Wednesday, December 21, 2011

My weight...

I was at one point 17 stone something... I think 17.5 stone.. thats around 245 pounds or 111.36kilograms. Then I realised... I am going to die sooner than I need die if I keep on gaining weight. I will get diabetes...  or a heart attack... or something. So I made a few changes. Nothing difficult at first, I started looking at what I was eating. I got a notebook and wrote down everything I ate for a few days. Then I wrote down the amount of calories all these things had in them.

Can of Coke Cola.... how many calories? 2 slices of white bread, how many calories? Funny how quickly all food changes from this yummy thing you ate that really you never thought about to this thing... this product that adds weight on to you.

This is not me.... This is Arnold Schwarzenegger!
But I am realistic. I know that if I have a good work out and then have a cup of tea and a biscuit afterwards that I have pretty much undone my workout. You have to do something here. Be consistent... ve-ry con-sis-tent. Either do not diet at all! Or be 100% on your diet.

Well being 100% on it is very difficult, I would say I am around 70% on it. I do kinda watch what I am eating now. I still eat lots of crap.. why? Because I like eating crap. But I know that I am going to have to bust my ass working it off again.

Which takes me onto my last point... and it is very simple. Unless you exercise you will not loose weight. Well at least that was true for me. I try to get a good bit of exercise in a week, in any way that I can. Walking up stairs, not taking the lift. Doing karate. Walking to the shop if it a reasonable walk instead of taking the car. Going to the gym.

So in the space of around half a year I have lost over a stone and a half. It is not easy. It is slow... painful. But at least I regularly weigh in around 16 stone or half a pound under, like 15 stone 13 1/4 or 224 pounds around. I lost 21 pounds. My aim is to get to between 15 and 15 and a half stone. At least if I get a heart attack, or something, I can say... like Jack Nicolson in 'One Flew Over The Cookoos Nest' when he tried and failed to throw the sink across the room, "at least I tried".

Friday, December 16, 2011

My most popular post ever!

Follow this link then get back to me here....

http://carraroeandthecity.blogspot.com/2010/09/34-years-old-15-days.html

Back yet?

That post my most popular post ever... weighing in at an awesome 61 views for that one page! Yes people.. Marts finger dressed up as a little person! The average amount of people that click on my site is around 7, 8 for each page. My aim in the next year is to get 100 views for some page and have an average of 30 - 40 for each page. But you never know what people like.. I never would have figured Marts finger as the most popular thing on my blog :)

PS - Now that page is at 64 views!!! :) - 19/12/2011

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Page A Day For 2012!!!!

I have made up my mind.. I am going to do it. I am going to try to follow through with it this time. Last time I tried it I was in a "bad place" in my mind.

So what is it that I am talking about. Well for my 34th year on Earth I tried to fill in this blog - an entry every day. But I realised that there were loads of problem with the approch that I was taking. I was going it more like a diary - I can see now in hindsight - whereas it should have been more like a magazine that like minded people to myself would read.

There was also alot of stuff happening in my life and it was really really hard to find the time and the inspiration to do the page a day. I was closing down I business, well 2 business! We were dealing with banks, I was gaining alot of weight with stress... ahhhh! the whole thing.

But thank the lord all that is behind me. I have the best friends in the world and I now worry about very little indeed. I am now definately in a "good place".

The first entery for the 2012 thing will be on January first..... and assuming that we world has not ended the last will be on December 31st. Every post will be titled the new title + the day (+ any interesting topic in particular I am writing about). So... what title will I give my 2012 page a day project? Any suggestions? Please do leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

What defines an English person...

Just for the record I have nothing agains't anyone English, but come on... this is funny....

Friday, December 9, 2011

New .xxx domain available

You know, mnow that I think about it, its funny that xxx domains were not around before now. In case you do not know what I am talking about a domain is a name given to a name of a website on the internet. So I have the domain cupantae.ie - the .ie at the end there says it is an Irish registered company. I also own lonelyatoms.com... the .com does not mean it was bought anywhere in particular but it is the most common domain extension.

So, enter the .xxx domain. Why have a domain that is so obviously sex orientated. There are many different types of domain extensions, .org, .mil, .co.uk, .edu... they all say something about the type of domain that you are looking at. Now, sex is massive seller on the internet. It generates alot... I mean ALOT of money in case you did not know. So if I chose to open up a sexually orientated website I would actually find if difficult to find a fitting domain, a .ie domain does not exactly sound like a whole lot of fun whereas .xxx clearly sounds sexually orientated. The difference is clear for example when you compare full domains... buns.ie sounds like a nice little business where I would imagen a little kitchen that churns out homemade quality tasty pasteries, scones etc...

Now compare that to buns.xxx!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Battles - Icecream

I was thinking "I shouldn't put this video up". Its obviously a video for guys - well no, aimed at guys, but for whom ever. You know, there are good looking girls everywhere in it, some of those girls are licking nobs... yes. Then I realised, I don't really care what haters think. You got something agains't hot chicks? Funny how I feel like a bit of a sleeze posting this... Whats wrong with me? It is actually a good video. I know I sound like the guy who says he reads Playboy for the article, but I am too tired to care :) I just got an hour sleep last night!



Friday, December 2, 2011

Getting a game for the PC

There are a few ways to get a game for your PC... note that in the title of this post I did not call it, "Purchasing a game for the PC" I called it "Getting...."

First way is to download the game though a torrent. Go to a site like like torrentz.com, look for the product you are looking for (anything and everything will be here so be carefull if you know what I mean) in the search bar on the top of the page, ensure that you have utorrent downloaded and installed before hand and bang you are away.

Second way is to purchase the game in a shop. You walk in to the shop and speak to a human, you hand over your plastic card or paper cash and gives you a physical disk in return.. you have your game.

Third way is to download the game (legally this time!) through an online store. I am going to say, but it is open to disagreement, that there are two major players here. First is Steam - hundred of top quality games can be found here and Steam is owned by Valve that have the Half Life game franchise as their cash cow. The second is the newer Origin by EA (Electronic Arts). Now while Valve is a famous and big enough software development company they are nothing in size and mass to EA. Value is the X-Wing to the EA Deathstar... it is the speed of sound to the speed of light that is EA... you get the picture. Both have website that are worth checking out so that you will be in the know if you are not already...

Steam is at SteamPowered.com

Origin is at Origin.com


Monday, November 21, 2011

Scientists invent the lightest thing ever....

Yes it is sitting on top of a dandelion!
Boffins have invented this "ultralight metallic microlattice," 100 times lighter than styrofoam. While there is no actual specific use for it yet... its worth it for the picture alone is it not?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/11/lightest-material-on-earth.html?track=lat-pick

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A picture of a warsaw ghetto

I came across this picture just now. On my iGoogle home page I have 'what happened in this day in history' gadget.... So on this day:

"Nazis imprison 380,000 people in the Warsaw Ghetto." It is accompanied with the following picture...

It is a very telling image. I can say nothing that has not been said before of course, but what sticks out for me in this image are the kids. As my kids get older I realise what they understand at certain ages. And more importantly what they do not. Sure, a kid in this picture would understand that the soilders with guns meant bad news and that they (the kids) should just do what their parents were doing. But they do not understand the bigger picture.

It is just a really sorry image. A brilliant picture that tells a terrible story. A story that should have finished 60 years ago but never did...

Monday, November 14, 2011

Most Advanced Robot - I love you Asimo

Wow, look at this, it is fantastic and makes me actually happy to see it, he makes me smile - he is so amazing. Look at Asimo here running, hopping on one foot, and carefully opening a flask of juice and pouring it out. Brilliant and cute!

Asimo is a robot (well a series of robots really) that Honda have been working on for a few years. This video shows the latest that this amazing little robot can do...

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1264811886001/most-advanced-robot-ever/?playlist_id=162838

Friday, November 11, 2011

Earth calling Austin....

I have a land line number. I am going to X out some of the numbers so that stranger will not be calling me, but rest assured my number is something like 869XXX

However I like in county Galway so the area code there is 091. So my number is 091 869XXX.

Now Ireland is a country in a phone network, and Ireland needs to be identified by its own code. The code for Ireland is 353. So our number now becomes 353 91 869XXX, you knock off the 0 of the 091. Now to be more precise, our number is actually 0035391869XXX, the 00 is often not written in and is just replaced with a + sign, so you might see our number, if it were written on a website that needed to be able to be called from anywhere in the world it would be +35391869XXX.

Now take that a tiny bit further... some day people will colonise the moon. They definately will some day. And Mars... they definately will. So will Earth now have an area code? And the moon and Mars? And if so, will our moon be a part of the Earths area code? We might say, the Earth is the 3rd planet from the Sun, so Earths new area code is 03, so now my new number would be 0335391869XXX, or +335391869XXX.

