I thought the EU might last till 2030

But if Juncker doesn’t resign this week I reckon 2020 will be pushing it. Luxembourg Syndrome also used to amuse in the Channel Islands: population wakes up, discovers that every cousinfucking potatodigger / goatherd is a financial genius! I am covered, come what may: the Xmas beer is bubbling away.

Ireland … produces the best diary products in the world

Over at Slugger: “As we lumber from one political crisis to the next and it is doom all round it is nice to concentrate on the things we are good at. Ireland North & South produces the best diary products in the world…” Jonathan Swift’s letters to Esther Johnson aka Stella are here, and they…
A sacred decretall or Hue and Cry from His superlative Holinesse, Sir Symon Synod for the apprehension of reverend young Martin Mar-priest, London, 1645

What Wikipedia’s really for

You support the heroic Juve Stabia (Castellammare, Campania) but you can’t for the life of you remember which games require flares. With Naples it’s “mutual respect”, which means the wurzels are scared of ’em. Dunno why (wait for the streetview to load): View Larger Map

Cineres: remains vs ashes

Galician Colin has found some remains labelled as ashes, then there’s Raphael in the Pantheon (Ossa et cineres, though by all accounts his penis was the only part singed), and Princess Eadgyth, d. 946 (EDIT REGINE CINERES HIC SARCOPHAGVS HABET), etc.. I thought this was a metonymy brought about by the medieval church banning cremation:…