Persis Khambatta Skiing In The Negev

The Last Supper

2007-12-10T20:46:00.000Z

On a recent visit to Milan, the wife and I went to see Leonardo Da Vinci's famous mural painting The Last Supper. Tickets have to be booked in advance and cost approximately €10. A maximum of 25 people are allowed into the room - a former refectory of the Dominican order - at any one time due to its deterioration, and one is allowed only 15 minutes. I wasn't sure what to expect. Although I've never read or seen Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, I've seen its image in countless tellybox programmes and books. Despite being impressed by this work of art, I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I badly needed a shit.

Middlesbrough 2 The Arsenal 1

2007-12-09T15:47:00.000Z

I watched this one on some dodgy Thai internet site, and got English-language commentary from Talksport. It just wasn't our day; we were very poor. Boro, on the other hand, were up for it, as I expected to be. We were poor upfront. Adebayor and Eduardo were anonymous, and the midfield of Gilberto and Diarra wasn't up to it. None of the replacements made much of impact.

Fair play to Boro, they deserved their win. I don't think this defeat is critical in term of the championship, as we are still one point clear of the Mancs, but it means we can't afford to slip up. We've got a tough run of games coming up in the next few weeks. Chelsea and the Scum at home, followed by Pompey and Everton away. I hope Fabregas, Falmini, Hleb and Van Persie will be back from injury soon.

Why everyone should join a trade union

2007-11-26T19:54:00.000Z

I attended my first sub-branch AGM today and won €25 in a draw. Happy days! Who says unions aren't worth joining? You can't knock the PSEU, that's for sure!

Labor wins Australain elections

2007-11-25T21:00:00.000Z

I'm very pleased that conservative shithead John Howard and his inappropriately named Liberal party have lost this year's Australian general election. The Labor Party, under Kevin Rudd, have won in a landslide victory. It will be interesting to see if Rudd keeps to pre-electoral promises that include pulling Australian troops out of Iraq and signing the Kyoto Protocol. To add insult to injury, conservative shithead Howard looks set to lose his seat, which he has held for 33 years.

I am the Master!

2007-11-19T20:22:00.000Z

I got my final results for my Master's degree today. I'm not sure whether I've got an Attila or a Desmond, as I'm borderline and I don't have my first year results to hand. Fuck though, I passed and I'll never have to write a thesis again. I can now look forward to my graduation in March.

The English Class

2007-11-08T20:32:00.000Z

RTÉ isn't well-known for producing great comedies and it's not bucking that trend with The English Class. However, I found that it did grow on me slightly the more I watched it. Set in a Dublin college, immigrants of various nationalities are brought together to tackle that strange the English language: their ticket to a better life in Ireland. They're thought by an inept and incompetent teacher who is very much in the mould of David Brent. Most episodes centre on the teacher's pathetic attempts to befriend the class and impart his philosophy on life rather than teach, and the students' frustration at their lack of progress.

I wouldn't call The English Class comedy gold, but it had it's moments. It also reminded me of my disastrous, yet thankfully short, career teaching English as a foreign language. Sometimes I wonder whether I was as bad as him. I suppose the show also has a good motive in that it reflects a more modern, multi-cultural Ireland, and it certainly isn't Mind Your Language. However, The English Class does, at times, fall into the trap of reinforcing national stereotypes.

This week I've been mostly listening to... Crass

2007-11-01T21:22:00.000Z

This is a band whose name I'd heard bandied about for years, but had never actually heard. A few weeks ago, I bought their 1979 release Stations of the Crass. I was pleasantly surprised at how they're not quite what I expected. I always thought they were in the mould of hardcore punks Discharge (whom I also like), but Crass (on this album at least) are quite avant-garde, almost post-punk at times.

There are twenty-four tracks on the album (although some are live versions of those already present), so I haven't got to grips with it completely yet. However, two stand out: 'White Punks On Hope' where they set out their anarchist stall, and 'Walls', which is driven by a thumping bassline and has female vocals. I'll be certainly checking them out further.

For the record!

2007-11-01T18:59:00.000Z

Some people I know appear to be under the misapprehension that I didn't work, or at most worked part-time, whilst doing my Master's degree. Let me set things straight: I worked full-time and studied in my spare time. Admittedly, I'm in the employ of the Civil Circus, which isn't the most taxing of places to work. That aside, it's hard to muster the energy to read when one has been pushing a pen, ordering paperclips and shirking work for 6 hours and 57 minutes (or sometimes less) a day!

Polish election fever grips Britain

2007-10-10T15:42:00.000+01:00

The UK has become an important electoral battleground in the upcoming Polish elections, as there are more than 850,000 living there. Canvassing has begun and and those eligible can vote in polling stations across the country. I wonder if there is anything like that for the Poles living in Ireland?

Persis lives!

2007-10-10T15:21:00.000+01:00

Despite all the free time I now have after finishing my Master's, I haven't blogged much, have I? I've been too busy going watching football and rugby, reading sci-fi and about post-punk, and learning new languages. Anyway, I plan to tell you all about the things I've been doing and plan to do, soon.

Thesis update

2007-09-11T21:08:00.000+01:00

I submitted my cunting thesis last Thursday. Thank fuck it's over!

Who said romance is dead?

2007-08-06T21:08:00.001+01:00

Saturday was our first wedding anniversary. To celebrate it, we went for a curry in Swords (in north Co. Dublin), followed by Transformers, which, although it was a little on the long side and essentially an extended toy advertisement, I rather enjoyed.

Ugliest sports jersey

2007-07-25T14:54:00.000+01:00

No offence to the followers of the Scallion Eaters, but I think that the Carlow GAA jersey has to be the most offensive to the eyes I've ever seen. It looks like it was inspired by an ice pop or those Refreshers sweets.

I may be biased, but I don't think you can beat the sky blue and navy of the Dubs or the red and white of the Arsenal.

Anger at Kenya donkey nappy plan

2007-07-17T20:59:00.000+01:00

This has got to be one of the funniest things I've ever read.

Desmond Dekker: 'The Israelites'

2007-07-15T10:10:00.001+01:00

This is actually a much faster version from 1980. While I like the original as well, this version has undoubtedly been influenced by the two tone ska that was popular at the time.

I've been listening to song over and over, I like it that much - and annoying my wife in the process! I love uptempo beat and chunky bass line. I love the fact that as Dekker's Jamacian accent is so strong, I can only make out, "the Israelite". I had to look up the lyrics on the internet to decipher the rest.

I've been listening to The Specials a lot recently. What initially attracted me to them and other two tone outfits were their punk influences, but I'm beginning to like the reggae elements more and more.

Defrauded!

2007-07-04T21:21:00.001+01:00

Some c*nt got my credit card details and attempted to make payments on it today. I wouldn't have known unless the kind man from Visa rang me up today and asked me whether I had actually paid for anything today, which I hadn't. There were four payments to a company based in Germany for approximately €300 each. Thankfully, it looks like I won't have to pay for these.

I don’t know whether my card was skimmed or whether someone got the detail over the net. Perhaps my spyware isn’t that good. Can anyone recommend a free or cheap one? Anyway, I’m going to read my credit card bills much more thoroughly in future.

Bugger off, rain!

