#barb ireland

[looseygoosey66]

JUNE 2013 COVER STORY – Pearl Jam Guitarist Stone Gossard Making Time for ‘Moonlander’

“We live and we die by time. And we must not commit the sin of losing our track on time.” ~ Chuck Noland: “Cast Away”

Time is an amazing thing. It is precious and it can be fleeting. It seems the older you get, the faster time flies by and your life is measured by what you do with that time.

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard certainly makes the best of his time. Not only is he in one of the world’s biggest rock bands and constantly touring, but he also has Brad, a side band with his friends Regan Hagar and Shawn Smith. More importantly, Gossard is a father and husband.

“My typical day isn’t always music,” Gossard said from his home in Seattle. “I usually get up, drink way too much coffee, make sure my daughter eats her cereal and I brush her hair before school. Then I take her to school, run some errands, then come home, walk the dog with my wife, then have lunch, pick up my daughter from school and come home and play. Then it’s diner and a movie and off to bed. That is the excitement of my day now. I love it.”

“Then again,” Gossard continued, “the typical day could mean getting up, flying to South America to play some shows, write some music or go to the recording studio.”

Gossard has found the time and the perfect way to merge the love of his family with his music on his sophomore solo album Moonlander. The album will be released on Pearl Jam’s own Monkeywrench Records on June 25. Gossard started releasing singles 10 weeks prior to the official release date.

“We knew we needed some art work to go with the album so we came up with the idea of an original piece of art to go with each single we put out every week. When you have an album and you don’t plan on playing a lot of shows, if any at all, you have to do something special with promoting the album to draw interest and have a destination to generate interest so people can hear it. I don’t know if this idea will work, but it was fun.”

The art work incorporated with the single was provided by Gossard and his daughter.

“My daughter loves to paint and draw and when she would, I would as well. I hope the pieces convey a sense of freedom from formal rules and of playfulness that comes from hanging with your lovely 5-year old.”

The weekly single idea grew when Gossard’s wife found Washington state craft maker, Terri Swinhart at Once Upon a Drawing (http://once-upon-a-drawing.blogspot.com), they sent one of the drawings to the artist and she created a “softie” which goes with each single and which Gossard signed and gave away in weekly contests.

“My wife found Terri Swinhart online and we sent her a drawing my daughter did to see if she could make something for us and when we got it back the softie was dead on. It was mind blowing. She does a great rendition of the art work.”

When working on a solo album time is a luxury Gossard does have. It’s been 12 years since he released his solo debut Bayleaf and the 11 tracks for Moonlander were recorded over an 8-year span, 2003-2011.

“Over the last year, I went through all of my old demos and recordings that weren’t used as Pearl Jam or Brad songs and picked my favorites. With the help of Floyd Reitsma (Studio Litho engineer), Pete Droge (Executive Producer), and Hans Teuber (multi-instrumentalist and long time Hank Khoir collaborator) I went about trying to finish them. There was lots of re-singing tracks, fleshing out and re-editing, adding new instruments…”

As most guitarists do, Gossard would save any guitar riffs to his computer for possible future use. Over eight years of doing this, the hard drive became pretty packed with riffs, songs, or lyrics Gossard had to sift through.

“As a guitar player if you come up with a little something you want to save it just in case, even though about 90 percent of the time you know it won’t be used. But you keep it because…I don’t know. “

As a music veteran of over 25 years and being in some of rock’s seminal bands (Green River, Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog), Gossard doesn’t find it time consuming going through all the files when trying to record a song for an album.

“I never had a problem focusing on a project, whether it is Brad or Pearl Jam, you just get in and listen. I don’t find it hard going back through these pieces of music. I make quick decisions to get things done. I had this record done about five years ago, but as I listened to it then, the album wasn’t a good as I wanted it to be. So I put it back in the cooker again to make sure I had everything I wanted before releasing it.”

For the most part putting out a record is about timing but when you are in the position Gossard is in, one doesn’t have to worry about getting a solo record out or putting one out if at all. But when you are an artist who is always creating, you know when the time is right to showcase your work.

“I just had these moments about everything that were recurring where I would think about these songs I was working on. I would always go back and work on them if the studio was available and work on overdubs, guitar parts or just listen until I got what I wanted.”

To get what he wanted, Gossard enlisted an impressive collections of friends/musicians to play on the album. Moonlander features appearances from Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden), Matt Chamberlain, Regan Hagar (Brad, Malfunkshun, Satchel), Pete Droge, Brandon Harper, Gregg Keplinger, Keith Lowe, Barbara Ireland (The Fags) and Hans Teuber.

