Avatar

What sort of a bloody avatar is that, you might ask? Who does this guy think he is, one of the Gods? And why can't he just keep his mouth shut?

Well, the story of my avatar is as follows. I was using the avatar you can see at the bottom of this post, but there seemed to be a feeling that in the current climate, and me not being an arab and all that, this avatar was not appropriate. And this despite it actually being me and the Fez actually coming from Fez, a gift from my son.

However, never being one to stir up unnecessary political controversy, I abandoned it and had to find another. This apparent contretemps actually proved to be a boon because the one I am now using has even deeper resonances in my family history.

It is taken from the fountain in James's Street, Dublin 8, and has been there since 1790. It sits below what must be one of the very few remaining sundials in Dublin, and it has a beneficent history of bringing water to the common people. It also has the dubious distinction of having kept an eye on my great grandfather for almost half a century. And so I have become very attached to it and intend to keep it. So there.