On being dyslexic: learning to learn

“52.18,” I read on the computer screen, and then began to write it on a piece of paper. As I wrote, I thought, “It was 52.18, wasn’t it?” I glanced back, nope, the number I was coping was 52.81.”

Being a dyslexic is challenging, as what I see at first instance can be a completely different word upon review. When typing, I will omit words or endings, which at the time of typing I had thought I had included. It is nearly impossible to edit whilst I am writing. As a writer, this makes me want to yell out to the world in frustration.

David Boies visiting with Matt Soper.
© 2013 UNH School of Law.

In the book, David and Goliath (2015 ed), by Malcom Gladwell, famed appellate lawyer David Boies, is quoted as saying, “My wife gave me an iPad a year and a half ago, which was my first

computer-like device, and one of the things that was interesting is that my attempt to spell many words is not close enough for spell-check to find the correct spelling[.] . . . I can’t tell you how many times I get the little message that says, ‘No spelling suggestions.’”(p107-08) Boies, who is dyslexic, told the aforementioned to illustrate his dyslexia and how it impacts his daily life. Boies is remarkable, as he found tools, strategies, and mechanisms for strengthening other aspects of he learns and retains information. Boies chose litigation, as it had the least reading within the profession of law and allowed him to use his memory and thinking stills to over compensate what is compensated for by dyslexia. Boies is one of the frequently sought lawyers to argue cases in front of the US Supreme Court.

Reading takes much longer than my cohorts. Recently on a flight with my girlfriend we were both reading similar books on the plane. As I was quite proud of making it to page 50 when we landed, I glanced over and realized she was nearly finished with her book of approximately 400 pages. Likewise, reading text in a movie / TV show is annoying – as the words disappears before you can read the entire message.

While dyslexia has the appearance of making me slow, my written works have been published in academic journals, established newspapers, and online blogs. To tackle my dyslexia I have had to become a tremendous listener. This is not to say I am an audio-learner. What is meant by developing listening skills is being able to listen, for example, to the audio of a Supreme Court debate, then memorizing, through memorializing key points on paper and later reviewing and repeating the those  points.

A trademark element of dyslexia is what appears to be poor short-term memory. Developing a strong long-term memory is the strategy for coping with dyslexia. To say dyslexia is ‘not having a good short-term memory’ is incorrect. It is more that the processing speed of the mind is what causes problems for taking-in and learning information on first impression. For example, a dyslexic has difficulty processing rapid auditory inputs, which makes remembering a phone number challenging without writing it down quickly.

A major problem for a dyslexic is the inability to revisualize the gestalt of the word. Dyseidetic dyslexia, also known as visual dyslexia, effects reading and spelling patterns by causing confusion with letter orientation, limits on sight vocabulary, losing place while reading because you don’t instantly recognize what you already read, omitting letters and words because they were not visually noticed, along with difficulty trying to sound out and spell irregular words. For me, it is irritating to sound out a word phonetically, only to have spell check tell you that you miss spelled it.

Foreign languages present a unique challenge for a dyslexic. During my Edinburgh years, I began studying French as mental relaxation from law. I found whilst I could hear the sounds and pronounce words correctly, even with the proper accent, the spelling proved horrific. I found I would think of a word, then drop of letters that were not pronounced when writing. French highlighted the difficulty of remembering phonetically regular and irregular letter combinations, along with difficulties analysing unknown words.

Dyslexia is more than just a passing term to dismiss laps of the memory. As a dyslexic, I find objectives hard in a world that doesn’t understand the challenges I face daily. Yet, seeing the world in a different light is far from a weakness.

Old College’s new library plans are bittersweet

Old College, The University of Edinburgh

It is exciting to see the University of Edinburgh finally renovating Old College – home of the School of Law. Being a traditionalist, it is sad to see the old staircase walked by students and professors since the 1790s retired and the library moved from the second and third floors to the first floor.

If I had the money, I’d donate to renovate the Old College with research space on the second floor, as it gets pretty depressing in winter without much sunlight. I’d also push for more Georgian décor and elegance.

