happy christmas

Nollaig Shona Duit!!

Wishing you and yours the Happiest of Christmases!!!

I'm off to the KISC Staff reunion on Tuesday so why not try and see me on the webcam?



Will be back in the New Year and then off again to Andorra for more Skiing!!

Take Care and all the Best :o)

its getting closer

This time next week it will be Christmas Eve!

I got soo much to do... 2 exams down, 1 to go, 7 days of bag packing to go and i have to get all my christmas presents, get ready for the reunion to Switzerland...

1 hours saved

Google Web Accelerator today has officially saved me 1 hours!


I started using it on the 22nd of November, and today is the 13th of December. So thats 3 weeks or 21 days. So on average Google Web Accelerator saves me about 2.9 minutes a day!

study

Never... EVER Underestimate the power of Study.

It can get you to do soo many things that you just wouldn't be bothered about doing without it! For instance today, I was going to start studying for my Financial Management exam I have on Wednesday... (did I say start... I meant continue.. of course!) but I kept getting side tracked!

Here is a brief list of things I managed to do before I settled down to the books:

• Cleaned my Room
• Hovered my Room
• Rearranged all the wires from my laptop/tv/xbox and everything else on my desk
• Tidied and refolded my Clothes
• Organised my Shelves
• Wrote an Email Ski Trip Group (didn't send it yet)
• Did my recycling
• Read a book about Farts
• Managed to Break my Bedside light
• And Stuck two stickers onto my Snowblades (one saying Red Sucks, the other Blue Sucks)
  

That's about it! I did in the end get a good bit of Financial Management done.

jcb song - holey moley

Holey Moley!!

The amount of people coming from search engines to my previous post on the JCB Song. In the last week alone... there was 112 unique visitors coming directly to the post page, with most of them leaving via the same page.

It seems to be people who want to download the JCB song for free. Now you all know that's illegal? You shouldn't be using programs like limewire to search for music or downloading it without paying for it. Why not use iTunes? It costs... oh wait... just gave a search... they don't have it on iTunes for download! myCokeMusic? Just checked and nope, not there either. Infact, I just checked the official site and the only place you can seem to buy it if from the HMV website. I suppose they just want you all to buy the single to make it a Christmas Number One!

My advice if you want to just:

• Listen to it online: Go here
• Watch the Video: Go here
• Buy the Album: Go here (where he is wearing a Peoples Republic of Cork T-Shirt! YEAH!)
• Buy the Single: Go here
  

Everything else is just illegal *cough*

santa

Last night we went to see Santa with the Beavers!! Here is a nice picture with the big man himself, and Mary sitting on his knee. We couldn't get her off him. And to think she is married.

He was in Little Rascals in Mallow especially for us and all the other Beavers in the Cork South County! All the beavers had a great night and got to stay up WAY past their bedtime! That's it until the new year for beavers, but I get to look forward to a week of Bag Packing in Dunnes Stores up until Christmas Eve.

Oh the Joys! :'-(

crush calculator

I usually don't do stuff like this, but try this crush calculator out!

Pretty interesting results!!

kinsale road roundabout

Ok. Here is either an interesting post about the new Kinsale Road Roundabout or else its going to be boring. First of all... the location. It's part of the Cork Link Road System, linking the City to West to East via Duel Carriageways. This is what it used to look like:

Now recently they started work on the new Flyover, and in all fairness they haven't distributed traffic one bit. They successfully moved lanes across and made more new lanes as they had to close other ones to make room for the flyover. Claps all round.

Also those numbers are a rough estimate of how many cars use the Roundabout during rush hour in the mornings and evening. (You know, 5 times the amount of cars coming in from the top right [Douglas] than there would be from the right [Woodies].)

During the last week or two, the traffic lights that successfully controlled the flow of traffic around the roundabout are broken/turned off/not working. (Mind you there is only lights on actual roundabout and the entrances at the two 5x and the 2x from the City.) This is what started to annoy me... not the engineers or the working doing the engineering thing, looking in holes and what not, but its the Gardaí­ standing in for the Lights.

The traffic builds up steadily at both entrances at the 5x's, the places where there is the most traffic, and that is because our finest have no idea or cop on. They give every entrance an equal chance and time to get onto the roundabout. The result is there is hardly any cars at the Kinsale Entrance (3x) or the City Entrance (2x) or the Woodies Entrance (1x), its all backed up on the other two... and don't worry, if a car does come to one of the other 3, they will stop the two main entrances to allow you to enter.

Lads, they are building a flyover... why? There must be a lot of cars going from one direction to the other... which directions? maybe the ones with the most cars... so why not... and here is the crazy idea... let loads of those cars through and free up the congestion!?

LANGERS!

This is what it should look like in the end:


P.S. If anyone is wondering WTF a mushroom is doing in the middle of the first picture... well its called the magic roundabout, and whenever i think of it, i think of a magic mushroom, thus coming to the conclusion of a mushroom! Plus it looks class!

ofi sunday

Mr. Chris Evans returned about 3 weeks ago with his new Show, OFI Sunday. (I'll let you guess/google what OFI means) It's basicialy a remake of TFI Friday except on a Sunday. Giving a search for what other people think apparently everyone seems to hate it. I'll let you decide for yourselves... There is nothing better on TV at that time anyway...

the late late toy show

<ramble>
Ok... I've calmed down a bit from last night. I've also read Dec's response to the disastar. I agree completly with him. From the start, lets get it out of the way, i'm not Anti Pat or anything, its just... wait a minute... I hate the guy.

