Quotulatiousness

August 4, 2019

History Summarized: Scotland

Filed under: Britain, History, Humour — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

Overly Sarcastic Productions
Published on 2 Aug 2019

Go to http://www.audible.com/overlysarcastic or text OVERLYSARCASTIC to 500500 to get a free audiobook, 2 free Audible Originals, and 30-day free trial.

Put on your Kilt and grab some bagpipes, it’s time to talk about Scotland! From the earliest beginnings to the modern day, the Scots have had a fiercely independent attitude, and are absolutely willing to fight about it — several times, in fact.

Fun fact about Kilts, I couldn’t fit this in the video anywhere, but basically Scots used to wear these big complicated vaguely-toga-like wraps of tartan plaid starting in the Renaissance, but in the 1720s one guy said “This is too complicated, take the top part off but keep the bottom half and just attach it with a belt — and behold, the Kilt as we know it was born.

FURTHER READING: Scotland, A Concise History — https://www.amazon.com/Scotland-Conci…

PATREON: https://www.Patreon.com/OSP

DISCORD: https://discord.gg/sS5K4R3

MERCH LINKS: https://www.redbubble.com/people/OSPY…

OUR WEBSITE: https://www.OverlySarcasticProductions.com
Find us on Twitter https://www.Twitter.com/OSPYouTube
Find us on Reddit https://www.Reddit.com/r/OSP/

From the comments:

Overly Sarcastic Productions
1 hour ago (edited)
Blue: Spends two weeks researching, writing, and producing a video about Scottish History
Also Blue: USES THE WRONG FUCKING FLAG
Rest assured, everybody, I’m veritably mortified by how badly I messed that up.
-B

July 22, 2019

No Flag Northern Ireland

Filed under: Britain, Europe, History, Politics — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

CGP Grey
Published on 18 Jun 2019

Northern Ireland’s officially unofficial flag.

June 4, 2019

Missing Isle of Lewis chess piece discovered in Edinburgh

Filed under: Britain, Europe, Gaming, History — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 03:00

It’s always irritating when you lose a chess piece, but this one’s been missing for a long, long time:

A medieval chess piece that was missing for almost 200 years had been unknowingly kept in a drawer by an Edinburgh family.

They had no idea that the object was one of the long-lost Lewis Chessmen – which could now fetch £1m at auction.

The chessmen were found on the Isle of Lewis in 1831 but the whereabouts of five pieces have remained a mystery.

The Edinburgh family’s grandfather, an antiques dealer, had bought the chess piece for £5 in 1964.

He had no idea of the significance of the 8.8cm piece (3.5in), made from walrus ivory, which he passed down to his family.

They have looked after it for 55 years without realising its importance, before taking it to Sotheby’s auction house in London.

The Lewis Chessmen are among the biggest draws at the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

They are seen as an “important symbol of European civilisation” and have also seeped into popular culture, inspiring everything from children’s show Noggin The Nog to part of the plot in Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone.

Sotheby’s expert Alexander Kader, who examined the piece for the family, said his “jaw dropped” when he realised what they had in their possession.

H/T to Colby Cosh for the link.

May 20, 2019

A Guide to Dark Age British Politics

Filed under: Britain, History, Religion — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

History With Hilbert
Published on 26 Sep 2017

A beginner’s guide to the politics of Dark Age Britain, from the southern Celts to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the Pictish north.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HistorywithHi…

February 15, 2019

“Blood of Bannockburn” – Sabaton History 002

Filed under: Britain, History, Media — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Sabaton History
Published on 14 Feb 2019

Sabaton’s song “Blood of Bannockburn” is about the First War of Scottish Independence and one of its key figures, Robert the Bruce. He fought the English King Edward who invaded Scotland when Bruce’s revolutionary force forced all Scottish nobles to join his cause or lose their lands. Edward moved on Bruce’s army while they were besieging Stirling Castle, but his plans to overwhelm the Scottish was opposed by Bruce.

Support Sabaton History on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sabatonhistory

Watch the official lyric video for Blood of Bannockburn here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp-Rk…

Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Markus Linke and Indy Neidell
Directed by: Astrid Deinhard and Wieke Kapteijns
Produced by: Pär Sundström, Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Executive Producers: Pär Sundström, Joakim Broden, Tomas Sunmo, Indy Neidell, Astrid Deinhard, and Spartacus Olsson
Maps by: Eastory
Edited by: Wieke Kapteijns
Sound Editing by: Marek Kaminski

Eastory YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEly…
Archive by: Reuters/Screenocean https://www.screenocean.com
Music by Sabaton

‘Photo young Sabaton’ ©Dalarnas museum, foto: Susanne Nyhlén – The National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk

An OnLion Entertainment GmbH and Raging Beaver Publishing AB co-Production.

