Election time in Ireland. I'll be voting Green, Tony McDermott to be specific. He's a good guy.
[If you are Irish] Make sure you are registered to vote. And... Go vote on the 24th May!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Montreal Soaring Council
My new favourite phrase! If I ever form a band, it will without doubt be called The Montreal Soaring Council
Nearly as good as Boards of Canada
Nearly as good as Boards of Canada
Friday, April 20, 2007
Sack Wolfowitz
Sign the petition and get the two faced warmonger out of office - Fire Paul Wolfowitz
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Armed America
Armed America: Portraits of Americans and their Guns.
"Dan: I consider the ownership of arms not only a right, but the duty of a free people to themselves and future generations."
Scary stuff.
"Dan: I consider the ownership of arms not only a right, but the duty of a free people to themselves and future generations."
Scary stuff.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Canadian Impressions
Just spent 6 weird & wonderful days in Canada and rather than bore you with a story, here's a list of thoughts:
* Tax isn't included in the price: So a 14 dollar CD actually costs $15.67.
* Things cost stupid amounts even before tax: A beer at Montreal airport was $6.18 before tax and $7.34 after tax... Now you think somebody would go "Gee 7.34 is kind of an odd number lets say 7.50 and find out what it should cost before tax (like the rest of the world does...)
* Bad road signage, half the signs on the road into Montreal were unreadable, the rest were just plain confusing.
* Cars don't have indicators: Yes the rest of the world has those funky orange things on the sides of the lights to show that the driver wants to turn. In Canada the brake light flashes... So at first you are not sure if they are braking or turning.
* Quebec cars don't have front registration plates: Also a world first, the rest of Canada has them, but in Quebec province cars don't have to have front reg plates. It begs the question how the police can check up on a car that is driving behind them... Hit the brakes and wait for the car to pass? On a different matter, I'm all for federalism, but surely things like reg plates can be decided at national level?
* Breakfast in hotels is shown as "complementary": Well really it's either included in the price of the room or not, but showing it as "complementary" just falsely shows the hotel's largess.
* Water: Everywhere. There's always a chilled jug of water around. None of this paying for water shite in Europe.
* Service: Yes, it is excellent. They apologise if they don't make it to your table in under a minute. But as service personnel live on tips you always have the feeling that it is a massively fake niceness. Don't get me started on having to tip barmen. One Dollar for reaching into a fridge and using a bottle opener?
* Portions: Big. The food is also excellent.
* Cleanliness: Not sure if this is good or bad, but there are liquid soaps every 10m in Canadian buildings. On the train there is even a sign showing you "how to wash your hands properly". In the radio station there is anti-bacterial hand wash at the bottom and top of the escalators...
* The people are genuinely friendly and open: Not to mention Irish loving.
* Conversation is very much linear: It is hard to spot at first but after a while you see that conversation is a bit like football. One person has the ball (is speaking) and only when they are finished what the wanted to say do they pass it on to the next person. Interjections, Quips, Talk-over, Wisecracks etc. are definitely not the norm. For someone used to Irish "who ever speaks loudest & funniest wins" conversation it is very weird
* Tax isn't included in the price: So a 14 dollar CD actually costs $15.67.
* Things cost stupid amounts even before tax: A beer at Montreal airport was $6.18 before tax and $7.34 after tax... Now you think somebody would go "Gee 7.34 is kind of an odd number lets say 7.50 and find out what it should cost before tax (like the rest of the world does...)
* Bad road signage, half the signs on the road into Montreal were unreadable, the rest were just plain confusing.
* Cars don't have indicators: Yes the rest of the world has those funky orange things on the sides of the lights to show that the driver wants to turn. In Canada the brake light flashes... So at first you are not sure if they are braking or turning.
* Quebec cars don't have front registration plates: Also a world first, the rest of Canada has them, but in Quebec province cars don't have to have front reg plates. It begs the question how the police can check up on a car that is driving behind them... Hit the brakes and wait for the car to pass? On a different matter, I'm all for federalism, but surely things like reg plates can be decided at national level?
* Breakfast in hotels is shown as "complementary": Well really it's either included in the price of the room or not, but showing it as "complementary" just falsely shows the hotel's largess.
* Water: Everywhere. There's always a chilled jug of water around. None of this paying for water shite in Europe.
