The latest edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture has been posted. You can read it here. The topic for the next carnival will be on the Gaelic language, and you can find out more about it here.

Originally posted on March 17, 2008.

Today is supposedly the official Saint Patrick’s Day for this year. You can find out more information from Randy’s post. Either way, I still consider the 17th as Saint Patrick’s Day, but I just want to wish everyone a happy Saint Pat’s Day whether it is on the 15th or 17th of this year.

Originally posted on March 15, 2008.

Life is full of tiny bits of happiness that we tend to take for granted.  Or if you are like me, these tiny bits of happiness are what you strive for every day.  For me, it is the little things.  Most of them are just around my house.  Why not? Considering I spend 99% of my time in my house.  But there are certain things in my home that make me intensely happy.

All of us have at least a couple of these little bits.  They can be something that nobody else could possibly find joy in, like the smell of your husband’s pillow, or something that we all see like the smile of a baby.

Here is a list in no particular order with some of the odd bits of life that I love.  Some you will find boring, perhaps, but all of which make *me* blissfully happy.  And as we have covered a lot lately, this blog *is* all about me. Yay me!

• Candles – I try to light at least one candle in my house a day.  Although it sometimes gets put on the back burner.  Right now I am addicted to these Pomegranate candles from Target.  The smell makes me insanely happy.  And all it takes is one to send the smell through the entire house!  (So I light three. *grin*)
• My Books – The look, feel and smell of a new book always makes my heart melt!  The anticipation of reading the book is an amazing feeling.  I have a LOT of books to be read and they make me smile just thinking of them sitting all alone in nervous anticipation of me opening their pages.
• Matching Flatware or as I have always called it Silverware – I bought a new set of beautiful silverware (not made of silver) last year and for the first time in my life I have an entire set of silverware that matches!  Not a whole bunch of mixed matched knives and forks from different sets.  It’s weird, I know, but every time I open the drawer and see my beautiful set of flatware, I smile and sigh with contentment.
• Seltzer – Nothing sends me a zing like my drug drink of choice, LaCroix Lime Seltzer.  Ice cold and just opened? Can’t think of anything on the planet I would rather drink.  Alcohol included.  If you know me, you know THAT is a bold statement.    I drink a 12 pack of these bad boys every day.  That is typically ALL I drink.  And that’s why I buy it in bulk from the grocery store once a month.
• My Saint Patrick’s Day Coffee Mug – It’s like St. Patty’s Day every day in this house.  Because that mug is the best mug EVA!!  So I use it every day for my hot tea.  It’s perfection.
• Giggling – My husband and my son have the best giggles and laughs in the world!  It is one of my favorite sounds and it too makes me blissfully happy.  It’s a feeling I can’t replicate.  And I love it.  I couldn’t make any list of things I love without including their giggles.

It may be a goofy list.  But it’s my happy list.  Yay me!  (btw, Yay Me! is now my new motto.  I plan to use it often.  Soak it up. )

What are your bits of happiness?  What are the little things that make you blissfully happy?

I decided to go to Blogthings and take another one of their silly quizzes just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day. Here is the results from the only quiz that I believe was appropriate for all ages:

What’s your Irish Name?

Originally posted on March 1, 2008.

Fun Trivia:

• Ireland:

“Bram Stoker was working as a civil servant in Dublin when he wrote ‘Dracula’ in 1897. The main character was based on an old pub lout named Drac O’La who was notorious for sneaking around the room sipping peoples’ beers when they weren’t looking.”

“Ballygally Castle in County Antrim, is allegedly one of the most haunted places in the country. Lady Isobel Shaw, whose husband built the castle in 1625, reportedly did not pay off her student loans, and the castle still receives mysterious harrassing phone calls to this day.”

“It was once popular in Ireland to pin sprigs of shamrocks on your coat on Saint Patrick’s Day in remembrance of his using shamrock leaves to illustrate the idea of the holy trinity. At the end of the day, one would ‘drown the shamrock’ by putting a few shamrocks into a glass and covering them with whiskey. Thus the saying ‘In Ireland, EVERY day is St. Patrick’s Day!’.”

“The national symbol of Ireland is the Celtic harp, not the shamrock. The harp is less popular, though, because it’s hard to find a glass big enough to drown one in.”

“Unlike the Scottish bagpipes, the Irish uilleann pipes do not have a pipe going directly to the mouth. However, there IS usually a straw going directly to a pint of Guinness, so sometimes it can be hard to tell.”

“An odd Irish birthday tradition is to lift the birthday child upside down and give his head a few gentle bumps on the floor for good luck. The number of bumps should allegedly correspond to the child’s age plus one. For adults, the bumps are replaced with whiskey shots and fistfights.”

