zerosleeps

John Carey at fiftyfootshadows.net sums it up nicely:

While the rest of the world I know back west anxiously gathers their wits in preparation for Christmas, I walk through the streets of a country where it feels more like a novelty, an afterthought, a coincidence. This has given me new point of view on the holiday as I usually know it. I have no tree in my living room, no presents to wrap, no frustration over having enough spare money around for gift giving or who I may forget in that process.

This is not to say I have no Christmas spirit. I love this time of year and the calmness it brings to family and community. I love the way it puts life on pause while we all take a collective sigh of relief, if not just for one day. Being away from the U.S. has given me a refocused perspective on what is so great about this time of year.

• 8oz self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1½oz butter, softened and cubed
• 1 generous tablespoon sugar
• Handful dried fruit [optional]
• 1 egg, roughly beaten
• A wee bit of milk

Grease a baking tray and set the oven to 180ºC.

Rub the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and optional fruit. Make a well in the centre, add the egg, and fold through the mixture. Start stirring in the milk until the mixture is almost wet enough to start sticking to the bowl.

Flatten the whole lot out on a well floured surface. Aim for a thick scone rather than one with a large diameter. Cut and place on the baking tray.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with lashings of butter and jam, and a fresh pot of tea.

Who is this label for? Why did someone feel the need to label the already labelled power button? Not to mention the fact that this was spotted in an equipment cupboard, which is only accessed by people who know that the equipment is there, and therefore presumably know why they’re in the cupboard in the first place.

David Tennant:

As I chose to leave Scotland many years ago now I forfeited my right to tell Scottish residents how to run the country

Good quote, but I’m not so confident myself. I’m still Scottish, and I may well want to return there one day. It’s been four years though. Am I still Scottish enough to have a say in the future of my home country?