A Short Commentary on the Flags of the World Have you ever noticed why there's not really any flag of any nation on the globe that has any purple on it? This is because when countries were forming early on, the color purple was expensive (same reason only emperors of Rome only ever had purple clothing, because purple dye from the shellfish in Tunisia was expensive.). Now, that is understandable, but what about the countries that have flags now that have no purple? Well, some people just aren't creative. And we can agree that the USA has the best flag EVER?! Scotland's is interesting (maybe I'm just biased, being of Scottish stock m'self), but look at Ukraine's: How boring is that?! A yellow stripe and a blue stripe. Nothing. Else. Italy, Ireland, Germany, these country's flags have one thing in common: They are boring, because nobody really thought about the design. (In my opinion, at least.) Now I know that the colors often mean something, but still, on...
The Battle of Culloden Today, 277 years ago, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart, known as the Bonnie Prince Charlie, was defeated at Culloden Moor by the Duke of Cumberland, the son of the King of England. At this battle, the final Jacobite Rebellion was crushed, along with any hope of Scottish autonomy from the English. This post is a commemoration of that battle, and a 'well done' to those brave men who fought on that moor all those centuries ago. Among the dead was my clan's chief, Lachlan MacLachlan, 17th of that Ilk, who was carried from his horse by and English cannonball. He was leading the charge towards the English lines. Many of his clansmen did not make it there, being cut down by the muskets and cannons of the English. Today, you can visit Culloden Moor. Gravestones are set up commemorating the supposed places the clansmen and their chiefs fell. Many people, inspired by the well-known TV show Outlander, place flowers and memorial items at the Fraser cla...
U.S.A. The Fourth of July. The best holiday on the calendar short of Christmas or Easter. Barbecues, picnics, swimming in the pool, ice cream and popscicles, parades, the fun never seems to stop! (And let's not forget the best tradition of all: Fireworks! Who doesn't love blowing stuff up?) American independence. Does anybody realize what our country would be like if it weren't for those brave souls who wrote those historic words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." We'd probably still speak in English accents, paying taxes to a foreign sovereign, and not allowed to own any firearms or weapons of any kind. But now look at us. Because a couple of dozen men chose to take action for liberty and justice, our freedoms have been in place for centuries now, and despite their being under attack right now, they will stand. This is an edited version of an essay I wrote a few years ago. It answers the question why I love America,...
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