Late night movies

Damn BBC. Just as I was heading to bed I did a final channel scan and discovered they were showing Thirteen Days. It is an interesting behind the scenes look at the Kennedy White House during the Cuban missile crisis. Of course the accuracy is open to challenge but the movie is done with a appropriate pacing and Kevin Costner is suitably low key for most of the movie.

I do not know what it is but I'm fascinated by the 1960s. Could be as result of being an actual child of the decade or because there was so much hope and optimism for the future evident in that decade. I would recommend watching this if you get the chance.

A Christmas pressie to me.

I've been watching one of those nostalgia shows about Man Utd Heaven and Hell. They featured one of Palace's goals from the 1990 FA cup final and I was given to wonder if they were both on the net somewhere. Before you could say, 'you don't want to type that in there' I had headed to youtube and typed in ian wright palace and got this set of gems. I'm sure some will say it must have been hard to find twenty but I can think of a few they could have included.

Merry Christmas to one and all

I was admonished yesterday for a lack of blogging in recent times. I'm all ok with people living
vicariously through me from time to time, but you wouldn't want to make a habit of it. Just as with belief as we all saw in Hogfather it would seem there is only so much writing to go around these. Not that this should be taken as implying that I've been producing anything else of any real quality elsewhere. And kudos to Sky for not making a complete bags of that adaption. Ian Richardson particularly quite grew on me as Death and David Jason was quite low key instead of scenery chewing which he could have been.

To satisfy those requests I'm going to finish some draft posts I had half done, just to clear the boards as it were. New brooms for the new year and such like.

Anyway, I would take this chance to wish you all a Merry Christmas from everyone at Kane manor. And a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Boilers - an ugly business.

I've been babysitting a boiler for a just under the last week or so. Now, not that kind. Though, I suppose I have indulged a few on occasion. One does what one can, (would listen to me! and the season that is in it) this boiler has a leak right at the bottom. I have concocted a device to trap the water with it resting on the floorboards and doing terrible damage.

Water is a nasty business when it comes to houses. It can causes terrible superficial damage, and that can escalate to serious structural problems in no time at all. What with the weather being so miserable it is hard not to avoid the creeping idea that we might be heading into some prolonged period of dampness.

More about children

isn't that what everything wants to read, me talking about children? Hey, I got broody too every once and a while, it passes.

Went to see 'Little Children' last night which was not at all what I was expecting. We were treated to some adult nudity from Kate and Jake which was alright by me (and I have to apologise for my delight at the trailer for 'Stick It' from the writer of Bring it On. What can I say I'm a sucker for twentysomethings in leotards and cheerleader outfits). It was more of a slice of suburban east coast US, married somethings with more time on their hands than they rightly knew what to do with. Some of the characters get a raw deal in terms of development, and there appears to be more going in in places than we get to see. The film is quite long at 130 minutes. Though it isn't arse numbingly so could have done with looping off 20 minutes. As it was it seemed like a few scenes had been removed. The performances were quite good and it appears intended to leave you talking about it. Worth a look but not sure if it needs to be seen on the big screeen. Oh, hang on large screen nude Kate, yes then see it in the cinema.

I had a quick gander at the trailer over on apple.com\trailers and they make it seem like a slow boiling thriller.

It's the way they say it

I say this recently and it made me think

DO YOU KNOW THAT 80% OF THE WORLD’S PEOPLE LIVE IN THE UNDERDEVELOPED WORLD…

…AND THAT THE RICHEST 20% OF THE WORLD’S PEOPLE SHARE 84% OF THE WORLD’S WEALTH…

If we really look at what is being said here, we can see that (a) not all of the richest 20% live in the developed world (b) how are we judging this wealth that people own? After all, if it is cash in the form of currency or stocks or property value then the value of that wealth has more to do with the fact that more wealth pushes up the value of the items than anything else.

Damn pesky kids

they never came, and I'd bought chocs and all.

I had one group of four kids call by about 6pm and that was it.

Have to eat themselves myself now.

The boys are back

Our friends from ballydung manor are back for another season. Here is Rodge tastefully expressing his liking for one of Spiral's dancers. Apparently, he was in BB7.

One year older, none the wiser.

Unlike Mr. Russell Nash, I'm thinking I should just take a few years off at a time rather than stealing the identity of some wee child who didn't make it and reinventing myself aged 74.

So, how about being 29 this years? That would make still allow me to claim Argentina '78 as my first world cup and in time for the great Kerry teams of the 70s. OK, so I'd have missed the team of '75.

I'd have been a tad on the young side for the summer of love mk2, but since most of the activities prevalent at the time on the illegal side how would having been underage make a difference?.

Anyway, 29 today.

This sounds familar I wonder if I blogged this last year?

The Solution to the 'conflict' in Iraq

The US Government has finally seen the light!

United States Redneck Special Forces (USRSF)

Battle Cry - GET'R DONE!

Press Release:

The Pentagon announced TODAY the formation of a new 500-man elite fighting unit called the
United States Redneck Special Forces (USRSF) Arkansas,Arizona, Georgia,Kentucky,Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri,Oklahoma, Tennessee,Texas and West Virginiaboys will be dropped off into Iraq given only the following facts about terrorists :

1. The season opened today.
2. There is no limit.
3. They taste just like chicken.
4. They don 't like beer, pickups, country music or
Jesus.
5. They are directly responsible for the death of Dale
Earnhardt.

The Pentagon expects the problem in Iraq to be over by Friday.

Flotsam

Twink is a game old burd all the same, her latest excursion into the public mind is a bit of a verbal car crash but still kinda fun.

Also, I came across a pretty interesting and followable description of Buckaroo Banzai's hometown and the neighbours.

G'luck Stevo

Steve Irwin was killed today while filming a documentary We need more people to make science fun for the kid in all of us. You'll be missed Stevo.

Twister

Seems like my dopey finger problem may be just related to twisting and such in bed resulting in compressing nerves and some such medical jargon in combination with the wallpaper stripping.

HandyDan

I've never been quite the handymen that Val and Earl (Earl is on the right, Val is on the left) proven to be for the population of Perfection. I've done a fair bit of painting, yard clearances, mild demolition (sheds and walls) and general gardening work. However, I thought I had worked out any kinks there might be in my technique. I may have been wrong.

It seems that my wallpaper removal and painting may have had a more permanent effect than I was expecting. The last 2 weeks or so I've been waking up with my litte finger on my right hand curled up and try as I might I can't unfold it. I have to use my other hand to do it manually(yes, I can see the funny part of referring to something that you do with your hand as manual). It is as if it has locked up, that or the wiring is shot.

I've got an aunt who has suffered considerably since her late 30s with arthritis, so I'm somewhat concerned; as rated on the Mitty Concerned scale where 'somewhat' is higher than 'mildly' but not as high as 'a good bit'. From my light net reading, it seems arthritis is like a weakness or condition that you are prone to that get triggered or released due to a trauma in the joint. I'm going consult with one of those quackery folks and see if this is just a mild dose of hypochondria.

My eye ate a fly.

As I was biking in this tomorrow, I was in collision with some flying thingy. Well, collision is a strong word to use when the other objective is a gnat compared to yourself. In fact is could have been a gnat.

Anyhow, my eye closed on it and in the ensuing struggle it seems my eye may have devoured it, well there appeared to be wriggling after I had stopped and I couldn't find or pull any bits out. Later on, the phrase that came to be me as a minor poetic phrase was 'My eye ate a fly', said with a lilting southern (as in American south) accent it sounds kinda fun.