The start was the worst thing ever. Darth Vader riding in on horseback, and the Vikings and medievil soliders and i think i saw a dragon... WTF!

First off i must say, considering that xbox360 was launched yesterday, why was it upside down on the table and all that was mentioned about it was "the new xbox" while the main part of the segment was talking about the Gaelic Games Game for the PS2. And dont get me started about that game. He also brushed over the PSP aswell. Comon, thats meant to be the in-thing for christmas. I mean... Comon...

Infact i don't care about it anymore. I just feel sorry for RTÉ. There was more toys that you pressed and did stuff with than there was anything else. Pat tried more toys out on his own than with kids. The Kids (fair fecks to them) gave Pat a hard time. Pat can't handle anything that isnt scripted. In fairness he was a bit better than last year when they kid from Cork started talking about saying hello to his teacher. I thought Pat was going to break down. He was still Plastic Pat. RTÉ... Retire him, he doesnt have to do the job as long as Gay, get someone else new in there as soon as possible.
</ramble>

doom

I saw Doom today, the new film. It is class! I did not see any of the trailers for it or anything, besides the fact I haven't had any time to! As films that started out as video games go, this isn't too bad Compared to previous ones:

Super Mario Bros.
Double Dragon
Street Fighter
Mortal Kombat
Wing Commander
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Resident Evil
The House of the Dead
Alone in the Dark

I didn't see the trailers and didn't know what to expect... I've played the games, the newest one not so much... but still played and knew about it. The part of the film that is done in first person I thought was excellent! It was a real nod towards the game!

So its fingers crossed for Halo:The Movie... lets hope its even better...

I'm not going to say anything about the pathetic excuse for the Toy Show tonight... I'll leave that for later on in the weekend :( It put me in a bad mood going to bed.

the 360

Today is the day that the new xbox 360 launches in Ireland and Europe. I'm pretty sure I, along with most of the country wont be able to get their hands on one before Christmas unless you prebooked it 3 months ago. But that's Microsofts game.

Langers.

george best

George Best died on the 25th of December. I can't understand why the media coverage running up to the death of this footballer. It really really pissed me off. Everyone was dedicating so much time just reporting on the decline of his health. I mean, if someone got a liver transplant and continued to drink... I just think its a disgrace. And he is glorified by the media and not a mention that he pissed through a present that someone else would of gladly accepted and took care of.

He is dead now, from his own doing, afterall he was only 59. Atleast now he can be remembered as the Footballing Ledgend he use to be.

adsense

I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have been messing with Googles AdSense, you know, those little ads that they put on sites that you would never notice. Well I've added them on a few websites that I update and run, mostly blogs. That's fine, but I've always hated sites with Ads, but didn't mind when the Ads were Small and unnoticeable, like the Google ones.

The question is, do I put these Ads on my own Blog or remove them all from all the websites, or find a happy medium? Yes. I'm going to add the Ads to my site feed. Its the least the lazy bastards that don't actually visit my site can do for me. So if you are reading this from a feed, and you see a Ad, tell me! Coz i can't seem them yet!

P.S. This is possibly the worst composed blog entry ever!

present

Happy Birthday Mike! For your birthday Footsie and I went walking into Blackpool from town to get to an Argos Extra, where we picked you up a present and walked back into town with it. Each of us carrying the following:

• 1 x 11.3KG / 25 Lb weight
• 1 x 4.5KG / 10 Lb weight
• 2 x 2.2KG / 5Lb weight
• 2 x 1.1KG / 2.5Lb weight
• 1 x Packet of Jaffa Cakes
• 1 x Box of edible Cock Rings

That was in each of our Bags... so your present was double what you see there!

eric - sex bomb

I have uploaded my first video to Google Video! It is a video of Eric doing Tom Jones' Sex Bomb. It was recorded at Sandras 21st over the weekend. It was a class Party with Karaoke in Pine Lodge, Myrtleville. It was class, he was 1st on and not that drunk. What followed was a night of signing people up for songs, and they didnt even know that they were signed up until they were called up, and didn't know what they were singing until it started!!

You can view it here!! Eric - Sex Bomb

weatherman

Yesterday I heard some sad news that one of my old Friends online died. Weatherman, Weatherman4 or just George Henry lived in Michigan in the States where he was... as his nick suggested a Weatherman. Well not really, it was more something to do with underground water systems or something. He was retired and living quite comfortable on his own.

Going back to the golden days of the internet as I remember, he was a regular in IrelandChat chatroom on the Microsoft Chat servers, back in the day using good old MSChat2.5. I had many a memorable chat with him late at night about everything and anything. He was fascinated with the weather and loved his cats. He had a lake outside his house that used to freeze over during the winter. The applications for his passport were in the back of his car in an envelope. And if he did ever get a passport, he could of seen the world. Its a pitty he never did. There would of been so much he would of loved to see. He always has an interest in Japan and the food from there, I think... The stuff he would come out with was sometimes not politically correct, but he also knew the best way to act when a chat room became awkward or someone put their foot in there mouth. He was always a great person to chat to and share your thoughts with. Even thought I grew apart from that circle of people online, as the chat servers closed down and people moved on, I will always remember the great times I had in that community and with Weatherman.

