks over Freeman’s ability and conduct; and calls into question the SNP’s legitimacy in managing Scotland’s precious NHS. The SNP are politically and morally bankrupt, time’s up for this failing government.”
As I say, I know nothing about Ms Freeman so I can’t comment on the accuracy of the article (which, because I don’t pay the Times of London any money, I cannot even read) but, just supposing there is some truth to it, it’s a bit of a leap of logic to say that this would mean that the SNP is politically and morally bankrupt.
The SNP runs the Scottish Health Service because it is the elected government of Scotland… rather like the Conservatives and Matt Handcock run the English Heath Service, because that is how the English voted. No one doubt the Tory Party’s legitimacy to run the service. They were elected to do so, never mind how rude Priti Patel allegedly is.
The legitimacy to govern comes from elections, not from some alleged shortness from a minister.
And given that the aforementioned Mr Handcock seems to be completely out of his shallow depth in his role, and resorts to making stuff up, particularly about Coronavirus, (not to mention standing creepily near to a colleague while broadcasting so that she moves away and puts her handbag between them), I think Mr Carlaw would do well to give that particular subject a wide swerve.
Additionally, England’s Department of Health doesn’t really have a great record now, does it?.
I’d have a great deal more time for Mr Carlaw and his Twitterings if he actually had a policy, any policy, to offer up.
But he doesn’t.
MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
You’ve got to hand it to carlos jackass.
The company that he ran in Glasgow selling cars went into receivership with debts of around £11 million.
By my poor arithmetic that appears on the surface to be a million a month as the previous years accounts recorded a small loss in trading.
He will be thankful that we are paying him £120,000 plus expenses a year to be leader of the tory party in Scotland. You have to pay top dollar to get the best.
Maybe carlos would like to comment on that performance.
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If I’m not mistaken that was only one of two bankruptcies that Carlos the Jackal was involved in.
If he became first minister (snigger) would he bankrupt Scotland?
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And while he’s at it any info he has on the missing paintings would be helpful. And a couple of his racist jokes. Cheer up his tory supporters in these trying times. Just the type to be in charge of the tory branch office.
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Man for the job, Steve, I’d say.
Bet he has some nice paintings round his houses though, eh?
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Wasn’t he part of the tory party in Scotland’s programme to stop doris from getting the leadership job?
Operation Arse, I think, maybe he’s just using the same script, change the name.
Can we run a raffle on what his question will be on Thursday morning?
I’d bet on the prisons as we’ve had the schools, the hospitals and the bridge.
Didn’t see the ruthie in last weeks FMQT desks, why do the children get to bang the desks? Can’t they behave like responsible adults? no, of course they’re onionists.
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Lady the Colonel is probably busy being fitted for an ermine collar. You’d have to admit that’s much more important than plastering about with FMQs in Scotlandshire’s district council.
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I don’t think any of Jeanne Freeman’s senior civil servants have resigned. Maybe Mr. Carlaw should consider that before he opens his ignorant gob.
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Well, so far (although as I say, I have not read the article) I don’t think so. Nor has anyone attempted to off themselves.
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Something is wrong with Mr Jackson, its his face , it always looks badly swollen.
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Wullie: I think he may be ‘well-fed’. “Rondelet”, if you will!
Oh and I think he likes a glass or two. So “rond comme un coin”… Hic.
Alternatively maybe his wife has a particularly vicious rolling pin.
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A fat guy wi’ a head like a ba’
An’ a face like a Hallowe’en cake,
Wis rantin’ and fumin’ an a’
Aboot how oor NHS wis at stake.
A’ because o’ that bad SNP,
It wis just aboot ready tae crash.
It should be run by the Tories, ye see,
Wha would flood it wi’ shedloads o’ cash.
Well forgie me if Ah interrupt
An ask this eejit a question,
“We ken weel ye’ve been bankrupt
Sae dae ye think ye’re really the best yin
Tae dole oot advice about money?
Or how tae mak things run well?