“The original Guinness Brewery in Dublin has a 9,000 year lease on its property. Legend has it that when the lease expires, God will descend from heaven to punish the wicked of Ireland with eternal sobriety.” It’s humor. Yes, I know drunkenness is a sin.

“One of the most popular radio shows in rural Ireland is still the weekly broadcast of local obituaries, since people with thundering hangovers keep hoping to hear their names.”

• Q & A:

“When blaming Bush for the country’s problems no longer works, who will Obama blame next?”

Highlight to view: “The Jews.“

“On land, the number one risk of mauling comes from pit bulls. What’s the number one risk of mauling at sea?”

Highlight to view: “Pit bulls riding dolphins.“

“When Obama closes Gitmo, what does he plan to do with all the terrorists there?”

Highlight to view: “Make them respected professors in Chicago.“

“Koalas only eat eucalyptus leaves. If they can’t find any eucalyptus leaves, what do they eat?”

Highlight to view: “People’s faces.“

“Koalas only eat eucalyptus leaves. If they can’t find any eucalyptus leaves, what do they eat?”

Highlight to view: “Nothing. I just said that they only eat eucalyptus leaves. Stupid.“

• Horrible Pun:

“What do you call a portable version of Osama bin Laden’s hiding place?”

Highlight to view: “Pocket-stan.“

since our new years eve debacle, mr. new years and i did not talk at all. anything i knew about what was going on with him was from facebook stalking. we all do it, simmer down.

jh mentioned to me one day that everyone was doing this st patrick’s day bar crawl thing for nye and his best friend’s bdays. i clearly was not invited, but even if i was, i wouldn’t have gone. and besides, i already had plans to hang out with my cousin in nyc that same day.

my cousin called me the night before we were supposed to hang out and asked if i could come to the city earlier than i planned because him and his fun friends decided to do a bar crawl. i just assumed we were just gonna go to a bunch of bars at our leisure. not for one second did i think this bar crawl that everyone was talking about was actually the same city-wide bar crawl event. the minute i found that out, i knew i was going to run into nye. i felt it in the pit of my stomach.

i was safe for most of the day. there was over a hundred bars on the list, so in actuality the chances of me running into him was very slim to none. i also didn’t want to look like that stalker girl who “happened to run into you.” i would never do that. it’s just plain creepy.

it was mid-afternoon, the sun was starting to set and I thought i was home-free. but as my cousin, his friends and i were leaving one bar I hear someone go, “(my real name)?!” it was jh’s sister. it turns out that whole party was in the bar next to us. i chatted a little with my friends, with nye nowhere in sight. and then i felt someone put their arm around me. it was a very drunk nye. he acted like nothing was weird. for once, i couldn’t play pretend. i needed to get out of there. i said hi and goodbye and continued into the bar with my cousin.

we were sitting at a table and i could see the entrance and of course, in walks nye and some of his friends (not the ones i know.) now me, being the drunk asshole that I am, found an excuse to walk by him as i went to the bathroom. i made my cousin come with me and when nye saw us he gave my cousin evil eyes. i clarified that we were related. how creeper mcgee.

this is how our time spent at that bar went down: nye texted me to see where i am, i said still here, he said he was still there, i didn’t see him, he didn’t see me, i get up to go to the bathroom again, and we run into each other.

let’s give a round of applause for the time i actually grew a set for the first time and told someone how they hurt me…

i can’t remember the exact conversation, though i could probably make up a pretty accurate dialogue, but basically what went down is nye told me that i should have called him and that he wished for once in his life that “pretty girl” made the move. we had a full-fledge argument that started in the bar and continued outside as we were leaving. i told him we was full of shit. and by telling him that he was full of shit, i mean we ended up making out on a nyc street corner. pushing me against a wall, passionately kissing me, full enchilada. again, i fully understand the ramifications of what i do, but the stupid girl in me thought, “hey, we’re gonna give this another try!”

(nye was starting to become the man i had all my romantic nyc fantasies with. if he took me on a carriage ride through central park, it would have been the trifecta.)

we hung out for a little at another bar and then we went home with his friends and i went back with my cousin. nye was going on spring break the next week, but in our argument we made real plans to hang out that monday when he got back – he even put it on his blackberry calendar.

the day of his real birthday the next week i bbm’ed him happy birthday. he said, “thanks, (my real name)!” i overanalyzed that exclamation point for exactly 3.5 hours. (side note: on bbm you can tell if someone read your message because a “r” pops up when it’s read.”)

sunday rolls along and i still hadn’t heard from him knowing he was back. i put on my “pretty girl” balls and texted him sunday night asking if he still wanted to hang out. he read my message but never answered.

shame on me twice.

