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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

New York Winter storm ruins an Irish vacation

Posted on Monday, December 27, 2010 at 10:20 AM
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I was supposed to be in Dublin this morning, tucking into a traditional Irish breakfast at my hotel and getting ready for the annual round of family meet and greets. Mother Nature however had other ideas.

More is the pity. The after Christmas period is among my favorite times of the year.

The Irish still have the good sense to celebrate the week between Christmas and New year's as part of the vacation period.

You won't find Christmas trees thrown outside for garbage collection on December 26th like you do over here.

There are festival race meetings, family parties, good drink and good cheer.

Despite the bleak economy it is still one of the most joyous places to be over the winter break.

Dublin reverts to being the city of old,with no traffic problems and an ease to getting around that is amazing considering what it is like the rest of the year.

So we were all set to fly. Mother Nature had other ideas, however, socking New York with a winter storm for the ages. Rarely have I heard such ferocious winds and seen so much snow in a 24 hour period.

Ironically, we had fretted over Christmas Day that the weather had been so bad in Ireland that we would be lucky to get flying in.

As it turned out a massive thaw meant Ireland's snow vanished overnight but the unexpected storm on the Eastern Seaboard banjaxed our travel plans anyway.

I'm still waiting for news on whether we can fly tonight. More is the pity if we can't as we will have to cancel. Ireland is so special at this time.



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22 Comments

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Searlit | Jan 05, 2011, 09:54 PM EST
Finally, we can let this topic go! Good debate.

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Monsoonman | Jan 05, 2011, 07:54 PM EST
One of my scientist friends is involved in bio fuels and is very excited about the use of algae as fuel. It seems the climate change theology mantra is that burning fossil fuel is brining about climate change. Climate change is a normal phenomena there were no such thing as fossil fuels during time of great climate upheaval throughout scientific recorded history.

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Searlit | Jan 05, 2011, 03:00 PM EST
Yes, there is so much wonder in the world. Of course you know that the fossil fuels are derived from fossilized plant matter, ergo, the name. There are scientists working with living algae that can be harvested for their oil and at the same time recapture carbon into the soil which would combat our eco problems on two fronts. What do you think about that?

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Monsoonman | Jan 05, 2011, 11:17 AM EST
Interesting to note when mastadons encased in arctic ice are found, their bellies still have grass in them. Then of course when I go to Arizona and climb some of the red rock around Sedona, I find fossilized sea creatures embedded in the sides of mountains. Not a scientist, just always curious. Like how did sea creatures get encased in stone several thousand feet above sea level, hundreds of miles away from the nearest ocean? Were they burning fossil fuels back then? But that was before fossils wee invented.

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Searlit | Jan 04, 2011, 04:59 PM EST
Okay, but doesn't that show that the ice is getting less dense? I've seen shows on this. It was glacial ice in Patagonia, though. Are you a scientist or just have an interest in the environment?

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Monsoonman | Jan 03, 2011, 06:49 PM EST
I just had to look at arctic ice core samples and petrified tree rings to know that mankind cannot affect the wx/climate.

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Searlit | Jan 03, 2011, 02:48 PM EST
I thought about the effects of pollution on our weather way before I ever heard of Al Gore, so I'll thank you not to throw snow at me with other peoples theories. Don't be in denial, but don't be chicken little either.

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Monsoonman | Jan 02, 2011, 07:10 PM EST
Correction: "Climate warming theology"

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Monsoonman | Jan 02, 2011, 01:49 PM EST
Yes but it was just a couple of years back the chicken littles were telling us the ice sheets were disappearing and snowstorms in england would be a thing of the past, all due to man caused global warming. Trouble with most people is that they don't have the time or the bother to look past the carefully engineered propaganda blasted at them 24/7 by nefarious movements such as al gores global warming movement. If you'll notice al gore just purchased and moved to a coast side california mansion. He travels everywhere by private jet and fuel hog limos. Oh and remember the sad widdle polar bears drowning because there is no ice left?...So gullible. But the emotion driven gullibility causes us all to suffer.

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Searlit | Jan 02, 2011, 01:16 PM EST
Well, of course there's lots of ice up there. Isn't Siberia one of the coldest places? It doesn't mean that we don't have trouble with our atmosphere resulting from human inflicted damage. I know the earth has always had periodic ice ages, but they were caused by other natural phenomena inherent to inner earth or outer stratosphere. We don't know exactly where this action will take us, but for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I think we can agree on that principle of science.

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Monsoonman | Jan 01, 2011, 08:55 PM EST
Just FYI: 10 ships, 600 crew trapped in sub-Arctic ice... WHAT ice???? Rescue efforts are under way to evacuate more than 600 crew on 10 ships trapped in ice in the Sea of Okhotsk. The ice is up to 30cm (12 inches) thick in some places, according to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass....You do remember that algore was the chicken little of global cooling before he learned how to make the big bucks and tell us the earth was warming.BTW: obama is being forced to take polar bears off of the endangered species list, that was another bogus scare, there are more polar bears now than there have ever been.

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Searlit | Dec 30, 2010, 12:20 PM EST
Hi seagreen, so you're near Dixville Notch, too. That's another favorite place. Beautiful view from the top. I have a framed picture here of the CT river, signpost and all. It was about four feet wide at that point. Yes, it is beautiful around the Quebec border. We drove through the Canadian border just to drive over Magnetic Mountain - interesting natural phenomenon. Happy New Year!

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seagreen | Dec 28, 2010, 11:50 PM EST
Hi Searlit, Yes, A bit north of Colebrook... I should know exactly about the Connecticut river, but I'm pretty sure it begins in the fourth Connecticut lake. It is especially beautiful up around the Quebec border.

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WoundedKnee | Dec 28, 2010, 02:48 PM EST
seamusmoore has threatened me with being murdered by the IRA in South Armagh. I have reported seamusmoore's death threat made against me. I don't expect Irish Central to do much about it, because they allow this kind of abuse to fester unchecked until it goes to its logical extreme--a death threat by seamusmoore. However, regardless of Irish Central's failure to police this site, all posters should be aware of this death threat by seamus moore.

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Silling | Dec 28, 2010, 01:29 PM EST
I am just back from Ireland and lucky to get out. While I was there, I was asked, What is the difference between a snow man and a snow woman ? As I had never considered the gender of those ice mounds, I failed to answer. For your information, the difference according to the 10 year old who posed the question, is snow balls. When I arrived back in France where I now live, I decided to pose the same question. Monsieur, Quelle est la difference entre, un homme de neige et une dame de neige ? and he responded, LA Carrotte !!! Isn't interesting how different cultures perceive things. I hope I am not being sexist, and that Sineid O'Connor does not get offended over a carrot without a condom in sub zero temperatures. Vive La Difference.

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