tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54535547880299565862024-03-08T16:44:42.888-08:00Who's Aidan?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-12136156063913736572010-12-27T20:40:00.000-08:002010-12-27T20:40:05.701-08:00Totally pointless non-festive obligatory Christmas-ish post...BAM! New post, for reason other than I cannot sleep anymore at regular hours, my circadian rhythm is desynchronised with the general populace... (note to self, stop watching countdown...) So in order to try and reach tiredness, I am going to pour some thoughts from my head into the putrid soup that is the internet.<br />
Also, I am going to try and post at least weekly in the new year, I write this now only so I can look back and go "Damnit, I am a failure of a person because I cannot keep up with the simplest of tasks on a regular basis..."<br />
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Onward into depths of my mind...<br />
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Christmas is over, and I am terribly sad about that, but New Years is soon, so woot! Let's drink last year into oblivion and start this one off in a haze of drunkeness and debauchery and hedonism and lechery and all that wonderful stuff. America, FUCK YEAH!<br />
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Disregard the last two words of that paragraph, they make no sense. Wait, shit three words.<br />
I realise now that this somehow slipped from what I was hoping to be a carefully thought out, well edited blog into a stream-of-consciousness type thing. I mean, I could delete all this up to now, or I could just continue on? Too late, fuck it you can't unread it, deal with it.<br />
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So I recently discovered, and even more recently rediscovered a hilarious blog called <a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/">hyperbole and a half</a>, which blogs on everything from retarded dogs, to games with bricks to killer velocigeeseters. I can't describe how funny this is in words alone, so I'm going to use the site's creator's own words and say that it is a "stabbing funny, and on a scale of one to ten, it's a seven"<br />
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I still don't quite get facebook. Or twitter. But twitter's shit and no-one of importance cares about it, i.e. me, mostly because I cannot contain my brilliance into 140 characters, and also because I refuse to abbrvt wrdz 4 te intrntz... (IRONY!) <u><b>AND SUBTLETY!</b></u> look what I learned to do...<br />
Facebook! And how I am shit at it. I don't get the games, except for robot unicorn attack, I don't tag photos, because I dislike people tagging me and I'm all Jesus like in that respect and there's just too much stuff. Too much! Facebook will go the way of bebo, crushing itself under the weight of its numerous apps and clutter and quizzes and people will just move onto whatever the new thing is. My bet is Diaspora, check it out, tell your friends, I don't get paid, I swear...<br />
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First time we had turkey for Christmas dinner this year, and just wow. Turkey's always dry to me, but something was different this year (may have been the copious wad of butter inserted lovingly into the business end of the turkey, but who knows). This has changed my outlook on other foods, what else am I missing out on? Maybe peanut butter isn't actually that bad.<br />
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Actually, new paragraph, this is important. Peanut butter looks like poop. And from the way it moves, it seems to have the consistency of poop. I generally refuse to eat foods that resemble bodily functions. Someone once pointed out to me the irony of having Nesquik's mascot be a rabbit when the chocolatey cereal is not entirely dissimilar to cottontail crap. I have since eaten some, but it has taken on a bitter taste in my mouth. Other foods in this list include apple juice, fudge, porridge (vomit, in case you have to ask, which you might as that one always confuses even me...) and sandwich spread(also vomit, and strangely enough, something that no-one else seems to have heard of. But it is real, LOOK!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.english-shop.de/images/Heinz%20-%20Original%20Sandwich%20Spread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.english-shop.de/images/Heinz%20-%20Original%20Sandwich%20Spread.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Vomit in a jar. All our technology, and we do this why?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hair. Me my hair (my hair and I?) have a complicated relationship. I feel like an exasperated teacher when dealing with it. It has so much potential, I mean, really it could achieve some wonderful things if it would just try, and not be too long, or too short, or misshapen (fuck you shitty cheap hairdressers with your promises of competent people monitoring my hairs progress. LIES!) but no matter what I do, my hair just refuses to listen to my words of encouragement, and decides instead to do its own thing, which usually means poking me in the eye, reshaping itself into a bale of matted muck or diving kamikaze style into my food, especially when eating with other people forcing me to fish it out all impolitely. In summary, if my head was not so misshapen, and I imagine I have a few scars up there, I would shave my head bald.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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Aaaaaand, tiredness has hit me like a brick wall. That analogy makes no sense... Must finish post... Something festive... Happy New Year, or not if you're Chinese. Toodle pip.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Aidan out.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-33023848554195667572010-08-03T17:51:00.000-07:002010-08-03T17:54:55.742-07:00Turning Over a New Leaf, or a Different Side to the Same Leaf...This year will be different: the ever present chant of the procrastinator. But genuinely, I do see changes afoot in my habits regarding study and devotion to those things that pique my interest; also getting fit, but let's not talk about that now shall we? Thanks. So yeah, it has been a long hard 19 years for me to finally find out that I do actually enjoy doing some things, and now is the time that I shall grasp these things wholeheartedly and fully focus my attentions on them and see how far I can take them.<br />
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I hope in a few months that looking back on this post will not dredge up feelings of "urgh, I can't believe I said that", while I stare at the screen covered in crumbs and failing to do some important work that i should probably be doing. But alas, I may be doomed to repeat that.<br />
