It could stand to be clearer, and fizzier, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t beer.
Kinda strong too.

If you’ve got a few weeks to spare and 90 euros get yourself a starter kit.

Not any more! I ordered a brewing kit from Home Brew West on Wednesday afternoon and it arrived by courier this morning. The above link will take you to the kit that I bought and it really does contain everything you need. Brewing sugar, malt extract, bucket, airlock, the whole nine yards. 40 Screw top bottles and an easy bottling mechanism come with the kit so you really are covered from start to finish.

All you need to provide is water and time. I’m starting out with a standard Lager this time, but I’m really looking forward to brewing some stouts and ales.

Doesn’t it look grand? The fermentation should start in earnest any time between now and tomorrow and the final brew will be ready for bottling in 6-10 days. See you then.

Oh! Home Brew West takes laser cards. How cool is that?!

More after the jump, and that includes a picasa link.

To Picasa!

Lots of pictures from a duck pond that’s down the way, and more pictures from being out and about over the last week.

I’ll start with a picture of a little family trip we all took to the Griffith Observatory.

Kimberlee, her son, Kimberlee’s sister Keisha and her two boys.

More after the jump. A lot more.

It’s so hard to put a frame on a lot of the things I’m trying to capture. There’s so many billboards and advertisements, signs and neon… You really just have to see it to believe it.

For the rest of the pictures, and there are a lot of them, follow the link.

More after the jump of the completed igloo.

The igloo was big enough for a person to stand up in and warm enough to consider a serious shelter.
I’m sure Inuits are screaming out at the poor construction, but it’s Ireland, and this was just some fun. Enjoy the igloo, and if this weather keeps up, there will be more igloos.

Today I received payment for the coat, which auctioned at a good price, and I popped it into the post and it was whisked off away to Germany.

About a week ago I wrote off the coat as a possession of my own, and it was simply an item that I had to post someone after they paid for it.

I’ve begun looking at my other possessions recently as well. My dvd collection, my books, most of my clothes.

Heaven forfend – even my hats.

I realize that if I’m going to be moving to another country, either I’d have to pay a bunch of money to transport all my shit over there or I can sell it and make my possessions work for me.

I’m moving to another country: I might as well make a fresh start.

So here’s to fresh starts, strong starts, and keeping that momentum up.

The next step is to get together enough cash to get the material loomed, and then made into a kilt.
There is a donations page if you wish to toss me a few quid.

By the way, Mc Girr means ‘Son of the short man’ so anybody with the surname Mc/Mac Girr, Mc/Mac Gearr, Mc/Mac Garr or even Short/Shortt can wear this tartan.

Haven’t heard about this oil spill? Have a quick read and get back to me.

Caught up? Good.

Now on to my point. These Guys came up with an innovative solution to the problem.

Hay. Pure and simple.

If you don’t fancy heading over to the page to watch the video, here it is.

So it’s like I’ve been saying all along – Men in sheds will save the world, and they’ll get it done today with duct tape, hope, dollar store tools… and hay.

For those of you out there that don’t know, ever since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, they have been trying to transfer power from London to Belfast in a process know as devolution.

The main issues have been:

1. The dismantling of the paramilitary (terrorist) groups in Northern Ireland.
2. The removal of the British Army and it’s bases.
3. Establishment of Power Sharing between the main political parties.
4. The devolution of policing and other services.

There are more issues than that, but those are the main ones.

The paramilitaries have disarmed (mostly).

The army are gone.

Power sharing is here.

And as linked above, the police are devolving.

There’s no point fighting any more on the part of the terrorists. All you’ll be doing is killing other Northerners. You can plant bombs, shoot cops, whatever it is you want to do… but there’s no point.

You’re not fighting for Britain or Ireland any more.

All you’re doing is blowing up your own people. Which is fairness, is what you’ve been doing this whole time.

It’s over. There are years of healing to go yet. I give it two generations before no one gives a shit any more.

It’s over lads. It’s over.

…I had seen a lot of that stuff on tv.

I love this Country. You can say whatever crazy bullshit you want.