G20

In addition to thousands of heavily-armed police and troops, six goldfish will put their lives on the line to safeguard world leaders at this week's G20 summit in the South Korean capital, Seol. The Convention and Exhibition Centre in southern Seoul, which is hosting the event, will use the fish to check the purity of the water supply to restrooms, an official said today. It would have been cheaper to get 6 N Koreans and they could have run tests beforehand. 

The Group of Twenty (G-20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors was established in 1999 to bring together systemically important industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy. The European Union, who is represented by the rotating Council presidency and the European Central Bank, is the 20th member of the G-20 This year the rep is Irish and the other 19 are going to lock him in the Gents, as Irish bankers, well what can I say, apart from that they may require more toilet paper than average. Actually I made that up.

When you look at the global economy maybe they should let Manchester United some Leprechans and the clowns from Cirque du Soleil have the meeting.

When the electricians came back to fix the outside lights here the other day we had a long chat, as you do when your not paying the bill, about the celtic tiger and banks. They were telling me that if you went into the bank to try and get a loan for say 100,00 Euro to say build an extension they wouldnt let you leave until you have borrowed 150,000 Euro regardless of your ability to repay the money. It must have been a crazy time here, house prices jumped up by ten times in a matter of a the same number of years.

Local business committee

Well I got home at 12pm last night from the local business committee meeting, it was very interesting and I met a load of small business owners and passed out a heap of cards. There is no one in the village doing computer repairs and the fact that I can do websites too may be a draw card.

They had employed a lady to do a business marketing campaign plan and that was the first part of the evening, it wasn't impressive, in fact the PowerPoint presentation was a bit like a "what not to do in a presentation to keep your audience focused" she stumbled and waffled her way through it just reading the slides? and yes it contained the Hype terms,  you know the ones like SWOT( strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), core competency, SEO (to describe anything on the internet) gawd I cant stand them, we had an ex royal navy bloke come in to put procedures in place for a tug company I worked for and honestly his jargon was like gobblydegook. Anyway I got roped into joining the committee and at one point I could have been chairman I had to decline that request due to my only having lived in the community a matter of hours. Anyway it will be good for my business to be a local business committee member.

Ok now to the serious stuff  I'll loop you in on the sustainability of the purple cow that is organic growth of the medium. In terms of herding cats I need to get flat with you its about being data driven and crossing the chasm. We'll make sure to revisit this to be sure to be sure.

boat owners

Its been wet here, doesnt bother me as I have waterproof boots and Gus well hes just waterproof full stop anyway it was dissapointing to see the boats along the river here all full of water and bashed into each other, I'd love a wee boat and it bugs me when I see ones that arent looked after.

Some folks have too much money I guess, ohh that ones sunk I'll just buy another syndrome.

Signs you are being stalked by a leprechaun

You don't recall owning an anatomically correct lawn gnome.

 Every time you turn around the pitter-pattering stops and that green fire hydrant seems to have gotten a little closer

When you come home from work, the potatoes are missing from the cupboard and your parrot is singing "Danny Boy."

Those tiny green hairs on your toilet seat.

An Englishman, a Scott, and a Irishman walked into a pub.

Each orderd a pint of beer. Then a fly landed in each one's beer.
The Englishman, turning slightly green, pushed his beer away and asked for another one.
The Scott took the fly out, shrugged, and drank his beer.
The Irisman pinched the fly between his fingers and yelled
"SPIT IT OUT!" "SPIT IT OUT!"

Irish parking

Well it started off a clear blue sky day and we went for a small walk, 4.5 miles, my wee legs are like jelly to be sure, were determined to do more than last weekend when we walked 2.9 miles through the forest, the only problem is 4.5 is now the benchmark. Anyway I happened to be passing when this old bloke parked his car in one fluid movement no having to back and fill I tell you what he put us young bucks to shame

The car was like that for about 20 mins as he went shopping. Another well parked car we came across today

Parking isnt their best trick.

'Can I have some Irish sausages please?' Asked Seamus. I want to make a proper Irish hot-dog.

The shop assistant looked at him and enquired, 'Are you Irish?'

