Part of the Cat Crew

Being a Kilkenny man it was only fitting that I take my own recommendation and volunteer for this year's Cat Laughs Festival in Kilkenny.



If you happen to be around Kilkenny this weekend, keep an eye out for the volunteers in their fetching blue t-shirts - they'll be more than happy to help if they can. Headed up by wonderwoman herself Trish Duffe, there's friendly people at every venue.



I have to admit it's the first time I've been in Kilkenny for the Festival for a few years and the place looks great. The buzz and atmosphere in the town is one of enthusiasm, humour and people who - pardon the pun - are out to have a laugh. The massive queue for yesterday's train is a testament to the draw of the Festival.



I'm full of admiration for anyone who can get up in front of an audience armed only with a sharp wit, keen observation and enough charisma and courage to keep an audience laughing along. And last night they certainly did that.



I have the great pleasure of working in the Rivercourt Hotel, where last night we had on the bill:

• Compére, host and extremely funny man Ian Coppinger from Dublin
  
  
• The outrageously camp, leather kilt wearing hilarious Craig Hill from Glasgow
  
  
• Geeky just-out-of-high-school and first time to Ireland Josh Thomas from Australia
  
  
• and the ever likable, most popular and tear inducing comedian Neil Delamere

It's funny (not ha ha) but I was incredibly shy last night. Granted I was busy with the volunteering (yes I was!) but I found it difficult to go and say hello to some of them, to ask for a photo or to be so bold as to bother them for an interview. I can only imagine how difficult getting up there must be, the mental preparation, the stress and the come down.

I've spotted Ed Byrne, Kevin Gildea, Matt Kirshen and Andy Parsons all out and about. Tonight I get to work with (ahem) Des Bishop, John Lynn, Maeve Higgins and one of my personal favourites Tommy Tiernan. I'm going to keep an eye out for PJ Gallagher too.

I cannot wait.

I'm 50% bogger - how about you?

Image by Jason Tammemägi

The email I got today very much amused me. A spreadsheet seeing how much of a bogger you are. I'm not at all ashamed of my rural background, but the questions really hit home:

• Have you seen "Ear to the Ground" more than 3 times?
  
  
• Have you ever heard the death notices on radio?
  
  
• Have you ever used the phrases "Jaysus" "By god" or "Oh Lord"?
  
  
• Should Blackie Connors have got an Oscar?
  
  
• At any stage during the summer can you step out your door and get the smell of freshly spread slurry?
  
  
• Have you ever taken fresh eggs from under a hen?
  
  
• Do you only have RTE1, NET2, TV3 & TG4 or less on your television?
  

and then my favourites - the real telling ones:

• If by choice you could marry a local would you do so?
  
  
• Would it be desirable that he/she was an only child to a wealthy farmer?
  
  
• Do you know who Miley is?

and the real real test:

• Do you ever look up in the sky when you hear a helicopter?

Brilliant! You can download it here (Excel File, 26k) - let me know how you get on. :)

Gay people are not part of Irish Christian Society

One of the things I haven't blogged about, and don't often tell people (any more) is the fact that I studied to be a Catholic priest.



It was eight years ago at this stage, and a lot of things have happened in the meantime. It seems like a different me. And it was.

I'd wanted to be a priest all my life. Like B over at Positive Boredom, I'd had the masses with the teddy bears, I'd use the ice cream wafers as the host and I'd practise homilies, readings and the hymns.



At one stage I was going to all four masses in the local Abbey (a very inspiring building) at the weekend, I'd read at mass, I'd joined the choir and I was an altar server. We had amazing priests in our parish - genuinely good men who cared about their parishioners and who made a definite improvement and contribution to parish life.

I'd always known that my ambition would mark me as "different" and even going to a Catholic Secondary School didn't give me the courage to be open about what I wanted to do. I was singularly focussed on my goal - being a priest, serving God, helping people at the most important parts of their lives - birth, weddings, illnesses, deaths and all the bits in between. I wasn't obsessed with girls (knowing I'd be celibate), I didn't have plans to marry or settle down or have a great life plan except study, be ordained, do what I thought I was meant to.

I went to UCD after a tumultuous Leaving Cert in 1997 and the following year I'd decided that I'd had all the confirmation I'd need that it was the life for me. I joined a missionary order seminary as a postulant, meaning I wasn't a "proper student" but had two years to see if community life was for me. This is slightly different to diocesan priesthood - studying at places like Maynooth or Clonliffe - but I felt it was my calling.

I was 20.

What followed was one of the most eventful and enjoyable times of my life. I woke in the morning and joined the others for prayer. There was a community of about 30 men all at varying stages of their process. We ate together, prayed together, worked together, went to Lés Miserables in the Point together(!) and lived as brothers, as colleagues.



I got very involved in the local Dublin community as well, joining the folk group, reading at mass, arranging liturgies, serving and being "a source of enthusiasm and joy" as I was called.

It was 1999. The abuses of men serving as Catholic priests on the young, the poor, the vulnerable and the too-trusting was just coming to light.

It was a time of concern, of reflection and of hiding for the men who weren't the paedophiles, who weren't the perverts or those taking advantage. The actions of their peers and their superiors forced them to retreat. The heads of the Church were not commenting, not responding, not being open (to their detriment) and those below them, bound by their vow of obedience, had to stay silent. It was no excuse, but it was all they had.


Image taken from here.

Priests left in their droves. In fairness this had been happening anyway - only one other student entered the seminary in my year - but we started to hear more and more about it. For someone like me - outgoing, eager and wanting to show how great it was - the idea of hiding seemed abhorrent, alien and not what it was about. Jesus never hid did he?

At the same time I was studying hard and started reading the alternative texts and views of the Catholic Church. The Da Vinci Code was no shock to me, I'd read most of the books that it was based on (as well as many of the books that those books were based on) years before. Things didn't add up. It wasn't right. This wasn't real.

Eventually I made the decision to leave. It was the happiest day of my mother's life - she had never wanted me there at all. I'd been there almost two years. I'd had amazing opportunities, met some lovely people and made friends, but it wasn't for me.

It was the most difficult decision I've had. Here I was, after hiding my ambition for so many years and then getting to live it only to have to leave it now. The director of students was remarkably open and understanding "Go out, get a job, get a girl, live in the real world. If you want to come back you know where we are." and so I was gone, without a clue what next to do.


Image taken from here.

Over the years more and more has come out about the Catholic Church in Ireland, the abuse cases, the restrictions, the neglect, the taking advantage. The doctrines of the Church were examined and exposed, the historical facts raised. I learned a lot. I drifted away from describing myself as "Roman Catholic" to "Christian" in that I believe that the message of Jesus "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" is as valid as ever.

It's been difficult to leave something I was so passionately involved with behind and I still stay in touch with it from time to time. I am not a regular mass goer, but appreciate an interesting way of communicating a message of tolerance, understanding and love to an audience. I try to do the Christian thing of living a good life, trying to do good things.



That's why this article written by the ever on-the-ball Maman Poulet has me fuming today.

Seriously, who the hell do the "Irish Society for Christian Civilisation" think they are to promote such hatred, such vile inaccuracies and such lies as this absolute pile of festering homophobic propoganda?

I'm not gay but have many gay friends. I have absolutely no problem with anyone's sexual orientation and do not see it as any factor in how they should be dealt with, what rights they have or their place in society. A homosexual couple should be allowed marry, adopt, have the same tax, insurance and couple benefits same as everyone else. They're lucky to be in a couple at all.

And yet here we have this "Christian" society promoting such pearls of wisdom as

As conscientious Irish Catholics, we cannot but say “No” to a Treaty that imposes on our country and on the whole of Europe, for the first instance in an international legally binding document, the prohibition of any discrimination based on sexual orientation, which will in its turn impose on us the placement of children for adoption or foster care in the hands of homosexual partners, the employment of teachers or athletic coaches with homosexual lifestyles, the obligation to grant accommodation to homosexual partners in B&B facilities, etc. and will restrict the freedom of the Church to preach the Gospel.

Let's take that again:

As conscientious Irish Catholics, we cannot but say “No” to ... the prohibition of any discrimination based on sexual orientation

I lament the fact that people in this country - mostly decent people - have views like this thrust on them - views that they will believe because the labels "catholic" and "christian" are attached.

I abhor the fact that freedom of speech means freedom to distribute such hateful "literature" and I feel sorry that the Catholic Church is used to back this up. For an organisation that has such potential to do such good - and for the men and women committed to doing good for same, I feel nothing but pity that this sort of thing is associated.

Following the logic of this "Christian" group, they're supporting an organisation that has subjugated human rights, learnings and sciences and committed some of the worst crimes in humanity all in the name of a simple man who said:

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone"

I'm sending this article to this "Christian society" - info@isfcc.org - asking them to explain how they can promote "Christianity" and "Jesus" and still justify their actions in this, a definition of Christian being:

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament

I have yet to see anywhere in The New Testament where Jesus condemns homosexuality.

They do not represent my views as a Christian. Or anyone's that I personally know.

What's your feeling on it?

Getting back into movies

The last film I saw in the cinema, would you believe, was the Movies.ie Preview of Iron Man.

Which by the way was excellent. Darren's review is here. Thumbs up from me too:


Cheesy as anything, me :-P

That's been ages ago.