The author graduating from Edinburgh's
Law School, which is in Old College.

The new interior will be lots of glass and the thin, shiny desks popular in Scandinavian design. Perhaps the result will be a chiaroscuro of Old World façade and Modern European interior. The Old Library and Lecture Theatres had a certain homey feel, which will be fondly missed, as the more modern design looks quite institutionalized.

Studying in the Law Library. circa 2010.

I wish the law student library could be as grand as the Playfair, Trinity College Library, Bodleian Library or the Schwarzman NYC library on the interior.

My fear is that the Scandinavian Modern design will be out of vogue in a decade or so and that even if not, there is a high likelihood it will not stand up well to the wear and tear of student and academic use.

Staircase to library. The steps
are worn from 225 years of
students climbing to the library.

As far as funding goes, I am surprised Edinburgh did not seek the help of a billionaire underwriter, someone like a Stephen Schwarzman, who founded Schwarzman Scholars and donated to have the NYC Mid-Manhattan library restored to its full glory.

I’m pleased to send in my small donation, but it seems the leadership of the University has not fully tapped the big money floating in the private sector.

When the work is completed I look forward to visiting my alma mater and seeing Old College.

The quadrangle project was fantastic, so perhaps, the library, faculty offices, and lecture theatres will be the same.

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M. Soper, Letters: Old College’s new library plans are bittersweet. Edinburgh Evening News (Edinburgh, Scotland) 3 July 2014.  http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/letters/letters-old-college-s-new-library-plans-are-bittersweet-1-3463708 accessed 4 July 2014.

Hickenlooper's new trademark more than just a beer coaster

This past summer, Gov. John Hickenlooper unveiled a new ‘trianglized-licence plate looking’ trademark to market the State of Colorado nationwide and overseas. More recently, State Rep. Bob Rankin (R-Glenwood Springs), introduced legislation to have the people decide whether they want a new logo for Colorado.

Colorado's new federally registered trademark

A week ago, H.B. 1017 was killed by the Democrats, on a party line vote, in the House Business, Labor, Economic and Workforce Development Committee.

Rep. Rankin fell short of promulgating the negative legal consequences Hickenlooper’s new trademark may have on Colorado businesses. To begin, we need to first understand some basics of American trademark law.

 

A trademark is a word or phrase, logo, or other graphic symbol used by a manufacturer or seller to distinguish its product or products from others in the market place. The main purpose of a trademark is to designate the source of goods or services. Therefore, a trademark is something that only exists with respect to some commercial activity.

Trademarks can take one of three forms: standard character format; stylized/design format; or sound mark. For example, the word: “Coke” is a standard character mark, which means any style or symbol with the word “Coke” is protected under the Lanham Trademark Act of 1946. The Coke bottle-logo is a good example of a stylized/design mark. And yes, the roar of the Harley-Davidson engine is a protected sound mark.

When federally registering marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a class of goods or services must be indicated. Going back to the “Coke” example, the Coca-Cola Company has registered the use of the Coke mark on everything from clothing to toys to food and drink products.

A quick search of the USPTO shows that Hickenlooper’s trademark is registered as a standard character mark, which means that the trademark owner has an obligation to pursue any individual or entity that uses the words: “CO” or “Colorado” on any “Clothing, namely, tee shirts, sweat shirts, polo's, hats, and jackets.”

In layman’s terms, Hickenlooper has successfully stifled private businesses in Colorado who make a living putting the word “Colorado” on a t-shirt and selling it to tourists. In other words, the state is now a direct competitor in the intellectual property arena with Colorado businesses.

In order to avoid open licencing, the State of Colorado will be forced to send hundreds of cease-and-desist-letters to small business across this state who dare infringe upon the state’s intellectual property right.

The second registered class which Hickenlooper is claiming is for “promoting public awareness about Colorado itself, and public services offered through Colorado state government entities, as well as promoting products and services originating from Colorado businesses and organizations.” Here, the state may have a legitimate interest, but the question still remains, why are they claiming a mountain of rights, when they really on need a hill?

