The Proclaimers just released a new album called "Notes and Rhymes". It came out in America at the beginning of September 2009. I have no patience when it comes to my Proclaimers, so I ordered it from Amazon UK. If you like any of the vids posted below you should give their new album a listen. These songs aren't on the new album, but it you like the old stuff you'll love the new stuff! Here's a link to Amazon where you can get a clip of each song and buy the album if you like what you hear! Beware though, Amazon screwed up the order of the first 2 songs. So when you click on "Love Can Move Mountains" you'll be hearing "Notes and Rhymes" and vice versa.



http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Rhymes/dp/B002NZACKS/ref=dm_cd_album_lnk?ie=UTF8&qid=1256836851&sr=8-1




This has got to be my favorite love song of The Proclaimers. It's called "Unguarded Moments" and it's absolutely beautiful! The video isn't the best, but the boys don't have a video for this one on their site. :(

I would ADORE seeing them in concert. Sadly, I missed them when they came around this summer. Maybe someday. Check out the video. They are so talented and I love the Scottish accents! :)



Here's one that combines two of my very favorite things...The Proclaimers (my fave group!) and David Tennant (my fave actor!). It's a song many will recognize...it was in the original Shrek movie.

Check out the new trailer for the Sarah Jane Adventures! David Tennant will be co-starring as the Doctor (but of course)!

A short trailer, but for those of you who love all things Doctor Who it's a brilliant teaser. I can't wait for it to come to BBC America!

Recent Sighting of the Great White Whale!

No shit...there I was dashing into the cafeteria of my son, Daniel's, Catholic school as the bell tolled. We got into the cafeteria on time, but after mandatory hugs and kisses were given I was trapped inside because assembly had started. Drat! But that's what you get when you're running late due to minor road flooding in beautiful Killeen (but we need the rain, so hey...but I digress)! Prayers begin and I'm standing next to my son at his table, another mother directly in front of me with her daughter bending over to pick up something of her little girl's and then the thing breached right there in front of me! WHALE TAIL, AHOY! Stunned, amazed, and in a state of disgust I tried to wipe the memory from my mind. No good! It was etched there and nothing but a good head bashing against the wall would do. Sadly, I feared that behaving thus may draw attention from the assembly so there I stood fixed, forgetting the "Angel of God" and instead praying for mental bleach to be applied by the Lord, but the prayers of this hapless woman went unanswered and the memory remained.

I stood there wondering what would make someone my age be so ridiculous. Surely I had imagined it all. I was mistaken completely! I mean she certainly appeared to be my age. If she was younger than I, she certainly wasn't standing the test of time, so again, WHY do something that young girls (hopefully with the appropriate body) do to show that they are ready to sleaze it on up? I'm not against thongs...if you want to wear a string up your ass and you can get past the constant wedgie feeling, more power to ya. Heaven knows it does get rid of ugly panty lines, but I protest the need to yank it up so high or wearing pants so low that the great white-trash whale rears it's ugly head.

As I pondered this (quite distracted now from the "Our Father") it breached again. This time even more pronounced...OH TURN AWAY AND DON'T LOOK! But like a train wreck (and still in a bit of disbelief that a woman in a Catholic elementary and preschool would be so tasteless), I could not avert my gaze...

I was WRONG! Hear it now for I do not say it often (and only when deserved!), but I was wrong! She was not wearing a thong, nor were her knickers in a twist! It was a tattoo! Not a tribal design...but a TATTOO OF A THONG!!!!!!

I know...I know...so much more to say, but alas, I must go and gouge my eyes out!

H1N1 Flu Shot Hysteria

OK. So I have this "friend" who drives me crazy. I've known her since high school and we got along during the limited amount of time we spent together. We went to the same college and we were roommates for ONE year. We decided that it was best for us to not live together any longer in order to preserve our friendship and for me to not kill her.

You see she's a born-again Christian. I am Catholic. More to the point I'm Irish and Catholic and anyone who is both, understands that this fact runs deep. It's ancestral. We might not agree with everything the Church spews out, but it's a part of us. She spent the better part of the year we lived together trying to "save" my soul. Telling me how I wasn't a Christian...hey there, sweetie pie, us Catholics were here BEFORE you so zip it!

Now I've got other friends who are born-again (and no where near as obnoxious!). Friends who are Agnostic, Atheist, Wiccan, Jewish, Muslim, etc. Name it I've got it. Heck I was in the Army and they've got it all! The thing about this one friend is that she is rather intolerant. In case you were wondering everyone is going to burn in hell and the best way for this country to get out of the economic crisis is to teach creationism in school. Get out your bibles boys and girls and put those gosh darn science books away!

OK, so I've connected with this friend again on Facebook. She's been tolerable until the past few months. As you can probably tell, being a zealot, she is so VERY anti-Obama/anti-Democrat. She actually believes the nuggets of poop that dribble from Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck's moronic mouths. I'm an Obama supporter. This past election was the first time in my life I have ever donated to a campaign. The first time I have ever gone to a campaign rally. While I'm not so idiotic as to agree with everything he plans, I do firmly believe that he speaks from his heart and wants to do the best he can for the country. I don't feel lied to and I'm smart enough to take any news with a grain of salt. I worked in the intel community for almost 10 years...you all don't have all the details and I can be accepting that I don't either. So news flash, neither do the news agencies and conspiracy theorists, but they know the fears of the general public and it's easy to play into them.

