Speaking of the Pogues, here is a bit of very (at least to me) interesting trivia. The father of Kirsty McColl (Shane McGowan's late singing partner) wrote the incomparable "The First Time Ever I saw your Face", immortalized by Roberta Flack.
Genius often swims in very shallow pools.
Just happen to have my "Best of Roberta Flack" CD with me, and it says "by Ewan MacColl". Nice bit O'Trivia, laddie.
One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
A couple of Irish jokes sent to me by my Dad today:
1. Irish Olympics
An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman were without tickets for the opening ceremonies of the summer Olympics but hoped to be able to talk their way in at the gate.
Security was very tight, however, and each of their attempts was met with a stern refusal. While wandering around outside the stadium, the Englishman came upon construction site, which gave him an idea.
Grabbing a length of scaffolding, he presented himself at the gate and said, "Johnson, the pole vault," and was admitted.
The Scotsman, overhearing this, went at once to search the site. When he came up with a sledge hammer, he presented himself at the gate and said, "McTavish, the hammer." He was also admitted.
The Irishman combed the site for an hour and was nearly ready to give up when he spotted his ticket in. Seizing a roll of barbed wire, he presented himself at the gate and announced, "O'Sullivan, fencing!"
2. Mrs. Pete Monaghan came into the newsroom to pay for her husband's obituary.
She was told by the kindly newsman that it was a dollar a word and he remembered Pete and wasn't it too bad about him passing away. She thanked him for his kind words and bemoaned the fact that she only had two dollars.
But she wrote out the obituary, "Pete died." The newsman said he thought old Pete deserved more and he'd give her three more words. Mrs. Pete Monaghan thanked him and rewrote the obituary: "Pete died. Boat for sale."