It all looks different with hindsight...

 

Like the apove picture of Reagan visiting Russia it would have looked just like a normal stately visit back in the 80s.


Now it looks like Former President and current Premier  of Russia Putin was part of the crowd as a planted KGB member with a family, there to ask pointed and pre-scripted questions to chalange the western leader.

(BTW, he's the one in the left with the Camera, behind the boy)



I mention all this because i've read back over some of my old posts and i have to say this blog does need some sprucing up when i get back to Ireland. And by this I meand Re-writing history just a little, and making it all a little easier to follow and understand.


Currently i am posting on Reticulating Splines, although it's early day's and it's all quiet here in terms of actual things to say. But that's where my blog's are at at the moment, with the odd one on Social Media Dullard too.

This blog however needs some fine Revision. Some Editing, a lick of paint.

I thought about it before i left, and now i feel i have to actually do it. This blog needs some fixing.

By this i mean, A helpful index of what went on in my life in the past year or so, a guide to what are the key posts and not just narcisistic wankery. And even rename some of those posts so that they are easier to find.


This will also include fixing up the label's and making sure they are all in order.

As well as even sticking in annotations and links to further posts to guide any readers of my back catalog what happened when etc.


I don't actually know when i will do that. But it will be done eventually, and soon. Some time over the next 8 months while this blog is quiet. So expect to see that Helpful Indexing and Guide sometime....


In the Meantime follow what i'm up to or thinking on Reticulating Splines, and read my opinions on my Internet and tech blog Social Media Dullard.

Moving over to another blog...

Yep. My life and it's inner workings is now on the sister blog, Reticulating Splines.


This new blog will chronicle my time down under whilst THIS here blog will remain quiet for around 9-10 months.


So if you're a reader of ME, then head on over to the new blog to catch up on what i am doing in the world.


Read about the hot weather. The freak weather. The odd accents. The job situation. The People. The food. The overall strangeness of this place. And of course a new emerging social life, and my sisters new family/ my family in law.


See you soon. Over on Reticulating Splines.

Use Toaster, Make Toast. Use Toaster, turn off all plugs...

...and face my Sisters wrath!


A bit of a back story here first.


Yesterday a friend of my sisters from Edinburgh arrived to stay with us.


I was my sisters navigator to take her all the way to Dublin airport and to navigate it's mess of construction and so on.



When we arrived we were about 30 minutes early, however this was not the case. The flight was delayed.

So my sister went for a smokey beverage, i read a free indo that was sitting in the waiting area, did some people watching and then nosed about in a small branch of Hogis Figgus in the arrival's hall.

I joined my sister for what was at least a 3rd smoke and we looked up at the grey mass of Dublin airport.

It actually has a nice airy promenade feel to it from this angle. Buses and taxi's behind us and smokers on both levels looking out under gloomy skies and brutal concrete.

We went in again to wait and finally her friend arrived.

I had spend all of a day with her During my sisters graduation 2 years ago so i couldn't truely remember what she looked like.


But long story short she's older than my sister, a lesbian and a trained chef/culinary degree etc from Aderdeen who lives in Edinburgh and is now working as a Receptionist in a Brothel. Don't you just love it when facts pile up to make a character truely unique, or at least book worthy?


Anyhoo. She and the sister were on the razz last night, and my sister ended up conking out on the couch and didn't make much sense when we tried to wake her. Ah like working with demented patients again, but also for free, and at home, how quaint...

But back to the start of this post, as in the title...

In their hanging state my sister and her friend didn't make breakfast, and my mom rushed out to go see a freind.

I was famished. So i gave up on my laptop time and went to make breakfast.

All the rashers and all the sausages, 2 different smokey rashers, 2 of each, 5 sauseges and 4 eggs.

All the Pork meat on a pizza tray with tinfoil and then into the AGA. A small frying pan on the electric stove with olive oil to warm up.

Toast in the toaster.

2 eggs fried.

Collect toast, set table, condiments, ketchup and butter and what i thought was butter but was actually some garlic mayo left over from the baked potatoes we had with Cream Lasagne last night.

Last 2 eggs then Toast again.

A few seconds into the 3rd round of toast.

Puh-chewwwww.

The plugs die.

Screams from my sister.


Sister:"WHAT THE FUCK's WRONG WITH THIS TELLY!"

Me:"Eh, i think it's the toaster!"

Sister: "Why doesn't this fuckin' telly work, what the fuck's wrong with it? Ma is that Pa on the phone, let me talk to him, the fuckin telly just went blank."

Me, jugling re-toasting toast on the aga and 2 friend eggs and meat about to burn:

" It was the Toaster, again, there's a switch we have to flip or something?"

"Yeah, Pa? The bloody telly won't work anymore. It just went blank. Whats with this stupid eco-freindly switch thing. No it's stupid. It won't turn on. I was watching it, and it just went blank. Yeah i tried that. No it's not working. _______'s Saying something about the toaster, and a fuse. No it couldn't be a fuse, it just like turned off and the telly in the kitchen's working, and sowz the phone..."

Me: "All the plugs blew, it happened the other day, it was the toaster!"

Sister: "Yeah alright bye, love you to, see you later. It's not working? Stupid telly."

Me: Right, plate up will ya, i'll see if this works. Does that work? How about now? Now? Now? Eh... how about now, how about if i just, and now? No? Really? Okay i don't know..."


The sisters plated up and is still fuming. The friend is quietly laughing and starts to sit down to eat.


My sisters goes to turn on the kettle.

"THIS FUCKIN KETTLE'S NOT BLOODY WORKIN'!!"

"All the plugs are out. It happened before, just plug it into the one the Telly (in the kitchen, which was still working) is in. No not that one, that one!"

Sister: "This is stupid whats wrong with it?"


Me: It happened before, it was the toaster. (in reference to saturday night and before). It's the reason we haven't had a toaster in years, not until recently. You know, you were here a few years ago, we made some toast, the lights went off, we were worried about the fridge cause Mom and Dad were up north or something and wouldn't be home in 6 or or something. It was the toaster, thats why we haven't had one till recently. No it's a new one.

Sisters friend: "You have to worst luck with toasters!"

Me: "Yeah, pretty much."


Sister: "I don't remember that. It's stupid. So it's the toaster? Well don't use the toaster again, it's all your fault."

Me: Silence.



The sister phoned Dad again walked into the fuse closet in the pantry and got it all working again.


Thanks for the Breakfast then flowed in and no one mentioned how i was saying the right thing, the whole time... I just didn't know how to fix it. Yeah it sounds petty, but i was starving. I made the breakfast because i had to! And then in making it i used the toaster 3 times and on the 3rd the fuse's conked out for some bizzare reason...

It was my fault, but only because i was saving time by making toast a slower way with a specially designed Toast maker.

Sure the AGA is faster, Hotter, and Closer to where i was cooking, but it burns more easily and is hard to get right.

3 1/2 minutes on a toaster is so exact and golden and gorgeous. Can you forgive me universe and ESB for just wanting GOOD TOAST!!!!

Adventure's at home with the family...

Things are all quiet here at home. Well i say quiet, i really mean chaotic but homely. The past few days feel more like a week or longer.

It's not a bad thing, but it's confusing.


My sister is home and she's already settled in.

There's Diet coke can's everywhere. Wine bottle's empty quickly. A supply of beer only lasted a day. And the dishwasher fill's far faster. But that could be to do with the group of friends she had up, but still, that's a fuck load of washing!



