From Wales to Finland, minority language speakers still face prejudice

 https://theconversation.com/from-wales-to-finland-minority-language-speakers-still-face-prejudice-289007

To me I find it highly offensive to pick on people speaking their native language. How dare anyone and especially within their own homeland object to anyone speaking their own language. Not just that, this is private conversation being listened to. 

What about other people speaking other languages around others in public ? Are you going to pick on them too? It is rude however to be in company with others that can’t speak a language that is spoken in a private space such as a house or whatever and others are excluded from the conversation. This is people that are bilingual and in a country that’s spoken language is deliberately not being spoken in front of individuals that only speak the national language. I have been in situations where s few individuals exclude myself and a couple of others (Australian people) from conversations but our names were mentioned. That is absolutely rude and disrespectful when the individuals definitely do speak the national language, but deliberately avoiding to do so for a discriminatory reason. 

But the issue goes much deeper than this poorly researched article. It goes back many centuries, and I noticed Scotland and Ireland are omitted from this article too. In the UK it was driven by the English parliament to anglicise the full length of the isles. The nobility in Scotland also wanted to be accepted by the English peers and therefore went along with the prohibition of speaking Gaelic, Scottish and also wearing tartan. You could be shot on the spot for wearing tartan in the 1700’s in Scotland because you were seen as against the English royals, and this still offends Scottish people to this very day. 

At school when my parents and my generation were at school we were most definitely not permitted to speak Scottish or Gaelic in the classroom. I can’t speak for indigenous languages in Europe though because I don’t know much about them, other than they too are discriminated against, which obviously comes from a high level in society to drive out the indigenous population of a country, but what is the actual true point of origin? The Vatican perhaps, I don’t know to be honest. 

Our indigenous cultures were at times disrespected over the centuries and it still happens today. However it is sickening to see other Celtic people being disrespectful towards others for speaking their native languages. This causes the language to die out, and also the written language. 

Presently, I have noticed online that many young Scottish people that can’t properly pronounce Scottish words and most definitely cannot spell them. It shows that some of my generation of parents have become neglectful, so much that the younger generations have become dumbed down and they are incapable of speaking and reading the written language of the nation. I don’t expect them to be able to translate the words of Robert Burns poetry as I am not an expert on it myself and not having lived in Scotland since I was a child, I do read traditional Scottish literature though. 

People have been socially engineered to be ashamed of their native tongue and literature via the public education system. This is no accident, it is a deliberate and calculated act to erase our indigenous history and culture. Something that I find totally repugnant. You would not see this happening in America, except for the native Americans peoples culture, which is a huge loss to the nation. The Americans instead have dominated our modern society and everything on tv is American centric in English language countries such as Australia. The fault lies with adults for permitting the destruction and loss of our cultural heritage and identity. 

The annoying thing to me is people that try to claim Celtic heritage yet know absolutely nothing other that things that are parroted to them with little factual basis. Then there are the idiots that bring up clan wars that were resolved a couple of centuries ago and have no relevance to living people now. This is done by semi educated people that have not fully read history and that history can be very slanted for a political agenda by the author and then dwelled upon by ignorant individuals looking for an argument for the sake of it and trying to impress idiots. I have witnessed this many a time but when a born and bread Scot tries to point out historical facts the ignorant individuals don’t want to know the truth and neither do the audience around them. Is it any wonder that we have this cultural ignorance and cultural appropriation? 

Ignorance breeds ignorance and can very much alter our perception of reality and the demise of culture.

Be proud of your indigenous culture and learn about it and the language or it will be gone forever. Preserve your heritage and never be ashamed or embarrassed by your ancestors. That is the greatest disrespect that you can do to their memory and the history of your country. Respect your heritage and never let it be erased. 

Funny Terms That Aussies Use: Batchelor’s Handbag

 

Fair dinkum, Aussies are very inventive and have a great sense of humour which can be quite colourful and unique. The term Batchelor’s handbag is a classic example of Aussie expressions, straight to the point and practical.  When one is in a hurry to get dinner sorted and perhaps on the way home from work, the pre cooked chook is a quick solution. Great for an impromptu picnic or a Melbourne Cup lunch with a bottle of wine pre chilled at the supermarket and Bob’s yer uncle.

In October 2026 Woolworths or Woolies Supermarket went one further and sold limited  Batchelor handbag edition cooler bags for $10. There was also a lady selling the empty roast chicken bags with a shoulder strap online. 