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This post is starting to devolve into a stream of consciousness post, when really, being as tired as I feel right now, unconsciousness is really what I crave. I should probably leave now before this descends into the literary equivalent of shit flinging monkeys, or rather - as this is a solo endeavour - one single retarded monkey sitting in a room with a mirror flinging shit at himself.<br />
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To quote the crack addled mind that is Porky Pig: "Th-th-th-th-that's all folks!"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-29517554128790035882010-07-22T17:06:00.000-07:002010-07-22T17:06:54.271-07:00In Which Our Hero Ponders The Economic Principles Of Gastronomic Pleasure On Offer At The Picture HouseSo I went to see Toy Story 3 tonight, and it was absolutely incredible by the way, but I noticed something strange in the cinema that I have never really taken account of before: the astronomical price of everything in a cinema. Now I know that to most of you this will not come as a shock, but for me, as I thought about while the ads were playing, the exorbitant prices for cinemas and the trappings that come as part of the package, cannot really be justified.<br />
I will say this much, I am more than willing to pay €10 to see a film in a cinema. Were they to bring down that price, I would not complain, but as it stands a tenner to see a film as soon as possible, in a comfortable setting with near perfect audio and extremely high picture quality without having to worry about a laptop battery dying, the chance that a DVD might skip or that your film will in someway be interrupted is definitely a luxury. There's also the feeling of sharing something that you can't get with a home viewing, which is much harder to descibe here, especially for me as I find one of the cardinal sins of the universe is to speak, make noise during or otherwise disturb a filmwatcher. But it is definitely easier to find yourself lost in a film when there are more people around you to share what you are experiencing. Films in cinemas are at a pretty good rate, and I hope that's something we can agree on, people who say that an evening of entertainment for ten euro is a rip off should try and see how far that money would take them in any other form of entertainment available to the public.<br />
No, the problem I have here is with the foodstuffs on offer in a cinema. Popcorn and cinema go hand-in-hand and always will, barring some freakish act of nature that either renders films useless or eradicates corn from the face of the earth. In light of that, I don't understand why cinemas insist on charging such ridiculous prices for it. It's hardly golddust, and judging by the amount of people sneaking popcorn in, they would probably make a lot more money by just reducing prices to more pocket-friendly prices. Same goes for drinks and other refreshments too, when you consider the fact that the trend is for cinemas to be parked in areas like shopping centres where cheap food is usually available in the grocery shop on the way into the building housing the cinema; the savvy shopper just won't be able to justify spending that money when in two minutes they could save themselves half the cost of a ticket, and that's not even an exaggeration.<br />
I love cinemas, really I do, and the one problem I have is that it is seldom I get to use them. I hope someone with the power to do something will eventually right this all-too-popular trend before the cinema as we know it falls by the wayside and is replaced completely by homesales. While they are trying to stem this shift in markets by offering 3D, I think the smarter option, especially with the advent of 3D TVs, which will eventually become cheaper, combined with TVs that will only get larger, and surround sound which will only increase in effectiveness and decrease in price become the norm in homes and all that will separate a cinema from a home cinema is the lack of a sense of community and the feeling of not being held by the ankles and shaken free of any spare change before settling in to watch a movie.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-75880759061651755702010-06-09T19:36:00.000-07:002010-06-09T19:36:34.046-07:00Diary of a Flightless Nerd...Oh three o' clock, why must we always meet like this? I wish I could just sleep with you instead...<br />
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So, I've recently had the astounding revelation that I am in fact a nerd. Now to those of you who know me, this is of course no surprise to you, having told me many a time that I am, with my frequent Dungeons & Dragons sessions (for only a true nerd will captalise and use and ampersand when describing the glory that is D&D), obsession of video games, strange quirks and foibles, my despising and refusing to do any physical exertion that does not entail a monetary gain, and of course the list of other obsessions that I am currently entangled in, including but not limited to movies, theatre,comedy, literature, pop-philosphy and of course music.<br />
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While this, as I said before, will come of no shock to you, it was a bit of a shock to me, mainly because I told myself half-jokingly that I was a geek, but that secretly I was just a normal guy that liked nerdy things. And there's nothing wrong with that is there? Then things just started to happen where I couldn't deny my nerdiness any longer.<br />
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Anyway, to conclude I guess I'm saying that I have finally accepted who I am and I feel more free because of it. I just dread to tell my family, I mean a nerd in the family? What would the neighbours say? This was a bit of a shit post wasn't it? Jesus I need either write more and get some practice or write less and spare you the bother of reading this tripe. Farewell, bloghounds!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-70402528277109930432010-04-25T11:49:00.000-07:002010-04-25T11:49:13.205-07:00Exam Time, Goddammit...Procrastination, thy name is Aidan. So my first exam of college life is upon me on the morrow, and here I am complaining to the webular world of my woes and follies instead of buckling down to actually do some productive work...<br />
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In other news, my earliest summer ever this year, the world is my oyster and what shall I do with it? In all likelihood, absolutely nothing, but hopefully I'll gain something from the extensive dossing I will no doubt engage in. Hopefully some reading and a bit of stage or film work as well as some part time job work to fund all this chicanery.<br />
