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Newsletter 23rd March 2018

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  • Newsletter 23rd March 2018

    For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/

    Electric Scotland News

    Got a comment on the last newsletter video on YouTube and just wanted to say that you can feel free to make any comments you wish or ask questions or point out facts you think I should be aware of. I might add that if you watch the video on Electric Scotland you won't see the comments. To see them you need to watch the video on YouTube and then scroll down the page to see any comments.

    I went into Toronto to celebrate my friend Nola's 74th Birthday on Monday. It was an excellent event and "Cinq" did the catering for it. They provided a bar tender and a chef and a server to take around the food. They had some excellent roast beef, roast pork, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. Scallops stuffed with ham and cheese, biscuits and a selection of cheeses, and of course an excellent birthday cake. There were around 50 people in attendance. All the family were there and many friends from work and the Templars.

    Here is the video introduction to this newsletter...

    Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
    Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in newspapers such as the Guardian, Scotsman, Courier, etc. you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish.

    Use Brexit to promote free trade and prosperity across the world
    When it comes to foreign aid, the UK is the second most generous country in the world, and by 2021 we are expected to give £14.5bn to the poorest countries through the government alone (not including the huge volume of private donations to charities). This speaks to the compassion and decency of the British people.

    Read more at:
    http://www.cityam.com/282383/use-bre...y-across-world

    Boldness in Business person of the year: Sir James Dyson
    As the British engineer embarks on his boldest venture yet to reinvent the car he says the UK’s exit from Europe will only encourage innovation

    Read more at:
    https://www.ft.com/content/3be5a7f6-...5-5634466a6915

    Darien colony failure has lessons for Russia stand-off
    Scots not England and King William were mostly to blame for the disaster that paved the way for the 1707 Act of Union, says John McKendrick

    Read more at:
    https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinio...-off-1-4707323

    Smoke alarm rules to apply to all homes in Scotland
    All homes in Scotland are set to to have a minimum number of smoke alarms after a 30-year-old law is amended.

    Read more at:
    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-43443725

    The understandable anger of British fishermen
    The fishing community has been persistently abandoned by Westminster

    Read more at:
    https://capx.co/the-understandable-a...ish-fishermen/

    The true cost of Customs Union membership
    Agricultural tariffs are more than three times higher than average EU tariffs

    Read more at:
    https://capx.co/the-cost-of-customs-union-membership/

    Scottish businesses sign up to ‘Good to Go’ doggy bag scheme
    It's a problem that has plagued restaurants for decades but now a new campaign has been launched to tackle plate waste

    Read more at:
    https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/pr...le-food-waste/

    Pupils get tossing the caber lessons in Prince pilot
    Tossing the caber and tug-of-war are to be taught in schools after the Prince of Wales backed a project to encourage more young people to compete in Highland Games.

    Read more at:
    https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/p...-pilot-1-47082

    MSPs defeat SNP plans to abolish Forestry Commission’s role
    Opposition MSPs have defeated the SNP’s plans to abolish the Forestry Commission’s role in Scotland

    Read more at:
    https://www.scotsman.com/news/msps-d...role-1-4709548

    Royal Highland Show is a huge boost to the Scottish economy
    The Royal Highland Show is now in its 178th year, an incredible achievement for any event

    Read more at:
    https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinio...nomy-1-4708874

    Iconic British firm reveals SHOCK sums it sends to Brussels
    ICONIC British sugar refiners Tate & Lyle said the European Union forces the company to pay a 35 percent duty on imports before they are allowed to sell their products on the British market.

    Read more at:
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/93...an-Union-video

    Poverty and inequality on the rise in Scotland
    Poverty rates in Scotland are continuing to rise, official figures have suggested.

    Read more at:
    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-43498345

    Deterring Russian aggression requires insight and determination
    THERE IS NOT that much in Russia that works, they have practically no exports except oil, gas and commodities, which in part is the reason their economy has been in steep decline lately, but there are still some things they do well.

    Read more at:
    http://www.thinkscotland.org/todays-...ead_full=13491

    Electric Canadian

    Transactions of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers
    I discovered a lot of volumes of these transaction which are very detailed and note that they are very popular downloads so assume civil engineers are enjoying the details given in these transactions.

