Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 18

A chairde —

Things slow down a little during the Summer, at least for the SIG.  That’s good, because everything else is speeding up.  I’ve been working hard on completing the first draft of What Happened to Distributive Justice, a thoroughly researched tome that investigates, well, what happened to our understanding of distributive justice.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 17

A chairde —

A great many things have been happening, some of which relate to the interests of the SIG.  Unfortunately, that also means that I haven’t had the chance to collect material for the newsletter, and I refuse to postpone an issue . . . that way lies madness (or, at least, frustration, right, Shirley?).

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 15

A chairde —

We’re still a little short of news — everybody seems to want to read the newsletter, but nobody seems to want to tell us what’s going on!  That means you’re stuck again with hearing about everything (printable) that I’m doing.  Admittedly it’s fascinating . . . for you, but where does that leave me?

By the way, see if you can guess who that is.  Be very ashamed if you don't recognize him.

Beannachtai!

Michael

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 15

A chairde —

What with Samhain (which is not pronounced “Sam Hane”) coming up and the Forces of Darkness about to assume their half-year reign, you can tell that the Christmas season of love, peace, and joy are almost upon us.  And if you think that’s paradoxical, the only way we’ve been able to tell here inside the Washington, DC, Beltway that the government has been shut down is the level of complaints about the government being shut down.  And those rampaging WWII veterans charging up to their memorial.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 14

A chairde —

I’ve decided to change the newsletter to a quarterly format.  I did this unilaterally and without consulting Co-coordinator Shirley.  Frankly, I’ve got so much other writing to do that it’s become hard not to give the newsletter short shrift.  I’m hoping it will be easier to slide into this every three months, rather than panic every thirty days or so.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 13

A chairde —

Yes, friends and neighbors, another rush job.  For the past three months I’ve been tied up in helping people at a think tank for which I volunteer, the Center for Economic and Social Justice, prepare a response to some . . . I’ll call them acrimonious critics rather than what I really think.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 12

A chairde —

Right about now you’re probably thinking that “Litir Scéala an tSIG Gaelach is Irish for “Coordinator’s Continuing Excuses.”  Well . . . they’re not excuses.  They’re reasons.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 11

A chairde —

Now . . . don’t tell me you really expected a Certified Public Accountant who sings in two choirs to do a full-blown newsletter right after the Easter Triduum and before April 15.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 10

A chairde —

Yet again I had it brought forcefully home to me that time and the tide wait for no man.  Or woman.  Consequently (I seem to be using that word an awfully lot these days) a “non-essential” task such as writing a newsletter, even with an Irish theme in March, can take second place.  It doesn’t help any that there also seems to be a number of tax-related items that also crop up.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 9

A chairde —

I had a dandy book review all planned for this edition, but time got away from me.  February is, after all, the shortest month. . . . Yes, I know that Julius and Augustus took their days from the latter half of the month, and this is still the first half of the month (at least as of this writing), but any port (or excuse) in a storm.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 8

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A chairde —

As you will see below, recently someone sent us a copy of God and Intelligence, Fulton Sheen’s first book from 1925.  CESJ, our newsletter sponsor, welcomes contributions of books for its library — but check first to see if we want them!

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 7

A chairde —

Here is the "Lucky Seventh" issue of the Irish SIG Newsletter. If you haven't become an e-mail subscriber, please consider doing so (and don't forget to validate your subscription, or you won't be getting any newsletters!). If you're a subscriber, you might also want to consider joining the SIG, whether or not you're a member of Mensa. Just follow the instructions — but be sure to tell us that you are, in fact, a member of Mensa (especially if you really are), so that we can notify national and get the Irish SIG — one of the oldest in American Mensa — relisted as "official." Remember: without you and your input, the SIG would not exist . . . but you have to tell us so that, like the Whos down in Whoville, we can let them know that "We are here!"

Beannachtai!

Michael

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 6

A chairde —

I realize it's obligatory to say something about the recent election. That should just about cover it. Moving right along, It's been a little slow this past month for Matters Irish. That's okay, these things happen. This time of year seems more geared toward the Germanic and English holiday traditions, anyway — you know, when the days get shorter and things turn dark and grim. Those of us with a sunnier outlook just hang on and wait until the Spring, and the real important holidays like St. Patrick's Day, St. Joseph's Day, and, uh (what was that one? Oh, yeah) Easter.

The Horror Stories of Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson

Although best known for his historical novels, satire, and apocalyptic science fiction, Robert Hugh Benson was also an accomplished horror writer — although, perhaps, in a far more subtle manner than that to which a jaded and jaundiced modern age has become accustomed. Benson's horror stories tend to be more chilling than bloodcurdling or shocking. Because of that, however, Benson's forays into the genre have achieved something of a cult status among discriminating enthusiasts of supernatural fiction as well as a measure of popularity among thoughtful readers of fiction in general.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 5

A chairde —

Truth to tell, I almost forgot to put this newsletter together. I've been busy with a number of projects (such as trying to make a living . . .) that diverted my attention. One of the more important projects is putting together another book. Since the recent one I put out seems to be doing fairly well with a title I stole from Hilaire Belloc (The Restoration of Property), I thought I would steal another title, this time from G. K. Chesterton: What's Wrong with the World.

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 4

A chairde —

Here it is, the big 4! Not the "Big Four Oh," just 4. I'm not sure of the significance of this, but who needs an excuse to party? At least, an excuse that means anything. So break out the cocoa and cookies and let the good times roll . . .

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 3

A chairde —

Well, we've made it to our third issue — and we've managed to keep all of our subscribers. That's very good news. Now for the bad news: there are a number of you whom I recognize from your e-mails as long-term members of the SIG, but you haven't sent in your registrations. I hate to be a nag, but as a result of not having the minimum number of members (whether Mensans or non-Mensans), it is now too late to get the SIG reactivated in time for the next listing of SIGs in The Mensa Bulletin. That means we will not be able to notify all those other SIG members, trapped in Shirley's old computer, that the SIG is once again active. You have condemned them to a Tron-like existence until next year.

All is not lost, however. As soon as we get a few more memberships, we can at least get listed on National's website. That should help, and we can expect a big surge in membership once that happens. So — send in your registration. It's not the same as a subscription and must be done separately, even though both are free.

Beannachtai!

Michael

CESJ Quarterly Publications Flyer No. 1

Center for Economic and Social Justice

Quarterly Publications Flyer No. 1

(August 1, 2012 to October 31, 2012)

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 2

A chairde —

Welcome to the second issue in the new series of Litir Scéala an tSIG Gaelach. As you can see in our membership report, we haven't yet enough registered members to return to official status. Once that happens, we will undoubtedly get most, if not all of our old members back. Right now it's a little touch and go, because (as we noted in the last issue), we can't get too many new members until we have enough current members to get reactivated with National. So, if you haven't sent in your registration, please do so as soon as possible — and remember, subscribing to the newsletter does not automatically register you as a member. Subscribing and registering as a member are two different operations.

Beannachtai!

Michael

Litir Scéala, Vol. II.1, No. 1

A chairde —

Our new SIG Coordinator, Michael Greaney, needs no introduction to longtime members of the Irish SIG. His many serialized articles on page 4 were one of the best features of Litir Scéala for more than 25 years! In fact, his dedication to the SIG for so many years prompted me to ask him to become the new Coordinator when several things, including my duties in the local group, made it impossible for me to continue.