The word of the year for 2022 in the Macquarie dictionary was Batchelor’s handbag 

This year Woolworths had a Christmas decoration of the Batchelor’s handbag in its limited edition Christmas tree decorations alongside other iconic Aussie items like Tim Tams, a Prawn Cocktail, Mud Cake, a Pavlova with a meerkat and a Bin Chicken (an Ibis bird) wearing a Santa hat perched on a garbage bin. There is even a Santa barbecuing sausages or snags as they are also known. 

Ah, there is another good Aussie expression , bin chicken. 

Silly Tuesday

 

Wes Penre: Q and A Session 22, 2026

 https://wespenrevideos.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Q-A-Session-22-2026.pdf

It feels like it’s been a while since Wes last posted anything 

Major city’s wild new AI CCTV policy

 https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/internet/major-citys-wild-new-ai-cctv-policy/news-story/7fc6152ceedcc4a97076f8773cc8fd58

Please read this and take it as a serious warning for the future. This is the city of Sydney wanting to introduce AI, which I believe would be a total disaster in the making. Put more police on the streets and tighten up the laws including the ridiculous scope of sentencing options that judges and magistrates have at their disposal. 

There is so much scope for abuse of technology and criminals are way ahead of the authorities in the use and manipulation of AI. Criminals are far more tech savvy than people realise and will dominate the online world. 

POEM: HALLOWEEN by Robert Burns (1759-1796)

 

Upon that night, when fairies light

On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the route is ta'en,
Beneath the moon's pale beams;
There, up the cove, to stray and rove,
Among the rocks and streams
To sport that night.

Among the bonny winding banks,
Where Doon rins, wimplin' clear,
Where Bruce ance ruled the martial ranks,
And shook his Carrick spear,
Some merry, friendly, country-folks,
Together did convene,
To burn their nits, and pou their stocks,
And haud their Halloween
Fu' blithe that night.

The lasses feat, and cleanly neat,
Mair braw than when they're fine;
Their faces blithe, fu' sweetly kythe,
Hearts leal, and warm, and kin';
The lads sae trig, wi' wooer-babs,
Weel knotted on their garten,
Some unco blate, and some wi' gabs,
Gar lasses' hearts gang startin'
Whiles fast at night.

Then, first and foremost, through the kail,
Their stocks maun a' be sought ance;
They steek their een, and graip and wale,
For muckle anes and straught anes.
Poor hav'rel Will fell aff the drift,
And wander'd through the bow-kail,
And pou't, for want o' better shift,
A runt was like a sow-tail,
Sae bow't that night.

Then, staught or crooked, yird or nane,
They roar and cry a' throu'ther;
The very wee things, todlin', rin,
Wi' stocks out owre their shouther;
And gif the custoc's sweet or sour.
Wi' joctelegs they taste them;
Syne cozily, aboon the door,
Wi cannie care, they've placed them
To lie that night.

The lasses staw frae 'mang them a'
To pou their stalks of corn:
But Rab slips out, and jinks about,
Behint the muckle thorn:
He grippet Nelly hard and fast;
Loud skirl'd a' the lasses;
But her tap-pickle maist was lost,
When kitlin' in the fause-house
Wi' him that night.

The auld guidwife's well-hoordit nits,
Are round and round divided,
And monie lads' and lasses' fates
Are there that night decided:
Some kindle coothie, side by side,
And burn thegither trimly;
Some start awa, wi' saucy pride,
And jump out-owre the chimlie
Fu' high that night.

Jean slips in twa wi' tentie ee;
Wha 'twas she wadna tell;
But this is Jock, and this is me,
She says in to hersel:
He bleezed owre her, and she owre him,
As they wad never mair part;
Till, fuff! he started up the lum,
And Jean had e'en a sair heart
To see't that night.

Poor Willie, wi' his bow-kail runt,
Was brunt wi' primsie Mallie;
And Mallie, nae doubt, took the drunt,
To be compared to Willie;
Mall's nit lap out wi' pridefu' fling,
And her ain fit it brunt it;
While Willie lap, and swore by jing,
'Twas just the way he wanted
To be that night.

Nell had the fause-house in her min',
She pits hersel and Rob in;
In loving bleeze they sweetly join,
Till white in ase they're sobbin';
Nell's heart was dancin' at the view,
She whisper'd Rob to leuk for't:
Rob, stowlins, prie'd her bonny mou',
Fu' cozie in the neuk for't,
Unseen that night.

But Merran sat behint their backs,
Her thoughts on Andrew Bell;
She lea'es them gashin' at their cracks,
And slips out by hersel:
She through the yard the nearest taks,
And to the kiln goes then,
And darklins graipit for the bauks,
And in the blue-clue throws then,
Right fear't that night.

