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MISSING

MARGARET MAWHINNEY

Photo available on request only at
rochfortbridge@hotmail.com

LAST SEEN ON TUESDAY, 3RD MARCH’09 ON THE TRIM ROAD, NAVAN.

reported to be heading in the direction of Rochfortbridge

INFORMATION TO NAVAN GARDAI: 046/9079930 or any Garda station.

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Tuesday 20th of January is the 90th Anniversary of the First Dáil

The first Dáil was formed from the successful Sinn Féin candidates for the UK General Election of December 1918 (voting took place in most constituencies on 14 December). Of the 105 seats in Ireland, 73 were won by Sinn Féin (25 unopposed), 22 Unionists, 6 Nationalists, 3 "Labour Unionists", 1 Independent Unionist. Three Sinn Féin candidates were elected in two different constituencies (Arthur Griffith, Eamon de Valera and Liam Mellows) so the numerical strength of the first Dáil was only 70 TD's.

The first Government was Cathal Brugha, Priomh Aire (President). Professor Eoin MacNeill, Finance. Michael Collins, Home Affairs. George Noble Count Plunkett, Foreign Affairs. Richard Mulcahy, National Defence.

This first cabinet all resigned on 1 April 1919 to be replaced by:

Eamon de Valera, Priomh Aire (President). Arthur Griffith, Home Affairs. Cathal Brugha, Defence. George Noble Count Plunkett, Foreign Affairs. Countess Markievicz, Labour. Eoin MacNeill, Industries. Michael Collins, Finance. William T. Cosgrave, Local Government. Ernest Blythe, Trade & Commerce. Sean O'Ceallaigh, Minister for Irish.

The constituency of Westmeath at that time had a population of 56,326 and an elecorate of 24,014. Laurence Ginnell of Delvin (Sinn Féin) won the seat.

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In 1752 Arthur Guinness was left £100 in the will of his Godfather Archbishop Price. Three years later he set up business as a brewer in Leixlip, County Kildare. In 1757 construction began on the Grand Canal at James’s Street, Dublin, allowing access by water to Shannon Harbour and Limerick. The canal was used to transport casks and raw materials directly to and from the Brewery site.

On the 31st of December 1759 Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on a disused brewery at St. James’s Gate, Dublin for an initial £100 and an annual rent of £45. The brewery covered four acres and consisted of a copper, a kieve, a mill, two malthouses, stabling for 12 horses and a loft to hold 200 tons of hay. In 1769 the first export shipment of six-and-a-half barrels of Guinness beer left Dublin on a sailing vessel bound for England.

First U.S. presidential election on Jan 7, 1789

On the 7th of January 1789, the United States, having recently adopted its Constitution, held its first presidential election.Only white men who owned property voted. They choose electors who in turn voted for the candidates.
Unsurprisingly, the winning candidate proved to be George Washington, the Virginia landowner who had led the patriotic forces in the war against the British.

Washington was sworn into office in New York on April 30, 1789.

Washington was a delegate to both constitutional congresses. He was unanimously named both as commander in chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and as president of the constitutional convention that drafted the Constitution.

His popularity cut across the political spectrum, including those who advocated a strong central government (the Federalists, with whom Washington agreed), and those who sought to reserve most governmental powers to the states. (This group came to known as the Democratic-Republicans.)

Washington finished first with 69 votes, followed by his fellow Federalist, John Adams of Massachusetts, whose 34 votes propelled him into the vice presidency. (Prior to the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate who received the most electoral votes became president while the runner-up became vice president.)

Federalists dominated the balloting.

The other presidential candidates were John Jay of New York (9 votes); Robert Hanson Harrison of Maryland (6 votes); John Rutledge of South Carolina (6 votes); Samuel Huntington of Connecticut (2 votes); John Milton of Georgia (2 votes); James Armstrong of Pennsylvania (1 vote); Benjamin Lincoln of Massachusetts (1 vote); and Edward Telfair of Georgia (1 vote). Forty-four electors failed to cast their ballots.

As it did in 1789, the United States still employs the Electoral College. The president and vice president are the sole elected federal officials chosen by the Electoral College instead of by direct popular vote.

