Migrant Cotton Picker and Her Baby near Buckeye, Maricopa County, Arizona

Migrant Cotton Picker and Her Baby near Buckeye, Maricopa County, Arizona
Originally uploaded by The U.S. National Archives

Images Of Whitehead

 
  

  

  

 
 

  

We Love Our Cars...They're Sort of Pals. So Good to Know About Repair Pal

Our cars are money boxes on wheels, bottomless pits, a constant drain on our resources but something that from a practical viewpoint we cannot do without out or even bear to think of doing without. We give them names, at times call them names! Some of us neglect them shamefully hardly ever lifting a sponge to them while for other people they are their pride and joy and they spend a lot of free time buffing and polishing and keeping them as spanking new looking as they can.

They are objects, tools but we all have a relationship with our cars because they are such an important part of daily life. So it is important that we can find somewhere to give us independent information about repair estimates or offer answers to questions about what ever make or model we may be currently driving. Repair Pal is one such site. Not only does it offer independent unbiased advice but you can also store all your car details and repair history with them. Keeping everything you may need to know about your car all in one place.

Should you be looking to find out information about a Toyota Camry or looking for an auto repair shop you will find it in this site and it is a very easy site to navigate. Do you know what a C E L is? A check engine light and what it is for? From the point of view of general auto information as well as from the point of view of making sure estimates are fair you should be able to find out what you need in Repair Pal.. Nowadays, when money is not always that easy to come by it is nice to have an opportunity to be able to check out the estimates of how much work should cost before you commit yourself to any one particular auto repair shop.

Lil Monster’s come out to play as Belfast goes GaGa

Belfast used to be a city known for its Boom Boom, but last night it was ‘Cherry Cherry Boom Boom’-when Lady GaGa’s Monster Tour came to our very own Odyssey Arena. After a long wait outside in the cold, the scantily clad, blonde wig and makeup wearing fans ran into the warm welcoming arena. Not normally known as a place of warmth, as it is also home to the ‘Belfast Giants’ ice hockey team. But tonight it was the doorway to the Wonderful Land of GaGa and as in Narnia or Oz we would meet many wondrous humans and creatures on our journey

After two warm up acts ‘Semi Precious Weapons’ who should really have been decommissioned with our recent history and ‘Alphabeat’ euro pop at its best, the time had come for the audience to go really gaga as the digital projection on the front stage cloth reached Zero. Stefani Germanotta or as she is better known Lady GaGa had arrived and it as time for us to ‘dance in the dark’ as the fantastic light show bathed the packed arena. We listened as we were told that she created the Monster's Ball ‘’so that all the freaks were inside and the doors were locked’’. This made me laugh as I thought of that great white stoned building in Belfast, where all the freaks were inside and the doors were locked, but we elected them and gave them MLA security passes and bodyguards (but I digress).

The show zipped by and another fifteen costume changes and two albums worth of songs later we had reached the ‘Monster’s Ball’ the end of our musical experience. It was unlike any concert I have ever seen or may ever see again. The audience left their make believe land behind as they returned to the real world. A world that is cold and dark, a world of hunger and pain and unfortunately in our little piece of it the midnight news reported that in Newry there has been a car bomb. The Monsters are still around it seems.

More About St Valentine And His Remains At WhiteFriar Church

The Whitefriar Street Carmelites have now published online the following translation of a letter in Latin which accompanied the remains of St Valentine when they arrived in Dublin:

We, Charles, by the divine mercy, Bishop of Sabina of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Odescalchi Arch Priest of the Sacred Liberian Basilica, Vicar General of our most Holy Father the Pope and Judge in Ordinary of the Roman Curia and of its Districts, etc, etc.

