I first published this at Techography on March 17, 2007. I reposted it here in 2010 for posterity and your reading pleasure! I imagine it will be a yearly thing- BS

I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement [vicus] of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners.

St. Patrick, The Confessio

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The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn Succat, and he almost didn’t get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.

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Tags: America, Celebration, Ireland, irish, Maewyn Succat, Registered Evil, Saint Patrick, St Patricks Day, St. Patrick, Technorati

(BloodSpite’s Note: I originally wrote this in March of 2011. I’ve republished here for this years Irish Heritage celebration. I hope you enjoy!)

I’ve mentioned before that my family hails from County Armagh. However, my family does not align itself with the Ulsters. It’s one of the reasons we left Ireland in the 1940′s my grandfather having had enough of the frictions between the North and South, “We were all Irish, dammit.” he would often curse in his latter years with a shake of his head.

This post isn’t about politics however, it’s more about a place that politics happened.

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Tags: Brian Boru, City Armagh, Cork, County Armagh, Eamhain Mhacha, Fairy, Ireland, irish, Northern Ireland, Saint Patrick, South Armagh Brigade, St Patrick's Cathedral, Technorati, Ulster

I originally wrote this in 2010 here. While I try not to add anything to my original posts when I re-post them I do try to correct spelling, punctuation, etc. I also have a bad habit of adding new pictures upon occassion. Otherwise you should find little, to no differences between the reposted material, and the original. – BloodSpite

Danny Boy is one of over 100 songs composed to the same tune.

The author was an English lawyer, Frederic Edward Weatherly (1848-1929), who was also a songwriter and radio entertainer. In 1910 he wrote the words and music for an unsuccessful song he called Danny Boy. In 1912 his sister-in-law in America sent him a tune called the Londonderry Air, which he had never heard before. He immediately noticed that the melody was perfectly fitted to his Danny Boy lyrics, and published a revised version of the song in 1913. As far as I know, Weatherly never set foot in Ireland.

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Tags: Alfred Perceval Graves, Blind Rory, Danny Boy, Frederic Edward Weatherly, Londonderry Air, Percy Grainger, Rory Dall O'Cahan, Technorati

This story was first published by myself on March 3rd 2007 at Techography. I republished it here in 2010. – BloodSpite

On Easter Monday, shortly after noon, Patrick Pearse and a band of ill armed and ill prepared poets and romantic patriots rose in rebellion took control of the General Post Office in

central Dublin and several other strategic sites around the city. The Irish Republic was proclaimed in Dublin, and the insurgent Tricolour suddenly broke upon startled eyes flying from the flagstaff above the General Post Office in the very heart of the Irish capital.

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Tags: 1916, Dublin, Eamon Ceannt, Easter Monday, Easter Rising, General Post Office, History, Ireland, James Connolly, Joseph Plunkett, Patrick H Pearse, Revolution, Sean MacDiarmada, Technorati, Thomas J Clarke, Thomas MacDonagh

I wrote this in March of 2012 once it had finally settled in to my brain on the passing of Neptunus Lex. Brother in Arms, Brothers in Ink, Milblogger, and a man I’d like to consider a friend. I think it needs to be reposted as its that time of the year again.

It is Ireland’s sacred duty to send over, every few years, a playwright to save the English theatre from inarticulate glumness.
Kenneth Tynan, Observer, 27 May 1956

We didn’t send him to England. But really, for an Irishman there really isn’t much difference between death and Ireland.

For me, it didn’t really click until this morning.I had an eval with my current employer, I sat in front of my laptop at 4 o clock this morning with my coffee, and on impulse clicked Lex’s blog link from my bookmarks. My nerves akimbo. I wanted some peace.

Over the years the people I have known via websites have waxed and waned. When I first started writing on line back in 1995, there was one other site I visited with regularity. In 2000, there was eight. In 2002 twenty two. In 2007 almost 52.

