Sad today to learn of the passing of a quintessential Irish poet, full time alcoholic and a dental horror show.

I love the Pogues and their late front man Shane McGowan.

In truth, Shane was a walking train wreck for many years, but he was a wonderful songwriter, musician and classic Irish singer who drove traditional Irish songs into the mainstream. In recent years Shane had his truly frightening teeth renovated, but there wasn’t much medical science could do to help a man for whom a pint of gin on stage was a regular event.

He’ll long be missed.

Well, Stephen since you asked and didn’t allow comments, I can tell you in three words. Massively unreasonable violence.

Both Hamas and Israel must stand condemned for their brutality.

But Israel’s disgraceful government turned an understandable retaliation into an unconscionable violation of human rights. And they are showing no signs of letting up.

And as for people demonstrating against Israel not also demonstrating against other rogue states, have you not heart of Myanmar or China ? Or British Tories.

You’ve got to get out more, Stephen – just because Israel makes cool software is no justification for human rights violations.

Get a sense of proportion !

Last weekend, on my weekly pilgrimage to Bunnings, (OK I didn’t really have a hardware or garden need… just a hankering for a charitable sausage on a bit of bread), the fundraising group de jour was The Tough Guy Book Club – a wonderful oxymoron of a name and a much more fun expression of the contemporary need for positive male bonding. I hope there’s a female version out there too.

I wandered over to their web and FaceBook pages and found out some nourishing information. The club is a worldwide organisation of local chapters that meet on the first Wednesday night of every month – usually in a pub. I asked the chap serving snags on bread whether they were like the Peaky Blinders of Books Clubs – and he liked my characterisation – perhaps with less razor gangster action.

But the thing that really got me interested was the list of previously discussed books. It was like a compendium of books I’ve read throughout my adolescence, my university days, mid-life and now senior years. Also – books that are still in my bucket list.

AND … one of the books was … David Ireland’s “The Glass Canoe” – set in the Inner West pub where my late father used to drink … and the spark that prompted me to invent the Pig’s Arms.

https://toughguybookclub.com/

See what you think.
Kind regards,

Emm