The most recent 20 comments posted to Making Light by guthrie:

Further to David at #85 - The BNP are trying to expand into Scotland, in my experience into such ex-labour strongholds as North Lanarkshire. Some of the people they appeal to are unionist protestants, who don't seem to find any anti-scottishness to complain about. Their basic appeal is down to the way the major parties are out of touch and seen to be doing nothing for the local community, whether in hospital closures or leading the country into a highly damaging recession. People who feel comparatively powerless and vulnerable are interested in those who claim they will help them take control of things and do stuff for them.

Alex #29 - I've seen one or two arguments in voluntary organisations and heard/ read of others, but don't claim great expertise in this area...
So that said, people do act like this when something they think is their toy/ baby/ game/ etc is in danger of being changed the way they don't want it to change, or someone wants to play a different game, or escapes from their power. Money is not needed at all, just think personal ego investment over the years.

Alex #29 - I've seen one or two arguments in voluntary organisations and heard/ read of others, but don't claim great expertise in this area...
So that said, people do act like this when something they think is their toy/ baby/ game/ etc is in danger of being changed the way they don't want it to change, or someone wants to play a different game, or escapes from their power. Money is not needed at all, just think personal ego investment over the years.

Meredith #94 - I don't think I've seen anyone get rapturous about the Firth of Forth before.

I'm not convinced the Edinburgh weather is as bad these days as Charlie makes it out to be. I've found Spring starting in February for the last 3 years, i.e. 2 or 3 weeks of no frost and perhaps a few nights just to kill off early buds. You should still bring clothing for sub-zero, but the days of 2 weeks non-stop frost every morning are long gone thanks to global warming.

The Royal Botanic gardens has some stats online:
http://www.rbge.org.uk/assets/files/science/Weather/2008%20in%20perspective.pdf

Being Scotland the weather is changeable, and you can expect snow in March or April (The year I was born it snowed heavily in June, but that was before the warming took off), but you should prepare for wind and rain, a few places such as the top of Waverley steps are infamous for catching the wind.

Speaking as someone currently living in London, edinburgh is not crowded and busy at all, London is as busy as a busy Edinburgh day all the time.

Oddly enough Edinburgh was voted their favourite place in Britain by Observer and Guardian readers just this week:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/travel-awards-2009

I'd forgotten phone day was so long ago, I recall the campaign for it but it seemed a lot of hassle. You can still see the occaisional old number somewhere, missing its extra 0.

"Words in a row disease"
(Craig R, #334)

Yes, I like it. Anyone want to render it into Latin and we'll see how long before someone takes it seriously?

I don't usually have any trouble being noticed, except in some bars where being male means the barstaff will automatically serve women first, and I also don't push to the front waving the money in my hand.

Here in the UK, we keep hearing about how bad our customer service is, yet I can't think of many occaisions when I have had bad service. A little abrupt or just streamlined and non-involved yes, but never bad. People at B&Q, the largest big box DIY chain in the UK have generally been fine, although I seem to recall something about their hiring policy being slanted towards hiring over 50's, which does mean you have a better chance of getting staff who will be somewhat more open minded and knowledgeable.
A quick search online turned up this:
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=104653

"B&Q has a long history of employing staff over the age of 50 as the company firmly believes that its customers, stores and offices benefit from the mixture of new ideas and expertise that come from both younger and older employees."

I always used to get asked for directions when out and about in town (eg as a student at St Andrews university), but the ravages of the last 3 years including being ill have left me with a thin face and a default expression of pursed lips, open staring eyes and perhaps a slightly aggressive look which probably puts people off asking. Now being in London that has its advantages, but I'm getting a little worried that I have forgotten how to open up and have fun.

Heresiarch #358 - indeed, I was thinking that the kind of happy clappy baptist church* my sister and husband etc attend would surely meet the definition of having some mysticism involved. Middle of the way Church of Scotland doesn't have so much mysticism involved, by deliberate choice, but I have come across mention of plenty of Christian denominations which would fit the description of Mystical.