'If I asked you for Italian sausage, would you ask me if I was Italian? Or, if I asked for German bratwurst, would you ask me if I was German? Or if I asked you for a Kosher hot dog, would you ask me if I was Jewish? Or, if I asked you for a Taco, would you ask me if I was Mexican? Would you, eh? Would you?'
The assistant replied, 'Well...er.... no' .
'And if I asked you for some Bourbon whiskey, would you ask me if I was American? What about Danish bacon, would you ask me if I was Danish?'
'Well, I probably wouldn't,' came the response.
Self-righteously, Seamus demanded, 'Well, all right then, why did you ask me if I'm Irish, just because I asked for Irish Sausages?'
'Because you're in a blooming shoe shop', replied the assistant.

The Falls of Faugh

Well Oughterards version of the Niagra Falls are the Falls of Faugh, the word Falls is about all the two have in common apart from containing water thats the other thing to be sure. Anyway I took a couple of photos of them as theres a couple of wee storys go along with them.

There was a Dr Bushe (Dr of Law) who owned the fishing rights at the waterfall, his Mrs tried to charge locals and tourists to view the waterfall, but there was an uproar and a petition to establish a pathway as a public right of way that went through. The right of way is between two walls hence the photo below with the tree between two walls.

The cave in the photo below is at the falls and it was built for old Mr Gascoigne who lived across from the waterfall, he was unable to walk so they used to carry him across a plank to the cave where he was left to fish the salmon pool infront of him.

I'm looking forward to a visit from my parents this weekend coming and hope the weather is good, its been a pretty dreich week here. I'm also cat sitting as my neighbour is off to Aberdeen on a couple of courses. I shall have to take a couple of pics of Tigger who is a huge Aussie cat. Ohh and Ireland vs South Africa at rugger :) should be a good one.

leaves

Well raking up leaves could be a chore and there are certainly heaps here, when we moved in to this house you couldnt see the river at the bottom of the garden due to the thick undergrowth and tree folliage now everything has died off and you can see the river and the houses the other side of it. Theres a hedge of holly which will stay green and provide a bit of a break right enough. The raking shan't be a chore either as I have a blower machine and the first dry spell I get I shall blow them into Marks garden, oops he reads this.

Its the 5th of November, this day in  1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. I was wondering why its not celebrated here then remembered that after Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor, James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had a Catholic mother. Unfortunately, James did not turn out to be more tolerant than Elizabeth and a number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent action was the answer.

A small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the thing to do was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics. Today these conspirators would be known as extremists, or terrorists. Actually I  didnt remember that I  googled it.
Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.


Even today, the reigning monarch only enters the Parliament once a year, on what is called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster.
I saw this old poem

Remember, remember the Vifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot,
Pray tell me the reason why Gunpowder treason,
Should iver be vorgot.
Our Quane's a valiant Zawlger.
Car's her blunderbus on her right shawldewr,
Cocks her pistol, drays her rapier,
Praay gie us zummit vor her zaayke yer,
A stick, an'a styaake vor Quane Vickey's zaakye,
If e wunt gie on I'll taayke tow.
The better vor we an' the wrus vor you.

I think either his keyboard was sticky or he had the worst case of typos this side of Hogmanay when my typing tends to be a bit howr ya goin.

Budget bloodbath

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan is preparing to unleash a €6bn Budget bloodbath on December 7.

He will unveil the figure today, a day after violence flared on the streets of Dublin over plans to hike college fees.
The €6bn will be one of the biggest cutbacks in a single Budget in the history of the State -- and double the original planned cuts.
It represents a large chunk of the daunting €15bn which has to be slashed by 2014.
20,000 students protested over proposals to increase college registration fees.

A group of activists clashed with gardai in riot gear after they occupied the lobby of the department building. He should pick on the old age penshioners they cant fight back, ohh wait a min, as part of its savage cuts, the Department of Finance is considering withdrawing the over-70s automatic entitlement to free household benefits such as electricity, gas and telephone allowances. Ohh well what comes around goes around ehh if the country hadnt been so stupid in the Glory Tiger days then there wouldnt be such a deficit.


On a lighter note my new boots are still grand and getting a workout in the rain that hasnt let up hardly all week. Good its another week I dont need to wash the car :) Today I must print out some ads for  Robbo's and take them round the local shops and get motivated.

Tonight is beef and mushroom stew with spuds and cabbage good old traditional fare and a hearty feed on a dreich day.