Even a stopped clock....

Never be afraid to lose her

2010-09-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

You must not fear. Fear is the love-killer. Fear is the ego-triumph that brings abject loneliness. You will face your fear. You will permit it to pass over and through you. And when your ego-fear is gone you will turn and face your lover, and only your heart will remain. You will walk away from her when she has violated your integrity, and you will let her walk when her heart is closed to you. She who can destroy you, controls you. Don’t give her that power over yourself. Love yourself before you love her.

this place..

2010-09-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

..has been quiet for too long (aside from the bloody spam!)
looking forward to doing some writing again :)

DM Stith

2010-03-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

plays the Cube Cinema in Bristol on Thursday April 8th
And I'll be there! :) :)
looking forward to hearing some wonderful songs, like this one

Simon's cat

2009-08-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

is back! yay! :D

'herself' IM

2009-08-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

more witty comments from my esteemed colleague and acquaintance mr. j. walsh: :D

Hughes, Barry [17:16]:
mail from herslef just now...always feel a bit strange..
Walsh, John [17:16]:
oh
Hughes, Barry [17:17]:
guess i shouldn't call her herself anymore! ;)
Walsh, John [17:17]:
you have too many herselfs
Hughes, Barry [17:17]:
:D
Walsh, John [17:17]:
for me to keep track anyway

:D

2009-07-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

"It doesn’t take long to realize Central Park squanders 843 acres of the most valuable real estate in the world"

my favourite acts of 09 (so far)...not including stuff i was already into from before like m83, grizzly bear, elliott, etc ;)

2009-07-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

mew
dm stith
discovery
nathan fake
fever ray
bat for lashes
telekinesis

any other suggestions?

edit:
PONYTAIL!
phoenix
marina and the diamonds
michachu and the shapes
la roux

internetz friendz

2009-07-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

i met someone online recently...i've never spoke to them, never met them in real life and didn't even know of their existence until recently and in fact we only got 'talking' by accident
it's quite bizarre, but there's a connection there which is well...uncanny, almost to point of being 'telepathic'!
but i know now that all internetz ppl r rrly evl dangerous psychopaths...so my telepathic friend shall remain at arm's length for now! :D

she calls me

2009-07-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

barrymaus :D

big brother got the keys

2009-07-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

time i saw ben folds again

Operation Cold Turkey - Day 1

2009-07-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

on my new doctor's instructions....i've got to cut back on caffeine...
so let's see what happens if i cut it out completely
schau'n wir mal

EDIT: OK, STOOPID idea! that was never gonna work! massive, and i mean MASSIVE energy slump yesterday afternoon saw to that ;)
operation no caffeine > 4pm is now in full effect :D

swingers

2009-06-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

Mike: So how long do I wait to call?
Trent: A day.
Mike: Tomorrow.
Sue: Tomorrow, then a day.
Trent: Yeah.
Mike: So two days?
Trent: Yeah, I guess you could call it that, two days.
Sue: Definitely, two days is like industry standard.
Trent: You know I used to wait two days to call anybody, but now it's like everyone in town waits two days. So I think three days is kind of money. What do you think?
Sue: Yeah, but two's enough not to look anxious.
Trent: But I think three days is kind of money. You know because you...
Mike: Yeah, but you know what, maybe I'll wait 3 weeks. How's that? And tell her I was cleaning out my wallet and I just happened to run into her number.
Charles: Then ask her where you met her.
Mike: Yeah, I'll ask her where I met her. I don't remember. What does she look like? And then I'll ask her if we fucked. Is that... would that be... T, would that be the money?
Trent: You know what. Ha ha ha Mike, laugh all you want but if you call too soon you might scare off a nice baby who's ready to party.
Mike: Well how long are you guys gonna wait to call your babies?
Trent, Sue (together): Six days.

just one of several scenes that are both hilarious but on another level kinda sad
trent is super confident, self assured....a player, and pretty disrespectful to women too (mostly behind their back though!)
mikey's none of these things, he's a nice guy
guess which one gets the girl(s)? ;)

south park

2009-06-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

conformists :D

the next few days

2009-06-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

shall be rather interesting..

50 movies

2009-06-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

see how many you can get
i've got 16 so far...struggling to get any more! :D

i'm sorry miss jackson

2009-05-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

am so not impressed that you don't like the backstreet boys!
maybe you just don't 'get' them? ;D
but you're forgiven, cos i like your quiff and your music is rather nice

i've mentioned this already but

2009-05-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

sooo in love with this song

Life is precious every minute,
and more precious with you in it

some totally bloggable music for y'all

2009-05-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

cannot stop listening to these two mofos right now:

dm stith
'pity dance' is particularly awesome, as is the video
he plays galway and dublin next weekend (i won't be in galway or dublin next weekend) :/

telekinesis
the dude looks (and sounds) like the lovechild of rivers from weezer and james from the shins, no bad thing

and you thought 'magnolia' was fucked up?