I love film. I love the medium, I love reading about them, talking about them and the extras on DVDs - happily sit down and go through the entire extras of the extended Lord of the Rings movies.

I registered with MovieExtras ages ago to see what happens on a film set. I collect the monthly Movies Plus magazine, I'm a member of the IFI, I'll check out FilmReviews.ie when I get the chance, worked on the Cinemagic and Darklight Festivals, am a Filmbase member and I have more DVDs than books - and that's saying something!

And yet it's been April 30 since I was in the cinema.

That has to change. I've been over on the wonderful Movies.ie site today and from now on this is going to be my first stop for deciding what I'm going to see. I'm really impressed by how much work has gone into this - the guys behind it obviously know movies and know what they're up to.

They've got competitions, reviews, preview screenings, trailers, interviews, forums ... it's a site I could get lost in for days. They've also got quirky ads:



I'm going to have to start with the coming soon page - and there's a number of ones I want to see:

• Priceless (Hors de prix) - out June 13 with Audrey Tautou
  
  
• The Incredible Hulk - out the same day with Edward Norton as Bruce Banner.
  
  
• Prince Caspian - from the Chronicles of Narnia - out June 26. Getting rave reviews apparently.
  
  
• Wanted - out June 27 - with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. Has one of my favourite movie quotes of the last while, and delivered in Freeman's voice which makes it all the more powerful:

"It a choice, Wesley, that each of us must face: to remain ordinary, pathetic, beat-down, coasting through a miserable existence, like sheep herded by fate, or you can take control of your own destiny and join us, releasing the caged wolf you have inside. ... This is the decision that lies before you now: the sheep, or the wolf. The choice is yours."

• The Visitor - out June 27 is also one with a great tagline, making me think it might be worth a watch:

In a world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life.

Then there's the ones I'm REALLY looking forward to:

• Wall-E - the new one from Pixar. Cannot wait for 18 July.

And then, then there's The Dark Knight. What can I say about this, really? It's gonna rock.

Filmreviews.ie have the official posters here where I got this from:



Roll on July 25!

Of course I'll have to do a review at some stage of it. Won't be as good as Darren, but then again, he was never interviewed on RTE News now, was he?

(You'll need Realplayer for this unfortunately - blink and you'll miss me)

Embedded from RTE.IE

(Thanks to Jazzbiscuit for the embed code!)

I just want to say well done

Two things caught my attention this evening and I'd like to share.

Firstly, as I'm sure you may be aware, Grannymar has become the first winner of the Blog Post of the Month award for her amazing post The Light Went Out.

I can think of no one else (sorry other contenders) who deserved it more and as wisewebwoman commented on Grannymar's blog

You are so deserving and your humility is part of your charm.
AND that was such a powerful blog post.

Secondly, Rick O' Shea has done it again. Not content with creating the wonderful and powerful textsecrets, (now sadly ended) he has now unveiled an amazing project called The Lives of Others.

It... allow[s] the participants to post freely and anonymously on the most intimate subjects in their lives.

In one of the most touching posts over there, the writer shares the real genius around its anonymity, how some people...

don’t get the importance of anonymity, they don’t get the power of a secret told but held.

It is liberating to let out the dark sadness, but not everyone needs to

Equally, others do need to, whether they lack the emotional support network or the comfort of confidence in their friends, this blog offers a space to vent, to share, but not reveal.

Think kindly of the emotionally crippled who limp into daylight here and leave a little of their burden.

When Darren and I started The Faux Sty, a very simple forum over a year ago, we became entranced by how the members began to interact, to share and trust in the forum environment.

I can see a similar thing happening for The Lives of Others. People have a need to share. Textsecrets had shown it. Postsecret shows it. Dear Lover shows it.

Grannymar has shown it.

And it's things like this, like people sharing their stories, their talents and their passion that make this online environment a great place to be.

Well done to you both. :)

John thinks I'm living the life

and he writes about it here.



But as I say, it's only because of the amazing, supportive, funny friends I have, the enthusiasm, passion, creativity, cuteness, style, talent, example and continued encouragement of fellow great drinking buddies and bloggers - old and new - in the blogging community and the great comments I get that helps me do this at all.

So thank you everyone. It's all your fault ;-) And thanks John!

Bad Habits - shocking stuff altogether ;)

Just been sent a link to this by my beautiful friend Emily.

It's a short film she wrote and directed, starring the lovely Emma Cavanagh and Dave Kaczmarczyk.

Beautifully shot, great sound and a simple - if slightly unrealistic* - story.

*I mean seriously, I've NEVER known a nun as pretty as that one!

Well done Emily, really loved it :) It's great to see such quality come from young, talented Irish film makers.

What did you think of it? Just click below to tell us!

BATMAN in Dublin: update to the sunset post

The lovely Red Mum just sent me photos from her wonderful photostream of the sunset captured yesterday evening:


Image by Red Mum taken from here

Amazing eh? Great shots, as per usual. Thank you indeed!

But I have to ask. I'm sorry, but I have to...


Image by Red Mum taken from here

Isn't that BATMAN on the far right? And if so, what is he doing over here? Is this, as Anthony has suggested, PR for the upcoming Dark Knight movie? ;-)

Update: Will Knott has pointed to Superman on the left. Any idea who's in the middle?

Too tall to be the boy wonder and has a cape so not Spiderman... any ideas?

(I'm a cheeky pup I know. Congrats to the young wan on the nomination RM. Great stuff!)

Yesterday's Dublin sunset

When leaving the office yesterday at around 9pm I caught a glimpse of the evening sunset.



It was stunning. Rich red vibrant colours, puffy clouds, streaks of light. I tried capturing it on the cameraphone but failed miserably.



I was hoping some of the photobloggers on Twitter might have caught it, but this morning there was no joy, even though I loved @SineadCochrane's response.



So I'm afraid, for those of you who didn't catch it you're just going to have to make do with these:



I tried capturing it from the Luas window but by the time the camera was ready, the shot was gone.



I MUST get a new camera. Anyone any recommendations for a "see it and shoot it as it happens" device?



Did you see it? Do you have photos of it? Or good camera recommendations? Please let me know!

Thanks Green Ink

I'm genuinely chuffed.


(I've hesitated for a time about posting this because I don't want to appear (even more) boastful, but I've decided to show anyone that is even a bit hesitant about blogging that just giving it a go can be enough.

In my comment over there I repeat what Grannymar said "Write from the heart, the rest will follow". Any feedback is always welcome (which is why I wrote this post) and coming from someone who puts as much creativity into his work, this comment from Green Ink has put a big happy grin on my face all day. Check out his work. I loved this one.)

Having a laugh with PJ Gallagher

PJ Gallagher considers himself a lucky man. Well, in fact what he said to me was "If you're making a living from this remember you're a lucky f**ker."

But we'll come back to that.


Photo taken from here

Probably best known for creating Jake Stevens - a whistler, a slightly dimwitted but enthusiastic and up-for-anything Irish character who recently went to seek fame and fortune in America and for his work on RTE's Naked Camera (running since 2005).

With his impending appearances at this weekend's Smithwick's Cat Laughs Festival (he's doing 6 shows) and fresh from Vicar Street earlier in the month, he's getting praise and new followers all the time.

I sat down with him recently (after I accosted him in a hallway) to talk about comedy. He was open, energetic, warm and friendly - a real pleasure to chat to.



On starting out:

"It's Jason Byrne's fault. I used to work with him in a warehouse and we'd always be slagging and messing. Jason started to get some gigs and saying I should too.

Then one day I'm on Dublin Bus and see his name on an gig poster - and mine after it. I rang him and he said - you've got 6 weeks to prepare 10 minutes, nothing you can do now. So I did it."

He's great friends with with Jason, often appearing with him - they're both managed by Lisa Richards Comedy (their blog is here, hiya John!) and is also a graduate of the Gaiety School of Acting.

On being recognised

"If I got a euro from RTÉ for every time someone whistled at me I'd be very rich indeed. Ah it's always nice to get the people coming up, saying hello, just having the craic. Luckily enough I haven't had any mad experiences."

On the internet

"Ah I'm mad into MySpace. Love it. (PJ's MySpace is here) Just love taking to people. I don't get onto it that much but it's a great way of getting feedback and seeing what's going on.

However someone has a profile for Jake on Bebo - it's not me but it's very good - so good that some of me own mates message me on it and are then surprised I don't get back to them. He's a genuine fake, doing a great job.

It's a pity though when you see stuff you're only working out up on YouTube. Some of the shows aren't as good as they could be. I don't mind the Naked Camera stuff but I'd hate to think that based on some mobile phone video that the show wasn't going to be good."

On doing gigs

"Ah it's a great laugh. It all depends on how well organised the gig is and the mood of the people but you can have great fun with the audience. You never do the same gig twice - the show evolves with the people and how different it can go. It takes preparation but the fun is worth it."

On Kilkenny

"The Cat Laughs is great. For me it's the festival. Always so much on, such great comedians and a great atmosphere. A real place where you can try stuff, you can have fun and get to meet other great comedians. Deadly fun altogether."

On Americans

"They're so polite. You could walk up to an Irish person and say "I lost my monkey" and they'd be like "Jesus, that's terrible! The poor monkey! Where did you leave it and what was it wearing when you saw it?" whereas the Americans would be completely dead-pan "I'm very sorry to hear that sir". A huge difference. I really enjoyed the time over there though."

