Next Irish President

Was flicking around PaddyPower earlier to see if they have any odds on the Cardinal resigning.

Couldn't find anything, but the race for the next President is quite interesting. Brian Crowley MEP is the favourite. Don't know much about the guy at all, as to what he's done in politics etc, so can't say anything nasty.

Coming up fast on the stand side (as the racing commentators would put it) is Senator David Norris, at 9/2. Think there have been recent mutterings about him being very interested in the post.

It would make sense for him if things get any worse and the senate gets abolished. Not sure who would back him - Labour, perhaps? He would certainly have my vote, if only to liven up the dreary presidential office a bit, and spare us the often-cringeworthy, bland soundbites of the current incumbent.

Here is my Top 5 'Maybe' list and my 'F*ck No, - over my dead body' list (there are actually odds available on all of these people):

Maybes:
Senator Norris (9/2)
Maura Geohegan Quinn (50/1)
Michael McDowell  (40/1)
Geraldine Kennedy (80/1)
Peter Sutherland (50/1)

F*ck No!
Bertie Ahern (5/1)
Mary O'Rourke (12/1)
John Hume (25/1)
Gerry Adams (50/1)
Louis Walsh (250/1)

'Oaths of Secrecy' - the Cardinal sins

Couldn't believe the sh*te Sean Brady was coming out with on radio this morning. The typical Catholic Church attitude; 'I've done nothing wrong - things were different in those days - blah, blah...'

Imagine being an abused pre-teen or teenager in those dark days and being called in by this prick and his cronies to be interviewed/interrogated (apparently with no parental supervision) about the "allegations", and being asked to sign an 'Oath of Secrecy'. The mind just boggles...

To compound matters, on Pat Kenny this morning, some didactic Catholic academic, Monsignor Maurice Dooley, former Professor of Canon Law, opined that Cardinal Brady had no obligation, at the time, to report anything to the Gardaí or the RUC. He was directly contradicted by a legal expert, but still droned on with his doctrinal spiel about Canon vs Civil law.

These people defie all belief, but think this and similar stories are going to run for a while...

To be honest, I'm half-hoping that Brady doesn't resign (although I think it's inevitable).  It would just lead to another weepfest from this sad creature:-
http://bosanovasweetshop.blogspot.com/2009/12/great-fun-entirely.html

Theme from 'van der Valk'

A ridiculous premise - an English-language, Dutch detective TV show shot in the UK, with exteriors done in Amsterdam and starring that curly red-haired guy from Hitchkock's 'Frenzy' movie. The Simon Park orchestra provide the legendary theme tune.

Apparently this tune can solve (or at least alleviate) chronic depression....  More likely to induce melancholy - me-thinks, although it is pretty sublime!

The end of the Jefferson Airplane

Was meaning to post on what I thought was the last great tune by the Airplane, but, typically, it was removed from YouTube in the last 30 minutes...
Anyhoo this predates it - the title tune from the Airplane's final album - Marty Balin does the honours on lead vocals - he jumped ship shortly afterwards, as Paul Kantner had wrested the leadership of the Airplane from him.

Grace Slick and Paul Kantner were an item at that time and struggled on for a couple more albums as 'The Jefferson Starship' (I think Marty owned the original name on the Airplane). 

Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were pissed off and had started doing their own thing by that stage and also jumped ship after a year with the Jefferson Starship.

Grace must have been wise enough to put her name on the 'Starship' brand, as she had a couple of number ones in the 80's under that name....

So will have to make do with the Airplane doing 'Volunteers' - one of the most frustrated and angry political tunes of that time:-


Note: one piece of the video montage is not for the faint-hearted...

Cosmic Slop - fashion never dies

This is the probably the last post I make on Funkadelic (I promise!), but this has to be seen to be believed. Michael Hampton's hat is simply extraordinary.

Think I will get one for future job interviews. The hat would be ideal for Paddy's day also.

Didn't realise Gary Shider had such a great voice - maybe I was always distracted by his diaper/nappy, but he is really reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield on this.

Anyhoo, what is really staggering about this is how they seem to switch between 'Soul', 'Funk' and 'Hard Rock' at the drop of a hat (no pun intended)

As usual George Clinton shows up at the end, emerging with a young lady from a wigwam, wearing an outfit that only a female presenter of the late TV3 'Play TV' show would be seen dead in.  It's all good though...

Here is a promo clip for the same song (think a lot of LSD had been consumed by all):-