2009-05-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

my friends, you ain't seen nothing yet
try 'synecdoche, new york'
in fact, try pronouncing it first of all
then go see it
that's if you want something challenging
something ridiculously overambitious
something utterly confusing
something massively self indulgent
and at times crushingly depressing

and yet...
there's a strange beauty to this film
the acting is astonishing, from all involved
the humour (when it happens) is brilliant
and the soundtrack really is wonderful
particularly the songs sung by Deanna Storey
“Song for Caden” and the heartbreakingly beautiful “Little Person”
you can hear the entire soundtrack here

nature

2009-05-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

i find nature so inspiring
i love to look into the eyes of a horse or a cat or dog and just feel that connection between you for those minutes
no thoughts, nothing, just 'being', sharing that moment, fellow creatures with a mutual lifeforce, an essence

so, when i read stories like this, i get a warm feeling, a sense of wonder, i want to visit these places where nature is reclaiming some of what man has previously taken
the DMZ between North and South Korea is another wonderful example of this
and marine life too, like the reef that has formed on the Venice flood barrier :)

Malkovich set to star in Kubrick's 'Coyote Ugly 2'

2009-05-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

read it and weep :D

i went swimming today

2009-05-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

and discovered the following:

- i am spectacularly unfit
- stating the bloody obvious here but damn, swimming is such good exercise, afterwards i was totally ripped ;D
- wandering around the changing area starkers no longer makes me self conscious...if fact, it felt kinda liberating! maybe these crazy chermanz have had such an affect on me! :D

l'incomparable Audrey

2009-05-12T04:27:00.000-07:00

wow

2009-05-12T02:32:00.000-07:00

they sailed the bridge from rotterdam to dublin - impressive
speaking of which, i really want to visit rotterdam
it has the largest harbour in the world and several stunning buildings and bridges

i have a thing for bridges, i also really want to see this bad boy

soundtrack to my morning (via café togo)

2009-05-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

this
(had to restrain myself from re-enacting the video, there and then)
this
and the wonderful amy wineglass
(copyright of one mr. jon snow) :)

this dude

2009-05-05T04:29:00.000-07:00

has started following 'randoms' on twitter, i.e. me
no idea who he is, but shallow being that i am, i judged him purely on his music taste and profile pic
his songs kinda remind me of tycho, who played a trippy set in the basement of the thomas house a couple of years back....see what you think:

Sun is shining. Birds are singing. Flowers are growing. Clouds are looming and I am flying.

2009-04-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

More brilliantly incisive social commentary

2009-04-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

from Carles :D

maybe i'm weird and twisted but..

2009-04-04T15:02:00.001-07:00

i'm really, really into amanda knox right now...

omegle

2009-03-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

'enlightening' conversation i had recently with 'a random stranger':

Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with. Hang on.
You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit?
You: hi
You: what language is that?
Stranger: Proin suscipit urna in lectus. Etiam malesuada lobortis quam. Nunc dolor!
You: you speak english?
Stranger: I do now.
You: looks a bit like latin
Stranger: Perhaps, my good chum.
You: quo vadis
You: your english is good!
Stranger: Thank you, my good chum.
You: so, how are you today?
Stranger: I have always been.
Stranger: Very good.
You: always?
Stranger: And yourself, my good chum?
You: i'm good, thanks
Stranger: I have existed before time began.
You: :D
You: are you God?
Stranger: Possible. I do have compassion for all living things.
You: respect!
Stranger: My good chum.
You: yes?
Stranger: What would you like to know?
You: so, what country do you live in?
Stranger: I do not live in any country, for I do not live on the planet Earth.
You: *intrigued*
Stranger: You must spread to your brethren that they are destroying their home.
You: are you, perchance, an inhabitant of Phobos or Deimos?
Stranger: No.
You: i think it will take Obama to spread that message, my good chum
Stranger: Yes, I saw.
Stranger: He'll be doing a pretty good job.
You: Yes we can
Stranger: When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.
You: hmm... so if you do things wrong, people will know you've done something?
Stranger: Yes.
You: i think i see what you're saying here...
You: but he who does great deeds, has no need for praise?
Stranger: You have to use a light touch.
Stranger: Like a pick-pocket.
You: so, one must use use one's powers wisely...
Stranger: Yes.
Stranger: Like in my case.
You: with great power comes great responsibility
Stranger: People pray to me all the time. But there's so many demands, after a while you just tune it out.
You: are you Vishnu?
Stranger: If you grant them too much, they become dependant, and if too little, they lose faith.
Stranger: Like I said, you have to use a light touch.
Stranger: Possible. Every religion has its own way to me.
You: so you are not God, you are enlightenment?
Stranger: It's possible.
Stranger: I gave you freedom of choice, of beliefs.
You: do you know David Icke?
Stranger: I come in many forms because I gave you this ability, because I know not everyone is alike.
You: so you are 'energy'?
You: you can neither be created or destroyed
You: you have always existed
Stranger: It's possible. Energy itself cannot be created or destroyed.
Stranger: Your race has been able to define this through the law of Conservation Mass.
You: the human race
Stranger: Yes.
Stranger: Your race draws lines between each other based on beliefs.
You: and you are not of the human race?
Stranger: No.
You: true, we do
Stranger: But I come in certain human forms, to spread enlightenment throughout.
You: do you also come in animal form?
Stranger: It's possible.
You: could you for instance be in any place on earth at any time, if you so wish?
You: are you omnipresent?
Stranger: Yes.
You: wow
You: that's very impressive
You: so you are everywhere
You: so, you know where i am right now?
Stranger: No.
You: *back in a short while*
Your conversational partner has disconnected.