And aye she win't, and aye she swat,
I wat she made nae jaukin',
Till something held within the pat,
Guid Lord! but she was quakin'!
But whether 'was the deil himsel,
Or whether 'twas a bauk-en',
Or whether it was Andrew Bell,
She didna wait on talkin'
To spier that night.

Wee Jennie to her grannie says,
"Will ye go wi' me, grannie?
I'll eat the apple at the glass
I gat frae Uncle Johnnie:"
She fuff't her pipe wi' sic a lunt,
In wrath she was sae vap'rin',
She notice't na, an aizle brunt
Her braw new worset apron
Out through that night.

"Ye little skelpie-limmer's face!
I daur you try sic sportin',
As seek the foul thief ony place,
For him to spae your fortune.
Nae doubt but ye may get a sight!
Great cause ye hae to fear it;
For mony a ane has gotten a fright,
And lived and died deleeret
On sic a night.

"Ae hairst afore the Sherramoor, —
I mind't as weel's yestreen,
I was a gilpey then, I'm sure
I wasna past fifteen;
The simmer had been cauld and wat,
And stuff was unco green;
And aye a rantin' kirn we gat,
And just on Halloween
It fell that night.

"Our stibble-rig was Rab M'Graen,
A clever sturdy fallow:
His son gat Eppie Sim wi' wean,
That lived in Achmacalla:
He gat hemp-seed, I mind it weel,
And he made unco light o't;
But mony a day was by himsel,
He was sae sairly frighted
That very night."

Then up gat fechtin' Jamie Fleck,
And he swore by his conscience,
That he could saw hemp-seed a peck;
For it was a' but nonsense.
The auld guidman raught down the pock,
And out a hanfu' gied him;
Syne bade him slip frae 'mang the folk,
Some time when nae ane see'd him,
And try't that night.

He marches through amang the stacks,
Though he was something sturtin;
The graip he for a harrow taks.
And haurls it at his curpin;
And every now and then he says,
"Hemp-seed, I saw thee,
And her that is to be my lass,
Come after me, and draw thee
As fast this night."

He whistled up Lord Lennox' march
To keep his courage cheery;
Although his hair began to arch,
He was say fley'd and eerie:
Till presently he hears a squeak,
And then a grane and gruntle;
He by his shouther gae a keek,
And tumbled wi' a wintle
Out-owre that night.

He roar'd a horrid murder-shout,
In dreadfu' desperation!
And young and auld came runnin' out
To hear the sad narration;
He swore 'twas hilchin Jean M'Craw,
Or crouchie Merran Humphie,
Till, stop! she trotted through them
And wha was it but grumphie
Asteer that night!

Meg fain wad to the barn hae gaen,
To win three wechts o' naething;
But for to meet the deil her lane,
She pat but little faith in:
She gies the herd a pickle nits,
And two red-cheekit apples,
To watch, while for the barn she sets,
In hopes to see Tam Kipples
That very nicht.

She turns the key wi cannie thraw,
And owre the threshold ventures;
But first on Sawnie gies a ca'
Syne bauldly in she enters:
A ratton rattled up the wa',
And she cried, Lord, preserve her!
And ran through midden-hole and a',
And pray'd wi' zeal and fervour,
Fu' fast that night;

They hoy't out Will wi' sair advice;
They hecht him some fine braw ane;
It chanced the stack he faddom'd thrice
Was timmer-propt for thrawin';
He taks a swirlie, auld moss-oak,
For some black grousome carlin;
And loot a winze, and drew a stroke,
Till skin in blypes cam haurlin'
Aff's nieves that night.

A wanton widow Leezie was,
As canty as a kittlin;
But, och! that night amang the shaws,
She got a fearfu' settlin'!
She through the whins, and by the cairn,
And owre the hill gaed scrievin,
Whare three lairds' lands met at a burn
To dip her left sark-sleeve in,
Was bent that night.

Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays,
As through the glen it wimpl't;
Whyles round a rocky scaur it strays;
Whyles in a wiel it dimpl't;
Whyles glitter'd to the nightly rays,
Wi' bickering, dancing dazzle;
Whyles cookit underneath the braes,
Below the spreading hazel,
Unseen that night.

Among the brackens, on the brae,
Between her and the moon,
The deil, or else an outler quey,
Gat up and gae a croon:
Poor Leezie's heart maist lap the hool!
Near lav'rock-height she jumpit;
but mist a fit, and in the pool
Out-owre the lugs she plumpit,
Wi' a plunge that night.