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Well, I think that's as much time as I can afford to waste writing to the cyber-abyss that is the blogosphere, I must depart and return to my scholarly duties. As I close this brief update on the life of a lazy engineer, the sky is darkening and closing on my location, with rough weather to follow, hopefully not a foreshadowing of events to follow. Catch you on the other side as they say. Toodle-pip!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-78377016115662303452010-03-24T20:12:00.000-07:002010-03-24T20:12:22.238-07:00Blog TiedMmmm, so here we are, another month, another blog post. I promised I'd get better, or at least more regular at posting, I lied it seems. I've been spending a lot of time pondering recently, which is odd, because that would suggest that I actually have time to spare in which to ponder. Life is pretty busy these days, so much so that for the first time, I have had to back out of a relatively long term project I'd been comitted to. This severely annoys me, but if this college thing is ever going to go away then I'll have to study.<br />
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Theatre is taking up more and more of my life these days, and you know what, I am fucking glad. I love working at stuff like that, it just feels right. If I can somehow make money from working in a theatre or in some form of performance art, even if it is just in a techie role, then I'll be a happy man for years to come. Hopefully my sort of uncertain application to be the director of next years musical will come good and I can throw myself into bossing people around.<br />
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Super Secret Project will be getting underway soon enough, once the end of college gives me enough time to look at things that don't relate to the real world. It isn't actually super secret anymore, I've been telling a few close friends about it, and have gotten positive reactions to the premise. Get a rough draft of that bad boy drawn up, and see where I can take it from there, hopefully to somewhere fun.<br />
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I've been watching a lot of MovieBob's Game Overthinker videos on youtube recently. On major problem I have with these is that there aren't more. The guy, while not exactly the voice of a generation by a longshot, and some of his views and vehement defending of the army aren't exactly my thing, he is seriously doing videogames a massive service by opening the floor to debate on adult things, such as violence in videogames, the depiction of women, the change in videogames, and how the videogames market needs to expand its audience rather than adapt to the "hardcore" gamers. Games are an artform, and I will defend that point until I am blue in the face if I have to. I really wish there were things I could say that wouldn't just be repeating or extrapolating on what MovieBob himself has said, so I urge you, if you ever think you may need to defend videogaming as a whole, or just wish to become more informed on the topics in general, to check out The Game Overthinker. Videogames aren't just about pwning n00bs you know, ask anyone who's played Half-Life 2, or BioShock. If those two, among many other titles I could name, don't give videogames artistic merit, I don't know what does. (Also, if you'd like a kind of intelligent "everyman" type of review of good films that don't really get publicity on this side of the pond, you could do worse than to check out MovieBob's film reviews on The Escapist. I've mentioned this site before in my blog, for you hardcore readers, and have become even more infatuated with its overall love of all things pixelated and polygonal. If you haven't done so, check it out.)<br />
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I think that's all for now folks, and unless I decide to post something about my exams, it will be all for at least two weeks if not a month. I know I said I would get better, but my sort of vague rule about not posting about other people means my blog depends entirely on me being interesting, and that just won't happen I'm afraid. See you next time!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-35011527393798524412010-02-16T21:13:00.000-08:002010-02-16T21:14:54.455-08:00Reviews of Things That Have Been Out For Ages, Just 'Cos I Like To...So, I haven't been writing in a while, and I think that's mostly because I don't feel like writing about the things that have been happening in my life (obviously enough, I know), but I've decided to pierce the blogosphere once again with a few reviews of things that i found interesting lately. Enjoy, or alternatively, memorise it and recite it aloud in front of a group of people and call it art. I won't judge how you amuse yourself.<br />
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<b>FTWebsites:</b> Stuff I've found on this here internet...<br />
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Somewhere that usually cheers me up when I get tired of the same old stuff on Facebook is a nice little parody site of it called <a href="http://www.lamebook.com/">Lamebook</a>. In a similar vein to TFLN (another stalwart mirth-giver in times of boredom), it chronicles the various mishaps that one could imagine transpiring on such a vast social networking site as that of Facebook. A personal favourite section of mine is the "FTW" section. Watching random people you don't know get their asses digitally handed to them is a fun way to waste a few minutes.<br />
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<b>FTW</b><b>atch This:</b> Films...<br />
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Office Space, one of the greatest cult classics to come out of the 1990s. It stands up there beside Big Nothing and Dogma as one of the greatest films to be either underrated or unknown on this side of the Atlantic. Office Space is the story of Peter Gibbons, a white collar worker who does the bare minimum to keep his job. He then experiences a re-awakening, and decides to live life, and not care about work as well as hatching a plan to embezzle money from the company he does so little work for. The resultant hour and a half of film is one of the most re-watchable, entertaining, and charming pieces of film I've ever seen, word of warning though, if dry humour and awkward moments aren't your thing it's probably best to give this one a miss. Sample quote:<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0515296/">Peter Gibbons</a></b>: So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life. <br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0574540/">Dr. Swanson</a></b>: What about today? Is today the worst day of your life? <br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0515296/">Peter Gibbons</a></b>: Yeah. <br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0574540/">Dr. Swanson</a></b>: Wow, that's messed up.<br />
