Sky News, guaranteed to amuse.

With headlines like Violent Videos Upset NI Peace followed by

As Northern Ireland continues to enjoy the fruits of peace, there are growing fears that paramilitarism may once again be on the rise. Politicians in the North are calling for videos glorifying paramilitary violence to be removed from the internet.The video uploading site YouTube has hours of footage of IRA, UDA and UVF violence, posted by users who seem intent on keeping the decades-old conflict alive.
Much of the footage is pure propaganda, with videos celebrating how the IRA "beat" the British army. The UDA and UVF videos are equally graphic and are also set to triumphalist music.

The pure propaganda, they mention, is embedded at the top of the page beneath the title

Watch an IRA YouTube video

I'm hoping David Ford MLA, of the Alliance Party, who's leading the campaign to have the videos removed doesn't start one against journalists who continually amuse me.

On Friday October 13th 2006...

Dave Wood and Kurt Bosworth travelled to Cushendall, Northern Ireland to begin a project at the Curfew Tower in the centre of the town. It was creative, it was Dave's birthday and it was Ireland...

What happened to these guys who started a project on Friday the 13th? Could it be something like a story from Supernatural featuring Sam and Dean?

Find out @ the Cushendall Curfew Tower Project

I'd love to go and see this!

The Beautiful Game

Based on a documentary, the musical revolves around a group of teenagers growing up amid religious intolerance in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1969. The musical will be reworked into a Korean adaptation in November as the sixth Webber's licensed musical.

The musical will be held at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul from Nov. 16 to Jan. 13.

NO CHILD WAS EVER BORN
TO HATE.

I WILL STRIVE FOR PEACE WITH ALL MY MIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT'S RIGHT.

ALL KINDS OF LOVE
BRING US TOGETHER.
CAUSES THE BROKEN
HEARTS TO MEND.

PEOPLE MUST LOVE,
NOW AND FOREVER.
THERE'S ONLY ONE LOVE IN THE END.

I reckon Seol & Company don't have plans to stage this in Northern Ireland so if anyone wants to treat me to a trip to Korea to see this musical I'll be eternally grateful. It'd be a bit boring if it was performed by locals and if I only have to travel to Belfast to see it.

Featured on the video bar on this blog.

For a few days I'll be featuring on the video bar moving images...section on the sidebar,videos from indymogul

Indy Mogul is the network dedicated to DIY filmmakers and film lovers alike. Our first show, Backyard FX, is a creative and funny 'how-to' guide for making film effects on the cheap. New episode every Monday. Check out our website indymogul.com for more tips and tricks.

Factor X

Definition of X, factor

X, factor: A coagulation factor, a substance in blood essential to the normal clotting process. Production of factor X takes place in the liver and requires vitamin K. The gene for factor X is located on chromosome 13 and is in band 13q34.

The "X" in factor X is the Roman numeral "ten." (All numbered coagulation factors bear Roman numerals.) Factor X became known because of a genetic condition in which the factor is lacking.

Factor X deficiency is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait manifest by prolonged nose bleeds, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, menorrhagia (abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding), hematuria (blood in the urine), and hemarthrosis (bleeding into joints). Pregnancy in women with factor X deficiency is often associated with adverse fetal outcomes (recurrent spontaneous abortion, placental abruption, and premature birth).

Factor X is also called Stuart-Prower factor because Mr. Stuart and Miss Prower were the first persons shown to have deficiency of this factor. source - MedicineNet.Com

X Factor, now that's something else. When it's on TV I'll , more than likely, watch it. I don't know when it'll sink in with the general public and some of the would be stars that it is a quick money making opportunity for Simon Cowell. I'd enjoy it if they let people sing their own original material, as there's a time limit for TV karaoke competitions. I haven't researched any of the previous winners to check if any are writing and producing new material, though maybe by the time they do write and produce their own material their contracts with Simon Cowell have run out. It may be that he doesn't want really talented performers to succeed in the show as he couldn't keep them long enough to make much money from them.

One disturbing aspect of the show is the way they treat some of the contestants. On last Saturday's show there were a few that obviously had learning disabilities. The panel which included Simon Cowell took the piss. It wouldn't be accepted if it was racially motivated piss taking, or if it was related to a persons sexual orientation. It's easy with someone who has a learning disability and the chances of them complaining are slim.If you watch it on one of the early rounds take a look at the bullies on the panel, has the bullying changed much from times in the school playground?

The X Factor seems to be all over the blogosphere. Shaun Rogerson an ex X Factor contestant is blogging at Unreality TV.