To all and everyone who shall inspect these our present letters, we certify and attest, that for the greater glory of the omnipotent God and veneration of his saints, we have freely given to the Very Reverend Father Spratt, Master of Sacred Theology of the Order of Calced Carmelites of the convent of that Order at Dublin, in Ireland, the blessed body of St Valentine, martyr, which we ourselves by the command of the most Holy Father Pope Gregory XVI on the 27^th day of December 1835, have taken out of the cemetery of St Hippolytus in the Tiburtine Way, together with a small vessel tinged with his blood and have deposited them in a wooden case covered with painted paper, well closed, tied with a red silk ribbon and sealed with our seals and we have so delivered and consigned to him, and we have granted unto him power in the Lord, to the end that he may retain to himself, give to others, transmit beyond the city (Rome) and in any church, oratory or chapel, to expose and place the said blessed holy body for the public veneration of the faithful without, however, an Office and Mass, conformably to the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, promulgated on the 11^th day of August 1691.

In testimony whereof, these letters, testimonial subscribed with our hand, and sealed with our seal, we have directed to be expedited by the undersigned keeper of sacred relics.

Rome, from our Palace, the 29^th day of the month of January 1836.

C.Cardinal Vicar

Regd. Tom 3. Page 291

Philip Ludovici Pro-Custos

For those wishing to visit St Valentine's Shrine in Dublin, Whitefriar Street Church is located between Aungier Street and Wexford Street, and is just a few minutes' walk west of St Stephen's Green. 

Click Here

Happy St Valentine's Day (but is it true)?

Happy St Valentine's day! but is it true that under the current calendar of the Catholic Church it should be celebrated on November 11th? ...That would really feck Hallmark up wouldn't it. St Valentine is not only the patron Saint of Lovers but also the Patron saint of greetings card manufacturers. I would call this very serendipitous considering the amount of cards that will be bought for this one day.

Come to think of it he is also the Patron saint of the plague and epilepsy. Now no matter how sagely,old and wise I may sound at times I am not old enough to remember anyone with plague ...but epilepsy is close to my heart. The times I have felt myself getting agitated or upset by someone and felt the nerves in my hand,then my arm right up to my face dance about uncontrollably is more than I can remember. The mantra then is "No Please don't pass out, don't pass out!" On the surface apparently at this stage I look quite calm, (perhaps maybe more intense than usual ... well I am concentrating on my mantra). If memory serves me right a grand mal seizure when you're passed out on the floor and jigging about uncontrollably is far from calm. If onlookers find it frightening and upsetting think about the poor person writhing about on the floor (that was usually me). ...Thank God we have St Valentine,  Do you think Hallmark should make a Happy Valentine's day card with  the message..'.Hope this year is plague free...or epilepsy free' as well as 'To my darling Valentine'?

To my darling valentine. I have a theory about why he out of all the saints became the patron saint of lovers. It has more to do with fertility than to do with romance. Don't talk to me about romance. Romance is the stuff of nightmares, when it comes to partners their idea of romance or what it means to be 'romantic' sets you on a helter skelter path of failure. It doesn't matter how heartfelt your declarations are or what you try to do. A bunch of flowers, a card or something totally extravagant, everything, anything will ultimately fail...You discover when you reach forty something there is really no pleasing people so it is best to just please yourself and on that note I have noticed I am digressing!

All I know about St Valentine is that he was beaten up, imprisoned and then beheaded by the Romans for being a Christian not very romantic I'd say! Not too terribly surprising either considering the times he was living in. It was the 3rd century and the Christians were into martyrdom in those days, that's what made Saints. So anyway back to my theory.

In 496 Pope Gelasius set aside The pagan festival of Lupercalia dedicated to Juno the Goddess of women and fertility as the day to honor Valentine. A lot of Saints days are celebrated  around the same time as pagan festivals. It was easier for them to hijack an existing festival than to try and be imaginative. Anyway I think the pagans had something because I have come to the conclusion that February the 14th is the most popular birthday on the calendar. Valentine being a Catholic and Catholics are off course into procreation being a blessed and loving thing; love and romance are joined at the hip (especially for the young). So voila Valentine becomes the head honcho for love. Sweet!

It is not a scientific conclusion by no means, it is just that off  the top of my head I know five people who are Valentines babies. Are any of them romantic? Can you hear me laughing? Anyway, it just seems a fairly high proportion of people that I know all share the one birthday and that day happens to be February 14th. Makes a bit of sense to me, May is obviously a loving month and February is when we should celebrate  what we got up to back then. Juno the Goddess blesses us, we celebrate, the Christians come along gave the day to their guy Valentine. People around the world get lovey dovey for a day, greeting cards  sales soar and everyone is happy. My theory may not be scientific but I think it is sound.

