Beer Snobbery

I was out last night with my good friend doing girly things like shopping, giggling and buying the same clothes, you know yourself how these things go. And we also went for a bite to eat.

At dinner we had pizza and beer, the pizza was delicious and the beer was Budvar and was gorgeous, as you would expect. We then decided to have another drink before we went home and headed for Neary's just off Grafton St. Great pub, brilliant atmosphere but I still feel the loss of the peacock wallpaper in the ladies toilets, it will never be the same for me since they cleaned the place up.

Howandever, Neary's would not be a trendy pub and so choice of beer on draught is limited to Budweiser, Carlsberg, Heineken, Guinness and Smithwicks. All very well when you haven't been drinking yummy Czech beer. I ordered a Budweiser on the basis that I was interested in the compare and contrast of drinking one after the other.


The King of Beers?

Let's just say it was not a good experience. Actually minging is the term I would apply to the taste of my pint. I couldn't finish it.

Then I started thinking about beer and my likes and dislikes. I have developed a strong preference for imported beers, especially Czech and German beers, in recent times. Miller, Bud, Carlsberg, just aren't acceptable to me anymore. I have become a beer snob!

And to think 20 years ago your choice of beer was Guinness, Smithwicks or Harp! And we were happy with it!

I made butterflies

Picture me grinning proudly at my computer screen.

Yep I made butterflies and I did it all by myself!

Seeing as I have no clue about stuff like this and am basicly learning by doing can you tell me please if it looks ok?

Cheers!

Trixibell in the Middle

I had a little ego boost sitting in my email account this morning and all I had to do to access it was to sell my soul to the spam devil!
I signed up ages ago to Tickle Tests to elleviate my boredom through self examining tests! And did loads before I got bored! But one of them was an IQ test which I did and didn't really think much about after that! However it turns out that if I was an American school child I would be in the gifted class - like Malcolm!


Trixibell in the Middle

It's a load of nonsense really but I liked reading it, it made me feel clever!

The Ferns Report

It's hard not to address this issue today in light of the revelations yesterday in the Report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Ferns over a period of 4 decades.

The coverage last night on Today FM's The Last Word was harrowing to say the least. The extended coverage on RTE's Radion 1 while not as graphic was difficult to listen to and disturbing. Today I find myself continuously thinking about the children who were abused, the irretrievable damage that was done to their innocence, confidence not to mention faith. And I feel sick and angry, no doubt like most other people who are following the story.

I am a Catholic. I have faith that there is a God. But I have no faith in the Catholic Church. I call myself a Catholic because that was the faith I was raised in, I go to mass occasionally and I think that the parish I come from at home is a good place, a safe place and I enjoy the sense of community when I visit there. I've never found that sort of comfort in Dublin churches and so I don't generally attend them. It's not the mass that attracts me to the church its the community.

What happened in Ferns ripped the community apart. It robbed people of that sense of belonging somewhere, it destroyed the lives of young people and it was let happen by the higher authorities. It would appear from what I heard this morning that the cycle of abuse started in the Seminaries. The Seminarians themselves were abused or were shown that it was ok to abuse without consequence, and the cycle began.

The report apparantly maintains that there was no organised paedophile ring in the Wexford area but it would appear that because of the lax attitudes of both Bishops Herlihy and Comiskey during the period when the abuse took place. Because although they had knowledge that some of the priests involved were not fit for the priesthood, they were allowed to practice in communities and interact with young children. The whole thing is appalling. It's sickening and it's depressing.

This is just one report one diocese in one small country. How widespread is/was this sort of abuse? What can the Catholic Church do to repair the hurt and heal the pain caused by some members of their priesthood? Will the church do what is necessary?