Altho he didn't get on too well with his family, I do remember that some younger members used to come and visit and he really loved that. It was sad to hear that his family didn't have a service or funeral for him, but I hope there was some thing small. He will always be in my memories and my prayers are with him and his Family, both in real life and online.

He died on October 14th of this year. R.I.P. George.

one hellofa one

Alright, this is going to be one hellofa update. Well thats the plan, who knows how it finishes.

First off, i was online yesterday morning and the weirdest thing happened. Someone who i used to chat to way back, started chatting with me again! It was soo weird, it took me a minute to realise who it was. Last time i was chatting to them was on Valantines Day 2003 and before that it was the just summer 2002 when chat started to fizzle out because they were never online, or they blocked me!! Now they seem to be very quiet again when they log back on and off... humm

Moving on! Google launched two more products/services today. Google Analytics could be very intresting to work with! I've added it to my blog, and now i'm just waiting for the data to be collected to see what the reports look like! Google Base doesnt seem to brilliant or amazing, infact i'm not going to even link to it i was so board with it and couldnt find a use to it for me!

I got a load of details about the KISC Staff Reunion happening this December! Activities include:

• Sauna
• Sledding and Gluehwein
• Gemmi Hike and Sled
• NYE Dinner in Tower
• Zermatt Ski Trip
• Snowboarding workshop
• Ice Skating
• Snow Shoeing

So i really can't wait for it!! There is about 78 ex-staff and 16 friends and family going to be there!! In fact i'm looking forward it more than my actual Ski Trip with my friends this year to Andorra! (except for the fact i'm going to be stocking up on electronics over there and making good use of the Tax-Free status of Andorra!!)

College is going along nicely, with projects and tasks being worked on, and christmas exams coming up on the 12th to the 21st, i dont know why but they need that amount of time to run 4 exams for us. I should really start studying...

I spent the weekend in Clon, for a welcome home gaming/party for Taidy who was home for a week and a bit from Scotland. So we got a load of us to come down on the Friday to play games and then more on the Saturday for a party. We managed to fit in another trilogy! Star Wars IV, V and VI! That goes with other trilogies like Back to the Future 1, 2 and 3, Robocop 1, 2 and 3, and Matrix 1, 2 and 3... i'm sure there was more other times!

The Xbox 360 is out in America in less than a week, or something! Infact, there is so much about it online i'm not going to mention it anymore...

As for Bosco!! His DVD (Volume 1) was released last weekend!! Oh what childhood memories! I must get me a copy of that DVD!! over 3 ½ hours of Bosco Bliss!!

360 first play

I was in Smiths today and I got my first look at the new Xbox 360. AMAZING!!

It looks really really nice and shiny... Call of Duty 2 was also amazing! I can't wait till I decide to get one!!

jcb song

Ok, just listening to the Radio and again I hear the JCB song from Nizlopi. I heard this a good while ago on Ricks show. The DJ currently on thinks its a brilliant song, which is it, but he credited Marty 'Lame Ass' Whelan with playing it!

Now in checking my links and stuff while writing this, I see that there is a link to the JCB song on the Marty in the Morning page on the 2fm website! I checked the Rick Page and it does not mention anything! Who gets the credit? I don't listen is 2fm anymore in the mornings, I much prefer either Ian on TodayFM or Nick Richards on Corks 96fm! So I can't really tell what that lame excuse for a DJ has been saying in the mornings! Probably some sarcastic or old fashioned remark to Shane and then Shane burns Marty...

Anyway, the main reason for this post is getting lost! The JCB Song... listen to it, it's class.



Update: I'm getting a lot of hits here from Google with the phrase: listen to the JCB Song. Now I don't have it a link or anything here to download the song, but if you go onto their site, you can view the video which plays the whole song! http://www.jcbsong.co.uk/

inside my box

I opened up my Xbox today. Just wanted to see how it works inside! You can see in the center left of that picture that there is a blue chip. Well that shouldn't be there...

good bye dcb

I got news this week that my Gaming Clan, the Drunken Celtic Bastards Clan is disbanding :o(

It couldn't be helped, because as more people got broadband, more people were also playing more live games, and the life span of the games today are different to 18 months ago, after 2 weeks people get bored and there is a new game to play.

Very true. Its sad, even though I haven't been an active member, I did go to a Gamecon and I really enjoyed it. The Clan members I met in person were sound and I had a good time playing on Live when I was on. I'll have good memories and who knows... When the 360 comes out, there might be a upsurge again for a class Clan like that!

mars bar cake

We went to Ruby Jones for some cake after or during college last Wednesday. You know how it is! We all got their famous Mars Bar Cake. Ian couldn't finish it. Even with the little bit left on his plate he couldn't do it. What a pansy!
During our reunion dinner, i was explaining to Footsie what Ian wasn't able to finish and he decided that it was worth a challenge. Added to the fact that he already had a full dinner in him!
And well done footsie! You ate everything on your plate! Even with a dinner in your belly already!

And the Video, !

hallowe'en

Happy Halloween or Hallowe'en depending on how you like it!!

As I write this there is loads of kids outside doing what they do best. Going from one house to the other looking in their costumes for sweets! This is accompanied in the background with the lovely sound of people blowing things up with fireworks and the likes! Its great. Not to mention the gangs going around egging buses, cars, houses and passers by. What a night. Its also the one night of the year they the girls can dress like whores and get away with it!! That's when everyone dresses up in fancy dress, and costumes of all sorts, and hits the pubs and clubs in town. FreskScene maybe the most popular of spots for tonight!! Overall there is always a strange feeling that I get each Halloween!

