EvilScotsman

So the second post is yours alone, then? In which case you refer to the proposition that the disproportionate African American prison population evidences the systemic bias in the justice system as "a lie", based on the assertion that, since blacks commit more crimes than whites, the prison population is naturally higher. This is a facile argument, as I suggested above, and you've completely ignored the point made in that post in favour of constructing a straw man of a 'straw man'. You've also ignored the alternative study which comes to a different conclusion with regards to the rate and proportion of police killings of blacks and whites.

The author of the content in your second post clearly uses the respective crime rates to claim the prison population is nothing to do with racial bias in the justice system of the USA. I had read the italicised line of the first post, and the entirety of the second one, as being your words. I could be wrong - the lack of any quotation marks makes it difficult to tell. By presenting the data, which is clearly not done in a 'neutral' manner but as part of an opinionated piece, the implication is that you approve of and endorse it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/study-finds-police-fatally-shoot-unarmed-black-men-at-disproportionate-rates/2016/04/06/e494563e-fa74-11e5-80e4-c381214de1a3_story.html?tid=a_inl

You need to compare similar crimes committed by blacks/hispanics and by whites, and look at the sentences imposed. Simply using the statistic that 52% of homicides are committed by blacks as some kind of justification for their having a higher prison population is facile. http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324432004578304463789858002

I'd have thought her constituents (and wider SNP voters) would be able to see the value of having a health spokesperson who actually works in the NHS from time to time.

The industry will no doubt suffer a bit (Stavanger is Norway's 'Aberdeen' I think?), but I was referring more to the general state of the economy, as compared to the UK's.

Yes, the squandering of generations of oil revenue to pay for the dismantling of industries in Scotland without adequate replacement really is a winning argument against Scotland having control of her own resources. ETA - it's strange how Norway seems to cope pretty well with the volatility of oil prices despite the absence of the broad shoulders of the UK.

Meanwhile, 200 odd police from Wales, Manchester and Liverpool attend to assist IGas bailiffs in the removal of protestors from a proposed fracking site at Upton near Chester - 86% of local residents oppose the field being fracked, and the local council rejected the application, only for it to be called in by central government. The Old Bill's main contribution was removing press and protestors from the public road outside the camp. All those arrested have been released as of last night, bar one who is refusing to give his name. http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/recap-updates-upton-anti-fracking-10720261

You've a cheek they're.

I think you're probably already aware of the Fairphone, but just in case: https://www.fairphone.com/ Should be right up your street - I seem to remember you mentioning conflict minerals once or twice.

Yep, raise everyone's taxes by the same proportion. That'll solve everything.

They were inspected in June, with no concerns raised. Replacement would have entailed closing the bridge in any case.

How exactly would the problem with the old bridge have been fixed without it being closed?

I think they tightened up on this a few years back. Seems a bit daft if you're talking about a baby in a pram, but thems the laws.

I've just made the mistake of watching the highlights again. The Australian commentary is interesting, though. Although they actually shout for the penalty when Welsh picks the ball up (which is fair enough - they want Oz to win) and there's no analysis of either the penalty or the late hit on Hogg in the clip, they do pick up a knock on by Genia 2 phases before Australia's first try (so could have been referred to TMO if Joubert had spotted it but not been sure) and are absolutely incredulous at the yellow card: "and that's why I think Joubert will get the final, because he's refereeing the way some foolish official wants him to referee at IRB level...." They're also full of praise for the Scotland performance.

To a certain extent, it's not just him though. The big teams (and big players maybe even more so) seem to have an 'aura' about them meaning they cannot be punished. McCaw is the ultimate example - 3 yellow cards in 145 tests is ludicrously low for a loose head, particularly one who's pretty much universally acknowledged as being a cheat. Case in point being Picamoles yellow card the other night - McCaw comes in from the side, pulls down a maul and refuses to release the ball to stop the French taking a quick tap, and isn't so much as spoken to by the ref.

The centre is not an absolute concept though. The idea of publicly owned utilities and services is now considered radical.

We're appealing the length of the ban, apparently. Interestingly, the referee stated that after the performance review process he was happy he dealt with the situation appropriately, i.e. no foul play was involved. Referees' opinions cannot form part of their submission though! Also, what kind of Q.C. manages to spell 'descended' with the 's' but 'descent' without it?

I think you're right, unless it's a draw. Then we'd only need to get a losing bonus point (as long as Samoa didn't get a winning one, in which case they'd beat us on the head to head. Or unless we win tomorrow of course.

The council house she bought 28 years prior to becoming Lord Provost? I'm failing to see your point, to be honest - should she sell it for £8400 (or whatever that is in today's terms)?

Cheers guys. I'm passing through Newcastle around lunchtime on Saturday so I was hoping to be able to pick them up then rather than queuing nearer kickoff time. I'd probably struggle to park anywhere nearby anyway.

Anyone bought a ticket for the South Africa game on Saturday in the last couple of days? My confirmation email says they'll be available for collection on the day but with no indication of where or when....

If that's per year, or even in the next year, it's double what the Tories have pledged. I don't know what the question was, though?

Fair enough, that answers my second question above, which on reflection was a bit thick! It's still based on the assumption that spending priorities would remain the same in Scotland as in rUK as well as, presumably, still including our share of things like HS2.

He rather loses credibility when dragging up the old trope about increases in the minimum wage also increasing unemployment. Exactly the same thing which was argued before the minimum wage was introduced. It's simply not true (or, at least, not provable). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288841/The_National_Minimum_Wage_LPC_Report_2014.pdf I'm no economist, but I also don't understand this bit: "Of course the figures for a Scottish deficit of £7.6bn – and rising over the course of this parliament – are in addition to the Scottish share of the overall UK budget deficit." (emphasis in original article) Under FFA, why would Scotland be responsible for a part of the UK's budget deficit? Annoyingly, I've just realised I forgot to archive.is the url before I read the article - contributing to the Spectator, dammit!