In order, on the clean hearth-stane,
The luggies three are ranged,
And every time great care is ta'en',
To see them duly changed:
Auld Uncle John, wha wedlock joys
Sin' Mar's year did desire,
Because he gat the toom dish thrice,
He heaved them on the fire
In wrath that night.

Wi' merry sangs, and friendly cracks,
I wat they didna weary;
And unco tales, and funny jokes,
Their sports were cheap and cheery;
Till butter'd so'ns, wi' fragrant lunt,
Set a' their gabs a-steerin';
Syne, wi' a social glass o' strunt,
They parted aff careerin'
Fu' blythe that night.

POEM: Tam O Shanter by Robert Burns

 

When chapman billies leave the street,

And drouthy neebors neebors meet,

As market-days are wearing late,

And folk begin to tak the gate;

While we sit bousin, at the nappy,

And gettin fou and unco happy,

We think na on the lang Scots miles,

The mosses, waters, slaps, and stiles,

That lie between us and our hame,

Whare sits our sulky, sullen dame,

Gathering her brows like gathering storm,

Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.

         This truth fand honest Tam o' Shanter,

As he frae Ayr ae night did canter:

(Auld Ayr, wham ne'er a town surpasses,

For honest men and bonie lasses.)

         O Tam! had'st thou but been sae wise

As taen thy ain wife Kate's advice!

She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum,

A bletherin, blusterin, drunken blellum;

That frae November till October,

Ae market-day thou was na sober;

That ilka melder wi' the miller,

Thou sat as lang as thou had siller;

That ev'ry naig was ca'd a shoe on,

The smith and thee gat roarin fou on;

That at the Lord's house, ev'n on Sunday,

Thou drank wi' Kirkton Jean till Monday.

She prophesied, that, late or soon,

Thou would be found deep drown'd in Doon;

Ot catch'd wi' warlocks in the mirk,

By Alloway's auld haunted kirk.

         Ah, gentle dames! it gars me greet,

To think how mony counsels sweet,

How mony lengthen'd sage advices,

The husband frae the wife despises!

         But to our tale:—Ae market night,

Tam had got planted unco right,

Fast by an ingle, bleezing finely,

Wi' reaming swats that drank divinely;

And at his elbow, Souter Johnie,

His ancient, trusty, drouthy crony:

Tam lo'ed him like a vera brither;

They had been fou for weeks thegither.

The night drave on wi' sangs and clatter;

And ay the ale was growing better:

The landlady and Tam grew gracious

Wi' secret favours, sweet, and precious:

The souter tauld his queerest stories;

The landlord's laugh was ready chorus:

The storm without might rair and rustle,

Tam did na mind the storm a whistle.

         Care, mad to see a man sae happy,

E'en drown'd himsel amang the nappy:

As bees flee hame wi' lades o' treasure,

The minutes wing'd their way wi' pleasure;

Kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious,

O'er a' the ills o' life victorious!

         But pleasures are like poppies spread,

You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed;

Or like the snow falls in the river,

A moment white—then melts forever;

Or like the borealis race,

That flit ere you can point their place;

Or like the rainbow's lovely form

Evanishing amid the storm.

Nae man can tether time or tide:

The hour approaches Tam maun ride,—

That hour, o' night's black arch the key-stane

That dreary hour he mounts his beast in;

And sic a night he taks the road in,

As ne'er poor sinner was abroad in.

         The wind blew as 'twad blawn its last;

The rattling show'rs rose on the blast;

The speedy gleams the darkness swallow'd;

Loud, deep, and lang the thunder bellow'd:

That night, a child might understand,

The Deil had business on his hand.

         Weel mounted on his grey mare, Meg,—

A better never lifted leg,—

Tam skelpit on thro' dub and mire,

Despising wind and rain and fire;

Whiles holding fast his guid blue bonnet,

Whiles crooning o'er some auld Scots sonnet,

Whiles glowrin round wi' prudent cares,

Lest bogles catch him unawares.

Kirk-Alloway was drawing nigh,

Whare ghaists and houlets nightly cry.

         By this time he was cross the ford,

Whare in the snaw the chapman smoor'd;

And past the birks and meikle stane,

Whare drucken Charlie brak's neckbane:

And thro' the whins, and by the cairn,

Whare hunters fand the murder'd bairn;

And near the thorn, aboon the well,

Whare Mungo's mither hang'd hersel.

Before him Doon pours all his floods;

The doubling storm roars thro' the woods;

The lightnings flash from pole to pole,

Near and more near the thunders roll;

When, glimmering thro' the groaning trees,

Kirk-Alloway seem'd in a bleeze:

Thro' ilka bore the beams were glancing,

And loud resounded mirth and dancing.

