A Knight's Tale

2003-09-24T14:27:00.000Z

I just added a link to Hattrick, basically an online football manager game that has pretty much taken over my spare time from actual work and job-hunting during the working day. Its a sign that you've been sucked in when the only morning you actually get up in time for work is because a transfer you've been bidding on is going through.

2003-09-24T14:10:00.000Z

So I'm moving to London. Booked my flights and started packing. It has suddenly changed from 'something I am thinking about doing' to 'something I am doing' and while that may seem as simple as dropping two words, it brings with it a whole mixed bag of emotions that I've faced before, but I'm not quite sure if I dealt with...

Fear. That things won't work out and I'll be home by Christmas. My grand plans never worked out when I 'moved' to Australia - a combination of lack of work (leading to no money) and my inability to let go of home and all the people I cared about (hence the multiple, if slightly drunken calls on Christmas day and New Year's) meant I was home within four months, essentially having had a great holiday, but definitely not worthy of the moving and generous farewell I received.

Dread. The simple hassle of finding a place to live, moving my stuff over, and getting a job all lie heavy on my waking mind. Probably an exaggeration, but you all know what that feels like.

Excitement. The other side of that coin is the odd daydream about where I'll move to, and what I'll get up to. The opportunities to experience new things must be vast in a place like London, and hopefully I'll find time to at least sample some of them. I settled in pretty well when I first arrived in Cork, despite not knowing a single person in the city under 70 (my grand-uncle was still around at the time) so I'm looking forward to meeting new people too.

Ambition. I really want to try and make this work, try and actually get somewhere on the whole grand 'life' journey. Many of the other bloggers linked from here have rambled on this subject in the past week, and rather than get into it in great detail, I'd say that it doesn't really matter a damn what your parents or others think, or where they are in their lives, what matter is whether you feel you are happy where you are. I know that I'm not and making a change now is a big step towards dragging myself out of the safe and easy rut I'm in (god knows I could probably stay in Dublin indefinitely and keep working on 3-6 month deals). I'm in no rush to buy a house, but I'd like to financially be able to consider it, even if it's far more likely that I would take the money needed and travel with it instead. I'd like to have the foundation of a career in place - a solid two years in one company would be a good start and much better than the crumbling basis that 13 different jobs in 6 years provides (amazingly, never sacked (ok, once, but that was three days before I was due to leave)). Again, I'm in no rush to become a faceless number in a multinational, or a 17-hour a day slave holding a small company together, but you can't make plans for anything when you're not sure if you'll have a job in three months (sure, no job is strictly safe anymore, but you get the picture). So, even though I may be pushing the metaphor a bit here, I'm changing the wheel with the puncture that's been slowing me down, and trying to get a bit further down the road before it gets worse and I end up going in circles.

So I'll be trying to get to see you all over the next few weeks. I finish work here in a week, Sept. 30th, and my flight is Thursday October 16th. Of course I'll be spending a few days at home too, but most of the rest of my time will be spent catching up with people before I go. Guess I'll see you soon...

G.

2003-09-18T15:23:00.000Z

Last night, I dragged my burned-out self into town as far as the newly refurbished and impressively shiny UGC cinema complex. I was physically tired, but also mentally and emotionally drained after another day trawling through job searches on a variety of web sites that seem to have failed to notice that I just want to be able to click a button marked 'Give me a job' and that the only further question they will ask is 'Where would you like to work?' World-weary would be a good way of describing my general lethargy, I suppose. Yet a mere two and a half hours later (allowing for trailers, sweet buying and the like) all of that indifference had lifted, quite literally Spirited Away*.

If you haven't had the chance to take in this most exquisitely animated feature, then I recommend that you get to it as soon as you can. I admit, I was quite happy to let myself be carried away by the story (in essence, a simple Japanese faerie tale) and the more stony-hearted of you may take longer to become absorbed by it. There are countless magical moments dotted throughout that pretty much proved the perfect antidote to the real world, and I found there are a number of occasions that I found my settled (probably western-oriented) expectations challenged by amusing twists in the story.

Wonderful may seem a bit ostentatious as a description, but I couldn't simply describe this movie as good or great. Go see it, you'll be better for it.

*Yes, I know, it felt a little silly writing that too, but in all honesty it only came to me as I was writing it.

2003-09-01T11:07:00.000Z

So. Its been a while. In the past month or so I've been at stages tremendously busy, tired, entertained and excited. By a variety of things. Right now, I'm in the slow process of recovering from a weekend in Cork where I think we spent enough to keep the Long Island in business for the year. In a way, I'm extraordinarily glad I'm heading home next weekend (which is a first for a long, long time) because I'm pretty sure it will give me time to get my system back in shape.