Sunglasses are not only to protect your eyes from the damage the sun can do to them, why do you think they come in so many colors?

Sunglasses are for fun too! That’s why they’re available in many different styles, shapes and colors. When it comes to a pair of green sunglasses, you may not see them on people that much, that’s because it’s unique, not everybody wears them. A lot of people only wear black sunglasses because black goes with everything, but sometimes what looks good with black will look better with green. It all depends on the colors and style you are wearing, why not consider wearing different sunglasses?

It’s also a good idea to wear them on saint patrick’s day, everybody loves a good joke, it’ll be fun. Green sunglasses are unique, stylish and cool.

In the words of Mr. Dave Matthews, “So much to say, so much to say, so much to say…”

-Next Wednesday Bethany and I will have been married for 3 years.  Check this out.

Top Pic: Grace College 2005  – Two young kids in love on Saint Patrick’s Day (we weren’t even married yet!).

Bottom Pic: Wrigley Field 2009 – Still kids in love (Married and loving it!)!

-Last week Bethany and I made a trek up to Wrigley Field for our anniversary/my birthday.  Although the Cubs lost to the red birds in nine, it was an awesome time to hang out with my wife and watch America’s favorite past time  on God’s chosen field.

-Here are a few that have crossed my mind in the last couple of weeks regarding my spiritual walk.  They may prove to be a peek at what has been happening and what God has been trying to teach me while I focus on Him.

• “Simple acts of sin may seem minor at times, but the implications of those imperfections illuminate the restoration needed through salvation.”
• “One of the most beautiful and tragic aspects of Christianity is that we get to question it.”
• “Breaking points are breeding grounds for old sins to reignite sins once conquered. Remain focused on the cross in times of trauma.”
• “The gospel is the good news of regeneration in our lives that never ceases.”

-I learned a valuable lesson this past week in the benefits of waiting to solve issues.  While the “issue” still remains unresolved, it is slowly working itself out.  It seems there is knowledge in being patient in the process of letting God be God and me be me.  I pray for restoration and God’s hand to be provisional in the outcome.

-Being that I’m from Grace College, I can’t help but think of the Momentum Conference that is going on right now.  So awesome to think of the friends I have there right now knocking it out of the park for Jesus.  I’m praying for you guys and your students as they encounter Christ at this event.

-So much coming up this half of the year, so little time to talk.  Keep checking in, I’ll keep you posted.

To God be the Glory!

-jordan

Saint Patrick’s Day, performers parading, woman and dance are one.

For those of you who don’t know what Good Friday is, this blog is for you. Otherwise? i dont know.

So, Good Friday. Boom Bam Baby, it’s today. And about 2000 years ago, it was one heck of a sad one.

 “—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scripture says. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, I saw him too, long after the others…” 1 Corinthians 15: 3-8

But don’t get confused, you might think “well hey, Paul just called him a ‘man’. do you mean to say he isn’t really God?”

no, that’s not what i mean to say. because Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human. “Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15: 47.

So what exactly did Jesus do for us when He died?

 ”¹ Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. ² They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. ³ And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

 ⁴ But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. ⁵ God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children ⁶ And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything He has belongs to you.” Galations 4:1-7

And so you might think, hey, if Jesus died and He is God, is Karl Marx’s quote (taken out of context but nonetheless i’m using it): “God is dead” (he meant to say God is dead in the hearts of the people, just to let you know) correct? No! for three reasons. 1. Jesus was resurrected! on Sunday, the third day, he rose from the dead. Hence, Easter! We’re saved, Hallelujah. and 2. God is eternal! 

 ⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,”says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” Revelations 1:8.

 but anywho, and 3. God is like a three leaf clover. (hence saint patricks day, did you know that’s what that was for? i can talk about that one day if anybody would like). He is one (important! he is ONE, one one one one one) but he has three parts. There is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are all the same God (as the leaves are all the same clover) but they are not each other (as the leaves are not each other).

for an example, it’s sort of easy to explain this way too: consider me. i am one person. but i have a body, a soul, and a mind. but i’m still one. somehow i got on the trail of the trinity…hm. anyway.

and i am very personally happy and i rejoice in the one who saved me woo! Good Friday was sad, but it saved us. and i hope i teached you…anything. i’m not a teacher. i cannot teach. to really learn more, maybe read the book of Luke or Galations or…any part of the bible. Love you lots, sierra.

This week’s analysis will include FOUR updates, since it’s more convenient that way! The Friday the 13th Camp Murky Lake major release, the Dropship Tutorial Update, and the St. Patrick’s Day Mods, along with the level cap raise! Phew! That’s a mouthful!

