This week's comedy beer is...

...Franziskaner-Hefe-Weissbier. German, doncha know. 5.0% but very light to drink and not overpowering the way a lot of weissbiers can be. Go on, try it!

Regards,


djp

And this week's comedy beer is...

... Shepherd Neame's Rudolph's Reward. Nice tasty real ale. 4.0% on the bottle, but 3.7%according to the internet. Who to believe, eh?

Regards,


djp

And the ringtone for December 2010 is...

..."Millions", from XTC's 1979 album, Drums & Wires.

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 011210

1. (-) - Drug Free - B. J. Snowden
2. (-) - Koririkio - Jah Wobble
3. (-) - K Dub 05 - Jah Wobble
4. (-) - Paradise Circus (feat. Hope Sandoval) (Gui Boratto Remix) - Massive Attack
5. (-) - Hot In The Airport - Y. Bhekhirst
6. (-) - Walls Of Jerusalem - Yabby You
7. (-) - Even Ms. Butterfly Knows The Sun Shall Set On Every Empire - 1000 Aeroplanes Crashing In The Night
8. (-) - Onederful (Planet Rocka Dub) - Arthur Baker
9. (-) - Adir Adrimi (feat. Victoria Hanna) - Balkan Beat Box
10. (-) - Far Away - Best Coast

Regards,

djp

This week's comedy beer is...

...Young's Luxury Double Chocolate Stout. 5.2 %. UK. Does't taste of chocolate as such, but definitely feels velvety, and has a nice chocolatey aroma as the stout warms up.

Nice - not one for prolonged drinking, but definitiely a lovely occasional treat.

Regards,


djp

And the ringtone for October 2010 is...

..."Knuckle Down" from XTC's magnificent 1982 album ENGLISH SETTLEMENT. Enjoy!

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 011110

1. (-) - Fading Signals - Cousin Silas
2. (-) - Dancing Queen - Abba
3. (-) - Bad Boy For Life - Black Rob, Mark Curry & P. Diddy
4. (-) - Totally Wired - The Fall
5. (-) - I Wish I'd Never Said That - Hal
6. (-) - Tubby's 1 - King Tubby & Linval Thompson
7. (-) - Trizzy Turnt Up - A-Trak
8. (-) - No Way Of Knowing - A. Tent
9. (-) - Stunt Girl - a.c. acoustics
10. (-) - There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve - A.C. Newman

Regards,

djp

This week's comedy beer is...

1795 Original Czech Lager. "Proper" Budweiser - not that American stuff. 4.7%. Tasty enough, but reminds me vaguely of non-alcoholic beer. Hmmm....

Regards,


djp

From beautiful Chinese artist...

"Zhao Shumei, an artist, a beautiful Chinese girl, graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts comprehensive painting professional. She used various fine arts techniques in oil painting, Chinese painting and prints to show her feeling of life and understanding of arts. With female-specific delicate, kind, sensitive and loves to feeling life, her painting from her deep heart, displayed on the paintings. She and her paintings as beautiful.

More information please see her website ......"

Regards,


djp

Yesterday was beautiful...

Regards,

djp

None more freaky...

Apropos yesterday's posting, it now emerges that in the last two days, while on my perambulations on the Nenagh Péripherique, my iPod, while on "shuffle" mode, has twice played the song "Hey Chicken" by Loose Fur. A remarkable song with interesting ideas about time signature. Well worth checking out...

Regards,


djp

Truth being stranger than fiction and whatnot...

Within the last week, I've been twice to see Munster play rugby in Thomond Park. Last week, they beat Toulon in the Heineken Cup in an awesome display of skill, determination and sheer physicality. Last night, they beat Benetton Treviso comprehensively in the Magners League in an appalling game.

This is all by way of context.

When I go to Thomond, I usually "auto-fill" my ancient iPod Shuffle with a random selection from my iTunes library. Handy to pass the time away on the trip into Limerick and during all the standing around before the match starts. I used to take a proper iPod to the games, but on the opening night at Thomond a few years ago, I got soaked in a torrential downpour on my way back to the car and the iPod, literally, drowned, never to play again. So now I don't risk taking my expensive replacement iPod to the games - the old Shuffle will do the job.

OK, I'm getting to the point...on each of these two recent trips to Thomond, the Shuffle picked up and played, totally without my influence, the infamous Troggs Tapes. How bizarre (and odd) is that? If you haven't heard about the Troggs Tapes, click here. And you can download the audio here. Not one to play on the school run...:-). I can only describe them as "indescribable".