Now? 17…and of those fully half are inactive links. Its a testament to my love for Lex’s work that I kept him on my book mark list. The others I liked and I keep hoping that they will update. I have been reluctant to remove the inactive ones from my bookmarks for this reason.

As I clicked his link, and the page loaded the hot coffee turned cool against my lips as I was reminded by whisper…he’s gone. His words will not grace us any longer, save for works in days gone by. His thoughts of previous days left to haunt us in the present.

I set my cup down and wondered. This digital snap shots in to our lives. Where will they go? What will happen to them. For many, when the costs come due our families will shut them down, turn off the lights, and our words will vanish in to the ether at some point.

Our words left unread by those in the future whom may read them. It is one advantage our print and media brethren have over us. Our archives are only around as long as someone wishes to pay for it. There are no libraries whom receive our subscriptions, no history scribes whom will hallmark our work and words. It is up to us to find ways to back up these works, save them, and distribute them in some fashion for others to hold dear.

Our children may not come of age knowing our works, or what motivated us without these very lines I type. How we thought and the people we sought to be, in the end are portrayed here, in black and white and sent to you in hi definition on 1,024 x 768 pixels through a OC48 pipe from one coast to another.

Lex is gone. That much is final. His words may one day slip in to obscurity. Like my other blog friend triticale whom we lost in 2007, or Acidman whom we lost in 2006, their websites stand testament to their sentiments, themselves, and their values. Digital monuments.

But one day those digital monuments can and will fail. Companies get sold, servers crash, people move on, costs become exorbitant. For me a culmination of almost two decades of writing belong on two websites…the thought crosses my mind…what will happen if? I have no regular blog partner with keys. My wife has no interest in these things, and no interest in voicing her own ideals. It will simply become like my coffee, cold, and one day to vanish in to the electronic ether.

Maybe I am bleak because a little light has left this world. Because one who continued, with others fell to the way side, to provide us with measured, rational doses of words, wisdom and work. Who shared with us his day to day experiences, struggles and life.

Maybe I am bleak because how many of us, in that former profession, had those narrow misses? Those brief glances in to our future? that feeling that all we knew and had was about to change in a single instance….and once he was past that point he chose to go back to it, willingly, knowing the costs at stake? Only to be snatched at the last possible instance mere feet from safety?

It seems incomprehensible really. But the Banshee does not care about prose, wit, or talent and at some point when she calls to us to warn of us of An Bás, the time to prepare will be over.

I prefer not to think that those engines final whine were the cry of the Banshee for Lex, although fitting it may be.

When An Bás came calling, I choose to think that someone, up there….just wanted a good debriefing on how life is down here these days. And to keep it interesting he picked the best writer we had.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
May he rest on peace

Tags: Acidman, Blogger, Digital, End of Line, good bye, Milblogger, Monuments, Neptunus Lex, Technorati, triticale

I first wrote this back in 2007 at Techography. With Calimus’ help I dug it from the archives and republished it here, in 2010. As with all things Irish Heritage, I’ve brought it back once again. Enjoy. -BloodSpite

Now that I’ve learned a great deal about Northern Ireland, there are things I can say about it: that it’s an unhealthy and morbid place, where people learn to die from the time that they”re children; where we’ve never been able to forget our history and our culture-which are only other forms of violence; where it’s so easy to deride things and people; where people are capable of much love, affection, human warmth and generosity. But, my God! How much we know how to hate!Every two or three hours, we resurrect the past, dust it off and throw it in someone”s face.

-Betty WilliamsNorthern Irish Peace activist, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

It”s almost time ye see.

Time to dust off the green carnations, the Erin Go Bragh pins.

Time to remember, and time to celebrate.

It has been said, albeit sometimes bitterly, that Ireland’s best exports were her son’s and daughters. But they have kept the faith, however Americanized. Little Ireland, poor and underpopulated, with it’s humble patron Saint unknown in the rest of the Christian world causing all the fuss one day a year on a day in March.