Not a patch on the 'I ate a bug' from young Ms. Tam on our left. There again, I'm no Whedon.

my wee band

There is a concept I heard Jim Kerr of the Simple Minds put forth one day on afternon tv (many years ago) about the dangers of what he termed 'my wee band'. Basically, you discover a band that you really like and proceed to talk about them endlessly, buy all their stuff and promote them to all your mates. However, if they actually have the bad grace to become successful you start moaning about how they've sold out, that their new stuff isn't as good as their original material. The idea Jim was driving at was this was all a form of selfish toss. When the band were yours alone they were shiny and great but when they came to belong to everyone they were cheap and nasty. A generous confident person who values the work will be glad the band's work has found a wider audience, while a more insecure and selfish person wants the pretty thing just for themselves. Yet they do want everyone to know how fabulous the thing they and they alone have is! It can only ever end in tears before bedtime

In slightly different vein, while living the land of 'pan I discovered the joys of a CD library in Maebashi. You could borrow CDs much like books 2 weeks at a time. This offer included new releases and it wasn't long before I was taping to beat the band like the cute Kerryman I am. One band whose album I recorded at the time but had not heard of was this '24 years of Hunger' by Eg and Alice. The album quickly became one of my favourites but try as I might I've never been able to get it new on CD in order to give some reward to those who created it. And that is a real, real pity. I urge poeple to look out for it for themselves. It really is a divine piece of work. And I'm going to root it out and give it a good old listen now that I've got my tape collection back.

And not a nana in sight!

Album art is a lost art some might say due to the smaller area to work with on CD covers as compared to LPs and rightly so judging by these examples!

I too have lost this love

but I should make the effort to renew the relationship that was so important to me when I was a wee laddie. I'm a library brat after all.

All Hail King Puck

I'd not seen this before but you can follow all the day's action here...quite a good idea really. 6pm is the coronation time today. Thanks to MCC for the link. Tomorrow is the Fair Day and Saturday the Scattering Day.

Behold the witch

blade...ok wallpaper-blade is probably more accurate. I made it using a standard scrapper and painting pad with extension joined by mystical drafting tape which allows me to wet the high, hard to reach parts of the wallpaper and then flip it over and scrape them.

And it can be used to flip burgers.... ok , maybe not.

Sports

A cracking game of football, there was some great fielding on display. The O'Se clan should be justly proud of the commitment and skill their lads showed. Not sure that we should be labelling Kieran Donaghy as 'Der Neu Bomber' but sure he seems grounded enough to live with the comparison. Sean O'Sullivan had a good game, and shouldn't feel that being replaced was any comment on his contribution. Gooch was quite good enough on the day but he is not 100% back to his best, 90% plus but there again Gooch's 60% would be enough for most county squads. Mike Frank's shooting wasn't quite up to his best but he did good link work, took responsibility and I feel he is getting back to his best. He is due a blinder and I'd love it see it against the Dubs in the final. I'll be honest and admit to some roaring and shouting at the telly when Donaghy scored. This win doesn't mean anything without an All-Ireland at the end of it. And while we may have the northern whoodoo off our backs for now, I wouldn't say that takes from Tyrone or Armagh's wins.

The slips against Cork this year will be a different matter.

And Palace started the season with a win too which was nice.

Interesting video outtakes.

You too could be as lovely as this young fetching example of woman. Actually, I have a female friend (yes, that would be you KC) who I've known to lose the gear stick of her brain. 'huh?!' Only when she's been overworked and very tired and perhaps had a few drinks.

Speaking of interesting video, our Respect friend is off again. It may not be very factly illuminating. but it makes for fun tv. Actually, the Sky correspondent should have asked gorgeous George to name the family.

Visual Entertainments

I caught the Chronicles of Riddick on the telly (via sky movies) and I have to admit I thought it was loads of fun. The CGI was used in the right places for the right reasons. Some nice scope and the action was tidily done. Actually, the CGI made me wonder if a movie or mini-series of Dan Simmons Hyperion books might be feasible in the near to medium future. A series like Dune would be my preference in order that less would be cut out from the story.

Pixar on the other hand may have jumped the shark. The Simpson's many moons ago took the mikey out of the trailer for Cars, with 'Cards' and while it may be that they changed some aspects of the movie as a result, I still can't past the deliberate cutesyness. Part of the difficulty with animation is that the technical excellence can overshadow or even compensate for some viewers for what is basically poor story telling and weak characters. And how could people miss the fact that it is a blatant rip-off of Doc Hollywood, which at least had a charming pig in it.

From someone else's posting. Cars is everything the other flicks were, even more so. Every cheesy, corny, cliché elementis extruded and shaped according to Pixar’s determination to not stray too far from the known. Here they want to pretend they really give a fuck about all the hicks, rednecks, and ignorant unwashed masses that they hope will still drag their kids to this flick and buy them the oodles of merchandising on offer. It’s the kind of reflexive window into Pixar’s perspective on Americans themselves, and it wants them to celebrate how wonderful they are just for being who they are. Ah, the laziest form of self-adulation.

Fifty first dates, how is it that Adam Sandler can be such a pain and make such awful movies at times and then he does the occasional stuff which has real heart and is quite touching. I disagree with the ending though.

Eurotrip, Michelle tractenberg, say Mr. Harris would say Daddy likey, our Dawnie is all growed up and she is like 21 or something now so that's all ok right? Still it was somewhat surprising that this was a Dreamworks production and it does seem like Slovakia can't catch a break from a tourist promotion viewpoint.

Ghost-Dog - the way of the samurai, didn't remember when watching it that it was a Jim Jarmusch movie, still I should have twigged. Interesting and enjoyable.

Then there is the girl next door. Or perhaps there isn't.

Go Kelly, go!

I was looking here one day a few months back and through a posting got to the Gleesonsphere (normally I hate The View and all its works, in part because I think it should take place in a pub) and then today it gives me this Goddess. And it rocks!

It is sort of a Friday thing.

and there appears to be more on the Sullivan show.

Oh yes, he is!

New Shows

Or new to me at least.

I got into this little gem over the weekend, it is well written, the acting is good, and there is a strong vein of genuine nastiness at work through it all. Being a teenager is such a pain!

Also new to me is this quick comedy sketch show. Some sketchs are less than 5 seconds or comprise of just an image, and it is all over in 10 minutes. And it doesn't so much push boundaries as invade the countries on the other side of the boundaries and nuke them. It is on at midnight on Bravo, I think. We just record and watch later.

Party, party. kinda

I was wondering if people might be interested in a wallpaper scraping beer gathering sometime this week or week? I could supply scrapers, sponges and beer! It is really just the landing that needs doing and I need to a stepladder before I can do the rest of the hall. It's not too hard to do, just that with one person it gets shockingly tedious. And it wouldn't be a late event, what with it being a school night and all.

It's all over!

Top of the Pops is no more. I had heard it was happening but hadn't noted when, then last evening I was doing some channel hopping while waiting for the paint to dry before going back for a second coat and I caught the last 20 minutes of the final countdown. Kind of sad, but then I can't complain too much as I've not really watched it in years. The really diappointing thing is that it means we are entrenching the further balkanisation of music at a much early age.

