Monday, April 30, 2007

If you tolerate this... then your children will be next

" Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white-then melts for ever;
Or like the Borealis race,
That flit ere you can point their place;
Or like the Rainbow's lovely form
Evanishing amid the storm. -
Nae man can tether Time nor Tide,
The hour approaches Tam maun ride..."
from Robert Burns - Tam O' Shanter

I've been here before. If the Pro-independentistas fall on friday night, I can already hear the tears and the anger. I can witness the hate against a unionist press. The press don't care, they are merely doing the jobs their bosses pay them for. I guess they don't realise how much independence means to those who believe in it.

I joined the SNP after the 1992 general election, because I was angry that "Scotland Free by '93" didn't happen. The first meeting I went to was only bearly quorate and there wasn't a great deal to do because the election was done and we were merely mopping up afterwards. I remember a list of people who didn't turn up at the meeting who hadn't bothered to send apologies. I didn't know them, and I wouldn't get to know them. They wouldn't bother returning to the Condorrat SNP while I was there.

And on Friday, I get to witness this madness again. Maybe, just maybe, the SNP will get in. Maybe the pro-indy vote will finally charge the fields of paper and council bureaucracy to finally go legit.

But the kicker is, that if we don't, we been campaigning so long we forgot that we are just flesh in blood inside. We forget that if the result doesn't go our way, some of our friends are going home and we won't see them again. Maybe that's the case for us, maybe that's the case for the Labour Party. We forget how much losing hurts because it matters so so much.

So, friday for me means one of either two things: one, partying like never before because once, JUST ONCE! we are ONE STEP closer to freeing our people. Or two: counting the dead from another lost election.

This is why I joined Siol nan Gaidheal and the SRSM, because IF the bad results come in, I know I'm going to see the same faces I did before the count started.

But how can be a doom-monger? That's patently pointless given the polls. Lets be clear: only a MAJOR screw up or MAJOR screw job can fuck the SNP up now.

You can list our oppressors crimes in an encyclopedia; you can list the things they haven't done in a library. This is the most egocentric election you have ever faced. Will you watch your country go down the fucking toilet and vote unionist one more time? Just in case...

No. VOTE INDEPENDENCE and believe in the future.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Indy Poster

Vote Independence

The last thing our country needs right now is another three hundred years swearing fealty to unionists for simply being allowed to be a subject of Brenda Windsor.

I thought I would take this opportunity to address a few myths regarding Independence. In my own way... (ahem).

Myth 1: Home Rule means Pope / Prod Rule:

Dear god... this is by far my least favourite. This tends to centre around the West of Scotland and, frankly, should stay there. It's propagated by bigots who can't argue with you. It's directed towards their alcoholic neighbours and housewives who don't want to think for themselves. There... I said it. If you believe this: you are a moron.

I feel I should at least bother to try and refute this rather than just rant about idiots like this not being allowed internet access or telephones.

To my mind, we don't have the depth of division in Scotland that is apparent in traditionally sectarian countries. Yes, there is sectarian violence, but this has never been exploited by political parties, per se. The "myth" has proved to be a feature in some areas for the Labour Party, but by no means would I suggest that this is endemic in top levels of the party.

Equally, take politics today. Voters in Airdrie, traditionally "labelled" a protestant heartland got angry (and rightly so) against Labour in Karen Whitefields constituency precisely because she stood idly by and let Catholic Coatbridge build all it's nice shops, leisure centres, bowling alleys and cinemas while finding something else to while their hospital was shut down. Chances are that Karen's game is a bogey and the SNP will get Airdrie. Nobody brought up religion, if you read the local newspapers is bread-and-butter politics being discussed.

My reasoning is that you aren't morons. Yes, our system is complete shit, but I have a higher opinion of you than that at the first opportunity you'll wander off and batter the next ethnic minority at the first opportunity. I've sat behind you in buses. You're quite nice. Really...

Myth 2: Ooh... Nationalism... that's bad... that's like... violent and stuff...

This one rips my knitting as well.

After the Perth AGM of Independence First I was in a pub with a guy who I discussed my membership of Siol nan Gaidheal. He was a left winger and brought up the fact that we're all bad nasty fascists and racists and so were the SNP and... You get the point. This comes more from the left than it does the right, but it's pretty endemic. It usually uses "Yugoslavia" as the "Aaa ooh!" part of it's song.

My answer to that is this: all politics has blood on it's hands. The left winger who makes allegations of racism is conveniently forgetting the blood on his own hands. I'll bet he's wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt. How many people did Che kill? He led ACTUAL revolutions. Now... that didn't involve him going to Bolivia to sell copies of the Socialist Worker. He took a gun.

