Betty the Sheep

Quote of the Week

2010-12-31T08:48:00.000Z

Everyone is kneaded out of the same dough but not baked in the same oven.

Yiddish Proverb

Happy Christmas !

2010-12-25T08:48:00.000Z

Quote of the Week

2010-12-24T08:13:00.000Z

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

Sir Winston Churchill
British politician (1874 - 1965)

Quote of the Week

2010-12-17T20:24:00.000Z

There will be a time when loud-mouthed, incompetent people seem to be getting the best of you. When that happens, you only have to be patient and wait for them to self destruct. It never fails.

Richard Rybolt

Lovely BellX1 Lyrics!

2010-12-11T15:59:00.004Z

I’ve meaning to do a blog post for some time about some of the BellX1 lyrics that tickle me pink, so here it is (well part 1 of it anyway). :-)

1. ‘I believe if push came you’d shove me’ – Pinball Machine (Neither Am I)

2. ‘I’m not over you, can I get back under’ – Next to You (Music in Mouth)

3. ‘Yea, this history is written by the winners and I want my say’ – Natalie (Flock)

4. ‘Yeah, I’m a little all over the shop like those holy souvenirs from Knock that come all the way from China’ – Next to You (Music in Mouth)

5. You're the chocolate at the end of my Cornetto – The Great Defector (Blue Lights on the Runway)

6. ‘I need to smile like an Angel, I need to smile like a Fool, I need to smile like I'm pissing, In your swimming pool’ – Snakes and Snakes (Music in Mouth)

7. ‘Your lips come as some surprise, That they would want to come and meet mine’ – Some Surprise (The Cake Sale)

8. ‘I'd say you'd like children But you couldn't eat a whole one’ – Alphabet Soup (Music in Mouth)

9. ‘Now this applies both equally to you and I, The only thing we share Is the same sky’ - Eve The Apple of My Eye (Music in Mouth)

10. 'I love the way your underwire bra always sets off that x-ray machine' – The Great Defector (Blue Lights on the Runway)

11. ‘I threw my eyes to heaven and I asked for a sign, They said I can get back my yesterday if I cross the date line’ – White Water Song (Music in Mouth)

Quote of the Week

2010-12-11T15:56:00.000Z

Hell is full of musical amateurs.

George Bernard Shaw
Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)

Quote of the Week

2010-12-03T08:13:00.001Z

...people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.

J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince
British fantasy author

Quote of the Week

2010-11-19T08:48:00.003Z

The best way out is always through.

Robert Frost

BellX1 Acoustic Gig in The Pavilion

2010-11-16T11:14:00.000Z

BellX1 are currently on an acoustic tour to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the release of ‘Neither Am I’ their first album. They played in the Pavilion in Cork last Saturday night. I like hearing BellX1 play their stuff acoustically because it puts a different slant on the songs for me. The band started off the night with ‘Pinball Machine’ from Neither Am I and later played ‘Slow Set’ from the same album. It felt a little magical when BellX1 played ‘Rocky Took a Lover’ from Flock and the audience joined in. I loved the feeling of the crowd singing along unobtrusively and feeling part of it. BellX1 did a great version of ‘Flame’ with a sort of Country and Western twist. They were excited about playing some new songs and played one called ‘Sugar High’ from their new album due out next year. A resounding rendition of ‘The Great Defector’ was enthusiastically shared between the band and the crowd, each trying to politely outdo the other. To finish up BellX1 played ‘I’ll see your heart and raise you mine’ and towards the end Paul added in some lines from ‘There is a light that never goes out’ by the Smiths. It’s funny how he has managed to fit so many different lyrics into the end of this song. I kind of liked the addition of ‘And if a double-decker bus crashes in to us, To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die, And if a ten ton truck kills the both of us To die by your side, well the pleasure, the privilege, is mine’ to the other lines that have been used in this song. The band played a good encore and as always left the crowd wanting more.

Quote of the Week

2010-11-12T08:48:00.000Z

I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.

Margaret Thatcher, in Observer April 4, 1989
British politician (1925 - )

Today's Special

2010-11-11T10:30:00.000Z

The Corona Cork Film Festival is on in Cork at the moment it started on Sunday night with an opening gala in the Opera House showing Never Let Me Go. I went to the Slow Food Gala which showed the film Today’s Special in the Gate. Despite the fact that there was a long queue just to get in a bit of waiting when we made it into screen 1 we received a little box of canapés by the canapé company (www.bitesize.ie). The company is from Midleton and the food provided was delicious! We all got a duck wrap, a vegetarian bruschetta, a salmon canapé and a small chocolate pot. There were also glasses of prosecco available too. The film was a story about a young Manhattan chef who doesn’t get what he thinks he wants, a job promotion or a trip to Paris but does end up being closer to his parents and re-igniting his passion for food through his own heritage. There are some good laughs and overall it is an engaging story. The whole evening was a lovely experience with the canapés, a few words from the director and an enjoyable film.

When Comics Do Economics...

2010-11-10T20:15:00.004Z

This was in today's Irish Times and is all about humour and economics.

