A sign in the window of a Dingle pub. ‘Ceol’ is the Irish for song or music. There is, however, a lively etymological debate about ‘craic’. It is conventionally taken to mean fun and/or bonhomie (often fuelled by alcohol). But some authorities hold that it derives from ‘ag buaileadh craiceann’ or ‘beating skin’ — a reference to “a highly private inter-personal (and usually inter-gender) activity which tends to promote mutual enjoyment, and sometimes progeny”. Er, I couldn’t possibly comment.
Explains why I don’t like goldfish. They remind me of venture capitalists.
Hilarious story in The Register…
A Cardiff vicar has addressed the problem of falling congregations by offering his flock a quiet wireless hotspot in which they can seek the meaning of the word salvation on Google while chewing the fat via email with Pope Benny 16.
Keith Kimber, of St John’s in Cardiff city centre, has sold his soul to Cardiff Council and BT Openzone to acquire the wirless technology. Before inking the mephistophelean technopact, Rev Kimber was unable to access the city’s wireless services due to his church’s four-foot-thick walls. Now, however, he boasts a wireless node within the body of the House of God itself.
Said the good Reverend: “The church has to move with the times and I wanted to make St John’s a sanctuary for everyone, including business people with laptops and mobiles.”
Shares in Google rose $13.24 to $290.51 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq. Any bets on when it hits $400? And to think of those Wall Street types who thought it was over-valued at $85!