Are there any good books or other resources to learn about Irish history, society and culture? I want to learn about my dad's country.
It really depends what areas you are interested in and want to learn about for history you have books by people such as;Mike Cronin's A History of Ireland it runs from the 12th century right up to the present.Thomas Bartlett’s Ireland: A History is also another I'd recommend.I think when first learning these are two of the better books to begin with as they are wide ranging and if a particular area interests you, you are then able to branch out rather than buying a book on one specific topic and finding it bores the life out of you. Others may disagree on this it's just my way and i think it's better to start with a fairly decent overview and dig deeper into parts that intrigue me.You have then things such as mythology and legend, in this I'm biased towards the Táin but, Eileen O'Faolain’s Irish Sagas and Folktales or Michael Scott’s Irish folk and fairy tales would be a good starting point for Irish mythology, they both deal with tales of warriors, fairies and yes they even includes Leprechauns.Father Ted tv series, you just have to watch it, I don't care what anyone says it does demonstrate Irish humour, plus it does demonstrate lots of little accuracies about Irish life (not the pet brick tho) and everyone In Ireland I think knows a real life Mrs Doyle.For culture and Society, you can't not mention Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, anything by Oscar Wilde or Seamus Heaney and Ulysses by James Joyce, so I've been told. These really aren't books or authors that appeal to me I have to admit or that I would read so I am not placed to advise on them. In my personal opinion the best way to understand the culture and society is to visit and mingle with the people, plus it's a hell of a lot more fun than reading about it.Also Quora and the internet in general are useful sources, There are quite a few Irish Quorans who will be more than happy to answer your questions. Hope that helps or at least gives you a place to start.
Is this story any good so far ~IT'S LONG!~?
First and foremost: the names - instead of including a WHOLE ridiculous bunch of names, you could have written 'a whole class of students'...and the beginning - it's just...weird. You're talking about persuasive techniques when that 'Nick' character suddenly shouted something that is so arbitrary that it's EXTREMELY hard to follow. The description of the school in the beginning is....ok. However, even though your diction is quite impressive (Vermillion and azure...very picturesque), it doesn't create the sort of 'eerie' atmosphere which infuses the story. So...you might want to change it a bit. And then there's the middle...'Weeks past in and out mundanely.'...What? I mean: that's just (sry to be rude) lame. As though readers are so idiotic that they don't know that 'weeks past in and out' -.-". I'll give this story a score of: 7/10 - for its diction: impressive but not really contributive to creating the atmosphere or tone of the story. 3/10 - for the plot development: no idea what r u going to write about. Though it does seem interesting to read about the weather thing (reminiscent of War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells ;O) Generally....a solid 5/10. Hope this helps!
Who do you guys think are the best bands ever? Greatest bands of all time?
I have so many bands I think rock. 1. Led Zeppelin 2.Iron Maiden 3.Metallica 4.Guns n Roses 5.Pantera 6.Slayer 5.Pantera 6.Black Sabbath 7.The Cure 8.U2 9.Interpol 10.Pink Floyd 11.Thin Lizzy 12.The Smiths 13.Tool 14.The Rolling Stones 15.Megadeath 16.AC/DC Ect. These are randomly chosen by me ok dont think wrong. I cant think of anymore but there are plenty of more bands I like. I would like to know what you guys have on your top lists.
Can you Answer this Film Trivia- Six Degrees Question?
You know the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon where you link an actor to another by films they have appeared in.. e.g. Peter Cushing appeared in Arabian Adventure along with John Ratzenburger, and John Ratzenberger appeared in She's Having a Baby with Kevin Bacon. Well, here's the challenge: link these by one actor only... 1.Christopher Lee to Spike Lee 2.Val Guest to Christopher Guest 3.Ingrid Pitt to Brad Pitt there is sometimes more than one answer...
What, if any, is the connection between "Nihilist Arby's" and Arby's?
None. According to Adweek, @nihilist_arbys on Twitter is run by an independent author, Brendan Kelly, and the real Arby's has not contacted him. Meet the Twisted, Brilliant Copywriter Behind Twitter's Nihilist Arby's