Regards,


djp

This week's comedy beer is...

Warsteiner Premium Verum. 4.8%. German. Quite possibly the most delicious beer I've ever tasted. Do yourself a real favour and check it out!

Regards,


djp

Indeed they are...

Regards,

djp

This week's comedy beer is...

...Asahi Super "Dry" . From the land of the Rising Sun. 5%. Tasty gorgeous...

Regards,


djp

This week's comedy beer is...

...Lech. Polish (as in from Poland). 5.2%. Very smooth. Very nice!

Regards,


djp

And the ringtone for October 2010 is...

..."Into The Light" from Jah Wobble's fine album MU.

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 011010

Sorry for the slight delay. I was out of town...

1. (-) - La Luz Del Ritmo - Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
2. (-) - Wolfwhistles - Agaskodo Teliverek
3. (-) - Pulsewidth - Aphex Twin
4. (-) - A Young One - Bart Davenport
5. (-) - Nattura (Switch Remix) - Bjork
6. (-) - Went Walking - Bosque Brown
7. (-) - Capital Radio Feature - Diana Ross
8. (-) - Capital Radio Feature - John Lennon
9. (-) - Now You Love My Remix (Zia McCabe and Jeremy Sherrer Remix) - The Dandy Warhols
10. (-) - Mr. Snugfit - Daniel Prendiville

Regards,

djp

And this week's comedy beer is...

...Efes Pilsener. Turkish - 5%. Unusual taste but nice - very nice...

Regards,


djp

And this week's comedy beer is...

...Yanjing Beer. From China. 4.5%. Kind of watery-tasting, but not unpleasant. "The Beer of High Official Manifestations", by all accounts, which probably means that it's served at high-level Communist Party beanos.

Regards,


djp

Out with the old, in with the new(ish)...

Momentous occasion today...

...I traded in my 16 year-old Lexus LS 400...



...for a 2006 Toyota Prius...

Bit of a change, wha'...?

I've been the proud owner of two Lexuses over an 8 year period. The first one was a bit of dog, to be honest, and I moved it on after a few years when I just couldn't keep up with the maintenance bills. The second one, which I've just traded-in, has been much easier on the pocket in terms of maintenance.

While we were planning our house move, I decided that I wouldn't make a long commitment to keep the Lexus - just go from NCT to NCT and see what happens. The next NCT test would have been due next April...

...but then bits started going wrong and the cost of repairing/replacing them would have been more than the car is actually worth. And sourcing used parts for a Lexus is not any easy thing to do, particularly when online retailers can't or won't guarantee that the replacement part is a matcher for the part being replaced. And the only way to find out if the part matches is to go through the process of physical replacement - the hard and costly way...

In addition to this, I suppose I was starting to get somewhat guilty about driving a 4-litre V-8 behemoth in these environmentally-conscious (not to mention recessionary) times. So a few months ago I started the process of looking for a newer car, either a hybrid (essentially a Prius - I could never warm to the notion of the Honda Civic hybird for some reason) or a big diesel automatic.

As time wore on, the maths won me over to the Prius - the road tax for a big diesel would have been significantly more expensive than that for the Prius (though still cheaper than the Lexus) and I'm not entirely convinced about diesel-engined cars. A mate at work has a 2007 BMW 520d and he's getting impressive fuel economy (c. 42 mpg) and I'm sure the engine sounds fine when in motion. But I still think an idling diesel engine sounds like someone rattling spanners in a rusty bucket. Big diesel engines sound much better at idle, but then you're back to the tax issue, innit?

I'd had a Prius on hire in France a few years ago and was very impressed with its fuel economy and, in fairness, taking into account the purpose for which it is designed, its performance ain't half-bad.

