[cymru] cyfriniol cenedl

In this ongoing Ignorant Travel Guide, I wrote that I was going to do Ireland next.

I lied.

The first thing about Wales is that online Welsh translators are rubbish. The second is; 'r Cymraeg ydy da boblogi.

In this mystic land, things are not as they seem:

Names are not always what they seem. The common Welsh name BZJXXLLWCP is pronounced Jackson. [Twain]

Yes but what do the Welsh actually look like?

Welsh in general have dark features i am Welsh and I'm from Welsh speaking Wales were you get more dark complexion than light maybe this is because foreign tribes never really made it this far into Wales. I have dark brown/black hair, Brown eyes, I am medium sized and have darker skin. When I'm in Spain the Spaniards always come up and speak to me in Spanish.

That's interesting because in Sicily, people were forever coming up to me asking directions in Italian.

What do the Welsh think of themselves?

I rather like my reputation, actually, that of a spoiled genius from the Welsh gutter, a drunk, a womanizer; it's rather an attractive image. [Richard Burton]

What do the non-Welsh think of them?

"The Welsh," said the Doctor, "are the only nation in the world that has produced no graphic or plastic art, no architecture, no drama. They just sing," he said with disgust," sing and blow down wind instruments of plated silver. They are deceitful because they cannot discern truth from falsehood, depraved because they cannot discern the consequences of their indulgence. Let us consider," he continued, "the etymological derivations of the Welsh language...."

Apparently, everyone wants to move there:

The jobs are already held by Civil Servants around the country who will be expected to relocate to Wales or lose their jobs.

Which leaves us with the obvious question – did Owain Glyndŵr ever use the expression: ‘Sod the English?’

Finally, who is the sexiest Welsh woman afloat?

Answer

Personally, I prefer this one.

[secession] who stands to gain

Theo has quite a bit up about the secessions.

With only a few days to the ceding of the powers of he U.S. to the equivalent of the NAAC, it's interesting that this is coming to a head now. Working on the basic premise that the CFR and other heavenly bodies are well into the breaking up of the union, then it is logical that secessionist movements would be viewed favourably by them.

With non-President Obama a tool in the hands of those in charge of the U.S.A., secession is understandable for lovers of the constitution but unfortunately, it's also a power thing with one set of pollies wanting to run the show and to have a slice of the pie.

The question still remains though - who stands to gain if all these states [or even a few of them] secede?

[love] underrated

10 years ago i thought love was over-rated, today i think it is under-rated.

[silent sunday] captions please

[the crimean war] and the persistence of old issues

For a look at this conflict, try this site.

How much has really changed?

A glance through key elements of the wiki version of the Crimean War show that the old issues are still alive and well.

“The Crimean War lasted from 28 March 1854 to 1856. It was fought between Russia and an alliance of the United Kingdom, France, and the Ottoman Empire, joined somewhat tardily by Piedmont-Sardinia. The majority of the conflict took place on the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea.

The war ended with the Treaty of Paris (1856).”

My exit from Russia, not fancifully I would suggest, had some of its antecedents in Britain’s traditional rivalry with Russia. The war also confirms continued support for the Muslims at governmental level and in many other sections of British society.

Basically, Russia wanted to solve its Eastern question and to score some much needed victories for home consumption. It had a vehicle for victory in Admiral Nakhimov or so it thought.

It was a fiasco and many things resulted from it, such as “the mass exodus of Crimean Tatars towards the Ottoman lands, resulting in massive depopulation in the peninsula. Crimean Tatars became a minority in their homeland.”

“The roots of the war's causes lay in the existing rivalry between the British and the Russians in other areas such as Afghanistan (The Great Game). Conflicts over control of holy places in Jerusalem led to aggressive actions in the Balkans, and around the Dardanelles.”

So what’s changed?

“Florence Nightingale came into prominence during the Crimean War for her contributions in the field of nursing during the war.”

A positive effect in the field of nursing.

In the light of coming events in our era, it’s interesting that Britain supported the side against the anti-Muslims in the Crimean War and subsequently in the Middle-East and North Africa. It’s interesting how, while Italy is vehemently anti-Muslim for the most part, to the extent of banning the proliferation of mosques and Islamic schools, Britain sees no need for such things.

The gates of Vienna clearly has had little effect on British foreign policy. Yes, it’s interesting but in the context of the forces really driving Europe and this island nation, it’s not at all puzzling.

[bloghounds] stirrings from the hearth

Bloghounds Term Report

[Cross-posted at the site, if the technically wizardry of Cherry Pie worked.]


As usual, this is a personal review and you’re welcome to post your own. The Bloghounds welcome your perspective.

We find ourselves with eight months under our belt and where are we?

The attrition of blogs

Some say that the nature of blogging has changed; certainly there is a move by certain sections of society to restrict and register blogs but there also seems to be less blogging going on in general.

Bloghounds needs to recognize realities and the immense pressures [in blogging terms] of real life in 2009. In short, people have their own worries and less time to devote so this, in turn, makes rules about visiting other members and linking quotas unworkable.

There is also the firm principle that a blog is a voluntary, largely unpaid medium which someone maintains because he or she wants to. Therefore, he will want to visit the Dales, Wat Tylers and Dmajor bloggers, he has his own daily round and his own inner circle.

Where does that leave Bloghounds?

From a personal point of view, it seems, as I wrote once before, that BH is a brand name and as such, the principles upon which it was founded need to remain immutable, as the best trading houses in the world, the ones remaining viable and not bailed out, also do.

The line, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ applies to us. As a badge of a certain, if minor distinction, it stands for ethical principles and that has implications for new inductees. We don’t have many rules but those we do have, we stick to almost vehemently. Not to put too fine a point on it – there is a certain type of blogger we like to see wearing the Bloghounds badge and there are, sadly, some which we don’t.

This is not high-nosed but a simple statement that we are protecting the brand name.

The committee

We do seem to have settled on a skeleton committee which takes care of the nuts and bolts but I’d like to mention some in particular.

There is our technical whiz, Wolfie, who made it possible in the first place and keeps these matters going, there are the original committee members such as Andrew Allison, Welshcakes, Jams O’Donnell [current committee member], Sackerson and then there is one other to mention at this time.

This lady is the goods, a great administrator because she does it with so little fuss. To have an admin who is also so in Real Life is a coup and I’m referring here to Cherry Pie who has carved out her own little niche in the blogosphere and who crosses so many blogging boundaries.

Issues

There are two issues we’ve so far had to face.

One was the image copyright matter which we jumped on in uncharacteristic haste, followed now by our own langorous search for a new logo.

The other is the constant problem of applicants who are refused. A look at the correspondence which goes back and forth over any controversial applicant has shown a distinct pattern – unanimity amongst those who spoke and silence from the others.

We know what we want and we know what we don’t. We reserve the right to rely on our members’ voices and we go with the majority opinion. There is no undue administrative directing of opinion for the simple reason that this membership has shown itself to be impervious to undue influence. They’re big boys and girls in their own right.

Bighound

There is one mystery member who can usually be found contentedly curled up on the hearthrug. We assure members he’s been fed and watered and if you see him roaming round the premises late at night, do not be alarmed – he’s simply shifting position to get closer to the warmth.

The human members

We are the members. Having said that, recent votes and comments have shown a distinct tendency to leave it to the few and so be it. BH does not push the unattainable; it recognizes reality. If things are going in a certain direction, then that’s the direction they’re going.

If this report resembles a boring quarterly company review sent to your mailbox, then that’s a big plus in our eyes. ‘Steady as she goes and into 2009’ is where Bloghounds is currently sailing.