On advising people thinking of starting in comedy:

"Most importantly don't fill yourself full of shit. It's a tough job and you've got to be polite with the people you're working with, with the fans and to remember to thank everyone.

Remember that if you do succeed to make a living you're a lucky fucker - many have tried. Keep positive though and believing in yourself without being cocky and you should be fine. Most of all enjoy it."

PJ mentions his support of the ISPCC's Childline. He heads off to do a great gig for Vodafone Bright New Sounds and then after borrowing sellotape to fix a light on his Honda Fireblade (true story) heads off, stopping to take time and pictures with his fans and supporters.

A genuinely nice guy, and a great person to have a laugh with. I'm looking forward to seeing him at the weekend.



PJ's page on the Lisa Richards Comedy Night has his upcoming gigs. Check it out.

Quite yum actually

Saturday afternoon dining:

























I've had them before. They were tasty. Quite garlicky and herby. Mmmm.

Not sure which would put you off your food more - the snails or me :-P

Sneak preview of posts to come

Yes that is my finger. Holding on to the phone for dear life.

Needless to say, we had fun and lots of it. Bore you with more of it later.

Nemi's back!

Hurrah! Opening my Metro this morning I see they've finally brought back Nemi, probably my favourite newspaper comic strip.



I've missed her.





Is it wrong that I think that she's hot?



Nemi is drawn by Lisa Mhyre, a Norwegian who started the strip in 1997.

Most interesting facts about her:

She was named after Lake Nemi and Inigo Montoya, a character in Lise Myhre's favourite film, The Princess Bride.

• Nemi on Wikipedia
  
  
• Catch up with all past strips on the Metro UK site.

Darragh and Niamh are

... Sitting in the sun drenched courtyard of a French chateau, drinking champagne, eating hors d'ouevres and listening to traditional Irish music played by five musicians sitting on a low wall...

And they are very, very happy.

Two reflections from the wedding ceremony

Take time to think, it is the source of power.

Take time to read, it is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to play, it is the secret to staying young.

Take time to be quiet, it is the opportunity to seek God.

Take time to be aware, it is the opportunity so help others.

Take time to love and be loved. This is God's greatest gift.

Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul.

Take time to be friendly, it is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream, it is what the future is made of.

Take time to pray, it is the greatest power on earth.

-- and --

You don't marry someone you can live with

You marry the person who you cannot live without.

Girls in Paris - c'est magnifique!

I'm not sure how Niamh puts up with me. Here we are, walking around Paris as we wait to go to her friend's wedding and I'm captivated, not by the architecture, the history or the ambience, but by the pretty girls.

And in Paris there are a lot of pretty girls.

They seem oblivious to their effect as they stroll along in the sunshine, dressed in their simple but elegant clothes. Black seems to be the colour of the season here. Certainly dark colours are in, the loud pinks and pastels reserved for the younger girls and the tourists.

The casual the-sun-is-shining style over here seems not to be the low cut tops, the too tight hot pants over brightly coloured tights or the paint on skinny jeans and they look all the better for it. Instead they choose clothes to compliment their figures, to suit the weather and to just look good in. They look comfortable and act comfortable because of it.

I know some beautiful stunning Irish girls who always manage to look great. However there's a small small percentage of image obsessed and too-self-conscious girls who'd benefit from seeing how free-ing it seems to be.

I haven't seen the all-too-prevalent fake tan oompa loompa look that Grafton Street and Dundrum seem to majorly consist of, especially on Saturday afternoons. There are hair colours of all sorts, not just peroxide blonde.

In such a multicultural city the tans are probably authentic or are at least professionally applied ones. I've passed quite a few tanning boutiques, advertising the benefits of looking after your skin, with tan-friendly sunscreen prominently on display. The girls get the sun - don't get me wrong - by lounging around on the steps of the Pantheon or in the Jardin du Tuileries or sitting outside a cafe sipping their coffees from impossibly small cups.

I'm finding it ironic also that the city of fashion, of beauty and of image contains so many girls who don't appear to be wearing make up.

They're certainly not plastered in it as some girls do (and I can usually tell: training from an ex) and where it's used (generally around the eyes Niamh tells me) it works well to accentuate the colours without making them look unnatural. Maybe the benefits of the sun mean that skin complaints or aggravations don't affect them so much, though my own suspicion that the healthy food, the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables (I've passed more grocers here than souveneir shops) and the water price (a euro for a litre) all contribute.

Many of the girls I know will admit to feeling the need to use make-up to change or improve their appearance. "oh I couldn't go out without it." Here it serves to accentuate rather than distort.

Finally, and rather wonderfully, I've not seen one pair of ugg boots, one pair of impossible high heels worn non-dressy or any shoes that look uncomfortable to wear. The shoes are flat, practical and stylish. The girls walk with ease. I somehow doubt any of them feel the need to remove their shoes after walking. None of this squeezing 5 toes into pointy shoes with room only for 3. No wedges and no way too tight straps as far as I can see. Just simple.

We were discussing the difference between foreign and Irish girls appearance before and came up with the fact that (a) in their own country they're probably fairly ordinary but because they're out of context they're different and therefore "more attractive" and (b) there's a big difference in the prevalence of the media and image between Ireland, the UK and the US and in the rest of the world. Maybe no-one's told them they need to look and dress a certain way for the boys to like them.

In Paris in particular the sense of beauty comes from the surroundings, the architecture of the buildings and the human form. There's nudity everywhere, in the advertisements, the sculptures, the reliefs on important buildings and bridges, the paintings. But it doesn't seem to promote the idea of a perfect human form, rather to celebrate it. There's no standard - breasts, figures and curves of varying sizes, shapes and tones both male and female are all on display, not suggesting they need to be shown only if they look a certain way. Not hidden.

Maybe of course it's all a pretence and a sham and they spend ages getting ready in the mornings, a fortune in the beauticians and another in hairdressers perfecting a just brushed casual look. Maybe.

But sure, really, what the hell would I know? I have a preference for girls who aren't compulsively obsessed with their image, who'd prefer to spend time looking into your eyes than a mirror and who realise the most beautiful thing you can be is to be yourself and I'm single. What does that tell you?

Typing all this onto the brick has left Niamh alone in the Pantheon. I'm in a place of great art, history and beauty. I better go.

Over the weekend and beyond

It's very short notice I know but...



Firstly, if you can get tickets to the Dublin City Soul Festival, starting in a few hours, then please, please go. Last year was an amazing fusion of artists and sounds, culminating in one of the best concerts I have ever been to.



The Rance Allen Group, supported by the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir were amazing in the Mansion House last year and this year they're in the Sugar Club on Saturday 24th at 8pm, performing alongside the undisputed Queen of Beale Street – Miss Ruby Wilson. Tickets are €40 and available here.

Last year was the first time they performed in Ireland and I'd imagine the fans, Chris Maher and the organisers are delighted to have them back. The show last year was amazingly vibrant and full of life, ending up in Niamh and I dancing (sober and all!) the last 40 minutes and three encores in front of the stage with most of the rest of the audience.

There's also a free Soul Picnic in Merrion Square Park on Sunday. More details here.



To celebrate Africa Day and the culmination of Irish Aid's Africa Week also on Sunday the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir; Kila; Mundy, Sinead O' Connor, Republic of Loose and more are playing at a FREE event in Dublin Castle.



The IFI have also got free screenings on. Check out the full programme here.



Thirdly; the Smithwicks Cat Laughs Festival are looking for volunteers for this year's festival on the June Bank Holiday Weekend in - of all places - Kilkenny.



There's an amazing lineup of comedians and it really seems like it will be - pardon the obvious - a great laugh. I know Darren's looking forward to it!

Find out more about the festival on their website and for more information about volunteering drop Trish Duffe, the very friendly Volunteer Coordinator (and all around Wonderwoman) a line on thecatlaughs@gmail.com.

You can also download the Volunteer application forms here.



Finally, speaking of volunteering, the Darklight Film Festival - as covered by Jazzbiscuit yesterday - are also looking for volunteers. The Festival runs from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th June.

As a non-profit organization, a crack team of willing and eager volunteers are crucially important to making Darklight happen - if you think you have what it takes, contact sinead at darklight dot ie.

I did this last year (and hope to this year, if they'll have me) and have to say it was one of the most interesting, varied and fun events to work on ever. The beautiful girls I got to work with were the added bonus.



Whatever you get up to, have fun :)

I'd love to be around for the events over the weekend but have been dragged away. No consideration, some people, eh? Needless to say, I'm not happy.



Tee hee hee

(Typed on a keyboard with French layout - most of the keys aren't where they should be!)

Ken Lee (you know, by Mariah Carey?)

Couldn't resist posting this from Bulgarian Idol:



Seriously. I love it.

Kennnnn Leeeee, tulibu dibu douchooo....

Pigsback.com closes its Canadian website

In a statement on the homepage of their Canadian site today, Irish company Pigsback.com have announced they're closing the operation after less than a year.

Members who visited the site today, operated by Empathy Marketing Ltd were told the following:

After a successful pilot campaign over the last six months, Pigsback.com is temporarily now closed for business in Canada while we work on finding new partners and better content for you.