A lot of people I've been talking to think its an American Holiday, so here is the facts to put the record straight! (Thanks Wikipedia)

The term "Halloween" is derived from Hallowe'en, an old contraction, still retained in Ireland, Scotland and some parts of Canada, of "All Hallow's Eve," so called as it is the evening (or eve) before the feast of All Saints (an important day in the Christian calendar), which used to be called "All Hallows" derived from All Hallowed Souls. In Ireland, the name was Hallow Eve and this name is still used by some older people. Halloween was formerly also sometimes called All Saints' Eve. The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European pagan traditions, until it was appropriated by Christian missionaries and given a Christian reinterpretation.

More on Halloween and the History and folklore of Halloween.

I'm not going out tonight myself. At the moment I'm watching Harry Potter agus An Seomra Diamhair or Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Irish!!

nice meal and an hour

Team Invincible went on a Reunion Dinner tonight. Spur of the moment type thing, great fun. We went to Ruby Jones in Douglas. Cork city'’s newest dining experience! Apparently!! Actually we went there with the lads for Coffee, Cakes and Hot Chocolate twice before at lunch after college, so we know that the place is like. Really nice and Fancy!! We didn't have a reservation tonight, but had a look if they could fit us in! And they had just enough room for us! Score one us!

One of us, who shall remain nameless ordered the steak, very well done, and it was taking its time. We were there for about an hour. Which we didn't really mind. Conversation was alright!! But the manager/waiter fello came up to us and apologized for the delay, looked to see if we were drinking, which we don't really do, so offered us free desert! Score two us!


Its a really nice place, and if your ever there, go in, if only for a look! Were not used to places like that in Cork baye! ;o)

Also the clocks go back this morning!! Score three us!

I wonder when I wrote this post? Was it before or after the clocks went back?

guess what i got

Yup! That's me in Classic Black and White on my new Webcam! Not too bad for €€19.99! Altho I was talking to someone from China today, and she didn't think I was 23 at all, more like 32. Which was a good confidence boost... *ahem*... NOT!! But I'm not going to hold it against the webcam...

Webcam, One more thing this Spell Checker doesn't know!

bad thoughts

This is from Scott Adams new blog and published directly from Google Reader where I read it!! I know I will have to edit it again, coz the formatting is going to be all messed up!


Bad Thoughts:

I spend way too much time thinking of excellent crimes I could commit if I were a crime committing sort of person. Every time I read about hurricane-related looting, I wonder about the best way to do it.

I think I’d get myself a looting boat, stocked with a bunch of camping stuff, in case I got stuck in the disaster area. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a big jacket that said FEMA on it. I’d wait until a hurricane started to threaten a particular community and then I’d steal a car and start towing my little pirate boat in that direction, monitoring the news as I went. I’d set up camp near a target rich environment, tie the boat to a lamppost, up high, and wait for the storm to empty the city. There’s a good chance I’d be killed by the hurricane before I did any quality looting, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take for free pants that aren’t my size.

I might bring my own decoy puppy, in case anyone saw me climbing through a broken store window. I’d just hold up the puppy and yell “It’s okay! I Got her!”

After I did my looting – or as we white people like to say: “gather my supplies” – I’d motor my little pirate boat down the main street, out to the ocean, and back to my hidden lair that’s stinking of damp merchandise.

halloween party

So I had Beavers today! Was much fun, especially because I got to dress up! There is a picture of me in my Vampire costume!! It was one of those Adult costumes with a cape, shirt thingy and belt thingy. All I had to do was wear some black pants and get some of those teeth! My Aunt Kathryn came over to do the Face Painting!! They wanted me to gel my hair, but I was having none of that!! Oh and the medal was a scout one I won in 1998 for coming first in the 3 legged race!!
So down at beavers everyone had a ball! We played a load of Halloween Games with them, told scary stories and had a Party with like of party food!! Everyone had a great time. Even Julie turned up, looking as scary as ever!! If only we could get her to take off that mask she ALWAYS has on!!
I don't think I want to go out on Real Halloween. Just don't feel like it I suppose, leave me alone right?!! Town isn't my scene!!

Oh on a totally different topic... Luisa, I can see that your a regular reader of this Blog! Either stop it or tell me the address for your one!! I will only be able read posts in the past when I eventually find the address out!! Its only fair!

lets kick start a new wave

Ok! As one of my Friends always says,

I don't have time to scratch myself

and its true, these days I don't. I'm getting my head around all the things that I need to make time for. College, Beavers, Scouts, Computer Games, organizing Ski Trips, Updating other peoples websites, Relaxing, TV, Eating, Responding to Emails, organizing my Google Reader etc etc etc and the list goes on!!

So I want to make this back as a Number one, or close to it at the top. I realized, I started going it this blogging thin hell for leather back in March just around when my Exams were on/finishing, and I haven't blogged through college yet!! I think that's what I'm finding so hard. But I'm sure I can get over it when I put my head to it.

Do you ever notice the spell checker on this thing doesn't have the words: blog, blogger, blogging or blogged?! Strange!

blogging skills slipping

This week I turned 23. Now I have to update all my different profiles with the new age.

I have been very busy with College and trying to organize this ski trip, with all these people dropping out like lemmings.

