Rodrigo y Gabriella ... summer 2009

Oh god i miss the free summer concert in Grenoble, fortunately there is some good bands playing in Limerick, most notably in Dolans, last night it was Rodrigo y Gabriella, absolutely brilliant.

How many of these books have you read?

How many of these books have you read?

Apparently the BBC reckons most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.

[Updated August 2016]

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen *
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien *
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brone
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling   X+
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible X
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte *
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell X+
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller *
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare X+ ( i might be missing 2 or 3 )
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger 
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy X+
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll X+
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame *
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell X+
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez *
44. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood *
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert [Update September 2023]
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley X+
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov *
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas *
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac *
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X+
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville X ( not sure i finished it )
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker X+
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson *
75. Ulysses - James Joyce *
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola *
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell  X
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert *
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Alborn
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle X+
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad X+
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery X+
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks *
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole X+
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas *
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare X+
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo *

Instructions:

• Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
• Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE.
• Star (*) those you plan on reading.
• Tally your total at the bottom

My score 13... not bad

2016 Update -> 15

2023 Update ->  20 (Also realised I missed some books)

iTunes - Medium .... tell me tell me

Today 5 July - 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.

What do you think of me, random music player?
"I go through all this
Before you wake up
So I can feel happier
To be safe up here with you"
Hyperballad - Bjork

Will I have a long and happy life?
"Let's Talk
Let's talk
Let the dirt fall
Let Heads Roll"
Passionless, pointless - PJ.Harvey

What do my friends really think of me?
"Send me home restless
Send me home damaged
Send me home disposes
Send me home damaged"
The Soldier - PJ.Harvey

What does my S/O think of me?
Hot Stuff - cover by Jape

Do people secretly lust after me?
"That either way you turn
I'll be there
Open up your skull
I'll be there"
Climbing Up the Walls - radiohead

How can I make myself happy?
"Show your hand
I'm jumping off the fence
Into your corner"
Show your hand - Super Furry Animal

What should I do with my life?
"And if I could be who you wanted
If I could be who you wanted,
All the time, all the time, ohhh... ohh..."
Fake plastic Tree - Radiohead

Why must life be so full of pain?
"Purple haze all around
Don't know if I'm comin' up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me"
Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix (Franck Zappa Cover)

How can I maximize my pleasure during sex?
"Oh, My-ex says I'm lacking in depth
I will do my best"
Someday - The Strokes

Will I ever have children?
"And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me"
Arme of me - Bjork

Will I die happy?
"mailprintvotesmallerlarger
Send "Novocaine for The Soul" Ringtone to Cell Phone

Life is hard and so am i
You better give me something
So I dont die
Novocaine for the soul
Before I sputter out"
Novocaine for the soul - Eels

Can you give me some advice?
Salsa con coco - Pochy y su cocoband

What do you think happiness is?
"I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love."
Sunshine of your love - Cream ( F.Zappa cover )

Do you have any advice to give over the next few hours/days?
"Bought a present for my guy
I bought him a pair of second hand boots
Those boots were white not pink
He liked to think, that he wore them well
He took them to the park, he wore them out
And played with the geese
Those geese were stupified"
Jake Summers - Fight like Apes


Next time i'll change the questions......

Been there

An update in songs....

Been there, done that, messed around....I'm having fun don't put me down,
Bullet Proof (La Roux)

i love the quiet of the night time, when the sun is drown in a deathly sea
Death (White Lies)
yes this fears got a hold on me

It's a cruel cruel world, to face on your own,
Heavy Cross (The Gossip)

But every time it rains,
Youre here in my head,
Like the sun coming out--
Cloudbusting (Kate Bush)
Ooh, I just know that something good is going to happen.

Traffic Jam at Black Head

There was a traffic Jam in Black Head this Saturday:




the reason: the start of LEG8 of the Volvo Ocean Race ( Galway to Marstrand )

As the boat left Galway, they come fast along SaltHill:


Loads of boat came to visit the race, and accompany them along the irish coast


As they pass the lighthouse, they all started tacking to take the inside route, between the Aran Island and the Burren... much to our delight:


And here's the chinese-irish competitor






Some boat came quite close from the shore (here Delta Lloyd ):




Finally everybody wished a goodbye and safe sailing top the Dragon:

King Seal

Seal program tagging in Ireland:


Mobile phone for seal, i love it...

The data is available:
http://sealtrack.ucc.ie/

Other seal links:
Irish Seal Sanctuary

Irish Corals.... Deep

The Irish Marine Institute, has published on youtube one of his latest expedition... and yes there is coral reef in Ireland.

