If a woman "punched, kicked and struck (me) with a metal tool in a sock", i'd knock her out cold.

Let that be a warning to all you would be female terrorists out there.

A warning to us all.
My wife could knock out a pub full of sailors when she gets a bee in her bonnet.
Couple that with PMT and we are talking BAAAAAD

Mr. Voltaire; you often mention Mrs Voltaire in your posts; she sounds a very charming woman. This report does not surprise me at all. In the 35+ years that I have been "romancing" woman, I have noticed that there has been a gradual movement towards woman becoming more assertive and, I suppose, more aggressive. Where once I would have wooed my loved one over a gin and tonic in the snug at the local and then go home with her for a canoodle, it is more the case now that I down pints with her whilst standing at the bar in some head-banging pub and then go outside for a punch up with her. You can't help loving them though can you Mr. Voltaire?

disgusted to say the least, it seems that the modern women are going out of there way to be seen as hard drinking beer swilling loots

#5 Thomas...learn to spell young man, learn to spell. Actually, a spot of punctuation wouldn't go amiss either. From a nonviolent woman, a dying breed it seems.

Generation of women fighted to get equality with men and we women repay this fredom with behaving as stupid as they sometimes do.
I am not even 30 yet and I already believe that we don't have any values anymore and that me who never wanted to sound like my mum, but having a child of my own I am afraid what might become of of her.
We should think more how that reflects on us all. We all need a change of thinking, violence, specially drunken violence is so much part of our history. Spend less time in pubs and spend more quality time with family. If family/social values are set right then we should have less a problem. And with family I dont mean only the traditional 2 parents x kids way, these days all forms of "family" exist and they can do the "family" thing. So let's do it, it's not easy but worth it in the long run.

Alan(#2), That's it dearie! You're for it now.

A bit of responsibility and they are off the rails- We now have women with balls an beer.

It's a sad day when womens liberation groups can't come to the forum and admit they have failed, shame on them, look what they have achieved, crime and family instabililty....... what has the contribution to civil family life, beers and balls- and what has all these imported women into the Scottish Executive achieved.....mmmmm.

W W

MEN OF SCOTLAND BE AFRAID ! BE VERY AFRAID !

YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

WE DO NOT NEED YOU ANY MORE.

WITH THE ADVENT OF CLONING, SPERM BANKS AND THE OCCASIONAL BIT OF HELP FROM ANN SUMMERS, YOU CAN BE ELIMINATED WITH EASE.......................................

Doesn't need to be drink fuelled violence either. I was in an abusive relationship for 5 years. She kicked me, punched me and mentally tortured me. One day, during a bad bout of PMT she knifed me and left a lovely 3 inch scar on my shoulder (and ruined my favourite jacket). She thought that because she was a woman she had every right to strike out at her man as she was smaller etc etc. I was a mug for taking it and I wish, in retrospect, I phoned the female-centric abuse hot line.

Do you fancy going for a pint Moody Cow?; I like a woman with a bit of spunk.

Moody cow,
Your comments are just what is to be expected by a host of young women today. It is totally pointless. Men are great. I beleive in equal rights and think that it is wrong for anyone to hit out. I would never dream of hitting anyone but if someone (male or female) hit me first then, yes i would hit back.
Michael, i am surprised you have a girlfriend, she must be a saint!

It is no surprise to me that females are getting more violent, although they always have been, it is just they always get away with it. One law for men and one for women!
I am just waiting for a 'hairy type femanist' to blame violent women on men!! sound familiar.
Some day men and women will be equal, it'l take a while though.

Louise. Don't get misled by Moody Cow; s(he) is really a ginger headed ranter who blows a lot of nonsensical hot air. Agree with everything else you said especially the bit about Michael who sounds like a relic from the 60's.

I think Dave (#11) has hit the nail on the head. Women are violent because they believe they can do anything they want and no-one will do anything back "...because they are female...".
A recent case when a woman assaulted a barman in a pub. She was evicted from the pub and then she herself called the police to charge the landlord for assaulting her - a mere woman. Luckily, the pub's CCTV had caught it all.
Women want equality when it suits them, but want to play the poor girl card if the equality does not suit them.

MY God, this revelation is disgusting! are people in Scotland aware that this is not happening in the rest
of the world ?. Female emancipation means more places at university for women, better paid jobs ,
and more involvement in politics . Unless you want to
be known as a nation of hard drinking savages you need to get a grip of your behaviour. No one outside Scotland is impressed by a woman who can out drink
and out fight their male counterparts.

I think the problem is that some women confuse "equality" with "being like men".

Moody Cow. Have you got a split personality?

Men and women will never be "equal" unless women's estrogen levels drop and mens testosterone levels drop (we act, impulsively, by hormones). Women get away with the old "oh it was by bad week" bit but us guys can't get away with blaming it on our testicles. The equality issue comes from how we are treated inside the work place and by law and in society but NOT in interpersonal relationships! For example, I'm a keen surfer, one of my best mates is a poor surfer and my wife is even worse. We tease him about his lack of ability but we love him none the less. I tease my women and she takes the huff then gets nasty (even though I adore her). My mates shrugs it off (he is an awesome swimmer though and could out swin anybody I know) but my women could take a few hours or days to get over it whilst plotting spiteful revenge. Equality is a nice idea but now it has gone to far. However, be warned, women are now behaving like men which means us men have set the standard for woemn to emulate (and to me that means we are still top dog!)

FAO 2. Alan

I think you will find some guys like to pay for stuff like that....

http://sacl.info/sheriff_neilson.htm

English teacher wrote these words on the blackboard:
"woman without her man is nothing". the teacher then asked
the students to punctuate the words correctly.

The men wrote: "woman, without her man,
is nothing."

The women wrote: "woman! without her, man
is nothing." Who is telling the truth?.

Is this behaviour peculiar to Scottish women?; the women of my harem (who are of all nationalities) do not behave like this but then I know how to treat women where Scotsman probably don't and thus their women take to drink to compensate for the love and affection that they are missing. This problem therefore belongs to the Scotsman.

