Former Soviet Nations at War

[hollis]

Ireland has a very robust pathway to citizenship program for certain professionals, particularly medical (my background) and IT. They are very eager for emigres because their population is still below what it was in 1840, before the famines.

[Caligastia Lanonandek]

Ireland's greatest export has always been her people.

[hollis]

Well, lately it has been computers and software. But, historically, your are right.

[Caligastia Lanonandek]

Hollis

I have a more than passing acquaintance with the Irish and there is a still present fear of starvation based upon the potato famine even in Irish American transplants 5 and 6 generations removed. This has been passed mother to daughter and in the average Irish kitchen you can barely see the racks in the frig for all the food in there. Ditto this for the pantry which is usually overflowing with canned goods. I don't think they're aware of it but it isn't hard to make the connections. The men, on the other hand, are usually oblivious

[Caligastia Lanonandek]

Well - that neutrality has limits. During WWI when the Brits were busy with the Germans the Irish revolted and ended up with the Free State in the south because the brits couldn't dedicate resources for putting down the rebellion. Had they negotiated better, they'd have taken Belfast as well.

During WWII Errol Flynn, the actor, sent money and support to the Germans. Not for love of the Nazis but for hatred of the Brits.

It appears that today a balance has been struck and the green and orange are no longer killing each other.

[hollis]

Could that fear of starvation be rooted a little bit closer in the Great Depression? Just a thought.

[mark]

My Irish paternal Grandmother was the typical legendary Irish American woman. Strong faith in God and Jesus, talked about it all the time, worked 2 jobs, chaired charitable organizations, raised my father, uncle, and aunt single handedly in NY metro area, sent them to Catholic school and advised them, all 3 married, one retired Judge, one retiring Reg.Nurse, one retired Benefits Consultant, now breeding/raising/showriding horses.

When from good Irish stock, their matronly instincts are unrivaled, clearly intuitive, and she was loved by all who met her, even if she was chastising you.

I've noted that Irish men have a general tendency toward idealistic optimism and a can do spirit, which can set em up for a blind side attack from reality once in a while. Otherwise the blood works good for me.

As far as neutrality, neutral towards all, except those who mess with the family.

[Caligastia Lanonandek]

Hollis

I think the depression would have reenforced something that was already there.

Mark

Have you ever wondered why the Irish and Indians of the Americas have such a poor tolerance for liquor?

Lanonandek dna

[mark]

hey Cal,

That might also explain why they tend to seek refuge/escape in it.

A gut feeling they are in this world not of it, but not yet sure how to translate that into positive service.

Never knew my Paternal Grandfather. He was a serious alcoholic who left my Granny and kids when the kids were infants/toddlers. The adults in the family tried to track him, and heard rumors of his whereabouts for years til he turned up dead in Newark a decade or more later. Kids had no memory, and the adults kept it under the rug. Granny was the Matriarch and wore both hats well, as you can tell.

My father is a steady beer man, no hard stuff. He never let it get in the way of his basic duties, but it affected his ability to tolerate a bit, and it narrows his mind.

I drank Tequila until learning it was made T'kill ya, and gave it up.

Detox is hell, but better than the alternative Hell with captial "H".

[Caligastia Lanonandek]

I decided this was an ailment I didn't need. While I will indulge on occasion - not often and I'm never out of control. I have a rule - never do anything that can control you.

The Irish tend to be fatalistic. With sayings like.

Being Irish is knowing the world will break your heart.

I suspect this was a rationalization for living with John Barleycorn.

[Parn]

I never would have guessed Irish had below average alcohol tolerance.

I'm not Irish, but I've got some Scot and Welsh in me. I have a drink on occasion, but never enough for me to feel anything aside from the "feeling?" that I've had enough and don't need anymore. I'm not sure how to put it.

[z]

Rough joke, probably abit too rough, but we are all adults right?

Swede, Irish and Finn decided to see who can do three things:

- drink a litre of whiskey in a sauna (120 degree of celsius) after this go out and kill a bear with bare hands and a knife and then have sex with old eskimo woman.

They went to the sauna and after five minutes swede felt abit dizzy and decided to quit. Irish and Finn took the swedes litre of whiskey and decided to drink that as well. After irish had drank abit over a litre he decided that it was time to go and kill the bear. Finn stayed at sauna and drank everything available and finaly he went out to the woods as well. He found swede taking a nice nap outside and later he found irish who was passed out in the woods. Finn went on. After a while, both swede and irish woke up in serious noice coming out from the woods. Trees were cracking and horrible screams were coming out from the wilderness. Both were sure that the finn was dead. Then finn came from the woods with bleeding bruises all over him and the finn mumbled in serious drunk that "okay.. where was that old eskimo woman whom I had to kill"?


(he had sex with a bear)

[Caligastia Lanonandek]

That's good.