So I pulled the trigger and made the change this morning. Initial impressions?:-

1. While not exactly going "like stink" on the motorway, it gives a good account for itself acceleration-wise
2. The stop-start system is wonderful and makes a hell of a difference to fuel consumption
3. The cabin seems to be roomy and comfortable
4. The boot isn't great in terms of capacity, but no small-medium sized car has a big boot, to be fair. And having once owned a Vauxhall Carlton estate, which had a pretty hefty cargo space, I was never particularly impressed with the boot in the Lexus, to be honest. Plus, I have to say that the days of family holidays with a fully-packed car are unlikely to be a feature of the future. Time marches on and that...
5. Not mad about the design of the back of the car - looks rather narrow and that spoiler affair is a minor nuisance. Having said that (a) I don't intend spending too much time looking at the back of the car (b) as evidenced by the photo above, if you come at it from a particular angle, it doesn't really look that narrow (c) they seem to look wider when seen on TV...
6. Speaking of which, three of my TV heroes drive Priuses:- Dr. Cal Lightman, Larry David and...er...Brian from Family Guy
7. Costwise, I'm already getting a significant discount on my car insurance from having switched from the Lexus. The cost of taxing the Prius for the year is cheaper than the cost of taxing the Lexus for three months. And I reckon my spend on petrol per month should at least halve. So, I'm hoping to save at least €200 per month with the Prius.
8. So, fuel economy -starry, bud? After driving about 50 km today, including two short sprints up the M7, and two or three trips in and out of town, my average consumption at the moment is 5.4l/100km, which equates, in terms that Jeremy Clarkson would understand, to a smidge over 52 mpg. I always reckoned that if I got a decent run on the motorway with the Lexus, I'd get around 23 or 24 mpg. Around town, I reckoned I'd get the same level of fuel economy as you would in an ordinary family car which had holes drilled in the petrol tank...

So far, so good. But there is a twist to the tale - I have already advised Mrs. P that as soon as I can find a decent and affordable Lexus hybrid, I'll be switching back to the prestige marque. That won't be for a while, I'm guessing...;-)

I still think the Lexus LS400 is a beautiful car, with the sweetest-sounding "lazy" V-8 I've ever heard. I would occasionally delight in driving into a multi-storey car park, wind down the window and just listen to the engine as I slowly (and very bloody carefully) ascended the ramps. Sad bastid...

My love-affair with the LS started in 1989. I was flying to the US for a wedding and the in-flight magazine carried an article on a new Toyota car that was going to take-on the Mercedes S-Class. There and then, I vowed that I would get me a piece of that action, and some thirteen years later, I duly did.

I've had no real regrets about owning Lexuses. OK, the bills could be shocking (and were occasionally hidden from Mrs. P) but the sheer joy of owning a big, luxurious car was significant. Plus there was the satisfaction of being able to "scratch that itch". Not many people are able to do that.

Alright, I have one regret - that I couldn't afford to take the Lexus off the road for a few years and wait for it to become a vintage vehicle, with all the financial advantages attaching thereto. It would have been nice to be able to put a few bob into doing up the car and, you know, taking it for the occasional run at weekends and on holidays. Unfortunately, my name is not Croesus of Lydia, and while I could probably scrape few bob together to do a few jobs on the car, what would happen if, next April, having put a grand or two into the car, it failed the NCT irreparably? Naah, the wise thing to do in this case was to jump before I was pushed. So, on balance, no regrets...

Beep-beep,

djp

And this week's comedy beer is...

...Birra Moretti. Italian. 4.6%. A light-tasting beer - almost, but not quite (thankfully) tasting like alcohol-free beer. Pleasant...

Regards,


djp

The things I have to do, eh...?

In an effort to watch tonight's Magners League match between Edinburgh and Munster, I had a choice between watching it with an Irish Gaelic commentary on TG4, or a Scots Gaelic commentary on BBC Alba. Neither channel offers simultaneous commentary in English.

I started off watching the match on TG4, but the accent of the co-commentator was so harsh and unpleasant that I switched to BBC Alba. Even though I understood even less of the Scots Gaelic commentary than the Irish Gaelic, the Scottish commentator had a soft and pleasant voice. Plus there were some interviews in English that were not expected.

Looks like I'll be going back to BBC Alba when the need arises again.

Regards,


djp

The triumph of optimism over experience?

As seen on my morning walk today...

We'll know the outcome by 6 this evening. May the best team, eh?

Regards,

djp

Cash purchase

I was in Limerick buying shoes for a wedding I am attending in the coming week.

I hate shopping for clothes generally - shoes are a particular problem for me, in that I have rather wide feet, and modern footwear fashions dictate that you need to have narrow and very pointy feet in order to get anything remotely "trendy". I also have a thing about not buying terribly expensive shoes, in that (a) they're only going to get scuffed and worn and/or (b) at some stage I am going to get sick of wearing the damn shoes, and it'll be easier for me to chuck out an old worn cheap pair that I'm sick of, rather than an expensive, "good" pair that I'm sick of...