Death of Dr Patrick Hillery

Irelands sixth President, Dr Patrick Hillery died yesterday (12th April 2008) at the age of 84 following a short illness. Dr Hillery, originally from Co Clare, served two seven-year terms as President of Ireland from 1976 to 1990. His long and distinguished career in public life began in 1951 when he was elected along­side Eamon deValera as a Fianna Fail TD for Clare. He held a number of ministerial posts (Education, Industry and Commerce, Labour and Foreign Affairs) prior to being appointed Ireland's first EEC Commissioner in Brussels in 1973. He held the post of vice president of the then Commission of the European Communities, with special responsibility for social affairs until 1976, when he was inaugurated as President of Ireland on December 3,1976. Patrick Hillery was born in 1923 at Milltown Malbay, Co Clare. He received his secondary education at Rockwell College, Co Tipperary. He went on to study medicine at UCD where he qualified as a doctor in 1947. He was elected to Dail Eireann in 1951 and was to remain a TD for Clare until taking a post in Brussels 21 years later. May he rest in peace.

Now, for the American friends, its Thanksgiving - but where did this festival originate?

First Thanksgiving

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.

Food preparation

Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.

What Was Actually on the Menu?

What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakersof our plenty.

Did you know that lobster, seal and swans were on the Pilgrims' menu? Learn more...

The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers. They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food. Salt would have been on the table at the harvest feast, and people would have sprinkled it on their food. Pepper, however, was something that they used for cooking but wasn't available on the table.

In the seventeenth century, a person's social standing determined what he or she ate. The best food was placed next to the most important people. People didn't tend to sample everything that was on the table (as we do today), they just ate what was closest to them.

Serving in the seventeenth century was very different from serving today. People weren't served their meals individually. Foods were served onto the table and then people took the food from the table and ate it. All the servers had to do was move the food from the place where it was cooked onto the table.

Pilgrims didn't eat in courses as we do today. All of the different types of foods were placed on the table at the same time and people ate in any order they chose. Sometimes there were two courses, but each of them would contain both meat dishes, puddings, and sweets.

More Meat, Less Vegetables

Our modern Thanksgiving repast is centered around the turkey, but that certainly wasn't the case at the pilgrims's feasts. Their meals included many different meats. Vegetable dishes, one of the main components of our modern celebration, didn't really play a large part in the feast mentality of the seventeenth century. Depending on the time of year, many vegetables weren't available to the colonists.

The pilgrims probably didn't have pies or anything sweet at the harvest feast. They had brought some sugar with them on the Mayflower but by the time of the feast, the supply had dwindled. Also, they didn't have an oven so pies and cakes and breads were not possible at all. The food that was eaten at the harvest feast would have seemed fatty by 1990's standards, but it was probably more healthy for the pilgrims than it would be for people today. The colonists were more active and needed more protein. Heart attack was the least of their worries. They were more concerned about the plague and pox.

Surprisingly Spicy Cooking

People tend to think of English food at bland, but, in fact, the pilgrims used many spices, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and dried fruit, in sauces for meats. In the seventeenth century, cooks did not use proportions or talk about teaspoons and tablespoons. Instead, they just improvised. The best way to cook things in the seventeenth century was to roast them. Among the pilgrims, someone was assigned to sit for hours at a time and turn the spit to make sure the meat was evenly done.

Since the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians had no refrigeration in the seventeenth century, they tended to dry a lot of their foods to preserve them. They dried Indian corn, hams, fish, and herbs.

Dinner for Breakfast: Pilgrim Meals:

The biggest meal of the day for the colonists was eaten at noon and it was called noonmeat or dinner. The housewives would spend part of their morning cooking that meal. Supper was a smaller meal that they had at the end of the day. Breakfast tended to be leftovers from the previous day's noonmeat.

In a pilgrim household, the adults sat down to eat and the children and servants waited on them. The foods that the colonists and Wampanoag Indians ate were very similar, but their eating patterns were different. While the colonists had set eating patterns--breakfast, dinner, and supper--the Wampanoags tended to eat when they were hungry and to have pots cooking throughout the day.

An Irish Mile

It seems Europe had given up on enforcing the metric system on us and now the good old pint is back on the menu, two pound of sugar and a half pound of butter will be back on the shopping list again and the old adage "I wouldn't go within an Irish Mile of that person" always sounded better in imperial but did you ever wonder where the saying "Irish Mile" came from?