If you haven't been to see it yet, go see Pirates of the Caribbean - it is easily the best movie of the year so far ;)

2003-07-10T12:57:00.000Z

Charlie's Angels II - Full Throttle

Encouraged by Gar's review, I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy this movie, and I wasn't disappointed. I think they should create a new Oscar category for Most Outrageous Picture, purely for movies like this one. It is fast, gratuitous fun from start to finish, with some of the most ridiculous action sequences you're ever likely to see in one place. 2 hours of pure entertainment. Go see it.

2003-07-01T10:03:00.000Z

What would I do at work without following Link's from Sadhbh's blog?

So which fairy tale archetype are you? Hmm??
made by Michelle at EmptySpace.

2003-05-19T10:58:00.000Z

Like I needed a test to uncover my inner geek....

Your Ultimate Roleplaying Purity Score
Category	Your Score	Average
Hacklust	58.49% Will kill for XP	52.3%
Sensitive Roleplaying	44.3% "But what's my motivation for this scene?"	48.5%
GM Experience	67.39% Ran a module once or twice	65.7%
Systems Knowledge	85.88% Played in a couple of campaigns	88.4%
Livin' La Vida Dorka	51.72% Has interesting conversations in public	58.2%
You are 64.46% pure Average Score: 65.4%
Take The Ultimate Roleplaying Purity Test and see how you match up!

2003-05-14T13:21:00.000Z

Continuing in the quiz vein....

GAMBIT!!

Which X-Men Character Are You??
brought to you by Quizilla

2003-05-07T14:13:00.000Z

Surprise surprise. It turns out....

Which L5R faction do you belong to? By Jade works!
Click here to take the test.

Highly ambitious, the seafaring Mantis is the youngest of the eight great clans. They pride themselves with the fact that they attained their status by their deeds and not by their lineage.

2003-04-10T11:17:00.000Z

And then it was over, almost, or so they great media powers would have us believe. I've resisted posting anything about the war until now, mainly out of curiosity with how it would run. I have to admit, I thought the war would drag out longer than it did, but I guess all faith in a leader like Saddam Hussein disappates once things start going against him. My opinion on the war has been mixed - like Bernard I agree that Saddam is an evil and cruel dictator and that no country should stand by and allow such a man to rule. Having said that, there are worse people in positions of power around the world (I would point to some of the things the Israelis get away with in Palestine here, and they are supported by a democracy), so one has to question the American mindset in going after him. Is it simply a case that they knew he was one the could take out without bringing the wrath of another culture / religion / nuclear power down upon them? If so, their entire campaign against terror is not built on strong will or bravery as they would have us believe, but on fear - fear of another September 11, fear of more dangerous political leaders, fear of taking on anyone with real military might.

Iraq was never really going to be much of a problem this time round - without any real airforce left to speak of, they were never going to be able to withstand the firepower the Americans could fly in. It was always going to be a matter of time, and as it happened, it probably went better than the U.S. hoped, despite the odd glitch. I wonder if Donald Rumsfeld really believes it would be that easy if they take on Iran or Syria, as he has suggested - 'They will have their day'. Both countries have significantly larger military forces as well as a well-stocked and well trained airforce. Does the American governement really believe they can utter threats like that without stirring such military powers from slumber? Has the U.S really proven anything at all? They have only managed to bomb Afghanistan further back towards the dark ages, failed to find Osama Bin Laden, and swept Saddam from his seat on a throne that has been shaky at best since the original Gulf War. And all along the way are discarded allies - surely the U.S. is in a weaker position than it was a year ago.

Where does this policing of the world end? This whole war could as easily be an example of a U.S. wave of imperialism, disguised as a a necessary step in the battle against terrorism. What is to stop the U.S. from continuing in this vein, setting up puppet states and staging grounds for greater wars to come? At what point will Europe, Russia or China step forward and balk the U.S. advance with the threat of their own power? With the warmongering lunatics (possibly an understatement) that preside in the U.S. at the moment, there seems to be no limit to their ambitions.

As an Irishman, I have to acknowledge that our country really is insignificant in all of this - we are spectators at a battle of wills between the govermnets of countries with military power that is really beyond any of our experience, and we simply have to sit in the stands, hoping that none of the potentail fallout (pun intended) lands too close to us. Our politicians may try and get us to believe that they have some influence, but in truth it is unlikely they will ever have any kind of sway over those who truly wield power - those with nuclear weapons. I sincerely hope the day never comes that weapons of mass destruction are on our doorstep.

Peace.

2003-04-08T12:22:00.000Z

So I took this Personality Test I came across on Fiki's blog. I must admit that it came as a surprise that I didn't seem to have any inclination towards any personality disorder. In fact, every one of my results for each of ten personality disorders came back as Low. Am I dead or something?

2003-03-25T13:38:00.000Z

I realise I'm just joining a long list of those who have already posted, but this one goes out to Ed and Jackie who have gotten engaged. I wish them enough.