The USPTO search also revealed the registered owner is not listed as the State of Colorado, but as Brand Colorado, a division of Colorado Nonprofit Development Center, which is located in Boulder. Shouldn’t the trademark owner be an actual state entity, such as the Colorado Tourism Office?

The Hickenlooper Administration’s effort to replace the Colorado State flag and seal with a trendier brand/trademark circumvents the reason for emblems of state. The current state trademarks – the flag and seal – identify and distinguish the source of state services / goods for the public. Additionally, each agency has its own trademark to indicate to the public the services they offer.

Creating more official trademarks to represent the State of Colorado blurs the distinction of which trademark represents, which is the source of the services. In other words, more marks confuse the public about which one actually represents the State of Colorado.

This past summer I was at the US Open Tennis Championships in New York and saw a man with a ball cap and Colorado flag on it. I asked him if he was from Colorado, as it is always great to see fellow Coloradoans when outside the state. He told me he had just spent a week holidaying in Aspen and thought we had a really cool flag design. Perhaps this New Yorker was not the target of the new trademark marketing campaign.

During my time in Edinburgh, Scotland, it was quite common to see tourists with stylized Colorado gear, mostly an artistic version of the red “C” with fields of blue and white. Of perhaps all the states, Colorado has one of most iconic and memorable flag-trademarks and adding a new mark only serves to block intellectual property fields which should be in the hands of the private sector.

Adding a new trianglized-licence plate looking trademark to the state’s intellectual property portfolio only serves to confuse the general public on which mark actually represents the State of Colorado. Additionally, Hickenlooper’s mark fails the state’s real objective, which is to market the state to tourists, businesses, and investors. 

UK Academic Tour: Edinburgh, Cambridge, Oxford & Stratford-Upon-Avon

Today I just got back from an academic tour of southern England with my friend and LL.B. colleague, Jonathan Price. Prior to leaving for England on Monday, 13 June, I met up with my former Third Grade teacher, Carol (Beck) Martinson, and her husband, Lee Martinson, in Edinburgh. They were on a cruise ship tour of the North Sea countries and one port of call was Rosyth, which is about 30 minutes from the city centre of Edinburgh. It was pretty cool showing them around Edinburgh and catching up over a traditional Scottish pub lunch.

After leaving the Martinsons at Waverly Train Station I walked up the Royal Mile and noticed a plethora of classic Bentleys. One Bentley from the 1920s was displaying a Colorado and Swiss flag and I had to inquire about the owner. The man was half-English and Swiss, but lived in Colorado. His attire and demeanour seem very much reminiscent of someone from the autocracy and I didn’t suppose collecting classic Bentleys and having multiple residences around the world were characteristics of an average middle aged man. He was very kind and allowed me to photograph him with his prize car, which carried a top speed of 120 mph (193 km/h).

I was delighted to receive a text from a friend, Nayha Sethi, whom I studied with during the LL.M. programme that another friend, Myggan Hagenfeldt, was going to be in town. I met with the two of them plus all of the others who were in the LL.M. together and are still hanging about in Edinburgh at the Advocate pub. It was great to also meet Myggan’s fiancé.

At 22h00 I arrived at the bus station to take the night bus down to London, where I would rendezvous with Jonathan. To my surprise, another friend and colleague, Pippa Robertson, from the LL.B. programme was also riding the same bus to London. Even more surprising we were going to be in Oxford on the same day and taking the same bus back to Edinburgh on Thursday (16 June) night. For the majority of the ride we talked about our travels around the world, the LL.B. and post degree plans and dreams. I discovered the two of us could not be more opposite, yet we have always gotten along – perhaps a tribute to a diplomatic personality my characteristics inherited from my grandpa Howard of not knowing a stranger.

