Ireland Trip Part 44: Blasket Islands and the Great Evacuation

Rob and Tom on the Dingle Peninsula

In this blog, we continue on our journey through Ireland's Dingle Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean. Today's blog takes you
to the Blasket Islands and the Great Evacuation.

THE BLASKET ISLANDS AND SLEEPING GIANT - The Blasket Islands are a group of islands off the west coast of Ireland, forming part of County Kerry. The main island was called "The Great Blasket" and resembles a man sleeping on his back - that the locals refer to as "The Sleeping Giant."  The islands were inhabited until 1953 by a completely Irish-speaking population, and today are part of the Gaeltacht. The word "Blasket" means "dangerous."

"The Sleeping Giant" - the island looks like a man on his back

HOW FAR BACK WERE THERE RESIDENTS? From the end of the 13th Century the Ferriter family leased the Islands from the Earls of Desmond, and from Sir Richard Boyle at the end of the 16th Century. They retained a castle there, at Rinn an Chaisleáin (Castle Point) in the lower village. However, when you look today, you will not find any castle ruins there, because the stones were all used to build other homes, including a school on the island  in 1840. The same school was closed down in 1852 after the ravages of the Great Famine.

Remains of a home on the peninsula

DID MANY PEOPLE LIVE THERE?  The number of residents on the Great Blasket Island continually changed.  There was a population of about 150 living there in 1840, but after the Great Famine that had decreased to 100. The population is said to have reached its peak in 1916, at 176. From then on it was in decline until 1953/54 when the Blasket was abandoned.

What a house on Blasket island looked like inside

A drawing of a blasket island home

WHY WAS GREAT BLASKET ABANDONED? 

Picturesque view of the peninsula

According to dingle-peninsula.ie.com: "The big change came with the early 1930s. The Island community began to decline and the young people were loath to marry. Only two couples married there between then and the time of its abandonment, with most making off for America where so many of their kin had preceded them. In some cases entire households left in the 1940s and settled on the mainland. Their courage had deserted them a long time before the year of the great exodus in 1953; they felt the boat sinking under them."

 WAY OF LIFE- Basically the inhabitants of the island were fishermen. Some were farmers of potatoes, oats and rye, and boats actually tied sheep's and donkey's feet together so they could transport them from the mainland to the island!

 To learn more of the history of the Dingle Peninsula, visit: http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/home/the-blasket-islands/history-heritage-of-the-blasket-islands.html


There is an entire visitor's center at the western point of the Dingle Peninsula that has a museum dedicated to the former inhabitants of Great Blasket Island.

NEXT: WHAT'S A KILMAKEDAR? 

Gullibility Test of the Week! Check out these E-mail/Facebook Rumors

Well, it's time again for the Gullibility Test of the Week!  Before you SHARE these stories on Facebook, you need to know the truth about them.    As a public service, here you can learn the truth (Some are so ridiculous they're laughable) about 
1) Was the Pope a "Metal head"?
2) Was a Christian Pastor was jailed for not performing a gay wedding?
3) Does Gerber baby food has a "McDonald's burger and fries" baby food ?
4) Is the President really going  to raise taxes on "gatherings of white conservatives"(this is so STUPID it's obviously false); 
5) Did Hillary Clinton pose next to a woman with an "I'm with Stupid " tee shirt?
6) Are Democrats are trying to ban using "husband" and "wife" in legislation?
NOW,  ONTO THE TRUTH...


FACT CHECK: Was a Christian pastor from Vermont jailed for refusing to participate in a gay wedding?  FALSE  (It's amusing that these fake news sites get a LOT of people believing their stories).

On 10 July 2015, the fake news site News Examiner published a fake article titled “Christian Pastor in Vermont Sentenced to One Year in Prison After Refusing to Marry Gay Couple,” an article that reported:  According to NBC News, a pastor at the Christian Proctor Church in Vermont, has been sentenced to one year in federal prison after refusing to marry gay couples. This comes shortly after the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision ruling that states must allow gay-marriage.  Read more at http://m.snopes.com/pastor-jailed-gay-marriage/#pIVhMFoe37Y5SWmP.99

FACT CHECK: Does a photograph show a young Pope Francis in a Black Sabbath t-shirt?  NO.
This is one of two Photo-Shopped pictures going around the Internet this week.





