My Rollercoaster Year

Those of you who know me ought to be aware that I love a big, fast rollercoasters. I really need to go back to the States and experience some of the new rides since last I was there (1996). However, this year has certainly been one hell of a rollercoaster ride with its highs and lows, switchbacks and unexpected turns.

This time last year I was sitting in Bathgate, looking forward to kick starting the local Lib Dems into the General Election year, then onwards to the Scottish Elections and the council elections beyond. The same old routine as laid out by the election cycles. Or so I thought.

Sure enough the year started out in just that manner. On St. Patrick's Night I was selected as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) again for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, with Charles Dundas once again my colleague in the other seat for the local party, Livingston. In the end I came third once more, was agent to Kieran Leach in neighbouring Falkirk (in which campaign I met some new friends). But I was very disappointed on the night that Kevin Lang in Edinburgh North and Leith and Fred MacIntosh in Edinburgh South had done exactly what the party thought was required to win only to no get elected as MPs.

Well eight days after the General Election I had my CV in to start the selection process for the Edinburgh Central seat  for the Scottish elections next May. So there wasn't any real rest between the elections cycles as I started to plot and plan just what I would have to do, first for the seat and then for the list. In the end after another solid 2/3 months of planning and canvassing local members it wasn't to be, but Alex Cole Hamilton had been selected.

So as I started to work for Alex and was settling down to work on the list selection process, which overlapped with the end of Edinburgh Central, I was brought to a sudden halt. Somehow in all the activity of the previous months I had managed to not notice that certain bills were not being paid, kind of major expensive ones. I tried to get finance from the bank but that wasn't happening. I then felt that the only way to deal with this was to return to Northern Ireland and proposed to work that I could continue to work for them from here. With time running out and me having a letter of notice to hand over if there was no decision on that day I was finally given the go ahead to be a home-worker.

So with that then came the task of packing up 9 years accumulated stuff and with the help of Michael completed Operation Evacuate at the end of August. I'd a week to settle in before I started work, but I was also looking for something a little more permanent over here because work, as close friends can attest, was getting me depressed in a major way, even before I moved over.

There then came an email from a friend saying "Have you seen this job?", I applied and found myself up against Michael for what were probably the most angst ridden two weeks in either of our lives. Until I finally was told the position was mine within an hour of a Nationwide conference call for Yes to Fairer Votes as the Northern Ireland Organiser. I just had time to talk to Michael before that call, and he has been a great help and support from that time on.

Since I've got back I hadn't been completely politically inactive, along with Michael we as local Liberal Democrats wrote a couple of responses to consultations from government departments. I've also been involved in the LGBT consultative forum, help establish Delga within the local party, been back across for Scottish conference. As well as attending two party conferences and meeting with others as part of the Yes to Fairer Votes drive.

This year I attended three Pride Parades Edinburgh, Glasgow and Foyle. Somehow I found the time and a person to fall in love with, though sadly that didn't go as I'd hoped. I've also been elected unto my new local party's executive committee as well as keeping up my record of being a conference rep, Sheffield and Birmingham here I come.

So what does 2011 hold?

For a start there is an referendum on May 5th, not the campaigning I expected to be taking up every waking and quite a few of the sleeping moments of my life. But there you are I'm working towards that and looking forward to getting back into the phonebank as people carry on talking to people across Northern Ireland about fairer votes.

After May, who knows. I have no idea what comes next.

Last year I felt that I'd love to find someone I could really connect with that didn't abhor the time I spent with politics and maybe settle down. Seeing as how intermittent my love life has been in the last twelve months it is almost like I am saving myself for that person. Maybe I might get lucky this year and find what I'm looking for in that department. My love life has been a bit of a roller coaster in recent years maybe I just want it to be a gentle punt down life's river from here on. But then knowing the passion I put into things maybe not.

After May I'll be looking for a new job. No idea that that will actually be yet, have an idea what I'd like it to be just need to see if there are openings that I can fill, it may mean a move once more, it may mean staying right here, I just don't know and nobody is able to tell me the answer to that right now. So it looks like 2011 might be another roller coaster year as well.

Stay tuned I'll return to blogging full time in May.

World #AIDS Day - #ActAware: HIV in Northern Ireland

Yeah it will come as shock to some people in Northern Ireland, but yes there are people living with HIV here in Northern Ireland.

