Comments on: The Crow Road http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:16:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Josh http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-31438 Josh Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:31:58 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-31438 I think the American obsession about claiming blood from other lands is due to America being such a busy melting pot of peoples and cultures. I think as more and more folks were mixed into the stew, the greater the desire was to hold on to something unique - and saying "I'm <strong>German</strong> American" or whatever is one thing to hold on to. Granted, doing so doesn't really change anything other than one's mindset, but that can be said for a <em>lot</em> of things people say and hold on to. I'm personally of German descent, which I find nifty, considering my love of the language, but I don't worry about the descent thing too much. I can point to my geneological lines all day, and in the end, I'm American, not German, so. :) True, true, about being British. I suppose that was a silly comment on my part; I'm of German "stock" (makes me feel like a bred puppy or something), but I certainly don't speak with a German accent, except when I'm purposely doing so. I think the American obsession about claiming blood from other lands is due to America being such a busy melting pot of peoples and cultures. I think as more and more folks were mixed into the stew, the greater the desire was to hold on to something unique - and saying “I’m German American” or whatever is one thing to hold on to. Granted, doing so doesn’t really change anything other than one’s mindset, but that can be said for a lot of things people say and hold on to.

I’m personally of German descent, which I find nifty, considering my love of the language, but I don’t worry about the descent thing too much. I can point to my geneological lines all day, and in the end, I’m American, not German, so. :)

True, true, about being British. I suppose that was a silly comment on my part; I’m of German “stock” (makes me feel like a bred puppy or something), but I certainly don’t speak with a German accent, except when I’m purposely doing so.

]]> By: cas http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-31417 cas Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:57:50 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-31417 Heritage and ancestry is a very odd thing. I don't quite understand the American obsession with claiming blood from lands other than America. It's weird when friends say "Oh, I'm Irish American" and the last time anyone from their family stepped foot in Ireland was ten generations back. But my clan are the <a href="http://www.scotclans.com/scottish_clans/clans/buchanan/" rel="nofollow">Buchanan's</a>. I can also claim a fair portion of <a href="http://www.scotclans.com/scottish_clans/clan_morrison/" rel="nofollow">Morrison</a> blood, but that branch has been anglicized for a few more generations, so it's less strong. As for sounding British, well I <em>am</em> British. I was born and raised in the South of England, so of course I sound like I sound! (Though sit me down for more than ten minutes in a room with my Scottish relatives and I start to develop an accent to go with the best of them!) Heritage and ancestry is a very odd thing. I don’t quite understand the American obsession with claiming blood from lands other than America. It’s weird when friends say “Oh, I’m Irish American” and the last time anyone from their family stepped foot in Ireland was ten generations back.

But my clan are the Buchanan’s. I can also claim a fair portion of Morrison blood, but that branch has been anglicized for a few more generations, so it’s less strong.

As for sounding British, well I am British. I was born and raised in the South of England, so of course I sound like I sound! (Though sit me down for more than ten minutes in a room with my Scottish relatives and I start to develop an accent to go with the best of them!)

]]> By: Josh http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-31013 Josh Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:43:38 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-31013 Very cool! Do you have a picture of your family tartan? Lots of folks think they're actually a bit ugly, but I think they're rather neat. In the <a href="http://sca.org"/ rel="nofollow">SCA</a> I lusted after a tartan kilt as my garb, until I found that historically, they fall outside of the organization's timeframe. Not that anyone follows that much (because you see tartan kilts all the time in the SCA, among other things), but it'd bug me. It's rather peculiar to read that about the Sassenach. My somewhat long-standing memory of you is still registering you as English, so to read your comment about saying you sound... well, English, is a bit weird. Very cool! Do you have a picture of your family tartan? Lots of folks think they’re actually a bit ugly, but I think they’re rather neat. In the SCA I lusted after a tartan kilt as my garb, until I found that historically, they fall outside of the organization’s timeframe. Not that anyone follows that much (because you see tartan kilts all the time in the SCA, among other things), but it’d bug me.

It’s rather peculiar to read that about the Sassenach. My somewhat long-standing memory of you is still registering you as English, so to read your comment about saying you sound… well, English, is a bit weird.

