Wearin' of the green, from O'Bama to your dinner plate

 

It's that time of the year again, when much of America turns Irish, if just for one day.

I can't claim any Irish blood in my own family, except for that on my wife's father's side. A life-long resident of Omaha, Neb., John Hayes was always proud of his Irish upbringing.

Now comes word that Sen. Barack Obama's bloodlines on his mother's side can be traced back to Ireland.

At least one transplant from Northern Ireland finds white America's love of the Irish to be somewhat perplexing, as reflected in this essay.

The University of Michigan Health System is taking advantage of this green fascination to promote some changes in our diets.

For those of you who wish to check out your own Irish roots, the New England Historic Genealogical Society is offering free access to its on-line Irish databases for a limited time. Go there now.

Flickr photo of Chicago River on St. Patrick's Day courtesy of  jshueh.