FACT CHECK: Does a photograph show a jar of Gerber brand"Big Mac and Fries" baby food? FALSE

Fake baby food label

 Back in 2008, the web site Freaking News ran a contest title “If McDonald’s Ruled,” in which participants were invited to “show what life would be like if McDonald’s ruled the world.”
One of the entries in that contest (“Fattening of Our Children”), a digitally created image of a jar of Gerber brand “Big Mac and Fries dinner” baby food, fit the theme a little too well and has been circulated online ever since with claims that it pictures a genuine new baby food product:
Read more at http://m.snopes.com/mcdonalds-gerber-baby-food/#OtrUQ2ovhqqYXIul.99

 

 

FACT CHECK: Did President Obama say that he was going to raise taxes on "gatherings of white conservatives" such as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally?   FALSE   (Obviously started by a right-wing racist-who put  "Hussein" on the meme. - Don't these wackos have anything better to do than lie about people? )

This meme started spreading widely after it was published to the Facebook page of an over-40s single biker’s club (And he's really scary) . That iteration included the instructions to “SHARE if you are as outraged as I am,” a come-on commonly used with misleading clickbait content and scams.  Read more at http://m.snopes.com/sturgis-tax-hike/#L0yFJtx5p8xJc0gV.99

 

FACT CHECK: Does a photograph depict an unwitting Hillary Clinton posing next to a woman wearing an "I'm with stupid" shirt? NO!  (Again, some conservative Republican photoshopped this and spread it over the Internet getting people to believe it. SO CHILDISH)    HERE are the PHOTOS side by Side with the SOURCE

FACT CHECK: Have Democrats proposed legislation that would ban use of the words "husband" and "wife"?  FALSE (SIGH - again, another lie from conservatives to whip people up into a frenzy.)
 Nobody in government is actually proposing that the words “husband” and “wife” be banned, or that their future use be limited or restricted in some way. Such claims stem from a bill HR 2976 (also known as the “Amend the Code for Marriage Equality Act of 2015”), which was introduced by Rep. Lois Capps of California and seeks to modify sections of the U.S. Code to update language that uses gender-specific terms (e.g., “he,” “she,” “husband,” “wife”) and replace it with gender-neutral references. These changes (which have already been enacted on the state level in places such as California) would both bring older sections of the code up to date to reflect changing conditions and eliminate potential ambiguities in federal law following from the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision

Read more at http://m.snopes.com/husband-wife-ban/#KTcLisKTWDYJPuoU.99

BOTTOM LINE - DON'T JUST SHARE IT UNTIL YOU RESEARCH IT. ALSO - if it's a political slam, there's a GOOD CHANCE IT'S FALSE (especially if it slams democrats).

 

A Fun Mystery from Australia: Gay Resort Murder Shock

  Back in September 2014, while I enjoyed the Baltimore Book Festival, one of the books I bought was a mystery about

two gay guys who solve murders - somewhat by chance. 

It's called "Gay Resort Murder Shock" by Phillip Scott.

(It's G-rated, btw). What's interesting is that it's written by an Australian author named Phillip Scott and it takes place in Brisbane, capital of Queensland,. Brisbane is a big, modern city set on the Brisbane River in northeastern Australia (and it's on the Southern Pacific Ocean).

   The book came out in 1998, so the Internet wasn't mentioned and neither were cell phones. It's interesting to read a novel from that time, because the world has changed so much in the last 17 years, but it's also interesting to read how some of the gay stereotypes of old existed in Australia, too. Further, even then and in Australia, right-wing religious zealots were nasty to gay people. Some of that comes through in the story, but the story is more light-hearted than that. 

   The book "Gay Resort Murder Shock"  is about gay two friends, Marc (a 50 year old) and Paul (his ditsy younger dancer friend),   find themselves working at a gay resort off the coast of Queensland, run by Newton Heath, a friend of Marc's. All goes as expected as Marc continues to drop whatever he hasn't already forgotten and Paul madly chases the guests, but when Newton is murdered the boys have a new mystery on their hands! 

