TV Tonight

It must surely be one of the most unique sentences ever commited to any medium of communication but Kathy Bates' naked ass is well worth watching tonight at 9 on Channel 4. Yes indeed, About Schmidt, a film where Ms. Bates exposes herself to us and Jack Nicholson is brilliantly likeable and unlikeable, suddenly afloat and lost in the world, is well worth your viewing consideration. Followed by Tim Burton's 'Batman', the double bill struck me as a fine mix and worth mentioning here.

The Onion

Should I just take it as a given that anyone who blogs, has a sense of humour and knows what's going on in the world is aware of www.theonion.com?

If you fit the above description and are unaware of this site, it is a mighty fine site, go there now and enjoy.

Janis Joplin

One of the greatest. Janis Joplin. Here Move Over

Cry baby

And Leanord Cohen's tribute to his former lover

Is peeing in the shower good for the environment.

Is peeing in the shower good for the environment. Hat Tip (Greenlagirl)

Decentralisation

Readers of my post on euro/euros may state otherwise but I confidently maintain that I am not a pedant. With that in mind there is just one further use of language that really grates on me. Since that fateful budget day a few years ago, decentralisation, or the plan to move a number of government departments to various locations around the country, has become a frequent talking point and another ball and chain around the governments neck. The only problem (other than the deeply flawed nature of the plan and lacklustre response which has had plenty of coverage) is that we are all talking about decentralisation, when in fact what has been mooted is a deconcentration plan.

Decentralisation is properly defined as ‘when a relatively large number of decisions are taken lower down the organisation in particular operating units’. So had Charlie McCreevy actually announced a decentralisation plan, the government would be in the process of transferring a part of state power to the power of local authorities. This is not happening. It would truly have been a change in policy of note if the government had decided to decentralise power to local government. The struggle for increased powers at local authority level reaches right back to the foundations of the state. Lets skip quickly over that potential for vision on their part.

The fact is that decision making will remain with the same central Government department and whatever rearrangement of staff moves to the new buildings. Nothing more than a physical change is happening, a transfer of functions, which is properly termed deconcentration. Of course it would have made much more sense if the government had instead sought to overhaul enterprise and employment policy so that there are incentives for industry and job hunters to set up in locations other than Dublin, but instead they gave their time over to an inaccurately named and inevitably badly received housekeeping job, the only likely outcome of which will probably be badly co-ordinated government. So there is plenty to criticise but at least in our conversations, posting and ranting lets call it by its proper name, deconcentration.

On a scale from one to Stalin: Chavez

In the ever eventfully life of Chavez. He has decided to start collectivisation of land. Rule by decree now collectivisation. All he needs to do is start a pogrom and he is Stalin.

15 minutes of Youtube

Mr T on Fashion

Nobodies Watching 24

Bill Maher on Bush et la

Neil Young

It always surprises me how few people know Neil Young's music. Now I can't go into music the way CK can go into cinema. And talk about the imagery, style and inspirations. But when you listen to Neil Young there just something in the voice. A distant sound of sadness that adds a tremor to the voice. That elevates the songs to greatness. The lyrics paint a rich tapestry of images. Genius. One of my fellow dossers does not know much of Neil and I keep telling him to listen. But as he probably wouldn't so here is 3 choice tracks to listen to. First old man

Heart of gold from 1971 performed prior to the release of one of the greatest albums of all time Harvest which this is off.

And finally possibly the greatest anti-war song of all time. Keep on rocking in the free world. WIth maybe the most powerful verse of a song ever.

I see a woman in the night With a baby in her hand Under an old street light Near a garbage can Now she puts the kid away, and she's gone to get a hit She hates her life, and what she's done to it There's one more kid that will never go to school Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool.

Work Thursday Vote Saturday

We over on Irish Election are running a campaign to get the election moved from a Thursday to a Saturday when people can actually vote.

Mary Hanafin

Here is my latest post about Mary Hanafin

Why have science when you can have John Gormely.

Here is something I posted on Irish Election about John Gormley

Science and politics don’t mix. Because science is not political. Take for instance the Green Party the UN and top scientists comes out with a report about Global warming and they herald it , the UN and top scientists come out with a report about Chernobyl and they say it was adding insult to injury. Why? Is it because they are all experts on radiation? No because it does not fit into their political agenda. So really should I be surprised when John Gormley goes on about the evils of fluoridation of water.

Now I too have been guilty of this (I actually regret that post). Political opinion is often clouded by emotion something that should not come into science. Also getting a rise out of the environmentalists is just too much fun. (if you want to know my opinion on climate change it is a mixture of man made and nature, it is going to be stopped by little measures rather then draconian measures. And the economy has to be protected as people are more willing to take the steps when it does not damage them that much ). But I have no power I am just a blogger doing all this for shits and giggles. And what I say here would be far from what I would actually do if I had power. But when you are in a position of power you no longer can go off on random rantings, you have to produce sensible policy based on fact.