Rab (23). That's way too clever for a Friday!!

Calm down folks, the rant at 10 was just a naughty wind up.

ps. I love men.

pps. This new breed of drug fulled, crazy, violent chicks should be sterilised and sent to work in Afghanistan.

Ooooh, what an outpouring of male chauvinist piggery! I could almost believe we are back in the 60s again....I am the mother of four sons under 25, who are meeting some wonderful girls/young women who are confident in speaking out about what they want. My sons have to work harder at their relationships than men did when I was young, and it is not doing them any harm at all. They don't spend all their time downing pints in a pub and are all the healthier, wealthier and wiser for it.

Incidentally, has any of you thought that a drunken woman who is violent may not be treated by the Scottish judicial system in the same way as a drunken man? And if not, these statistics are guff.

Was just about to say, moody cow, is being facetious.
Me too moody cow, I love men and my man is amazing in every way ; ) and i'd never dream of hurting him unless he asked.

Jennie (27), you may have a point but I can bet the women involved don't have to work nearly have as hard in the relationship as your sons do (not equall then is it?)

Your out pouring is famale chauvinist sowery and I can assure you that for every bad man out there there is a bad woman.

As for Sheik Bej at 24. Your funny mate, very funny.

An increase in violent crime? In the country variously described as "the most violent country in the developed world"(United Nations Crime Research Unit, 2005) or "the best small country in the world"(Jack McConnell, ad nauseum)? Surely some mistake.
For more on "the best small country in the world", check out: http://www.world-of-crap.blogspot.com/

The best part I like about CRIME generally, (I will skip this one about the Scottish women as I am not in Scotland.
The crime is committed. The police come handcuff them. This to be by law done by the police woman when handling the woman. Don’t you have enough SHE POLICEWOMEN? The duties given to man will lead to more crimes anyway.) Then the criminal tries to hide the face.
This is a real cowardly act. Why commit crime openly I MEAN OPENLY then cover the face not to be exposed to the TV and the papers or public?
When POLICE man handle the women ........

I blame the UK drinking culture.

Well I think this report is interesting, although misleading. It has nothing to do with female empowerment and everything to do with the state of society in general. Unfortunately women are catching up with men in some of the not so clever ways. Many moons ago it would have been the talk of the neighbourhood for a woman to have been seen drunk in my local community. Now they can roll back singing to their hearts content. Neds, in general, are out of control, they feel omnipotent when under the influence and take any course of action they feel like. Of course this is a generalisation but living amongst them, I have found this to be the case. It would be interesting to find out what the increase in male violence is now, or has this gone down or remained static...?

Michael the Centurian (snigger) I would like to suggest that you lather up in the bath with the rest of those toga'd totties as you are obviously in need of some swift relief...otherwise I shall just have to rename you 'Moody cow'

I blame the UK Drinking Culture.

Firozali , Hi .

Can i ask what your interest is in this Newspaper. When you post it is always interesting !

Yes, all this is very interesting but what percentage of the total population does this huge 50% increase actually represent, as a 50% increase of 2 is still only 3. But as everyone knows, statistics can be made to prove anything!

I am Michael's girlfriend and I just want to say I am not obese. Also, regarding this whole discussion; I think my dear boyfriend is taking the piss there, hope so anyway :-) Personally I don't see the connection between feminism and this behaviour at all and I take it as an insult. I do not drink and have never been in a fight. But I am a feminist. The women who are violent now, would have been so if there had never been feminism, because it has to do with poor morals. Feminism is not poor morals, it simply means the right to be a person with opinions and the chance to make choices about what you want with your life. It's born out of sympathy for people who were/are treated unfair, in this case women. It also has nothing to do with wanting to be like a man! The reason those women act like scumbag guys is simply because they are trash.
Here's something you won't like to hear, I'm sorry. But I'm afraid I have to agree with Billy; I live in Holland and here the only women who act like that, are a small handful of badly messed-up socially- and mentally challenged skanks. I do see guys acting like idiots more regularly (the only reason we're not banging on about that is because we're all so used to it, it's accepted). But I've not seen many get so carried away as the scottish and english people I saw before on holidays etc (and now in my house as well). There's a reason the british have this reputation to be pissheads. Also, as the expert said, it's often a drug-related thing when women commit serious violent crimes. We don't have that problem here as much either. So what is wrong with you people? Do you really think violent girls are a result of feminism gone bad? Come on!

Bad stock Christa. People are messed up here like no other place Ive ever been. There's bad genes. If you add alchohol to Spiritual and Actual Poverty it is a dangerous Cocktail.

Dave @ 11

I admire your courage in speaking out about domestic violence carried out by women against men. It does happen and a lot of men do not report it or seek help because they are afraid they will appear less of a man because of it, which is most certainly not the case.

I abhor violence of any kind whichever gender is the perpetrator. To the 'moody cow' it would be a very sad world without men in it and women would only end up fighting with each other, more than they do already, anyway. Some of us also have sons and so we would, obviously, protect them against any draconian future without men. However, I tend to think that your comments were just you having a laugh and do not take them seriously!

Helen. I was waiting for someone to point this out.

Michael, sorry Christa; you sound in two minds about what you are saying. Have you a split personality by any chance.

It's all drink and drugs and the wrong kind of education.
PS.I know alcohol is a drug!

Christa, my sweet slender saint

i accept the points you have raised regarding the link between violent women and femminist objectives, however, the whole laddette culture fueled by scary spice and the rest of that motley crew, is something foreign to you ..as you have stated and i would argue that "girlpower"when exercised under the influence of alcohol manifests itself in young women being loud, aggressive and apparently, increasingly violent!

I would like to add, i left Scotland to be with my beautiful Dutch beauty, who is so lady like because i was sick of drunk Scottish women shouting and swearing asking "for a square go" and acting like scum in a bid to be accepted by their peers...........there are so many fermenting social issues in Scotland that it exhausts me to ponder over them... neds male and female, the city councils the police, the executive, political correctness, the government (policies)...............

well i just hope common sense is put back on the agenda, thats the first step

I could never see what was wrong with being equal but different. I remember getting hacked off with that Zero Tolerance campaign. It seemed to be only directed at violence against women and children. The problem is, both women and children can be pretty violent themselves and men are not safe.