And all over Europe and North America you'll find a trail of blood attributed to Socialism. You'll find Germany's Red Army Faction; Frances Actione Directe (sic); Red Brigades here, there and everywhere. Diet Red Brigades, Cherry flavour Red Brigades, Maoists, Trots and Commies all of who have rifles under their beds. You can go up to the Northwest of America and find the United Freedom Front and Red Guerrilla Resistance blowing up and robbing their way through New York. Lets be honest, the death toll is fucking huge.

Swing to the right wing and you'll find the Conservatives. Nothing bad about them, surely? Surely that nice Dictator Maggie Thatcher, who managed - miraculously - to have two separate wars and not invade someone once, didn't have links to nasty violent political people.

It's best not to ask them yourself. They'll probably neglect to mention Enoch "Rivers of Blood" Powell and Oswald "Crazy Bastard" Mosely (who was a member for the Tories in Harrow... which was nice): posters boys of your friendly neighbourhoodie fascists: the BNP, C18, National Front. They also might neglect to point out that they've sat next to "Psycho fun boy" Ian Paisley numerous times in numerous parliaments.

Your ballot paper is drenched in blood from the right wing to the left wing. Since the SNP was formed, it has been the most consistent vehicle for Independence. And they got a parliament without killing anyone. A damn sight better than the one gotten in Northern Ireland which has been dumped more times than I, or my wheely bin has been. Equally, the organisation I'm a member of: the SRSM helped persuade the groups who formed the original SSP that independence was a groovy idea and that they should hop on board the Indy train and dance to crappy folk music like the rest of us.

My point to unionist is this: if you want to look for violent ghosts in shadows, you'd be better served looking in your own political parties rather than in my Pro-Independence belief system. Most of the unionist parties have had members who have either advocated or attempted to create rivers of blood.

Myth 3: We cannae afford it Captain... there's nae merr money!

I can't help being patronising sometimes. It's just who I am:

Oh really... the country who spawned the guy who INVENTED the Bank of England can't build a decent economy. The country who spawned THE OTHER GUY who first documented Capitalism can't work out how to pay the bills? (William Paterson fae Tinwald in Dumfries and Galloway founded the Bank of England and Adam Smith fae Kirkcaldy worked out capitalism an' that).

Frankly, if you're stupid enough to subscribe to that myth you just lost the right to talk to me.

Myth 4: Black Gold

I think I missed that meeting. You know... the one where it was agreed that your country has to have oil to exist. Or to economically proper...

Ssshhhh... I just had an idea. If you're Irish you'd better go read something else. By that argument we should invade so that we can liberate them from their "non oil"ness. It would be only honourable on our part. We'd be doing them a favour.

They've a successful economy and don't have oil. Hmmm...

Either way, there is NO PROOF being documented that Oil is about to run out in the North Sea. And if it does... So what? Other countries proper, why the hell can't we?

Myth 5: Passports and Border Guards

My good friend Alyson probably worries about this one. Her current squeeze, Stevie from Jasper Carrot country, might be affected by the very issue.

Aside from the fact that people living here would get naturalisation rights and nationality IF THEY WANTED IT... It's in most of the manifestos and press briefings.

Honestly, Pro Indy supporters are all rather Swedish and nice about this issue. We want to be cool and nice and groovy and don't want to make your life, like, hard... dude. We're all cool.

I can guarantee there won't be any sniper towers this side of Gretna at any time. If "Stevie" is stopped at the border, it's merely because I fancy his girlfriend and nothing to do with the fact he's English....

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Aftermath

Hello you.

I don't think I'll expand much more than that. First off thanks to the Maryhill Mob's photos from Glencoe and Arbroath, much appreciated! They'll appear on the interweb in due course.

Strange week all in all. Not much I can say this side of the election, which I'll admit bothers me. The thing I liked about my blog is that I was honest (if a bit weird and cryptic at times, admittedly) but now I'm being all political and keeping things quiet.

Not that anyone ELSE is doing that... Threads on Freescot and Our Scotland blowing the gaff wide open... tsk tsk.

Still, Mr. Bell has taught me a phrase in Gaelic I requested of him: Èirichidh sinn a-rithist.