That said the other part of the problem is the young age of the bulk of the viewers or those the marketplace chooses to target.

Who is it all for?

Blogging continues to find itself in the news for unintended but perhaps not so unexpected reasons. A young lady in Paris has lost her job as a result of her blog. In which she chatted about her workplace.

An acquaintance of mine, (actually, I'd be imposing to say that, better to say an acquiantance of a friend) posted on this particular issue and appeared to sum up their post with the following "But it really puts things into perspective for people who blog. Be aware that there are repercussions for what gets written. Even when you think you are being clever, even when you give people or places whimsical nicknames, sometimes there are consequences that you never really envisaged." and I thought to comment and share my opinion on the situation of the lady in Paris and the more general issue of consequences that come with our actions.

I was then somewhat surprised a few days later to find my comment deleted, it can hardly be a result of the content which was broadly supportive of the initial post. So can could only be that fact that it was from me that prompted the deletion which is kinda ironic given the nature of the original post. Now, everyone is entitled to do as they wish with their own personal space, blog whatever but it prompts the question, who are blogs for?

For the user primarily, of course, but to serve what purpose - to allow them to address all and sundry or to converse with smaller more selective grouping. Is the blog a broadcast or a localised conversation? Are people really inviting contributions or is it more intended as a personal diary? Should we read from individual postings that they are a note to the self or a warning or admonishment to others to watch their step, or a general rising of the alarm? And is the warning for the poster's benefit or the audiences? Is the intent to threaten the audience or advise them? There is a fine line between talking handsfree and just being another crazy person on the street talking to themselves.

The truth is hard to know, and I'll be honest and admit that I'm somewhat at a loss myself as to why I blog somethings and not others. The writing is fun, and there is some cathartic about putting an opinion or feeling into words. Yet, I'm still not sure who I expect or intend to read it, could it just be for myself? Well, I suppose if it is and I get something out of it then what harm. After all, my readship knows me well enough to mail if they had a problem with something or needed clarifacation on something. And as I don't know the folks I don't know I couldn't say anything about them that would need clearing up.

Look where you're walking

Sometimes you get the feeling that people just don't get it. There is a new site planned or launched called Utherverse, (no, I'm not going to link to it) that intends to be an +18 version of myspace not that I've looked at that either. I did look at bebo a while back which is allegedly similar to myspace but I find it has odd persistence problems when browsing. And I've got no friends! on it.

Anyway, back to the Utherverse, while the intent seems to be to protect those underage from dodgy uncles Glitters and the like isn't the real problem with such sites that there are those who are underage who are engaging in various forms of what would be considered in industrial parlance as inappropirate sexual display. (essentially the idea is if you wander about with your bits hanging out you can do your co-workers for harrasment if they touch but not if they look). And they're not the least bit discerning about who is looking.

The dodgy characters in the macks are probably the least of their worries, there are far more lads their own age who are on the prowl, and that would seem to be a greater and more realistic concern for most parents and if they knew better the ones on the sites. Not that they do know any better, and it is not like shutting the sites would negate the problem as there are plenty of school discos and the like for such informal fumblings to go on.

In part, it all hits home at the problems of trust. How can you decide to trust someone you not alone hard know but in the case of the interweb don't even know if they are who they claim to be. At least the boyo at the disco looks to be a boyo at a disco.

Update - July 21st I got this from someone I work with, I mean they sent it to me, I didn't catch it from them.

Everyone has a book in them

it just may not be a very good one

Recent media attention has focused on the plight of a lady in Paris who I would tend to agree shouldn't really have been fired off the bat as it seems to appear she was. There is now talk of her getting a book or even film deal, and it makes a person wonder if everyone who generates a certain amount of newsprint will get a book deal and whether we shouldn't think more of the trees.

House warming - warning

I hope to have the downstairs painting sorted in the next week or so, and perhaps even to have ordered a dining table and some chairs. It is also possible that I will have sorted the back garden so as to have some outdoor seating and perhaps a barbie.

So as is common at such times, a gentleman's thoughts turn to the idea of a house warming.

If people had particular weekends that don't suit them over the next 7/8 weeks let me know. I'm probably away the weekend of the 2nd of Sept and Puck will be calling me for the weekend of 11/13 August. Don't all rush at once.

In other news, I deny all involvement and demand a retrial!

I'm all a tingle...

or at least my hands are. Removing wallpaper is the devil's work. The repeated jarring motion really makes the hands and fingers sore, not painful or tired per se but just sore. Tenderised even.

This is the hallway wallpaper I'm removing. It is the blue strippy thing above the white wood thingy. I plan on painting the hallway with a white emulsion to brighten it and as a holding colour until I get some idea what I really what to do with it.

Love lectures No. 1

Prompted in part by the fact that someone commented on a recent post (fans!, an audience! someone with discerning taste, possibly someone who was drunk and typed the wrong keys) and also the recent postings of someone else whose situation I think I may had some experience with I thought I might post some bits about love.

Love isn't just the acceleration, it is the come down too. It is not just the rollercoaster, it is the comfort of knowing you are really safe at the back of it all.

If love has a shape it must be round: perfect, unending and in nature found.

P.S. I'm stealing a car this weekend, seriously. I'm being driven nuts I've got about 650 odd CDs and about 200 odd tapes (not counting the 60 LPs at home), and I'm currently making do with about 40 odd in the new gaff. This is not how it is meant to be.

Can't call it love

if you can't call about the mundane. It is in those calls about the otherwise boring bits that you make it love. The profound stuff is easy, the simple is hard.

A night at the Proms.

Strange old night, had part of the Proms on Wednesday night including Clarinet Concerto in A major, Mozart. Young 17 year old bloke on the Clarinat and man how those TV lights must have hurt him. A good piece though. Then there was some special commissioned piece for the Queen's birthday which in all honestly I tuned out of due to simple boredom.

Then it seemed like the night turned into a Juliette Lewis tribute as Gilbert Grape and The Other Sister were on at the same time. And then it not being an evening for turning in early due to the general stickiness I caught some Stargate SG-1 and a bit of Dead Like Me.

Dead like me why did that end? It couldn't have been all that expensive and it had going somewhere in its own quirky way. I have to wonder it is a mark of getting to be a complete old geezer that series you like just up and die like that. Amongst ones I've liked and watched pass away before my eyes have been the aforementioned Dead like me, Tru calling, and Cupid. And then there is Firefly, Wonderfalls, which I didn't see first time around but have enjoyed since.

And yet Charmed goes on and on...

Supermen lose!

Was down to Cork over the weekend. Brian was having his stag and we economical folk that we are decided that combining it with the munster final replay would make it a more plausible weekend trip.

Prior to that went to see Superman Returns, I liked it, certainly more than I did X-men 3. That said it lacked something, I thought Lois was too mumsy, and the whole 'Richard' issue is a hard one to resolve.

The hotel was great, a good distance out at the airport but when the cost and the taxis were split it was quite reasonable. For one participant it was just perfect, flew in and flew out. no other travel hassles.

The night itself was shockingly wellbehaved. There was considerable alcohol consumed, and many establishments visited but nothing risque, bar the 'if I give you drink, you will sing' moment which I wasn't there for. Very good night.

On the Sunday we got a full Irish at bully's nicely priced at 6.95 though the poached egg on toast for 4.25. would have made some feel a bit done.

