Scotland

Will Scotland actually secede from the United Kingdom? And who knew you could leave the UK without having to go through Bunker Hill, Trenton, Yorktown, Saratoga and all the rest? Just line up and vote?

And if Scotland goes, what's next? Catalonia? Veneto? Quebec? Texas?

I have a couple of Scottish friends that have actually gone back home to vote...one is a US Citizen now and the other a permanent resident alien that is awaiting his citizenship test paperwork approval...

I don't see it being successful...

should be interesting to see which way the vote goes......I Thought Canada severed it's ties a few years back..

I haven't really followed the story closely....what is Scotland's biggest beef with being/remaining in the U.K.?

BYE!

haggis v. mad cow disease

(get it, biggest beef?)

Among other things: 1. They feel it was a shotgun wedding in 1707, because Scotland was bankrupt after trying to colonize Panama. 2. Cultural and ethnic pride. 3. They feel the North Sea oil revenue should go to Scotland, not the rest of the UK.

Austerity measures imposed upon the Scots. If Scotland goes, Wales could be next, and then there are the Catalans in Spain.

Scotland has a lot of natural resources it's forced to share with the rest of the UK, and there's a pretty big divide between the prevailing political opinions of it vs. the overall UK--and with a small population, Scotland doesn't have the kind of say it wants. throw in some historical/cultural/pride things, and a million other economic/politic things and there you go.

As I understand, the 2 largest banks in Scotland: Lloyds and RBS will relocate to England it the Scots secede.

Swecede? Sweden is leaving too?

???

The Flemish in Flanders are talking about leaving Belgium. I think there will be some career opportunities in cartography over in Europe.

Long Island is taking about succeeding NY
Parts of Californian is taking about Succeeding from CA
and there is Texas.

Talk is just that (I will wait for the vote)

Don't forget Colorado. There is talk there too. Just have to weed thru all this...



Get it? Weed!

Colorado needs to remember the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Coloradoins trying to toke back their state, huh?

I don't think that would (puff) *pass*.

Good-didly-bye, neighborinos.

As they say, nothing succeeds like success!

If they go, does England remove the blue and white from the Union Jack?

There is no blue and white

http://www.jdecu.org/

Possibly a little

I must be missing something (not the first time).....
All I get it the Jack Danniels Credit Union Home page (didnt know they had one till now)
But I'm pretty sure the Union Jack has blue and white on it.

Of course, I dont do color very well, so It could be magenta and azure or sumpin like that.

I believe ed was making a pun on Jack. And yes, the Union Jack has St Andrew's saltire, which is white on blue. It also has the Fitzgerald saltire, red on white, which the English have been pretending is St. Patrick's saltire. The third part is St George's cross.

Anything for Wales' patron saint? Or do they have one?

It's Saint David, but what does that have to do with their flag?

I thought i read where the patron saint of each of the 4 was represented on their flag...but that could be way off.

That has always been my understanding as well.

This post also made me think that.....isn't St. George the English patron saint, St. Patrick the Irish, and St. Andrew that of Scotland?

The Union Jack only represents England, Scotland and Ireland. The Welsh flag (a red dragon on a white and green background) has no part in the Union Jack, and neither does the flag of St. David (which is black and gold.)

Hmmm....don't England, Scotland, and Wales together make up "Great Britain", then if you add Northern Ireland, you get "the United Kingdom"?

So....do they keep the blue and white?

I'm sure that is the burning question in parliment right now!

I believe that's right, as the complete name is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

My Scottish co-worker (she lived there the first 25 of her 50 years) says her family is all voting for independence.

I guess i just don't understand the grouping of England, Scotland, and (Northern) Ireland (but no Wales) under the Union Jack. Just curious.

According to the Union Jack's Wikipedia page:

Sort of "grandfathered in", I suppose?

CBS Sunday Morning said so this week, so it must be true.

That explains it well. Thanks for that info.

Beaten down by The Man! Poor oppressed Welsh.

RR Jen,
Did they explain how the gold cross on a black background (St. David's flag) is incorporated into the Union Jack?

Its hidden under the other ones?

Like this:

http://static.guim.co.uk/ni/1410854384202/union_flag_examples_WEB.svg

Portions of this discussion are available on the CD entitled "The Ronettes Sing British Heraldry"

Whose this "Herald" guy? And why does he spell his name do funny?

It also appears that, due to the loss of Scotland, Great Britain will be henceforth known as Pretty Good Britain.

LMBacksideO!!!

Puns are not as funny while in the mist of a BSA validation and there is an anti-drinking rule in this bank.

real reason why the GB wants to keep scottland in the fold.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Scotland

Our president and CEO still has a liquor cabinet in his office.
Strangely, they seem to object the idea of one in mine however.

my understanding was they were promised representation on the flag, which was later rescinded by England. Which is why, forever more, that when someone promises and backs out, they are considered to have "welshed" on their word.

Ok, everybdy that just looked up the etemolygy of "Welsh" raise your hand....

I haven't the foggiest idea what that would be like.

::puts on nerd glasses::

Off topic but still interesting, I saw a show on Saturday that was the Orgin of Slang in the US (or something like that). "Welshing on a bet" was one of the slang terms. It was a pretty intersting.

::takes off nerd glasses and put on just normal glasses::

Continue....

Thanks I was waiting for that pun.

::Picks up nerd glasses::
And it was not particularly flattering to the Welsh people!

::Hands back nerd glasses::

When checking words on Urban Dictionary, it's imperative to have proper spelling. A "C" in place of the "S" returns some things that can never be unlearned.

Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland. NOT the Republic of Ireland.

right

In theory it was part of the union jack as it is part of the England side. Wales was not considered any different from England when the Union Jack was designed.

Wales and England became united in 1563 as one nation. For all intents and purposes Wales and England are not distinguishable from one another.

The Welsh dragon was created AFTER England and Wales were joined as one country. Scotland joined England to be called Great Britain.

Today is the vote

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club -- one of the game's oldest institutions -- will decide at its annual meeting Thursday whether to allow women to become members for the first time.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/15/sport/golf/golf-gender-equality-muirfield-women/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

So, what do the polls say? What's the general best guess as to how Scotland votes?

Tak or Nie

Last night the news said it was basically a dead heat between the projected yes and no votes (when's the vote)?

0. When is the vote?

The polls open nationwide at 7 a.m. Thursday and close at 10 p.m. (2 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Boston time). An astonishing 97 percent of Scotland’s eligible voters, 4.2 million people from 16 years old and up, have registered. The binding result is expected by early Friday morning.

and a cool summary

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/20...gHJO/story.html

Stephen Colbert said that 47% of the poll respondents said Scotland should become independent, 45% said they shouldn't and the other 8% said something that no one outside of Scotland could understand.

Ted....that made me laugh.

@ Colbert!

Why would the US need to build them a submarine base? Isn't the entire country an island with plenty of water for such things?

Who said the US would build Scotland a submarine base?

Scotland has a submarine base, if Scotland vote for independence, the Royal Navy, which uses the base now, may not be able to use it in the future.

it is a base to house the sumarines of the Royal Navy - currently housed in Scotland. The Boston Globe article linked above said they would need to build a new base outside of Scotland or possibly store with an ally, such as the US.

The Royal Navy does have a working submarine base in Devonport, which houses 4 submarines currently. Clyde (which is in Scotland) does host the 6 active nuclear submarines and Rosyth (also in Scotland) houses the submarines due to be decommissioned.

That said, it is pure speculation that the Royal Navy would ask the United States to build them another submarine base. You could just as easily substitute any other ally or NATO member.

Scotland votes No to Independence

NO 55.42 percent
YES 44.58

and the United Kingdom remains United

"if it's not Scottish, it's [censored]"

:hands peepers some haggis:

All that flag talk for nuthin'..... sheesh.

Fixed it for you...

if it aint Scottish, it's .. Saturday Night!!!!!