From London, Jonathan and I rode the train to Cambridge. Once in Cambridge, we checked into our hostel, which was inexpensive, but not very nice, and headed for the university buildings. Cambridge and Oxford are both colligate institutions, meaning they are a collection of colleges, each with their own student living space, dining halls, libraries, chapels, quadrangles and cloisters. Wealthier colleges would also have sports halls, gardens, deer parks, orchards, docks for punts, and such amenities as lawn for tennis, croquet, and bowling. Each college looks after their own students; however the university’s function is to regulate the curriculum, examinations, lecture and tutorial time tables and facilities. Each college will have students from a variety of backgrounds, each reading varying topics. For example, we met up with a friend of mine, Liz Campbell, who is doing her LL.B. at Cambridge and she explained that only five students in her college are reading law, out of two or three hundred students in total. There are 31 colleges in Cambridge and 42 (9 of which are private) at Oxford.

The colligate structure seems to extract the greatest learning potential out of students, however the inequality of the colleges and the elitist attitude of the entire university mean that there is aura of self confidence and entitlement to being the leaders in their career fields, which is both commendable and irritating if you are not from the Ivy League / OxBridge.

Jonathan and I engaged in the traditional Cambridge activity of punting on the River Cam and drinking Pimms and Lemonade. After punting we joined my friend Liz for the opening night of Cambridge Footlight’s Edinburgh Fringe 2011 comedy show. Footlights is the British comedy club of Cambridge University, founding in 1883 and has amongst its alumni the likes of John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and Douglas Adams to name a few. After the performance we took a drink at the Cambridge Union.

The next day we rode the three hour bus to from Cambridge to Oxford and joined two of Jonathan’s friends for lunch a Oriel College, Oxford, which is the fifth oldest (founded 1326) amongst the colleges of Oxford and was funded by a foundation charter from the monarch, King Edward II. Oriel would be equivalent to King’s College, Cambridge, since it was originally funded by the Crown. Because of this, Oriel’s dining hall features the largest portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

We toured several Oxford colleges, including Christ Church, Trinity, Lincoln, Jesus, Magdalen, Merton, Pembroke, University College. At Jesus College we watch students douse a fellow student who had just completed her final exam. Apparently this is a fairly old Oxford tradition. I did not realize before visiting Oxford, that student wear academic dress to each and every exam and must also carry (but never wear) their mortar board hat. Only upon commencement and award of degree is the student permitted to don the hat. Also at graduation, a academic hood is worn to denote the degree and college. A few years ago Cambridge voted to get rid of the tradition of wearing the academic robs to exams and in response Oxford liberalized the tradition by permitting student to wear cotton, in addition to silk socks, to exams.

During the evening we attended Choral Evensong at Christ Church College Cathedral, which is the seat of the Oxford Archbishop. The music of the choir was Heavenly and it was very nice to be able to partake in such a vivid and living tradition of the university. After Evensong we had a traditional pub dinner at the Eagle and Child pub, which was a famous hang out of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and their literary friends known as the Inklings. On the way back to our hostel we pasted by Black Friars, which my friend and former flatmate, Kyle Bixenmann, from the U.S. studied. The next day we had breakfast at Oriel College and then caught the train for William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Stratford-Upon-Avon is a town which survives solely on William Shakespeare’s legacy and has been a tourist destination for over three hundred years. Some of the first entries in the visitor registry of the birthplace house were Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both of whom went on to serve as presidents of the American Republic. The home Shakespeare actually built no long exists, however the adjacent home and the home of his daughter, who married a wealthy medical doctor, are preserved as museums for the nation and public. Had we had more time it would have been great fun to attend a performance of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which operates in Stratford-Upon-Avon, London, and New York City. The town is very Elizabethan, with the iconic black and white framed homes with the thatched roofs. A few building have been built to match the vintage ones, but a careful eye will note that the ancient buildings lean and sag from the weight and passage of time. It was a pilgrimage to finally see where William Shakespeare was born and lived and to have the connection with one of the world’s most well known playwrights.

From Stratford-Upon-Avon, Jonathan and I rode the bus to London where we met Pippa at Victoria Train Station for a cuppa tea and a recap of our exciting week. From Victoria, London, we headed back for Scottish Capitol of Edinburgh. I am always amazed and impressed that I have had the opportunity to study and live in Great Britain and be able to see sights which I had previously only read about, I am truly a blessed individual. 