The match itself was not the greatest, the football in general in the first half by Kerry was poor. Cork were ok, Kerry improved somewhat in the second half and Cork upped their game too, and to be honest won while pulling away a bit. They showed a willingness to take points from comparatively long range. Gooch (or Grouch or the Grinch as some of our brethern who are living about the heathens were prone to say) had a poor game, fact is his mind is probably not on the game and who can blame him.

There was no real linkage between midfield where we didn't win enough ball and the full forward line. In the first half Cork real crowded the area between haffway and our half back line, they won ball and moved it. We weren't even holding our own in the air. There are rumours of dissension and factions in the camp which is annoying on one level, but there again for guys who aren't paid to play it is hard to demand that they just get on with it and get the job done as it isn't a job but something they do for enjoyment.

BRATs!

Had a little bit of a bug over the last few days. As a result I've been attempting to adhere to what is termed a BRAT diet. Yeah, I hear some of you say, you... a diet...sure ya are. Still, it hasn't been so terrible. I might try bringing a lunch a few times during the week for a while. At least until the coast is clear and I can be more social again.

As a result I'm typing this with a small piece of apple a little ways down my throat which I can't quite move and which I'm not sure but which might be going to move and cut off my windpipe. I tried finding out on the web if my throat and presumably the various fluids in my mouth can digest it but no joy. Came across this while looking though. Interesting yet useless knowledge.

As a consequence of feeling a bit better, last night I took to doing some wallpaper removal in the kitchen. Went relatively smoothly all things considered, there again it was off a painted surface on a block wall. The stairs hallway on plasterboard might be a different matter. I had bought some white paint at the weekend. My intention is that I would paint the entire place white, brilliant white as it says on the tub. (never sure what was so brilliant about being white. Given the climate we send more time being blue or red.) I've not got around to doing any painting as yet as I kind of want to have some covers for the floor to do it.

While doing this I didn't bother to turn on the telly but decided to got Eleanor to play some Spiritualized and some Depeche Mode. My music choices are quite limited at the moment until I get my full stash moved in. I should catalogue them when I do this as I've lost count on what I have at this point. Mgb, I still have your scanner! Sorry about that. To be honest the most recent DM was a disappointment for me. And the software that means you can only listen to it on a PC with the CD in (anti-ripping) meant I left it at home most of the time. It annoyed me enough that I skipped on their concert last month in Dublin as a result. Perhaps cutting off my nose to spite my face but I was quite ticked off. Still being able play what I want whenever is kind of cool.

Not two sides of the same coin

more like two things that cost of the same price.

It is a lot easier and decidedly more tempting that when you find you can't love person A to put your energies into hating person B. Not that it fixes anything but it can act as a kind of morphine mask.

I hate you

There were some reports last week in the print and web media with regard to the release of documents seized during the investigation of the killings at Columbine high school about 5 years ago. Mainly the reports were short and 3rd or 4th order stories.

The interesting aspect for me was the various spins the media outlets put on the documents.
This was CNN, this is the telegraph, it didn't even make the web version of the Irish times and the indo used a truncated version of the telegraph story.

The Daily telegraph and CNN seemed to emphasis the liking for Doom, Charles Manson and the hateful nature of the vast bulk of the writings. The noticeable byu minor difference with the Irish Times piece was, though it was broadly similar, that you got a feeling that while their reaction to their situation in school was wildly off the scale that the situation they were in wasn't and probably isn't all that unusual. They were regarded as outsiders by the 'cool' kids and disregarded for the various collective school activities that go to make up such a large part of a teenagers world. Which parties you're invited to, who you can talk to at lunch and so on. All rather meaningless until you realise that such events were their entire world.

What I noted in paricular in the The Irish Times were references to letters and notes one of the killers had written about how the popular kids excluded them or how one of them had sent a note to girl asking her out and but hedged it by saying it was ok to say no as he'd heard it lots of things before.

Part of what distinguishes adult and childish behaviour is that as an adult you are aware that not every thing is as it seems. The girl in the class with the bad hair, and bad clothes may well be living with parents who are separating or a family friend may be abusing her. The boy with the mood swings may have a sick relative. You learn through personal experience not to judge so easily, and it becomes increasely annoying to find someone who continues to operate in such a manner. It is possible to see how transparent their thinking is 'You're cool, I'll talk to you, I need something from that person, I'll be chatty to them today. Can't see what I'll ever need from her, I'll just ignore her. '

Now there an slight element in all these annoyance of thinking 'who are they to judge' which seems at times to suggest that they aren't to judge but there may be other people who can or you can yourself can judge others. Of course if you've come to realise that judging people is wrong then it is even more annoying to be nudged back down the road of judging others again.

After Columbine so much of the focus of interest was on the so called weird kids, those who were different clothes or liked non-mainstream music, well non mainstream for that area. Yet it occurred to almost no one to wonder if the way the school organises itself contributes(not that it is to blame, mind) but contributes to making some people suffer more through their teenage years than is necessary. Most people but not all learn that diversity is a part of the nature order, people have diffferent skills, strengths and interests. That difference isn't a bad thing. In fact in the longer term it is a decidedly good thing. So, I wonder why would people who know better tolerate such division when they see it around them? I mentioned the example of Carrie in a previous post, and I've often wondered was part of the power of the story that what she did at the end was understandable to a great many more people that we'd like to admit. And that given the opportunity we'd all like to have retribution.

One last thing, with teenagers it is probably the ones that are superficially the most regular looking that are storing up the biggest problems. So, watch out for that child of the minor authority figure who thinks they're a rebel. Especially, if they have issues about their height and their hair.

PS the title comes from a recurring phrase in some of their writings.

Bibs and Bobbins

Finally, got around to dropping some spare change to K.now. A good few coins collected since the last drop in March.

I was talking to someone recently and it occurred to me that my mother was a seamstress and my father a fisherman (trawler, not rod and line) and yet I can neither sew nor swim. Strange that. There again, my father can't swim either so it might not be so strange after all.

Out with the old, in with the ..

I'm finally sorted for broadband but now the problem of having two later old PCs kicks in. My laptop is about 5 years old and my desktop will be all of 8 years old come late October. It creaks along much like its owner. It is prone to giving the old blue screen of death on an increasing number of applications.

So, I should get something nice and new. Whether to buy a full system or a kit and scavenge a bit from my existing one.

Yet, I should also get a good chair and a desk for working at. Also a nice dining table and chairs would be good. All these things and so little taste.

Travelodge - avoid if possible

never be tempted to stay at the travelodge! Unless you're in a large stag group and can pack 5 in a room.

The place in Galway is not where it is indicated to be on the google map on the travelodge Galway website. It is about a kilomotre further along and on the other side of the road.

They demand that you pay in advance. though there is no mention of this on their website.

They quote a lower price to those booking on the same day, so you're at a disadvantage by booking early.

And you can hear the fan or extractor from other rooms unless you keep the door on your own bathroom closed tight.

You can't just use the phone, you have to buy a prepaid phone card like a topup for a mobile but when I asked for one they were out of them at 7.30pm in the evening. I was told to go to the Statoil up the road, I went there and got a €10 one for the only provider they sell called National Spirit. When I got back to the hotel it turned out the hotel uses some Century card crowd. So my €10 appeared to be wasted, however I did get it to work eventually. That said it refused to called a 1892 number which is the code for my ISP and so I couldn't use the internet. Well, you could if you had a wifi setup and wanted to payu their charges.