Camp Murky Lake – Friday the 13th

About
It’s Friday the 13th, and all G.E.A.R.S students are heading to Camp Murky Lake for a nice, relaxing…horror vacation? The students are under attack, and you have to rescue them from Jameson! After 9 battles and a boss fight against Jameson, there are some nice new, rare holiday mecha available.

Pros
The main pro of this release is very simple; new mecha! Even two mecha ABOVE the level cap (at the time it was released), at levels 31 and 33 respectively. This allows players at the current cap to buy mecha for the NEXT cap raise, so that they do not have to fear the rare mechs being out-of-power as soon as the cap is raised. These mecha feature powerful items, containing various effects: Immobility Resistance lowering, Disabling, etc. Low level versions of these mecha are also available in the Dropship and Tek’s Mechs.

Cons
The Con section will again be split into parts, to further clarify things:
-ROLLS Rolls have always been a weak point of MQ. What’s worse is that you need the Zargon Super Suit, not the SPD suit, to get a roll boost. Chief Duncan was leading the investigation, so SPD should naturally been given a boost.
-Generic storyline This isn’t that bad, but it is pretty generic. Kids go camping, bad guy find kids, kids go boo.

Final Grade of Release: 9.0 Very nice release, although the rolls hurt it. Releasing a mecha above the cap is a very nice extra, although it may have caused some problems with people not knowing how good they actually were.

Dropship Tutorial Update

About
The Dropship tutorials got a new tutorial on Special effects and stats. They are played the same as the before tutorials.

Pros
It exists. That would be the main pro. Another is that it can help newer players who haven’t played previous AE games or do not frequent the forums to understand stats and specials.

Cons
The only, small con is that there are no special effect items as defaults, so new players cannot experience it first hand DURING the tutorial.

Final Grade of Release: 10.0 Another perfect 10 for AE! The one, minor con is balanced by newer players being pointed towards the Smokey Flame Thrower for hands on experience.

St. Patrick’s Day + Level Cap raise
About
It’s that time of year again! New mods up to level 33 were released, along with the level cap raising to 33! The new mods raise Luck, Power, Accuracy, and a various combination of those 3 stats. NG, SC, and NSC versions were released.

Pros
The level cap raise was nice, since the new Jamesons could now be used. There is not much to say about the Mods, other than that they boosted stats pretty well, and could work well with the soon-to-be-released 2+ mod mecha.

Cons
The best mods were NG-Only. While this is expected, SCs should get some top-notch stuff like this. Also, NSC’s best mods were equal to that of an SC mod 3-5 levels lower. While SCs are better, substituting level 25 mods for level 33 mods seemed like a “Cheap way out” of having the strength of a level 33 mod.

Final Grade of Release: 9.0 The level cap was a much-needed boost. The mods were also nice, as they filled in some of the lack-of-mods the game currently experiences.

Overall Grade of Releases: 9.5 The 13th release was very fun, and had plentiful rewards. The Dropship update was near flawless. The mods and level cap were a very nice boost to the game. Overall, these 4 updates were great, above-average releases for MQ.

Saint Bridget is one of Ireland’s patron saints.  Born to Dubhthach, a pagan chieftain of Leinster, and Brocca, a Christian Pict who had been baptized by Saint Patrick, Bridget went on to found an important monastery in Kildare or Cill-dara, the “church of the oak.”  Her symbol is the Saint Brigid’s cross, representative of a time when she wove some reeds together to form a cross in the house of a dying peasant in order to teach him the Gospel story.

Driving into Postville, Iowa, on Saint Patrick’s Day, I was immediately struck by the ghost-town feel of the western half of this town that used to boast a population of 2,000.  Dozens of chicken-coop semi-trucks were parked outside the abandoned Agriprocessor’s slaughterhouse.  Hundreds of coops sat outside, vacant, waiting.  A piece of heavy machinery was driving through the property, disposing with some of the tons of junk littered around the lot.  With the whine of its engine, it seems to be disposing with the evidence of what happened here last May.

Agriprocessors slaughterhouse

On this dusty day, one can hardly imagine the cacophony of sounds here before the ICE raid on May 12, 2008.  Chickens squawking, machines whirring, blades thudding, trucks chugging, people shouting to be heard over the din of machinery.  Spanish mixed with Yiddish mixed with Arabic numerals preceded by $ signs.

In this abandoned slaughterhouse site, though, it is all too easy to imagine the eerie silence when the machines stopped, when 900 ICE agents increased the town’s population by 40%, when 389 immigrants were detained and interned in a cattle barn, when the chickens lived to squawk some more and this peaceful Iowa town screeched to a halt.  Only five immigrant workers had prior criminal records, but all were sentenced with working under false documents.  (Bobo, Kim. Religious Leaders Protest Postville Raid)  The public defenders, the translators, the immigration judge – everyone had been told to keep this date open on their calendars, ensuring a speedy process where nearly all the immigrants from Central America pled guilty to charges they didn’t understand in hopes of reduced sentences.  Professional interpreter Camayd-Freixas was so appalled that he published his eyewitness account with the New York Times.