2003-03-19T13:20:00.000Z

I had my phone stolen on Monday, spoiling what was otherwise an excellent weekend in Cork. I think I pretty much got to see everyone I wanted to that was still in the country at the time. I should hopefully have another phone by the weekend, but if you could mail me your numbers, that would be cool, and save me the hassle of trying to track them down.

2003-03-13T11:35:00.000Z

Farscape : The End

For any of you that may be following Farscape by watching Monday night's regular a few days late on tape, or who has plans to catch season 4 on video or DVD when it is released later in the year, I say this: Do not watch the last episode of the series. Stop watching at the end of the penultimate episode. I say this only to spare you frustration of never knowing what comes next. I believe it was made when they had the fifth series ready to go, and as a result, it ends on a cliffhanger that obviously expected to have another series to follow.

Except it doesn't - some pen-pushing studio/channel mogul/asshole at the Sci-Fi channel (despite solid if not spectacular ratings) decided that there would be no more Farscape. And the rumoured details of the contract regarding the license - that anyone who wants to pick up season 5 would not only have to buy the rights for that season, but all 88 episodes of the previous four series as well as having to re-build the set of Moya - mean its extremely unlikely we'll ever see the planned season 5, or even a follow up tv-movie that was mooted as a way of tying up loose ends.

So farewell to one of the best sci-fi series to grace our screens. I leave you with possibly my favourite quote from the show's 4 seasons:

D'Argo: 'The bad news is that you are married and you must endure as a statue for eighty cycles in a strange world.'
Crichton: 'What's the good news?'
D'Argo: 'Chiana and I are having fantastic sex.'

2003-03-07T10:48:00.000Z

OK, after a week and a half trying to get the damn thing to publish my posts from last week, by blog finally starts to update again the minute I go setting up a new one. Typical. Anyway, hopefully normal and more regular service will be resumed now.

Got my tickets this morning for Slane, which should be amazing this year - Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Feeder and PJ Harvey are all confirmed acts so far. Apparently they sold 21,000 tickets in the first 15 minutes, so if you're thinking about going, I'd get moving on it now.

2003-02-24T11:12:00.000Z

Movie review : The Ring

I've always been a fan of horror movies, pretty much across the genre. It’s rare though, to find one that moves me to the point of that signature of a good horror - actually feeling the hairs on the back of my neck rising. I think the only time I'm really jumped at something was during Seven, when the Sloth victim moves unexpectedly. So I must admit that I was pleased to find another film capable of a similar effect. The Ring delivers a neat and straightforward story hook, is well rounded in all areas of plot and character development, and keeps nerves on edge by the generation of a truly disturbing atmosphere, something which so many horror movies overlook in favour of repeated screeching jolts. There is one spectacularly shocking moment, and it is so simply delivered that it is almost a perfect example of what a horror scene should be. On several occasions the packed cinema was reduced to the nervous giggling that can only follow a round of shrieks and screams, but after that particular scare, I don't think anyone felt like laughing.

The only flaw I could find with the Ring was the irritatingly unnecessary flashback-style pointers dotted throughout - I felt at times like it was trying too hard to show us a trail of clues, and given that the style of the movie was to imprint certain images on your memory, showing them again later was almost like admitting it may have failed at that. Perhaps the director was worried that the well-paced scares had driven them from your mind, but he need not have worried. If he was using them to drag your mind back kicking and screaming to those previous images, then it is ingeniously done, but they felt more like a dumbing down of an interesting plot hook to me. It is a minor flaw though in an otherwise classy film.

The Ring is an excellent movie, more than worthy of the horror genre, and if you are not averse to a good scare, go see it as soon as you can. 9/10

2003-01-29T17:31:00.000Z

Well, I'm back. After 2 months of not having time to do anything but apply for jobs while online, I have a steady job again for at least the next 6 months, so hopefully my blog will get a few more updates. That's all for today though.

2002-11-27T10:58:00.000Z

http://gordono.friendtest.com

Maximum score is 100. Enjoy, and if you create your own one, throw a link into the comments.

2002-11-25T16:44:00.000Z

Two reviews.