Anyway, I'm off to the Mournes in Co. Down for the Ulster MPC for the weekend 1st thing in the morning!

Have a good one. And next week, 1 post for each day!

flamer

Eric in the Cafeteria in CIT. What a flamer...

facial hair

Eric showing off the length of his Beard!
And my nice beard...

no posts here

I'm just way too busy and I gotta settle back into a routine.

Catch you on the Flip Flop.

5g ipod

Yup, Apple have just announced their new iPod. The 5th Generation or iPod Video...
Its thinner than the old 4G iPod Photo/Colour, comes in 60GB or 30GB and yup, as you gathered from the name above, it plays video as well!!

I have been doing my home work, as I'm interested in getting one, and up until I heard there was a big announcement from Apple today, I was going for the Nano... except for those bloody scratches!! So I was looking on their website, and checking prices... I found it interesting the Big difference in price from one country to the other. I got the prices in their own currency and just converted it to Euro:
If I don't have one by Christmas, I'm going to get one shipped to Kandersteg and pick it up over new years! But can I wait??

a pure test

This is a test for Google Reader to see how it works.

Check it out its pretty sweet!

20 lives

Over the past few weeks I've been playing Nokias new Game, 20 Lives. Basically you play as someone each day for 20 days and if you successfully pass a life, you get entered into a draw to win prizes. Its pretty easy and all the lives interact. I have failed 1 of the 16 lives I've played so far, with 4 more to play. The problem is this year is that i've gotten bored with it. I have to force myself to log on every day.

I've played the NokiaGame every year and I've won things some times as well. Nokia goodies and phones. Its a pretty sweet deal, and usualy the game is pretty good and gets your hooked for the 2 weeks or so that it runs! It has also got me hooked on Nokia phones.

The final is on the 12th/13th October. Will keep you posted if I win anything!

ipod nano

My Birthday is coming up... *cough*... and I was wondering what I wanted!! I don't think I want a PSP, as my Laptop and Xbox does everything that does. So I was thinking should I take the plunge and get me an iPod? I was going to wait until my Ski trip to Andorra and see if I could get a good one for a good price there! But can I wait...?

There is also the fact of these reports that the face easily gets scratched. I rang Apple today (nice free phone number) and was speaking to American Nancy!! And she was all helpful... telling me that yes, Apple have admitted that some screens crack and easily scratch. But she also said that they would repair or replace any of them if they do scratch. That's nice to know.
Oh... my battery also might go kerr-put in month 11 of my warranty as well... just a heads up Apple :oP

Anyway, I don't know what to do yet... or what to get for my Birthday... hummm...

ohhh the pressure

I was looking at my stats again, and seeing a lot of rte.ie activity. I posted a comment on Ricks Blog last night, but didn't link back here, but Rick tracked me back to this site!! And then mentioned me in a blog entry!!

Much love to Darran at Langer's Blog who keeps saying nice things about the show *nods back in Darran's direction* :-)

Cheers for keeping track Mr. O'Shea.

So anyway, I know that I'm going to get a huge increase of visitors (like the last time he linked to one of my pages) This time to my main page... ahhh... and welcome! :o)

So the Pressure should be on, knowing that there is a load of people looking at my blog, but its not!

Its my blog and I rite as bad as I like about what I lik.

marty in the mornings

Marty Whelan, on the breakfast show... Right...

He started last week, and I didn't hear one show, which is a shame, considering I usually do catch the for of a new show on 2fm, like Rick's today (and another top show *nods Ricks direction*). So it was this morning where I heard the new Breakfast show.

First Impressions: Very poor I thought. Could they come up with anything better? They dragged Shane back to do sports again, and back to the usual time as well. And Marty and Shane aren't getting on at all. The amount of sarcasm thrown around this morning! Its like they forced Shane to come back.

I will give it this week, and next week (1st week back in college) and if not I'm going to have to change my radio from where it has been stuck since I got it back in the early nineties:
and press this button change it to... dare I say it... TodayFM.
Altho for the last 6 months I was forced to listen to Ian on TodayFM any morning I got a lift into work by a neighbour, so I have no problem turning back full time if I have too!

Check out Dec's Blog Entry about it.
Update soon...

back to normal

ish! Well I just about made it back yesterday. My bus trip from Sligo to Cork was a bit of a ordeal! It was 7 hours straight on a bus, or 3 buses to be exact! In real life, you get 1 bus from Sligo to Galway, and change in Galway and get a Bus to Limerick/Cork. Here is what happened!

My bus was 20 minutes late getting into Galway. I had about 10 minute change over period, but when we arrived, the Limerick/Cork bus should of left 10 minutes before. But this time, it was waiting for my bus to pull into Galway. So I just about managed to squeeze off the Sligo bus and run over to the Limerick/Cork one, only to see him close the doors and begin to pull away. I knocked on the window and waved, but there was no way in hell I was getting on that bus. The Driver just looked and smiled.

So I was looking an hour wait for the next bus, until I heard a special bus to Ennis/Limerick was about to leave. I was thinking if I could catch up with the bus that just left, because they had a 20 minute stop in Limerick, I wouldn't have to wait the hour. This extra special bus was full of old people going to Ennis and only about 12 of us on there in total. (The bus driver also got confused why I was getting on a bus to Limerick when my ticket said Cork!) Anyway, long story short, we caught up with the Limerick/Cork bus in Ennis where I boarded, and the driver just smiled at me, like... ha... well done, you tricked the system.

