Although I believe there is still the issue of some miner corrections??
Entirely appropriate for someone who resides partly in Leadhills of course, "you're holding that pick wrongly", "you need to look for a richer seam", "here is the right way to get rid of your slag" etc etc.
As it happens, I'm expecting a visit from Dr. Dow this evening. Isn't this music a wonderful thing, that it allows the fool and the wise man (or woman) to sit beside one another as equals.
Good Job, welcome to the fold! One of the perks of playing irish music, is actually to be able to sit down next to some truly wise people instead of the usual fools in academia ;)
I remember a Post-Doc at a session who complained regularly about the time he spent trying instil sufficient maths into the heads of first-years so that they would have at least a minimum chance of coping with the 4-5 year engineering syllabus ahead of them. Wasn't like that in my day of course (says he, mumbling into his beer); first-years in science and engineering were expected to have, and generally did have, all the necessary mathematical tools at their beck and call when they arrived at uni.
Anyway, Doctor, most sincere congratulations! Life can now start.
Leadhills...I've driven through there, and/or Wanlockhead not far away. They are remarkably like Nenthead in the North Pennines, nearer to where I live. All these places are (for Britain) high-altitude villages established around lead-mining, and I rather think they were all exceptionally early (c18) examples of organised industrial 'company' settlements, at any rate with libraries provided. The lead-mining finished a long time ago.
Wanlockhead claims notoriety as the highest village in Scotland. The weather there (and in Leadhills, a mile up the road) certainly bears this out.
When I was studying abroad for a couple months in Ireland, I took a class in Irish folklore (really) with Maire Ni Grada, who in addition to being a fine piper is a lecturer at the University of Limerick. She always told us that one day, she would bring her pipes into the class. I'm pretty sure this was a bribe to keep people coming to the class, and it worked rather well. It was a 9am class (students, what are they like) so people weren't at their most motivated to go. I look forward to the day when I too can bribe students into showing up to class.
I spend a lot of time down there and have not heard of any massive ceilidhs, but I'm pretty disengaged from village life as I don't actually live there.
Yeah, Al, I thought it was Dalwhinnie as well for a while, but it's definitely Wanlockhead.
I'd guess David and Sheila Sutherland helped organize the Leadhills ceilidhs? We borrowed their house over Xmas and New Year once. Interesting atmosphere at that time of year (it also happened to be at the height of the foot and mouth epidemic, and there was one refugee sheep showing obvious symptoms of the disease penned up in the middle of Wanlockhead with nobody seemingly doing anything about it).
I think that was the last time I ever watched a British TV programme all the way through. It was a documentary about a serial killer in Pakistan who killed 100 boys and dissolved the bodies in battery acid.
I think there was some connection with the shop and the ceilidh organisers - though I may remember wrongly. There was a couple involved, a big guy with a beard, as far as I recall.
Interesting that Wanlockhead claimed to be the highest village in Britain - but no.
"It claims to be the highest village in Scotland, not Britain"
Aye, it does now - but it once did claim to be the highest in Britain, as that article explains. Wiki still thinks it is:
Which university?
I bet your glad that's finished.. Whats next? A heady carreer in Acadamia ? The lecture circuit ? High finance? banking... Ah no that's not a popular proffession these days... Well anyhow, don't mind all that shtuff , jest keep playing them there pipes , better to be poor and happy ,than rich and miserable, though saying that I'm working on the rich and happy combo..... good luck in yr next step. Will
Congratulations. Hope you have better luck doing something with it than I have. The most exciting thing that's come of it for me has been having the title embossed on my credit card. That's about it
Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Our Silver Spear's hard work of late has resulted in a PhD.
!!!!!!!!!CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by BigDavy
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Yay!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by AlBrown
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Pat Mustard
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Emily, may your piping save you from the perils of Ph.d.uggery.
Congrats!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Will Harmon
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
WooHoo!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by John Culhane
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congrats. Now you join the rest of us in being slagged for it
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by cboody
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Janek
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
I wonder if there was once a tune called "The Gilbert"
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Theirlandais
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations. So what research are we going to be treated to extracts from next ?
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by David50
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
wow, Emily, that's great !