On X Factor.Com a Northern Irish girl

gowerjulie wrote:
I was at the X- FACTOR Auditions this year but i only got to the second round of the Production stage but theres always next year!! My Uncle trains me dont know what id do without him.

I started performing at a school country and western night, I then attended singing lessons with pop idols voice trainer in the Ulster college school of music. I was asked to sing at my singing teachers concert for charity which was a real pleasure.

In 2001 I was chosen to sing on the famous George Jones Show in The Ulster Hall in Belfast after singing live on his radio show radio Ulster. In 2004 I won castle fms search for a star contest judged by citybeats stuart robinson as part of my prize I was taken in a limo to record a demo and perfomed at roadshows. My acting teacher let me sing at events, such as the lagan lookout in Belfast, which is a great way to get out there and gain confidence and experience and get talking to people. I completed a sommersong course in rostrever where we meet the man who discovered the band U2 and received advice from professionals in the industry, which was fantastic. At the end of the course we performed to an audience and recorded a demo in a studio in southern Ireland. I sang for musican of the year award and in many venues acroos northern Ireland including the waterfront, oddesy, Newcastle, lisburn to name a view Last year I made it through to the final 10 in Miss Nothern Ireland Contest which was fabulous and was a fantasic opportunity and experience to be involved in. I have did acting examinations through attending one to one acting tuition with a teacher from a theatre company. My acting teacher gave me many opportunities as I presented on the UTV and the BBC Television on numerous occasions and interview celebrities at a huge event called soccormagic in the oddesy pavilion in Belfast such as Dermot o, leory and ralph little from royal family.

I have been to many masterclasses and workshops in cincluding; Presenting with Kristine blakley, Acting with actors from coronation street , eastenders and emmerdale. Music composing with composer of lord of the rings to name a few, At the workshops I said a few pieces to the camera. I have also given a public speech infront of a large opening day to encourage other children to get involved in workshops and masterclasses. i love singing and i am trying to prmote myself, i enjoy modelling and presenting alot too, thanks for visiting and come again soon.

Do you think she's got, what they call, the X Factor? Watch and listen...

The buck stops here.

Rhys Jones' family said they blame the parents of their son's killer and urged them to do the right thing by turning him in. Mrs Jones, 41, said yesterday: "It's horrendous. What kind of people are they? What are their parents doing is what I want to know. They must know it's their kid. They must know what they're up to - or don't they care?" The grieving mother continued: "I blame the parents most of all. There are no boundaries any more. There's no respect."If their parents had any thought about our pain and what we have lost they'd turn in their son."Mr Jones, 44, added that parents had a responsibility for their children and "somewhere along the line the guy that shot my son has gone very wrong".source

If the government would think along the lines of "parental responsibility" and provide extra parenting support for parents with learning difficulties , parents who are drug addicts or alcoholics, things might've been different. To conclude,the parents who say "My Johnny would never do something like that" should be taken out and shot.

I've been Simpsonised.

I've eaten, I've drank and I've turned yellow. It happened here. If you really want to see the results of my Simpsonisation, use your initiative. If you eat too much @ Burger King and blog too much you could end up looking like me. You have been warned! :-)

^d8 - I've left it here

The Weakest Wizard and more.

This looks like a fun packed day, for those who are that way inclined.

The latest movie has come and gone and we are sure by now everyone has finished reading the final book in the series. So many of you may be feeling a little down that it's all over now. Well to keep your spirits up are delighted to announce a new addition to our guest line-up.

Natalia Tena who plays the Auror Nymphadora Tonks in The Order of the Phoenix will be joining Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley), Jamie Yeates (Marcus Flint) and Paul Mark Davis (Lord Draben) as our guests for Phoenix.They are all looking forward to visiting Belfast and spending the day with all the Irish Harry Potter fans.
The event promises to be a magical day for all with a packed schedule.

• Guest Q&A's, your opportunity to ask any burning questions you have about the movies.
• Autograph Session, where you can get signed photos.
• Photo Session, Have a picture taken with the guests by our photographer which will be printed and ready for you to take home before the end of the day.
• Fancy Dress Competition; win prizes by dressing as your favourite character.
• The Weakest Wizard, Enter and play our live stage version of the weakest link.
• Themed Party, where you can dance into the night.
• Charity Auction.

As well as the above there will be many more activities and things to see during the day. Visit our Owlery to see and hold live Owls and beware of the Dementors above you guarding the event.