But John Gormley campaigning against Fluoridation of water caught me on the hop. I mean what is the deal with that.

In the debate on Prime Time we had. In favour of fluoridation Dr Jacinta McLoughlin a member of the Monitoring Group on the Expert Body on Fluoridation who works at the Dublin Dental School & Hospital. Trinity College Dublin. While against was John Gormley is well I have no idea what his qualifications are but I guess they are not in dentistry. But maybe he is right maybe fluoridation is wrong and she is some kind of evil sceptic financed by the big fluoride corporations. Maybe all the scientist disagree with fluoridation maybe the scientific consensuses is undeniable maybe there is no denying that climate change sorry I mean Fluoridation of water is wrong.

Well actually no. Here are one or two or about 100 organisations that approve of fluoridation of water supplies.

Academy of Dentistry International Academy of General Dentistry Academy of Sports Dentistry Alzheimer’s Associatio American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology American Academy of Family Physicians American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology American Academy of Pediatrics American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry American Academy of Periodontology American Association for the Advancement Science American Association for Dental Research American Association of Community Dental Programs American Association of Dental Schools American Association of Endodontists American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons American Association of Orthodontists American Association of Public Health Dentistry American Cancer Society American College of Dentists American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine American College of Prosthodontists American Council on Science and Health American Dental Assistants Association American Dental Association American Dental Hygienists’ Association American Dietetic Association American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations American Hospital Association American Medical Association American Nurse Association American Osteopathic Association American Pharmaceutical Association American Public Health Association American School Health Association American Society of Clinical Nutrition American Society of Dentistry for Children American Society for Nutritional Sciences American Student Dental Association American Veterinary Medical Association American Water Works Association Association for Academic Health Centers Association of Material and Child Health Programs Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors Association of State and Territorial Health Officials British Dental Association British Fluoridation Society British Medical Association Canadian Dental Association Canadian Dental Hygienists Association Canadian Medical Association Canadian Nurses Association Canadian Pediatric Society Canadian Public Health Association Chocolate Manufacturers Association Consumer Federation of American Delta Dental Plan Association European Organization for Caries Research FDI World Dental Federation Federation of Special Care Organizations in Dentistry Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities American Association of Hospital Dentists American Society for Geriatric Dentistry Health Insurance Association of America Hispanic Dental Association International Association for Dental Research International Association for Orthodontics International College of Dentists Institute of Medicine Massachusetts Coalition of Oral Health National Academy of Sciences National Alliance for Oral Health National Association of County and City Health Officials National Association of Dental Assistants National Confectioners Association National Council Against Health Fraud National Dental Assistants Association National Dental Association National Dental Hygienists’ Association National Down Syndrome Congress National Down Syndrome Society National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped National Kidney Foundation National PTA National Research Council Society of American Indian Dentists The Dental Health Foundation (of California) US Department of Defense US Department of Veterans Affairs US Public Health Service Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Indian Health Service (HIS) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) World Federation of Orthodontists World Health Organization

But of course John Gormley knows far more about dental hygiene then any of these organisations. I mean he is John Gormley after all. And sure don’t we all have toothpaste now. Well I am sure the above organisations have heard of toothpaste and have taken into account of toothpaste in their studies. And I am sure Jack Cottrell, D.D.S., president of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) was wrong when he said that people drinking bottled water instead of fluoridated water was a cause of the massive rise on tooth decay does not know what he is taking about.

So what does John Gormley base his thinking on. The main thing he seems to base his argument is that a recent study stated that excess fluoride can damage infants teeth. Note the word excess. Not fluoridation causes this the word excess causes this. And considering that we have lower levels of flurodation then America and many other countries we are far from teh excess.

The most recent evidence shows clearly that fluoridated water should not be given to babies as it will cause fluorosis and God knows what else.

Anyway many experts recommend purifying the water given to infants anyway because of contaminants in the water that are not just fluoride. So really I don’t know what he is on about.

His other point is about mass medication that it is bad. I thought this guy would be in favour of preventative medicine which would prevent the dentistry services being clogged up with kids with far more cavities then normal. But I guess not.

I wonder does John Gormley must feel a certain kinship with the General in Dr Strangelove who sends the American Nuclear Bombers to blow up Russia thinking that fluoridation of water (the commies all drink vodka you see) is a communist conspiracy to steel our precious bodily of which he was made aware when his “loss of essence” during sexual intercourse greatly fatigued him.

Thank good we have no button to give to John Gormley.

