Tag: Katherine Rosenius

Visitor attractions featured in Outlander have soared to 67% say Glasgow Caledonian University.

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By Katherine Rosenius

 

Visitor attractions in Scotland have soared due to hit TV show Outlander. Outlander is a popular STARZ show based on historical novels written by Diana Gabaldon. The historical accuracy of the show must, for obvious reasons, be questioned as its’ genre is not only regarded as Historical Fiction but also as Fantasy, Drama, Adventure and Romance.  

Gabaldon claims to Parade.com “The history/historical detail in the books is as accurate as history is, i.e., what people wrote down wasn’t always either complete or accurate, but they did write it down” Considering her statement, it seems that she has authored her book based on history itself, even though the stories in our history books have the potential of being false.  

However, regarding the show’s adaptation of the book, Gabaldon admits the TV show has a certain pressure to make things more fantastical or exiting for the viewer that the books would not.  

The series has astonishingly resulted in a dramatic increase in tourism to certain locations in Scotland, so much so that Diana Gabaldon received an International Contribution to Scottish Tourism award following the published paper by VisitScotland, ushering how sites used in the filming of the STARZ show have seen visitors soar.  

Visiting the different sets, “Set-jetting,” as the publication calls it, became a trend in Scotland partly due to Outlander. Where “Visitor numbers to attractions featured in the show have soared by 67%”, says Glasgow Caledonian University’s twitter account @CaledonianNews 

Malcolm Roughead, the chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “The impact of Outlander on Scotland has been truly extraordinary. It has been amazing to see the global reaction to Diana Gabaldon’s stories of adventure, romance, and Scottish history – and the subsequent television adaptation – and seeing it translate into visitor growth for Scotland.”  

Fiona Hyslop, the cabinet secretary for culture, tourism, and external affairs, added: “Scotland’s wonderful landscapes, rich history and culture continue to captivate visitors from home and abroad, making tourism one of our most important industries.” (BBC) 

The show has generally been well received with mentions of it not being for the feint hearted. As the series is already coming to its 7th season there has been a slight decrease in the average audience of just 520’000 per episode in season 6. Comparing this with the 810’000 for season 5 and 1.51 million in season 3.  

This, however, is a phenomenon well known with many shows being cancelled or discontinued after many seasons. Now it is up to STARZ and the writing team for Outlander to tell how many more seasons of this historical fantasy we will get to see. 

 

The Winds of Change in Europe

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By Katherine Rosenius

 

Finland, Sweden and Russia have a very intertwined history, featuring numerous wars and shifts in borders. This article will focus mainly on Finland and Russia, where much of the reasoning behind Finland’s application to NATO applies to Sweden’s application as well.  

The decision by Finland to apply to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an unprecedented shift in the politics of Europe, much like the controversial Brexit decision made by the United Kingdom in 2016.  

As a nation with a population roughly equal to that of Scotland at 5.5 million and a tenuous history with Russia, Finland is not known for bold international claims, demands, or making a fuss in general. In fact, the term Finlandization was coined in the 1960s to denote a smaller country refraining from challenging, in any way, its larger and more powerful neighbour – in this case, Russia.  

Over the years leading up to the present day, a mostly healthy and mutually beneficial relationship has been cultivated between Finland and Russia, only to begin rapidly deteriorating because of events unfolding on the global political stage today, particularly in Ukraine.  

The terms under which Finland and Russia have successfully co-operated have changed over the years, but one constant has remained: Finland is not to join NATO. Since NATO’s start, Russian leadership has dreaded the prospect of the western coalition having access to the 1340-kilometer-long border Finland shares with Russia.  

Directly east of the northernmost Finnish border lies the Murmansk region of Russia, which houses the Northern Fleet’s headquarters and main base, the largest naval base in Russia, as well as additional bases around the area.  

The strategic significance of this location should not be understated – a previous border connection for NATO forces to Murmansk exists through northern Norway but covers a significantly smaller area and only allows a small corridor of entry – the addition of Finland’s border, however, poses a much more serious threat for Russia in the event of a NATO invasion.  

The reason this is relevant is that it puts Russian leadership in an even more demanding situation than they have already carved for themselves. If the Russian regime had previously been anxious over their shared border with NATO, their worries would surely peak as the border doubled. 

