Embracing your inner Scot
As one of our noted geneaologists has noted of late, I am a mixed breed anglo mongrel of inferior genes. That last part is highly debateable, but I am Scottish and Irish. I tend to embrace the Irish side for some reason I can’t quite figure out except that they have a day of drinking devoted to them, and that always seems good.
Nonetheless, a buddy on Facebook was noting this weekend that he went to some Highland Games in NH this weekend, and saw my favorite Scottish band. As I’ve always said, if you only see one band all year that has four drummers and one bagpiper, make it Albannach. Just how much do they rock?
Anyway, there seem to be a ton of these Highland Games going on right now. My friend The Sniper took part in one a few weeks ago. Here he is throwing a hammer or somesuch thing.
Anyway, he also tossed a caber, and it hurt so much listening to him tell the story that I went home and chewed 3 percosets. Anyway, he was also telling me how the Highland Games are embracing wounded servicemembers. He told me of a double amputee that was tossing around the telephone poles.
That takes some serious stones, no?
Category: Politics
Funny, I’m of Irish-Scottish heritage as well but I tend to lean toward the Scottish part….Maybe because my last name is Scottish in origin. I know at one point there was a lot of Scottish immigration to Ireland and then on to America. That must be where we get so many Irish-Scots (My wife is Irish-Scot as well) I was just at a Celtic festival here in Ohio a couple of weeks ago.
Old Tanker, I am headed to the one in Waynesville on October 12, Albannach above is playing there that day.
I’m also Irish and Scottish, I too lean towards the Irish side more, but that’s because I’m much more Irish than Scot. Hey TSO. just wondering who called you a mongrel.
My ancestery is so German that I share my last name with a German town and castle.
@3, some of it is here:
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=37551
Did anyone else read this as ” Embracing your inner Scotch?”
/Psul???? I was just curious.
Mo Cinneadh agus Mo Chairdean:
Ciamar a tha sibh?
Gle mhath, tapadh leibh!
(What? You don’t speak Gaelic?)
Here’s a link to a post, “* * * ! ! ! SCOTS IRISH FOR LIBERTY ! ! ! * * *”, at my own personal web site, “OUR ETERNAL STRUGGLE”.
http://writesong.blogspot.com/2012/01/scots-irish-for-liberty.html
If the link doesn’t appear, then just click on my name, and at my web site, search for SCOTS IRISH FOR LIBERTY.
You’ll especially enjoy watching the full length movie, “BORN FIGHTING”, the story of how the Scots Irish affected America.
Saor Alba gu brath!
Slainte mhath!
Is Mise Le Meas,
John Robert Mallernee
Clan Henderson
“Sola Virtus Nobilitat”
I’m kind of disappointed that it wasn’t Wittgenfeld. Speaking of bad genes, if Wickre was the fastest swimmer to come out of his daddy’s nut sack then I shudder to think what got left behind.
Man, I love the pipes! Never understood why exactly, they just touch something down in my DNA.
When my dad goes, I’m gonna do my best to get at least one piper there to send him off.
There is something about going to the games that re-awakens a long ancient spirit within those of us of Scottish descent. Anyone who has ever seen Albannach in concert, knows exactly what I’m talking about.
TSO, that’s the one I’m talking about! I moved to Ohio this past summer and only live 20 minutes or so from there! I was at the Celtic weekend and planned on going back for the Scottish weekend when you’ll be there. It’s the last weekend for that renaissance festival so everything there is on sale if you need a new Kilt!
You’re talking about this one, right?
http://www.renfestival.com/
That double amputee is a very good friend of mine named Mark. Mark wears Multicam kilts, is downright hilarious, and Mark, his best friend, myself and 9 others formed the basis for TF Awesome for the GORUCK Challenge’s first obstacle course, the GORUCK Nasty down in Massanutten VA this Saturday. The proceeds went to the Green Beret Foundation, and there were over a thousand people who did the course, consisting of 28 obstacles over 6 miles, up and down that mountain, with a Mogadishu Mile thrown in. It’s based off of Nasty Nick, and it broke me the fuck off. Mark is one serious badass. He barely paused on the course and the whole team, including a couple of us that were hypothermic, crossed that finish line TOGETHER. Teams came as far away as AZ and Canada to do it. Go look it up on Facebook and Google. It was a great time!!!
@9 One of my best memories is when I was in Scotland, hiking up Loch Lomond, and finding not a soul around except one guy playing the pipes near the summit. Damn near a religious experience. Can never understand why some people don’t like them.
Addendum to #11, I am going to the highland weekend but that is NOT the last weekend of the festival…
Stone Mountain Games on October 18th,19th, and 20th. One of the biggest Highland Games in the South East.
http://www.smhg.org
Embrace your inner Scot with Karen Matheison’s rendering of ‘Aileean Duinn and Morag’s Lament’.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=morag's+lament&FORM=VIRE6#view=detail&mid=7C83E7CA0404B9E067E87C83E7CA0404B9E067E8
If that doesn’t make you sniffle, you have no soul.
http://www.goruck.com/nasty
And those of you that are on my FB, look at my pictures from Saturday… We ran it in Ranger Panties and t shirts and me wearing my PT Belt to ward off the Taliban…
I love Karen Matheson!
When I heard her sing, “BOTH SIDES THE TWEED”, it inspired me to learn the song and make my own recording, which is now on YOU TUBE, and on my own web site.
I really love hearing her sing in Gaelic!
OK. My inner Scot has been appropriately embraced.
Funny, my daughter was at the NH festival and called me in Texas from there! Like many above I am a mutt – Scots grandmother who married an Irish immigrant.
