Does it have to be that way with our Media Choices?

For those of us that have an interest in Scottish culture etc the release of the TV Series OUTLANDER recently has been a boon.... Well maybe.

On the surface it is very interesting and appears authentic.  A little to authentic in some respects if you believe life was hard and full of  marauding soldiers that have their way with people back in the 1700's.

Here is a sample of some of the questionably family friendly content as described found on the IMDB.COM site..


A woman rips her dress open, full nudity

A man puts his hand up a woman's dress and she starts moaning. No nudity but the scene lasts for quite a while

A woman tries to have sex with a married man, she is wearing a very revealing dress, they start kissing but he tells her to stop

several attempts to rape, nudity involved.

A man is seen with a gunshot wound which is then taken care of by a nurse.

Several men are attacked by a boar. They have graphic wounds in their legs. One man's intestines are exposed.

A little boy has a nail hammered through his ear as a form of punishment. He screams in pain, and blood pours out of his wound.

A man tries to rape a woman in episode one, he lifts her skirts up to expose her bottom but he is interrupted

The same man tries to rape a woman in a later episode, he bends her over the table and lifts her skirts, rips open her dress to reveal her breasts but he is interrupted

A man and woman have sex in a field, a woman's dress has been ripped open to reveal her breasts. They are interrupted by some soldiers, one tries to rape the woman but nothing is seen and he is stopped.

In episode 12, one attempted rape scene goes on for a while. In the prolonged scene the man exposes his genitals while we watch him rub them but being unable to become erect to rape the woman he is with. He beats her several times before she blacks out, it is unclear what occurred afterwards.

In episode 14, two women talk while one of them squeezes the breast-milk out of each one of her nipples into a cup. This goes on for a couple of minutes.

A group of travelers comes across two bodies hanging from crosses. The men have been crucified and otherwise abused. Close-ups of the bodies are shown and the victims have been dead for about a week.

Various scenes in which severely wounded men are being treated, which display a high level of anxiety and urge combined with screaming or moaning and images of blood gushing.


This is just a sampling of the various types of content.  The area they list are Gore & Violence, Sex & Nudity,  Frightening/Intense Scenes, Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking, and Profanity.  They have listings for each one.... The Sex section is more then a screen full at regular font size.

So the question is this  - Do we really have to have all this profanity, sensual material etc in our programs?  Could they not have made the same program and not included the majority of this material?  Is there a way to make a TV series for example that is still basically historically accurate without having to throw in so much sex, violence and the like?

I once was watching a documentary on the making of the God Father Movie.  At one point Francis Coppella said there was rumors that a violence director would be brought in to make the movie more violent etc.  Kind of scary thinking of why do they need to add that stuff in..... many times it does not help the movie one bit.

That becomes the challenge.  How do those of us that still have morals or want to have morals push for more quality programming. I'd love some good Scottish culture programming, that is not necessarily documentary and potentially dull.  I'd also like to have said program(s) not be full of rape scenes.

We gave away our copy of the Rob Roy movie featuring Liam Neeson.  Over all the movie was good.  The story very authentic, well paced, written and acted.  However, one part that lasts for say 2 minutes in the movie made us give it up.... the Raping of the wife by Cunningham.  You might know what I'm talking about if you've seen the movie.  If you haven't your missing nothing.   We'll take our Disney version any day since it is clean.  Slightly different focus, style, and the like but, good no the less.




Another case in point.  We watch LADYKILLERS featuring Tom Hanks the other night.  Good overall remake and in some respects better especially if you could remove all the language.
 
So that is the challenge.... finding a way to get good entertaining material while still keeping our morals, and minds clean from the filth that is present in so much programming.

I guess one of the few ways to know if you should even be watching something is this -   If you would not watch it with your kids present should you be watching it at all. 
The US has a rating system though as most of you have found out - PG-13 does not always means your kids should be watching it...... the lines are so grey these days it is hard to tell just from the rating.  Some other countries have rating but, they too are equally vague and not really helpful.

mpaa.org

Highest grossing films by Rating - PG-13 does best - https://stephenfollows.com/which-mpaa-rating-earns-the-most-money/

A few sites have been developed over the last few years in regards to rating media content in a different way beyond the normal rating system.

One such site is OK.com   uses an age rating 6+ or say 17+ as the minimum age that should be watching this material.  Seems to be a popular way of doing things in other countries for ratings.

