Oh well; we’ll see won’t we!

Thankfully the headache subsided somewhat and I’m doing good now!. Just sitting in the library after fencing. I didn’t do much today since I still have a wee bit of a dose (Don’t worry Hazel I’m getting much better X) It was a cool session; and I once again marvelled at how small the world is! A new member an ex-student of the college about 10 years ago came and joined our club today; and when he met me he was able to tell me who I was, what my brothers names were and where I lived due to my resemblance too my brother Darragh. Funny Stuff

Went to the IT’s Song Contest today to watch the band Lumer (sorry guys not sure if the spelling is correct) perform; Well done guys you did great!! Well Impressed. Also playing today was my friend Joe Cleere. Joe was just playing for the entertainment though as he was the competition winner last year he decided not to enter this year. Joe also won the Perri 2fm song contest last Friday (Well done man, couldn’t think of a more deserving person!).

All in all life is really good!

The weekend was tinged with sweetness and sadness for all concerned. Its soul tearing stuff to see a couple that had been as close as family to me fall apart. Writing this I’ve realised I’ve changed; in times past I would have said “such is life” but I doubt I will ever say that in such a context again.

Although with all the sadness of the weekend I discovered an absolutely amazing girl (I’ve mentioned her before! Hi Hazel ) who did me the honour of accepting to be my girlfriend and trusting me enough to believe I’m not an axe murderer in my spare time

In my life I couldn’t be happier because I found someone just like me

My friend Paul (oh he of the cat loving fame) took a few pictures when we went for a walk as a group during the weekend, which I subsequently did some work on:

Deer in Jenkinstown Park Kilkenny:

Floating Arches:

“Its for you Deer……(sorry)”:

Considering fencing is the only sport to which I’m in any way commited I’m surprised I haven’t mention it more often. For those of you who don’t know what fencing is wikipedia describes it as:

“In the broadest possible sense, fencing is the practice of armed combat involving cutting, stabbing or bludgeoning weapons directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot or thrown (in other words, swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and so on). In contemporary common usage, fencing tends to refer specifically to European-originated schools of swordsmanship and to the modern Olympic sport which has evolved out of them.”

Fencing for me is a great way of getting a bit of excercise and in my opinion its almost as much a mental workout as it is a physical one. Your mind must always be alert looking for any weaknesses in your opponents defense through which your blade might slip.

I took some fencing photos and my fencing master Tim took the photo of me fencing against my team mate markus.

Me & My Sabre…..

Me lunging an attack at Markus (taken by Tim)

I was just messing with the reflections in the windows in the room where we fence.

And tomorrows Friday!! wohoo

Pretty quiet day so far. Just sitting in one of the library labs while the college’s computer society are busily beating the life out of eachother at CS Source; the typical Wednesday night noise. Thank god for Nick Drake and headphones

I got a copy of Lost Series 2 from a friend today so I currently have up as far as episode 12; currently 10 episodes ahead of Network 2. Happy Days

Time is going really slowly this week edging towards Friday; its like a kid before christmas sort of thing. The more you look forward to something the longer it takes to get here! wonder if theres a term for that? I suppose time is just a matter of perspective in the end.

Got my test result back from last week 65% not to bad I’m avaeraging in at around 75% so if I’m lucky I’ll be able to pass this subject solely on continuous assessment!

At this moment:

I’m sitting in a lab;
no one else here.
Its just me.

Alone as usual.

The only noises;
the tap of the keys beneath my fingers.
The whir of the heat sync. 

Nothing else.

Too quiet here;
Not a huge fan of such silence.
Peace a different kettle of fish. 

Minds wandering.

Used to that;
At this stage.
One of my personal idiosyncrasies. 

I know where its gone. 

Friday:

• Got back to Kilkenny.
• Was used as a test subject for many fine Whiskeys.
• Had a chance to catch up with my brother Ross and his family.

Saturday:

• Hung around with Kev and Tara.
• Followed Saturday ritual by visiting Unlce Sam’s.
• Watched a bit of Barbarella with Tara and Paul (still not sure whether its comic elements were intentional).
• Went to a cracking gig in The Pumphouse with the Happy Medium Headlining.
• Crashed on Pauls couch.