Economists and comedians come together tomorrow for Kilkenomics, Ireland’s ‘first economics festival’. We ask some participating economists for their best jokes – and the comedians for their economic theories

THE ECONOMISTS

David McWilliams, economist and author

My joke : Irish government’s latest policy response to the banking, economic and financial crisis – “Quantitative Cheesing”.

My pet economic theory : When your rugby tickets are too expensive, your spanking new stadium will be half-full. The first lesson we learn about economics is that when the price of something goes up, the demand for it goes down. By extension, when your cost structure is so out of kilter you feel you have to charge over the odds for tickets, you have two choices: cut your costs and prices or suffer empty stadiums.

Nothing encapsulates the state of the Irish economy more than the empty seats at the Aviva Stadium. Here is our best national team in years and fans can’t afford to see them. We are not playing some Mickey Mouse outfit; we are hosting the World Champions.

The economic truth is simple: set your prices to suit demand. There is always a price, despite the recession, where the market clears. As we try to compete and export our way out of this crisis, the Aviva Lesson is one that should not be forgotten.

John Lanchester, author of ‘Whoops!: Why everyone owes everyone and no one can pay’

My jokes : A sandwich goes into a pub and says to the barman: “I’ll have a pickled egg, please.” Barman says: “I’m sorry sir, we don’t serve food.” Badoom-tish.

What’s the difference between a stoat and a weasel? One’s weasily recognisable, the other’s stotally different.

Why are there no aspirin in the jungle? Parrots eat ’em all.

My pet economic theory: There are quite a few to choose from – though perhaps not as many as there are half-truths and outright falsehoods. My favourite is a piece of advice my father used to quote. I’ve seen it come true society-wide several times. “It’s easy to be an investment genius. All you need is a short memory and a rising market.”

Ha-Joon, author of ‘23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism’

My joke : Three castaways on a desert island find a crate of canned food. The first, a theoretical physicist, comes up with a model of a machine that can open cans with astonishing efficiency, then realises there is no material to build the machine. The second, an engineer, tries to open the cans with everything available – stone, stick, coconut – but all in vain. The last one, an economist, steps in and starts: “Let’s assume that we have a can opener . . . ”

My pet economic theory: Economists are known for assuming all sorts of things. When some argued that Ireland should deregulate finance, they assumed giving maximal freedom to the private sector was the best way to maximise wealth. When some argued that there was nothing to worry about the property bubble, they assumed market actors are always rational. When they later said the Irish Government should cut spending, they assumed there is a repressed private sector gearing up to rush in to fill the resulting demand gap. If only economists stopped assuming there to be can openers, we may be living in a better world.

THE COMEDIANS

Colin Murphy, comedian

My pet economic theory : Who knew stock markets had emotions? Every financial report on every news bulletin insists on telling me how the stock markets are feeling – most days I don’t know how I’m feeling. They seem to have very simplistic emotions too, for such a complex system. “Depressed” is mentioned often, as is “nervous”. I’ve seen Facebook status updates with more in-depth emotions.

Why are the markets being given emotions anyway? Is it an attempt to get us to look after the markets, like a moody goth at a house party? And even when there is positive news, the best you will get from Mr Moody Market, is “buoyant”, not “happy” or “ecstatic” or “delighted” or “over the moon”, but “buoyant”. What the hell kind of emotion is that? With the financial news as bad as it is, a few more detailed emotions might be called for. The markets could, “be sobbing” or “have taken to drink” or “sitting on the stairs and staring into space” or if things get really bad “be standing in your front garden, crying, singing Westlife songs at the top of its voice”. Remember, the stock markets have feelings too. Apparently.

Colm O’Regan, comedian

My pet economic theory : If this is a global village, then Ireland is standing in the garden watching all the neighbours talk about us. Every so often, we have to endure a visit from one of the local worthies dispensing advice. Telling us how to run our house. We’d love to tell them all to feck off but we can’t. We still have to go to the shops for bread on tick.

There’s one group of neighbours that annoys us more than anyone else – the credit rating agencies. There wasn’t a peep out of them during the boom. Now they’re leaning over the hedge, watching us try to fix a lawnmower, while asking for their strimmer back. Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch. Who are they anyway? (I’ve heard of Fitch. All the same, I’d like to know what Abercrombie thinks.)

We’ve been downgraded from AAA+ to AA-. What does that even mean? Before, we were a battery for the remote control; now we’re only good for a Walkman?

It’s time for a new ratings agency one that understands how the Irish people feel and reflects that. It’s time for Moody and Poor.

Neil Delamere, comedian

My pet economic theory : We face financial Armageddon. Selling the Book of Kells on the Antiques Roadshow should be a last resort. There is one more thing to try.

We get the Irish Secret Service to scan the population for women good-looking enough to be supermodels. Then – like the KGB did – experts train them in the art of seduction. Every day they get closer to the perfect seductress. They learn the offside rule. They are taught to despise foreplay. They master control of the circulation in their hands and feet so they’re not freezing when they get into the bed. From that group the ultimate temptress is chosen.

Now consider: Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim is worth around $60 billion. And pre-nuptial agreements are not legal in Ireland.

