Underfoot, the dog shit claims another victim. Slide marks point down the hill.
09:00
1920 War of Independence: Black and Tans and British forces run amok burning Cork city and shooting civillians following IRA ambush
09:08
I notice Dublin's Spike, the shimmering point of light that it is, a sword of light, An Claidhm Solais, is tarnished. Tarnished yellow. Maybe the nicotine in the streets but someone is going to have to get out with the wire wool and start to clean. Or else, get a big basin and some vinegar to dip it in. Readers are invited to suggest their own favourite metal cleaning methods for 120m objects.
10:10
Fish can suffer from insomnia. Fact.
19:42
How to tell athletes apart:
A number of readers have enquired as to the best way to determine sports-clad hostile natives from friendly foreigners.
At first glance urban sports wear will appear similar in the hostile and friendly types but on closer examination you will be able to distinguish.
QUICK EYE: Ol' quickeye says: Check the shoes. Muddy white = hostile. Black = cool.
Hostiles are all in Umbro or Nike.
Friendlies are all a Addidas and Le Coq Sportif.
Natives athletes wear the same all year. EG No jackets in winter.
Foreigners' sports utility wear is weather optimised. EG padded jackets in winter.
Hostile Native: White pashmina sweaters tucked into the elastic waistband.
Foreigner: Look human.
Hostile Native: Greasy nip cut hair stuck to their sloping forehead.
Foreigner: Brown curly hair, washed.
Hostile Native: Chicken skin.
Foreigner: Human skin.
Hostile Native: Blue tracksuit white stripe/white tracksuit blue stripe.
Friendly Foreigner: Black tracksuits/sports casual wear.
These native athletes are almost always smoking a John Player Blue. Foreign athletes travel in packs of three. Natives in packs of five (two adults, three kids), with a six-pack of Coca Cola/beer.
22:22
Up the Republic:
The Shuliavka Republic (Ukrainian: Шулявська республіка; Russian: Шулявская республика) was an early 20th century worker based quasi-government organization in the city of Kiev, Ukraine, whose main task was self-defence.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuliavka_Republic
Break out the bandoliers:
In a couple of hours after the start of the uprising, a "strict revolutionary order" was established.[1][2] Groups of about 150 armed workers were sent to patrol the territory,[2] which was headquartered in the first building of the Kiev Polytechnic Institute.All's well that ends as well:
On December 15, the territory of Shuliavka was surrounded by the Russian Army and local authorities. The police, who, before then usually avoided the area,[5] began mass arrests and confiscated any weapons they found. In all, more than 78 people were arrested.[6] On the next day, the uprising was put down by a 2,000-strong armed force consisting mainly of gendarmes and Cossack cavalry.[
