Justin's Blog

 Archive for the ‘Scotland’ Category

To celebrate the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland’s bard, here’s a bit of poetry.

If you’ve never been to a Burns Supper, get it on your bucket list

ODE TO A HAGGIS

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great Chieftan o’ the Puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang’s my arm

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
You pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’need
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead

His knife see Rustic-labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reeking, rich!

Then, horn for horn they stretch an’ strive,
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive
Bethankit hums

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash
His spindle-shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs, an’ arms an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle

Ye pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
An’ dish them out their bill o’fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ pray’r,
Gie her a Haggis!

:: Justin ::

I am on my way back to Edinburgh, Scotland where I will be for the next week, spending some time with my parents.

I’ll be available by just about all of the usual means, but if you can’t find me and need something urgently, be sure to call the office or jump on Live Help.

:: Justin ::

As we all get excited about the upcoming World Cup in South Africa, Scotland (who failed to qualify yet again) are starting the rebuilding process.

Tonight was new manager (and former Hearts player and manager) Craig Levein’s first game in charge and it went very well as we beat the Czech Republic 1-0 at Hampden.

What was quite remarkable was the number of players on the pitch from Hearts cup winning team of 2006:

For Scotland:

• Craig Gordon (now with Sunderland)
• Lee Wallace (still with Hearts)
• Andy Webster (now with Dundee United)
• Paul Hartley (now with Bristol City, but check out this photo of him on Wikipedia!)
• Christophe Berra (now with Wolverhampton Wanderers)

And for the Czech Republic

• Rudy Skacel (now with Larissa in Greece)

Just goes to prove what a special team that was.

:: Justin ::

It’s very strange how a flight either way across the Atlantic feels like I am going home!

A tremendous break for me, now it’s time to get back to changing the world.

Before I do though, a quick photographic recap: (you can click on the pictures to see bigger versions.

:: Justin ::

This morning started with heading off to church to St Martin’s, the church where I grew and Dad used to work.  Very nice to catch up with old friends and see some wonderful young kids running riot there!

Then off to Gorgie City Farm for the obligatory visit.  Sorry no picture of the red tractor, I was having too much fun talking to the pigs!

Then after lunch, Nick to his girls back to Milngavie and I headed off to see my friend Scott, his son Calum, and John (who I meet once a year at Tynecastle) to see Hearts play Hamilton.

A very nice 2-0 win (the result was better than the football, but the banter was fun!)

:: Justin ::

Had a tremendous day today, my brother Nick and his girls games through to visit and we spend a gorgeous afternoon in Edinburgh’s Botanics

After tea tonight we were able to watch Team MAX in the pre-season scrimmage from Suffield, Connecticut thanks to a live web stream.  It’s exciting to see the robot in action and see how the games develop.

:: Justin ::

It never ceases to amaze me how easy the trip to Edinburgh is.  This time was no exception.

I also never tire of the views (despite the weather and the tram works).

I am now very comfortably settled with my parents and looking forward to spending a few days with family and friends.

:: Justin ::

I am heading off to Edinburgh to spend a long weekend with family.

If you need immediate help before Wednesday please call the office or jump on live help.

:: Justin ::

One of those strange weekends (which we Scots have become rather good at given that we never actually win anything).

Hearts welcomed former club captain and cup-winning manager Jim Jefferies back as manger (this is generally perceived to be a good thing) and then promptly lost to St. Johnstone (Wendy who?).  Let’s hope he can work his magic by Tuesday’s League Cup Semi-Final.  Having said that though, I have fairly depressing memories of previous semi-finals against St. Mirren.

Meanwhile, down under, Andy Murray was failing in his attempt to win his first Grand Slam (given that he lost he’s Scottish, otherwise it would have been a dramatic British victory).  At 22 though he has plenty time and plenty majors in front of him. Despite rumours to the effect that he’s a he’s a Hibs supporter, I’ll be cheering him on.

Ach well, off to Fishkill

:: Justin ::

After a dismal game in Norway, Scotland resurrected their chances of getting to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 with a 2-0 win over Macedonia at Hampden today.

The big question now is, what do they need to do in their last game against The Netherlands in order to make it into the play offs to get to South Africa?

Here’s what FIFA has to say:

ROUND ONE
All 53 countries will contest Round One.
The round consists of 8, round robin, home-and-away groups of 6 teams as well as 1 round robin, home and away group of 5 teams. (this is Scotland’s Group)
The 8 best group runners-up advance to Round Two.
The group winners qualify for the FIFA World Cup

ROUND TWO
The 8 best Round One group runners-up will contest Round Two.
The teams will be paired into 4 home-and-away series.
The winners qualify for the FIFA World Cup

The trick is to work out the 8 best runners up when 8 groups have 6 teams and 1 has five.  What they are doing is all the results of the teams in the 6-team groups against the bottom placed teams are being thrown out before the comparison in being made!

So, it seems to boil down to that fact that Scotland really need to beat The Netherlands to get through to Round Two (we’ll worry about that then)

It all seems way to much like a night in Argentina in 1978!

And we all know how that ended

:: Justin ::