But Mars would be 04... so if i had a business on Mars, and I wanted people to call me my number could be +4 XXX XXX XXXX XXXX

But what then of Moons? Should they have their own planetary area codes? Or should our moon be lumped in with our planet Earth? We have 1 moon so maybe our moon could be area code 01... so maybe if I were on the moon, lets say with my current number, it might be 0301 (see my planet, my moon) followed by my number... so it would be +40135391869XXX.

But then it get kinda complcated... ok, we have a nice clean planet. We have 1 moon.  Mars has 2 moons.. Phobos and Deimos. So if I were living on Deimos my number would be 040235391869XXX... obvious! But what if I were living on an asteroid on Saturn? Also, we are 1 sun in a galaxy of billions! And there are billions of galaxies!

Call my brother who lives in the delta quaderant! Now thats gonna be a phone number... but I hope we have skype.. otherwise the bill is going to astronomical!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Eyes Wide Shut

Hey blogger has changed its interface a good bit. I don't know if it looks different when the blog is published but from my side, where I am writing the blog it looks pretty cool! It told me that for example, my blog has had 4998 hits! Cool.. you are probably reader number 5000+. Nice....

Friday morning, I am feeling awake because last night before going to bed nice and early I did a good 20 to 25 minutes of exercise and had a shower. All that equates to a good nights sleep.

On the radio this morning I heard the piece of music, I was listening to Lyric FM by the way.... it is from Shostakovich - Jazz Suite No. 2. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=tSBRrvzTpGw

Depending on how much of a Stanley Kubrick fan you are you might primarily know it from his (what I now call good film when referneced from my minds eye) 1999 film "Eyes Wide Shut".The youtube link I have provided here shows fighter planes flying and blowing stuff up. But look at the planes, beautiful.  The footage is not the best, but still cool.

So thats it... talk again soon... and by the way, the piece of music is 3:42 in length. Take the time to listen to it. Its nice.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

How big is our sun... small, thats how big!

I came across this YouTube video today... look at it... it puts into perspective how small Earth is... how tiny we are in the Universe... now, people go on alot about "we're nothing compared to the nature" or "we know nothing about the Universe" or "when you see how big the Universe is only God could have made it!"

I am not saying any of those because I am of course a pantheist. What I am saying is... Cooooooooool.... the Universe is amazing and beautiful...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4iD-9GSW-0&feature=related

You know what, I am going to throw the defination of Pantheism in here as well...

"Pantheism is the view that the Universe (Nature) and God (or divinity) are identical.[1] Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Greek (pan) meaning "all" and the Greek (theos) meaning "God". As such, Pantheism denotes the idea that "God" is best seen as a process of relating to the Universe.[2] Although there are divergences within Pantheism, the central ideas found in almost all versions are the Cosmos as an all-encompassing unity and the sacredness of Nature."

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Kronum - New game for new era of athlete... hmmm

What... anyone ever hear about this sport? It seems like a Mickey Mouse sport in that it seems like a sport that kids would make up when they are bored.. however, seeminly it is kinda popular.... I'm showing it here aren't I.

Here is a video from yahoo that explains it..
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/article/44729/

Kronum Pitch...

Here is a link on wikipedia about it... very new sport too evidently...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kronum

Kronum = 8 points (evidently)

X-Ray Vision

While we are a long way from popping on your x-ray vision glasses and watching what your neighbours are up to by "looking" at them through the wall the boffins at MIT have invented an x-ray machine that shoots over 40 beems of radiation through a wall. In the process of doing this around 99% of the energy of the radiation is lost but enough of it comes back bouncing off people that are inside the room you are looking at. Again, when the signal bounces back through the wall again around 99% of the energy is lost again leaving the remaining radiation that is picked up again by the machine that shot it in the first place very low... but it is still enough energy to be able to pick is signature image of a moving (assuming it is moving) person or animal.

Want a better explination! Go here and the coolness in action.

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/science-research-radar-mit-military,news-12921.html

While this is very primitive at the moment think of what this will be like in 10 years!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Space Law - Official Page!

I came across this page this morning. It is about what countries are and are not allowed to do in space. The link is here:

http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/SpaceLaw/outerspt.html

Basically is says that space belongs to no one State or person. It is cool. Worth the read, well, the read of the home page anyway at least, as that is all I have read.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Some of the crap we say...

You ever think about some of the crap we say? Special K have an add at the moment where the voice over of a woman says, "it's a woman perogative to change her mind".

Now, come on. Why? Because your a woman? Why do you say your allowed to change your mind... think about it. To me it sounds really insecure to say "I am a woman I am allowed to change my mind!!!!". How would it sound if I stood in the middle of Carraroe and said "I am a man... I am not having Coke after all, I am having 7-Up!". People would look at me and say "crazy damn fool".

So the reason that it is acceptable for women to say "it is a woman perogative to change her mind" is simply because people before her have said it. It is thick. It is silly for a person to stand up and exclaim something like that.

(Of course really it is neither silly nor smart - it is just a meaningless utterance that is given a meaning by those that hear it.)

But it makes you think.. what else do we utter? What other sewage comes out of our mouths? (And before you make reference to this blog ask your self whom is worse, he who feeds the sewage or he who eats it!) How many other things do we say on a daily basis that really means nothing? Now the answer to this is that in one way, nothing we say actually means anything does it? Words only have a meaning becuase we have given them a meaning. Right. But with that said, some words, some sentences are more dangerous than others.

For example, my bugbear in Carraroe is the Irish language issue (didn't know it was an issue - well it is). In Carraroe we "should" speak Irish. Oh! Oh sorry. We should. I forgot that eleventh commandment - "And when thou arth in Carraroe in the year of our lord 2011AD speak Irish or I shall teareth thee a new ass holeth". You see some "shoulds" should be looked at again and questioned. I come a philosophical background where there it is said that "the unquestioned life is not worth living". It is a pretty powerful statement.

Oh course with most of my areguements, the are subjective... if you disagree - good. If you agree - good. All I am saying is this - listen to what you are saying and listen really to what people are saying to you. A shocking amount is meaningless, but it is the meaningless that we live by. Talk about the weather, who died, who is born. But some is not meaningless and it is dangerous, and takes away our freedom and erodes away our rights. Words might flow over you like water off a ducks back but there are other people who place words carefully to make you think that their thoughts are your own. These are the dangerous people. When you have read this please take a moment to think. Is there anything that you disagree with? Does someone agree with it? Why do you disagree with this? Is someone slowly spoon feeding your mind with poison and killing your independant thought?

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Bounce Rate...

My bounce rate is 70%

What does that mean. Well I have st up Google Analytics and it monitors my site cupantae.ie. Google Analytics set me what country the person that visited my site was from. It tells me how long they stayed on the site. It tells me basically everything that I need to know about the traffic that goes through my site. Now, when a person lands on my site and does not click any of the links on the page, in other words, they do not stay on my site at all (and in my case there are only a few lines of text on the site so I know that they simply find those lines either interesting and they click on them or boring and leave my site) this is called bouncing.

If I have a bounce rate of 100% that means that NO ONE clicked on any of the links on my site! At the moment I have a bounce rate of 70%... so 3 out of 10 people do like what they see when they land on the site and the click on more links. Now, I could make my bounce rate down to 10% if I wanted by putting links to sex sex sex, porn, fast cars, guns... but you know what... I am not that type of person.

Well, yet anyway...

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Artifical Intelligence Program on the web...

I love these... some day I will have a conversation with a command line on a computer screen and I will not know if I am speaking to a computer program or real person. This is not because I am weak of mind, but because the artifical intelligence of the computer has become so good you cannot tell who you are speaking to.

To see two of these programs at work go to the following sites:

http://www.jabberwacky.com/

http://www.cleverbot.com/

Enjoy them, take a moment and try to have a real conversation and see what happens. It is fun... but soon it will be so real it will be scary...

Website Updated

I have updated my cupantae.ie website. I have shaven it back, back, back to the bare essentials of what I want on it. I have begun working with Joomla. Joomla is a content management system (CMS) and I think that will use such a program to work with my website creation. What I wanted from my websites was to learn Javascript, PHP, CSS and even if I use a CMS I will still be learning all these programs, as well as learning a CMS.

I have learnt reciently that alot of CMS' are the same in conept, the way that they are set up, so it is of course good for me to begin using one. It gives a fuller picture of how the whole Internet thingy works, which should be handy should the internet ever catch on.

So I have added new pictures to my lonelyatom.com site. Check them out. I was doing my lonelyatoms site manually too, as in typing in all the script by hand but it too time consuming. So again, mostly for lonelyatoms sake I will be utilizing a CMS.

