The fact that compared to the inhabitants of Africa and Russia, we still live well cannot ease the pain of feeling we no longer live nobly.
Druish Princess
Oh, great. That's all we needed...
Half of Scots Back Right to Send Child to Gaelic School
Lyndsay Buckland, The Scotsman, Monday May 13, 2013
http://www.scotsman.com/news/education/half-of-scots-back-right-to-send-child-to-gaelic-school-1-2926871
ALMOST half of Scots believe parents should have the right to send their children to a Gaelic school, research shows.
Analysis of results from the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey found there was widespread support for youngsters being able to attend Gaelic-medium education, where classes are taught in Gaelic with English as a secondary language.
The survey found that 48 per cent of people thought parents should have the choice of Gaelic education across Scotland.
This rose to 91 per cent when respondents were asked if parents in Gaelic-speaking areas should have the right.
But access to Gaelic-medium education is currently low, with figures showing just 2,418 children – about 0.6 per cent of Scottish primary school pupils – are being taught in such schools.
The survey also found that more than a third (37 per cent) of people thought that all pupils aged five to 16 should have to study Gaelic for one to two hours a week regardless of what type of school they were in, while 36 per cent disagreed and 26 per cent neither agreed nor disagreed.
The analysis was carried out by Soillsei, an inter-university Gaelic language research project, based on the results of last year’s Scottish Social Attitudes Survey with a sample of 1,229 people.
Despite the millions spent on trying to save Gaelic – and various Scottish Government initiatives from bilingual signs to education – many respondents expressed doubt about the future of the language, which is spoken by fewer than 60,000 Scots.
More than half – 53 per cent – thought that in 50 years the language would be spoken by fewer people than now, with only 14 per cent believing that it would be spoken by more.
Just under a third (32 per cent) of Scots believed that the use of Gaelic should be encouraged throughout Scotland, but 87 per cent believed that it should be encouraged in Gaelic-speaking areas. Only 11 per cent did not want Gaelic to be encouraged at all.
When asked whether learning Gaelic was pointless in the 21st century, 44 per cent disagreed and only 22 per cent agreed.
Despite rows over Gaelic road signs and other public signage – which have been fiercely opposed in places like Caithness – barely half (58 per cent) of respondents had seen any such signs.
But the research found there was a positive impact of public sector interventions to support Gaelic, with 70 per cent having heard the language in their homes on television or radio.
Soillsei project director Professor Lindsay Paterson, from Edinburgh University, said: “These results from the highly-respected Scottish Social Attitudes Survey show widespread support for Gaelic – probably much more extensively than is often supposed.”
John Angus MacKay, chief executive of Gaelic development agency Bòrd na Gàidhlig, added: “The results clearly indicate that a large majority of the Scottish population recognise that the Gaelic language and culture are an integral part of Scotland’s identity.”
Until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change, we will never change.” - Avi Shulman
Should I Stay or Should I Grow?
Internet Dating: Yer doing it wrong (Mostly Men Version)
I’ve only been internet dating for a few days but already I find myself giggling over some really bad internet dating mistakes that even clueless me knows not to do. Though my post will be addressing men’s profiles, no doubt some of them are “unisex” faux pas or have female variants which are beyond my personal experience.
I will now profile some “popular”….well, profiles.
No Forgiveness For The Unrepentant
I don’t normally put up too much of a Christian nature, but this piece was spot on.
The Rise and Fall of Sexual Promiscuity -
Sleeping around once had its benefits, but turns out women may have given up better fertility for better security.
Another interesting article upending the “patriarchy assumptions” about monogamy being forced upon women and low status men by high status elite men. On the contrary, it appears to have been the other way around.
Mìos na Gàighlig/ Gaelic Month
1) Mìos na Gàidhlig / Gaelic Month
Angus MacLeod, Celtic Heart Apr 26, 2013
(Beurla gu h-ìosal / English below)
Tha Mìos na Gàidhlig a’ tighinn dlùth ann an Alba Nuaidh. ‘S e sin mìos ‘nuair a nìthear greadhnachas ann an iomadh dòigh air sgàth na Gàidhlig, staid na Gàidhlig mar a tha e an diugh agus a h-uile h-oidhirp a chaidh a dheanamh air a son ré nam bliadhnaichean.
Tha cus a’ dol air adhart airson ‘s gun innsinn dhuibh gun a bhith fàgail amach rudeigin cudtromach ‘s mar sin, faodaidh sibh coimhead air a’ mhìosachan aig an làrach-lìn Comhairle na Gàidhlig an seo. http://www.gaelic.ca/calendar.php
Na àit’ a bhith amach air na tachartasan, bidh cuspair eile agam.