Bejjy,

you sound like a little worm!

your what Arnold Scharznegger would describe as a "girly man"........your sort aren't helping either (no offence intended towards women or gay men)only bejjy

Much good banter but are we hiding from some inescapable facts. Are women fulfilling the 'we become what we despise prophesy'.

The reality is our society is biased towards women.
A few facts chew on :

If 2 underage kids have intercourse and charges are brought, the law says the male is culpable regardless of who initiates the intercourse. This is called statutory rape and is the law behind the young man iconvicted in the recent case of Scotlands youngest mother.

Women live longer than men, but then we spend 50% more on womens health than mens. there is only one dedicated mens heath centre in the whole of the UK.

Until only recently the law did not accept that a man could be raped. He was sexually assaulted.

Until very recently women were allowed to retire 5 years before men despite living for longer.

One third of reported domestic violence is women against men. How many mens refuges are there?

I think too many women hide behind past injustices. Until we re-appraise the gender debate on the basis of whats fair, rather than kidding on that descrimination in the form of women only selection lists etc are a way to equality then we will end up with the situation where the pendulum will perpetually swing back and forth. I do believe that there are groups for whom this is a satisfactory situation.

I think the article is rather revealing and in its own way contradicts the emphasis placed in immotive TV adds by the NSPCC portraying men as the bad guys. When in reality thier own statistics have known this to be untrue for a very very long time. My challange would be for them to place woman in the forfront of thier TV adds and see if they will accrue as much as they do at present by way of sponsorship and donations,I rather suspect not somehow.

Bring back the "rule of thumb"

We should all treat each other as we would expect to be treated ourselves - hopefully with compassion, respect and consideration.

Its is all connected to the 'pill' which liberated women and gave them the freedom of choice. I have heard the description 'ladette' being used to describe the behaviour of young woman today who seem to have the need to emulate male behaviour; would this mean that they are still feeling insecure about their own gender? Since the end of the middle-ages about 150 years ago society has been in a constant state of flux which is accellerating rapidly and emotionally and intellectually we are trying to adapt and currently women seem to be experiencing the biggest challenge which may account for this fall-out.

I still blame the UK drinking culture.

Another thing I don't like is all the little cut-off tops young women wear in this country, when they are fat and gross and covered in tattoos.

What is that all about?

Yo peeps.

Didn't you all read the article? It blames drug abuse.

I blame that, plus the drinking culture, plus Maggie Thatcher of course. She was the butchest bird of all; Unless of course we can blame it on Cherie Bliar, she's a tough cookie as well. :-D

actually I would like a strict woman.

Robert 49, Gawds sake: Next you'll be telling us that women should be barefoot, pregnant and tied to the kitchen by the apronstrings for the entirety of their childbearing years. I'm no feminist, but deary, deary me, I could turn to drink after reading your post :'-(

Allan 52 - is your wife too submissive for you? :-(

And another thing, why are there not more young men going about in little cut-off tops? Preferably young muscular well oiled types and not these whales you see beached in Princes Gardens. I for one would be only too happy to have a wee patch selling sun tan lotion. Every bottle comes with a free rub down..mmmmmmmmh.

The only thing the article means, is that an increasing number of people are completely losing the plot (happy slapping comes to mind as well) and that's due to bad circumstances and/or bad genes, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, what have you. And amongst them are more women than there were before (I refer to message no. 36). But no doubt also more men than there were before.

Mario you are a genius.

We should lobby the Council to ask them to ensure that there are more men fitting the description in your 55 post. Anything else is an infringement on the civil liberties of the sex starved women of this fair city.

And I thought you were a man.

Christa, 56, this article says it all I think:

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=585&id=128245...

And of course stuff like this doesn't help:

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=585&id=125584...

Oh Mad Cow you crazy bitch; my heart (and loins) desire you.

Sheik Ali Ben, if you own an oil well I might consider a snog.

Was only a matter of time I guess until someone used my name. Oh well.

Mario 62, do you have a doppleganger?

Sue the rotten barsteward for copyright !

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Hmmm, think I've been here before. I must be going round in circles. Bl00dy dark matter!

Maybe they are putting testosterone in the beer.........

I know this mustache doesn't fool anyone, but...

May 65, nah, it's actually oestrogen that's in beer. That's how loads of guys have man boobs now.

So Tories do want to do something about drug use other than longer prison terms! Treatment and early intervention play the roles we need to help the poor drug addicts . Women do deserve as humans to be free to fulfill themselves.The rise in feminine crime has nothing to do with that . Doreen is so right.

wheres Ga ?

66 Manly Mario, have you been drinking too much of that hormone laden beer again? :-D

God Im bored. Anyone going to the Mela tomorrow ?

No oil well; got a pub though; will that do?

I no drink Moody. I realised its costly , makes you act daft and gives you a sare heid.

Who needs testosterone? Or the worms that carry it?

Hold on a minute!
Whilst all this drug & alcohol crazed female violence is going - who the hell's at home making the tea and getting the shopping in?

Tricky david. All the booze crazed Wummin running about in debenhams fighting over curtains and hoovers. It's bad son , dont come home.

I've never hit anyone. Well, not with my fists, anyway.

Do you want to come to my harem Suzy Strapon?

And bring Wendy Wobblers with you for a threesome. Booze and drugs provided.

I blame violent pawn. I had to armwrestle the broker in that shop on Frederick Street to get my Rolex back.

David 75, you mean you don't do takeaways and have an au pair ?

79, Sheik Ali, you are a floozy.

Only if I can give you a big throbbing plastic surprise up your gary glitter, Sheik.

David 75 Get yourself a Glasgow Firefighter as a live in gofer. They will do anything other than deliver leaflets at a gay parade. Still better than a boozed out of her skull violent woman.

Moody Cow you crazy bitch; I would'nt leave you out so you can come too and we will have a foursome. Anyone else?