© Raging Beaver Publishing AB, 2019 – all rights reserved.

From the comments:

Sabaton History
1 day ago (edited)

Hey!! We’re leaving the modern times (which instantly that answers a frequently asked question about if we’re just sticking to WW2) and will enter the Medieval Era. The 3d animated maps are made and researched by Eastory (check his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCElybFZ60Hk1NSjgCf7I2sg). As the battle took place long ago, there is little documentation about it and there are several possible reconstructions of the events of the battle available. We had to prefer one version and proponents of others may criticise it. The most risky decision was to add the effects of land rise and make the Forth river larger as a result. This is absent from most of reconstructions, but Eastory studied some old maps and according to them the sea level in 15th and 16th centuries was far higher in the region.

Enjoy and STAY AWESOME! 🤘🤘

February 6, 2019

“The haggis croquette is the most London-thing ever done in London”

Filed under: Britain, Economics, Humour — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 05:00

At the IEA, Andy Mayer reports on the first attempted Burns Night Supper in the City of London:

Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish made with sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, and stomach (or sausage casing); onion, oatmeal, suet, and spices. It’s either a local delicacy or an elaborate joke played on the English (take your pick).
Photo by “Lordvolom1” via Wikimedia Commons.

Last week the City of London held their first attempt at a Burns night supper, with the First Minister and representatives of the Scottish Government as guests of honour.

It is a difficult tradition to get wrong. Largely it requires steaming piles of Scotland’s revenge on the sausage, poetry that the English politely pretend to understand while feeling vaguely threatened, and bonhomie to overcome it, enabled through litres of distillate infused with the flavour of an entire peat bog.

The City served haggis croquettes, with wine.

There’s possibly a Glaswegian satirist somewhere who’s just given up. “Ach I canne compete. The sassenach dough-monkeys just served wee Nicola a haggis croquette, on Rabbie Burns night! I’m breaking-me pen.”

Meanwhile in Shoreditch two Millenials have just set up the Haggis Croquette Cafe, serving Organic Iron-Bru made from recycled plastic girders. The haggis croquette is the most London-thing ever done in London.

I spent much of the evening talking to trade officials. Their job is to sell Scottish opportunity around the world and open up its markets.

This was interesting – how would descendants of Adam Smith visiting the birthplace of trade economist David Ricardo define their comparative advantage? What can Scotland do better than anyone else? What might they do well enough that they can carve out positions, despite larger rivals, better off leaving such things to Scotland? Fundamentally, how are they going to compete?

There was an uneasy pause after these questions. And then to paraphrase, “Oh no, we don’t want to compete, we want to cooperate! With everyone! Not being threatening, that’s our advantage!”

I feel very sure that Smith, on hearing this, would have reached out, to extend the invisible hand of history across time, to give this official a mild slap. “Encouraging competition, with and from other places, and then getting out of the way, is the whole point”, he might say.

January 13, 2019

The Chainsmokers – Closer | Scotland the Brave | Bagpipe Cover

Filed under: Britain, India, Media — Tags: , — Nicholas @ 02:00

TheSnakeCharmer
Published on 18 Jan 2017

The Chainsmokers’ “Closer” meets traditional Scottish tune “Scotland the Brave”. Watch how magical it sounds together when played on Bagpipes. Don’t miss the dance action in between the video!
Please SHARE the video if you enjoyed watching 🙂

Special thanks to Wenom (Dance Crew) for being a part of my video
Check them out here – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZoA…

Support me here on Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/thesnakecharmer

Track Produced by Karan Katiyar
Check out his awesome metal parody channel here – www.youtube.com/bloodywood

Video Editing – Karan Katiyar

Video Shoot – Aditi Verma
TGKI Productions

December 28, 2018

QotD: Celtic nationalism

Filed under: Britain, History, Politics, Quotations — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 01:00

Welsh, Irish and Scottish nationalism have points of difference but are alike in their anti-English orientation. Members of all three movements have opposed the war while continuing to describe themselves as pro-Russian, and the lunatic fringe has even contrived to be simultaneously pro-Russian and pro-Nazi. But Celtic nationalism is not the same thing as anglophobia. Its motive force is a belief in the past and future greatness of the Celtic peoples, and it has a strong tinge of racialism. The Celt is supposed to be spiritually superior to the Saxon — simpler, more creative, less vulgar, less snobbish, etc. — but the usual power hunger is there under the surface. One symptom of it is the delusion that Eire, Scotland or even Wales could preserve its independence unaided and owes nothing to British protection.

