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A big welcome to AmadanOg and the Happy Trucker!

If people want to brush-up on their Gaelic can I recommend our beginners site ?

There's a html and a flash version, so get the headphones on...

PS Just to remind new users that only gif and jpeg images (.gif|.jpg|.jpeg) can be uploaded. Also individual blog entries are limited to 250 words. Longer entries should be divided up into separate chunks.

Good to see new laws are prosecuting egg-thiefs. Seems now you can have your English convictions bundled together with any offences in Scotland.

The how a man caught stealing Arctic Tern eggs in Tiree has just been prosecuted.

Here's some great personal publishing sites and projects I thought people might be interested in:

(simple & interesting New York public radio project)

- all about content presentation

- easy easy easy

- a great NI blogger site

- 'a social bookmark manager' - share the sites you love

I may be opening a whole can of worms here but I see the whole Calmac thing has blown up again.

See

There seems to be total confusion about what the actual law is on this, but the real danger would seem to be private companies picking out the most lucrative routes and 'running down' the others.

And you think it's bad now?

Hope everyone has had a look at the latest

Some great photos, thanks to all who contributed.

We have been debating moderation of the site over Christmas - and in the future. I think we'll be able to cobble together moderation right across the holidays, but in the future it looks increasingly likely that we'll move to 'reactive moderation'.

This just means that posts will go live directly (almost immediately) and only be taken down if someone complains about them.

The ideas is that the community moderates itself.

We're keen to get feedback on this idea from all users, so post your comments here or email us at: islandblogging@bbc.co.uk

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour.

We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

by George Carlin

This from Time magazine: "Radio had its golden age in the 1930s. In the 1950s, it was television's turn. Historians may well date the golden age of the blog from 2004—when Merriam-Webster.com's most searched-for definition was blog. How long can it last? Who knows?

Here's what we discovered about the new medium this year."

The Scottish Exec has just announced £15 million to be invested in two new ferries for the Cal Mac.

A new vessel costing £9.5 million will be introduced on the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay route and £5.8 million is being invested in a new vessel to serve Largs to Cumbrae.

A further £12 million has also been made available from the recent Scottish Budget in Piers and Harbours Grants for CalMac to invest in a number of new onshore projects.

These projects will include works at Largs, Cumbrae Slip, Wemyss Bay, and Lismore to accommodate new vessels being introduced, a replacement linkspan at Brodick, and a major upgrade of berthing facilities at Kennacraig.

Hmm good news for Lismore but no-one else on our map...

Can there be anything more warm-hearted than an Hebridean pub on Christmas Eve?

Er, well yeah sort of. Pity the poor islanders of Colonsay ('the most isolated community in the UK' - is that true?).

Christine McNeill, publican-owner of the Colonsay Hotel is not renewing her licence for the only bar on the island, which expired on the 17th December, intending instead to concentrate on her farm with her new husband. Fair nuff.

As has it:

"Seriously though, a Hebridean island with no bar seems almost a contradiction in terms, but at Hogmanay??? It is almost like living in a repeat of "Whisky Galore", in the part before there was uisge gu leor provided by the shipwreck. No doubt however, as in the film, the resourcefulness and resilience of the islander will prevail and it is probable that our next Issue will carry tales of contingency plans made and in some cases even executed. In the meantime, the new hobby on the island is of course speculating on who will take over from Christine…"

There’s even worrying talk of ‘the pledge’ and ‘temperance societies’.

But seriously, on the ‘most isolated island in the UK’ who would care if the bar served a couple of shandies?

Just wishing everyone all the best for 2005 - where Island Blogging will be expanded and improved early in the New Year.



Remember that over the holiday period (up to the 9th January) the homepage will be staying the same, but the site will be moderated every day so please keep posting...



Hope everyone had a great Christmas and see you all in 2005!



Happy Hogmanay !

Mike & Richard