2007-07-02T20:28:00.000+01:00

The inclement weather is starting to piss me off. This is because I can't wear a pair of shoes I like, as one of them as a hole in the sole, which lets water in.

A cause for celebration

2007-07-02T20:25:00.000+01:00

My wife passed her driving test today. Hurrah! She doesn't have to feel guilty driving to work on the M1 anymore. I, on the other hand, haven't driven for over three months. Shame on me!

England introduces smoking ban

2007-07-01T18:28:00.000+01:00

England has followed the rest of the UK and introduceda smoking ban in enclosed public places, including pubs and restaurants. It's about fucking time. Now I can enjoy myself when I go out in Manchester in a month's time.

Facebook is taking over my life

2007-06-28T20:04:00.000+01:00

I'm spending an inordinate amount of time on the social networking site Facebook. I've got in touch with old school and college friends and other people I haven't seen for years through it. It's starting to get addictive.

Will you become my cyberbuddy?

Thesis update

2007-06-25T21:57:00.001+01:00

I managed to write 500 words for my thesis this evening. It's mostly bollocks, though.

Legend finally calls it a day with the Arsenal

2007-06-25T19:24:00.000+01:00

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has decided to leave his club of eight years and sign for FC Barcelona. I'm sad to see him go. He is our all-time leading goalscorer and has brought great joy to Gooners everywhere with his sublime talent. However, he wasn't a good captain and, by all accounts, had become a destabilising force in the dressing room. I do think £16 million is a bargain. He was valued at nearly twice that a year ago. Anyway, I'd like to wish him all the best at his new club.

He has scored many great goals for the Arsenal, but the one he scored against Liverpool in April 2004 has to be my favourite.

Balbriggan Library

2007-06-09T14:47:00.000+01:00

I'm not long back from my local library in Balbriggan, which I joined today. I have to say that I'm mightily impressed. For a medium-sized library, it's pretty good. It has a decent selection of books, CDs, DVDs, etc.

I joined on the off chance that I'd get one decent book to help me write my thesis. However, I came away with seven! I probably could have got more, but I couldn't be arsed looking for any more. Now they may not be all integral to the argument of my thesis, but two look very useful: Israel in History: The Jewish State in Comparative Perspective by Derek J. Penslar, and State Building: Governance and World Order in the Twenty-First Century by Francis Fukyama (of The End of History fame). Whether I get round to reading them is another thing.

2007 Syrian Presidential Elections

2007-05-30T19:53:00.000+01:00

Surprise, surprise. Incumbent Bashar al-Assad wins this year's presidential election in which he was the only candidate. He must be concerned about his waning popularity, as only 97% voted for him.

Entombed: 'Left Hand Path'

2007-05-18T22:11:00.001+01:00

‘Left Hand Path’ by Sweden’s Entombed remains one of my favourite songs to this day. The album of the same name was the template for the ‘Swedish sound’ that was popular in the early 90s.

What I liked about Entombed was the way they never forgot their punk roots, which was most obvious musically in the late 90s. Many people forget that thrash, death and black metal owe as much to punk as they do to metal, both musically and in outlook.

A genuine classic.

All's Been Quiet On the Persian Front

2007-04-13T13:33:00.000+01:00

No, I'm not dead. I've recently moved house and I'm currently sans broadband or an internet connection of any kind, for that matter. I'm also extremely busy with assignments for my Master's. Anyway, normal service should resume in a few weeks when those nice people from eircom bother to send someone out to my area to flick a switch and turn my internet on!

New Chris Morris Project To Parody Suicide Bombers

2007-03-19T21:21:00.000Z

The creator of Brass Eye will no doubt cause much controversy and come under a lot of criticism from people who won't have even seen his latest project.

Ghana Celebrates 50 Years Of Independence

2007-03-06T20:27:00.000Z

Today, Ghana celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its independence from Britain. It was the first Sub-Saharan country to break away from its colonial master and marked the beginning of decolonisation.

Grenade Found In Sack Of Potatoes

2007-03-01T20:50:00.000Z

A 74-year-old Italian woman was shocked to find a live grenade in a sack of potatoes she had bought at a market.

Negative Energy Eradication Stone

2007-02-22T00:22:00.005Z

My sister-in-law's acting debut. She's the one with long hair.

Cure for AIDS?

2007-02-21T23:08:00.000Z

Gambian president claims to be able to cure AIDS.

Sometimes Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

2007-02-21T20:19:00.000Z

The first international football tournament for Catholic priests and seminarians is set to kick off in Italy on Saturday. This follows on from statemnts made by a senior cardinal that he would like to see the Vatican field a professional team in Serie A (Italy's top division). However, we won't be seeing the giallobianchi any time soon after the same cardinal quickly played down his previous statements.

I can't help but feel that the Clericus Cup has been inspired by the classic Father Ted episode 'Escape From Victory', which featured the All-Priests Five-a-Side Over-75s Indoor Challenge Football Match between Craggy and Rugged Islands. Rugged Island's star player, I seem to remember, was an elderly Italian priest.

Life is about to imitiate art when a five-a-side football tournament will decide which island will host the upcoming Friends of Ted festival.

Super 'Keeper Wins Dublin Gooners' Player Of The Season Award

2007-02-21T18:03:00.000Z

The Arsenal's super goalkeeper, "Mad" Jens Lehmann, is pictured here with the Dublin Arsenal Supporters' Club's Player of the Season for the 2005/6 season. "Super Jens" was magnificent last season and may be in contention for the current campaign's award, although other players may challenge him for this honour.

Lehmann has been reported as saying that we wishes to leave the Arsenal at the season with a possible move back to Germany. I'm a big fan and would hate to see him go, although my heart still skips a beat when he comes rushing out of his area! Thankfully, he doesn't do this too often anymore. I'm not convinced that he would be easily replaced. Despite some recent solid performances in the cup competitions, I don't think "Fawlty" Manuel Almunia is good enough to be first choice 'keeper, and Mart Poom hasn't played at this level for some years. I've heard that Wenger is interested in signing Scott Carson who is currently on loan from Liverpool at Charlton Athletic. He has many admirers, but I haven't seen enough of him to make any sort of judgement. So, Jens, please don't go!

New Language Emerges In Cameroon

2007-02-20T14:16:00.000Z

A new language for linguistically divided Cameroon has begun to emerge, so that schoolchildren can more easily communicate with one another. More than 250 indigenous languages are spoken and both English and French are official languages. Many speak only one of the official languages, so one way round is to speak a mixture of the two, which has led to the emergence of Franglais.

While I can be a bit of an English language purist, I don't see anything wrong with bending a few linguistic rules if it aids communication. Languages aren't frozen in time. They evolve and change to meet the needs of their users. If they didn't, we'd still be grunting and pointing at things.

I read that English as we know it developed out of a pidgin language that came about when the Anglo-Saxons encountered Danes living in the north and east of England (the Danelaw). While Old English and Old Norse shared some similarities (they were both Germanic languages), they weren't mutually intelligible. In order to make communication more easy between the two peoples, English lost many of its inflections and began to develop its more rigid word order during this period. Some Old Norse words worked their way into the language. For example, the third person plural pronoun they. Also, much of English's vocabulary is derived from Latin via French, which was a result of the Norman Conquest. A right mixture, indeed.