Bugger you Suzy Strapon

Sorry Sheik. I've got a gig on at the Mela with my jazz band The Big Swingers.

Michael(the centurion) - your comments about Scotland are bang on. I think you'll enjoy "How This Man is Turning SCotland into the Laughing Stock of the World" at: http://www.world-of-crap.blogspot.com/
If your slender Dutch beauty has any sisters, please let me know

Sorry Ali can't manage I ahve a prayer meeting tonight :-)

Moody Cow - do you have a sister?

Does she have a brother?

How about a guinea pig?

Will I do Sheik

Or me Sheik

The LibDems will deal with this issue ruthlessley when we get some power in the Scottish Executive following next year's elections.

Oh, hold on. We are in power in the Scottish Executive.

Forget I said that. Just keep on thinking we're the opposition...please.

re #31 Mr Mulla

There is a female police officer present in that photo well a skimming of one at the right side of the frame.

We cannot compare our socieities so easily. The west is different from the middle east. We need to get away a little from gender issues. A criminal is a criminal, assailant is an assailant, attacker is and attacker, raper is a raper, abuser is an abuser. English isnt so gender specific. Nor is the law. Having female supervision doesnt guarantee from any mistreatment by the authorities. What if the female officer is a lesbian or a male prisoner is under the guardianship of gay police officers? Gender doesnt come into effect. Above board behaviour and professional ethics is all we can really ask for and expect. BUt making sure there is enough women police is another issue all together. If a women commits a crime and there are no women to apprehend her should she go free? Or if a woman commits a crime and there is no women to apprehend her, is no crime commited? Kind of like if a tree falls in the woods and noone is there, does it make a noise?
Female police officers do great work. But do you want your daughter, wife etc to be one? UK officers dont carry guns routinely. I do think that day will come. Violence is increasing. We cant compare our soicieties mate. Just like the west cant push democracy on nations that dont want it. Heck, a muslim woman just became Miss England. Even UK muslims are as diverse as terrorists and beauty pagent queens. We need to wake up. Violence is the enemy. Every act of violence, any act of violence is an act against ones self. This applies to nations aswell.

Peace
Mark

Little wonder Scottish women resort to violence if these are the only chat up lines that Scottish men can come up with.

Whoooooooooooooooooo-ooooooooooo!!! Oh no, not you lot again!

This is what I have been pontificatiog Moody Cow you crazy bitch. If Scottish women had a real man like me to love and cherish them and fulfill their every desire; they would not resort to drink and drugs and violence. They must be very confused that their cold fish of men also wear skirts. Perhaps they feel the need to reverse roles and to be the stronger sex.

Please dont turn this into a dating site. This is for serious debate only.

I'll fight ye , Ill fight ye.

Well, this is what we find, you know, when people lose their inhibitions.

What inhibitions Prof you old sweetie.

Pat no 6 thank you for the correction loots should have read louts.
However that does not take away the point I was making, young women of today have no respect for themselves, by the way thank you for refering to me as a young man

yes 54 moody cow

but I would soon szort you out then we could reverse roles, because I am sometimes badly behaved!!!

19 Rachel - well said!

105 Allan you need smacked.

Is that a photo of Stacy from Eastenders being taken away by the Old Bill? Yippee ........ another celebrity drug fueled, drink related scandal to have a pop at... ... there'll be loads of copy and mileage in this one!!

What has happened to the Scottish nation? A bunch of rude, disrespective individuals with no care in the world to help improve their lives? Women do not act like this in the rest of the world --- why do Scottish women seem to think that they need to act so violent and aggressive all the time? I blame the binge drinking and the lack of self respect. It coudl be weather realted also?

I'm on your side Isobel. There's something wrang with the people here , booze being number one.

Isobel,

I am not Scottish but I would ask you not to generalise, there are loads of decent, respectable Scottish women and it is not fair to make assumptions about individuals on the basis of banner newspaper headlines.

I am not sure how many Scottish women you personally know but I am related to quite a few and have two very close female friends who are Scots. None of the women that I know behave in this fashion and that includes my young relations as well.

Isobel, have you never watched the Roseanne Barr show?

Have an other sherry Anna. Hic

109 Isobel. I am a Scot living in the USA and I disagree with you. There are gangs of women doing far worse than this in the USA. It's not just alcohol in the USA though - it's drugs, alcohol and just wanton violence! Take off your rose coloured glasses and look around you, that's if indeed you really are in America.

BTW, no it could not be weather related. I don't believe you are even Scottish to talk that usual English bile.

I'd still rather take my chances on the worst Glasgow or Edinburgh street at 2 am in the morning on a Saturday, than in any US city downtown at 9 pm on a week night!

Chief Officer Dimble

Make mine a gin & tonic..........

David,

Cut the English bile bit please - it was unnecessary...!

Isobel 109 I refer you to Post 100 where Sheik Ali Ben Bej gives an excellent analysis as to why Scottish women behave in the way that they do.

Anna 111. You are right, it is probably only a minority of women that behave in this way.

What I hate about these stories is how it takes a very small minority of wee hairies and seems to project them across all Scottish women. At least the readers with their own agenda like to make these projections.

In the Houston, TX neighborhood I live in (and this happens to be one of the better ones) crime is through the roof, break-ns, murders, assualts, muggings, gun-crime and car-jacking are common - one car-jacking just this week resulted in a death - in the middle of the day! Over in the NW of Houston it is considerably worse. Both men and women are involved in these crimes.

I assure you that in comparison Scotland is a paradise. So we have a few wee hairies, what's new?

Of course I'm right Bejjy........ I'm a woman!!!!

116. Anna, oh really Anna. It is pretty obvious she is one of your lot who has never actually been to Scotland, giving the same old nonsense about Scottish weather... Yawn, sure and English weather is on a par with Costa Brava, so it is. LOL

Houston after dark!! Housing estates locked behind cages of fear. I was talking with two expat Scots at a party. They got over the limit one night and decided to leave the car at the'bar' and walk - being sensible. The police picked them up and gave them lift home astonished that they did not drive even if over the limit!!!

