Kiddie Blog

So, we are due to have a little baby in March next year. It is without a doubt the most exciting and scary time of my life - and that's just thinking about it. What if it becomes a Manure fan (it wont I assure you, but still an adequate fear to have)? What if its totally different to me? How will I cope with less than 8 hours sleep? All questions that have me fretting.

However. if I ever make a website or blog showing endless, mind-numbing pictures of the little tyke you have my permission to put me down.

That is all.

p.s. yyyyiiipppppppppppeeeeeeeee

Mo, mo, Movember

I am growing a moustache this year for Movember. I have decided to put down my razor for one month (November) and help raise awareness and funds for men's health - specifically prostate cancer.

What many people don't appreciate is that men have a 1 in 12 chance of developing prostate cancer during the course of their lifetime and that prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, after skin cancer in Ireland. Facts like these have convinced me I should get involved and I am hoping that you will support me.

To donate to my Mo, you can either:
* Click this link http://ie.movember.com/mospace/177339/ and donate online using your credit card or debit card
* Write a cheque payable to Irish Cancer Society referencing my Registration Number 177339 and mailing it to: Movember - Irish Cancer Society, 43/45 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4

Movember is now in its second year here in Ireland and, the first year already saw some great results by working alongside The Irish Cancer Society. Check out further details at: http://ie.movemberfoundation.com/research-and-programs.

If you are interested in following the progress of my Mo, click http://ie.movember.com/mospace/177339/. Also, http://ie.movember.com has heaps of useful information.


Mo Week 0 ---------------------------- Mo Week 1

Irish Web Awards 2009

Banshee bones, Wheelies, Tayto’s, Lovehearts, Lindt Chocolate, Glow-glasses…and that was just Thursday! Its been a long few weeks.

What can be said about the Irish Web Awards that hasn’t been said before or someone hasn’t commented about yet this week? They are different to the Bloggies but are veering towards the Bloggies in terms of the fun element. I think the Webbies were seen as different due to the business element attending, but having seen how awards should be done, everyone embraces it now to make it the best awards ceremony in town.

I was sitting beside Hugh Linehan from the Irish Times and his wife, my cousin Jeanette, who were bowled over by the awards. They have been to all the other ceremonies – Spiders, Digital Media Awards, Film & TV awards and everything else - and they said that, without a doubt, they have never enjoyed an awards ceremony so much. They loved it. They loved the fact that the audience could see, via the bestest powerpoint presentation ever created (let John or myself know if you want a copy of the 160MB of goodness) pictures of the nominees. They loved the presentation. They loved Ricks interaction with the audience and the audience being asked to assist. They loved the actual awards which were fab (thanks Fran from Made In Hollywood). They loved the cupcakes, the sweets, the crisps, the food, the atmosphere – I mean, what wasn’t there to love about the awards.

I’ve seen some bitching and back-biting already about the awards. About the food, the judging, the winners, the PowerPoint, etc and it’s not nice. The amount of work that goes into this is phenomenal. It truly is. And considering all those who work on it have a full time job it makes it all the more remarkable. There is no panel of people whose sole job it is to make the awards happen. This is done afterhours, over lunch, weekends and other hours that people can find to make it happen. Certain items are intentional. The PowerPoint was meant to be like that as Rick said. We know its not the best that could be done but the challenge to make it that bad was nearly as tough as a challenge to make something brilliant. The effort that went into setting up the event, to get sponsors on board, to get the crisps & sweets & other items was huge as lots of companies hadn’t heard of the awards and were reluctant to help out. Some were great. So, before I give a good view on things, here some things I would like to point out:

1) If you didn’t volunteer to be a judge, you have no right to bitch about who won. You had a chance to help influence the winner by helping with judging. If your favourite site didn’t make either long or short list did you nominate it? It not, then shut up.
2) Did you volunteer or ask to help out with any part of the ceremony? If not, then don’t bitch about how it was. This was run with everyones best intentions and on peoples ‘free’ time people. If its not up to your usual standards then people will understand why you are not there next year.
3) Don’t bitch about the food and everything else. Show me where you can get something different each year, free food, some free drink, awards ceremony, chance to network and have a great laugh for €35? Again, fun events are meant to be fun hence the whole glow-glasses and sweeties.

Now, onto happy joy-joy things. Firstly, thanks Damien for a great event. Another stormer. Thanks Rick for presenting in such an affable and interactive manner. You do set the tone for the rest of the evening. Thanks Lexia for running the ppt show and John for doing my nut in ;) . Lexia, I know you were reluctant to run this but no one else could have done it. Ryan, again great pics. Thanks to everyone else for making it a great night and lovely to catch up with some heads that I’ve only just met through Twitter and in person. I enjoyed the night immensely and can’t wait for the bloggies. Both are growing into great events.