Nevertheless, my opinions on the Independence First "Non-event event" (similiar to this) are better summed up, in metaphor, but Doctor Cox of Scrubs:

"Hey, Ghandi. For your information, I attended that poor vegetable's funeral every single time I set foot in his room over the last six weeks. Thank God the family finally moved him over to Surgery, where you guys were good enough to help him kick that nasty oxygen habit he had once and for all."
And this little classic from Dr. Cox from Scrubs:

Listen Vanessa Janice Tiffany Amber Thiessen. I'm gonna go ahead and give ya a little something I call Perry's Perspective. 1. If the guy in front of me in the coffee shop can't decide what he wants in the 30 minutes it takes for him to get to the
register, i should be allowed to kill him. 2. I'm fairly sure that if they took all the porn off the Internet, there'd only be 1 website left, and it would be called Bring Back The Porn. 3rd, and most important, to be respected as a doctor, nay a man, you must be an ocean. You're born alone, you damn sure die alone, (looks over and speaks to a cadaver rolling by) isn't that right Spike? My point is, and you may want to jot this down... only the weak need help.

You see my point?

Disheartened and pissed the fuck off.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Arbroath Smokin'

Today was the Arbroath Rally. As always the pub was better organised than the march and rally beforehand. Jacobiker (who occasionally stops by my blog) I can only apologise. He's the most dedicated guy for Scottish Culture I know and missed the boozing session where we were REALLY organised. I think I owe the guy more than a few drinks. In fairness that's true for the rest of the planet but I'll gloss over that one.

Naturally the weegie contingent were late. But we partied hardy until we left for Weegie Land. Then I got home. Eventually.

Hopefully my camera worked. I still haven't quite gotten around to working out how to rewind the smegger, but that'll have to wait until the morra. There IS a manual. But the camera is from the 60s, is Russian and none of the controls are in English. If you're expecting pictures in the next few days, unless some of the Chronciles Maryhill readers send me photos, I wouldn't hold your breaths...

I heard more than I my fair share about scurrilous rumours I heard at said event. I'm so pissed off I'm tempted to share... Since we don't have myspace "how am I feeling today?" capabilities here in the chronicles, I'll just have to take you through my emotions and you can guess: first I was disheartened, then I was resigned, then I got angry, penultimately I got REALLY angry and finally I went postal on a Richmond Superking Methol Cigarette (which did my bronchitis no good whatsoever).

I had one of those moments I rarely get where a few people said: "Do you have a Blog? Is it ra Chronicles?" So hello to my extra two readers... Commendments on your excellent choice in blog reading!

Next major Republican Socialist event is May Day. We're intending to show up and march with oor flags. This event is naturally going to be hoaching with Labourites and Trade Unionists who are wondering who the dudes in Kilts and Red shirts are with the Red Flags marching like paramilitaries.

How can YOU FF Chronicles Bloggerinos take part? Easy. Wear a red top. Find dudes at the May Day Rally in Glasgow (whenever the hell it is) carrying flags you can see on the left and go and say hello. Don't worry, I know it can be difficult meeting new people, but we're really nice... honest. Well... I say that. I am. Ish. Look look look, come and say hello. Say you read the Firefox Chronicles and that Kenny invited you. They're treat you well and someone will give you a swig from their hip flask. What more can I offer... free alcohol!

Why... why go somewhere where there's likely to be a lot of pissed off Shop Stewards and Labour Politicians? I bet you're thinking: "My, Mr. Kenny, that so totally doesn't sound even remotely appealing. Why for are the SRSM going along to May Day?" Well, my inquizitive Bloggerinos, going to May Day is a bit like shagging Jordan. You know you don't want to, but you know you're probably going to have to at some point. You just have to make sure that Peter Andre isn't there with a video camera when you do.

Naturally you're welcome to show. Please say hello. No-one says hello to me in my blogging capacity nearly enough...

Sunday, April 08, 2007

My Novel

Well... I finally did it. Barring spelling and grammer checks... it's done. It's amazing what being housebound with bronchitis can do for your literary productivity.

The science fiction novel I've mentioned here and there in the blog is now done... finally. I've officially gone up the rung from "aspiring" to "unpublished" since I have something for publishers to refuse!

Actually, I'm thinking about using Lulu dot com for the book, but either way the story is done.

Thank christ for that... I was getting obsessive, honestly. If you want a PDF copy email: kenny.sheerin@gmail.com This is a one time only offer to Firefox Chronicles readers of a free novel. No ifs, no buts, just a free PDF copy of a novel via email. As soon as I get the thing on lulu that's the offer over. And that's just a matter of reformatting the effin' original word document!

If this was myspace, i'd put my mood on as "over the fucking moon"

Message ends.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Vote Independence

A PDF file for a poster is available here...


Revelations