45 posts tagged “scotland”

Do you like stories about twins?  About Scotland?  Then you might like THE SCOTCH TWINS (1919) by Lucy Fitch Perkins.  It made me clap my hands with excited anticipation many times.  I can't explain why very well... I knew what twists were coming but it was told so well I felt like I was a fly on the wall the whole time.  You know what's coming, but you aren't quite sure that's exactly what IS going to happen.... 

There are other books in the TWINS series, but this great little easy read was an immense delight. 

Here's a sample from the Gutenberg E-text:

"At the very moment when Jock and Tam came flying over the fence and down the hill like a cyclone after the rabbit, Angus was kneeling beside the brook to get a drink. His lips were pursed up and he was bending over almost to the surface of the water, when something dashed past him, and an instant later something else struck him like a thunderbolt from behind, and drove him headforemost into the brook! It wasn't Tam that did it. It was Jock! Of course, it was an accident, but Angus thought he had done it on purpose, and he was probably the most surprised as well as the angriest man in Scotland at that moment. He lifted his head out of the brook and glared at Jock as fiercely as he could with little rills of water pouring from his hair and nose, and trickling in streams down his neck.

"I'll make you smart for this, you young blatherskite," he roared at Jock, who stood before him frozen with horror. "I'll teach you where you belong! You were running after that rabbit, and your dog is yelping down a hole after her this minute!" He was such a funny sight as he knelt there, dripping and scolding, that, scared as he was, Jock could not help laughing. More than ever enraged, Angus made a sudden lunge forward and seized Jock by the ear."

Show us irony.

I have a StatCounter listing from Bogata, Columbia that looked at an item tagged PABLO ESCOBAR.  It's funny because in this instance Pablo Escobar is a white male musician from Scotland.  Not exactly irony, but it's funny.

Who was your favorite new artist in 2008?

I don't have one.  What I do have is a top 10 list of songs (from any year) that were added to my library in 2008.  Here are the TOP 5: Chug, Motorcycle Boy, Race Car, GhiJK, Pablo Escobar.

Could be means should be...  It's syrupy, poppy and melodic, just right for radio.  Every time I hear it I find myself singing along even though I don't "feel" the lyrics - I'm just too jaded, but it is very radio friendly.  Not that that's a good thing....

Remember my trip to the Highland Games?

What I need to remember is things that seem to be too good to be true - ARE!

Scotland Magazine had a booth at the Games and they were offering a one year subscription for 3 dollars, so I signed up and gave the woman my name, address and 3 dollars.  She told me I'd recieve my first issue in 8 weeks, it's been 12 weeks and I have come to the sad realization that I might as well have wiped my ass with that three dollars because I have never received any issues and probably never will as my emails to the magazine remain unanswered.

I am amazed they are allowed to get away with such deceitful actions.  I must now write to the Caledonian Club President and tell him too, and perhaps they won't invite Scotland Magazine back to the Games next year since they (Scotland Magazine) promise people a product and take their money with no intention of giving what was paid for.  I can't imagine the Caledonian Club would want that kind of vendor at their event if they knew.

Where do you want to go on your next vacation?
Submitted by beth.

Scotland.

Plaid is everywhere this fall. Show us something made out of this classic fall fabric. 

What's always driven me mad about plaid is this...

Plaid=Kilt : Tartan=Patterned Cloth

I.e.: What TARTAN is your PLAID?

Here's an old cylinder recording from the UCSB Cylinder Digitization Project for Huggy Bear, because bears need music.