“I have been so fortunate. If I’d look back and thought about the people I’ve played with and got to meet. With all the twists and turns I have been through in my life in music, I am so blessed to play with people like Ed [Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder], Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age or Shawn Smith [Satchel, Pigeonhead, Brad] and the list goes on and on. I am a little bit numb to it because it just seems natural. I don’t know how to explain it…I am truly blessed…I don’t know what I did exactly, but it has been incredible. “

Gossard has always been one to recognize and use his fortunes to help people, communities and the world. Gossard has supported and/or worked with amazing foundations.

“I’ve always been conscious of philanthropy even before the success. It’s about giving back, creating a better place for everyone. It comes in waves for me with my schedule. It’s very important to me. At the end of the year I do what I can to give back and help those people in need. It’s something I’ve been involved with and do it when I can. I wish I had more time to do it on a more consistent basis.”

With his new album Moonlander and his daughter hand in hand, Gossard continues to give back with his music and time, finding the littlest things in life mean the biggest.

“I think my idea of fun these days is the simplest things. Staying with my daughter, going to the beach to throw rocks in the ocean, teaching her how to fish, watch her play…that’s a big night out for me. Hanging out with the wife and my daughter…when you have a kid you can’t be more in love.”

ALBUM REVIEW

Stone Gossard - Moonlander

(Monkeywrench)

A dozen years after his funky first solo album Bayleaf, Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard returns with Moonlander.

The captivating 11 tracks from the album were recorded from 2003-2011. Scouring through his hard drive of old demos and recordings that weren’t used as Pearl Jam or Brad songs, Gossard compiled enough material for Moonlander.

With the help of musicians/friends – Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden), Matt Chamberlain, Regan Hagar (Brad, Malfunkshun, Satchel), Pete Droge, Brandon Harper, Gregg Keplinger, Keith Lowe, Barbara Ireland (The Fags) and Hans Teuber – the songs show Gossard stretching his legs as a solo artist, and most notably his confident singing voice. In addition, the songs come to life with the help of Floyd Reitsma (Studio Litho engineer), Pete Droge (Executive Producer), and Hans Teuber (multi-instrumentalist and long time Hank Khoir collaborator).

Gossard stays true to his love for funky riffs on the opener “I Want Something Different,” which contains a blistering soulful guitar lead. The title track is a playful homage to Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust-era complete with the bells and whistles in the sound effects. The first single “Both Live” is so infectious you will be singing the chorus (“I gotta go, I gotta swim, I gotta use my fins”) long after the song is over. “Your Flames” and “Battle Cry” are two gorgeous slow burners finding Gossard’s warm vocals envelope you with his storied lyrics.

“I Don’t Want To Go To Bed” starts off slow with janglely guitar strums then catches on with a soaring chorus while “Remain” is a straight-forward story teller ballad. The sleeper hit of Moonlander is the fun, quirky ass-shaking groove of “Witch Doctor.”

Moonlander is a journey in funky quirkiness, Americana, pop, rock and jazz musicianship all wrapped in Gossard’s unique (and somewhat puzzling) song lyrics. In short, Stone Gossard has hit the mark with this one.

[scholarofgloom]

[maverick-werewolf]

Folklore Fact - Wyverns

Another month, another folklore fact! Wyverns handily won the poll over on my Patreon this month (be sure to take a look if you'd like to vote in the next one or even suggest all new subjects!)...

(nearly all modern dragon designs seen in visual media, especially film and television but now quite often also video games, count as the traditional British heraldic classification of wyverns, really; see my post here for a discussion of that, although I could expand that post today and discuss things like Monster Hunter, etc, which I didn't really know much about at the time, and even further discuss some of the subjects already therein... Anyway, maybe I'll revise that sometime in the future and improve it)

Wyverns are often described as a dragon with two hind legs, two wings, no forelegs, and a barbed tail. There are varieties, of course; some say the wyvern has the head of a dragon, the legs of an eagle, and a barbed "serpent tail" or simply a long tail with no barb. There are many varieties. Traditionally, at least if you ask English heraldry, the requirement to be a wyvern is that it has no forelegs - unlike the dragon, which has four legs in addition to wings. However, this is a technicality that was obviously not always applied elsewhere, including the European mainland. More on that shortly.

The word "wyvern" is not in itself all that old; it originated around 1600, derived from "wyver" from 1300, so the term is not ancient. Like dragon, it essentially means "snake," though in this case it is derived from "viper." As mentioned, "dragon" itself is derived from "drakon" meaning serpent (and/or "giant seafish") [source: again, one of my favorite sites].

Stamp of Clifford, Anne, Countess of Dorset (1590 - 1676) [source], depicting a wyvern.