28 Days Later: Even if this review was written 28 years later, I'm not sure that I'd be able to recommend this film in all good conscience. It is a very good movie. Its just not a whole lot of fun. The plot is relatively simple - a man awakens from a short coma days after an outbreak of a virus (codenamed 'Rage') that turns your average human into a ravenous bloodthirsty animal in about 20 seconds, to find the city abandoned (some breathtaking shots of an empty London) except for the odd rampaging pack of these zombified humans ('the infected'). Naturally, it continues down the line of a search for other survivors and the hope of escape. All this outlining is handled in the first ten minutes, so nothing is spoiled for you here. The tension and action involving the Infected is intense and leaves your nerves raw, with just enough time to recover your composure before the next encounter, in true schlock-horror fashion. But it is the degeneration of the morals and values of the small band of survivors, which mirrors the devolution of the Infected, that is most terrifying and in the end leaves you feeling distinctly uneasy about the movie as a whole. I came away from the cinema feeling disturbed by the whole thing. I would tell you to go see it, but I don't wish that kind of disquieting feeling upon anyone. 7/10

'Riot Act' - Pearl Jam: I had been looking forward to this album for some time, resisting temptations to download the whole thing from the web and surviving on the few clips from the band's website. I had originally planned on buying it on release day, getting home, listening to it three/four times in one evening and writing a review as quickly as possible. I'm glad I didn't. This is not an album that will grab you and blow your mind away on first listen. But it is damn close to the best that Pearl Jam has ever produced. As anyone who has followed and really listened to Pearl Jam's music from 'Ten' through to 'Binaural' will know, the band has never settled for reproducing the sounds that made the previous album a hit, and have never shied away from evolving their style, both lyrically and musically, to a different level. 'Riot Act' is a fantastic album, though its taken me 20+ listens to feel some of its magic. There are a couple of tracks that will jump out straight away - 'Save You', 'Crop Duster' and 'Ghost' are signature Pearl Jam tracks, while 'Love Boat Captain' and 'I am Mine' carry some of the simplest and yet most potent emotion on the album. 'Thumbing my Way' is a beautiful track, its melodies haunting and meandering - my favourite from the album, and quickly becoming one of my favourite of all time. In reflection of the band's life, many of the songs are politically aggressive - 'Bushleaguer' is a not-at-all-veiled commentary on the the state of the Union - in line with their work in supporting Ralph Nader's campaign in the last elections. None of these tracks take away from the central theme of the album though - Hope. Several of the tracks insist that even in the worst of times, both emotionally and socially, there is hope for a better future. 'Riot Act' is an excellent album, but even for the most ardent Pearl Jam fan, it may take some time to reach that conclusion. It is worth the time to let it grow on you. 9/10

2002-11-18T14:01:00.000Z

So in other, not so good news, I found out this morning that my contract is not being renewed, so I'm out of a job at the end of next week. Bugger. I wonder if Santa's Kingdom has an positions for fat elves open?

2002-11-08T12:05:00.000Z

Waking. First glimpse of the sky. Clouds hover on every horizon, masking the sun. Rising. Only patches of sky can be seen as clouds race in to cover the day. Memories of sunlight are forgotten, pushed away by the onrushing gloom. Charcoal shadows promise a thunderous storm, crushing a soul screaming for the sweet release of rain that never comes. Walking and Drowning. Every breath choked by tears unreleased. Limbs weighted like lead, dulled by a desire for the sun that seems like a distant dream. Listening. The sound of silence screams of a voice now absent, every breath of wind whispers a name. Lying. Sleep beckons as a plunge into a depthless pool. Fighting the nightly slide into darkness because it ends in the pain of morning. Last thoughts are of the sun, and the hope of one day awakening to a clear sky and a touch of its warmth. Dreaming.

2002-11-07T12:27:00.000Z

Happy birthday to Niamh :)

Heading to Cork this weekend, which will no doubt prove to be a bad way to recover from my week in Luxembourg. Bored in work - still waiting to be assigned to a new project, which is good in one way, but incredibly tedious in others. Plenty of time to surf, though I think I'm down to the last few pages of the internet now.

2002-11-06T17:04:00.000Z

Today is November 6th, as you may well have noted from the date stamp for this post. One year ago today, I did the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. Getting on the plane to go to the other side of the world was easy by comparison. A lot can happen in a year, but its not really a long time - just once around the sun.

2002-10-24T13:26:00.000Z

I went to see XXX last night. I'd attempt some sort of review but I'm not entirely sure I could break down the movie in such a way as to constitute an actual review. It might have been easier if I'd written this last night, having left my brain safely tucked away in bed while I was at the movie, because then I'd be able to give you my immediate reaction to the movie, which was something along the lines of: Cool. Way cool. With the explosions and the great stunts and the snowboarding down an avalanche. Fantastic. I guess that will have to do. XXX is an excellent action movie that keeps on going, squeezing in as many Xtreme sports and extreme stunts as possible, never really relenting long enough to allow the adrenaline flow to slow down. Don't go if you want an international spy-thriller movie with a subtle plot and intricate characters. If you just want to see cool shit that will make you want to take up every death-defying sport out there, go see it right now. And Vin Diesel (surely a nominee for the Arnold Schwarzenneger award for action-movie acting skills) will apparently keep the girlies happy.

