Archive for October, 2008

Bank holiday blues…

Monday, October 27th, 2008

Well, that is a bit of an exaggeration! Spending the whole bank holiday weekend in Dublin, instead of going home to visit my family is not my idea of a perfect weekend, but that’s what happened.

I can’t complain too much, I guess. One of my classmates was having her 21st on Saturday night, and I thought it would be ever so slightly rude not to go. Although this meant not spending the weekend in Dingle, I didn’t really mind that much. In fairness, I was home last weekend, and will probably be going home pretty soon again.

So, I have had all this ‘free time’ moping around the house, not doing anything productive. I have some college work that I could focus on, I have some other stuff that could keep me productively occupied for a couple of hours, but I have done nothing for the past three days. Absolutely nothing, besides spend a small fortune in taxi fares!

That is the last time I leave the house keys in my car. Spending €40 in taxis back and forth across the city at 4 in the morning is not cool. From now on, those keys will live in my pockets.

But it was a good night. Well worth hanging around the big smoke for. Thanks Minto!

(And thanks to her parents too! A free bar is always appreciated by us poor students!)

TV in General and Soaps in Particular

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

I’m not a soap kinda guy. Growing up, my father never let us watch soaps, on point of principle. If we got into the story, his theory was, then for that half hour, or more, each day, we wouldn’t do anything else. And he was probably right.

Nowadays, some eight years after leaving home for the first time, I don’t really watch soaps. It’s not the wasting time that worries me, I have enough ways as it is to waste time. What really gets me is the completely over the top storylines, the larger-than-life personalities and the complete absurdity of the whole thing.

Yes, I know, every so often one or other of the three or four main soap operas will deal with some “important issue”. And yes, the people who watch these programs are touched, and there are helplines set up, and those who have been affected by the issue at hand are helped, I guess.

But really, is it worth having hundreds of hours of excessive dramatics, which, although claiming to represent true life do nothing of the sort, in order to spend a few minutes dealing with important, topical issues?

No. That’s my answer.

To each his own, I suppose. Most people would probably call The West Wing a load of rubbish. I wish they would bring it back.

Irish Web Awards

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

Attended the inaugural Irish Web Awards last night. I don’t know why, I have little connection to the industry, have no real experience with the medium, apart from using it, and really didn’t know anybody there.

So, for moral support, I brought a friend along too, who was equally mystified as to our presence at the bash.

But, I have to say, we really enjoyed ourselves. We met some really nice, interesting people, and had fun.

Well done to Damien Mulley, and his team, for putting together a wonderful evening.

Looking forward to the awards next year already!