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Nikita Pfister
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Nice one Em
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by bazouki dave
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Well done.
So we now have Dr Silver Spear, Dr Dow, and Prof Prlwytzkofsky plus the Master of Cynicsm.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Johnny Jay
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Hey Doc! I've got this pain.........................................
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by mcknowall
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Another "doctor" tune might be in order?
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/index/search?search_start=0&name=doctor
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Johnny Jay
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations, Emily!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by fidkid
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Well done, Emily!
So what's the next one going to be about?
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by nicholas
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations, Emily!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Genny
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Well done Emily.
Although I believe there is still the issue of some miner corrections??
Entirely appropriate for someone who resides partly in Leadhills of course, "you're holding that pick wrongly", "you need to look for a richer seam", "here is the right way to get rid of your slag" etc etc.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Jams_O'Donnell
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
We'll raise an Islay to you at our local tonite, and all the best in your newly reclaimed life! Congratulations!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by trad2nz
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
...as per Jo'D's comments,,,your focus may have been geology? that would include another variety of 'old tunes' eh?
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by trad2nz
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Cheers, all.
Nah, it wasn't geology. Jams is just having fun digging up some puns.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Excellent! well done!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by SmashTheWindows
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations, Dr. Spear.
As it happens, I'm expecting a visit from Dr. Dow this evening. Isn't this music a wonderful thing, that it allows the fool and the wise man (or woman) to sit beside one another as equals.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Well done SS! Congrats.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Good Job, welcome to the fold! One of the perks of playing irish music, is actually to be able to sit down next to some truly wise people instead of the usual fools in academia ;)
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Tirno
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Yeh - that's wot I ment.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
...No, I jest. We fools abound outside academia as well.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations, S.S.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
I'd like to add my congratulations as well Emily - well done!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by ormepipes
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
"Isn't this music a wonderful thing, that it allows the fool and the wise man (or woman) to sit beside one another as equals?"
No.
That's Death, extra-strong skunk or the third day of one of Oliver Reed's parties.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by nicholas
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Are you going to update your profile, or migrate to different role in the parody (http://www.phdcomics.com)
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by David50
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Aye, David. I will be like the spectral post-docs that float around the department, c.f. these comics:
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1101
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1102
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
"DrSilverSpear" looks good on you. i am honored to hang out in your company!
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by full measure
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Oooooh nooooo, DSS, not the dread Post-Doc?!
Of course, now you'll have heaps of time to spend on the pipes?
Congratulations! : )
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Michele Sims
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations, Doctor. Well done.
# Posted on February 9th 2012 by Seosamh Ui Sinan
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
I remember a Post-Doc at a session who complained regularly about the time he spent trying instil sufficient maths into the heads of first-years so that they would have at least a minimum chance of coping with the 4-5 year engineering syllabus ahead of them. Wasn't like that in my day of course (says he, mumbling into his beer); first-years in science and engineering were expected to have, and generally did have, all the necessary mathematical tools at their beck and call when they arrived at uni.
Anyway, Doctor, most sincere congratulations! Life can now start.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
There are doctors for posts?
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by AlBrown
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Leadhills...I've driven through there, and/or Wanlockhead not far away. They are remarkably like Nenthead in the North Pennines, nearer to where I live. All these places are (for Britain) high-altitude villages established around lead-mining, and I rather think they were all exceptionally early (c18) examples of organised industrial 'company' settlements, at any rate with libraries provided. The lead-mining finished a long time ago.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by nicholas
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Yeah, well done SS (PhD).
Played some good gigs in Leadhills too.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Wanlockhead claims notoriety as the highest village in Scotland. The weather there (and in Leadhills, a mile up the road) certainly bears this out.
When I was studying abroad for a couple months in Ireland, I took a class in Irish folklore (really) with Maire Ni Grada, who in addition to being a fine piper is a lecturer at the University of Limerick. She always told us that one day, she would bring her pipes into the class. I'm pretty sure this was a bribe to keep people coming to the class, and it worked rather well. It was a 9am class (students, what are they like) so people weren't at their most motivated to go. I look forward to the day when I too can bribe students into showing up to class.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Weejie, where on earth have you played gigs in Leadhills? The only trad music there recently was, well, us.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
It was in the 90s. Ceilidhs organised by the local community.
