Irish History and Heritage: Bloody Sunday, Irish Fishermen Defeat Russian Navy, and County Longford (published 1-30-2022; article #296)

Introduction

I still have a “poly-ticks” article in rough draft. I will publish this article first, as my third article today. “Poly-ticks” can wait a few days!

Irish history and heritage come first! That heritage should be, and is, for many of the Fearghail clan, based on biblical morality.

The 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday is Today.

The song “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is by U2, the fine Irish group. One of many YouTube links is here. Drink some coffee, or Irish coffee, as you read the rest of this article!

Irish Central is a good source, among others, for Irish heritage, especially for those of us Irish who miss the old country.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” January 30, 1972. Read the Irish Central article, “What Actually Happened on Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland?” IrishCentral, by Oisin Feeney, 1/29/2022. It will make an Irishman sad, as it did me.

But wait! The Irish are not down! Irish fisherman defeated the Russian navy!

Please enjoy the following article: “Irish Fishermen Defeat the Russian Navy.” IrishCentral, Shane O'Brien, 1/30/2022.

Yes, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I lived in Russia from 1994 to 1999. While there, Slava, a fine friend and brother in Christ who passed away in early 2000, called me his “Russian-American friend.” He used “Russian” before “American,” since he considered me Russian first, then American. We visited Ireland for two weeks in 1998. We enjoyed our time in County Longford.

I'm glad to know that the Irish fishermen stopped the Russian navy—well, at least this time! The Irish do not back down.

County Longford

Today, Irish Central tells me what I have known for many years! Are you still sipping that coffee or Irish coffee?

Please enjoy reading “What's your Irish County? County Longford: All the basics - and some fun facts - about County Longford,” IrishCentral, by Jane Walsh, 10/14/2016! The following are a few details from that article:

Nickname: The O'Farrell County, The Slashers

A brief history: Before the Norman invasion in the 12th century, the territory was known as Annaly (Anghaile in Irish), Tethbae, or Teffia (Teabhtha in Irish) under the Farrell clan.

The article has much more information. It is worth reading!

Conclusion

The Fearghail clan originated in County Longford, Ireland. My lineage in the clan can be traced back to John Ferrell, Sr. (born 1780). The lineage goes back farther, to County Longford, but my fellow clan members can't yet trace back farther than to John Ferrell, Sr.

Roots are important, especially moral roots based on godly values. Do you have the proper roots? I hope so. If so, keep up the heritage! Do not back down!

Defeating “Corony” Myopia Psychosis: Brownstone Institute (published 1-30-2022; article #295)

Introduction

This second article today will be brief. My article from Sunday, January 23, 2022, mentioned what we did the previous day.

Brownstone Institute 11/30/2021 Article

Earlier this month, on January 22, a good friend sent several of us on his email mailing list his comments and a link to The Brownstone Institute for Social and Economic Research (Austin, Texas) article, “More Than 400 Studies on the Failure of Compulsory COVID Interventions,” by Dr. Paul Elias Alexander, 11/30/2021.

Dr. Alexander spent a great deal of time researching and writing his article. It may take a person almost three hours to read it completely. I have not yet taken the time to read the complete article, but I do not doubt his scholarship nor the evidence that Dr. Alexander cites in his article.

I will encapsulate here his Table 1: “Evidence showing that COVID-19 lockdowns, use of face masks, school closures, and mask mandates were largely ineffective and caused crushing harms.” His Table 1 is detailed as follows in his article:

Lockdowns: links to 170 online articles.

School Closures: links to 84 online articles.

Masks — Ineffectiveness: links to 97 online articles.

Mask Mandates: links to 9 online articles.

Mask Harms: links to 61 online articles.

Dr. Alexander cites 421 total online articles to support his evidence that lockdowns, school closures, face masks, and face mask mandates have done “crushing harms.” He does not address in as much detail the emotional, psychological, moral, and spiritual damage.

The Brownstone Institute for Social and Economic Research (Austin, Texas) has a list of senior scholars and the founder and president. The institute includes a variety of articles on various topics, not just on COVID-19.

Conclusion

The facts, just the facts, are pertinent. This “new cold virus,” as I call it, is a new, manufactured-in-China strain of the common cold. Many have died, legitimately, due to the virus for several reasons, including their age and health. Statistics have reported, illegitimately, about deaths blamed on the new cold virus, but the causes of death were due to more immediate factors. Many people have had the new cold virus with common cold symptoms and have recovered. I may have had this new cold virus in February 2020 and again in early December 2021. Some type of cold virus made me feel sickly for a few days those two times.