You can't tell who they are by looking at them.

You are not at risk from every day contact with them.

The HIV Support Centre in Belfast says that every week there are two people newly diagnosed with HIV. That is two more people who will be living with HIV in their bodies, two more sets of family and friends that will be living with someone they know very well having HIV.

Of course it is up to the individual in question as to whether s/he lets their family or friends know their status. There is still a stigma attached to HIV, which is almost as much of the ignorance from the 80s instead of what is known now about the disease. In fact it is possible to be in a full relationship with someone living with HIV and practice safer sex and to remain negative yourself*.

That stigma is something that is hard to overcome. It only will be broken down if more people living with HIV are courageous enough to let others know. Showing others that they can live a perfectly normal live.

My friend Michael is a trustee of The HIV Support Centre and he is adamant that the stigma of HIV is best lifted when people are aware that people living with HIV are all around them. Until recently this was even an issue with The HIV Support Centre itself, referring to itself merely as 'The Centre'; the centre of what, one might ask. I recently witnessed him helping lift that stigma one person at a time.

He was talking to a friend he had known for some time, the conversation got round to HIV and his work as a trustee. Standing there listening I had an inkling where that conversation was going, especially once the friend seemed shocked that there people living with HIV in Northern Ireland, the friend was not someone you'd expect to be ignorant of such facts. Michael, eventually asked the question, "Do you know anyone living with HIV?". The friend replied "No". A hand was proffered with the words, "Hello, I'm Michael, I'm living with HIV." It was a brave step even to a friend of some standing, and I'm glad to report he shook that hand and carried on asking more questions, over to the side I was fighting back the tear ducts**.

There is also the stigma of attending a GUM clinic. Some people think that everyone in there is carrying some STI if not HIV. But not every car that you see in a garage needs work doing, some are just being serviced and getting looked over ahead of an MOT, getting tested regularly is just like that. Far better to know what your status is, negative or otherwise at regular intervals that to find out too late that there is something wrong. Late diagnoses means that sometimes the medications may not be effective for the treatment of HIV.

Scarily 1 in 4 people living with HIV are as yet undiagnosed. Scarily of that set 39% are diagnosed so late that they need to start HIV treatment immediately, and 30% were diagnosed so late that there was a real risk of developing a potentially fatal illness. When there are apparently to 1 in 20 of the UK wide gay male population that are living with HIV that can lead to nightmares. Therefore the rule of thumb is treat every encounter the same, be safe and respect your own body. If someone refuses you because you want safer sex, don't give in to peer pressure.

The message this year is ACT AWARE.

Are you aware of your HIV status?

If you're not but are sleeping around whether with people of the same sex or the opposite, may I advise you to go and get tested now and regularly and be aware.

If you don't believe how important that can be I'll advise to wait until my next blog post.


* Of course there is no such thing as 100% safe sex, but if you love someone you decide for yourself what you want to do providing you are in full knowledge of the facts.

** Yeah I tend to well up quite a lot.

Pink Paper Survey Changes allowing Northern Ireland 2Xist*

Following on from my post yesterday and Michael's post and his letter, which led to this response have now included Northern Ireland in its survey.

In an email to my friend Michael Tris Reid-Smith said:

"There’s a further update. Having looked into it further, we have now been able to include Northern Ireland as an option in the Readers' Awards! Obviously anything you can do to get the word out to people and to get them to take part would be great! "

I've filled mine in (if only the party internal elections were so quick to complete) and any offers of free underwear will be greatly welcomed.

Please note this blog is moving to http://stephensliberaljournal.blogspot.com please update your blog roll accordingly.
 
* What you think that is a little bit of an unsubtle way to try and get free boxers?

When Writing Gets a Positive Response

Early today I posted about whether I was the "only gay in the Province". Of course I know I'm not and indeed attending the LGBT Consultative Forum meetings here in Belfast shows just the diversity with the LGBT community that exists here all doing their best for that section of Northern Irish life.

Of course one member of that community, who I know rather well, also took up the cause up on his blog. But Michael being Michael did more that just blog and sent an email off to Tris Reid-Smith, Editor-In-Chief, GT (Gay Times) and Pink Paper and got a response by phone within a few hours, followed up by a response which Michael has posted, in which Tris writes

"Therefore I'm grateful to you for highlighting this anomaly [of our omitting Northern Ireland] and I'll use your blog as an opportunity to consider how we can improve our coverage and our awards. Meanwhile, I and my news team will be very keen to hear from our readers in all parts of Ireland with their news and comments."

