like a ptarmigan broadcast in reverse

a naff joke there for anyone who has also served in her maj's army as well.

for many reasons transmission has been null and will continue to be so as i move from the great city of edinburgh back to the even greater area of northern england where i believe bt will bugger around until they bother to connect me up to broadband like i've paid for.

what is there to miss about this city then? friends? some i knew before i arrived some i made here (the hippy clearly needs a special mention - how many lib dem voting, tree festival goers would take on a job with a bunch of tories and stand tall in her convictions? i thought i was brave just by being a tory growing up in bliar's constituency. take a bow hippy.) the night life; actually this is quite seedy, especially around anywhere with the word 'market' in it's name but there is the stand comedy club and sportsters bar for the football which are worth a visit. i didn't think much of the supposed walks around morningside and arthur's seat; anoyone else who has lived in fife and been on the east neuk walks will know why. the greatest thing about the place is the feel, the vibrancy and the welcome attitude that pervades the streets, the bars and attractions. how many nationalities and members of differing cultures live in affluent peace here? so many things make edinburgh a fun place to live in which is why i will never understand how anyone living here can want independance; so much will be lost not to mention the openess that gives the auld town so much of its charm. alas, that is no longer my battle.

my battle lies south, where real narrow minded people live in a kind of poverty beaten only by glasgow's worst areas and any iraqi market town. where many of my peers aspire only not to be caught by the benefit fraud officers or that they can avoid yeilding children before they themselves hit maturity. a wholly different social disorder awaits, one step at a time eh? could really do with the hippy there to remind me that not everything is the fault of wollen jumper wearing tree hugging eco facists... but then we all need to learn a new trick don't we? maybe scotland will learn that it is one country of several benefiting from a political union and maybe i will learn to embrace liberal conservatism more.

now to pack this computer away, with the rest of the boxes, into the run down ford escort i've recently become the proud owner off, and attempt - for the first time ever, and probably last - to drive through edinburgh without getting utterly lost at some point.