I passed my driving test in Shetland. Lerwick to be precise. Big deal, I hear you think. There aren't a lot of places for the Emergency Stop portion of the test or reversing around the corner and I suspect many learners practised in exactly the same spot where they would be tested on the day until they could do hitting the brakes and backing up in their sleep. But one thing Lerwick did not have in the mid-1980s was a roundabout. Unfortunately there was a roundabout at the exit from the ferry terminal in Aberdeen. Many a newly qualified driver came to grief on their first trip to the Granite City. I think that's why the Shetland Islands Council used some of its oil money to build a roundabout at the north end of Lerwick, at Gremista, which wasn't really needed. But what do I know?

Maybe two years back about the only jobs I saw posted looking for writers involved training AI. I suppose some folk took them on the basis that if they didn't, someone else would. They must have known they were cutting their own throats. Two of the big uses of AI are intellectual theft and piracy. The other big use is the creation of written material. I'm told some AI programs do an excellent job of creating work-related documents such as reports and business letters. Work that big companies used to employ actual human beings to do. In a Just World those AI trainers would never work again. But somehow that's not how Life tends to work out.

Canada is now in a trade war with Trump's America. Or maybe it's more accurately called an Anti-trade War. I'm still not convinced that the old draft dodger understands what a tariff is or how they work. Anyway, here's an idea for a 50% tariff Canada can impose in retaliation. If the contributor cheque for a radio programme is being sent to an address in the USA then there should be a massive tariff imposed. Canada's state subsidised broadcaster, the CBC, seems to prefer American commentators and "experts" over the homegrown variety, even when the subject matter is Canadian and a US contribution is pretty much worthless. I'd far rather see my taxpayer dollars going into Canadian pockets. In the modern world not having American voices and opinions rammed down my throat is a major challenge. Of course, there will be occasional times when a US viewpoint is worthwhile but no-one said tariffs are a pain free option. But let's make it that the US voice is only used when it's essential.

Recently my ire was raised. I made the mistake of listening to the state radio station the Canadian Government forces me to pay for - Motto - Yesterday's News Tomorrow but Infantile American Podcasters Today. Anyway, there was some stupid TV critic yammering on about innocent people being killed to further a good cause. The good cause was forcing an area into a foreign country the majority of its residents wanted nothing to do with. Is this Canadian Government policy? Why am I being forced to pay to give ignorant stupid television commentators a platform for fascist ill-informed comment when they decide to venture into reality instead of made-up fantasy drama.

When I was 16 or 17 I had one of those little 50cc mopeds - a Suzuki AP50 if you're interested. One Saturday or Sunday I decided to ride from Livingston to Callander to look in on my Dad's old Uncle Don. But when I got to his house the woman who answered the door said he'd died a couple of years earlier but she had no details because she'd never met him. The thing is that when I got back to Livingston I was shown a family picture and the woman who answered the door was in it; older but definitely her. We knew Betty Wilson had been staying with Uncle Don. Why would she lie? To a large extent you can choose your friends but not your family.