Duns Scotus

"By a first act of knowledge the mind has a direct but vague intuition of the individual concrete object as a 'most special' image, a particular glimpse of 'thisness'. It is through this knowledge of the singular that the mind, by abstracting and comparing, in a second act arrives at its knowledge of the universal.

Duns Scotus, 14th Century"

The sage words of Duns Scotus there on the act of Christmas shopping. Basically in the first instance you see what you would like to buy someone. After settling on this concrete object you then check prices online, comparing to see where offers the best value, before purchasing the aforementioned object.

He was ahead of his time.

Mind you, he missed out a third line: "In the execution of the second act there will be a third act, namely the new knowledge gained from seeing something you'd like for yourself and therefore spending more than you had intended."

I think it's the other half of someone on here that owns Trinket on William Street, which I'd popped into to see if there was something for someone else, and walked out with something for myself instead. Well. I deserve it. I'll work out later just exactly what I deserve it for.

A moment of fame last night in the Sheep Heid pub quiz when the barman asked me, "Were you on telly last night?" Ah, it's something I'll have to get used to, this additional media attention. I'll leave you to guess which I am.

Good to catch up with Trev after the quiz (albeit mightily briefly).