Monday, 22 November 2004

Scotblog hiatus

Entry posted by martin at 15:05     2 comments

I'm sorry to have to tell our regular readers, but Scotblog is going to be placed on hiatus for a wee while. Don't worry, it's nothing to do with any BBC cutbacks or laziness on our part, it's just that Scotblog seems to have served much of its original purpose, and we're now trying to concentrate on proposals for some new blogging projects, which you should hear about over the next few months. Over the past two and a half years, Scotblog has published no fewer than 621 entries and spawned two sister websites, in the shape of the fantastic Island Blogging and the multi-language World Service blogs. We'd also like to think we've contributed to the blogging revolution here in Scotland in our own way - and we've certainly raised awareness of blogs as a new publishing medium inside the BBC. In the meantime, you can still check out our archives, and when any new BBC Scotland blogging projects are announced, we'll publish the news here. We hope you have enjoyed our rantings - we've enjoyed your comments, and we look forward to sharing your company again at some point in the future.

Wednesday, 10 November 2004

Scotland the Rave

Entry posted by martin at 10:22     6 comments

The Scottish Parliament has been given the approval to decide the country's national anthem. Undoubtedly, this will be a bigger issue than the current debate on banning smoking in public places, but it'll be interesting to see what ends up our national dirge. If you can think of any songs you would like to hear belted out at Scotland international matches by the Tartan Army, leave a comment.

Wednesday, 03 November 2004

Runningtings

Entry posted by martin at 11:48     2 comments

Runningtings is the weblog of, well, Runningtings, a 28-year-old data analyst living on the south side of sunny Glasgow, in Scotland.

Friday, 29 October 2004

Grand Theft Auto

Entry posted by martin at 17:29     3 comments

A few years ago, a little-known Dundee company developed a popular console game called Grand Theft Auto, which involved stealing cars and running people over. The popularity of the game mushroomed and earned DMA Design a small fortune. The game has now spawned several sequels, the most recent of which was launched today - and a significant amount of negative attention in the media over claims that it influences violence in real life. What are your thoughts on this? Does GTA make people rush out into the street and steal cars?

Friday, 22 October 2004

The fires don't work

Entry posted by martin at 15:24     1 comment

The Evening Times reports on a firework incident in Castlemilk, where youths placed a powerful rocket on the window ledge of a doctor's surgery and pulled down the metal shutters. The result was the inward explosion of the glass, as a pregnant woman was being attended to inside by a midwife. It calls into question the new laws into the misue of fireworks, and the sale of fireworks to members of the public. Every year in the build-up to the fifth of November, fireworks can be heard in every neighbourhood in the UK. Then, millions of people across the country light massive bonfires, ignite fireworks and burn effigies to commemorate the anniversary of The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, but were caught and executed.