Damien, if you need help…count me in.

NB: Pics from Ryan (Rymus).

Its a long road home

Date: 21st December 2008
Camera: Sony Cybershot 7.2 mega pixels
Settings: Automatic settings

Another picture on the ickle digital camera taken on the west coast of oz. I love driving on these roads. Air con up full, tunes turned up, shades on, car in top gear and only having to stop to wee or get petrol. That's the life.

A view to kill for

Date: 19th December 2008
Camera: Sony Cybershot 7.2 mega pixels
Settings: Automatic settings

Took this pic with our little travel camera. This was the view from my back door for a few days last Xmas in Oz. We were staying in Monkey Mia which is in Western Australia. What a view to wake up to in the mornings.

We need to act now

Following the revelations in today's Sunday Tribune regarding the expenses accrued by John O'Donoghue, our supposed Ceann Comhairle, while in that office I think its time something happened. Something big.

In the last two budgets the ordinary person has been severely hit in the pocket. Everyone, private sector and public sector, has been hit and yet this tool continues to squander our money on lavish trips. He stays in the best hotels, travels well above his station and worst of all - we've paid for his wife to see the world. Show me other business men that take their wife's with them on work? This is not good enough and not acceptable.

He must be sacked immediately for gross misconduct. An apology is not enough. Saying sorry for the needless spending of huge amounts of our money is not acceptable.

He should not be given the chance to explain or to pass it off onto the Joe-soap that booked trips. What I don't understand, is that the person who booked the trips when he was a minister still has a job. Surely if they booked trips that were extravagant and above what should have been spent, that's not doing the job right. But again everything glossed over and we were told to leave him alone as he said sorry...poor little bunny.

This man MUST be fired. He is not an appropriate representative of the Irish People, never has been in my eyes, and never will be. He is an example of everything that is wrong in Irish politics and with Fine Fail. He spends the tax-payers money without any thought or care for the people he was supposed to stand for and who worked harder than him to earn.

All money spent on his wife should be paid back into the tax coffers from his own personal wages. All hotels and use of car hire that was not related to his job (for example, car hire to go to horse racing events or flights to events other than state-related items) should be paid back from his personal money. His job should be terminated and he should only receive the pension money that he has accrued until now. No golden handshakes, no car, no pay off. Legislation must be changed now so that no more tax money is wasted on wasters like him or Rory Molloy. People who show disregard for their fellow people should not be rewarded as has been the case.

I think we as a people need to start to stand up and be counted or the budget will only serve to shaft us again. If we were French, German or Italian we would have taken to the streets at this stage instead of bending over and asking the Government for more sir.

Molloy needs to give back money. O'Donoghue needs to give back money and both never working in a public office job again.

Taxi regulation

A few months ago, I got a taxi from Dublin City Centre back home to northside.

I was talking to the lovely fella, lets call him Tom, about the whole taxi regulation thing and striking. A strike was coming up that weekend and he said he wouldn't be attending. His reason was he felt it was uncalled for and that taxi drivers brought it upon themselves.

Tom had been a taxi driver when it was fully regulated. Back when you had to queue for 2 hours on a Friday or Saturday night in Dublin for a taxi. Back when you called for a taxi at 7am and at 8.30am you were ringing for the 4th time to be told it would still be 10mins. Something had to change and did.

These strikes and most people marching never care about the customers. They care about themselves. When it was regulated they minted it. The customers suffered but they didn't care. When it became easier to get a plate, the customer rejoiced as it was now a much better service. Prices went up over the last few years to compensate for loss of earnings but its easier than ever before to get a plate, that itself is wrong.

Tom told me he knew people who worked 3 or 4 days a week during full regulation and that kept the family going. If they were going on holidays or needed extra money for Christmas they would work 5 or 6 days. he knew drivers that had massive houses from 3 days work.

When the news of regulation was coming in, taxi unions and drivers were approached to agree on a way forward. They refused all proposals put before them and hence what we have today was put in place. The main idea mooted to them was that each taxi driver would be issued with another plate - each of them would have two plates. They could sell that plate onto anyone and double the amount of taxis in Dublin and elsewhere. Tom told me that lots of drivers liked that idea as it would help control the numbers. Lots didn't like it as it would mean they may have to work 5 days now to earn their keep. Taxi and union heads refused and so the regulation was opened up.

Tom left the taxi business and went on the building sites during the boom. He's now near retiring age and is back in the taxi game just for something to do. He works day time hours just to have some social interaction and to "keep out of the wife's hair". He has no sympathy for the current situation as he was saying it was too controlled with no proper rota system or care for customers. He felt the two-plate idea was great but his voice, and the voice of many colleagues, wasn't heard or listened to by those apparently representing them.

If they hadn't been so pig-headed before, things could be so different now.