Anna. Every woman that I've ever had a relationship has always thought that she was right just about everthing. In fact, I've never known a man more wronged than me. Surely this is some kind of reverse sexism don't you think?

121. Anarok, yes there are gated communities here if that's what you mean. President George Bush Sr. even lives in one of them close to here. It's become considerably worse this past year since the people from New Orleans arrived. Now I watch my back, before I was just wary, being a street-wise Glaswegian. :-)

Houston seemed to take the brunt of all the violent people from NOLA. Really makes you think when you look at other places, that just maybe little Scotland aint half bad. :-) Put aside the gloom and doom stories like this one. Things in Scotland havent got that bad yet.

David you are a very silly man

Not only have I been to Scotland many times whilst visiting my Scottish grandparents - I have lived and been to school in Edinburgh and Fife and also lived as an adult on the island of Benbecula. In any case, where I live now is a lot closer to Scotland than Texas - if I wanted to I could be at my aunties just south of Edinburgh in about 4 to 5 hours.

You think that everyone is like you and dislike other nationalities - that is not true - I only dislike certain individuals not whole countries of people!!

Btw: read my 111

Not at all Anna, you are silliier than I am since you seem to be starting a 'fecht in an empty hoose' as my old granny would say.

I may be in Houston (presently) but I'm a Scot born and breed and my parental home happens to be in Scotland. I am also politically active when I am home in Scotland so why not?

Is this a competition to see who is nearer Scotland before they can qualify to speak on Scottish issues? :-)

No David - but you are the one that said that Isobel was talking English bile - which means that you seem unable to accept the fact that one of your fellow American expat Scots could possibly be capable of criticising Scotland without having to resort to anti English invective!

Houston does not sound a very safe place to live - have you thought about returning to your native Scotland - the place is nothing like the defamatory headlines suggest .......... neither is England come to that!!

Bejjy,

I don't know about reverse sexism but I think you'll find there is quite a lot of men who have had the same experience as you. But you know it's really for your own good "you're the man in your house and you have your wife's permission to say so"......

Never mind .............. you probably enjoy it really!!

Anna, Anna, Anna, I am in Texas with my employer, not exactly by choice - although the place isn't all bad.

Much like the story here, there are a minority of criminals and somehow if you project those stats over a place and it's people it can all look very bad indeed.

True though Houston is not a safe place, this area I live is OK (but have a care), Downtown on the other hand near the Metro and places where working people might commute to and fro, is not at all safe in the evening.

In fact outside of the cities, Texas is a good place to visit. I will however return to Scotland before long.

I have lived across the UK, and agree with you that these headlines mean nothing and I feel that they are projected out of the ordinary by those who want to sensationalise, or put people and places down.

I just don't believe that any Scots ex-pat or not would comment on the Scottish weather. That's a thing non-Scots do as a put-down. I would love to experiencing the Scottish weather right now.

The weather here cooled to a tolerable 92 degrees this week, which is unseasonal. Usually it's much higher, and intolerable.

I would rather be able to go out in it, wind, rain, hail or shine (Scottish weather) than be stuck indoors all day under air-conditioning and even when night falls, it's too humid and still in the high 90's! You shower, leave the house and 10 minutes later you feel as though you need a shower.

What I'd do for a gentle Scottish breeze to cool me off, or to be able to roll my car window down and let some cold air in. In Texas you roll the window down and instead the heat rushes in.

Even a tussle with a gang of Scottish hairies would be preferable to being car-jacked, mugged at gunpoint/knifepoint, or shot going about my business on a Houston street. :-)

Bejjy, could be something in that. In that roles have reversed somewhat in Scotland and the women seem to be taking their new found liberties to extremes.

Today we have groups of women sitting drinking 'pints of beer' in pubs (like wee 1950's working men) - which oddly enough was promoted in beer commercials in the 1980's.

Then then there is smoking - there is a strange thing I have noticed amongst young Scottish women, compared to young Scottish men.

Have you noticed that most young women smoke cigarettes and yet most young men are non-smokers. Odd this and probably is a small indication of women expressing and asserting themselves.

However they tend to make a pig of themselves with alcohol, fags and anything else you might want to name. So on the one hand I think there is a link to a new kind of independence that has been around since the 1980's but on the other hand it is often taken to extremes.

It is interesting that this article never mentioned or barely touched on the taboo subject of sex (briefly mentioning prostitutes working for drug money).

Generally women are considerably more liberated in that department these days, and once again some take it to extremes.

Fair enough David - but you don't make Houston sound like a very attractive place to live or even visit - I have never been there so I cannot say. I know Scottish people who complain about the weather but then so do most English people. It is a sure topic of conversation here. If it's raining we complain and during the last heatwave we complained about it not raining. We expect it to snow at Christmas but not in Jan or Feb (which is more likely) because it's a damm nuisance when we have to go to work. Someone should write a book about the amount of moaning the people of the UK like to do about the weather - still if you can't think of anything else to say - theres always the weather!!

131. Rennie. Indeed Rennie, but in Scotland we have Highland Cows which are noted for being very hairy, and oddly enough in our cities we also have wee hairy coo's, and some of them can get very mad after a night on the swally. The drunker they get, the hairier they become...

I blame this on 30 years of feminism.

The trouble is, nowadays women are allowed to wear bigger shoes which keep them too far from the kitchen sink.

Exactly kris, but it's a form of feminism with no restraints whatsover. There has to be a line drawn when equality is reached and not exceeded or taken to the unthinkable. US TV shows (eg. Sex and the City) are as much to blame, since they promote a lifestyle of decadence, sexism, divisiveness and promiscuity. Young women today are victims of the media-age we live in. Reality is quite different from what you see on TV...

David (Houston). You been down Navigation Blvd yet? Jings what a state.

I don't think our great-grandmothers acted so disgracefully. The reason? They all wore corsets and ruffled dresses, and above all, they knew that their natural roles were in the home. Mixing trouser suits with PMT is like pouring water on an oil fire.