Part 1 - 4


Part 2- 4


Part 3 - 4


Part 4 - 4

Ocean Racing

Spend the weekend, traveling along the west coast:

View Larger Map

First to Galway to see the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race 7 leg, brilliant atmosphere in town, and it was nice to see so many chips in the bay, especially at night when they escorted the wining boat.
And what a welcome, six thousand drunk Irish straight out of the pub ( 2 am closing time ) welcoming 7 sailer after 7 days at seas. Brilliant. The whole town was buzzing with the event, you almost felt like on a French marina on a sunny Sunday. After that i move to the other side of the bay ( Black head ) where i've got a glimpse ( it was dark around 3-4am) of the Irish boat : Green Dragon.

Finally i drive down to Doolin, to discover a nasty South South-West swell, preventing any boat launch there. So we finally decided to retreat to Kilkee, launch the boat, and try a couple of dive sites:
- the pinnacle was undivable, with breaking waves on the top of it ( due to low tide)
- bishop island turn to be a disaster, only 2 got down, but give up due to bad vis and swell at 25 meters.
Not a great day for diving.

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Being a tourist for another weekend - Part2

Another weekend touring Ireland.

Saturday: Blarney Castle and the traditional kiss of the stone.


Inside the castle


Adn where everybody lining up fro a kiss of the stone


I've been surprised by the garden, this time,



And at the end of the tour, as a reminder of how changing is the weather in Irleand is... a beautiful blue sky almost cloudless.



On the next day we moved further south, in search of more sun, and ended up near Drunmore East.





And try to see the ship coming near Ireland, like that man:

Like the Metal Man in Tramore would say: "Keep out good ship, keep out from me, For I am the rock of misery".

Disturbing some seagulls on the way:


And even if we found some inviting signs, we did not go swimming:


Next week end back to Scubadiving...

Being a tourist for another weekend

Another weekend, being the tourist around Ireland ( around Dingle ) and playing with my large angle lens (sigma 10-20 ).

Dingle Peninsula


Still Dingle where Ryan Daughter has been partially filmed:


in Dingle town:

And no he's not drinking Guiness, just coffee

Pub in Dingle town, easy to find it's in front of the church... and if you want to find the church it's in front of the pub:


Dingle local shops

UnionHall

Just finish a quite typical Irish diving weekend down west cork. Here's the recipe:



- a big slurp of salty water

- 2+ pint of Murphys
- a rugby game ( to be watched at the local pub )
- some seals
- crabs, loybsters and anemones



- and finally meet and greet old and new friends

This toys are having fun without me...

Hidden in the greens...


Indiana ... running


away from


the bad guys

Surf surf in ... Eire

Waveriders Trailer from Waveriders on Vimeo.

The movie Waveriders (http://www.waveridersthefilm.com/) can be seen from the 3rd April in Irish Cinema theater. Time to go surfing....

Songs of the Month [Mar'09]

Fight Like Apes : Something Global

Violent Femmes : Blister in the sun

R.Plant & Alison Krauss : Please read the letter

Frank Black : Bullet

Vampire Weekend : Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

Luck of the Irish dive sites

IMG_0140.JPG, originally uploaded by TOF2006.

I just stumble upon to this top ten dive site in Europe by Scuba Travel

1. Diving the Booroo The Zenobia, Cyprus
2. Blue Hole, Gozo
3. Cirkewwa, Malta
4. Booroo, Isle of Man
5. Blockship Tabarka, Scapa Flow, Scotland
6. Diamond Rocks, Kilkee, Ireland
7. Eddystone Reef, England
8. Secca della Columbara, Italy
9. Fanore, Ireland
10. Chios island, Greece

And guess two of them (Fanore and Kilkee) are actually at a driving distance from Limerick... to be more precise, number 6 is a regular dive site for our diving club... I'd also loved to go to Scapa Flow...
So let's go diving

What's at the end of the alley

Walking in the city street, you may face some amazing discoveries, in a very small street, in a cul de sac in the heart of the city, here's one:


More on my other blog: Limerick Daily Pic: At The End of the Alley

Poem: If I should die beneath the sea

If I should die beneath the sea --
What e'er the circumstance may be --
I only ask that you not cry
For such a lucky one as I.

But, rather, weep for those alive
Who know not what it is to dive
Into the planet's liquid heart
And of God's ocean be a part.

For even Christ must envy all
Who stroll along the ocean's wall;
Though wind and sea His will obeys,
He only walked upon the waves.

And may I ask for one thing more?
A simple cross beside the shore.
Below my name inscribe for me:
Lost to the earth, but found at sea.