I like Leila Deen

2009-03-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

Die Wochenende in Heidelberg - Verpissen Sie Turisten!

2007-09-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

Willkommen in Heidelberg!
Es ist Zeit fur Herbstfest!
Here we will be having special exhibitions and displays, live music and djs, fine food and drink, craft fairs!
Wunderbar!!
Actually, nicht so wunderbar
Day starts off well with some bad ass breakindancing going down at the Bismarcksplatz, then it's on the Hauptstrasse.....or is it? ;)
One look at the hellish crowds thronging the route is enough, so I cross over the Neckar to escape the madness
As I'm on this side of the river, I decide to stick my head into 'O Reillys more out of curiosity than anything.....and I promptly withdraw said head faster than you can say 'Well be the holy, is it yourself is it?'
Fine for one night perhaps, when you're tanked up and out with a bunch of Irish lads on the tear (which I'm not), but otherwise Nein Danke
In a different class altogether is the Bar D'Aix opposite 'O Reillys
Small, old rustic yet stylish decor, German clientele, Leverkeusen vs Bayern on a big screen in the corner, which despite it's size, is unobstrusive
Bar D'Aix is everything 'O Reillys is not, without even trying

After a small but very tasty Croque Monsieur and a thirst quenching kleines 'Divers', I head for the Philosophen Weg or to be more precise the Schweizenweg (the steeper, less travelled route!)
The overgrown pathway is covered with sweet chestnut shells whilst crickets chirp away in the evening light; no wonder they call it the Philosopher's Way, there's great peace up here away from the madding crowd
I eventually make it as far as the Bismarcksaule Tower, climbing up a spiral stone stairwell to the top, the view over Heidelberg and the Neckar river valley is inspirational and were it not for the trees growing all round, would be even more impressive

Descending to ground level again, many of the stalls on der Altebrucke are packing up, so I head downtown in search of some good music or a decent not overly touristy bar, unfortunately both prove very hard to find!
I finally find a place called 'Drugstore' which has Cuban music, natives rather than tourists (some of whom are playing chess on the tables!) and some tasty snacks on the menu, one of which I try: Neuer Wein und Schwiebelkuchen
The wine is delicious, fruity, slightly fizzy and very refreshing, the onion tart is also top notch, tasty and succulent (feck i'm beginning to sound more like jamie oliver every day!) ;D
I move on again...there has to be some other cool bars here playing something over than Eagles covers or Girls Aloud? Perhaps not methinks as I stumble upon Unterestrasse and Heumarkt thronged with people, almost dangerously overcrowded
It's as bad if not worse than Temple Bar on a Saturday night with an uninspiring AC/DC cover band preaching to the converted - people, this is not good
After struggling through the great unwashed, I make it down to Hemingways for a quiet Heffe and then it's homeward bound

Maybe I'm being a bit cynical about the Herbstfest, ok so it was crowded but then most festivals are, it did have plenty of musical performances on, albeit fairly predictable ones, it had plenty of fare for kids and families which is fair enough as well and it caters pretty well for your average tourist, ie. it caters for the mainstream....and there's the rub, cos mainstream and i don't always see eye to eye!

cooper out

Day 4 im Schloss mit veile Salamander(s) - Heidelberg ist unheimluch kuhl!