Hmmm not to my knowledge Anarok, but then again it's a big place (that street is some 16 miles from here) chances are I've been along the street at some point, since I know York street which is close to there according to this map. Looking at it now on mapquest.

It's certainly in the right or rather the 'wrong' direction since it is pretty close to Pasadena. The worst place in Houston right now is probably Gulfton in the North West (since the NOLA evacuees arrived that has become pretty much a no go area).

However if you want to be shot by a native Texan redneck then Pasadena is the place to go. In fairness though, some parts of Texas are very nice. Austin and Hill Country, in comparison is a great place to be.

I still say that most of it - In this Country !!!! - is down to Alcohol.

Just look at the figures.

It's frighetningly obvious. Go to any A&E and ask them what are the busiest nights for violence related accidents - the nights when people in the UK are out drinking themselves senseless.

Do something about that and you do something about the Voilence rates.

As to why people are drinking themselves senseless , well thats a whole other question.

Lack of self worth , expectations that are too high, demeaning jobs. I don't know , I'm not qualified to comment. Perhaps someone could comment as to why (mostly younger) people in this country drink to such extremes.

#1.Stuart: "One price of equality?"

You really think so, it seem more of an ineqaulity to me.

Why do people turn to life of crime? Is there no lots of reasons, of which are usualy to do with not being able to cope with a certain situation that happens in there life, which can lead agresive behaviuour. Sometime the person you get mad at is not what your mad about.

More people in general are becoming more agresive, it might have somthing to do with the artifisal adtives and persvites in food.

139. Eve. There is no excuse for violence, assualt or agressive behaviour, even as revenge. That is why we have laws...

p.s. I do hope you get your spell checker fixed soon...

139, Eve, so you don't think that it is probably more likely to do with heavy drinking, drugs, exposure to media advocating extreme violence eg, Rap music, and generally potentially dangerous ASBO people just being nasty to one another?

Those are of course not hidden addititves forced on the consumer...

Judging by some of the comments on here, some of you blokes are still swinging in the trees mentally.

David in Houston: Why, of all the places on earth to live in, did you choose Texas?

As for drinking in the UK: it's phenomenal. People leave your pubs staggering drunk-- and then drive home!! thereby endangering the public and themselves. The whole island seems afloat on a sea of beer. The only place that's worse is Russia.

In Florida, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) brings mandatory sentencing-- a fine of $800 for the first offense. That's about 500 pounds. And on holidays, the cops are out in force, arresting anyone DUI and hauling him off to the county jail.

TV ads run constantly: "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."

A lot of America-bashers on this forum would do well to look across the Atlantic and see how we deal with drunk drivers, and any other kind of public intoxication. It is zero tolerance, and we mean it.

As for women being violent: oh, so women are a different race? Alcohol and promiscuity used to be a male domain because women were home with ten kids trying to find somethng in the cupboard to feed them while the man drank up his paycheck. These days, women are out drinking too. Men who are appalled at how women behave when drunk should look at themselves. Being a drunken lout is not gender-specific. Anyone can be one.

Texas: 267,797 square miles.
Population: 23,000,000 (rounded to nearest million)
White non-hispanic population: 49.8 percent
Hispanic population: 34.6 percent
African-American: 11. 7 percent
Other races: 3.9 percent
Population density: 79.6/square mile

Great Britain: 94,251 square miles (includes Northern Ireland).
Population: 60,609,000 (2006 estimate)
Population density: 650/square mile
White population: 92.5 percent (2001 census)

143. Martha. Why Texas? Work, TX born wife, better salary, much less taxes, less class-distinctions, despite all the bad stuff - a better standard of living altogether than I ever experienced living in the UK.

Your statement about drinking in the UK is a little generalised though, and not at all accurate. I could point out that most of the road traffic fatalities here in Texas are caused by drunk drivers, despite custodial and tough sentences being dished out - they still do it! Seems to be most prevalent amongst young drivers. I don't expect it's any different in Florida.

The point some people have been making about young women in the UK (not just Scotland - ignoring the dumb sexist comments) is that they have gone a but further than mere equality and even pushed it to the extreme. Their mothers would never have acted that way. I have no time for violent drunken louts, male or female.

It is ironic that Scottish men (in the main) make a point of looking after themselves these days, (through not smoking, drinking less and exercising - I ought to know I'm a Scottish man and none of my friends smoke).

OK there has always been that minority who drink themselves into an early grave, and make life rubbish for others - but in the main Scottish men do look after themselves.

Young Scottish women on the other hand, are often smoke heavily, drink beer heavily (like men from the previous generation) and IMHO are getting a little on the chubby side... No surprise since most of them have forgotten or just never learned how to dress, cook or clean a house (as their mothers did).

Ah yes, the age of candy bars, clubbing costumes that look more like underwear and microwave foods... Can't wait to see how the next generation turns out...

There is a growing British population south of Orlando. I don't know if these people are full-time residents or simply own vacation homes, but that they are here is noticeable.

Compared to Britain, Florida real estate prices are still reasonable for the middle class.

Most traffic accidents in Florida are caused either from DUI or by teenagers driving recklessly. Odd that with some of the straightest, flattest, best-maintained roads in the world, people still manage to kill themselves andothers on them.

Our drunk driving laws are very tough, and our laws in Florida are far more strict by comparison toTexas, which is still the wild west in the estimation of many. "Texas Justice" is still a byword in the US.

David: yes, far better standard of living in material terms in the USA. As for quality of life, I'd say that Britain may actually exceed the USA.

But in Florida, people don't drive around with rifle racks in the backs of their pickups. Florida is law-and-order country, like much of the deep south.

Texas is "out west." Enough said.

Indeed Martha, large and growing British population in Texas also, as is evidenced by my website. www.britishintexas.com

You have a point Martha, I always think twice at honking in a state where some of the inhabitants drive around with Bumper stickers which read: 'This vehicle is insured with Smith & Wesson...'

Yes indeed Way Out West... ;-)

...if your woman follows you out of the kitchen, what have you done wrong......made the chain too short!

David: Just visited your delightful and most helpful (to expats) website. What a great idea! Congratulations to you!