By the time we got to Limerick, we were running behind time, so I didn't get a chance to get off for toilet break or food. So I was going from Sligo at 11am until Cork at 6:20pm. Lovely!

But going back to the Jerk Driver, who I didn't manager to get a pic of either :o( does he really enjoy his work? The bus was already 10 minutes late, what would 1 more minute count? I managed to get there, maybe by fluke I suppose, but I managed.

I hope he has a good life.

nothing at all

After my MPC weekend in the 12 Pins (Bens) in Galway, I've arrived in my grand parents house for a week! There I plan to do NOTHING AT ALL!! And about time! After 6 months being on the go with work and the whole lot, I need a break.

So talk soon!!

games

This is a complete list of PlayStation 2 games that my Cousin has! Not too bad! Pitty it's a PS2 tho!

talk like a pirate day

Arrrr... Ahoy Matey!
Shiver me timbers, dar be treasure in them thar hills. By t'way, grab thee a wench as ive forgot t'remind thee today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day!
I've also found some facts ye might be finding intrestin... Arrr

R'member... dead men tell no tales.. so swab the deck ya scarvy scum!!!

abc1

Over the weekend I have been Surfing my Sky Digital channels! And came across this new Channel, abc1. Having never been to America, but I've heard lots and seen a few taped videos from there over in Switzerland, I know how they work their Ads.

Take your average episode of Scrubs or Friends:
In Ireland (and the UK):
The show starts at the top of the hour, after about 3 or 4 minutes of Ads that have been running since the end of the last show. At about quarter past, there are 3 minutes of Ads. At the end of the show, there is about 3 or 4 minutes of Ads until the next show that has to start at half past the hour.

In America:
The show starts immediately after the end of the previous show. It shows the first few scenes until the Shows titles run. Just as the titles end, there is 3 or 4 minutes of Ads. Then you come back and the show starts and it runs without a break for most of the show. Then just before its about to wrap up, it takes its second set of Ads. Finally coming back to finish out the show (and show the lesson learnt... as in all American Shows) and start straight into the next one...

Two different ways of doing it, I can advantages to both. The American way tries to hook viewers onto the next show, where as our way doesn't keep you waiting 4 minutes after showing you the 1st two minutes of the show to see the rest of it... same with having to wait to see the last 2 minutes of it at the end!!

never blog about bloging

Like I've got time for a BlogSpot!!:

When you write your own blog you can basically get away with anything. You don't have to please your readers, you don't have to cater to anyone's taste, you don't have to be interesting, and your blog doesn't even have to make sense! But there are some basic unwritten rules about bloging that must be adhered to at all times. And up there with 'never blog about your co-workers' and 'always know if your mother reads your blog' is a fundamental and oft forgotten rule:

Do not insult your readers intelligence, i.e.:

Never blog about blogging!

We all know the feeling, you one sit down at your computer to blog one fateful day, and nothing happens. Nothing. Happens.

You can't think of anything to blog about.

It may not be because your life's particularly boring or empty; you might just have nothing to say. There's always the chance that you've stumbled upon the great discovery of conversation, and with a small cry of 'Eureka!' have began saying things directly to people, thus having no more need to blog. Or you could just be shallow.

Either way, you are suddenly faced with a momentous, blog-changing decision. What do you do now? Oh, you know the sensible thing to do would be to stand up, turn off your computer, and walk away. Go do something else. But in the back of your mind, a twisted logic is beginning to form:

1. I normally blog about what goes on in my life.
2. What's going on in my life right is that I have nothing to blog.
3. I should blog about the fact I have nothing to blog.

So I say 'NO!' and say again, 'NO!'
You never, ever, under any circumstances, blog about the fact that you have nothing to blog about. If you’ve got nothing to blog, don’t blog! Sometimes inspiration comes, sometimes it doesn’t. You people just have to learn to let it go sometimes. Learn to walk away.

There's nothing worse than reading a blog titled 'I have nothing to say' or worse 'what should I blog about'. Nothing is more insulting to the experienced blogger. You’ve taken the time and effort to visit some blog, only to be slapped in the proverbial face. With a proverbial salmon. You feel violated.

People can get hurt that way.

comparsion

One of my Scouts sent me this picture today. The person on the left is my old school principal. Mr. Murray. Nice chap. Can't fault him in any way. The guy on the right is Peter Griffin:

Peter is an incompetent blue-collar worker and a bumbling, drunken father, yet still a dedicated family man. He is a legally retarded man, who often gets into bad situations, which are only made worse as he tries to get out of them. He formerly worked as a production line worker at the Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory. Following its closure he became a fisherman. He has also previously been a jouster, Sheriff, cast member on The Electric Company, a ghostbuster, career soldier, member of Simon and Garfunkel (creative differences being what led to his stint as a career soldier in Vietnam), CEO, Death, one of the wonder twins, and folk singer. Husband to Lois, father to Meg, Chris, and Stewie and technically the owner of Brian.

What a man!!

foreign blogs

Has anyone noticed since Google have launched Blog search there has been a load of foreign Blogs on the Next Blog list! I'm not against it or anything, in fact I like looking at blogs from different countries. But a few weeks back I only came across maybe 1 in 10 foreign language blogs! Now its more like 1 in 3! Strange eh?