The breakfast which was nice enough is charged for separately.

They tell you if you want to reuse your towels to leave them on the rail but they still replace them.

And they have posters referring to Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland! How very quaint.

All in all, not a great experience. I'll be glad to be out of the place.

Dance with them what brung ya.

Had an interesting and I think quite fruitful week in Galway researchwise. Can't really go into details due to the nature of the work.

A part of that I had a quite negative experience with regard to the accommodation. Worthy of an entire post in itself as it does not suffice to say that the Travelodge sucks.

I was reminded of another post I had half written and not completed about the perils for some sections of the engineering community. Have to finish that and throw it out for consideration.

Use cases

Was away with work in Galway much of the week so not much chance to blog. When I got back I thought I would avail of the city centre hostipality and grab a chance to say 'hi' to some friends of the book keeper who were visiting.

While there, we were given some more insight into the methods and mentality of the choirboy. There are those who think they are in an Amy Lee mode when they have more in common with one of the WAGs on parade in Baden Baden. Arriving with your hands hanging to an event is something I've done myself from time to time and isn't a crime in itself. Yet to do so and then indicating repeatedly that you're purely there to kill time while waiting for cooler people (who strangely didn't get you into their event) to be free is the kind of thing we'd expect from the Vicky's or Chantelle's of this world. There again it is a mistake to presume that access to an education would improving the manners of some folk.

Generally, most people would think that if you go to something that you've been invited to and then bring nothing, neither food nor beverage and send your entire time waiting and watching for people who appear to be at a much more thrilling event that for some reason you are not able to attend yourself, it would reasonable that when you do decide to depart that you don't try to sabotage the occasion that you've contributed nothing to.

Deciding to invite some of the hosts along while excluding others present so that the event will have to come to premature end as those not invited will have to push off home is beyond even the realms of just being rude and moves more straightforwardly into being malicious.

Now being self centred is something we are all guilty of, however even the more cynical of us take care not to delibrately insult those we bum lifts or money or assistance with work off by suggesting surprise that they are benefit to anyone. Of course, this may be all due to they realising how little time their colleagues actually have for them and with their time together drawing to an end their own disdain is unavoidably prone to popping out from time to time.

What astounds me is the continuing tolerance of such behaviour from their colleagues which I would suspect is down to the peculiar world of academia. Truth be told it is the rather insular and overly careful world of academia that allows such behaviour to thrive. In the big bad world of employment, colleagues will, irrespective of legislation to protect people from victimisation, ensure that such people are dumped with all the unpleasant work and left to their own devices.

Needlessly to say there is a special place in hell for such folk and it is very solitary indeed.

Heading West

Have to head to Galway for a few days with work. not that Galaway is entirely 100% west of here but saying I'm heading slightly north and west would be just too messy.

Hopefully, I will get some other bits done while there.

Weekend Wonder

I was down home this weekend. There was a wee political gathering in Killarney unfortunately Johnny was unsuccessful this time out. There was also a Harley Davidson gathering in the town. As a result there were bikes all over the Ring.

After the previous week of moving about I was incredibly tired and slept quite late on Saturday. Well to about noon.

I went down town for a walk and the progress on the new town centre and AIB is quite impressive. Apparently, due to finish sometime in July.

As for the World Cup, the Germany - Sweden fixture was quite flat, while the Argentina - Mexico game was very entertaining. Mexico were very unlucky in facing Argentina at this stage. I missed the England - Ecuador game and perhaps the less said about the Portugal - Netherlands game the better. It was awful stuff, and from a country with such a great tradition in the game.

People who care.

I had to attend a function over the weekend of a grouping I belong to, let's call this grouping - the House. Well, the folks in the House are nice people. Terribly nice people.

There is a famous quote about the Church of England being the conversative party at prayer, and some of these folks are a little like that. You get the impression there is something that ties them together which is separate but not entirely from their membership of the house. There is a certain corporate stateness about them, a permanency. The middle managers of history.

These folks are certainly well meaning. They are for the most part a group of mostly slighty more than middle class and even even slightly more than middle aged, folks who 'care'. I've always had a difficultly with people who make it their business to 'care' whether because it is part of their job to 'care' (those in the poverty industry) or because they believe it is their role in society. This caring class are symptons orientated, root causes tend not to be their bag, baby.

We had this gathering, well let us call it an AGM. There being only one of these gatherings a year you would expect that there would be a big deal made of it. Instead, there was a GMO-free conference arranged around and in parallel with this AGM. There was press piece about the GMO conference but nothing about our little gathering.

I'm afraid I was my usual vocal self and by the time it came to lunch I was beginning to gather some followers. Thankfully, they already had some individuals lined up for a sacrifical run at high office so I able to avoid getting to involved in the House's problems.

Our President who does a remarkable Mary O'Rourke (gran-aunt of the nation), was all indulgence and order for the most part but suitably patronising too.

Happy Birthday, Pops!

It's my father's birthday today. So the best of birthday wishes to the Y parent. I rang home and wished him a happy birthday, 'oh same to you boy' he says. And to think I say he never listens to a word I say! Still, he sounded in good form and he was even somewhat forgiving of Charlo. That would be gran's influence in the background I reckon. And we're saying good bye to Charlie today too.

Today is also Bloomsday! In honour of which I had a fry for brekkie, no kidneys or liver for me mind.

My world cup tips

Another World cup rolls around

Group A

Germany - Solid, fit, athletic, somewhat dull to watch in action...hang on I think that was Heidi Klum I was thinking of there.
Costa Rica - The country that is international renowned for not having a standing army. Not much of a defense either I suspect. Wanchope might get their only goal of the
Poland - If the poles do well, could really aid the atmosphere in Ireland. At this point the most populous national grouping in the Republic.
Ecuador - I've always mixed Ecuador up with El Dorado.

Group B

England - '66 and all that, prada bags for goalposts, slappers for girlfriend. could win it though
Paraguay - hmm, the terrorist wing of Uruguay.
Trinidad and Tobago - Personally, I think that not picking Brian Lara in Libero position in front of the back four would have been only inspired.
Sweden - Probably passed their best. And that wasn't great still will probably get out of the group ok.

Group C

Argentina - potential winners, now that they aren't lombarded with trying to drag the country out of a depression.
Côte d'Ivoire - apparently their jerseys have sold like hotcakes in Ireland, either because there is a significant population we were unaware of simply because our flags are mirror images of each other.
Serbia and Montenegro - another country we won't see at the competition again, not sure they'll be missed.
Netherlands - My personal team all due to uncle Dan's colour telly and the Iveragh road cousins and that '78 World Cup, and the van der Kerkof brothers sometimes a military junta isn't so bad is it?

Group D

Mexico -
Iran - They'll drink the place dry if they get out of the group!
Angola - Mary Harney's team should find it hard to cope with the conditions, I mean it's an event involving larges numbers of people and it is well organised. It's all so unfamiliar!
Portugal - Great ould country, lovely people, some very good players, as a team ...yeah... did I say nice people?


Group E

Italy - another corruption crisis leading into a European based world cup, so who's the Paolo Rossi this time?
Ghana - Could surprise especially if Italy are as in a mess over the little bother at home.
USA - They've told us that they have a good team and we've no reason to watch them in action to see if it is true or not.
Czech Republic - Hmmm....Prague after a world cup win, Nice!

