Scott Macdonald

Author: Scott Macdonald

  • Modern politicking

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    Scott Macdonald
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    I’m a newcomer to politics. Since jumping off the fence on the independence referendum in mid-April 2011; this year has been the most eventful of my political life. It had to be. Looking at the challenges facing Yes Scotland, and having came to the conclusion that Scotland would be to my mind better off: socially,…

  • Dirty Money: The Tory Millionaire Bankrolling Better Together

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    Scott Macdonald
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    This is a copy of an article posted by Michael Gray on April 7, 2013 on the website: National Collective. National Collective has been removed from the Internet. Some people just don’t understand The Streisand Effect! Copy, print, and share. –> snip Today ‘Better Together’ disclosed £1.1 million of donations to its campaign. Almost half…

  • Debtbusting in an independent Scotland

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    Scott Macdonald
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    I should qualify some of this. Kezia Dugdale MSP in the Scottish Labour Party has done a lot of excellent work as a regional MSP in her Debtbusters campaign against pay-day loan companies. She was also the No campaign’s representative at a recent public debate. –> snip Dear Ms. Dugdale, I’d like to state that…

  • Workfare vote

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    Scott Macdonald
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    Dear Mr. Lazarowicz, I write to you today to express my concern at my understanding that the Labour Party will not oppose the government’s retrospective legislation on workfare. The bill seeks to retrospectively excuse the DWP from reimbursing wrongly sanctioned claimants.

  • Voting at 16 in the independence referendum

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    Scott Macdonald
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    Dear Mr. Chisholm, I write to you today to highlight a potential issue in what is likely to be an issue in the upcoming 2014 independence referendum. I note that the agreement has yet to be confirmed, but it has been widely reported in the media that 16 and 17 year olds will be eligible…

  • Reviewing movies

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    Scott Macdonald
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    It’s Edinburgh Film Festival time again. Every year, I end up writing loads of reviews all the while wondering how *other people* review movies. I find it difficult, but not impossible to churn out 3 or 4 pieces a day. Here’s how I cope. When watching, I keep scribbling notes, to remind myself of people,…

  • Enjoying Twitter 101

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    Scott Macdonald
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    There’s little surprise that QI host Stephen Fry was one of the first major cheerleaders for tweeting. Twitter isn’t in itself very interesting – but becomes interesting through being a source and user-driven broadcaster of interesting things from its users. I hesitate to use the word recipe. Recipes involve doing things precisely and in order…

  • Communications snooping proposals – letter to MP

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    Scott Macdonald
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    Dear Mr. Lazarowicz, I am a university-educated IT professional living within your constituency. I write to you today to express my disgust at the announcements made yesterday regarding the massive expansion of the online and cellular surveillance programme – RIPA – which may be part of Her Majesty’s speech in May. Leaked briefing notes suggest…

  • Fitness wahoozery

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    Scott Macdonald
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    I was asked recently about how exercise is coming along. It went south over October and November, although I kept the PureGym membership and occasionally went to make heavy things move. Over the past three months, I’ve improved. One of my co-workers is a personal trainer and martial artist, and with his help I’ve started…

  • Cleaning up Windows – no more

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    Scott Macdonald
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    I refuse to fix, descum or wipe computers for people who don’t want to care about computer security – or just don’t want to get to grips with a Windows install disc. Each time I copy off personal stuff, install Windows, patch Windows, install Windows anti-virus, install a secure browser and shore up the computer…