...

The grass seems slightly greener. Small buds are peeking out in random places.

Dare I say it ---

The sky is actually blue today. It's not gray!

This has me hopeful for spring. Anyone else out there itching for green, growth, and less frigid temperatures???

Did You Know?

Did you know that if you have a dog, you are legally required to keep the dog from "running at large"? This requirement amounts to a legal duty. Hence, if you breach the duty and your dog injures someone while they're at large, you'll be civilly liable for any injuries sustained by someone regardless of whether your dog has shown previous propensities of being dangerous.

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And this one you might be surprised by:

Did you know that there is a cause of action for "breach of marriage promise"? Translation: if you call off your engagement, you could be sued by your former fiance/fiancee. Presumably, this was of greater importance in a world lacking equality between the sexes; however, it's still law in Tennessee and likely elsewhere in America.


* The above is law on the books in Tennessee. But my communication of this information to you via the world-wide web doesn't mean you and I have a lawyer/client relationship. If you need a lawyer -- and I'm a fan of people being legally-informed and represented -- I'd be happy to recommend one to you. Please feel free to email me.

Breaking News

I got a .............

library card!

Whoot Whoot!

New Discoveries in Edinburgh

We now have real Tex-Mex. Welcome to town Illegal Jacks!

We're also getting a Nando's on Lothian Road.

The French Institute offers free admission to art exhibits and film viewings.

(Romanian film showing this Monday night)

The Filmhouse offers bargain matinees on Friday afternoon for £3.60. I like that!

~ and ~


A new restaurant and patisserie just opened on George the IV: The Cellar Door.
The patisserie even has chocolate workshops. Yum!
I had a free sample of their hot chocolate on the street yesterday, and it was incredibly delicious. Seems like a great place to pop in on these cold, cold days.

Hannah Arendt on Revolutions

"If you look at the history of revolutions, you will see that it was never the oppressed and degraded themselves who led the way, but those who were not oppressed and not degraded but could not bear it that others were." - Hannah Arendt in Crises of the Republic

Think

Is law meant to make men good? Or should law liberalize choices where men and women have the choice to make good decisions? Is this what we associate with "freedom"?  Does it have to be either/or?

"To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it." - G.K. Chesterton

Ode to Haggis: A Celebration of Robbie Burns

MBA and I celebrated Burns Night, a celebration of Robbie Burns' birthday, with a gathering of friends. The celebration revolves around haggis and all things Scottish.

 

Check out all that haggis!

This is a real-live glimpse of the intermediary stage of haggis. It's baked in this shell, then cut open to eat. It comes out looking like the stuff in the above dish I'm holding.

On this particular occasion, it was the birthday of Robbie Burns. Certain traditions are practiced on Burns birthday, including giving an Ode to the Haggis. 

One of they key celebrations on Burns Night is the Ode to Haggis. On this occasion, our friend Marilyn coached Ian (an American) on how to give the Ode.

Here's Ian in action! (And don't worry -- he's supposed to have that knife in his hand!)

 

When he got to this part: "His knife see rustic Labour dight"-- he dug the knife into the haggis.

 

I have absolutely no idea why part of the tradition is to stab the haggis. Odd -- right?? However, I did enjoy my haggis with neeps and tatties. 

If you want to learn more about Burns Night, go visit this BBC website for loads of info.