2002-10-16T14:29:00.000Z

That week went by very quickly. Seems time has been rushing past for a while now, and suddenly its less than ten weeks to Christmas. Last week, I had the fortune to do a couple of things I'd never done before - fire a gun, and ride a horse. Though no doubt this will come across as trite tree-hugging crap, the latter was by far the more fulfilling experience. I was genuinely scared when we began our all-too-short ride down to the edge of the Blessington lakes, taking in the early evening sunshine as we cantered along the shore. It was a simply wonderful experience, one which I hope to repeat sooner rather than later.

I had a pretty good weekend in Cork too. Despite a magnificent demonstration of woopsiness from Geoff, who appeared to have a midnight bedtime, it was well worth the ever-increasing train fare to see those that I got to catch up with. Just a pity I didn't get to call out to Fordie, but I will next time I'm down. I take it as a sign that I've very definitely reached a different stage in my life - I was extremely appreciative of being able to spend time with good friends, drinking good wine and being able to talk instead of shout, which is what annoyed us all, I think, in the pub on Friday. Weekends like that are just too short...

2002-10-09T08:47:00.000Z

Words. They are so very unwieldy when it comes to the things we'd most like to describe - feelings, beauty, ideas. We nearly always have to describe such things in terms of another experience, which in the end, rarely comes close to what it is we're trying to communicate. So there's little point in trying to write about what I think or feel today because the words don't fit. Which kind of makes this blog entry a bit useless too. Oh well...

2002-10-07T10:11:00.000Z

And once again its Monday. Weekends go by all too quickly, though that might not necessarily apply to the ones spent languishing in Wexford, which quite often can't go quickly enough. I reckon I shouldn't go home when I have a lot on my mind, because it just results in questions about why I'm looking so thoughtful, none of which I want to answer. Still, it was only one night, so I can't really complain. *really* looking forward to being in Cork this weekend - I can't believe I've been down there so rarely since I came home. Still, that's what screwing up your finances does to you.

News on the living arrangements front. Considering staying in the flat I'm in now and just looking for a flatmate. Though I'm still also looking at leaving Dublin as a possibility if I could pick up a job elsewhere - Cork, or London being the main options, I guess. As you can probably tell, I'm not all that sure either :P Life-sorting decisions aren't easy.

2002-10-03T14:41:00.000Z

Well, Morgan pretty much covered it is in comment on my previous post, but yes, the movie was rubbish. I paid the price for not really being bothered by what we saw and as a result ended up at My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which is best described as a Romantic Comedy without much Romance and pretty short on the Comedy. I think I enjoyed it more because I expected it to be rubbish so the few brief laughs, even though they were always at the expense of the hapless man (Father or Fiance) on screen at the time, were enjoyable. Still, if you haven't been, don't go. Just don't. Its really not worth it, even when you have a Moooolti-Pass.

Still, I feel it only fair that I absolve Niamh of all blame for the choice too, seeing as I made no effort whatsoever to come up with a better option from the rather poor range of movies on offer. Apathy has no place in a cinema lobby...

2002-10-02T15:22:00.000Z

It's a real wintry day up here in Dublin today - the sort of day that has you wishing you were going home to a house with a fireplace in it (unless of course, you have one already) and a large couch on which you could stretch out close to a roaring fire. Heading to the cinema this evening, so there will likely be a review of whatever I end up seeing tomorrow. Though I could have just posted this tomorrow instead, that would have been the smart thing...

2002-10-01T10:12:00.000Z

I spent a long time last night thinking (yes, in complete contradiction to my post yesterday, but this was a bit of self-reflection, rather than out-thinking my instincts yet again) about things - general life stuff, you know? I realised I'm at probably the most uncertain time in my life right now - no definite job beyond the end of November, no place to live after the end of October, no relationship ties, no plan laid out for the time beyond that. Its very unsettling, when you'd think it would be kind of liberating. I'm not entirely sure what I want to do about any of those things facing me either, and its not like I have a whole lot of time to resolve them. If I want to stay in Dublin, and get a place somewhere city centre(which I think is the only definite in all of this, if I do stay in Dublin) then I'll need to sign a year's lease etc. But how can I do that when my current contract runs out at the end of November, and with the job market the way it is, no certainty of picking up something else?

Other options present themselves as a result: Move home for an indefinite period, working and saving every penny to get out again? This thought lasts a mere few seconds whenever it enters my mind as I know I'd go insane in Wexford. The thought of moving home makes me cringe, though I'm not sure I can put into words exactly why. I could also move to Cork, where I know I've got a great bunch of friends, and I know the place well. Cheaper city to live in too. Jobs a bit hard to come by though. There's also a possible move to London - a new adventure. Find a job and work hard at it, try and get a future together over there. Might be easier said than done, and I don't know a whole lot of people over there, but then I didn't know a single person in Cork when I moved there either. Paula's promised to take care of me though (get your mind out of the gutter!!). Or I could move to Singapore :)

I thought putting all this down on screen might help me clear away a few strands of confusion, but it hasn't really. Not really surprising though....