Not a bad days work from all three of us who were involved, even if I have had another busy day. But special praise to Tris for acting so swiftly and positively. If only some of the other media would respond so positively to omission, overlooking or misrepresenting certain sections without their readership.

Please note this blog is moving to http://stephensliberaljournal.blogspot.com please update your blog roll accordingly.

Busy Day for Northern Irish Bloggers

Considering that both Michael and I were taking a 'break' from blogging over the weekend (somehow we still managed the odd one here and there). Today was almost as if we were unleashed back unto the world with a vengeance or possibly it was displacement theory while we're both waiting to find out who may have got a certain job. I'd also managed to wake up three hours before my alarm clock.

Anyway speaking of the job Michael and myself both managed a post about the Alternative Vote, hmm, I wonder why? On the subject of AV Michael also had an issue with Nick Clegg and Simon Hughes' email to members yesterday evening, I know I heard his disgust as he read it. I on the other hand looked at what Nick said, or rather didn't say about the emails that had gone to him about tuition fees. I'd also blogged about prisoners being given back the right to vote. While Michael blogged about getting another Golden Dozen, so I guess I need to up my game again or else he might just overhaul me.

Northern Ireland formed the remainder of the blog posts, firstly the bomb alert in North Belfast affecting the community where Michael lives, some waylaid campaign literature of mine. However, the most pertinent question after the discovery of the body of another of the 'disappeared' what effort to find the perpetrator or this and other disappearances?

Last night I did blog that I was off to "rescue a friendship, hopefully" well a peace treaty was signed in the Pizza Hut at Victoria Square. However, I was truly concerned at one point on Sunday. Although we have also just had another pleasant evening after an LGBT Consultation Forum meeting.

PS By the way this is also a post from Michael as indeed is this.

End of a tough week

I know it is only Monday but that is not the week I'm referring to.

Some of the more observant of you will have noticed that both myself and Michael posted rather similar posts on Thursday, basically because we were going in for exactly the same job, interviews for the two of us have now finished*. There was some preparation work involved which took up a lot of our time in recent days.

Both of us wanted the other to be the one that we turned to for areas of advice in what we were preparing for, but this obviously wasn't possible. Both of us we found out over the weekend that we have different ways that we utilise to cope with the pressure, let me just say these were not exactly a snug fit, given the circumstances.

So if you'll excuse me I'm off to rescue a friendship, hopefully.

PS Also hopefully my irritable bowel from the last 4 days will stop being so irritable again now that the pressure is off.

(This was written at 11:15 last night but I've embargoed it until after the second of us interviews this afternoon)

* Hopefully. I've just moved the posting time of this back as my interview slot has been moved back 15 minutes.

The Browne Report - Just What He Said

While I was sleeping it appears that my friend and fellow Northern Irish blogger Michael was having some fun with Wordle and The Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Browne Report.

He's also done a nice Wordle of my short story on the Browne Report as well.



Update: There is now a Facebook Group called Lib Dems Against Scraping the Cap, joining other PPCs, AMs and others.

Quote of the Day: Ben Summerskill Part Deux #MoreBS

Image used with permission from
gyronny.com

"Stonewall has never pretended to be a democratic member organisation. We have never said we speak for all lesbian, gay and bisexual people."

Ben Summerskill quoted in Pink News

Good because you aren't speaking for me, nor it seems journalist Johann Hari who at the LGBT Labour fringe event today said :

"We are not the government, we are making demands on the government."

Which is good except for the past 13 year LGBT Labour have been associated to the party of Government and haven't pushed them on this issue. Last week was the first time a party of government passed a UK-wide equal marriage policy. Sadly the Labour party this week only placed equal marriage 13th on the list of priorities for debate.

Summerskill is also scared that the bill would fail in the Lords, by "retreating to tradition", all the more reason for the reform of the House of Lords in the current Government's plans.

Summerskill also claimed in response to Hari's comment that disability groups wouldn't deliberate the cost of wheelchair ramps, that "It is perfectly proper to say there are arguments that will be used against us so we can counter them". That would the the £5bn figures that was initially Department of Work and Pensions, then the Home Office then Stonewalls own reckoning as both Government bodies denied this figure.

