It isn’t a skirt it is a kilt

[Jock Scot]

i read it as scottish culture being watered down in the usa, not american culture being watered down.

PRECISELY! Thank you!

[Friday]

Gentlemen, gentlemen,
I am sorry for the can of worms that I have started, lets take a deep breath and get back to talking about kilts and kilts only!

Having said that may I try and explain some of my comments in my post number 39.

To start there is good and bad about offense. The bad offense can easily and is often taken even when not given. On the good side just because offense in given doesn't mean it has to be taken. Over the years I have tried to learn not to take offense over anything. I don't always succeed, but I try.

300 baud internet - early access to the internet was mainly by using phone lines. The hand-set of phone was place into two rubber cups, one for the mouth piece the other the ear piece. When I started the speed over the phone line was 150 baud or about 150 bits a second. Then it went to the lighting of 300 bits a second (300 baud). This was not bad it was all there was and the internet as only text based. At 300 baud it would take all week for one of today's graphic pages to load.

Tone - as said in another person's post tone is hard to understand in written material. However, it can be implied. One of the early tonal problem was similar to the problen of two nations divided by a common language. One of the first programing languages in what is plain languages was COBOL. It was a common practice for COBOL programs to be written in all capital letter. Lower case letters were used infrequently, this lead COBOL programmer to let the Caps Lock on. When they sent email with in the COBOL programing arena there was no problem, everyone was used to seeing everything in caps. There was a problem when these email were sent outside the COBOL community. Those not in the COBOL community saw all Caps as yelling. To this is added to heavy use of bold, different font styles, different font sizes and underlining.


The above is part of the email and internet forum educate (should be Etiquette, I admit I can't spell, even with a spell checker) that I learned over 30 years ago.


For example go back to the first two words what did you feel about my tone when you read these words. Then at the end of the third line when I said, and kilts only what did you think about the tone of these words.

I do not believe that Jock Scot meant any negativity or offense, he is providing his point of view. If Jock Scot will forgive me, may I use post 19 as an example. Using the email Etiquette this old fart learned over 30 years ago, how would you have interpret the tone?

I could not see Jock Scot's face or body language I could only go by the written word.

Jock Scot "So what is it exactly that have I said , in post 19, that is causing you such upset?" Does it matter at this point? Not to me.

Once again.

Gentlemen, gentlemen,
I am sorry for the can of worms that I have started, lets take a deep breath and get back to talking about kilts and kilts only!

[tundramanq]

Had to look up Emma Lazarus's full sonnet that now resides in the museum. During one of the rebuilds the version on the statue got shortened.

"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

[California Highlander]

I say this as kindly as I can. It is you chaps from afar that have problems with this, not us. I suppose its to do with your culture being watered down by other cultures and by time and distance and of course if you choose to wear the kilt "out there" you are bound to stand out and thus catch the eye of those that might mock.

Jock, probably the "watered down" phrase is more pejorative to some Americans, implying that our culture is like a watered down scotch at a disreputable pub. "Blended with" might be a better description than "watered down by". However, your post didn't bother me in the least, and it describes the general swirl and mixing of cultures that makes up America. In some parts, the Scottish traditions might be stronger, in others, some other cultural traditions are stronger. The Scottish traditions in the USA are definitely "watered down" compared to Scotland!

I'm in northern California near San Francisco and have yet to have anyone call my kilt a skirt (other than my wife!) Certainly most people don't even comment on my kilt at all, just as if I was wearing shorts, a dashiki, or any other clothing, and if they do comment, they know it's a kilt and sometimes ask if I'm going to Scottish games or a other event.

Cheers!

[Jock Scot]

OKAY PEACE IS DECLARED!

But let us learn from this. In my ignorance I thought using capitals was to highlight a specific point---not a SHOUT! So how does one highlight a point on the internet?

I am confused, I am really confused, I am really really confused, I am told ------we Scots members are told, time and time again by US members that whilst they celibrate their assorted roots and heritage they are Americans first and foremost. And I/we have always (I would use capitals there, but its shouting apparently! ) understood that. So how can you twist what I have said to the Scots watering down US culture? Come on chaps you can't have it both ways!

Okay , drinks all round!

[LitTrog]

Okay , drinks all round!

Yahoo! I knew there was a reason I butted in.

Something peaty, please!

[Friday]

OKAY PEACE IS DECLARED!

But let us learn from this. In my ignorance I thought using capitals was to highlight a specific point---not a SHOUT! So how does one highlight a point on the internet?

This can be tricky, the more caps and bold that are used the more it come across as shouting. To this is the tone word choices must be added. The more energy that can be seen in the words the stronger the bold and fonts come into play. One suggestion I gave when trying to teach a writing course for the US Federal Government. Before you sent a message think "What would I think of this message if some had printed it on a companies letterhead and mailed it to me? How would I react to the words and emphasis used?" Email is a less formal way of communicating but we must still be concerned about how the person receiving will misinterpret it.

celibrate

Excuse me I am a bad speller and a my typing is worst, but,

celibrate - a combination of celebrate and celibate. celebrating being celibate. an ironic/ sarcastic way of saying you have not had sex in a long time. I HOPE this is not true. Please take the drinks all around and go to the pub and by one for the ladies. Said intending tounge in cheek, laughing because I could see doing this my self.

Okay , drinks all round!

I'll see you one round and raise you two rounds.

[tundramanq]

The Scots have added to our culture in big ways. Single Malt Whiskies for one -- but it's not noon here yet - drat!
The "great melting pot" that we are tends to celebrate all cultures because many like myself can no longer be sure of where all the parts are from. Record keeping seemed to be rather unimportant during the pioneer days and about half my lines are lost there. Emigrants kept the best and left the rest of their cultures from the old world. Surviving came first. The renewal of interest in old blood lines and culture seems to be a pretty recent thing here and has spawned a tartan revival of sorts. Cheers

[kiltedbob]

Might I add my 1 cents worth here? I have greatly enjoyed the discussion of rules, regs, ediquette, grammer, and basically simple remarks... Very enlightening... Thankfully after 30+ years on the internet, I have learned today about baud, COBAL etc. so you see chaps, buddies, friends or what ever fits in your (ouor) country... I have learned something... the downside is that I thought I new everything, and now I have learned some new things.... thanks for the comments, and the sides of life on "the other side of the pond" that makes all uniquely different yet close friends.... NOW.....that I know everything....someone else will probably show up and burst my bubble and I will have to crowd more information in my pea sized brain.... Long live kilts and kilt wearers, of which I am one....p.s.... I too get the ocassional "nice skirt" comment.... No offense ment to anyone here...or there!!! LOL. Kilted Bob

[Jock Scot]

Friday.

When you get to my age of three score years and ten---plus a tad-----I should have learned to type wearing glasses, but sometimes I try to cut corners and a combination of tired eyes and suspect spelling catches me out all too often. As to the celibate question----I have nothing to say!

I can see that the capital letter thing could be/IS a problem for the internet to get nuances across, but getting to know who is writing and their individual style does help, I think.