UT Events: Phoenix is being held in the Park Avenue Hotel, Belfast on November 10th 2007. Tickets are available through our Website only £30 for adults &
£15 for under 12s, just visit www.utevents.co.uk and follow the links.

For more details you can call our information line on 07708 295 283.
source - UT events

Cause it's Sunday...

Here's a video from GodTube.com

A poem by Colin Moffett which is videoed by him at Mt. Slemish in Northern Ireland near his home. The poem is narrated by Jeannine McMullen.

Men!

Men!
Originally uploaded by xxx zos xxx

I enjoy browsing through photographs on flickr. Some photographs I see on flickr are memorable, especially this one.Memorable and scary.

This was my first shoot with a model, so I was a little nervous. But a BIG thanks to Blue for modelling. So many outfits, so little time!
And for the men, don't take it personally!
Zolita

I've found a new Northern Irish blog.

It's entitled WAKE UP NORTHERN IRELAND!

Recent blog posts on the blog, which are linked to http://uppompeii1.uppompeii.com, have titles like...

1. ISLAM IN EUROPE- THE VIDEO
   
   Sunday, August 19, 2007
2. ISLAMISTS TO HOLD PARADE IN NEW YORK CITY ON 9 SEPT
   
   Sunday, August 19, 2007
3. Uk’s REVOLVING ASYLUM DOOR ALLOWS ANOTHER TERRORIST IN
   
   Sunday, August 19, 2007
4. BBC Mission- “To mislead, misinform and undermine the culture of the UK”
   
   Sunday, August 19, 2007
5. UK ASYLUM SEEKERS DEMAND AND GET “THE LIFE OF RILEY”
   
   Saturday, August 18, 2007
6. BRUSSELS MAYOR THIELEMAN OKs DEMONSTRATION SAYING JEWS BEHIND 9/11 TERRORISM
   
   Saturday, August 18, 2007
7. MORE APPEASEMENT FROM THE UK MEDIA
   
   Saturday, August 18, 2007
8. LEAVE OR DIE
   
   Saturday, August 18, 2007
9. Dutch ex- Muslim leader in hiding after death threats
   
   Friday, August 17, 2007
10. THIS WEEK’S INDUCTEES INTO THE MULTICULTURAL HALL OF SHAME
    
    Friday, August 17, 2007

COMING SOON………… @ WAKE UP NORTHERN IRELAND! is...

STOP THE MOSQUE PROJECT

MEANWHILE TO BE AWARE OF WHATS HAPPENING CHECK OUT:

http://www.belfastislamiccentre.org.uk/

WAKE UP NORTHERN IRELAND! needs help

We are just starting out we need as many people as possible to help us.
Urgently need a web page developer to help build the website so if you have free time please contact us.
Would appreciate people with free time to help:
spread the word
mail drops/leaflets/posters/advertising

Blogs like this show that we are definitely in a New Northern Ireland now, though I'm sure there'll be some people asking questions.Questions like "Are the Muslims he blogs about Protestant Muslims or Catholic Muslims?"

Johnny mustn't have trained his pup correctly.

I'm sure dog owners realise that rules like given by Stan Rawlinson, work.

Commands: Avoid giving your dog commands that you know you cannot enforce. Every time you give a command that is neither complied with nor enforced your dog learns that commands are optional. One command should equal one response, so give your dog only one command (twice max!), then gently enforce it. Repeating commands tunes your dog out (as does nagging) and teaches your dog that the first several commands are a "bluff '. For instance, telling your dog to "Sit, sit, sit, sit!", is neither an efficient nor effective way to issue commands. Simply give your dog a single "Sit" command and gently place or lure your dog into the sit position, then praise/reward.

If Johnny had started to enforce rules earlier in his pup's life things might have been different.

Mad Dog’ son is jailed after cop car chase

THE SON of former Ulster terrorist Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ Adair has been jailed after a police car chase.

Officers spotted banned driver Jonathan Adair junior, known as ‘Mad Pup’, behind the wheel on his way home from the gym.

And this week the reckless stunt cost the 22-year-old seven months behind bars...

Defending unemployed Adair, Glenn Davis told the Sheriff that Adair’s father was keen to keep his son away from the life of crime he has lived in the past...

His father has expressed anger at his continued offending and is determined his son will keep on the right side of the law and that he will not emulate the criminal record held by his father....