Just down the street, I sit with Father Ouderkirk for a half-hour.  He is the father of St. Bridget’s Catholic Church here in Postville, a safe haven for many of the terrorized families still remaining after that fateful day in May.  “You should have been here earlier,” this once-retired priest tells me.  “On Tuesdays and Thursdays, this turns into the best restaurant in town.’”  Taking his job seriously as pastor to this reeling community, Ouderkirk serves Latino food to needy families on these days, in addition to working to provide housing funds for the scores of families who lost dads, moms, and children in this raid.  “You wouldn’t believe how much we spend each month, trying to keep a roof over their heads.”

Some of the women he serves at St. Bridget’s have been wearing an ankle bracelet for 10 months.  Some of the children haven’t seen or heard from their fathers for almost a year.  Many of the mothers are torn between returning to Central America to reunite with their husbands or staying here so their citizen children can receive a good education.  These families are facing excruciatingly difficult choices, choices one should never have to make.  Father Ouderkirk wipes with his handkerchief and tells me what we really need is comprehensive immigration reform.

As I leave Postville on Tuesday, the day after the mayor announced his resignation, the boarded-up windows and streams of For-Sale signs are a constant reminder that this town was dealt a devastating blow last May.  With a new administration and new DHS Secretary Napolitano, many are hopeful that the days of Postville and Oxford, Mississippi raids are over.  It is not enough, though, to merely hope that this administration will make the hard choices it must to ensure that comprehensive immigration reform wins out over high-profile, low-impact raids such as this.  We must make it very clear that criminalizing immigrant families is useless and inhumane, while opportunistic employers who lure workers under false pretenses (and, as here, actually provide the false identification documents to their unknowing workers) is the appropriate focus of workplace reform.  We must remind Obama that, if he is really attempting to out-do the New Deal, he should learn from FDR’s Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins who shut down the Department of Labor division that was then carrying out workplace raids (Bobo, Kim). We must encourage Napolitano to ensure that such Sinclair-like Jungle conditions never occur again, where immigrants are both victimized and criminalized.  We must urge our judicial department to reexamine current immigration policies which allow such a rushed, clandestine mockery of Due Process.

Father Ouderkirk will be traveling to my home in Rochester on April 2, to give a presentation at Pax Christi Catholic Church.  I encourage anyone and everyone to come and hear this man of faith who is earnestly working for immigration reform.  For all those afar, it is vital that we do not forget such tragedies as Postville.  We must stare at such instances with unblinking eyes and learn from them.  Please urge our administration to do the same.

Saint Bridget's Catholic Church, Postville, IA

What a night. It was very cold and windy when I waited in front of the Kilkenny Irish Pub at Hackescher Markt rail station for my friend Uli Tilly, who was late, which in fact did not come as a surprise. When we were studying at Bonn University (many many years ago), Uli was famous for showing up late; usually about one hour behind the agreed time.

Eventually he showed up (prior to that we had an exchange of sms which was quite funny), only 20 minutes late, and saved me from further frost bites. Standing in the cold makes anybody thirsty. We had not seen each other for about two years. This was another reason for a wet reunion. St. Patrick’s day was a good occasion (two days late though).

Only invitees could join that night. The pub was closed for the general public. Various Irish music bands were performing. That created just the right atmosphere. We started the evening very cheerfully.

I took a time-out from the fermented grape juice. Guinness, the famous Irish cream ale, was the drink of the night and we had plenty of it. There was also Irish food on offer. Lot’s of potatoes, meat pies, fish and chips, and other Anglo-Saxon delicacies could be devoured.

It seemed that Uli knew everybody at the party. We talked about our families, our jobs, politics, the next elections and the prospects for the future. Men in their early fifties have plenty to talk about, it seemed. The only worrying thing is the old man in the mirror when you go to the bathroom in the morning. I’m just joking. Well, there is no real alternative to ageing. But how to master it gracefully, that’s the challenge.

Uli (left) in deep discussions

It was early in the morning when we parted company. We could still walk strait so we were no danger to public traffic. Needless to say that we both started work early, honouring the old German saying, that the one who can drink, can work…

Until we meet again my friend.
Cheers

Depois de enfrentar uma hora e meia de trânsito provocada por um São Pedro ciumento, cheguei no The Blue Pub para comemorar o St. Patrick’s Day. Fica do lado do Maksoud e perto do metrô Trianon-Masp, fato que me permitiu chegar mais rápido. Só identifiquei o local por uma razão: uma fila gigante. O esquema parecia meio precário inicialmente, pois a placa era na realidade uma tela de pintura pintada que não sei como resistiu a toda chuva que caiu. A indicação foi do Fernando e da galera do trampo dele. Como confio no julgamento do brother, ignorei a placa.