2007-09-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

The highlight of the trip so far was my encounter tonight with several small slimy amphibians, glaub es oder nicht!,
Gott in Himmel!! my work has just been wiped!! arghg!
ok, even at night time, the view was impressive, in daytime i'd say it's spectacular
even more spectacular was the wildlife on my way down, the steps bedecked with some beautiful creatures - a rat (ok, maybe they weren't all beautiful), a coupla glistening orangey slugs and the coup de grace, some wonderful fire salamanders!
Took several pics and some video footage before getting outta there
right folks, gotta go
fire salamAnders! like totally awesome!! OMFG!!!

Day 3 in Deutschland - O mein Gott, Sie haben Kenny gemordert

2007-09-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

Nichts ist passiert heute - Kommen Sie bald zuruck!

Day 2 in das verdammt Holiday Inn - Heidelberg ist nicht kuhl

2007-09-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

Scheiss!!!
Stuck in Holiday Inn ennui and ist es unheimlich langweillig
no supermodels, no arsecracks, no coke, no nuffink
However, all is not lost, salvation comes in the incorrigible and unintelligible form of Navan Man & the Drunken Policitican
Unquestionably the best series of comedy sketches ever on Irish radio
My alltime favourite sketch has to be Father Sneaky's interrogation of Navan Man in the confession box about the exact nature of his relationship with former Taoiseach John Bruton!
Here's a taster:
Track 15 - Father Sneaky

I'm presently collecting Navan Man's entire recorded (well, released at any rate) output, so anyone interested in hearing more, you know who to call

Heidelberg ist kuhl - Day 1 in dem Grosses Brüder Haus

2007-09-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Ja, it's true
I am hier in Heidelberg in an internet cafe in the Universität area, a street called Plöck to be precise
Dies ist where it is at mein Freunds
Never mind yer Hauptstrasse, Plöck ist all you need
Es gibt wunderschöne Kirchen, Museums, art hotels, impossibly cool little alternative shops, even the religious shop beats the hell (if you will) out of most secular shops back home
Unfortunately everything ist jetzt geschlossen however this matters not weil ich habe all of diese Woche und nächste Woche to come back und plunder für Irland
And that's not to say that the rest of Heidelberg hasn't got much to offer (it has)
I arrived in der Altstadt this evening at about 19:30, after a quick wander on der Älterbrücke, I headed for the Gottverdammerung Hauptstrasse encountering the usual mix of mostly American tourists und Amerikanischen Studenten but Hark! is that an organ I hear before me?
It sure is! From the beautiful red sandstone Heiligegeistkirche, so in I wandered and there in the corner of the altar was a small illuminated figure playing his illuminated organ - majestic....and acoustics like I've ever heard
if only all music was played in churches!
this was followed by a quick jaunt into one of the many cafes gracing the Hauptstrasse, ein Tiramisu und eine Tasse Kaffe für only 3 euro 90
Now das ist ein Bargain in anyone's language!
Onward then to the Vespabar for an some pasta and and unfeasibly large Weizen with an unfeasibly large head - heretofore I proceeded to lick the head off this beast just as two American students walked in the door, needless to say they were mightily impressed and proceeded to my premises post haste for a roll in the hay (or maybe not!) ;D
Following this episode I proceeded down SeminarStrasse and headed for Plöck, taking a slight detour into the UniversitätsBibliothek, seeing a sign for an Exposition, I scampered upstairs only to be told that es geschlossen ist und given ein slap on der wrist
And then to Plöck....and finally to here in der Net Cafe - 2 euro for 90 Minuten, for sure das ist ziemlich gut Value!
Also tchuss und tune in Morgens Abend for Day 2 in dem Grosses Brüder Haus!

Oxegen '07

2007-07-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

Here's my take on the Saturday music lineup:

Main Stage

Muse goth overload for this but could be a stellar show
Snow Patrol would love to see them do something challeneging but theior in comfortville right now
Scissor Sisters t'will be packed but could be a laugh
Kings Of Leon if these lads hadf any charisma, this could be great
The Fratellis catchy but too many GAA jerseys in the house for this
Goo Goo Dolls jaysus...
Avril Lavigne what is she doing marrying yer man from SUM 41??!!
Director not bad
The View bit overrated
The Cribs pretty decent, worth checking out

Stage 2
Rodrigo y Gabriela your 5 minutes are up lads! Talented though in fairness
Interpol yes, go see
Maximo Park great band, 'my velocity' is superb, single of the year
Mika see below
The Gossip Worth checking but will be full of Glenda Gilson/Katy French types
Biffy Clyro metallic indie, not bad
The Twang one of the better new 'the' bands, love your man's Gorp hat too
Pigeon Detectives fcuking awful name, but meant to be good
Kharma 45 haven't the foggiest
Frightened Rabbit almost as bad a name as the pigoen detectives