I am grateful that my good friend emailed the link that I have cited in this brief article. Don't forget to use those made-in-China test kits to see if you have the China virus! The Ununited Socialist States of America (USSA) government will even send those made-in-China test kits to you for free, once they get around to doing so. Do a search for “USA free COVID-19 test kits made in China.” You will find several articles, as I did today.

This is yet another article on the topic of Corona Myopia. I need to stop writing on this topic! It needs to be in my rearview mirror!

Fearghail Nieces: Still Basketball Proud! (published 1-30-2022; article #294)

Introduction

Howdy, y'all! I hope you are doing well enough out there, in various nations, including the Ununited Socialist States of America (USSA). In the last seven days, this website has had views by nation as follows: United States (USSA) 201, Turkey 91, Germany 27, France 24, China 7, United Kingdom 5, Indonesia 5, Netherlands 4, Russia 3, Singapore 3, Australia 2, Canada 1, Czechia (Czech Republic) 1, Denmark 1, Hungary 1, and Ireland 1. (Come on, Ireland! Do better!) Italy 1, Myanmar (Burma) 1, Sweden 1, other 14 (unknown nations).

My most recent article taking pride in our nieces' basketball accomplishments was Fearghail Nieces: Basketball Proud! (published 12-19-2021). Win or lose, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I are proud of our two nieces, daughters of my youngest brother and his wife. Our nieces, as young ladies now, are growing up on the solid rock of godly and Christian values. In that is our ultimate pride.

The Bulls Gap Middle School Lady Bulldogs' Tuesday, 1/11/2022, Game

Our youngest niece is mentioned with a photograph in the Saturday-Sunday, January 15-16, 2022, Weekend Edition of The Rogersville Review! The article (page 2B) is “Lady Bulldogs Struggle in Loss to Boone[s] Creek,” by Jim Beller, Sports Editor. I assume the photograph and the caption below the photograph are by Jim Beller.

The article states that another young lady “and Lilliana Ferrell each scored seven to lead Bulls Gap.”

I wish the newspaper listed the complete 2021-22 schedule of games and scores for all Hawkins County grade school, middle school, and high school teams, but it does not.

Neither the Bulls Gap Middle School website nor the Cherokee High School website lists ladies basketball games and scores. Newspaper articles give us scores by games on exact dates, but the newspaper does not list the cumulative games and scores per team.

WRGS Helped (for a while)

The website for my hometown radio station, WRGS, helped for a while. On the weekend of January 8-9, 2022, I found on the WRGS website the 2021-22 Cherokee Girls Basketball cumulative results! The WRGS website was down as of today. The following is what I found three weekends ago. Notice that, for games played, no dates are listed.

2021-22 Cherokee Girls Basketball Results

1. Cherokee 24, at West Ridge 65
2. Cherokee 65, at Unicoi County 61
3. Cherokee 62, at Hampton 72
4. Cherokee 62, Tennessee High 41 (Hardees Classic at David Crockett)
5. Cherokee 27, David Crockett 53 (Hardees Classic at David Crockett)
6. Cherokee 46, Daniel Boone 49 (Hardees Classic at David Crockett)
7. Cherokee 54, Tennessee High 39
8. Cherokee 38, at Knox Gibbs 37
9. Cherokee 29, Volunteer 48
10. Cherokee 35, at Cocke County 72
11. Cherokee 54, Claiborne 50
12. Cherokee 56, at Hancock County 35
13. Cherokee 41, at Chuckey-Doak 44
14. Cherokee 47, Glenwood, Alabama 36
15. Cherokee 47, Glenwood, Alabama 46
16. Cherokee 11, Volunteer 61
17. Cherokee 37, Hancock County 27
18. Cherokee 40, at Tennessee High 41
19. Cherokee 34, West Greene 36
20. Cherokee 28, at Greeneville 70
21. Cherokee 57, Chuckey-Doak 30
Friday, January 21: Cherokee at Volunteer, 6:15 pm
Tuesday, January 25: Cocke County at Cherokee, 6:15 pm
Thursday, January 27: Cherokee at West Greene, 6:15 pm
Friday, January 28: Cherokee at Claiborne, 6:15 pm
Monday, January 31: Grainger at Cherokee, 6:15 pm
Tuesday, February 1: Greeneville at Cherokee, 6:15 pm
Friday, February 4: Knox Gibbs at Cherokee, 6:15 pm
Tuesday, February 8: Cherokee at Grainger, 6:15 pm
Thursday, February 17 – Tuesday, February 22:
District 2-3A Basketball Tournament at Greeneville, TBA

The eldest daughter of my youngest brother and his wife plays on the Cherokee High School ladies' basketball team. I write to honor her now, as I have honored her younger sister in my previous comments.