What to write, oh what to write:

I tried to start writing yet another one of my story idea's. After a few minute's screaming at the Font feature's on Google Doc's i finally started tapping some words out. But they just pissed me off.

All show, and no tell. If anything it was Masterbatory. All look at me i have this universe and idea's and i can shove these layered characters in off the top of my head as i write, aren't i great, isn't this all sounding so cool, aren't i just the best. Eh no, not really.

I should be telling a story. I have yet to find that story. I do have a universe, a premise, characters i centre it all on and problems and dilema's and settings and so on. But a narritive.... Not yet.

I have no start, no catalysts, nothing at all yet. I really just hated what i started.

It was a list of the family involved and the setting. Not a story in sight. Great writing that.


Oh by the way, the quote "All art is Mastabatory" is possibly the best line i've read all year. It's from "How i payed for College by Marc Acito and i have to say i love that book.

And the fact i read it just before Glee started make's it even better in my eyes.


They say Write what you know, and about what you love. Most of my idea's so far are sci-fi or there abouts.


Well what i know is my life. Hence the blogging, obviously. But what i love to read is Diary type comedy-drama books!

Or at least it's all i have read in any great depth.

Andrian Mole

Ross O'Carol Kelly

and to some extent How i Payed for College.


All comdey-drama's and so on. And i love them. They're a type of book i love. And why i have yet to come up with a story, other than my own life, for such a book myself escapes me.

I've imagined tv-shows based on my high school life or college life all as sample's of Irish culture or of the Male psyche/ mental health. But i have yet to do anything about that. Maybe i should.

Why write about Pirates and keeping a secret for the greater good, or a kid whose imagination creates real worlds to help deal with his own, when i can Write about MEEEEEEE!!!



Hmm, i'll try that some time maybe?





Friendships and the long goodbye.


So i'm going to Australia.

I leave on the 20th.


My going away party is this friday, yes the 13th, but i don't think that's a bad thing.


I considered weighing it up and organising and other things.

But instead i said fuck it and sent out a Facebook evite to all my friends and other such people and did it anyway.

So i'll see them all on Friday and say good bye.

I may also hold a smaller doo here at home on Saturday. My mother kept mentioning it, but the logistics are confusing! And i seem to avoid it like most things at the moment.


I have several emails i should be writing to my friends. I should be sending more texts and so on.

In the case of PG texts don't seem to reach her. A technical glitch i can't figure out and she rarely has the time to discuss. I am glad we're not talking as much as we used to. But when i want to reach her and all i have is Facebook, which she only pops into now and then and never chat's extensively, it just gets annoying and off putting that i don't even bother remembering what i want to say and give up.


I have to say that i really do think i am a right shiteous friend some times. And being stuck at home isn't exactly helping either.



I should go to sleep now. I have shit i should be doing. And now i've added the fact that i want to do one or two more debates to my growing list of tasks. Go me...

Eager to write, but not much to say...

Uggghh i hate this feeling. I'm in a sort of zone here. I keep wanting to say stuff, status updates, comments, texts and tweets. But i'm not actually having conversations. I'm not actually doing anything!


I'm sitting on a plush couch. I've got newsnight on. Some conservative shite, then something else, now Al Gore on a satalite feed.


Yoono is open to the left of my I-bar and i am watching Twitter and Facebook as the evening where's on.

On my phone i have texts message's slowly trickling in organising my day tomorrow which is now almost fully organised.

I am going to the Cinema with DS, then meeting up With Gammaman with DS, for a catch up or some food. Then going to A Hamas Debate in the Society. Then heading home on a late bus to be able to up in time for last minute cleaning, to welcome my sister home.


PG's sick and thus not free for lunch. Budsey has yet to answer.  So i don't know what time i'll head into town yet, as i have no Lunch appointment, yet. I have an open invitation to all my friends on Facebook, but i doubt many will bite.

Social networking? What Social networking?

Does anyone really do that?


After all, few of my friends are as techno-dependent or savvy as myself. I love the idea of Tweeting and the impending possibilities related to Geo-location status updates and augmented reality. Everyone else is more worried about when they can have lunch or fit study in.


I guess when you spend as much time as me on the web, the possibilities of new technologies seem all so great. And yet no one i actually know use's current one's. If they do, they do it on an as needed basis, or when it suits them. Some people still have, "out of date", mobiles. Nokia 3210's and so on.

Others have gotten a new one every year, or even more frequently. Most have iPods and so on, and some even have Laptops, Netbooks or the alien white of Apple's. But this is all for practicle use. Study, work, some recreation and procrastination.

But using social media, to actually socialise. No not yet. For the moment most of my friends seperate reality and social network socailising. Sure status updates and internet meme's cross over into everyday life as source's of information. But they rarely use them as tools for social, activity or change.

Sure Facebook event's are used. Sure Youtube perpetuate's meme's. Sure online article's and blogs are shared information. But very few actually use them.

Very few even update their status, or comment extensively.

Even chat's with relative stranger's are hard to translate into the real world. People react differently to you as a real person compared to your name and display photo.

So why do i love the idea of Augmented Reality and Geo-location? Is it because i'm a geek, or is it because i finally relish the idea that my idea of communicating with the world is becoming more accessable with the real world?


A lot of people HATE iPhone Users. Hell commuters hate those who listen to music, or those still using Broadsheets or reading Chic-Lit. How will they feel when you snap picture's of the world around you to access more information.

To Find out a resturant's review. If your friends want to meet you there, or have been there before. If there's a news story or history to a place. If there are photo's from a venue publically available, or if a product or album is reviewed or previewable on the mobile web.

That's what Augmented reality will do. You walk around the normal world, but can access ALL the information of the web, via applications on your mobile device. Layers of information right there infront of you, and you won't have to be at a computer.

Imagine how this will drag the geeks out into the open. Or make life easier.

Now if only my friends loved techy toys as much as i do.


Hmm, maybe i should write some in-depth email's to my friends. Pass more time.

Oh yeah, i have to organise my own going away party to, forgot about that...

1 Year on, 17 Days till Australia...

That's right people, this blog is a year old, sort of. And in 19 days i am jetting off to Melbourne with my sister.


At this time last year i was elated, but still licking my wounds. The Cork IV was a great fun  time. I had a new peer group, i enjoyed what i did despite being bloody awful, 2nd worst speaker in the competition, and not too phased about it. But i had failed to be successful with Hope and i was still alone. I walked extensively in that strange city with a 3 liter bottle of coke under my arm and didn't look back. That one night i was at risk but also terrified. But i stuck to my guns, didn't listen to myself and came out on the other side with an elated feeling for a couple of days. And i Started this blog.

I have chronicled the past year once or twice already this past year. The specific post is proving elusive to find, but it's buried in there somewhere. Note to Self, re-name, and edit older posts!



I don't regret the past year. I love my new friends, even if i could be closer, or know people who suit me better. I admire this peer group. I even envy them. I may never exactly be one of them but i don't have to be.


When it comes to debating, it's a spectator sport as far as i'm concerned. I enjoy watching arguments better than giving them. I enjoy picking them apart, or oooh-ing and ah-ing and generally being in Awe of other people's vocal dexterity and mental prowess.

I was far to rusty and far to nervous to be anywhere near as confident or talented as other speakers.

I was there merely for the craic, and to support Ming. And for the most part i felt i did that. However he out shun me by a mile.

I was thinking of chronicling my weeked at the UCD IV with the Society and Ming as my partner in-depth, and over at least 3 parts with this being a 4th post.


But frankly despite the depths of detail and analysis i could give to it. I doubt i could give any of it justice. Because i am not sure yet what any of it means. Or what it means to me.