There was apparently some discussion around the rise of the heraldic wyvern in England, Scotland, and Ireland regarding what exactly classified a wyvern as opposed to a dragon. In 1610, the writings of John Guillim described a wyvern (then "wiverne") thus: "partake[ing] of a Fowle in the Wings and Legs … and doth resemble a Serpent in the Taile," and in 1682, John Gibbon agrees that a wyvern specifically has "but" two legs. It is noteworthy that both men in question were officers of heraldry, and these remarks are quotations from book on coats of arms, and thus it was specifically heraldry they discussed.

"Wyverns" as per monsters of myth and folklore were, for most intents and purposes of their time period, referred to as "dragons" and not thought of as their own sort of beast rather than just a variation of dragon for heraldry specifically or even exclusively. Were there any legends about something called a "wyvern?" I haven't found any in all my extensive research on dragon legends, and most all academic sources agree that a "wyvern" is a heraldic creature rather than something you'd find in a bestiary and/or folktale.

As mentioned, depictions of what we today might think of as "wyverns" were not always called "wyverns," of course, especially throughout a lot of Europe (as opposed to Great Britain). Here we see a depiction of what we would now think of as a "wyvern" referred to as a dragon ("drago"), from a work dated 1691, so during the same time period that heraldic wyverns were already being classified as such.

There are also bestiaries and other things that depict two-legged dragons as "dragons" rather than ever referring to them as "wyverns" specifically, and the creatures depicted therein were in fact meant to simply be "dragons." Older eras lacked the picky categorization that exists more recently, particularly myth and folklore. This is why there are no "categories" of werewolf legends, either, for instance, or different "types" of werewolves - except as put on them retroactively by modern scholars.

A "wyvern" from 1380 in the Chester Cathedral in England; given its hooves and head of a man, it isn't exactly a "standard" wyvern.

So, again, the idea of the wyvern as a unique creature as opposed to another sort of dragon likely stemmed from heraldry - which in itself has a lot of unique creatures and specifics, such as the enfield and bagwyn - and specifically heraldry from Great Britain and Ireland, which meant that such defined notions of a wyvern came about in later centuries. There are certainly depictions of dragons and dragon-like creatures without forelegs from other centuries, such as the 1300s, but these are not explicitly as sourced "wyverns" during their own time period. Rather, they are described as such now by people retroactively applying the wyvern concept onto them. Such a concept became common starting around the 1600s, as mentioned earlier with the heraldic writings of Guillim and Gibbon. There are plenty of examples of "dragons" with two legs and, sometimes, even "wyverns" with four legs floating around out there.

But since modernity also thrives on technicality, categories, and specifics, things like D&D for a while there often referred to a "wyvern" as a two-legged dragon (which I personally find preferable, despite my usual aversion to categorization of mythological things) - at least, until a lot of media is today started changing that ever since Reign of Fire in 2003. These days, outside of a handful of fantasy things, like D&D with their older established rules and a few other fantasy games that originated before this sweeping design change occurred, dragons very often have two legs instead of four. I could say a lot more about that, but I won't get into it...

And that covers a general overview on wyverns! Until next time. For June, expect to see a brand new werewolf fact.

( If you like my blog, be sure to follow me here and sign up for my free newsletter for more folklore and fiction, including books! And plenty of werewolf things.

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[intheholler]

hii

so, i have nothing to do with appalachia or even america cause i come from alllll the way over the sea in this tiny town in england…but reading up on this blog or experiences online // my friends who have moved over here from the states has made me think abt the huge similarities in the gentrification and religious aspects from across the globe (and it’s happening everywhere, but this is just from a UK perspective)

theres lots of rich farmland and wealthy rural areas in england. but the further into the country you get, there are towns/places in deep deep poverty because of the dead industries (that goes into heavy british politics) or facing a severe homelessness crisis because everyone is building holiday villas and country retreats. **

we used to live on an old farm before the land got renovated to make space for two other houses along the road. i would find bricks and planks// wooden posts, barbed wire fences etc around which looked ‘eyesore’ (to quote my neighbour) because of how modern the surrounding area was. literally just grey shiplap. everywhere. there were neighbours who had lived there for decades trying to help out with the land; then upon realising that the only field left for miles was now a jumbo golf course, had to move away or got kicked out by the council cause they couldn’t afford to live there and ‘just weren’t needed anymore’. moving away & meeting others myself has made me realise how many people (esp large families) moved down to the overpriced city because they literally had no other option.

** every city has its surrounding land & when they begin bulldozing a village to make another coffee place, they don’t care about you, the land, the cost crisis, your job or your roots

and that’s just my experience in england, that’s not even to mention the rest of the UK (eg. the scottish highlands, most of wales, northern ireland)

but also the heavy religious aspects, the indoctrination, the isolation, churches being built over and turned into pubs/bars and still so many communities believing that it’s just the consequences of the countries sinners..