So she's been posting anti-vaccination stuff. What does that have to do with Obama? Well, the H1N1 has broke during his presidency. Instead of sitting back and waiting to see how deadly this pandemic can be, he was PROACTIVE. He ordered the manufacture of vaccinations to ensure we had enough on hand if needed. Because of him doing what he felt (and frankly I whole-heartedly believe as well) was right now getting the H1N1 flu shot has become a political issue! Holy cow!

So far this pandemic is no where near as bad as the 1918 pandemic, but it could have been and could still be! John M. Barry's book, "The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History" about the 1918 flu is exceptional. It gets a bit technical (and boring at times), but I'll tell you I'll never miss a flu shot after reading it! It's not political hype and it was released back when good ol' G.W. was in office. In fact, G.W. claimed to have read it...more likely that he had it read to him or had someone read it for him and give him the cliff-notes version...

So nut-girl with 5 kiddos isn't going to get her kids vaccinated against the H1N1...but the regular flu shot, that's OK. So I go to the CDC's website and I view the shot information sheets they have on their website. You know. The ones your doctor gives you before you or your child gets a shot...and they are pretty much the same.

The H1N1 shot is an inactive virus shot that contains thimerosal, a mercury derivative that some claim to cause autism. Same as for the regular flu shot. Keep in mind that the reason thimerosal is in the shot, is as a preservative. The bottle that the shot is in has multiple doses and thimerosal is in it so it doesn't get contaminated (which is what used to happen and then those getting the shot got extremely sick and/or died if there was contamination). You can ask your doctor if s/he has the single dose shots that don't contain thimerosal...they do exist!

The link to the H1N1 sheet:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-inact-h1n1.pdf

H1N1 mist (active virus - does state that you should keep away from those with weakened immune systems) will NOT cause illness in persons with a normal immune system!

The link to the H1N1 mist sheet:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-laiv-h1n1.pdf

Furthermore, the vaccines (seasonal flu and H1N1) are made the SAME WAY. The only difference is that they've never made a vaccine for this particular strain before. They all have crazy names like H1N1. It's just that this new strain hasn't been in humans before which is why it has the potential to be so deadly. We don't have any immunity built up for this strain. It's never made it's way around before. The main reason why the flu shot doesn't work all the time is because they have to make their best scientific/educated guess as to which strains of the flu will hit the US during the year and make the vaccine for those particular strains. If they guess wrong more people get sick, but because those strains are related there will likely be some immunity so you hopefully won't get as sick.

The people making the vaccine aren't the President's cronies! They'd be making the same vaccine, the SAME WAY if McCain had been elected! Such silliness. Vaccinations can be a touchy point for people. The fear of what might happen to those you love is a powerful thing. I'm a mother of two boys and understand those fears. Our children aren't replaceable. There is nothing that terrifies parents more than the thought of losing their child. So whether to get vaccinated is a very personal choice. Then the other shoe with my friend dropped. She let it be known where she got her information from...Dr. Mercola...and she's just going to take supplements!

Do a search on Google. You either come up with one of his MULTIPLE websites where he's trying to hock his wares or a website claiming he's a quack! He talks about using supplements...his supplements. I've used herbs and supplements from time to time, but NOT as a REPLACEMENT for medical science. There's a lot to be said for the benefits of herbal remedies, but this guy vomits claptrap that, in my opinion, is meant to scare people away from traditional medicine for the benefit of his own pocketbook.

I'm not claiming that he doesn't believe the stuff he's saying. I'm saying that someone who has a medical degree, but rages against everything the medical community says as though doctors are out to get you, needs to be taken with a cup of salt...not a grain! Apparently he's the only honest person out there! My feeling on the man is that he preys on parents' fears for the safety of their children during a time when people are scared about this new pandemic. People are scared and what a great opportunity it is to sell them his product!

Come on...he was used as a source for information on Fox News! Need I say more?

I certainly don't think that all Republicans/Conservatives are nut-bags. There are just as many Democrat/Liberal nut-bags, but the right is getting the press right now. How I wish we could have some tolerance in this country of ours. I've sat down and talked with friends and family on the opposite side of the political spectrum. And with all we've been able to agree on quite a bit. That's what is so frustrating today. Our politicians don't talk. They refuse to cooperate. If you can talk with someone who's willing to compromise and listen to your concerns and fears then it's easier to see the other side. Not gonna happen in politics anytime soon...sniff.

So, I rant. I'm not going to change my "friend". I'm going to take her off my newsfeed on Facebook so I don't have to see her rubbish and it will cut down on my stress levels enormously. That's what it's about when you can't have constructive conversation...de-stressing. Well, and the fact that I can't help "stirring the pot" as my husband says. I hear stupid and I must comment. So I'll comment here so I don't create conflict in her perfect world. After all, I'm going to hell and she's going to be saved. I'm sure the Lord will save her and her little ones from the H1N1 flu. I pray he does. For her childrens' sake.