On Friday myself and Ming did perfectly average in our debates. Then Following that, on our way home he was faced with a rather difficult matter relating to his GF. And his mood completely changed. I offered all the support i could, but it didn't make much of a difference so i backed off.

His sofa bed also left me unable to sleep. I toyed with my phone, frustrated i tossed about and listened to my iPod. It was at least 3 by the time i got to sleep.


When we got up the next morning we were straight out the door. We walked and talked and that walk and talk was all the way from Smithfield to Nassau Street. We almost beat the Luas to O'Connel Street, but that would negate the idea of zone 1 travel, now wouldn't it...

At Nassua street we bumped into Malcovich and an old Other Society member who sort of "retired" last year, who i'll call Ted.

We arrived very early and there was little to do. But eventually we got back down to debating.

In between the 3rd and 4th round i chatted with a girl from DCU and i have say there was a small sense of 
Mamihlapinatapai between us. For those who don't know what that word means, it is the world's most Succinct word. It means, "a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start." Or at least some kind of friendly interest from a stranger who would like to know more. Although sadly it never happened, i'll return this later.

Ming and myself did well on an arts round but it went down hill from that. The true failing of our "Parternity leave" motion was when Ming sat down after his speech and simply said, "Cluster Fuck".

And i tried to cover it but it was such shite and i had so little i gave up at about 4 minutes into the speech.

The 5th round was no better. My mind collapsed and i couldn't comprehend the motion.

"That this house believes in a right NOT to be offended".

We correctly argued that this would get nothing done, and so on. And i did understand that the prop were suggesting some kind of "though police" or so on. But most of the right answers only came to me later on. I gave only about 40 seconds of words explaining how i hadn't a feckin' word in my head.

So it was then the semi-final and final's and so on.

2 Society teams and 1 other society team broke. As in qualified for the semi-final. This was great.

After the semi-final there was food, and then free drink.

People changed into their Halloween costume, the Americans dressing the most revealing. Shocking levels of skin available. Like, only buyable in an adult store costumes. I guess it's the cultural difference of the irish dressing like that on the weekend anyway, just not as revealing. Shocking really, it's halloween, not a porn set.

We watched a bit of X-factor and the girl i had a moment with came over to me again. But she recieved a phone call from her sister.

The Final was brilliant and we from TCD had great fun. The Society were all together but most of the Others had spread out elsewhere. This added to our chants of T-C-D, Trin-ity and so on. As opposed to UCD, Kings Inn/ O-A-P and strangely U-C-G for NUI Galway's team. Can't even name their own college!

Then we had to wait for the result.

I floated around different groups. I couldn't quite "call" the result. When out in the main area i went to the bathroom.

Some how most guys were going at once and there was a large enough queue. The floor was also slightly flooded.

In the sink was a man in a Toga....

I escaped the flood with my balance and dignity intact and floated between groups again.

Then i ran into that girl again and this time was able to talk to her. Someone else who was standing with me walked away and i was left talking to her. However i fluffed it. Instead i started discussing the course's available in DCU in-depth. It felt like such a face palm moment. She said she was getting a lift from her sister and would be gone soon.

I felt upset by this and grabbed a couple of cans. At the same time i was discussing by text with my dad what time i would get the bus home. But instead i just thought i would stay out now. Enjoy the evening. I cheered and roared at all the congratulations, awards and thanks over the course of the IV. I then noticed that the girl in question had returned again.

I was pretty nervous but was now diving straight in to just enjoying myself.

Then the Result. We WON!!! WE WON!!! The Society WON!!! We had 2 teams in the finale, 1 at each end of the table, and 2nd Prop, Joker and Pippa won! The other team was Jayne and Nescafé. Basically all of our best speakers.


I also saw Ming and I's results. He was mile's ahead of me, even beating Letch in "speaks". But i didn't care.

I was more interested in reviling in the collective joy of the society, getting to Joker and Pippa and congratulating them and maybe, just maybe, catching that girl before she left.

And after a lot of nervous crowd floating and collecting and protecting of my belongings i finally got her alone. And asked for her number.

My exact words were something along the line of :
"I may not know much about DCU, but would it be alright if i got your number?"

She entered her number, fiddled around trying to select the field for name entering and then handed me back my phone.

I said thank you and felt proud of myself. Not quite the grabbing a spoon moment that i attribute to Daisy, but a minor league success either way. I didn't think i'd see her again that evening, and since i couldn't remember her name it would take a while to find it in my phone book. Not because i'm popular, but because all my Facebook and MSN friends are also on it, a lot of strangers!


Then we got the buses in. I was sitting beside Egyptian Paul and he discussed an Irish poem that had to be Sung with Ming, a newbie and Letch.

Boop, Jayne, Malkovich and Goldylocks and Nescafé were on the other side.

There were a few good laugh's including Goldylocks leading a half arsed rendition of Build Me Up Buttercup.

Then the pub. A long night. Many a different occurance. A stranger from some other college latched onto me and the group of Other society people i had been around with Ming, before he left. He had been a bit odd after the art Round earlier that day and strangely was still around, wearing a T-Shirt hell t-shirt with the famous Evoloution Progress of man line up, but with the man complaining "stop following me". There was something about the guy that was just freaking me out.

At one point the group of American's spilled inside our dancing circle and were giving it loads. It led to several worried, disapproving, and commic looks from all of us trying to avoid there brand of Dirty dancing and over-zealous smuttiness. I didn't disapprove, but i didn't think it was at all necessary.

I then noticed that the girl who's number i had gotten was now in the club. How odd, maybe i had another chance.


This however never happened. In-fact, Sherminator got there before me. And i won't go into detail but they either knew each other already or he was rather succesful at wooing her. Out of the corner of my eye this was slightly upsetting but i just kept on dancing and so on. I didn't even know the 2 girls i was with, or the assorted people from the "Other" society but i didn't mind.

At one point we migratted over to what was left of the Societies people and out of the corner of my eye i realised something i had never noticed before. Goldylocks and Nescafé are a couple. Fair fucks to them. It does mean however that Trinities top 2 societies buck the national trends of sexual orientation statistics!

According to a survey i read while in the STI clinic on placement last year, 4.8 % of Women in Ireland are Lesbians. And surprisingly 2.6% of men open gay men, with a far larger margin of doubt compared to women who "experimented" or claim to be bisexual. It really did show a lot about Irish Society, or at least the sample groups the HSE covered and then rounded up to the entire population of ireland....

The Society, and the Others, in no way reflect those numbers. Hell the Society is probably 30% lesbian, and probably 38% Gay like Kinsey's studdies found about men in the 50s.

But anyway i didn't mind. Hell i didn't even think about those 2 as straight options as it was, so it was even less likely that their orientation would lead to any lewd thoughts or change in opinion about them as people.


The night wore on until closing and then the groups split. Non of my friends were left and i didn't want to impose myself on those where were left as i didnt know them to well.

I was hungry, and had some drink over the course of the night but i just walked all the way to where i would stay. The 24 Hour internet café on Talbot Street around the corner from Busaras.

I walked all the way from Parliment Street in Temple bar to Talbot street, in scrubs, in the rain, with my 2 bags.

The armys upon armies of Undead, Sluty people, beggars, puking people, fighting couple's and comatose was shocking. I had never seen so many out at once. Or indeed walked such a distance on a night that would be this busy.

I ruled out any eatery, on my own. It was far to crowded.

The internet Café was fine.

I over slept the next day. Not good. Didn't fully recover till Monday.