Thats it, I miss writing here. I love it and I miss it.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

34 Years Old + ? Days

Not the most flattering picture for what is a great achievement of a billboard for Linda. Cool isn't it...I, for one, am impressed! Its almost like the letter jump out at you too.... cool!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

34 Years Old + X+Y Days

Its a day down at the beach. there is alot to observe.. look at. there is a seagull standing
down by the sea shore, looking around. hes probably thinking the same thing. there is alot to
see. and it nice and quiet, for some reason, there is no one here. i don't know where they are,
but they are not at the beach, maybe there is a game on or something. i am at the grave yard
beach in carraroe, beside the seagull there are two wooden polls and on the topof them are huge
signs say "Subsea Power Cable" and there is a picture of an anchor with a line through it that
means "Do Not Anchor Your Boat Here - You could feck up either your boat or the cable." Of
course wouldn't you know it, there is a boat anchored exactly where the cable must be. Water
cover I think 70% of the earths surface, why did he have to park exactly there!?

Makes you think about sign though. At this same beach there are more signs "Coasc or Dhumpáil
Fineail €3000" If you put "ail" after english word you have the new Irish language - see - no
need for the Acadamh afterall! But on the other signs on the beach say "No Campfires", "No
Tents", and "No Campervans". I think that is what they say. Thing is they are open to
inturruptation. They are only pictures. Course, maybe they should be written, you know, as in
in words "Do not set up tent here". But then again that is not fair becuase alot of the people
in the state of Ireland are not able to read, did you know that. Rest assured your not one of
them if you are reading this, don't worry. But it is the states respondsibility to ensure that
you can read.

So what would happen if I walked down to the beach, and I could not read - and because I do not
read I would not observe the campfire with a line through it, becuase studies have shown that
alot of people that cannot read are less inclined to observe signs because they are not in the
habit of it. Why would they be, you usually read signs. So you start a little fire, nothing
major, you not going to glass the earth or anything (Halo fans understand this - otherwise look
up the properties of Glass + Silicon + Beach Sand). So there I am with my little fire and a
Garda comes and fines me €3000. Which at the moment I cannot pay so I would have to get free
legal aid. And If i were not able pay for my fine at all I would have to be imprisioned I
guess, which is even more cost to the state. Of i would not be fined and I would be just let
go, which is a waste for the state toput up the sign at all in the first place.

So, even at the beach, when it is nice and quiet, no one around, there is alot to observe. I
observe how there is one sign that is really relevant seemingly that is being ignored (the boat
anchored over a line that could send him to the moon if he snags it) and I see a sign that
there is just too much administration in some cases. Who gives a good god damn if i have a fire
at the beach. And I would clean up after myself - but do you think that this sign is going to
stop people who would have messed up the beach otherwise from messing it up? Of course not.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

34 Years Old + X Days - Lost things

What day is it?

I started the year long blogging project as a test. Could I keep it going for a year... Sadly it seems that I could not. But it did not happen as I expected. A few weeks ago I did not know what was happening to me. All of a sudden I would loose a day, writing the blog, I would not fill it in for a day, but then I would catch up. Then once I realised that I had not updated it for a few days, and I said, well this is too much to do right now. I will have to do it when I have some time.

Some time... How many good intentions have been lost in the sea of "some time"?

Now it does not matter what happens, I can never go back and really fill in those days. I have some regreat, now of course I wish I did keep my little project going. I had a few regular readers and I know I have to some degree disappointed them by simply stopping. Sorry guys.

But there is really a lesson here. And I have already learnt this in a few aspects of my life. Tomorrow is really just a concept. The 4th Dimension - it is time. One will never be "in" tomorrow. I planned my blog in "tomorrow". Thats why my project failed. So now, I will see over the next few days what I will do regarding my blog. But I know one thing... it is great to be back.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

34 Years Old + 254 Days

Wednesday,



Karate again today. This was our last class before the grading on Saturday. I am nervous becuase there are still so many little things that I am still botching up. But by 11:30am on Saturday it will all be over.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

34 Years Old + 253 Days

Tuesday

Her Majesty the Queen Elizibeth II came to Ireland today. I don't know if she ever stepped foot on offically Irish soil before. What I find, did find in the past, and will find in the future, annoying is people that give out about the Queen. If I came across someone who hated a country and because of the hatred to that country never bought their produce, never supported them in any way, didn't sing their songs, but still knew their history, I would respect their opinion to hate them. I would not hate them myself becuase of their opinion, I make up my own mind (and I believe that hating anything or anyone makes no sense).

So you have the "Anglo-Irish" situation. The Queen visited to bridge relations between the two countries. Definately there have been bad days in our history. But at this state in the relationship it tiresome to hear people protesting about the whole thing. And I know that Irish people still have strong emotions about the death of family members caused by the English government, but are you going to hold onto this forever? Are you ever going to say, "we still await an appology - but we will welcome the Queen". If not why not? Well what are you doing sitting on your ass then? Go an do something about your missing apology - do it and get over it.

I might sound ignorant here but I do not care. I have children and the moment they do not know hate. But they will learn of it eventually. And myself and Linda will teach them that hate is not good and it only hurts those who harbour it. Please, if and when they do learn it, let it not be from my own country people. Is that your aim? To hate the English monarchy so much that you will chew up and blacken the souls of the young so that they too will not live, but exist in that erie twilight of ignorance and fear that hate breeds? Thats worse than anything Queen Elizzibeth ever did to me....

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

34 Years Old + 252 Days

Monday..

Power is a funny thing, it is a double edged sword really. To get to be really powerful you have to, usually, behave in a manner that exerts your "power". Someone who is in charge of a large company didn't get there by just being nice, I believe that getting to the top of the ladder involves opening alot of doors for yourself... not waiting for other people to open them for you. Of course in the same manner, alot of door are closed behind you too, and sometimes this makes enemies.

Look at the now famous case of DSK, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Leader, managing director of the IMF (International Monetery Fund). The guy had money, lots of money by the way. He had fame. He had security, or at least that is what is seemed like. He was well respected and liked, and possibly would have been the next president of that most fantastic nation of breads and snails, France. He had power. So did he or did he not imprision a chamber maid in his room for a while? He he sexually abuse her in some way? I certainly do not know, nor do many people at this point. But as Aristotle said, there is no use in having a skill potentially. You only have the skill if you use it actually. Maybe in a moment of madness SDK put his power into practice.

I agree in using your power if you have it. But like a gun that too is powerful, do not shoot your self in the foot. Use the power to control people for good. Aim the gun at the pleb masses not at the innocent chamber maid. But look at me rambling on again, who said she was innocent for example. I was just thinking what an interesting thing power is. How would I manage it if I had it?

Sunday, May 15, 2011

34 Years Old + 251 Days

Sunday,

We were at a dedication today. What is a dedication you ask. Well the parents of the child, baby, that was being dedicated have their beliefs, like all of us. They are not however "stamping" one religion on the child. When the kid grows old he can then choose the path that he wishes to walk himself. What the parents will do is enable him best they can to find the true path.

I like it, it is probably one of the most civilized approches to religion I have ever heard of, and today, have seen in person.

Large on the interest radar today was the news that Builin Blasta has opened up today. This was of course previously cupantae.ie that I used to own. It was strange to tell the truth. I set up the business, it failed. Now someone else is taking over. Thats kinda what it feels like. But I wish him well, I am really happy Bobby is in there and I am delighted to have a cafe in Carraroe again for the people to go to.

34 Years Old + 250 Days

Saturday...

It was First Communion day in Carraroe today. My nephew was there, Carribre - he was brilliant. He did some reading in the beginning of the mass. There was some food in the hall of the school afterwards, which was nice becasue it kinda takes the need for people to have to go out for big dinners out of the equation. I think alot of people just went home and had a nice meal with the family there. We went down to Malis and had a lovely day there.

Later on in the night I went down to Mart and played some xbox with 2 friends and Mart. That was cool cause we played Halo Reach and we only just this night played the Race mode on it, I have to say that the race mode is fantasic. We had even raced some of the same race maps before when we were playing slayer, the kid of free for all mode.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

34 Years Old + 249 Days

Friday,

Yeah.. the end of the week! i love weekends, they rock. Not that I have anything agains't you sweet Monday to Thursday, but the weekend means so much when that is, chill the beans. Today we went up to Marts and played us some Settlers Of Catan (google that) and we saw one of the funniest films ever, "Dale and Tucker vs Evil) google it!

It was a good night.

34 Years Old + 248 Days

Thursday..

Every Thursday for the last few months, more or less every Thursday that is, we have been meeting up in Galway city in a place called the Hacker Labs in unused commercial unit beside the Revenue office across from the Radisson. The place was called 091 labs. We met up there for out board games club. Now lately it was just getting into swing, last Thursday, we had 18 people. That actually is pretty good. Thats 3 whole 6 player board games. This Thursday we had a good showing as well but we were met with some sad news, they Hacker lab is moving, they are currently looking for a new place to set up in town.

In case you are wondering what all the talk is that I am doing about the Labs, check out their website:

http://091labs.com/

34 Years Old + 247 Days

Wednesday...