It seems tae me it’s gey funny
When ye couldnae dae it yersel.
Sae, Jackson, tak a lang run, eh?
A’ the way doon tae Hell!
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Lol! Bravo, Andi!
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I think Andimac should be the next Scots Maker!
I’m a bit confused – in all those articles about appalling failures in the ENHS, why did none of them call for the resignation of the Health Secretary?
Perhaps they need to learn from the Scottish “press” as they never forget to do that, even when it’s just someone complaining about not having a blanket and being cold.
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Hummmmm. That’s a puzzler.
Creepy Handcock should be gone. There’s no doubt about it.
Hear hear for Andi to become the Makar!
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Bravissimo!
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I always imagine Matt Hancock
Would be perfectly cast as a snivelling backstabbing toady
Lickspittle character in Medieval Blackaddet.
Hair suitably tonsured of course.
I actually find his butt sucking ability awe inspiring in its total
Lack of self awareness.
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I take it you don;t like Handcock, Niko.
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Blackadder predictive text pain in the erse
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Is there anyone out there who really believes, seriously, that our country would be better off with these dangerously deranged, cruel, vindictive, uncaring individuals in charge? If so, there must be a few villages missing an idiot. While the S.N.P, and I’m a member, are by no means perfect, the Scottish N.H.S has been nothing less than a first class service for myself and my family. Even though there was any truth in this story, which I very much doubt, if the tories were in charge you would soon have to bring your credit/debit card in order to get treatment. That is, if you could afford it in the first place.
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Quelle surprise
snp fanatic says snp are fantastic.
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Niko: Would you rather the Tories were running it?
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No just old Labour and the snp banished back to the underworld from whence they were spawned
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And how likely do you imagine that is.
I mean they tried old Labour with Jeremy Corbyn and his acolyte the wavy arms blokey, Dicky, and they are down to one Labour MP when only 5 years ago (before the idiot Murphy got his hands on the Scottish branch, there were 41 one them… and heaven knows, he’s a bloody Tory by any other name… but, in fairness, I believe, a very good constituency MP.
Even rolling out Gordon Brown from time to time to talk about Devo Double Super Plus Max (yawn) doesn’t make any difference, because he lied to us.
Which of the potential Labour leaders in England will change that? Will having Jackie Baillie as deputy leader (when she and Dick don’t like each other) improve things?
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Er no…
I’ve got nothing but praise for the Scottish NHS too – I wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for them, and in particular the Sudanese refugee surgeon who put a stent in my heart just in time as I was dying from a heart attack.
Then there’s the NHS staff from the EU – they’re vitally necessary. I hope that enough of the EU citizens among us simply refuse to have anything to do with the Home Office registration system that They can’t arrest and deport them all.
A bit like refusing to pay the TV Tax in Scotland.
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Something similar ed. In order of being treated, an Indian, West Indian, and Irish doctors saved my life. Forever grateful.
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I suspect they will be begging them to stay now, registration or not.
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No, just pragmatic nico. Can’t be anything else being a Partick Thistle supporter. Well, maybe an optimist as well.
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Another!?! We seem to have disproportionate number of Jags’ fans among Munguinites. Maybe that’s one the reasons we get on so well. In my Dubai days, I was chairman of the local branch of PT supporters. Next week I’d be vice-chairman, then deputy vice-chairman. The three of us took turns in each position.
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How did you control the AGM, John?
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Ales: I’m the same.
The SNP is far for perfect, but by comparison with the Tories, they are miracle workers. In the last year I’ve had a lot of contact with the SNHS. They have been fantastic. I can’t fault a thing.
We’ve had to call out paramedics and doctors to my mother; I had to take my mate to hospital with a bleeding ulcer; I had to take someone else to hospital with a badly broken arm and another friend had a cancer op. I also had an op.
At no time were there delays or problems.
And they do it against continual criticism from the BBC and the printed press.
I have confidence that they will somehow cope with Coronavirus, certainly better than England will under Tory direction.
