It's No Excuse!

Well, I've been at this family tree lark for over 15 years now, and the family tree as it stands, with both my side of the family and the wife's side combined, has around 12,000 individuals. I never intended to create anything so huge, it simply snowballed as soon as I first put the tree on to a few Internet sites. Suddenly I had all these descendants of Scottish emigrants from various parts of the globe, contacting me, saying they were related.

Well, that's all well and good, but I still haven't come across anyone particularly well known. The nearest I've come so far is a Northern Ireland International rugby player and TV broadcaster / sports commentator, who unfortunately died in a hotel fire just as his career was really taking off. I don't doubt some famous (but distant) relatives will turn up. The odds of not finding at least one must be very slim. It would also be nice to make some noble connections working back the way, and although there are suggestions of royal descent, finding evidence is difficult, especially as records in various places were badly kept or non-existent. My Irish forebears from Drogheda and Ardee might as well not have existed, such is the dearth of information about them. Even 100 years ago, there's virtually nothing.

I have noticed though, that thise families which departed the shores of this sceptred isle, tended to do very well for themselves, through luck, endeavour or accomplishment. I suppose starting again somewhere new will always supply the motivation to succeed. It seems to me that very few of those who started new lives far from home, ever met with failure or disappointment. That's something I may well bear in mind when faced with a similar choice myself. That day may not not be too far distant!

The Ancestral Pile!

For your edification, and no particular reason other than I can, I have decided to display some images of castles from NE Scotland, which have in almost every instance a merely tenuous link with my family history. Thank you for watching!

This one is Boyne Castle near Portsoy, where several generations of the Muiry (Murie) family from which I'm descended were Master Gardeners. It doesn't run in the blood, I like looking at nice gradens, but have no patience whatsoever when it comes to making them that way.

This is Ballindalloch on Speyside, where the Murie's went once Boyne Castle was abandoned. They worked here from about 1800 - 1840.

This is Findlater Castle, on the coast about half-way between Cullen and Portsoy. It has been abandoned for a long time. In the 1850's my Gt Grandfather Alexander Riach who was a 13 year old shepherd on a nearby farm, spent several nights sheltering with his flock in the castle ruins, as a horrendous blizzard raged around him.

This is Fordyce Castle. My grandmother was born in a cottage right behind the castle, and my Gt Grandmother live in a house about 10 yards off, in a lane to the right of picture.

Huntly Castle, once proud home to the Earls of Gordon, at one time the most powerful family in Scotland. My wife's family claim descent from the Gordon's although they have no real proof. There are a great many pointers to suggest a connection however! Well, that filled another post, I hope you enjoyed!

Where Is the Justice?

It was my own fault for whingeing yesterday! I should have known that dissing Christmas would bring me a bad dose of Karma. Well, Universal equilibrium is restored. It achieved this end by making my son ill, making my car battery flat, and by flagging the intention of relatives to possibly visit tonight. I only "wrote" about negative stuff and negative stuff happened to me in return. That's not really fair, I feel hard done by, where is the justice?

Well at least my car is running again. It did however fail me at a most inconvenient juncture. The hour was nigh when I was to take my son and drop him off for a spot of bag-packing, as is his wont at this time of year, or rather, as is the wont of the Boys Brigade (of which he is a participant), which are constantly fund-raising, so that they can continue to raise funds over the following year. I fnd this with most so-called charitable organisations, they constantly require ever more cash to help them make more cash.

Besides which, I desperately need to make a last minute dash to a supermarket, as Old Mother Hubbard has once again discovered that the cupboards are bare, at just the worst possible time. Add to this the possibility that I might have to cordially invite some family members over for Christmas, so they don't spend it alone, and that's just great. No they have to spend it in my household, complaining about everything; food, drink, T.V., presents etc. I just don't have the stomach for that sort of crap anymore, it must be my age. You should never have anyone for dinner unless they have something worth contributing to the gathering, and I don't know anyone like that off-hand!

Happy Families!

Yes, it's that time of year again when you have to see your family. Let's just say that It's bad enough having to deliver Christmas presents in most instances, the unconfortable silences and longing to leave, but feeling obliged to stay a little longer so that it's not obvious you really want to leave, even though it can't be hidden. For some people it gets worse, having your family around for lunch on Christmas day. Oh the joy, their miserable faces, their endless detestation of everything in life which could be enjoyable.

New Year isn't any better, all that false sincerity, people wishing each other "Happy New Year", when they secretly wish that you had the Black Death. Getting together with your family, people getting drunk and starting to let out their true feelings, which are certain to be of the hateful, jealous, obnoxious and distasteful sort. Yes, this truly is the nicest time of the year. As the saying goes "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family!" Never was a truer word spoken, and the author knew only too well what an embarassment family can be, particularly at this time of year.