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Also, as a closing note to the film section, I'd like to add that I got my hands on a copy of the film of "Atlantis" by Disney, to show someone what I meant by the phrase "Steampunk". While I didn't find anything that really resembled steampunk (I remembered after it was actually "Treasure Planet" I was thinking of, but that's another story), what I did find was a Disney classic that is oft overlooked, possibly because it doesn't have any musical numbers. The whole movie was superbly animated, moved at a steady pace, was genuinely funny and left me wanting more at the end. If you get the time, I'd strongly recommend it.<br />
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<b>FTWritings:</b> Literary section, 'coz i iz awl ejukaytid innit? <br />
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Okay, so as most of you know, I am obsessed by this little book called "The Yesman", by a certain fellow whom we shall address as one Daniel Frederick Wallace Esquire. Danny has written a few books, each as humorous as the last, and all of them well worth a look if the mood for a side split inducing read should strike, but The Yesman strikes a particular chord with me. It may have been the place I was in when reading it first, but it really made me look at my life, take stock and realise that I needed to do more. And what I needed to do was to say Yes. But back to the book: Danny finds himself in a position wherein he is saying no to everything his friends suggest, be it gigs, parties or just a night down the pub, greatly disquiets our positive hero as he reviews his diary to find it lacking in any days of noteworthy quality (save for one riveting read about a trip to PC World, but I'll let you read about that one yourselves). He then by chance meets a stranger on a bus who tells him simply to "Say Yes More". This becomes Danny's mantra for the next several months and through the course of the book. While the film of the same name was a fun romp into the various mishaps one would doubtless meet over the course of saying yes to absolutely everything, it missed out on the true soul of the book for me, which is that saying no can only lead to nights alone, and wondering what could have been, whereas yes, if it doesn't lead to something good, at least leads to a story to tell and a more interesting life. My all time favourite book, so it goes without saying that I would wish that anyone who reads this read it, and if they get even a fraction of the enjoyment out of it that I did, then I'll be happy I recommended it.<br />
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<b>FTWhatever, I'm sick of this now: </b>Music, and sounds that please the ears...<br />
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Yes she's been around for ages, and yes we all know she's wonderful, but Adele... what can I say about this girl that hasn't already been said? Her music is just so awe inspiring and soothing that I could listen to it forever. I don't think I can say much more about her, but I will leave you with the song that got me (and possibly the majority of people) listening to her in the first place.<br />
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<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7e0vccod0ac&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7e0vccod0ac&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-22935975080272173272010-01-06T19:18:00.000-08:002010-05-02T19:21:05.382-07:00Hair Of The Blog That Bit YouFirst post of Twenty-Ten. That is right folks, it is officially the future! And the future is looking bright if I do say so myself. The Players run of "In The Sawtooths" starts in just over a week and a half, and with a little bit of luck, everything will go smoothly, and then hopefully with enough money, luck and pixie farts we can make it to the Endinburgh Festival, which would be nothing short of awesome if it happens.<br />
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On a lighter, whiter note, Dublin has come to a standstill thanks to a little bit of snow. It looks incredible, but though aesthetically pleasing, the local government does not see it as so, and prefers to shut down all transport services in the area. Oh well, the walks are more interesting in the snow, which makes the walks that little bit easier. It seems that even snow clouds have silver linings.<br />
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Don't really have a lot more to say, what with Sawtooths consuming time like nobody's business. I'll try to keep up my resolution of blog more, and blog better. See you next time, same Blog-time, same Blog-channel.<br />
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So long Bloghounds!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-74221413936237647962009-12-26T20:36:00.000-08:002009-12-26T20:37:09.186-08:00Blog Blog Blog Blogging on Heaven's DoorSo, Christmas has passed, and now we have the New Year to look forward to. This Christmas holiday is going to be a strange one for me, in that I'll be spending a lot of it alone. Heading back to Dublin soon for rehearsals, which means until the start of the next semester I'll have my flat, and most of the surrounding accommodations more than likely, to myself. So, fun times! I will have lines to learn, songs to master, and a whole new instrument to distract my attentions for some time, but the fact of the matter is, that I will probably be spending the most time with myself than I have for quite a while now, which, I'll be honest, scares me a little bit.<br />
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New Year: What will it hold in store for me? Speaking honestly, New Year is one of my favourite times of the year. Everyone is still on a high from the Christmas celebrations, the year that's coming hasn't been spoiled by realities, and still lives in the realm of possibility and it's a great excuse to purge anything you don't like by way of New Year's Resolutions. I've never been one to make NYR's though, believing instead that change can come at any time, think I might try and do it this year though.<br />
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<b>NYR #1 Blog More</b><br />
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More to come, in fact, I may dedicate an entire post to a list of my NYR's. I also think I should make more lists. <b> </b><br />
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<b>NYR #2 Make More Lists </b><br />