...or maybe I'm just a tightwad (there are other types of "wad" that one could be, I suppose - a "tight" one isn't necessarily the worst type...).

Spent hours roaming around Limerick and couldn't find anything that ticked the various boxes:-

1. - right colour to go with my suit
2. - right price
3. - looked nice
4. - actually fit

Eventually, I headed out to one of the out-of-town shopping centres and got what I was looking for, so much so that I even bought a second pair as part of a special offer.

But that, in itself, was not remarkable. What was remarkable was that while I was waiting to be served in the shoe shop, some chap came to the counter to make a purchase and gave a €200 note to the shop assistant. €200 notes are as rare as hen's teeth in Ireland, and the shop assistant wisely went to her manager to get approval to accept it. One minute later and the shop assistant apologised to her customer:- "Sorry, sir, my manager says we can't take a €200 note..."

"Oh, that's alright", sez yer man, and without further ado (or resort to other literary cliché), he extracts a big fat roll of banknotes out of his trousers pocket and peels off a couple of €100 notes...

Now, in these recessionary times, I don't know too many legitimate professions whereby a young looking guy wearing sports/leisure wear can make cash purchases using large-denomination banknotes carried around in his pocket. He certainly didn't look like a drug dealer or other variety of criminal. But I thought it prudent not to make eye contact with him nonetheless...

Regards,

djp

And this week's comedy beer is...

Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer. 4%. A bit sweet, but not terribly "ginger-y". Certainly nothing like the ginger ale they serve in Ikea.

Regards,


djp

And the ringtone for September 2010 is...

..."First Day", from the Futureheads' superb eponymous debut album.

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 010910

1. (-) - Adventures Close To Home - The Slits
2. (-) - Detox Mansion - Ben Gott
3. (-) - Acceptable In The 80s - Calvin Harris
4. (-) - Help - The Damned
5. (-) - Bust - Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards
6. (-) - Burn (Live) - Deep Purple
7. (-) - Set The House Ablaze - The Jam
8. (-) - Echo Park - Joseph Arthur
9. (-) - Snowblind - PlusMinus
10. (-) - Take On Me - a-ha

Regards,

djp

...and this week's comedy beer is...

...Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier. 5.5%. Tasty! Happy memories of the Electric Picnic from a few years back.

Regards,


djp

And this week's comedy beer is...

...Zwyiec. All the way from Poland. 5.6%. Niiiiice...

Regards,


djp

I kid you not...

...as seen at a car dealership in the heart of agricultural Ireland...

My American friends might wish to note that the term "fag butts" means something very different (and innocent) in Ireland from what it means in the US. Mind you the image created by applying the American meaning of the term does boggle the old mind a bit...;-).

Regards,

djp

...and this week's comedy beer is...

... Fuller's London Pride - an old favourite and fond reminder of pleasant trips to London. 4.7%. Yes, oh yes...

Regards,


djp

This week's comedy beer is...

(last weekend's, actually - been a busy few days...)

Grolsch - 5%. Very tasty! Had it in cans before, but never in the unique Grolsch bottle.

I'm guessing at some stage in the near future that Cobra is likely to feature. Had some at the weekend in a double longneck bottle (660ml) and not that expensive considering...

Regards,


djp

And the ringtone for August 2010 is...

..."Won't Get Fooled Again" from the Who's magnificent WHO'S NEXT album.

Meet the new boss, etc. etc. etc....

Regards,


djp

MyTop 10 iPod tracks - 01/08/10

1. (-) - One Of Us - Wire
2. (-) - Medicine Man (feat. Eska) (Trackademics Remix) - Zero 7
3. (-) - Float - Zomby
4. (-) - All My Friends Are Crazy - 500 Miles To Memphis
5. (-) - Glass Meets Wall - 7evenwords
6. (-) - Hello? Is This Thing On? - !!!
7. (-) - Witness - Asian Dub Foundation
8. (-) - The Sands Of Shepperton - Cousin Silas
9. (-) - Invisible - D-Side
10. (-) - A Friend Of Pat Robertson - Dada

Regards,

djp

And this week's comedy beer is...

Mrs. P and Younger Daughter have decided that, every week from now on, they are going to buy me some odd, obscure beer.

This week's selection was Hobgoblin, and I have to say that for a dark, syrupy ale, it don't taste half bad. 5.2%. Not one to go on a tear on, but definitely worth a taste!

Regards,


djp

Further critter cadaver update...