Now what's next.

A movie with DS before he leave's on Sunday. (Either Tomorrow or on thursday)

Lunch with Budsey and PG. Possibly on wednesday?

My sisters return on Thursday afternoon.

And then my Good bye party.

I hope to find a day that suits both Old Nursing friends, old school friends still around, at at the most part all my Society Friends. DS will probably miss it, and thus if i don't go to the cinema i'll miss him, as i'm not home till next Autumn.

I would like it if my friends were actually the one's organising it. But they're all busy. I'm at home all day. I will be doing it. I just seems slightly pathetic that i have to ask people to say goodbye to me. Instead of the other way round.

My parents have also suggested allowing friends up here to this house as well. So who knows what i'll do.

Maybe a pub/and or diner thing as well as a more close friend thing here at home.

I also want to have one last debate in the Chamber, the wednesday before i go.


Who know's. I will plan, delegate, and arrange this all tonight, and over the next few days.

Until next time.

Snap Happy #14

Why does this exist? A Twitter device, with unlimeted service, for life, and it cost's 200 dollars.



Not only is it ugly, but it's utterly pointless. What dumbass made this thing. I like twitter, hell i love it. But i have a thing called a computer, connected to the internet, which has the world wide web. I also have a mobile phone. I can get twitter in dozen's of ways. Who the hell wants this, twitter only device.

It's User interface also looks butt ugly. No one would want it!

HAHAHAHA!




1.2 Million Dollars worth of Car, and it's clamped. Poor bastard.



Even if it's fake, it's beautiful:







Aw he lost his ball!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Run Dos, C Dos Run, Run DOS Run!

To borrow a turn of phrase from a friend, if you don't get that reference you need to get out less.


So this morning i woke to the call of chores and having to phone the doctor.

You see i still had my stitches in from my biopsy and mole removal. Now not only was this laziness but it was forgetfulness and very bad. But it's not like we have much money, and i'm not working. So it saved us in the long run, sort of. I wasn't exactly sick from them, yet...


I also had to help my dad with a few things.


I had porridge as he painted the edge's of the walls where a flower wallpaper was previously plastered. My mother had added it to the wall instead of all 4 walls being red. Why i don't know. But i kind of got the idea. But now she hates it even more than when it went up. She went so far as to call it common.

So, in a rare showing of action my dad actually followed orders and ripped it down and started painting. Now this could have something to do with my sister returning home, so what MOTHER says in terms of the look of the house has to be obeyed.




I then phoned the doctors and got a late appointment for 10 to four.


Then when that was done we, me my dad and mad dogs, had to move a bookshelf out of the way for painting.


We catagorised the books. A LOT of cookery books. Some older than myself. Some with stains of food older than myself sticking page's together. Dust with more back story than my very existance. Dust that has passed through at least 4 house's and 30 years to get on my hands and in the air and make me sneeze. Books that were wedding presents they are that old! Books that are rejects of the 70s and are a main influence why Meat Fondu is one of our family's favourite communal meals. (I remember loosing 5 euro on the insistance's that that was what a fondu was, ignorant to the fact that it even means melted cheese in french..)

A choice example of the sort of cook book on the shelf was, A guide to Garden Herbs, Or Blender Recipe's. Seriously, blender recipe's? Who knew you had to learn what to fuck into a blender?



Then on the next shelf was my dads books. Wood working books, IQ test books, information books. Dublin and Dubliners, a collection of essays on Dublin and it's people. And a lost map of Louth that my father miss placed circa when we moved here.

He was a slightly irate however. Several of the very very old and specialist woodwork books, re-sourced from amazon to replace old copies he had years ago were now chew toys. Their bindings long since deafecated by the puppies in the gravel yard out back. And the two little mutts just woddled about unaware of any wrong doing with muddy paw prints ruining the floor i mop infrequently with great urgency to make it appear like i actually do all my chores! The cheek!


We then moved onto the upper shelves. Assorted odd cuttlery, two sugur containers, oddly with sugar in them. And candle sticks shapped like funky drink glasses with burnt out Night Lights (Tea Lights) still in them.

Assorted old birthday cards, including strangely inapropriate "sweet" sixteen cards for myself that made refference to A Shag Bird, and how i wasn't going to get any. Some's up my teenage years right there....


Old baby photos and 2 choice photo's of my sister that show her with our first dog lucy, when she was a toddler and another when she was around 14 with a baby Thrush she rescued. That girl was born to be a Vetenary nurse!


We then moved the bookshelf into the pantry beside the dogs night time cage/kenel.  We stuffed the washing/ironing onto the lower shelf and tidied up the rubbish and recycling that was collecting.



Then we sat down to some computer updating.



As i mentioned before, my dad is down grading several 1,000 euro laptops from Vista to XP so he can control them more easily in his old schools network. ( I say old school, as he retired, but he still works for them since they never hired another IT teacher capable of running every computer in the school.)



So as i tinkered on the one laptop i have temporarily personalised i put in a usb key into the newly XP'ied laptops and changed their identities to the each number he wanted.

There was some trouble getting them to connect to the old network we still have here in the house.

Then my sister rang and my dad was on the phone for at least 10 minutes. Good blog reading time...


When he came back we had a shouting match of hypothosising of what the problem was. The problem was they couldn't find an IP adress because the server wasn't on. The network existed and the laptops, "mine", his (the super widescreen), the school one's and an ancient computer in the Garage could all talk to each other, but they had no IP Adress's. Strangely my dad, the IT and Technology teacher was initially stumped by this. I'm no expert but i quickly assumed you needed the server to tell the Transmitter what to do, and what to call each of the computers connecting, ie the "IP adress". From my limited knowledge of computing, it turns out i was pretty much right. The exact techinicalities are beyond me, but in essance i was right, and once the Server was turned on, it was all fine and dandy.


We XP'ied 10 laptops before i had to take a shower and dash out to do several tasks with my dad before my doctors appointment.


Showered, shaved. Hobo beards aren't good in public, no matter how rugged and Douche like you appear.


So out we went.


A Glass Glaziers first.


It was in a business park.

It wasn't well advertised so we had to drive past each of the "Plots" to see what business occupied them. I say plots, they were warehouse's of varrying size standing inside a terrible one way system of traffic in what was almost a ghost town from some angles.


We eventually found it.


The bollocks of shite rattled about Private and Public sector pay on Liveline was doing my tits in so i flicked the radio to Newstalk. No better. It was Moncrief, and something about suicide service's or some dreary shite. It was raining and murky out, i was in the car with my dad, who can be dull in a car at the best of times, this wasn't helping.


iPod earphone's in!

Didn't help.


Next stop a lamp store. Across the road from an Lidl and and an abandoned plot, adjacent to an abandonded plot that now had an "Australian Circus" in it.


As i sat there with "Dear Maria" by All Time low in my ears. I witness a horde of tracksuited youths nuckle dragg themselves across the car park of Lidl and across the wasteland towards the circus.

Then a minute or so later another one on his own came out onto the road with a Heavy lifting Trolley, the kind you see in homebase.


He just looked like he was going to knick something.

Then as my dad returned. Kids half the age of the others passed on our side of the road with a similar trolley and a stack of Wooden packaging crates. Yep it's Halloween, and it's Drogheda....



We went to yet another Retail Park around the corner, passed at least a few dozen acre's of abandoned large warehouse's and former factories or tech companies. Then into a uniformed grey business park with a large "WATER PARK" in its entrance. An indoor water park, inside a rather large Grey corrigated warehouse with odd windows here and there showing off rainbow platforms and twisty tube's and slide's.