Kids in mind is another - 

 They don't put an overall rating on a movie or program.  They rank the areas of concern - profanity, nudity, violence etc.  That way you can find out if a movie is high for say profanity but, very low for everything else.

ASSIGNED NUMBERS
Unlike the MPAA we do not assign one inscrutable rating based on age, but 3 objective ratings for SEX/NUDITY, VIOLENCE/GORE and PROFANITY on a scale of 0 to 10, from lowest to highest, depending on quantity and context. - Kids-in-mind.com


The LadyKillers tends to be off the chart for profanity but, in the middle for the other factors.
Had I known that I'm not sure I would have even watch any of it.

The problem is some rate just movies, or just TV.  There is not a one stop shop for everything.... though I guess it never will be since you'd need one that cover all the countries of the world.




I'd like to put some well known Scottish culture films or programs and a cleaner alternative


Rob Roy  (Liam Neeson) - Rob Roy, The Highland Rogue (by Disney), Count of Monte Cristo

Brave Heart (Mel Gibson) - Can not figure out a good substitute.

Outlander (Starz Series) -  Kidnapped, Poldark(PBS)

Honorable Mention(s) - The Mission, Lord of the Ring Series, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, The Eagle, Willow
(some of these may be borderline for Violence etc) 

Again some styles of films and topics  are very hard to tone down the action, etc.  What you have to look for are the ones that might have a bit of fighting, though exclude unnecessary language or sex.




Buaidh - NO - Bas

"What do they really wear under the Kilt?"

The other day I got asked this question - "What do you wear under your Kilt?".

The person asking is a missionary from Texas and he has been teaching a person with a strong Scottish background.

So I happened to have a copy of a Scottish products catalog and showed him a version of the famous shirt that has the top ten responses.

You may view the t-shirt on the Celtic Croft website in detail here.

Here is what they have on the t-shirt and part of the list.  For those that want something a little cleaner you'd have to dump about half the list.

1.   My shoes and socks
2.   Nothing worn - Everything is in perfect working order
3.   My furry pouch - oh wait that is on top.
4.   A very fine set of accessories
5.   My used beer dispenser
6.   Good girls don't ask, bad girls find out
7.   My Claymore - and it's in need of a good polishing.....
8.   Lipstick when I'm lucky....
9.   If your brave enough to ask, you're brave enough to find out
10. I'll show you mind if you show me yours

Another interesting version can be viewed here from USA Kilts

There are also some great responses in the must read book for those that will be using a kilt.  It's called "So you're going to wear the Kilt!"  by  J. Charles Thompson.  They are much cleaner but basically, rest on the 'plumbing is working do you need a demonstration?'





So as you can see there are a few catchy things you can say to someone that is questioning you about what you are wearing under your kilt.

The Kilt in and of itself is very interesting.  It's almost always historically made of a tartan material of wool.

The interesting part is that within the Celtic culture tartan style material/cloth has been in use for millennia.  However, the kilt seems to be a bit of a more modern invention even though it is one of the great symbols of Scotland along with the Bagpipe.
The origins of the kilt are somewhat cloud in the mysteries of time and space.  The Britain Celts who were closely associated with the Romans for several hundred years appear to not have used any style of kilt at that time.  The Celts on the European Continent also have no historical use of the Kilt.  It was more trousers.  The Irish also seem to not have used one though it is generally accepted that the fore runner of the modern kilt is or was the Breacan an Fhéilidh (belted plaid) or Feileadh Mòr (great plaid).



Basically the original kilts were large pieces of cloth that were pleated by hand (kilting) and then belted around the middle.  This left a huge amount of material that could be thrown over the shoulder and wrapped around the user.  These could and would be a little short on the bottom side.  Not nearly getting to the knee in many cases and this lends credence to that Mr. Thompson says are the Victorian ear kilts that go to the knee or beyond.

I find it is best if the kilt goes to around the knee.  For modesty and religious reasons even my shorts need to be that long.  It's kind of slutty for a woman to use a micro mini with no leggings and a super short kilt is just unbecoming to a man no matter his age.

Kilts as we know them today started to appear at least in the 16th century.  They were present for all the Jacobite rebellions. Though the chieftains likely used Thews (plaid pants) so they could ride horses easier.  The general soldier or clansman wore the kilt and even removed it in many cases to fight and tied his shirt between his legs.