God Save The Queen To Be Sung At Croker

2007-02-19T22:27:00.000Z

There has been much debate about the upcoming Six Nations clash between Ireland and England at the home of Gaelic games, Croke Park, affectionately known as Croker. There are some that believe that the hallowed turf shouldn't be violated by the detestable foreign games that are soccer and rugby. There are also some who are happy to share Croker with the "garrison games", but draw the line at hearing England's national anthem, God Save The Queen.

These armchair republicans find the thought of it an insult to those who died in Ireland's struggle for independence. What appears to rankle with them is Bloody Sunday when, on 21 November 1920, British forces opened fire on the crowd at a Gaelic football match between Tipperary and Dublin at Croke Park after 14 British agents had been earlier assassinated by the IRA. This resulted in the deaths of 14 people, including the Tipperary captain, Michael Hogan, after which the Hogan Stand is named. More died later that day. I've heard that that Republican Sinn Féin are planning a protest outside Croker on Sunday. Let's hope things don't turn out like the protests against last year's 'Love Ulster' parade. There has been some talk of Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, of laying a wreath before the game. While it may be a noble gesture, I don't really think it will help that much, and there is also some opposition, particularly from unionist circles.

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that we're having this debate. We're talking about events that happened over 87 years ago - before my grandparents were even born. There is no denying that the British did some reprehensible things. However, one has to put them in the context of the time. Britain, of which England is the main and driving component, was an imperial power at the time, and didn't do anything worse than its counterparts (although someone out there, I'm sure, will give example!). I'm not condoning what they did and Bloody Sunday was an unfortunate act, but it's time to move on.

So what's all the fuss about then? What exactly do some people object to? Here are the lyrics to God Save The Queen in full:

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen.

O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all.

Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen.

Not in this land alone,
But be God's mercies known,
From shore to shore!
Lord make the nations see,
That men should brothers be,
And form one family,
The wide world o'er.

From every latent foe,
From the assassins blow,
God save the Queen!
O'er her thine arm extend,
For Britain's sake defend,
Our mother, prince, and friend,
God save the Queen!

Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
And like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the Queen!

George is magnanimous,
Subjects unanimous;
Peace to us bring:
His fame is glorious,
Reign meritorious,
God save the King!

From France and Pretender
Great Britain defend her,
Foes let them fall;
From foreign slavery,
Priests and their knavery,
And Popish Reverie,
God save us all.

The fourth and sixth stanzas are questionable, to say the least, and the last is downright anti-Catholic. However, only the first and third stanzas are generally sung, and I can't see anything particularly offensive about them. There didn't to seem to be a problem when God Save The Queen was played for many years at Lansdowne Road. Many also seem to forget that many Ireland rugby fans are from a Protestant unionist background and probably won't mind it - some may even stand! I've even heard that it was played at Croker at the 2003 Special Olympics. I think that we should extend the courtesy of playing the national anthem of the visiting team, regardless of whether it is England or not. Should we take exception to the playing of Das Lied der Deutschen (the German national anthem) when the German football team visits later this year because the first stanza was used by the Nazis, and it fitted in with their expansionist plans?

That being said, I hope the courtesy ends there, and that the Boys In Green give the English a good pasting!

Cargo Cult Lives On In South Pacific

2007-02-18T18:36:00.000Z

Apparently, the cult grew out of opposition to the oppressive rules of Christian missionaries.

Baader-Meinhof Gang Member To Be Freed

2007-02-12T19:39:00.000Z

Brigitte Mohnhaupt, a former member of the Baader-Meinhof gang, is to be freed on probation after serving 24 years for her involvement in kidnappings and murders in the 1970s.

At Last! A Thesis Proposal!

2007-02-08T20:20:00.000Z

For those of you who know, I am currently doing a part-time Masters in International Relations at Dublin City University. After months of procrastination, I have finally come up with a thesis proposal. I have decided to do a thesis on the role of language policy in state-building. Rather than type it out again, I've pasted the main idea below:

"Language is an important component of ethnic identity and, in many cases, often determines it. This thesis will theorise that language policy is a key element of state-building. Many new states actively pursue a policy of linguistic assimilation in order to create a coherent national identity, particularly if they possess large linguistic minorities. Linguistic policies can take the form of constitutional and official arrangements, and whether or not particular languages can be used in the public domain, e.g. the courts, the primary language of instruction in the education system, etc. Israel will be the subject of study, as it is a perfect example of a relatively new state that contained a number of ethnic and linguistic groups at the time of its creation in 1948. Focus will be on the part the revival of Hebrew played on the creation of a coherent Israeli national identity."

I want to do a thesis that I think is original and one that interests me. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I am fascinated with languages. It may not be an easy thesis to write, as there is information out there, but it may be difficult to draw it together. Also, some of the literature may not be in English and my Hebrew doesn't stretch much further than shalom, kibbutz and Knesset. Let's hope my thesis supervisor thinks my idea is a runner.

San Marino 1-2 Republic of Ireland

2007-02-07T22:25:00.000Z

Phew! Talk about leaving it late. It was 3 more Euro 2008 points in the bag, but what a shite performance. Most of our players play in the English Premiership, whereas San Marino possess only one professional who plays in the Italian Third Division. They were seconds away from gaining their first ever European Championships qualifiers point. I know we were missing a few players through injury, but we played with a lack of urgency and the finishing was terrible. The players didn't look like they knew what they were supposed to do, which points to bad management. I won't be packing my bags to Austria/Switzerland just yet.

Some of you may be pleased to know that England lost to Spain 1-0 in a friendly at Old Trafford. However, I’m not allowed to be, as I’m married to a Brit.

Lithuanian Jews Revive Yiddish

2007-02-04T16:25:00.000Z

I've read that although Yiddish is a Germanic language, it has borrowed heavily from Slavic and Baltic languages, particularly its eastern dialects. This, along with the language's Hebrew and Aramaic elements, make it almost incomprehensible to German speakers.

Driving Lesson

2007-01-27T15:00:00.000Z

Today I went for my very first driving lesson. I was a bit nervous beforehand, but the instructor Stefan was very patient and put me at ease. I didn't expect to drive as much as I did on my first lesson, but I got take the car for a spin round Willow Park in Glasnevin. I found the pedals a bit difficult to get used to. However, by the end of the lesson I was a bit more comfortable with them. I finished the lesson by driving home along a busy Glasnevin Avenue, which was a bit nerve-wracking. Stefan said that I was "above average" for a someone who had just done their first lesson. My second lesson is next Saturday.

The Arsenal 2 - ManUre 1

2007-01-22T19:45:00.001Z

Who the fuck are Man Utd?!

Get in!

Hindus Oppose EU Swastika Ban

2007-01-17T17:27:00.000Z

Hindus in Europe are opposed to a proposal to ban the swatstika across the EU.

Slovenia adopts the euro

2007-01-16T21:15:00.000Z

Slovenia has become the first of the accession countries to join the euro. It joined on 1st January and has now phased out the tolar. Others such as Lithuania and Estonia hope to soon follow suit.

300th Anniversary of Great Britain

2007-01-16T21:00:00.000Z

300 years ago today, the Act of Union between England and Scotland was ratified and brought Great Britain into existence. Although they had previously shared the same monarch for just over 100 years, the two countries had their own parliaments. The Act of Union saw the Scottish Parliament abolish itself and Scottish MPs now sat in Westminster in London.