Well, back in the time when our good friends the English were helping themselves to our land, the Irish mile was an actual measurement. it was slightly longer than the statute mile as was the Irish acre larger than the statute acre, but when leasing it back to the tenants the English reduced the length of the mile/acre in order to charge more rent, it was as simple as that and the Irish mile/acre was declared obsolete.

so what length was a mile in the good old days?

some of the older folk would remember reciting the tables in school,

12 inches 1 foot

3 feet 1 yard

5 and a half yards 1 Perch

40 perch 1 Furlong

8 Furlongs 1 Mile

but we were hoodwinked...an Irish Perch was 7 yards.

Statute Measure	in Yards		Irish Measure	in Yards
1 Perch	5.5			7
40 perch	220			280
8 Furlongs	1760			2240

so the Irish Mile is 480 yards longer than the statute mile...if you look again at the table, the Irish measurement was more even and rounded with whole numbers in each dividend....shall we try Europe to re-instate the Irish Mile???

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Johnny Cash – 26th Feb 1932 to 12th Sept 2003
Part Irish – Part Native American Indian – All Legend

Johnny’s fore fathers emigrated from Ireland during the famine of 1845/47 and settled in Nova Scotia, Canada.
From there they gradually moved south to Arkansas where in February 1932, J.R. Cash was born
"To millions of fans, Johnny Cash is “the Man in Black,” a country music legend who sings in an authoritative baritone about the travails of working men and the downtrodden in his country. Lesser known is the fact that Johnny Cash was present at the birth of rock and roll by virtue of being one of the earliest assignees to Sam Phillips’ Sun Records back in 1955.
Cash was part of an elite club of rock and roll pioneers at Sun that included Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. The four were collectively referred to as “the Million Dollar Quartet” after an impromptu gathering and jam session at the Sun recording studio on December 4, 1956. What Cash and his group, the Tennessee Two, brought to the “Sun Sound” was a Spartan mix of guitar, stand up bass and vocals that served as an early example of rockabilly. Cash recorded a string of rockabilly hits for Sun that included “Cry, Cry, Cry,” “Folsom Prison Blues” and “I Walk the Line.” The latter was first of more than a dozen Number One country hits for Cash and also marked his first appearance on the national pop singles charts.
Straddling the country, folk and rockabilly idioms, Johnny Cash has crafted more than 400 plainspoken story-songs that describe and address the lives of coal miners, sharecroppers, Native Americans, prisoners, cowboys, renegades and family men. Cash came by his common touch honestly, having been born in Kingsland, Arkansas, during the Great Depression on February 26, 1932. At age three, he moved with his family to Dyess, Arkansas, where he worked the cotton fields. Cash’s roaming days included laboring at an auto plant in Michigan, serving in the Air Force in Germany, and working as an appliance salesman in Memphis. Cash became a full-time musician after his two-sided hit—“So Doggone Lonesome"/"Folsom Prison Blues”—shot to Number Four on the Billboard country chart in 1956. From Sun, he jumped to Columbia Records in 1958, where he recorded such favorites as “Ring of Fire,” “Understand Your Man,” “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town” and “Tennessee Flat-Top Box.” But Cash never forgot his roots, nor did he leave hard times behind. A prototype for the black-clad rebel rocker, Cash cultivated a serious drug problem in the Sixties, which ended when he met his second wife, June Carter, whom he married in 1968.
Some of Cash’s best work includes live albums recorded, quite literally, for captive audiences at Folsom and San Quentin prisons. Johnny Cash at San Quentin included the 1969 hit “A Boy Named Sue,” which went to Number Two. In 1969, Cash cut a duet with Bob Dylan for the latter’s Nashville Skyline, and Dylan returned the favor by appearing on The Johnny Cash Show, a successful TV variety hour that premiered in 1969. All the while, the rugged simplicity and uncut honesty of Cash’s approach was steadily seeping into rock and roll by way of the burgeoning country-rock scene. Cash has remained a stalwart figure and working musician to the present day. His career received a shot in the arm in the mid-Nineties when he released what many consider to be his finest album to date, a stark study for guitar and voice entitled American Recordings.”
Some Dates to remember
February 26, 1932: Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas.
1955: Johnny Cash signs contract with Sun Records.
June 1, 1955: Sam Phillips signs aspiring country singer Johnny Cash and releases his debut single, “Cry! Cry! Cry!"/"Hey! Porter.”
May 1, 1956: Sun releases John Cash’s “I Walk the Line.”
December 4, 1956: The “Million Dollar Quartet"—Presley, Perkins, Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis—records old gospel, country and pop songs at an impromptu session. The recordings aren’t officially released until the mid-Eighties.
December 4, 1956: Four legendary past and present Sun Records recording artists—Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash—gather at Sun for an informal jam session. Later dubbed the Million Dollar Quartet, the stars (sans Cash, who stays only briefly) perform gospel standards and recent hits in relaxed, impromptu fashion.
January 1, 1958: Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash sign with Columbia Records. Perkins leaves Sun immediately, Cash leaves in August when his contract is up.
1992: Johnny Cash inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
September 12, 2003: Johnny Cash passes away.