Over time the kilt began to shed the additional material that was above the waist.  This may have been for comfort or other similar reasons as more and more Scots moved around the world.

Today the kilt is made of about 3 yards of tartan material.  It is pleated to the sett by the maker and includes buckles and straps to help secure it.  It is also used for more formal events and less for everyday use.  Though in reality a person may use the same kilt at the local Highland Games and then a week or so later at his friends wedding.  It is the upper accessories that change.  The style of shirt, the coat or lack there of, the plaid, the cap, the style or quality of the sporran and the Sgian dubh.



So for those that are brave enough these days to wear a kilt. What do they use or wear under there?

It all come down to personal preference.  I've seen many a caber tosser, or heavy athlete that uses so type of tight fitting short.  Not them mighty whitey underwear so many use daily.  More like athletic shorts.  They whirl, and turn and twist so much you'd see more then you want at some point.  Also the few guys that do highland dancing any more also use some type of shorts under there.  They also whirl, twist, and turn and jump so much you need to.  We've seen more then our fair share of dancer's under garments without out even trying.

So I think things like these t-shirts with a list of interesting things to say when someone wants to know what is under your kilt are just for fun, and to help keep the mystery going.  At times I think these quick, cheesy, and sometimes lewd, responses are just what people need.  We don't go around asking a lady what she has on under her skirt.  It would be interesting if they stated to describe in detail their panties to the poor sick bum that was crazy enough to ask.




One shirt states - "If there is underwear under there it's called a skirt!"

I'll let you decide what I might be wearing under my kilt the next time I'm at the local Scottish Fair.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Follow Up on the Highland Games

The events on Saturday wee wonderful.   I ended up sun burned even though the day started out a bit over cast.  We have June gloom in southern California and it was in full swing that morning.

The venue that is utilized is very good for this type of event.  Things can be spread out and not conflict one with another though things are not so far off that you have to climb a hill and go around a bend.
Sadly, this does not help the sheep dog demos.  This were in a small pen near the children's area and seating was no existent and shade just as much so.   Also because of such a small space provided that can do no more then a bit of demos, and not some real competition that has the dogs darting out of the bushes with the lost sheep running as fast as they can to get away.  Still good, but what can you do with a small area.

They call the long walk that has the clan tents up and down it the "Clan Mile".  That would not be much of an exaggeration.  They provide a ton of space and it goes on for quite some distance.  All the clans were well represented and we had our moment of the clan roll call.  One clan appeared to be having their AGM (Annual General Meeting) and sadly did not have much humph when called.  Probably many were off at the tons of other activities.




Pixar and Disney were very much in marketing mode.  They had loads of Banners for the upcoming Brave Movie in the main arena, and several locations around the fair grounds.   They even were cross promoting with the archery going on.  I'm hoping we can win the tickets to the advanced screening of Brave.
They even had a booth with a boat load of posters and other handouts......  what girl with a bit of Scottish/Irish blood in her does not want to have red hair and be a pro at archery?

My daughter tried her hand at archery for the first time.  The quality of the bow makes all the difference.  The first time we got a poor quality bow that was not really the right size.  It was much easier in the afternoon with a slightly bigger bow.  She even hit the targets.

I now know why King Edward "Long shanks" of England incorporated Welsh long bowman into his army. 


My wife commented that if she had to live by hunting she would likely starve.   It's not as easy as it seems.  But the food offering were quite good.  Tons of fish and chips, meat pies and banger and onions.

One of the many highlights of the day was the Farmer's Walk held just before the closing ceremonies and massing of the bands in the main arena.   Basically the guys carry 150 lbs in each hand and try to go as far as they can.  There is a distance of 100 feet marked out and they turn around at the end and come back.   A world record 500 feet was achieved Brian Crilly setting world record in Farmers Walk

The previous world record holder. Tried his hand at the event and did a very noteworthy 400 feet.  The master class and guys under 300 lbs care a lesser 225 lbs worth of weights.  Not any less of a feat.

Real Men wear kilts.  Don't let any one tell you otherwise.


So all and all it was a wonderful time at Scots Fest 2012.  The 21 cabers tossed at once was a bit strange but, why would it not be?

So make an effort to attend your local Scottish Festival and Highland Games.  It will be well worth your time - even if you do decide to not try the haggis.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Scottish Festival and Highland Games

This weekend is the annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games at the local Orange County Fair grounds.