(and that’s just Christianity cause we all know how Britain has diluted and stripped so much culture and other religions down to nothing.)

god i love these asks from intl folks who note such similarities to appalachian socioeconomic/religious/political circumstances. i think it really highlights how much rural folks really understand each other in a way urban people just can't, and it gives me a nice sense of global solidarity (as much as the shared pains fucking suck)

this was really interesting to read, thanks so much for sharing and i'm sorry this took so long for me to reply to; it's been a weird few months

take care <33

[vivianleighwishesshewasme]

Saying Grace

Tommy and grace visit her family before the wedding. He gets taught what saying grace at dinner means. Now he has a plan. Don't interreact if under 18. Smut

________________________________________________________

Saying Grace

Every experience Tommy had up until then didn’t fail to make him as nervous as this.

Grace's family had invited him to Galloway for an engagement celebration dinner. They were staying three days.

Charlie fussed most of the ride which hadn’t helped Tommy's nerves. Grace had also mentioned that her brothers had fought in the war.

Calvary. He snorted in disapproval. “Fought, when?” was all he said. She hadn't brought it up again. He remembered how useless they’d been during the Somme and Verdun. “The Calvary as as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike, Grace.” She laughed and lightly punched his arm. The analogy amused him too. He’d have to remember to tell John that one.

Grace, Charlie and Tommy had just gotten settled into the large manor house twice the size as his in the countryside. Grace's mum had burst into the room to hold the baby. She didn’t say two words to Tommy but he could understand her wanting to see her first grandchild from her only daughter.

The day dragged on not getting any less awkward. He tried staying out of the way just enjoying wandering around looking at the family history. He really only cared about one person's background if he was being honest.

He’d loved to see Grace's old dolls, ribbons and various accolades from school. He always knew she was highly intelligent. He loved seeing paintings and portraits of her growing up. His favorite had been her horse pictures. She’d never told him she showed horses and rode. He was so proud to call her his.

And he’d been right. She was a posh girl.

“You haven’t stopped smiling since we got here. Trying to uncover my deepest darkest secrets?” She whispered seductively in his ear and she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

He chuckled and reached behind him holding her closer.

“I love seeing these awards and portraits of your accomplishments. You never tell me these things Grace.” His voice was deep but calm. He was in her personal space. He was at home.

“It's not polite to brag about them and honestly it was so long ago.” she mussed and grinned, rocking them both side to side to only music she could hear. The fact that she’d won a singing competition for all of Ireland was the most impressive accolade in her collection.

“We’ll for what it's worth. I’m proud.” He bent his head to the side and placed a kiss on her temple.

“Thank you.” She blushed and kissed his jaw. A sharp knock at the door and an announcement for dinner pulled them away from each other, at least for now.

____________________________________________________________________

Dinner was interesting. He was getting used to the high life at his manor but he swore some of the Calvary members of her family were going above and beyond to make him uncomfortable.

Little barbs about Birmingham streets, gypsy living and silly things here and there. Nothing Thomas hadn’t ever heard before. It was annoying that they lacked creativity to their insults honestly.

Dinner was served and everyone but him and of course the baby bowed their heads.

“Tommy, we have to pray.” Grace's mother closed her eyes, bowed her head and held her hands out for everyone to join with the person next to them. He raised an eyebrow and closed his eyes while smiling because Grace glared at him.

“Don't know how the gypsies do it but we call it saying Grace.” James, Grace’s annoying little brother who had missed out on the war by a year had to pipe up.

“It's done before every meal.” Her grandmother spoke next. Tommy hoped Grace's eyes were closed. He tried clearing his throat but a laugh escaped instead. She squeezed his hand tighter as a warning.

He laughed out loud and tried not to stifle it but he couldn't help himself. He has to explain why later…or rather show her why it was so funny.

“I’m sorry, go ahead and say Grace.” He cleared his throat again and closed his eyes lost in his thoughts

_____________________________________________________________

“I’m sorry about dinner.” He stood watching her sit on her bed unbuckling her dinner shoes. She tossed them into the closet and sat back grinning at him.

“Tommy, why did you laugh before prayer? I know you aren't a protestant or catholic but…I'm confused.” Her eyes darted around his face trying to understand. It was out of character for him.

“We’ll posh girl, I have an answer to that, but I told you I'd have to show you.” He grinned wickedly at her as she stood before her and spread her legs to stand in between them. He bent down, getting on his knees in front of her.

They both knew what was coming next.

Tommy grabbed her hips and pulled her toward him. She twisted so she could unhook her garters to help him. His strong calloused hands reached up and pulled down her panties. He didn’t need to remove anything else.

He kissed and nipped at her inner thighs to her knees. He was teasing her but he loved to get her worked up. It was worth the rush of pleasure for her. He didn’t care about himself at this point. This was all for her.