Watch Out on Saturday

If you're in Norn Iron. You may notice people who are acting strange and wearing strange looking outfits. There may be people you notice that look like they've just been released from any of our fine mental institutions.These people, most probably, all have a one track mind. Yes, they want to get back to Belfast. I'm not implying that all Belfast people are mentally ill and wear strange outfits, but I do know a few like that.

On Saturday the second Northern Ireland Cannonball Run is taking place from the Shaw's Bridge Sports Ground in Belfast. They're raising money for the Northern Ireland Leukaemia Research Fund.

The concept of the Cannonball Run is as follows: Teams of three people will be deposited at a mystery location (in any of the nine counties of Ulster), and be required to make their way back to Shaw's Bridge without any money or assistance (no mobiles or GPS!). Various tasks will need to be completed along the way, and teams will need to follow a designated route.
source-www.nicannonballrun.com

You may have noticed in the quote

and teams will need to follow a designated route.

The word used, describing the route they take, is designated.The word is not, traditional. So they shouldn't encounter any counter demonstrations.

For more info on this event and how to contribute to a worthwhile cause take a look at their website.

Is this the correct way to compile a link list?

Make up my own names for the blogs?

Reciprocal linking?

Linking to anyone who proves they read this blog by commenting on it?


For those listed below if you've an alternative title for your blog let me know.

• Spilled on your lap by Manuel



• She say's he's 'Handsome Ed'



• Nellie the blogger wrote her blog and trumbled out to her garden...



• Lord Taiost



• just call her 'Hails' - two syllables are just too much for some people.




• Is everyone's favourite fascist



• Give her a f**kin knife ;-)



• Arse End Of Oireland



• Alan, not always, in Belfast



• "The one and only 'Lula Bell'"



• "Ladies and Gentlemen: it's 'Keithblog'!"

Chris Thornton on Wikipedia?

I noticed a couple of articles in the Belfast Telegraph by Chris Thornton. One was...

Website reveals the weakest links

One of the Internet's best resources has often been beset by falsifiers. Chris Thornton reports on a new website that helps track them down - and shows that some come from Northern Ireland

What connects Gerry Adams, the Vatican, the Northern Ireland Office, MI5 and the Infant Jesus of Prague?...

And another relating to Wikipedia...

Civil Service caught up in web scandal

Northern Ireland Civil Service computers have been used to make sectarian, malicious and lewd comments on Wikipedia, according to a new website that exposes anonymous contributors to the online encyclopedia...

My immediate reaction to these reports is to read the listing for Chris Thornton and the results at the time I visited Wikipedia are

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You searched for Chris Thornton [Index]

Jump to: navigation, search

For more information about searching Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Searching.

MediaWiki searchGoogleYahooWindows LiveWikiwixExalead

No page with that title exists.

You can create this page or request it.

I'll admit I was tempted to create a page, but I didn't and won't. However,it'll be interesting to see the page when it is created. Those civil servants need some amusement, apparently.

The Pheasant family

The Pheasant family
Originally uploaded by Cyber_Scribe

If the Mrs was blogging, it might go something like this....

One of the hen pheasants that came down to feed in the garden, has had a number of little chicks. In fact she arrived with 6 small bundles of fluff the first time, however the following day she only had one left. We don’t know what happened, she might have run off without them, or were killed by some creature; at least the remaining chick is thriving, and we’ve been observing its growth over the last couple of weeks.

Blogs from Norn Iron.

I just love them. In the old days the only differing of opinion on subjects relating to Norn Iron seemed to be confined to the forum Slugger OToole. Now with more people blogging it's refreshing to see some of the old subjects we shouldn't be talking about, cause Tony Blair fixed everything, being blogged.

The subject Stroke City, as Gerard Michael Anderson calls it, is being discussed. Gerard Michael Anderson is a disc jockey working for the British Broadcasting Corporation. He lives in a city near Donegal by the River Foyle.

Firstly the Shouting Derry Man...

A quick article on the BBC describes how a tourist was seeking to catch a bus from Belfast to Derry she was told by a moron employee at the Europa Bus Centre in Belfast that “"no buses run to that place".

The confused tourist was left to catch the train from Belfast to Derry buy funnily enough the train service is also run by Translink, so no matter what they wont loose out in any customers. Translink apologised to the tourist for any inconvenience caused which was really nice of them.

Many people outside of Derry don’t realise that Derry & Londonderry are that of the same city which can cause confusion for tourists. When a local transport company, such as Translink, refuse to recognise either one or the other city name they aren’t really providing a service to the community or the tourism industry.