This event is in it's 80th year or so and has been renamed SCOTS FEST - A Scottish Festival of Celtic Entertainment and Food to more properly reflect what it truly has become.
It's two days of true Scottish culture with all the fine points one would expect.  Highland dancing, Pipe band competition, athletics (Caber toss, hammer throw, weight for height etc), Clan Societies, and plenty of food, drinks and entertainment (Bad Haggis, Sligo Rags, Highland Way and Tempest) of all sorts.








This event has become a family tradition with us.  We head there every memorial day weekend to get our slice of highland culture.

It's a great opportunity to see all our old friends from our Clan Society (http://macdougall.org).  This is one of the best places to find your Scottish roots.  Most if not all of the clan tents have some type of listing of the Septs (family names) associated to the clan.  Many also have some fairly comprehensive books on Scottish surnames that can also be helpful in locating at least some connection.  There are so many people with a vast array of knowledge that your bound to find something out if you try hard enough.  Granted that every clan had their fair share of Smiths since they all had black smiths and the like in the local village.






Though my wife and daughter do not get to excited about the athletics I do like to try and see a few guys try and toss the caber.  Unfortunately, we generally have to split up to pull this off.  Way too many things going on.

Caber Toss

Caber, in Gaelic, means simply pole or rafter. Unlike the standardized instruments common to modern track and field events, it has no fixed weight or dimensions. Contestants on a particular day all have to try with the log at hand. In the event no one is able to turn it (end over end) successfully, it is common practice to saw a piece off until someone is able to turn it. It should be noted that the goal of the effort is not distance, but to toss the log end-over-end so that it lands in a straight line from the tosser. Points are deducted according to the number of degrees off from the ideal 12 o'clock mark. The greater handicap in this event isn't the weight of the caber, but its length. 

Scotsfest section on athletics 

Some times everyone has trouble getting the caber to turn.  Other times a couple of guys are able to turn the caber.  It is always fun and can be potentially risky depending where you position yourself to watch.  Some guys due to the size of the caber have a real hard time getting it to balance properly so that can begin their attempted at turning it.  This has involved stepping backwards and the like. Thus the risk if the person has to drop the caber; not fun to be hit by a telephone pole.

Other events that are fun to watch is the Highland Dancing.  It is just amazing what those girls can do.

And the pile of Celtic apparel and clothing you see people wearing and that is available to buy.

Back in the day just before I got married I went and purchased a kilt package from a vendor at the fair.  Unfortunately, I had problems with the vendor fulfilling my order and had to take them to small claims court.  They thankfully do not exist anymore and are not at the fair any longer.  It sure was a deal but, it was a pain when I had to go and acquire varies pieces to have a complete outfit for my wedding reception.

I do get a kick out of the many t-shirts that are available to specify and answer the ultimate question - WHAT DO YOU WEAR UNDER THAT KILT?

In a book I have entitled - So you are going to wear the kilt: Revised 3rd edition by J. Charles Thompson  there is a section that discusses how to handle those questions.  You won't get much of that at Scotsfest.  Since many a person at the fair is wearing a kilt no one asks.  In reality it is when your the only wearing the kilt that you have a higher chance of getting asked.

So how do you respond?  Since it referencing such a private affair and parts that people don't like to talk about it can become hard. He says to use something along the lines of "The plumbing is all in working order, do you need a demonstration?", or "My shoes".   Basically something simple to put them off.  You have to keep up the mystic of the whole affair.  In the past people wore nothing underneath the kilt.  Now a days you find all kinds of athletic shorts and other types of undergarments.  I think I even read that they changed policy for the dragoons guards and other highland regiments in regards to the lack of clothing under the kilt.  It is now considered tacky to not use anything under your kilt.  But if you really tell someone what is down there the mystery goes away.   A shirt with some ideas for responding presents some seedy ideas.  A few of the cleaner ones are - Fine set of accessories, socks and shoes, etc.  To see all the saying and the actual shirt click here  or click here Your sure to get a laugh even if you are considered a bit of a prude.  Below are a few other choices naturally cleaner then some of the above options.





  

So as we celebrate our Scottish heritage take the chance to get your kilt out and wear it.  Listen to some great bagpipe music and enjoy some Haggis if that is to your liking.

If you think you might be related to some famous Scotsman or other British isles royalty then you should check out my post entitled - Are you Related to someone Famous?