“Oh, I forgot.” Tommy pulled back and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing Tommy?” Grace's tone was laced with confusion. Was he praying!?

“I have to say grace right, that's what a proper man does before a meal.” They both chuckled but her eyes danced with desire. She should have known why he laughed at dinner. His humor and quick wit was stunningly quick.

He licked, sucked and ate her thoroughly until she came screaming and panting his name like a prayer.

“Oh God, Tommy.” He pulled back satisfied with his work. His smirk made her wet all over again. She knew they weren’t done for the night.

“Now, that's a prayer I would mean and happily get on my knees for penance.” He laughed and stood, leaning over top of her he bent down and let her taste herself on his tongue.

She eagerly rose up to meet his passionate kiss. Her hands undid the buttons to his vest and slipped it down, tossing it somewhere by the foot of her childhood bed.

He never broke the kiss as he unbuttoned his shirt tossing it where she decided their clothes were going. She quickly stripped him of his pants as he pulled off her dress. He didn’t care if it was ripped. She could afford another one. They were both almost animalistic at this point. Her nails gently drug down his back only to leave harder nips and love bites on his neck and shoulders. She even bit his lip at one point pulling him in closer. He of course had to lean in and deepen the kiss.

His thrusts were building up and getting more erratic. She crested into the orgasm just before he did.

Maybe being here wasn’t such a bad thing he thought as they both rolled over into one another breathing heavily.

Not if he could use her family's words to defile her in her bedroom for the next few days.

_________END_________________________________

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

So three women, a Scot, an Englishwoman, and an Irishwoman want to go watch the Olympics in person, right? But they don't have tickets, or money for tickets. And they're trying to figure out how to get in and then the Scottswoman has it! She picks up a manhole cover, under her arm, walks straight up to the guard and says "McGregor, Scotland, Discus" and the guard lets her in!

Now the Englishwoman and the Irishwoman can't believe what they've just witnessed and they're scratching their heads but then the Englishwoman has it! She picks up a discarded fishing rod, walks right up to the guard and says "Bentley, England, Pole-Vaulting" and the guard lets her in as well!

Well, the Irishwoman just doesn't know what to make of this, how the guard fell for the ruse and how she's possibly going to get in herself. That is, until she sees a large roll of barbed wire! She's got it! And up to the guard she goes, carrying this massive roll of barbed wire and says, "Murphy, Ireland, Fencing".

[airsllides]

airsLLide No. 3311: HA-LEC, Boeing 737-2T5 Adv., Malév, Zürich, June 13, 1989.

When the iron curtain started to crumble in the fall of 1988, with Hungary and the CSSR being the first East Bloc states to cut open the barbed wire along their Western borders, the Hungarian flag carrier Malév was the first East Bloc airline with a previous Soviet fleet policy to start switching to Western built jets.

In November 1988, it leased its first of initially three Boeing 737-200s from GPA Guiness Peat Aviation in Ireland, namely HA-LEC above. Sisters HA-LEA and LEB followed in the course of December 1988. So maybe you can imagine that it still feeled a little bit weird back in summer 1989 to photograph a Boeing 737 in a livery hitherto attributed to Tupolev 134s and 154s.

[etymology-of-the-emblem]

Failnaught / フェイルノート

Failnaught (JP: フェイルノート; rōmaji: feirunōto) is the Hero's Relic tied to the Crest of Riegan. The name is more modern than you might expect: it was a creation of Hilaire Belloc's 1913 translation of The Romance of Tristan and Iseult, as retold by Joseph Bédier in 1900. In this Arthurian legend, the young knight Tristan defeated Morholt, an Irish warrior sent to King Mark of Cornwall to collect tribute. However, the duel left a poisonous barb in Tristan that was slowly killing him, so he was set in a boat to die at sea. Coincidentally, his craft shored on the beaches of Ireland, and he was saved by the princess Iseult who did not know who he was. He would return to Ireland when his king sought a wife, and would slay a chimerical dragon for the hand of Iseult. Though the princess was able to quickly identify Tristan has the killer of her uncle Morholt, she swiftly forgave him. Before they disembarked to bring King Mark his bride, Iseult's mother gifted her daughter a love potion to be drank by the husband and wife; this would quickly be mistaken as wine by one of the princess's servants, and would be shared with Tristan. Soon, they would elope, and King Mark and the soldiers of Cornwall began their hunt. It is for this premise that Tristan and Iseult is considered the English version of The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne.