There is no more room for this crap in the North of Ireland, especially when it comes to a public transport company. For one thing, I’ll be boycotting every service run by translink and will no longer recommend their services to any tourist that I speak with, clearly this organisation is NOT tourism friendly.

Now, a differing view from What Need of Further Lies?

It’s Londonderry!

John Dallat is demanding an explanation after it emerged that tourists seeking to buy tickets to somewhere called “Derry” are being told that no such place exists.

Mr Dallat should be aware that as recently as January of this year the High Court ruled that there is indeed no such place in Northern Ireland.

In fact, there has been no “Derry” in Ulster since 1613 when a city which formally bore that name was renamed Londonderry.

Turning up in Belfast asking for a ticket to “Derry” is the equivalent of someone in Moscow asking for a ticket to Stalingrad, a city which ceased to exist in 1961 when it was renamed Volgograd.

However, I do have some sympathy with the tourists. In my opinion Translink staff should have the manners to explain that the city was renamed almost 400 years ago instead of telling them “it doesn’t exist”.

And speaking as one who has personal experience of the staff in Belfast Central I have to say that this display of a lack of common courtesy does not come as a surprise.

Reminds me, of a Loyalist song I've heard sung...

Derry's Walls

The time has scarce gone round boys, three hundred years ago
When rebels on her Derry's walls, thier faces there not showed
When James and all his rebel band came up to Bishops gate
With heart and hand and sword and shield, we forced them to retreat

They'll fight and don't surrender, but come when duty calls
With heart and hand and sword and shield, we'll guard those Derry's walls

With blood that flow in crimson streams, through many a winters night
They knew the lord was on thier side, to help them win thier fight
They nobely stood upon those walls determined for to fight
To fight and gain the victory and raise the crimson high

They'll fight and don't surrender, but come when duty calls
With heart and hand and sword and shield, we'll guard old Derry's walls

At last, at last, with one broad sigh, kind heaven sent Derry
The boom that crossed the Foyle was broke, and James he was dismayed
The banner, boys, that floated, was hung aloft with joy
God bless the hands that broke the boom, and saved the apprentice boys

They'll fight and don't surrender, but come when duty calls
With heart and hand and sword and shield, we'll guard old Derry's walls.

So who's right? Please don't answer here, send a letter to your local MLA and tell them. Hahahaha

55 days until...

blog action day 2007

The Monday Interview

"I was in the Official IRA in the early 1970s. Like a lot of young people in those days I reacted to what I thought were the circumstances around me.

"I had three or four occasions where I was confined to Castlereagh Police Station, which was not a very pleasant experience. The play is based on those experiences.

"I regret every moment that I believed that violence was an option, as I believe now that violence is counter-productive. But I don't regret the politics that I learned through that. I would still describe myself as a socialist or a social democrat and I think I've got a social conscience." Martin Lynch

Read it in full here

Celebrating film-making from Northern Ireland.

Starting tonight on BBC 2 Northern Ireland @ 9pm with...

Middletown 95mins

Set in the heart of Ireland's bible belt, this explosive drama takes a hard look at how religion brings families together and pulls them apart.

After fulfilling his religious instruction, Preacher Gabriel returns home to Middletown and finds gambling, drinking and sinning at every turn. His prodigal brother, Jim is threatened by Gabriel's moral crusade. He fights back as his wife, his marriage and his livelihood come under attack. Can Gabriel save everyone in Middletown from eternal damnation? Or is it Jim who should save Gabriel? Contains some strong language and violent scenes. [S]

Gabriel Hunter ...... Matthew Macfadyen
Jim Hunter ...... Daniel Mays
Caroline ...... Eva Birthistle
Bill Hunter ...... Gerard McSorley
Ned ...... Richard Dormer
Sammy ...... David Wilmot
Rev. Cray ...... Mick Lally
Mrs Lennon ...... Sorcha Cusack
Bap Miller ...... David Herlihy
Pokey ...... Frankie McCafferty
Tessie ...... Bronagh Gallagher
Adele ...... Charlene McKenna
Agnes ...... Marie Jones
Bin ...... Lalor Roddy
Young Gabriel ...... Tyrone McKenna
Young Jim ...... Niall Wright
Young Ned ...... John Joe McNeill
Young Sammy ...... Declan Magee

Continuing with...

TITANIC TOWN - Sunday 26 August
The second film, black comedy drama Titanic Town, remains a seminal film from Northern Ireland and stars the indomitable Julie Walters as a housewife who becomes spokeswoman for the fledgling peace movement and the pawn of two entrenched traditions. The film also stars Ciarán Hinds, Nuala O’Neill and Ciarán McMenamin.