Our agent seduces her target, marries and divorces him here and gives the money to the State. Boom. We’ve just paid for Anglo.

Quote of the Week

2010-08-20T07:46:00.001+01:00

You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird... So let's look at the bird and see what it’s doing -- that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.

Richard Feynman
US educator & physicist (1918 - 1988)

Dictionary Corner # 61

2010-08-19T19:43:00.000+01:00

Otiose – adjective

Serving no practical purpose; pointless.

ORIGIN – Latin otiosus

Quote of the Week

2010-08-13T08:00:00.000+01:00

Whatever you think, be sure it is what you think; whatever you want, be sure that is what you want; whatever you feel, be sure that is what you feel.

T. S. Eliot

British (US-born) critic, dramatist & poet (1888 - 1965)

Dictionary Corner # 60

2010-08-12T22:24:00.002+01:00

Axiom – noun

A statement regarded as accepted or obviously true.

DERIVATIVES – axiomatic adjective

ORIGIN – Greek axioma ‘what is thought fitting’

Quote of the Week

2010-08-06T08:00:00.001+01:00

Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment.

Baltasar Gracian

How Independent Are You?

2010-08-05T23:20:00.000+01:00

Your Independence Level: High

You are extremely self reliant and autonomous.

You are definitely into doing your own thing.

But you also wouldn't turn down help if you needed it.

You follow your own path, but you don't do so blindly.

How Independent Are You?

Quote of the Week

2010-07-02T11:47:00.000+01:00

A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in on the experience.

Elbert Hubbard

Quote of the Week

2010-06-25T08:33:00.000+01:00

It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends.

J. K. Rowling
British fantasy author

The Cutsie Cupcake Test

2010-06-23T18:32:00.000+01:00

You're Happy Cute

People find you cute because you truly shine from within. You are an optimistic and cheerful person.

You have a lot of positive energy, and you're rarely stuck in a rut. You are also very creative.

At times, you have so much energy that you can become a bit high strung or anxious. It's hard to channel all of your drive.

You sometimes take on too much and get overwhelmed, but even when your life is chaotic, you have a sense of humor about it.

The Cutsie Cupcake Test

Quote of the Week

2010-06-18T21:10:00.001+01:00

An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth.

Bonnie Friedman, in New York Times

Quote of the Week

2010-06-11T08:27:00.001+01:00

Don't waste yourself in rejection, nor bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882)

Cork Midsummer Festival 2010

2010-06-09T18:37:00.003+01:00

The Cork Midsummer Festival is coming up soon; it runs from the 12th to the 27th of June. You can click here to take a look at the programme for the festival. Unfortunately there is no Spiegeltent this year, which I have loved going to in the past but there are Heineken nights in the Crane Lane Theatre and the Pavilion. There is also cabaret and comedy at the Crane Lane too.

Quote of the Week

2010-06-04T08:27:00.000+01:00

Charity sees the need not the cause.

German Proverb

Public Health Warning

2010-06-03T20:23:00.002+01:00

For the sake of your sanity I would caution anyone contemplating going to see ‘The Back Up Plan’ that is out in cinemas at the moment. This is a complete turd of a film. I have watched a lot of crap films (including one starring Vanilla Ice!) but this one takes the complete biscuit in terms of crappiness. I’ll openly admit to enjoying a good old chick flick where I know what I’m getting and it doesn’t bother me that it is cheesy or fluffy. But the Back Up Plan is just so bad, even the opening credits are awful! Several cringe thresholds were well and truly broken. I can’t talk about the home birthing scene because that was too traumatic and looking back on the film I fail to recall any redeeming features. May you never have the misfortunate to see this film!

Quote of the Week

2010-05-30T15:20:00.002+01:00

The shifts of Fortune test the reliability of friends.

Cicero, De Amicitia
Roman author, orator, & politician (106 BC - 43 BC)

Dictionary Corner # 59

2010-05-29T15:19:00.000+01:00

Plebiscite – noun

A vote made by all members of an electorate on an important public issue.

- DERIVATIVES plebiscitary adjective

- ORIGIN French plebiscite

Quote of the Week

2010-05-21T08:27:00.000+01:00

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.

James Thurber
US author, cartoonist, humorist, & satirist (1894 - 1961)

The Flip Flop Test

2010-05-20T19:36:00.000+01:00

Your Flip Flops Say You're Relaxed

You are super laid back and peaceful. Not much disturbs you.

You're content with what you have in life, and you can't stand feeling worked up.

A lot of good things tend to come your way in life...

You're not too busy or stressed to let an opportunity pass you by.

Your ideal warm weather place: Hawaii

The Flip Flop Test

Quote of the Week

2010-05-14T19:35:00.000+01:00

You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

Author Unknown

Quote of the Week

2010-05-07T23:11:00.000+01:00

Humour is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humour; for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit.

Aristotle
Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

Quote of the Week

2010-04-30T23:12:00.000+01:00

The power of imagination makes us infinite.

John Muir

Quote of the Week

2010-04-23T23:00:00.000+01:00

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man's training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly.