Five go to Kirrian Island

Random Tuesday #3 (Thursday Edition)

The King is Dead, Long sleep for me
Hope you all had a great St. Patricks weekend. Mine was far busier than I, or my poor wallet, had anticipated or wished for. Friday, Saturday and Sunday saw me hitting the town having promised myself that 1 night would be as often as I’d venture out.

Ignoring the fact that my bank balance had more than a tinge of pink about it, last weekend saw the start of the new Formula 1 season in Australia and I wanted to watch the race live. As bad as this may sound, I have dragged myself out of bed for each of the last 11 years to watch the opening race of the new season live. Michael may not be around anymore, but I was determined to see what F1 would be like post-Schumacher. In my opinion, apart from a few notable exceptions, Schumacher has generated much of the excitement and interest in the sport over the past 13 years or so. In his role as Dick Dastardly he was nearly always in the action and could never be discounted. It would be interesting to see how F1 and I would cope in his absence.

I managed to get home Sunday morning with about 10 minutes to spare before the race started at 3am. I had had a good night by then and didn’t feel like I was sacrificing much by leaving a little early. Sitting down on the sofa I watch Kimi Raikkonen, Schumacher’s replacement at Ferrari, make a good start and take the lead.

At the end of lap 1 he had around 2 second lead over Nick Heidfeld in the BMW.

Next, Kimi was sandwiched between Mclaren drivers Alonso and Hamilton, explaining to the camera in his monotonic manner how he had just won his first race for Ferrari.

It appears that I fell asleep and an 11 year tradition now lies in ruins.

Google Desktop
Recently, I’ve felt like changing my image somewhat and I’m considering growing a beard, or some facial hair. Previous attempts at this have been disastrous but recently I find that a shave once every 36 hours or so is needed to keep me looking someway tidy. In a wider context, this rate of growth puts me in line with some 14 year olds but it represents a marked improvement for me. As recently as a few months ago my average would have been about twice that putting me in line with some 14 year old girls. Perhaps now I have the means to do something on the southern plains of my head to offset my concerns over the steadily receding hairline further north.

Yes, for a year or two now I’ve been facing up to the fact that my hair is giving up the ghost and starting to detach itself, with some frequency, from my ceann. My fear is that I’ll end up looking like Mr Burns by the age of 30 at this rate. I've resolved that when that day comes, off the lot will go. No comb-over for me thank you.

My paranoia was awoken on bank holiday Monday when I got my hair cut short for the first time in a long time. I went to the Grafton Barber and although chuffed to see that Johnny Depp had been there before me, I was initially appalled with the results. However, after some reflection, I now feel that some facial hair might suit the new Do.

Segueing beautifully, I believe that my Google Desktop has a bit of the HAL about it and is observing me, reading my thoughts and messing with my mind. I know that sounds absurd but hear me out.

With the above two concerns occupying my thoughts of late, I was a little unnerved when my Google Desktop Word-A-Day informed me yesterday that ‘pognography’ is the art of growing a beard (Hands up all those who misread that first time through).

A sign, perhaps, to go ahead with the beard?

However I got the distinct feeling I was being mocked on seeing today’s Word-A-Day.

‘Pilgarlic’: A bald headed person.

Squeak Squeak
My damn shoes are starting to annoy me.

As outlined in the first Random Tuesday, I am required to wear a suit to work and with it, shoes. Although some of the office has carpet, the corridors are tiled and my shoes have recently developed the annoying habit of squeaking noisly with each step I take.

This annoys me as now the entire office can hear me coming and going and as a rule I dislike people knowing my business, even when my business is their business.

This new habit also makes a mockery of my shoes 'Hush Puppies' branding.

Irank

There is new blog comparing Ireland to other countries statistically.Check it out.

Twenty gets a book deal.

Seemingly Twenty has gotten a 2 book deal.

For your information.......

The Rolling Stones will announce the dates for their European Tour today, Thursday, at 4 p.m. The big news is that this mornings newspapers are speculating a concert in Slane will be pencilled in for August.

Happy Birthday to William Shatner born this day in 1931. An absolutely usless but none the less interesting piece of trivia I carry around with me is that he was involved in the first inter-racial kiss seen on American TV. Both he and the fellow crew member of the Startship Enterprise were possessed by aliens at the time though. Shatner has his own website naturally enough. On the site is a link to his DVD club, where he advocates horror, sci-fi and fantasy movies that have slipped under the radar. I've a new appreciation of such movies after finally getting around to watching Peter Jackson's 'Brain Dead' a few weeks ago. When funds allow I might consider joining.

Entertainment.ie has a Lotto winnings calculator on their site. Essentially, if you use the same Lotto numbers each weeks you can slot them in and hey presto, the calculator will predict what your winnings should have been since 2003. It goes without saying this could lead to very depressing news and you will forever curse that one week you were away on holidays.

