Graduated in Natural Philosophy (what they used to call Physics) from the University of Glasgow. Recently retired from working in the aerospace industry.
I now act as Company Secretary for the letting agency Clan Gordon Limited in Edinburgh (www.clangordon.co.uk). The company is owned and run by two of my sons.
I also work on IT issues and develop Excel spreadsheets.
Returning to this after the vote, I'm sad to have to read such uninformed tosh.
Good luck to all who are happy with the sentiments expressed by what appeared to be the majority of commenters.
I also wish you well with the neo-liberal governance being offered by the elite at the Tory party conference, or the scarcely different nonsense on offer from the happy-clappy Labour conference.
If any of you are planning to vote for Boris, or for UKIP .......
There are no guarantees that we will not be back here in 5 years. The issue here is that only has to look at history with Scotland demands (some would say complaints) until they get more. They are then given more, and the demands begin again because they feel unfairly treated … and so the merry-go-round continues, with ever more appeasement to one sector at the expense of the other partners in the UK
On the Glasgow front – look at the polling statistics which were 75% attendance, the lowest of any polling station. What were the reasons for this (frightened or disinterested) and what would have been the result if the number of voters had been more in line with the average 84%?
Glasgow was so far out of sync with the average that one has to question the reason
Very good question.
They were terrified by lies of the propaganda machine and comforted by Gordon Brown, having apparently forgotten his track record.
Having been involved in politics and voting, as never before, they may now go back in the box.
Our aim is to try and avoid that and keep democracy alive.
Suddenly more powers for Scotland becomes more powers for England and the main UK parties disagree over just about everything as we expected. Old Greying Brown is a liar and misled his followers. Red Tories in Scotland will be decimated, you may be glad to hear - or not.
The UK is not a country, it is a Union of countries. In a similar vein, Great Britain is a collection of islands.
Sorry to be pedantic, the "British Isles" are a collection of islands. "Great Britain" is the name of the big one (9th largest island in the world).
Common usage is that Great Britain refers to the island together with a number of surrounding islands, which constitute the territory of England, Scotland and Wales.
But let's not be too pedantic. My main point was about the UK not being a country, rather it's a state (indeed a sovereign state) consisting of four countries. Would you like to question that?
We want to eliminate the influence of the Westminster club of greedy millionaires in both houses, including those that are from Scotland.
Are the people currently MPs from Scotland going to be banned from power in an independent Scotland? Because otherwise it sounds like the same greedy millionaires could be in power after independence as before. The only change is it will exclusively be Scottish greedy millionaires, no English greedy millionaires any more.
So exactly how exactly are you saying independence would eliminate the general "greedy millionaire" problem that you say is the real issue?
This was intended as a rebuff to suggestions we are being anti-English, not the only issue. I also asked whether you like being ruled by a corrupt government to see how you might react. The Scottish Parliament rules on expenses totally prevent the kind of corrupt expense claims in WM. I also note that WM expenses are higher now than when the scandal broke.
Greedy Scots MP's will have to take their chance in a democratic election, or live off their fees for speaking engagements like Alistair Darling (including receiving over £10,000 for addressing a dinner organised by Cinven Limited, a leading buyout firm who in 2008 bought 25 private hospitals from Bupa for £1.44bn). There are many more links between former ministers and private health companies, which will not occur in Scotland.
I note that the House of Lords has recently been stuffed even more with unelected, mostly snoozing or non-attending, "defenders of democracy". Some are of Scottish descent and we would prefer them not to have any influence over Scotland or indeed England.
They have a right, like every country in the world to be ruled and governed by politicians they elect in to their own Government in their own country. If you can't see that, then the problem isn't with millions of Scots, but with you.
They already have that right. They are ruled and governed by UK politicians that they have had a part in electing.
But you are ignoring john's real point. He is not saying that every one of those who have chosen to vote "Yes" hates the English. It is that the "Yes" campaign has largely focussed on anti-English rhetoric. Given that presumably the people Scottish people have voted for in the past will presumably form the basis of the separate government in a post "Yes" future, it is hardly a stretch to say that eliminating the English influence in Scottish affairs is at least a major factor.
We want to eliminate the influence of the Westminster club of greedy millionaires in both houses, including those that are from Scotland. You will hear a huge amount of anti-Westminster rhetoric and very little anti-English. I only wish that were true in the other direction.
The UK is not a country, it is a Union of countries. In a similar vein, Great Britain is a collection of islands.
Scotland is ruled, despite devolution, by a London-based government.
It has been estimated that 78% of MP's are millionaires, whereas the population count is 0.7%.
The UK party systems promote people with no knowledge of real life and little work experience to positions of power.
The House of Lords is larger than the House of Commons.
The UK still believes it is a world power with a seat at various top tables. Who are they kidding?
I could go on and cite various statistics but just Google "inequality UK 2014" as an example of how the UK is not a great place to live.
I really don't understand why anyone would put up with any of those facts.
In February 2014 the Financial Times published statements confirming an independent Scotland's ability to function financially and that it would be better off than the rest of the UK. They said "Even pro-unionists accept that the country has all the ingredients to be a viable nation state" - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5b5ec2ca-8a67-11e3-ba54-00144feab7de.html#slide0.
David Cameron even said we would be OK. Now we are expected to believe discredited banks that are predicting a 1930's-style depression or a Weimar republic. And we are expected to listen to (for example) press distortion of what the Bank of England Governor said recently. Again, I could go on.