Karate again, the realisation that karate grading is in two weekends time was hitting home. We practiced katas, basic moves. And practiced, and practiced.

34 Years Old + 246 Days

Tuesday...

Visited a friend in town, Barry. We talked about some guitar playing. we both used to play guitar tiny bits when we were younger, not that much younger, we lived in town in the same apartment. It was a cool apartment looking over the docks. I had begun learning the names of the boats, and to learn the tides, as the window of my bedroom was overlooking the docks itself. It was cool.

34 Years Old + 245 Days

Monday...

I have karate lessons in the hall in Carraroe every Monday and every Wednesday until the end of the season before summer students take over Carraroe. Normally it is just Monday, but we were getting a few extra classes in before it ends. But the funny thing is, I am going on a pre marrage course in three weekends time. Now I was mean to have done it by now but we had karate grading at the same time! So the pre marrage took the back seat. Now, we have karate grading again a week saturday. When the instructor told me I was thinking "oh crap... I can't possibly put off the karate again.... I am going to miss grading :( ". Of course then I realised that the karate grading was on the weekend BEFORE. Linda isn't at all anrgy, but I think she woudl have deserved to give me a black belt quality beating if I renaged on my marrage course again. Luckily she not that, just for the record.

34 Years Old + 244 Days

Sunday,

We had a coool day today with the kids, we went into Galway with the kids and we saw Winne The Poo film. The kids loved it and I love it because A) the film was really cheap and B) the film was FREE for adults and only €2.50 each for kids. You can't beat that value.

The we came out to Carraroe and had a fine free dinner at dads place. I say free but that does not mean that we usually have to pay for it... it just means maybe, the best things in life are free?

34 Years Old + 243 Days

Saturday

Played settlers....

34 Years Old + 242 Days

Friday....

We hosted a dinner at our house for some friends, it was cool. We had lovely food and desest the night was spent singing. The kids ended up going to sleep at an increadibly late 11:30pm! It was an excellent night though...

34 Years Old + 241 Days

Thursday...

Good board games club in the Labs today in galway city... http://091labs.com/ There were 18 people...

34 Years Old + 240 Days

Wednesday....

Karate! I loved it! It was a nice class....

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

34 Years Old + 239 Days

Tuesday

My first day back in town again, doing what I do. Making websites. Thing is I am so busy during the week that my blog takes the hit.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

34 Years Old + 238 Days

Monday....

Osama Bin Laden Dead!

That is one scumbag I am happy to hear about being dead. I was in Boston on September 10th 2001 Bin Laden. I watch the telly and I was listening to the radio as your little idiots crashed their second plane into the Twin Tower. You lived in fear all your life and you ruined peoples lives. I am impressed with the Americans that shot you dead that they treated you so well. What I know about Muslim makes me understand that it is not a tool that should be used to make people hate. In my belief system there is no one god external to the universe, and I do not think that there is any good or bad. Therefore I think that bin Laden was neither good nor bad. I simply think he was just a rich man that abused people. He was a sick idiot. Well now he's dead. To talk more about him is to almost pay him hommage in some way.

Freedom 1 : Fear 0

34 Years Old + 237 Days

Sunday...

Cleaned the house and went to loughlow Farm. We all had a fantastic time but Sophie spraned her ankle.

34 Years Old + 236 Days

Saturday....

34 Years Old + 235 Days

Friday...

Today was the Royal Wedding Day of William and Kate. I have no idea what they are the Prince and Princess of, but for the record I think that it is really cool that England is carrying on this tradition of Royal weddings, anyone thought that really knows me knows that I really believe that the monarchy is not run properly in England. Are some a nazi scum wannabe? Happy slapped someone and robbed their mobile phone? Rapist feeling a bit horny? Chop off the offending appendage in each case. What is the government for? Try to make sure the badness does not happen in the first place, but if it does, do something about it. William, grow a pair of balls. Don't let spitting image make a mockery of you. Respect is earned in alot of ways, but none as sure as fear. When I hear someone in Carraroe complain about the queens visit later on May this year I first roll my eyes to the heavens on hearing it, and I hang my head in shame in thinking of the lack of respect people have for the Queen in England.

Interesting, I got a comment on this post before the post was even finished! :) Yes, I watched it kinda in the background. I looked at it in a "oh, what this could be" kind of way...

Friday, April 29, 2011

34 Years Old + 234 Days

Thursday...

Linda went over to the ceardlann today for a while, and in that time I folded some clothes, studied some php, and practiced my first two katas. I felt really good after the katas and the study. We were meant to go into town to the board game club but it was cancelled as we were not sure if there was going to be a key holder for 091 labs (where we have our games). So Mart, Marielle, Rick but also PJ and Decco came over, it was cool and good in equal measure. Linda could not play as she was busy :(

Good day.

34 Years Old + 233 Days

Wednesday...

I turned up, and very much looking forward to karate but it turned out that it actually was not happening today afterall, I landed back at the house and hung up my karate suit again, I realised that of all the clothes I own, and indeed of all the things I own, my suit and belt are some of the things I keep in the best condition.

There was a big do for Trevor in Tí Shé for it was announced that he has been offically voted in as a member of the Seanad. He is a senator now! It is good, for he put so much work into his political career so far. Enough said though, it seems strange talking about him like this, it sounds as if I am fake or something. But I am not.

34 Years Old + 232 Days

Tuesday...

Trevor has gone up to Dail Eirean to see if he is going to be voted in as a member of the senate.

We came down from Castlebar today. It was actually a really good stay up in Castlebar. We saw Lindas brother and sister in law, we saw her parents of course and we saw her sister and soon to be the latest member to be married into the family, Mark. When we were leaving it was like a holiday was finishing.

The Ceardlann in Spideal was having it first (after a whole 27 years!) open week. There will be crafts and etc and more etc there. Fun will be there too, and she wants to hang with you man! But it looks cool.

Monday, April 25, 2011

34 Years Old + 231 Days

Monday...

Happiness... today I did some stuff of my own for myself. Hence the happiness. One thing I did was to finally, yes finally, post up some pictures onto the lonelyatoms.com. That is my other website that I am using to test out my php, html and javascript on. I could do everything on it a million times faster with a blogging program, much like this program blogger.com but I want to learnt it all myself.

I did loads of work so far on a board game that I am creating with another person (Mark Ahern being the other person). It is falling out cool enough so far.

34 Years Old + 230 Days

Sunday...

Easter!!! First thing we did I am happy to say, considering it was Easter, was to go to mass in the main church in Castlebar. It was the children mass. There were adult at it, but it was the mass that was considered ok for kids to be screaming and talking through it, which is good. I went with Sophie and Lucy into the sacristy with around 2 other kids. Sadly a large chunk of the time was spent taking the names of the kids. It was explained to me twice that the reason that the names were taken was for protection of the children. The world has gone so paranoid and careful about anything to do with kids. Not everyone is bad, not everyone wants to harm kids. As they appoligetically handed me a sign in form to put my name on they explained to me again that it was for the safety of the children. Sadly, I guess it all has to be done. If I sound off about this it is for the following reason. If it comes to children being protected and people who harm them being brought to justice it ultimately comes down to what rights kids have vs. what right the people who harm kids have. In which case, the people who harm kids actually have loads of rights, and in out state, as in Ireland our governments do not care about children. Not really. Going to Galway city this morning I passed over a road works on a road that in my opinion (and I drive on it a few times a week) was ok. This road work cost how many thousands? How many? We have a new motorway going all the way now from Galway to Dublin... how much did that cost? How much has the state wasted on the banks? On tribunals? Lawers? Private jets... junkets to USA for "trade meetings". Cover your teeth if your going to stand in front of me and tell me that the Irish government cares about children or I might knock them out of your mouth. Did you ever visit a womens shelter where women have to hide from their alcholoic husbands.. shelters that survice mostly if not totally on fund raising, where women come to hide with their kids....

34 Years Old + 229 Days

Hello... is anybody in there... just nod if you can hear me... is there anyone home?
Saturday...


We visited Paul Reilly and his wife Clair who is "with children(?!?)" in Sligo today. With my camera I did a huge decision, you see, in general I am happy with lots of my pictures that I take. But I normally take them in RAW format. When a picture is taken in RAW, 100% of the data that the camera produces in taking the image is kept. This is as opposed to JPEG, where not 100% if the data is kept. Ergo, if you want to manipulate an image, it is better to work on a RAW than a JPEG because you will have more information with work with.

Well I have switched my camera to take JPEG images, not RAW. The reason I did this is becuase it is another and slightly time consuming step to convert an image from RAW to JPEG. So, now that I have done this it is easier to "throw an image up". Why am I calling pictures images?


Anyway, this image is funny, Lucy was amazed at the "old skool" telephone box. So choosing to ignore the fact that it is probably used as a public toilet or supermans jockstrap changing room I let her go on the phone. You know whats funny, now that I am writing this, I have no idea how much a call would have even cost. Oh how technology has changed things for the much better!