Conclusion

My youngest brother and I converse by phone often enough for me to understand how well our two nieces are doing in their basketball games this season. Both are going very well, playing with proper spirit and skills, despite winning or losing.

The Fearghail clan is proud of our two Fearghail nieces, not only in basketball, but, more importantly, in how they are becoming fine Christian young ladies! I hope in time that their spiritual influence will assist many family members, friends, and others. We as Christians all win in the end!

Family Honor: Mona Beckner's Celebration of Life on 1-22-2022 at Age 100 (published 1-23-2022; article #293)

Introduction

Six days ago, the second article that I published was the day before my wife's paternal aunt, Mona Beckner, celebrated her 100th birthday. See Mona Beckner Will Be 100 Tomorrow, 1-18-2022 (published 1-17-2022; article #292).

This article continues the theme of family honor and heritage. We should honor our elders. Do younger folks understand? I hope so. I am trying to educate them.

Mona Beckner was Twice Honored

First, on Tuesday, 1/18/2022, Aunt Mona celebrated her 100th birthday at home. She is the elder sister of my father-in-law. That day, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman had a “snow day” off from work. I worked from home. As a side note, I set the mailbox flag up, so that the postman would take the postal letters that I'd placed there to pay the 2021 property taxes for here and the homeplace. The weather was cool and cloudy. The snow from the day before, mentioned in my first article from 1/17/2022, was melting.

Aunt Mona, her son, her brother, my wife, “favorite” sister-in-law, her daughter, and I were gathered at the Beckner homeplace. Finally, after various delays, we had supper together. I was honored to lead the prayer before supper. Joking, I told Aunt Mona that I'd never known anyone 100 years old until that day. She enjoyed the humor. Various points of conversation were mostly in honor of Aunt Mona, aside from a few about life's trivialities. Aunt Mona was honored. I wish that someone or I had taken photographs. The memories are in our minds and written here.

The second honor was on Saturday, 1/22/2022. Aunt Mona was honored by family members, friends, and her church family at City View Baptist Church. I'll set the context first and then present the twelve photographs that I took.

Context

For work, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman had a two-hour “snow” delay on Wednesday, 1/19/2022. For the next two days, Thursday and Friday, the school system where her sister and she teach was closed due to illness. During those two days, my wife, “favorite” sister-in-law, and her daughter, along with other folks, spent countless hours preparing victuals and displays and decorating the church fellowship hall. As usual, I worked from home on Tuesday and Wednesday and at the office on Thursday and Friday.

On Saturday, 1/22/2022, my wife left for the church building about 7:30 AM to finish the fixings. Aunt Mona's celebration was held from 1 PM to 4 PM. Arriving at 1 PM, I stayed until just after 4 PM. My “bionic” right foot endured the hard surfaces better than I thought it would, but it still paid for all the walking. My wife returned home about 6:50 PM. Molly, our ol' puppy, was wondering where she was.

Several family members, friends, and church members arrived at various times. The fellowship hall was often filled with guests. Aunt Mona seemed to enjoy the day very well. That was the main goal, to honor her.

Twelve Photographs

 

The above photograph is of the City View Baptist Church building, taken upon my arrival. We were all glad that the cloudy and dreary weather had finally turned sunny. The temperature was crisp and cool, not cold.

The above image shows Aunt Mona talking with the younger sister of my mother-in-law, Phyllis Ann House Gordon, who went home on 4/30/2017.

The next six photographs are of the display tables. The displays honored Aunt Mona's unpublished writings, photographs, poems, and art.

 

The next two photographs are of the food. A man needs to eat a bite, as you know. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman made the two white cakes that are on the cake stands. Years ago, my mother, Betty Lou Wood Ferrell (11/24/1932–12/27/2000), made the wedding cake for our wedding on 5/16/1986. Mom helped teach my wife how to make decorative cakes.

I wish that our dear friend, who owns KJ Cookies, could have made the decorative cookies, but she was booked up at the time. Her husband and she are fine Christian folks, and they are in our daily prayers.

