I had thought that Roundup this week would be nothing but festive froth and frivolity, a showcase of the best Christmas Kitsch the Scottish blogosphere has to offer. Well, there is certainly some of that, but there’s also been some fairly Serious Stuff happening this week.

It’s not every week that a famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) face from Scottish politics is found guilty of Perjury. Tommy Sheridan will not be having a particularly happy Christmas as he contemplates his sentencing which will take place a month from today. Lallands Peat Worrier look at the rights and wrongs of the “Perjuries of a Satsuma Socialist”, concluding that

This whole affair is an unnecessary gruesome catastrophe that squandered the possibilities of a better history.

Will Patterson looks at the future for Scottish Socialism while Bella Caledonia outlines what it sees as Sheridan’s successes over the years.

The other big story of the week also involved lies, this time told by Daily Telegraph journalists to various Liberal Democrat ministers at their surgeries. They came away with recorded evidence that the Liberal Democrats in the Westminster Government are not always in agreement with their Conservative coalition partners. I took some comfort in what Michael Moore, Secretary of State for Scotland, said. Love and Garbage has a typically satirical view of Vince Cable’s comments about Murdoch.

This week saw the twenty second anniversary of the Lockerbie Plane Crash. Love and Garbage has a very moving personal perspective of why we must never forget what happened that night.

Into the Roundup e-mail inbox this week fell a request for a shout out for nominations for the Scottish Music Awards to be held next September. These awards, they tell us, are

about the emerging artists and the regional businesses that help those artists to succeed. Record Shops, Rehearsal Studios, Retailers, Photographers, Websites etc all play a part in the Scottish Music Industry.

At a time when many of us, like the Burd, are looking back over 2010 so this might be an opportune moment to think of your favourites to nominate.

From music to sport now – and, given the frozen extremes of temperature we’re all experiencing at the moment, it seems appropriate to mention ice hockey. Andrew Reeves is a massive fan of the Edinburgh Capitals a plucky team who, despite not having as many players as other teams, or a full time coach, have been proving that they can compete with the best this season. Andrew has been moonlighting from his own blog, writing breathtaking match reviews for Deadline News. These accounts have invoked in me a very untypical desire to go and see them in action.

Jack Deighton is not enamoured with proposals for Scottish football.

This week saw the first lunar eclipse since 1638 to coincide with the Winter Solstice. Mountain and Sea Scotland was there with their camera to capture some stunning images of the red moon over Aberdeenshire. I liked the way he also speculated about what our ancestors might have made of this. From there, I couldn’t resist a headline that said “Highland Christmas” and found Where the Mountains Meet the Sea’s reproduction of a wonderful account of a highland croft owner’s festive preparations.

Being single or otherwise alone at this time of year can present its challenges. Kelvin has some very wise words to say on the subject.

Now, I promised you frivolity, and here it is. First of all, did you know what purple glitter adds to reindeer food? I don’t know if it was purple glitter that Ellen found in her eyebrow but she shares with us some of the lessons she’s learned over the Festive Season.

If you didn’t get enough books in your Christmas Stocking, SeraphicSpouse has the next instalment of her “Bodis Ripper”

I know Stephen doesn’t live here any more, but I still see him as a Scottish blogger. He posted this hilarious video of how the Nativity might have been looked if the internet been available to Mary, Joseph and the Wise Men.

There can only be one winner in the Christmas film stakes, though. If Indy Martin ever wins an Oscar, you might remember where you first heard of his talents, in Christmas Massacre, a wacky, original and very funny antidote to the usual festive schmaltz. Please don’t try to re-create it at home.

Next week’s Roundup will be a review of 2010 and a look ahead to 2011. Please submit your favourite blog posts of the year through the nomination form on your right, via Twitter @ScottishRoundup or by e-mail to scottishroundup@gmail.com. Bloggers, don’t be shy about nominating your own posts – you are more likely to remember that gem you wrote in February than your readers.

In the meantime, we at Roundup hope you are all having a peaceful and happy festive season.

Since it is the festive season I am going with some cheer and will leave the politics for the next weekly editor who will undoubtedly be better qualified to comment on such things.

And as Bundance points out Christmas needs a little help to be something to look forward to. You have to let yourself give into the magic of it. And maybe take a little time off like Softthistle is doing.

So let’s get tinselly and paper party hatted and go with it shall we? 

Or with this weather perhaps stopping by to enjoy a description of The Vegetable Assassin’s marvellous new winter coat and flying without wings is an idea, for the inspiration to maybe live a little more dangerously. Or safely considering the padding that features in a good winter coat.  While we are knee deep in the white stuff, see just how talented wild beavers are at coppicing and general grounds keeping. Nature does manage to outdo the humans quite often doesn’t it?  We rather assume we master it but really we are just dancing lightly over the top of things.  Mother Nature is definitely still the boss so we might as well keep walking and wonder at the winter wonderland she has laid on this year.  Yes, you never know what you might find and what heartstrings will be pulled while out on a walk in Scotland.

If being out and about in the freezing cold is too much then maybe it is time to join Bateau De Banane on the couch to watch reality tv.

If you are not a reality tv fan, would you like some music to snooze off your christmas dinner to?  Here is a possible number one everyone would be guaranteed to never forget. Or Love And Garbage’s choice.  If neither is quite your cup of aural tea then http://blog.ayetunes.org.uk/ has a welter of choice choons to enjoy over the festive season from their musical advent calendar. Or perhaps a film to chomp chocolate in front of? How about Comfort And Joy?   A touch of culture might help with the indigestion. Like some soothing poetry. And choosing a book from the books picked as lastyearsgirl’s favourites of 2010. It was a good year by all accounts.  Or if the devil is in you, along with a surfeit of christmas pudding, there is always Numbers game to inflict on your nearest and dearest. Andy G is living dangerously without ever going near a snow mobile. Well done Andy!  I think I would have gone with a gift to apologise for barfing on someone rather than a mention in a blog post though.  For general safety purposes. 

And now, looking forward into next year with words and pictures.  Word Of The Day on facebook needs you!  Got a scots word you remember and would like to share?  Post it here for some group trips down memory lane and enthusiastic spelling debates.

And when the light comes back, the snow goes and you prise yourself back off the sofa?  Well here is a list of places to be and things to do/try courtesy of Scotland for the Senses.  It reminds me I still haven’t been to Culzean Castle.  Hopefully 2011 will be the year I go.

Before I go I will leave you with a couple who make me feel I shouldn’t complain about the snow.  Walker, Mercedes the polar bear’s new toy boy celebrated his 2nd birthday recently as photo documented by the very talented Aaron Sneddon. His whole flickr stream is definitely worth a flick through.  Beautiful stuff. The polar bear sets are a major favourite of mine.

Have a joyous festive season everyone and I hope Santa is good to you.  If you want to find me online for chats about polar bears and castles I live over here.  You are welcome any time.

It should be noted that all of the blogs regarding the snow and the performance of Stewart Stevenson were written and submitted prior to his resignation last night.

In the Scottish Parliament this week there we heard an apology from another Scottish Government Minister. Stewart Stevenson apologised for the problems that occurred to the Scottish transport system on Monday when heavy snow brought much of the central belt to a relative standstill. Scottish bloggers though were split on the need for an apology. Joan McAlpine did not believe that the Minister should resign over operational matters, highlighting the fact that Alastair Darling did not resign in 2003 when similar problems occurred in England under his watch as Transport Minister. Burdz Eye View has a different opinion, voiced early in the week when Mr Stevenson was on the airways but not, yet, apologising for the lack of information or the distress caused to those who really did need to travel.

Ideas of Civilisation also blogs on the apology when it came, linking it to other recent Ministerial apologies from both John Swinney and Alex Salmond and how they can distract from governing and give the impression of always being on the defensive.

The snow did cause some travel problems for many people but West Lothian Answers risks the wrath of many by questioning the need for so many people to travel on Monday despite knowing that the conditions were bad and likely to deteriorate. There is also a defence of Stewart Stevenson.

Slugs on the Refrigerator provide use with some great pics and a wee story on their travel situation during Monday. Finally on the snow, Lesley Riddoch wonders why school teachers appear to be one section of the workforce that are disproportionately by the snow……

Of course, one of the other big stories this week as been the Tuition Fees vote in Westminster. Alex Massie at the Spectator compares Nick Clegg (favourably!) to George HW Bush (he of ‘read my lips, no new taxes’ fame). The Will Patterson Notebook has a great post showing that just 48 MPs have voted on tuitions fees consistently since 2004 and the goes on to defend NUS against the attacks from the Lib Dems. New-Right gives us a clear list of which MP voted which way. The fees vote has cause students to protest and parts of those protests have become violent which has cause politicians to take to the airwaves. Munguin’s Republic was particularly vexed at the tone taken by London Mayor Boris Johnson during an interview on the Today Programme on Radio 4 about the attack on Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The ongoing wikileaks story as taken a number of twists and turns as highlighted by Eric Joyce MP here and here.  Some of the wikileaks are going over some recent Scottish stories and Alex Massie covers the leaks that are do with the release of the Lockerbie Bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi. The ongoing battle to keep wikileaks online is covered in great, yet clear, detail by Technollama.

Elsewhere in the Scottish blogoshere the Sheridan trial continues with the appearance of Prime Ministers Communications Director, Andy Coulson. The Scotland Bill receives some further analysis by Absolvitor which highlights the bizarre beliefs of the Countryside Alliance and the British Association of Shooting and Conservation. Jeff at Better Nation blogs about the ever increasing presence of Tesco Towns and Bright Green Scotland give an excellent account of what has happened to the Irish economy.

Scotland for the Senses gives us some excellent pictures of the Hermitage in Perthshire, Mark Fisher’s Scottish Theatre blog gives us a review of The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain, Scots Whay Hae! gives us some information on some of the best Scottish music in 2010.

Finally, The Ben Lomond Free press covers the bizarre goings on at Newcastle Football Club, Last Years Girl gives us her Christmas pressie list and Soft Thistle gives us a new blogging idea - Sunday Snippets.

Thanks for reading.

It is great to be back doing a guest editorial for the Scottish Round Up team, I hope you enjoy the eclectic mix.

In the week where every broadcaster has been reporting on the snow, the cold or the traffic not moving because of the snow, it seems bloggers have got in on the act as well.  Love and Garbage has a live snow blog, well worth a read to get, well, erm live updates on the snow and Ken MacLeod demands to know what this strange substance falling from the sky is?

Carons Musings’ explains how West Lothian Council’s snow communications were excellent, having a dedicated helpline, website page and using facebook and twitter to maximum effect.

The snow meant that all Scottish football games bar one were off this weekend, so I blogged about the Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey teams proposals for all football season ticket holders – they beat the Belfast Giants last night and tonights face-off at Murrayfield ice rink is 6pm.

I have started writing match reports for Deadline News.

Alasdair McGill explains why he’s glad he broke his collarbone, as he continues to learn who his true friends are and there is a sort of challenge from Alasdair – you try to put your socks on with just one hand!

Love and Garbage has a post titled “Her illness” – please read this one if you do nothing else today, but you may well need a tissue!

From that tear jerk post to the other side of the compass, Andy G sends us an update from Campa World.

In Holyrood this week, Margo MacDonald MSP introduced her Bill, the End of Life Assistance Bill which was rejected.  Martin Kelly heaves a gentle sigh of relief, for now while Absolvitor explains why they would have voted against the Bill, had they been an MSP and Lallands Peat Warrior writes a balanced account of the debate and vote.

In Westminster the big debate is still about tuition fees, Caron has advice from outside the bubble for Lib Dem MPs while over at Better Nation they compare what devolution has to offer students.

We also saw St. Andrews Day this week and the Universalityof Cheese muses over Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s card while Michael Moore MP writes on Lib Dem Voice about strengthening Scotland’s future with the introduction of the Scotland Bill and A Burdz Eye View tells us of Scotland’s other Patron Saint.

The following day was World AIDS day, the internationally recognised day when we remember those we have lost to AIDS over the years, raise awareness of HIV and work to fight HIV prejudice.  Waverley Care explain their work and appeal for funds and help.

New-Right questions whether the National Conversation has misfired?  Bella Caledonia asks why Scotland doesn’t have a foreign policy?

Now onto music, Gillain Martin or Misssy M to us fellow bloggers wants us to meet not only Meester M but his band, The Lorelei and for those of us with an i-pod, we really should download some Christmas aye-tunes.  Sticking with music via a very loose musical link, into art, Alastair Braidwood explains how being an overnight success takes a long time.

Caron and Andrew both blog about former x-factor contestant Gamu Nhengu who sining with Aberlour Choir is trying to push Simon Cowell off the number one spot at Christmas – the single, Where will you sleep this Christmas? is released as a download on the 13th December.

The Edinburgh Reporter has a not so live blog on a night of horror.

Moving onto fairer votes, ie the referendum being held on the 5th May 2011 there is a great piece on Fairer Votes Edinburgh’s website explaing the Alternative Vote – Vote Early, Vote Often – I will leave aside my personal views on STV versus AV, that’s a whole round up of its own.

As bugs bunny used to say, that’s all folks, enjoy the rest of your weekend and if you spot any good blog posts let the team know at @ScottishRoundUp for next weeks round up.