2002-09-30T15:36:00.000Z

If you haven't already read it, go read Bernard's blog for the 28/09 (link on the left). The guy has a gift for describing musical experience that I can only dream of, and his account here is astonishingly soul-touching. I wish I had been there, and after reading this piece, I almost feel I was...

2002-09-30T12:59:00.000Z

Well, its been ages since I updated. Don't ask me why I just got around to it today. I've decided that Monday mornings are about 3 hours longer than every other morning, but no-one ever talks about it. This morning has just dragged on and on though that may well be because time is slightly warped when measured in little blue bars crawling across the screen that tell you a job is 95% done in 15 seconds but takes 20 minutes to do the remaining 5%.

Thought for the day: Don't think too much, just do. Thinking too hard about things results in missed opportunities, and life is just too damn short. We have instinct for a reason - to cut out all that thinking bullshit when its required because the rest of your being is telling you something is right. If you've paused long enough to remember me posting this, you've probably been thinking too much already.

Yes, I am aware of the irony of having a Thought for the day about not thinking. And if anyone knows of a way I can force myself to practice what I preach, let me know. I've been thinking too hard all my life.

2002-08-20T11:54:00.000Z

You know, I thought I'd be more excited about the new football season - I'd been looking forward to it since the World Cup finished all those years ago. Maybe its just too early for it to be any way exciting or something (and before all you non-football fans post abuse, each to his own). The Grand Prix season has also been a let down. Thank God, or our own ancestors, for the art of hurling though. As usual for this time of year, I try and catch the hurling games on TV. The Tipperary vs. Kilkenny match was soul-stirring at times (and god knows, having grown up in Wexford where you can't say much good about Kilkenny, and having a Corkman for a father which means that praising Tipp is tantamount to blasphemy) - proof that when played at the top level, no other sport in the world can match it. I'm not quite mad enough to have ever played it, but nothing beats it as a spectator sport.

Stayed late at work last night to play Return to Castle Wolfenstein with some workmates. As a kind of short review for FPS fans, I'd have to say that Medal of Honour is better for atmosphere, but RtCW may just edge it for playablity in multiplayer (not even sure if MoH has a multiplayer option, now that I think about it, but I assume it has). Still Counterstike holds my preference over all, even if that is a bit of an antiquated view.

2002-08-19T10:08:00.000Z

Another week gone already. Went to see MIB 2 early last week, which was brief, but reasonably entertaining. Nothing special though. I did have the urge to beat several other members of the audience to death with their mobile phones, but restrained myself - how difficult is it to turn them off? Weekend plan to go home was ruined by one of those hangovers on Saturday morning that felt like what I would describe as death if it weren't for the pain caused by it which could only signify life.

2002-08-12T12:51:00.000Z

The weekend seemed to go really quicly this week, perhaps a symptom of being in a busy job once more. I realised last week that I now knew what I had been missing in work - a deadline. The IBM job had no deadline, no goal to work towards and a rating system that meant 5 bad minutes one day could ruin your stats for what could be an otherwise perfect month. I guess I really do work best under pressure, when I actually feel like I have to get something done by a given time. Which is nice, shame its only for 8 more weeks.... anyone got a job for me?

Friday I went to see Resident Evil for a laugh, expecting a truly awful movie that was neither faithful to the game nor in any way frightening. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong on both counts. It was an excellent adaptation of the game (and hopefully will spawn the sequels that will be equally accurate), with superb touches that only players to the game would get, without ever drowing out the action. Sure, the basic plot is kinda thin, but no more than any other Action-Adventure movie. The atmosphere was pretty much perfect - sound effects and their echoes adding well to the tension - and despite the fact that, as a veteran of the games, I was expecting most glass windows to shatter and have a bad guy pop through, I was still jumpy when those things happened. The zombies were disturbing in their mindlessness - you really never wanted to be caught in a room with any number of them, no matter how many bullets you had at your disposal. Overall, a pretty much flawless transfer to the cinema screen of one of the best computer games I've ever played. Thumpingly loud soundtrack too. Argue the plot points if you wish, but you'll be missing out on a thoroughly enjoyable Sci-Fi Action/Horror, the kind of movie Alien Resurrection *should* have been.

2002-07-26T13:00:00.000Z

I promised a Minority Report review earlier in the week, but never got around to it. To be honest, I didn't think it was that great - a few minor flaws across the movie built up enough for me not to rate it as highly as some other bloggers. The continuing tendency to add Playstation game levels to movies that have any special effects is especially annoying (the leaping from car to car crap) and I felt that the cop-out ending where the prediction turns out to be wrong overdid the moral spoon-feeding that pervaded the entire movie. Anyone with any sense of justice can see that the system is wrong, but we were never given the chance to decide that for ourselves - the *overwhelming* mood of the entire picture is about that. The movie would have been a whole lot better if it achieved (or even tried to achieve) the opposite - *almost* persuading us that it was right, that it was perfect, only to shatter that at the end. An enjoyable movie, I was just left with a sour taste in my mouth after being force-fed more Hollywood morals.