It would be in the wood of Morois that Tristan made his bow Failnaught (or Fail-Not in some translations). In the original French, this name was "l'arc qui ne faut"—the bow that does not fail. As the name suggests, arrows launched from Failnaught always hit their target. In older tales that focus on Tristans' time as a Knight of the Round Table, "l'arc qui ne faut" was not the name of a bow, but referred to a trap to capture man or beast and fill them with arrows. Rather befitting the Master Tactician and his ploys, yeah? And whether or not its intentional, the lord less involved in the primary drama of Three Houses' story uses a Hero's Relic not related to a deity, but to a knight that gets involved in foreign affairs.

Despite his actions, King Mark maintained his respect for his nephew and the woman who should be his queen like he would a father to his children. However, both he and the lovers suffered nightmares of a bleak future; eventually they would peacefully convene and agree to let Iseult marry Mark and Tristan would be exiled. He would take a Brittany princess named Iseult for a wife. Some time later, Tristan would once more be poisoned and needs Iseult of Ireland to heal him. In a blatant reference to the Greek story of Theseus, the Brittany-bound ship was to fly white sails if she was on the ship, and black sails if she did not. When Iseult of Brittany lied to her husband that she sees black sails, Tristan died on the spot. The Queen of Cornwall arrived to find her lover dead, and she herself dies.

Failnaught's combat art, Fallen Star, is hard to connect to the story of Tristan. The Japanese name 落星 (rōmaji: rakusei) isn't too much better but there are a few possible interpretations. Like the localized name, it can be interpreted as "Falling Star". This could refer to the downfall of this pair of star-crossed lovers; though the phrase was coined by Shakespeare for Romeo and Juliet, the relationship between Tristan and Iseult is often considered the progenitor of the trope. Their story predates even similar forbidden romances in the Matter of Britain, those likely being modeled after Tristan and Iseult.

However, the kanji 落 is very flexible in meaning. It is most commonly used in the word 落ちる (rōmaji: ochiru), which typically means "to fall; to come down", but also has around twenty other definitions. Most stand-out is "to fall into (a trap); to fall for (a trick)" relating to the original "l'arc qui ne faut". Other definitions relevant to the story of Tristan and Isolde include "to fall (in love, asleep, etc.)" "to leave (a city, castle, etc.) [some Japanese dictionaries specify as moving to rural areas]; to (be defeated and) flee", and "to decline (of morals, character, etc.)". Additionally, the kanji 星 (rōmaji: hoshi) can refer not only to stars, but the bullseye of a target, but considering the bow fires arrows of light, its likely meant to refer to the former.

This was a segment from a larger document reviewing the name of most every weapon and item in Three Houses and Three Hopes. Click Here to read it in full.

[quakerjoe]

A Scotsman, an Englishman and an Irishman want to get into the Olympics but they haven't got tickets. The Scotsman picks up a manhole-cover, tucks it under his arm and walks to the gate. "McTavish, Scotland" he says, "Discus,"and in he walks. The Englishman picks up a length of scaffolding and slings it over his shoulder. "Waddington-Smythe, England," he says, "Pole vault," and in he walks. The Irishman looks around, picks up a roll of barbed wire and tucks it under his arm. "O'Malley, Ireland," he says, "Fencing.

[lunasmusemenagerie]

Name: Atlas Briarwood

Race: human / kelpie hybrid

Type: oc

Fc: leo woodall

Background:

Atlas was born with the weight of his families legacy on his shoulder. The oldest of the two Briarwood siblings, Atlas would take over both their father's large horse breeding operation and the Briarwood family mob, an irish mob well established for generations both in ireland and America. as soon as he could walk, his father had him in the saddle, learning how to ride and care for horses, training him and them for competitions in both show jumping and dressage. their family had a specific bond with horses that seemed unnatural, a skill that dated back generations, yet the siblings seemed to embody it more than anyone.

In between training horses and training himself for the ring, he spent time with his father in his work, learning what he could about both sides of the business. when they were old enough, the siblings came to the agreement with their father that Atlas would head the family for the mob business directly, and Ari would handle the more discreet side wove into their competitions and the horse breeding / training. a double edged sword that would gaurantee a better functioning machine while both siblings still competed in competitions as they saw fit.

when Atlas was 15, he caught one of the trainers making his sister uncomfortable and making unwanted advances. he launched himself at the man but despite having surprise on his side, he was quickly subdued and held to the floor. the trainer struck a deal with him, that he'd focus his attention of Atlas, rather than Ari, and leave her alone completely. or he'd kill Atlas here, blame it on accident and then do as he wanted with his sister. Atlas agreed, and little did he know that a deal of the same kind was made towards his sister. neither spoke of it until much later.