The business my dad was looking for wasn't answering. The only "business" doing business in this god awful development was the water fun house thing.

Drogheda has some of the worst town planning imaginable. It was utterly appaling.


Then back to the lidl.

I sat and starred at the main Road that goes to the M1 but doesn't actually go onto it, and also goes back into town and the Bus Depot.

Coache's and traffic huddled by in the murkey overcast evening. I bopped about to the dying battery of my ipod as Immigrents and local yokels shoped.


We finished and head to the doctors.


While approaching the bus depot i saw a teen pushing a pram. She didn't exactly look enthusiastic....


The Doctors.


I spent most of my time waiting on my mobile, surfing on Opera Mini and Snaptu. Passing the time.


In the corner 2 toddler siblings played noisely with the toys. There mother in a pink velure tracksuit butting in every few minutes to shut them up.

Beside me a African family sat with a young girl standing beside her mother, sheepishly staring at the other children, waiting to get a chance to use the toys.

Her mother kept asking her to sit down in the seat beside me but she didn't. She stood there with her dread lockes, coloured plastic beads and sheepish face, waiting to play.


The two siblings coughed and spluttered all over the shop as the screamed and talked relative nonsense to each other and bounced around on their plastic chairs.

Then they started asking each other "do you have TICKULLLZ!!!" And then that started to get out of hand.

So angry and frustrated the Pink Tracksuited mother dragged the two out with her, either for a smoke brake or to refill the meter. It seemed like she had been called to the doctor, so the little African girl was over at the toys in a flash. Happy as larry when she found a Book on Tiger.


Then the other two returned but sat in a differnt place.

The second they came in, the floor was now their play space.

The boy instantly prosented the Door stop to his mother's face asking "what's this, what does it do?"

"put it back, Lulia get off the floor, get out from under der, yer gonna get all muckie, look here come's the doctor, the doctor's comin', he's gonna be cross with ya!"

They eventually went in.

The look of relief from the 2 OAP's tag-reading a newspaper and all it's supplements barely talking past idle celebrity gossip and tv schedule's, was priceless. They didn't really say anything but i could hear from their sighs and distain "Utter Disgrace" and so on.

Even the African Mother was relieved the terrible two were gone.


My dad then arrived in a sat with me. I had been waiting so long at this stage that he had had time to walk all the way down to West Street to the Pharmacy and back again with the perscription for my Rash (Lichen Pilanus, the rash's suspected name and diagnosis), a persciption i should have bought a week before my biopsy and mole removal, which was at the start of the month!



Finally in with the doctor.

It was the male doctor. Ie i had gone full circle over the summer after 5 appointments i had seen all the doctors, 3 of them female, 1 his wife, 1 a newbie. And now i was back with him again, after first showing him the rash 5 months ago.


The Stich on my Wrist had already snapped and all he had to do was pull it out.

The 3 on my chest were a bit harder, but standered snip and pull. They had stayed in so long the site's are a bit swallon, excoriated and scabby, but they're fine. I doubt it will leave much of a mark, but they will look like this for a while i bet. My own fault, but hey, it's not life threatening that i delayed. Not this time or for these stitches anyway.



Chit chat about failing my course and heading off to Oz. No health concerns, it's summer there soon and they got the Swine flu jab first, so all i have to worry about is putting sunscreen on EVERY day.


We got home and my dad and myself hurridly tidied up the computers, moved the books, cleaned the kitchen and started chopping onions and carrots for my mother's dinner within half an hour.

When she came in, she wasn't pushed about the stew and told the dad to put it in the lower shelf of the AGA. The Dad and I had Curly Chips and Burgers.



Thus ends my "riveting" day....


On Friday and Saturday i am attending the UCD IV with Ming as my teammate for the craic like. So i'll be AFK for a couple of days. I will loose this laptop to it's XP-ing also.


Expect some sort of word along the way. Keep an I on my facebook or twitter if you're really desperate to hear about my dull life and moderate prose.

Until next time, it's a good night from me, and it's a good night from him. Goodnight.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

I want a new mobile....

Is it too soon to want a new mobile phone?

I got my INQ 1 back in March or there abouts, as a belated birthday gift. And i love it. I really do. But i kind of want more from my phone. That's why i was eager to upgrade to the INQ Chat 3G when it comes out, which is expected around next month or so.


Now i have no garuntee that it will work when i go to Oz, or if i can even get it down under, but i would love it. But considering the whole "new" network thing and new country aspect i am considering other options. And truthfully i would like to upgrade to a Smartphone.



Now i am an avid, anything else user. I like to use underdogs and unpopular tools in most aspects of my gadgetry and computing. Okay, so i use windows, but thats about it. I use everything else that isn't windows after that.


My toys are visable here:




And this is my current Mobile:






But since i'm upping sticks i'm considering what i would like to buy at the other end.



Firstly i DO NOT want an iPhone. I may have an iPod and may have had a first generation one all those years ago but i'm not a Mac person. Never was, never will be. I like the clunky messyness of Windows and the free market that sprung up around it.

I don't want my computing or gadgets all uniformed to one sleek white style or using all the same software. No, i like variety, and I LIKE FLAWS. It let's you know what you're lacking, and what can be improved. Thats the essance of a good free consummer market. Feck brands and monopolies, give me choice and different standards of quality any day! As long as it all works of course...



Altough, i must conceed that i am a fan of Google. So on the smart phone front i am tempted by anything that runs their "Android" software.


The HTC Hero is the current top dog in that department:



It's sleek, and it's nice. And has all the usual google toys and an app store, small yes, but it exists. And as far as i know it's the second largest.


The next big thing in Android phone's is the Motorolla Droid.

The droid is at war with the iPhone claiming it does things the iPhone doesn't.

I don't get all the hype, but i like the phone.


It looks very nice, but for the near-by future it looks like it will be an America only thing. Not exactly buyable down under then.




Now the iPhone may be a piece of cake and popular, but i don't want it. But i would like a slice of this iPhone Cake:



Fecking nerdy wedding cake, still looks nice though.



Now the Nokia N97 is the Scandanavian offering to the world of Smartphones. It's nice, i do like it, i've held one in stores and i do like the feel, and the qwerty keybored is a plus.

It also has an app store. Via Ovi. A company Nokia swallowed to make it's new toys for their toys. It also aims to be a very social collection of aps, with geo-location, events, calanders, facebook, twitter and other things.

It's nice, but it's main failing, it's a Nokia.

I've always disliked Nokia. I don't sware by any brand, and in mobile terms Nokia always seemed like Apple to me, before Apple came along.


The nice, but to nokia, Nokia N97





For a non-smartphone option there is the slightly odd Samsung Ping.

Now the mobile phone critics, yes they exist, don't like it. But i think it has a charm. And a slight brilliance.


It has some in-built Facebook and twitter aps, but not of the same standard as other phones, and not as nice as INQ. But look at it!



Not the best colour, or angle. But it's Qwerty, with a sideways numerical keyboard, along the side of the screen, or the top of the keyboard, depending on your angle.


The Number keys work as a normal phone when in phone mode.

But then you can pop out your QWERTY keyboard and chat away like mad.

I like it. It's not pretty, but it has a charm, and it has the right idea.


The Nokia N97 and the Droid have this, but they're very powerful, very specialist and very expensive, and not garunteed to be available down under.

The Ping however, is odd, a normal phone, and has a nice keyboard. I really think it's quaint and i wouldn't rule it out just yet.




