Griffin Jasper Stockley Jr. is an author, historian, and attorney known for his lifelong commitment to the cause of civil rights.  Although Stockley has been honored over the years for his legal achievements, his books have garnered him the widest recognition . His five Gideon Page novels became popular in the 1990s.  In 2001, he published a finely researched historical account of the Elaine Massacre, titled Blood in Their Eyes:  The Elaine Race Massacres of 1919.  In 2002, Stockley was awarded the Booker Worthen prize, a prestigious award established by local authors for works of nonfiction.  http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1053

Quotes from Illegal Motion, a Gideon Page mystery by Grif Stockley

Winning, in our brains, equates with respect.

Coaches.  They are the closest things to dictators the United States has. 

If love and hate are emotional kinfolks, pride and embarrassment share a common ancestor as well. 

Americans still think we live on corned beef and cabbage over here," says Irish cookbook author and teacher Darina Allen.  So let's set a few things straight: In fact, the dish that's synonymous with St. Patrick's Day and all things Irish in the U.S. is so rarely eaten in Ireland—for the holiday or otherwise—that some people wonder if it's actually Irish.  In Irish Country Cooking, Malachi McCormick says he likes corned beef, but then adds:  "But our national dish?  No, it's a New World dish!"  First, corned beef and cabbage is most definitely Irish.  Second, when properly made it's "delicious," says Allen—recent taste tests here at Epicurious confirm that the corned beef and cabbage recipe http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Corned-Beef-with-Cabbage-241775 from Allen's cookbook Irish Traditional Cooking is indeed fantastic.  Third, with the current multicontinent trend of chefs looking to the past for inspiration coupled with a craze among food-lovers for all things cured, this briny classic is poised for a comeback.  Although corned beef is "almost a forgotten flavor in Ireland," according to Allen it was once an extremely popular and important food for all classes.  To "corn" something is simply to preserve it in a salty brine (the term corn refers to the coarse grains of salt used for curing).  In the days before refrigeration, corning was essential for storing meat, especially from large animals like cows.   Megan O. Steintrager 

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/stpatricks/corned_beef_and_cabbage_recipe

March 6, 2014  What do you get when bookshelves pose for a picture?  A group shelfie, of course.  Go ahead and groan, but give the Akron-Summit County Public Library credit for a pretty good visual pun.  For the last few weeks, the library has been coaxing smiles from its social media followers with its “shelfies,” cleverly planned photos of books and other materials on its shelves.  The pictures have included a shelfie of Devo videos in memory of band member Bob Casale; a roundup of Richard Simmons exercise videos as an antidote for the indulgences of Fat Tuesday; and the aforementioned group shot, a witty picture of rows of shelves at the Main Library, sunlight streaming from a window to give the photo some ironically misplaced gravitas.  The concept is, of course, a less narcissistic twist on selfies, self-portraits that have become a staple on social media sites.  Michael Derr, the overseer of the library system’s social media efforts and a committed foodie, had seen cookbook shelfies on food sites and thought the concept might work well for the library.  He started posting the photos in mid-February on the library’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites.  Mary Beth Breckenridge  http://www.ohio.com/news/library-s-shelfies-put-witty-twist-on-social-media-photos-1.471428

The shamrock has been intricately linked with Ireland for centuries. We have come to regard the shamrock as a symbolic three- leaf plant, but it is interesting to note that "shamrock" is not the official name of a plant but rather the Irish name for the clover plant, of which there are hundreds of varieties.  If you live in North America, you probably have seen the white and red clover make their appearance on your lawn during Spring.  For the Irish, however, the shamrock is a symbolic representation of an identity - one that started with the long journey of St Patrick to Ireland.  About the late 19th century, Nathaniel Colgan identified one species of the clover, the Trifolium Repens, or a variation of this plant which is the White Clover or also referred to as the Dutch Clover.  This is by far the most common of the species around the world.  The Academic American Encyclopedia (1990) has identified the Trifolium Repens Forma Minus, family Leguminosae, (White Clover), as the original shamrock of Ireland, as has other similar sources.  http://www.celebrations360.com/index.php/shamrock-white-clover-clover-irish-st-patricks-day-trifolium-repens-dutch-clover-18639/

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an Indian-controlled union territory about 850 miles east of the mainland.  The archipelago, with about 380,000 residents, is known to be a place of natural beauty, with emerald waters and coral reefs that draw backpackers and honeymooners. It is also home to several protected indigenous tribes.  But it is also viewed by the government as an important spot for monitoring China and key shipping lanes.  There are two large Indian military installations there, for the navy, army, air force and coast guard.  Because of both the delicate presence of the protected tribal groups as well as its strategic importance, parts of the islands are off-limits to foreigners, and even Indians need a special permit to visit.  Notably, while the area contains 572 islands, only 37 are inhabited.  During the 19th century, British colonial rulers used the chain as a penal colony, bringing in people of diverse ethnic groups from the Indian mainland, one reason that the islands are today part of India, even if they are far closer geographically to other nations such as Indonesia.  It is now home to six protected tribes, some of which live isolated from modern life in the jungle near beach resorts or among coconut plantations.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/03/14/an-introduction-to-the-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-a-remote-indian-archipelago-now-part-of-the-hunt-for-mh370/

National symbols of Ireland include:  Harp, Irish Wolfhound, Shamrock, Crown Jewels of Ireland, Celtic Cross, CL Rsach, Saint Patrick's Flag, St. Patrick's Blue, Cross-Border Flag for Ireland, and an Tiompan G Idhealach (stringed musical instrument).

Irish national anthem  The text of Amhrán na bhFiann, consisting of three stanzas and a chorus, was written in 1907.  It was first published in the newspaper, Irish Freedom in 1912.  The chorus solely was quietly adopted as the National Anthem in 1926, amid much discussion about the national anthem.  The anthem was originally written in English, the later Irish translation by Liam Ó Rinn is much more commonly sung in the country.  A section of the National Anthem (consisting of the first four bars followed by the last five) is also the Presidential Salute.  There has been some criticism about the anthem due to its militant nature and anti-British tone.  The words “Fianna Fáil” (Warriors of Ireland) appear in Ó Rinn’s translation, later adopted as the name of an Irish political party, some advocate this be changed to “laochra fáil” (heroes of Ireland) instead.  Also, some have argued that the melody is difficult to play, whereas others have pointed out that the whole song has been performed, instead of the chorus (which is the official anthem), or has been played at the wrong speed, both of which have happened at recent Olympic Games.  An anthem composed by Phillip Coulter called “Irelands Call” is used as a non-sectarian anthem, which is used by athletes from both Ireland and Northern Ireland when competing together as a unified team.  http://www.nationalanthems.info/ie.htm

Much of St. Patrick’s life is shrouded in mystery.  Historians disagree on many dates and places in his life story.  Patrick was born sometime around 380 in Scotland or Wales.  His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britain.  His real name was believed to be Maewyn Succat and he took the name Patrick (or Patricus) after he became a priest.  As a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, he was captured during a raiding party.  He was taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep for an Irish chieftain named Milchu who lived on Slemish Mountain in County Antrim.  Patrick's captivity lasted six years. 

http://www.saintpatricknewry.org/saint_patrick.htm

Issue 1123  March 17, 2014  On this date in 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed.  In 1941, the National Gallery of Art was officially opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.