Don't worry! The fruit was labeled “fruit.” The vegetables were labeled “vegetables.” One fruit tray had cheese in it, which is not a vegetable! I joked that it was false advertising! We had some fun. How many folks couldn't figure out what the fruits and vegetables were without those labels?

I took the final two photographs, just before I had to leave. I needed to rest my “bionic” foot at home. Both are of family members and church members, gathered around and talking with Aunt Mona.

 

Was that twelve photographs? I think that I lost count!

Conclusion

Well, Aunt Mona hasn't lost count of her years. Her mind, eyes, and spirit are still vibrant, as I told her before leaving to return home. She can't get around like she used to do. A wheelchair and rolling walker help.

The Good Lord expects each generation to honor the generations that came before it. Aunt Mona's son honored his father and still honors his mother. His father, Aunt Mona's husband, passed away in early 2001.

Younger generations should honor older generations. The younger should not tell the older what to do. The younger are not the boss. The older are.

May God bless you with good days, Aunt Mona! Your Christian legacy is established. I hope that I can help you publish your unpublished book. I'm still working on mine. We all love you, Aunt Mona.

Mona Beckner Will Be 100 Tomorrow, 1-18-2022 (published 1-17-2022; article #292)

Introduction

We may not often, if ever, know someone personally who reaches the milestone age of 100. Usually, we hear about folks living to be a century old on various media sources. I know a fine Christian lady who will be 100 years old tomorrow, Lord willing!

The article from January 18, 2021, honored this dear lady. It referenced my entry from January 26, 2020, on the same topic.

Aunt Mona Made Television News!

On Friday, January 14, 2022, I was working at the “Hadean Realm” office, not from home. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman was working.

WBIR-TV (Knoxville, Tennessee) visited Aunt Mona on that Friday. I wish that we could have been there! The WBIR-TV website links are as follows:

“A Century of Stories: Oak Ridge Calutron Girl Turning 100 Years Old,” WBIR-TV, by Katie Inman, published 1/14/2022. This is the news article.

“Oak Ridge Calutron Girl Celebrating 100th Birthday,” WBIR-TV, 1/14/2022. This is the audiovisual recording. The caption reads, “Mona Beckner turns 100 on January 18. She's lived a storied life full of love, laughter, and history.”

Conclusion

Tomorrow is Aunt Mona's 100th birthday. It is the same day that my uncle Robert Allen Wood (5/14/1939–1/18/1941) left this world in infancy.

Each of us lives a few years here. A few of us may live to be 100 or older. Aunt Mona has been ready to go to her everlasting home for many years. Uncle Bobby (Robert Allen Wood) is there already. Many other family members and friends are either there now or looking forward to going to that everlasting home.

This temporal life is not our permanent home. We will all join the great and everlasting reunion in heaven if we are ready. Are you ready, dear reader? If you would like to converse privately on this vital topic, please use the Contact Form on this website to email me.

I'll stop to publish this after supper. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman has already said, “Okay, Georgie! It's ready!” If you ask, I will share why she calls me “Georgie.” I call her that nickname too.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Update (published 1-17-2022; article #291)

Introduction

At 4:23 PM, as I begin to write, the about an inch of snow makes a good view from my home office windows. Today, the low was 27 degrees Fahrenheit. The high was 32 degrees. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I have been enjoying this mild winter day.

Today, we are both off work for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. My January 18, 2021, article states:

Sadly, I regret that many of the prominent “leaders,” who claim to follow Dr. King, Jr.'s legacy, are not doing so. Moral character matters. Skin color is not relevant. All lives, each created in God's image, matter equally. Lives must be lived in honor of the Creator. Lives that are not are wasted. Too many folks of various nationalities and skin colors are wasting their lives today.

Shall each creation of God not live up to the standard of our Creator? That is the only way that people can stand together in unity. I have spoken.

I would not change a word today. The problems in this once-great nation and in the world are moral, nothing else. Folks must freely choose to live in honor of our Creator. If not, this once-great nation will continue its fall into socialist utopian oblivion. The rest of the world will follow. This article, however, is not about “poly-ticks!” Let's move on!

Snow, Such as It Was

If I'm lucky, you may see my first video recording that I made at 1:04 PM today. I'll try to show it below if this website does its job. Here goes!

If you saw the video, you may have noticed that I started talking with proper pronunciation. About halfway, I switched to my best hillbilly voice! I was just having some fun!

If the video does not upload into this article, the above photograph will! Mrs. Appalachian Irishman had caught me, after I had recorded the video. I was busted! By the way, behind the large windows and above the bench on the porch is where my home office is located.