Luciano Pavarotti 1935 – 2007


Pavarotti was born in Modena, Italy, on October 12, 1935, the first child and only son of a baker. As a boy, sports occupied much of his time. In fact, he earned his first local fame as a member of the town's soccer team, excelling at the game he has followed passionately ever since. He first sang in the Modena chorus with his father, a fervent lover of opera and gifted amateur tenor. When the chorus won first prize in an international competition, the youngster was hooked. His debut came on April 29, 1961, as Rodolfo in La Boheme, at the opera house in Reggio Emilia. That success led to engagements throughout Italy and the World, where he conquered audiences in Amsterdam, Vienna, Zurich, and London. His American debut came in February 1965, in a Miami production of Lucia di Lammermoor with Joan Sutherland, the beginning of what would become their historic partnership. Debuts in La Boheme, at La Scala, San Francisco, and New York won the hearts of fans around the world. But it wasn't until February 17, 1972, that the Pavarotti phenomenon was born, in a production of La Fille du Regiment at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Responding to Pavarotti's aria containing nine effortless high Cs, the audience erupted in a frenzied ovation, and the young tenor's reputation soared into the stratosphere. Long associated with London/Decca Records, his recordings are consistent best sellers, and include collections of arias and recital programs, a live concert from Carnegie Hall, and anthologies of Neapolitan and other Italian songs. The most recent is Verdi's Il Trovatore. His frequent television appearances in performance as well as in documentaries and on talk shows continue to add to his musical renown. His performance as Rodolfo thrilled America in the first Live from the Met telecast in March of 1977, which attracted one of the largest audiences ever for a televised opera. And from that same stage, he and Plácido Domingo together celebrated their 25th anniversaries with an Opening Night Gala performance in the fall of 1993. He consistently draws record-breaking audiences to sold-out arena concerts in many countries and shares his music with huge audiences in the great public parks of the world. His televised concert in London's Hyde Park, in the presence of Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was the first concert in the history of the park featuring classical music and drew a record attendance of some 150,000 people. In June 1993, more than 500,000 fans gathered to enjoy his performance on the Great Lawn of New York's Central Park, while millions more around the world watched on television. The following September, singing here in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, he thrilled the hearts of an estimated 300,000 music lovers. Maestro Pavarotti is also dedicated to the development of the careers of young singers, and conducts standing-room-only master classes at conservatories around the world. In 1982, he initiated an ongoing international vocal competition culminating with prestigious final performances in Philadelphia. The second competition in 1986 coincided with the 25th Anniversary of his career. To celebrate, he brought the winners of that competition to Italy for gala performances of La Boheme in Modena and in Genoa that resulted in his historic visit to China, chronicled in the film Distant Harmony.

Illuminated by his radiant personality and propelled by his zest for life Luciano Pavarotti's golden voice transcended the walls of the opera house to reach inside every human heart and mind.

Pavarotti died of cancer in the early hours of 6 September 2007.

Luciano Pavarotti's voice rang out a final time inside Modena's cathedral in northern Italy today (8 Sept 2007), as a recording of the great tenor singing with his father highlighted his funeral which was attended by family, dignitaries and close friends.

Silly Laws (Some to avoid by our TDs in the Autumn)

Silly Laws
Arkansas
The Arkansas legislature passed a law that states that the Arkansas River can rise no higher than to the Main Street bridge in Little Rock.

Canada
In Calgary there is a by-law that is still on the books that requires businesses within the city to provide rails for tying up horses.

California
In 1930, the City Council of Ontario passed an ordinance forbidding roosters to crow within the city limits. In Los Angeles, you cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time. It is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time. In California, animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship. In Los Angeles, a man is legally entitled to beat his wife with a leather belt or strap, but the belt can't be wider than 2 inches, unless he has his wife's consent to beat her with a wider strap.

