Ah, the days of Spork and roses

When you’ve got it, flaunt it. Even if it’s something that makes a lot of people cringe. In this case, that would be Spam. Now I’m not talking about all that sickening, mailbox-clogging email we all get. This is about that venerable canned meat product, the stuff a lot of us ate when we didn’t have enough money for anything else.

Who’s flaunting it: Hormel, which apparently now owns Spam. And guess what: there’s a Spam museum. Really.

Hormel has the goods on this enterprise up proudly on its web site. And, I suppose, why shouldn’t it. Take a peek at the ‘Spam family of products’: http://www.hormelfoods.com/brands/spam/default.aspx

The real Museum of Spam, apparently complete with a stately building, is hidden away somewhere in Minnesota. but you can experience the true nostalgia that surrounds scrumptious Spam just by visiting its home on the web.

There’s even a digital Spam cookbook with some 20 or so goodies you can prepare at home deep, probably deep in the night. I’m personally gearing up to tuck into the Creamed Spam Plate Special. The recipe writer says it will feed 8, but I bet with a dozen pints or so on board I can eat the whole lot.

While contemplating the significance of discovering the Museum of Spam I recalled another food product of dubious distinction from yesteryear. I don’t know if it’s still around, but a product that came in a red tin the same size and style as a Spam used to be available north of the U.S. border in Canada. It was called Spork. If memory serves me Spork couldn’t be imported into the United States because it contained a hair-raising list of revolting ingredients not welcome down south.

I wonder if somewhere in the windswept Northwest Territories is a Museum of Spork. Food for thought. Sort of.

What I’d give for a tin of Spork right now. And what pig parts went into making Spork? ALL parts, probably.

Thoughts on Claiming Irish Citizenship

Growing numbers of Americans must be getting more uncomfortable with the status quo there these days. At least that may be one reason hits on my web site’s area on the topic of obtaining dual citizenship are rising dramatically in number lately.

I suppose it’s not surprising that interest in Irish citizenship is rising, given the number of Americans (and others) who are eligible. Even the Irish government estimates that between 30 million and 40 million American citizens could claim citizenship here under the so-called ‘granny’ clause.

Under current interpretation of Irish contitutional law anyone who has either a parent or a grandparent who was born on this island is eligible to claim citizenship. In fact, a person who has a parent born anywhere on this island is automatically a citizen in the Republic of Ireland.

And anyone who has or had one grandparent born here can probably claim full Irish (and European Union) citizenship by registering through the Foreign Births Registry.

I’ve covered this topic in some detail in pages on my site (www.patobrien.net), but it appears that a number of ugly worms have crawled into this lovely little apple that’s otherwise practically free for the plucking.

I’m speaking about the growing number of companies … err racketeers … advertising to help people seeking a second passport to achieve their goal. I don’t know how similar processes work with other countries, but in the case of the Irish system very little help from anyone is necessary to complete the process and obtain dual citizenship.

As I have responded in many emails to people who have found my web site through search engines, you don’t need anyone or any business to help you in gaining Irish citizenship — if you meet the basic qualifications outlined above. As long as you’ve got about $200 to spend, you can read and write, and you’ve got the patience to do the necessary and simple one- or two-generation genealogical research you can sail through this process.

Specifically, if you can collect the necessary birth certificates, marriage licenses and, if it’s the case, death certs, you can complete this process and have a nice new red passport delivered to your door. It takes about a year and, by the way, having dual citizenship is perfectly legal for Americans.

So, whatever you do, if this sounds like something you’re interested in doing, don’t pay anyone a retainer or fee to do what any literate person can do on his or her own.

So long, Yankee dollar . . .

Every business day for the past week the American dollar has dipped ever lower in value. This latest steep decline follows many months of continued reduced value in the American currency in markets worldwide.

Who could have imagined a euro whose dollar value is now $1.56?

All numbers and things considered, the buck has plummeted in buying power here in Ireland against the euro by some 65-75 percent since  2002. The dollar has also slumped against a number of other key monetary units, including the yen. Where the buck’s plunge will level off remains unknown.

Great going by the Bush regime. Talk about minding the business of others while things go to hell at home!

Through corruption and lies, they got their war. They also got a recession, a massive mess within the U.S. banking/home-loan system and hugely increased energy and food costs.   

Real stewardship across the board.