Voice Mail Set Up!

My second January 9, 2022, article was about our “cell phone war,” which we won with the outstanding customer service by Aaron! Aaron, if you are reading, I wrote the postal letter to you, which I mentioned on 1/8/2022. It will go out in the mail tomorrow.

Neither Mrs. Appalachian Irishman nor I could get the voicemail set up on our new Motorola Edge 5G UW (2021) “smart” phones. We tried. This morning, I reached by phone a Verizon Wireless technical support gentleman in New Mexico. During our one-and-a-half-hour conversation, the gentleman fixed the voicemail problem on both phones! Several minutes of our conversation were not about the technical stuff. I shared my “bionic” life, from 3/29/2016 to today, so far, in the context of stories about Russia (1994 to 1999), House Mountain hiking, and my unpublished book, “Light at the End of the Tunnel.” I hope that my words inspired this gentleman in New Mexico. He seemed to appreciate the details that I shared with him.

Conclusion

Yesterday, I called a very dear friend. Her husband and she are enduring an ongoing series of difficulties. The prayers from Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and me continue daily for their blessing. We have the will, but not the power. God has the power. I hope for our friends' sake that God has the will to help them. He will. I believe and know. It may take more time than we would prefer.

We must not be snowed in by the trials of life. My redaction of the apostle Paul's words in his inspired letter to the Philippians (chapter 4, verse 6) is, “Don't worry about anything; pray about everything!”

Y'all, who know the Good Lord as Savior, keep praying out there. Mention our two friends as an unspoken prayer request. Thank you!

Georgia Won the 2021 College Football Championship on Monday, 1/10/2022! (published 1-16-2022; article #290)

Introduction

At 3:40 PM on this Sunday afternoon, as I begin to finish this article, the snow is falling thickly in large flakes. At 36 degrees Fahrenheit, it was melting as soon as it hit the ground. The snow may begin to stick later as the temperature drops. Highway department employees must have enjoyed wasting the salt and brine that they were pouring on the roads since last Thursday. The rain last night and early this morning washed away all the salt and brine from the roads before the snow started this afternoon. It is just funny, folks! By the way, don't forget to rush to the store for milk and bread before we are buried in a “blizzard”!

Conversations usually start about the weather and shift to other topics. Shifting gears, how about those Georgia Bulldogs!

The Crow That I Ate

I concluded my 12/31/2021 article by stating the following:

The second semifinal game (No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Michigan) starts about 7:30 PM this evening. I expect Georgia to lose. If so, then Georgia won't have to play Alabama again in the 2021 Championship game on Monday, January 10, 2022. Georgia let Alabama beat them on Saturday, 12/4/2021, in the SEC Championship game. Yes, I am still not over that loss!

Go Dawgs!

The Orange Bowl (one of 39 bowl games, which is way too many) was played last New Year's Eve evening. Georgia beat Michigan, 34 to 11. That was a great game! I watched it all!

Unfortunately, earlier on that New Year's Eve, Alabama (#1) beat Cincinnati (#4), 27 to 6, in the Cotton Bowl. On New Year's Day, I began to dread the then-upcoming national championship game on Monday, January 10, 2022, between Georgia and Alabama. (On 12/4/2021, the Bulldogs let the dreaded Tide beat them in the SEC Championship game.) I needed more faith! I ate crow gladly on January 10!

Georgia Bulldogs: 2021 National Champions!

 

“Bulldogs Capture National Title With 33-18 Win Over Alabama, January 10, 2022.” Georgia Dogs, 1/10/2022 If you click the link, you can read about that amazing game! (The photograph is by Tony Walsh.) The national championship game was played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

That was Georgia's first national title since 1980. Back then, as a young man, I respected Georgia, but I didn't like it when Georgia defeated Tennessee.

The following are the statistics from the above article:

                   1st  2nd  3rd  4th  Final

Georgia        0     6     7     20    33

Alabama       3     6     0      9    18

Team Statistics

Game Stats           UGA      UA

Total Yards              364     399

Pass Yards              224     369

Rushing Yards         140      30

Penalty Yards      10-70    7-57

1st Downs                 20       22

3rd Downs             4-12     9-20

4th Downs               0-0       0-1

TOP                     28:29    31:31

I watched the game until about 10 PM, since I had to work for a living the next day. These championship games should be played on a Saturday, not on a Monday! At 10 PM, the score was Alabama 9, Georgia 6. The next morning, I awakened to work from home morning and was pleasantly surprised!