Scotland's budget has been reduced in recent years and further cuts, accepted by the major Westminster parties, will make it very difficult to maintain our public services including the NHS. Further NHS privatisation will ensue in England, Wales and NI unless the UK negotiates that the NHS is exempted from TTIP. Westminster appears to be unwilling to demand this exemption and it is well known that various members of both the Commons & Lords have financial interests in private health companies. Andy Burnham is warning about this, but Scottish Labour deny it. The BBC gives hardly any coverage of this, or of the NHS Jarrow march, in Scotland. Our NHS will only avoid privatisation if we become independent.
The Yes Campaign is not anti-English. We intend to continue cordial relations with the other nations of Great Britain.
And I suspect you can get a PC cheaper than a Mac - if you buy a desktop!
If you really must get rid of Windows and it's Mac versus Linux - the choice depends on your level of expertise as some others have said. I'd pick up a Linux magazine and read a few pages to get a feeling for it.
My answers
Goodbye & good luck
Returning to this after the vote, I'm sad to have to read such uninformed tosh.
Good luck to all who are happy with the sentiments expressed by what appeared to be the majority of commenters.
I also wish you well with the neo-liberal governance being offered by the elite at the Tory party conference, or the scarcely different nonsense on offer from the happy-clappy Labour conference.
If any of you are planning to vote for Boris, or for UKIP .......
Lies and comfort
Very good question.
They were terrified by lies of the propaganda machine and comforted by Gordon Brown, having apparently forgotten his track record.
Having been involved in politics and voting, as never before, they may now go back in the box.
Our aim is to try and avoid that and keep democracy alive.
Mainly Old Greying Voters stopped a Yes
With apologies to Old Greying Accountant.
I'm old, not too grey, and voted Yes.
Suddenly more powers for Scotland becomes more powers for England and the main UK parties disagree over just about everything as we expected. Old Greying Brown is a liar and misled his followers. Red Tories in Scotland will be decimated, you may be glad to hear - or not.
The main point is that the UK is not a country
Common usage is that Great Britain refers to the island together with a number of surrounding islands, which constitute the territory of England, Scotland and Wales.
But let's not be too pedantic. My main point was about the UK not being a country, rather it's a state (indeed a sovereign state) consisting of four countries. Would you like to question that?
Greedy MP's
This was intended as a rebuff to suggestions we are being anti-English, not the only issue. I also asked whether you like being ruled by a corrupt government to see how you might react. The Scottish Parliament rules on expenses totally prevent the kind of corrupt expense claims in WM. I also note that WM expenses are higher now than when the scandal broke.
Greedy Scots MP's will have to take their chance in a democratic election, or live off their fees for speaking engagements like Alistair Darling (including receiving over £10,000 for addressing a dinner organised by Cinven Limited, a leading buyout firm who in 2008 bought 25 private hospitals from Bupa for £1.44bn). There are many more links between former ministers and private health companies, which will not occur in Scotland.
I note that the House of Lords has recently been stuffed even more with unelected, mostly snoozing or non-attending, "defenders of democracy". Some are of Scottish descent and we would prefer them not to have any influence over Scotland or indeed England.
It's Anti-Westminster Rhetoric
We want to eliminate the influence of the Westminster club of greedy millionaires in both houses, including those that are from Scotland. You will hear a huge amount of anti-Westminster rhetoric and very little anti-English. I only wish that were true in the other direction.
Rather poor standard of debate here
I didn't realise you had so many uncritical Daily Mail readers.
UK is actually a state
The UK is not a country, it is a Union of countries. In a similar vein, Great Britain is a collection of islands.
Scotland is ruled, despite devolution, by a London-based government.
It has been estimated that 78% of MP's are millionaires, whereas the population count is 0.7%.
The UK party systems promote people with no knowledge of real life and little work experience to positions of power.
The House of Lords is larger than the House of Commons.
The UK still believes it is a world power with a seat at various top tables. Who are they kidding?
I could go on and cite various statistics but just Google "inequality UK 2014" as an example of how the UK is not a great place to live.
I really don't understand why anyone would put up with any of those facts.
In February 2014 the Financial Times published statements confirming an independent Scotland's ability to function financially and that it would be better off than the rest of the UK. They said "Even pro-unionists accept that the country has all the ingredients to be a viable nation state" - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5b5ec2ca-8a67-11e3-ba54-00144feab7de.html#slide0.
David Cameron even said we would be OK. Now we are expected to believe discredited banks that are predicting a 1930's-style depression or a Weimar republic. And we are expected to listen to (for example) press distortion of what the Bank of England Governor said recently. Again, I could go on.
Scotland's budget has been reduced in recent years and further cuts, accepted by the major Westminster parties, will make it very difficult to maintain our public services including the NHS. Further NHS privatisation will ensue in England, Wales and NI unless the UK negotiates that the NHS is exempted from TTIP. Westminster appears to be unwilling to demand this exemption and it is well known that various members of both the Commons & Lords have financial interests in private health companies. Andy Burnham is warning about this, but Scottish Labour deny it. The BBC gives hardly any coverage of this, or of the NHS Jarrow march, in Scotland. Our NHS will only avoid privatisation if we become independent.
The Yes Campaign is not anti-English. We intend to continue cordial relations with the other nations of Great Britain.
Cloud-based accounting is the answer
And I suspect you can get a PC cheaper than a Mac - if you buy a desktop!
If you really must get rid of Windows and it's Mac versus Linux - the choice depends on your level of expertise as some others have said. I'd pick up a Linux magazine and read a few pages to get a feeling for it.
Companies House are aware
This is one of the better phishing emails, many of which are sent with a ZIP file attachment.
Any email with a ZIP file attachment should be treated with suspicion unless you are expecting it and you can verify the source.