Read also: This post from Timothy J Moore who was at the LGBT Labour meeting, which suggests that Summerskill was reiterating comments that he made last week at the Delga (LGBT Lib Dems) fringe.

It's Friday...so...here's what we've been up to this week

As many of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook will be aware I've spent this week up in Belfast. My good friend Mícheál late on my birthday was rushed into A&E and the following evening while we were up visiting he was discharged and me and Andrew have been keeping an eye on him, catching him when he fell asleep in an upright position (whilst the anaesthetic was still wearing off) and generally keeping him company.

Of course we have found many ways to keep each other entertained and our collective spirits up. So here are some of the things we found that have done just that.

Many will know that Bagpuss was the third member of #operationevacuate taking a seat in the front of the cab of the van on the trip home. This week Bagpuss has joined the team here to look after Mícheál and we're hoping the mice on the mouse will help fix him.



We also were searching around for various things, one of Mícheál's friend came over and we found some 'subtitling' to Bollywood songs. This one we have stuck in our heads.



We've also had Mícheál complain about the number of female dancers doing a highland sword dance, so here is the real thing.

It's Official and the Chair May Be Jealous #NILD

As with the regularity of Federal Conference coming around in September so does the my new membership card turn up. It's usually waiting for me when I return, so there was no surprise that it turned up today.

As you can see the local party name has been changed to Northern Ireland, so its now official my move.

But to my shock the membership card is a Scottish party membership card (see the underlined) not an English one, which the party is aligned to. Just don't tell the local party chair, or should I as a Scottish member call him convener, he might just get a little jealous of this novelty.

Is Group Blogging the New Black?

I was having a little joust with James Mackenzie (aka Two Doctors) on Twitter last night, I mockingly said that I wasn't going to say the nice stuff I was planning to say about his, Jeff and Malc's new venture Better Nation.

I jest of course because I have enough in common with all three of them to make our disagreements just that, a disagreement, a point of contention and not full blown out warfare. It'll be interesting to see how their group dynamic develops as co-editors having seen them together over the odd pints. It would be a shame to lose any of the three of them from blogging and that was the danger that Malc and James were facing over recent months so this new impetus may be the boost to revitalise their creative juices.

Of course I'm also embarking on a new collaborative project, not as James thought with Caron and Andrew as he suggested; like Freedom Central is for the Welsh Lib Dems but for Scotland. No instead I'm getting together with Mícheál setting up the Lib Dems in Northern Ireland blog.

Not of course there hasn't been talk of setting up a Scottish equivalent of Freedom Central. Stephen Tall editor of Lib Dem Voice talked to me about it at conference last year and I talked to Alison Goldsworthy about it there too. So why haven't we got around to it in Scotland?

I think firstly and the three of us have talked about it at times. We are very strong as individual bloggers. By that we are all prolific, hard hitting and bring a personal slant to the issues even if all three of us post on the same subject you will get three very unique perspectives. Secondly such a tool would be to encourage the other Scottish Lib Dem Bloggers. With the notable exception of Fraser Macpherson one of the top 10 Councillor bloggers in the UK, that is in a constant state of embryonic flux. There are some good ones out there like James Taylor, and Paul Edie, but the youngsters Ruaraidh, Callum and Kieran have all given up.

Whereas with Mícheál and me there is a challenge to highlight the Lib Dem brand over here. With a wealth of experience gained in different areas and fields. There is also the obvious media face and the backroom organiser between the two of us. Yes the deal has been struck that if/when I stand in Northern Ireland we know who the agent will be. There are two different styles yet similarly to with Caron and Andrew compatible. I think the boost of my returning has got Mícheál's creative juices running which I hope Better Nation will also do for Malc and James. We'll see how both those projects pan out

As for the Scottish Lib Dem collaboration it remains loose Alliance, with interlinkage and retweeting of stories. Plus, and this is a little secret, occasionally feeding one of the others, in the big three, a story because they would do it more justice because of the way they write.

#OperationEvacuate: The Final Chapter

Well I'm finally sat down in Northern Ireland and think that I really need to let you know the end of the story which started to be told by myself and my travelling companion, Northern Irish Lib Dem Chair Mícheál Carchrie Campbell. So to keep everyone, especially my spy handler Chris Wilson*, in the loop here is the remainder of the tale.

