Julius Geezer

Just saw the following status on a friend's Facebook page:

**** **** Thinks mcdonald staff should wear t-shirts with mcstupid wrote on them

Posted by JG at 5:22 PM | 0 comments  

This evening I switched on Tonight with Vincent Browne on TV3, and watched Michael Soden - former CEO of Bank of Ireland - express the belief that we should transfer billions from the public purse into the hands of a privileged clique of economic criminals (ie through NAMA), and in the next breath that lone parents should not get a penny from the state. Just to clarify, he doesn't think the Lone Parent Allowance should be reduced, he thinks it should not exist.

People often refer to working class people who are misbehaving in some way as 'scumbags'. But isn't this guy the ultimate scumbag? The fact that he is probably well respected and liked about the place is a sign of just how perverse this society is.

Back in July, Mick Hall commented that:

Sadly the media prefers to concentrate on the type of anti social behavior that happens in working class communities, preferring to ignore the anti social behavior of sections of the middle class, such as parking in disabled bays etc. or bombing Afghanistan

Let's add Soden's brazen immorality to that.

Michael Soden: a fucking scumbag!

And finally, although it's got more to do with the previous post than this one, I cannot resist attaching this poster...



Edit: These posters are not my handiwork. They are from Creative Ireland (H/T Cian). Have a gander, there are lots more over there.

Posted by JG at 11:57 PM | 6 comments  

Posted by JG at 7:59 PM | 8 comments  

As if the recession wasn't bad enough, this from Met Éireann:


Weather conducive to the spread of potato blight will occur today and tonight but the current blight spell will end on Thursday(20-08-2009) morning.
Issued at 13:00 on 19-Aug-2009

Ah well, maybe we can handle blight for a day. I'm sitting here at 3.20AM with the windows wide open and the rain is pounding on my windows and flat roof. I love the sound. The urge to pick up my guitar and play Waterloo Sunset is almost overwhelming, but I don't want to wake everyone.

I might just have to settle for singing it in my head.

Posted by JG at 2:20 AM | 6 comments  

Posted by JG at 3:28 PM | 6 comments  

For those who don't know there is a much-loved comedy show called Father Ted in Ireland. It's about three priests who live together on a remote island off the west coast. Although the show was a huge success in Britain, Irish people find it particularly funny because even the craziest things that happen on the show aren't exactly a million miles away from the reality of Irish society.

For example, in one episode it was suggested that a likeness of the local bishop was appearing in the skirting boards of the priests' house! Crazy? Oh yes. But so is this and it's real. From yesterday's Herald AM:

Pilgrims have been flocking to a tree stump which they believe depicts an image of the Blessed Virgin... But the supernatural developments were greeted coolly by the local clergy, who last night advised people not to worship the tree

From RTÉ:

Rathkeale Community Council Graveyard Committee chairman Noel White said workmen sprucing up the church land saw the image when they cut the tree.

'One of the lads said look, our Blessed Lady in the tree,' Mr White said. 'One of the other lads looked over and actually knelt down and blessed himself, he got such a shock.'

And finally, from The Times:

Mr White also said, 'People are taking bits off the tree or stroking the tree and taking the skin off. If they keep doing that there’ll be nothing there soon'

I'm not often stuck for words but...

Posted by JG at 7:08 PM | 10 comments  

I finished college over a week ago now. The last couple of months were busy to say the least. I don't know what I'd have done without the maintenance grant I get from the local council. It really sorted me out over the past couple of months when I was unable to work (as in the 'bread and butter' kind of work)due to my workload in college. Before Thursday of last week I hadn't had a drink for two months, or even seen most of my friends, apart from those who live in the same house as me. It was all quite full-on and amazing to be finished.

Since I finished on Thursday of last week I've been busy making up for my lack of socialising over the previous couple of months. I handed in my last paper on the Thursday at around 3pm and then followed a marathon session in the pub that brought us from the suburbs, into the city, and back again to our house. We fit an implausibly large number of people into our living room. It all wound up at around 9.30 Friday morning when I finally headed up to bed leaving one of my lecturers passed out on couch; the last man standing, well, last man sleeping.

I then caught up on some much needed rest for a few days before going on a date on the Wednesday with a German girl I met in college. It was great how I met her. She happened to be sitting beside me in one of the computer labs and asked me to correct the English in an email she was writing to another university. So I did that happily and we went our separate ways. But then the very next day I ran into her and we got talking. Well, she was sitting on the grass minding her own business and I went over to chat to her! This isn't something I'd usually do but I just thought she was really cute and I had nothing to lose. I asked her for number and we ended up meeting for coffee almost every day. The thing was, we couldn't meet outside college because I was too busy getting all my essays in before the final deadline. So for about five weeks we met up almost daily and there was definitely something there.

So it was cool to meet up outside college and we went to the theatre a few days after I finished up. It was a Wednesday and we ended up on Henry Street at about midnight (with everything closed and not a sinner on the street apart from ourselves). We had a long-overdue snogging session that lasted for a long, long time. It was actually really nice and romantic. And then she stayed over which was also nice and romantic!

Then on the Friday I was playing at this charity gig in the city, organised by one of my friends. I hadn't played/sang in front of a crowd in a really long time so it was a bit nerve-wracking for me. At the same time, I really wanted to do it. It ended up being really worth the bit of stress and nervousness that came with it and I really enjoyed the night, particularly as I was on quite early and could then relax and catch up with lots of friends who were there. I ended up sleeping with an old ex which made me feel kind of bad because of what happened with the German girl. Anyway, I didn't technically do anything wrong as myself and German girl aren't officially a couple and she's going back to Germany in a month anyway.

But just to throw more weirdness into the mix I went to Africa Day on Sunday (two days ago) and ended up sitting on the grass right near a very special ex called A (who was the subject of a previous post). I hadn't seen or talked to her in about nine months. She came over to sit and talk with me and it ended up going on for hours. It was really great to see her and she looked absolutely amazing. I think everyone looks better on a sunny day. Also, it was nice that she wanted to spend so much time with me. I didn't really contact her after we broke up out of fear that she'd have coffee with me out of politeness even if she didn't want to, and I would fucking hate that.

So the day wore on, a beautiful day in the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin, and all of A's friends left. But she stayed and hung out with me and my friends. Then when everyone was leaving to go to a restaurant myself and A headed to the pub where we drank and chatted for the night. I thought this kind of encounter with her would make me really sad, I mean I can hardly look at a photo of the girl on Facebook without having a nervous breakdown! But the great thing is, it made me feel really good. Here was a girl that I respect and admire so much, that I have so many fond memories of, who's friendship I'd really missed. Here she was, here we both were, laughing and arguing, and debating, and taking the piss out of each other just like before. She mentioned a lot of things we did before and she had a lot of really clear memories. It was nice that those things meant something to her.

So I saw her to a taxi as we both had work the next morning. There were multiple hugs and kisses on cheeks and arrangements to meet up again to exchange some books, movies, albums etc., and for me to give her back all her stuff that I still have. The whole thing kind of blew my mind but it didn't upset me which I was delighted about. I walked half the way home turning it all over in my mind.

I'm considering lots of things at the moment. Going to London for work, an internship in Palestine, teaching English in Thailand, further study etc..... I've got to work it all out over the summer. Should be fun.

Posted by JG at 11:16 PM | 16 comments