* Service: Yes, it is excellent. They apologise if they don't make it to your table in under a minute. But as service personnel live on tips you always have the feeling that it is a massively fake niceness. Don't get me started on having to tip barmen. One Dollar for reaching into a fridge and using a bottle opener?
* Portions: Big. The food is also excellent.
* Cleanliness: Not sure if this is good or bad, but there are liquid soaps every 10m in Canadian buildings. On the train there is even a sign showing you "how to wash your hands properly". In the radio station there is anti-bacterial hand wash at the bottom and top of the escalators...
* The people are genuinely friendly and open: Not to mention Irish loving.
* Conversation is very much linear: It is hard to spot at first but after a while you see that conversation is a bit like football. One person has the ball (is speaking) and only when they are finished what the wanted to say do they pass it on to the next person. Interjections, Quips, Talk-over, Wisecracks etc. are definitely not the norm. For someone used to Irish "who ever speaks loudest & funniest wins" conversation it is very weird
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Intelligence Insulted
3 posts in one day. Shocker.
Now we all know the world of big business needs to make profits. Granted. So what do they do, to achieve this?
1) Reduce costs
2) Rebrand existing products as new
3) Create new products
4) Innovate on existing products
In some areas it is pretty difficult to reduce costs, because they are already nearly as low as they can go. Therefore companies go for strategy 2. Washing powder would be a case in point. Thus we have these amazing ads that suddenly proclaim "NEW Ariel washes 11% cleaner" or "Persil gets the same results at 30 degrees". It really is difficult to believe these messages. My clothes were perfectly clean 10 years ago, so how come Daz has improved 6 times in that period?? How can you squeeze more cleaning power out of a minuscule white granule??
As for points 3 & 4 - I'm out of blades for my Gillette super dooper Mach 3 razor, but the supermarket was out of them too so I was considering the even more superfandabidoozy Fusion razor (now with 5, Five, Cinque, Funf blades). I was already more than happy with my 3 bladed razor, but this is a penis envy thing only guys will understand ("My razor has more blades than yours AND it vibrates!"). In a moment of clarity I just took a look at the price of the blades - 14.99 EUR for 4 blades. Quick check on price of [non-existent] Mach 3 blades - 7.99 EUR.
Now, I'm not a rocket scientist, non even a nuclear physicist, but pay twice the price for the same product? Will it shave twice as quick? Or will it be twice as pleasurable?? I will I be so smooth that women will just slide off my face???
Gillette, you suck giant anteater cahones.
The Onion thinks so too. So there.
Now we all know the world of big business needs to make profits. Granted. So what do they do, to achieve this?
1) Reduce costs
2) Rebrand existing products as new
3) Create new products
4) Innovate on existing products
In some areas it is pretty difficult to reduce costs, because they are already nearly as low as they can go. Therefore companies go for strategy 2. Washing powder would be a case in point. Thus we have these amazing ads that suddenly proclaim "NEW Ariel washes 11% cleaner" or "Persil gets the same results at 30 degrees". It really is difficult to believe these messages. My clothes were perfectly clean 10 years ago, so how come Daz has improved 6 times in that period?? How can you squeeze more cleaning power out of a minuscule white granule??
As for points 3 & 4 - I'm out of blades for my Gillette super dooper Mach 3 razor, but the supermarket was out of them too so I was considering the even more superfandabidoozy Fusion razor (now with 5, Five, Cinque, Funf blades). I was already more than happy with my 3 bladed razor, but this is a penis envy thing only guys will understand ("My razor has more blades than yours AND it vibrates!"). In a moment of clarity I just took a look at the price of the blades - 14.99 EUR for 4 blades. Quick check on price of [non-existent] Mach 3 blades - 7.99 EUR.
Now, I'm not a rocket scientist, non even a nuclear physicist, but pay twice the price for the same product? Will it shave twice as quick? Or will it be twice as pleasurable?? I will I be so smooth that women will just slide off my face???
Gillette, you suck giant anteater cahones.
The Onion thinks so too. So there.
Lookalikes
I'm not sure if I am flattered or not, but over the years I have been told I look like many people. There is definitely a short, dark haired theme going on, but Mark Williams? Please.
Mark Little (RTE Newsreader). Twice.
Mark Williams (Snooker Player). Once.
Ross (Friends). Twice.
Cameron (Ferris Bueller's Day Off). Once.
Try your own home made analysis at MyHeritage
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