Saint Patrick’s Day in New York is the most fantastic affair, and in past years on Fifth Avenue, from Forty-fourth Street to Ninety-Sixth Street, the white traffic lines were painted green for the occasion. All the would-be Irish, has-been Irish, and never-been Irish seem to appear true-blue Irish overnight. Everyone is in on the act, but it is a very jolly occasion and I have never experienced anything like it anywhere else in the world

Brendan BenhanBrendan Benhan”s New York

My grandfather used to joke.

“Do ye know what St Patrick’s Day is in New York?”

My family moved south to Georgia, the mountains of the time in the North of the state wild, to escape the lack of jobs and the No Irish Need Applysigns that plagued them upon their arrival to the land of milk and honey.

“No Grandpa.” said I, the youth and unknowing. A babe in the woods. ” What is St Patrick’s Day in New York?”

“St Patrick’s Day In New York is the day all the factory owners on Fifth Avenue watch their employee’s parade in the streets.” he roared, laughing at his joke that took me years to understand.

Englishmen, Scotchmen, Jews, do well in Ireland- Irishman, never; even the patriot has to leave Ireland to get a hearing.

George Moore

Each day of the Weekend, for the rest of March I will supply some tidbits on life in Ireland, stories my family has past to me, both of their time in Armagh, and upon their arrival here in the US.

I hope that you will See St Patrick’s Day to be more than just a time for green carnations, green beer and music. I hope you will see just what it means for those of us who are Irish, in America.

Thus when you raise your green glass, to your mates and your friends, and you hear the words of every lasses lover in the lyrics of Danny Boy, you”ll have a tear in your eye and your heart, for a people who at once are ready for anything, and prepared for nothing, and proud just the same.

Tags: America, Armagh, Being Irish, Ireland, irish, Irish American, March, St Patricks Day, Technorati

So its finally March. Usually my favorite time of the year.

As you can see I managed to ensure that the website changed to its typical green hue for the occasion, forests of Ireland a backdrop for something I have done on this website for several years: that of sharing some Irish history, Mythology, lore and my own families history with you.

This year has been crazy, and the last several weeks hectic. Last year our March celebration was marred by the loss of longtime friend and fellow MilBlogger Lex.

I can’t promise you this month will be better. There are things moving in m own life that have me as worried as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs, but I digress.

It’s March. There is still snow on the ground. Spring is coming soon as the last vestiges of winter make their way from our lives for this year.

Smile.

Be Happy.

Be Green!

Tags: History, irish, Irish American, Life, March, Oreland, Stories, Technorati, Transition

When we first moved to southwest Missouri, I was exploring the backside of our property and came across huge boulders, the size of vehicles. At least one set that runs along the ridge that we live on, is almost the length if not surpassing the weight of, my home. Combined with the inability of grass to grow (but weeds can, hey they’re green!) in the amazingly rocky soil we named our home An Creagan, a Gaelic word that means “Rocky Place” or “Stony Place”.

We are looking to buy a home, and we have made an offer on it. We feel comfortable in saying it will be accepted. For us a home needs a good name, something that its residents can be proud of, to lay claim to it.  It helps to instill a since of pride and ownership. It doesn’t have to be plastered on the outside or raised over the drive, but can be just something to reference between us and friends. It gives a home a personality. Many folks I have met through the years call their places The Ponderossa, or simply The Home Place. One being from a old west television show and the other just country simplicity. But we all identify to the word “Home”, we just give Home a less common name, if that makes sense.

The new one differs only in a few ways from our current place. For one its not a mobile home but a real house. It’s also not as high up. It is on a hill top, but you have to go down in to the valley interior, and  it’s actually on a knoll in the center of the valley that An Creagan over look’s. So it has elevation, but the ridges come up around it blocking the view that my current home has.  It’s on a grassy and tree lined knoll between the ridges.

Also it has no great stone boulders on the property. And while the dirt is certainly as rocky, the previous owners of the house spent a good deal of money on topsoil so that it has good rich earth surrounding the place.