Thomas H. Huxley
English biologist (1825 - 1895)

The Sunglasses Test

2010-04-21T08:27:00.000+01:00

Your Sunglasses Say You're a Realist

You are down to earth, stable, and practical.

You see the world as it is. You accept facts easily.

You need to be shaded from overly dramatic and problem prone people.

You feel sunniest when things are calm and peaceful

The Sunglasses Test

Cork Opera House - free tickets for stranded air travellers!

2010-04-20T21:56:00.002+01:00

I spotted this today on the Cork Opera House website and I thought it was a great idea. It definitely helps when you are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

STRANDED AIR TRAVELLERS OFFERED FREE TICKETS TO CORK OPERA HOUSE
Hoping to create a silver lining in the ash cloud over Ireland , stranded travellers at loose ends on the Lee are invited to attend KING OF THE CASTLE as guests of Cork Opera House. The show is presented by the Kilmeen Drama Group on Tuesday 20 April at 8pm.

“We figure that there must be loads of people who unexpectedly find themselves in Cork with a lot of time on their hands and very little money in their pockets,” says Jamie Monagan, Cork Opera House Acting Marketing Manager. “We’re happy to be able to invite them to attend an Irish play presented by one of Ireland ’s premiere amateur theatre companies.”
KING OF THE CASTLE, by Eugene McCabe, is sent in rural Ireland , 1958. From the humblest of beginnings, by dint of hard work and scheming, an ageing Scober MacAdam has become “king of the castle”. Married to the youthful and beautiful Tressa, he is the subject of unending local jealously, constantly goaded with regard to his sexual inadequacies. Will he stoop to an “indecent proposal” to ensure an heir? Can even he control or accept the consequences which will follow?
To accept the invitation to see KING OF THE CASTLE, travellers should present an airline ticket valid for an outbound flight from Cork Airport during the closure period at the Cork Opera House box office on Emmet Place.

Quote of the Week

2010-04-16T08:27:00.000+01:00

We did not change, as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves.

Lynn Hall
Where Have All the Tigers Gone? -1989

Dictionary Corner # 58

2010-04-13T23:11:00.000+01:00

Onomastic – adjective

Relating to the study of the history and origin of proper names.

- DERIVATIVES onomastics noun.

- ORIGIN from Greek onoma ‘name’

The Cheesecake Test

2010-04-12T23:22:00.000+01:00

I don’t know about this result, I think it might just be a little off the mark but I do love lemon cheesecake!

You Are a Lemon Cheesecake

You are a shy and reserved person. You tend to be very understated and "behind the scenes."

You are also quite gentle and kind. You almost always think before you act.

You are naturally cheerful and happy. You tend to have a bright attitude.

You aren't overly optimistic though. You can see both the good and the bad in the world.

The Cheesecake Test

Quote of the Week

2010-04-10T23:07:00.000+01:00

Nearly all marriages, even happy ones, are mistakes: in the sense that almost certainly (in a more perfect world, or even with a little more care in this very imperfect one) both partners might be found more suitable mates. But the real soul-mate is the one you are actually married to.

J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter to Michael Tolkien, March 1941
British scholar & fantasy novelist (1892 - 1973)

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T08:27:00.000+01:00

Happy Easter and roll on the chocolate hangover!

Quote of the Week

2010-04-02T08:27:00.000+01:00

Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.

Norman Cousins

Dictionary Corner # 57

2010-04-01T22:26:00.002+01:00

Karaoke – noun

A form of entertainment in which people sing popular songs over pre-recorded backing tracks.

- ORIGIN Japanese ‘empty orchestra’

Quote of the Week

2010-03-26T08:00:00.001Z

Because you are in control of your life. Don't ever forget that. You are what you are because of the conscious and subconscious choices you have made.

Barbara Hall, A Summons to New Orleans, 2000

What's Your Favorite Color?

2010-03-23T22:50:00.001Z

Ok, I can't say I agree with everything that this result says but I can admit to loving the colour purple! :-)

Your Favorite Color is Purple

You are an original, creative, and unique person. You definitely do your own thing.

You're known to be very independent. You never follow trends, and you're very different from everyone else.

You see the world with an open mind. You're ready and able to be inspired by anything.

You've live an unconventional life, and you're proud of it. You are tolerant of others, and you expect them to be tolerant of you.

What's Your Favorite Color?

Quote of the Week

2010-03-19T08:00:00.000Z

It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, 1999
British fantasy author

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T21:35:00.004Z

I hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick's Day. I missed the parade in Cork but got to see the Roaring Forties play and a group of drummers that were amazing! The day was made all the cheerier with some excellent hot chocolate and some toasty hot toddies!

Quote of the Week

2010-03-12T08:00:00.000Z

Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.

Martin Fischer

Dictionary Corner # 56

2010-03-08T20:31:00.002Z

Ontology – noun

The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of being.

- DERIVATIVES ontological adjective ontologist noun

Quote of the Week

2010-02-05T08:00:00.002Z

Six essential qualities that are the key to success: Sincerity, personal integrity, humility,
courtesy, wisdom, charity.

William Menninger

Dictionary Corner # 55

2010-02-02T18:23:00.002Z

Bigot – noun

A person with strong and prejudiced views who will not listen to the opinion of others.

