My Eye

My Eye
Originally uploaded by TOF2006.

Last Week Activities: Work
Last Week Pub: Nancy Blake (Wed) ; Daffy's (Thu) ; Old Quarter (Sat)

I've been quite busy with my work these last few weeks and unfortunately week-end... so not many things to tell, about place visited, funny stuff done... Sad...
Thus I managed to spend sometime in the Nancy Blake, this wednesday, and relax by enjoying some typical irish music. And like every thursday, I went to my salsa lesson (the last one of the summer, the lessons will resume the 31st of August). I am definitely bad at dancing salsa... I've tried the advanced class, after several (too repetitive) sessions of improver. but I can hardly manage to do the full routine... I might go back to improver in september, and I know that I need to practice more (particulary on the dance floor) to be able to improve myself. Anyway it was good fun.
Saturday GR, dragged me out, to the Old Quarter, to see some "talent" ... definitely this pub is not my cup of tea.

The photo here, is my first try to take a macro photo of my iris/eye.
I've been very impressed few years ago, by the work from Francis Giacobetti (published in GEO in 1996), it tooke photography of the iris of famous people (Cousteau, Dalai Lama...) with a specific material. I've never managed to find the pictures on the web....

Cameo Fernandel

Cameo Fernandel in PS2 game

Cameo Fernandel
Originally uploaded by TOF2006.

I've just finished "Destroy All Humans" on PS2, (between the few hours I spent at work this bank holiday week-end), while playing I've found this... the singer on the sign looks like Fernandel, a famous french actor... [see IMBD about Fernandel]... By the way fun game.


Radio Nova
Actually I listen a lost Radio Nova a french radio station, with loads of good music, few ad. I like their jingles made of sound from french movies.
And here's an audio blog about it Nova AudioBlog

Songs of the WE

• Zero 7 Futures (album: The Garden)
• Sergio Mendes Mas que nada (album: Timeless)
• Ian Campbell Dirty old town
• Aline De Lima Terra (album: Arrebol)
• Cassandra Wilson Go to mexico (album: Thunderbird)
• Thom Yorke Black swan (album: The Eraser)
• Charlotte Gainsbourg The songs that we sing (album: 5:5)
• Nouvelle Vague Heart of Glass (Bossa Nova cover of the Blondie song; album: Bande a Part )
  

Irish Roads

I've just scan some photos, I've taken some time ago with my old argentic camera, so I can post them on Flickr... And just remember this one... It's in the middle of the Connemara (Ireland), on a lost road....
I had to stop to take the picture.

And this one has been taken on the misty scenic road to Achill Island.

Irish roads are very often narrow (except for the very recent dual carriage way ... but it's rare), and unfortunately not very safe... probably first beacuse of the importatnt increase of the number of vehicules (car and trucks) travelling nowadays on irish roads, and then because of a lack of a decent learning (and testing) system for young drivers, and a slow process of law enforcement...
In his edition of the 4th of August 2006, the Irish Examiner announced that Ireland has been ranked fourth in the most dangerous road in Europe (in term of acidents and fatalities per kilometers... 1. Greece, 2. Portugal, 3. Spain ).
This ranking is quite surprising because the rods in Ireland has been gretaly improved in the last fez years.
The study highlight also that irish are the least agressive motorist in Europe, and french are the most (I won't oppose that).
On the other hand The National Road Authority declared irish roads are safest now than in th 70's, which is true if you divide the number of death by the number of cars.
Just some numbers to finish this post.

Year: 1980 Number of cars: 900000 Road Deaths: 564
Year: 2005 Number of cars: 2100000 Road Deaths: 396
In 2006, so far, 219 had died on irish road from the 1st January up to the 15th of July....

Surfing Ireland

Fun, Fun, Fun
Activities:Surf ; Pub: 1 on the beach ; Alcohol Units: 0

Finally, I went surfing in Ireland (first time on a surf ever), this tuesday. The Outdoor pursuit Club of my company, was organising a initiation session in Lahinch.
Simply brilliant, and I really enjoyed it. I even managed to stand on the board 4-5 times but then "ivre de joie", I simply fall...
That was a perfect way to finish a working day.

Song of the day:PJ.Harvey - This Mess we're in.

Wouldn't It Be Nice
Activities:Pub ; Pub: 2 ; Alcohol Units: 4+
Decided to go to the Nancy Blake this wednesday, to enjoy some traditional irish music with the french lads (GP & NM). There I've seen Mel and a friend of her, a lovely irish girl, I've previously met, few months ago, during my salsa lessons in the Daffy's.The night finished, quite drunk, and singing...
Exactly the night out I needed.

For Information, every wednesday night, these traditional irish music takes plce in the Nancy Blake.