]]> By: cas http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30843 cas Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:12:02 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30843 I'm a bit of a mongrel (like most Brits to be fair), with a smattering of blood from all over the Isles, but I'm mainly Scottish - grandparents on both sides spoke with an accent, lots of my relatives still do, and I can lay claim to a tartan. But yes, I sound like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassenach" rel="nofollow">sassenach</a>, to my eternal shame. I’m a bit of a mongrel (like most Brits to be fair), with a smattering of blood from all over the Isles, but I’m mainly Scottish - grandparents on both sides spoke with an accent, lots of my relatives still do, and I can lay claim to a tartan.

But yes, I sound like a sassenach, to my eternal shame.

]]> By: Josh http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30839 Josh Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:33:29 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30839 Ah, I didn't know you were of Scottish descent. Neat. (It's been a long time since I listened to one of your podcasts, but you don't have a Scottish accent, do you? If I recall correctly you sounded (to my American ears) like a typical Brit. No offense, of course. :) ) Ah, I didn’t know you were of Scottish descent. Neat. (It’s been a long time since I listened to one of your podcasts, but you don’t have a Scottish accent, do you? If I recall correctly you sounded (to my American ears) like a typical Brit. No offense, of course. :) )

]]> By: cas http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30835 cas Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:17:04 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30835 The spelling isn't a topic at all to be fair. Most people couldn't give a monkeys how it is spelt. It bugs me and mine because we're Scots and are annoyed that the spelling of the word keeps getting corrupted. The spelling isn’t a topic at all to be fair. Most people couldn’t give a monkeys how it is spelt. It bugs me and mine because we’re Scots and are annoyed that the spelling of the word keeps getting corrupted.

]]> By: Josh http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30818 Josh Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:19:01 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30818 Yeah, I'm probably being a bit greedy; I just really wanted it to keep going, I liked the characters that much. So the spelling of the word really is a (relatively) hot topic in the UK? I'd never thought much of it; probably because I've almost always seen it with an 'e'. :) Yeah, I’m probably being a bit greedy; I just really wanted it to keep going, I liked the characters that much.

So the spelling of the word really is a (relatively) hot topic in the UK? I’d never thought much of it; probably because I’ve almost always seen it with an ‘e’. :)

]]> By: cas http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30813 cas Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:06:58 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30813 Banks doesn't tend to go in for sequels, which I quite like. It lets you imagine what you think might happen next. His sci-fi (as Iain M. Banks) are mostly set in the same universe, but even then he doesn't tend to reuse characters. And yeah, the spelling is a contentious issue. It's just assorted grandparents and other relatives would be rolling in their graves if they saw me spelling it with an 'e'! Banks doesn’t tend to go in for sequels, which I quite like. It lets you imagine what you think might happen next. His sci-fi (as Iain M. Banks) are mostly set in the same universe, but even then he doesn’t tend to reuse characters.

And yeah, the spelling is a contentious issue. It’s just assorted grandparents and other relatives would be rolling in their graves if they saw me spelling it with an ‘e’!

]]> By: Josh http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30804 Josh Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:18:50 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30804 I was actually hoping there would be a sequel, so I could continue learning about Prentice's life / relationships (especially with Ash!), but it appears there's not. Regarding the spelling: most bottles in America are labeled <strong>whiskey</strong>, and so I'm far more accustomed to the spelling with an e. Whisky actually looks quite wrong to me, even though looking it up in a dictionary says otherwise. :) I was actually hoping there would be a sequel, so I could continue learning about Prentice’s life / relationships (especially with Ash!), but it appears there’s not.

Regarding the spelling: most bottles in America are labeled whiskey, and so I’m far more accustomed to the spelling with an e. Whisky actually looks quite wrong to me, even though looking it up in a dictionary says otherwise. :)

]]> By: cas http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30801 cas Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:31:48 +0000 http://system13.org/2008/01/21/the-crow-road/#comment-30801 Glad to see you enjoyed it! The last person I lent the book to lasted a couple of chapters then gave up. And yes, whisky (<strong>without</strong> an e thank you very much, we're not Irish) is the life-blood of the Scots. Glad to see you enjoyed it! The last person I lent the book to lasted a couple of chapters then gave up.

And yes, whisky (without an e thank you very much, we’re not Irish) is the life-blood of the Scots.

]]>