Friday, April 22, 2011

34 Years Old + 228 Days

Friday....

Finished work at 4pm. Got out to Carraroe at 5ish and had dinner, Mom and Dad came up, myself and Linda packed the car. Linda had already done all of the hard work of the day, packing, sending Sophie off to Castlebar with Finola and Mark. It was then a nice spin up to Castlebar where we met John Reilly on arrival whom himself arrived in Castlebar last night.

34 Years Old + 227 Days

Thursday....

Linda got her chip and put it her phone and got it up and running today. Cool in the gang for Linda, she now had some of the most desirable pieces of hardware and software. The phone really is sexy.

We went down to Mart and Marielles when the kids were asleep. Finola + Mark came over and stayed the night and let us go. We had a game of Settlers of Catan with M+M and Rick and Paula. It was a good night, even if I was kinda cranky and tired, and taking it out on Linda, sorry Linda :)

34 Years Old + 226 Days

Wednesday....

Linda got her iPhone today! It is cool and it is everything good that people say about this piece of technology. The only problem is that the chip was not in with the phone so Linda will have to get it tomorrow.

Our good friend Paula arrived today too... I did not see her yet though.

34 Years Old + 225 Days

Tuesday...

In at work... worked away... home... dinner... sleep

34 Years Old + 225 Days

Monday,

I get up at around 6am. Like 6:15am is good, if I am out of the actual bed at that stage I know that I will have a good day. When I get up that early I have enough time to look at television, some Euronews to see what is going on in the world, I have time to have a full breakfast, like toast with marmalade, maybe a strawberry yogurt if it is there, a glass of orange juice - made from concentrate but still yum (or is it made from concentrate?) - I also have tea and a great bowl of cerial. All this when I get up at 6ish am.

This morning I got up at close to 7... in a blind panic I bearly made it into work on time.

34 Years Old + 224 Days

Sunday...

With no dad on the scene, we ended up having a pork chop and chips and peas dinner. I was going to a roasted chicken that I had planned to get from Spar but by the time I did actually get to it they were all gone, but the chops were really fantastic. Mmmmm

Myself and Linda went out to Beofest 2 today. We met Rick and Dara, it was cool. Last year I was whoring away over in the cafe, but loving it. This year I was kicking it in the marquee, and loving it.
Today was really nice and easy going too, this weekend really felt like a weekend now that I am working in Galway.

34 Years Old + 223 Days

Saturday


It was a lovely day today and it was really cool to just stay at home. We did not go anywhere or do anything for anyone. I cleaned windows, we tidyed up. I took the flat wheel off the green van and we basically hung around outside for a good long while. It was a really nice day.

34 Years Old + 222 Days

Friday


You know, it is interesting how boring life can be in a way. I am writing this "after the fact". It is a few days after this day that I am filling in the blog. And you know what, you look back at the week and you realise, nothing really all that great happened. It was very much as case of I got up, went into town, worked. I visited dad again. This time the kids were with me as Linda was in town. So after dad we did some aldi shopping and then had a bite to eat in McDonalds. Home. It was all nice and pleasent though.

At night time, Mart babysat for us and we went into the cinema. We saw Your Highness. It was good, not great, there were some funny bits in it, but it is one of those films where all the funny bits were shown in the ads. Still, Natalie Portman + Linda + Zooey Dechannel all in my field of vision at one time, not bad.

34 Years Old + 222 Days

Thursday


In town again, afterwards I was going to go to the board games club but I ended up not going.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

34 Years Old + 221 Days

Wednesday...

Visited dad again... a nice little visit again, but again, it takes chunks out of the day. I thought that I would not get to go to the camera club in Spideal because I would still have been coming out of Galway, however I was there perfectly on time as it so happened.

The camera club was interesting, it is going through a transformation at the moment where it is seeking to be more organised. But that depends on each member speaking up and saying what is on there mind. I am glad to be in the club at this stage.

So nothing great happened apart from that.....  ahem.... now Wallace :)

34 Years Old + 220 Days

Tuesday...

Visited Dad today, who was in massive agony, what with the broken rib and stuff. But he is in the right place, that being the hospital. He is in Merlin Park now, a hospital on the Dublin Road. It was nice to visit, but it takes a sizable chunk out of the day.

34 Years Old + 219 Days

Monday...

Karate today! It was good and cool. I did not go in to visit Dad... because as I have said so many times about karate... "its a commitment". Now, with that said, it still hurts my mind to think that I missed last weeks karate.

Monday, April 11, 2011

34 Years Old + 218 Days

Sunday....

Seems like dad has a spot of pneumonia so I took him into hospital. We were there at some time like 4ish and I left at 10ish after they realised that he would have to stay in hospital for a few nights. My day was planned totally differently, I had a really relaxing day planned were I would work on my game, plant some potatoes, chill the beans in preperation of my busy week next week, but it was not meant to be.

I stayed in Barrys place in town, it was cool. He told me to make myself at home so I did, and I felt very relaxed at last. I was better to stay at Barrys since I could than drive home to Carraroe just to go to sleep and drive in again really early in the morning again. So I was happy. I missed the kids and Linda and I had pity for dad. But what do you do....

34 Years Old + 217 Days

Saturday - Murder Mystery Dinner Night!!!!

We, Linda and the kids and I, spent all day pretty much prepping the place for the murder mystery dinner that was going to be at our house at 8pm. Basically, that was all we really did till 8.

The dinner itself and the whole night was cool. I did not actively partake in the event, I was the "cook". As in, I gave them the food, and I was mega happy to do so. Linda was the "waitress". She was itching to be involved in the actual dinner itself, be one of the 8 that were actually in the mystery, but we were delighted that Dara and Rick were able to be in our places. It was a good night...

34 Years Old + 216 Days

Friday...

Dang, I was tired today, and by contrast the amount of stuff that I got done was signicifantly less easier than when I was wide awake. However it is Friday and I was out by 4pm. Rock. I meet the Linda and the girls and we did some shopping in town but we were out soon enough.


Mart had an unplanned film night but I could not go nor could Linda cause we were keeping an eye on kids.

34 Years Old + 215 Days

Thursday...

I was really full of beans today. That means I had alot of energy and I did a million more things than I normally would in the same time. It is amazing what going to sleep at 10pm does for you! I had a good day really. Then whilst I was in town anyway I went to the Board Games Club in Galway. It was good, I find something very interesting about the whole thing. Home late though... it is 1:20 before I actually get to bed....

Thursday, April 7, 2011

34 Years Old + 214 Days

Wednesday...

In all honesty nothing is happening to me these days except getting up early in morning, going into town and coming out again (from the work I am doing in town). I fixed some computers this evening when I got home and yesterday too actually so I actually a bit organised.

I gave up finally on the whole water thing, a bit, and I had a shower. The water is still unclean and I am sure that I can feel it burning me a bit but what do you do. When it comes to showering the kids I will use clean water but for myself, and Linda is doing it too, we are switching to normal poisionous water.

34 Years Old + 213 Days

Tuesday...

Man, I was busy again today and I had to get up at 6:30 in the morning. I left wanted to be in town at 8am so as long as I leave the house at 7am when the news is on I will easily be on time in town at 8am. However, for some reason I ended up not leaving until like 7:10am and I ended up being in town at 8:20! Bloody traffic!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

34 Years Old + 212 Days

Monday...

Monday, oh double edged sword. I was "doing stuff" today and that was brilliant but it meant that by the time I was out of Galway it was nearly 7pm. Karate time!

But then a phone call came, and I took it. It was about a computer that needed really to be looked at straight away. So I did, and in the process I lost my first karate class :(

*********      *********
                *
              ^
Yeah so that sucked alot basically. If I find myself doing karate chops on poor innocent bystanders I blame the world and not myself. Then of course, there was no water.

You know this whole water thing is strange. I have seen very little finger wagging. In fact I have heard very little about the whole thing in general. I was actually thinking, could I sue someone? But who do I sue then? The County Council? Do I sue the Acadamh? No one is blaming anyone for anything. I have had to wash my kids with a bottle of water. You think thats funny acadamh, is that funny county council. Feck the lot you. When I had the cafe people wanted to rip my balls if they heard English in the building. Now no one is saying anything because of the holy grail that we find erected in Carraroe that is poisioning young kids and old people. But will anyone say anything? Oh no... thats where Irish comes from! Like a uranium rod pulsing out its radioactive culture and killing its slack jawed believers, the poision pours out of the acadamh.

Oh wait a second, did I speak about the way that the acadamh was making people sick and say it in Irish. Opps, my bad.

Monday, April 4, 2011

34 Years Old + 211 Days

Sunday


We got up early, like we were down at the breakfast at 10am I think. Something like that. But this was the first time I was eating in the hotel and I was hungry. Man we had a georgous breakfast. Of course we had to leave the hotel at 12 but we stopped into the Liffy Valley Shopping Center to get a frappachino in that coffee place, Starbucks? Jesus, how have I forgotten the name of it?