Song of the day:Dyonisos - Don Diego 2000

Whale watch
A very interesting site which keeps track of all whale sighting in Ireland:
http://www.iwdg.ie/
The map is particulary good, and it seems we miss some Basking Shark cruising in Kerry, the week end we spent in Mizen Head.

Blogs
I just link here, some interesting blogs, I read from time to time:

• Transnets [Fr]
• Copier decoller [Fr]
• Le Journal de Max [Fr]
• Langue sauce Piquante [Fr)
• petite anglaise
• Confessions of a Nerdess
• Un crayon dans le coeur [Fr]

Canadian Fakir vs Giant Kangooroos

Activites: Street walking, street spectators ; Pub: 1 ; Alcohol Units: 1

So i've been to Galway, this sunday, in order to see the end of the Galway Arts Festival, and hoping to see some giant kangooroos ( A company called Icarus....) Unfortunately I did not see them.....
Thought I saw a canadian fakir

Very funny. And spent the rest of the day walking in the streets of Galway, trying to enjoy a windy sea scenery, and the University grounds....

And soon we were back to Eyre square ( and later Limerick )... okay we went to one pub on the way, and I had my first guinness in 1.5 weeks ...

I'am still annoyed not having seen these giant kangooroos, a canadian fakir, it's not the same as giants kangooroos bouncing around in the streets of Galway... I am so sad...

Some Lessons from the School of Life..

FW FW FW FW FW ... and one day it appeared in my mailbox

• Know yourself – Be honest with yourself
• Define Yourself – If not you will never be comfortable with who you are.
• Know the difference between “I can’t” and “I won’t.”
• Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
• When you say, "I love you," mean it.
• When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
• Believe in love at first sight.
• Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
• When you lose, don't lose the lesson
• Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
• Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
• When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
• Spend some time alone.
• Never take yourself so seriously that you cannot laugh at your self.
• Talk slowly but think quickly, and learn to listen more than you talk (that is why we have two ears and one mouth)
• Know what you know. Know what you don’t know
• Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
• Accept that change is a constant. Be a change agent
  
• Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much. Dreamers never quit and quitters never dream.
• Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

----------

• Activites: Destroy all humans, shopping, cleaning...
• Pub: None ( 10 days now ... there's something wrong)
• Alcohol units: 0 ( I only socially drink ... in pub so)
• Current Music: Radio Nova ... just heard: David Bowie singing in Italian (RAGAZZO SOLO RAGAZZA SOLA) and some good zik a colleague bring back from France.

Movies seen:

• Pirates of Carribean 2 pure pleasure, not as good and surprising as the first one, but I'll book my seat for the third and final one.
• Cars probably not the best Pixar, (the stoy is a bit lame), but it's damn good !!! VVRRROOOOMMMM !!! Technically it's way... To Infinity. . .and BEYOND! And Jeremy Clarckson from Top Gear has done some voice on it.
  I am really looking forward for their next movie Ratatouille about Rats in Paris ... cheesy ...

Medium - Winamp

Playing with your shufle music player
Go to your music player of choice, and put it all on "shuffle." Say the following questions aloud, and after each one press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question.

1. What do you think of me, random music player?
   Hands around my throat - Death In Vegas
2. Will I have a long and happy life?
   Take it as it come - Doors
3. What do my friends really think of me?
   Desormais - Les Castafiores
4. What does my S/O think of me?
   Dancing Queen - ABBA
5. Do people secretly lust after me?
   Queen and the country - Jethro Tull (Warchild)
6. How can I make myself happy?
   Enferme dans les cabinets - H.F.Thiefaine
7. What should I do with my life?
   Boogie man - ACDC
8. Why must life be so full of pain?
   Immigrant Song - Tomoyasu Hotei (Originally Led Zep)
9. How can I maximize my pleasure during sex?
   La Mouche - Polnareff
10. Will I ever have children?
    Never be alone - Justice vs Simian
11. Will I die happy?
    Mouris sur scene - Les Castafiores
12. Can you give me some advice?
    Love her madly - Doors
13. What do you think happiness is?
    Can't help falling in love - Elvis Presley
14. Do you have any advice to give over the next few hours/days?
    Salsamania - Sergent Garcia

Better than any medium.

Quotation of the day
"La liberté, c'est de pouvoir choisir celui dont on sera l'esclave."
[Jeanne Moreau]
Freedom is being able to choose the master you'll be the slave of.

Jellyfish
That's waht I call a jellyfish:
JellyFish in NGM

GTA in Limeric
Latest news on the Limerick scene crime: four day outburst, between last Thursday and the early hours of Monday morning, there were almost a dozen separate incidents including shootings and one grenade attack.
As a result, Garda is now doing 24hour/day armoured patrol in some part of Limerick.
All details can be found in the Limerick Post