...Death of a Naturalist...We are greatly saddened to learn today of the death of Seamus Heaney, the pre-eminent Irish poet and Nobel Laureate for Literature...Seamus is widely considered the greatest Irish poet since Yeats, but just as important he was also a great human being and was a singular force for reconciliation in the North of Ireland...he stood for the best in all of us, and all sides of the conflict in that still-troubled land respected him hugely...I was fortunate enough to attend a State dinner in Belfast City Hall in 2007 that was one of the first major civic events after the two sides had agreed on a government...to my utter amazement the crowd consisted of all the grand poo-bahs on all sides - Orangemen, Unionist politicians, Nationalist politicians, former IRA activists -- all having a virtual love-in...and at the center of it all was Seamus Heaney, the star of the night whom everyone tried to claim as their own...I was also fortunate to meet him at the same time, and he graciously posed with his wife Marie while I took their picture with Jon Stallworthy and Edna Longley...

For any of you who have not yet discovered Seamus Heaney's poetry, do yourself a favor and "dip in" to it...for those who are familiar with his work, go back and refresh your memory on what a superb talent he was......http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamus_Heaney;  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/seamus-heaney.. 
 

...this case really is a dog...on a lighter note from Ireland, the Mayo Advertiser reports that a court hearing on a drunk driving case has been suspended because the main witness is a dog...Judge Mary Devins adjourned the case noting that "this is the first case a dog is the main witness"...the pooch had awakened its owner by barking at the sound of a car crash near her house, but no one else could testify that the drunk in the car had actually been driving it...
 

...anything you can do I can do too, or, no fool like an old fool...closer to home, San Diego Democratic Mayor Bob ("Filthy") Filner showed again that Democrats can be and are just as disgusting as their Republican counterparts...Filthy Bob has finally resigned after eighteen (18!) women came forward that he made ungentlemanly moves toward them at work...this 70-year old creep's favorite target was his female chief assistant whom he badgered to come to work without panties...Mayor Filthy had refused to resign for weeks but finally came to his senses, leaving Anthony ("That Is So My") Weiner as the Dem's top contender for Pervert of the Year...but then again it's only August and Congress will be back in session soon...

...and hold the Mayo...while I was in County Mayo, Ireland, the past several weeks, the Mayo Irish football team (it’s a crazy cross between soccer and football, with dribbling, gouging and knee-capping also allowed) won the semifinal for the All-Ireland Championship...leaving just one game to go for the coveted “Sam Maguire" Trophy (affectionately known as “Sam”) ...it would be hard to overstate just how big a deal this is for County Mayo...Mayo has not lifted Sam  since 1951...now, local legend has it that since the 1951 team’s convoy passed a funeral on the way home, a curmudgeonly priest visited the full fury of the Lord on them by cursing the team until all its’ members were dead...and of course two of those lads from long ago are still alive – presumably with 24-hour bodyguards...so no one in Mayo is betting on their team, but  the whole County is now decked out in green and red, the Mayo team colors...here are some shots I took of the locals...

 

 

 ...and of course Mayo has its own fight song which is ubiquitous on the airwaves these days...with such complicated and catchy lyrics as these how could this year's team not be destined by the gods to carry Sam back to Mayo...well there are may ways actually but for now its...

Oh Sam Maguire
My heat's on fire
You know where you've got to go
You've been out on the run
Since 1951
This time you're coming home to Mayo.

...how could I possibly top that?...anyways, Labor Day weekend is upon us so without further ado or boo-hoo, delay or sa-shay...we sign off in time to draw a cold one before the sun goes down in America...