The Act saw the unification of the island of Britain, as Wales had been incorporated into the English state in 1546. Ireland was to join the Union nearly a century later in 1801, although the majority of the island seceded in 1921.

While there are many that argue that Scotland prospered as a junior partner in the British Empire, others believe that the Union has been disastrous for the country both culturally and economically, particularly in the last century. There are many who believe the latter and that independence is the right move. The Scottish Nationalist Party is leading in the polls and with elections coming up this year, they will be playing the independence card. They point to the economic success of small countries such as Estonia and the Republic of Ireland as examples. Whatever the arguments, there is no denying that Scots have had a disproportionate influence on Britain. For example, Scots occupy very important positions in the current British Government.

Will we see an independent Scotland in 10 or 15 years time? If, so what effect would this have on the rest of the UK?

New Job Update

2007-01-14T13:29:00.000Z

You may remember that I joined the Public Appointments Service as a lowly Clerical Officer last June. Well, after getting a promtion and jumping up a couple of grades, I started at the Revenue Commissioners last Monday as a not-as-lowly Executive Officer. This week entailed training, so I don't know what I'll be doing yet. However, now that I'm a taxman, you tax dodgers in Dublin postcodes 2, 4, 6, 6W, 8, 10 and 12 had better watch out!

What We Had Always Suspected

2007-01-02T15:13:00.001Z

It appears that Kirk and Spock were more than just comrades.

Machadaynu

2006-12-17T01:26:00.001Z

Tony Rudd is also a legend. I hope the music of the future sounds like this.

The Rapping Song

2006-12-17T01:17:00.001Z

Anthony Carmichael is a legend.

Lasagne

2006-12-12T19:13:00.000Z

To the tune of 'Volare', Gooners welcomed followers of the Scum to the New Home of Football at the recent North London derby with:

"Lasagne, whoa! Lasagne, whoa! We laughed ourselves to bits, when Tottenham had the shits".

Gig: SunnO))) @ The Crawdaddy, Dublin, 17th October 2006

2006-12-09T19:00:00.000Z

Drone doomsters SunnO))) are not to everyone's taste: their music is slow and heavy, there's no discernable beat, and they use a lot of feedback. However, I liked them. They wore their trademark cloaks and often had their backs to the crowd. They would occasionally give us the mano cornuta (devil sign), which many of us returned with glee. I have to admit I only recognised one 'song', but SunnO))) are more about creating soundscapes rather something as hackneyed as a 'song', surely! At times I just closed my eyes and listened to the music. Well, I was a bit drunk at the time. One thing, though. I thought there was only two of them, there were seven of them at one stage! The crowd was quite a mix too: there were metallers and aficianados of the avant-garde scene.

The Breakfast of Kings

2006-12-09T18:46:00.000Z

Today has been a lazy day. For breakfast I had a chicken ball left over from last night's Chinese, two slices of cold pizza (left over from Clare's takeaway last night), and three bars of chocolate from a selection box that I decided to buy for myself. This was all washed down with a glass of full-fat Coke. Hmm, delicious and nutririous!

Also, I watched The Last Train on the Sci-Fi Channel. It was a mini-series about a group of people in post-apocalyptic Britain who suvive the catastrophe because their train was in a tunnel when a meteor hits the Earth. It might sound a bit crap, but it was pretty good, particularly as many of the protagonists were less than perfect.

Later, Clare will make us a curry. It really doesn't get any better than this.

The Twinkie-Wiener Sandwich

2006-12-04T17:47:00.000Z

This has got to be one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard of. I'd sooner eat a tropical foamy yoghurt ring.

I really should get back to my statistical profile of Hungarian society between 1989 and 2004 - it's due on Friday!

What A Wanker!

2006-12-02T21:12:00.000Z

Neil Warnock, the manager of Premiership side Sheffield United, is 'affectionately' known as Colin to many fans of opposing teams. This is because an anagram of his name is Colin Wanker. Priceless.

Also, he is not to be confused with the music agent of the same name for bands such as Motörhead, Status Quo and Deep Purple.

The Arsenal 3 The Scum 0

2006-12-02T16:00:00.000Z

I 'ate Sp*rs, so as you can imagine, I'm a very happy Gooner.

Wedding Music Hell

2006-12-01T17:32:00.000Z

I attended a wedding of some friends of mine yesterday. While it was an enjoyable affair, it was marred (for me, anyway) by an awful wedding band. They butchered some great songs and proceeded to play a Grease medley - the only crime for which I believe there should be capital punishment. The cunts.

They were followed by an equally bad DJ who pumped out all the shits from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. The only decent song he played was New Order's 'Blue Monday'. However, he managed to ruin that by mixing this classic with the intro to Guns N' Roses' 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. The cunt.

Famous Gooners: Roger Daltry

2006-11-25T13:16:00.000Z

This series will highlight famous people who are known or profess to be Gooners i.e. support the Arsenal.

More famous for being the frontman for The Who, Roger Daltry is also a Gooner. He wrote and performed "Highbury Highs" at the Highbury Farewell ceremony at the last ever match at the Arsenal's venerable old ground, Highbury, on 7 May 2006. Good work, fella!

Motörhead Sponsor Under-10s Football Team

2006-11-20T18:47:00.000Z

Greenbank under-10s B team from Lincolnshire in the UK have struck a sponsorship deal with metal stalwarts Motörhead. Their kits will be black and will have the band's logo and motif on the front. They will also run out onto the pitch to Motörhead's anthem, 'Ace of Spades'. Apparently, a match against Iron Maiden has been organised. Rock on!

Mighty Magyar Dies Aged 79

2006-11-18T11:54:00.000Z

Hungarian football legend Ferenc Puskás has died at the age of 79. Nicknamed the Galloping Major - he started his career at the Hungarian Army team Honvéd - he was a member of the Mighty Magyar side of the 1950s that won the Gold Medal at the 1952 Olympics and famously beat England at Wembley- the first non-British side to do so - 6-3 in 1953. They also lost to West Germany in the 1954 World Cup final. In 84 games for Hungary, he scored 83 goals! A remarkable feat.

Puskás fled his homeland after the 1956 Hungarian Rising and took up Spanish citizenship - he played for Spain in the 1962 World Cup. He went on to become a member of the great Real Madrid side that dominated the European Cup in the late 1950s. After retirement Puskás became a coach and, most notably, led Greek side Panathanaikos to the European Cup final in 1971.

It's Up For Grabs Now!

2006-11-16T23:58:00.000Z

I don't know how to put pictures in comments, so here's that Arsenal jersey I mentioned in the last post. While players didn't have their names on the back (only the number) in those days, I'd have "Anfield 89". Nice!

In fact, here's a video of Michael Thomas's famous injury time goal that won the league for Arsenal in 1989. It's up for grabs now!

Back In The DDR

2006-11-14T22:24:00.000Z

My search for information for my statistical profile of Hungarian society since the fall of communism in 1989 led me to a site where one can buy retro football shirts. I particularly liked the old Eastern Bloc ones. While I couldn't find a 1980s USSR shirt, this East German one from 1974 is the pick of the bunch.

