The Northern Bank Heist of 2004

While we were returning to Belfast on the PaddyWagon bus, the driver pointed out the Danske Bank, which used to be the Northern Bank, and told us an interesting story about it. In December 2004, a gang walked away with £26.5 million in cash from Northern Bank’s headquarters just off Belfast’s City Hall. Since then,Continue reading "The Northern Bank Heist of 2004"

Disoriented in Dublin and Belfast

Let me collect my thoughts. Right now, Kay and I are at one of those airport hotels near the Dublin airport. Not bad, but no place you’d want to hang out for any length of time if you had options. Kay and I have a noonish flight out of here, and since we gain someContinue reading "Disoriented in Dublin and Belfast"

I Lost My Sandwich to Protect America. The Airline Served It Anyway.

On Thursday, after a 2-week trip to Ireland, my wife and I flew back to Boston on Aer Lingus. It’s a pretty easy trip by international flight standards, only about 6 hours in the air. We dropped our big bags and headed for Dublin Airport security screening. You know the drill: frantically empty your pockets;Continue reading "I Lost My Sandwich to Protect America. The Airline Served It Anyway."

Ballyvaughan and Galway

So here’s the deal with Ballyvaughn. 38 years ago, Kay and I flew to London, spent the night, then took the train to Fishguard, Wales, and thence to Wexford, Ireland. It was Kay’s first trip abroad; I had been a few times. We drove all around the country, with stops all around the West Coast.Continue reading "Ballyvaughan and Galway"

Ireland Day 3 (or 4?): Dingle and Beyond

This has been a long and interesting day. Kay and I met our son, his wife, and the machatunim at a cafe in Killarney for breakfast in downtown Killarney and then headed for the Dingle Peninsula. Jon came with us and handled the driving, and we went to the Gallarus Oratory. I looked it up,Continue reading "Ireland Day 3 (or 4?): Dingle and Beyond"

Ireland Day 2: The Wonders of Killarney

Day 2 was a wee bit stressful. We arranged to meet my son and his wife at the airport, where we picked up our car. We had rented a Golf Polo, but we were upgraded to a Skoda. It would have been easier to figure out how to operate it if they had included theContinue reading "Ireland Day 2: The Wonders of Killarney"

Off to Ireland: Day 1-Dublin

It’s been a long day. Yesterday, Thursday I think, Kay and I grabbed an Uber to the C&J bus and thence to Boston Logan. We got on the Aer Lingus Airbus for the 6-hour flight to Dublin. Given that it was a relatively short flight, we decided not to cough up for business class. NotContinue reading "Off to Ireland: Day 1-Dublin"

Live Free or Believe Anything: Matt Drew’s War on Vaccines: An Open Letter to Representative Matt Drew

Dear Representative Drew, House Bill 1811, your effort to repeal all statutory vaccine mandates in New Hampshire, was decisively rejected by the House on a 192–155 vote. Thirty‑four Republicans crossed over to join Democrats in killing the bill, a notable rebuke given the chamber’s narrow partisan balance. The margin suggests that, whatever sympathy some membersContinue reading "Live Free or Believe Anything: Matt Drew’s War on Vaccines: An Open Letter to Representative Matt Drew"