The Off Topic Topic

[Eddie Teach]

I'm Q.

[Sheilbh]

Bond

[Admiral Yi]

Auric Goldfinger. 

[Syt]

Frasier has beefed up a bit. 

[Eddie Teach]

Doppelganger?

[The Larch]

Nobody puts the Shetland in a box!

Ban on putting Shetland in a box on maps comes into force

New rules barring public bodies from putting Shetland in a box on official documents have come into force.

Islands MSP Tavish Scott had sought to change the law to ban the "geographical mistake" which "irks" locals, by amending the Islands (Scotland) Bill.

The bill's "mapping requirement" has now come into force, although it does give bodies a get-out clause if they provide reasons why a box must be used.

Mapmakers argue that boxes help avoid "publishing maps which are mostly sea".

The Islands Bill, which aims to offer greater protections and powers to Scotland's island communities, was unanimously passed in May.

It gives island councils extra powers over activities on and around their coastlines and requires ministers to have a long-term plan for improvement.

Thanks to an amendment from Mr Scott, it also includes a "Shetland mapping requirement".

The Lib Dem MSP said the common practice of placing Shetland in a box off the Moray Firth or the Aberdeenshire coast was "intensely annoying" to islanders, and created a false impression of the challenges they face on account of their remote location.

The final rule written into the bill requires the islands to be "displayed in a manner that accurately and proportionately represents their geographical location in relation to the rest of Scotland" in any documents published by Scottish public authorities.

However, it does note that authorities can avoid complying with this if they provide "information" about their reasons.

Mr Scott said it was "ridiculous" that he had to change the law to close the box.

He said: "There is no excuse now for the Scottish government, its agencies or others to put Shetland in a box. The box is closed. It doesn't exist, whether that be in the Moray Firth or east of Orkney. Shetland is now in the right place.

"This Islands Act must go a whole lot further. Islands proofing - ensuring the islands are recognised in any law or government regulation - must work."

For reference:

[Josquius]

Coincidentally it helps keep more of England off the page too.

[The Brain]

New rules barring public bodies from putting Shetland in a box on official documents have come into force.

Islands MSP Tavish Scott had sought to change the law to ban the "geographical mistake" which "irks" locals, by amending the Islands (Scotland) Bill.

Er... wut? It's public bodies. They don't need a law to do this, they can just do it. Go unnecessarily bloated legislation, I guess.

[HVC]

i'm sure all 15 people living there will be pleased.

[Sheilbh]

Starting to see more and more of these now - last week the last Companion of the Order of the Resistance died, this week the last surviving crew member of the Shetland Bus missions.

[The Larch]

More volcanic news! In Japan a new islet has emerged in the Ogasawara island chain (1000 km south of the main islands, Iwo Jima is part of it), which is somehow common, but this time sunken WWII ships are emerging on it.

[HVC]

the dead have risen!

that's both cool and creepy

[The Brain]

One crisis at a time!

[Josquius]

That is pretty awesome.

Felt like checking the Wikipedia page for those islands - named after a guy who didn't exist, the inventor of whom, a supposed descendent, was exiled for his lies

[Jacob]

That's super interesting, thanks for sharing