http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/ Latest from the online edition en-gb Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:26:03 +0000 Copyright (C) 2010 Clyde and Forth Press Ltd http://www.clydeandforthmedia.co.uk/feeds/ 12 http://www.clydeandforthmedia.co.uk/furniture/dp_logo_500x75.png http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/ My vision of Dante's inferno would have to be a karaoke bar. There isn't enough alcohol in Scotland to ever make me stand up and sing like 'Ole Blue Eyes'. I'm always Mr. Designated Driver when I go out and I recently had to sit through Karaoke Night without the benefit of alcohol to get me through the evening. I've now added karaoke to my list of things never to do. I keep a Bucket List in reverse. The things I don't want to do before I expire. I also have a mental list of places I never want to visit. I live an organized life…. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/03/11/398033-okay-karaoke/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/03/11/398033-okay-karaoke/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:05:17 +0000 Opinion Very little surprises me in today's world but the breaking scandal on the misuse of funds generated from the Live Aid Concert did. Tribalism, feudalism, coup d'etat and 'Presidents for Life' were the post-colonial legacy of many African countries. Few African nations adopted or maintained democracy after the departure of the colonial Europeans. I think it would be naïve for anyone to consider that much of the money went to feeding the poor. A rather pathetic chapter in a never ending area of conflict. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/03/04/397793-smoke-free-blog/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/03/04/397793-smoke-free-blog/ Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:13:39 +0000 Opinion DUNFERMLINE West MSP Jim Tolson has called on the Israeli Government to end the siege of Gaza after witnessing first hand the destruction caused to the Palestinian people. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/03/04/397781-tolson-demands-end-to-siege-of-gaza/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/03/04/397781-tolson-demands-end-to-siege-of-gaza/ Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:40:31 +0000 Opinion UNSUSTAINABILITY is the hallmark of the thrice-weekly bus service on the 2.3 miles from Ferrytoll to Rosyth ferry terminal extolled by Councillor Tony Martin (Press, 11th February). http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/03/02/397616-bus-subsidy-is-ideological-idiocy/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/03/02/397616-bus-subsidy-is-ideological-idiocy/ Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:12:06 +0000 Opinion I always respect anyone who can go to a Starbucks or Mocha Joe's and confidently order one of the exotic coffees on the menu. I don't speak Fritalian and I take a shot in the dark (that's a pun) every time I attempt to order one of the foreign sounding java's. I do admit I am intimidated by some of the odd sounding coffee concoctions. Macchiato, Mocha's, Caffe Latte Tostatura and Americano. Call me old fashioned, but if you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't drink it…. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/26/397584-cup-ojava-please/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/26/397584-cup-ojava-please/ Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:23:26 +0000 Opinion I WOULD like to make comment about the fact that not only has Fife Council cut back on the rail concessions which undoubtedly have the implication that most disabled and pensioners will no longer use it, this council is also scrapping three vital services. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/23/397339-why-should-ordinary-fifers-have-to-pay-the-price/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/23/397339-why-should-ordinary-fifers-have-to-pay-the-price/ Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:29:26 +0000 Opinion I AM sorry that Mr Gunning and his wife feel hard-done-by due to the subsidised 50p rail ticket concessionary scheme now being restricted to journeys within Fife (and not for his outings to Edinburgh and possibly elsewhere). http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/23/397338-get-real-over-rail-concession/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/23/397338-get-real-over-rail-concession/ Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:27:26 +0000 Opinion ON YOUR front page last week, the Fife Labour leader was complaining about Fife Council spending £30,000 on publicising this year's "Celebrating Fife 2010" which helps a host of organisations across Fife with local and wider cultural and sporting events. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/23/397336-celebrating-fife-helps-a-host-of-organisations/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/23/397336-celebrating-fife-helps-a-host-of-organisations/ Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:25:49 +0000 Opinion I AM looking for help finding detail about two branches of my family; James Hay, who was a blacksmith in Masterton in the 1860s and also the Marshall family. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/22/397345-appeal-for-help-in-tracing-family-details/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/22/397345-appeal-for-help-in-tracing-family-details/ Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:08:21 +0000 Opinion Doodling through youtube.com I came across a video series by a fellow Fife resident who goes by user name 'uptowndisco2'. I have to mention this gentleman as he has a rather unusual hobby in that he tours Fife area on his motorcycle and documents, very amusingly, his travels, using a professional helmet mounted video camera. I got to take a couple of virtual tours of Rosyth and I have to admire the guy for taking the time to create these productions. I have always wanted to ride a motorbike but I don't have the coordination and got tired of falling over a lot. Great job Mr. Bill… http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/16/397120-doodling-uptown/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/16/397120-doodling-uptown/ Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:08:07 +0000 Opinion Valentine's Day is almost here and like most men I'm under tremendous pressure. Chocolates, flowers and dinner just don't cut it year after year and it is difficult to come up with a new way to please your loved one. I only have a few days left to come up with a unique and special Valentine gift. Every year I go through the same anxiety and every year I come up with the same gift. Will I change? Possibly not. This year though I am going to make a real effort…. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/12/396993-valentines-day/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/12/396993-valentines-day/ Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:40:15 +0000 Opinion Scots are very far flung, or should be, as an Englishman once remarked. Far flung meaning of course there aren't many countries in the world where you won't find a Scotsman. We seem to take delight in straying far from home in some obscure and exotic places. Political, social and economic changes resulted in emigration of Scots all over the globe. I always take a special pleasure in meeting a fellow Scot no matter where I go. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/05/396747-shanghaid-in-shanghai/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/02/05/396747-shanghaid-in-shanghai/ Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:29:21 +0000 Opinion It was just a matter of time. Bowing to International and Foreign Office pressure, the embargo on Scottish Haggis has been lifted here in the US after twenty one years. Banned since 1989 as part of the mad cow disease outbreak. As in prohibition era times when we had 'Rum Runners' plying their trade off the New England coast, the haggis smugglers are now out of business. The days of high speed Dag Hammer speed boats transporting bootleg and counterfeit haggis from Canada and the Caribbean will soon be a thing of the past. Haggis Smugglers, just like the Rum Runners of the 1930s, will have to go legit. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Haggis (ATFH) of course will have to be closed. Sad to see the end of an era, but I don't think I will miss bathtub haggis. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/29/396503-bootleg-haggis/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/29/396503-bootleg-haggis/ Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:26:17 +0000 Opinion "WHAT a shower" (Press, 21st January), says it all about so many things that are clearly wrong with the spending of our cash by Fife Council. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/26/396301-what-a-shower-says-it-all/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/26/396301-what-a-shower-says-it-all/ Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:56:15 +0000 Opinion IT MUST have been very galling for Douglas Chapman to praise the excellent report on Calaiswood Primary School recently. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/26/396300-education-services-half-term-report-must-do-better/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/26/396300-education-services-half-term-report-must-do-better/ Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:54:36 +0000 Opinion READERS may not know of the talk given in Saline Community Centre on "Financial Winners and Losers of Wind Turbines". http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/26/396299-huge-sums-associated-with-wind-turbines/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/26/396299-huge-sums-associated-with-wind-turbines/ Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:53:05 +0000 Opinion I've just watched the video production 'We're for Fife' and I think it does have potential. It was a little thoughtless however to have American singers perform the production. I'm not sure what Flying Officer Biggles and his aircraft were doing in the video, but it looked good. I really did like the video scenery and having repetitious models didn't bother me. You can never have too many blondes. The Kingdom is a very beautiful place and deserves advertising exposure. I conducted a random 'Across the Pond Poll' of the Fife promo video. Four of my readers are very much for it, three thought it a little tacky and one abstained as she doesn't know where Fife is… On a five thousand pound budget I wasn't expecting a Quentin Tarantino blockbuster and I think it does the job… barely. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/22/396252-and-the-winner-is/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/22/396252-and-the-winner-is/ Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:36:35 +0000 Opinion Christmas is over. We're well into January. What this actually means, finally, is some decent telly. But forget the return of 24 and Lost, the most unmissable US show of the next few weeks is Leverage. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/19/388374-got-leverage/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/19/388374-got-leverage/ Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:06:04 +0000 Opinion DR Bob McLellan of the council transportation service, has already admitted that there is no prioritising of the areas that have been selected. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/19/396095-only-hotspots-should-be-targeted-for-speed-bumps/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/19/396095-only-hotspots-should-be-targeted-for-speed-bumps/ Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:58:07 +0000 Opinion COUNCILLOR David Mogg complaining about responsible residents of Dunfermline 'carping' is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/19/396093-were-not-carping-councillor/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/19/396093-were-not-carping-councillor/ Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:56:34 +0000 Opinion As a former sailor I am really starting to get a little ticked at the Somalia pirates who keep hijacking our ships in the Gulf of Aden. None of the commercial shipping which pass through this region appear to be armed and if you look at the makeup of the crews it is understandable why they are not allowed firearms. When I say makeup, I mean the origin of the crew, not the stuff you put on your face. Many of the sailors on board these ships have more in common with the pirates than with their country of registry. German owned tanker, registered in Liberia with an Indonesian crew en-route to Halifax, NS. Not all the ships of course have this type of crew but they do make the easiest targets. What happened to the Merchant Marine? Some of these ships are pretty disgusting rust buckets and I think the pirates may be doing us a favour in some cases. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/15/396028-taxing-times-are-here/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/15/396028-taxing-times-are-here/ Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:03:16 +0000 Opinion SOMEONE outwith the council is needing to take a close look at how they are spending our money. The services are getting worse and worse every year. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/14/395979-nothing-to-show-for-our-council-tax/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/14/395979-nothing-to-show-for-our-council-tax/ Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:56:22 +0000 Opinion MY husband can't be expected to come home from working 10-hour shifts every night and clear paths etc. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/14/395978-husband-has-to-clear-streets-after-10hour-shift/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/14/395978-husband-has-to-clear-streets-after-10hour-shift/ Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:54:40 +0000 Opinion WHY were the roadside grit bins not collected in spring as they used to be? Why were they not replaced and filled before winter set in? Why was there only less than one third of the minimum requirement of grit in store? Why were stocks not built up during the summer months? http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/14/395977-questions-on-grit-shortage/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/14/395977-questions-on-grit-shortage/ Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:53:16 +0000 Opinion THE continuing debacle over who is to blame at Fife Council for the state of roads and pavements in residential areas gives little credit to elected councillors who would rather shift the blame onto officials than be up front and accept that with positions of responsibility and meagre additional allowances comes the actual responsibility for services and the way they operate. http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/14/395976-no-point-in-blame-game/ http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/opinion/roundup/articles/2010/01/14/395976-no-point-in-blame-game/ Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:49:10 +0000 Opinion