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That is all for now faithful followers. Talk to you before the new year, if not, then stay safe, stay classy and stay tuned for the next thrilling instalment of my life in writing.<br />
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P.S. For those of you who are fans of musical excellence, comedy and superpowered sagas, check out Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, the first episode of which I leave below, as an offering to you. Enjoy!<br />
<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/apEZpYnN_1g&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="364" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/apEZpYnN_1g&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="445"></embed>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-55576707121704088922009-12-17T18:53:00.000-08:002009-12-26T19:43:29.857-08:00All Blogged UpSemester one of college is now behind me, and, apart from physics, has been what I would call a success. In fact, i'm looking forward to the second term in some ways. But yeah, college, after all my fretting and initial doubts has been a blast. Truly coming to learn the true meaning of college. Finished a presentation with about two hours to go, showed up ferociously hungover, after approximately two and a half hours of admittedly fitful and alcohol induced sleep, managed to, not to blow my own horn or anything, knocked that sucker out of the park with a stream of bullshit that would make a politician proud. Ten percent of Professional Engineering module, you didn't stand a chance.<br />
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Speaking of drunken/hungover triumphs, unfortunately for those of you out there who know what a great drinking buddy I can be when I'm not lost, passed out or befriending homeless people, will be saddened to learn that as of today I am curbing my drinking in the interests of my throat. Getting up in front of about 200 people and making an arse of myself for three nights in a row just for the sake of a few bottles doesn't seem like a good idea to me... I also know that I will be eating these words and washing them down with a pint of something or other in not too long a time, but still, it's good to have ideals isn't it?<br />
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Well, it seems I have run out of verbal tripe to cram into your cranial cavities so it is time I depart. Farewell, and good tidings. (Or something a little less gay than that, I'm sure you can come up with something.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-70139666252914855452009-12-14T17:39:00.000-08:002009-12-14T17:39:12.966-08:00Book My FaceSo there's this thing called Facebook, you may have heard of it, all the kids are talking about it these days, well, anyway, turns out a while ago I was not so skilled at it. Of late though, I have blossomed into a regular facebook user, even going so far as to take a Facebook quiz today. Turns out I have 100% common sense. Who knew such things could be judged by a series of retarded riddles? If only everything in life were this easy...<br />
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<b>Glee!</b><br />
So, I managed to get my hands on some episode of the "smash hit" new US comedy, Glee. Turns out that it is as good as the hype makes it out to be. It could just be that the subject matter is quite close to my heart, homosexual though it may be, but the cast works so well, and the jokes are delivered with a punchy wryness that leaves me just wanting more. I'll keep you updated the more I see, but until then, keep an eye out for it, and catch it if you can. <br />
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On a similar topic, even though people keep complaining about the downturn in entertainment, and how the golden ages of comedy died when Friends jumped the shark, so much so that every comedy that has come since with even a hint of genius or originality has been compared to unfavourably. But with Glee, How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock and although I haven't yet seen it, Modern Family sounds like a gem aswell. With all these, and the host of others that I forgot, the talk of comedic entertainment dying, or even turning stale, is absolute crap. Long live comedy, long live originality, long live the sitcom.<br />
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As a great man once said, "mmmmm, sooomething".<br />
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Goodnight fellow bloghounds, and good blogging.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-13398866225276984152009-12-13T18:07:00.000-08:002009-12-13T18:07:03.436-08:00BlogfessionsBless me Blogger, for I have sinned. It has been aeons since my last post.<br />
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Apologies loyal readers, I've been a bit lazy in my updates of late, but this is due to a sudden upturn in events and a sudden downturn in interest of writing about these events. I promise though, that now I will make a pledge to keep you, faithful follower of this diary of diatribes, to update this blog more faithfully than ever... possibly...<br />
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Anywho, the deal of late is that I am no longer the mild-mannered engineering college student you once knew. It seems that at my core I am in fact a guy with a leather jacket, greased back hair, an inferiority complex, and no concept of how to treat a woman right, but still manages to get the girl anyway. Yes, Matthew, tonight I'm going to be James Bond! Wait, no, Danny Zuko in Grease... Anywho, goes on stage 8th, 9th and 10th of March in the Sports Hall of Trinity Halls, all are welcome =)<br />
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Before I leave, I will drop this golden egg laid from the goose in Kurt Kuenne's head straight into your lap. This is the short film "Validation". It's a terribly charming tale of true love, loss, and parking. A winning combination I'm sure you'll agree. Enjoy!<br />
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<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cbk980jV7Ao&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cbk980jV7Ao&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-8039525346101603252009-09-29T14:42:00.000-07:002009-09-29T15:08:45.369-07:00Depressing, Slightly Existential RambleCollege, you foul mistress, tempting me with freedom while instead trapping me in a glass cage...<br />
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So yeah, engineering = a metric fuckton of work (sorry, I just can't use imperial measurements). I wouldn't even mind if it wasn't for the fact that I forget half of the stuff we're currently doing. It's in my head but I just don't know where, like the proverbial needle in a haystack. <br />
