Bagpipes Under Threat in London

[Father Bill]

I cannot agree with the suggestion that the comments matter or that as such I will have made an error in commenting on this news item.

Most of us will have noticed that most comments on the Internet are not as polite as those made here on XMarks. In "the wild," it's almost impossible to post any polite item on the 'net without having rude, political, sexual, or other inappropriate comments made almost immediately.

Were we to censor our interests based on the unmoderated trash that comes from the general trolling public, we'd have nothing by XMarks itself left to host polite discussion. For those reasons, I do not think that the comments of immoderate and un-moderated responders can be considered when we select those news items on which to comment.

So, therefore I'm quite willing to respond to an article whether it be in the USA or elsewhere (that seemed to me a wee bit sarcastic and more than a little harsh) and am forced to take little or no notice of the comments of the riff-raff following various articles. XMarkers are not such riff-raff which is why I enjoy participating here.

...and pipers are still welcome on my front lawn during daylight hours.

[Damion]

Wheesht, the only comments that matter are the ones on this board!

I take it no survey on what the public feel on the matter has taken place. Or if there has then it would be appropriate to have mentioned it in the article.
It seems to me that banning pipers from busking in areas where they are most like to get money from passersby is tantamount to banning pipes from the streets. There is the provision for 'moving regularly' but what does that actually mean - every 30 seconds, two minutes...? More details are needed.

[CDNSushi]

Indeed, the moderators do not concern themselves with comments made on other sites. The article itself and the link to it are not in violation of any rule that I can tell. Although, I ought to point out, that directly QUOTING any political or otherwise inappropriate comments that appear elsewhere and putting them HERE, are liable to be sanctioned. That could be seen as provocation and trying to cause an argument here, where there was none before.

Please consider this a warning shot. A Rule #2 flag may be at hand.

We believe in fostering polite discussion. Posts which provoke quarrels, escalate contention, or are hostile or insulting, are subject to removal.

[Kiltedjohn]

Certainly some of the comments at the bottom of the article are hostile and insulting, mostly to BJ. I was most amused by some of them - really brightened up my morning! (Not being political, just amused.)

[The Q]

[QUOTE=neloon;1285791]But it's the comments that matter! How about
"I wholeheartedly support the proposition that Boris Johnson might be the next Tory Prime Minister. His clowning glory might be Scotland going its own way because of his thoroughly rabid English diatribes. Stuff you, Boris and let's get on with the business of taking over our own country and running it for its own and sole advantage. Westminster no more! SW1 no more. London no more. HSBC no more. Any more for no more?" ?

I would point out that Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson Could claim an American Passport as he was born in New York.
Father is half Turkish half English, His mother Irène Johnson (née Williams), was half-English and half-French, and was the illegitimate granddaughter of Prince Paul of Wurtemburg (German and Scottish Descent) and through him a descendant of King George 2nd^] .
So Boris is of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian heritage!

Boris is an eighth cousin of Prime Minister David Cameron.

David Cameron is the son of Ian Cameron and his wife Mary Mount, His father was born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, So therefore if there were such a thing could claim a Scottish passport. His grand mother (Mothers side) is a Llewellyn, so David Cameron is of Welsh, English and Scottish Decent.

Both Boris and David are decendants of George the 2nd and therefore also of German and Scottish decent through that line, George the 2nd being the Great grand son of James VI/I

[Jock Scot]

-------and some from the New World think that they are the only ones with mixed blood and cultures!

[neloon]

"Boris Johnson aims to ban ‘annoying’ bagpipes".
It seems to be felt by some that comments attached to an online newspaper article are not referenced by a link to the article. To me that seems to emulate the tactics of the ostrich. In this day and age the contributions of the "riff-raff" have as much prominence as the pronouncements of political pundits and those comments are what the Scotsman sought to initiate by a headline that, in the run-up to the UK General Election, was politically provocative. In using a quotation from the link, I was merely emphasising the political nature of the news item (and I note that a moderator signified his approval of my post). It was certainly not my intention to "provoke quarrels" or "escalate contention", but rather to illustrate the inappropriateness of the thread. I shall say nothing further on the matter.
Alan

[plaid preacher]

Hey, Boris! I think you need to tell these boys to get back!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3b...get-back_music

[WillowEstate]

I would point out that Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson Could claim an American Passport as he was born in New York.

I think that Boris does (or did) hold dual UK/USA nationality but I recall reports that he was seeking to renounce his USA nationality due to a disagreement with the IRS.

[OC Richard]

I have no idea who any of these people are, being thousands of miles away and unaffected by London politics.

The wording of the new rule, as quoted, sounds sensible enough, and hardly singles out bagpipes, but rather includes a number of repetitive, loud, and piercing sounds:

“Some sounds can become annoying more quickly. For example: repetitive sounds like some types of percussion or beatbox- ing; loud sounds like highly amplified guitars; hard ‘attack’ sounds like drums; piercing sounds like bagpipes. If your act has these, move regularly or find locations with no flats, offices, shops or hotels.”

Like most rules, this is vague enough to allow a wide latitude of interpretation, application, and enforcement. Certainly a Scottish Smallpipe or Irish Uilleann Pipe, about the same volume as an unamplified flute or violin, though "bagpipes", are neither loud nor piercing. Even a Highland pipe, with a lower-pitch chanter and softer reed, can be far less loud and piercing than an amplified violin.

About comments which follow an article, obviously they are not part of the original piece, and it's unfair to the author of an article to lump the comments of others with his/her work.

I see the same thing on YouTube all the time: a video with lovely music or what have you, which is utterly benign, will grow a long tail of comments, many hateful, prejudiced, racist, and just plain idiotic.

The person who made and posted the video isn't to blame for other people's stupidity.