Also Mozilla Thunderbird has a shit spell checker... as does the Blogger tool i use for this! I just used Google to find the correct spelling of foreign!

hand

Taidy and his hand... it looks soo real man! Taken in my room checking out the functions of the Camera on my phone for some reason!

revolution controller

So Nintendo finally announced their controller?! Take a look at this gamble:


Yup! Its a remote control!! Correction it looks smaller than any of my remote controls! Here is the low down:

It is shaped like a simple television remote control and operates like a mouse in three-dimensional real-space.
The controller is a major departure from the last 20 years of console design. Two sensors near the television allow the controller to sense its position in three-dimensional space; other sensors in the controller itself allow it to sense its tilt and yaw. Players can thus mime actions (and receive haptic feedback) instead of simply pushing buttons. An early marketing video showed actors miming such actions as fishing, cooking, drumming, conducting an orchestra, shooting a gun, sword fighting, and performing dental surgery. To communicate with the sensors, the Revolution's controller uses Bluetooth technology.
A digital directional pad is positioned at the top of the controller face, with a large GameCube-styled A button directly below it and a trigger on the underside acting as the B-button. Below the A button is a row of three small buttons: Start, Home, and Select. Near the bottom end of the controller are two additional buttons labeled lowercase a and b (labeled X and Y in promotional videos and likely the final product), suggesting that users can turn the controller 90 degrees and use it like a classic NES controller.
The controller can also slip inside or attach to peripherals through a proprietary plug on its bottom end. A tethered peripheral with an analog stick and two shoulder buttons (labeled Z₁ and Z₂) will be bundled with the Revolution game console (letting the user play games "nunchaku-style"). A "shell" peripheral is also slated to release for the Revolution that will be similar to traditional controllers like those of the Xbox 360 and PS3. Nintendo promises a wide variety of peripherals ranging from dance mats to analog game controllers. Peripherals may be cheap enough to be bundled with games.

as himself would say

FECK!

As himself would say... i worked out why the counter wasn't working... i only had the Stats Script on the page, and not the Counter Script!! It would be working now!!

Tell your friends from other countries!!

fred and freds

In my surfing I came across a blog called
fredandfreds. Nice, updated frequently and full of interesting enough stuff...

Its worth a surf!!

In other news... I don't think my Top 10 list of counties are working... I'll give it another day. Canada, the UK and Uruguay should be up there...

what a load of

Waffle... Only place to get good ones is France, and Paris to be exact. So there.

Anyway, Just waffle here... don't know what to say, so here goes.

Lets start with Googles Blog Search. Launched today, with a bit of an identity crisis. On the main Google Blog it shows you loads of places you can see different versions of the same thing. Excellent that they are all over the place, but if they are the same, why do they look different?

Anyway, I went back to Beavers tonight. First night back, wasn't too bad. Grand total of 12, plus another 7 or so joining before Christmas (because they aren't 6 yet) plus the few that just didn't bother showing up tonight!

Autumn has started in Kandersteg! I can remember this time a year ago, good times... I was in Geneva actually... And this time 2 years ago I was suffering from withdrawal symptom's!

And I forgot what else I was going to say... Oh yeah, I cant think of anything... but hopefully this will be enough to make a load of random people to visit from click next blog so I can see if my country counter works!

Tóg go bog é!

push button publishing

The thing about push button publishing is the fact you have to Push the Button to publish anything!! This involves opening Firefox and clicking a link, then having to write whatever your publishing and then push the button. EASY!

Its all fine and dandy until you get to the last bit, writing what you want to publish. I read a few blogs daily, and some people write the biggest load of dribble. Not for one second do I think my blog is any different, infact I know for a fact noone looks at it (thank you statcounter) .

So personal update time... less than 2 weeks left here at work. The other two students have all fecked off on holidays or "leaving early" because they are back to college. Talk about doing your 6 months... Its more like 5.

Over the weekend I had a 13th and a 21st Party on the same night. I managed to get to both, but had to leave the 21st early because I had a hike the next day. So it was bed at 2:30 for me and up again at 7:30 for the hike. More MPC training, from the Vee across the Knockmealdowns down into Mount Melleary. Good fun, lovely weather, no pics :o(
On the way home we were treated to the 2nd half of the All-Ireland Hurling Final where Cork beat Galway to retain the Liam McCarthy Cup!

petrol

The ever increasing price of petrol is annoying me. I don't drive, so it doesn't affect me that much... but when the Americans go on about how petrol prices are so high, and that prices have broken the 3 dollar mark, it makes me angry.

Lets look at it so... the average price for an American is about
3USD for 1 US Gallon of petrol.
Over here prices are on average about
1.20EUR for 1 metric liter of petrol.
A quick google query shows us what were really spending in terms for those americans. If Ireland was in America we would be paying about:
5.50USD for our gallon of pertol.
The same reversed: If we had the prices they have, we would be paying about:
0.64EUR per liter.

Makes you think...

hike up the galtees

Yesterday I went on a hike with the MPC (mountain pursuit challenge) team up the Galtees. It was a spur of the moment type joby, but it was good fun. There was little or no visibility for the 1st half, then just after lunch it cleared up a bit, and then the clouds came in again.

To make matters worse, on the way back it started to rain. This wasn't your normal type rain either, they were heavy feckers, each one was like an angry man trying to get its own back on the world.