Luton Town Manager Faces Inquiry After Sexist Remarks

2006-11-13T21:48:00.000Z

Luton Town's manager, Mike Newell, faces an inquiry after he launched a scathing attack on women football officials. The twat.

Jesus' Image Appears on Dog's Arsehole

2006-11-11T12:58:00.000Z

According to the Metro, an image of Jesus has appeared on a dog's rectum. Now, why the Son of God would choose to appear on place where other dogs often sniff one another is beyond me, but they do say that God moves in mysterious ways.

Perhaps every mother's favourite, Cradle of Filth, could print a t-shirt saying, "Jesus Isn't A Cunt, He's An Arsehole".

Tory Suspended Over Racist E-mail

2006-11-06T19:59:00.000Z

Make that 8!

Tory Westminster hopeful Ellenor Bland has been suspended for forwarding a racist e-mail.

She maintains that it was a lighthearted joke, but I think it shows that despite David Cameron's pathetic attempts to portray the party as progressive and moving towards the centre, they're nothing more than a bunch of nasty, right-wing bigots.

Course Apathy/Blogging Frenzy

2006-11-06T17:39:00.000Z

You have probably noticed that I've been blogging quite a lot over the last few days - 7 posts in the last four days. I was off work on Friday and today and I have had lot to say. I took today off work because I'm wrecked after seeing Slayer last night. I can't mosh as hard as I used to!

I suppose it's also one way I've been procrastinating. I've been back to college for over a month, but I just haven't been able to muster any enthusiasm for it. I don't find either subject I'm doing this semester (Development: Theory and Practice and International Political Economy) particularly interesting. I also have a 15,000-word thesis to work on, but I haven't even decided what to do it on, never mind meeting my supervisor.

I get periods where I think I've chosen the wrong course and I'm out of my depth. I sometimes think I'd have been better off with something to do more with history, which I love. However, at least the course has stretched me, so it has been good in that regard. I've found most assignments challenging, as it's been years since I was a student and I don't know a lot of the subject matter, so I've had to do a lot of research. I must be OK at this course, as I've been getting decent marks, so I'm happy enough with that.

I know once I get started on my assignment (a statistical profile of Hungarian society) for the Development module, I'll get more motivated. I'm just going to have to pull my finger out for IPE. I just can't see myself growing to like it. At least, we have been given the exam questions to prepare. Also, I hope my elective module for the second semester (The Arab-Israeli Conflict) is running, as that is one I have heard good things about and would be very interested in doing.

Festival: Day of Darkness

2006-11-06T14:05:00.000Z

I meant to review this festival ages ago considering it was in July! However, the small matters of getting married, going on honeymoon and general apathy conspired to get in the way.

I have admit that I don't make for a great reviewer. It's not that I can't write and I like to think that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to things metal. However, when I go to gigs or festivals, I have a tendency to stay in the bar for as long as possible and get very drunk and miss a lot of what happens.

This is exactly what happened at this year's Day of Darkness, Ireland's premier metal festival. In its sixth year, it takes place at Pedigree Corner in Co. Laois in the midlands and has started to attract fairly big names on the underground extreme metal scene. Most bands are Irish, but the headliners are generally a "big name" international act. It's value for money at €35 for a one-day ticket. Buses (for €15) are run from all the major cities in the country to bring you there and back, as the venue is in the middle of nowhere.

I only saw four bands this year, which is absolutely criminal. With country beer prices, there was no getting me out of the bar! The first band were death metal. I can't remember their name - I had been drinking on the bus on the way down, so I wasn't even sober when I got there- but I do remember not being that impressed. So, it was back to the bar!

My mate and companion for the day Eric managed to coax me out to see Mass Extinction. I was very impressed by them. They play old school thrash reminiscent of the '80s Bay Area scene, although I think they were still in nappies when this style was popular. Nevertheless, their songs were chock full of good riffs and they were well received by the crowd. I even had a drunken conversation with their bald singer at the bar afterwards. I'm such a groupie, me.

After a brief respite in the bar, I missed another two bands, but ventured back in to see Primordial who are Ireland's biggest metal band. A favourite of mine, they've been around in one form or another since 1987. I've felt that they haven't matched 2000's superb Spirit the Earth Aflame, but that could be down to me getting a little bored of metal as I have got older. They concentrated on material from the last two albums, which I'm not mad about, but they did play tracks from the aforementioned Spirit... and their excellent debut Imrama. They played a good set; however, due to time constraints, Primordial were unable to play an encore. I was most disappointed, as this is generally their best song and a fave of mine 'To Enter Pagan'.

This year's headliners were Destruction, a third of Germany's Unholy Trinity of thrash metal. I don't know them that well, being more au fait with the two of the Trinity, Kreator and Sodom. They were good. However, as you have probably guessed, I was very, very drunk by this stage. I thought their songs all sounded the same and they also suffered from sound problems, which at one stage caused them to restart an entire song. Their frontman Schmier also made the fatal error in saying (in accented English), "we're so glad to be in Ireland, in the United Kingdom". D'oh! As you can imagine, this did not go down too well with the crowd. I'm sure I heard someone say, "we've been independent for 80 years, ye prick!", but that may have been me. However, Destruction did not let a little wounded national pride get in the way. They soldiered on and managed to win them back.

When it all ended at 2am, I was glad to be on my way home. The weather had been awful, but this actually helped the festival, as it forced everyone inside to watch the bands. There's a great atmosphere and it was good to see that the underground has got bigger and better organised since the days I was going to shitty gigs in The Attic and upstairs in Slattery's in the early and mid-'90s. I really enjoyed myself, but I was knackered. So, it was back on the bus for a quick kip before being dropped off in the city centre about 4am. I managed to stagger to a Nitelink and get back to Chez Horan safely.

Australia 109-69 Ireland

2006-11-06T13:47:00.000Z

I went to the second test of the International Rules Football match between Ireland and Australia at Croke Park yesterday. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a hybrid game combining Gaelic football and Aussie rules that is played beween the two countries every year. The series alternate between Ireland and Australia and are decided on the aggregate score over two matches.

Ireland led 48-40 from the first test played in Galway a week earlier. Despite over 82,000 in attendance, the game was never much of a contest. Australia outplayed Ireland for most of the match and deservedly retained the Cormac McAnallan Cup. They were much fitter and physical and were a lot more comfortable with the ball. Ireland could only kick long balls and try to win marks, which they didn't do successfully. Neither did they pass the ball well. They also stood off opposing players and gave them too much space. However, one player who did shine for Ireland was Alan Brogan, which gave Dublin fans some small consolation. His running and scores were pretty much the only things that gave us any hope. Unfortunately, the match finished 69-31 in Australia's favour with them winning the series 109-69 overall.

I'm sure there will be calls for the series to be abandoned. There were several brawls throughout the game. However, to me that's part of the reason I went to the match, although I would hate to see a repeat of last year's scenes where some of the Australian players deliberately set out to injure their opponents. All in all, it was quite disappointing and my misery was compounded when I found out that Arsenal lost 1-0 away to West Ham. Bollocks!

Film: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

2006-11-06T12:02:00.000Z

Jagshemash! This was the third film I had seen in a month, which is really good for me, as I don't go as often I'd like. We saw it at the Savoy, a charming cinema on Dublin's O'Connell St. I like the place. It's got real character unlike a lot of the soulless cineplexes on the outskirts of the city.