O local estava lotado e só consegui entrar rapidamente por ter amigos já dentro e com lugar guardado. É uma casa pequena com dois andares. O primeiro, que é meio que um porão, fica o balcão e uma sala com sinuca. Já o segundo, tem uma parte para dardos, uns banquinhos DUAS mesas e uma salinha que cabe umas 10 pessoas sentadas. O Blue Pub não é grande, não tem uma puta decoração. A proposta do lugar é ser APENAS um pub, sem frescuras ou preços exorbitantes.

No segundo andar, pedi minha pint verde (R$6,00). Demorou a chegar e não estava trincando, mas deu pra perceber que a serpentina não estava dando conta de gelar o chopp. Deixei de pedir chopp e comecei a honrar cervejas mais elaboradas. Pedi uma Eisenbahn Strong Gold Ale que custou incríveis R$ 6,90. Pode ser caro, mas é uma cerveja catarinense de puro malte de cevada que atinge a graduação alcoólica de 8,5%. Ela é fenomenal, bebam. Para não falar que eu só elogio brejas, eu não curto a celebrada Guinness (R$11,00). Há também a Eisenbahn Lust por R$ 70,00, que está fora dos meus padrões de aquisição.

You want. You pay. You get. 

Há cervejas mais baratas como a Brahma Extra (R$ 4,90), Stella Artois (R$6,90), Heineken (R$ 3,90). Se você estiver com a grana curta, elas são uma possibilidade. Outra é você ser um botequeiro sóbrio e apostar com a chefe bêbada do seu amigo que faria a dança do quadrado inteira no meio do pub ao som do seu cel. Enfim, ganhei duas Eisenbahn Strong Gold Ale e olhares estranhos. Hahuahuahua

Eu estava sem nada no estômago e acabamos pedindo porções de onion rings por R$ 8,00. Elas eram bem servidas, secas e muito boas. O Luis poderia dizer que é por eu ser um esfomeado e amante de cebola, mas até quem não curtia elogiou. O Irish Stew (picadinho irlandês) custava R$ 12, mas acabamos não pedindo e não lembro a razão. O dia seguinte não foi de ressaca, mas de cansaço por ter ido dormir às 2 depois de rir muito com a galera do trabalho do Fernando.

Não dá para julgar o local por esse dia no quesito atendimento por ser um dia especial e totalmente fora do padrão. As coisas realmente demoraram um pouco e o chopp estava quente. Os meus amigos que sempre vão, falaram que isso não era normal. As garçonetes, Ana e Vanessa, foram muito gente boa, tiravam fotos com a galera e as pints. Aliás, todo mundo que trabalha lá foi muito simpático, até mesmo o segurança com a galera pirando pra entrar.

Eu vou voltar lá mais vezes. As cervejas mais elaboradas não são uma facada como na maioria dos pubs, o ambiente é de boa e com música na altura certa, perto do metrô, não cobra entrada e cada um tem sua comanda.

Onde? Al. Ribeirão Preto, 384 (entrada pela Al. Campinas) – Jardim Paulista – São Paulo – SP

Telefone: (11) 3284-8338

Faixa de Preço: R$ 15 a R$ 60

Cartões: Visa | Mastercard

Horário: De 2ª a sábado, das 18h à 1h

Idade: 25 a 35 anos

Site Oficial: www.thebluepub.com.br

Freaky

He was probably one of the most interesting Saint Patrick’s Day reveler’s in Chicago. I’m glad we left before it got too crazy…..

so much green......so little time

NOTE TO SELF: Buy a bungee cord and large towel when trying to sell my art.

This past week has been a very busy one for me with dentist appointments, meeting with teachers and trying to get some housework done.  LOL… I just realized a few minutes ago that the reason this week’s Booking Through Thursday post already had 115 comments is that today is FRIDAY… dur.

As a result of my busy week, I forgot to edit the daily “Lefty’s Corner,” so I thought I’d post the hmissing three days here.

For St. Partick’s Day, Tuesday, March 17:

Cecil Adams is generally assumed to be a pseudonym of the unknown author of “The Straight Dope,” a popular question-and-answer column published in The Chicago Reader since 1973.  Whether Adams is the author’s real name is known only by the author and the Chicago Reader.  According to his bio, however, Adams is an accomplished traveler, resides in Chicago, and is left-handed.  He apparently attended Catholic school, Northwestern University, and is of Irish decent.