I can't remember names, but just about everyone turned out. Good gigs.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Those were the days, eh?
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Well, I'd be disappointed if things had changed.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Wanlockhead, the highest village? I thought Dalwhinnie claimed to be that (I have checked and Wanlockhead is definitely higher). Odd.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Oh and congratulations again.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
I spend a lot of time down there and have not heard of any massive ceilidhs, but I'm pretty disengaged from village life as I don't actually live there.
Yeah, Al, I thought it was Dalwhinnie as well for a while, but it's definitely Wanlockhead.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
I'd guess David and Sheila Sutherland helped organize the Leadhills ceilidhs? We borrowed their house over Xmas and New Year once. Interesting atmosphere at that time of year (it also happened to be at the height of the foot and mouth epidemic, and there was one refugee sheep showing obvious symptoms of the disease penned up in the middle of Wanlockhead with nobody seemingly doing anything about it).
I think that was the last time I ever watched a British TV programme all the way through. It was a documentary about a serial killer in Pakistan who killed 100 boys and dissolved the bodies in battery acid.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Jack Campin
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
I think there was some connection with the shop and the ceilidh organisers - though I may remember wrongly. There was a couple involved, a big guy with a beard, as far as I recall.
Interesting that Wanlockhead claimed to be the highest village in Britain - but no.
http://menmedia.co.uk/macclesfieldexpress/news/s/531487_highest_village_claims_were_no_flash_in_the_pan
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
It claims to be the highest village in Scotland, not Britain.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Geez, Em, what now? You might have to.... gasp... work...
Congrats!
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Reverend
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
"It claims to be the highest village in Scotland, not Britain"
Aye, it does now - but it once did claim to be the highest in Britain, as that article explains. Wiki still thinks it is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanlockhead
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Here's an earlier article archived from the Daily Record:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NOT+SO+FLASH+NOW%3B+Highest+village+in+Scotland+grabs+the+Guinness...-a066750335
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Which university?
banking... Ah no that's not a popular proffession these days... Well anyhow, don't mind all that shtuff , jest keep playing them there pipes , better to be poor and happy ,than rich and miserable, though saying that I'm working on the rich and happy combo..... 
good luck in yr next step. Will
I bet your glad that's finished.. Whats next? A heady carreer in Acadamia ? The lecture circuit ? High finance?
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by piobagusfidil
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
So did she?
(ssalc ni sepip eht yalP)
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by nicholas
Doc, I've got this problem with insomnia and irritability?
WHEW! Head for the hills (mountains)!!!
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by ceolachan
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Nicholas, she didn't.
Will, a job in academia is the goal. I don't think I have the right qualifications for high finance banking and I can't do math.
Ceolachan, the condition you describe there is called "writing a PhD thesis."
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations. Hope you have better luck doing something with it than I have. The most exciting thing that's come of it for me has been having the title embossed on my credit card. That's about it
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Dr. Dow
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations, and best wishes
for your continued success.
Can we call you "Doc"?
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by Piece
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Whats up Dr ?
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by bazouki dave
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations!
When I quietly mentioned PhD in a conversation, Herself threatened some very nasty things if I got serious about it.
Fortunately not a job requirement for me, and the box sucks up most of my spare time anyway.
# Posted on February 10th 2012 by zippydw
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Congratulations on finally earning your doctorate.
Laurence
# Posted on February 11th 2012 by fauxcelt
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
If you tell us to do something, may we say that it is "doctor's orders"?
Laurence
# Posted on February 11th 2012 by fauxcelt
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
"I don't think I have the right qualifications for high finance banking and I can't do math..."
Cheer up. Exactly the same seems to apply to those who are *in* high finance banking. That's the trouble!
# Posted on February 12th 2012 by nicholas
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Doctor Spear, I presume?
# Posted on February 12th 2012 by Jumper
Re: Congratulations to Dr Silver Spear
Nicholas, the people who are currently in high finance banking seem to be as Mathematically Challenged as my wife is.
Laurence
# Posted on February 12th 2012 by fauxcelt