Edinburgh to Berwick-Upon-Tweed: 60 mile bicycle ride

60 mile bicycle (97 km) ride from Edinburgh to Berwick

Tim, Ben and I riding into England

Yesterday I went for a 60 mile bike ride from Edinburgh to the northern most English city of Berwick-Upon-Tweed with two friend (both English) from the LL.B. programme. About halfway, near Dunbar, Scotland, I hit a curb while changing from the road to a bike path and went flying off my bike. My arm, hip and ribs were good and bloody, but we used our combined first aid kit and then went to an injury unit of the NHS (National Health Service) nearby. I only took off multiple layers of skin and didn't break anything, but had managed to get oil, dirt and gravel mixing into the wound. After getting patched up in multiple bandages and plasters we were off again to our destination. It was very breath taking ride, as we rode along the coast and could see the North Sea and rolling farm land all the way. Once we arrived in Berwick-Upon-Tweed we walked around the town and toured a few old buildings, then had a couple pints of English ale and a pub dinner to celebrate our accomplishment, then hopped the train back for Edinburgh.

riding into Northumberland

Today I have been recovering from the fall and soreness of mussels, as my bike is a 1970s 2 speed Dutch bicycle and I ended up using a lot of leg power going up the hills, whereas my friends had 15 speed bike which were quite new and made of light weight material, yet I was impressed with how I not only kept up, but was able to ride 60 miles. I have also been watching the Roland-Garros (French Open) men's final between Federer and Nadal on the BBC iPlayer (watching TV live stream on the Internet). 

Soper in London for Royal Wedding

On  Friday, 29 April 2011, I will be amongst the well wishers gathered outside Westminster Abbey in London to celebrate the wedding of HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Kate Middleton. I will be travelling from Edinburgh to London with a former classmate of Prince William’s from St. Andrew’s University and staying with another good friend of mine in London! It should be very exciting to be part of such a monumental event!

Keith Drake, a family friend who has since passed away, reminisced about standing outside Westminster during the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II on a sunny Thursday, 2 June 1953. Drake was in the military, stationed in Germany and had been granted leave to attend the historic event. Mr. Drake always said that if I was in Great Britain for a Coronation or a Royal wedding to not miss the opportunity to witness the fanfare, as it is a historical occasion and an overall exciting celebratory event.

It is expected up to 600,000 well wishers will be gathered along the route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey and an estimated two billion people will be viewing the wedding live via Internet, radio, or television broadcasts. The Royal wedding is slated to be the most-watched event in television history, topping the 1963 funeral of President John F. Kennedy, the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969, and the marriage of HRH Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, along with the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997, the 2006 World Cup finals between Italy and France, and the opening of the 2008 summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

There will be 2,000 guests inside the Westminster Abbey, with only a couple hundred having a direct view of the nave, where the nuptials are to be exchanged. As the marriage is likely to produce an heir to the Throne, delegates from the 54 Commonwealth Countries who recognize the Monarch will be in attendance. Legally, according to §2 of the Union with England Act 1707, only heirs of Princess Sophia Electoress, who are protestant, may succeed to the Throne, thus the marriage is very appropriate in being a public event and witnessed by many.

England and Scotland have shared the same monarch since the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when King James VI of Scotland inherited the English Throne from his cousin Queen Elizabeth I, who produced no heir. Thus King James VI of Scotland became known as King James I of the United Kingdom. Politically the governments of England and Scotland did not merge until 1707, when the two parliaments dissolved and re-emerged as the Parliament of Great Britain.[1]
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[1] Mayfield, J. 'Former local to attend Royal Wedding' Colorado Radio 25 April 2011 <http://coloradoradio.com/2011/04/25/former-local-to-attend-royal-wedding/> accessed 25 April 2011

Beyond the Crash: an evening with Gordon Brown

Tonight, a friend of mine, Magda, and I listened to a speech followed by a question and answer session with the former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Since Labour losing the parliamentary election of 6 May 2010 to a Conservative and Liberal-Democrat coalition government, Gordon Brown has stepped down as his party’s leader and taken his ranks among the back benchers. The former prime minster, an alumnus of the University of Edinburgh and Scottish native, has been making the case for a global response to national problems.