George Orwell, “Notes on Nationalism”, Polemic, 1945-05.

December 24, 2018

QotD: “Working over Christmas”

Filed under: Britain, Europe, Humour, Quotations — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 01:00

“Are you working over Christmas?” I asked the waitress at my local diner in New Hampshire last Thursday – December 23rd.

Erica looked bewildered. “No,” she said. “We’re closed Christmas Day.”

My mistake. I’d just been on the phone to an editor in London who’d wanted early copy for the late January issue because no-one was going to be in the office “over Christmas”. I’d forgotten that, in New Hampshire, “over Christmas” means December 25th. In London and much of the rest of Europe, it’s a term of art stretching as far into mid-January as you can get away with.

In America, the Christmas holiday is what it says: a holiday to observe Christmas. If it happens to fall on a Saturday or Sunday, tough. See you at work Monday morning. But across the Atlantic, if Christmas and New Year fall on the weekend, the ensuing weeks are eaten up by so many holidays they can’t even come up with names for them. I see from the well-named “Beautiful Ireland” calendar this newspaper sent me in lieu of a handsome bonus for calling the US elections correctly that January 3rd 2005 is a holiday in Ireland and Britain – the Morning After The Morning After Hogmanay – and the lucky Scots get January 4th off too – the First Hogtuesday After Hogmonday? Eventually, the entire Scottish economy will achieve the happy state of their enchanted village of Brigadoon and show up for one day every hundred years.

Mark Steyn, “Happy Christmas Bank Holiday Thursday”, The Irish Times, 2004-12.

December 3, 2018

QotD: Scottish dietary preferences

Filed under: Britain, Food, Health, Humour, Quotations — Tags: — Nicholas @ 01:00

The Scots have a fondness for deep-fried foods. Everything from fish n’ chips to Mars bars. A survey of shops said customers also request deep fried sweets, pineapple rings, and even ice cream. The health authorities are naturally somewhat concerned about this diet, but Dr. David Morrison of the Greater Glasgow Health Service Board is encouraged by “evidence of the penetrance of the Mediterranean diet into Scotland, albeit in the form of deep-fried pizza.”

Billy Munnelly, “Journal”, Billy’s Best Bottles Volume 21, No. 4, Spring 2005.

November 24, 2018

QotD: The Anglo-Saxon invasion

Filed under: Britain, History, Humour, Quotations — Tags: , , , , , — Nicholas @ 01:00

The withdrawal of the Roman legions to take part in Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (due to a clamour among the Romans for pompous amusements such as bread and circumstances) left Britain defenceless and subjected Europe to that long succession of Waves of which History is chiefly composed. While the Roman Empire was overrun by waves not only of Ostrogoths, Vizigoths, and even Goths, but also of Vandals (who destroyed works of art) and Huns (who destroyed everything and everybody, including Goths, Ostrogoths, Vizigoths, and even Vandals), Britain was attacked by waves of Picts (and, of course, Scots) who had recently learnt how to climb the wall, and of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who, landing at Thanet, soon overran the country with fire (and, of course, the sword).

    Important Note

    The Scots (originally Irish, but by now Scotch) were at this time inhabiting Ireland, having driven the Irish (Picts) out of Scotland; while the Picts (originally Scots) were now Irish (living in brackets) and vice versa. It is essential to keep these distinctions clearly in mind (and verce visa).

The brutal Saxon invaders drove the Britons westward into Wales and compelled them to become Welsh; it is now considered doubtful whether this was a Good Thing. Memorable among the Saxon warriors were Hengist and his wife (? or horse), Horsa. Hengist made himself King in the South. Thus Hengist was the first English King and his wife (or horse), Horsa, the first English Queen (or horse). The country was now almost entirely inhabited by Saxons and was therefore renamed England, and thus (naturally) soon became C. of E. This was a Good Thing, because previously the Saxons had worshipped some dreadful gods of their own called Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

W.C. Sellar & R.J. Yeatman, 1066 And All That, 1930.