Not too soon, because we missed our kids so much, we finally got Castlebar and picked up our young-uns and headed down home. Mom had an extremely welcoming fire down for us when we got there. It was nice to be home, were it not for the bloody water... still poisonious.

34 Years Old + 210 Days

Saturday


Shanes wedding! Shane is a friend of mine that I met in Ros Na Run. He got married to the once Mary White. The wedding was fantastic and it was one of those weddings that had a funny priest so it made the whole thing easier. The reception was in a hotel off the M1 motorway. We were staying in a hotel in Balbriggin. And I have to say, there is something kinda strange about Balbriggin. Linda was looking for some small bits of jewelry so we looked around the local shop and the jewelers were strange! The were all talking about horse racing, ignored us for the most part. Its like, dudes! we're here to buy stuff! There was a nice open beach down at Balbriggin too. And it is a fairly photogenic place, although interestingly, it is more a
place I would like to paint I think than photo.

We left the wedding kinda early, 1am. I still wasn't feeling 100% It was funny being at a wedding and not feeling like throwing up because you ate so much! It felt nice actually. Control!

34 Years Old + 209 Days

Friday


Today we had to go up to Dublin because we have a wedding to go to tomorrow. Lindas Dad got the rooms for us in this hotel. So we dropped off the girls in Salthil to Lindas parents. We got to Dublin around 6ish but Linda drove most of the way. When we got here we had a fine meal. Problem was, I had picked up a bug at this time. So a short while after the food was laid down on the table - I had to go to the bathroom and throw up. And did I throw up. Afterwards I sat down to the dinner table again the table looked fantastic. So I ate the soup and some fish that was delicious. However, it was too much too soon. Off to the bathroom again, knelt down to the toilet and threw up again... then I found myself staring at my hand. It was over my face... a
few moments later I realised that my head hurt a tiny bit. I was breathing gently, I was extemely relaxed. Then I realised I was laying on the floor of the cubicle I was in. I slowly picked myself up and joined Linda again in the restaurant. I went up to my hotel room and quickly fadded off to sleep.

34 Years Old + 208 Days

Thursday...

We had gaming in Galway this evening, it was class. It was good because there were actually loads of people. I think at one point there were around 15 people at the games, and that is without alot of the regulars. So well done Mart and Marielle!

34 Years Old + 207 Days

Wednesday...

Opps, somehow I missed out on this day, sorry. This happens to me every now and again.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

34 Years Old + 206 Days

Tuesday...

Ah yes... the glory of poverty. Not real poverty of course.... don't even really know why I said that.

We drove over to Ros A Mhil this morning to get water, lots of water in containers. 5ltr containers X 8. So we got 40ltrs of water. In Carraroe a large enough tank of home heating oil, Kerosane, leaked into the soil and from there into our local supply of drinking water... ahh.

All of that is bad enough, and an accident, I am sure no one wanted that to happen. Problem is that this began and was reported first a few weeks ago. Why wasn't anything done?

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

34 Years Old + 205 Days

Yeah, Monday...

... I was doing a kind of training course every Monday for the last two months and now it is finished, which is cool becasue I have my Monday mornings back.

We found out today that the water is contaminated with something and we were all told not to drink it, not to wash our hands with it, not to even use it to wash clothes or anything with it.

At karate, it was really good as usual, I would advise anyone to take it up.

We had a class game of counter strike... go here to see the CS:S page http://cupantae.ie/cstrike/
It is not finished yet but I am working on it. I found it very difficult to actually get website that contain a description of the original Counter-Strike: Source maps and a picture to go with it, so we have had to do it ourselves.

34 Years Old + 204 Days

Sunday...

What a gloriuos day! It was so nice that when the fleet of kids woke up we had breakfast outside the house in the fresh morning air. We moved out the table and all had french bread. Mmmm mmmm.

That was pretty much followed be tea when mom and dad came up followed by dinner at mom and dads when they went home!

In the evening when the kids were asleep we had a game of settlers and that french board game, what is the name of it again.... Carcasane.. forgive the spelling. It was a good day, like when the weather is so good, as it was today it is hard to complain about much :)

34 Years Old + 203 Days

Saturday....

The day was cool enough actually. I actually managed to do some more work on my little potatoe patch I have in the field at my parents house. I am actually learning loads about growing my own food. This is my aim, I wanted Sophie to be learning it too, but I think that she is simply not interested at the moment.

In the evening we had our nephue and niece over to stay the night on a sleep over. In preperation for this we got a single bed for one of them to sleep on and put it into Sophies room. Soon our little Lucy will be leaving the cot and going into a huge big open single bed....

It was a slightly hectic day... but a good one.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

34 Years Old + 202 Days

Friday....

Linda went into Galway and I was going to either go in with her or stay at home and have the day for myself while all of the girls were in town, but what did happen is that Lucy got sick and I ended up keeping an eye on Lucy all day.

So not a whole lot happened to me really. That was it pretty much. I looked at a youtube tutorial by thenewboston.com about how to use Blender. Blender is a 3D gaphics program. Like, you know on Jurassic Park when loads of Dinosaurs walk around the place, a 3D graphics program does that. Now, not Blender, but if you wanted to get into the whole 3D graphics and animation scene then a program like blender is what you are looking for becuase blender is free!!!! 3d graphics programs are used alot too in making animation and models in games.

A program like 3d Studio Max could cost a few grand I believe. A few years ago it cost $3,500 around. 3d Studio being one of the industry standards.

blender is free... goto thenewboston.com

34 Years Old + 201 Days

Thursday....

Today there was the board game club on but I could not go to it. Bummer, I have not been to the club now for ages, I have missed the last 2 or 3.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

34 Years Old + 200 Days

Wednesday...

Wow... day 200!!!!!!!

Two Hundred! All of a sudden I have realised that I have gone more than half way in my one year project of doing a page a day of my blog! Class. I am happy.

I am also sad and lonely. Linda is away for the night doing visiting family in Mayo. So, alone, I looked at the

The Bourne Identity

It is such a brilliant film. They all are. I took Sophie to her art class in Spideal and went for a walk up to the two peers. It was a good day but stressful because I was trying to do about my future education. I am wondering if I should go back to college. Finish off properly my computer education. Of course it will mean I am knocking at the door of my 40th birthday. So trying to figure out alot basically.

So 200 days. I have moved an old school clock radio from Sony. The model number is ICF-C212 and it uses up 5W. In computers we talk so much about the models type of the laptops and base units, but we never talk about it with other things. I will make more of an effort to observe the small details. I sound crazy now, so I think I will go off to sleep. It is emblazened on the face of my ICF-C212 that it is 12:26AM, I really should hit the hay.

Comments On Comments!
Mart Asks:
About Day 171 - Who Is HH... Sorry, HH is me, hammerhead!
About Day 173 - "Ryan, to answer your question (3 weeks later!), cylons won, i.e. me and donal. I was an unrevealed cylon for most of the game, Donal was a revealed cylon for most of the game, and he basically won it while I was busy hiding. It was great fun though and brought Wallace back from the trauma of the 6 hour game that gave him nightmares and left him steering clear of BSG for 6 months! "
About Day 175 - "Ryan - the way the murder mystery worked was great, each person is drip-fed information about their character at certain points throughout the night, so right up until the end, even marielle didn't know she was the killer. I would highly recommend a murder mystery night, it was totally class and great fun"
About Day 183 - I cannot say who I had a fight with, was it really a fight... eh, not really. It wasn't Linda though, don't worry!
About Day 184 - Had to laugh at this one. "Donal you know my opinion on the Irish language so i wont go into it here, but i have a great way of preserving the language and making loads of people pro-actively adopt it and start speaking it ... ban it immediately. Even better if you could somehow make the ban come from England."

34 Years Old + 199 Days

Tuesday...

Today I started properly this really cool thing... farming! Well that is not really true. I have started to grow my own food to learn how it works. I want the kids to learn to. But it is really cool. My aim is to plant potatoes, carrots, lettuce... other stuff I guess too. Dad is helping me. But it is funny when you think about it, how little we know about gardening, about plants, about animals, about our own food. A person came up to me a few weeks ago and she told me that she is never going to eat marshmallows again because she found out that some part of the stomach of a cow is used in it production. I was like, what! Think about it... what is a steak? It is flesh of an animal that we killed and chopped up! It is silly the whole thing... People love steak, but imagen if after a fine dinner I told my guests that the mine meat that they had was dog, or horse, alot of people would turn green at the thought of it.

My point is, if your going to eat something, either know where it comes from, or accept that you do not know where it comes from and accept that the source of the food is reliable and within safety standards. So from a point of view of knowing where your food comes from, that is why I am growing my own veg... let the girls know what food is grown, it takes time.