The beginning of Mr Brown’s speech focused around memorable highlights of his 28 year career in the House of Commons – which included ten years as Chancellor of the Exchequer and the previous four as Prime Minister of Her Majesty’s Government. The speech was hosted by the University of Edinburgh and Blackwell’s bookshop in the George Square lecture theatre and featured a sold-out crowd of well over 300 people, many of whom were from the academic community of Edinburgh. Magda and I sat front and centre with only an agent of the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Protection separating us from the former head of government. Brown looked at the crowd and immediately told the story of his first campaign for parliament, back in 1983, in which only three people attended the meet and greet, including him. Brown said that his journey through politics could be summed up by the custodian at the university telling him, “Mr Brown, I’m sure glad you remembered your roots on the way up and then again on the way down.” Mr Brown studied history and politics at the University of Edinburgh, earning a BA (Hon), MA and PhD while serving a three year stint as Rector of the University.[1]

Brown talked about how 300 years ago the first Scottish banking crisis resulted in a nationalized bail-out and the merger of the Scottish and English houses of parliament. He described this as a national solution to a local problem. In 2008, when news broke that Northern Rock, followed by Bradford & Bingley and the Royal Bank of Scotland were to be nationalized, along with the forced merger (shotgun wedding) of Lloyds TSB and Halifax-Bank of Scotland to stabilized the British economy[2] it became apparent that while these banks were headquartered in the UK, much of the risky investments, such as the purchasing of debt bundles from American sub-prime mortgages, were outwith the purview of British regulators at the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

“In every forum, my theme was that the financial crisis reflected a global problem that could not be resolved by one nation alone but needed a global solution”, Gordon Brown emphasised numerous times during the evening.[3] Brown called for addressing the problems posed by 2007-2009 crises in public international law, creating an international banking tax scheme, along with national regulations creating higher reserves and criminal laws for bad faith and undue-diligence. The former prime minister also called for the shutting down of international tax havens, calling them loopholes for circumventing national revenue tax collectors. This was a point I disagreed with, as the UK is in a good position to compete head-to-head with these so called tax havens, by lowering business taxes and creating a more favourable investing climate to stimulate the private sector to keep assets within the British Isles.

Mr Brown said he accepted full responsibility for what happened, as he was the Chancellor of the Exchequer the decade prior to the financial crisis. He went on to explain that what was known was limited and his office was preparing for an inflation crisis and had no warnings that an even greater threat existed, which was the concept of many banks failing at once due to poor liquidity and the purchasing of foreign toxic debt and speculations which were tantamount to gaming with Briton’s savings and investments. He averred that the problem requires global solutions, especially went banks are linked internationally. Mr Brown’s solution is a global banking tax to create a reserve fund for such an event as a global financial windfall.

“The American dream is one of the most powerful and enduring stories of hope that continues to inspire the world,” writes the former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in the opening sentence of chapter six of his new book, Beyond the Crash.[4] Before a joint-session of the US Congress, Brown said, “[E]arly in my life I came to understand that America is not just the indispensible nation, it is the irrepressible nation.”[5] Brown warns, the American dream is under new and unique pressures with consequences not just for the US but for the world, “The manifestations of this are high unemployment, falling middle-class incomes, and concern about educational opportunities and upward mobility amid rising competitive pressures from Asia.”[6] Brown explained the crunch on the middle class is an area of the economy to watch out for, as they are the ones who have been the biggest contributors to fuelling economic growth and providing a standard for morals.

Mr Brown concluded the evening by saying he was optimistic about the future, as new markets emerging in Asia would create demand for western made goods and services allowing for increased economic growth in both the service and manufacturing sectors. He said to stay abreast of the east, the US and EU must invest in higher education to train the specialists of the next decade, look for ways to create jobs – as to prevent another lost decade as he saw in Britain during the 1980s, and fund science and technology.