   The book is full of colorful and memorable characters, and written so well that you can picture the settings and the characters. There are some twists and surprises, too.  

   I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up, but as a lover of mysteries, I really enjoyed this book, and the characters. I found out that the author wrote several other books with the same characters and once I finished this, went on Amazon.com and ordered the others!   

  It's great to read a mystery with gay characters and G-rated, so that ALL mystery lovers can enjoy it- gay or straight. 

- Rob 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Phillip Scott, a lifelong resident of Sydney, Australia, has written and -performed in satirical reviews at the Edinburgh Festival and in London and has also worked as a musical director for David Campbell, Rowan Atkinson and Lily Savage and even once accompanied Bea Arthur. He is the author of two other Marc and Paul mysteries, One Dead Diva and Get Over It! 

Dog Rescue - Transporting Trooper!

Trooper smirking at the camera during a break from the road

On Saturday, July 12 we helped transport another Dachshund northward to a foster home. Trooper was a dog that was found and picked up by a shelter in Alabama. He was in a "death row" shelter, and was found by DASH rescue, who coordinated a transport north to a foster home through Katie Wehner. Katie lives in central Virginia and she coordinates all the trips up and down the East Coast to get Dachshunds out of kill shelters and into foster homes, once a rescue contacts her with the location.It's a lot of work, but she manages to get drivers to do a 60 mile leg each- and going up the east coast requires quite a number of drivers!

close up!

Trooper is a long, skinny dog!

 TROOPER'S TRIP -   Last Saturday, Rob met Irene in Alexandria where he picked up "Trooper" a brown, dapple Dachshund who couldn't have weighed more than 8 pounds. Rob drove Trooper around the Capital Beltway and up toward Baltimore for a handoff to Trudy- who took him to Delaware for another handoff! Trooper's ultimate destination was a foster home in central New Jersey. 

A short video I made of Trooper

TO ADOPT TROOPER- Go to DASH Rescue's Website: http://www.dashrescue.net/

Trudy loading Trooper in his crate in the back seat

PLEASE BE A FOSTER DOG PARENT -   It's a wonderful feeling to save another sweet dog's life and put them into a home, although a foster home.   PLEASE consider fostering dogs for rescues. - Open your home- the rescues PAY all medical expenses. You just buy food and give shelter, exercise and love.
 

Our Adventures in Air Conditioning Breakage...

 It has been an adventurous week! Our home AC (the motherboard shorted) started failing quickly yesterday when I was teleworking in the afternoon. Fortunately, I called BAIR Necessities (we have a service agreement with them) who sent a repairman (Tyler) out quickly.  Tyler took the unit apart, found the issue and ordered the part (which came in early this AM).  (http://www.bairnecessities.com/)

   Tyler called me this morning as I was about to go to the office and said he would come over and install the new part, so I worked from home. He gave me a time-frame and arrived promptly.

Our Tyler

   He repaired it and double-checked everything. - He's awesome. Knowledgeable, efficient, friendly and explained everything. Can't say enough about him and his service. (He also enjoyed meeting our dachshund who shares his name... and who wouldn't stop barking). - Can't say enough great things about BAIR and their techs. 
    Thankfully, this was fixed in time for a weekend in the mid-90s (and heat indicies expected near 100F). 
**But there's more! On top of the home AC, my truck's AC fizzled twice this week (Tom fixed it both times). Three weeks ago, the fan in the inside of the truck that blows the cold air, had burnt out. I ordered a replacement on Amazon.com, and Tom used a YouTube video of instructions to install the new one. However, the cord has come loose now a couple of times, so we'll have to address that. 
Stay cool!

Ireland Trip Part 43: What is an Ogham Stone?

Rob at an Ogham Stone

This is part 43 of our Ireland trip, and it was on the Dingle Peninsula where we discovered Ogham Stones. So, if you've
never heard of them before, you'll learn about them now! 

WHAT DOES "OGHAM" MEAN? - According to Megolithic Ireland, Ogham is the earliest form of writing in Ireland, it dates to around 4th century A.D. and was in use for around 500 years. The Ogham alphabet is made up of a series of strokes along or across a line. Ogham is sometimes referred to as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet" as a number of the letters are linked to old Irish names for certain trees. The alphabet was carved on standing stones to commemorate someone, using the edge of the stone as the center line.