There are 2 particular traits I find irritating in the extreme when exemplified by family members. They are competitiveness and boastfulness, both of which seem evident in profusion. "Keeping up with the Joneses" as they say, is a particular hobby in these parts. Of course, after 4 consecutive years at College and Uni, I am unable to play along with the game, not that I would if I could anyhow, but because I can't, it would appear that there is all the more reason why I should know what people are buying and where they're going on holiday. They think it hurts me, but they're fools, I'm made of much stronger stuff than them. I'm immune to their pettiness. I'd be quite happy to see the back of the lot of then for good, and look forward to the day when that becomes possible.

The Path to Greatness!

I'm still reading "The War Of Wars" by Robert Harvey, an excellent overview of the war between Britain and France (1789 - 1815). I've been struck by the author's comparison and contrast of Napoleon and Nelson. With hindsight it's easy to assume that Napoleon was the bad guy and Lord Nelson, the brave hero of the British navy. However, both men were ruthless, reckless, opportunistic and ambitious megalomaniacs. The similarities run much deeper though, both men experienced a sequence of triumphs punctuated by disasters, and both on occasion comtemplated suicide.

Also, both men had a fatalistic outlook, determined that they would not live very long. A result of this may well have been their callous disregard for human life. They both had very troubled love lives; Napoleon was cuckolded by his Josephine, while Nelson openly courted his mistress Emma Hamilton, much to the distress of his wife Fanny, and his family. In terms of ambition and promotion Nelson used the old boy network to smooth his passage to the top. Napoleon on the other hand, had to earn his promotions, coupled with some cunning deceitfulness.

Neslon often fell ill, particularly with bouts of Malaria, and suffered many injuries (blind in one eye, loss of an arm) leading his men valiantly. Napoleon was also injured leading his men into battle, but unlike Nelson, seemed to be impervious to ill-health, striding among plague-ridden soldiers with the firm belief that he was divinely protected. On, the other hand, both men also blighted their careers by committing atrocities, Napoleon at Jaffa, and Nelson at Naples. I could go on, but you probably get the picture by now!

Hobbits Seeing Double!

So Peter Jackson is going to be filming "The Hobbit" after all, I hear today, but no wait, there will be 2 films. Then later I read that rather than breaking "The Hobbit" into two parts, the first film is to be a prequel. What prequel? I don't recall any prequel to "The Hobbit". Is someone just going to make something up? Because if they do it'll be a load of bloody nonsense! Surely they must split the book into 2 distinct parts. I have a feeling someone got their wires crossed someplace on the news reportage front!

Another slight copncern I might have is; just what angle will Jackson take for these films? "The Lord of the Rings" films were intended for a largely adult audience, as the book was meant for adults, but "The Hobbit" was written for children, but if he makes these films for children, there's a chance that he'll miss out at the Box Office. If I was Jackson I'd pitch this film at kids, but make it dark enough that and adult audience could take it seriously. Unfortunately, the book also has a large dose of humour, which I suspect will be lost in script writing.

Anyhow, as good as "The Lord of the Rings" films were, they could never do justice to Tolkien's writing. No slight on Peter Jackson, because nobody could have done the book justice, it's such a fantastic work, probably in the Top 10 all time books, in my opinion! As for that Harry Potter nonsense, I've never read those books and have no desire to, the films are so bad, I think they're insulting to children. The fact that so many adults also enjoy them speaks volumes to me about literacy in this country (and others too it seems). If that's you then I apologise, but seriously, read a book for grown-ups. Visit a library or something, feed your brain for a change, instead of starving it of oxygen in front of the T.V. I think I've said this before, but nevermind, it bears repeating

The Man Who Would Be God!

I'm reading "The War Of Wars" right now which is about the first proper World War. At it's heart, the man above... Napoleon Bonapart, clearly a very able General if a little bit on the short side. He was hardly the dwarf that many said he was, but at 5' 6", he was hardly a giant of a man. Like any good general, he was probably a closet homosexual, the book said that, I'm not just making it up. Men who win battles seldom have a way with the female species, that's for sure.

I still haven't got past his first campaign in Italy anyway, so it remains to be seen what feats of military derring-do he will achieve, although I have an inkling that just as he was born on an island, he is doomed to die on an island. Anyway he totallly revolutionized warfare. Just before his time, Generals liked to line their men up all gentlmanly like and have them all kill each other before tea time if possible. Napoleon mixed in some guerilla warfare, diversionary tactics not seen since Alexander or Caesar, and forced marches not unlike the Romans were acquainted with.

The stuffed coats of the aristocratic warring classes never saw it coming, and if the man hadn't been encumbered with God-like pretensions like great leaders before and after him, then who knows how far he could have gone... and those before and after him also. Once again I'm talking utter nonsense, howabout I finish the book and let you know how it goes?

Lying Their Heads Off!

