Driving the Snakes out of Ireland
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Bramblethorn
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I'll be holding a wake for all the poor snakes on March 17th (with much drinking, of course). How about the rest of you?
I probably should've held onto my St Patrick's Day story instead of posting it two weeks ago...
R. Richard
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St. Patrick's Day, which is celebrated worldwide on March 17, honors St. Patrick, the Christian missionary who supposedly rid Ireland of snakes during the fifth century A.D.
According to legend, the patron saint of Ireland chased the slithering reptiles into the sea after they began attacking him during a 40-day fast he undertook on top of a hill.
It's admittedly an unlikely tale. Ireland is one of only a handful of places worldwide—including New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, and Antarctica—that Indiana Jones and other snake-averse humans can visit without fear.
But snakes were certainly not chased out of Ireland by St. Patrick, who had nothing to do with Ireland's snake-free status, Nigel Monaghan, keeper of natural history at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, told National Geographic.
Monaghan, who has trawled through vast collections of fossil and other records of Irish animals, has found no evidence of snakes ever existing in Ireland.
"At no time has there ever been any suggestion of snakes in Ireland. [There was] nothing for St. Patrick to banish," Monaghan said.
So what did happen?
Snakes likely couldn't reach Ireland. Most scientists point to the most recent Ice Age, which kept the island too cold for reptiles until it ended 10,000 years ago. After the Ice Age, surrounding seas may have kept snakes from colonizing the Emerald Isle.
According to legend, the patron saint of Ireland chased the slithering reptiles into the sea after they began attacking him during a 40-day fast he undertook on top of a hill.
It's admittedly an unlikely tale. Ireland is one of only a handful of places worldwide—including New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, and Antarctica—that Indiana Jones and other snake-averse humans can visit without fear.
But snakes were certainly not chased out of Ireland by St. Patrick, who had nothing to do with Ireland's snake-free status, Nigel Monaghan, keeper of natural history at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, told National Geographic.
Monaghan, who has trawled through vast collections of fossil and other records of Irish animals, has found no evidence of snakes ever existing in Ireland.
"At no time has there ever been any suggestion of snakes in Ireland. [There was] nothing for St. Patrick to banish," Monaghan said.
So what did happen?
Snakes likely couldn't reach Ireland. Most scientists point to the most recent Ice Age, which kept the island too cold for reptiles until it ended 10,000 years ago. After the Ice Age, surrounding seas may have kept snakes from colonizing the Emerald Isle.
3113
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By all means, repeat it here. I'd love to have more such cartoons and such in this thread.
StrangeLife
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Typical scientists. After St. Patrick takes care of business they're going out of their way to tell that "there never really was a problem in the first place" or "it wasn't that bad". I hope he demanded payment in advance.
I'll definitely drink to him and all the lucky Irishmen he has saved from snake attacks.
StrangeLife
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Zombie-snakes are even worse than live ones. St. Patrick wasn't taking any chances... he got rid of everything.
Bramblethorn
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By all means, repeat it here. I'd love to have more such cartoons and such in this thread.
Here it is:
http://www.literotica.com/s/counting-to-eleven
R. Richard
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However, definitely NOT Snake River Pale Ale! Given the situation, it would be a sort of low level insult to St. Patrick.
robertreams
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corned beef and cabbage!
StrangeLife
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patientlee
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Maybe these "snakes" were worms. You know how stories get embellished over time.
StrangeLife
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Especially in Ireland...
Swilly
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I carefully select my clothes on this day, ensuring NOT to wear anything green. Yeah. I'm that kind of contrarian.
3113
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I forgot. But if asked, I will say I'm in mourning for the snakes
lovecraft68
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Maybe ST Patrick could come back and drive the snakes out of Washington!
In the meantime a little Irish Rock from a band very big in these parts thanks not only to the movie the Departed, but also former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d8SzG4FPyM
In the meantime a little Irish Rock from a band very big in these parts thanks not only to the movie the Departed, but also former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d8SzG4FPyM
Swilly
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Who, LC?
Not a St Patrick's song, but I've already established I don't go there.
http:// http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q00SDdC7z3k
lovecraft68
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Ah, Mariano. Classy guy. Him and Bernie Williams were two Yankees even a Sox fan couldn't hate.
Jeter calls it quits this year. Great player, but can be hated. Always has that smug look on his face and I laugh that New Yorkers don;t even care he cheated the city out of millions in taxes.
But anyway, here's something for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkblpPxLrcw
Last edited:
Swilly
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They'd squander it on bullshit anyway.Ah, Mariano. Classy guy. Him and Bernie Williams were two Yankees even a Sox fan couldn't hate.
Jeter calls it quits this year. Great player, but can be hated. Always has that smug look on his face and I laugh that New Yorkers don;t even care he cheated the city out of millions in taxes.
But anyway, here's something for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkblpPxLrcw
I'm afraid its going to be a long season. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Steinbrenners son is an idiot.
lovecraft68
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On a baseball note....His son is doi8ng what he did. Spending like a fool.
The yanks of the 90's that won( was it 4 out of 5/6 world series?) were a mix of homegrown guys like Jeter and Rivera and williams and hard nosed veterans like Paul o'Neil and Scott Brosious(spelling that wrong I am sure)
That's how they won whenever they go crazy with money they get burned. They paid for steroid production with A-fraud and Textiera as well. That guy was an iron man until he got big money from the yanks now he is hurt constantly.
Ellsbury is damn good, but he so much as gets a hangnail he is out for ten days. Have fun with him on a 7 year deal. He'll play maybe 3 good years out of it.
Swilly
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I know. We had those sweet years where George let his baseball people do their thing. I think sonny boy is more bottom line oriented. Pitching looks better than I thought, but Sabathia is average at this point. Too much emphasis on power. I feel like the Sox have become the 90s Yankees.
sheablue
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Well, St. Patrick's Day is my little girl's birthday, so we like to celebrate in lots of ways. However, since she's had the stomach flu for the last 3 days, this 6th birthday was not her happiest. Cancelled birthday party, missed school on her birthday, and is subsisting mostly on crackers and ice, so no cake cupcakes or other treats.
We will celebrate in a few days, but it sure was a bummer of a weekend!
We will celebrate in a few days, but it sure was a bummer of a weekend!
3113
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Is she already tired of the color green?
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