I am considering naming this place something else, should all go well and we manage to obtain it. We will be retaining An Creagan and moving my mother in to it (supplying her a home as every good son should) so it feels wrong to strip a name from a place that has so gallantly held it for so long.

For the new place, as it is centered in the valley I am considering a few names but none have leaped out at me.Then i figured I’d let ya’ll do some picking for me.

In Gaelic there literally dozens of words for Hills, and grove and those words are combined to form descriptions of specific places. So a bhuidhe or yellow and neach or that place becomes buidheanach or yellow place. But typically names don’t stop there. They usually designate further quantifiers like shape, size, and other descriptors giving it three words or more. A hill might also get named after a famous soldier – saighdear

Here’s a few examples and let me know of any you like or come up with your own:

• Daire or Oak grove, as the new house has several live oaks surrounding it.
• Cnoc da Darach or Hill of Oak
• Cnoc sa Poll or Mountain in the hole (Since the house is on a hill top, thats in the Valley’s lower regions)
• Saighdear caillte or Lost Soldier
• Saighdiúirí An chuid eile or Soldiers Rest

If you don’t like these dig around. There a few resources on the internet and Google translate isn’t bad. Or hell just drop a comment and I’ll translate it for you. My Gaelic isn’t phenomenal but its passable.

 

Tags: Gaelic, Home, irish, Names, New House, Technorati

The U. S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.
Benjamin Franklin

Let me begin by saying I am not a right wing  extremest. Nor am I planning some foolish course of action of violence. Rather I entice you to think, and beyond that point of your nose.

I believe in a woman’s right to choose. That you should be able to marry whom you please without my interference, if you want to burn yourself out on crack cocaine so be it. You can worship the Flying Spagetti Monster for all I care as long as you don’t perform human sacrifice, slaughter animals, or need virgins for deflowering.

Essentially as long as your choices do not interfere with my own I have no desire to interfere with anyone’s way of life. I guess it could be said I am a individual isolationist, although I prefer the term Constitutionalist, or perhaps American.

However, with all this I understand that a certain number of laws need to be placed in this world. A defining of the social lines and culture that can not be, should not be, crossed. By this a governing body of those laws does indeed need to be in place, with its power limited to those laws that are found just and equal.

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Tags: Future, generation, ideals, Philosophy, Rant, Stuff, Technorati

As a veteran I have had a lot of friends go on to Fiddlers green before. It never gets easier. As a civilian its a bit different.

You don’t have the bond that you get from the military. Sure you have drinks at folks houses, you talk about the kids but the struggles and traumas aren’t the same.

Storm chasing is different. You are pushed right up against the envelope in some of the most dangerous scenarios that mother nature has to offer. Me? I rarely if ever go out running them down. I readily admit I sit my happy ass in my comfortable office running radar scans and pulling information from multiple chasers over several states.

Andy made it fun. He made it interesting. He showed that chasers are professionals not only to each other but others as well and willing to give the shirt off his back to folks no matter the situation.

We lost Andy at the beginning of 2012. Killed less than 2 hours from my home by a drunk driver. In life as in war sometimes its the stupid things that get you killed. In this case it was a stupid person. Its often the things that seem most inconceivable, most unlikely that also do you in. Its not an artillery round, or a bomb vest, its a moron who doesn’t know how to say “Someone drive me home.” because at heart they are a mindless, simpleton coward.

It’s New Years Eve. I beg you be safe, be smart and be humble.

And remember those who have went before us, save a empty chair for them aye?

Bliain úr faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit

 

 

Tags: Andy, New Years Eve, Stormchasers, Technorati

Merle Haggard had it right.

It has been tough going as dad, a student, a Volunteer fan, as a citizen.

The personal budget is screaming under the weight of schools, and Christmas. The countries budget might as well be on fire for all the good screaming has done it.

I am hopefully for a strong cold Winter. We haven’t had one in several years now, and frankly I think we need it.

Oh and lets not forget the Mayans. I’m attending a “We made it out alive or we got left behind!” December 22nd party.