Monday, March 21, 2011

34 Years Old + 198 Days

Monday

Or Karate Day as it soon shall be know to me, by me. Not because karate is that brilliant - it is brilliant - but the reason I am writing this is to ask the universe "what did I do to deserve this, why are so many things always clashing with Monday night?" It seems there are alot of external forces lobbying agains't me doing karate. Seriously, I have a list. Today for example there was a networking getting to know people meeting on exactly the same time as karate... i went to karate, Linda went to the networking thing and told them all how she is a Web and graphic designer.

But then the rest of the day was good, I did a bit of work. I judge how good my work was not based on the time that I am working, because Linda give me loads of time to do the work, but how well I spend that time. I could have 2 hours to do some work but doss around, check mail, facebook, play some games for an hour and a half, so thats like a 25% work success rate. Well, that an interesting gauge actually, I must use that again. I wonder what a good success rate is? 100% is a robot. I guess, 90-95%. Well today I say I'd had maybe 88% success rate.

What was I even talking about. Basically good day. We had a tasty dinner too, pork chops from Spar in Carraroe, mmmmmm.

34 Years Old + 197 Days

Sunday...

It was kinda different to the usual waking up, brekkie, dinner, tea, sleep (a format which I like alot). This morning I slept in a bit and when we were all ready I headed to a birthday party with the kids. When the party was over we all (4 of us) went down to Dads for dinner which was as usual lovely. I wonder if he knows how much we all like it.

When the kids were home and asleep we had some Counter Strike Source... it was as usual fun but the scope of the fun has multiplied (I realise that sentence is meaningless!) in we were talking to Ryan in the US and playing as well. It really makes you realise how great CS:S is and how brilliant it is to be able to download something like Skype for free! Anyway for all my talk, I only played a little bit.

Myself and Rick attempted to do some comic work but for some reason he wasn't feeling 100% :)

And that was my day.... regular.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

34 Years Old + 196 Days

Saturday...

In an effort to spend more time with the kids, I spent more time with the kids. We went into Galway, Linda, the kids and I. While Linda was away working, I went to Monkey Business with the kids. Now there is funny thing about Lucy, other kids seem to latch onto her. We were in Monkey Business and this other kid that was 2 or 3 came up and started playing with her. Thing is he was playing real "hard core". He was first staring at her. Then he started following her everywhere she went. She went into the ball pool and he followed then he got some of the colored balls and started hitting her on the head with them. I was like, What! Where the hell is this kids parent. So I called Lucy towards me and she left the ball pool. But he followed. When she realised that she has an obvious little stalker she began to pay attention to him and attempted to play with him. But now he started getting pushy and shoving. It was so bad that I had to tell one of the staff who gave a concerned "oh.. mmm... oh ok" but did nothing. So I called in big sister... I told Sophie to stay with Lucy. She did a sterling job of this and I was impress with her.

Then a woman stood up, blonde, kind of attractive - the marrow dried from her bones - and the kid ran with her. There was another older blonde woman with her too. Kids grandmother I guess. They probably saw nothing of what was happening because they were nattering about how men treat them so badly while their own little ignorant lump of meat was simmering away slowly in the pot right in from of them and they noticed nothing.

It made me realise, that kid wasn't good. He wasn't bad - like I don't think he's going to take the 3 Year course in Evil at Trinity in Dublin... but he certainly wasn't normal. If your reading this and thinking "whats all the fuss - they are only kids" then you have missed the point and if you have kids yourself they are pretty much definately going to be up to know good at day and night while you whilst away your life in front of TV looking at crappy lowest common denominator programming. But if your still reading this, you probably do get my point which is - keep an eye on your kids or keep your legs together...

34 Years Old + 195 Days

Friday...

Linda was at the mother and toddler with both the kids so I stayed and fixed computers for as much of the day as I was able to. That was too, pretty much my day. When the kids come home hours disolve into each other and you find yourself looking at the clock at 7pm and thinking, where did the day go?

In the evening, well night I guess, Mart came over to babysit for us and we went into the cinema, we saw "The Fighter" with Christian Bail and Mark Walberg and of course Amy Adams. It really was a brilliant film but I was cringing through alot of it. Alot of the film is based around this family that think they know everything but really they are just a normal family I guess, that like normal families know nothing really. The way that all the sisters were portrayed was brilliant, they came across as an ignorant pack of morons... but again, I can think of alot of families that are like that... they are a normal family. Thats why I think the film hit a nerve with me so much. It was like, we are sometimes that stupid.

Brilliant film, see it!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

34 Years Old + 194 Days

Thursday... St Patricks Day!

It was really cool actually. I didn't actually have anything in particular to do. I don't have the cafe anymore. I was able to walk with Sophie, I was able to take photos. I took a few photos, then we all went down to mom and dads and had dinner. I looked them over yet becaue I was simply verty very tired.


"This head movie makes my eyes rain....." Tropic Thunder

34 Years Old + 193 Days

Wednesday...

34 Years Old + 192 Days

Tuesday....

I began playinh Halo 3 today, co-op with PJ. It is more like going on Safari with some kind of tribal chief that can kill tigers and lions with a stare. I am going through the game, and I am dying, and so is PJ... but he knows the way through the maps ssooooooo well that it takes all of the single player aspect out of it. It is like looking at an interactive film actually is probably my best description, but am i complaining, it might sound like I am but I am not, there are so many great games out there and Halo 3 is one of them. Difference is that if I do not play Halo 3 like this, I might never get to see it.

At least when the sun is setting on this game and PJ passes the finishing line, for the hundreth time probably, and I walk behind him in his shadow, at least I can honestly say.... "yeah - I finished Halo 3!"

Monday, March 14, 2011

34 Years Old + 191 Days

Monday....

You know what I had a crap Monday. I had karate too and the crapness of my day was reflected in my class. I was weak and slow and I even had to sit down because I thought I was going to faint :(

On a brighter side for Linda see went up to Castlebar to see The Commitments, thats a capital T at the beginning of that The. Any fan of the film will know what that means. But Linda and Finola who went there too know alot about the band. Finola knows Glen Hansard from doing a music class with him, Linda know about nearly all of the band members and has seen a few of them in seperate concerts throughout the years. So she had a good night.

Onto my new feature now that will pop up every now and again to answer questions that have piled up. First thing is, my dad is ok. He is often feeling crap but he really is, in general fine. That day I was writing my blog beside his bed in hospital, I guess the whole hospital concept is very daunting.

Next I have to greet any new reader I have to my blog. I know Mart has begun reading it today. When you eventually catch up to this point, well, Hello.

And I love all the comments that people send to me. I do not comment on hardly any of them but I do think that they help me with my blog. So again, thanks for all the comments and opinions.

34 Years Old + 190 Days

Sunday...

It was my sisters birthday so we had a nice little party up at her house. That took up most of the day really. Before the party, or get together, we had dinner at mom and dads place. Cool thing was that mom had Sky Movies so any time that I am in the house for a few moments I look for some movie that is pretty good. This time it was "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs". It was actually quite good!

34 Years Old + 189 Days

Saturday...

Saturday, March 12, 2011

34 Years Old + 188 Days

Friday...

Hmmm, I am writing this in hospital. Dad is lying on a bed beside me and we are talking. He has some strange breathing problem. It is funny, times like these I realise how old we both are. I am 34... he's 65. But with that said, I have never been beside a funnier patient. He has more of a sense of humor than a normal person would that is trying to be funny.

It is funny and sad. But that is what it is like at best when you have a family member in hospital. Not trying to be dramatic or anything.. it is just one of those things. In case, being in hospital for anything breathing related is at least kinda serious. But you can't get all stressed out about it, its like, I could have been home having tea, with dad... instead I am in hospital, having tea with dad.

As it turned out at the end of the day, he was allowed to go home after a good few hours, nine I think and when he was leaving he had his doctor, his consultant, and all the nurses in stitches.

34 Years Old + 187 Days

Thursday...

Today was one of those nothing days. No work done I mean. We had an exercise review class for Sophie, she was not there it was just for the parents of the kids that were present at the initial testing where they tested kids dexderity, balance and strenght. Sophie did well in some of them and it is cool to think that there are services available to help bring kids up to a certain standard. It is cool too that amazing people are help in this. So while I did not get much done, it was a good day.
Mark took over the Board Games Club in Galway. I was in town earlier giving Michelle a driving lesson around town. She was brilliant, we did 7 round abouts and she flew around the the multi story car park. I was proud of her!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

34 Years Old + 186 Days

Wednesday...
I have realised that I have a virus somewhere on my network in some form or another. It send out a mail to all the poeple in my gmail address book and told them, in very poor English, to go to a link. Problem is when I am cleaning computers belonging to other people I use my own laptop. So if the other computer has a problem and it usually does, my computer is directly linked up to it. Interesting times. So sorry to all the people that have gotten junk mail from me... but, it wasn't me :(
First day of lent today too. I am giving up a miriad of stuff, but another thing we are doing it "taking up" stuff. I am going to look for a new thing to begin. Heaven knows I already have enough things on already but this is a passtime of hobby that you should start if only for lent and stick and try to perfect. So you might take up juggling, guitar, something along the lines of a party trick concept, but for it to be a thing that you have always wanted to do. Something that will benefit only you. So it will be a thing that at the end of lent you can say, hey, look what I can do!
And now, maybe what I should do is practice what I preach and get to doing some of the millions of things I am meant to be doing now.