After the speech and question time I approached Mr Brown, shook his hand as he was taking off his microphone and he said to me, "...there, now I can talk to you." I asked if I could have a photo taken with him and he agreed, telling me how much he admired America and was happy to see the exchange and diffusion of knowledge across the pond. He then signed my copy of Beyond the Crash and shook my hand saying, “thank you.”

Magda and I walk out of the lecture theatre chatting about his talk, debating the pros and cons of his averments and observations along with chuckling about the number of times he said “global solutions” in the course of an hour. All in all I was very impressed with his address and am very proud to of had the honour of meeting a British prime minister.

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[1] “Gordon Brown as Rector”, http://www.archives.lib.ed.ac.uk/gallery/brown.shtml (accessed:17 February 2011)
[2] UK House of Commons, Finance Report Re the Banking Crisis of 2008, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmtreasy/956/956.pdf (assessed: 17 February 2010)
[3] G Brown, Beyond the Crash: overcoming the first crisis of globalisation (Simon & Schuster, London 2010) 45
[4] G Brown, Beyond the Crash, 143
[5] Since the 1st US Congress in 1789, only 105 foreign heads of state, government or diplomats have addressed a Joint-Session of Congress.
[6] G Brown, Beyond the Crash, 143

Iain McGill for Edinburgh North & Leith

Few candidates have dedicated their lives to more noble and worthwhile causes than my friend Iain McGill, who is running for the UK Parliament as a Conservative candidate from Edinburgh North and Leith. From a young age, Iain identified two social aspects of his home community of Edinburgh North and Leith which needed to be tackled – at-risk youth and homelessness. Iain has promoted sports as a way for keeping kids out of trouble and focused on their education, while helping those who are homeless find jobs, shelter and sustenance to assist them in getting back on their feet.

It is because of Iain’s day-to-day work that I whole-heartily give my endorsement for his candidacy. Many in Westminster come from elite Oxford or Cambridge backgrounds, having grown up with a silver spoon in their mouth, but not Iain. Between leaving education and setting up his own business in 2005, McGill served as an aid worker overseas, working in Albania, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique & Malawi. Even Iain’s business, Harmony Employment Agency, is about helping others, as it is helps provide people jobs in the social sector across Scotland.

McGill knows firsthand that governments do not always get it right and that there is an appropriate place for the private sector within our society. Iain has demonstrated just what can good can be accomplished with people come together to help their fellow humankind. This was evident when Iain refereed the 2006 Homeless World Cup Final in Cape Town, South Africa which brought together many individuals to support a great cause – ending homelessness. One of Iain’s favourite activities (aside from politics) is working as director of The Yard, which is an Edinburgh charity that provides adventure play opportunities for children and young people with special needs.

Like all good Scotsmen, Iain enjoys playing/referring on an amateur football team and competing in decathlons and marathons, along with serving as an active member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Edinburgh: The 'must see' list

Recently I was asked by a friend what were 'must see' places in Edinburgh, I replied that it depended on what a person was interested in and how much time they were planning on spending in the city. I created a list in a non-particular order of places I would recommend seeing.

Important places to me would include:

Edinburgh Castle (the Mound)

Holyroodhouse Palace and Abbey (Holyrood)

Scottish Parliament (Holyrood)

The Royal Mile, particularly St. Giles Cathedral, the High Court, St. Mary's Close (viewable via a ghost/history tour) (Old Town)

Princes Street, particularly Jenner's (Edinburgh's version of Harrods) (New Town)

George Street, look for the RBS Headquarters in St. Andrew's Sq. (New Town)

Arthurs Seat and the Salisbury Crags (Holyrood)

Calton Hill (New Town)

Greyfriars Kirk and graveyard (famous for the Greyfriars Bobby story) (Old Town, near George IV)

National Museum of Scotland, look for William Wallace's sword (think Brave Heart) (Old Town, Chambers St)

Old College, University of Edinburgh (School of Law, Chambers St and South Bridge)

National Gallery of Scotland (below the Mood, near Waverly Station)