Saturday was spent mainly packing and cleaning. Although there was a brief little bit of relief as Caron and her daughter Anna came over to deliver her Dyson for the use of Operation Evacuate. Mícheál, as they were leaving, asked Anna is she was a member of the Liberal Democrats. When she said no, he asked her if she wanted to be. When she said yes Mícheál asked for a form so I ran inside to find where I had them and handed one to them as they sat in the van to fill in. We then had the welcoming handshakes from local party representatives past and present and the Northern Irish chair.

Anna and Caron are going to be fostering my Conference 2009 hoopla won teddy, Bourne Ident Teddy, until I return to Scotland and Anna has a Bangor Bowling Club keyring which says, "Presented by Stephen Glenn" on the reverse of the club emblem, just so she doesn't forget who or where I am. As if!!

On Saturday evening Mícheál was having a meal with his mum's cousin and her son, who live nearby. While they were out the landlord came around for his final inspection while I was still mid packing and cleaning. But on Mícheál's return he said that his second cousin had asked at the table, "Was that Stephen?" then turned to his mother and said that was the Liberal Democrat candidate you got all those leaflets from. Apparently he would have also voted for me if he hadn't moved over to Edinburgh. I'm not which of my Edinburgh colleagues benefited though, that is a question I will have to get answered.

Well I spent most of Saturday evening and Sunday morning cleaning and little bits of final packing in van while Mícheál tried to get as much sleep as possible for the drive. The bathroom and cooker were sparkling by the time I was done.

We then set off at 7 am in the morning for the drive to Stranraer. On the way we honoured a challenge set by Caron to fly the pink jack out of the window. We did it on the way to the Varyag memorial at Lendalfoot. It is one of those memorials we have both driven past so often, either in a queue of traffic up from the ferry or in a rush to get to the ferry. This time we had time and used it to take a look and pictures of it.

After what was a smooth uneventful return trip we arrived at the port of Stranraer....

...yeah there is something about ports on this trip...

...initially the first queue at the port was up to the gate and a secondary one had started. The traffic warden told Mícheál that he could get in there, and he probably would have done if the traffic warden hadn't positioned himself in front of the wall that forms the gate to the entrance. There was a scraping noise as the traffic warden jumped over the wall to say you shouldn't have done that. This will add to #keygate as being #twgg (traffic warden gate gate) from the #operationevacuate family of hashtags.

We then proceeded up to the security check wondering if Alana and Peter's tale from Belfast on the way out would have got here before us. It didn't appear to have, but the security guards were happy to look in through the side door of the van before letting us proceed, straight into the hands of the law.

The police had just, it appeared, turned up for duty and decided before we had moved 2 metres further along to pull us over to the side. The proceeded to take details from us, search the vehicle (inside, underneath and under the bonnet). However, there were a number of issues with this that we are raising as a result.

Random stop and searches are illegal for a start and this one especially.

We were not given a reason of suspicion as to why we were being searched.

We had details taken from us and a request for photographic ID. Apparently a Northern Ireland Assembly Pass and General Election leaflet were not enough (you'd have thought alarm bells would have rung out then) so we had to reach for our passports.

I asked the data protection questions. Why are you taking my data? Who will have access to it? How long will it retained for? The answers were Prevention of Terrorism Act (not sufficient reason on its own as I pointed out above). Only for usage of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and not for any third party. I'm not sure I think it is for x** number of years.

After our details they let the dogs go into the van to sniff around and then check us out afterwards. Once all this was done the 'officer' (who was only wearing a security high vis jacket not a police one) who had opened the bonnet told us to shut the bonnet. Mícheál asked if he could do it for us he said no, then as Mícheál tried to push it down said, "No not like that, you need to lift it first." Too late not it was already bent out of shape. He then said we'd better get that shut or there would be a prohibition.

At this point Mícheál asked them for their identification numbers (which were not on display on their uniforms. The female officer was about to do so when her colleague with the bonnet said no we don't have to do that (actually they do if requested to provide). So we have no idea which officer we are to lodge a complaint against as they were not as forthcoming with information as we had to be on their say so.