Anyway, back to the film. Arguably Sach Baron Cohen's funniest creation, Borat did not disappoint. It's one of the funniest films I've seen for a long time. The plot involves Borat travelling around the USA making a documentary about its people and customs for his native Kazakhstan. Along the way he encounters various people who believe that Borat is a foreign television correspondent with no understanding of American customs or culture. They try to enlighten him and deal with the embarassing situation he has placed them in.

One could argue that Borat is a racist and ignorant portrayal of Kazakhs and other Central Asians. However, I don't think it's a case of laughing a foreigner, but at the more at the ignorance and hypocrisy of those he meets. He is rabidly anti-Semtitic and mysoginistic and he often elicits casual racist or sexist comments from others. The humour works beacuse most of his victims are unaware that it's not real and they and most of the audience probably haven't heard of Kazakhstan. Some of the situations are so cringe-inducing, I had to watch them through my hands. However, it's a hilarious film and well worth watching. I LIKE!

COME ON, YOU BOYS IN BLUE!!!

2006-11-04T18:27:00.000Z

The Dubs will meet either Meath or Kildare in next year's Leinster Senior Championship quarter-final. Although my preference is to meet Meath - need you ask! - I'd be happy for us to come up against Kildare, as there is a fair bit of rivalry between the two counties.

I'm not sure where the match is due to be played, but I imgaine it will be in Croke Park. If it is, I'll be on the Hill singing: "COME ON, YOU BOYS IN BLUE!!!"

Film: Little Miss Sunshine

2006-11-04T17:18:00.000Z

Clare and I went to see Little Miss Sunshine at the Savoy last weekend. It's a comedy-drama about a dysfunctional family that go on a road trip to a beauty pagent in Calfornia, in which the seven-year-old daughter is participating.

Little Miss Sunshine benefits from good dialogue and a strong cast: Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette and Alan Arkin. The character of the young girl Olive is brilliantly played by Abigail Breslin.

This film won the Best Feature - World Cinema Audience Award at this year's Sydney Film Festival. It also received a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival, and deservedly so. While there were some sad moments, there were plently of laughs: one involves a raunchy dance to Rick James's 'Super Freak'. I think this is one of the best films I've seen for a while. I recommend you all to go and see it.

A Road To Somewhere

2006-11-04T13:17:00.000Z

I've never learnt to drive. I never felt the need to until now. When I turned 30 recently, I decided to pull my finger out.

In Ireland, one must successfully complete a Driver Theory Test before applying for a provisional licence. This is designed to test a learner driver on his/her knowledge of the Rules of the Road, and to make him/her a better driver in the future. I did a bit of revision, but not that much. Most of the questions require you to use your common sense. However, there are some, such as stopping distances, that you just have to learn.

Clare and I did the test this morning (at 9.00!) at the test centre on Dublin's Parnell St. I was probably the oldest person taking the test today. The test involved answering 40 questions randomly generated from a bank of 1,250. In order to pass, you have to get 35 correct - that's a pass mark of 87.5%!

We both passed: we both answered 36 correctly. Time to crack open the champagne.

Did You Know? Pendle Hill

2006-11-02T20:59:00.000Z

Welcome to yet another new series on my blog. In it I hope to share the most trivial of facts with you.

Pendle Hill is located near my wife's hometown of Burnley in the north-west of England. It's famous for its association with the Pendle Witches. However, its name is unusual because it means the same thing in three different languages. In the 13th century it was known as Pennul or Penhul, which was derived from the Cumbric - an extinct Celtic language - pen and the Old English hyll, and both mean "hill". When the name evolved into Pendle and the meaning became opaque, the Modern English Hill was added.

Now, isn't that interesting?

UN Envoy Leaves Sudan

2006-10-26T12:58:00.000+01:00

The head of the UN mission in Sudan, Jan Pronk, has left the country after being expelled by the Sudanese government. They objected to comments he made in his blog that the Sudanese army had suffered serious losses in Darfur and was suffering from low morale.

Fiftieth Anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising

2006-10-23T23:24:00.000+01:00

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of outbreak of the Hungarian Uprising, which was brutally crushed by the Soviets. However, the commemerations have been marred by clashes between the police and protestors against Ferenc Gyurcsány's Socialist government.

Legendary Punk Club Closes After 33 Years

2006-10-15T19:48:00.000+01:00

Legendary New York club CBGB is closing its doors for the last time tonight after 33 years. Owner Hilly Kristal fought to keep it open, but to no avail. He has now decided to up sticks and move to Las Vegas.

The club is synonymous with punk and New Wave, and bands such as The Ramones and Blondie launched their careers there.

I meant to visit CBGB while in New York last year, but I didn't get a chance. Guess I can't now.

Famous People Who Have Appeared In Star Trek Part III

2006-10-15T01:31:00.000+01:00

"Not another stupid Trekkie post!" I hear you cry? Well, tough shit. This is my blog. However, you may be pleased to know that this may be the last post in this series, as I can't think of anyone else!

Anyway, James Newell Osterberg, Jr. otherwise known as Iggy Pop (the Godfather of Punk) appeared as a rather blunt Vorta (those treacherous administrators of the nasty Dominion) in the Deep Space Nine sixth series episode "Those Magnificent Ferengi". I Mr. Pop has been in a couple of films, and although I haven't seen them, based on this performance, he appears to be a competent actor. I usually cringe when I see that rock or pop star has decided to try their hand at acting. Do you remember Sting in David Lynch's Dune? He was dire. In saying that, Billie Piper has been decent in the new Doctor Who.

Although it's quite lighthearted, which was unusual for DS9, I like this episode. The normally cowardly Ferengi take on the Dominion's Jem'Hadar and get to be the heroes for once.

The Shortest Song In The World

2006-10-14T11:16:00.000+01:00

Appearing on Napalm Death's first album Scum, 'You Suffer' is in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's shortest song. Clocking in at exactly 1.316 seconds, it consists of the almost incomprehensible lyrics, "You suffer, but why?".

I have Scum somewhere in my album collection, but I haven't listened to it in years. I remember not liking it, preferring their more metal-influenced releases, such as Harmony Corruption. Being a complete metalhead at the time, I bemoaned the lack of catchy riffs, the frequent blastbeats and the manic vocals. However, I remember being amused by song titles, such as 'Life?', 'Human Garbage' and my favourite 'C.S. (Conservative Shithead)'. I didn't particularly like their second album From Enslavement To Obliteration either, but when listening to it more recently, I thought it was quite good.

As I've got older, I've got more and more into punk and its related sub-genres - grindcore in this case. Strange, huh? Although I like a good tune like most people, I actually prefer music that goes against the grain and is abrasive and discordant.

I must dig Scum out and give it a good listen.

Gettin' Down Wif De Kidz

2006-10-12T20:19:00.000+01:00

Labour MP Siôn Simon caused a bit of a furore across the water when he posted on YouTube his parody of Tory Leader David Cameron's pathetic attempts to appeal to Britain's yoof.

This Week I've Been Mostly Listening To...Metallica!

2006-10-11T22:04:00.000+01:00

A blast from the past. I've been going back to my roots. Yeah!