Explanation of the Ogham alphabet and markings

WHAT IS ON THE STONES? There are roughly 400 surviving orthodox inscriptions on stone monuments throughout Ireland and western Britain; the bulk of them are in the south of Ireland, in Counties Kerry, Cork and Waterford. The largest number outside of Ireland is in Pembrokeshire in Wales.  The majority of the inscriptions consist of personal names.

WHAT'S THE ALPHABET LIKE? - The twenty standard letters of the Ogham alphabet and the five forfeda. (Forfeda are 5 additional sounds not accounted for in the alphabet. They appear to have represented sounds felt to be missing from the original alphabet, maybe é(o), ó(i), ú(i), p and ch).

Gerard Scott, our amazing Tour Guide!

    HOW DO YOU READ THEM? - They are normally read from the left hand side bottom up, across the top and if need be down the other side. (Source: http://www.megalithicireland.com/Ogham%20Stones%20Page%201.htm)

An Ogham Stone

NEXT: BLASKET ISLAND AND THE GREAT EVACUATION

View from the Dingle Peninsula

Ireland Trip Part 42: The Stitch Secret of Aran Sweaters

This is part 42 of our Ireland Trip, and today we continue to explore the Dingle Peninsula in western Ireland, that faces the Atlantic Ocean. In this blog you'll learn the Secret of Aran Sweaters.
      ARAN SWEATERS - Aran sweaters are world-famous and originated from the Aran Islands, located off the west coast of Ireland.  
  The Aran knitting techniques were developed in the first century, and were made for fisherman and farmers in this cold climate. Each family or clan has its own stitch! In fact, we learned that the Aran sweaters were often used to help identify bodies of fishermen washed up on the beach following an accident at sea. An official register of these historic patterns has been compiled, and can be seen in the Aran Sweater Market on the Aran Islands. 
     MEANINGS OF THE DIFFERENT STITCHES - Some stitches include the cable, diamond, Irish moss, zig zag and tree of life stitches.
1) The Cable Stitch - depicts fisherman's ropes, and represents a wish for a fruitful day at sea. 
2) The Diamond Stitch -indicates small fields of the islands. They're sometimes filled with Irish moss stitch showing seaweed for harvest (wishing for success).
3) The Zig Zag Stitch (a half diamond) -represents the twisting cliff paths on the islands. 
4) The Tree of Life - shows importance of the clan, and is an expression of a desire for clan unity, with long-lived parents and strong children.
To learn more about Aran Sweaters, visit: www.aransweatermarket.com/history-of-aran-sweaters

*NEXT: WHAT ARE THE MYSTERIOUS OGHAN STONES? 
 
VIDEO:  The Story of the Aran Sweater: https://youtu.be/rDDE-ZwCaZo 

Ireland Trip Part 41: The Beehive Huts and an Irish Actress Mystery

This is part 41 of our trip to Ireland. This blog continues our trek through the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. Dingle is in extreme western Ireland and extends out into the Atlantic Ocean. Today, we'll explore the famous and ancient Beehive Huts and meet a woman (supposedly) made famous in a Tom Cruise film...

Looking at the ceiling of the Beehive Hut from the inside

Several Beehive Huts together

The Beehive Huts are located in Fahan. Fahan is an area on the Dingle Peninsula noted for a collection of clochán, or drystone beehive huts.

Outside the Beehive Hut!

Beehives are a Nat'l monument

Tom and Gerard at the Beehives

WHAT ARE THE BEEHIVES? - They were structures built as far back as 2,000 B.C. by a primitive people that inhabited the peninsula. They mirror the structure of the New Grange mound that we saw early in the trip. They are ancient circular "huts" made of stone. They were built without mortar and still stand today.  


FAMOUS IRISH ACTRESS - The woman that lives on the property where the Beehives are located is also famous for acting. Her name is Mary.

The famous actress who owns the Beehive Land

  We were told that she was in the Tom Cruise film "Far and Away." But we can't find her in the credits- because all of the older Irish actresses listed for the film died in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and she was very much alive. 
Anyway- The film is about a young man who left Ireland with his landlord's daughter after some trouble with her father, and they dream of owning land at the big give-away in Oklahoma ca. 1893. She was also in "Ryan's Daughter" - Set in the wake of the 1916 Easter Rising, a married woman in a small Irish village has an affair with a troubled British officer.