Sunday:

• Attended a family get together.
• Wrote a special poem
• Headed back up to Carlow.
• Took these photos:

My Brother Ross:

My Grandmother and My five Nieces:

All in all life is good! I’m happy

After a bit of research on the net I discovered:

“Centuries before Christ, The pagan Romans celebrated February 15 and the evening of February 14 as an idolatrous and sensuous festival in honor of Lupercus, the “hunter of wolves”?

The Romans called the festival the “Lupercalia.” The custom of exchanging valentines and all the other traditions in honor of Lupercus – the deified hero-hunter of Rome- was also linked anciently with the pagan practice of teen-agers “going steady.” It usually led to fornication. Today, the custom of “going steady” is thought very modern. It isn’t. It is merely a rebirth of an old custom “handed down from the Roman festival of the Lupercalia, celebrated in the month of February, when names of young women were put into a box and drawn out by men as chance directed.”

When Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire there was some talk in church circles of discarding this pagan free-for-all. But the Roman citizens wouldn’t hear of it! So it was agreed that the holiday would continue as it was, except for the more grossly sensual observances.

It was not until the reign of Pope Gelasius that the holiday became a “Christian” custom. ” As far back as 496, Pope Gelasius changed Lupercalia on February 15 to St. Valentine’s Day on February 14

Valentine was a common Roman name. Roman parents often gave the name of their children in honor of the famous man who was first called Valentine in antiquity. That famous man was Lupercus, the hunter.

The Greeks called Lupercus by the name of “Pan“. The Semites called Pan “Baul,” according to the Classical Dictionaries. Baal – mentioned so often in the Bible – was merely another name for Nimrod, “the mighty hunter” ( Genesis 10:9) It was a common proverb of ancient time that Nimrod was “the MIGHTY hunter before the Lord.” Nimrod was their hero – their strong man – their VALENTINE!

How plain that the original Valentine was Nimrod, the mighty hunter of wolves. Yet another of Nimrod’s names was “Sanctuc” or “Santa“, meaning Saint. It was a common title of any hero-god. No wonder that the Roman Lupercalia is called “St. Valentine’s Day”!

But why do we associate HEARTS on a day in honor of Nimrod – the Baal of the Phoenicians and Semites?

The surprising answer is that the pagan Romans acquired the symbol of the heart from the Babylonians. In the Babylonian tongue the word for heart was “bal” (Strong’s Concordance Number H1168). The heart – bal – was merely a symbol of Nimrod – the Baal! or Lord of the Babylonians!”

(Referenced Source)

Fascinating stuff when you think about how all the main cultures of the world religious and geographical have melded to create Valentines day. In the end of the day the spirit and message of Valentine’s day is a beautiful one; but why should we limit ourselves to one particular day of the year in which we show people how much we love and care for them?

In my opinion if you love someone you should show it each day and in every way you can even if its only something small. Don’t get me wrong Valentine’s day is a lovely holiday with a great message but one day a year simply isn’t enough.

Mirror in February

The day dawns, with scent of must and rain,
Of opened soil, dark trees, dry bedroom air.
Under the fading lamp, half dressed — my brain
Idling on some compulsive fantasy –
I towel my shaven jaw and stop, and stare,
Riveted by a dark exhausted eye,
A dry downturning mouth.

It seems again that it is time to learn,
In this untiring, crumbling place of growth
To which, for the time being, I return.
Now plainly in the mirror of my soul
I read that I have looked my last on youth
And little more; for they are not made whole
That reach the age of Christ.

Below my window the wakening trees,
Hacked clean for better bearing, stand defaced
Suffering their brute necessities;
And how should the flesh not quail, that span for span
Is mutilated more? In slow distaste
I fold my towel with what grace I can,
Not young, and not renewable, but man.

Thomas Kinsella (b. May 4, 1928 – present)

…born in Dublin, to a family traditionally employed at the Guinness Brewery. Educated at the Model School, Inchicore followed by the O’Connell Schools (Christian Brothers). He abandoned a Science Scholarship at UCD and entered the Civil Service, where he stayed for 19 years, reaching post of assistant Principal officer in the Dept. of Finance.
He kept on, completing an Arts degree at UCD through night-classes. He published “Poems” in1956 and “Another September” in 1958. Sometime later (1963?) he came to the United States. After many more papers and poetry collections, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Professorship of English at Temple University; he founded Peppercanister to publish his own verse,
He returned to Ireland in 1976.
Peppercannister Press was finally subsumed in J. F. Deane’s Dedalus Press.
There’s a documentary on Kinsella made by Seán Ó Mordha with an appearance from Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.