I may buy the DVD of the entire game! Georgia came alive in the third quarter! They became “super Dawgs” in the fourth quarter. Georgia beat the “Darth Vader Tide” by 15 points. That was a stomp plus one point. A stomp is a win by 14 points.

Go Dawgs!

Conclusion

The Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, verse 24, states in NKJV, “Immediately, the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’” Please read the complete context to understand the fullness of the moment.

On New Year's Eve, I should have had more faith in the Georgia Bulldogs. I will not make that mistake again! Go Dawgs! I have faith in you!

Dear Lord, I have ultimate faith in you! Everlasting life is far more important.

Do you, dear reader, understand? I hope so! If not, you are welcome to email me using the Contact Form on this website.

WINNING THE CELL PHONE WAR! (published 1-9-2022; article #289)

Introduction

This second article will be brief. It was gettin' close to supper time when I started writing! Y'all hungry? I had been getting hungry!

This article is about the cell phone war that two stubborn Irishmen are winning, as of yesterday and today. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman is “enjoying” the “fun” also. Just ask her!

Straight Talk Is Losing

My earlier article today touched on the problems that my ol' Samsung, not semi-intelligent, phone was having. I love that phone! That phone has taken many great photographs on House Mountain, over the last decade or so.

I despise Straight Talk! Do not use them. It used to be a very good company, but not now. My last article has some details.

Yesterday, Saturday, 1/8/2022, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I visited a local Verizon Cellular Sales store in a brick-and-mortar location, about a ten-minute drive from here. After three hours, my new, young, Irish-American friend and I began to foil Straight Talk's efforts to forestall the transfer of our cell phone service from them to Verizon Wireless.

Why my ol' Samsung phone screen started working, while at the Verizon Wireless location, is beyond anyone's understanding. I still have a screen showing on my ol' Samsung phone today. The phone still works fine. Straight Talk, however, does not work fine!

I have a very detailed record of the fight that my new Irish-American friend and I are winning! Mrs. Appalachian Irishman endures the literal headache well enough.

Verizon Wireless Is Winning

The image above is from the North Broadway Verizon Cellular Sales store website. I plan to write online outstanding reviews for my new Irish-American friend. I plan to send him, in a day or so, a highly complimentary postal letter, which he may use in any manner he chooses for his benefit. His customer service was and is outstanding.

This Sunday afternoon, while this young Irish-American was technically off work, he finished the account transfer from Straight Talk to Verizon Wireless. The fight is on to keep our same two cell phone numbers. I know and have been documenting all the details.

Thank you, Aaron, my young, Irish-American friend, for your outstanding service yesterday and today! We will win completely tomorrow, as Irishmen do. I hope that we either hike House Mountain together or meet each other on our hikes one of these days!

Conclusion

I would write more details and accolades for Aaron and Verizon Wireless, but it's almost supper time. I heard Mrs. Appalachian Irishman working on vittles in the kitchen. At 6 PM, she said, “Okay, Georgie.” Supper was ready. I'll publish both articles after supper!

By the way, why do McAfee spam emails keep trying to get me to “renew” McAfee, which I don't have? I may need to call their legitimate number that I can find.

On 3/9/2006, I wrote, “Give Me a Horse and a Dirt Road!” Yesterday, at the Verizon store, I thought about that article. I reread it today. I had been having a lot of “fun” on 3/9/2006.

I understand, all too well, modern technology. I wish that I didn't have to do so. My ol' Samsung cell phone has retired, effective today. My new Motorola Edge 5G UW (2021) “smart” phone takes over today. The fight, to keep the same phone numbers on both our new phones, will be won tomorrow. I had said many times that I would never buy a “semi-intelligent” phone. I had to do so, due to the technology.

Give me a horse and a dirt road any day! Let's eat supper, then publish these articles, y'all! If you are right, do not give up the fight!

ONE WEEK OF WINTER (published 1-9-2022; article #288)

 Introduction

Are y'all here, in east Tennessee, enjoying this rainy Sunday? I didn't think so.

Folks in this country used to ask me if we had summer in Russia, when we were missionaries there (1994 to 1999). My reply had always been, “Yes, we have summer in Russia. Sometimes, it falls on a weekend!”

We have winter in east Tennessee. Sometimes, it lasts a few days or even a week!

Snow on Monday, 1/3/2022

I used Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's not semi-intelligent cell phone to take the above image from our deck at 8:56 AM on Monday, 1/3/2022. About an inch or so of snow had fallen during the night. The Sunday rain had turned to snow. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman was still on her two-week Christmas break. I had a day off for New Year's Day. The low was about 30F. The high was about 41F.