2002-07-23T13:35:00.000Z

I am sick. No, not in the mental or emotional way that many of you may have believed. Just sick. After pulling a sickie on Monday to see Cat off to the airport, Karma decided to have a good laugh at me and inflict a fairly evil chest infection upon me, which has had me laid low for a week now. I do have the tablet count down to only ten a day now though - thank god for sliding scales on those steroid prescriptions. Then again, I suppose I have probably built up a whole lot of sick-day bad karma over the past few years, so I guess I deserve it.

2002-07-12T14:54:00.000Z

Well, its been more than a week since I posted, but that's turning out to be no surprise at all. Spent last weekend in Cork, and struggled through what seemed to be almost entirely work time this week. Watched Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon again during the week - I had forgotten what a stunning movie it is. Many say they were disappointed after all the hype about it, but way back when it came out, I waited six weeks before seeing it and caught it in the Screen cinema here in Dublin, which I think just added to my appreciation of it. This weekend, I have to make room for visiting American relations as well as seeing Cat off on her way to Edinburgh. I'm also going to try and make it to at least two out three movies: Minority Report, Scooby Doo, and Resident Evil (yes, I'm up for a mindless viewing weekend) so expect some reviews on Monday.

2002-07-04T15:48:00.000Z

Talking is good. It still amazes me how the simple act of talking about something changes it (or a situation) not a whit, and even if there is no real exchange of opinion, or change of view from where you were at the start of the conversation, it can lighten the load a little. Strange.

2002-07-02T12:37:00.000Z

Already a week since I last posted. Had a good weekend in Nottingham, playing L5R at the UK Kotei, and generally catching up with friends. Very much what I needed, I think. Though a few more hours sleep wouldn't have gone astray. Late night ferry trips are especially cool, moonlight seems to stretch forever in reflection across the sea. The trip back was chaotic due to high winds making the HSS seem like a child's plaything on the waves.

2002-06-25T15:51:00.000Z

I hereby decree that the Germans are the official party-poopers of the 2002 World Cup. We all wanted Korea to win it. They deserved something for their attacking play, their imagination. But no, the Germans ground out another 1-0 win, leaving Ireland as the only team to have scored against them on their way to the final. We'd have kicked their asses if we were there today.

2002-06-21T14:45:00.000Z

Its Friday again. How the hell did that happen? Not that I'm complaining, Friday is always one of the more enjoyable days of the week. Off home for the weekend, so if I survive the mind-numbing effect Wexford usually has on me, I'll try and post something more interesting....

2002-06-14T15:46:00.000Z

Well its been a busy week of settling into and, more importantly, finding the loopholes in my new job - hence the lack of posts this week. I had Monday off, so I'm kinda dreading the end of this weekend when I face the harsh reality of a full week of this getting up at 6.30ish to catch a bus in town that can get me to work on time. But other than that, its been good. Ireland won and therefore gave the whole country an excuse for one more giant pissup. It will be tough against Spain, but if we play like we did against Germany, I can see the Spanish buckling under the pressure. Sorry I missed Ubercon, but taking x money from no money just doesn't work, at least when you don't have an overdraft. Trying to save for the UK Kotei now.

2002-06-07T16:32:00.000Z

Oh, by the way, it turns out I'm a Chaotic Good Half-Elf Ranger Druid. Apparently.

2002-06-07T15:55:00.000Z

Well, my first two days in the job proper, and all is well enough. Its a long and difficult day, but at least not every call is the same. I'm sure it will seem like that once the novelty of taking calls wears off and the joy of geting that call you know the answer to turns to bitter annoyance at the fact that so many people can be that damn stupid. But I'm quite happy to have a second honeymoon period with this job - the first being the first couple of weeks of sequestered training which quickly turned into a race for the pool room every time someone suggested a break. Today, I've dealt with calls ranging from those obscure applications that only some poor git in the scottish highlands office still uses, to a user (in this case read crazed and rather foolish woman) who mistook an ad on Yahoo for a virus warning and was hysterically looking for me to save her computer. Madness.... how do people like that *get* jobs in IBM?

2002-06-05T14:04:00.000Z

It is entirely possible that I died watching that game. This may well be my ghost haunting my keyboard after I died due to a massive coronary. But it was a good game. And for those 90 minutes, nuclear war *could* have broken out and quite frankly, I wouldn't have cared. I am thankful for the fact that I can post somewhere, because its unlikely I'll be able to talk for several days. If we'd scored 10 minutes earlier, we may well have beaten them, but at least now we have a solid chance of qualifying. A good day all round. We'll no doubt be watching the Cameroon vs. Saudi Arabia game tomorrow like our own lads were playing.