Buaidh -  NO - Bas

  

Are You related to someone famous? part II

Well I went and revisited the site to find out about famous relatives.
And guess what?  They made it better and more improved

Here is the link again.
http://roots.cs.byu.edu/

What is cool is the fact they are tagging into the familysearch database and the information you have provided (with your permission) and are able to show a more direct link.  In the past it was only to your distant relative.  Now it can show all the way to you.

Now generally when you hit a royal line like in my case you get only a dozen or so people since they can't show every count, princess or the like.  But, with the improved system you can add in other relatives or people you want to verify if you have any link to and get a report for this.

So Like any good member of the Clan MacDougall (http://macdougall.org) I felt I should put in our Patriarch - Somerled.

What amazed me was the fact that I do have a direct line to Somerled.  But the more amazing part is that it goes through the second child - Reginald.   Not the route I was expecting.





It is also very interesting to see the linkage between various states like Portugal and the rest of the Iberian Peninsula or England and Scotland.



So I'm going to give some of the ID codes (Ancestral file Number- AFN) that one would need to check their linkage to the great Somerled and other notables of the time frame.

PZ7J-20 -  ISLES, Somerled King Of The

8WKN-4B - ENGLAND, Edward I Longshanks King Of

9G9N-60 - SCOTLAND, Kenneth I Macalpin King Of



So if you find anything interesting using this site please provide the information.  It's amazing what we can find.  I just wish I could solve the problems I'm having with my ancestor George McCool who came from Canada to Macon Illinois in the 1850's.


So for Now
Buaidh - NO - Bas

To Haggis or not to Haggis

Well over the memorial day weekend we attended the local Highland Games and Festival at the county fair grounds.  It's been call Scots Fest for sometime now.

We have an annual tradition to attend and always have a good time.
This year as I took too long to get back from the Clan tent my step-mother (a very southern lady) decided to buy some Haggis while watching a band called "Ploughboy".
We'd heard that Haggis is basically just a bunch of oatmeal and chitlets (innards) cooked in a sheep's stomach.  She had something similar as a child so she took the plunge this year.

I'll say I was not overly impressed when I tried it.  Little bit of a nutty flavor, though not down right bad.  I enjoyed the Bangers and Onions and the Fish and Chips much better.  No one tried the meat pies or sausage rolls this year.

I'm including a copy of a recipe I found out there in cyber space so people can know what is included in Haggis

• 1 sheep's lung (illegal in the U.S.; may be omitted if not available)
• 1 sheep's stomach
• 1 sheep heart
• 1 sheep liver
• 1/2 lb fresh suet (kidney leaf fat is preferred)
• 3/4 cup oatmeal (the ground type, NOT the Quaker Oats type!)
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cup stock

Wash lungs and stomach well, rub with salt and rinse. Remove membranes and excess fat. Soak in cold salted water for several hours. Turn stomach inside out for stuffing.

Cover heart and liver with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Chop heart and coarsely grate liver. Toast oatmeal in a skillet on top of the stove, stirring frequently, until golden. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Loosely pack mixture into stomach, about two-thirds full. Remember, oatmeal expands in cooking.

Press any air out of stomach and truss securely. Put into boiling water to cover. Simmer for 3 hours, uncovered, adding more water as needed to maintain water level. Prick stomach several times with a sharp needle when it begins to swell; this keeps the bag from bursting. Place on a hot platter, removing trussing strings. Serve with a spoon. Ceremoniously served with "neeps, tatties and nips" -- mashed turnips, mashed potatoes, nips of whiskey.

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/scottish/haggis.html

or just buy a can here to save all the effort

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We Took in the band "Bad Haggis" while having lunch.  We've enjoyed them in the past, and at one point they even had a Brazilian doing some of their vocals and percussion.
Who can go wrong with a little rock, and bagpipes on overdrive?



I also finally picked up a copy of the CD "Sons of Somerled" by Steve McDonald.  Since my Clan (MacDougall) comes from the senior surviving line of Somerled (Via his second wife) I felt I needed to get a copy of the disc.  On top of that our fairy princess won a signed copy of another disc by the same musician. His music is worth checking out!


We even got to check out a small Norse encampment setup.  Nice people even showed us some weaving.  They could have done a lot more with it though.  That's what you get when use volunteers.




Buaidh - NO - Bas

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