Today is the one hundred year anniversary of the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo. I learned the following verses from my father - who was born in 1900 - and who believed they appeared in the West Cork newspaper The Southern Star sometime after the outbreak of World War 1.

The Great War 1914 – 1918

A crazy conspirator down in Belgrade

Imagined that Kings were injurious to trade

He blamed Ferdinand for his failure in life

And in consequence blew up the Archduke and his wife.

When William the Kaiser received the sad news

He said, “Cousin Francis, we have an excuse,

This act to the Slav population we’ll charge

And make war on the Serbian nation at large.

Now, the Serbians Ma was akin to the Czar

Who remarked as his cousin he joined in the war,

“The Kaiser may wear his big helmet so thick,

But I know where to land him a well deserved kick.

“Par Bleu” said the Frenchman, “I don’t see my way

To leave my friend Nicholas alone in the fray.

I have an old score that I want to wipe out

So I’m glad of a chance to give William a clout.”

Then up spoke John Bull with a serious frown

“The small Belgian nation must not be stepped on.

I’ll help my brave allies with bayonet and gun

To teach you some manners, you son of a Hun.

Now six Christian Nations with culture replete

Are tearing each other like dogs in the street

And while mangled corpses litter the sod

They all pray for aid to a merciful God.

Rowenberries

There is a bumper crop of rowenberries in my area of South Dublin this year. I was puzzled why birds don't eat them so did a bit of poking around.
It appears the uncooked berries are slightly poisonous and a small nibble proves they taste awful (perhaps the reason the birds avoid them). The sharpness is not too bad, but it is the bitter aftertaste and high pip density that spoils this tempting looking fruit. Certainly rowan berries have found little use in the kitchen, rowan jelly being its main defence against foraging oblivion.

more here

Dark ages ?

Those who take pride in Western civilisation, or even those like myself who don't necessarily, but who simply acknowledge its various achievements alongside its various shortcomings, recognize a series of factors that led to those achievements. Some of those factors, such as colonialism, are horrific. Some, like the growth of secular thought, are more admirable. 

Read more here

civilization, or even those like myself who don't necessarily, but who simply acknowledge its various achievements alongside its various shortcomings, recognize a series of factors that led to those achievements.  Some of those factors, such as colonialism, are horrific.  Some, like the growth of secular thought, are more admirable.   - See more at: http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2013/09/the-new-dark-ages-part-i-from-religion-to-ethnic-nationalism-and-back-again.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+3quarksdaily+%283quarksdaily%29#sthash.VLttoVVx.dpuf

Was Jesus God?

One of the more remarkable discussions on religion I have seen in recent times was broadcast on TV 3 on Sunday night last - September 1st. See it here
In this, one of the better of a disappointing series of programmes presented as a discussion in studio between Vincent Browne and a panel and dealing with a number of religious topics the question of whether Jesus was God was asked. On the panel were Fr. Peter McVerry, a jesuit well known for his work with disadvantaged youth in Dublin, Seán Freyne, retired Trinity Professor of Theology - now deceased and Michael Nugent, Atheist Ireland.. Vincent opened the discussion by posing the question that if Jesus was God and thus all knowing why did he never claim to be God. A trite answer delivered by Freyne was that Jesus was a jew which is a monotheistic religion and thus could not declare himself to be God without incurring the wrath of the Temple authorities. As the discussion progressed it emerged as desribed by both McVerry and Freyne that the idea that Jesus was (is?) God developed over time within the Christian community. Thus it seems that the divinity of Jesus is no more than a human construct and has no basis in scripture or anything that Jesus himself said.
This is certainly a million miles from the religious instruction I and my contemporaries had in our youth. Judge for yourself if the arguments are convincing

Same sex "marriage"

In today's Journal.ie there is a report of the the partner of the Guardian journalist who worked with Edward Snowden to expose US surveillance tactics being detained for almost nine hours under British anti-terror legislation. The report is headed "Husband of journalist who broke NSA leaks story held for nine hours in London". I did not know that these people were in a same sex marriage and had to read down a bit until I realised this. Is the term "husband" the correct one to use in this case? The husband referred to is David Miranda. Is his partner Glenn Greenwald, his wife?
I support equal rights for same sex "unions" but we have to get our terminology right when referring to the participants therein. I have doubts about even calling the the relationship marriage. I am open to persuasion in this matter.

State of the nation

Stephen Collins had an excellent article on Saturday's (10th Aug) Irish Times. It was excellent from the point of view of being measured and balanced. Too often what we get about the state of the nation are various rants from perhaps well intentioned but nevertheless probably very angry people. Such a frame of mind is not conducive to rationally thought out solutions. We need a revolution but not of an explosive kind - rather in the nature of a controlled explosion.