Now, this is a pigeon ...

I don't think Panther was responsible for this one - not left at our door. Still, supper was interesting last night...;-).

Regards,

djp

Critter cadaver update...

Ladies and gentlemen, I am reliably informed that this is a shrew.

Tiny little blighter, isn't he?

And dead...

Regards,

djp

It's time for the half-year review folks...

...wherein your humble scribe assesses how much progress has been made with his New Year resolutions.

Well, here goes for shport...

1. To get to see Arsenal play at least once this year - UPDATE - not sure if I will swing this. I'm starting to develop a severe allergic reaction to all the palaver that goes on at airports. And travelling by ferry/train to London is not a practical option. Maybe I'll just watch 'em on the goggle box.
2. To visit a country I've never been to before - UPDATE - bizarrely, this was looking very good for a while, as Elder Daughter is going to work in Mexico for a few months later this year. We had considered going over as a family to see her, but the combination of time and financial constraints mean that this is out of the question. Still, it's the thought that counts, innit?
3. To start cycling again as soon as the weather improves - UPDATE - the combination of weather, way too much sport spectating and the joys of home improvements meant that I've only been on the bike once since the start of the year. Things have quietened down a bit since the start of the year, so I'll revisit this soon.
4. To generally get the oul' bod a bit more together - UPDATE - walking, but not nearly as much as I should. Room for improvement
5. To undergo a spot of elective surgery - UPDATE - I plan to make a significant phone call this very week...
6. To either change my car or keep it for longer - UPDATE - came very close to making a call on this within the last few weeks. A (non-fatal) mechanical issue has arisen with the land-yacht, which would probably cost more to rectify than the car is actually worth. Still running fine though, and although there is great value to be had in buying secondhand cars these days, I reckon I have other financial commitments that are of a higher priority than changing the motor. I still monitor the market though. Regularly.
7. To have a better year at work than I had last year - UPDATE - so far, so good (touch Formica). There's always tomorrow, though. Literally...
8. To see friends more - UPDATE - this ain't working out. Must try harder
9. Not to volunteer to do anything for anyone under any circumstance - UPDATE - can't say that I haven't volunteered (exactly), but most of my offers are unlikely to be taken up, so that's alright then...;-)
10. To stop wrecking me own head - UPDATE - m'eh...

Regards,

djp

And the ringtone for July 2010 is...

..."Baba O' Reilly" from the wonderful Who album, WHO'S NEXT. Just make sure you get the Deluxe Edition...

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 010710

1. (-) - Oh My Gosh - Aaron LaCrate (feat. Mr. Vegas & Verb)
2. (-) - When Smokey Sings - ABC
3. (-) - Lucky Dime - Calexico
4. (-) - No Other God (Alternative Mix) - Kristeen Young
5. (-) - Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
6. (-) - Rock & Roll - Led Zeppelin
7. (-) - The Leading Edge - Red Box Recorder
8. (-) - Brand New Moses - Able Baker Fox
9. (-) - Come On - Actress
10. (-) - What Makes Him Act So Bad? - Adam Green

Regards,

djp

Hilary R.I.P.

Sad to note the passing of Hilary, my Garmin GPS.

I accidentally dropped her on her head Thursday evening, and although she had been seeing stars afterwards, she was unable to acquire satellites. And a GPS which cannot acquire satellites is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard/ashtray on a motorbike/tits on a bull.

Being the sentimental type of fellow that I am, Hilary has already been replaced. But since we haven't yet decided on the new GPS' gender, it will remain unnamed for now. Selena looks like a runner, however.

Regards,


djp

And the ringtone for June 2010 is...

..."The City Is Here For You To Use" from the Futureheads' brilliant eponymous debut album. Yowza!

BTW, I forgot to mention that the ringtone for May 2010 waas "Leisure" from XTC's 1982 album ENGLISH SETTLEMENT. Caused a few funny looks around my house and no mistake...

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 010610

1. (-) - Daddy (Aaron Warren Remix) - I.U.D.
2. (-) - Satellite - 2020 Soundsystem
3. (-) - It's Coming Down - Cake
4. (-) - All Ones And Zeroes - The Early Years
5. (-) - Starling - La Strada
6. (-) - A Woman In Winter - The Skids
7. (-) - Python Snake Man - Zilch Fletcher From The Ninth Dimension
8. (-) - Black Bible Night - C.R. Avery
9. (-) - Lights - Editors
10. (-) - Blood - Editors

Regards,

djp

Critter cadaver update...