Scots/English here. The Scots side is much more interesting, so I am very in touch with my inner-Scots. HR wishes I were not.
#4 I share my name with two British towns, I actually use my middle name more often just because it’s still distinct, but will ping false positives.
I really should start checking into festivals out here, the only one that I know of locally that isn’t LDS related is an Obon festival, which is pretty awesome in it’s own way, something about them drums.
My great grand father was from Scotland on my mothers side.
Many Scot-Irish settled in the Appalachian ranch, and known
for there patriotism, and love of country. I believe James
Web wrote a book about them.
Try Clanadonia for a Scottish War Drum band, stirs the blood!
If it isn’t Scottish its crap…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjYHvAly_IE
I love drum jams.
Drumming is good for your soul. It if weren’t people would not pound on desks, stomp their feet, or stick around for drum jams at the end of each day at the Renaissance Faire.
# 24 – BRUCE:
That’s James Webb you’re talking about, and his book, “BORN FIGHTING”, became a movie, which I’ve put on my web site, “OUR ETERNAL STRUGGLE”.
Here’s the link:
http://writesong.blogspot.com/2012/01/scots-irish-for-liberty.html
You can buy drums and drum kits from these people in Oregon.
http://www.cedarmtndrums.com/Kit1.htm
All of it USA origin.
This is the greatest post on TAH ever.
Guess I know what I’ll be doing next year instead of going to the school bus demolition derby.
Kids: But daddy, we wanna see the school buses smash up!
Me: Aw, hell naw–you wanna see THIS! Trust me, you’ll appreciate this more later!
I trust the Sniper has sent his picture to SportKilt for their photos page.
We tried to get a Highland Games going down at GTMO in late 2004, but there were only a handful of people, me included who wanted to give it a go.
Then, of course, there’s this:
The only known leather-clad punk piper with a set a flame-shooting pipes. Seriously. Playing “Thunderstruck”, no less. 🙂
http://www.videobash.com/video_show/bagpipe-thunderstruck-with-flames-694329
If you don’t think pipes are awesome, then why did AC/DC put it on lead track ‘Long way to the top’ back in 1976??? Lookit up….
In Baghdad, back in ’03, Gen Weber would play them late at night at the Palace. You could hear them reverberate across the camp. Usually ending with ‘Amazing Grace’. Talk about a religious experience.
FOR THE REST OF US:
A Scotsman gets a cab to take him and his girlfriend home. She’s so beautiful he can barely keep his eyes on the meter.
A Scotsman has a check-up and is told he has sugar in his urine. ‘I’m afraid it’s a sign you might be diabetic,’ says the doctor. ‘Och dear,’ says the Scotsman. ‘But I’ll look on the bright side. Think of the money I’ll save by pissing on my cornflakes.’
How do you spot a Scottish ship? It’s the one not being followed by seagulls.
What’s the difference between a Scotsman and a coconut? You can get a drink out of a coconut.
Clan Donnachaidh by marriage, Clan Fraser of Lovat by blood. Got both clan badges tattooed on my forearm with a knot “tying” them together (suck it SMA). My family also has some Irish and Welsh thrown in just for the hell of it, along with some Native American and some German.
Im not quite certain why, but bagpipes stir something primal in my soul. Somehow or another I dont think my neighbors appreciate them anywhere near as much as I do though >:)
Truth is, whenever I hear Scotland the Brave I want to attack something.
# 28- John You have a nice web site, very interesting thanks
for posting it.
If the pipes don’t stir you deep down in your soul, you must be French. Or English of French extraction.
@36, Drums do it for me. Pipes come next. I like the uillean pipes, similar to the bagpipes, but a different sound and playing method.
Of the Duncan clan, through my father’s mother.
And yes, between the pipes and the drums, I hope to be resurrected when I die (if I ever do).
But I want to know one thing. What in the NAME of all that’s (un)holy is The Sniper wearing under his kilt? SACRILEGE!
Embracing my “inner Scot” is Johnny Walker Blue with a spit of crushed ice.
@ #41: Isn’t that a brace on the right knee?
I think sporrans are cute. Like lap dogs on belts.
Man, I love the pipes! Never understood why exactly, they just touch something down in my DNA.
Hell, I’m Chinese and I’ve always loved the pipes so I’m not sure about the DNA part. Then again, I can’t stand caterwauling classical Chinese opera, so maybe I’m a mutant — or mom’s life was more interesting than I thought.
I’m a “mongrel” too. I’m Irish/Scot, retired and living in Germany. Gotta love the pipes and drums with the best pipe and drum song, IMO, being Highland Cathedral. In this area of Germany I get to hear and go to a ton of these fests. I was at the Lorelei Tattoo in August. Three hours of drum and pipe bands from all over Europe. The opening act was a group called Clanadonia. They can be found on the web and have a ton of videos on YouTube. Check them out. Another great Celtic group is Celtic Storm. They tour mostly in the mid-west, so I don’t get to see them here.
It can’t just be the DNA for the pipes, even some of the Germans love them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbpEOzVzhMk
Laddie… if it isn’t Scottish, IT’S CRAP!!!!
I recall a bit o’ the ole lecture my grandpa gave me when I was 13 and he discovered my desire to join the Marines when I got old enough.
He said “now boy, you’re gonna get a nickname. It’ll either be Mac or Mick. If I hear you let anyone call you Mick, I’ll find you, drag you by your ear to the nearest court and let you pick a whole new last name for yourself! No one of my line will ever even admit to having Irish blood!”
Scotts-(whisper)Irish here.