Group F

Brazil - Ah, the Kerry of soccer, the looks, the ladies, the talent. Did I mention we have 33 All Ireland's? And a hurling title too!
Croatia - I've got them in the draw
Australia - soccer in Oz is a bit like it is here, the 3/4 sport in terms of interest. What is Viduka likely to do against the ould country?
Japan - If they could beat Croatia then it is


Group G

France -
Switzerland - That could have been us that could! We'd have lost to Korea and beaten Togo and then held the French to qualify.
Korea Republic - I like Korea, they have more of a footballing pedigree than Japan and I was glad to see them. Lovely people too, Irish of the orient and all that (there again it's the yanks that christen them that so I'm not so sure that reflects well on either of us.)
Togo - To go is right.


Group H

Spain - If they make the usual mess of this, they should do the decent thing and split the country and let the Catalans or Basques field a full national team.
Ukraine - A one man band perhaps but what a dude. And have you seen his missus?
Tunisia - could sneak around Spain, something of a local debry that one. Not that too many Spaniards will admit that.
Saudi Arabia - I'm not going to be all Michael Moore about this, but I beat the pilot was scared playing them over to Europe.

So, I'm going to be hoping the Dutch do well. All down to uncle Dan and the Iveragh road colour telly mob in '78. I'd like to see Ghana and Tunisa get out of their groups. I suspect Argentina will win it, though I think England might actually live up to the hype of the tabloids press. And if they are 0-3 at half time, and Gerrard is on the pitch then get ready for something really special.

Mr Domesticated Man

You know there is something up when you travel to the shops and come back with an water inlet hose and feel good about it.

Got some electrics delivered and am awaiting a call re: Bed no.1

Also, my mother who is somewhat away with the fairies at times maintains that the significance of the number 67 to me, the fact that I had an gran-aunt called Abby and have cousins called O'Dwyer's means everything should proceed smoothly.

The clean winners

We got 64 in the pub quiz out of 80, which isn't exactly a landmark score. In fact, we shared the score with one other team which had been leading us by 3 points at the half-way point. The two teams above use were also a tie on 66 points. And they had a play-off to determine a winner.

There were some suggestions of phone and google assistance in some of the other teams, so as we were clean, we feel pretty good about our performance.

And we didn't win a dog in the end, which was just as well as dividing it up between the 4 of us would have been a bloody business.

Sayings and doings.

Sayings that occurred to me recently for no good reason. Apologies for the colourfulness of some of the language. some of the expression are more exclamations, others are commentaries.

If she were on fire, I wouldn't piss on her.

So mean (pronounced - maine) he wouldn't pay attention.

So mean (pronounced - maine) he wouldn't give you the steam of his piss.

Oh for the love and the honour of God.

Oh dear Jesus Christ.

He's one quare hawk away.

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday.

I suspect someone is looking to borrow money, or a lift or generally mooch something as I was party to a "Hi lads" at lunch time. Of course, I might just have received it as some sort of collateral damage and it might not have included me at all. Now, I will have to come clean at this point and admit to the fact that I'm currently availing of the kindness of others. The difference is I'm pleasant to the same people outside of times when I need stuff from them. You see that's how a real long con works.

In other news, I'm doing a table quiz for the Limerick Animal Welfare folks in the stables this evening and have been boning up on my useless knowledge base, that and being refreshed by other group members as to my awareness of the doings of the Famous 5. I was always sure that George and Anne were up to something, or it could have been wishful thinking on the part of my teenage self. I'm sure there some fanfic on it somewhere.

Hate fever

My nose is quite stuffing and runny this morning, the volume control on my hearing appears to be on the blink, and my eyes are sorish so it's either something related to particulant in the air or the plague. All in all, very annoying. I wonder what the weekend forecast is like.

I really need to write something of the recent legal problems the government have landed themselves in, but it is hard to know where to start or once started where to stop.

Also, my hands are more like badly painted stigmata.

I appear to be sun burnt!

On my travels this afternoon, I appear to have gotten burnt by the big yella thing in the sky! However, it is just parts of my face and the upper part of my fist which makes for a weird rash look to the whole thing. I was cycling on the Dock rd., so perhaps it is a weird rash after all!

And check out these guys, it's a documentary about how life could be lived if we all took it a bit slower. By using a Segway for example...

Who do you think you are?

This guy could almost be me.

and there is not alone a dansullivan.com there is even a dan-sullivan.com!

So dansullivan.ie it may have to be.

The silent treatment

So now some people are blanking me. Not to worry, all be over soon. Or so I'm lead to believe.

Should have mentioned the blanking occurred a few minutes after another more an accidental ignoring at the bus stop which was quite understandable.

In other news, I snore apparently. Inconsistently. Have to work on that to get a consistent tone. It should be noted on the airbed you can't turn so you are stuck on your back and I'm more of a side sleeper and my nose is a little blocked due to stuff in the air. Dusty couches being disturbed and so on.

Hope to get another part of the house process dealt with today. Should probably hold off on any celebrations for a bit.

House Wear

I thought I might leverage a wee bit from the experience of others in this area.

When putting stuff in a house it is very easy to overlook some items like that table thingy under the telly.

So, I'm going to use this as a place to list stuff that I need for each room and people can comment on things I'm missing.


Generic

I'm going to need curtains up the yingyang.


Living room

Telly! VCR, DVD


Study/Library


Kitchen

microwave

toaster

kettle

crockery and cutlery

a knife set.

this one could be quite long, perhaps the longest of the lot.


Dining Area

Table + chairs


Utility

washing machine, and a dryer


Hall way

an umbrella stand! and a coat and hat rack?

Bath room

hmm... some toilet duck, a little basket and not much else initially I suppose.

Box Room

A single 3 footer bed,
bedside cabinet
rubbish bin


Front Bedroom

Double bed, or just a 4 and 1/5 footer.
Bedside cabinet
rubbish bin
Mirrored ceiling?

Back Bedroom


Double bed, or just a 4 and 1/5 footer.
Bedside cabinet
rubbish bin


Landing.

Stira! and then make the attic a library will need to get the weight limit on the ceiling assessed.


Garden

Shed, well at some point
Barbie!

Closure

X-men was poor enough, can't say I felt it was value for money by any means. And doing things with certain characters just for the sake of you wantign the public to turn out for what you claim will be the final installment is just silly.

I'm a week away from completing my move. Currently crashing at chez Catherine street, thanks for that lads! Did some moving on Friday, last assisted by Eoin and John. Thanks again. I should be getting keys on Friday and move in that night or the Saturday. That said, it could take a while to get some of the furnishings I need. Sofas and such appear to take 12-14 weeks, I suspect they have to hunt down the individual trees to be used. I'm inclined towards getting something immmediate and that may mean second hand so long as it would last 2/3 years. Beds on the other hand will need to be decent, sleep is very important.

How terribly true

It would appear some plans not alone do not survive the first encounter with the enemy but some don't make it from the planning stage at all. And some possibly are not even that far along.

There is indeed an isle

and its Cup runneth over. A great old day all the same. The tense was frightening throughout but the second half had us all heaving along with the team to ensure they kept Biarritz out. As someone said, it cost Biarritz €10 million to assemble their team and in some senses they were beaten by a group of lads from down the road. Ah..., but what a road!

Kerry had a win over Waterford to kick off the championship, though it appears to have been harder work than expected.