Unfortunately, I spent the day on the landline phone, fighting with the (now former) provider for our two not semi-intelligent cell phones. I have detailed records of my phone call efforts with our former provider.

Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's cell phone still worked fine. My ol' Samsung cell phone could still make or receive phone calls. I could not see the numbers. My phone could still get texts, which I could not see. The screen had been white as new fallen snow since 12/30/2021.

As further aggravation, since 12/30/2021, I have not been able to use our home desktop computer to log in to our account on the Straight Talk website, as I have done for about a decade. That (now former) provider had been automatically charging one of our credit cards on a monthly basis. (We pay off that card in full every month.) Strangely, I could use Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's Chrome laptop computer to log in to the website.

I, however, have started to digress into my next article that I will publish today. The little snow on Monday, 1/3/2022, was the first taste of winter this season. I wish that I could have been out in it more than I was.

 Snow on Thursday, 1/6/2022

On Friday, 1/7/2022, at 7:58 AM, as the sun was coming over the ridge east of us, I used Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's (now old) LG flip cell phone to take the above snow photograph from the deck. (I wish that the door post shadow was not in the image.) The snow had started to fall about 12:20 PM on 1/6/2022. We had less than an inch of snow.

Mrs. Appalachian Irishman had to start “hitting a lick” at work on 1/6/2022. Her two-week Christmas break had ended. Her sister and she commuted to and from their teaching location, about 35 miles or so from here. They worked about a half day, due to the snow.

The snow enabled me to work from home on that Epiphany Thursday and the next day! Otherwise, my usual work pattern remains, since 2/1/2021: work at home Monday through Wednesday but at the office Thursday and Friday. It's insanity, of course. The office does not need “coverage,” whatever that is. I can do the exact same job at home. I, however, have digressed. Y'all, help me find a new job if you can! I will retire from my current “govrmint” job, to do something, anything, else – working from home full-time!

By the way, y'all remember 1/6/2021, don't you? That was a “day that will live in infamy,” as the end of the USA and the beginning of the USSA Socialist Utopia! The events of 1/6/2021 compare to the 12/7/1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the attacks on 9/11/2001, according to some socialists. Thursday, 1/6/2022, was also Epiphany, or old Christmas, or Christmas Day (Eastern Orthodox Church and Russian Orthodox Church). You can do the research, as I know you can! By the way, January 6th of (year not given) was the birthday of the sister of my lifelong friend. I sent her an online birthday greeting.

Conclusion

At 5:19 PM, as I typed this sentence, I was listening to Fleetwood Mac's song, “Gypsy,” on my new Motorola Edge 5G UW (2021) so-called “smart” phone.

I need to get the next article written. Y'all take care out there! Don't let Corona Myopia Psychosis or USSA Socialist Utopia get you down! “Gypsy,” by Fleetwood Mac, is still a great classic rock song!

Appalachian Irishman by the Numbers: New Year's Eve Snapshot on Two Platforms (published 12-31-2021; article #287)

Introduction

Great! Today, Friday, New Year's Eve, we have another rainy and warm “spring” day in winter. At least the morning fog lifted. This is not Camelot weather. By eight, the morning fog had not disappeared (cf. Camelot lyrics - Richard Burton, on Soundtrack Lyrics).

This morning, Tim Burchett (U.S. Representative, 2nd District) emailed his 2021 year-in-review newsletter. The website is Congressman Tim Burchett (house.gov), where there are several news lines and an option to sign up for his monthly newsletter. The website does not include archived newsletters. I wish it did. Tim, as he prefers to be called, is doing his best to slow or reverse the slide of this once-great nation into “Socialist Utopia,” as I call it. I support and join Congressman Burchett in his efforts.

Tim's year in review inspired me to check this website's 2021 year in review. I took a minute (11:02-03 AM) to see a moment-in-time snapshot. I also looked at my newer Substack platform. I had to do something, aside from hope that the fog would lift, which it did eventually.

Appalachian Irishman by Today's Numbers

Since the inaugural article on Monday, March 6, 2006, I have been able to see this website's analytics. Next March will be the sixteenth year that this website has been up and running. Today, at 11:03 AM, I saw this website's statistics on Blogger Stats. (You can't access that site. Only I can, as the owner.)