Colorado
In Denver it is unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next-door neighbor.

Connecticut
In Devon, Connecticut, it is unlawful to walk backwards after sunset. In Hartford, Conn., you aren't allowed to cross a street while walking on your hands.

England
In the England it is illegal to sell most goods on a Sunday, (this law is mostly ignored), it is however legal to sell a carrot. It is also legal to sell it at any price and to give free gifts with it, such as anything else one might want to buy on a Sunday!

Florida
In Miami, it's illegal for men to be seen publicly in any kind of strapless gown.

Georgia It is illegal to say "Oh, Boy" in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Idaho
Idaho state law makes it illegal for a man to give his sweetheart a box of candy weighing less than fifty pounds. In Pocatello, Idaho, a law passed in 1912 provided that "The carrying of concealed weapons is forbidden, unless same are exhibited to public view."

Illinois
It is against the law for a monster to enter the corporate limits of Urbana, Kirkland, Illinois, law forbids bees to fly over the village or through any of its streets. In Zion, Ill., it is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals kept as pets.

Indiana
Back in 1924, a monkey was convicted in South Bend of the crime of smoking a cigarette and sentenced to pay a 25 dollar fine and the trial costs. In Gary, Ind., persons are prohibited from attending a movie house or other theater and from riding a public streetcar within four hours of eating garlic.

Iowa
Horses are forbidden to eat fire hydrants in Marshalltown, Iowa. In Ottumwa, Iowa, "It is unlawful for any male person, within the corporate limits of the (city), to wink at any female person with whom he is unacquainted."

Kansas
Kansas state law requires pedestrians crossing the highways at night to wear tail lights. No one may catch fish with his bare hands in Kansas.

Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky, makes it against the law to shoot off a policeman's tie. In Lexington, Kentucky, it's illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your pocket. A Kentucky statute says: "No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she is escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club." Later, an amendment proposed: "The provisions of this statute shall not apply to any female weighing less than sixty pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds; nor shall it apply to female horses."

Massachusetts
There is a Massachusetts law requiring all dogs to have their hind legs tied during the month of April. It is illegal to take more than 2 baths a month within Boston confines.
Michigan

In Clawson, Mich., there is a law that makes it LEGAL for a farmer to sleep with his pigs, cows, horses, goats, and chickens. In Detroit, couples are banned from making love in an automobile unless the act takes place while the vehicle is parked on the couple's own property. In Michigan, a woman isn't allowed to cut her own hair without her husband's permission.

Missouri
Minors in Kansas City, Missouri, are not allowed to purchase cap pistols; they may buy shotguns freely, however. In St. Louis, it's illegal to sit on the curb of any city street and drink beer from a bucket.

New Hampshire
New Hampshire law forbids you to tap your feet, nod your head, or in any way keep time to the music in a tavern, restaurant, or cafe.

New Mexico
In Carrizozo, N.M., it's forbidden for a female to appear unshaven in public (includes legs and face).

New York In Greene,
New York, it is illegal to eat peanuts and walk backwards on the sidewalks when a concert is on. In Carmel, N.Y., a man can't go outside while wearing a jacket and pants that do not match.

Ohio
In Ohio, if you ignore an orator on Decoration day to such an extent as to publicly play croquet or pitch horseshoes within one mile of the speaker's stand, you can be fined $25.00. In Bexley, Ordinance number 223, of 09/09/19 prohibits the installation and usage of slot machines in outhouses. In Oxford, Ohio, it's illegal for a woman to strip off her clothing while standing in front of a man's picture.

Oklahoma
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, it is against the law to open a soda bottle without the supervision of a licensed engineer. Harthahorne City Ordinance, Section 363, states that it shall be unlawful to put any hypnotized person in a display window.

Pennsylvania
The state law of Pennsylvania prohibits singing in the bathtub. In certain sections of Pennsylvania many years ago, the Farmer's Anti-Automobile society set up some "rules of the road." In effect, they said: "Automobiles travelling on country roads at night must send up a rocket every mile, then wait ten minutes for the road to clear." "If a driver sees a team of horses, he is to pull to one side of the road and cover his machine with a blanket or dust cover that has been painted to blend into the scenery." "In the event that a horse refuses to pass a car on the road, the owner must take his car apart and conceal the parts in the bushes." In Pennsylvania, "any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile and send up a rocket signal, wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock, and continue."