34 Years Old + 185 Days

Tuesday...

We had pancakes today. But today was a strange day too. A pet died that we all know and it was indeed very sad. It makes you question the whole life and death thing. When you hear of someone dying that you are not close too, but you might have known, it's it strange that you can be more upset if a pet dies too and you will be really upset about that. I guess that if you are close to your pet that you care more for your pet than alot of poeple that you know. People will say that you should not hold pets more valuable than people but we do. If I have a dog or a cat and I go out to the shop to buy food for them, that is kinda what I am doing. I could send away the money to the poor to help them not starve, but instead I am feeding my nice plump animal. And rightly so. I guess that my point here is, when you are really upset about a pet and if someone implies that you are too upset or that there are other people dying around the world right now and that things should be put in perspective, well, they are not correct. It is a fact, that most pet owners care primarily for their pets that they do for most of the population of humans on the world...

Interesting... is it?

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

34 Years Old + 184 Days

Monday.. I was at Karate and it was brilliant... it was the first time I was able to keep up with the amount of press-ups that the instructor wanted. If you are in Carraroe in Ireland, why are you not doing karate! It is simply the best thing ever... I am aware of course that other people play football, basketball, etc. but I never did those, and I know that they are probably as good for you as karate. Another excellent thing in Carraroe is the excercise classes that are held in the hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Again, as with the karate, I have no vested interest in those classes, it is just that I have attended the Tuesday and Thursday exercise classes and they were brilliant for me and the karate is also good for me.

However, after the karate class I was at a meeting in the Primary school that my daughter attends and they were discussing methods of keeping Irish alive via the kids speaking it. Or to re-phrase, how can we make sure that the kids keep speaking Irish in the school. Well there were a few things discussed and they were things like a support group would be put in place for parents whose Irish is not as strong as native Irish speakers. Can't argue with that. Also, it was suggested that inside the school gates ONLY Irish would be spoken to show to the kids that in school.. you speak Irish! This too cannot really be argued with.

There was one point though that did not sit comfortably with me. It was suggested that the first two classes, Junior Infants and Senior Infants (Naionáin Bheaga and Naionáin Mhóra) be put into one group and now you would have one big class. Now, that big class would be broken into two again, but this time the division would be based on how good the kids Irish would be. Interesting experiment, isn't it.

However, I did not send my daughter to school to be a spore on a petri dish. I do not want any experiments tried out on my daughter. I have her in this school because it is my right. We still have rights, right? What I want for my daughter is that she gets a good education and I personally do not care all that much what language her education is in. There are millions more things I can say about this but there is not much point here. But I will say this much. She has a right to education - and I believe in that right. I believe in that right for all children. Education... education is not a language... education is what you recieve IN some language. I see language as a tool. Much like any other tool. If a hammer is needed to nail some wood together, does it matter what the hammer looks like, or what color it is. No, it is a tool to get a job done. Irish is a language that is used to get a job done, in this case the job is for our children to learn about nature, counting, as well as speaking Irish and English... and in this regard that is why I thing that the language should be spoken exclusively in the school. We are in a Gaeltacht part of the country....

But do not let the tail wag the dog. Do not put our kids in the front line of fire in the war for the survival of the Irish culture. My daughter is not a bullet to be loaded into a cannon aimed at the tide of foreign culture sweeping over us. The irish language is beautiful, I love irish and I think that it should be kept alive and I do think that lots and lots of money should be spent on it by educating people on why irish is so important. All I am saying here, all I am saying is not to use our kids in the process by dividing classes. I believe that it will create a social class difference. The bad kind. We have enough of that in the world already...

34 Years Old + 183 Days

Sunday!

Sunday... another day, another fight!

34 Years Old + 182 Days

Saturday!

What the hell happened today... We played settlers in the evening... not the most event full day though.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

34 Years Old + 181 Days

Friday.

It was a good day today, but ended up, also very cool but strange because at around 6pm we made up our minds that we would go into the cinema after visiting Lindas friend in town. We went into this nice and cool pub in Salthill and I would definately go there again. Afterwards we went to the cinema and saw the "The Adjustment Beurau" The media hypes it as Inception meets Bourne... definately I would not agree with that. It is simply good, and only so if judged on it own merrits and not compared to other films.

Friday, March 4, 2011

34 Years Old + 180 Days

Thursday....

I stayed up late last night working on my new website that I love having - lonelyatoms.com. It was 3:30am when I was asleep though which might explain why today was totally CRAP for me for some reason. That and a business deal we were hoping for went south. A few things basically... Just not a good day. Tomorrow is Friday though, and everything will be all right tomorrow, I was meant to go into the board games club in Galway but I could not go in and that ticked me off too... ahhh thankfully today is over.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

34 Years Old + 179 Days

Wednesday...

Check out this youtube video for Battlefield 3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsfTksi_kHs&feature=player_embedded

It shows how good the engine is at making people more realistically, all this is in game footage too I believe. It is something else, I am sure that there are more intense action sequences in the game, so, again, remember this is just to show how real the people move.

Quote of the day: "I don't like tops with long heads" (Sophie on her dislike of Polo Neck tops)

34 Years Old + 178 Days

I spent a significant part of day thinking to myself, what is a good name for my new website, and as I was told, choose carefully becaue it is hard to change when people learn it.

Finally, at midnight, or close to it, I figured out what name I want - my figuring out being based on weather the domain name was available or not - I found a name I was happy with, lonlyatoms.com. I like it because I can do alot with that name... logo wise, it means alot. It is kinda silly, but I wanted it kinda silly - donalodomhnaill.com was available, is still actually I believe, but my name is hardly the biggest bundle of laughs. So now that I have the domain, I am going to begin to populate it with pictures, pictures, pictures!!!!

34 Years Old + 177 Days

Monday...

I had a class in the morning, it was a training class. It was good and it went on until 1pm. It made my day feel like a proper working day. I got up in the morning, did some work and came home and we had dinner around 4pm-ish.

We had karate and Sophie was there with me. She liked it alot becuase the class was kinda different to the usual routine. There was alot of fun running around and while still doing proper karate. Again, looking for something to do that will give you focus... karate is your thing (maybe).

Monday, February 28, 2011

34 Years Old + 176 Days

Sunday...

My rest day. I was cranky as a silver back gorilla that had just been waxed.

I really should have gotten more sleep. More than the 4 and a half hours that I did get. I could have slept in more possibly but I have this thing, I might have said it before, that if I sleep in too much past 9:30am I risk getting an over sleep headache. Sometimes, if Linda and the kids are not around I could sleep in till 11am.

heh heh... just imagine a totally bald gorilla...

I am trying to get a new website address for myself, I am trying to think of a cool new name, by cool I mean a name that suits me, suits what I like and who I am. I do not mean cool like "radskateboards.com". I think of some names, then go to blacknight.com and try out the name and I realise that it is taken. Douh.

In sadder news, Trevor is officially out of the running for the campaign. Who is voted in? Well, like a woman who invites in her drunken wife beating husband so he can kick the shit out of her for a few more years, the good people of Carraroe and Galway have voted in O Cuiv of Fianna Fail. Nice one people....

                            N
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34 Years Old + 175 Days

This Saturday I went into Galway with Linda and the kids. Our brother in law Trevor had run for the general election in Ireland and it is in Salthill in Galway city that they were counting the votes. So we were all in there. Waiting for the count. And waiting. It is a slow process in many cases, and this was one of those cases, after a while we had to leave because we had the kids but it was interesting to see the whole process again.

While we were in town we picked up Lindas mom off the bus from Castlebar, she was down to babysit for us because we were going to a friends house for a murder mystery dinner. The murder mystery dinner was cool. It does take a while to settle into what you are doing, and you are given a persona so you have to settle into that persona too. It is cool. The whole thing was in fact very cool, because when the murderer was revealed (Marielle) we were like "What!". But then the evidence is given that lead to that conclusion and we were all like.... "ooohhhhh yyyeeeaaahhhhhhhh....". So if we were clued in properly we might indeed have gotten the suspect. It was really cool actually....

Then we had a game of Settlers, afterwards. Not the best idea... I was we were asleep at 5:30am...

But at least we got the killer!

The Reality Of The News

There have been a few times where I have clicked on a news article only to realise that I have been hit with a paywall. I don't mean thi...