The first Valentines greeting was sent by a Frenchman Charles Duke of Orleans to his wife in 1415. He spent 25 years in the Tower Of London after the Battle of Agincourt. All I can say is God help the poor woman. I hope she had plenty of diversions

The notion that Valentines day is the day that the birds mate originated in the 14th century. The idea is attributed to a Chaucer poem and finally did you know that St Valentine's 'remains' were lost? The fact that no-one really knows who he was is neither here nor there (there were a few Valentine Martyrs around about his time). Never the less his 'remains' ended up in Ireland -where we promptly lost them. (We're a race that looks after our religious and romantic heritage). He was lost in a church in Dublin for ever so long a time...turned up in  the back of a cupboard. Makes you wonder what else was up there and I for one will not chide myself anymore for losing things.....Most likely they'll be laying up the back of a cupboard.  And at least we can pat ourselves on the back, after all no-one flushed him down the loo.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone May you be plague free

Happy Valentine's Day May all your fits be little ones

Happy Valentines Day to all you sweetheart romantics

And Happy Birthday to the Valentine babies

C'Mere...I wanna Tell You A joke

Do you want to hear a Joke?

What is a Shih Tzu?

A zoo with no animals!

A friend told me this joke a week or two ago. It is corny - but it works (made me giggle) it works because of  the way that you pronounce shih tzu. Here in Norn Ireland at any rate we pronounce it 'shit zoo'.

You can see how it works. Here is another one

A man goes into the barbers and the barber asks "How do you want your hair cut?"
The man replies "In Silence"

This is one of the oldest recorded jokes...and it still works. It harks from ancient Greece. Can you believe that? I suppose that's what is meant by universal concepts. In this case universal and timeless. Think about it, how many times have you sat in the hairdressers and just wished they'd shut up talking and just do your hair?

I've been thinking about humor this morning, how important a part of human nature it is, how our ability to laugh can carry us through the most difficult of times and every one has plenty of those. Have you never noticed that when you smile people automatically smile back.?

When you want to cry........that's a different story. It is as though it is not socially acceptable to be sad....Someone pass the happy pills...better still tell me a joke!

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Bins.

To start with, I can categorically state that I am not an animal lover! The fact that there is a bone almost as big as my lodger sitting on one of my best sheets in the middle of the living room doesn't tell you anything other than I am a very lackadaisical person. I would venture to say that for some I am maddeningly lackadaisical, luckily though they don't have to live with me but only put up with me in small doses - and vice versa.

On Tuesday I struggled into my entry (alleyway) with two heavy garbage bags. I noticed a smattering of white feathers laying on the ground and thought of the men during the war who received white feathers to indicate cowardice (I am reading a historical novel at the moment). Then I thought some cat has got lucky and some bird has gotten extremely unlucky. I carried the bags to the top of the entry because I don't think it is in the local bin mans' job description to come into entries or maybe it is a health and safety issue, maybe they may fall over fat cats lazing about after feasting on unlucky birds.

On my way back down the entry I startled the injured bird; don't get me wrong, it scared the bejesus out of me as it hobbled and flapped then sort of hopped and kinda flew into my back yard. I tried to stop it but I was just too late. Luckily though the kitchen door was shut tight. It is extremely unlucky for a bird to walk into your house all sorts of calamities await you if that happens - a country woman told me this so it must be true for they know all the best superstitions.

It huddled as close to the wall as it could possibly get and looked at me. You know that look? A pathetic, sorrowful and knowing look. The sort of look that we see from time to time but do not want to recognize. "Ohh what to do?" I thought. "Ohh no, not here" I said to it and scooped it up into a bucket as gently as I could and deposited it back out into the entry. Every household should have at least one bucket - and a few basins they're invaluable items. Very handy for all sorts of emergencies.