But the Piece de le resistance, the one i have wanted ever since i heard of it, is..... The INQ CHAT 3G!!!


It's an INQ. I love my INQ. It's mobile web and social networking and handy, but it's cheap and friendly. It's a starter phone for those looking to use all mobile internet has to offer.


And now it's new generation has in-built twitter. The chat is even better, with a Qwerty keyboard.




But the problem with INQ, that i can anticipate is that it doesn't have a long lasting sustainability. I already want to replace my INQ 1 for this better one. I know i can add Java based applications as i wish, such as Snaptu(a handy multible tool) and Google Maps and Opera MINI ( a web browser), but what about a year or two down the line?


My old phones, were that, just phones. I didn't expect them to update. But with the demands of the mobile web and social networking trends are driving change in mobiles.


To ride the wave of this change it would be almost better to get a phone that can change with the times. That does update.


Android phone's will do that. Future Nokia smartphones will probably do that. The Palm Pre and blackberry's will certainly do that, but they're also expensive.

The iPhone. The iPhone was always a scam. The first model a tease. The second a further tease. The 3rd almost what you'd expect. But it doesn't have MMS, or didn't at first. Instead people fork out money for several dozen apps to get the cool toys and useablity they should have had as standard but have to pay for themselves.


With Android phones, there will also be expense, with Nokia, expense, with Blackberry, expense. With INQ Chat, there isn't.


It does, almost all of what i want from the get go. And any freely available programe i want i can add as needed.


The only thing it doesn't do, that i would love, is have better picture useablity. Maybe a inner-camera for video phone, which i'd never use.

A Light/flash.

A stronger camera.

And Twitpic. I love blogging, i would use the QWERTY keyboard and the web, or inbuilt GMAIL to blog. But if i take picture's, i would like to blog them!


iPhone and other people are blogging with picture's on Twitpic and yFrog right now. Why can't cheaper mobile users do the same?


Maybe i'll just wait.


I hope to get my INQ chat 3G before i go, hopefully. And take it with me. But who knows.....


I still can't decide, but i do want to deeply consider this before i get there, and when i get there.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Snap Happy 13, DUN DUN DUN!!!

By pure coincidence the first snap happy in ages, is 13, on Halloween week. Cool.


I just get right down to business.


I actually have a bit of a stock pile of images at this stage, so expect at least 3 or 4 this week before i loose this laptop to the abyss of computer loneliness.




It's autumn, almost Halloween. When fetching some Crunchies from my dads care, for after dinner snacks on the couch, i noticed the moon was high, and errie as it shown through the clouds. Real Halloween weather, crisp air, misty skies, bright moons. Cool.

But not as cool as this.





A great black and white pic of a woman in water, also fitting with halloween.







Some web themed pumpkins:


Twitter Fail Whale



Firefox and IE

RSS Feed logo.


Apple Pumpkin:




Let's "Hope" ya'll have a good halloween.






As long as you don't see this when you're trick-o-treating.




And maybe, just maybe Teenagers who trick or treat, instead of knacker drinking and lighting bon fire's should get this:


It's a Dinosaur Condom. Yes, you read that right, a Dinosaur condom! RAWR!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

A week with a laptop.....

So this week, i have a laptop to myself.


This strange occurance, occured, when the dad forced me off his laptop and suggested i use one of the laptops he was repairing for the school  he used to work for.


Each laptop about a grand each, apparently, and some snot-nosed toe-rags have vandalised them in a multitude of ways. From removed keys, to broken mouse's, to password locking them, or even deleting the boot up protocol's. Utter dicks.


But i get to use one for myself for a whole week before it's taken back and down graded to windows XP so that the non-existant IT department, formely my dad, can keep a good check on this laptops and decrease the level of crazy lockouts and software vandalism that these "gurriers" can do to them.


So it means i can do what ever i want with it for a limited time.


Already i'm wasting a lot more time.....

All the little tools i use, such as Yoono, digsby and Flock browser are a must. Then a favourite computer game, OpenTTD. Then the Google Aps Pack, which also has a toolbarred Firefox for good measure.

Then Utorrent to get music i failed to download before we switched from "Net one" to Eircom for our internet service.

When the switch happened i lost internet in my own PC in my bedroom. Unwilling and un-informed as to how to re-create a network to give me back internet, my dad has been semi-content to let me have couch time on his mega-laptop. A 17 inch beast of a thing that really isn't much fun to use when i can't personalise it or use it when i want to.


But now i have this baby and my productivity, if i had any, is even worse. Now the parentals have been home all weekend and today, but i barely did any chores. I was even so bored on this lap top that i was "almost" pro-active in contacting prospective colleges for next year.... I say almost, i had the tab open each time my dad walked in as i patiently tried to watch Greek. But it counts, i even had a window open with Gmail ready to ask the right person about my eligibility and everything but i was lazy and i closed it eventually.



Last night i discovered that i can get a minute signal in my room on the lap top. Cue watching Heroes at 2am and other idiotic moves.


Then tonight i watched the Red carpet of This is IT live on the Michael jackson facebook page via uStream. But i was pretty peeved when it was ONLY a red carpet show, and not a free movie showing.

I then started to watch battlestar galactica: The plan. But my measly connection crapped out.


I then sent email's to my friends because i was that bored. I couldn't get to sleep and i had lot's of thoughts that i wanted to hammer out.

With my own computer i never do this as it takes time to boot up, and even this new model is a bit too loud to bother. I usually suffer through and fall asleep like a good human.


Not with a laptop. No, here i am, not even a peep of internet, and i'm still typing away, because i can!


This is a failed experiment, if it even was one.



I know i long for A Chrome OS netbook in a year or so's time, or any small little laptop to call my own once i have money. But knowing the full evil i can unleash by having one in my bed.


I DO NOT WANT.

I really should be sleeping. Curse you internet, and white glow of computing.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

A new blog, soon....

As i am moving to australia for close to a year, this blog will soon draw quiet.

But not to fret, this will be a month of good bye. And then a new blog, via the same account, i can't exactly betray google just yet...


So watch this space. When i reach down under there will be a new blog.

Until then:

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Less than a month left till i'm gone, let's make it a good one!

Yes, you read right. I'm leavin', on a jet plane, not sure exactly when i'll be back again, but it's in a years time....


If you're a friend or a stalker you will already know that i am upping my lazy ass and packing my not very warm weather orientated cloths to take with me.

I moving down under to get work and to help pay for a return to college at some stage.


So in lieu of my departure i will be celebrating my life in Ireland coming to a brief closure, by seeing "most" of my friends and aquatance's in some manner of farewell.



Firstly i'll mention the day i bought my tickets, Wednesday, and then i will discuss what i hope to squeeze in in some way, funding forgiving.



So at an un-godly and dark hour of 5 am i woke to join my mother on the bus into town. Yes the train is still out of service, how annoying.

I showered and collected all my things and headed off into town.

I almost slipped up buying a return ticket, for the train, by not saying "student". I may not be a student anymore but i still have a valid travel card until the end of the year. I almost had to fork out 18 euro or something. But i said, in shock, student, but the ticket was already printed, the guy re-printed. €14.80 please....

Eh... wasn't it 12.50??? So i scrambled for change and was left with no coins and only my dads visa for buying my way to Australia.

Getting off the bus in town i told my mother of this and kindly i was able to recieve 5 euro to get me through my day. Possibly the last spending money i'll see for a long time.


I hoped on the dart in connolly to get to Pearse. It was raining and going via the Docklands is just not as nice as going up and down steps and ramps and being carried through the murk of 730am Dublin in Autumnal weather.