- DERIVATIVES bigoted adjective, bigotry noun

- ORIGIN French

Quote of the Week

2010-01-16T11:15:00.002Z

The secret of a good life is to have the right loyalties and hold them in the right scale of values.

Norman Thomas
US socialist politician (1884 - 1968)

Dilbert Quotes

2010-01-12T18:36:00.003Z

"Why does it seem as though I am the only honest guy on earth?"
"Your type tends not to reproduce."
- Dilbert & Dogbert

"As you gain experience, you'll realise that all logical questions are considered insubordination."
- Dilbert advises Asok the Intern

"There are two kinds of management problems. There's the kind you can solve by yelling and the kind you can solve by buying some sort of software. That's why I created 'Some sort of software that yells'."
"Oooo."
- Dogbert and The Boss

"My recommendations are based on an analysis of accountability. As a consultant, I'm not accountable to your stockholders. So I can recommend anything that amuses me."

"I like to con people. And I like to insult people. If you combine con & insult, you get consult!"

"This week I mapped and gapped the requirements to consolidate everything into a program of work... to maximize synergy, capture and optimize our resource utilization. If any of that sounded like work, I'll do some more of it next week."
- Wally to The Boss

"Why did you add this button to the user interface?"
"You told me to. You always suggest random changes to create the illusion of added value."
"Well, remove that button."
"It's only on your copy."
- The Boss and Dilbert

"I just had a good meeting."
"Maybe it just didn't last long enough to reveal the incompetence of the attendees."
"That's what I call a good meeting."
- Dilbert and Dogbert

"I made a few suggestions."
"I'll be happy to make these unnecessary changes to this irrelevant document."
"Stop acting happy."
- The Pointy-Haired Boss and Dilbert

"You're fired!"
"Gaaa!!!"
"Not really. But now this 2% raise won't seem so bad... This job is all about managing expectations."
- The Boss springs a random act of management on an unsuspecting employee

Quote of the Week

2010-01-08T09:21:00.000Z

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.

Ben Stein

What Nightmare Are You?

2010-01-07T20:00:00.000Z

You Are Falling

Sometimes things in your life feel completely out of control. You get overwhelmed.

Like everyone else you have a fear of failure... just like falling in a nightmare.

You may need more balance in your life. Take time to take care of yourself.

And learn to go with the flow a little bit more. Falling can feel exciting if you let it!

What Nightmare Are You?

Quote of the Week

2010-01-02T09:21:00.000Z

Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.

Amy Lowell
US critic & poet (1874 - 1925)

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T20:25:00.001Z

Wishing you all the best in 2010!

Happy Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T11:33:00.000Z

Happy Christmas Everyone! Hope you are all enjoying the festive season.

Quote of the Week

2009-12-24T09:33:00.000Z

The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.

Carl Jung, "Modern Man in Search of a Soul"
Swiss psychologist (1875 - 1961)

Some Christmas Top 5’s

2009-12-23T21:50:00.002Z

My Top 5 Christmas Films (at the moment)

1. Love Actually – I watch this every year and never get tired of it. I still love the bit where Hugh Grant dances to ‘Jump (for my love)’ and Rodrigo Santoro dancing with Laura Linney is really sweet.
2. Miracle on 34th Street (1994) – Love this version of the film and used to be obsessed with it years ago (I’ve even watched it in July).
3. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – This isn’t strictly a Christmas film but I always remember it being on every Christmas and it was kind of a tradition to watch it every year.
4. The Princess Bride – This is another film that I associate with the Christmas Holidays and used to watch over and over.
5. The Family Stone – A kind of like the crazy family aspect of this film and the fact that things sort of work out in the end. :-)

My Top 5 Christmas Songs (at the moment)

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
2. Driving Home For Christmas – Chris Rea
3. Holy Night – Nat King Cole
4. White Christmas – Bing Crosby
5. Last Christmas – Wham

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

2009-12-22T20:53:00.001Z

Your Christmas is Most Like: Miracle on 34th Street

Sweet and caring, Christmas is about helping for you.

While Santa may not exist, you try to share his spirit.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Quote of the Week

2009-12-18T09:00:00.000Z

Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labour does the body.

Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)

What Holiday Cookie Are You?

2009-12-16T19:35:00.002Z

Ok, I like the look of the cookie but the result makes me sound a bit like Mother Theresa which I'm not!

You Are a Peanut Butter Kiss Cookie

You are a social, friendly, caring person.

You are good at helping people. You have a very giving heart.

You are a natural teacher or counselor. You get value from making someone's life better.

You are trustworthy, and a natural problem solver.

What Holiday Cookie Are You?

Quote of the Week

2009-12-11T09:00:00.000Z

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.

Aristotle
Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

What Colour Is Your Kiss?

2009-12-08T21:01:00.001Z

Your Kiss is Pink

For you, kissing is pure happiness... simple as that.

You definitely get a little blissed out from kissing, even if you're a bit shy about it.

You won't kiss just anyone. Your kisses are special!

Young at heart, you still get very excited the first time you kiss someone.