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Niggling doubts that I may have chosen the wrong course... Sympathies anyone? Advice maybe? I dunno, shtick it out for now, it's interesting, and that is the pinprick of light at what is now looking to be a long and arduous, and work filled tunnel.<br />
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Positivities please! Saturday should be fun. Need to get better time management skills, completely made a fuck of my weekend just past by way of thinking there were more hours in the day than was actually possible. That one hour was worth it though, even if it was over in a second...<br />
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I wish I had more to say; I assumed that once I got to college my life would be packed to the rafters of new and exciting things to blog about, and would make for a more pleasant reading for all involved, but alas it seems it was not destined to be, for it seems life still the same bland, boring, monochrome mess it was before I jetted off to the Pale... This blog has taken a turn down a wrong road for the moment but I feel i can get it back on track. Next post will be full of fun, but right now I'm tired, scared and missing the woman I love. There are things to be happy about, but it feels like they're being washed away by the tides of monotony that will soon become my life. 9-5 job? No thanks. €30,000 in fees once I leave college? Also a big negative. I know I have the power to make life my own, I just wish I knew how. Helplessness, thy name is Aidan Connolly. <br />
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Normal service will resume as soon as possible.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-50625196120350207272009-09-17T18:06:00.000-07:002009-09-17T18:09:26.511-07:00Ain't Nuthin But a Hound BlogI will be leaving for college in roughly five and a half hours. I'm not going to try and sleep because I know I can't. I haven't felt this way about anything in a looooong time. I'm excited because of the sheer number of possibilities awaiting me in what I'll have to call my home for the next four years, and frankly, the fact that I have to have a new place to call home kindof scares me, but in the most satisfying way. I am dangerous, I know. I've often wished for something new to come along and shake up this existence until all that's left is the bare bones from which I can rebuild, and I think I'm being given that chance now, and I am glad for that.<br />
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What's not so easy to do however, is to be happy about what I'm leaving behind. Friends, family, a wonderful girlfriend, my home, my old life, my habits, my comforts, my sense of me? I hope not. I'd like to think I won't change, but I know this experience will change me. Whether it'll change me in the way that noone wants me to change is a question that remains to be answered, but I think we can all rest assured that the day I say "roysh" without even the slightest hint of sarcasm or irony, will be the day run naked through Waterford singing every verse of "I am the Walrus". Ladies and Beatles fans, keep checking my updates for further information...<br />
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I don't know what to write about. I don't want to write just now, but I feel I have to. Damn you Blogger you vivacious seductress you, tempting me with your voluptuous binary curves and sensuous digital invitations tempting me to sell my soul to you for that one more fleeting high of a successful blog post. I seriously need to get out more and spend less time with my word a day calendar...<br />
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Dan Brown: Who gives a fuck? Not me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-538746326045884062009-09-09T19:26:00.000-07:002009-09-09T19:36:18.591-07:00Blog Standard StuffLife is good. Like, really good... I still feel like i have nothing to write about, or rather to say, nothing to write about that I would like to broadcast to the world (of seven people who read this blog, thanks you guys, make this all worthwhile:P), but I do feel like i have to blog. So, I think I'll do what I did last time, and randomly spew forth farcical follies from the toxic waste container that is my noggin. Enjoy!<br />
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(viewer discretion is advised, some sentiments may contain strong language and/or frequent uses of the word "umbrage")<br />
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I like that word, umbrage... I wish I could use ot more often, or even at all, but then I often wonder if I were to use it so frequently, would I be as fond of it? Or would it become a heroin-like addiction where each use of the word wouldst deliver unto me untold ecstasy as though from the halls of Valhalla itself, and I would be forced to create situations whereby the use of the word would not only be considered not unusual, but in fact necessary? I'd become a mad man, ringing up Liveline to tell Joe Duffy the exact quantities of umbrage I had taken when I heard about the fact that "Nice" biscuits aren't really all that nice, and the Consumer Rights Commitee won't do a goddamn thing. I seriously love the word though...<br />
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UMBRAGE<br />
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Say it, you know you want to...<br />
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MICHEAL MOORE! I mean, really, where does he get off eh? He's now releasing a film about how capitalism is the world's greatest evil, and that he is the voice of reason in a sea of batshit insane voices. Look, Micheal Moore is a good filmaker, but that's the problem. I enjoyed Bowling for Columbine, it made me think, but his guerilla filming style is not a substitute for hard facts. It's sensationalist, and everything that I really don't like in a serious political issue; it clouds facts, sullies arguments, and according to some reports just plain makes some shit up. It was entertaining, and if Micheal Moore were to turn his hand to directing mockumentaries in the style of say, Spinal Tap or The Office (UK version, US is good, but less of a mockumentary, more of a sitcom), then i would probably like the guy, but as it stands, by sensationalising his points, doing wild stunts, and then standing brazen faced and saying they have real political merit, he becomes, in my eyes, a bigger joke than the ones that were no doubt hurled at him during gym class as a kid. (Come on, it's Micheal Moore, I couldn't sidestep a fat joke... or him, without breaking a sweat. ZING!)<br />
