Blogs

When your feeling a little down because it’s just two days away from the ‘International Day of Older Persons’ (UNIDOP and you just know Alf Cannan MHK has forgotten you and to add to that you are a tad hungover from having to much older persons beer I generally cheer myself up by having a look at the Chamber of Commerce News.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PEOPLE

Latterly there has been a lot of talk from some COMIN members about the population demographic and the fact that are ageing population is a problem.

The postal workers Trade Union says it will fight cuts in services and according to the Manx Independent front page is even mulling over industrial action.

I reported on the meeting of workers discontented at possible changes in an earlier post (link at cdn):

https://www.facebook.com/crowndependencypoliticalnews/posts/205765896758...

The Isle of Man minimum wage increases from Monday next - if you can call it an increase - the level will still be below £8 an hour with 16-18 year old workers on less than £6.

Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly MHK who was away this week ironically swanning around the LABOUR Party conference says:

There is a big demonstration calling for the reunification of parts of Brittany hived of by Vichy France in 1941 in Nantes today 29th September.

The demo is organised by th 44+Bzh campaign group.

The Celtic League has long supported the campaign for reunification and the issue has been the subject of several agm resolutions.

In 2014 the Celtic League General Secretary wrote to the French government reiterating our position. He said:

Eddie Power has this ‘share’ of a blog by MHK Rob Callister who is currently touring the Highlands - lucky him!

https://www.facebook.com/Onchan.MHK/posts/2180745742167873

It brings back memories of wandering the Highlands with the late Mrs M in the late 1970s for over two weeks. Scotland is so vast and empty in places but scenery with contrasts and beauty abundant. I’m am ‘Ireland’ man myself but Scotland ties with North and Mid Wales for second place.

‘Regulation these days should contain any abuse. It's a far cry from the days when the Isle of Man Constabulary were so zany they were bugging themselves’

So was it a simple innocuous Freedom of Information request or a more sinister attempt to see how easily the cops track telecom communications?

IOM Today have a story about missing persons statistics and mixed in it they enquire about costs for accessing telecom data;

The police rather disengiously say:

One of the oldest neighbours in Manx sea the giant gentle basking shark continues to intrigue.

Recent reports of the great cetaceans breaching (or leaping out of the sea) have led to speculation that they are mating, ‘spring cleaning’ by shedding parasites) or just having fun.

Marine biologists seem to want to find out. I would prefer just to remain intrigued. Report here on Manx Radio:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/baskers-laconic-image-ch...

Mec Vannin Chairman Mark Kermode has urged everyone who can to support the IOM Foodbank and the good work it does. He says the Party which donated £500 from its reserve fund this week believes that cash donations enable the Charity to purchase the products it is short of and that the MV believe all money donated ‘goes where it is needed’.

Report here on Manx Radio:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/nationalist-party-offers...

The Scottish National Party (SNP) is holding a national “Day of Action” on Scottish independence tomorrow. The party’s depute leader Keith Brown said MPs, MSPs and activists would be given a target of speaking to 50,000 people across the country on Saturday 29 September. This comes ahead of the SNP conference in Glasgow next month and as preparations for a second referendum on Scottish independence continue. The latest Social Attitudes Survey shows that the number of people who view independence as a positive for Scotland’s economy now exceeds those who believe otherwise.