Kissing Type: Generous

People See Your Kisses as: Sweet

You Kiss Best With: A Black Kisser

Stay away from: An Orange Kisser

What Colour Is Your Kiss?

Quote of the Week

2009-12-04T09:00:00.000Z

Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.

Ernest Hemingway
US author & journalist (1899 - 1961)

Dictionary Corner # 54

2009-12-01T09:00:00.000Z

Quango – noun (pl. quangos) Brit., chiefly derogatory

A semi-public administrative organisation that receives financial support from the government, which makes senior appointments to it.

- ORIGIN from the initial letters of quasi (or quasi-autonomous) non-governmental organisation.

Fred in the Opera House

2009-11-29T19:01:00.002Z

Fred played in the Opera House last night and it was a really enjoyable gig. The first support act was a guy called Joel Plaskett. He is a Canadian singer songwriter from Nova Scotia! I loved the song he sang about his cat ‘white fang’ that has no ears and looks like a baby seal. Delorentos were the second support act and they played an energetic set. The lead singer was sporting a moustache in aid of Movember and looked a bit demented especially with his mad curly hair. The band did a good job of warming up the crowd for Fred. There was a little break and then Fred came on and gave a very upbeat performance. They played a good mix of songs and when they came back on for an encore they were all wearing check shirts. The drummer swopped with the guitar player and led the band in singing ‘Hungry Heart’ which seems to be something they picked up on their Canadian tour (presumably along with Joel Plaskett). :-) After that the band left again and most of them came back wearing white clothes and they finished the show with Skyscrapers.

Ps. Apparently Joel Plaskett is playing in the Roundy tonight!

Quote of the Week

2009-11-27T09:00:00.001Z

You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question.

Albert Camus, La Chute (The Fall),1956
French existentialist author & philosopher (1913 - 1960)

So so cute!

2009-11-26T21:07:00.002Z

If only this came in a bigger size I'd be buying it for my niece for Christmas!

Quote of the Week

2009-11-20T09:00:00.000Z

Waste not fresh tears over old griefs.

Euripides
Greek tragic dramatist (484 BC - 406 BC)

Dictionary Corner # 53

2009-11-18T18:04:00.002Z

Ombre

n. A French term meaning "shaded." Usually a multicolored stripe, with colors graduating from light to dark. The color effect is woven into the fabric. Generally produced by arranging different tones in the warp.

Quote of the Week

2009-11-13T18:21:00.003Z

Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness.

Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

Quote of the Week

2009-11-06T09:00:00.000Z

Whatever you think, be sure it is what you think; whatever you want, be sure that is what you want; whatever you feel be sure that is what you feel.

T. S. Eliot
British (US-born) critic, dramatist & poet (1888 - 1965)

Corona Cork Film Festival

2009-11-01T22:34:00.002Z

The Corona Cork Film Festival started today and runs until next Sunday, which means eight days of a wide range of films. This is the 54th year of the festival and there is something for everyone in the programme. Check out the programme online at www.corkfilmfest.org or head into the booking office in the foyer of the Cork Opera House for more details. The majority of films will be screened in the Gate cinema, the Kino and the Opera House with some shows in the Half Moon Theatre, the Crawford Gallery and the Guest House. Tickets range in price from €16 for an opening/closing gala to €6/€5 for screenings before 6pm. Membership costs €5 and comes with a free programme so you can plan out your week of films!

Quote of the Week

2009-10-30T09:00:00.001Z

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.

Albert Camus
French existentialist author & philosopher (1913 - 1960)

Up

2009-10-28T09:00:00.001Z

I saw this film a couple of weeks ago and I loved it. It is one of the nicest films that I’ve seen in a long time. There are some sad and poignant moments but overall it is great fun and a lovely story. Pixar have done a great job with the characters, the voices and the animation. If you haven’t been to see it already go now! How could you miss out on an animated film that has talking dogs?

Ps. Squirrel?!? (go and see the film and you’ll understand)

Dictionary Corner # 52

2009-10-27T21:05:00.002Z

Prima facie – adjective and adverb (Law)

Accepted as correct until proven otherwise.

- ORIGIN Latin

Quote of the Week

2009-10-22T21:00:00.000+01:00

Education is the best provision for the journey to old age.

Aristotle
Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

The Ice Cream Personality Test

2009-10-22T20:57:00.000+01:00

Your Ice Cream Personality:

You like to think of yourself as a fairly modest person. And it's true that you don't talk yourself up... but you're also pretty happy with who you are.

You are incredibly cautious. You rather miss out on something than make a mistake. No one would ever call you wild... but they would call you responsible.

You are a fairly open minded person with a wide range of tastes. You are quite accepting of unusual ideas and people.

You tend to have a one track mind. You prefer not to multitask.

You are a serious and contemplative person. You definitely do your own thing in life.

The Ice Cream Personality Test

Quote of the Week

2009-10-16T09:00:00.000+01:00

The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.

Euripides
Greek tragic dramatist (484 BC - 406 BC)

Fantastic Confectionary Idea

2009-10-15T20:28:00.003+01:00

Milka have come up with an ingenious idea, they have added Dime bar pieces to some of their Milka bars. The end result is some extremely yummy chocolate. Beware, because if you like Dime bars then you could get completed addicted to this new bar!!!