Atlas found himself spending more time alone with one of their family's prized studs, and his competition horse, in the late hours of the night. it was there that a few men broke into the barn and tried to kill him, and the horse. the trainer it seemed, sold them out to the Vitorri family, who sent their own kill squad after the heir. the men beat him, taking a riding crop to his face, back, arms, and hands while another tried to inject something into the stallions neck, however both boy and horse fought enough to create a disturbance at the barn, and the dogs to start howling alerting those that something was wrong. during the small moment of hesitation, Atlas managed to grab a lead rope and strangle one of his attackers as the others fled. his father soon found him covered in blood and sent men after those that ran. unfortunately, they had succeeded in part of their mission, as the stallion did not make it through the night, Atlas feeling a pain sharp in his chest as it breathed its final breath.

it was played off as a riding accident, that the marks now on his body were from a fall into barbed wire, though the only things that scarred was a whip crack on his lower lip, and above his right eye. during his recovery time, he spent more time with his father and in fact headed some business deals on his own, growing more into the role he'd been raised for.

Atlas is older now, wiser, and has come into his own in both competition wise, and his place in the criminal underworld.

Atlas is aged 22-27, bisexual.

[stairnaheireann]

The All-Ireland Football match behind barbed wire, Frongoch Internment Camp, June 1916

It is over a century after a unique All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Louth was played among the men interned in the wake of the 1916 Rising in Frongoch in north Wales. Over 1,800 Irishmen were rounded up and detained without trial under the Defence of the Realm Act at the prisoner of war camp near the Welsh village of Bala, in the rolling hills of Snowdonia from June 1916 onwards. In…

[savage-radio-3way-fm]

Episode 029 - St. Patricks Day aka Punk from Ireland and Northern Ireland

Fun Things - Savage!

Green River - Swallow My Pride Blood Circus - Two Way Street Murder City Devils - Broken Glass

Plain Wrap - Punk Rock Mass Media - Das Jazz Naked Lady Wrestlers - Accidents

Clutch - The Elephant Riders Hellacopters - Geekstreak Hellacopters - Cold Night For Alligators (Roky Erickson) Hellacopters - Get Ready (Smokey Robinson)

Batpiss - Nothing Convict Class - Conspiracy Theory

Nashville Pussy - Nutbush City Limits (Ike & Tina Turner) Motorhead - I'm So Bad (Baby I Don't Care) Buzzcocks - What Do I Get?

The Detonators - Cruisin' Ex Producers - Behind The Door Pretty Boy Floyd & The Gems - Sharon

Rudi - Time To Be Proud Ruefrex - The Perfect Crime Ruefrex - One By One Boomtown Rats - Looking After No. 1

The Undertones - Teenage Kicks Virgin Prunes - Twenty Tens The Radiators From Space - Television Screen Duggie Briggs Band - Poison Ivy

Spider - Dancin' In The Street Androids - Bondage In Belfast Lenny & The Lawbreakers - Me And Bobby McGhee (Kris Kristofferson)

Stiff Little Fingers - Suspect Device Stiff Little Fingers - Barbed Wire Love Stiff Little Fingers - 78 rpm Stiff Little Fingers - Wasted Life (Live)

Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster

[bonfire-at-the-crossroads]

Jailbreak.

Eamon, Eamon, and Eamon’s cows have figured out that there is, in fact, no barbed wire fence between them and the lush green of the endless salad bar, just across the road. It’s just a matter of a step up, a slow sashay down the tarmac - and into our backyard.

They move in slow motion, there’s no hurry. They are huge. They are shaggy. They have horns. I look up from the rim of my coffee mug to see them parading past the window and into the field.

The Eamon Keaneys have lived along the lake road for at least three hundred years. A series of whitewashed cottages have clustered together over a very long time - some tossed like pebbles farther across the fields or tucked further into the hills - but they are all occupied by Keaneys.

The week we arrived into our cold construction site of a schoolhouse - Eamon pulled his tractor alongside the stone wall by the road, leaned out and asked “Are you my new neighbors?”

“I’m not sure?” sez I. “We’re new to Ireland, and maybe?”

“Ah. I hear that you are both retired police officers from NYC.”

Wow.

“Uhhhh......no?” I say - “but let’s go with that, because it’s SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING than the truth.”

He is hopelessly confused now, and this was my very FIRST experience of that quizzical look that I receive from all Irish folk when I talk to them. (I’m almost used to it now, as they never seem to understand my humor - and gawd knows I don’t understand theirs.)

He tells me he is Eamon Keaney, and lives down the lake road. I reach up to shake his hand, and he is once again utterly confused. Apparently women don’t offer to shake hands when introduced?

A week later a very old man strolls by with his pokey-stick, and introduces himself. “I’m Eamon Keaney”

But wait....I already met Eamon Keaney, and pretty sure he wasn’t you? “That would be my son. Eamon.”

But wait...there’s more. Later that day the first Eamon was passing by on his quad with a lad of about 8 perched on his lap in front of the bike. “This is my son Eamon.”