Tennessee
In Memphis, Tennessee, it is illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man either running or walking in front of it waving a red flag to warn approaching motorists and pedestrians. In Tennessee, it is illegal to shoot any game other than whales from a moving automobile.

Texas
It is Texas law that when two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing, each shall come to a full stop, and neither shall proceed until the other has gone. Texas law forbids anyone to have a pair of pliers in his possession.

Utah
It is against the law to fish from horseback.

Virginia
Virginia law forbids bathtubs in the house; tubs must be kept in the yard.

Washington
In Seattle, Washington, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon that is over six feet in length. It's illegal in Wilbur, Washington, to ride an ugly horse. There is/was a law on the books in Washington state that stated that a motorcar driven at night must be preceded by something like 100 yards by a man carrying a lantern.

West Virginia
In Nicholas County, W. Va., no member of the clergy is allowed to tell jokes or humorous stories from the pulpit during a church service.

Prose by Nanda

I’ve Learned

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back. I've learned that it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts. I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes, after that, you'd better know something.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do. I've learned that it's not what happens to people, it's what they do about it. I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides. I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you'll see them. I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I've learned that there are people, who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it. I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. I've learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance same goes for true love.

I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgive by others, sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief. I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other and just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions. I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life. I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned that writing, As well as talking, Can ease emotional pains. I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon. I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe. I've learned to love and be loved. I've learned.

To Believe – By Nanda

To believe... is to know that every day is a new beginning.
It is to trust that miracles happen,
And dreams really do come true.

To believe... is to see Angels dancing among the clouds,
To know the wonder of a stardust sky,
And the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe... is to know the value of a nurturing heart,
The innocence of a child's eyes and the beauty of an aging hand,
For it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe... is to find the strength
And courage that lies within us.
When it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.

To believe... is to know we are not alone,
That life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it.

To believe... is to know that wonderful surprises
Are just waiting to happen,
And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.
If only we believe.

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Change your course now

This is the transcript of an actual radio conversation of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995.

Radio conversation released by the Chief of Naval Operations on November 10, 1995.

Americans: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision.

Canadians: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS, AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.

Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

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So you said I was scare mongering when I mentioned the flood

Gilgamesh

Tablet eleven of twelve written by Gilgamesh, tells of the Flood

Noah receives instructions from God to build an Arc and prepare for a flood

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Climate Change - What will it mean to us

As the music world gears up for 07-07-07 the worlds biggest concert since "Live Aid". Organised to highlight climate change but what will it mean to us here in Ireland or even here in the Parish. Some might say "bring it on" we could do with a few good summers - true but what are the long term effects? if you ask me, i know you didn't but it is my opinion that "sea level rise" will be the single most disastrous effect of climate change. the fact that we might loose some plants or flowers (snowdrops, daffodils, alpines etc) will be compensated by the ability to grow plants like Vines, Oranges and other exotic fruit, Cacti, but no one said it would be hot and dry, it may very well be hot and wet, similar to the climate of eastern Asia. Rice may well take over from barley, this would give the Paddy Field a whole new meaning. If we look back (as I do as a historian) we can see all to clear what sea level rise will mean. just look at the town lands in the area that were once ISLANDS. Enniscoffey, Carrick, Caran etc. They may become Islands again.

Report out today on the hazards of mobile phone masts to public health

According to the experts there is no adverse affects to public health due to the exposure or close proximity to mobile phone masts. The report goes on to say that the signal strength omitted by mobile phone masts is lower than television signal strength.......we all have our TV dishes bolted to the gables of our houses, while signing petitions to prevent mobile phone masts from being erected - we even text our friends on our mobiles to tell them to sign the petition.......well if any mobile phone company wants a location to erect a mast - give me a shout - if the price is right of course.....mmmmm think i have an idea there.....

History in the Making

Our children and grandchildren and future generations of Irishmen and women will look back at the historic meeting of Rev. Ian Paisley and Mr Gerry Adams at Stormont Castle earlier today - perhaps this is the dawn of a new Ireland, an island of peace and prosperity.

GREAT MISTAKE

JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW HISTORY GETS DISTORTED - PICKED UP BY USER "GENEONEILL"

For the information of the owners "Apache Pizza" (I thought the Italian Mafia invented Pizza, however,...) I had a pizza from your store (nice too I must say, quick etc., in fact the nicest pizza in Mullingar) but 1 thing bugged me... the picture of Chief Sitting Bull... he was from the Dakota Sioux, read on......