I was a little bored with 21st century music, so I thought I'd listen to a bit of '8os thrash metal. ...And Justice For All gets slated by a lot of people, but I think it's arguably their best album. Now don't get me wrong, Master of Puppets made my jaw drop the first time I heard it, but due to my contrary nature, I prefer ...And Justice.... Whichever one may think is better, they certainly went downhill after this.

The songs are much more complex than on previous albums and the lyrics tackle social and political issues - this generally wasn't the done thing in metal back in 1988. The intro to the opener 'Blackened' is one of the best in my 'umble opinon. In fact, I listened to it over and over today. Every track's a winner, but the brilliant 'One' and 'Harvester of Sorrow' really stand out. And as for 'Dyers Eve'. What a way to end an album.

The album's production has often been criticised. It's certainly disappointing that the then new bass player Jason Newstand can't be heard over the guitars and drums. However, I quite the banging-on-a-biscuit-tin sound of the snare drum.

I have the album on tape somewhere - I'm showing my age. However, I needed it on CD to copy onto my MP3 player. So, Lars, if you're reading this, I'm killing music, you cunt.

Famous People Who Have Appeared In Star Trek Part II

2006-10-10T22:33:00.000+01:00

Mick Fleetwood played the Antedean on the right in a TNG second series episode entitled "Manhunt". He and his aide were planning to blow up the Pacifica conference. The rotters! However, they were foiled by the crew of the good starship Enterprise-D - with the help of Lwaxana Troi and her powers of telepathy.

You're probably thinking, "fuck off, man, that's not Mick Fleetwood!" Well, like HRH Adullah, he is supposed to be a fan things Trek. This is the only episode he is known to have appeared in and he only appears in costume. Also, he doesn't say anything apart from making some sort of weird gargling sound, which presumably is supposed to be the Antedean language. However, his name appears in the credits in the scene after the theme tune, so it must be him.

If you don't know who Mick Fleetwood is, his surname is a clue, shithead.

Famous People Who Have Appeared In Star Trek

2006-10-08T13:48:00.000+01:00

A new, and most likely shortlived, series on this blog.

King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan appeared in a non-speaking role - as he wasn't a member of the Screen Actors' Guild - in the Star Trek: Voyager second season episode "Investigations". Apparently he's a big fan.

Cyprus 5 - Republic of Ireland 2

2006-10-08T00:03:00.000+01:00

In the words of a fat, bigotted, Mancunian working men's club 'comedian': "What a fucking disgrace!"

This must be the worst Irish performance I've ever seen. I think it even outranks the dreadful 3-2 defeat to Macedonia in Skopje in 1997. Despite a promising start - we went 1-0 up after 8 minutes - the team lacked direction and were disorganised in defence and more or less anonymous in midfield. Andy O'Brien (normally reliable) had an absolute shocker and was at fault for at least two of Cyprus's goals. We were lucky to get away with conceding only 5 goals. The Cypriots should have got 8 or 9 with the post or crossbar only denying them. We were really that bad.

I can only imagine what the newspapers will say and they're will be many in pubs across the land calling for Stan's head. It might be a little premature, but it does appear to have been an unwise decision on the part of the FAI to appoint an inexperienced manager. Obviously the thinking behind his appointment was that he would be popular with both players and fans and easy to influence. It doesn't help that Stan doesn't have Bobby Robson's counsel - due to ilness - to call upon at the moment. However, that wasn't that an inexperienced team that was put out and Stan's managerial shortcomings were cruely exposed. If we play like that on Wednesday night, we'll be torn apart by the Czech Republic.

Yo Soy Un Políglota

2006-10-05T20:11:00.000+01:00

Mi mujer no habla español y yo hablo un poco. Hoy he llamadó un hotel en Benidorm porque ha querido llamar a su hermana y sobrina. Un hombre contestó el teléfono y no entendí que dijo. Sin embargo, no me preocupé. Dije, „¡Hola! Habitación numeró cuatro zeró tres, por favor". Pasó la llamada, pero no contestaron. Es oficial. Soy un políglota.

The New Dutch Master

2006-10-03T23:10:00.000+01:00

Here's a clip of Robin Van Persie's fantastic second goal for the Arsenal against Charlton on Saturday. I just love volleys, me. Who doesn't? The commentary is in Dutch too. What more could you ask for?

My Lucky Number's BBC4

2006-10-01T14:56:00.000+01:00

I watched an old Lene Lovich gig on BBC4 on Friday night (well, early Saturday morning). It was taken from a series badly titled Rock Goes To College and hosted by a guy who looked like Noel Edmonds's younger brother. This gig was at Liverpool University way back in 1979. I don't know much of her stuff apart from 'Lucky Number' (excellent song) and I wasn't too bothered about some of it, but that could have been down to poor sound. However, I liked her crazy getup - I can see where goths got their inspiration - and the faces she pulled. She even played the saxophone on a couple of songs. I also liked the creepy shaven headed (unusual for the late 1970s/early 1980s) bloke on guitar.

I don't know if BBC4 are planning to show more of Rock Goes To College, as it looks quite good. The programme showed the likes of AC/DC (with Bon Scott), the Boomtown Rats, and Siouxsie and the Banshees among others performing at universities and polytechnics (as they were back then) the length and breadth of Britain.

Ulysses 31

2006-10-01T00:08:00.000+01:00

A friend and I were talking about the Iliad and like many in their late twenties and thirties, we remember that great 80s Franco-Japanese animé series Ulysses 31. It was was one of my favourite programmes when I was a kid - I was about 10 or 11 when it was shown by the Beeb - and I used to look forward to watching it every Thursday afternoon. I like to think that it got me interested in Greek mythology, although that could have been due to Tony Robinson's Odysseus: The Greatest Hero of Them All . Does anyone remember that? I remember being most disappointed when I discovered that there were no spaceships in Homer's version.

For those of you unfamiliar with the programme, it is a sci-fi reworking of the Odyssey. It tells that story of a 31st century descendant of the original Ulysses (the Roman name for Odysseus) who kills the Cyclops in order to rescue his son Telemachus. However, this angers the ancient Greek gods and Ulysses and the gang are banished to roam a hitherto unknown area of space called Olympus. Here they encounter all manner of strange people and creatures just like Ulysses' illustrious ancestor (whom he meets in one episode!) and try to find their way back to Earth. Ulysses is dealt a double blow when most of his crew are put in a kind of suspended animation by the vengeful Zeus, which leaves him with only Telemachus, a telepathic blue-skinned humanoid girl called Yumi, the annoying little robot Nono and the ship's computer Shirka for comapny.

I downloaded the first episode and the magic was still there, so I decided to buy the complete series on DVD. I won't be getting much study done for a couple of weeks! I quite like the cheesy synth rock theme tune except for that bit at the end about Nono, although it sounds good in French, German and Italian!

Britain's Largest Inland County

2006-09-28T22:49:00.000+01:00

Did you know that Shropshire is Britain's largest inland county? No, you probably didn't. Why am I telling you? Well, the Horan clan - which for the moment consists of just me and Clare - are planning a camping trip to Much Wenlock in Shropshire. We plan to go next June with friends from Manchester. Clare is counting down to the day already.

European Day of Languages

2006-09-26T18:34:00.000+01:00

Today is the European Day of Languages. As a budding philologist, I think it's a great idea.