We'd like to thank everyone who has enjoyed the activities on the site, who has contributed to the contests and content, and who has recommended us to their friends over this time. We hope to be back in a Canadian city near you very soon!

The Pigsback.com team.

From reading Canadian Money Saving forums the site seemed to be popular, though the updating of the site, delivery of rewards and issuing of PiggyPoints seemed to be an issue for some members.

Bell New Ventures (a subsidiary of Bell Canada Enterprises, Canada's largest telecommunications company) the company originally supporting Pigsback in Canada withdrew their involvement in December, citing a need to focus on their core business.

In October 2007 the Sunday Business Post wrote that the Canadian business employed 15 staff.

Pigsback who employs 50 people between their offices in Citywest and London will be in operation eight years in June. The site runs advertising campaigns for a variety of brands and offers members the opportunity to earn PiggyPoints, which they can redeem for a variety of rewards including merchandise and vouchers.

It's always tough to see an Irish company have to close doors on any venture they try abroad. On a personal level, having worked with them in Ireland and London for three years I'm sorry that the venture seems to have failed and the success they were seeking didn't work out. I wish them every success as they plan their future.

The Eurovision song that never was

I mentioned Sarah Mulligan's song for Eurosong 2006 before. Here it is. Written by John Lynch, it didn't make it to the final four, which was eventually won by Brian Kennedy's own "Every Song is a Cry for Love".

Have a listen, see what you think.

Animals on the London Underground

Got to love the creativity that has gone into the Animals on the Underground site. I've often stared at those maps myself (wondering how to get from Southgate to Baker Street in less than an hour) but it took Paul Middlewick to see the pattern and spot the first album, an elephant, in 1988.



Now there's t-shirts you can buy, ecards you can send and it's all for the benefit of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.



Other than the dove, I think this tortoise is my favourite



What's yours?

Check out the great site on http://www.animalsontheunderground.com

EDIT: I see 73man has elevated this site to the status of truth before me.

The Animals on the Underground concept and images are the property of Grid24 Ltd. The London Underground logo and map © TfL Reg'd User No 05/4294.

How will it benefit us?

This isn't as much a political post as it is a thank you to Darren for all his work on breaking down the Lisbon Treaty to an easy to understand "this is what we're voting on".

Despite all their talking crap about their great work, their campaigns and their passion for the future, I've yet to see one person from the seemingly/apparently farcical organisations that are Labour Youth, Young Fianna Fáil or Young Fine Gael - the future leaders of this country - come up with a good explanation, a simple breakdown or a cohesive argument to explain and support the campaign that the parties they're supposed to be in are supporting.

This campaign won't do it. Rock the Vote won't do it. Their so called easy-to-use guide is copied and pasted from the same sources as most of the parties, and is as equally difficult (for me) to understand. I can't see the benefits, I can't see the problems if we don't, but I do grin at the irony of starting the guide with

Rock The Vote is a non-profit organisation that seeks to promote political engagement among young people. We are completely non-partisan, and our goal is to inform you, the voter, about the issues at hand. We provide impartial materials that you can get registered, get informed, and rock the vote.

Yeah, good for you, campaigning for yourselves. But what will Lisbon do for me? Or the hospital waiting lists and closures, on the education system, on the funding of much needed services and all the other stuff I've asked here.

It takes Darren, one of the least politically associated but communications minded people I know to be able to connect with the issue and to show the issues there are with it.

As I said before, and Darren says now, the country needs a change. It needs a voice. This voice is saying no. No to the waste of time, money and campaigning that should have gone towards improving the country for its people rather than for a community we have a right to benefit from.

Unless I see the actual benefits to the people in this country, I'm with him on this one.

Well done sir.

"Add a comment" buttons for your blog

For Nine Pounds liked it. Andrew liked it, Maz at Style Treaty liked it, Rosie liked it (despite the screenshot) and I got some wonderful comments.

When I wrote the How to add a comment post, I hoped it would be of some use.

Now Iarfhlaith has helped make that happen.

He's just designed a range of buttons for non graphical bloggers (like me) to use on their blog.

In a variety of sizes and colours to match your template, you can get them here for free.













How great is that? Thanks Iarfhlaith - I'll certainly be using them :)

(Must do a post now about how to!)

So fellow bloggers, what do you reckon? Come on, share. Please feel free to

The other sides of Sarah Mulligan

TheChancer (genius that it is) posted a video of one Sarah Mulligan last Tuesday. In the comments Nat King Coleslaw of CurryChips.com fame posted a link to this video:

where we're introduced to a brash, over-confident and melodramatic auditioning Dubliner who "cannnn sing, I cannnnn daaaaaaance", and claims to have "got what it takes". There were various critiques including Twenty Major's "Sweet Jesus" whereas I just wanted to know if she was real(ly like that).

So, tonight, in Dublin's IFI, I met her.



Sarah Mulligan, 26, from Glasnevin in Dublin is a beautiful person. Polite, fiercely intelligent, well-spoken and bubbly, the young woman I met this evening is a world apart from both the Sarah in that video or indeed the character in her student film "GrannyBasher" which you can watch on Jazzbiscuit.


Sarah as Marilyn

Having been encouraged to sing by her grandad Kevin from an early age, through musicals and soundtracks, Sarah - a big fan of Marilyn Monroe (who she calls her inspiration) - is now trying to carve a niche in the Irish showbusiness scene the good old fashioned way - by getting out there on her own - she doesn't have an agent - and giving it a go.

Her list of qualifications (and dedication to her craft) is impressive: a 2 year NVCA in Film, TV & Radio in Marino College, followed by a City and Guilds Diploma from Bray Institute and she's just finished a year in Coláiste Dhúlaigh on Community Media where she studied sociology, TV, film, radio, creative writing, music, photography and media analysis.

She's also done courses with the Gaiety School of Acting, the Bil Keating screenwriting course and she holds a certificate in Child Protection Awareness. Phew!



When she's not appearing on Podge and Rodge, on TG4's Glas Vegas or RTÉ's Fair City - where she's played a minor character for the past six years, Sarah sings in a band called The Outsiders.

"It's everything from Fleetwood Mac to the Rolling Stones" she says "60s, 70s and 80s hits for pubs, clubs and weddings." As the lead singer she says it's become her social life - although she does find time to sing with the Slí Eile Ballymun Gospel Choir as well. "My faith is important to me" she says "It's great to be able to use the talent God gave me".



In 2006 she performed lead vocals on a song written specifically for the Eurosong contest but "Brian Kennedy got there first". The song, "Fly to the Moon" is a haunting melody with simple guitar and percussion complementing Sarah's soaring voice as she effortlessly reaches every high note to provide the listener with an engaging aural experience.



Taking a look through her (professionally presented) portfolio I couldn't help but be impressed at her get-up-and-go-and-succeed attitude. Here a certificate of distinction from a college course, there a storyboard for a short film idea she's had and there again a letter of reference from the PTAA run Whitehall drama school where she worked as a drama instructor:

"Sarah shared her time and talent generously with our club. She was always well prepared for classes and selected material that brought out the best in our young members. She exhibited great talent in many different types of performance and always encouraged children to try to express themselves through a variety of art forms.

Sarah inspired many of our young members to continue their involvement with dramatic performance by her encouragement and personal example. Her sparkling personality and genuine interest in the children's creative talents endeared her to members and leaders alike."

And of course there was that script:



"Oh God yeah, the acting was way over the top" she says, "but it was a college project, about 5 years ago.

I wanted to do something to highlight the abuse that many elderly people face in their own homes. At the time there was no highlighting of scandals in nursing homes or open talk of the realities that many people face and I thought, rather than the horror or sci-fi films my classmates were shooting, I'd try put a face to the story and bring it to screen"



Even five years on she's passionate about the subject and speaks movingly of her own knowledge of such cases. One of her many ambitions is to work with Age Action Ireland to continue the focus on the issue.



She also speaks with great affection for the "lovely people - Don, Derek and Claudine over at MovieExtras.ie", who she's been with from the start, who helped her get her first role, her first time in a national newspaper and her continued work on Fair City, which she loves. "I get the odd line here and there if the script needs it" she says "I'm hoping it may become more. I love working with all the team and cast there. They're all friendly and professional."



The audition tape was filmed for RTÉ 2 show Hollywood Trials, "the story of ten aspiring Irish actors taking a shot at the big time in the City of Dreams".

"The cameraman, Tony, suggested I play it completely over the top" she says "so I did. In a show like that you'd need to be fairly confident." And even though she wasn't chosen, she's "glad of the opportunity to get the experience. This one wasn't for me. Hopefully someone will give me the break I need - either a singing or an acting deal. I just want to perform".

Although she's also just applied for a degree in Humanities in St Patrick's College, Drumcondra. "It's really funny" she laughs, "I could have been an auctioneer now - I was accepted years ago but opted for this poverty stricken - but fun - life instead. I just want to make sure I have something to rely on."



Sporting much shorter hair now, Sarah still conveys an enthusiasm and spark that is reminiscent of her audition tape - she giggles with genuine delight in talking about acting, she speaks openly about her often very personal writing and she hopes there's a chance for a young performer to make an impact or an impression on someone looking for the right person in the right time.



