The great ironies of life...

airplanenut

I was just doing some history homework on General Braddock of Virginia... apprently he was a *poor* general...
Likewise, Braddick collects *poor* coins

What ironies have you found in life? This is WEIRD (or I am REALLY tired)

FC57Coins

You're tired - got to BED!

airplanenut

<< <i>You're tired - got to BED! >>

I'm still doing homework, you insensitive, smoking dog! And I will probably be doing more history after I'm done with English- so watch out!

TheNumish

Jeremy,
That's just a forced coincidence. An example of an irony is someone who was anti-smoking all their life dying of lung cancer. Wish I could think of a better example but I hope you get the point.

RegistryCoin

It's always nice to have something to help you remember. There's a word for that, but I just can't remember...oh yea, pnumonic? is that right?

braddick

Have you ever read a word on a Billboard while driving and at that exact moment heard the word on the radio?
It's very errie.

airplanenut

Jay- I know that it is a coincidence... but think about it... is it really???

cladking

Yes. People are more likely to notice something when they are already "on the subject".

Petescorner

The Numish is right. Jeremy's example is not a true example of irony.

Irony is the stark difference (often humerous) between the way something is and the way it seems it should be.

Jeremey's example wasn't showing a difference, it was pointing out a coincidental similarity. If Braddick's name was Pat Goodcoin, and yet he collects the worst examples he can find, then that would be an example of irony.

But don't worry Jeremy, most people use the word "irony" incorrectly. In fact, Alanis Morrisette wrote a hit song called, "Ironic" that didn't give a single true example of irony. Now THAT'S ironic!!!

Clankeye

Jeremy--
Here is a true story for you.
About twenty years ago I took a trip to Ireland. While there I was inspired by Irish traditional music to write a "folk song." The song was called "Free and Green" and it was about an Irish soldier named Captain Taggert who gets killed in battle fighting the "traitors."
A friend of mine added some music to that song, and used to play it.
He became a Civil War re-enacter, and joined a particular brigade of Civil War re-enacters who are members of The Irish Brigade, who were a real brigade in the Civil War.
One night my friend played this song Free and Green around the camp fire at one of their events. Everyone was stone silent when it was over.
"What's up?" asked my friend.
Well, it turns out, there really was a Captain Taggert in the Irish Brigade. And he really was killed in battle. Did I know this when I wrote the song? No. I was just describing what I thought was a fictional story. But the real story of Captain Samuel Taggert (his real name) is almost to a T like the song I wrote. My friend even went and visited his grave. The song has since become kind of an anthem for the re-enacters of The Irish Brigade. Anyone interested in the song can go this website and hear a bit of it. It is on a CD called The Irish Volunteer, and if you click on the CD, it will show the songs, and you can hear it if you click on:

Free and Green

It was just a little bit spooky, though. That the song was written, that my friend would join that Brigade, that there really was a Captain Taggert... pretty strange.

Carl

SilverEagleDave

The best case of irony I have seen so far was when I lived in Jacksonville. There was a guy on a motrocycle that was on his way to a rally to protest the law of having to wear a helmet. Well guess what happened? Yep he was in an accident and later the Medical Examiner said he died due to head trauma and would of lived had he worn a helmet!

TheNumish

Had another comment to make but Clakeye's story blew me away. That is very, very unusual story. Makes you think we are all connected in some sort of psychic way.