I recently found out that there are 225 indigenous langauges in Europe. That's a staggering amount and this figure doesn't include langauges spoken by immigrants. That's still only 3% of all the languages spoken in the world. I imagine that a lot of the languages are very closely related and are more likely dialects of an official language, as is the case in Italy and France. However, there are host of langauges spoken in the Caucasus, but I wouldn't have considered this region as part of Europe, but I guess the Council of Europe do! I suppose why shouldn't it be? I'm sure I read somewhere that a small part of Kazakhstan is part of Europe.

I've heard of a few languages that many haven't: Sorbian (a Slavic language spoken in eastern Germany), Plattdeutsch (a variety of German similar to Dutch), Frisian (spoken on a group of islands off the northern coast of the Netherlands, and the closest living relative of English), and Galician (spoken in the northwest of Spain and a closley related to Portuguese). However, some others have come to my attention in recent months: Kashubian (a Slavic language spoken in northern Poland), and various Finno-Ugric languages, such Mari, Udmurt and Erzya. These are related to Finnish and Estonian and more distantly to Hungarian.

Most languages in Europe are Indo-European and are related to one another to a greater of lesser degree. They're even related to languages in Northern India, Pakistan, and even faraway Nepalese. The theory is that they are descended from a language (Proto-Indo-European) that existed about 6,000 years and was spread through conquest, migration and trade, and evolved into the myriad of languages we know today.

Language is generally, but not always, the basis for ethnic indenity, particularly in Europe. Yet if one actually looks more closely at them, we see that they aren't that much different. Of course, if a Pole and I were to try to converse in our native languages, we wouldn't get very far! However, we'd see that they have a common origin and that we're not that different. There's even a theory that there once existed one language and that all langauges, living and dead, are descended from it. This may or not be the case, but I'd like to think it's true and that we're not all that different, no what language we speak.

Anyway, I have digressed somewhat. This European Day of Languages has made me want to run out to the nearest Instituto Cervantes. Although, I'd love to learn something really obscure, like Euskera!

The Longest Name In European Football

2006-09-24T13:48:00.000+01:00

Celtic's Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink has the longest name in European football. It derives from the 17th Century when two farming families in the Enschede area of Holland intermarried. Both the Vennegoor and Hesselink names carried equal social weight, and so - rather than choose between them - they chose to use both. 'Of' in Dutch actually translates to 'or'. I have to admit that it looks much better if the name were double-barrelled.

It must cost a small fortune to have his name put on the back of replica shirts, and he will probably escape a lot of bookings, as referees will not want to go to the bother of writing his name in their books!

Not That Close A Call

2006-09-19T21:48:00.000+01:00

150 injured as Hungarians riot over PM's lies . I managed to get out of the country a whole two years, two months and one week before the riots. Also, I was only in Budapest for one day, spending the other two weeks in a commuter town called Gödöllő 30 km from the city. What a close shave!

Phew! Got Outta That One!

2006-09-19T19:54:00.000+01:00

Thai military claims control after coup. Shit! I was only there last week!

Adventures In the Urban Jungle

2006-09-17T13:47:00.000+01:00

The wife and I went camping on Friday night. She is an avid camper and had been pestering me to do it for ages. Beacuse of the wedding and other things, we hadn't a chance to go to the countryside this year, so she suggested somewhere a lot closer to home: our back garden. I was reluctant at first, but I soon relented.

I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought, although it was a little strange, as we don't have a large garden and I could hear cars, house alarms and other kinds of sounds that one wouldn't find in the countryside.

The Randomist

2006-09-16T13:52:00.000+01:00

I'm going to see Ross Noble this Thursday at the Olympia. I saw him live in Manchester three or four years ago and have seen him on the tellybox several times. I think he's one of the funniest stand-up comedians around. Like the Big Yin, Noble goes off on tangents; however, he rarely goes back to where he started off. A lot of it is improvised and is complete bollocks, but I quite like surrealistic comedy, so I'm looking forward to it. The link I've added is a segment of a show he did for telly a couple of years ago. Meat hinges, eh? It had me in stitches.

Thailand Rocks!

2006-09-09T12:05:00.000+01:00

After spending four days in Bangkok, we're on the beautiful island of Ko Samui. We'll be here until Wednesday. I'll wait until we get home to give a more detailed account of our honeymoon, but suffice to say: Thailand rocks!

Nuestra Luna de Miel

2006-08-31T22:44:00.000+01:00

I'm off on my honeymoon in Thailand tomorrow. Oh, didn't I mention I got married? Well, I did a month ago in Gretna, Scotland. It was a wonderful day. I was a bit nervous - a couple of pints helped steel the nerves - but it went well. Neither of us forgot what to say, we didn't stumble, the speeches went down well, and no one fell out. The day went very quickly, in fact. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did.

Anyway, back to the honeymoon. We fly to Bangkok via Amsterdam. We're not there long enough to go into the city centre. It's probably just as well. I'd end up going into the wrong type of establishment and forget about the flight and the honeymoon. The flight takes about 12 hours, which I'm not looking forward to. We're staying for 4 nights in Bangkok before going to the serene Koh Samui for 7 nights. I'm looking forward to being on another continent. I've never been to Asia before. I'll also get my passport stamped, which doesn't happen very often due to the ever expanding EU. I can't wait for the food, the ping-pong shows and the...

I still haven't packed yet.

Come On You Boys (and Girls) In Blue!

2006-08-29T21:28:00.000+01:00

A couple of pics of me, my wife Clare, and my uncle outside Croke Park after the Leinster final, which Dublin won by defeating Offaly by 1-15 to 0-9.

I only realised when I looked at the second picture before uploading it, that I worked briefly with the bloke third from the left with the sunglasses. It's a small world as they say.

Hill 16 Is Dublin Only? Looks Like the Pitch Is Too!

2006-08-29T19:56:00.000+01:00

OK, I was one of those who invaded the pitch after the Leinster final last month. However, at least I waited until the final whistle unlike many of my fellow Dublin supporters. I have admit I got a bit carried away, as we had won the Leinster Senior Football Championship for the second year running. The first county to do so for 11 years. I understand the GAA are worried about crowd saftey, but it was good natured and the fans just wanted to see the team lift the trophy. Pitch invasions are actually quite common in Gaelic games, particularly in provincial and All-Ireland finals.

Happy and Depressed In Equal Measure

2006-08-27T13:17:00.000+01:00

Today is a good day and a bad day. It's my birthday today. I'm 30. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I have to admit that now the day has finally come, I don't feel any different. I was so used to be a twentysomething, now I have to get used to being a thirtysomething. Perhaps my life will become like the characters' in the 1980s drama series thirtysomething.

On a more postive note, I've managed to secure a ticket for today's All-Ireland football semi-final between Dublin and Mayo. UP THE DUBS!

Contender for the world's most tasteless name for an Indian restaurant

2006-08-24T20:41:00.000+01:00

I take it they don't host many bar mitzvahs?

I think I'll pass

2006-08-14T22:03:00.000+01:00

My wife bought a cookbook today and showed me the recipe for an unappetisingly titled dessert: tropical foamy yoghurt ring. I don't think I'll be asking her to make it for my upcoming birthday. The picture of it looks nice, though. Shame about the name.