One of the saddest aspects of this story is the bad light that the priesthood has now been cast in. There are undoubtedly bad men in orders who need to be weeded out and punished, but we have to remember that there are also very good people, kind people who have chosen to sacrifice so much to shepard communities. Those people should not be punished for the sins of those who did so much wrong. There needs to be a balance in our reaction to this report. We need to remember that although we should expect that people in positions of responsibility and respect should be of unimpeachable moral goodness, that those who behave badly represent themselves and not the group as a whole.

Saying that though I have no doubt that the Catholic Church has been badly damaged by the proof of allegations of abuse against children and I for one really don't know how it is going to regain the confidence of people without a major fundamental change in the way the church is run and organised. That change is not going to happen in the near future, not with the current administration in the Vatican. That to me is a pity and a great loss to people like me who just like belonging somewhere.

Whey hey! I'm in the money!

Red Mum over here introduced this little doo hickey! And my blog is worth summat! Quelle Suprise!

My blog is worth $6,774.48.
How much is your blog worth?

Preoccupations and Boredom

I find myself in a strange sort of twilight zone at the moment. I feel sort of disengaged from everything like I'm on the outside looking in, and it's a very odd feeling.

I don't know if its because I'm at a bit of a loose end due to the finishing of the exams or if it is due to other factors which are playing on my mind at the moment but not really formulating themselves into ideas. I know I'm frustrated. That is one emotion I can identify. I also feel a little uptight and anxious and very restless. It's not very pleasant.

I thought that once I had spare time that I would relish the opportunity to veg out. But I'm not. I'm bored! I can't watch T.V., can't keep my focus long enough to read properly, can't listen to music, don't want to talk to people... In fact all that I want to do is move. I enjoyed being at home last weekend. I can't wait to head off again this weekend... maybe I've just got an intense dose of itchy feet! Oh I don't know even writing about it hasn't helped, I'll just have to keep going until I identify what the hell is bothering me, and then I'll deal with it!

Just to Annoy You....

It's two months to Christmas today!!



I know I'm not ready for it, Are you?

Living Life once more

As a result of finishing the exams and rediscovering the joys of living once again I have started reading real books and watching new movies over the past week or so! It's bliss! I have posted my view on a film I saw recently over on my review site if you're interested! I will be putting my opinion on other books I've read and albums I've heard recently over the next few days, so while there is no doubt my cultural section was looking very abandoned in the last few weeks I will be endeavouring to fix that problem over the next while!
Oh and comments are always welcome whether they are constructive or not!

By the way what's the take out there on my new colour scheme? I'm just proud of the fact that I figured out how to change the colours! I'm still learning! Oh and I get bored very easily!

The Curious Incident of Liam Lawlor in Moscow

There can be no doubt that the passing of Liam Lawlor this weekend was untimely and a huge tragedy for his long suffering family.


But you have to admit the whole incident is very curious indeed. Lawlor goes to his grave now with the secrets of many tucked away with him. The Planning Tribunal cannot hope to be able to uncover exactly what took place in this country in regards to anomalies in planning and building in the 1980's and 1990's

Friday Fun Time

Har Har Har! I couldn't have asked for a better result! Let me know how you get on with The Muppet Test!!!


You are Fozzie Bear.

Happy Friday!

I'm off home to get mothered by my mother! Yippee!

P.S. click the link to get the quiz!

Shameful Secret #1

I really really like that James Blunt song You're Beautiful.



I know its over played. But it makes me smile every time I hear it.
I know its really sappy and a bit nauseating. But it cheers me up.

I'm sorry.

Poor Brian, Poor Ireland, Poor Germany

I'm torn over who deserves the most sympathy following Ireland's uncermonious exit from the World Cup qulaifiers.
Is it due to Brian Kerr, who lost his job as the Republic of Ireland manager last night?
Is it due to the legions of us loyal fans and to those ubber loyal fans who never miss an International live game?
Or is it due to the German nation as a whole and their current economic crisis? As I have no doubt countless SSIA accounts were earmarked for hard core spending by Irish fans on the beer and the footy trail all over Germany.