The latest instalment in Panther's one-cat killing spree...

I don't like it when he kills birds, but it's an instinct thing, so what can one do in the face of nature?

Regards,


djp

...just sayin'...

...it's been over a year since I played anything on Last.fm. There's just so much stuff up on the net and it's impossible to keep up with it all...

...so I don't!

That puts me in control of the situation, I reckon...:-)

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 010510

1. (-) - Do What You Wanna Do - Acid House Kings
2. (-) - Halluzination Guillotine - Amon Duul 2
3. (10) - Gulp A Sonata - Amon Duul 2
4. (-) - Flesh-Coloured Anti-Aircraft Alarm - Amon Duul 2
5. (-) - Spooks In Space (Luke Howard & Felix Dickinson Filthy & Foolish Edit) - Aural Exciters
6. (-) - Talk - Coldplay
7. (-) - My Imaginary Friend - The Divine Comedy
8. (-) - Fine For Now - Grizzly Bear
9. (-) - Cheerleader - Grizzly Bear
10. (-) - Something I Learned Today - Husker Du

Regards,

djp

The end of the line for the Sun Goddess...

Had to do a very sad thing today. Poor old Poppy, our tabby cat who was at least 10 years old (we've had her five years and she seemed ancient when we got her), finally reached the point in her life where her medical condition had deteriorated quite badly. She'd become anaemic and dehydrated and had lost control of her hind legs.

There was really only one thing left to do - take her to the vet for "last orders". The vet examined her, suggested that her kidneys had failed and agreed that she had to be put to sleep. It was all over very quickly - 5 seconds after her injection and she was gone for good. Just come back from burying her in the back garden of our old house. All a bit teary, to be truthful.

Poppy had been a fat and ungainly cat, and while she was affectionate, she had a very strange way of showing it - it was a toss-up between which was her most unpleasant attribute when she sat on one's lap - the painful digging-in of claws or the hairs she'd shed on one's trews. And while she would definitely get into the litter tray in order to do her business, her butt hole was invariably pointed over the edge of the litter tray and onto the floor...

...oh, and she couldn't move more than five yards without stopping to scratch herself...

...but we loved her anyway.

The move to our new house didn't go terribly well for Poppy. She kept returning to the old house and I kept having to go over there and fetch her back. After about five days, she finally copped that all the food was in the new house and not the old one. I recall one particularly amusing moment last Christmas where I went over with the car to bring her home. She insisted on sitting upright on my lap while I drove, her head peering proudly through the driver's door window. I gave some old geezer a shock as I turned out of the old estate - all he could see was a middle-aged man and an elderly cat driving a car (it was actually funnier than how I've just described it - you really had to have been there).

She seemed eventually to have adjusted to her new digs, but over the last month she got noticeably thinner and slower. She'd even stopped yowling (and believe me, she could've yowled for Ireland). The really scary thing was the staggering - her hind legs were not operating in co-ordination with her forelegs. In the last few days, she fell over quite a lot, and today, when I attempted to feed her, poor puss just fell over on her side. And that was the end, as far as I was concerned. Even today, she was still quite alert, so while she way not have been in pain per se, one would imagine that if she were human, she'd've known that all was not quite well with her.

This afternoon, at work, I decided to call the vet to see if I could make an appointment. 5.30 was agreed as H-Hour.

In case you're wondering where the term Sun Goddess came from, I gave her that nickname a few years ago. There was nothing Poppy liked better than to roll around on her back on a hot sunny day, toasting her fat belly, a big silly feline grin on her face. True to form, when I came home this evening to take her to the vet, she was sitting on the front doorstep, enjoying her last rays of sunshine (not that she was to know that).

Ah, fuck it anyway...

Here she is in happier times:-

Regards,

djp

Powerwashing...

...is probably one of the more tedious domestic chores that one has to undertake, but it does have its lighter moments...

Regards,

djp

What WERE they thinking...? (part two)

Ladeez and gennelmen, I bring you the Vanden Plas 1100 (or perhaps the Vanden Plas 1300 - hard to tell from a distance).

Information on this "classic" BMC model from the 1960s can be found here

Regards,


djp

As seen on TV...

...so last night, I was at the Munster v Leinster Magners League match in Thomond Park. Don't believe me? Well, then...

Good job I wasn't on a sickie (or misbehaving in any other form...).