I've told you before how recorded history and our perception of ancient times, is but a tissue of lies. I've been thinking about it, and it's no wonder that we generally accept the lies we're told about the past, because we're also being lied to constantly about the future and especially about the present. The governments are lying, the police are lying, the intelligence services are lying, scientists are lying, and we lie to ourselves when we acept their word as truth.

So, it's not hard to see how history is founded on lies, because the people who recorded it were being lied to at the time. The truth is something of an anomalie in history, it seems like it doesn't belong, because it is surrounded by lies. For instance, did Gnaeus Julius Agricola score a great victory over the Picts at the battle of Mons Graupius? History says he did, history being the written record of Tacitus, Agricola's son-in-law. Surely he wouldn't have lied or exaggerated about those events.

More recent memory make us wonder just how big the lies our own governments feed us, can get? Promised a referendum on the EU Constitution, and returned to power on that basis, only to slap the people in the face, and surrender sovereignty to the very people we fought 2 World Wars against. Unbelievable! Then there's climate change, what's really happening? I know what we're being told, and I know how it will affect me. Apparently I need to pay more Road Tax for my car, extra fuel duty if I fly and pay to have my rubbish emptied (which I already pay Council Tax for). Only in this way, can I save the planet! Would it be cynical of me to suspect that governments Worldwide are opportunists seizing on the chance to bleed us dry in the name of Planetary salvation?

I'm almost certain that the figures have been massaged. Yes, climate change is happening and man could be to blame, but we all know that countries such as the U.S., China and India, as well as some Eastern European countries are definitely not giving a shit, yet we must pay for it! Let me put it this way, no amount of money paid by people in the UK, or any household energy savings here in the UK are going to make a grain of difference. The goverment know that, it's time you realised... you're being lied to again!

EU Must Be Mad!

Ah, the deed is done then. The people were promised a say, but when it really mattered, of course, the people cannot fully understand the concepts involved, so the great political minds of Europe went ahead and signed the "United States Of Europe" treaty for us. Now all we need to do is sit back and reap the rewards... which will be what exactly? I'm sure that I'm not alone in thinking that countries such as France and Germany will see this as just the result that was hoped for in the last 2 World Wars. Well, there patience has been rewarded, they now have control, and perhaps us Brits can finally be made to pay for having the audacity to stand up to them in the past.

We didn't stand up this time though, just rolled over to have our tummy ticked. My worst fear is that in some point in the very near future, some country is going to find themselves receiving a bit of a raw deal from this new arrangement, and will turn around and say, "Excuse Me Herr Germany and Madmoiselle France, but we've decided we'd like out of this treaty. They may well then be thrown a bone or two, but still not happy, they will simply be crushed by our new European Army, frogmarching along to "Ode to Joy", our new European Anthem, with the European Flag borne proudly aloft.

So we'll either find ourselves in a totalitarian state or we'll have a European schism and a European Civil War, just as the Germans are claiming the last 2 World Wars were, European Civil Wars. Yes, that's right, because we were all getting along great for ages before that weren't we? These people are blind if they think it will ever work, the best we can hope for are some special new European taxes to help fund a new Eurocratic workforce and Parliament. Maybe we'll get an EU VAT on top of existing VAT, that would help build up some gigantic EU MP's pensions. To be honest, I've never heard anyone say anything positive about the whole thing, apart from the deluded madmen pushing the idea along, does any normal person think this is a good idea? I'd love to hear it!

Lidl's Ladels the Labels!

You probably have a Lidl store somewhere near you, especially if you live in Europe, judging by the map above showing their progressive expansionist policy. We've had a Lidl's here for several years now, even though no-one knows how to pronounce it yet ("leed-ills", "lie-dills", "lid-dills"), everyone has their own way of saying it. Well, that's besides the point really. They've bulit a new store here, right next to the old one, only twice the size. What will they do with the old building? Nobody knows, but it'll give the old folk something to talk about until it's decided.

The new store opened on Thursday, and I had my first chance to go in there today. "How odd" I thought, "It's exactly the same as the old store, only slightly bigger and with a different flooring!" Yes, every sale item was in exactly the same location as it would have been in the old store, because the layout was the same too. And I still had to wait too long at the checkout, so no change there either.

They do have a nice big new car-park though, so that's something different I suppose. It's all came out of common good land that the Community Council sold to Lidl's for somewhere in the region of one million pounds I do believe. Now they have a million to spend, the local councillors are in a panic about what to do with it. They should just syphon it off through vastly over-inflated expenses claims like normal councillors would. It'll never do the town any good, we almost had a Tesco until last week when the whole thing was scrapped. That's the odd thing about this town, they keep building more houses, while all the time local shops and businesses have been packing up. Now, all we have is houses for around 20,000 and the odd corner shop. So let's build some more houses then, yes there are about 3 new housing estates in the pipeline!