Sitting Bull, whose real name was Tatanka Iyotake, was born in the Grand River region of present-day South Dakota in approximately 1831. His nickname was Hunkesi, meaning "Slow" because he never hurried and did everything with care. Sitting Bull was a member of the Sioux tribe, and he joined his first war party against the Crow at age 14. The Sioux fought against hostile tribes and white intruders. Soon, Sitting Bull became known for his fearlessness in battle. He was also generous and wise, virtues admired by his tribe.
Sitting Bull became a leader of the Strong Heart warrior society, and he successfully increased Sioux hunting grounds. However, the U.S. army continually invaded this territory, creating problems within the native economy. From 1863 to 1868, the Sioux fought the army's encroachment. In approximately 1867, Sitting Bull became the first principal chief of the entire Sioux nation. Shortly thereafter peace was made with the U.S. government, although Sitting Bull refused to attend the peace conference or sign the treaty. The Fort Laramie treaty promised the Black Hills would remain in Sioux possession forever.



However, in the mid-1870s, gold was discovered, and press reports brought a rush of prospectors. By 1875, more than a thousand prospectors were camping in the Black Hills. The government ordered the Sioux to their reservations. They were given a deadline of January 31, 1876, and anyone who did not comply was considered hostile. The demand was ignored by the Sioux and in March, General George Crook set up a camp in order to attack the natives.
Sitting Bull and the Sioux realized they could not defeat the army alone, and they must stand with other tribes. They were joined by the Cheyenne and Arapaho, and on June 17, they forced a retreat of U.S. troops at the Battle of the Rosebud, then set up camp at Little Bighorn. After the battle, Sitting Bull performed an important religious ritual called a Sun Dance. The Sun Dance was a type of self-torture which included a loss of consciousness. When Sitting Bull emerged from his trance, he told of his vision of soldiers falling from the sky.
Sitting Bull's prediction came true on June 25 when Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led his soldiers into the village along the Little Big Horn River. By the end of the day, Custer and his army of more than 200 soldiers were dead. Sitting Bull thought by winning this battle, the U.S. government would leave him alone, but the fight had just begun. As the battles continued, many of Sitting Bull's followers surrendered. However, Sitting Bull would not give up. Soldiers chasing him found a note that read "You scare all the buffalo away. I want to hunt in this place. I want you to turn back from here. If you don't, I will fight you again."
In 1877, Sitting Bull and his followers escaped into Canada. However within four years, famine forced them to surrender. Sitting Bull was held as a prisoner of war for two years, before he was sent to join other Sioux at Standing Rock Agency in North Dakota. In 1885, Sitting Bull joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and traveled throughout the United States and Canada. Some believe he was allowed to join the show to keep him away from the reservation.
When Sitting Bull returned to the reservation in 1889, many natives had joined a new religion called the Ghost Dance. They believed an Indian messiah would return their lands and remove the whites. Because of this new religion, Indian police arrested Sitting Bull on December 15, 1890 as a precaution. They planned to send him to prison, but when his warriors attempted to rescue him, Sitting Bull was killed. He was buried at Fort Yates. In 1953, his remains were moved to Mobridge, South Dakota.
(Extracted from US Native American History, Fourth Grade Studies, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana , Colorado.)

Do I get a free pizza or what? (any day bar Sunday cos d missus makes a big effort)

WE SAY - WELL DONE GENEONEILL AND WE WILL PASS YOUR RESEARCH ON TO APACHE PIZZA, PERHAPS IF MORE OF US PAID ATTENTION TO OUR PAST WE MIGHT SEE WHERE WE WENT WRONG THUS NOT REPEATING THE SAME MISTAKE - PS DID YOU KNOW THAT THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIANS WERE AMONG THE FEW OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTORS THAT IRELAND RECEIVED FINANCIAL AID FROM DURING THE GREAT FAMINE (THE CHOCTAW TRIBE SENT $710.00 IN 1847 AND MANY OTHER TRIBES SENT CASH OR FOOD/CLOTHING IN THE SAME YEAR - INCLUDING THE SIOUX NATION)......IN THAT LIGHT LETS PUT SITTING BULL WHERE HE BELONGS - AND ITS NOT ON A PIZZA BOX FOR APACHE PIZZAS

for more info on the Sioux try http://www.sioux.org/ Gene O'Neill