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I like big cups of tea, for some reason they taste better. I know that doesn't really make much scientific sense, but really, I prefer the taste of tea when I know I'll be drinking it for an hour, and slowly turning my insides brown in the process. A tea swimming pool would be a sort of heaven for me... In theory. In practice I'd be horrified at the thought of all the hidden plasters, urine, and copious amounts of sweat that would be lacing my beverage. Icky...<br />
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Facebook: How? I mean, I've finally joined the new networking craze (I say new, I mean new to me, sorry about all you technophiles out there who prefer to be in contact with three billion people in seventeen different ways, when one or two seem perfectly ok to me, but whatever), and I just cannot use it. I initially joined to see some photos, with the intention of purging myself from the bittersweet embrace of its binary prison after viewing. I reneged on this however, as I felt it would no doubt be necessary for future viewings of visual delectation, but was found out not so long ago, and now have people joining me and invitations to stuff I don't understand, sort of like going out in Waterford.<br />
It's hard to say I don't like facebook, because really, I dunno, it presents itself with all the fervour of a little child with a new trick that it's eager to show you. You know you may not be entertained by the trick, but you'll watch and clap, and play along, as you don't want its feelings to get hurt. Again, it isn't that <i>I</i> don't like facebook, it's that <i>IT </i>doesn't like <i>ME</i>. I sign in and am bombarded with stuff I don't want to do, and then when I try to do the stuff I actually want to do, it becomes a coy little bitch, thows a coquettish smile, winks and asks me to try harder. I'm going to stick with facebook, if only out of sheer spite, but I feel I won't like it...<br />
Coincidentally, if you're ever online, leave a comment/message/stone tablet/whatever you leave on facebook, and once I can get it to stop playing hard to get I will get back to you... Maybe...<br />
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Well dear friends, we have reached the end of this once seemingly endless path, and what have we learned? Absolutely bugger all I assume, but I hope you've enjoyed my wasting of your precious time, I know I sure did. 'Til next time kids, just remember that when the pupil is ready, the teacher will come.<br />
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(That is also true of altar boys and priests, but for legal reasons, cannot be mentioned on this blog.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-8157961918218014822009-09-01T16:49:00.000-07:002009-09-01T16:53:42.173-07:00This Is A Test; Do Not Adjust Your Blog-o-visionCollege is consuming my mind. I'm sorry my posts aren't more varied, but really, there's nothing else in my mind but college. Well, maybe one thing =)<br />
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I can't think of aaaaaanything to write so I shall fill this with random thoughts I am currently having. Enjoy.<br />
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I own one pair of shoes presently and they are white. I live in a backwater rural area where roads are mostly covered in shit instead of tar. Worst impulse buy ever.<br />
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Chilli con carne is a sort of wonder food. It makes my insides smile, and my mouth jump for joy. If I started a country it would have a plate of chilli con carne on the flag, and there would be a chilli con carne memorial day instead of easter. Or maybe instead of pancake tuesday. I mean, pancakes are great and all, but because they have a day to themselves, it sometimes doesn't feel right to have them just because you want to. With my regime, there will be no stigma attached to pancakes.<br />
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There are several beeping noises around me right now. One of them is particularly ominous. I think a crazed bomber has infiltrated my living space. I'll keep you posted.<br />
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Schadenfreude: what a word...<br />
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The metric system for time... I'm just saying, we should give it a try... Although I dunno would I ever cope with people saying it's 94 past 76 or whatever, but it'd probably make things easier. Right? Guys?<br />
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The semicolon is like the forgotten child of punctuation. Not that it's terribly useful, but I bet 90% of people couldn't tell where or when to use a semicolon. This one's for you buddy <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/pitw/450px-Semicolon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/pitw/450px-Semicolon.png" width="150" /></a></div>Well, I've run out of cerebral sewage to pillage for the purposes of my blog so I'd better wrap this up by saying that life is like a box of chocolates; it's good at first, but you feel kinda shit when you reach the end...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-17210826044371382322009-08-29T22:14:00.000-07:002009-08-31T04:42:58.181-07:00Jagerman? Aidanmeister? We'll work on the PR side of things later.<b>2 facts about Jagermeister: </b><br />
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1) It is an evil drink that captures the souls of those who drink it.<br />
2) It grants me superpowers.<br />
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There is a story behind factoid number two, but not one I shall recount here. Went to Al's last night and had a freakin' great time. I love sessioning with my friends, it's actually the best thing ever. Getting slightly concerned about my visits from the amnesia fairy though. The slow drip of memory gain in the morning after is never fun. You know you've had a great night when in your mind you went from ripping a shirt off of yourself Hulk style and collapsing with laughter, to being outside on decking in just your underwear, unsure as to whether or not you want to get sick.It's moments like that make me want to believe in some sort of God, just so I have someone to blame all my faults, failures and misgivings on.<br />
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I would regail you, dear reader, with tales of excitement and fantasy from that most wonderful of parties, if I could remember any of the fucking night. Ah well. <br />
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You know what's great, when you talk to someone for the first time and you feel like you just click. You know who you are... I mean, staying up until it's bright out, talking absolute bollocks with someone who you've never met before in your life? That's something special right there, wouldn't you agree?<br />