2002-06-04T12:46:00.000Z

And so I join the list of those who have passed on from their early 20s, hanging desperately on to the mid-20s at 26. I feel just like I did yesterday, not surprisingly.

2002-06-04T10:33:00.000Z

Making you work on a Bank Holiday Monday is arguably the worst thing a boss can do to you. And to find that you really weren't needed in the first place and in fact missed out on absolutely nothing because 75% of your target group that you support had the day off, really doesn't help. But I've forgiven them, for the moment. At least they have the football on big screens so I get to see some of the games. Its not quite like what I've done for previous World Cups - literally vegging in front of the various channel's coverage for a month. RTE are officially the World Cup channel, showing something like 54 of the games over the next month live. RTE bosses must be delighted they don't have to fill those gaps with normal TV. Looking forward to tomorrow now - I think a draw is a likely result, but if the Irish team show the passion and skill showed on Saturday during the second half, who could possibly rule out a win?

2002-05-31T14:20:00.000Z

Sometimes, even people you've known for a long time and who believe you know quite well have the ability to surprise you. More often than not, its in a bad way, but every now and again, its good. So the thought for the day is that change is good, both for you and everyone else. The people that matter are the ones that can see that.

2002-05-30T08:20:00.000Z

I never realised how much interest some people take in my personal life, whether they're part of the sending or receiving of reports on what I've been up to. Weird. Never believed it worth that much attention to be honest - from anyone other than me at least. Apparently, sometimes its even worth posting about on a public media. Now I feel like I may have to do some things out of the ordinary to keep my profile up. Or I might just go on living my own life as normal, which seems far more likely, and you'll probably hear about it elsewhere anyway.

2002-05-29T11:07:00.000Z

For those of you who, like me, have probably spent too much time playing games on everything from a ViC20 to a high-end PC, I'd recommend a vist to www.penny-arcade.com. I almost guarantee you'll find some strip based on a situation you've faced in some game, sometime. Total nerd humour.

2002-05-29T10:14:00.000Z

Well this morning brings the new sthat Roy Keane now won't be heading back to joing the Irish World Cup team. While I'm disappointed by the news, I never really saw any other resolution to the whole thing. Hopefully, it will drop from the headlines of the news now - its certainly the last time I'll be posting on it, though expect my reactions to the Ireland games in the weeks ahead. We're left with essentially the team that went to Portugal and took points of one of the most creative and dangerous teams on their home patch. I don't see why the 22 players that are left can't easily steer us out of the group stages and beyond - just a matter of how much damage has been done to team spirit and how good a job the manager and senior players do in rallying the squad. I just hope its a better job than they did in losing our best player.... More from me later, I'm sure.

2002-05-28T16:12:00.000Z

Added the comments feature from YACCS having waited nearly 5 hours for the next opening to sign up. But it appears to be working OK.

2002-05-28T15:42:00.000Z

Waiting is the worst part.....

Don't you just hate waiting for a site to come back up / accept subscriptions / end an auction? Especially with my tendency to concentrate hard on making sure I don't miss something, quite possibly for hours on end, only to be distracted with something like 5 minutes to go. And all this so I can add YACCS comments to this blog....

2002-05-28T09:30:00.000Z

Here's the short version - much less eloquent than the longer post I lost.

Keane is arguably the greatest player ever to put on an Irish jersey, and easily the best we have right now. To have him miss the World Cup through injury would be tragic, to lose him in this way is insanity. That is the shorter version of my thoughts on it. But there are more important things than football.

Our own Taoiseach takes a break from setting up our own future government to broken a peace deal. Bizarrely, his focus is not the nuclear powers conducting missile tests, possibly on the brink of a cataclysmic war, but on two men involved in our soccer team. Rising tensions surrounding Kashmir are relegated to third and fourth on the news agenda. The final results of our own general elections have been drowned out by constant news reports on how nothing has changed in the Roy Keane saga.

A famous quote from the football world comes to mind - 'It's not a matter of life and death, its more important than that'. During the 90 minutes of a match, I'd be inclined to agree a lot of the time. But in the grand scheme of things, its not, it *is* only a game.

2002-05-28T09:18:00.000Z

Bollox. Just wrote a really long piece on the whole Roy Keane thing and its importance in the general scheme of things and it appears to have been lost. Note to self - write in Notepad in future so that when IE screws up, you have a backup to cut and paste from. .... :(

2002-05-28T08:35:00.000Z

Hopefully added some links to other blogs down the left - publishing to be sure it worked

2002-05-27T14:40:00.000Z

Ok, it was only a matter of time before I joined the list of bloggers. And I'll be moving this to my webpage once I get it up and running again.... honest