Bidh móran a’ gabhail àite mar thachartasan far an cruinnichear sluagh de dhaoine, ach cha téid aig a h-uile duine a bhith ann. Bidh obair againn agus dleasannasan eile a chuireas bacadh oirnn, ged bu toil leinn a dhol ann. Mar sin, carson nach dean sinn rudan leinn fhéin? Chan e an aon dòigh a th’ againn a bhith am measg sluaigh mhóir. Faodar cor na Gàidhlig a leasachadh le aon duine leis fhéin!
Dh’ fhaodamaid ùrachadh a chuir air na duilleagan “Facebook” againn a sheallas ceòl no sgeulachdan no seanfhacal Gàidhlig d’ ar caraidean. Dh’ fhaodamaid sanas a chuir ann air na bhios a’ dol air adhart airson Mìos na Gàidhlig faisg oirnn no ann an àiteachan eile.
Nan deigheadh dithis no triùir do thaigh bìdh ( mar eisimpleir ) còmhla gus bruidhinn ‘sa Ghàidhlig, nach togadh sin faicsinneachd ar cànain? Bhiodh e gu math feumail do na daoine a bhiodh ‘ga bruidhinn cuideachd!
Ma dh’ éigheas réiceadair oirbh air an fhòn, bruidhinn ‘sa Ghàidhlig ris! Tha làn fhios agam cho mór ‘s a chòrdas sin riu.
Is còir dhuinn cumail ‘nar cuimhne gun téid againn air cor na Gàidhlig a leasachadh le bhith leasachadh na th’ againn fhìn dhi. Faodaidh sinn òran no abairtean a dh’ ionnsachadh, rudeigin a sgrìobhadh, ar n-eachdraidh a leughadh. Faodaidh sinn bruidhinn ri na daoine aig a bheil Gàidhlig bho ‘n glùn gus innis dhaibh cho cudtromach a tha iad dhuinn agus taing a thoirt dhaibh airson na h-uiread a thug iad dhuinn.
Faodar marag a dheasachadh, no sgadain bhiorach, gàradh no lusan a chuir, ceilidh a chuir air ar nàbaidhean agus rudan mar sin mar is tric a rinn iad fhéin. Bidh na gnìomhan sin soirbheachail dhuinne cuideachd!
Tha smaointean eile agam ach chan eil àite gu leòir ann air an son! Suas dhuibh-se! Dé ur beachdan fhéin?
Ged a nì oifisean ‘is institiùdan obair air leth feumail dhuinn, chan iadsan no coinneamhan no cruinneachaidhean a bheir gu ìre na ‘s àirde sinn, ach na gnìomhan a nì gach uile duine leis fhéin. Gum bi Mìos mór agaibh uile!
****************
Gaelic Month
Gaelic Month is approaching in Nova Scotia. This is a month when Gaelic, the state of Gaelic as it is today and all the work that has been done on it’s behalf are celebrated.
There’s too much going on for me to tell you without leaving something important out and therefore you can look at the calendar at the Gaelic Council’s website here. http://www.gaelic.ca/calendar.php
Instead of talking about the events, I’ll have another subject.
A lot of events will be happening where a lot of people will gather, but not everyone can be there. We have work and other obligations that prevent us, even though we’d like to be there. Well then, why don’t we do things on our own? It isn’t our only option to be with a great crowd. The state of Gaelic can be improved by one person alone!
Perhaps we could update our Facebook pages with something that shows Gaelic music or stories or a proverb to our friends. We could put a message in about what’s happening for Gaelic Month in our community or in other places.
If two or three people were to go to a restaurant (for example) and spoke Gaelic, wouldn’t that raise the profile of our language? It would be helpful to the speakers too!
If a telemarketer calls you, speak to him in Gaelic. I know from experience how much they appreciate that.
We must remember that we improve the status of Gaelic by improving what we ourselves have of it. We can learn a song, write something, read or watch our history. We can speak to those who are native speakers and tell them how important they are to us and thank them for all they’ve given to us.
We could make marag or “sharp herring”, plant a garden or plants, visit our neighbours and other things like that, as they often did themselves. These actions are good for us too!
I have other ideas, but there’s no room for them all! It’s up to you! What are your ideas?
Although offices and institutions do extremely important work for us, it’s neither they nor meetings nor gatherings that will take Gaelic to a higher level, but the actions of each and every person on his own. Hope you have a great Gaelic Month!
Ma dh’ éigheas réiceadair oirbh air an fhòn, bruidhinn ‘sa Ghàidhlig ris! Tha làn fhios agam cho mór ‘s a chòrdas sin riu.
(If a telemarketer calls you, speak to him in Gaelic. I know from experience how much they appreciate that.)
When you think about it, it really is…
Even Candy Land Isn't Safe From Sexy
The little-kids’ board game, like so many other classic toys, has gotten a makeover.
And people wonder why so many religious people are increasingly choosing to isolate themselves from the wider society.