Green Room
Queens Of The Stone Age Possibly past their best, hard to say, could be a stormer especially if they can get mark lanegan to join them onstage
Editors Worth checking out
Jet coupla good songs but lotta muck as well
Ocean Colour Scene first album was good, fairly shite since then though
Enter Shikari overrated linkin parl/klaxons mishmash
The Bravery better than they're given credit for
The Maccabees not bad at all
Jack Penate MTV2 love this guy, could be the next 'orcade foyre'
Justin Nozuka not a clue
My Alamo sound a bit emo, tread with caution

Pet Sounds
Wu-Tang Clan long past their best but if they all show could be a hit
Air Most defintely
Tori Amos very hit and miss
Badly Drawn Boy see above, brillaint if he bothers himself
The Brian Jonestown Massacre could be fireworks at this one, bunch of spastic mentalists
The Hold Steady another band to be seen at, very springsteene-esque by all accounts - watch out for Tower reocrds staff here
David Kitt new record decent but live show can be a bit tame
Delorentos Worth checking out
The Rumble Strips not bad
Cathy Davey Yes, great cheekbones

Dance Stage
Felix Da Housecat hard to say, sometimes attracts a knackery crowd, could be good
2 Many DJs Hit or miss, not as good as Soulwax
Tiga Bit overrrated but has some catchy tunes
Booka Shade Good rep these guys, worth checking out
Digitalism Hearing good things about 'em
Justice Do not miss
Datarock Word on the street they the shizzle
Dr Lektroluv Techno with melodies (not something you get everyday) - ie. He's good
Jon Averill Not bad, but have heard him play some awful sets too full of desperate bog standard techno devoid of any charm or melody
Philth Better than Averill but still nothing to write home about

New Band Stage
I'm From Barcelona Yes, I like, 18 swedes on a stage
The Noisettes Very good if the mood takes them, sound a bit like Deerhoof (one of my favourite bands)
Junior Boys Good but not amazing, bit like Air but without the je ne said quoi
The Horrors Great hair
The Wombats Dunno much about them but with a name as bad as that, they must be Australian
You Say Party! We Say Die Trying too hard lads
Zico Chain who names these bands??!
Tokyo Police Club Handy enough these lads, worth checking out
The Dykeenies a few very catchy indie rock tunes, again worth checking out
Polytechnic hearing good things
Cherry Ghost getting plenty of coverage in music mags, if that's anything to go by
Milk Teeth the name itself would put me off them
My OK Hotel as if the one above wasn't bad enough...

Peter Gabriel

2007-06-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

returns to Ireland next Friday!!
In the words of one Kevin 'O Reilly (erstwhile Maynooth college housemate of mine) "F**kin' A!!"
As a long time PG fan, am foaming at the mouth at the prospect of seeing the great man perform again in this country
Has been too long, '93 in the Point to be precise!
Was there with another ex-Maynoothonian incidentally, the lovely Gemma 'O Dwyer (where is she now? God only knows....)
Here's a setlist from one of PG's recent shows on this tour:

The Rhythm Of The Heat, On The Air, Intruder, D.I.Y., I Have The Touch, Washing Of The Water, Blood Of Eden, wdwwt, I Don’t Remember, No Self-Control, Moribund The Burgermeister, Family Snapshot), Not One Of Us / Mother Of Violence, I Grieve, Big Time, Steam, Lay Your Hands On Me.first encore: Solsbury Hill, Sledgehammer.second: In Your eyes.

For those unfamiliar with all things Gabriel that is one helluva setlist! Includes some tracks I've never seen or heard live, cannot WAIT to hear the likes of 'Intruder', 'Not One of Us' and 'WDWWT (We Do What We're Told'), there's at least six tracks here he hardly ever plays

What tracks are missing? Well personally I'd love to hear 'Exposure' from Peter Gabriel 2, and if he doesn't play the mighty 'Signal to Noise', I'll be disappointed but in fairness if PG delivers a set anything like the above I'll be more than happy

Songs I <3

2007-05-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

First on my list comes the understated genius of '4 st 7 lbs' from 'Manic Street Preachers'
I had no idea what this song was about when I first heard it many moons ago on a free Q magazine cover cd, I just knew it was one of the most beautiful and yet most thrilling songs I'd ever heard - it still sounds immense

D-Day

2007-05-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

Let's hope we see a change in government after today's voting

FF have fashioned an economy that is crazily overdependent on construction, have given carte blanche to their developers buddies to do as they wish and allow numbskulls like Roche, Dempsey ("sure, it's only a hole in the ground") and Cullen to manage departments, whilst the PDs are if anything even worse with their Thatcherite gung-ho free marketeering