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I dunno, perhaps I just try to see the extraordinary in the mundane too often, but I think I might be right in saying I'm a little bit richer after tonight's events.<br />
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Also, starting from tomorrow this blog is going back to how it was in the first post. I'm starting to head down a road into a town called "Faggotsville" the way I'm going with all these sentimental posts, and I think I'll just keep lighthearted and trivial from now on, unless the mood strikes me...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-59963477896546946152009-08-27T18:10:00.000-07:002009-08-27T18:10:55.794-07:00Time May Change Me, But I Can't Change TimeSo, college starts in a few weeks, and to be honest, I am terrified, but in a wonderful way. For too long I've been thinking that things around me are stagnating, that I'm beginning to become a creature of habit, doomed to repeat the same thing over and over ad infinitum, but now this is a chance to break free and have new experiences and meet new people.<br />
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This year has been a real eye opener for me. I took it off to get some time to do things I wanted to do, but fell into a work/sleep routine that was so crippling socially and mentally that when I broke free it was as though I was reborn. When I was working I used to feel guilty for calling in sick just so I could see my best friends. Think about that for a second, my job which had no real bearing on my life whatsoever, had subverted my thoughts so much as to make me feel guilty for actually spending time with people I like. It scares me to think of that now. While it may seem to most like this year was wasted upon me, I did in fact learn one thing that I will never, ever forget. Time is golden, and is worth more than any person can give, time with friends on the other hand, is priceless...<br />
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(Yes, my new vagina is settling in quite nicely thanks for asking...)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-65408604991745008112009-08-26T17:13:00.000-07:002009-08-26T17:41:20.474-07:00This week I am mostly liking...As I can't really think of anything really meaningful or interesting to write about after being skullfucked by the awesomeness of inglourious basterds (pardon the crudeness, but honestly there is no other way to put it, pure and simply the film had me transfixed from start to glourious epic conclusion) I am instead going to offer up some delights I have found for myself in the hopes that you too may go and enjoy them yourselves.<br />
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<b>Webnet Wonders: </b>If you are a gamer, or are interested in gaming as a storytelling medium, you'd be hard pressed to find something not likable about <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/">The Escapist Magazine</a>. It updates daily, and features wide topics including the future of video gaming, the "casual gamer phenomena" and other such gaming topics. It also hosts some stellar videos, notably <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation">ZeroPunctuation</a>, and <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/unforgotten-realms">The Unforgotten Realms</a>. If that all gets too much for you why not chill out in the forums Now I know what you're thinking, "A gaming forum, why that'll be chock full of uberWoWers who will do nothing but 'LOLFAG' the whole the whole time and compare the size of their virtual phalluses", but nay, these boards are host to a range of topics, some of them quite specific, like the obvious gaming threads and the like, others being a little less so, like one I was reading about a 15 year old terminally ill boy whose dying wish of losing his virginity was granted to him by hospital staff. It often throws up some interesting stuff and is worth checking out, if only to pass some time.<br />
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<b>Celluloidal Pleasures: </b>Well, as you can tell from the opening paragraph I will obviously be writing about Inglourious Basterds. In fact, I would be screaming its praises from the highest mount were my lips not so securely glued to its arse at this very moment. Yes, QT is back and with style. I can't really talk about it in depth without giving too much away, but suffice to say it had me at the edge of my seat for the full 150 minutes. The setting is beautifully realised, Nazi occupied France seeming downtrodden, slightly seemy and for all intents and purposes defeated except for the small crew of guerilla fighters, the eponymous "Basterds". The characters are what really bring this film to life though of course, as with any Tarantino flick, and i have a feeling that Aldo Raine, Donny Donowitz, Hugo Stiglitz and Hans Landa will reside among Mr. White, Vincent Vega and Beatrix Kiddo as some of Tarantino's most memorable characters.I really wish I could give this film higher praise, but words really cannot do it justice, my advice would be to go watch it as soon as possible, and then possibly watch it again, as I plan to.<br />
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<b>Audio Treats: </b>Although not new by any means, I have recently taken a renewed liking to Friendly Fires, after having seen them at Oxegen. They have a single due to be released this week I think, called "Kiss of Life", and is executed in their trademark style of samba/african based rhythms and percussions coupled with modern keyboard and basslines. An odd mixture, but one that proves itself to be a teriffic one, enjoy!<br />
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<object height="360" width="580"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NK0H3jEwUYc&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NK0H3jEwUYc&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="360"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5453554788029956586.post-48397200776145986852009-08-25T16:00:00.000-07:002009-08-25T16:07:23.447-07:00Blog The First...And the lord said let there be light, and there was, and it was good... fast forward 6,000 years (or several billion if you believe those "scientists") and here I am. Lucky you.<br /><br />Now on to the actual blogging...<br /><br />Today I had microwave popcorn. When I took it out of the microwave one of the kernels inside popped and I imagined that this must be the feeling mothers get when they feel their baby kick for the first time. Although I doubt babies taste half as good, or are as convenient for watching a movie with...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17312989233340536678noreply@blogger.com0