*Simplified because I really don't know exactly where they stand on stuff.

The raven #330 - perhaps you can define mysticism more clearly for us? I can thinks of a couple of slightly different responses to what you wrote, depending on what we do or do not agree is mysticism.

On the topic of sweating it all out, there is some evidence to suggest that Bronze age humans in the English South Downs and Midlans used some sort of sauna. The evidence is large amounts of damaged flint which had been heated then cooled, apparently by having water dropped on it.

The small scale reconstruction attempt by 1st year archaeology students involved ill fitting tarpaulins over a framework of flexible boughs and a clay lined pit into which the hot rocks were placed. And of course safety glasses in case bits of rock went flying due to rock fracture.
Mentioned here, page 12, for example:
http://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/Clayvolume73600dpism-2.pdf

In reference to Alex #9 - it seems the gvt wants to privatise the ordnance survey as well. I believe it makes a profit, but the gvt would rather get rid of a common good in order to get a one off hit of money, rather than utilise it for the maximum benefit of the inhabitants of the UK.

Legionseagle - indeed, I have met so many people who know a great deal about their PhD topic or area of favourite study, but havn't a clue about anything outside of it. History is a pretty huge topic anyway, especially since I read that Brown later published his PhD as a book, and I believe this is it:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maxton-Biography-Gordon-Brown/dp/1840186097
Nice to have a literate prime minister anyway.

The thing is, I have no reason to believe that Brown is no more venal and nasty than your average Briton anyway, so there's always a chance he saw this as a good thing to do, in line with the remaining left wing ideas that new labour still has kicking about somewhere. So I suppose he deserves a wee cheer.

LegionsEagle #37 - whilst Brown may have heard of Turing at some point in the last 40 years, I hardly think a PhD on “The Labour Party and Political Change in Scotland 1918-29â€
would leave him knowing very much at all about mathematics, cryptography or Alan Turing. Thus using that to support your argument is pointless.

Of course the only way to find out the truth might be to interrogate Brown and his minions using the proper methods.

Here in Scotland, last year (I'm using last years figures for reasons) I was paying:

14.6% ( pay as you earn tax)
8% (national insurance)

I have no idea how much I end up paying in VAT and the one or two other ways of getting money off you. NI is supposed to pay for some healthcare, unemployment benefit and one or two other things, I don't really know what.

I can't quite work out what the best way is for me to cheer from the sidelines. I am UK born, bred and living, but have a married with 2 children cousin living in Montana, and friends in CA, at least one of whom has no insurance and will possibly be left to die if there is an accident.
Therefore I have some interest in seeing you guys get the health service people deserve, rather than the one you have now, and wish you all the luck and energy that you can use.
*Insert cheering noises here*

Anna #51 - the tories privatise health care? As far as I can tell, new labour are dedicated to slowly hiving the entire NHS off to the private sector. They have to do it slowly and quietly, but they've done a good job with the PFI/PPP landing hospital trusts with millstones of debt, and the internal market system doesn't help either, according to some people.

Terry - I said little, I didn't perhaps qualify it as much as I could, but hey, thats life - I know what you mean but I was trying to get out what was in my head at the time.

Modern hand woven silk can cost over £1000 a yard, or so I understand. Authentic wool from authentic sheep dyed Authentically will be 30 or 40 pounds a yard, but Stuart Peachy has almost run out of coloured material for this year.

Sisuile - whats Kalamazoo?
I want to be an Alchemist this year, what with having translations of period texts and equipment of my own, but Patrick was a bit offputting at the interview and I have a horrible suspicion he'll put me on pewter casting or somesuch, which would be fun, but I'm phsyched up to do Alchemy.

Sharon #40 - I just asked a friend your question.
The reply is:

"Famously literate - in English, latin, french, Greek and italian (probably spanish too). She was genuinely academic and intelliegent.
Tutored by Ascham to love learning and books. I very much doubt she had any books to show off but because she wanted to read them - all of the classical Renaissance usual supects etc"

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