Finally, Irish movie 'Once' is released tomorrow. The movie directed by John Carney, stars Glen Hansard, formerly of the frames and is much hyped having won the World Cinema Audience Award for Dramatic Film at Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival.

Dossing Times Top Bands

With all the crap in the world sometimes we forget the great bands out there. Here is on from the 70s. The Stranglers. Here is Golden Brown. Which is an truly lyrically great song and the video is great. As one person said on the comments of the video.

The video and the lyrics are multi-layered. On the surface, beautiful sceneries, exotic settings, promising adventures down the Nile. Below the surface, the fading of an Empire, a failure to adjust, boredom breeding anxiety and nostalgia - laying down the arms, tying oneself to the mast - never a smile, never a frown. Poignant..

Live version of Peaches from 1977 ish.

What ever happened to the heros

Ad for the Stranglers greatest hits with Keith Floyd for Some reason.

15 minutes of Youtube

Just one clip today. We are big fans of Penn and teller here. Here is a clip about Peta

Four Years On...

I still remember exactly where I was sitting this day 4 years ago when Bush announced the long expected news that they were to extend the war on terror into Iraq. I had just begun an internship in New York State, we arrived the day before St. Patricks Day, we were mini-celebrities asked to our eternal embarassment to take part in the city's parade (Albany, the state capital, not the New York one! - we declined, I don't think I would if asked again now) and felt a great deal of excitement at what lay ahead for us. A number of days later we genuinely felt a great sense of foreboding, watching the news while our American housemates went about enjoying spring break.

When I think of the long and tragic story that has unfolded since it saddens me deeply. News stories in the following days visited different towns around the State to assess the impact the oncoming war would have on their day to day lives, did they know then the massive numbers of American lives that would be lost? No coverage was given to the likely impact on Iraqi towns and no coverage will ever likely do justice to the devastation incurred by the Iraqi people and no correct record will ever be made of the number of lives lost in the rubble of their villages and towns.

The day before we arrived in Albany a man had been arrested by shopping mall secuity for wearing a T-Shirt saying 'Give Peace a Chance', at a dinner during our first week it was recommended to us to not air any grievances we might have had on the war - we as strangers were mildly effected, I was one of 3 guys and it took us 8 weeks longer than fellow female interns to be registered with Inland Revenue to begin getting paid, this was only a mild precursor to the rigid Homeland Security measures inplemented since. Then over Easter, distant American cousins came to visit me in New York and told me they had cancelled holiday plans to France because of what the French did to them. A few weeks before we came home the son of a collegaue at my work had been called to service and couldn't make our going away party as he was having moulds made of his teeth for identification purposes in case anything happened. It was a strange frustrating time, we had the best of times there, experiences that will never be had again and I wouldn't want to because they were so special but that unease at what was to come and how it worked out worse than we could have imagined never escapes me on ominous days like today.

Dublin

So a move to Dublin has some inevitability about it this year. I’m overeducated and inexperienced and it is the only place in the country with such a concentration of work and opportunities that it could present a good outcome having spent 6 years in college. I’m in too minds though. It is a fine place that I have enjoyed many good weekends out in, but like handing back a relative’s baby, the idea of committing to the place is daunting. I’ve been impressed with the pubs, the cinemas, the choice and the idea of the potential lifestyle an inhabitant could enjoy. But what I’m wondering is will I be too busy working, commuting, wondering where next months rent will come from and generally trying to carve out an existence up there to enjoy any of these extras or have a life outside of the job I go up there for? I’m a Cork man, should I put faith in my options down here and sell out for a few years to the various versions of admin jobs around Cork, that recruitment companies have been trying to sell me on in the hope they will turn into something more? The irony of it all is I have applied for one job in Dublin that would require promoting and lobbying for businesses to establish themselves in Dublin, when it is the outcome of such work and the already existing concentration of work in Dublin that means I feel limited in Cork. A large percentage of friends have all been dragged like drones to the Queen Bee in Dublin. Are my to become an inevitable statistic, a consideration in changing the Luas fares, start eating bagels and in a few years have my kids sent on school excursions to see what cows look like? Or are my being too negative? Let me know. One job I applied for has a condition that they will be decentralising to Edenderry, so maybe I should be thankful to get to live in such a hub of services and industry?

Guinea Fowl with Parma Ham and Chilli sauce.

I have been so busy the last few weeks that I have been unable to cook a meal in 3 weeks. So now that I have time. I have been back to the oven.

Guinea Fowl with Parma Ham and Chilli sauce.