The wreck of the Royal Charter

Saint Gallgo's church in Anglesey, Wales

October 26, 2009 is the 150 year anniversary that my great-great-great grandfather, Manus Maurice Boyle, died in the shipwreck of the Royal Charter. He worked in the coal mines of northeastern Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Alice Monaghan, were both Irish immigrants and longed for a better life for their two daughters, Bridget Mary and Anna. He left Pennsylvania in September 1856 to go to Australia to mine for gold in hopes of a better future for his family. He was returning to his family from Australia in the autumn of 1859. The Royal Charter would have taken him back to Britain. No one knows what ship he was to board to return to America. No one knows what fortunes, if any, he was returning from Australia with. During the last leg of his journey to Liverpool a hurricane struck. There was no advanced warning. None existed prior to that date.

The winds that raged over 100 mph changed from East to North/Northeast and the bay (Moelfre Bay) which Captain Taylor had hoped would shelter them became the instrument of their demise. The anchors that had been weighed, snaped in the first hours of the morning of October 26th and the ship was repeatedly thrown against the rocks until it split and sank. Of more than 480 passengers and crew only 41 survived. No women or children were saved.

The valiant efforts of one of the crew, Jack Russell, and the inhabitants of the Moelfre coast were what enabled even those 41 to be saved. The storm had caused damage to one of the Moelfre homes and as residents were repairing the roof in the early hours of the morning they saw the ship in peril. They woke the town and 28 local men made a human chain in the violent waters of the bay to attempt to rescue those aboard. Jack Russell took a line from the ship and swam to shore, being turned back in the violent waves of the storm at least 3 times before reaching the men on shore. The rope was used in an attempt to bring those from the vessel ashore.

Sadly, many of the passengers on the ship jumped or were thrown overboard. The bulkiness of the clothes of the time coupled with the fact that many had money belts and pockets filled with gold inhibited their efforts to the deadliest of degrees. Had they abandoned their garments and treasure many more may have survived.

There was over 322,000 pounds (British monetary unit) of gold aboard the ship. This was the amount insured back in 1859 and does not include the gold the passengers kept on their persons. I do not know the equivalent in today's currency the gold would be valued at, but it would obviously be substantially higher. The large amount of money combined with the rumors of "good fortune" that surrounded the town after the wreck led to the shipwreck being called the Golden Wreck.

The village church of Saint Gallgo became the collection point for the bodies. The Reverends Stephen Roose Hughes and his brother Reverend Hugh Robert Hughes paid the local inhabitants to bring the bodies to the church, a difficult trek up the rocky shores to the church made monetary remuneration the only way to persuade the locals to take on the grim task. They saw to the burial of those killed and personally answered over 1000 letters they received begging a response regarding loved ones. The stress from this caused the Reverend Stephen Hughes' life to be cut short. He died a few years later.

The church at Saint Gallgo still exists today and this past weekend celebrated the anniversary of this tragedy. Monuments stand to remember those lost. A distant cousin of mine Debbie Fay Buch and her husband, Josh Buch, placed a memorial stone at Saint Gallgo Church in August 2004. It reads:

Manus Maurice Boyle
1833-1859
An unidentified victim of the Royal Charter
Placed by the Fay Family
Hazleton, PA

I don't sit around depressed over the fact that this is the anniversary of my ancestor's death. What would have happened had he come home with gold from Australia? My 2nd great grandmother, Anna Boyle, may never have met her husband, Martin Blanchfield, and I would never have been born. Sometimes good can come from tragedy. People's fortunes can improve or worsen causing them to make decisions that determine the outcome of their history and sometimes other people's histories. It does sadden me to know that Manus was never to hold his youngest daughter, Anna. She was born 2 months after he left for Australia. It saddens me to know that his last thoughts were most likely of a family that he would not see again in this world. Or perhaps his last thoughts were of a determination to survive and get back to them. A determination that was matched by the ferocity of the circumstances in which he found himself. It saddens me knowing that he did not die the "peaceful" death of drowning for the majority of those lost were broken on the rocks of the bay. The passengers and crew of the Royal Charter died so close to shore that even today the wreck can be seen below the surface of the waters from the bay's shoreline. Still there, resting peacefully below the water.

It is not everyone that can say their ancestor's demise was written about in books. I have read both that write of the Royal Charter. One by Alexander McKee, "The Golden Wreck: The Tragedy of the Royal Charter" is out of print, but it tells of the voyage from Australia to it's wreck, the recovery of the remains of the victims and the trial of the crew that survived. I have read the account of the shipwreck written by the great Charles Dickens (yes, I said Charles Dickens wrote about this tragedy!) in his book "The Uncommercial Traveller" (only about the first 20 or so pages of the book are dedicated to this wreck. It's a series of 34 books and this is in volume 24. The entire series tells of Dickens' travels as he IS the Uncommercial Traveller).

I take this time today to remember a man I never knew, but love nevertheless. As a genealogist it can be hard to convey to those that do not research their ancestry that while we may never have met these names that appear in our family trees, we feel a closeness that defies explanation.

Rest in Peace, Grandpa. You will be remembered by your many descendants.