Quote of the Week

2009-10-09T09:00:00.000+01:00

One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a time.

John Wanamaker

‘Dear Economist’ Again

2009-10-07T17:50:00.004+01:00

Another good one from Tim Hardford…

Dear Economist: Solve my good boy, bad boy dilemma

Suppose we plot my preference curve for a man as units of “good boy” traits (thoughtfulness, caring, emotional support) versus “bad boy” traits (adventurousness, sexual attractiveness).

My boyfriend, whom I’ve been dating for a year, would come up very high on the former and low on the latter. This situation was fine for me before, but now I’m having a hard time being attracted to him and I wonder if I want to continue the relationship. Has my preference curve simply shifted more in favour of the “bad boy” traits? I know the one year is a sunk cost, but I’m reluctant to give up so easily on such a nice man.

Beatrice

Dear Beatrice,

It is a pleasure to receive a letter that packs so much consumer choice theory into so little space – although I sense a creeping confusion in your question. You speak of a preference curve expressing a trade-off between good boy and bad boy traits. (By the way, I recommend the term “indifference curve”, both because it is technically more precise, and because it makes you sound sexy and unavailable.) Yet you do not specify your budget constraint. You act as if you can have a thoughtful boyfriend or a sexy boyfriend, but not both. I wonder why you think this is true. Perhaps you should hang around with economists more.

Let us take your problem at face value, though, and assume that you cannot simply find a man who has it all. If so, the problem you describe is familiar enough: that of diminishing returns. Only little children want to eat their favourite food for every meal, or listen to the same story again and again. For most of us, variety is the spice of life. So dump your boyfriend and find a rogue. Date him for a year. It is bound to end in tears, and then you can find yourself another ugly, tedious – yet thoughtful – man. They are not in short supply.

Quote of the Week

2009-10-02T17:49:00.000+01:00

People seldom become famous for what they say until after they are famous for what they've done.

Cullen Hightower

Quote of the Week

2009-09-25T09:21:00.000+01:00

How little of permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were stronger than their virtue.

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1811
English novelist (1775 - 1817)

What Season is Your Soul Connected To?

2009-09-23T09:21:00.001+01:00

Your Soul Is Connected to the Fall

You are a somewhat sensitive soul with a tough exterior. You are street smart and wise about the world.

You have the heart of a poet, but you're not too eager to let anyone else see it.

You are very creative and deeply talented. You are still looking for the perfect outlet for your expression.

You embrace change and think the cycles of life are beautiful. You don't shrink away from the darker elements of life.

What Season is Your Soul Connected To?

Dictionary Corner # 51

2009-09-21T08:08:00.001+01:00

Quisling – noun

A traitor collaborating with an occupying enemy force.

- ORIGIN from Major Vidkun Quisling, who ruled Norway during the Second World War on behalf of the German occupying forces.

Quote of the Week

2009-09-18T08:08:00.000+01:00

You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning... a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be.

Joseph Campbell
US folklorist & expert on mythology (1904 - 1987)

Electric Picnic ’09

2009-09-16T09:21:00.001+01:00

I went to Electric Picnic (EP) this year for the first time and it was the bee’s knees and the cat’s pajamas. I took the reasonably comfortable approach and stayed in a podpad which was the cutest thing! The podpads are very colourful and look a bit like oversized kennels.

There was loads to see and do at EP, in fact it was impossible trying to fit it all in. I couldn’t get over the number of different areas that there were and how much non-music stuff there was to do. It was also great being able to enjoy lots of different types of yummy food too. The Body and Soul area had some fantastic stuff set up and was a great place to chill out. I also enjoyed the Mindfield area which had a mix of poetry, science, Irish language, debate and Theatre.

Below is a little list of some of the good and bad things about EP from my perspective:

GOOD

Slobbing out in wellies and over the knee socks
Dancing to Chic
Posh Wash – the first shower was heaven on earth
Florence and the Machine
The demented woolly hat that I bought in the Friday night (which kept me warm all weekend)
BellX1 on Sunday night
Mochas & carrot cake combo
The beanbags in the Spoken Word tent
The Flaming Lips – madness in a tent
Mao Café duck dinner
Imelda May and her band
Curled up and cosy in a sleeping bag in the pod listening to the rain outside on Sunday morning
Dancing to Amadou & Mariam outside the Crawdaddy tent
The little bookshop in the Mindfield area
Salty Dog Saloon
[Stopping for food in Abbeyleix on the way and on the way down, an experience not to be missed and one that was part of the overall Electric Picnic experience]

BAD

Queuing for toilets
Portaloos in general
Having to put on wellies to go to the toilet in the middle of the night
Never venturing out with toilet and baby wipes
The Tulla Ceili Band playing until 4am (a non-toilet related ‘bad’ item!!!)
Gourmet burgers
Not having enough time for everything e.g. the cinema and the silent disco

What Flavour Iced Coffee Are You?

2009-09-15T08:08:00.000+01:00

You Are Vanilla Iced Coffee

You are subtle and modest. You tend to hang back in a crowd and watch what's going on.