Lefty Birthday for March 17th:
Singer Billy Corgan

For Wednesday 18th:

Animated Lefties
Bart Simpson from The Simpsons
SpongeBob from SpongeBob SquarePants
Gromit from Wallace and Gromit

Lefty Birthdays for March 18th:
Author Richard Condon
South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk
Actor Peter Graves

For Thursday, March 19th:

Loius II of France was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orleans. Known as Louis the Stammerer, this royal lefty succeeded his younger brother in Aquitaine in 866 and his father in France in 877. He was described as “a simple and sweet man, a lover of peace, justice, and religion.” In 878, he gave the counties of Barcelona, Gerona, and Besalu to Wifred the Hairy., His final act was to march against the Vikings in 879.

Lefty Birthday for March 19th:
Actor Bruce Willis

Det finns ofta anledningar att fira! Idag, till exempel, är det vårdagjämning och persiskt nyår (därför står det passande nog persisk mat på middagsbordet ikväll), om 82 dagar och 16 timmar får jag sommarlov, om 361 dagar är det Saint Patrick’s Day, barnbidraget kom idag och det är äntligen helg!  Som sagt, det finns alltid anledning att fira nånting.

This week, in continued celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, the American Public House Review heads to our nation’s capitol to visit perhaps Washington D.C.’s most famous public house, the Dubliner.  If you are looking to hobnob with the politicos, this is the place to be.

An Irish Tavern that keeps true to its heritage with great atmosphere and live Celtic music, the Dubliner has become the place for the D.C. recognizables to come and unwind with a pint.  In the days leading up to the Inauguration, MSNBC chose this pub as almost its home base of operations.  I was proud to see the network recognize what we here at the APHR have always know, if you want to find the soul of a town you must start your search in the tavern.

So click here for the story and to join Chris Poh as he seeks shelter from the snow and ice of an Atlantic winter in Washington D.C. with a happy and warm ending at the Dubliner, the capitol city’s most renowned Irish tavern.

It hasn’t been a good week for the President, but you wouldn’t know it by his actions. Amidst all the turmoil about the AIG bonuses, a faltering economy, Geithner, a deceitful Chris Dodd, crippling the next generation with trillions of dollars of debt, and falling poll numbers – the President seemed to be in a world of his own, or shall we say, Obamaworld.

1) Spending Tuesday in Saint Patrick’s Day festivities. But he did manage to do two things. One: he offended Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, when Obama rescheduled their meeting because of the Saint Patrick’s day festivities. Two: the teleprompter gaffe, by thanking himself for inviting himself.

2) On Wednesday, he did a special interview with ESPN, for the purpose of choosing his picks for the NCAA tournament. I can’t for the life of me remember, when a future college basketball Hall of Fame Coach criticized a President. But coach Krzyzewski of Duke, gave Obama some advice: “Somebody said that, you know, we’re not in President Obama’s Final Four, you know. And as much as I respect what he’s doing, really, you know, the economy is something that he should focus on, you know, probably more than the brackets. And so why would I care about that?” Ouch, or should I say – Man!

3) Obama appeared on Leno Thursday night. Of course we all know that this is a first for a standing President, and in my opinion, a gaffe in itself. But as it turned out, it wasn’t the only gaffe for Obama.

Jake Tapper from ABC News reports:

‘President Obama, in his taping with Jay Leno Thursday afternoon, attempted to yuk it up with the funnyman, and ended up insulting the disabled.

It’s “like the Special Olympics or something,” the president said.’

Let me just say, that you are very special, Mr President. And let me add, you have had a very special week in Obamaworld.

Articles of interest

Why can’t Obama tell a good joke? By Michelle Malkin

Obama Apologizes to Special Olympics for Bowling Joke – Fox News

Machine vs. Man: Teleprompter vs. Obama – Frugal Café

Without his teleprompter – Obama makes fun of the Special Olympics on Leno! – Fire Andrea Mitchell!

Here is the new ClubPenguin ROCKZ! episode 9! Hope you like it!

Please Comment, rate, and subscribe ClubPenguin ROCKZ! episodes!

-Cloneguy800

Esse post era pra ter entrado na terça-feira de madrugada. Fiquei sem net em casa, descobri que o login do wordpress é bloqueado no trampo e o Luis estava longe do escritório. Enfim, o St. Patrick’s Day (dia de São Patrício) é comemorado no dia 17 de março e é o padroeiro da Irlanda. O dia é comemorado em diversos lugares do mundo e chega a ter paradas com galera vestida de verde, fantasias e MUITA CERVEJA. Eu usei essa desculpa para comemorar o dia com o Fernando em um happy hour no The Blue Pub. A indicação rolou por ser um lugar sossegado, barato e perto do metrô.