Pictures courtesy of Setanta Sports, BTW...

Regards,


djp

And the ringtone for April 2010 is...

...the album version of "Club Country" from the Associates' 1982 album SULK. Insane music - insane singing. Most enjoyable!

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 010410

1. (2) - Natty Dread Time Dub - Queen Tiney & The Aggrovators
2. (6) - Pop Art Blue - Zero 7
3. (9) - Baader Meinhof - Baader Meinhof
4. (-) - I've Waited Ages - Colin Newman
5. (-) - and Jury - Colin Newman
6. (-) - Seconds To Last - Colin Newman
7. (-) - Bass Trap - U2
8. (4) - Cyn'd DC - For David Cortner : In Memory of Arthur Lee...- Z'ev
9. (5) - Everything Up (Zizou) (Mock 'n' Toof Remix) - Zero 7
10. (7) - Gulp A Sonata - Amon Duul 2

Regards,

djp

Mayo/Galway 2010

Various pics from around Westport, Achill Island and Killary Harbour. Enjoy...

Regards,


djp

What a day...

I'd had my day planned nicely - spend the morning in my studio and then go to the dump - sorry "civic amenity" - in the afternoon to empty my wheely-bin (scheduled collection was on St. Patrick's Day, and we hadn't checked that in light of the public holiday, the collection was due to take place last Saturday). Even when Mrs. P asked me to post a letter for her, I thought to myself that I could accommodate that request fairly handily in my day.

Halfway through my studio session, it suddenly occurred to me that I had to take Mrs P's Yaris for its NCT in the afternoon. I needed to get the car's registration certificate for the test - a trip back to the old gaff was called for. The test taking place in the afternoon scuppered the idea of going to the dump after lunch. So I decided there and then to go to the dump right away and swing by the old house on the way back. I knew exactly where the cert would be...

...except that when I eventually got back to the house, I couldn't find the damn cert. I searched high up and, indeed, low down. I searched the "obvious" places it should be and the "obvious" places where it might be if it wasn't where it should be. No dice. So I was faced with the prospect of cancelling the test (and suffering a cancellation fee) and then the hassle of replacing the cert.

Got back to the new house tired and very cross and rang the NCT to see about cancelling the test. When I told them I was cancelling because I'd lost the cert, they said that the test could be carried out anyway but that I'd be asked to present the replacement cert within 30 days. Excellent. Then I rang the Department of Transport office in Shannon which issues the certs in the first place and they said all I had to do was go to my local motor tax office, get a particular form from the office, complete it and get it stamped by les flics and then send it off to Shannon (with a small fee). The replacement cert would issue within a "few days".

Feeling much better about things, I presented the car for its test (after giving it a hard - but totally legal - run up the M7) and it passed with flying colours. And the gas thing is that the guys at the NCT never asked me to present my cert within 30 days.

Everything worked out well (I even got to post Mrs. P's letter), but I could've done without all the sturm und drang...

Regards,


djp

What WERE they thinking...?

And speaking of things you don't see every day, I offer for your delight and enjoyment an Austin Maxi.

The history of the Austin Maxi can be found here. Go on, you know you want one...:-)

Regards,

djp

Critter cadaver update

Now, here's something you don't see every day. A dead rabbit in an urban gutter. Possibly a family pet. Sad really...

Regards,

djp

40 shades of green? I DON'T think so...

The recent harsh winter we've had here has played merry hell with the grass, as can be seen from these pics:-

So next week, when our international friends are dyeing their rivers green and trying to be more Irish then the Irish themselves, they might like to take note of how conditions actually are back in the "Old Country".

Regards,

djp

The doors...

I've been trying to flog a few doors on bendunne.com this last while. And the only responses I'm getting are variations of the old e-mail "send me your details" rip-off scam. People, eh? Should be a day in the week for shooting them - and in parts of West Dublin there are...

Regards,


djp

I know people who'd pay good money to see that...

The circus is in town and one of their posters advertises a "perch act". Really? Circus tricks performed by freshwater fish belonging to the family Percidae? What do they do? Swim through fiery hoops? A tightrope act without nets? A fish knife throwing act?

How would you rate that on a scale of 1 to 10?

Fin,

djp

And the ringtone for March 2010 is...

..."Chain Of Command" from the CD version of XTC's 1979 album, DRUMS & WIRES. Ace stuff...!