Some of my thoughts on coming in to have a coffee .. "it's a pigeon, a rat with wings! If it was a rat I'd have dropped a brick on its head! No I wouldn't! I'd have ran into the house squealing like a little girl and I'd have been shouting hysterically down the phone to my brother to bring me a big trap. Fat lot of good that would have done me for he isn't even in the country!" Pause ... "It is dieing though, it's back is all torn up, it's wing looks pretty bashed up and it's leg is mangled. The cat will probably come back and finish off the job. It's part of the nature of being a pigeon to get squashed by cars and tore asunder by things like cats. It's what happens to them"

After picturing it getting tore asunder I went back out to the entry and scooped it back up into the bucket and brought it back into my yard.

I played with the idea of bringing it down to my local vet but the thought of dandering down the road with an injured pigeon in a bucket was even beyond my eccentric ways. If I have any sort of reputation at all it would be totally demolished. They would be packing me off to the local lunatic asylum. Well, you don't try to save common pigeons - do you? No, if your going to save something it would have to be one of those more 'deserving' birds I guess. "It's dying" I thought. "Let it have a peaceful death." So I locked it in the shed with a little bread thinking. "It'll be dead in the morning."

Imagine my surprise the next morning when it hadn't died! The rubber gloves and plastic bags not needed. "You still with us?" (I have a habit of asking obvious questions). it was frightened and probably wondering why it wasn't dead yet so I went and got it some bread and milk and left it in the shed for another day. Next day I needed to reclaim my shed, I needed to get some laundry done so it skittered out into the yard, flapped, flapped then took off! "Yeh Hey!" I shouted after it, my good deed for the week. My feel good moment.

Sundays I like to break the routine up for the lodger by going somewhere different. We went to Whitehead we were away for at least four hours and when we got back it was almost that time of the day.. the gloaming. Before it got too dark I thought I'd do some domestic goddess type things starting with laundry. When I went out to the shed there was a shuffling sound. I jumped being easily frightened, looked down and guess who was back? It sat there quite calmly looking up at me. I quietly went about putting a wash on. It didn't come near me and I didn't go near it. "It's probably dying again" i thought. Well, I am not Doctor Doolittle, what do I know? I let it stay but I did tell it "You are a wild pigeon you don't have the homing gene".

Alive and hobbling this morning I chased it, this afternoon it is back. It is sitting out there and I am wondering are there any sanctuary's for common as muck street pigeons? I think it may have adopted me and I don't know the first thing about pigeons. Hope they don't carry bird flu.

Self Help Die Kits - And why Not? Terry Pratchett Argues For The Right To Die---When he Wants To.

The arguments for euthanasia are autonomy, mercy and justice; this debate arouses passions between those who support it as a voluntary aid in helping those who are already dieing and suffering and those who believe it is murder. The crux of the argument against any sort of euthanasia is that all human life is precious no matter what the quality of that life is.


Can we seriously consider euthanasia in cases of people who are suffering from dementia? These are some of the most vulnerable members in our society and to consider this course of action is not a light question. In a sense it kind of attacks the sort of society we believe that we have become; a caring, just, and for the most part respectful of the law society.


Tonight Terry Pratchett will present his case for euthanasia at the Dimbleby lectures and you can understand his position when you consider this smart intelligent and funny man now is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. His high profile has highlighted some of the difficulties that are faced by sufferers and their families. The Alzheimer society do not call for euthanasia but are concerned with end of life care, with highlighting care issues that not only affect the suffer but also the carers.


Alzheimer sufferers in effect become unminded, they in the end are no longer the individual that they were but can live for quite a few years in this state needing constant care. Pratchett said on radio 4's Today program. "There are plenty of people like me who would like to die when the time comes to die."


We often live our lives believing that we make our own choices but the reality is that often how our lives progress is often dictated by circumstances that we have little control over. Often we seem to spend our days dealing with 'the cards we've been dealt'. Considering that we seem to have so little control over our lives can we expect to have any control over our death?


The argument for the sanctity of human life is based in our cultural and historically religious set of moral beliefs but I believe that now that modern society is a more secular society that people are considering certain aspects of what it is to be human. Many people are more interested in the quality of their lives rather than the quantity. They also want to assert the right to make choices - easy ones and hard ones. Should we have the right to choose whether to live or die? Off course we should! ultimately it is our life.


Luckily there are people like Terry Pratchett who brings these issues to the fore.