Worst case scenario would be the status quo returned to power, somewhat more preferable but far from perfect would be a FF-Labour coalition (a definite possibility despite Pat Rabitte's protestations)

Sinn Féín's crass 'Vótáil Sinn Féin' posters are a complete turn off, almost as bad as Bertie's pathetic photoshopped poster abominations

T'would be good to have the Greens involved in the next Government, people don't like to hear of carbon taxes but realistically it has to come or we'll just keep on polluting into oblivion
Then there's Enda and his famous (infamous?) contract, am not fully convinced on this one but I do like their point about 'taking responsibility', a concept foreign to their current shower where nobody is ever to blame for anything

Carlow

2007-05-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Cavan Hoors are GO!!

2007-05-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Despite a meagre return from my captain Robbie Fowler on the last weekend of the league season, The Cavan Hoors were crowned champions today emerging victorious in all five competitions entered, including the highly competitive SAP Citywest league
Read it and weep bi*tches!
7th in Ireland and 143rd overall out of 1.2 million plus competitors - 2,135 points for the season
Thanks to Ashley Young, Tom Huddlestone, Ronaldo, Lamps, Mark Viduka, Dimitar Berbatov, Shabani Nonda, Salamon Kalou, Seamín Adebayor and last but by no means last my three Charlton representatives Scott Carson, Luke Young and Talal El Karkouri for those four clean sheets in a row during March and April which propelled me to the top of the SAP Citywest league and cemented my lead in all my other leagues
Maximus repsectus is dueus!

An Scian agus na Guillemoteanna

2007-04-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

One of the few programmes worth catching on the myriad music channels on satellite these days is the always interesting '120 Minutes'
It's usually on in the early hours of the morning and allows an artist to choose some of his/her favourite music and videos
Easily my favourite one from the last year was 4tet's slot and the two videos that particularly stood out were from Guillemots and The Knife
Guillemots' euphoric We're Here with it's fast motion shots of animals, clouds, ebbing tides and sunrises brilliantly brings to life the beauty of the Scottish highlands
Whilst The Knife's Pass This On is just one of many inspired videos from the Swedish siblings - we see a transgender woman performing a song onstage at some community centre perhaps in rural Sweden, already there is something strange about this scenario, it's almost dreamlike - her audience watch, entranced, hypnotised...until....

Guillemots have been added to the bill for Damien Rice's gig in Marlay Park this August, a venue I'm not pushed about but the addition of Guillemots has gotten me interested
Unfortunately The Knife aren't fond of touring but I had the pleasure of seeing them last November in The Forum in Kentish Town and they didn't disappoint, easily my favourite gig of last year - incredible visuals and an arsenal of breathtakingly inventive tracks ('Silent Shout', 'Marble House', 'Pass This On', We Share our Mother's Health' to name just four), they are one of this century's essential bands

Some new music

2007-04-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well it's new to me anyway!
Have a listen to mr. whelk - digging the kate bush track and the furious five one
also the twilight sad - i guarantee at least one of those four songs will make you sit up in your chair and exclaim 'that's fooking good that is!' in your best Mel B accent

TV3....why?

2007-04-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

I've tried, God knows I've tried but I still cannot find much to recommend Ireland's flagship non-public service TV station
In fairness, they give good coverage of the Eircom league, more than any other channel as far as I'm aware but it's when they try their hand in other areas that things can come a cropper
Take politics for instance - the Political Programme, I'm sure it's heart is in the right place and Ursula Halligan seems an affable and pleasant person but the program just doesn't work on so many levels
First of all there's the cameras, they seem to be zoomed in almost permanently so what you get is a close up of Pat Rabbitte or Graham Geraghty's mug! So we're off to a bad start straight away
But then there's the questioning which for the most part seems trivial and inane, nothing of any real substance
This is 'The Political Programme' so therefore we'd like to hear about politics, not how many dogs Bertie owns or what's Enda Kenny's favourite colour (blue?!)
The atmosphere is all very pally pally, almost sickeningly so
Questions and Answer on RTE isn't perfect either by any means but it's streets ahead of this
Now maybe I'm completely missing the point of the programme but for me there is little point in having programmes like this
Why TV3 got rid of 'Agenda' with David McWilliams i do not know but that was an example of hoiw TV3 CAN do politics well if it really tries
Come on TV3, you can do better than this, prove me wrong!