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod tracks - 010310

1. (-) - How To Die With Style - Quentin Crisp
2. (-) - Natty Dread Time Dub - Queen Tiney & The Aggrovators
3. (-) - Bass Trap - U2
4. (-) - Cyn'd Dc : For David Cortner : In Memory of Arthur Lee... - Z'ev
5. (-) - Everything Up (Zizou) (Mock 'n' Toof Remix) - Zero 7
6. (-) - Pop Art Blue - Zero 7
7. (-) - Gulp A Sonata - Amon Duul 2
8. (-) - Flesh-Coloured Anti-Aircraft Alarm - Amon Duul 2
9. (-) - Baader Meinhof - Baader Meinhof
10. (-) - Meet Me At The Airport - Baader Meinhof

Regards,

djp

And the ringtone for February 2010 is...

"Party Fears Two" from The Associates' 1982 album SULK. This is the album version which was the rather cute synthy intro, but also has a gratuitously extended outro and has rather dated levels of reverb on the vocals. The single version is the one to go for, really...

Regards,


djp

My Top 10 iPod Tracks - 010210

1. (-) - Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
2. (-) - Transatlantic - Quantic
3. (-) - '39 - Queen
4. (-) - Brighton Rock - Queen
5. (-) - Killer Queen - Queen
6. (-) - Tenement Funster - Queen
7. (-) - Waterfall - Quintron
8. (-) - Flick Of The Wrist - Queen
9. (-) - Lily Of The Valley - Queen
10. (-) - Now I'm Here - Queen

All the Qs, basically...

Regards,

djp

And the ringtone for January 2010 is...

..."The History Of Rock & Roll" by Andy Partridge, from the album AMBITION - THE HISTORY OF CHERRY RED RECORDS. Ahupp-woahh...

Regards,


djp

2009 vs 2010

Time to review the last year in terms of the resolutions I made...

1. To get to see Arsenal play at least once this year - FAILED. As suspected, finances played an issue here.
2. To visit a country I've never been to before - FAILED.
3. To start cycling again as soon as the weather improves - SUCCEEDED. I managed quite a few runs out on the bike last year. Not as many as I'd've liked, but certainly more than 2008.
4. To generally get the oul' bod a bot more together - NO COMMENT
5. To move house - SUCCEEDED. And about bloody time too. Just yesterday at work, I found an e-mail that I'd sent to a work colleague wherein I stated that I would hopefully be moving house "in the summer". The e-mail was dated May 2008...
6. To either change my car or keep it for longer - SUCCEEDED - kept the Lex going for another year...
7. To have a better year at work than I had last year - NO COMMENT
8. To see friends more - SUCCEEDED - not as many or as often as I'd've liked, but definite progress
9. Not to volunteer to do anything for anyone under any circumstances - SUCCEEDED
   
10. To stop wrecking me own head - NO COMMENT

And as far 2010...

1. To get to see Arsenal play at least once this year - I'm definitely going to give this a shot this time out - I'm due a skite, me...
2. To visit a country I've never been to before - unlikely, but still we travel (or not) in hope.
3. To start cycling again as soon as the weather improves - given the dire state of the weather over the Christmas/New Year period, this might take more time to achieve than it did last year.
4. To generally get the oul' bod a bit more together - the words "Fit" and "Wii" spring to mind...:-)
5. To undergo a spot of elective surgery - I've been carrying a cataract for a few years now and I've been putting off having it seen to (pun intended). I could probably do with having it done this year, so I'll stick it on the list and see (pun intended) what happens
6. To either change my car or keep it for longer - I suspect this might be the year for change. It's 15 y.o. and things mechanical don't tend to improve with age
   
7. To have a better year at work than I had last year
8. To see friends more
9. Not to volunteer to do anything for anyone under any circumstance
10. To stop wrecking me own head

Regards,

djp

My Top Ten iPod tracks - 010110

1. (-) - Wishing Well - Bob Mould
2. (-) - Parallelogram (Daytrotter session) - Deastro
3. (-) - I Can't Explain (live) - The Who
4. (-) - CSG-29 - Baader Meinhof
5. (-) - You, Your Mom & Her Friends - Ben Gott
6. (-) - Winter Academy - Billy Mackenzie
7. (-) - Nattura (Switch remix) - Bjork
8. (-) - Sunspots - Bob Mould
9. (-) - Heartbreak A Stranger - Bob Mould
10. (-) - See A Little Light - Bob Mould

Hope 2010 turns out to be better for you than 2009 was...

Regards,

djp