The day started well, but...

Another fine day. Seems the sun is reluctant to leave us. I cannot remember a summer like this since my childhood when they all seemed fine. Thankfully all our politicians are on holiday so we don't have to listen to them prattling on about something or other. I wonder if the Nurble Co-efficient of Irish politicians is greater than those of other countries. The tragedy of the death of two children is all over the newspapers. Is this a consequence of the effects of austerity? It remains to be seen. And just now I read of the death of Colm Murray. The day gets gloomier.

The blogger returns

Back again after a long absence. The world has turned a few times but little changes. Looking recently at the pictures of Earth from the vicinity of Saturn - taken by the Cassini space probe - makes one realise how puny small creatures we are in the vastness of the universe.The charade which passes for politics continues in Ireland. We have gone through a divisive debate on a limited abortion bill - it is being discussed by the Presidential Council of State today to enable President Higgins make a decision whether or not to refer it to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality - and in the autumn we will have the distraction from the upcoming severe budget with poll on the constitutional amendment to abolish the Senate. The more things change the more they remain the same.

Report on handling of child abuse

Bishop John Kirby of Clonfert, commenting on the recent (September 20120 publication of the report of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church  said that he accepted the Board's review of how clerical abuse was handled in the diocese “in its entirety”. He said that the diocese had “rectified the deficiencies noted by the review and has implemented all eight of the formal recommendations in the nine months since last November”.

On a personal note, he admitted that he had shown a “previous lack of understanding of the sinister and recidivist nature of the child abuser, and the lifelong damage that this destructive behaviour has on victims”. His most profound apology was reserved for his “grave mistake” moving two repeated priest abusers to different parishes after complaints were received against them. This, he said, placed others “at serious risks”.

The “……lack of understanding of the sinister and recidivist nature of the child abuser, and the lifelong damage that this destructive behaviour has on victims” argument has been trotted out by churchmen from the very first days this whole clerical sex abuse business became widely known. This is beyond naivety. It is insidious and self serving and downright untrue for the following reason. The institutional church is an authority on evil. Its priests have been listening for centuries to people - presumably including other priests – confessing their sins in the confession box. The church has centuries of knowledge of all kinds of human failings. To hear that a bishop in the 20th century had no understanding of the crime of child sexual abuse and its consequences is to invite us to believe that he is either a fool or a knave. There are few foolish bishops.

An old smell

A new study confirms that people, like  many animals, easily recognize a unique—but not unpleasant—eau de elderly: Ferris Jabr, Scientific American, May 30, 2012   read more

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

How is it that auditing firms failed in their primary duty as auditors of Anglo Irish Bank, Irish Nationwide and AIB to alert shareholders and prospective shareholders and the country at large about the crisis that was emerging in these institutions?: Vincent Browne, Irish Times, May 30, 2012   read more

Watch out today

Asteroid 2012 KP 24, a smallish rock about 25 meters (80 feet) across, will pass pretty close to the Earth on May 28: Discover Magazine   read more

Town v country

Many living in the countryside still think they should be exempt from taxes or charges: Seán Byrne, Irish Times, May 28, 2012   read more

No contest

Robin Gibb didn't lose his battle with cancer, but he did choose to die with dignity: Jenni Murray, Irish Independent, May 22, 2012   read more

All a matter of taste

Overlooked aromatic compounds make huge contributions to tomato flavor, which suggests a new way to improve the taste of high-yield crops: Ferris Jabr, Scientific American, May 24, 2012   read more

Under a spell

English spelling is notoriously inconsistent, and some have gone further, calling it “the world’s most awesome mess” or “an insult to human intelligence”: Tom Shippey, The Times Literary Supplement, May 23, 2012   read more

Is God telling lies?

A reporter tracks down the remnants of Harold Camping’s apocalyptic movement and finds out you don’t have to be crazy to believe something nuts: Tom Bartlett, rd magazine, May 18, 2012   read more

Ouch!

The hubris of Communication Minister Pat Rabbitte, who recently lambasted the quality of political journalism in this country, would be a lot easier to take seriously if the nation hadn’t been lumbered with such a headline-grabbing array of greedy and grasping incompetents in Leinster House for at least the last 30 years: Colette Browne, Irish Examiner, May 23, 2012   read more

Earthly flatulence

Scientists have found more than 150,000 sites in the Arctic where methane is seeping into the atmosphere: Lauren Morello and ClimateWire, Scientific American, May 22, 2012   read more

Losing face

Facebook shares fall sharply in opening minutes on Nasdaq and end Monday more than 11% below Friday's offer price: Charles Arthur, The Guardian, May 22, 2012   read more