    I've added the 1930 volume and will add others each week. You can view these at
    http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...rial/index.htm

    Some of the topics discussed include Address of the Retiring President, Brig.-Gen. C. H. Mitchell, Aerial Surveying as Applied to Engineering Problems, Airships, Aviation in Canada, Biography, Sir Sandford Fleming, "Buy Canadian Products" Campaign, Development of Radio in Canada, Obituaries, etc.

    Romance of the Grain Growers of Saskatchewan
    History, Aims and Objects.

    You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...ingrowers1.pdf

    Conrad Black

    President Trump's Korea Breakthrough
    http://www.conradmblack.com/1377/pre...a-breakthrough

    What a disaster the Ontario PC leadership race was
    http://www.conradmblack.com/1378/wha...rship-race-was

    Electric Scotland

    Memoir of Sir James Dalrymple
    First Viscount Stair by Æ. J. G. MacKay. Added a link to this book at the foot of the Dalrymple page at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../dalrymple.htm

    Memoirs of his own Life by Sir James Melville of Halhill
    An eminent courtier. Added a link to this book at the foot of our Melville page at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...n/melville.htm

    Hugh Cleghorn
    Forrester and Scottish Laird. An unsung pioneer, a collector, and a major benefactor to the RBGE.

    You can watch a video about him at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...e/cleghorn.htm

    Calcutta Review 1867
    Stumbled across this publication which I found of interest so thought I'd add this issue for you to read. There may well be other issues available.

    You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...Review1867.pdf

    5ketching Grounds
    With numerous illustrations in Colours and Mono Tint by Eminent Living Artists Edited by Charles Holme (1909) (pdf). Includes some very interesting pictures of Scotland but also England, Wales and New York.

    You can read this book at: http://www.electricscotland.com/pict...inggrounds.pdf

    Isle of Man
    Described by Agnes Herbert with forword by A. W. Moore C.V.O., M.A., Speaker of the House of Keys, and 32 colour plates by Donald Maxwell (1909) (pdf)

    You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/isleofman.pdf

    North East Corner - Scottish Office film 1946
    Added this to our Peterhead page in the Statistical Account of Scotland and you can view this at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../peterhead.htm

    Bothy Ballad and photos from old farming days of North-East Scotland
    A great collection and have added a link to this compilation to the foot of our Songs page at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/poet...son/singalong/

    The Sporting Review
    A monthly Chronicle of the Turf, the Chase, and Other Sports edited by "Craven". Found 3 copies of this publication which you can read at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...tingreview.htm

    The Story

    I thought I'd bring you this story as we have the same problem in Canada with Duct Cleaning Services. I just hope this story will encourage the Canadian authorities to do a similar investigation. I also get more computer calls from various firms including ones that promise to reduce my credit card interest charges. Not sure how things fare in the US or Australia or New Zealand or other parts of the world.

    A business premises suspected of making 200 million illegal calls has been searched by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

    Some calls may have put lives at risk as they were made to Network Rail's control centre near Fort William.

    As a result drivers and pedestrians were unable to check if it was safe to cross the rails at unmanned crossings.

    The raid in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, followed public complaints about automated calls

    Typically they were recorded messages promoting boiler and window replacement schemes.

    The ICO said they often referred to non-existent Scottish or UK government initiatives.

    'Endangered lives'
    Ken Macdonald, head of ICO Scotland, said: "These calls have caused millions of people disruption, annoyance and distress, but not only this, those made to a control centre charged with public safety may have endangered lives.

    "Companies behind nuisance calls should know that people are sick of them, and when people complain to us, we will act."

    The regulator said it would not name the firm while the investigation is ongoing.

    The 200 million plus calls the firm is suspected of making is one of the highest volumes the ICO has ever executed a search warrant in relation to.

    To date, the highest number of calls to result in an ICO fine is 146 million.

    Computer equipment and documents were seized for analysis during the search, and will now be used to inform the ICO's investigation.

    The regulator has powers to issue fines of up to £500,000 for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, which cover the way organisations make automated direct marketing telephone calls.

    And that's it for this week and hope you have a great weekend.

    Alastair
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