NEXT: BLASKET ISLAND, OGHAM STONES, AND THE ARAN SWEATER SECRET

ROB'S VIDEO WALK THROUGH OF A BEEHIVE HUT: https://youtu.be/sLmUeR30JJU 
 

Ireland Trip Part 40: Intro to Dingle Peninsula, Inch Beach and Hero Frog!

View from the Dingle Peninsula's Inch Beach

This is part 40 of our Ireland trip (although we were physically there 9 days). Today we take on on the start of our tour of the famous Dingle Peninsula. The Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the major peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. It ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland and Europe!  It faces the Atlantic Ocean on Ireland's western side.

BEST KILLARNEY TOUR GUIDE EVER! - Across the Pond Vacations set us up with tour guide Gerard Scott of Killarney guided tours. You can find him at: http://killarneyguidedtours.biz/.  We learned that Gerard is also a singer and performer with the "Celtic Steps.' He enjoys singing Neil Diamond and John Denver songs, and so do we, so it was even more fun! Her recommended a couple of movies that we're going to check out: Ryan's Daughter, Michael Collins (with Liam Neeson) and Quiet Man (with John Wayne).  
So, over the next several blogs, you'll read and see the Great Blasket Islands, the site of the Spanish Armada's fateful route, the spectacular Slea Head and so much more. We also got a bite to eat in charming Dingle Town. Gerard knows his geography and history like no other. He also knows the roads, do we didn't have to worry about trying to negotiate the winding Irish roads around the peninsula. 

CASTLEMAINE HARBOR- This harbor in the beginning of the southern end of the Peninsula is where ocean farmers harvest mussels. 

HERO FROG - Gerard told us the developers wanted to make a large part of Inch Beach into a large golf course. When a Natterjack Toad was found there, the site could not be developed. 

WHAT IS A NATTERJACK TOAD? - This toad is native to sandy and heathland areas of Europe. Adults are 60–70 mm in length and are distinguished from common toads by a yellow line down the middle of the back, and parallel paratoid glands. They have relatively short legs, and this gives them a distinctive gait, contrasting with the hopping movement of many other toad species. Natterjacks have a very loud and distinctive mating call, amplified by the single vocal sac found under the chin of the male.

Natterjack Toad

WHERE ELSE ARE THEY FOUND? -  Populations of the natterjack extend through 17 European countries. In the British Isles the toad is almost completely confined to coastal sites. The natterjack is the only species of toad native to Ireland. It is found on the Dingle peninsula and at Derrynane in County Kerry, and also in County Wexford .
BLUSTERY INCH BEACH  - Inch Beach is in Ireland's County Kerry. The beach is a sand spit jutting into the sea between Dingle Harbour and Castlemaine Harbour, where "Ryan's Daughter" was famously filmed. When we arrived, it was an extraordinarily windy day. Sustained winds were about 60 mph- tropical storm strength! Of course, the surf was extraordinarily rough. As we stood on the beach we got sandblasted by the strong winds kicking up sand.Fortunately, there was a little restaurant on the beach, so we went inside for some tea and scones so we could watch the waves and wind.



INCH BEACH'S DOLPHIN - Gerard told us that there was a dolphin named "Fungi" that keeps returning to Inch beach and nearby Dingle Harbor because tourists keep feeding him.
VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/y_d8Enzh3-Y
  


NEXT: THE BEEHIVE HUTS!
   

Ireland Trip: Part 39: Little Clay Men Tribute, Killarney and the Eejit!

This is part 39 of our Ireland blog and covers the end of our time in Limerick and the beginning of our stay in Killarney!
You'll read about hundreds of clay men as a tribute to an Irish Rugby Player, our  arrival in Killarney and an Eejit.

TRIBUTE OF HUNDREDS OF CLAY MEN - In St. Mary's Cathedral, Limerick there were hundreds of little clay men in one corner of the church. We didn't know what they were until we looked more closely. They were an artistic exhibition in the memory of murdered rugby star Shane Geoghegan. The clay men were made by the citizens of Ireland and abroad as a tribute. This massive art project was started by Shane's aunt. It was amazing to see.