Ingredients

1 Guinea Fowl.

4 Strips of Parma Ham

Olive Oil

Butter

Pepper

Cream

Red Wine

Sage 1 Green Chilli

Chicken stock

Sear the skin of the bird. Melt some butter and brush on the skin of the bird. Rub in some black pepper. Cover the skin of the bird with some parma ham and sprinkle over some sage. Put in to the oven for 1 hour. Based occasionally and remove parma ham with 20 minutes to go. At which point add some red wine to the roasting tin.

Prepare the chicken stock. Once cooked remove the bird from the roasting pan. Finely coop up the chilli and fry for one or 2 minutes. If you want it cooler remove seeds. And pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of this. Adding the chicken stock and add some cream. Crush up the Parma ham and too the pan. Reduce sauce until happy with it.

I had this with some roast potatoes and a wee bit of salad.

More Curious Casting

Those in the know are confidently reporting that Cate Blanchett has signed on to star in the upcoming Indiana Jones installment. Reports here and here, describe the role as crucial, though as with every other detail of the film, secrecy is the order of the day. Whatever about being a love interest, I hope her acting chops are put to good use, it would be great to see her play a villain.

Almost there

7 more days to the greatest day in Irish cinema history.

This

And this

Roll on March 23rd!!

Climate Change

The EPA on foot of research into the implications of climate change for Ireland have released a report of their findings

The report predicts that a global temperature rise of up to 2° Celsius would result in negative changes include the following:

• Increased likelihood and magnitude of river and coastal flooding;
• Water shortages in summer in the east, increased need for irrigation of crops;
• Negative impacts on water quality;
• Changes in the distribution of species, and possible extinction of vulnerable species requiring cooler conditions, e.g., the Arctic Char;
• Effects on fisheries, which are sensitive to small changes in temperature, e.g., Cod; Increased frequency of wild fires and pest infestation. Find a link here to the EPA statement and report.

15 minutes of Youtube

Strictly speaking this is from god tube but same thing. Clowns for Christ.Hat tip Washingtonrox

Riverdance. 13 years since this people.

WIth Ireland starting the Cricket World Cup so here is how you play

Here is Ireland bowling West Indies out for 25. Seemingly that is good maybe we can repeat that next week.

This 15 minutes of dossing was brought to you by the Dossing Times.

Online Mourning

A funeral director based in Co. Down will be among the first in the world to broadcast funerals live online. Using a password provided by the funeral director, relatives and friends who cannot make the funeral, may log on and aided by cameras and microphones installed in the church attached to the funeral home may watch proceedings. The company also hope to begin filming burials soon. On reading that the service is restricted and not open for general viewing I felt a bit more at ease with it and maybe this is an example of one of the services saturating the marketplace that have in some way a noble intention.

Link to article: Undertaker offers 'world's first' live internet funerals

15 minutes of Youtube, David Lynch

I've just returned from David Lynch's new movie, INLAND EMPIRE. Like the vast majority of his work it was brain scrambling stuff.

To mark the occassion, some David Lynch related clips from Youtube

To begin a parody scene from the Simpsons. This is from the "Who shot Mr Burns?" episode

Kudos to the person who can spot what parts of this next clip, from Twin Peaks, is parodied above. Answers on a postcard please

A scene from Eraserhead. "Just cut them up like regular chickens."

A cigarette commercial by Mr Lynch

Next, a scene from the Elephant Man.

I'll finish where I began, with the Simpsons. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Homer watching Twin Peaks (and a little bit extra).

This 15 minutes of dossing was brought to you by the Dossing Times.

Buffy turns 10

This week 10 years ago, a little show, based on the premise of a failed movie was among the original line up of the new WB channel in the US. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer went on to be the flagship programme for the station, made a star of Sarah Michelle Gellar and ultimately gained a huge cult, bordering on mass following. Unique and compelling, the show was a revelation with critics naming it one of the shows of the year and never let up on their praise of the show throughout its run.

The show was a mix of humour and drama, touching on wide ranging issues such as morality, death, sex, bullying and parenting all filtered through the hell a high school experience can be, especially when you character is a reversal of the traditional blonde bimbo victim, now turned slayer, destined to protect the world from demons and vampires.

I came late to the show, accidentally watching the finale of the 2nd series, intrigued by this girl in love with a vampire, her simple wish to be a normal girl suffocated by huge obligations, forced into killing her fella to save the world. I don’t know how hammy that premise sounds but the episode was outstanding, a bank of rich characters filled out the story and the ending left my jaw on the floor.