There are a lot of losers as a result of this result. But the bottom line remains the same. Our team are not good enough. We have individually brilliant or potentially brilliant players but this team under Brian Kerr just did not seem to work as a coherent force. Maybe a new manager is the answer (if they can find anyone) but at the end of the day its the players who have to be capable of stepping up and playing decent inciteful, passing football. I'm looking forward to that day, may it arrive soon!

A Tribute to the Irish Mammy

Following the trials and tribulations which were the FE1's the Lovely Boy and I hit the high road and retreated to the loving arms of his familial demesne which is far from Dublin.

Oh the joy of not being in the city. The bliss of being cared for and looked after by the Boy's lovely mammy. The forgotten forbidden delight in sleeping past 8.30 a.m without guilt, and finally and most importantly the pleasure of the Irish fry every single morning!

I had the most fantastic rest and relaxation for 3 days and even after the gruelling return journey which was not short, I still feel great! I tell you, you can't beat the loving administrations of the Irish Mammy! And the Boy's Mammy is one of the best!

We were both exhausted, emotional, stressed and sullen by Thursday evening and just the mere act of getting out of this fecking city seemed liable to break us. The six pm bus didn't leave until 6.40! It really stretched us to our limit and we finally reached our destination the next day, after a short stop over in my home place which currently resembles a building site! It was a long journey and to be honest we were only fit for lying around and trying not to cry by the time we got there, but now all is well and I am ready and willing to get stuck into living life again as opposed to watching it pass me by from behind a load of stuffy text books! As such I would like to pay tribute to Mary for helping me regain the ability to speak, laugh, think and feel again!

I've got my life back!

I have returned to the land of the living once again! And have survived the latest round of Fe1's as was hoped! A brief word on the exams, as I don't want to really think about them at the moment, 2 went well one didn't go as well as I had hoped so I may have to resit it. Yes it's disappointing but its not over til the fat lady sings and until then I'm going to try and not brood on it. I said I'd try though I'll probably be obsessing about the results silently in my head and publicly here on my site until they arrive, but I will try not to!

Thanks to everyone who admired my pics! I'm gald they were enjoyed!

I have loads of thoughts swirling around my head about potential posts. They include my abject disappointment at Ireland not qualifying for the world cup, mad spending sprees by the Government on computer systems that don't work, Katie Holmes being up the duff and loads more besides but I reckon its all being said and done already by everyone else so I don't think I'll bother now! So seeing as I have been absent from work for so long I will go make an effort at clearing my desk and when things are quieter later will write more later. I've missed musing on stuff here!

Sights around Dublin this summer

Seeing as summer is now well and truly over and that I am about to go missing for a few weeks here are a few of my favourite images of Dublin from this summer. Enjoy!


Statue of a Docklands worker.


A skewed image of the Campanile in Trinity.


Oscar on a rock.


Merrion Square


Dermot Morgan's Chair.




Phil Lynott on Harry St.


Viking Ship


Sean O'Casey Pedestrian Bridge.

Dum dum dah....

And so my final day of work has arrived. From tomorrow until October 12th I will be fully immersed in tort, property and equity in that order! I'm strangely excited by the prospect at the moment! I thought that I would be climbing the walls with nerves and fear, but now it comes down to it I just want to get stuck in. Being in work is the last place I want to be right now!

On the preparation side I have all but two topics on the tort course covered. Which means I have the whole thing pretty much under wraps. The big challenge over the next few days is to remember it all! It's a daunting prospect made even more so by the fact that the papers are horrific. The lovely examiner likes to throw at least 3 different aspects of tort into each question and sometimes adds a little twist to keep it interesting! I'm dreading it, but I've passed 5 and criminal was very similar to tort in layout and I got through it in one go so I just need to get on with it and cram that law into my brain!