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE - Sunday 2 September
A Man of No Importance written by Tyrone man Barry Devlin (of Horslips fame) is an extraordinary tale of an ordinary man as he struggles with temptation, friendship, disapproval, and the conservative yet oddly lyrical world of Ireland in the early 1960s. Albert Finney is exceptional in the title role, ably supported by a stellar cast including Brenda Fricker, Michael Gambon, Rufus Sewell and Tara Fitzgerald.

A LOVE DIVIDED - Sunday 9 September
A Love Divided, with Orla Brady and Liam Cunningham is the moving and dramatic love story of a marriage between a Catholic and a Protestant in 1950s Ireland.

WILD ABOUT HARRY - Sunday 16 September
From Bangor born writer Colin Bateman, Wild About Harry tells the story of Harry McKee - a middle-aged, worse-for-wear, Belfast breakfast television presenter whose work and marriage are falling apart. With Brendan Gleeson, Amanda Donohue and Adrian Dunbar.

THE MIGHTY CELT - Sunday 23 September
Last in the series, from Belfast writer-director Pearse Elliott comes The Mighty Celt. Starring Robert Carlyle, Gillian Anderson and Ken Stott and introducing newcomer Tyrone McKenna, the film is a poignant coming-of-age story of Donal, who learns some harsh lessons about life through the world of greyhound racing.

source - Northern Ireland Screen

Unmissable!

X Factored

You can watch him here now
but you'll have to wait until Monday to read his blog post @ Unreality TV

We spoke to Shaun today and he has agreed to write a weekly article for us, covering each X Factor Saturday show. He will reveal who he thinks has the X Factor, and some of what really goes on behind those audition doors. Unreality TV

The Peace Process in Larne

Aug. 27, 1999 The home of Danny O'Conner, a SDLP Northern Ireland Assembly member, was attacked with a petrol bomb. The Ulster Defense Association (UDA) is believed to have been responsible for this attack which caused no damage.

Aug. 17, 2007 Insults fly after council debate gets out of hand

By Connla Young

Disability groups have slammed a former Larne mayor after he branded a council colleague who lost both legs "stumpy".

The SDLP's Danny O'Connor fired the jibe at the DUP's Bobby McKee during a heated meeting at the council's Smiley Buildings HQ earlier this week.

A former member of the UVF, Mr McKee lost both his legs when a bomb exploded in his car in 1974.

Chief Executive of Disability Action, Monica Wilson, said disabled people will be offended by Mr O'Connor's remarks.

She said: "Disability Action would recommend that the councillor should consider his language; the term used is extremely offensive not only to the councillor but also to many disabled people."

Mr McKee, who branded Mr O'Connor "fat" during the council chamber fallout, last night said he had accepted an apology from the SDLP man.

He added: " I lost my legs 33 years ago and for someone to bring that up after I have served both sides of the community for 20 years, and have been honoured by the Queen for it, is hard to take.

"The debate was a legitimate debate and it got out of hand. Danny later apologised for saying what he said and I accepted it.

"I also called him fat and it wasn't a very nice thing to say at all and I have apologised to him. These things happen. There's many a slip between the cup and the lip."

A founding member of the Northern Ireland Amputees Association, Mr McKee said he now considered the matter closed.

Larne Mayor Mark Dunn was forced to adjourn the heated council meeting for 15 minutes during which efforts were made to calm the feuding pair down.

Mr O'Connor later said he was "truly sorry" for his outburst and apologised to the council.

The Belfast Telegraph made a number of attempts to contact Danny O'Connor without success. An SDLP spokesman offered no comment.

Elvis aint dead he's having a

Shit, what was that the advert for? I'm sure , like me, you haven't been able to avoid the news that Elvis is really dead 30 years. I'll show how old I am by reminiscing back to 1977. It was the school holidays and I was always encouraged to get a holiday job. The jobs included gardening, painting, shop work and on the milk run. Delivering milk would start at 3am and on a good day finish at 10am. They weren't always good days because one of my colleagues would be occasionally picked up at the local football club and we'd have the job of keeping him awake and trying to sober him up for the first couple of hours.Thirty years ago, Paul was sober. It was 3am. Brian was driving, heading out of Bangor and on the radio the news presenter read the headlines Elvis is dead. I've never been 'all that shook up' about Elvis but for some reason will always remember the announcement of his death.
I've met a real Elvis fan. He was that devoted he's formed Elvis tribute bands and arranged gigs and concerts for them all over the country. He even had an Elvis phone. When the phone rang the Elvis doll on top of the phone would sing and gyrate. I was looking through Amazon to see if I could find the phone and was waylaid slightly and found this I thought was good.