She certainly made an impression on Niamh and me. As she walks out of the IFI she stops to chat at another industry person, one professional to another. Her small stature (she's only 5ft 1) is no hindrance - it's positively attractive - and the same enthusiasm and vivaciousness is evident in her conversation about recent work with them.

Whatever aspersions may have been cast by the audition video have been very much dispelled. Niamh and I are equally impressed at her - someone with obvious talent willing to give it her all - even come to chat to some blogger - in order to make a name for herself, to create that image, to make that impression.



I'll treasure this photo. I'll show it to everyone when she's collecting her Academy Award. "There she is" I'll say. "I met her once".

Blogger beers were fun

A big thanks to Alexia for arranging last night, which turned out to be one of the funniest and most random nights I've had in ages.



Ben, Darren, Anthony, Alexia and I were in the Market Bar, Dublin. We were joined by two gentlemen from Northern Ireland - David, a graphic designer passionate about his typography and barbers and Phil, photographer to the stars and the next table.





It's brilliant when a group just clicks, and we certainly did. Conversation flowed, as did the drinks; blogs and opinions critiqued; secrets were shared and phones compared. (Dave won that one).

There shall no doubt be many photos on their respective blogs - I didn't take too many, I was laughing so hard at the tales of landlord woe, dodgy hairdressers, gadgetry, lamp loving, badges and all sorts of stuff.

Ben's haircut was lovely though



From the confines of the Market Bar we escaped for a late couple to O'Neills, hijacked some Chicago folk and put the world to rights over a pint or three.



And, would you believe, no hangover this morning. How great is that?

Thanks all of you. It was fantastic. :)

Asbestos: Lost in London

Funny* the things you see in London, in all sort of strange places, this time from Irish artist Asbestos.

The sticker reads:

LOST: HER NUMBER.

Woke up this morning thinking I was the Hoff! But what a muppet am I? I've gone and lost this fine babe's number. Find it and mail lost@theartofasbestos.com

Below reads

LOST: FAIRY LIQUID

My hands are not as soft as my face anymore, so find my fairy liquid and email lost@theartofasbestos.com

If you're not familiar with the wonderful "Lost" stickers by Asbestos (I tend to see them a lot (and smile every time) out and about in Dublin) then check out his work on his great website.



(* yes, funny. Funny the things you find to take photos of ;-))

How to comment on a blog - a beginners guide

For people who may not know how to comment on a blog, I hope this will help you. I read - and comment on - a number of blogs every day and I've compiled some instructions (with picture examples) below that may help you, I hope.

I've also included a brief (and probably inaccurate) description of the blogs to hopefully introduce you to some you may not be familiar with.

1. There are a number of different types of blog. Two of the more popular are Wordpress, Blogspot or Blogger (like this one) and they have different ways of accepting comments. I'll hopefully show you this below.
   
   
2. Writing a comment on a blog is no more difficult than sending an email. Honestly. It's three basic steps:
   
   
   • Fill out your comment
   • Leave your name
   • Press Submit. That's it!
     
   
   
3. You don't have to enter your email address on some blogs. This one is an example. Have a look here to see how that's done.
   
   
4. The easiest thing to do is just look for the word "comment" and click on it. For example, on this blog, you'll see

If you click on the circled link you can add your comment.

The background to this is a post on commenting on blogs, one of the interesting things that came up over on The Faux Sty forum about Darren reaching 100 posts was the comment:

Congratulations Val on your 100th post, I must admit I have popped in a read a good number of your blogs but I have no idea how to post a response over there, so I'll tell you now how good you are at describing the stuff your at - I must admit I find it insightful to read your blogging. Keep up the good work.

I wonder if that's one of the reason that people don't post comments? That even though you might like what someone writes, you're not sure how to reply?

So maybe this guide will help. Let's start with what to look for:

Over on Damien Mulley's blog (Damien writes about Irish internet related news, topics as well as a host of other stuff and is generally regarded as top blogger) you'll see



And over on Alexia's Blog (she blogs about technology and other interesting ideas) you'll see



but, you can also click on the heading and then you'll see the comment form below the post (which is what an article on a blog is called). This tends to be the same for most blogs.



For example, you can see over on Grannymar's blog (cooking, jokes, adventures and toyboys) you can click on the heading or the comments link



The lovely Annelicious (a terribly interesting girl altogether) has a big Add Comment link on hers



When you click on this you'll see a load of stuff (like below). Don't worry about it. This is just for people who know something called HTML and it's still fine to post your response if you don't.



The lovely girls over at Beaut.ie (who blog about beauty products no less) have the below



While Anthony (he blogs about interesting stuff he finds) has this



and just-come-out-as-metrosexual Darren has this



The Dear Lover Blog (very strange letters from boyfriend to girlfriend) has this



Beginning to see the similarity? All you have to do is click! :)

The lovely Maz, a shockingly stylish Limerick blogger (and ex Home and Away addict) has the below:



When you click there you'll see a form like the below. 2 small things:

1. Enter your name and your email address. Your email address will be kept private - no other blog readers can contact you through it, so don't worry - I'll explain why that's there below.
   
   
2. If you don't have a website/blog/URL don't worry! You don't HAVE to fill it in:

A handy thing to see if the blogger (blog writer) has responded to you is to check the box (if there is one) that says "email me follow up comments", like Grannymar has below:



You should know though that if it's a popular post you'll get a number of emails. Don't worry, as I said, your email address is private and only used for this purpose.

The lovely Deborah, over at Humble Housewife, (she blogs about cooking and related tasty stuff) has the below:



Now, when you click there a pop-up window opens - just fill this in as per usual



There are many different blog designs and the comment links are different but keep an eye out for it:

Grandad (a lovable but grumpy ould fella) has his down the bottom



As does the very quirky and up to date Jazzbiscuit



And Shane at Presenttense over at Ireland.com (the Irish Times website)



And award winning political and equality blogger (and Michael Lynn fan) Maman Poulet



and Twenty Major



and Sinéad Cochrane



and so on - see, it's not that complicated!

Rick O' Shea, of 2FM fame has his at the top (just to be different :P)



and an easy to complete form when you click on comments



Sometimes your comments may not appear immediately, like over at Sabrina Dent's beautifully designed blog



and that's because bloggers like to get to know you, so to make sure you're not a machine (or worse, pretending to be someone you're not) they keep a comment in moderation. This is normal practise - your hard work hasn't disappeared!



There are some blogs made in Blogspot/Blogger (like this one) which is owned by Google. Rosie over at Spanish Exposition (the exploits of a twentysomething year old) has a very popular (and great to read) blog:



When you click on her comments link, you'll see this screen, where you have two options. If you have a Google account (Gmail or Googlemail) you can post a comment using that (and don't worry, your password is hidden and secure)



or you can choose the second option - which doesn't ask for an email address - which looks like



Again if you don't have a "URL" (which means a website address) you don't have to enter one.

The lovely Chanberry over at Fictional Sheep and Andrew of Chancing My Arm and Lyndar the Merciless are similar and you can leave a comment in the same way.



Unarocks (music journalist, world traveller and loves-to-have-fun girl) has something extra on her blog:



Again, this is nothing to worry about, it's just making sure you're human!

Finally, (thankfully you say!) CEO of Blacknight Michele Neylon (who blogs about everything from spam to DVDs) has a slightly different form on his



And if you don't know what that means, don't worry about it!

Finally, just on comments - as I said in this post, bloggers write to be read and love getting comments, so if you have an opinion, a thought or just like what you read, feel free to share.

Please try to remember just as you're one person in front of a monitor, so is the blogger and so they prefer constructive criticism, lively debate and gifts of fine wines than abuse. Well, okay, the fine wine thing is just me.

I hope this helped. If it did, please let me know and share your new found expertise with your friends. Happy commenting!


(Fellow bloggers, I hope it's okay I used (and slightly edited in cases) your work. Feel free to take the images if you think they'd help on your blog. Not everyone's an expert.)

Update for bloggers: Iarhflaith has released free Add Comment buttons for your blog - check them out!

5 minutes with Barry from WorldWideCycles.com

Barry Meehan from WorldwideCycles.com is an interesting speaker. He's giving a case study presentation today at the IIA Congress about how his cycle shop in Clonmel, Co Tipperary uses the web to complement their business.

Barry is a passionate cyclist. He started the site with friend and fellow cyclist Ray Clarke to

give customers the opportunity to make online purchases whilst still getting the same level of service that you would expect from your local bike shop.

The tagline of their site is "products for cyclists by cyclists" and it's a very good place to start with a website that is customer facing - what you know about and what you can provide.

Barry's presentation at the Congress was probably the most interesting of the morning given that he's a cyclist, a bike shop owner who uses his blog and the internet to complement his business and give customers another way of contacting the shop, rather than it being his whole business.

It's probably what makes him a great example for people who don't know what kind of web presence they need but would like to begin.

His presentation will be online at the IIA site soon but centred mostly around his blog (main blog here), his use of Flickr and You Tube videos and generally talking about simple "social networking tools" engaging his customers and creating a following.

For example, he told how members of his message boards were asking about the best way to clean a bike. The next time Barry was cleaning his bike, he grabbed the camera and took photos, and then posted them to his blog. He spoke about how you can simply but effectively answer customer questions and show that you're listening to them.