I have the whole property course covered now as well. The course is pretty long but the papers are fair so as long as I learn what I need to and the examiner isn't kidnapped by some evil aliens and made to set out a worse than usual paper I have half a chance going into it! Plus on the learning side of it I have only recently learned huge chunks of the most important aspects of the course for the degree exams so I have a head start on it this time round! Same goes for equity!

So that's where I stand. It would be incredible if I passed them this time round and if I don't get them all at least one would take some pressure off. I'm not prepared to consider worst case scenarios... because I just can't!

So wish me luck I'm up on Monday, Friday and the following Wednesday and then I am taking a well earned few days off to rest, relax and rehabilitate! See ya later!

And so we wait with baited breath...again

The not so shocking breaking news story on the Nine O'Clock News last night deserves a mention on today's blog. We are once again waiting to hear if the IRA have disarmed and decommissioned. What will John de Chastelain have to say this afternoon and will it be enough to appease the Unionists?

There's no point getting excited until we see what happens....


They're smiling now it seems....

"The ball found 'God' and 'God' found heaven"

That was my favourite quote of this weekend and was issued yesterday as Peter Canavan scored a fantastic point from play in the All Ireland Football final held in Croke Park.


Peter Canavan is the one being squashed.

It was one of the better All-Irelands in recent years and you would have to admit that Tyrone were worthy winners. They had to play ten games to reach the final and the sense of hunger and ambition in the team was palpable. It was also a fitting tribute to their late team mate Cormac McAnallen, it was terribly moving to see manager Mickey Harte reduced to tears on live television directly after the game and I'm sure not even the thwarted Kerry fans would begrudge the win to Tyrone.

Full of the Joys

I woke up happy this morning! It's a beautiful crisp autumn morning here in Dublin, and while there can be no doubt that summer is on the wane I still can't help enjoying this time of the year. I love the colours in the trees, the crispness in the air and the gradual need to wear comfy wooly jumpers!

I managed to cram in loads of work last night, finished my antibiotics, and had a great nights sleep and it has all added to my good humour today!

But I think it was the small indication of the kindness of people that I witnessed on my walk to work this morning that really cheered me up. It was a small incident really. A woman, not old not young, stumbled and fell on a very busy footpath outside one of the cities dart stations. At least 5 people jumped to her rescue. Picked her up from the path, dusted her down, one woman even gave her a little hug, and I could tell rather than being embarrassed she was put at ease by the kindness shown to her by random strangers. It lifted my spirits too I was glad to see that despite what you hear about modern society becoming more cold and uncaring that there are still people out there who defy those statements.

Just after the London bombings in July of this year there was a horrifying incident on a bus in the same city, where a young man was stabbed by a person he had asked to stop throwing chips at others riding on the bus, including the victim's girlfriend. According to an eye witness article I read in the Guardian (I think) no-one came to the man's pleas for help, he had to make his way from the top deck of the bus to the lower level himself calling for help, meanwhile his killer just left the scene with no intervention. The writer of the piece came to his aid, tried to make him comfortable and called an ambulance, everyone else either left or watched her. One person even refused to give her, her jacket for the dying man's head, as she was afraid blood would get on it. I found the article chilled me to the bone and depressed me. I can understand people's fear in these situations but I would like to think that if I were (God forbid) involved in something like this that I would have the courage to do the right thing.

The small incident gave me an indication that all is not lost. There are still good people left in the world.

A beginning to an end

I received the results for the DIT exams that I took in early September this week. I am very pleased and proud to announce that I now officially have a Degree (Ordinary) Legal Studies (Upper higher merit)! Doesn't that sound fancy!?

I am relieved beyond measure to have at least one thing finished. Now regardless of what happens I can at least train to be a Legal Executive and earn decent money at it too! Still want to be a Solicitor though and am not tempted despite the sickness, tiredness and all round yuckiness to give up on the Blackhall Place Exams! In fact these results have given me a badly needed boost and should help me get to the end with a bit more of a spring in my step!