As we trundled along towards the queue to our ferry we wondered which of our mobile phone contacts we should contact first. Mícheál's boss after all is the Northern Ireland Justice Minster, I had the Lib Dem Justice Spokesperson or the Secretary of State for Scotland in mine. Then again we both could contact the Deputy Prime Minster who is acting as Prime Minister as well.

Having experienced this at first hand we both think that the over reaction that our police have had (especially as this wasn't an international boundary) is far too excessive. This from two men who grew up with the constant daily threat of terrorism on their doorsteps everyday. For more frequently and more deadly that anything that currently exists, when security was tight but nowhere near as intrusive, humiliating or police-statest as this situation was.

We calmed down on the crossing. Mícheál started to compose his letter while I got my nose into the observer. Later on we got a postcard each of the ferry we were crossing on and sent the identical message to each other as we entered Belfast Lough facing our respecting home shores of Down (me) and Antrim (him). Then off we got and drove to Bangor where with the help of Sam O'Neill the 4th Bangor BB Captain and Cedric McBurney the BB/Scout Lib Dem team finally offloaded my stuff mainly into mum's garage.

This morning after some welcome recovery sleep we returned to van to McGladery's commercial hire and told Martin in the hire office the tale of the trip. We're waiting to hear the estimate for how much of our deposit we shall be losing, between the key and the scratched paintwork.

* Actually as he off to the Ukraine for the next 10 months he may be able to dig out my KGB file from 1990.

** The reason I'm not revealing this number is that Mícheál asked the same question and was not told so am not going to damage his own formal complaint.

The Early Hiccups of #OperationEvacuate

Well Mícheál Carchrie Campbell (Northern Ireland Lib Dem Chair) and I are currently having a race to see who can blog the early episodes of Operation Evacuate*, over the table from each other as Bangor comes into view on the starboard side.

Hiccup One shortly after the 300 deposited me in Belfast City Centre I had a phone call from Enterprise (hire company number two) of Operation Evacuate's chequered history in getting the key incredient (ie the van) sorted. The person on the other end of the line said, "We are sorry but the van you have booked will not be available in time, will a small transit do?" My reply was no not with the size of the fridge/freezer amongst the other things that I am having to move.

So after they said a van would be available tomorrow, too late for the crossing we had booked, they said they would call back with alternatives. They did they found another van hire place that had the van we were looking for. Phew problem sorted.

We haven't got the van you are looking for

Update to be fair the Enterprise Cares tweeter has replied twice to my earlier Tweets to make sure that everything was Ok.

Hiccup Two was a minor one. Mícheál ended up having to stay longer at his morning meeting
that he thought he would have to. Then on the trip in from Glengormley got on the wrong bus. So ended up going to his to pick up his stuff before meeting me. But the silver lining was that Pam Tilson called to say grab a sandwich, I'll put the kettle on in the office and we can catch up til he gets here. So we did until Mícheál turned up.

Hiccup Three the security at the port after asking to see our booking reference asked Mícheál to open up the fan. So he stepped out and used the ignition key to open the dead lock on the door. For someone who speaks English and Irish he reverted to the Anglo-Saxon when a snapping noise was heard. Followed shortly there after with a plaintive 'Stephen, come here'.

I was on the phone to McGladery's to say what had happened and could they ship down the spare set as we were immobile less than 10 miles into Operation Evacuate. I was asked if we could get up to them, I said could you taxi them down and I'd pay for that it would be quicker and cheaper. We were blocking one of the two lanes to get access to the HSS queues.

Alana and Peter who were on duty were glad we were able to laugh about it. Alana however may not have been too observant if she had looked into the back of the van. She said we'd better call our 'wives or girlfriends' to tell them we'd be late. The simultaneous comments of dirision from two out and proud Ulstermen was missed. As was a later 'It's ok hug' from me to Mícheál, which only warranted the comment 'Best not tell your wives and girlfriends'. She also asked if we were brothers, they was more sniggering from us.

Finally she noticed Mícheál's rainbow lanyard and said, "In Australia that is the sign of gay pride." We said same here. Penny dropped she asked, "Are you?", we nodded. She then outed herself, just one of the most bizarre little daily coming out occasions I've ever had. But a good laugh was had.

Update It appears that my Laptop and Blogger have beaten the MacBook and Wordpress to publishing.

* The mission which weve chosen to accept to move my stuff from Bathgate to Bangor this weekend.