God only knows what the Tories would do with our health service, if they ever got their bankrupting hands on it.
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“We’ve had to call out paramedics and doctors to my mother; I had to take my mate to hospital with a bleeding ulcer; I had to take someone else to hospital with a badly broken arm and another friend had a cancer op. I also had an op.”
gosh it’s quite dangerous knowing you isn’t it 🙂 Joking aside the SNHS, whilst not perfect, is a blessing to have. How valuable to hear “what’s wrong?” rather than “credit card details please”
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Oh lord, yes, PP. It’s best to keep a safe distance from me…
But indeed. Imperfect it surely is (10 years of pointless austerity has not helped and of course, Brexit isn’t helping either), but it is comforting to know that, no matter how broke you are, you need never worry that you’ll be passed over and left to die in favour of some rich dude with a gold credit card.
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Free at the point of service.
Aye for the special people who will get the treatment quickly and free as they are necessary to run the country.
The rest of us can just give up your bank details and the charges will be deducted instantly otherwise it’s ooot the door with you.
Back to the good old days of Hauf a Croon to get to see the doctor.
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…and if you didn’t have the half crown…well tough!
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I thought the Jeanne Freeman can be sharp bit was quite amusing. The folk I’ve met that have scaled the greasy pole of success definitely didn’t get there by being sweetness and light. A certain ruthless disregard for people’s feelings coupled with a caring pleasant outer face to be used as required is, I believe, an accurate if very basic description of how many are. That of course doesn’t begin to cover the array of personality disorders that can be found without too much looking. Many of these people have folk immediately below them in the hierarchy that are terrified of them. Priti Patel as much as I can’t stand her and I’m definitely not defending her, is not the exception.
Carpark Jackoff is in this group so to say what he said is a bit rich in many obvious ways but it’s all part of his customary double standards, brass neck. As far as legitimacy goes, well the most sobering thing for me is that he has any, that there are people behind him who provide it. It’s logical to suppose they actually think he’s credible and thats the really scary bit.
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Yes, I suppose that that is true,
You probably don’t reach the top by being sweetness and light all the time.
I remember hearing that Wendy Alexander used to go back to the office after FMQs and rip her staff apart after being eviscerated on a weekly basis by Eck.
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I just reread that bit about questioning legitimacy… we have to watch out for this. I remember Theresa May speaking at the Armadillo – they had those photos of the two gals in Union flag jaickets in the front row – and she went on about the failing Scottish Government and NHS and eddycation and whatnot. Boris, of course, very recently talked about all the awful things the failing Scottish Government etc. etc. political stagnation fnaugh fnaugh fnaugh, as Paul Kavanagh puts it.
We can view this narrative (apart from being a Big Lie) as an attempt to soften up public opinion to accept the Westminster regime shutting down the Scottish Government because of its manifest failures … betraying the Scottish people … lost all legitimacy through its incompetence… mishandling … Queensferry bridge years late and billions over budget…
To use the American phrase, I’m rubber you’re glue. It’s a major (to a quite amazing degree) gaslighting. It serves to deflect attention from the regime’s own lamentable state of governance in England. It’s a useful tool, and a bit similar to the BSE (Blame Someone Else) disease that so afflicted the Thatcher regime and has infected Westminster in the form of rabid euroscepticism and Brexiteering ever since. So Carlos the Jackass may not be as delusional he appears: he may be deliberately laying out a propaganda narrative straight from the regime at Westminster.
It’s counterfactual, it’s not reality-based, but who cares about facts, and who needs experts, when we can have alternative facts and a reality- and mind-bending narrative in which only politics and appearances matter? After all, Tory voters in the southlands will know no better, so they – the regime’s core voters – will readily believe that imposition of direct rule from Westminster is perfectly justified. They’ve done it often enough in Northern Ireland, after all, and this nationalist anti-English hatred and the political unrest and violence in Scotland is obviously very much the same sort of thing.