So in my computer loving way i thought, let's see if i still have access to the college network.


Aras an Phiarsigh... or IS services as i've always called it was locked, it was still not 8am.

The arts block however was open. Off i went.


Ahhhh computer fix. Okay so these awful College computers may now have Vista, but i'll use 'em either way!


This lasted till 930 or so and i hoped over to the Gimby for some newspapers. It was still raining, and i had only one task to do, with another in reserve, weather and time permitting.


I got into the Society and it was all so queit. Contract cleaners doing there thing and not another soul about.

There however, were NO newspapers. Just the dreaded TCD student newspaper.....

It was reading but it wasn't good reading. A Rockstar can and my iPod Nano kept me company whilst reading about college issue's, rejoice's about no fee's and a life that i have now left behind.


There i sat. A fresher couple on their laptops. A hanging guy crashing face down in a couch and the odd head popping in and out of the door.


Then in came Kaffee. He rounded the entire room before noticing me but came over and we started a good chin wag and catch up.


Then the "Tea and toast" service started. Dona and her boss lady, who's nickname i have forgotten rolled in and set up the wee event for Freshers and others.

At first i wasn't interested, but the smell of toast was all to good.


Dona, with her Tattoes, bouncy charm and Public Enemy t-shirt was happy to see me and everyone and handed out toast galore. With Spreads of Nutella and i think some jam available.

Although i'm actually doubting the jam... I think that essential toast-al condiment was ommitted for some reason.

Not being a flavoured water man i had no liquid to acopany my toast. But Dona soon rectified this by discussing how she and almost no one else she knew in the entire college didn't drink tea. I piped up and we shared some Semi-flat Cadet orange that was left over from a previous event. Dona mainly extracted this gloriously cheap muck as a means of getting on the wrong side of her OTHER boss lady, Boop.

I never got the full details but from what i could gather all is not so happy in the MC department. I want name names but it seems like its not exactly peachy.


Kaffee, myself and Ming sat down at the head of the room in a semi-circle and discussed, the society, life, friendships, and the social impact of facebook and it's wider implications on how we now live our lives....


IT's girlfriend arrived and Ming talk to her. So i then started to discuss the Society and college life with Kaffee. He's a tad disillusioned with the "cliques" and certain key figures about the place but instead of egging this on i just reassured him that he was still an important figure, and sort of a Yoda type. Dispensing little gem's and trope's of debating and knowledge wisdom. He listened but i don't know if it invoked the same zeal and enthusiasm by witch he has instilled in some like myself, or the same caffinated over-acting that Gammaman gives to any story...


I then slowly departed the Gimby with Ming in toe and we discussed my trip to Oz and how we should SO do another movie night soon. I suggested that the NEXT drinking game should be to all the "Fucks" in In Bruges.(A suggestion from my sister) I think it should be done. Just for the challange.


He also mentioned how my leaving is sort of like "abondoning" him. I don't take most of his comments about my leaving, or my failing nursing to heart, but i do sense he's uncomfertable about it. But we've made plans for another movie night and other stuff so hopefully we'll have a good friendly good bye and so on.



I walked across front square with Ming as we discussed my departure but then he ran into his GF so i waited a minute or so but then moved on waving goodbye.


As i walked to the travel agent i got out my notebook and sorted what page's of notes and information i needed. Oddly this meant i ran into Egyptian Paul as he was walking somewhere up Dame Street. I walked and talked with him briefly and then stopped, i had a bin to find for the ball of paper in my hand, there wasn't one. How strange. I walked back to Trail finders and walked in.


I had been directed to talk to someone specific that my sister knows from her School days. Some former Gonzaga or Clongoe's guy that she hung out with years ago. In short someone i wouldn't have met ever, so aiming to deal with him was optimistic at best.

I got to the visa desk and it was a slow process of odd questions and hovering pen movements to get it all finished. The woman who handled my visa application was nice and saw the funny side of the form and i exchange some words with her.

Then it was back to the front desk where i asked again for the stranger i was meant to go via, he was on the phones that day. So i was sent to someone else.

I told this guy where i wanted to go and he started typing and searching away.

Bermused by the lack of back and forth i mentioned the Date i wanted to leave, the city i wanted to go to and the specific airline. Why he hadn't asked me was annoying.

Then 5 minutes of silence later was the random question:

"Have you ever been to Israel?"

"eh, what, uh, no?"

"okay."


And then more silence.

Asked for visa. Used it. Done.

He went away, came back. Went away, came back. And i had a printed ticket. A few awkward thank you's and goodbyes and i was done.


I left and phoned the Dad and i was done. Now for more hanging out in the gimby.

No one was about, and no newspapers. So i used the computers in the attic.


Eventually Gammaman replied to my question about free for lunch and we met up and walked and talked.

I had had a Londis roll earlier and was left with no money, just change. So we went to M&S.


He got pasta salad while i bought a Doughnut for 60cent.


We went back to his room in Goldsmith, it has a hidden courtyard behind Pearse, pretty cool.


Then we sat down as he wrote his speech for that nigths debate. He paced and discussed stuff while I, well i just listened and played the wii. Yeah he has a Wii. Lucky bastard.

It was a pretty good speech.

Over to the debate and i spent time with a few people a few hello's etc but mainly sat beside Ming who gave the first Op speech. It wasn't that bad, but he seemed a bit upset over how it went.

The first expert's speech went on a tad too long and i had to leave after it for the 9pm bus. I walked fast and got it on time.




So here we are now.


And the plan for the next month is not exactly set in stone.

I hope to do the following over the next few weeks:


Lunch with Budsey and PG in Eddie Rockets.

Another Movie night with Ming and his friend Ché.

A movie and meet up with DS when he's back at the end of this month.

Maybe the UCD IV as a novice or to help some newbie get by.

Then maybe a movie night of my own, The Godfather Trilogy, all at once???

A Goodbye party, or two.

One with the society people in town, and another at my home close to when i leave, and when the trains are back.

A Chamber Debate on the wednesday before i leave, as a final goodbye to the Society.


All will be planned over the next week....

Until then toodles bloggers, readers, stalkers and wierd people i may like or fear some day.

songs that make you feel good!

Sweet Disposition by The Tempar Trap




Dogs Days are Over by Florence and the machine








She Fucking Hate's me by Puddle of Mud



















You've got the love by Florence and the Machine







Bulletproof by La Roux













All By Myself by Marianas Trench



That is all.

I'm Heading Down Under...

Yes indeed.


On monday i was doing the usual, chore's and next to nothing. Things are bleak here in ireland and my parents know this.


So while i was sorting my dad's receipts in date order and then collecting copper change into money bags my dad discussed the possiblity of sending me to live with my sister so that i could get work and money for college.


Since failing Nursing i have been unemployed and frankly ireland is really really not a place to get a job these days, and i don't exactly have much work experiance.


So i'm being shipped off to the southern hemisphere and a country emerging from a recession.



So that's where i'm heading in the foreseeable future.

Some time in November or December i will be flying off to get work and to fund my future.


That future is not set but i'm looking at returning to college. Trinity is out of the question as none of the course's i'm interested in are available to me with the points i got in the leaving cert 3 years ago.


So i'm applying for either an Arts degree in UCD(D) or English with film or journalism in Scotland.


To Study Arts here in Ireland require's me to pay for my first 2 years as i have already recieved them for free, in my first 2 years of nursing. I still owe 7 grand for my repeat year. So working and getting money together is essential.