I grabbed him for a few minutes to have a quick chat. Despite his business-like appearance above he's remarkably frank and outright about what he does, claiming no technical expertise in the web - he just likes what he does.

• The biggest mistake, in his opinion, is to try and make any website or web presence too complicated. Keep it simple is his advice.
  
  
• It doesn't take as much time as poeple are afraid of. Barry works from home every Monday handling the accounts, the website queries and the blog. He'll check in during the evenings but he doesn't really feel that it gets in the way of other activities he needs to do.
  
  
• Write about what you know about and what you enjoy doing. People will respond to you if they see you're passionate about what you write about. Before he started blogging Barry had no creative writing skills or formal writing experience but through his blogging he now finds himself thinking about writing a book.
  
  
• For example, to get his website promoted he uses Google Adwords but also his blog and various cycling message boards around the country.
  
  
• He finds "word of mouse" - people forwarding links, talking about what he writes on message boards, commenting on his blog etc to be very effective. He'll also mention the website in interviews or where he thinks it's appropriate, or, as he says "if it fits"
  
  

You can read the WorldwideCycles blog here.

I'm at the IIA Congress in Dublin

I'm sitting down the back of the IIA Congress 2008. This is my first time at the event and so far I'm not disappointed.

I find it interesting that the thrust of the presentations so far seems to be compelling people to get their business online and using web 2.0 technologies. For example, Barry Meehan from WorldwideCycles.com is now on talking about their blog and how it can be used to promote "subtle sales".

Sometimes it's good for me to step back and realise that not everyone is bought into this technology, that some people don't understand it or are wary of it or don't realise how easy it can be, given the right tools and training.

I'm updating on twitter (http://www.twitter.com/darraghdoyle) and will hope to report back during the day.

Just for himself

Pints are always good :)

60 years of Israel : Exile Remembered

Image taken from Blather.net

Exile Remembered: An evening of music, poetry and reflection

Dear Darragh

The 60th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel is for some a day of celebration, for others a day of reflection. For Palestinians it marks the nakba (catastrophe) - when 400 villages were destroyed and 750,000 refugees fled to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and beyond.

Trócaire and Poetry Ireland invite you to join world renowned soprano Judith Mok, celebrated author Seamus Cashman and emerging poet Keelin Barry and others for an evening of music and poetry exploring themes of home, displacement and self-determination.

When: Thursday May 15, 6.30-8.00pm
Where: Unitarian Church, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin
Admission Free

For further information, contact campaigns@trocaire.ie

Thank you,
Ciara Gaynor, Alice Mary Higgins & Lawrence McBride,
Trócaire Campaigns team.

I can't make my mind up about Israel and Palestine and the conflict there. It's yet another one of those things I don't know enough about except to say feelings run deep on both sides and that the violence is abhorrent. Just recently Israel has dismissed an approach for peace saying it "did not appear to be serious".

Hamas yesterday said it would agree to a six-month truce in Gaza if Israel commits to lifting its siege of the Palestinian territory once 'the calming takes effect.'

It said the truce could then extend to the occupied West Bank after the initial phase.

It said any period of calm between them and Israel must be reciprocal, simultaneous and comprehensive, and must include lifting the blockade and ceasing all aggression.

Is there an answer for a resolution in what's supposed to be the Holy Land? We can certainly hope so.

An evening to reflect on what's happening in our world, to learn more and to pray to whatever God you follow for a peaceful resolution may be a good option to help make a difference, if you can.


Image from Regnum Advenio's blog.

(All links in the above post were chosen by me and may not be the choice of the event organisers)

Gulliver in sand at CHQ

I didn't get around to blogging about this till now, but was really glad to see one of my favourite books being chosen as the Dublin: One City One Book choice.

At the CHQ building in Dublin, there were some amazing sand sculptures by the incredibly talented Irish trio of Duthain Dealbh.













The detail was just incredible and my camera didn't do it justice



My favourite though was outside:









Absolutely stunning, and a real treat to see such high quality art in Dublin. Check out the guys behind it here.

While I'm on about graffitti - Maser vs Tkay

I like Maser's art and stickers - always make me smile. His blog is great too.




Image by Maser from his blog.

Tkay on the other hand... don't like you much!



Strange isn't it, how and what people choose to communicate?

How do you lamp a kid anyways?

I remember seeing this post on Rick's blog. And then this one.

And then seeing these (inspired by the genius that is the film Anchorman) on the streets









But this is my second* favourite piece of Dublin graffiti:



Which may seem weird till you see what someone's added to it



Madness!



I'm definitely inviting the genius behind the lamp stickers as a friend on Bebo.

The kid lamper though... probably not!

(*My favourite piece probably deserves a post of its own.)

Drawing on walls, London Style

Sunday morning popped onto Twitter and saw a tweet from Bernie Goldbach (@topgold)



I happened (coincidentally) to be standing outside London's Tate Modern where this was being created:


How so?

With a big crane


and a big piece of chalk


and a lot of talent


Can't wait to see the finished version. I reckon it's for their upcoming Street Art Exhibition, opening on May 23 - the same weekend as their Long Weekend 2008.



So, Bernie, feeling creative? ;-)

Would you like to say something?

Then please, please feel free to say it. :)


Image by Studio Rhoad taken from here.

Last night in a casual conversation about blogs, I asked Niamh, one of my best friends, why she didn't comment on my blog effort. It's not that I mind at all, I was just curious.

This morning she sent me and Darren an email which reads

'Just thought of another reason why I never comment on blogs. I was thinking about it this morning! Up until very recently, I thought it was only fellow bloggers who commented on each other's blogs like a little circle of friends/bloggers/ nerds whatever :P And that if I commented people would be thinking 'Who's yer one? She doesn't have a blog...'

Andrew, a recent newcomer to the blogosphere has said:

Ireland has a small but lively blogging community at the moment, where a lot of the same names appear as links on different pages, and also as commenters.

which seems to echo Niamh's belief that it's only bloggers commenting on blogs. Is it?

I think it's fairly natural that when writing a blog you'll read others, create personal connections, become a fan or share the same taste in what to post.

As huge as the internet is, there's also just a finite amount of things that we can see, we can post and most of us aren't the "finders" or the stumblers... I tend to see things now only from the newsletters I receive (props to Innocent News for this) and from other people's blogs.

So, for bloggers, what to do? What would make you comment? What would it take? There are certain obstacles to blog comments - the word verification (yes, anti-spam but also a bit offputting, especially if you're sure what you've typed is correct) but also that scary empty box that has your site URL in it - do I have to fill that out? What if I don't? Like Niamh said, will people think Who's yer wan?



Non-commenters - one of my fondest memories of the Blog Awards was when Grannymar thanked the commenters on blogs, highlighting that you are the life-blood of blogs. And it's true - even if you feel you have nothing to contribute to the point, there's no harm in saying good post or great read.

Blogs are written to be read, and I'm sure we're all interested in everyone's feedback, positive, negative, constructive or just bizarre - it gives us a nice feeling when we read that someone's reading our stuff. Because as much as you're just reading things on a screen, we're also just typing into a box on the other side.



And we'd like to get to know you :) As I keep on saying, feel free to say hello :)

Everybody's talking about you

And how you could be the first winner of this:


Image by Damien Mulley, taken from here.

It's a great incentive to publish all those drafts, to get your ideas from head to screen and to share your stories.

If you want to nominate a blog post, write about it and link to it and to the official announcement over on Awards.ie. (Will this work for track-back-less blogspot?) There's also a form you can complete. I like the fact that Damien invites you to nominate yourself if you think you’re worth it.

I also see that Awards.ie is now making reference to the upcoming Web Awards in October. If they're half as fun as the Irish Blog Awards were, it will be a great night.

Happy blogging!

Link found through Alexia's Red Links and over on Grannymar's blog. Thank you!

Even though I'd probably break a leg...

... I'd still love to try this in the right pair of jeans.



I saw this over on Ina's blog today and I love it. LOVE IT!

Where can I buy a pair?

It started 100 ago

It started with this

And then he started this

And I really liked this

This not so much (the shame!!)

And now he's 100 posts old.

Happy century dude!


Taken at the Blog Awards, March 2008

The one with the wee calf

Trying to digest the inspiring weekend I've had in London as well as catch up on all the other posts I have to write and to do the work I'm paid to do (and do it well :P) is a daunting prospect. One admittedly that I'm looking forward to.

Sitting on the 39 to town this morning I'm reflecting on the importance and power of sharing stories.

Experience may well be the best teacher (sorry Paddy) but the lessons, the inspirations, the examples and the pride we can reflect through a simple method of typing into a box on a screen (catpisspot or no) shouldn't be underestimated.

You never know how what you write could inspire, challenge, motivate or enthuse someone to go out and at the very least smile and have a better day.

I know that it happens to me.



(The cow reference? Two cows in a field, which one is on holiday? (Try it in a Kilkenny accent))

UnLtdWorld.com - I'm a member

I've just signed up to UnLtdWorld.com - my profile is here - after a chat I had with the very inspiring Nicola from there.

I've blogged about it here on the Shine Conference blog.

More to follow! :)

Guest blogging at the Shine Conference in London

Following a recommendation from Damien Mulley I've come to the Shine Unconference in London this weekend.