Dowie is gone from Palace and I reckon Andy Johnson and Gabor Kiraly will soon follow. I wonder how we are going to challenge for a play-off place next year with Sunderland and Birmingham and Leeds. So, my sporting thoughts are somewhat mixed after all that.

Finland brought some glamour back to the Eurovision. That is glamour in its original Lallans meaning of to "be seen as different things by different people", for the preteen rebels the song probably seemed like one in the eye for the old fogies. For the older folks, it was an ironic statement about the music industry. Ireland managed to get in the top ten and we seem to be able to get a few votes here and there.

I got a mention in a political gossip magazine last week. It's hardly publicity but sure it can't hurt to still be in the public eye or could it.

Off-line

Out of sight and out of...

You never know where some things have been.

I got this mail from someone today, and I'm not sure what kind of work they are doing in the Venus Lab, but it sounds exciting! And what kind of ladies are hanging out by the Venus Lab?

"A Sony Ericsson Mobile was lost in the Ladies near the Venus Lab, Block A. If it is found can you please hand into Main Reception.

Thanks a million."

Sufficiently funny - one

Important Notice...

In Pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name. For example, the trade name of Tylenol also has a generic name of Acetaminophen Aleve is also called Naproxen. Amoxil is also call Amoxicillin and Advil is also called Ibuprofen. The FDA has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful consideration by a team of government experts, it recently announced that it has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin. Also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of course, Ibepokin. Pfizer Corp. announced today that Viagra will soon be available in liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink, and it gives new meaning to the names of "cocktails", "highballs" and just a good old-fashioned "stiff drink". Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of: MOUNT & DO.

Thought for the day: There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them. If you don't send this to five old friends right away there will be five fewer people laughing in the world.

Portents of doom, or the sirens' song?

Alternative offers that sound tempting, possible delays in closing, and now people getting ambushed in the area? Are these all warnings or are they distractions from the true path? Should I believe the universe is trying to help or hinder me? Answers on a postcards to ... oh, who needs postcards.

Should I stay or should i go NOW!?

And will the B'stards let me?

We're due to visit a place (name isn't important) near Dublin on Thursday at 11am which means getting a train at 6.45am Thursday if there is a train! If there isn't a train then we'd need to get the bus tomorrow evening and overnight in Dublin or perhaps we can rent a car for the Thursday morning. All of which makes this even more of an ordeal that it really needs to be. Effing train drivers.

In addition, there are the the iMedia presentations for most of the day on this Friday and Monday next which means I'll be mostly out of the office and out of sight (and we know what that leads to) for Thursday, Friday, Monday and perhaps even some of tomorrow Wednesday.

The oversight problem

The oversight problem. If you found on a plane that the stewarding staff have not given you lunch after all the other passengers have received their lunches you will usually find no problem in raising this with them. Now if a friend or work colleague doesn't mention something to you. Are you supposed to raise it with them and perhaps place them in a awkward situation or leave it be and let them remember it in their own time or if they don't take the inference that the forgetfulness was intended? Or you're due to get a ticket for an social event in the post, but it never comes would you contact the host?

B'stards

I really hate this sort of stuff. Just as I get the information that the house might not be there in time comes a temptation from elsewhere. It's all part of a plot, I'm sure of it.

I've been getting mails and txts from OMG about houses but nothing of any real use, usually 3 beds in Corbally/Westbury for 230K then today I get this one. Which is close to where I had looked before and been let down. €240K is probably my upper limit what I was prepared to spend even if it was South Fork complete with a pool and that down southern wife JR got himself when he was put in jail. I could probably have rustled up some more if needed but there again it will more likely go for more that €240K, what with two rooms downstairs for receptions and such like and 4 actual bedrooms upstairs. So, perhaps I should hang onto the difference just case I need do other stuff. Hired killers are going for more that €500 in Limerick these days I hear. I might look into it after all.

Who is a bad boy now?

One thing, that I may have mentioned before is that I'm not a natural born nice person. I see self centred devious people about me and think there but for the grace of the Goddress or goodness go I. See thing is I'm quite a fantastic liar and capable of a great deal of charm when the mood suits me. And that tends to lead to some unpleasantness after the fact which isn't fair on the other people involved.

However, due to family circumstances which either you know about or if you don't I'm not going to tell you here I've learned over the course of my childhood that sometimes there isn't really a place in your life for such personal indulgence. So, I've tried to be a better person. And I've done an ok job for the most part. That said, it takes an effort to be this good. And by 'this good', I don't mean as some measure of fantabulous goodness rather to say this is how good I currently am. I retain a devious capablity which I like to keep to a minimum. Something people who don't know me from my younger days tend not to be aware of.

So, it is especially depressing for me with a big 'D' when things occur that cause me to question the point in all the effort. Why not let the bad lad out? It is hardly like I'm a saint or that everyone else is living the good life. Yet being a complete bastard is just too easy and too tempting. And how would I ever walk away from it once I'd started down that path. Morality , decency and having a better nature is all well and good but when you see the cheaters winning you wonder if it might not be time to step outside the rules and take some for yourself. Anyway, that moment has passed for now, and I'm hopefully the karma might work for me for once.

Out in the cold again

Temperature has dropped a few degrees hereabouts, and the hunter gatherer effort for lunch is now more lone wolf than as a member of a pack. Forced to skulk out and back. Sometimes there is no safety in numbers.

Weatherwise it seems our taste of summer is passed too. Got wet yesterday and just managed to miss it today.

And it seems my vendors need another week to move house, which leaves me royally stuck as the place I'm in at the moment has also been sold and they have gone with the same closing date as my original closing date. Seems the Goddess is a tad annoyed at me. See, wishing for people to burn in Hell or be run down by a bus doesn't do any good for one's karma.

You wish

for what might have been.

We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.

Yeah, right.

Out in the wild.

Fresh country air is full of stuff, much of it flying about the place under its own steam. Phuft, blah. I saw some birdies which I didn't swallow and the water was quite dank in places. You were kind of expecting bodies to be semi-submerged. Or I've been watching Invasion a bit too much. Tempting but I wouldn't give some people the satisfaction. It had a sort of a bajou feel. I saw a couple of pieces of wildlife. The old camera phone doesn't have the best resolution. It was kind of tranquil but there aren't too many spots to sit and think.

Perhaps a walk by the river will do me good.

Decided to go for a wander. It is somewhat warm and sticky inside, perhaps there will be a summer breeze outside. Or knowing my luck at the moment there will be a miserable shower waiting for me. There again the water might be cooling.

Oh my dear God!

Seems that survey about pay levels in the IT industry I mentioned a few posts ago has brought some strange individuals out into the daylight.

Venom and Bile - Part 1

You'd wonder some times if trashy teen movies and mainstream schlock horror writers have taught us nothing about human behaviour.

When the telekenetically empowered nutter is made a fool of they don't just limit themselves to killing the perpetrators but indiscriminately lay waste to everyone in the room. Why? Because it is not so much the people behind the pig's blood that are the real offenders but those who were in on it and kept schtum. With friends like these who needs enemies. It kind of all boils down to trust. Can you trust those people? If in doubt, leave them out.

In truth, you tend to come to half expect such things from a transparent, androgyous leech who is so in need of validation that they probably have a photoshopped picture of themselves appearing on amihotornot. A person more choirboy than diva. Badly written though those people may be they still exist.

