New DVD out!

Some bloke with a new DVD out

The new website is a little bit gay....not a lot....but still a little bit.

Seen the new show and it's cracking!

CJ DVD

With all the travelling that I've been doing, I have become the embodiment of off-line television viewing. I am the antithesis of the sister's written word ethic. Part of my packing will normally include a DVD or 2 to while away the hours in the less salubrious accommodation that I find myself in.

When I bought this Haughey DVD, I was worried that I may be on the slippery slopes to harder expat fare. I think I will dabble in Halls Pictorial Weekly DVD's, but just say NO to Brendan Grace & Hal Roach.

This program is excellent for several reasons. It went part-way to explaining to my wife why so many businessmen in Ireland behave like horse-traders, though she had new-found respect for Ben Dunne simply because he went crazy ape-shit bonkers on drugs and callgirls in Florida.

It has has one of the few contemporary mentions of the term 'latchiko' - spelling anyone? PJ Mara and Padraig Flynn display all their mental-evil-hoor glory like characters from a gothic novel. And it is always pleasing to see public figures getting sweary.

I loved it. It's magnificent telly. What made me laugh the most was that it needed no embellishment whatsoever. Telling the story straight was enough to get across how f***ed-up
Irish politics was when we were growing up. Should be compulsory viewing in schools.

Send a copy to your favourite offshore buddy.

My kind of toddling windy

So, 'cos I'm thick as pig shit me...I neglected to bring my fine 5 megapixel camera on our recent holiday/business trip to Chicago. So we're left with sub-standard camera phone shots. Despite this, I think the image of 'The Bean' in Millenium Park kind of captures what a nifty vibe there is in the city. $2.5 million dollars of circus mirror that looks like the ship from 'Flight of the Navigator'.

Aside from the fact that I had to work for the first week of the trip, MW&I squeezed in quite a bit of activity...

• Attended White Sox / Red Sox baseball game at Comiskey Park. It went to 19 innings. The sausage/hot dogs at the stadium is/are excellent.
• Art Institute / Shedd Aquarium/ Field Museum / Museum of Science & Industry / Hancock Observatory and Adler Planetarium.
• Culture Centre is FREE and a splendiferous building with occasional exhibitions
• Chicago Architecture Foundation architectural boat tour, a must.
• Hooked up with friends of the wife and old school friend of mine.
• Visited the Grafton Bar in Lincoln Park which is part owned by Joe McKittrick of Brackenstown fame.....Joe was not there when we went.
• The Green Mill, an old Capone hangout
• Stood outside the location for Championship Vinyl.
  

Personal missions included:

• Eating a Chicago deep dish pizza.....not for the faint hearted.
• Scuttling across Daley Plaza muttering 'hut hut hut' to myself. Thence to visit the Cook County assessors office.

The weather got very hot & sticky, but the AC was up to it....we did NOT want to leave.

Superbowl - a quick note

Any of you that know me, will be aware of my strange affiliation to an American Football team called the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are owned by an Irish family called the Rooneys and are one of the few non-GAA teams to have played in Croke Park.....though this won't be such a big deal soon. Anyways, the Steelers have defied the odds and have progressed to the Superbowl. I just wanted to highlight why this is particularly exciting.

The Steelers only qualified for the post-season on the last day of the regular season. They were seeded #6 out of 6 teams from the AFC (one half of the NFL). All of their post-season games have been played away: Cincinnati, Indianapolis & Denver against the #3, #2 & #1 teams respectively. Denver had not been beaten at home all season.

From a player point of view, the Steelers have a brilliant young QB called Ben Roethlisberger who will be the 2nd youngest QB to play in the Superbowl at the age of 23. On the other end of the scale, Jerome 'The Bus" Bettis will be playing his last game in a 13 year career in his home town - Detroit, home for Superbowl 40 - or Super XL if you prefer.

Last time the Steelers made the Superbowl was 1995, and I had both my arms in slings watching the game on Channel4. This year I shall be resplendant in my Steelers jersey and hoping that this will be their year.

"Here we go Steelers, here we go"

Halifax / Dalhousie

Many thanks to Queenie and friend for looking after me while I was in Halifax NS last week. This was my first proper transcontinental job, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Air Canada is NOT the most comfortable airline for long haul - particularly when your business-class arse doesn't fit in economy class seats. Air Canada call it 'Hospitality' class - hospital, yes - hospitable, no. Old school communal screens showing sanitised versions of 'Cinderella Man' & 'Thelma and Louise'...parteh!

As accentmonkey & Queenie will both tell you, Halifax is a gem of a place. Nice people (some with crraazzy accents eh?) mixed with a healthy, fresh atmosphere. There's an air of 'great things to come' and such. The weather was all over the shop: fog, rain, snow, wind, seasonally freezing conditions, unseasonally mild conditions - all in the space of 5 days, which made me feel right at home.