People who have never visited the USA probably can't visualize what it's like to be in a country where you can drive for 50 miles and not see a house-- in our western states. By contrast ,there is scarcely a place in Britain where you can't see signs of human habitation.

As for drunkeness, people here drink too, but I have to say, much as I love visiting Britain, drinking to excess is far more prevalent, and far more tolerated there, than anywhere in the USA. Perhaps a tribute to our puritan forebears.

Considering how many of the great Reformers came from or at least preached in Scotland, your present descent into public drunkenness, especially among women, must have them spinning in their graves.

Rennie, isn't it about time to break out the parka and snow boots? :-)

It's just ye Americans talking to yersels agin......... all o'thae bad Scottish lads and lassies are awa' tae the pub!!

Anna from Cambridge,

Have you ever hit a man?......I don't mean in the confines of a bedroom, that doesn't count. Would you whack David from Texas? What does it take for an educated, well brought up and professionally trained woman to hit a man?

Women's liberation at last to binge drink and punch each other's lights out every weekend in your town-center!

Women, if you don't want the time don't do the crime. Do you know what causes crime - the criminal.

I don't think we should be giving criminals, male or female, excuses for their acts. Many people believe they are no longer responsible for their actions: it's someone else's, or someone else's fault, the environment, society, the govt. We've got to stop this decline in personal responsiblity.

You have got to love the psychological analysis waffle from the guy from Glasgow Caledonian "University" (formerly Rab C. Nesbitt Polytechnic) in the article.

No AJ - but I could make an exception in your case!! You'll need those frozen peas for your eye!!

David, Houston, sounds to me like your just getting old pal. Cook and clean a hoose? what do you think my two younger brothers were for, certainly not sittin aboot on their erses playin wae thon computer game malarkey. Oh no they worked for their money.......I think you'l find they call it chores in America.

151. Martha. Thanks Martha, glad you liked the site. The site I hope helps people adjust to the things which I found tricky when I first arrived. About half the hits come from outside Texas which sort of suggests we are doing something right and have something to offer Ex-Pats. :-)

Anna,
Just testing the water! Thought that would be the response.

156. AJ, I have enough problems fighting off my own wife when she's downed one too many Lonestar's, I don't need any other ladies whacking me thanks. :-)

AJ - Would that be the water for your peas that you are testing ?

157. LC, careful LC that's where I got my worthless degree from... :-) Hmm, the place had more respect when it was a College of Technology if you want my opinion. Wonder if they still have that tiny little Union bar, which had empty pint tumblers in the urinals, never did work out why they did that...

Hi David, okay, thought Houston might be better than what we have here....guess not...be safe!

AJ how are the peas coming...will that be with curry?

Anna, right, keep him in place, will ya?! ;)

Well, just a quick message from someone who was over there a wee while ago, if you treat your woman with love warmth and respect, help them in the day to day needs of everyday life, treat them as you yourself would like to be treated you may find that your women over there would be like putty in your hands. Why dont some men get smart, the smart men realise keep your lady sweet!! and life is sweet, we dont need much in life as women, lots of hugs and sweet words and to be told 'hey girl, you're doing fine'.

from a sweet kiwi

Anna,

When I first started exchanging views with you, you were feisty as hell. Recently, I thought you were going soft, but you're still feisty auld Annie!

David, you're right, it's no worth it. We always come aff worse - unless your name is Sean Connery. Now there's a man!

165. Melanie. Hi Melanie I guess it's everywhere these days. The Katrina evacuees haven't made the place any better... ;-)

Well done AJ - you know it makes sense - and less of the auld - you know, I'm only 36!!

167. AJ, Fife.

Oh yes Sir Sean, there was a man that singe-handedly set sexual equality back 50 years. Long gone are the days when ye could clout yer wummin wi' the back o' the haun, and she'd be grateful for the black eye and the team o' weans at the feet. Excuse me Pushy Galore, as I shlap ye around a little...

Bejjy and Moody Cow:

I think you two would be cute together. You each have a terrific sense of humor.
I agree with 167 that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. As a card carrying bitch-with-attitude from a city notorious for "tough women" most of us can only be "killed with kindness." Last time a man so much as "talked down" to me, I stole his watch and never gave him an opportunity to get it back. I wouldn't even want to go into what I would have done if he had dissed me outright. Too ugly.
Not to get too serious about these things, but I read a disturbing statistic on this site a few days ago that the suicide statistic for women in Glasgow is the highest in the UK. Why Glasgow?

Sorry, I meant 166.

David, please don't hark back to some dreamlike utopia. Be fair to Sean though, he whacked his first wife back in the 1960's - it was a time of kitchen sink drama and the Kray twins. As far as I know, he hasn't skelped his exotic second wife...yet! Mind you after a dose of three putting and shanking on the links, he could be excused a little bout of blowing off steam.

172, A, In a perfect world, nay in the best of all possible worlds, that would be the best solution.

However when you are getting dooed by a tanked up Glesga Hairy who'd make Mike Tyson feel uneasy, sweet talk won't get you very far... :-)

173. AJ, Being a golfer myself and not a very good one. I can relate to that.

AJ & David

You know fine well (and so do we) that the only reason you are both clapping each other on the back and saying what a fine figure of a man Sean Connery is for slapping his wife is because your own wives can't hear you!!

Anna,

My wife is always peeking ower ma shooder. Then she skelps me!

Good one Anna!!! HA! ...AJ, David....care to comment!!! ;)

Melanie,

This isn't for your eyes, get back to the wine tasting, this one could get ugly!

now, I could take that as a chauvanistic comment, AJ! ;)

Melanie,

What are you still doing here?

176. Anna, I'm being sarcastic. I hope AJ is too. ;-)

Seriously though that is a serious and painful issue for some. :-( It's an issue I feel quite strongly about actually, and in places like the West of Scotland, London etc. Domestic abuse is a very real issue.

It would be better if more men could evolve beyond being neanderthals. I can assure I have little respect for any man who slaps his wife, with or without a Knighthood.

ach then, but ye'll be takin a hand to me soon enuf, won't ya??! Aav, got me harshshu redee!