         Inspiring bold John Barleycorn!

What dangers thou can'st make us scorn!

Wi' tippenny we fear nae evil;

Wi' usquebae we'll face the devil!

The swats sae ream'd in Tammie's noddle,

Fair play, he car'd na deils a boddle.

But Maggie stood right sair astonish'd,

Till, by the heel and hand admonish'd,

She ventur'd forward on the light;

And, wow! Tam saw an unco sight!

         Warlocks and witches in a dance;

Nae cotillion brent-new frae France,

But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels

Put life and mettle in their heels.

A winnock bunker in the east,

There sat Auld Nick in shape o' beast:

A towzie tyke, black, grim, and large,

To gie them music was his charge;

He screw'd the pipes and gart them skirl,

Till roof and rafters a' did dirl.—

Coffins stood round like open presses,

That shaw'd the dead in their last dresses;

And by some devilish cantraip sleight

Each in its cauld hand held a light,

By which heroic Tam was able

To note upon the haly table

A murderer's banes in gibbet airns;

Twa span-lang, wee, unchristen'd bairns;

A thief, new-cutted frae the rape—

Wi' his last gasp his gab did gape;

Five tomahawks, wi' blude red-rusted;

Five scimitars, wi' murder crusted;

A garter, which a babe had strangled;

A knife, a father's throat had mangled,

Whom his ain son o' life bereft—

The grey hairs yet stack to the heft;

Wi' mair o' horrible and awfu',

Which ev'n to name wad be unlawfu'.

         As Tammie glowr'd, amaz'd and curious,

The mirth and fun grew fast and furious:

The piper loud and louder blew,

The dancers quick and quicker flew;

They reel'd, they set, they cross'd, they cleekit

Till ilka carlin swat and reekit

And coost her duddies to the wark

And linket at it in her sark!

         Now Tam, O Tam! had thae been queans,

A' plump and strapping in their teens!

Their sarks, instead o' creeshie flannen,

Been snaw-white seventeen hunder linen!—

Thir breeks o' mine, my only pair,

That ance were plush, o' gude blue hair,

I wad hae gien them aff y hurdies,

For ae blink o' the bonie burdies!

         But wither'd beldams, auld and droll,

Rigwoodie hags wad spean a foal,

Lowping and flinging on a crummock.

I wonder didna turn thy stomach.

         But Tam ken'd what was what fu' brawlie;

There was ae winsom wench and walie,

That night enlisted in the core

(Lang after ken'd on Carrick shore.

For mony a beast to dead she shot,

And perish'd mony a bonie boat,

And shook baith meikle corn and bear,

And kept the country-side in fear);

Her cutty sark o' Paisley harn,

That while a lassie she had worn,

In longitude tho' sorely scanty,

It was her best, and she was vauntie.

Ah! little ken'd thy reverend grannie,

That sark she coft for her wee Nannie,

Wi' twa pund Scots ('twas a' her riches),

Wad ever grac'd a dance of witches!

         But here my Muse her wing maun cow'r,

Sic flights are far beyond her pow'r;

To sing how Nannie lap and flang,

(A souple jad she was and strang),

And how Tam stood like ane bewitch'd,

And thought his very een enrich'd;

Even Satan glowr'd and fidg'd fu' fain,

And hotch'd and blew wi' might and main:

Till first ae caper, syne anither,

Tam tint his reason a' thegither,

And roars out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!"

And in an instant all was dark:

And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,

When out the hellish legion sallied.

         As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke,

When plundering herds assail their byke;

As open pussie's mortal foes,

When, pop! she starts before their nose;

As eager runs the market-crowd,

When "Catch the thief!" resounds aloud;

So Maggie runs, the witches follow,

Wi' mony an eldritch skriech and hollo.

         Ah, Tam! ah, Tam! thou'll get thy fairin!

In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin!

In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin!

Kate soon will be a woefu' woman!

Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg,

And win the key-stane of the brig:

There at them thou thy tail may toss,

A running stream they dare na cross.

But ere the key-stane she could make,

The fient a tail she had to shake!

For Nannie far before the rest,

Hard upon noble Maggie prest,

And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle;

But little wist she Maggie's mettle—

Ae spring brought aff her master hale

But left behind her ain grey tail:

The carlin claught her by the rump,

And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.

         Now, wha this tale o' truth shall read,

Ilk man and mother's son, take heed,

Whene'er to drink you are inclin'd,

Or cutty-sarks run in your mind,

Think, ye may buy the joys o'er dear,

Remember Tam o' Shanter's mear.