Today, at 11:03 AM, all-time views at that moment were 136,636. At the time, today's views were 28 (so far). Yesterday's views were 124. This month's views were 1,925 (so far). Last month's views were 1,460. The number of views keeps increasing. It was a snapshot in time.

Twenty of the 286 total articles before this one were viewed or read in the last seven days (12/24-30/2021). Views of those articles totaled 95. They were as follows, with the total of views beside each article. (Four articles with published dates emboldened from 2006, 2009, and 2014 were viewed.)

-- Ferrell's Well Drilling, 3-8-1958; Weigel's from 12-21-2013 Remembered on 12-21-2021; Christmas Day Yesterday; and Light at the End of the Tunnel: The Backdrop (published 12-26-2021) = 21 views.

-- MY “LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL” CONTINUES (published 12/29/2021; article #284) = 9 views.

-- Tuesday, 11-23-2021: Dad Got the Same Junk Mail Here for the Third Time! (published 11-26-2021) = 8 views.

-- 5/9/2021: Mother's Day on VE Day (Russia) in the Midst of a Memorial Service = 7 views.

-- ALPHA TO OMEGA (published 12/29/2021; article #285) = 7 views.

-- Life, “Such As It Was,” Update: 12/7/2021 to 12/23/2021 (published 12/24/2021) = 5 views.

-- Devil's Nose, 11-29-2013 Hike (published 1-1-2014) = 4 views.

-- 11-7-2021: USSA “GOVRMINT” TIME ENDS! (published 11-7-2021) = 4 views.

-- CHRISTMAS EVE, 12-24-2021, UPDATE (published 12-24-2021) = 4 views.

-- “Life, Such As It Was,” from 11-29-2021 to 12-4-2021 (published 12-11-2021) = 3 views.

-- Christmas on Friday, 12/25/2020 = 3 views.

-- 11-24-2021 Was Mom's Heavenly Birthday: My 7-17-2021 Birthday Pie (published 11-26-2021) = 3 views.

-- HOW TO PRONOUNCE “APPALACHIAN” - REVISITED (published 12-12-2009) = 3 views.

-- Devil's Nose Mountain, Hawkins County (published 3-7-2006; article #2) = 2 views.

-- A Liberal's Stew (published 3-18-2006; article #6) = 2 views.

-- Fearghail Nieces: Basketball Proud! (published 12-19-2021) = 2 views.

-- Ferrell Family Gathering Fun on Saturday, 7-3-2021 (published 7-5-2021) = 2 views.

-- DAD, 9/17/1927-1/25/2008, AGE 80: I REMEMBERED (published 1-25-2021) = 2 views.

-- Reflections from Saturday, 12-30-2000, Eleven Years Later on Thursday, 12-30-2021: The Squirrel Saga (published 12-30-2021; article #286) = 2 views.

-- Sunday, 6-13-2021: Generational Honor: Granny Ferrell and Niece at Age 15 = 2 views.

The first article on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, mentions the number of international views at that moment in time. I can see the total number of views from which nations at any time. I can't see the names or email addresses of viewers. I can't see who has subscribed to this website.

For 2021, this is the one hundred twenty-first and final article. A man has to stop for the year sometime! I published 55 articles in 2020. Analytics show me data for articles from 2016 to 2019. This website's statistics page includes better details than the information in the next section.

Appalachian Irishman (since 3/6/2006) - Substack 12/23/2021+

The Thursday, December 23, 2021, article, the 280th on this website, was my first article on Substack.

Today, at 11:02 AM, I saw my Substack platform statistics after I logged in at that moment. The statistics were not as detailed as the ones for this original website, Appalachian Irishman.

In nine days (12/23-31/2021, at 11:02 AM), Substack analytics showed 30 readers. I have one Substack subscriber, whom I know, who enrolled to receive email notifications when I publish on that platform. I can see the email addresses of subscribers on Substack.

Substack is useful. It may draw a wider audience to my original website. (I will not republish this article on my Substack platform.) This original website's statistics protect email subscribers (whom I can't see) better than my Substack platform (as I see subscriber email addresses).

Conclusion

The first semifinal game of the 2021 College Football Championship (No. 4 Cincinnati vs. No. 1 Alabama) is on now. I hope that Alabama does not win!

The second semifinal game (No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Michigan) starts about 7:30 PM this evening. I expect Georgia to lose. If so, then Georgia won't have to play Alabama again in the 2021 Championship game on Monday, January 10, 2022. Georgia let Alabama beat them on Saturday, 12/4/2021, in the SEC Championship game. Yes, I am still not over that loss!

Go Dawgs!