plug

Come to Galway this weekend! The fabulous Galway Gospel Choir are singing at the end of "The Right Hook" which is being broadcast form the Galway Bay Hotel, You might catch a glimpse of the Swearing Lady as she rushes from one social engagement to another and there is no indication that anyone will have to drink water anytime soon! Just bring a helicopter proof umbrella in case it rains doors again.

hum thoughts from abroad

Got a call from Australia as I was heading into work. "Hey Dad, any news? Things are ok here. (pause) Can you tell me on the phone how to tune the guitar to D for that Jose Gonzales Tune?" It's great to feel needed!

journalists in racist slur

I read in yesterday's Irish Times a report that there had been a low turn out in the Congo Elections. How do they get away with that?

jet lag

The normal industrious hum of the office has been interrupted for the past hour or so by the sound of low flying fighter jets. They're practicing for the Salthill air show, which takes place on sunday afternoon. There has been the usual level of controversy in the local media, Complaints about local government funding events that glorify war etc. I'm probably naive, but I generally feel that the event and the practice runs the days before it give us some tiny insight into the plight of the normal people living in warzones. If anything they are probably delivering a stronger anti-war message than those who complain against them in the letters pages of local papers. Maybe i'm missing the point.

love and other traumas

We (the Fabulous Galway Gospel Choir) were just starting our warm up lalalalalalalas last night at rehearsal, when one of the basses ran across the room to the alrtos, dropped on one knee, produced a ring and proposed to his beloved. they got together 14months ago on a choir trip to the French Alps. What was most interesting was the reaction of the women in the general area. It would have been hard to differentiate between the reaction to a very romantic gesture, or a threatening situation. They all went bright red. Some cried. Some took two or three rapid steps away. Loads grabbed for somebody near them and shrieked (thank God it wasn't one of the sopranos!). The men's reaction varied between embarrassed smirks and applause. Anyway, it made for a very animated rehearsal!

cold fish

Question. If Padraig mcCormack has been lying in a freezer in Galway for the past few years, how did he manage to get elected for Fine Gael in Galway Wesht a couple of weeks ago?

seeing chickens bits

Eldest son was in touch from Brisbane over the weekend. He needed a copy of his optician's prescription because he has a medical exam for a job today. He's never worn glasses, doesn't like the idea. he wore lenses for a day or two recently and decided he'd prefer to have bad eyesight. He'll be working in a chicken nugget factory if all goes according to plan. Hasn't bought a guitar or a copy of "songlines" yet but will do so as soon as he gets a job. I have very good eyesight but have never seen Brisbane. Or a chicken nugget factory. He rang again to wish me a happy father's day and to let me know he got the prescription by e-mail.

rtfm

Haha! finally figured out how to edit links. Amazingly, this involved clicking on one of the existing links (confusingly named edit me)and following the instructions on how to edit links. Who'd have thought? My approach to technology is to assume it won't work for me even if it's second nature to everyone else. I have difficulty coming to grips with the need to read instructions, preferring to rely on some type of magical intuition to guide me through technology. The fall back position is a selfdeprecating reference to lack of brain power or you can't teach an old dog new tricks. l largely thought myself to play the guitar from the age of fifteen or thereabouts, primarily from watching and listening to others playing, rather than textbooks etc. and I probably use that too much as a reference for learning. Similarly my first exposure to computers was as a temp in the accounts department of a software company about ten years ago. I literally didn't know how to switch the computer on. Luckily there were some really sound people working there who had great patience. Now every little breakthrough is great fun! My next challenge will be to find out what happened to the photo on my profile, wehich disappeared after a couple of days.

worrying side effects

Went and had my jab for hay fever. Doctor gave me a rather serious look and went through the list of possible side effects, basically saying that taking large doses of steroids was not a great idea in the long term, and suggesting I try a new treatment next year (this year didn't suit because you have to take them two months before hay fever season) OK says I, and bared my buttock for the needle (they really do earn their money, these women). Mission accomplished, I started to walk home. I hadn't gone 150 metres when I was involved in a bizarre and fatal incident. I was hit on the head by a large chick which fell from a tree I was passing. It fell to the pavement, dead. I went home and checked the literature associated with the medication, but couldn't find any reference to kamikaze chick attack as a side effect. Is this another cover up by the pharmaceutical industry? Your thoughts please.

travolta bum

Heading to the doctor today for the annual hay fever injection. I tried everything over the years, every tablet, wild honey, sacrificing chickens etc, but am still left a sneezing, watery eyed, hoarse wreck. Doctor always looks a bit nervous and explains possible mood swings as a side effect. Mind you, at that stage a mood swing could only be upward in direction. Two years ago, my usual GP was on holiday and her locum, a young lady not too long qualified I would guess, wouldn't give me the jab, as she was afraid that the deep muscular injection could lead to "dimpling". She suggested I wait till my usual doc came back from holidays. I went home and told Moira. She laughed for three days.

stingy scammers

Checked my e-mails this morning to discover I had won 500,000 yoyos in a lottery. what's wrong with these people? If they're going to try to scam me, they need to offer me more than the price of a shed in connemara! For shame!