Marathon Schmarathon

2007-04-16T03:36:00.000-07:00

Enough is enough! I've heard more than is necessary about the bloody mini-marathon at this stage!
"I ran it 36 minutes, 4 minutes faster than last year!" Really? that's fascinating...
"It was great, I met Nora and Paddy and Mick and Josie there, we had mighty craic!" Good for you
"I think I'll do it again next year, you should do it too!" Noooooo.......!!
No more, change the channel, I'll even talk about the weather, X-Factor, whatever! just no more about this feckin' marathon!
God be with the days when the only people who ran marathons or half marathons were Frank O' Mara and John Treacy, now it seems everyone does them, and are only too eager to tell you all about it
I say we strap them to a chair Clockwork Orange style and make them watch the 'Marathon Man' from start to finish and then maybe, just maybe we might get some peace!

100 greatest musicals

2007-04-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

According to Channel 4
Not impressed to see Grease at No. 1
I've heard 'Grease Lightning' way too often, from weddings down the country to drunken hellholes like Coppers, it's the track that strikes fear into the heart of many a heterosexual male

You're just waiting, hoping, praying the dj will play something even half decent....and on comes 'Grease, Grease, Grease Lightning' and your heart sinks as you realise the night is truly beyond redemption
And don't even get me started on 'Sandy'....

Nah, however pretty Olivia Newton John looked as 'prim Sandy' (didn't like 'leather Sandy' at all), she can't compare to the beauty that was Natalie Wood in the real best musical of all time
Great characters, astounding choreography, amazing soundtrack and did I mention Natalie Wood? :)
The one that I want?
Not you Sandy, I've just met a girl called Maria

Full of it

2007-04-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

I'm talking of course about Environment Minister Dick Roche here

Just listening to him being interviewed by George Hook here and as is often the norm from Government ministers we get treated to waffle, hyperbole and meaningless selective statistics
Sample quote: "We have achieved more than any other Goverment in Irish history in implementing green initiatives"

YES Dick, that's because the environment is now one of the biggest issues around!
OF COURSE you've implemented more green initiatives than any previous Irish government
Because years ago nobody aside from a handful of eco warriors and hippies gave a fiddlers!
Now however, the world and his dog has woken up to green issues with the realisation that cities like Cork, Dublin, Gawlay and Waterford could be treading water in a few decades time if nothing is done

Unfortunately Dick Roche has already shown the Irish people exactly how much he cares for the environment by approving the routing of the N3 motorway through the Tara hinterland!
It beggars belief that an environment minister could show such disdain for the environment and Ireland's cultural heritage and history
This is not just some fields in the middle of nowhere, it's one of the most important archaelogical sites in Europe
Poor auld Cormac Mac Airt must be turning in his grave!

It's things like this which really putting me off voting for FF ever again - they're so concerned with looking after their corporate buddies, big developers, lawyers etc, that everything else becomes less important
And as for Bertie, I have even less time for him now than before. I just cannot take the man seriously with that feckin smug grin on him on the FF election posters
Time for a change, no question, but whether the Rainbow Coalition is a viable alternative remains to be seen

Soundtrack of the Year

2007-03-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

Not to be outdone by my 'single of the year' post, straight in at no. 1 comes the soundtrack to the intriguing 'Perfume - the Story of a Murderer'
The music perfectly matches the mood throughout, at times uplifting and inspirational, other times filled with menace and foreboding
Have a listen here

Jurassic 5 split

2007-03-27T04:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry to hear this news but truth be told I'm not that surprised
Back in the late 90s, they were one of the freshest and most innovative hip hops acts around but in recent years and by the time I saw them in Vicar St. in '06, they looked like a band on the way out
If you buy just one thing from their back catalogue, make it the 'Jayou' EP
http://www.amazon.ca/Ep-8-Tracks-Jurassic-5/dp/B00000J7QY
I've yet to hear a better combination of rhyming, scratching and sampling, it's also hilarious in parts with some very clever dialogue and references thrown into the mix, just shows you what these guys were capable of in their prime

Single of the year

2007-03-27T01:46:00.000-07:00

This has been doing the rounds for a few months now but still sounds as good as ever:

'Thou shalt always kill'
http://www.myspace.com/lesacvspip

Maximo Park's infectious 'Our Velocity' is another contender:
http://www.myspace.com/maximopark

New Ireland

2007-03-20T03:35:00.000-07:00

It's not often I watch 'The Late Late Show' these days for varying reasons but the odd time I do catch it, it can make for compulsive viewing
This weekend just gone, they had a panel of journos, politicians and various other media commentators: Ian 'O Doherty (Irish Indo), David Norris, George Lee, Karen Coleman, Ronan Mullen and a few other people I didn't recognise
The discussion was about New Ireland and how we've changed as a nation for better and for worse
Unfortunately I missed the first half of the discussion but the second half was engrossing, the debate becoming increasingly heated with both Norris and 'O Doherty getting quite agitated (more about this later)