WHAT HAPPENED TO SHANE? - Shane Geoghegan (7 March 1980 – 9 November 2008) was a rugby player for Garryowen who was shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity as part of a gang feud in Dooradoyle, a suburb in the city of Limerick, Ireland. The murder took place in the early hours of Sunday morning, 9 November 2008

Hundreds of clay men

 On 18 August 2012, John Dundon from Limerick City, was also charged with the murder at the Special Criminal Court. He was found guilty on 13 August 2013 and sentenced to life in prison

WATCH THE VIDEO FROM IRISH TV ABOUT THE CLAY MEN TRIBUTE (in 2011): http://www.rte.ie/news/player/2011/1109/3104769-artistic-tribute-to-the-late-shane-geoghegan/

MORE RAIN! - It was a 2 hour drive to Killarney from LImerick, and it was a drive in very heavy rain!  However, as we arrived in Killarney and checked in at the Ross Hotel (where we encountered a ghost- but will get to that in a future blog), the rain ended. 

WHAT IS KILLARNEY? - Killarney (Irish: Cill Airne, meaning "church of sloes" is a medium-sized town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, which is part of Killarney National Park.  Killarney is a popular tourist destination, and we'll explore it with you later.

After checking into the hotel we got to enjoy a quick dinner at a local pub (they only take cash because credit card companies charge too much). We then went in some of the gift shops where we stumbled upon what turns out is a popular sign and an "Eejit" (or idiot).

WE MET AN EEJIT-  While in the shop we heard a woman mouthing off to an Irish clerk about her home "taxing rain." I asked her if she's from Maryland and she said yes and asked why. I explained we are from there and that the "rain tax" isn't a tax on rain, it's a tax on impervious surfaces that cause runoff of pollutants into the Chesapeake Bay. The tax helps clean the Bay. She turned to me and said "who the F are you?" I told her I am a scientist, and she said "What the hell do you know?" Her husband grabbed her arm and took out outside.
  I looked at the clerk and apologized. The clerk simply said, "You tried. Some people just can't be educated."

SO, Tom held up a sign for the woman that yelled at me. It said "Feckin' Eejit." 

NEXT: THE DINGLE PENINSULA TOUR! 

Another Good Elizabethan Mystery! Murder in the Queen's Garden

We  both just finished reading and enjoying  the third in the "Elizabethan Mystery" series by Amanda Carmack. The book

is called "Murder in the Queen's Garden" and Queen Elizabeth's favorite musician Kate Haywood is back solving murders. In this case, it involves murder from decades ago when a corpse is found in the Queen's garden - and that murder ties into new murders as Kate tries to figure them out.
   Like the previous 2 novels in the series, this one keeps you guessing, and makes you feel like you're living in the day (1559 in England). The characters are all well developed and interesting. This one also has some characters that develop horoscopes for royalty and even address one that was done for Katherine Howard (the young queen of Henry VIII that was beheaded for cheating).  If you like Tudor history and mysteries, this is another must-read in the series! - Rob and Tom

BOOK SUMMARY: 1559. Elizabeth has been on the throne for six months, and life in England seems newly golden. But for the Royal Court, murder and betrayal are foretold in the stars....
  Kate Haywood, the young queen’s personal musician, has been keeping busy playing for a merry round of summer parties where famed astrologer Dr. John Dee and his fantastic horoscopes are all the rage. However, Elizabeth’s favorite stargazer fails to predict the discovery of a skeleton in the queen’s garden—and that the victim’s identity will call his own innocence into question.
  When the doctor’s pupil is the victim of a second murder, the concerned queen enlists her trusted Kate to clear the accused killer of wrongdoing. But will the stars align to light Kate’s path through a tangled thicket of treachery to save Elizabeth’s prized astrologer and protect the queen from those who threaten her reign?

Bad Grammar make you crazy? Enjoy "Weird Al" Yankovic - Word Crimes

If bad grammar makes you crazy? If bad grammar makes you crazy? Then enjoy "Weird Al" Yankovic's Word Crimes video and get a grammar and spelling lesson.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc