Monday, June 25, 2007

SCOTLAND Highlands and Lowlands
Let us consider Scotland. It was those Scots that almost invented the Industrial Revolution and the damned ideology that supported it towards Blairism. But that was a low point in history just like the clearing of the Highlands.

But a few Highlands remain.
Oban remains full of chambermaids.
Glencoe remains full of wild weekend gullies to ascend.
In Burghead we may still sing a folk song or two. ( go fishing too)
and
Even on Staffa a few bits of 19th century poetry remain in the cave.
I know because I saw Antiprank writing it.

By The Way : Scotland and Finland are quite close in that they tend to keep the population at about the same rate ( no progress).
Land policy you see.
Fuck the Duke of Westminster I say.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

A song springs to mind :-

" Do you remember when .....
Brown eyed girl..."

Anonymous said...

The Finns and the Scots are obviously Brothers under the skin...........
too fucking pissed 24/7 to increase the population.

Anonymous said...

Hey - watch it, Lavenderblue. I'm Scottish, I don't drink alcohol at all, and I've still failed to get my Caledonian girlfriend pregnant after 17 years of toil - so stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Hang on. That doesn't actually sound like the kind of defence I want to put forward in a public space. Och well, not to worry.

Zola - hei. Hyvää päivää, kuinka voitte? "Scots...almost invented the Industrial Revolution..." (my italics)

Hmm. You may have unwittingly touched on a perennial Scottish failing, me thinks. Scots have a habit of nearly doing things very well, but then tend towards glorious failure at the last. At least, that's what I read in the papers about my fellow compatriots. Personally speaking (and if you take my attempts at making a baby out of the equation) I think we're all pretty much alike in this regard.

So yes, I don't really have much to say, it seems. Damn.

Kind regards to both of you, nevertheless, from a bitterly cold Ireland.......

TPE

Anonymous said...

Sorry, excuse my manners - and hello to Anonymous, too.

Anonymous said...

tpe - you, of course were the exception .
You simply are the Perfect Gentleman.
In,I am quite sure,any situation.
Oh,and I am Scottish too. xx

zola a social thing said...

Off to Inverness soon.

Anonymous said...

Why ?

The Periodic Englishman said...

Good question Lavenderblue. Why, Zola, why?


(didn't know you were Scottish, too, Lavenderblue. We should form a support group for people trying to come to terms with the fact. Finns would be welcome, too.)

Anonymous said...

LavvyBloo, you beat me to it.

Reissurääpäle said...

TPE said:
"Scots have a habit of nearly doing things very well, but then tend towards glorious failure at the last."

That reminds me about history of our national football team (and also English) but I don´t know if that last part is exactly so.

I don´t know Scots national teams history enough to comment but I guess that is not so glorious ´cause otherwise there would not be that kind of sayings me thinks.

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Good point, Reissurääpäle.

For what it's worth - and I say these things should be kept very quiet indeed - the history of the Scottish national football team is pockmarked with tales of near, and not so near, glory. Or, if you want to put it another way - they are rubbish, have been so for a very long time, and will continue to be rubbish for the immediate and distant future.

Just as a rare serious point, however - I should say that the celebration of this glorious failure has always made me feel rather uneasy.

Hauska tavata, Reissurääpäle.

Kind regards etc...

TPE

zola a social thing said...

An idea would be this : Finland versus Scotland at football. To be held in Tampere and with 50 % of each team male.
Better than cricket sponsored by the British Embassy methinks.
"Hauska"?

Anonymous said...

At such a football game, if we listen to our LavenderBlue, there would be many dysfunctional erections due to the "other" 50% playing.
The PR name for this would be FINNLAY would it not.

Anonymous said...

But what about the "Chambermaids of Oban" we ask!!!

Anonymous said...

Glorious failure?
The Scots must be the only national group whose anthem ca't be played on the national instruments.
Whenever I here 'and sent them homewards tae think again' sung by the Tartan Army with that semi-tone discord with the bagpipes.

Anonymous said...

Oh my God, McSporran, that is one of those things that just makes me wince in pain. I cannot bear it when I hear the clashing nearly note on the word "think" (especially). How can this have happened to us?

Zola, hei. It is certainly an idea, you're right. Yet even such a match as you suggest must play second fiddle to any cricket game, anywhere, ever - no matter the sponsors.

(Is "hauska" not a word? Did I mess up?)

Kind regards to all on the page.....

TPE

zola a social thing said...

Hauska is a word - all ok teepee.
Funny? maybe that is hauska.
BTW : I have played cricket in Finland. Most of the Helsinki team were from the colonies.

Jock straps and willy warmers needed in that game too.

Merkin said...

Sorry to bore, 'A more practical snag is that Flower of Scotland is difficult to play on the bagpipes. The third last note is a flattened seventh, which is not considered to be part of the standard pipe scale. In order to hit the correct note, a 'forked fingering' must be used which less experienced players are unlikely to be familiar with.'

I agree with TPE, that it drives me crazy when I hear it sung and either the pipes try to follow the singers or vice versa - usually sounding like a Brian Rix farce set to music.

Still, reminds of a story.

-The Yankee tourist asks the Scotsman to show him what is under the kilt.
- The Scotman shows him everything.
-My God, you've got a steering wheel under your kilt.

-Yes, and it's driving me nuts

Reissurääpäle said...

Do not underestimate women of Finlandia in football. They have qualified better than Men´s A-team ever!

Anonymous said...

That may be so, Reissurääpäle, but I bet the Finnish men's team could still royally bonce them if they put their minds to it. In fact, after a bit of a struggle (extra-time and penalties, maybe) - I bet that the Scottish men's team could beat the Finnish women, too. Fight! Fight!

Merkin - that sort of information doesn't bore me. In fact, I love it. I really honestly never knew that thing about the flattened seventh not being part of the standard pipe scale etc. I've often wondered, however, why it is that sometimes it seems to sound okay, whilst at other times it sounds aggravating enough to make a priest kick a stained glass window in anguish. You would think they would always hire sufficiently proficient bag-pipe players to belt out the national anthem, though. Very annoying.

Zola - you played cricket? I admire you all the more now, then. I have had reason to look up information about cricket in Finland before (the women's team, oddly enough) and so I was aware that it actually existed up there, yes. But this is very good news to learn that you have played such a fine sport, Zola. Unless you hated it, of course? That wouldn't be so good. (the word "tragedy" springs to mind).

Kind regards from Ireland to all on the page....

TPE

zola a social thing said...

Where is Ireland?
Is it one of those flattened sevenths?
My memories of Dublin are few although I am convinced i enjoyed every minute.

Question : Why has the Merkin been so well behaved recently?

Anonymous said...

Sober ?

Merkin said...

Why?
I am still waiting for my licence to come through as required under the Protection of Wild Animals Act.

TPE, It would be possible to rearrange so that 'tae think again' is ok.
However, the discords would just move elsewhere in the song.

zola a social thing said...

I admit : Usually I listen and sing along ( for about an hour alone at the New Year) with those Corries where songs like the FofS and many other tributes to war - where the poor and the normal are always the ones to get hurt.
" To think again" is OK.
Those hills are not bare now and I shall participate in such sing-along sessions as long as I live. It will become fashionable again soon enough - just wait.

BTW : Merkyperky is well behaved now because he has a blog ( a great blog too)and knows the pitfalls of being a strappy Jock online.

Merkin said...

Not so well behaved, really - mayhem on Mistress Anna's site yesterday when someone was drunk in charge of a keyboard.

Everyone likes a rousing marching song from time to time.
As a very small West of Scotlander I do remember the singing supporters songs of both sides without understanding anything of the words.
That is part of the conditioning we are all subject to, in some form or other.
In fact, the first songs I am aware of are the following.

The Internationale
The Red Flag
Anouska (a Russian song)
Wolga,Wolga (in Russian and Polish)
Theme song to Maverick

I still have a tape somewhere of my singing the theme tune to Maverick (at the age of three)

Now that really was conditioning !

Song: Maverick Lyrics

Who is the tall, dark stranger there?
Maverick is the name.
Ridin' the trail to who knows where,
Luck is his companion,
Gamblin' is his game.
Smooth as the handle on a gun.
Maverick is the name.
Wild as the wind in Oregon,
Blowin' up a canyon,
Easier to tame.

Riverboat, ring your bell,
Fare thee well, Annabel.
Luck is the lady that he loves the best.
Natchez to New Orleans
Livin on jacks and queens
Maverick is a legend of the west.

Riverboat, ring your bell,
Fare thee well, Annabel.
Luck is the lady that he loves the best.
Natchez to New Orleans
Livin on jacks and queens
Maverick is a legend of the west.
Maverick is a legend of the west.

zola a social thing said...

Merk : You ring my bells.

Do you remember Mike Harding singing that "Olga, Olga, down with the Bourgeoisie...."?

But what a great blog - our first loved songs.

Reissurääpäle said...

Do you Z remember Frederik singing Volga, Volga rakkaus tai kuolema, sua ei voi vangita...???

zola a social thing said...

Shit : even me old mates get onto me.

Thanks for that R.
Merkin will love it.
Freddie?
Come on explain....

Merkin said...

Cummon R, whatz it about?.
(My Finnish-English translation thing just made it totally obscure)

zola a social thing said...

Freddie : Finnish pop singer still living and singing his 1960s styled stuff.

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