Carson Ray... 1989

Evrything is amazing... and nobody's happy

Materialistic 5 things

...which makes me happy:
- my white MacBook, for my digital living.
- my camera (Canon EOS).
- my notebooks, all kinds:
from my work one A4, black cover
to the Moleskine Weekly Notebook (discovered it this year, I've finally found the perfect organizer )
not forgetting the small pocket one ( a clairefontaine ... like in School ) I carry all the time.
- a Bic Cristal pen, indispensable accessory to the previous items. I like its simplicity and robustness, probably the best pen Bis ever design even if it was almost 60 years ago (1950).
- a medal I've got since my early childhood.

And you, what day to day objects makes you happy ?

I've stolen that 5 things idea from Fabienne.

LCGA

Two very interesting exhibition at the LCGA till the end of the week ( sorry or the late notice )

• The Ice Above, the Fire Below and Other Works 2007-2009 - (January 15th - February 27th) by Clare Langan
• Into Irish Drawing

I've posted some pictures of it on the Limerick Daily Pic Blog : http://limerickdaypic.blogspot.com.

Marine Species of Ireland

Chines Portrait

If I was a fruit, I'd be a banana.
If I was a factory, I'd be a nuclear reactor.
If I was a city, I'd be Montreal.
If I was an animal, I'd be an otter, in the water craking nuts on my belly.
If I was an element, I'd be water.
If I was a building, I'd be a lighthouse.
If I was a color, I'd be blue.
If I was a vehicle, I'd be a citroen DS.
If I was an art object, I'd be Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.
If I was a smell, I'd be a salty marine breeze.
If I was a period in History, I'd be the Antique Greece.
If I was a sound, I'd be a whale song.

And what about you ?

Yes you can

Some positive thinking

Spectrum Dream Jobs 2009

Like every year in february, IEEE Spectrum, published interviews of 10 engineers who have "Dream Jobs"
Worth to have a look to see what kind of better job, you could dream doing, from creating a solar plane for an around the world trip.

Some interesting thing this year, like building electric dirt-bike.

But in my heart, still none are beating those two:

Designer for Lego Mindstorm (Dream Job 2004).
Lau Kofoed Kierstein: Playtime in the Land of Lego
What He Does: Comes up with ideas for new toys; designs toys
For Whom: Lego System A/S
Where He Does It: Billund, Denmark

Mythbuster (Dream Job 2006).
Grant Imahara (M)
What he does: Builder for the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters."
Where he does it: San Francisco.
Fun factors: Enjoys working on the eclectic "MythBusters" set, which features a motorized surfboard, a row of first-class airplane seats, and a larger-than-life rubber cast of a human rear end.
Basically blowing up stuff, in name of science... and entertainment.

Movies previsions for 2009

There is a couple of movies I'd like to see in 2009. Here's the list.

• Up
  because it is the next Pixar movie, directed by Pete Docter (Monster Inc). And the story already attracts me: Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming. But at age 78....


• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  a David Fincher (Fight Club) about an inverted life ( born old and finish dying young )


• Vicky Christina Barcelona
  because it's been a long long time since I've seen a Woody Allen, and I love Javier Barden. I know it's a 2008 movie but here in Ireland, there's some delay


• The Illusionist
  because it is directed by Sylvain Chaumet, which previous movie "Belleville Rendez vous" was quite magic.


• Synecdoche, New york
  by Charlie Kaufmann, his first movie (directed)


• Bolt
  because in those depressed times, I need a good Disney movie


I also wanted to see the last Darren Aronofsky: "The Wrestler", and I did and was quite happy with it.

Project 365 - Week 4

Week 4 has been a photo-less week ( i am really bad with new years resolutions ), my excuse being upgrding my computer ( hard-drive and OS ), an overload of work at the office, and a very nasty cold... Anyway with february coming it should be all fine now.

Here's a summary of the first month of the project with only 18 of teh 31 photos expected.

Project 365 - Week 3

Not much again this week, nor during the weekend (though i watch Munster demolishing of Sale, which was not a good news for the future of ASM in the H-Cup)...

[FR] Jeu des mille euros

Le jeu des mille euros de France Inter viens faire un petit tour en Irlande, sans Lucien Jeunesse malheureusement....

10 Février 2009 Dublin (Irlande)
A l'Alliance Française.
Sélection et enregistrement (Adulte et Jeune) à 18H00.

12 Février 2009 Cork (Irlande)
A la Crawford Art Gallery.
Sélection et enregistrement à 18H00.

Donc si voulez montrer votre culture...

Project 365 - Week 2

2nd week of my 365 project:



I've been incredebly lazy since i came back to Ireland, did not even put a foot in a pub, not even been back in the water, just back to work.

Project 365 - Week 1

I've started a new project on Flickr, a 365 project, a picture a day about me, my activities.
I'll summarize each week in this blog:

A bit of web-surfing, comic reading, only 4 day in Ireland.
Here's the URL of the set:

• Project 365 SlideShow
• Christophe Flickr 365 project Set