Princes Street Gardens (in-between Old Town and New Town, near Waverly Station)

George Square and the University of Edinburgh (Old Town, near the Meadows)

National Library of Scotland, always cool interactive displays which highlight Scottish history and literature (Old Town, George IV)

The Meadows (Old Town, The Meadows - between Morningside and Marchmount)

Grass Market, cool area of town, below the Castle to the south and west of George IV. (Old Town, Grassmarket)

Royal Botanical Gardens (New Town, Stockbridge)

Waters of Leith particularly Dean Village, the Dean Gallery, and the walk along the waters of Leith (New Town, Dean Village)

Craigmillar Castle - excellent castle where Mary Queen of Scots plotted with her nobles to kill her husband. It is a 30 min bus ride and not too famous, but it is a very impress castle in the south part of Edinburgh with a great view of the Edinburgh Castle and Salisbury Crags. (Craigmillar)

Holyrood Park (Holyrood)

Leith Docks, Victoria Quay - the Royal Yacht Britannia is there too, but over all if I were to miss something, this would be the area. It is fun if you go to the beach, or a pub in the docks, but over all Leith is not the best part of town, though it is a very historical area, as shipping made Edinburgh wealthy. (Leith)

Pubs are a must visit in Edinburgh with famous ones being the Sheep’s Heid (the Oldest pub, opened in 1320), the Advocate, Black Bull, the Waverly, Greyfreirs, Peartree House (great place to have a drink outside), Deacon Bodies, Beehive Inn et cetera. My advice - stay off the Cow Gate and remember the pubs on the Royal Mile (High St.) are pretty pricey as they are for the tourists, exceptions being the Waverly, which is an inexpensive and unchanged Edinburgh pub.

Modern/Cool pubs include: the Jazz Bar, the Music Bar, Under-the-Stairs, Frankenstein's, Opal Lounge, Brass Monkey, and Jekyll and Hyde.

Coffee shops are an also must stop, as beer, whiskey, tea and coffee are consumed in super unhealthy rates in Scotland. The Elephant House on George IV Bridge is where JK Rowlings wrote the first few chapters of Harry Potter and Antique Tea is where you can have real coddled crème scones and fresh tea in antique bone china cups! (it is also really affordable).

Night entertainment includes clubs (open till 3 AM), theatres, cinemas, concert and opera houses, loads of restaurants and pubs (open till mid-night or 1 if they have an extended licence) During August all clubs and pubs are allowed to be open until 5 AM.

End of May: The French Open, D-Day Beach-heads, & London

Just booked a train ticket to Paris, now looking at how to get from Paris to Omaha and Utah beaches. Seeing the sight of the D-Day landing has been a dream ten years in the making, as that is when I was siting in Mrs. Fairlamb's American history class listening to veterans recalling their personal stories of that incredible day. With few living D-Day veterans, I would like to see the sight prior to my return to the United States for the summer, as I know of 5 individuals who were there on a partially cloudy 6 June 1944, one of whom went on to be part of the first divisions to liberate Austwitz, though I can remember him saying that when he first saw the camp he wasn't real sure who or what these people were, as at that time the Allied forces didn't really understand that Hitler had created death camps for the Jews. I mentioned 5 individuals I know who fought on Omaha beach, one of whom was there as a German in what is called a 'pill box', though his take on the Jews seems to be identical to the Iranian or Palistinian rhetoric, but is important to remember the Jews of the 1940s are not the Israelies of today. Ironically, the Isrealies of today resemble more or less the Germans of the 1940s, at least in there treatment of the minority groups in Israel and having a tendency to bomb or invade neighboring states once and a while. A lot has changed in the world since World War II and that war definately defined what one American author calls the 'Greatest Generation.' In some ways I would have to agree, as the men and women in both Europe and American endured far more than I would like to contemplate. A visit to Omaha beach is a capstone for me personally, because the person for whom I was named was killed in the skies above that beach. My post exam trip to Paris to see the French Open, visit one of my best friends, and then to travel west to the sight of D-Day is very exciting to say the least.