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Ramblings of an unkempt man
Month: September 2018

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The Men Who Stare at Hens

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Month: September 2018

Richard the Lion Heart – The Musician King….

Richard the Lion Heart – The Musician King….

September 25, 2018 History / Music / Odd

Richard the Lionhearted, the very essence of chivalry! The brave king of England went on crusade, fought his noble opponent Saladin to a draw in the Holy Land, and while he was away, managed to have his kingdom nearly stolen by his brother, the vile Prince John. Only Robin Hood …

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Pythagoras, beans and death…….

Pythagoras, beans and death…….

September 17, 2018 History / Odd

Pythagoras viewed as either a Shamanistic shyster or intellectual innovator, is still one of the most important names in Western philosophy. He and his followers followed some rather strange rules such as not to stir fires with iron pokers and not to eat meat or beans This was because he …

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Holorhyms, Mondegreens and Hendrix….

Holorhyms, Mondegreens and Hendrix….

September 9, 2018 Music / Odd / Words

In a previous post I was rambling on about misheard song lyrics and I forgot to mention that there was also a funny little thing called a mondegreen . Have you ever listened to Purple Haze and wondered whether Jimi Hendrix is saying: Excuse me while I kiss the sky …

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David Bowie, Yoda and Anaphora…….

David Bowie, Yoda and Anaphora…….

September 9, 2018 Music / Odd / Words

This morning I was eating my breakfast whilst listening to the radio, when on came David Bowie’s song Modern Love, and I was suddenly struck by the rhetorical arrangement of the chorus. Anaphora is the technical term for starting a series of clauses with the same words. A classic example …

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The Men who stare at Hens……

The Men who stare at Hens……

September 9, 2018 Books / Odd

I am pleased to announce that my new book – The Men who stare at Hens ( courtesy of those fine people at The History Press) will be officially launched at the Clifden Arts Festival on Wednesday the 19th of September at the Atlantic Hotel. Strong drink, things on sticks …

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The humble rasher…..

The humble rasher…..

September 6, 2018 Food / Odd / Words

This morning, as I incinerated my breakfast, I was reminded of the etymology of the word rasher, as in a rasher of bacon. There are two theories on the subject. The first rather tedious one is that it’s cognate with razor and therefore means a thin strip that has been …

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Die Hard ?……

Die Hard ?……

September 4, 2018 Odd / Words

I was going to write about pizzas but I have been distracted by a film on television, Die Hard . It made me think that it is a sad fact, but true, that a small minority of people can watch Arnold Schwarzenegger (or whoever it happens to be) shooting somebody …

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Texting and bunga bunga….

Texting and bunga bunga….

September 3, 2018 Odd / Words

I was in the process of sending an encouraging text message to a former student today. I was going to write “Hope everything goes well.” I never abbreviate. I typed hope, then my thumb hovered for a second over the 3def key, but everything is an awfully long word. In …

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