I'm sure most folk know that Lisa Marie Presley is commemorating the 30th anniversary of her father's death by singing along with him. The video of a posthumous duet with her dad will be available for viewing on Spinner from tomorrow, as well as for purchase on iTunes for a charitable cause near and dear to the Presleys.

The video, directed by Tony Kaye ('American History X'), was shot in New Orleans, and, as Presley tells Spinner, she was so touched by the lingering affects of Hurricane Katrina that she decided to make this video more than just a tribute to her dad.

"I landed there to do the video, and I looked around when I got off the plane ... It looks like Katrina happened six months ago," Presley says. "So, that's when it all fell together."

The duet -- both song and video -- will be available on iTunes for downloading, starting Friday. All proceeds will go toward the building of a Presley Place transitional housing development for underprivileged families in New Orleans.

"Families come in and live there, get their life skills together," Presley explains about the charity her family originally started in Memphis. "They get jobs and then they save their money, and about a year later, they move out when they can get back on their feet. It's something [Elvis] was very interested in, because it's kinda where he started from." source - Spinner.Com

It's good to see that something worthwhile will come out of all the Elvis fuss today.

Ham n Cheese 'll do.

from JibJab.Com

Exam results - What next?

I wonder how many students will read this, from the Northern Ireland Executive

Results time has once again arrived, bringing with it excitement and disappointment to many young people in Northern Ireland.

For those who have achieved the results they anticipated the next number of weeks will be spent in a flurry of preparation for the next stage in their life. For many this will be university, for others it may be continuing education, seeking employment or training. For those who are uncertain at this stage it may be difficult for them to see the way ahead. This is where Careers Advisers from Careers Service Northern Ireland can help.

Careers Advisers will assist young people and their parents to explore the many options open to them so that they may arrive at informed decisions about their future.

The Careers Adviser will provide free information, advice and guidance on issues such as applying to alternative courses through clearing, making the most of better than anticipated results, choosing training options, planning a gap year, looking at alternatives in the further education sector or seeking full or part time employment.

Judith Shaw, Head of Careers and Guidance Services at the Department for Employment and Learning said: “It is of the utmost importance that all young people receive the correct information, advice and guidance at this crucial time. I would encourage all post exam students to take advantage of the professional and impartial advice and guidance on offer from the Careers Service in order to make the most of the opportunities available.”

Career Advisers can assist all young people irrespective of what stage they are at in their individual career planning process.

For more information view the Careers Service website or telephone 02890 441781.

Maybe it's time to go on a gap year.

Thank God I'm past it now! :-)

To Do, later

Check News story again

Vatican 'edited Adams web page
' A new internet tool shows how a Vatican computer was used to edit a web entry about Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, American researchers have claimed.

Wikipedia Scanner developers said they can now trace where changes to the popular online encyclopedia have been made.

Go to the Gerry Adams page on Wikipedia

Try out Wikipedia Scanner

Result = ?

Is this joke a wee bit racist?

stolen from elsewhere on the world wide web

A Cuban guy, a Polish guy and a Northern Irish guy all walk into a bar and sit down together. The Cuban guy takes out a huge cigar and starts to smoke it; after taking 2 draws out of it he gets up and throws it out the window. Both the Polish guy and the Northern Irish guy are in shock and asked him why he threw it away. The Cuban guy says don't worry we have loads of them where I come from.

The Polish guy then takes out a large bottle of vodka and pours himself a measure; he then stands up and throws the rest out the window. This time its the Cuban guy and the Northern Irish guy who are in shock. They ask why the hell he just threw a whole bottle of vodka out the window. The Polish guy says never worry we have loads of them where I come from.

Next the Northern Irish guy stands up, grabs the Polish guy and throws him out the window....

Oh I do like to reminisce .

Back in the old days when I blogged at the Bog Standard Blog...

I've checked the stats their and today the Top 5 popular pages, are.

1. Unicorns Are Real - the Bible says so
2. Battle at Kruger
3. Poll Position
4. DEFINITELY...
5. A 'bog standard' BLOG tutorial.

So No 1's about the Bible and the readers of No 3 were boosted by a visitor from a Northern Irish blog. I'll not embarrass the blogger, but if that blogger is using that poll for research, God help them.