But as I sit here in my office, sipping my coffee, my daughter playing on her computer beside me, even with all these troubles I can find a sense of peace.

Everything is falling apart around us, but at home, in the quiet of our home, we find peace.

Your life is what your thoughts make it.
– Marcus Aurelius

There’s a lot to be said for that I think.

At work its all 100 miles an hour, get it done lickety split quick. At home I try to slow it down. Relax. Breathe. Enjoy.

Kick back, scotch or wine, cigar and watch the leaves fall.

Peace.

If we can make it through December……but until that time, keep the peace, aye?

Tags: Budget, December, Peace, Rat race, Slow down, Technorati

Let me start by saying I do hope we get Jon Gruden. I want that magical moment to happen. But I’m approaching it with a heavy amount of cynicism, hence my reluctance to jump on the band wagon.

However I doubt, sincerely it will happen.

That out of the way the mood around the fan base has been dark. From the seats on the outside looking in, its almost morose. It’s one of the few times I have been relieved that I do not live within the inner circle of the Tennessee state boundaries. I may be tempted to jump in to the river if I did.

So with no further adieu, here’s a list of 5 coaches whom most of the fan base has probably never heard of who I think would make a great hire by Dave Hart, but will never be hired. Unlike Gruden, there is no way in Hades they’ll ever be our coach. But a mhuire, it would be a bloody blast if they did!

Feel free to chortle, poke fun, groan, shake your head and just wonder “What the bloody Hades?!” in the comments as I play the fool. That’s what this thread and article is for to relieve some stress and get back to being what we are: Tennessee Volunteers!

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Tags: Coach search, Coaching Carousel 2012, NCAA, SEC, Technorati, Tennessee Vols, Volunteers

So as a Xbox Live holder I get all kinds of nifty (cough) E-mail from Microsoft trying to get me to use all of their (ahem) useful Xbox 360 applications.

In their defense if I lived in the middle of Detroit or Chicago I’m sure it would be. But I’m one of the millions who still do not have high speed internet, so all of this tripe is just that for me.

But that didn’t stop Microsoft from sending me a really neat E-mail that, thanks to my lack of use of their systems, becomes utterly hysterical when read (or at least it does in my twisted mind)

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Tags: 360, Fail, Form Letter, Internet, Microsoft, Technorati, Xbox

This is a re-post from our November, 2009 post regarding this week. Other Military bloggers covering today: Blackfive

On November 5th, 1965 the 173rd Airborne Brigade deployed on a Search & Destroy mission in to War Zone “D” north of Bien Hoa. Also involved was the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment ; 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry; and the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Divisions . The name of the operation, ironically, signified the units halfway point in their tour of the Vietnam war.

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Tags: 173rd Airborne, 1965, Army, Big & Rich, Technorati, Vietnam

You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
Marcus Aurelius

So some folks got what they wanted last night and some folks didn’t. Such is the way of the world and the nature of the beast.

I won’t sit here and try to ploy niceties and say I think under this leadership we are heading in anything even vaguely considerable to the right direction.

But nor will I quibble over it.

What I am concerned about is a much more conscionable change in our culture as a whole.

• Last night we elected a woman whom has led most of her life as a fraud
• We voted to legalize a product that is arguably worst than tobacco.
• We elected a President who likely allowed US diplomats to be killed
• We reelected an administration whom supported an Attorney General who has managed to kill at least 1 Border Patrol agent and hundreds if not thousands of Mexican citizens.
• We reelected a President who disenfranchised military voters.
• And a act of terrorism where soldiers and civilians were killed was classified as “work place violence”

Any one of these alone, ten years ago, would have shown a government official the door. But in this day and age not a single thing has been done on any of them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy with the outcome, but I am more concerned over our populaces willingness to forgo these slights against itself.

Rather we have created entire generations whom are dependent upon the government.  I’ll be exploring this more in coming days but historically speaking it’s a scary trend for our nation.

 

Tags: Country, Culture, Politics, Society, Technorati

I don’t wax on politics as much as I used too.