And of course those pesky, pestiferous, verminous Jockanese keep bellyaching about England’s precious, precious, democratically decided Brexit, as if anyone cares what they want – talk about the Scottish tail wagging the English bulldog! The ungrateful subsidy-junkies really need to be taught a lesson. Why, they even cast doubt on England’s Manifest Destiny as a Serious Global Power, a Player Punching above its Weight, and one that must be reckoned with! So, obviously, the adults in the room are going to have to step in to end the unrest in North Britain, reinstate democratic rule instead of the unelected and illegitimate, incompetent one-party Scottish tyranny they have now, save those silly wee Jockanese from themselves, and put them back safely in their shortbread tin where they can’t do themselves or anyone else any more harm.
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LOL, Ed. If only I’d thought of that.
Good Ol’ Carlot the Bankrupt.
🙂
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eddjasfreeman,
Thanks for that.
May I argue on your side, that the essential problem is that users of the SNHS and the ENHS are two discreet groups? Neither has familiarity with t’other? It is, perhaps, classic divide and conquer.
Having a – so far – undiagnosed illness ( maybe) – I have nothing but respect for our Health Service. It took me a week or so to realise that my GP’s assessment of my condition, and my consequent slow process through blood sampling and X-Rays and stuff, was of itself a diagnosis. No immediate risk. But they haven’t given up on me.
T’other day I gave yet another blood sample and I have a further X – Ray scheduled.
The SNHS is a profoundly careful and responsible organisation, staffed by the best of us. Of course they are not perfect but they try to reach those heights. And the genuine care that seems to be part and parcel of their identity? That is an immeasurable asset.
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I hope you get it all sorted soon, Douglas, and are back to your usual feisty self.
There are lots of truly caring people in the caring professions – fortunately. At Ninewells hospital I have only once come across a Nurse Ratchett type whom I would cheerfully have murdered. I noticed that I wasn’t the only one who loathed her, which I found reassuring because I’m not one to take against anyone so quickly and so thoroughly – most unlike me!
Like many of our more decrepit compatriots, I worry about being in a high risk group for the ruddy coronavirus. What I need, really, is a new and much younger and fitter body – but do you think I can get one on the NHS? Chance would be a fine thing… No, you have to go private for that.
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A younger and much fitter body? Me too. I’ve been telling the Resident Sassenach for years that I’d be totally revitalised by such a procedure but it seems the ENHS don’t provide it either. Today is her birthday and still no nearer that goal. If anything, now even further away. I’ll have a harp talk to her tomorrow about the inadequacies, of her country’s health service. I’ve already taken the first step on her behalf. Hidden the rolling pin.
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LOL. I suspect she’ll find it though.
I assume it is a “sharp” talk, because a “harp” talking to her does paint the weirdest, and probably the most melodic of pictures! Least-wise for me it does. 🙂
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Missed typo worked very well! Though I thin I’d be the imminent candidate for the harp and the cloud. Came close to it last nigh, but fortunately only the harp on a can of draught Guinness. Being RS birthday, I breached my carefully hoarded stock to join her G&T celebrations. Hard to come by here – like the young and fitter body.
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A good time was had by all, I assume…
Give our best wishes to the RS, a star of Soppy Sunday!
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I agree and I hope you are soon feeling better, Douglas.
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The English Health minister has been diagnosed with Covid 19.
“Ms Dorries, the minister in charge of patient safety, said in a statement: “I can confirm I have tested positive for coronavirus.
“As soon as I was informed I took all the advised precautions and have been self-isolating at home.”
eek in charge of patient safety! She’ll be fine but she is worried about her 84 year old mother who has a cough and is now going to be tested.
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She’s been meeting hundreds of people and went to a reception in Downing Street where the idiot in chief was holding court.
I feel sorry for her mother.
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Elegantly put, Tris, if you don’t mind me saying so.
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Ed: I’m flattered, particularly given your habitual eloquence.
I’m not always that rough common fellow you all know and love!! 🙂
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Listened to a few minutes yesterday on LBC radio, Ian D Smith was playing a game in the mother of parliaments.