The show was brave, so often Joss Whedon has had his visions stifled by studios, he has just left the Wonderwoman project and his script was butchered to turn Alien Resurrection into the mess it was. It is hardly new now but it was the first show I’d seen that had series long arcs, at times scenes dropped hints of events that would unfold two years later. Every episode, even the poorer episodes of which bettered anything churned out by the pretenders to follow (Charmed, Smallville) were littered with twists and were endlessly funny and equally poignant all in the space of 50 minutes. There were benchmark episodes when you knew you were watching something special, episodes totally devoid of dialogue or with no backing music, with plot developments turning everything on its head, no character was safe, the story telling was real and determined. To watch the development of the show, the themes to each series and see the attention paid to evolving the main players as well as supporters is a testament to the talent at play. I could go on: favourite episodes, scenes, characters, running gags, pop culture references. You get the idea. Buffy is currently being shown weekdays on Channel 6 and Sky 1.

IMDB kindly lists some of the best dialogue of the show here, and there is no end to the fan-sites on offer, everything from philosophical debates to examinations of Sarah Michelle Gellars diminishing waistline throughout the series.

Random Tuesday #2

The Train Ride
Irony, thy name is IrishRail.

I planned last Friday with military precision. I was heading home for the weekend so I wanted to get the earliest train possible. I got into work 15 minutes early and only took 30 minutes for lunch when I was entitled to 60. With 45 minutes in hand I left work early and rushed back to the apartment, discarded my blasted suit and got the Dart-Luas combo that would bring me to Heuston.

Success!! I managed to get there in plenty of time for the 1840 hours train to Thurles. There was another train 20 minutes later, at 1900 hours, but I took great satisfaction in having slickly executed my meticulous escape plan.

You can imagine my disgust when my 1840 hours train pulled over in Ballybrophy for 25 minutes to let the 1900 hours train past. This meant that by rushing to get the earlier train I was, in fact, 15 minutes later getting to Thurles.

That’s public transport for you.

The Match
I watched the match at home, in the comfort of my own sofa. I generally dislike going to pubs for matches. Sure the atmosphere is sometimes better but is it really worth having an invariably crappy view and all the mobility of the M50 at rush hour? I think not. Far better to get a few cans and head to a mates house where you can get the thoughts of Hook, Popey and Sheasy or switch to BBC to hear what they’re saying.

That said, I suspect I’ll make an effort next weekend alright. Good on you England…Swing Low and so forth.

As for the Ireland-Scotland match itself, well that’s Ireland as overwhelming favourites for you. Way too close for comfort. The only thing worse than the prospect of defeat is the prospect of an embarrassing defeat . Not defeat by a huge margin but a defeat at the hands of second rate incompetent opponents who should be swatted aside with the minimum of fuss.

After Saturday, the entire country now knows how Bertie Ahern must be feeling.

The Movies
Lately I’ve faltered in terms of seeing movies I want to see. So, having returned to Dublin on Sunday evening, I made sure to stop in to the nearest cinema on my walk back to the apartment. I had the good fortune of seeing Venus, a delight of a movie boasting a seismic performance from Peter the Great.

The closest cinema to where I live is Screen Cinema on D’Olier St. It’s a charming little cinema that screens charming little movies and, most importantly, provides ample leg room for my 6’3” frame. Furthermore, having now seen a good half dozen movies there I can happily report that its patrons do not include the chatterboxes and gigglers who have the annoying habit of sitting directly behind me.

The only negative is the curious pre-show routine. If you take your seat a little early you’ll be greeted with some soothing music. Lately this has been Norah Jones’ debut album, Come Away With Me. The adverts and trailers start at the advertised time just like everywhere else. However once the trailers are over Norah is resurrected and the audience sits there for 10 minutes with nothing on screen before the movie actually starts.

The 10 minute wait is as irritating as you would expect and doesn't half kill the mood. Following testosterone in celluloid form, A.K.A the trailer for 300, with Ms. Jones is like having the under 10 exhibition game follow Amhran na bhFiann on All Ireland Final day in Croke Park.

The truth about Rum
Thanks to Disney and Captain Jack Sparrow, rum is now a world famous drink. Typical of Disney though, it’s all fun and games when it comes to the characters drinking the stuff. All sing songs, with ‘Yo Ho Ho’ this and ‘A pirates life for me’ that. Where’s the realism? Where are the consequences of Jack losing his sobriety in a bottle of rum?

As we all know, things work a little differently in the real world. In reality, Capt’n Jack would have taken out his Nokia at random intervals during the night and sent nonsensical text-jibberish to a mate of his at home in bed. His groggy friend, haven been woken from his slumber, would have been able to establish that Ol’ Jack was drinking rum, lots of it, and having fun somewhere, but not much else.

That little fact of life ‘came’ to me as I lay in bed over the course of Saturday night/Sunday morning.

You’ll be happy to hear my rum guzzling, text happy friend suffered all day Sunday with a monster hangover. So I guess, like all good Disney movies, my story this week has a happy ending.