 The fear is that Russia would become even more reckless as more countries take a seemingly hostile stance towards them. In essence, if Russia perceives the west to be gearing towards war with them, Russia will certainly do the same. 

 

While the topic of joining NATO has been on the minds of many in Finland for a long time, the beforementioned Finlandization effect has always prevented serious talks of applying, but in the past decade, events such as the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine have caused public opinion in Finland to shift dramatically in favour of NATO. 

According to polls orchestrated by Yle, Finland’s national broadcasting company, in 2017, only 21% of the population were in favor of joining, while in 2022 that number had soared to 62% in March 2022 and 76% in May. These polls signal a sense of uncertainty and escalation of fear amongst Finns. The extent to which Russia will negatively react to Finland joining NATO is unknown and is one of the sources of uncertainty. 

When asked about the conflict, John Ahlbom, a Finnish politics student at University of Stirling voices “I think that we don’t really need to join NATO because we have a strong military which is based wholly on defending Finland from a potential Russian invasion, the potential for conflict is in my mind increased by joining NATO, because of article 5.” NATO´s Article 5 articulates that an attack against one or several of its members is an attack against all, in other words, NATO offers Finland collective defence, and this is something a lot of Finns are aware of.” 

John continues “[We] just have to assume that the people in power have assessed the situation and there must be a reason for them to reach a different conclusion, but I also think a lot of it has to do with social pressure – it is seen as `the right move´ by a lot of people who actually don’t have a lot of information at hand and maybe don’t know as much about our defense forces, NATO, or international relations in general.

“While I am skeptical, I can say with certainty that I also see a silver lining in joining NATO. First and foremost, should the worst occur, we would as a matter of fact be better off as a NATO member if we were invaded, as help is always welcome even though you believe in yourself. Secondly, Finland has struggled to make decisions that wouldn’t sit well with Russia ever since WW2, but with the backing of NATO Finland could finally stop appeasing Russia.” 

Antti Kaikkonen, the Finnish defense minister vocalizes on YLE TV1 that “Finland is not facing an immediate military threat, but we must look to the future as well. Finland must prepare for the use or the threat of use of military force, against it as well as for political pressure”  

The relationship between Finland and Russia may not have been equal but has been stable for a long time. The events unfolding globally have forced this relationship into drastic changes, and in such a brief time, it may be worth considering what other previously unachievable changes may be coming to Europe, and which countries are next. 

TikTok challenge claims life of young Scottish boy

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By Katherine Rosenius

 

Warning: Do not try any of the ‘TikTok Challenges’ mentioned in this article.

 

A viral social media challenge has shockingly claimed the life of Scottish teen in north Lanarkshire.  

TikTok is a video hosting platform where users can submit video content. The platform hosts a variety of content, ranging from pranks stunts, and tricks to jokes, music, and dances. It has become clear that TikTok and its challenges and trends are not always as harmless and fun as they seem. Some of the challenges going around are incredibly dangerous and should not be tried out.

Leon Brown, 14, from Cumbernauld tragically passed away following an attempt at the viral ´Blackout Challenge’. His body was discovered by his mother, who has since spoken out to warn other parents about the dangers of social media and the ‘game’ which took her sons life.

Leon Brown(14). Image via Daily Record

Lauryn Brown, 30, recalling the awful moment said; “One of Leon’s friends told me he had been doing the challenge on FaceTime with them after seeing it on TikTok. My Leon thought he would be the one to try it first.

“Him and his friends probably thought it was a laugh and a joke. One of the kids who he was on FaceTime with told me what he had done. She said they thought they would wake up. But Leon didn’t come back around.

“It went horribly wrong. I had heard of this challenge, because of what happened to Archie Battersbee. They aren’t worth ‘likes’ or whatever they are doing it for.”

A spokesperson for TikTok released a statement saying, “Our deepest sympathies go out to Leon Brown’s family during this incredibly difficult time. The safety of our community is our priority and we take any claim about a dangerous challenge very seriously. Content of this nature is prohibited on our platform and would be removed if found.”

The blackout challenge sees users holding their breath until they pass out from lack of oxygen. Because of the TikTok trend, we are not only seeing people do this to themselves, but also doing it with and to their friends.  

Image via Cafe Mom

Dr Nick Flynn, a GP in Cork, warns that the risks associated with the challenge includes fainting, oxygen deprivation in brain, seizures, brain damage and in the worst case, death.  

