opportunistic abuse of power

Overheard on the DART: male garda stops a young, female learner driver as she is driving unaccompanied on a motorway while texting someone on her mobile phone. Says something like "I suppose you were texting the boyfriend". She says she doesn't have one, or words to that effect, and so the garda asks for her number and lets her off with a warning. The story was related by the female in question to a male friend of hers, so it's not exactly third- or fourth- hand.

For those not familiar with Irish law, learner drivers on their first (learner) license are required to have a fully-licensed driver accompanying them; they're not allowed drive on motorways; and anyone using a mobile phone without a hands-free kit is liable to get points on their license (12 points over 42 months and you lose your license) and (I think) an on-the-spot fine.

what the heck is Whippin' Piccadilly, anyway?

One of the vocalists in Gomez has a lovely, filthy blues voice, and he's generally doing sort of free-form backing/harmonic stuff that I really like. That aside, I really like their video for Whippin' Piccadilly; I seem to recall it was the first thing of theirs I encountered, and I bought the wrong album trying to find this track because I couldn't remember the title. Still, even buying the wrong album turned out to be a good purchase. And I did eventually get the right one.

updated to note: somehow I'd completely failed to notice the most excellent slide guitar in the third verse up until now. And going by the video, it's done by the same guy who has that fantastic voice. Dammit, share some of that talent around!