And so the roster goes...

Eamon the Elder - who is now actually 90

Eamon the Middle - big strapping chunk of a fella, maybe 50?

Eamon the Younger - an average-size 20-something in muddy wellies who drives the quad at crazy speed down the road...

Eamon, Eamon, and Eamon’s cows are at large in the back yard.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 1998: The actual result

This year, the BBC put on a big show but shockingly for the BBC this included sponsorship! The big scoreboard has a clear 'Toshiba' logo right across the top. Product placement! On the BBC! Ulrika Jonsson in charge of chivvying along the spokespeople who for the first time are mostly relaying the results of televotes. Some of it gets a little too barbed. UK humour circa 1998 was at the peak of the lad-mag banter years and it showed.

The scoreboard itself was clear if a bit lacking on the design front. There are little score stars to show each country's actual point awards as they're made - a positive development. The graphic design however leaves much to be desired.

This is your regular spoiler warning for a competition that occurred over 25 years ago. If you don't want to know the results, why on Earth did you click on the expand button for this blog?

Boy it's a close finish. Heading into the final few rounds of voting, there are still four countries in contention. As Evgenija Teodosievska announces the results for North Macedonia, the final country to submit their points, Israel, Malta and the UK can all still win. Israel and Malta are tied at the top of the scoreboard with 166 points.

Israel get six points, putting the UK out of contention. Then the UK get the 10 points. All Malta need is the douze and...it goes to Croatia. Israel wins, with the UK pipping Malta to second.

One of the best ever voting sequences in Eurovision history and one in which the hosts were nervous the televoting would cause all manner of technical difficulties alongside the normal failures to communicate. There was one issue with the Spanish votes not being correctly tabulated which changed some scores later, but it did not affect the winner.

That scoreboard (post Spanish correction) in full:

Israel - Dana International - "Diva"

United Kingdom - Imaani - "Where Are You?"

Malta - Chiara - "The One That I Love"

Netherlands - Edsilia Rombley - "Hemel En Aarde"

Croatia - Danijela - "Neka Mi Ne Svane"

Belgium - Mélanie Cohl - "Dis Oui"

Germany - Guildo Horn - "Guildo Hat Euch Lieb"

Norway - Lars A. Fredriksen - "Alltid Sommer"

Ireland - Dawn - "Is Always Over Now?"

Sweden - Jill Johnson - "Kärleken är"

Cyprus - Michael Hajiyanni - "Genesis"

Portugal - Alma Lusa - "Se Eu Te Pudesse Abraçar"

(joint 12th) Estonia -Koit Toome - "Mere Lapsed"

Türkiye - Tüzmen - "Unutamazsin"

Finland - Edea - "Aava"

Spain - Mikel Herzog - "¿Qué Voy A Hacer Sin Ti?"

Poland - Sixteen - "To Takie Proste"

Slovenia - Vili Resnik - "Naj Bogovi Slišijo"

North Macedonia - Vlado Janevski - "Ne Zori, Zoro"

Greece - Dionysia & Thalassa - "Mia Krifi Evaisthissia"

Slovakia - Katarína Hasprová - "Modlitba"

Romania - Malina Olinescu - "Eu Cred"

Hungary - Charlie - "A Holnap Már Ném Lesz Szomorú"

France - Marie-Line - "Où Aller"

Switzerland - Gunvor - "Lass Ihn"

[my-brothers-corrupted]

Where’d he get that from?

"Good question," says Chase shakily. "You can get hunting guns in Ireland, but this..."

Henrik just stares at the gun, gripping it in one hand.

"I think we need to find him right now," says Chase, setting Noodle down.

Henrik swallows, head inclining just a little. As he tilts, his face catches the light, which holds to the shiny scars he has there. Everything has finally healed over completely, leaving him with a couple scrapes here and there. Most prominently, he has two puckered stars, jagged balls of scarring on his cheek and up near his eyes. If you look at them long enough, you may realize what they are: the scars from the barbed wire Anti wrapped around him when he left him on the porch as bait.

"I'll tell Marvin," says Chase, and he rushes from the room.

[darkvveb]

[ID: a white building with a flagpole on top flying the Palestinian flag. writing on the buulding reads: "You are now entering free Derry / Ireland supports Palestinian resistance / Ukraine vs Russia = self-defense / Palestine vs Israel = terrorism ??" to the left is a man wearing an Irish flag shirt holding a Palestinian flag with text that reads, "Our revenge will be the laughter of our children. -Bobby Sands," and to the right is a dove wrapped in barbed wire and colored with the Palestinian flag. a signatures on the bottom right reads, "RSYM." end ID]

Free Derry for a free Palestine. 11/10/2023.