But the power of voting can not be understated.

One thing I absolutely despise is apathy. Tell me you don’t like the choices. Tell me you don’t feel they represent you, just don’t tell me that you are not going to use the blood paid right that hundreds of thousands of people from the Revolutionary War to present day died to give you.

Back in 2004 I wrote that voting is effectively making a choice as to the type of world you want you and your children to live in.

Specifically

We, as a race see many things in our life that our children will never see. But in their time we must remember that they too, will see changes.

What those changes are, will be decided not only by our actions, but by our stances we choose, and the votes we place on our elected officials in November.

It is easy to cast responsibility to someone else. To say it is up to our government. It is up to our leaders. it is up to our neighbors. It is not my job.

We delude ourselves with that thought.

I don’t care who you vote for. I just care that you go vote. Make a legitimate decision regarding your life.

Instead of approaching it as “If it happens it happens” impose your will on your own destiny.

But don’t sit on the sidelines. Don’t be apathetic.

Tags: Election Day, Politics, Sacrifice, Technorati, Vote

It’s a hard thing to admit failure.

It’s not something one enjoys, or that one likes to revel in it. It’s a lot different than Great Victory which is what we all strive for in the end, yes?

But occasionally, despite our abilities, skills, confidence, and sheer luck the Fates come around and stick a steel toe number 9 in your kiester to remind you that you aren’t infallible.

Me? I managed to get my project online, on time and under budget. I have some clean up work that will require some more travel soon but the larger goal I got completed.

I’ve also managed to hang on by the skin of my teeth to my Law Class. I’m passing, but only just. The multitude of work hours has made it damn near impossible for me to dedicate the time that I needed to dedicate to it.

I even managed to come off my Leave of Absence to help track and coordinate on Hurricane Sandy. An epic storm, and I got to work right through it going almost days without sleep between it, my job and my school.

In all of this I got a couple things done around the house and in my yard that needed doing.

No, where I failed was two fold. Firstly was here. I need to write here….I want to write here. The need to write is something I constantly have however when I sit down my mind goes blank, and the world comes crushing in and frankly the only thing I want to do is lie down somewhere with a glass of Irish whiskey and pass out. Like the whole world is leaning in and suffocating me.

The second, was my Engineering Economics class. Those who know me well know math has always been my Achilles heel, my kryptonite. I have managed on numerous occasions to study my way past the brick wall that my head freeze locks on when it comes to numbers. I’ve become pretty good with balance books and can iterate cash flows. But despite hours of study, practice exams, reading, even sleeping with my stupid book under my pillow, I crashed and burned hard on my midterm.

So hard that looking at the points I just don’t see that I can dig my way out of the hole and still pass. I have to score a 3.25 in my class or higher in order for it to count towards my graduate program. My score is light years from that currently.

Looking back I realize I literally have too much going. Some of it is unavoidable like my work projects. Other parts are my choice: I could resign from the storm center. I could have put off the yard work but the of the matter is it has to be done. I’m not a 23 year old college kid who lives in the dorm. I’m a pushing 40 year old male with a wife, kid, career and acres of home that have to be supported and taken care of.

In short school is killing me.

I’m not quitting, not yet. But the knowledge that I will have to retake this class is…in a word….deflating…..demoralizing and thats eye opening. I’ve had the Midas touch now for almost 5 years juggling career and education I saw this coming…but then I didn’t. I went in cocky and over confident.

And paid the price. My own fault.

I’d get really drunk, but I have to study for my mid term for my law class.

Tags: Career, Education, Juggling, Life, Overwhelemed, Technorati

So every time I show up to make a post I end up spending about an hour cleaning up SPAM, and SPAM links and other assorted crap.

My big project is finally winding down and everything went well. I have some clean up to do but I won’t spend as many days playing airport bingo which is good.

Unfortunately my grades have tumbled with all of this madness, and I have midterms next week, so I’m crossing my fingers that I don’t crash and burn.

One hurdle down, one to go