Havia separado seis endereços de pubs famosos em São Paulo que também iriam comemorar a data.  Há outros, mas minha memória não ajudou muito. Agora, a indicação tá furada. Só que os pubs continuam, obviamente, abertos. Por isso, mantive o post e irei escrever sobre a bebemoração hoje à noite. Por que não escrevi na quarta? Simples: muito sono e um dia do cão no trampo.

The Blue Pub

Esse foi meu escolhido por diversas razões, mas a principal é que não paga para entrar! O esquema é Pub mesmo, com direito a sinuca, musica ambiente, dardos e uma leve fumaça de cigarro vinda do balcão. Há 4 promoções. Você pode consumir 4 pints eisenbahn (R$ 6) + R$ 20 e você ganha uma camiseta. Já com 3 pints da Guiness (R$ 11), ganha uma bandana. Se você beber 4 pints da Guinnes e investir outros R$ 20, ganha uma camiseta de rugby da marca. Há ainda 3 pints verdes por R$ 15.

Onde? Al. Ribeirão Preto, 384 (entrada pela Al. Campinas), Jardim Paulista, São Paulo – SP

Telefone: (11) 3284-8338

Site Oficial: www.thebluepub.com.br

All Black

A festa começa às 17h e a entrada dá direito a uma pint de Guinness (R$ 10) e uma camisa. O chopp verde custará R$ 6,00. Hard e Kilkenny  ficam por R$ 6,50. O som que rolará será da banda Isotônica, que é especializada em cover do U2. Homens pagam R$ 50  (pqp, st Patrick!) e mulheres, R$ 30.

Onde? R. Oscar Freire, 163, Jardim Paulista, São Paulo – SP

Telefone: (11) 3088-7990

Site Oficial: www.allblack.com.br

Dublin

Souberam fazer um atrativo: sorteio de garrafas de whisky durante toda a noite. Serão duas atrações musicais: a River Raid e o Roger do Ultraje a Rigor (é, ele tá vivo). Homens pagam R$ 40 e mulheres R$ 30 a partir das 20h. O Jack Daniels estará com desconto de 10% e as draft beers com 20%. Não consegui os valores, não me matem!

Onde? Ministro Jesuíno Cardoso, 178, Vila Olímpia, São Paulo – SP

Telefone: (11) 3044-4194

Site Oficial: www.dublin.com.br

Finnegan’s

Esse é para aqueles que realmente pretendem curtir um esquema irlandês ou ver homens de saia (eu tinha que zuar o kilt!). O pub abrirá às 17 horas e haverá um grupo de música folclórica irlandesa às 19 h. Para os amantes de gaita-de-foles, haverá uma apresentação às 21:30h. Por fim, às 22h30, a Eureka Street Jazz Band sobe ao palco. A entrada custa R$ 15, mas há também a opção do kit que dá direito, além da entrada, a uma camiseta e um chope verde. Não descobri o valor também por um motivo, meu chefe me olhava estranho para cada lugar que eu ligava. Avisei-o do que se tratava e que não estava abrindo um bar, mas preferi ser prudente e pegar leve na busca das informações.

Onde? Rua Cristiano Viana, 358, Pinheiros, São Paulo – SP

Telefone: (11) 3062-3232

Site Oficial: www.finnegans.com.br

O’Malley’s

O pub abre a partir das 12h, mas a festa começa só às 19h30. O grupo irlandês Murphy´s Law (é, você leu certo, irlandês) e a banda Dose Tripla se revezam no palco. A casa oferece promoções, sendo uma delas a que dá direito a cinco pints para quem comprar uma camiseta Guinness (R$ 70). Se você considerar que cada pint custa R$ 15 (pelo que lembro do meu aniversário), você ainda economiza cincão, tem uma camiseta e uma conta alta. A entrada para homens e mulheres é R$ 25.

Onde? Al. Itú, 1.529, Cerqueira César, São Paulo – SP

Telefone: (11) 3086-0780

Site Oficial: www.omalleysbar.net

Paddy´s Pub (ex-Saint Patrick´s Pub)

A festa começa às 22h e a atração principal da noite é o Conjunto Viva Noite (Pânico), o show começa à 1h. Antes e depois o DJ Barata (?), residente da casa, assume o som. Se você não entendeu a programação musical, não se preocupe, eu também não. Eles também têm a promoção da Guinness, quem comprar uma camiseta ou um boné (R$ 50) ganha cinco pints da cerveja. A casa também estará servindo o chope verde (R$ 3,80). As mulheres pagam R$ 20 e homens, R$ 30.

Onde? Av. Luís Dumont Villares, 655, Santana, São Paulo – SP

Telefone: (11) 6977-9226.

Site Oficial: www.paddyspub.com.br