Letter to America - The Irish Podcast - Chapter 58 - Goodbye Margarita Plaza

Wow, it's the End of an Era with Letter to America - Chapter 58 - Goodbye Margarita Plaza!

In which host Jett Loe shops at the DEA store, Wayne Van Ry is apologised to, Unpaid Intern Erin makes a cameo appearance, we accuse old friend Conn of hiding behind an anonymizer, the Irish Blog Awards are touted, Oldbones rocks, Damien Mulley is discussed, Randy Newman is a little down and Captain Planet saves the day. 

All this and more on your "On To The Peace Wall" Irish Podcast.

Comments

[Alan in Belfast]

When you get a new place to live, can choose one that doesn't remind me of Margherita Pizza every time I see the building name written down :)

[Jett Loe]

Guess that means 'Dominos Mighty Meaty Apartments' is out then.

Damn.

[Penelope]

enjoy your new digs Jett :-)

last time in belfast i stayed at library square, that modern block of flats behind the central library on kent st.

temporary digs for my parter whilst hys house was being built it's not too far from the plaza. it had a lovely soviet bloc vibe about it. the finishing inside was a joke, gaps in the moulding where it turned a corner, holes cut too wide in the flooring for radiator pipes and closet corners, peeling paint above the kitchen cabinets...and it was a new building!! when the boiler broke and we had no heat or hot water we ended going to the travelodge... but that was after we came back from rome :-)

to add to it's charm, across the corner is what i hear is a notorious bar, the tavern.

but i could tell it was rough trade right away... don't see too many bars in california with cages around the front... er... none in fact!!

[Aorund Par]

Here's hoping the new place is secure and safe and I hope you like it enough to stay for a good long time, and here's hoping the next podcast is from there. Actually, I'd really be happy if the next podcast was a VIDCAST! You can still time travel in Vidcasting, plus, people can see you and your new place and it would be all sorts of awesome!

Oh, I found something, and while it's unrelated to the podcast and your move and everything, I feel obligated to post a link to it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrxx73Y_iM4

Jett, if you could put the sound from this video into the next episode, I would be very grateful, call it "A Special Message From Mona Lisa". She deserves some recognition, she is a lovely lady, after all.

Ok, that's all for now, but please do think about making the next episode a Vidcast. That would be really cool!

[Jenny]

Hey Jett - good luck at the blog awards and the move! I hope the reasons for moving are mostly positive... "having to leave in a hurry" sure sounds ominous.

[Jett Loe]

All things are positive Jenny don't ya worry. All will be explained in Chapter 58.

[Phil O'Kane]

I still haven't found the margarita plaza. Ever since hearing you mention it way back. Now I have no reason to continue my search. Happy moving.

[Jett Loe]

On Adelaide Street - across from L.A. Fitness.

[Jett Loe]

Plus, Penelope - have never been to the Tavern - please go and report back, cheers.

[Jama]

I remember listening to Chapter 53 where you walked around Belfast and made comments about the various sites. I remember thinking at the time, “Man, he must really hate living there.” But, then you say that you get a kick out of Belfast. And I have to wonder. Irony is difficult when people have no frame of reference. They don’t know you so they can’t laugh and say, “Oh, that crazy Jett. He’s so funny sometimes with his sarcasm and razor sharp wit.” They don’t spend the time to see what else you are besides sardonic. I’ve seen you capable of a kind of tolerance and kindness that inspires me but I have also found myself recoiling from your biting humor. The world seems to me to be a very dark and serious place, and you yourself have said that the world needs more love and more humor. And I would add more kindness, more tolerance and more patience. I fear you fuel the flames of darkness rather than put them out with some of the things you say. I do it too. We all do. I love what Wayne said in his closing thought. I have also found LTA to be a safe place, a funny, thought provoking gathering of like-minded people. I have learned so much and grown as a person just from stopping by and participating. It’s a beautiful thing, Jett. It really is. And I guess it just makes me a bit sad that you’re getting such hateful e-mails. I suppose my negative feedback doesn’t really help, but I like to look at things like this as growth opportunities, rather than criticism. In all of the posts and comments of recent days I’ve been left searching myself and asking whether I am gathering love and kindness with my words or am I gathering hate. My hope for all of us is that we leave people with the knowledge that regardless of where we are from we are in this mess together and one kind word can change everything.

[Brianf]

I thought it was a good show. Well done, guys! When is the next Film Talk? The Departed maybe?