The Gals are going to Galway

e-biz about blawgs

I'm always interested in what, according to the so called experts, are the most popular blogs. eBizMBA, instead of just link popularity, combined Inbound Links from Yahoo Site Explore , Alexa Rank, and Compete and Quantcast U.S. Unique Monthly visitor data to come up with their Top 30 for August 2007...

1 | Gizmodo.com
8,501,344 - Inbound Links | 1,501,526 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 4,469,847 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 757 - Alexa Ranking.

2 | TMZ.com
4,093,656 - Inbound Links | 3,806,178 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 1,200,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 827 - Alexa Ranking.

3 | engadget.com
6,582,567 - Inbound Links | 855,052 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 547,327 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 592 - Alexa Ranking.

4 | LifeHacker.com
3,905,798 - Inbound Links | 1,046,181 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 2,344,131 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 1,070 - Alexa Ranking.

5 | HuffingtonPost.com
3,525,415 - Inbound Links | 773,290 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 1,306,486 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 2,824 - Alexa Ranking.

6 | PerezHilton.com
1,328,151 - Inbound Links | 1,543,378 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 537,607 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 897 - Alexa Ranking.

7 | Gawker.com
3,889,455 - Inbound Links | 558,858 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 1,320,937 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 5,837 - Alexa Ranking.

8 | Kotaku.com
2,698,567 - Inbound Links | 626,423 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 1,852,105 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 2,226 - Alexa Ranking.

9 | treehugger.com
1,201,672 - Inbound Links | 444,893 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 1,175,146 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 5,356 - Alexa Ranking.

10 | ars technica.com
1,726,704 - Inbound Links | 688,327 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 348,177 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 1,789 - Alexa Ranking.

11 | boingboing.net
4,047,978 - Inbound Links | 623,153 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 292,342 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 2,311 - Alexa Ranking.

12 | TechCrunch.com
2,328,006 - Inbound Links | 218,585 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 115,730 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 635 - Alexa Ranking.

13 | AlterNet.org
1,386,452 - Inbound Links | 361,811 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 965,772 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 8,512 - Alexa Ranking.

14 | AutoBlog.com
4,238,315 - Inbound Links | 697,067 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 349,316 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 2,341 - Alexa Ranking.

15 | DailyKos.com
3,417,148 - Inbound Links | 424,596 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 209,145 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 4,844 - Alexa Ranking.

16 | Defamer.com
3,121,444 - Inbound Links | 345,548 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 754,615 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 13,239 - Alexa Ranking.

17 | Wonkette.com
3,632,830 - Inbound Links | 165,023 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 538,106 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 21,547 - Alexa Ranking.

18 | Mashable.com
760,020 - Inbound Links | 481,981 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 231,930 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 1,378 - Alexa Ranking.

19 | joystiq.com
4,091,050 - Inbound Links | 452,639 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 183,035 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 3,963 - Alexa Ranking.

20 | searchengineland.com
293,032 - Inbound Links | 258,892 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 200,018 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 2,132 - Alexa Ranking.

21 | icanhascheezburger.com
213,727 - Inbound Links | 256,481 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 74,476 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 4,160 - Alexa Ranking.

22 | downloadsquad.com
3,837,986 - Inbound Links | 261,171 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 42,275 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 7,507 - Alexa Ranking.

23 | CrooksandLiars.com
1,858,034 - Inbound Links | 266,979 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 82,800 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 6,091 - Alexa Ranking.

24 | GigaOM.com
1,480,159 - Inbound Links | 54,159 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 287,344 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 5,428 - Alexa Ranking.

25 | SmashingMagazine.com
291,420 - Inbound Links | 210,845 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 17,099 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 2,892 - Alexa Ranking.

26 | postsecret.blogspot.com
795,970 - Inbound Links | NA - Compete Monthly Visitors | 172,028 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 15,884 - Alexa Ranking.

27 | AListapart.com
932,275 - Inbound Links | 77,175 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 16,869 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 2,840 - Alexa Ranking.

28 | littlegreenfootballs.com
3,605,440 - Inbound Links | 87,268 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 47,863 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 21,187 - Alexa Ranking.

29 | ReadWriteWeb.com
759,794 - Inbound Links | 45,436 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 15,738 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 4,542 - Alexa Ranking.

30 | dumblittleman.com
31,846 - Inbound Links | 135,991 - Compete Monthly Visitors | 21,611 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors | 24,227 - Alexa Ranking.

Some of these I haven't visited yet, so that's what I'm going to do now.

HELLO!

:-)