Our co-pilot was a flask of coffee

Regular readers will know that I prefer to fly on small planes against those airborne cattle cars any day.  When I lived in Seattle, it was magic.  Whenever I had to go to Victoria, Canada I could just walk from my flat to the seaplane terminal at Lake Union, ask Janice at the desk if there was a seat going and I'd land literally outside my hotel a couple of hours later after swooping over the San Juan Islands watching whales.  Now I can do pretty much the same thing, but it means driving 15 miles into town to the municipal airstrip and remembering to pick up bread on the way home.

That being said, small plane travel can be a bit casual and the chocky biccy question does rear its head from time to time.

Caution: This is Eddie Izzard, so the language is a bit blue at times.

Ireland: Where free men are now livestock

From the BBC:

Health Minister Edwin Poots has said he will consider banning smoking in all cars and not just those with children as passengers.

Dear God, Why don't they just drop the pretence, herd us into pens and start selective breeding?

Murder is not irrelevant

Mr Martin McGuinness is running for president of Ireland and has this to say to those who object to the candidacy of the "former" IRA commander:

Are people saying because I was a member of the IRA in the past that I have no role to play in the future for all the people of Ireland?

No, people are saying that McGuinness is a terrorist, a murderer and a gangster who should have ended his days on the gallows decades ago.

A slight difference.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

From

Ephemeral Isle

Bronze age butter

A 3000-year old cask of butter is found in Ireland. Archaeologists are now combing the countryside for some 3000-year old scones.

Try the dining room of the Randolph Hotel, Oxford. I'm sure I saw some last time I was there.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Ephemeral Isle.

And in honour of the day, here's a bit of Dave Allen:

Update: Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!

Last Orders, Please.

I remember back in the '80s visiting a little pub in the back country of the west of Ireland that served nothing but Guinness and Irish whiskey and was like an embassy from Heaven.

Now all one with Nineveh and Tyre, I fear.

RESULT!!!

Ireland rejects the EU constitution Lisbon treaty.

Now maybe the cursed thing can stay dead.

Update: Keeping to form, the BBC's report on the referendum doesn't quote the winning side until paragraph 17.

Organ Recital

BBC headline:

Ireland appoint Kidney as coach

Apparently the spleen wasn't up to scratch.

Guinness Dublin Brewery May Close

NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Badger Update

From the BBC:

A new report claims the "virtual extermination" of badgers in the Republic of Ireland has failed to stop the spread of bovine TB.

And this is my opinion on the matter.