Scotland is an option because that's what my sister did. She got "free" education there. And so does my friend DS. I can't pass up that option at all because it's cheaper and yet another life affirming choice.

Ireland is my home. I will miss my friends in Trinity and from Nursing, i already do being cooped up at home, but Australia is on the other side of the world. UCD would be a return to my Southside "roots" but i'm not that pushed about it. Scotland however sounds so promising. To do what i want to do in another world and be independent while doing it.

And of course if i choose Napier, my sisters college, i'll be in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a great city, and it means i can host friends who pop over for the Fringe and comedy festival's, what's not to like about that?



It's all ahead of me now.


PS: Sorry for the lack of blogging, but i don't have my own computer or the same amount of time on my dads laptop. I also have far less to blog about stuck at home!

I get by with a little help from my friends:

As the world of the internet grows, it finally reaches people you wouldn't think would also be there.

After all before facebook we wouldn't know what our friends were doing when they were not around us. Now we know everything...


So i am proud to say that some of my friends are now bloggers!

Yes indeedy. I won't reveal who they're nicknames are exactly on my blog, but these people are my real friends and they also blog.

There are the wonderfully odd and informative word's of Zeta Reticuli over on Abstract and Abtruse.

He's new to all this, and blogs infrequently, but the standard is high and he has good things to say.

Enjoy this post about Suicide


Then there is Bella over on Ponderful.

Ponderful is simply wonderful. Even with just a few posts Bella has in essence captured everything i love about blogging. Wit and opinion all tied up with a gorgeous little ribbon of brilliance. She is a born writer of blogs and i hope will write more wonders in the future.

Just read the viscous nature of the metaphoric goo that is her wonderful writing.


There is also the Quixotic Michael who i befriended from his previous blog, " Full of high sentence, but a bit obtruse?", which is now long gone.


Michael Quixote is now in Paris on his erasmus year and blogs occaisionally about his time in Paris.


Visit Parisian Tale's to envy this intrepid young man in one of the most romantic cities on earth.








Bloggers that i now count as friends, or indispencible:




There is of course the wonderful and crazy adventure's of White Rabbit aka "Au Lapin blanc".


White Rabbit is from Up north, so that might be SOME excuse for her extra odd nature, but at heart she's a cupcake loving whimsical force of nature that is a must read. She post's so frequently a day can not be complete without her fine words gracing my reader.


A recent sweet tooth related adventure.




There is also the Growing pains and wonderful mind of Vicki on .Wear Me out.


.Wear Me Out is not a genre blog, or a constant sight in my reader, but it is moving, informative and a bright spark of genious from a young girl trying to get by in the horrible world of Dundalk.


Vicki has been at it for a while, but her blogging style show's wit, whimsy and oodles of hyperbole and self reflection as well as an insight into a young Lesbian woman in modern Ireland. A must read no matter what, whether you seek wit and a good story, or the blossoming talent of a good writer, .Wear Me Out is a must read.


Oh and don't hug her for too long.






Maxi Crane.....




This man is indispensible. He is the king of NSFW blogging in the irish Scene. He is an island of perversion unto himself. And frankly, if you're anyone, who's anyone, who also read's blogs, you have to read Maxi. It's just an essential part of life in the blogging world.


Whether it's his own, NSFW, website or his guest posts for others, Maxi is an wonderful Perverted figure of a crusty perverted internet tour de force of wit, hyperbole, sarcasm and seething hate of Twink that has to be read to be believed.


Maxi Crane.




Maxi is also shacked up with the wonderfully giddy and wonderful The Jelly Monster.


Both Jelly and Maxi are lover's of a good cuppa tea. So give them a read and honour them with a good dunking of biscuits in the life blood of the British and Irish Isle's, a good bru.






There are also the folks on Culch.ie and Coddle Pot that can't be forgotten. Enjoy.

Road to the future...

So i'm going to talk about what's going on in my life, how i got here, what i'm doing, and what i hope to do.

I want to keep this as brief as possible, to not rant, but i know i will, so bare with me...


What Happened:


Unsure who I was i thought Nursing was a good choice of career and or college.

I spent the first year lonely and slightly lazy college wise but i passed.

I had a failed relationship in my second year and was even lazier. And i failed.

I was given another chance. I repeated the year. I built a massive new peer group on campus and loved it. I spent all my free time giving to it and receiving some thanks in return. I also didn't work hard enough.

I tried to work hard. But i was still me, it had been so long i was lazy, i avoided it and i was afraid that i would fail and disapoint people. I was afraid to try and i avoided it.

I failed. I disapointed myself and my parents who are if anything exhausted with me.

3 years of college down the drain. 6 years of private school education that i never put to any use.

I'm Lonely.

I'm Lethargic, depressed, lazy, annoyed, frustrated, negative and generally fear responsibility or any drive at all.




What am i doing?




I'm the house maid. I clean the house, unwillingly and lackadaisically and feed and walk the dogs.

I slowly search for new college course's. I've barely updated my CV and done nothing with it.

I email Society people willing to help out and even make some money from it, but all those spots are filled.

I miss my friends. I miss having something to do. I feel sorry for myself and i do fuck all everyday.

I watch far too much pirated television the day after it airs in the states.

I think and yet i do nothing. I dream and yet i don't fulfill any of them.

I reflect on everything and still blame and excuse myself in equal measure, but i don't deal with the present.



What i have to do?

I have to earn money.

I have to repay my parents.

I have to achieve my own independence and have a career that allows me to survive in this world.

And i have to be an adult.


How will i achieve this?


By getting a job, any kind, as long as it pays minutely above minimum wage as per the law etc.

Saving for college here or abroad, and most likely getting a student loan.

Being confident in myself and competent in my actions to be a successful student and become qualified.

By the time i am likely to be finished college i will be 26. Very late i know, but by then i hope to be mature.

I hope to do some kind of arts degree, english or film or journalism. There are several course's that encompass aspects of both. And UCD or Scotland are my main choices.





Why i never made this choice 4 years ago is beyond me. Nursing was okay, but i never really worked. I never took responsibility and it was a disaster. I could do the job but my heart was never in it. I was depressed for most of it and frankly because i was down and never fully working it just kept getting worse and worse. And i eventually failed for the last time.



Now i have to find employment of some kind. I have to claw my place into the world with no qualifications and no experience and hope i can run back to college and learn something i am interested in that has the slightest chance of a career at the end of it.



It sounds like a really really big challenge, but i have to do it.





I have dreams:




I want to travel the world.

Inter-railing.

American Road Trip.

Ozbus - London to Sydney

and maybe even road trip to Rio 2016.

I want to be a writer. I want to continue my love of film, write books, write screenplays, write short stories, write blogs and generally be me and have fun while doing it.

I want to somehow achieve freedom by expressing who i am and discussing the wider world.

I also want to share what i have to offer with the world, whether through teaching, writing, journalism, blogging or even film/television/plays.

I basically want to be heard. I want my mind and my words to be my talent and main skill.


I may be lethargic and self loathing at the moment but i would be willing to do anything to make this dream come true. To have freedom to see the world to live in the world and experiance all life has to offer.

I have never liked the idea of 9 to 5. But i do long for the idea of settling down some day.

If i can see the world, live life, write all the time in various ways and then settle down and teach or share more, then i would be happy. That would be the perfect life for me. I just have to achieve it.



Goal's:

To Graduate from College

To See the World

To write no matter what.

To settle down and share my knoledge with children and others.

To die in the comfort that i at least lived and left enough of a mark that people i don't know will still remember me and believe i lived a good life.



Now To live life.