That's Science! there. Green Science! in a glass.

[alexsarll]

Friday morning: before I even get off my block, I am accosted by an evangelist as I wait at the pelican crossing. Conversational rather than hollering, and no mention of Jesus, but they're like nonces, aren't they - you can just tell. He opens with a good morning, I suppose you're on your way to work, did you see about that boy being chased with knives, terrible, wasn't it?
"Yes."
"Do you think the world is getting better, or worse?"
"Oh, worse, definitely."
"And what do you think is the answer?"
"The end of monotheism."
At which precise moment the green man appeared, proving (as if proof were needed) that there are more gods on my side than his.

Last night I filled a major gap in my 'disreputable' skill set by learning how to play poker. I'm not saying I was any good at it, but if nothing else I'll now better be able to follow what the Hell's meant to be going on in the poker scenes of eg Deadwood. This in Lewisham, which begins to look almost salubrious when you've been watching The Wire and realise hey, at least it's not Baltimore. And for what I think is the first time I came up with a cocktail which not only *can* I reproduce - a sane person might actually *want* to reproduce it! Ladies and gentlemen, the Seven Goblins.




Well, quite.

Against my normal policy, I am going to a pub later, even though it is St Patrick's Day*. And not even a Sam Smith's, but a pub which sells Guinness. To mark the birthday of an Irish person**. Who has been known to wear a green coat.
No good can come of this.

*Thinking about this, maybe part of my problem with St Patrick's Day is that two separate cosmologies have the snake as my totem. But more likely, it's just those cocking Guinness hats and the prats who wear them.
**Albeit one from the UK corner, rather than the country which was so determinedly neutral during WWII that its press censored reports of Nazi atrocities, lest anyone come to think the Nazis were, just maybe, the bad guys. Though I suppose at least it was only a minority of Nationalists who ended up actually getting into bed with the fascists.

Comments

[angelv.livejournal.com]

Where's that SGR sign from? And how could it possibly get any sexier?!

[exliontamer.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was wondering that too!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It's a brochure rather than a sign, which was waiting for me when I got in last night. I was really in no state to deal with it.

Something amazing's happening where you live

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Apparently it's now in a Virgin Media area. Phwoar.

Re: Something amazing's happening where you live

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you're not the only one.

[kanaeda.livejournal.com]

Irish neutrality probably had a lot to do with incidents like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281920%29
being in many people's recent memory, fighting on the same side as the british after the way they treated people here would have been wrong.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Oh, I appreciate that - but I still tend to think of neutrality as a stance which, if a little disengaged, is usually at least high-minded. Maintaing that through suppression of press freedom just seems wrong, and wrong in rather an unexpected way.

[kanaeda.livejournal.com]

You have a point there, the government should definitely have encouraged not suppressed accurate reporting of the nazi's crimes.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

And if you look at the article, having fostered that attitude even encouraged a degree of Holocaust denial once the war was over, which is normally a pretty clear indicator of a bad policy.

[invadergaz.livejournal.com]

well, happy St. Paddy's. Stuck in Germany, so I'll just have to find some place to vom over here. But considering how delightful most cologne-style lagers are, I'm almost looking forward to having some overpriced Guiness, Murphy's & Killkenny. Failing that, I've still got some 12 year old Knappogue Castle..

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Though the taste is not for me, I do like the visual of a pint of Guinness. Transferring that to a foam hat...not so much. Though one tool I passed in Crouch End had managed to go one worse, by having shamrock-shaped spectacles too!

[invadergaz.livejournal.com]

Spent my costume budget on a 40€ bottle of wiskey instead.

Just hoping I can pass the evening without hitting on any barmaids.
Although...

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I misread that for a moment as a 40 cent bottle of whisky. I know booze is cheaper on the Continent, but I would still be rather worried about the quality there.

[invadergaz.livejournal.com]

Oi! Don't dis my white spirits...

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

That's quite upsetting, isn't it? Upsets the natural order to see good-looking people among one's adversaries. Although being Catholics, they almost certainly lapse at times. And by and large, lapsed Catholics are filthy.

[biancabird.livejournal.com]

"The end of monotheism."

I think I love you.

When I was in the south of France last spring, I got accosted by some JW's who heard Jim and me speaking English and used that as an opener. I wasn't expecting it, and truly believed that they were just tourists who were happy to speak to someone in their native tongue. Then I saw a copy of the Watchtower peeking out of a briefcase and started laughing uncontrollably.

Why can't they just hand you an unintentionally amusing pamphlet and be gone?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Best one of those I ever got was a flyer for an event called 'Dominion' - also the last song to which I'd danced at the goth club from which I was only belatedly making my way home. Giggles ensued.

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

You are very alexy sometimes. Good flyer tho. :D