September 13, 2018

Broadsword and targe – how Highlanders fought

Filed under: Britain, History, Weapons — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

Lindybeige
Published on 22 Aug 2018

A quick introduction to the use of this weapon combination, shot very quickly at Fight Camp 2018. Sorry about the background noise.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Lindybeige

This was shot at the end of the last day, and I was a bit hoarse from shouting, camping, and beer. When the aircraft overhead gets very loud, I have added subtitles.

The targes we are using are the correct diameter, but the real things were a fair bit heavier, and offered some protection against even musketballs.

Lindybeige: a channel of archaeology, ancient and medieval warfare, rants, swing dance, travelogues, evolution, and whatever else occurs to me to make.

September 1, 2018

The Tartan Myth | Stuff That I Find Interesting

Filed under: Britain, History — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

Jabzy
Published on 22 Jun 2017

https://www.patreon.com/Jabzy

https://twitter.com/JabzyJoe

August 9, 2018

Scottish schools’ proposed gender initiative will encourage gender uncertainty in 5-year-olds

Filed under: Britain, Education, Health, Politics — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 05:00

Joanna Williams explains why authority figures actively undermining one of the few certainties in a young child’s world is bound to cause much more harm to many children:

Education Scotland, regional NHS boards and the Scottish government jointly came up with this new gender initiative’s daft – sorry, draft – guidelines, which are set to come into effect from 2019. The plan is to tell children: ‘Your sex is what you are told by a doctor when you are born. Most people are told they are a male child (a boy) or a female child (a girl).’ But this ridiculous statement contradicts everything children will later learn in biology lessons. Babies are not ‘told’ they are a particular sex in some odd conversation between parents and midwives on the labour ward. The overwhelming majority of babies actually are male or female, boys or girls. Sex is not a lottery. It doesn’t depend on how the doctor happens to be feeling at a certain point in time. It is there in the child’s genitals and in their chromosomes. Telling children that sex is simply something that is arbitrarily announced by a doctor is a lie.

But propagating this lie and encouraging children to believe that sex is a random declaration allows teachers to go on to tell children: ‘Your gender is what you decide.’ In other words, children will be told to ignore the evidence they see before them every time they go to the toilet or get undressed. Ignore what the nasty doctor said. And ignore what family members have wickedly led them to believe. Not only does this undermine parents, it also heaps a lot of pressure on to the shoulders of five-year-olds. Most find it difficult enough to decide what to have for breakfast. Their brains are full of Minecraft, superheroes or Friendship Fairies. They worry about dinosaurs coming back to life and unicorns not being real. It is hard to see how telling children this age that one of the few things they know for certain isn’t certain after all can do anything other than cause distress.

But the problematising continues. ‘People might think they know your gender because of the clothes you wear or the things you like to do’, children will be told. But, of course, these people are wrong: ‘You are a unique person, you know who you are.’ This confuses two separate issues – gender stereotypes and actually being a boy or a girl. It also seriously underestimates children. The youngest children distinguish between boy stuff and girl stuff; they know whether they are a boy or a girl and which clothes and toys they are supposed to like. But while some children might police gender stereotypes with enthusiasm, others do not. They know, better than the Scottish government it seems, that you can play football and still be a girl or dress up as a princess and still be a boy. Even those keen to enforce gender conformity at age five may well rebel by the time they are 15. And so what if they don’t? If a boy enjoys being a boy and wants to grow up into a man, is that really so bad?

July 2, 2018

Drowsy Maggie – Scottish Indian Punjabi Mix (The Snake Charmer)

Filed under: India, Media — Tags: , — Nicholas @ 02:00

TheSnakeCharmer
Published on 4 Jun 2018

When a 200 year old Traditional Scottish Folk song gets a Punjabi Dubstep revival by The Snake Charmer. A multi cultural music video with Britain’s Castles, highland dancers, Bagpipes, Graffiti walls from India, punjabi folk, bhangra dancers, Russian violinist and a crazy dhol player get together to showcase the amazing diversity in the world and how we all have something in common and can contribute to each other despite the distance and differences. Enjoy this brand new Celtic punjabi mix with Bagpipes.

Patreon (Support me for as less as $1) – https://www.patreon.com/thesnakecharmer

GET MP3
iTunes – https://goo.gl/eoszgf
Google Play – https://goo.gl/3sGBgb

Bagpipes – Archy Jay
Violin – Madina

Highland Dancers – Northumberland Church of England Academy combined cadet Force, Laura Greyson, Whistle School of Highland Dance.
Bhangra Group – https://www.facebook.com/bhangrainspire/
Dhol Player – Sarthak Pahwa

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