I've been invited to be a guest blogger on the Social Reporter blog which is covering the event.

If you have an interest - even passing - in social entrepreneurs, in campaigning for change and in what people are doing to make a difference in the world, and would like to see what's going on in London, come over and have a read. My first (long of course) post is now live.

My main area of interest is the people here - who they are, what they're doing and their stories.

As I shared, one of my favourite poems - What Is Success by Ralph Waldo Emerson - has these lines, which sum up what a social entrepreneur is quite well for me:

…To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.

Thanks to the lovely people at Unltdworld I have internet access (guess who wasn't intelligent enough to bring his laptop?) and will be blogging there and here (hopefully) over the weekend.

Any and all feedback welcome. You should also have a read of the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland website.

Have a chat with Pat

AND THE LANDLORD MAYBE
as long as you've got the rent

I have never seen a sign which says

- POET WANTED -

turnip trimmers
forklift drivers
dog handlers
roustabouts
wranglers
finishers
riveters
tanners
extras

yes

all these and more

wanted

poets

never

I suppose it is because
apart from their mammies
nobody really does.

One of the joys of Dublin life for me is the opportunity to talk to people. I blogged about this briefly before but it's a thrill for me to sit with people, share news, views and just say hello.



One of the more influential people on my youth was Pat Ingoldsby. Host of Pat's Chat, Pat's Hat, storyteller on Bosco and other poetry related children's TV shows, I completely bestow on him the credit for my love of poetry, of the rhythm and melody of words, of cadence and for looking at ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way.

"I was minding the rain
Until I thought about
Everything having a drink.
The cracked earth
The flowers
The wet apples
All drinking deep
And saying
"God - that's lovely
And suddenly
I didn't mind any more."

These days Pat can be found selling his books to the public, just having a chat with those who are interested in his work.



He's always writing, musing, creating and above all laughing. It is a pleasure to sit with someone I have the utmost respect for both creatively and personally. His views on life and experiences in selling as he does are quite unique.

HIGH POINT/LOW POINT
Week ending 17th May 1998

HIGH POINT: A young Swiss visitor stopped
and said to me - "I carry three poems with me
everywhere I go."

And she took from her back pocket three poems
written by me and lovingly transcribed in her own hand.
"I treasure these" she said.

LOW POINT: Five young Dublin guys
all suntan lotion, shiny shorts and swagger
walked past me and my books on the pier.
One of them said in a voice loud enough for me to hear
- "NO BEGGARS ALLOWED!!"

Thank you Ireland.
You shite on your own.
You always did
You always will.

The thing about Pat's books is that he finances them himself through his sales. He chooses to sell them to avoid the commission but also to meet people. He's got a wicked sense of humour that endears him to many and if there's a community of street traders, beggars, buskers, hawkers and homeless then Pat is a pivotal part. He knows everyone by name and they know him.



I sit and chat with Pat whenever I can. I've got all of his books and treasure them. The poetry contained within inspires me, makes me happy, makes me sad and does everything that poetry is meant to do. I share them when I can. They're a beautiful glimpse into the life of a Dublin poet, who deserves to be a lot more appreciated than he is.

How it was

If any roundy blue plaques
are put up about me
after I die
I would like one
in North Earl Street
that simply says

- PAT INGOLDSBY
WAS MOVED
FROM HERE -

Thank you.

Pat writes movingly and frankly about his times in psychiatric institutions, his battles with depression and his impaired mobility due to having polio as a child. He is a part of Dublin that is rapidly disappearing - like his beloved Malahide which is all but gone.

The stigma of mental illness and his uncompromising refusal to bow to the powers that be at RTÉ have meant he has all but disappeared from the media and therefore from the views of the book-buying public. It's through personal relationships he's cultivated (for example with Des Kenny in Galway) and others he has respect for that his books reach those he doesn't sell to directly.



His own website was created and managed by someone, similar to me, who just stops for a chat with him. I reckon there's a whole little community of us out there.

As we sit there there's often the passers by "Jaysis, that's yer man, you know, from the telly, Pat's Hat", or the Americans looking for dead poets and not appreciating that Ireland still has its storytellers and poets and writers.

His experience of being misquoted by tabloid journalists or having his poems mangled by schoolbook publishers have left him with his personal view of:

"My poems do not need academics or study notes or lectures or any of the other self-serving, ego-massaging stuff which diminishes beauty and stifles wonder.

All my poems need is me. All my poems need is you. It is as simple and beautiful as that."

He laments the loss of manners, the too-busy-to-talk syndrome and is constantly amused by the people who stand and look at his books, leaf through them, put them down but never say a word to him.

That's partly why I try to make the effort to.



I get the most amazing book inscriptions too, when all I've done is stop for a second to say hello.



Next time you pass Pat, think about stopping. Read a poem. Buy a book. Make a difference. Say hello.

From his book Beautiful Cracked Eyes


You can buy Pat's books online through Kennys.ie or check out the info on his website.

Interestingly he's got his own little corner of cyberspace. I wonder if I could persuade him to start a blog?

All poems written by Pat Ingoldsby and copyright to him and Willow publications.

Get up, Stand up - legalising cannabis campaign

One of the many things I tend to be passionate about is people getting out there and doing things that they believe in and care about. In one of my favourite posts of the year so far Mulley told the Irish Internet community to get out and push in order to improve things in the community.

All types of people campaign for different things every day and it's great that blogs allow us to do that, as GM and Steph did about the health service.

But what about the non bloggers?

I was in town Saturday at Central Bank in Temple Bar and this table caught my eye.



What are people interested in?



The legalisation of cannabis in Ireland.



I'm not educated enough about cannabis to make a definite judgement one way or the other. The people I know who smoke it are all fairly normal people who use it to relax. It gets passed around at some gatherings and seems to be quite widely available in the market.

I don't know any dealers and wouldn't associate with them if I did - it's just something I choose not to do. The only drugs I've ever bought are over the counter legal painkillers and they've tended to suit me.

Cannabis is officially classed in Ireland as a scheduled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. This means that if one is caught with any amount, however small, you can be prosecuted and fined. According to the (slightly emotive and could-be-accused-of-bias) Legalise Cannabis website:

It is also an offence to grow cannabis plants and on summary conviction for this offence, you could be liable for a fine not exceeding €1,270 or a prison sentence of up to 12 months.

However if the court deems that you had the cannabis in your possession with the intent of supplying it, the punishments are much more severe.

Where the market value of the drugs is €13,000 or more (at vastly inflated police price estimations) the person convicted is liable for a minimum sentence of a shocking 10 years.

Legalise Cannabis Ireland want to change that.



I had a chat with Tim and MJ who were manning the stand on what was a glorious Saturday - where I'm sure their friends and peers were sitting in a beer garden or enjoying some of the events around the city. I was impressed that they were there talking to people about what they believed in.

They'd been heavily involved for the previous six weeks and were one of the ten core people involved in raising awareness, seeking understanding and trying to get through to people.



One of the important factors of their campaign is that they are not promoting cannabis use to everyone, and especially not under 18s. They advocate responsible use and have quite an interesting philosophy:

Legalise - Regulate - Educate



I picked up their information leaflet and in fairness it tries to give an objective outline of the current situation - the below is taken from same:

Apparently 1/3 of all Irish people aged 15 to 34 smoke cannabis. It is the most widely used illegal substance on the planet

It is estimated that 315 million euro is spent yearly in Ireland on cannabis alone

It is their view that the aim of policy and law on cannabis should be to reduce/limit social and health risks/problems for everyone on an equal basis.

Prohibition does not lower the rate of Cannabis use. It is the real gateway to other, harder drugs by putting cannabis in the hands of unscrupulous criminals, leading to no age limit, no quality control and no price control (leading to no government revenue...)

Prohibition prevents the very important use of cannabis as a medicine. It can be used to treat appetite loss (from AIDS or cancer treatment), nausea, glaucoma patients, MS sufferers and also to relieve depression and chronic pain.

Prohibition causes problems for those with a conviction for possession - limiting travel and career prospects and criminalising otherwise law abiding citizens, forcing decent people to associate with real criminals.

What I found most interesting about this whole thing was the attitude of the people involved. They were open to discussion rather than making you try to see their point. They were advocating responsible use and responsibility. From their website:

We do not believe in promoting use of cannabis to anyone, cannabis use is an individual decision that should be made after educating oneself about benefits and risks, but particularly to people with young minds/brains that are not fully developed and may be at higher risk to negative effects of psychoactive substances.

However wrong or right, it is fact that people (including young people) use and abuse cannabis.

Therefore we believe it is better to try and educate people, about the dangers and risks involved and hope they make the right decision for themselves

They're organising a protest march for Saturday 10 May at 2:30pm. They're expecting a big turnout - weather dependent of course. There was no violence or arrests at last years apparently and it's their intention - in a democratic society - to let their voices be heard.



Whatever your personal views on cannabis, I think it's great to see "young people" (or any people really!) getting out there, campaigning and getting involved in trying to change a system they see as being blind to the facts and alleged benefits. They're not going to benefit financially as such from the change, but from the freedom they appear to be seeking.

It's all well and good to complain about the problems with the country but what are people actively doing to make a difference?



The Legalise Cannabis Ireland website is at http://www.legalisecannabisireland.ie.