While there I also managed to indulge in some political debate, and almost got on local TV. While standing outside the university I was asked by a camera crew if I'd like to answer a few questions about the elections. 15 seconds of fame, here I come. "Fire away" sez I. Alas, it came to a grinding halt in the opening seconds when I was asked about my local 'ridings'. This turns out to be the Canadian word for constituency, news to me. Rather than make a total tool of myself I had to fess up to being a visitor. Damn you ridings!

Take note: Big shops don't open on a Sunday. The Mountaineering Co-op (www.mec.ca) has brilliant value in mountaineering gear. Try the smoked meat.

Sent to Coventry

So, do people in Coventry laugh when you say "I never thought I'd actually be sent to Coventry"? The answer is no. They look at you in a way that says "you think you're great, well yer not". In fact, they kind of look like that all the time. Well, the small sample group I had contact with did.

Coventry's quite interesting. Some of it is brand spankin' new, like the new super-enviro-friendly university library (pictured). And the new Cathedral's not too shabby either. I didn't get to go to the Transport Museum which houses both Thrust (II and SSC) land speed record cars. It's only open 10-5 Monday - Friday, which is useless if you're working in Coventry.

Some of Coventry is very old, ye olde old. I had the pleasure of enjoying several pints of 'Stout Snout' and 'Long Willie' [which is hilarious] in the Whitefriars Olde Ale House....I didn't add the e. Lady Godiva invented 'being an under-dressed slapper' in Coventry, probably while having several Long Willie's & blackcurrant.

Lady Godiva's husband invented the Leofric Hotel, where I stayed.....no, that didn't happen. I DID stay in the Leofric Hotel. Leofric WAS Godiva's husband. However, he had NOTHING to do with the Leofric Hotel. It lies in the centre of Coventry. It prides itself on being 'one of Coventry's most distinguished hotel'. It's like living in the Ilac Centre.

The centre of Coventry reminded me of Northside Shopping Centre (NorthSIDE, NORTHside...the great, great shopping centre). It's pretty horrible. I don't know what the geographical term is for a confluence of shopping arcades/malls, but the centre is a meeting of 'Cathedral Lanes', 'Orchard West' & 'Broadgate'. When it lashes rain and you're wearing leather soled shoes, you look like a fat, ginger ice skating c**t.....well I did.

Sadly, cousin Holly Cruise [a student of nearby Warwick University] was unable to hook-up and share a 'Long Willie' [stop, I'm killing me] with me. Next time young lady, mark my words.

I eventually grew to 'not hate' Coventry. If I have to go back I must reserve time to visit either the Transport Museum or the other local attraction....Cadbury World.

Denied!

Dateline, Saturday September 24th

Leaving London on a Saturday morning bound for bonny Glaysga, I head to Victoria station to catch the Gatwick Express. The name itself 'Gatwick Express' an expression of the glamourous jet set lifestyle I lead.

In the distance I spot a distinct sign. Be still my beating heart. Not only could I be enjoying light, yet deadly, deep fried confectionary....I can take some home to share the 'crack of doughnuts' with the missus.

But for some reason, at 9am on a Saturday, the Krispy Kreme was not open. Not only that, but no signs of life or information about when they would open. The bagel I did buy was NOT an adequate substitute.

Ah well, I consoled my self by buying Series 5 box-sets of both West Wing and Sopranos in the tax-free HMV in Gatwick.

Blues Explosion Man

So, those nice people from All Tomorrow's Parties thought it would be a nice idea if they invited some bands to play an album. That is to say, one of their own albums from start to finish. So a posse comprising of myself, the B Brothers, Wooly and MattK, went along to Koko in Camden on Wednesday.

The fabulous, most groovy Jon Spencer Blues Explosion were playing their album 'Orange'. A gig of 2 halves, firstly the album (BELLBOTTOMS BELLBOTTOMS), secondly a selection from the other stuff - 2 Kindsa Love, Spoiled & loads of other good stuff. Throw in a couple of beers an no soakage - and that's the sweat of the Blues Explosion.

Utrecht-ive Utrecht

I'm beginning to collect international Irish pubs like a Jack Nagle, I am. I've now seen more football matches in Mick O'Connells pub in Utrecht than any oub in Glasgow.....a bizarre state of affairs.

When in the Netherlands, BEWARE THE BUTTERMILK. Freakishly these people love this crap....and it comes in cartons disguised as ordinary milk. Holy Alien Nation Batman. Even the flavoured milks come in 'smooth' and 'lumpy' formats. Akkka thhu!

Utrecht is pretty cool. Typical university town. Fab Cathedral and old town area. Coffee shops with strange smells and decent restaurants. I recommend the 'Brootje Mario' for a lunchtime snack.