At the Movies

It’s the quiet before the storm at the cinema at the moment, we have time to get to see Oscar contenders that have reached Irish screens and see what the fuss was about but otherwise studios are holding out to launch an onslaught on our senses, firstly around Easter and then of course come May. In the mean time, here are 5 cinematic developments for you to consider. That done, go see ‘Venus’, Irish audiences have shamefully neglected to go see this fine film, it’s wonderful.

First up, find here a link to ‘The Simpsons Movie’ website. The most recent trailer, a choppy mix of a lot of actions and characters isn’t the best and is too busy for my liking but there is still plenty to enjoy in the earlier trailers.

To the left is the face of Shia LeBeof, the actor in final talks to play Indiana Jones' son. I don’t need to go into a diatribe about how this one piece of casting could be the ruination of a classic trilogy or should we put faith in Spielberg and Lucas? Let’s remember one of these men created Jar Jar Binks.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is set to replace Katie Holmes on the Batman Begins sequel, ‘The Dark Knight’, playing the same character rather than a new love interest. Aaron Eckhart will play Harvey Dent, the man who eventually becomes Two-Face. It has already been announced that Heath Ledger will play The Joker. I for one am much more excited about the line up of Robert Downey Jnr., Gywneth Paltrow and Terence Stamp for Iron Man.

Here is a link to the website for ‘Sunshine’, the new film from Danny Boyle (Trainspotting). With Cillian Murphy on leading man duties and the premise of a mission to reignite the sun, this could be the thinking mans blockbuster of the summer.

Finally a link to the Grindhouse website, the result of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s putting their heads together. An homage to exploitation B-movie thrillers that combines two feature-length segments into one double-bill designed to replicate the grind house theatergoing experience of the 70s and 80s. In "Death Proof," a psycho named Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) stalks and kills beautiful women with his car. In "Planet Terror," a small-town sheriffs' department has to deal with an outbreak of murderous, infected people called "sickos." A gun-legged woman named Cherry (Rose McGowan) and her martial arts-wielding partner (Freddy Rodriguez) take on the zombie army. The two films will be fused together by fake movie trailers. The possibilities here are limitless but will undoubtedly be surreal.

Just a thought

Early this morning My Google desktop ‘Quote of the Day’ informed me that Maggie Thatcher once said that “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you say you are, you aren’t”.

With a dry cool wit like that, she could have been an action-hero, instead of the super villain we remember.

'I'm Not There: Suppositions on a Film Concerning Dylan'

The most intriguing premise for a movie since, Being John Malcovich or maybe Memento has to be the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic filmed by Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven, Velvet Goldmine). The film will not follow normal narrative structure but will instead be inspired by Dylan's poetic music. The singer will be portrayed by six different actors, playing him at various stages in his life. The line up includes Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw (Perfume: Story of a Murderer), Christian Bale and most surprisingly Cate Blanchett. The only thing stranger than Blanchett having a role is that originally Pink auditioned for her part and was seriously considered.

I've also wondered in reading about this film, how many people have biopics made of their lives while they are still living them? The premise clearly suggests it will try to encompass many phases in the man's life rather than a single period so I wonder will it not untimately feel incomplete.

15 minutes of Youtube

Daily Show on Religious Video games

Nothing but the Blues

50 States and Capitals in Aamerica by Wacko warner.

Fight at the end of the Valencia Inter Milan match

A new Numa Video

This 15 minutes of Dossing brought to you by the Dossing Times

'euro'

Why is that we were amongst the nations of the EU that most proactively embraced the euro, adapting with little difficulty to the change in currency and we have to tarnish the transition by failing to call it by its proper name? I am no pedant but the fact is euro must be up there with the most use words in the vernacular and it frustrates the hell out of me that we repeatedly get it's name wrong. On three occasions last night, Joe Higgins on Questions and Answers, an ad for a DVD sale and unsurprisingly Glenda Gilson on Rodge and Podge it was Euros, Euros, Euros. Note I've used capital letters as I'm sure if they were to spell the word they would use the upper case which is also wrong. How simple can it be, a short 4 letter word, no need for capitilisation or a plural and yet we give out about the price of an item and so forth talking about a currency that does not exist. How can advertisers be so reckless as to let such an inaccuracy go into their output, this type of laziness will seep into kids fragile little minds and before we know it we'll be talking in Euros. We are already on the slippery slope of txt speak, lets get this right. It's euro.