You actually have a lot to offer, but you make sure not to boast about it.

You are sweet, loyal, and accepting. You are a true friend to everyone in your life.

You bring out the best in people. You are secure enough to let others shine.

What Flavour Iced Coffee Are You?

Quote of the Week

2009-09-11T08:08:00.000+01:00

Happiness depends upon ourselves.

Aristotle
Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

Dictionary Corner # 50

2009-09-10T20:36:00.000+01:00

Ratiocination – noun (formal)

The formation of judgements by logic; reasoning.

- DERIVATIVES ratiocinate verb ratiocinactive adjective
- ORIGIN Latin ratiocinari ‘deliberate, calculate’.

Quote of the Week

2009-09-04T09:21:00.000+01:00

As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, keep it.

Mahatma Gandhi
Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)

Dear Economist

2009-09-01T20:28:00.002+01:00

Last year I read ‘The Undercover Economist’ and ‘The Logic of Life’ which were both written by Tim Harford. Tim is an economist and he also writes for the Financial Times (FT). He has two weekly columns for the FT magazine which are “The Undercover Economist” and “Dear Economist”. He also writes editorials for the FT and presents a Radio 4 programme called ‘More or Less’. I really enjoyed both of his books because he writes about the economics of everyday things. I did a little bit of economics years ago as part of my degree and I found it extremely boring. One lecturer spent his whole time drawing incomprehensible graphs and I think his vocabulary only consisted of four words… supply, demand, elastic and inelastic! I’ve recently started to read Tim’s weekly columns for the FT and I really enjoy them. I’ve nabbed one of his “Dear Economist” columns from the FT website to give you a flavour of what they are like but you can go to the Financial Times website for more or check out his own website timharford.com .

Dear Economist: What’s a girl to focus on – looks or brains?

My 15-year-old is disinclined to work for her GCSEs, saying her time is better spent preening herself in preparation for assignations with her delightful, diligent, privately educated, moneyed boyfriend. She insists the money spent on nail-painting, hair-colouring and the like is an investment and will be more than repaid when he marries her. Is she deluding herself?

A curious mother

Dear Curious Mother,

Surprising as this may seem in the 21st century, your daughter’s strategy is not unusual. Evidence on speed-dating gathered by the economists Michèle Belot and Marco Francesconi shows that women are attracted by rich men, while men focus more on a woman’s physical appearance. Lena Edlund, another economist, has found that in the areas of her native Sweden where the wealthiest men live, women of prime marriageable age are over-represented.

However, your daughter is only 15; for Edlund, “prime marriageable age” is 25-44. Your daughter is either going to have to get her hooks into this chap unusually early, or she is going to have to keep him on the boil for another decade – a lot of nail-painting.
Not only is she concentrating her investments into a single asset by abandoning her education, but she may even be making her main goal harder to achieve. Belot and Francesconi discovered that a strong social trend towards “assortative mating” means that although educated, high-achieving men are not interested in marrying a rich woman, they do like educated high-achieving women, rather than shallow girls with shiny nails.
Your daughter should learn to work hard and look good at the same time. Not only will it advance her immediate goals, it will also – sadly – stand her in good stead for the rest of her life.

Quote of the Week

2009-08-29T08:08:00.000+01:00

Politeness, n. The most acceptable hypocrisy.

Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
US author & satirist (1842 - 1914)

Are You Impatient?

2009-08-27T21:07:00.001+01:00

You Are Patient Enough

In most cases, you are patient enough to keep it together.

You may feel impatient on the inside, but you don't usually let it show.

However, if you're made to wait for too long, you will usually crack.

You're only human, after all. You don't like for your patience to be tested.

Are You Impatient?

Skelligs Chocolate

2009-08-22T08:08:00.000+01:00

I was in Kerry recently for a week and I was staying near Ballinskellig. A number of times during the week while I was driving around I saw signs for Skelligs Chocolate but it was only on the last day before heading home that I made it to the Skelligs Chocolate factory/shop. It was a drizzly day in Kerry and the small factory/shop was packed with people. I bought a selection of different chocolate bars with flavours ranging from ‘Rose & Pistachio’ to ‘Gin & Tonic’ and some mint brittle. The quality of the chocolate is excellent. I think my favourite was the Dark Chocolate (53% cocoa) with Sea Salt. I love dipping pretzels into nutella because there is something about the combination of chocolate (from nutella) and salty crunchiness (from the pretzels) which is truly yummy. Eating the Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt bar was sort of like eating a fast food version of pretzels dipped into nutella! Don’t worry if you don’t think you are going to be in Ballinskellig anytime soon, just check out the list of stockists on their website or alternatively you can order online directly from their website .

Quote of the Week

2009-08-21T08:08:00.000+01:00

Prefer loss to the wealth of dishonest gain; the former vexes you for a time; the latter will bring you lasting remorse.

Chilo

Dictionary Corner # 49

2009-08-19T20:17:00.003+01:00

Pernicious – adjective

Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way: the pernicious influences of the mass media.

- DERIVATIVES perniciously adverb, perniciousness noun
- ORIGIN Latin perniciosus ‘destructive’.