Some people can be so bitter.
This is me and the team, who will hopefully complete our first MPC in 3 weeks in Connacht.

keep cork tidy

I was in Mahon Point today and noticed a pretty class bin ad!! Its to the point and matter a fact alright!! I like! I like!

isinglas

I have completed my summer project of getting the isinglas website up and running again, and just to show how fond I am of this whole blogging thing on blogger, I've put them on here!
Yup, its now, isinglas.com

That also just about cuts me off from updating the site and the responsibility of doing anything to it! Its now in their hands!!

Good Luck and Happy Blogging! :o)

my marty homework

I've done a bit of homework on Mr. Whelan, and it seem like he already sat in the very same chair he is due to be in on the 26th of September when he takes over the Breakfast Show. He presented this show back in the 80s, for 3 years!!
Then he left to work for Rival Station Centry Radio.

bye rick and ruth

Such sad news :o(

I learnt today that Ruth Scott and Rick O'Shea are leaving the Breakfast show. Ruth is taking the 4-6 slot and Rick is back to 10-midnight slot weekdays.

It's excellent that they are still on the radio, but not so excellent that they have been booted off one of the Best Breakfast Shows Ever!!

What's worse is that the person who is replacing there is no other than Marty Whelan... Yeah... I'm guessing they are looking to change Ireland's Young Modern and Class Station into Radio 1.


I can guess why they wanted to move them tho, a gaping hole in the afternoon slot since Gareth left and night time radio being so disorienting... I just can't tell the difference between all those girls!! but they know how to play the good music :o)

But bad choice of a replacement... I may have to change Radio station for the 1st time in 12ish years!!

Comon RTÉ... Quit acting so stupid.

willy jackson

Or is it Michael Wonka? Either way, Willy Wonka in the remake of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is very similar to the King of Pop, Mr. Jackson!

Whatever Depp or Burton were on when they came up, I wonder if you had this in mind!!!


But looking back at the original, Wonka always seemed to me like he was the guy, who knew everything about everyone!! Maybe its just the back story you see in the new one, but Wonka seems more human and weaker... Is that good?

rip-off lost

Verses

I can't understand why RTÉ must put two of what must be two of the most sucessful shows at the moment on different channels at the same time. Its just not sensible scheduling!

I had to choose between Rip-off Republic and LOST?! I watched LOST but saw about 5 minutes of Rip-off Republic during the breaks.

Comon RTÉ... Quit acting so stupid.

so this is summer...

and what have you done...
another year over...
and a new one just begun...

The summer has gone soo fast. Well not really, but that's time for you, messing with your perspective of things. The Schools will start to back next week and then it will start getting Autumny! If only I could remember the song...

Autumn Days by Estelle White.
Autumn days, when the grass is jewelled
And the silk in a chestnut shell
Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled
All these things I love so well
So I mustn't forget
No, I mustn't forget
To say a great big thank you
No, I mustn't forget.

Clouds that look like familiar faces
And winter's moon with frosted rings
Smell of bacon as I fasten up my laces
And the milkman sings.

Whipped-up spray that is rainbow-scattered
And a swallow curving in the sky
Shoes go comfy though they're worn out and they're battered
And the taste of apple pie.

Scent of gardens when the rain's been falling
And a minnow darting down a stream
Picked-up engine that's been stuttering and stalling
And a win for my home team.

(Thank you Google!!)

So anyway, only about 21 more days of work left and it back into college life. Its hard to think I spent 50% of 2005 working there. What a waste if it wasn't for all the experience, learning, fun and friendship. Yet it's nothing compared to kisc tho :oP

talking on talk

Ok! After actually using the application to talk with someone, and not just type I'm very much impressed. Its the 1st time in a long time since I used VoIP (last time I think was back in the days of Net Meeting) and I'm really impressed!!

Now I must get all my friends from around the whole onto it!!

google talk

Ok, I feel like google has kinda let me down.
They launched Google Talk today.


Its as if google has always produced top notch, high quality, ground breaking products and services. With Google Talk I feel like they did a half arsed attempt. It just seems very basic to me and they could of released more features with it.

Nothing new here it looks like... but time will tell...

pheonix 2005

Our Scouts have just finished their weekend in Limerick at the All Ireland Scout Campcraft, Challenge and Adventure weekend (Long weekend! Thursday to Sunday)

During that time they had to construct a Site where they lived and worked including tables, fire, dressers etc.., Hike over 20km (so they say), do numerous bases and tests, cook a Test Meal on an open fire, and run their own casino!! That's just to name but a few things!

They all did very well and worked really hard! ! They came 9th out of about 50!! And we are delighted!! Well done Lads!

hoff central

I've been working on another Blog Project called Hoff Central. Its basicially dedicated to the one, the only... The Hoff


Check it out: http://hoffcentral.blogspot.com/

blogger templates

You cock! I wrote this post already, but when i clicked save, it disapeared!! JERK! Here i go again:

So you many of noticed that i got rid of the Navbar at the top! I know that you guys who love blog surfing will find this annoying, but i just dont like the bar at the top!! OK!?! I will however put a NEXT BLOG >> button on the right!

I found out how to do all that from a class website with Blog Templates. It allows you to 'Pimp your Blog' check it out if you not happy with the hum drum that blogger throws at you!
http://blogger-templates.blogspot.com/

some thought

After much thought and consideration; i'm going to have to answer no for the time being.

some questions

Well when i say questions, i mean, 1 really.

Do i need another different blog?

Maybe some kind of photo blog?

humm...

the world you live in...