Electric Scotland's Weekly Newsletter for June 2nd, 2017 To see what we've added to the Electric Scotland site view our What's New page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/whatsnew.htm To see what we've added to the Electric Canadian site view our What's New page at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/whatsnew.htm For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at: http://www.electricscotland.com/ Electric Scotland News Well my video newsletter got just 56 views and I only got a couple of comments on it so perhaps not such a good idea after all. However I've decided to keep it going for a few weeks to see how it all might play out. The two comments while saying they generally enjoyed it felt it was too long and so I'll try and make this new one shorter and it ended up at just over 22 minutes - so around 8 minutes less that the last one - so I did try :-) This weeks video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/s1wGa8jiVHs The First Time America Freaked Out Over Automation It was the late 1950s, and the problem was solved quickly. But the same strains beneath the surface still haunt us. Read more at: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/30/rick-wartzman-book-excerpt-automation-donald-trump-215207 I attended the first ever talk given in Scotland about the repercussions of bar coding. This resulted in me purchasing a computer and preparing myself for the future as I could see many sales jobs going due to its implications. It has been estimated that a high percentage of jobs could go over the next twenty years or so due to automation. We must all have received computerised sales phone calls which can mean many banking jobs could go. This is where the Universal Basic Income comes in. Read more at: http://www.electricscotland.com/independence/sip/basicincome.htm Scottish News from this weeks newspapers Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in newspapers such as the Guardian, Scotsman, Courier, etc. you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish. Moray constituency radio debate Ahead of the 8 June general election, BBC Radio Scotland hosted a debate - chaired by the BBC's Andrew Kerr - in the Westminster seat of Moray. Listen to this at http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40063273/general-election-2017-moray-constituency-radio-debate When will the sun go down on Scottish wind turbines? by Jack Ponton in Think Scotland Read more at: http://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkpolitics/articles.html?read_full=13172 German Economy Thrives at the Expense of Other EU States A right-wing National Front (FN) party memeber said in an interview with Sputnik on Friday that Germany is developing its economy at the expense of the other sates in the European Union Read more at: https://sputniknews.com/europe/201705261054028844-german-economy-eu/ The Scots who pioneered photography More than 200 of the oldest photographs taken in Scotland are to go on display at the National Galleries of Scotland. Read more at: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-40014732 Britain's great explorations now online The Royal Geographical Society is releasing the films of the scientific explorations it sponsored in the early 20th Century. Read more at: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40050593 Carnoustie primary pupils’ big effort for Small Blue butterfly Angus primary school pupils are leading an effort to protect Scotland’s smallest butterfly as part of a nationwide conservation project set for launch. Read more at: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/angus-mearns/433921/carnoustie-primary-pupils-big-effort-for-small-blue-butterfly/ Who knew the Scots were such space pioneers? For such a small nation, Scotland punches far above its weight Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/27/scots-space-pioneers Scotland’s Surf City In short, the Cove doesn’t just promise the perfect wave it promises your perfect wave. Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/the-hi-tech-wave-pool-that-could-turn-edinburgh-into-scotland-s-surf-city-1-4456662 Social care is a family affair by Eben Wilson in Think Scotland Read more at: http://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkbusiness/articles.html?read_full=13175 Who has power over what in Scotland? So, what do MSPs have control over, and what remains in the hands of MPs at Westminster? Read more at: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40015816 Graphene sieve could make sea water drinkable A membrane made from graphene oxide could be used to 'sieve' salt out of sea water and make it safe to drink, according to scientists from the University of Manchester. Read more at: http://uk.reuters.com/video/2017/05/30/graphene-sieve-could-make-sea-water-drin?videoId=371772933&videoChannel=4000 Why Nicola Sturgeon is wrong about her mandate Those who live by the popular vote – the very nature of referendum politics – must also expect to die by the popular vote. Read more at: http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy260a.html Donald Trump is right about Germany His diagnosis is imprecise but Merkel's economic policies really are hurting the U.S. Read more at: http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/05/26/trump-right-about-germany-trade-000445 Electric Canadian Andrew Scheer wins Conservative leadership Saskatchewan MP knocks out front-runner Maxime Bernier in the last round of voting, social conservatives flex muscle. Read more at: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/05/27/maxime-bernier-leads-tory-leadership-race-after-first-ballot-andrew-scheer- second.html Historical Sketch of the British American Assurance Company By J. Castell Hopkins, F.S.S. (1912) You can read this account at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/transport/britishamericanass.pdf Scottish Canadians Came across this page which is an excellent read and you can read this at: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/scots/ Conrad Black I've always had a lot of time for Conrad Black and so as he writes from Canada on a number of issues of interest from around the world I'm intending to include links to his writings for you to view. This week we have As Madoff victims go unpaid, Richard Breeden has been unmasked for what he is http://www.conradmblack.com/1298/as-madoff-victims-go-unpaid-richard-breeden-has Electric Scotland The Forfar Directory and Year Book A most interesting publication with lots of wee stories and articles. I have now added the 1907 edition which you can read at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/forfar/direct/ A Domestic Compromise It is not often that domestic compromises are as happily arranged as one in which Abraham Lincoln, the famous American president, played a leading part. One day the president was unusually distraught. There had been a little domestic wrangle over the colour of a wall-paper. Mrs. Lincoln was determined to have yellow; the president was equally strong on green. The next morning he was quite cheerful, and the secretary said he supposed the affair had been settled to his satisfaction. "Oh, yes," said Lincoln; "we've made a compromise—it's going to be yellow." Easy-Going Journalism Very good feeling prevails between some newspapers and their readers, as witness the following notice, published a few months ago in the local paper of a small town of the Maygars:— A Christening.—This paper was not published yesterday for the following reason. It is a matter of common knowledge that our editor has become the happy father of a fine boy. On Sunday evening he was christened Julius. On the same evening our dear responsible editor gave an evening party, as the result of which our assistant editor and staff were rendered unfit for duty. This is of course well known to our constant readers, all of whom were present at the memorable ceremony of the christening. In any case, however, we wish to place the matter fully before our readers, and to ask them to forget the incident. Documentary from Kilmarnock in Scotland The other side of Scotland. This is part 5 of this series looking at how the other half live in Scotland. I added this video to the foot of the page on the Social Life in Scotland which you can view at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/sociallife/ Inverness in the Fifteenth Century By Evan M. Barron (1906). Added a link to this book at the foot of our Inverness page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/inverness Beth's Newfangled Family Tree Got in Section 1 of the June 2017 issue which can be read at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm Tranent and its Surroundings Historical, Ecclesiastical & Traditional by P M'Neill, Second Edition (1884). Added a link to this book at the foot of our Tranent page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/tranent/ Sir Alexander Glen Arctic explorer and wartime Intelligence officer before going into the shipping industry, and eventually becoming chairman of the British Tourist Authority.