Saturday, June 30, 2007

If My Nose Were Full of Nickels, I'd Blow It All On You

Is this really a Country & Western song title?

Number 23, apparently, in the Best of the Worst Country-Western Song Titles list

My personal favourite (no 29):
My John Deere Was Breaking Your Field, While Your Dear John Was Breaking My Heart

Friday, June 29, 2007

War of Jenkin's Ear

Probably the best named war ever, the War of Jenkins Ear was fought between England and Spain in Florida and the Caribbean between 1739 and 1742.

The war took its name from English sailor Robert Jenkins, captain of the ship Rebecca, who claimed Spanish coast guards had cut off his ear in 1731. He exhibited said ear in the House of Commons ('ear 'ear!). The severed appendage so aroused public opinion, Prime Minister Robert Walpole was force to reluctantly declare war on Spain.

Spain sort of won but the war didn't really end in 1742. Instead it became part of another war, one that wasn't named after a body part, instead more boringly called the War of the Austrian Succession.

Jenkins went back to work with the Navy despite his impediment and became the governor and most famous resident of St Helena until Napoleon spectacularly blew that honour away in 1815.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Ireland's first black mayor

Rotimi Adebari, 43, born in Okeodan in Ogun state, in southwest Nigeria, was expected to take the chain of office in the midlands town of Portlaoise, Co Laois.

Adebari has a masters degree in intercultural studies from Dublin City University and works with the local authority in County Laois co-ordinating an integration project for immigrants.

"Ireland is really changing. The immigrant community in the town has been growing, especially since the accession countries joined the European Union on enlargement in 2004," Adebari said.

"That is not to say that I did not have my own share of the prejudice that would be out there against maybe Nigerians, or immigrants or asylum seekers," he said.

"But I don't let the attitude of a very small minority over-shadow the fact that the people are wonderful."

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

absolutely astronomical aphelions and analemmas

Aphelion - the point on its orbit when the Earth is farthest from the sun where as Perihelion is the point on its orbit when the Earth is closest to the sun
.

Analemma
is the figure-8 path that the sun makes in the sky when you photograph it once a week at the same time of day for an entire year. The top of the eight is at the perihelion. The bottom is at the aphelion.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

He's a Derek. Dereks don't run (no more)



Football great Derek Dougan of Wolves and Northern Ireland died yesterday aged 69.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Women in power 1970-2000

Interesting list.

Includes such exotic titles as the Paramount Chiefess of Rewa and Traditional Head of Burebasaga (Fiji), the Regent-in-exile Dowager Shahbanou (Iran), Capitano Reggente (San Marino), Rain Queen (South Africa) and the Indovukazi or Great She-Elephant (Swaziland).

Friday, June 22, 2007

The Stereoscopic Skin Clinic

A selection from The Stereoscopic Skin Clinic, "an atlas of diseases of the skin, consisting of color stereoscopic illustrations and a text in the form of clinical lectures, designed for the use of practitioners and students of medicine." Photographed by S. I. Rainforth, M.D., of New York, and published in 1911.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Battle of Kruger

Who is king of the savannah...lions, crocodiles or water buffalo...you be the judge!

8 minutes long, but sure as hell beats anything coming out of Animal planet

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Happy Bloomsday

16 June was the 103rd anniversary of Bloomsday.

16 June 1904 was the day Leopold Bloom set off on his adventures around Dublin captured by Jimmy Joyce in Ulysses.

"I stand, so to speak, with an unposted letter before the too late box of the general post office of human life."

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Džafte kuravte!

Here's the indispensible guide to Eastern European swearwords.

The Serbs are the most resourceful swearers. Whether it be an anti-NATO slogan: Klintone, možeš da nam pušiš (Clinton, you can give us a blow job)

or the God invoking jebo te bog!, zdaj se boš pa še opravičeval!" ("God'll fuck you! Now you'll really be sorry!")

or the all purpose: Ma to je pičkin dim!" ("that cunt's smokin'!")

it has swear words for every occasion.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Handey cut out and keep guide

Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that, I'll be over here, looking through your stuff.

From Jack Handey's Deep Thoughts

Friday, June 15, 2007

revenge for Woolmer

Pakistan's cricket team will have a chance to cross swords with Ireland for first time since their inglorious World Cup exit on St Patrick's Day. Pakistan and Ireland join India and South Africa in a four team tournament in India commencing 23 June. Ireland would appear to have hit the cricketing big time.

Bob Woolmer is believed to be turning in his grave although Jamaican police could not confirm if he was turning of his own accord.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

man a cus man a kai

Some classic Irish music:

Sultans of Ping FC - 1992 "Where's me Jumper"

Lyrics here

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

a pair of green ayes

Irish election result:

Looks like Fianna Fail about to form government with Coamhaontas Glas (The Green Party).

Ecology wasn't de Valera's strongpoint but surely where better for the Greens to rule than the Emerald Isle?