Whip it good!

'Whip It' by the superb Devo has to be one of my favourite songs of all time. It's so good, I thought I would share it with you. Enjoy.

Nothing to say, really Part II

... and in keeping with the title of my blog, here's one of the Negev.

Nothing to say, really

I've nothing intersting to say, so here's a picture of Persis Khambatta (RIP) with hair...

New job

Today I started a new job at the Public Appointments Service, which recruits for the public sector in Ireland. I'm a Clerical Officer on the Garda and Prison Officer Recruitment section. It's only the first day, so I'm not exactly sure what I'm suppossed to be doing yet, but I'm sure that will become clearer later in the week. My colleagues seem nice, which is good. Hopefully there will be a bit of craic.

First impressions so far are good, but like all of my previous jobs, I'm sure the novelty will soon wear off and the boredom will set in. However, this is the first permanent job I've had since I returned to Ireland nearly 2 years ago, so at least I now have some job security. Also, it's doesn't look like it will be too taxing, so I can concentrate on my Masters, which I will be discussing in a future post - the World Cup keeps getting in the way!

Back from the dead!

I went to see Florida's Obituary in the Temple Bar Music Centre last Thursday. Unfortunately, I arrived late and missed Nailed and Alarum, so I can't tell you anything about them. I got there in time to catch the end of Necrophagist's set. My memories are a bit hazy from all the Guinness, but I remember liking what I had seen. Good death metal with crunching riffs and unintelligible vocals. Just how I like it.

Next up were Dublin's very own Abaddon Incarnate. I had met these guys a couple of times about 10 years ago, and had seen them mentioned in Terrorizer a few times, so I was eager to see them live. Well, they didn't disappoint. They play good technical death metal reminiscent of Morbid Angel. Their playing was very tight and all were talented musicians, particularly the drummer. I'll certainly be checking them out again in the future.

Finally, the headliners, Obituary, came onstage around 22.30. They played a good set, although I have to admit that I didn't know a great deal of the songs. I can only presume that many of them came off the latest album, which I don't have. Still, they belted out classics such as 'Find the Arise', 'Chopped In Half' and and the punk-influenced 'Threatening Skies'. I was in the middle of the pit going fucking mental as one does when one is quite drunk and seeing a band one was into when one was 16. John Tardy was in fine form. His vocals were as sick as ever, and, no, I've still no idea what he's saying! The only real downside to the night was Donald Tardy's drum solo. While there's no doubting that he is a very talented drummer, I felt it was about 5 minutes too long. Throughout it I was thinking, "come on, fucking get on with it!" However, I was obviously in a minority, as the rest of the crowd clearly loved it. Anyway, this self-indulgence was forgiven when the rest of the band came back onstage for the encore finishing the set with the classic 'Slowly We Rot'.

Afterwards, I got my ticket signed by John Tardy. We also had a deep and meaningful discussion about the gig. It went like this. I said, "Great gig, man". To which he replied, "thanks, man". Who says metallers can't be eloquent and profound.

I'm still hurting. Brilliant.

Gunners or Gooners?

Over the years I've heard many people mistakenly use Gunner and Gooner interchangeably. Wrong! Now it's time to set this straight once and for all. Arsenal's nickname is the Gunners - the club was founded by a group of munitions factory workers in 1886 - hence a Gunner is someone who plays for the club or is on the coaching staff. A Gooner, on the other hand, is an Arsenal supporter. So, Thierry Henry is a Gunner while Kealo is a Gooner.

I never want to hear someone mistake the two again. You got that?

I luv football, me!

So we've completed the first round of games of the group stage of the World Cup. I've managed to see most matches so far and catch highlights of the ones I didn't. I've enjoyed what I've seen so far. The best matches so far have been Argentina vs Ivory Coast which finished 2-1 in favour of the Argentines and Italy's 2-0 win over Ghana.

Both Argentina and Italy have looked the best so far, although Germany should not be dismissed, as home advantage counts for a lot. England were dreadful and were lucky to beat Paraguay 1-0. Eriksson needs to drop either Gerrard or Lampard and play someone like Michael Carrick in a holding midfield role, which would free one of them up. Also, he needs to drop Peter Crouch - he is useless! Buth who can he partner up front with Michael Owen? The is-he-ready-yet-or-isn't-he? Wayne Rooney or the untried Theo Walcott?