Coming soon, the Venom and Bile post

With character assassination and exposes galore. You won’t want to read it but you know you’ll have to. Bridges burned at no extra cost.

The danger of iTunes

It is strange how the music can mirror your mood. Which is probably not the best of things at times. I wonder if any coroners have thought to ask to see what the people had playing on their iTunes just prior to them being fished out of the drink.

Also, not to be advised to try and do repetitive somewhat dextrous manual tasks, like stuffing envelopes while not being exactly Captain Postivity I can almost relate to those Hollywood types who nick their fingers chopping the carrots. Every little thing becomes a major pain. Still, nearly done now.

Still not feeling any better

Someone offered me a hatchet but there was no one nearby I would bury it in. This of course is why sensible people have suggestted that people with incredible mutant powers would really need to be locked up, you never know when they will get in a stroppy mood and take out half the county. I could probably live with a few thousand deaths on my conscience right now, provided the right people were in there somewhere. Perhaps, the Shrike might get them on the way home.

Over the state line

Another shooting in Clare It would almost seem to some that the city's criminal faternity are taking the American concept of crossing state lines to perform certain activities to an ridiculous extreme in dispatching their executions style killings outside the city boundaries. It's not like the city boundary has customs posts stationed on it and that there is a lack of extradition with Clare or Limerick county. There again for some of the lads involved perhaps Clare is another world entire.

You think you know some people

People can surprise you. I'm not talking about what I did some years back to a housemate. We were living in house that had a mini landing, with a couple of steps up to a landing for the back of house and a turnback which lead back to the rooms in the front of the house. All this about 3/4 of the way up the stairs. The landing was quite dark when the light wasn't on even during the day. I was just at the top steps coming from the back of the house and saw my friend exit his room in the front of the house, so I stepped down the final step onto the landing and then sidestepped into the dark spot on the mini-landing. My friend came down the steps, turned passed me and was just about to descend the main stairs when I said, in my best even toned slight evil voice, 'Martin' Dear God, he leapt! And then once he had his balance turned and started thumping me. Which was fair enough given that I was in hysterics of laughter. There again, he was later that year one of those involved with the 'rattle stick trick' on the road out of Lagoa in Portugal.

No, what I mean is that people you suspect you're passable socialable with and who you've even somewhat against your better judgement helped out in finding a place to live when they were apparently stuck (there again, the signs were there when they don't even take the time to say 'thanks' for that) decide you're persona non grata. Still, it's not like it was any different last year.
We live and learn. Or not as the case may be. Death to the Arch Demoness Allegra Geller

Because you're not worth it.

Apparently we have another survey that states the obvious then tells us nothing. Women believe they are paid less than men in the IT industry. This survey is entirely about perception not reality. Those surveyed had no idea what their companies pay rates were so how could they tell if they were being paid more or less than their male colleagues?

The final quote in the article is a good illustration of what is completely wrong with these surveys
"Last October, official government stats found that women IT managers are still paid less that men although the gap was narrowing" Managing what exactly? Are they technical managers, product managers or project managers? Are they managing technical teams or test teams or directly dealing with the client? All those jobs require different qualities and those qualities are in varying degrees of availability and that impacts pay rates. But sure why should we look at the fine detail when the headline is so satisfying.

All part of the process - except when you're not

Inclusion and Exclusion are strange things, today we are reminded that some habits die hard with the murder of a teenager in Ballymena apparently because he belonged to not one group but to another.

While we are aware that excluding people is a delibrate act, it is necessary to recognise that inclusion requires activity too. When we decide to define who is part of the group, we are not just by implication ensuring that everyone else is most certainly outside. Even at the most basic social level including people is a positive act requiring an effort. Needless to say if people don't bother to make such an effort then it would seem to suggest that it wasn't worth doing.

Of course no one likes to be left out, but what is perhaps more annoying is if people 'include' you when you know it is under sufferance. Tolerance is good but being tolerated is not nearly so much as being really include. Also, if you aren't being asked to join in it is also kind of nice not to have it rubbed in your face on other occasions. Alright already, I get it. Speak when you're spoken to and know your place. I won't be inviting myself along to meals time in future.

Sometimes it is better to just stay outside. That why you can't think you weren't welcome.

Green Flags

Green flags are award by An Taisce as part of the internation eco-schools projects.

Some highlights from the speech were my attempts at lame humour such as saying "I'd like to say I had a speech prepared but my dog ate it. Which is interesting in that I don't have a dog."

"Someone, I think it was Kermit T. Frog once said, it's not easy being Green." I went on to compliment them on their hard work and how it's not one day thing, but a life long thing. There were probably some other environmentally right-on sentiments.

Audience participation.

OK, so I've tried to start back blogging and already I've got two commets on annoyingmice or anonymousesssss. Is that a form of stalking I wonder? It's along the lines of wondering aloud if you have an audience and immediately getting heckled. Still, it's better than talking to yourself. Or is it?

I did a thing with some school kids today involving a pole. One of the local secondary got a green flag their 3rd in fact and in my role as An Taisce chair I headed up to briefly speechify and spread the word. It went ok, took longer than it should have, I had forgotten how like herding cats schools can be. Probably end up with picture in the local press. More likely baby Leader than big Leader.

May I have the pleasure?

I paid a visit to the Mansion House over the weekend to see the Lord Mayor. There was some speechifying and some beverages to be enjoyed. As I mentioned to someone while there I liked the place, but I wouldn't be prepared to make an offer until I could find out what the rental situation in the area was like.

I also visited with some friends from the land of way back. Dear God but house prices in Dublin still give me the willies. K&K seemed in pretty good form.

Today, we had what I regarded as belated April showers put in an appearance. Weather has been pretty weird over the last few days. Friday was lovely but then got cold, then Saturday was pretty good but it rained Sunday afternoon.

Blogging appears to have taken a bit of dive recently...well...it has tailed off since the New Year I would think. Why is this I wonder? Perhaps, people became self conscious about what they were posting? Perhaps, the predominantly one-sided habit of a blog has made it harder to sustain an interest. After all when you talk to yourself you're aware that no one is listening with this blogging business you're not entirely sure if there is anyone listening or if the audience has all gone home.

What else have I done? Struggled to write a few bits, had some stuff printed in An Focal, ran a blog/column on the SU elections as an attempt to get into the punditry business Noel Whelan how are ya!

Errr.... there must have been something else.

Has it really been that long?

I promise to finish some entries and post them in the next few days. I've been very bold altogether

Someone has you in their sights

Kerryman at the Winter Olympics

Who would have thunk it, a Kerryman at the Winter Olympics and he's not pulling pints!

Best of luck to all the Irish team!

Other views on things technical

More craziness about how technical people lack social skills

Elections and Choices

Seems our Canadian friends are having themselves an election and there was a recent comedy ad which I personally found rather good!

We might be having one here in Ireland to. We definitely have to have by one June 2007, though I'm of the belief that the government might jump to catch people on the hop. My pick is for June this year for reason I might go into later. I passed on my reasoning to someone who might be considered to have expert knowledge and his response that there was more than 1/3 chance suprised me. I'd have gone for more like a 15% chance. So, you heard it here first.

Where you from then? A question one is often asked, and given my mobility down the years a somewhat longwinded answer is the only true reply. I do count myself as a Kerryman first and foremost though.

The site above was featured on channel 4 News this week and since then appears to have been getting loads more traffic than they expected.

New year's nonsense.

Quite funny review of the year