Doctor Flynn explained to the Irish Examiner, “In performing the pass out challenge they are mimicking suffocation. They are stopping the chest muscle from moving, which stops the chest from working and can´t get oxygen to the brain. The brain is then starved of oxygen and the person loses consciousness” 

According to the magazine People, this challenge has been around since 2008 but resurfaced on TikTok in 2021. Experts have warned young users not to try this trend. 

The blackout challenge, however, is not the only one who could put the youths’ lives at risk.

Countless new challenges come out every day and it is important for parents, kids, and teens to be warned whenever a potentially dangerous trend is released or ´trending´.

  

 

Hunting – the Good and the Bad

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By Katherine Rosenius

 

Is hunting a necessity, a cruel sport, or somewhere in between? It can be argued that the root of the problem lies in humanity, the actions over the last hundreds if not thousands of years, have brought nature out of its natural equilibrium, resulting in certain species thriving, while others have been brought to the brink of extinction.

Today’s discussion is about hunting; its pros and cons; and the morality of hunting as an activity derived straight out of this imbalance, that humans themselves have created. 

Hunting has been vital in human history and for Mankind’s survival for millions of years, since the first Hominid species had to learn to survive in this world. The ability to forage food and hunt for meat was crucial for their survival and evolution. Nowadays, in the western world, hunting is scarcely a means of survival anymore, moreover, it is considered a sport that involves the seeking, pursuing, and killing of wild animals and birds.  

Currently, there are many laws and rules that follow the sport. One cannot pursue an animal or bird of the sort without the right means. That in short means one must have a firearm license, privately owned land or the right to use someone else’s, and the right hunting season for one’s prey. 

Some hunt for sport and competition, others use it to collect furs and pelts which can then be used for clothes, decorations, and various other uses. In more rural areas of the world, people still use hunting as a means of survival, as going to a grocery store is a luxury they do not have. Traditionally, hunting was intended for survival only, as natives would only hunt what they needed to survive. 

Even in the mid 16h century, hunting wasn’t a luxury and more of a necessity. At this time, hunts against foxes started occurring, but this was mainly a form of pest control. Foxes were generally regarded as vermin as they would greatly harm livestock such as goats, poultry and steal eggs. Later, hounds were trained to kill foxes to keep livestock at bay. 

During the Middle Ages hunting turned into an activity for people in higher societal classes to enjoy. This practice eventually led to overhunting and exploiting natural resources. Overhunting could lead to killing animals in a higher rate than they can repopulate which depletes the species population.  

There have been controversies about what hunting, and shooting is doing to the environment. The Destruction of habitats is a major driver in biodiversity loss in the United Kingdom. (Oldfield, TE)  

To understand the perspective of a hunter, Michael Rosenius, an experienced hunter, gave his take on the issue. “Natural predators such as wolves, bears and lynx were killed off and were reduced to mere extinction in most of Europe and the UK- the result is that the amount of deer, wild boar, and certain other species, have exploded to a point where they do substantial damage not only to farms but forest and woodlands as their main intake are young plants and trees (saplings), resulting in forests being unable to regenerate themselves and farmers suffering considerable damage to their farmland” 

“On the other hand, certain species such as pheasants, that aren’t part of natural fauna, have been planted artificially and in large amounts for sport hunting and game hunts. They are bred to be shot. 100-1000 birds can be shot in a day by a hunting party for pure fun, whether this serves any purpose other than sports aspects and economic aspects for the people who organize such shoots, is debatable. The moral issue for such shoots is also different from deer stalking.

“One benefit however of all hunting is that it supports and employs many people in the countryside where other employment opportunities might be very scarce, it is also deeply rooted in culture and serves a cultural and bonding purpose.”

A study on Field sports and conservation in the United Kingdom was conducted in 2003 which found that Landowners that take part in hunting and shooting are more likely to conserve and reinstate woodlands. The study shows they are 2.5 times more likely to plant new woodlands than landowners without shooting interests. These woodland habitats are essential for the persistence of a wide range of British wildlife. 

It seems the people I have interviewed and read about make it clear that the last thing they want is for their pray to suffer or the meat to go to waste, for it to be a useless kill. 

Hunting has been a popular activity for both necessity and recreation since the start of recorded history. It has been subjected to controversies and debate, as hunting can lead to various environmental issues like animal extinction and forest depletion but can also help control animal population and valuable woodland.