I must point out that neither I (nor any of the blogs I link to) are in any way affiliated with this campaign and do not endorse smoking, the sale or legalisation of cannabis without proper study, systems and regulation put in place, agreed on by health, social and legal professionals

I do though believe people have the right to question, to open a dialogue and have their voices heard in order to ensure the reasons for the way things are are valid ones. The only way things will change for the better is for people to make a difference.

Don't say a word to her!

Please, please, please do NOT say anything to my mother. Not a word. She'll just get all of these ideas into her head, she'll want to do something about it and she'll want to join in. And really I don't want that. Not really.

No, I'm not talking about this, I'm talking about Grandad's post on computers being made for older people. You couldn't have kept it to yourself sir, no?

Microsoft UK is developing a "senior PC", which will have a simple interface and be aimed at older users.

The PC will come with software that allows users to manage prescriptions as well as simplified tools for everyday use, such as managing photos.

Jaysis.


Photo owned by pepewk (cc)

Now I love my mother. Honestly. She's one of the only two I have, but she's the one that reared me, that changed nappies and stayed up at night when I was sick and so on. And while I'd like to see her being a bit like Olive, the 108 year old blogger from Australia or Maria from Spain who's 95 or even jurassic Grandad himself, technology and herself have never been the best of friends.

I can completely empathise with the very funny Bec's apprehension at her dad being on Facebook now. It's funny how parents are similar :

He rang me up a few weeks ago to inform me about this new brilliant previously unknown website he had just discovered that you could join and meet people you know on, and how amazing and ground-breaking it was and how he just thought that I should probably be told about such things because I work in computers and I should really keep up to date on the latest trends.

I can so see my mother doing that to me. And there are certain photos, never mind comments, friend stories or videos that I'd prefer my mother not to be worried about. Remind me to tell you about this some time:



But to highlight just why I'd be very apprehensive, let me share this true story. (It may help to read it in a culchie accent)

After years of "sure why would I want one of those things?" my mother finally let me buy her a mobile phone.

'Tis a very simple type - none of your fancy wap or bluetooth or even a camera - push buttons, press green, talk.


Image from mobilegazette.com

We sat together for an afternoon, me going through it patiently, writing things down, ringing the phone, her answering, her ringing me, me answering, ringing the house phone etc. She said she had it. I thought she had it.

I left for Dublin.

She was off to Kilkenny the next day and we had arranged that I would call her at 2pm just to see how her hospital appointment went. I called her at 2. No answer. 2.05 no answer. 2.15 no answer. And so on.

Checked if she was at home - no response there either.

Hmmmm.

The phone was ringing, it wasn't switched off. Had she turned it to silent? Had she lost it already?

Later that evening I got a call from home.

"Where were you earlier? I tried to call. Is the phone okay?"

"Don't talk to me about that bloody phone. Terrible yoke. We were up early to go in, so I put it into me bag. I had it charged like you told me. Off we went.

I took it out at half one. I said to save you the money I'd give you a call. I dialled your number and pressed the button - nothing.

I tried it again - nothing.

I pressed the red button like you showed me to make sure it was on - nothing.

I tried ringing your sister - no answer. I tried your uncle - no answer. Couldn't get the thing to work at all at all.



So I brought it back to that shop you bought it in, looking for a refund. I didn't have the receipt but sure they could have rung you.

So I told the fella behind the counter that the phone was a dud and he should be ashamed for selling them and that I'd complain to the ombudsman and everything.

And he looked at the phone

And he said

"Mrs, sorry about that but that's your TV remote control".

True story, I promise.



And now there's a chance she could get onto a computer?

Uh oh.

Do not tell her a thing!

Luxury Brand Engagement

Mulley has blogged recently about community management and how brands should monitor their audience.

Today on NetImperative I read the ‘Luxury Brand Engagement Model’ developed for luxury brand owners on how to contextually and relevantly reach niche consumer audiences.

It's based on six key stages of consumer luxury goods purchasing behaviour. However, I'd go so far as to suggest that most of these should be a guide for all brands, brand managers, community managers, site editors, website managers or anyone in whose interest (or job spec) it is to actively connect and engage with consumers online.

1. Awareness

• Be there, to stimulate word-of-mouth and keep consumers ahead of the game
  
  
• Underline exclusivity through sympathetic targeting and exclusive content
  
  
• Reinforce brand values by pushing offline creative to the next level online

2. Admiration

• Set the gold standard for digital advertising; captivate don’t irritate
  
  
• Offer rational and emotional engagement – entertain consumers online
  
  
• Encourage sharing and talkability – provide interactive elements to pass on

3. Exploration

• Convey brand heritage, authenticity and quality to reinforce brand mythology
  
  
• Replicate in-store experience to extend excitement online

4. Consideration

• Enhance luxury experience through digital media; make the intangible, tangible
  
  
• Flatter the luxury consumer, provide expert advice and peer-to-peer consultation

5. Purchase

• Deliver a superior online purchasing experience
  
  
• Direct visitors to retail stores to complete the experience and purchase cycle

6. Ownership

• Welcome digital consumers to ‘the club’; enhance sense of belonging

I find it difficult to think of any Irish websites doing this well. Innocent Drinks stand out as leaders in the field but in terms of keeping me interested, I don't know of many at all. Anyone got any examples?

You'd be lucky to get a go on a see-saw

Saturday morning I was looking out the back window here in D15 and saw this in a neighbour's back garden:



Yep, that's right. A bouncy castle. In someone's back yard. Not in a fairground or a parish field day but out the back.

Wow.

It got me thinking about home. I was due home to see the mammy for her 68th birthday on Monday and quite suddenly I got a bit ... not so much apprehensive or nostalgic but wistful I suppose.



I grew up in south Kilkenny, far away from the bright lights and big smoke of Dublin. Darren blogs fondly about Talbot Street, but I think I must have been 18 before I even ventured south of the Liffey - I still remember the first time I discovered Grafton Street at the tender age of 11. I remember thinking it was the coolest place on earth, at least to my eyes.

It wasn't that we hadn't travelled - it was just we hadn't travelled much, through a combination of my travel sickness and the lack of necessity of going to Dublin. We'd spent summers in Galway, done the beaches of Wexford, visited Santa in Waterford and so on.



As someone reminded me recently, 'twas far from caramel lattes I was reared.



In many ways my youth in Graiguenamanagh (15 letters, 15 pubs) is completely different to my life now. The reaction of my city friends now to learning that my first cinema film was The Land Before Time (1988) and the second was Jurassic Park (1993), that I'd never been on a yacht or sailboat in Dun Laoghaire, or been on the Dart till I moved to Dublin, been abroad till 21 or to Funderland until I was 23 (though we did have Leisureland in Galway and the now gone Celtworld in Tramore...) is always funny, but not much different to many other people from down the country really. We were poor but we were happy.

But we didn't have bouncy castles out the back :(



Can you imagine? Every kid from miles around would be over, bouncing. Most of the "cool" kids who didn't want to be seen with the small, pale, non-sporty, big-eared bookworm would swallow their pride (or pretend to) for a go. The parents would have congregated. There'd have been queues! You could probably have charged.

Most Irish children are better off now. Better books in (some) schools, much better TV programs, more libraries, internet resources and facilities and - yes - parents who can afford bouncy castles out the back. And good for them.

Heading home to see the mammy had me thinking a lot about what I'm doing now and how far I've come. I mean it's all very well to be swanning around to launches, concerts, movie festivals and the like but I find it helps to remember that me father is at home, getting water from a stream for his few cows









and that while a bouncy castle out the back garden in Blanchardstown is all well and good while it's sunny, overall, I've always got these views to return to







and I wouldn't give memories like this up for the world.



Bouncy castles last a day; being a culchie lasts a lifetime ;-)

A Bertie Gift for you

He came, he saw, he conquered, he left. After quite an emotionally charged and - in fairness - well delivered speech to Congress, an Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is off.

The comments on Shane's blog are very interesting, especially regarding the things Bertie could have said but didn't. I was dreading what could have been but secretly hoping for "in fact, eh", "spanner" or "jaysis" to be in there.

Alas no. In the end though the man did us proud. However, for those that share my love of dat Bertie here's something for you :



It's out today - the new Gift Grub album celebrating the best of Bertie on Today FM's Gift Grub, broadcast on Ian Dempsey's morning show.

Dat's Life is the new album, celebrating one of the most enduring and popular characters on the Gift Grub stage and the inspiration for some of the funniest Gift Grub sketches.

The track listing hits most of my personal favourites - including the hilarious Bertie meets Bosco:

1. Bertie's Big Top
2. Ray Burke up a Tree
3. Convoy
4. De De
5. Space
6. Noonan vs Bertie
7. Bertie meets Bosco
8. Paddy the Plasterer
9. The Lotto
10. Gift "Gift"
11. Bertie's Taxi
12. Dat's Life.

It'll be available in all the usual places, downloadable from iTunes, online from CDWorld.ie and on Vodafone Live! who will also be giving away some CDs.

Thanks to the lovely Emma at EMI Music I too have a couple of albums to give away to any blogger who'd like one. Just leave a comment linking to your blog below :)

(Don't forget - if you're in Dublin, come join the celebrations. It's not about Bertie at all Elly, it's all about you ;))