[Jett Loe]

Have been too busy recently for Film Talk Brianf, Dr. Higgins and myself recorded one ages ago: Rocky Balboa and Prairie Home Companion; will upload it soon.

Jama - you win the award for longest comment ever! :) Will try to address what you've said on the next show.

[Jama]

Sorry.

[Jenny]

Hey Wayne - I also marched in the Fiesta Bowl during my band geek years. We marched in the 1999 parade, which was in Phoenix. I played the flute.

[Aorund Par]

Hello. I hope things are good with everyone. Stuff in my world has been lots of craziness and/or things that should happen but don't, but it's probably not all bad. I'm downloading Chapter 58 as of this post, so I'll be listening to it sometime today, probably a few hours from now. I'm somewhat unsure how things will go as far as this computer I'm using. Sometimes, I just want to do horrible, violent things to it, but it's not really mine, so my reactions have to be fairly limited, though I did break the spacebar just a bit, makes a different sound now. Anyway, I decided that in my series I'm planning, the first episode is going to be a Vidcast, but I still haven't actained full use of any video equipment yet, so that's still in the developmental stage. Um, so that's it for now. Have a nice day!

[Brabazon]

Shame to hear that this place is beginning to get to you (re: the 'yank go home' type emails you've been receiving), but it gets to everyone, that's the bloomin problem. The negativity is such that you can't help be beaten down by it occasionally...

The problem is, we're like the gangrenous limb of Europe, hanging way out here in the Atlantic Ocean. We're a small country, surrounded by water, and have no land borders with major European countries, so the flow of ideas and energy in and out of the place is lacking. We've therefore ended up looking inwards too much which has lead to petty squabbles and a stifled and immature society. There's a deep seated 'siege mentality' in our wee country.. It's so ingrained in the culture that even forward thinking people retain a blind spot when it comes to rational and balanced thought regarding local issues. It creates an atmosphere of cynicism which is stifling to creativity and personality. Imagine the wrestling phase Andy Kaufman in a local context. A character like that wouldn't be allowed to even exist in 21st century Belfast, so that must mean that 1980's Tennessee was a more tolerant place... (never been there, can't comment)

We need more fresh perspectives and on things from 'outsiders', so the more Jett Loe's there are living in Belfast the better for all of us, and the more healthy and confident our society will be. I look forward to a time when people here are allowed to raise their head above the parapet without automatically setting themselves up as a target, if you'll pardon the expression...

More power to your wee wheel, Mr Loe...

[Jenny]

You can't wrestle women in Befast? Good God, what will they take next - foxy boxing?

[Jett Loe]

Thanks for everybody's comments - the show is like 'open source' therapy!

[Dave]

An absolutely excellent show, the Lift pt 3? In many ways, a shame it couldn't be released earlier, as I'm sure it would have scooped all the irish blog awards it could have been put up for.

Anyhoo, hope you enjoy the new place, all the best with the future.

[Jett Loe]

Thanking you Dave - the new place is quite an adventure - Wayne was brave enough to meet me out here by the Peace Wall to do the latest show.

[Dave]

Ah, such a polite man Jett ... not at all what you expect an american to be ;)

Now, the old offer you had of "Mr tourist, sleep on my couch" ... will that still be in effect in the new luxurious penthouse apartments that you inhabit?

I'm looking forward to newly divorced life, and figure a bit of travelling is on the cards. The thought of heading to the land where the beer is more popular than air sounds like a good place to stop at for a little while ...

[Jett Loe]

The old offer was to sleep on the couch in the penthouse apartment. Now that I'm moved into a house divided by a Peace Wall the offer is to crash in the spare room.

[Aorund Par]

If I was there, I'd be there, if you know what I mean. I'd be a helpful sidekick, or try, at least. I don't know of much I can do, being here in the states, but hangin' with Mr. Loe would be an experience like no other. BTW, Jett, the audio file I sent you a long time ago, no need to put it in any upcoming episode, it's old by now, so what I'll do is do some research for you for a story or something, or maybe you can email me with a suggestion and then I'll send you a new audio file and you can put that in an upcoming show. I know you have Erin Parish and even Wayne "Ordinary American" Van Ry to give you stories and stuff, but I want to contribute to the show, and not just by word of mouth, telling friends about the show, I want to contribute content to the show, so Email me at [email protected] with some suggestion of something I can do, if anything.

[Jett Loe]

Don't worry Aorund Par - am going to use your audio file in the upcoming Chapter 60 - A Saturday Shafting.