Edmund Rice’s head

Edmund Rice was the guy who set up the Christian Brothers, to educate catholics in Ireland when it was very much frowned upon. Catholics were allowed to go to school, but not to be taught by Catholics, and only to schools which would instruct them in the “Fundamentals of the True Religion”. In other words, [...]

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Bad name for blogging?

Let’s face it. The ‘Blogosphere’ (irritating phrase, but handy) has the reputation for consisting of nothing but inconsequential drivel. It’s a common view, like it or not, but why?
Well, put it this way. I just did a Google blog search for learning French, because I’m about to start doing it. A third of the links [...]

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Nuthin but a hound dog

Don’t read on. It’s one of those ubiquitous moaning blogs you often see. This is driving me up the walls. Up the bloody walls, out the window and round and round the garden as it happens. Since Monday I’ve been beclouded by a thick, impenetrable mood that nothing will shift. It’s pissing me off, too, [...]

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Furst things First

I’m still reading Night Soldiers, and loving it. It’s becoming one of those books that make you hope your bus will be a bit late so you finish the chapter. In some ways it is dull, but I’m still hooked on it. I’ll rephrase that: I don’t find it dull at all, but if someone [...]

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Quote for the Day

Civil war is not unlike a fight between lovers: each side knows precisely how to infuriate the other.
– Night Soldiers, Alan Furst.

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Alan Furst and the Likely Lads

There used to be a sit-com made in England called The Likely Lads, about two guys who had a bit of difficulty leaving their past behind them and growing up. In one classic episode, they have a bet with someone. They have to get through a whole day without hearing the result of the England [...]

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Book list

I’m ashamed to say I sneakily stole this from someone else’s blog because I found it interesting.
Bold what you have read, italicize books you’ve started but couldn’t finish, and strike through books you hated. Add an asterisk* to those you’ve read more than once. Underline those on your TBR list. [Aside: I'm not sure who [...]

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What does it say to you?

The Ascent of Man?

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Views from the Orient

I haven’t been able to post for a while, because of other means of procrastination which took precedence. Just a few views of the far east for now – well, at least County Down, Ireland’s easternmost county.

Just out of reach…

Grey sky, grey rocks, grey mood. It all fits together.

Just on the very left on the [...]

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Breath of the fresh stuff, breath of the stale…

A little bit of back-bone shown by XL Airways:
‘An important part of the Government’s immigration policy has suffered a serious blow after a leading airline announced it would no longer carry failed asylum-seekers who were being forcibly removed from the United Kingdom.
XL Airways, which has a fleet of 24 aircraft, said it was opposed to [...]

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