I've had a few friends -- okay, just one -- ask me about the 'shield' at the top of this page. It's the O'Halloran family crest.
The name 'Halloran' in original Gaelic means something close to "stranger from afar", or sometimes more darkly, "pirate." It could hint that the first 'Halloran' in Irish history was someone from another country (Spain, perhaps?) who emigrated to Ireland, and the Gaelic locals called him "stranger." And the Gaelic name stuck. Thus, the O'Halloran family crest prominently features a horse on it (denoting a traveler) sometimes saddled, sometimes not. Plus three blue doves are featured on it (I've also sometimes seen it as three blue stars). The color red on the crest is derived from the host clan into which the Hallorans assimilated (Feargaill).
I have never been able to find a reliable online source to any of the above information, as most of the 'family crest' websites out there are designed primarily to sell keychains and coffee mugs, rather than being historically accurate. But if anyone knows a good reliable source, I'm all ears!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Pictures on 513
I'm playing around with the best way to post pictures on this blog.
I have hundreds of pictures - mostly of my wife and kids, 'natch - on my Cannon digital camera, and also saved on CD-ROM. However, It seems that the formatting of these pics are incompatible with this Blog. Either that, or the file sizes are too huge for Blogger to handle (I'm having a hard time determining which of these problems it is).
Also, I need to find which Template will work best to post pictures on this Blog: I don't want to have dozens of pictures on the Splash page, affecting loading times, but I also don't want to create yet another web site out there somewhere just to host my pictures. Either way, when I do post pictures, I'd ideally like them to be formatted as thumbnails, where when you click on them they pop up as a larger version to view one-by-one.
Thoughts on this subject are welcome.
I have hundreds of pictures - mostly of my wife and kids, 'natch - on my Cannon digital camera, and also saved on CD-ROM. However, It seems that the formatting of these pics are incompatible with this Blog. Either that, or the file sizes are too huge for Blogger to handle (I'm having a hard time determining which of these problems it is).
Also, I need to find which Template will work best to post pictures on this Blog: I don't want to have dozens of pictures on the Splash page, affecting loading times, but I also don't want to create yet another web site out there somewhere just to host my pictures. Either way, when I do post pictures, I'd ideally like them to be formatted as thumbnails, where when you click on them they pop up as a larger version to view one-by-one.
Thoughts on this subject are welcome.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Taking in a ballgame
Went to the Reds-Angels baseball game last night at Great American Ballpark.
Someday I'll have season tickets.
The Reds lost 6-3, but at least the weather was great. And anyway, you just can't beat the atmosphere anytime you're at a live sporting event.
Reds CF Josh Hamilton is seeming to emerge as a serious player to contend with. Great arm, great running speed, great power, and the intangible ability to make an impact on the game when it counts most (clutch hitting, key defensive plays, etc). If he turns out to be the kind of player he is emerging as, and if he stays healthy, Hamilton could be a force for years to come.
Meanwhile, rumors have been spreading about a possible trade of LF Adam Dunn. And rightly so: Dunn can't run, can't field, has only an average arm, and takes a 'whatever' attitude about the game. Although he will hit more solo home runs than most, that is his one and only asset. Unfortunately, championships aren't won with solo home runs from guys hitting .260 -- and even then he never seems to be able to hit the big one when we need it most. In fact, he's on track to strike out 200 times this year. Awful.
Someday I'll have season tickets.
The Reds lost 6-3, but at least the weather was great. And anyway, you just can't beat the atmosphere anytime you're at a live sporting event.
Reds CF Josh Hamilton is seeming to emerge as a serious player to contend with. Great arm, great running speed, great power, and the intangible ability to make an impact on the game when it counts most (clutch hitting, key defensive plays, etc). If he turns out to be the kind of player he is emerging as, and if he stays healthy, Hamilton could be a force for years to come.
Meanwhile, rumors have been spreading about a possible trade of LF Adam Dunn. And rightly so: Dunn can't run, can't field, has only an average arm, and takes a 'whatever' attitude about the game. Although he will hit more solo home runs than most, that is his one and only asset. Unfortunately, championships aren't won with solo home runs from guys hitting .260 -- and even then he never seems to be able to hit the big one when we need it most. In fact, he's on track to strike out 200 times this year. Awful.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Is There a Parking Genie?
We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of Halloran513:
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“DEAR HALLORAN513:
“My name is Fiona and I am 5 years old.
"I have driven with my daddy, Sean Halloran, many times, and seen his remarkable luck with finding a great parking space, even in some of the busiest, most crowded locations in the world. He attributes this ability to the Parking Genie.
“Some of my little friends say there is no Parking Genie. But, I’ve heard that 'If you see it on HALLORAN513, it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Parking Genie?
"Fiona,
"Cincinnati, Ohio"
“My name is Fiona and I am 5 years old.
"I have driven with my daddy, Sean Halloran, many times, and seen his remarkable luck with finding a great parking space, even in some of the busiest, most crowded locations in the world. He attributes this ability to the Parking Genie.
“Some of my little friends say there is no Parking Genie. But, I’ve heard that 'If you see it on HALLORAN513, it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Parking Genie?
"Fiona,
"Cincinnati, Ohio"
FIONA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they read in an email, or unless Oprah tells them so.
Yes, Fiona, there is a Parking Genie. He exists as certainly as up-and-downs and alligators exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest level of balance. Alas! how dreary would be the world, and how far away Sean would have to park, if there were not a Parking Genie! It would be as dreary as if there were no Fionas.
Not believe in the Parking Genie? You might as well not believe in the Tooth Fairy! Sure, you might get enough men to watch all the parking spots in the world, but even if they did not see a Parking Genie out there saving a space for Sean, what would that prove?
Nobody sees the Parking Genie, but that is no sign that he isn’t real. The most real things in the world are those that neither women nor men can see. Did you ever see Santa coming down the chimney? Of course not, but that's no proof that he doesn’t exist. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart a VCR and see what makes it play, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, and maybe your teacher could explain the supernatural beauty and glory in this world. Is it all real? Ah, Fiona, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Parking Genie? Thank God he lives, and he lives forever! Ten years from now, Fiona, nay, fifty years from now, the Genie will continue to find premium parking spots for Sean and those with whom he rides.
Yes, Fiona, there is a Parking Genie. He exists as certainly as up-and-downs and alligators exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest level of balance. Alas! how dreary would be the world, and how far away Sean would have to park, if there were not a Parking Genie! It would be as dreary as if there were no Fionas.
Not believe in the Parking Genie? You might as well not believe in the Tooth Fairy! Sure, you might get enough men to watch all the parking spots in the world, but even if they did not see a Parking Genie out there saving a space for Sean, what would that prove?
Nobody sees the Parking Genie, but that is no sign that he isn’t real. The most real things in the world are those that neither women nor men can see. Did you ever see Santa coming down the chimney? Of course not, but that's no proof that he doesn’t exist. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart a VCR and see what makes it play, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, and maybe your teacher could explain the supernatural beauty and glory in this world. Is it all real? Ah, Fiona, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Parking Genie? Thank God he lives, and he lives forever! Ten years from now, Fiona, nay, fifty years from now, the Genie will continue to find premium parking spots for Sean and those with whom he rides.
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