David, ...AJ, sarcastic???

Hi David, on a momentarily serious note...yes, I hear you, about the abuse issue!! (wanted ya to know, wasn't makin light of what ya said!)

Melanie, as well as all the different bloodlines you belong to, there is a hint of a pirate about you. Are you related to Black Beard?

David,
I was being deadly serious, shanking used to drive me mental!

actually, I do recall along me poore da's line, sumthin to do we'a privateer/pirate that was hung, drawn, and quartered by his Queen (Eliz I) for keepin some of the booty for hisself, aaayyyee!!

AJ, and so you should golf is a serious thing afterall and not to be taken lightly. Take it out on the barman at the 19th hole. Tell him in your sternest voice "Gimme a beer!" Then go home and give your wife a cuddle.

188. Melanie. I believe that actually, you do give that imrpession. I come from a long line of pirates and villains myself. My lot were no stranger to the Gallows...

Why even today, whenever I listen to Jimmy Buffet or sit on my friends boat at Kemah, I feel the pull of the sea and the sudden urge to go loot something.

...his fridge... ;-)

AJ, English, Scottish...greatgran -Nor & greatgran Ire ...tis all

Hi David/189, if the poore hen may comment heer amongst ya gents.......excellent advice!!

Hi David, have the pull of the sea meeself

Which oddly enough brings me back the question posed earlier by Martha in Miami, Why Texas?

http://www.kemahboardwalkmarina.com/

One of my very favourite place in Texas actually. Ah the pull of the sea...

but,not the looting part... :)

talk with ya'll later, have to go!

...lovely marina, will have to explore site later......but if ah don't get meeself to ma kitchen, ma husband wull be takin his hand to mee!!! [ ..."again", his words! ;) ]

....nice chatting, again, with you David; hope to see you around!

Martha, I just heard something really terrifying the other day from a man I was carrying on an IM chat with who lives in a town near Glasgow. He has a friend who is a drunk (which is how I'd categorize anyone with a DUI conviction) who has a DUI confiction and just recently got a job in charge of safety/maintenance at a Scottish nuclear power plant on the western seacoast. Moreover, the dude sounds like a perfect candidate for leveraged a security risk, as in high-level emotional instability. I think--and I'd welcome non-partisan Scottish input here, provided such exists--that we in the U.S. take the issue of security much more seriously post-9/11 than they do over there. I mean here if you've so much as even toked up once even if you "didn't inhale," you can't qualify for a gun-carrying position with the Fed.

Jack Havana>30.

Read your blog...........Greeeeat.

http://www.world-of-crap.blogspot.com/

156 AJ: I don't know about Anna, but I certainly have. I consider it grounds for smacking a man upside the head if I catch him lying about whether or not he's married, depending on how far he's tried to get with me. Happens all the time where I live. And I'm as over-educated, and over-civilized and feminine as they come.
157 LC: they don't make enough guys like you anymore. Taking responsibility for one's actions is what it's all about. The last time I heard someone speak like that I think it was in "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean."
But I noticed my question about the Glasgow suicide rate for women was ignored.

To no 35 Thank you very much for the praise. The praise actually goes to the Scotish paper tha allowes us from Tanzania to raed and comment in the best possible manner. Another thing I am trying to do id to show that we in Tanzania have PCS ( 486 still running Intel 32 ram, 2 m hd 3.5 floppy but are coming come with the CD and the more RAM and HD. We also have DELL and APPLE but I am now scared. I have myself to prtotect and my pc just in case I do not miss you baby. Thank a lot . This is beautiful coming from the oversea first time. Thank a lot. Here is the link that I will prove.
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2006/08/26/73183.html
Then you will know that was now we are getting power on Friday and Sundays only. dig this. The Muslim have the Friday and Christians have Sunday. the power supply guys are not that supid . They are sensible and religiuos. Thank you.

No 35. again I do not like BBC It is biased, CNN is more Weteren, Sky is good but all about the Britain. Fox etc are per say pro USA.
I stick to one that gives me the right to say what I want to say ck up my mail in web. thank you. Again SCOTS WIN, C What I Mean.Thank u.

140. David: Yes my spell checker is broken but it never work on the internet on 1st place. It was far too busy reading what everyone else has written.

May be! but People have to be thinking of violence to create and write these. (So where does it Start?, we all see the loop going around and a round.)

All I'm saying is most people break the law because of inequailtys in their life. (Social, Health,Racesaul, childhood experences ect.)

I was only making a point about Food and mood, the types of food we eat do have an effiect on both our mental and phisical health. Heavy processed food is also more commonly eaten these days and this might explaine why people are more violent today and the higher numbers of people who suffer form mental illness.

I was cuddling into my beautiful, sexy girlfriend, hoping for a night of romance when she pulled away from me. I asked her what as wrong and thats when it hit me square inbetween the eyes and said the words every bloke dreads. "Why can't you just hold me?" she said. "Can't you ove me for who I am and not what my body does for you?" So I got off and cuddled her until she fell asleep in my arms.
The next day I decided to take time of work to be with her and suggested we go for a little retail therapy.
She was ecstatic!
We went to Harvey Nicols where I told her to have anything she wanted...on me! When she couldn't decide which dress to have I told her take them both. She needed shoes to go with the dresses, and bags to go with the shoes.
By now she was in the throes of the most almighty orgasm brought on by the wanton reklessness of spending someone else's money.
When it came to settling up with the cashier, she stated the amount due and I was just about to hand over my card when I stopped...and said: " Darling I want you to hold them for a while, just hold them feel the luxury and beautiufl design..."Why can't you love me for who I am and not what my wallet can do for you?"
Needless to say I am still not getting any sex!!

roger have you only just found that oot

Now see, Roger #204, that anecdote made me want to put a metal tool in a sock and bash you blind with it, and I'm cold sober.

Martha, in the UK people can get home by tube and busses after the pubs close, they don't have to drive.

Too many of them get far too drunk though, specially the younger ones. But then too many of them smoke and do drugs as well.