The other favourites Brazil and France didn't start particularly well. The Brazilians narrowly defeated a spirited Croatian side - I've never been that impressed by them, but that's for a future post - and the French were held to a 0-0 draw by their neighbours Switzerland.

This World Cup has been notable for the number of debutants taking part - six in all. Four are from Africa (Angola, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo). The other debutants are the Ukraine, and Trinidad and Tobago with the latter seeming to be everyone's other favourite team. They held Sweden to a 0-0 draw. A laudable achievement in itself, but even more notable considering they had a player (Avery John) sent off early in the second half. They take on England tomorrow in their second group match.

I've been quite impressed with the Czech Republic's Tomás Rosický. I'm a little biased - he recently signed for the mighty Arsenal. He was man-of-the-match in the Czechs' 3-0 victory over the USA. He scored 2 goals, including a stunning shot from 30 yards out.

Only another forty matches to go. Can't wait!

Men At Work

Nothing to do with this lot.

No, they don't come from a land down under. Rather, they are a support group for fathers of drug addicts that has been meeting in Clondalkin for over 10 years. The group members had attended mixed groups in the past, but had found that most men tended to be quite reticent around their wives. Consequently, they felt an all-male group suited them better.

Recently, they have been touring a short play around the country. Last Thursday, I saw them at the Ballymun Axis Centre. Unfortunately, due to a lack of publicity and good weather, there was a very poor turnout. The play was a vehicle to promote the group and its message. The story follows a father of a drug addict who is unable to deal with his son's addiction. He deals with his problems by turning to alcohol and rowing with his wife and work colleagues. A friend convinces him to attend a meeting to discuss his problems. He is reluctant at first, but goes and soon opens up and finds the support he needs.

The play wasn't particularly well acted, but these guys are only amateurs and wasn't the point. Their performances were heartfelt and they spoke with conviction. The play was followed by a questions-and-answers section with the cast. I'm glad I went, as Men At Work drew attention to a family figure that is often neglected in this situation, as they are often viewed as the provider, strong and unable to express his feelings. A view that is often untrue.

Up the Dubs!

I was one of the (un)fortunate 10,000 or so Dubs to travel to Pearse Park in Longford for the Leinster Senior Football Championship quater-final. Apart from Conal Keaney (pictured), Dublin were awful. Whelo (Ciarán Whelan) was anonymous in midfield as was Mossy (Tomás Quinn) up front. The team seemed incapable of passing to one another. I think it was down to playing away from home and complacency. Credit must be given to Longford. They gave us a game. They were hungrier than us and the first to nearly every ball. We managed to hang on to win by two points. The final score was Dublin 1-12 Longford 0-13. Hopefully Sunday's match has given the players a kick up the arse, and thought them not to underestimate supposedly weaker teams.

Despite the team's poor performance, I actually enjoyed the trip down to Longford. I've never been to Pearse Park before, so it was good to go to a new ground. It was a lovely day and perfect for watching a game. Some of the characters that attended the match provided some entertainment. One bloke was so intoxicated that when he decided to climb over four-foot crash barrier, he landed on the gravel on his back! There was also one pleasant chap with "Tiocfaidh Ár Lá" tattooed in large letters on his sunburnt back. Nice guy.

We've got much tougher opposition in the shape of Laois on the 25th June at Croke Park. I shall be there on Hill 16. Up the Dubs!!!

Contender for the world's most tasteless street sign

I saw this on a trip to New York last November. It was in downtown Manhattan near the Mayor's office.

Bizarre.

Persis has arrived!

Welcome to my blog. The title doesn't mean anything. It's completely nonsensical, but I like the sound of it. Persis Khambatta was a former Miss India who appeared as Lt. Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Sadly, she died of a heart attack in 1998 aged only 47. As for the Negev, it's a desert in southern Israel that former prime minister David Ben-Gurion believed was strategically vital.

Anyway, watch this space for future musings and idiotic rants.