What seemed to be an internal difference of opinion within the tory party was being ‘debated’.
The subject matter was that Glesca sounding phone company, Hughie, or Shuggie.
Mr smith was saying that as they were Chinese they can’t be allowed to get the contract for updating the phone system as they will win the contacts by ‘underbidding’, due to the fact that the Chinese have so much money they can do this. This is unfair in the ‘FREE MARKET’.
On the same day his irony was lost on me, the Chinese just BOUGHT british steel from an Indian company. Mr smith had nothing to say about a French and Chinese partnership building and paying for a new nuclear power station in englandland, but taking back strategic control of the NATION was part of his ramble.
Then later a junior minister declares that she is positive on the virus, hope she wasn’t in the same room as the rest of the mps, well I don’t really hope she wasn’t , It would help doris close the place up for a couple of weeks.
We live on a small planet together, the atmosphere is as deep as the distance between Greenock and Glasgow, at 60,000 feet up it runs out, that’s just 10 miles in old money,think about it.
By the way most of the high tech stuff we buy is manufactured in China, if you and ian haven’t noticed.
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Yep. Almost everything in made in China.
Certainly my computers/tablets/ipads and phone were all made in China.
I imagine (with no scientific knowledge at all) that if they wanted to eavesdrop on us they could already do it.
IDS got himself worked up into a terrible state about it. Probably he’s worried what the Utter Genius Orange Giant will have to say.
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It’s not as if CGHQ isn’t already doing it all over the world if they can.
Reminds me of the story from the first world war, telegram traffic to the USA from Germany was copied for decoding in London as the cables crossed the Atlantic from britain.
So they’re well versed and worried about what can be installed with the system.
If VW can pass the emissions testing with a few lines of code buried in millions of lines, well no need to get concerned.
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Yeah. That’s true, Dave
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And human beings find it hard to live at altitudes a lot lower than 60,000 feet. We die at the top of Mount Everest, and that is a mere 27,000 feet or so. What is that? The distance between a point in Paisley and Glasgow’s East End? Perhaps our colleagues on here who do maths – I’m looking at you Danny – could tell us.
Our existence on here is pretty fragile and our politics, well, our politics are idiotic.
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I have a feeling that Jeane Freeman doesn’t tolerate fools very gladly. There’s your answer Mr. Carlost.
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Well, you can hardly blame her.
Here she is, working in tandem with health boards and the other UK health ministers, and this idiot is carping at her. SNP BAAAAAD.
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Strangely, neither can I. Perhaps I and Ms. Freeman are related after all.
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ANOTHER evil twin?
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The best oxymoronic decision by doris ever.
He’s appointed chris grayling as the chairman of the ‘Intelligence’ committee.
Anything to stop the ‘Russian’ report being published.
Well that’s the budget done and dusted, the maybot’s money tree shaken and the resultant money stirred around.
Extra duty on Gas to heat homes and the electricity held at last year’s level, it’s the summer you know you’ll not know the effect until this time next year after a winter.
All done within the fiscal limits with borrowing to increase by 2.4% over this year, below the rate of inflation.
All smoke and mirrors.
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God, he sounded like a cheesy game show host, getting stuff done.
YUK!
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Hmm….
I live in a traditional Glasgow tenement. There seems to be absolutely no incentive to cover the roof with solar panels. Does anyone know why?
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Don’t think you own the roof of a tenement, I think it is shared among all the tenant/owners.
Maybe our good responders will confirm.
In old money Douglas, 1760 yards in a statute mile, that means 5280 feet to the mile. By my arithmetic 60,000 feet is just over 11 and a third miles. Almost the same as half the length of Loch Lomond or twice it’s width at Luss to Balmaha, the same as Balmaha to Stirling.
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We all know the sun doesn’t shine in Glasgow, Douglas.
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Unbelievably, trispw, it is cracking the sky right now!
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Wow. Friday 13th!!!
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