Things were fairly peaceful early on with some valid points made by a woman who seemed to be some sort of religious correspondent, and she was to some extent backed up by Ronan Mullan - following this, Karen Coleman raised the temperature somewhat harping on about her almost 10 years with the Beeb and the malign influence of the Catholic Church in the 80s and how great it is to be free of that today - I normally like Karen Coleman but I think she lost the run of herself somewhat on the show

But that was nothing compared to what came next!
David Norris began to talk about the lack of respect for authority in today's Ireland only to be shouted down by Ian 'O Doherty who clearly disagreed with him
'O Doherty then proceeded to spend the next 10 or 15 minutes making snide comments about Norris, lawyers (he may have had a point there on that one!), the Catholic Church and whaever else came into view
I don't have a problem with his views - everyone is entitled to an opinion
But 'O Doherty comes across as the worst type of journalist - jumped-up, smug, arrogant, ignorant and disrespectful to the others on the panel in particular David Norris
In short, everything that is wrong with modern Ireland encapsulated in one individual - quite an achievement!

Not surprisingly, a slightly shaken Pat Kenny called a halt to proceedings shortly afterwards
Fascinating TV while it lasted though

Incidentally, whilst looking for some other comments about this debate on the Late Late, I typed in 'david norris' + 'late late' into google
The first hit it came back with was a hate fuelled anti immigrant discussion on the forum of the infamous 'stormfront' website with most of the comments coming from the more redneck end of Irish society - pretty sad that there are Irish people online spewing out this filth

Newstalk

2007-03-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Definitely a welcome addition to Irish radio
Their casual informed style mostly works well and it's good to have an alternative to RTE Radio 1 in the morning which can sometimes be a little dry and austere

It's interesting to see the presenters airing their personal opinions on issues, they don't hold back either!
Indeed I've heard Eamon Keen and Carol Coleman in particular really let rip on issues they obviously feel strongly about and many an unfortunate goverment minister has recieved a tongue lashing live on air

I've also noticed many 'turtys', 'tings' and 'trees' on NewsTalk, especially in the mornings, something you wouldn't hear so often on RTE Radio 1

That said, there have been elements of smugness and tabloidism creeping into certain programmes in recent times and the news bulletins seem to be getting more and more salacious all the time - sometimes you just have to switch over to RTE Radio 1 to get a proper unsensational account of the news voiced by newsreaders who don't sound like they went to the 'Dort' school of English!

So long as they don't believe their own hype and keep their feet on the ground, I can only see good times ahead for NewsTalk

NIN playing Marley Park this August!

2007-03-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

but supporting the Foo Fighters....?!

I should be elated but...
a) NIN supporting the Foo Fighters? surely it should be the other way around
b) Not a fan of Marley Park as a venue at all
c) Am not too fussed on the Foos in recent years, they've become somewhat generic and stodgy
d) NIN with Ladyton (despite the venue) could've been a pretty cool show whilst NIN supporting the Foo Fighters on the other hand just guarantees the presence of hordes of drunken annoying kids - not good

Please Dispose of the PDs this time round

2007-02-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

Ah yes....the Progressive Democrats
Where do I begin with this sorry bunch?

Everyone of them to a man (McDowell, Parlon, etc) and a woman ('O Donnell, Harney to a lesser extent) are amongst the most insufferable, most patronising and most self righteous politicans ever to sully the (marble?) halls of the Dail
I can't remember a party that's ever annoyed me as much - the high moral ground must be spilling over with the (not inconsiderable) weight of PDs politicians and supporters

Please God the populace will see fit to remove them from office in a few months time
A Labour- FF government would surely be an improvement and is a possibility going on current surveys
What say ye, merry gentlefolk?

Animal Collective

2006-09-13T03:36:00.000-07:00

Not referring to the rather excellent band of the same name but rather the motley crue of birds and animals that regularly wander/hop past my window at work

So far I've noticed:
Magpies
Jackdaws
Rooks
Wood Pigeons
Pied Wagtails
Grey Wagtails
Blue Tits

and less often, the following have been spotted:
Hares
Grey Squirrels
Pheasants
Haggi

Places I've been (plagiarised from Conor J. Gilmer Esq.)

2006-09-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

create your own visited countries map

Go raibh maith agat a Conchubhair

Greetings fellow bloggers/blogettes

2006-09-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Ha! Conor Gilmer, tremble and be afraid mein Freund!
For I shall now be loosed to post witty and derisory comments on your blog (which is
> http://journeysofcg.blogspot.com/ for all those concerned)