15 minutes of Youtube. Tipperary Special

The Dossing Times is 2/3rd's Tipp. So here is 15 minutes of All thing tipp. It's along way to Tipperary by some strange guy

Tipperary vs All-stars 1990 in Toronto

Iggy Pop at Feile 1993

And ash for good meaure

Eddie Moroney Legend

Random Tuesday

The Job

I’ve recently moved to the big smoke that is Dublin. See, at the start of the year I went looking for a job but my aim was a little off and I landed myself a career instead. I’m surrounded by eager young go-getters. You know the type, living for work instead of working for a living. I need to run to stand still and all that jazz. I’m having to compromise on values I’ve long held dear. I wear a suit to work everyday, even Fridays. I often eat my lunch at my computer, something I promised myself I’d never do. For somebody who considers a t-shirt, jeans and converse ideal for every occasion and whose goal in life is to be a librarian, albeit a well paid one, this isn’t good.

The Silver lining

Of course with every cloud there is a silver lining and in my case two silver linings. The first is pay day, that glorious day once a month when you remember why you put up with it all. I’ve recently celebrated my first pay day in quiet a while. Little can compare to the feeling you get on the invariable sunny morning that heralds your first pay day in a new job. Satisfying.

The Silver lining 2

Satisfying is how I would also describe the second rock I cling to at work, the paper shredder. Ahh, the paper shredder. The machine we use to tear paper. When you say it like that it doesn’t sound like much, does it? But if I just take these few pages here and….yep, satisfying. I don’t need to understand why, but that beautifully dreadful sound never fails to lighten my day. Thank you A.A. Low

Comfort food

Simon was over for the Irish blog awards last weekend. A great weekend was had by all and, once again, kudos to him and Cian for Irish Elections success. Sorry to rain on their parade but for me the best thing about the weekend was my introduction to Weet-a-bix and honey. Where have you been all my life? In terms of comfort foods this one takes some beating.

A forest of Spars

I’ll finish where I began, with my move to Dublin. The first thing somebody learns when the move to a new spot is where to buy your food. Whilst there are plenty of suitable establishments near my apartment I’m not exactly spoilt for choice. When I leave the apartment block I can take any one of 3 roads. Within 200 metres, no matter what road I take, I’ll meet a Spar.

My walk to work takes me roughly 25 minutes and I pass 4 Spars and not a single one of their competitors.

Recently I was waiting for a friend at Connelly station. I had a few minutes to spare so I decided to walk up Talbot st towards O’Connell St. On the corner of Talbot St. and Amiens St there was a Spar. I walked 100 metres up Talbot and there was another one! On the other side of the street!

Spars are everywhere in Dublin. Everywhere. When the hell did this happen? Its great that I have shops close to home but a little variety would be welcome. Have Spar signed a pact with the devil? Are they Irelands Walmart or Starbucks?

15 minutes of Youtube

Remember when Levi's did the most iconic adds.

Will Ferrell as Neil Diamond

The third man is one of my favourite films. Watched it the other day. Here is one of the finest moments in the film. Beware Spoilers. The famous Ferris Ride seen. And my favourite film line at the end of the scene

From the sublime to the well 90's If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eye Joe I'ld been married long time ago Where did you come from where did you go Where did you come from Cotton-Eye Joe If it hadn't been...

The Hindenburg Disaster

This 15 minnutes of Dossing is brought to you by the Dossing Times.

15 minutes of Youtube

Freestyle Hurling.

Award winning short with Martin Freeman

.This 15 minutes of Dossing was brought to you by the Dossing Times.

Congratulations to Simon!

Congratulations to Simon on his success at last nights Irish Blog Awards.

IrishElection .com took home Best News/Current Affairs Blog and Best Political Blog.

Much deserved.

Red Moon Rising over Irish Blog Awards

A lunar eclipse begins tonight at 11. 15 and will continue for approximately an hour during which time the moon will have a red hue.

Put simply the Earth, Moon and Sun will each be aligned so that we will block the light which the Moon usually reflects to light out night sky.

Here is a news articles on the eclipse for the sake of it.

Met Eireann tells us that weather will permit and we can expect a clear sky to enjoy the view.

Reports that the eclipse is occuring due to the impending destruction of the planet or so many bloggers convening on one location cannot be confirmed at this time.

15 minutes (ish) of Youtube

Dogtanian Theme this is how TV should be.

Craig Ferguson of CBS. When I watch this guy and then Letterman I have to wonder what makes letterman bigger then this guy. Funny and in this clip amazingly honest.

Deeply Dippy Right said fred

.This 15 minutes of Dossing was brought to you by the Dossing Times.

Unlawful Accommodation of Donkeys Act 1837

From Galway First.

A man who was found dressed in latex and handcuffs brought a donkey to his room in a Galway city centre hotel, because he was advised “to get out and meet people,” the local court heard last week. Thomas Aloysius McCarney with an address in south Galway was charged with cruelty to animals, lewd and obscene behaviour, and with being a danger to himself when he appeared before the court on Friday. He was also charged with damage to a mini-bar in the room, but this charge was later dropped when the defendant said that it was the donkey who caused that damage.

Read on.