Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away...

SMILE!

Tue, 17 May 2011 21:39:36 GMT

(This is only seven minutes or so! Enjoy!)

France Culture - Arnaud Fleurent-Didier....

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:43:14 GMT

Il ne m'a pas appris l'anglais,
Il ne m'a pas appris l'allemand,
Ni même le français correctement.

Elle ne m'a pas parlé des livres,
De l'histoire des idées,
Pas de politique à suivre,
Pas de mouvements de pensées.

Elle ne m'a rien montré de pratique,
Ni cuisine, ni couture,
Faire monter une mayonnaise,
Monter une SARL, tenir un intérieur.

Il ne connaissait pas grand chose en mathématiques,
Ni l'équation de Schrödinger.
Mais pour être honnête,
On a veillé à que je perfectionne mon revers a deux mains,
Que je fléchisse bien sur mes jambes, mais ce n'est pas resté,
Ce n'est pas rentré.

On m'a donné un modèle libérale, démocratique.
On m'a donné un certain dégoût,
Disons désintérêt de la religion.

Mais il ne m'a pas dit à quoi servait le piano
Ni le cinéma français qui pourtant le faisait vivre.
Elle ne m'a pas dit comment elle s'était mariée, trompés, séparés,
Ni donné d'autre modèle à suivre.

On ne m'a pas parlé de Marx, rival de Tocqueville,
ni d'Weber, l'ennemi de Lukacs,
mais on m'a dit qu'il fallait voter.

Elle ne m'a pas caché l'existence mais a tue celle de
Rousseau, de Proust, de Mort à Crédit.

Ils n'ont fait aucun commentaire sur mai 68,
Aucun commentaire sur la société du spectacle,
Mais ils savaient que Balzac était payé à la ligne
Et que l'ont pouvait en tirer un certain mépris.

Ils ne connaissaient pas d'histoire de résistance ou de Gestapo
Mais quelques arnaques pour payer moins d'impôts.

Ils se souvenaient en souriant de la carte du PC de leur père
Mais peu de De Gaulle, une blague sur Pétain, rien sur Hitler.

Ils avaient connu le monde sans télévision mais n’en disaient rien.
Ils n'avaient pas voulu que je regarde "Apocalypse Now"
Mais je pouvais lire "Au cœur des Ténèbres",
je ne l'ai pas lu. On ne m'a pas dit que c'était bien.

On ne m'a pas dit comment faire avec les filles,
Comment faire avec l'argent, comment faire avec les morts.
Il fallait trouver comment vivre avec demi-frère, demi-sœur, demi mort, demi -compagne, maîtresse et remarié,
Alcoolique, pas français fils de gauche : milite, milite,
Fils de droit : hérite, profite.

On ne m'a pas donné de coups,
On m'a sans doute aimé beaucoup.
Il n'y avait pas de chose à faire
À part peut-être polytechnicien.
Il n'y avait pas de chose à ne pas faire,
À part peut-être musicien.

Elle m'a fait sentir que la drogue était trop dangereuse,
Il m'a dit que la cigarette était trop chère,
Elle m'a dit qu'une fois elle avait été amoureuse,
Elle ne m'a pas dit si ça avait été de mon père.

Elle ne m'a pas dit comment faire quand on se sent seul,
Il ne m'a pas dit qu'entre vieux amis, souvent, on s'engueule.
Qu'on s'embrouille, que tout se brouille, se complique, qu'il faudrait faire sans.

Elle ne m'a rien dit sur Freud et j'ignore Lacan.
Pas de conseil ni de raisons pratiques.
Pas de sagesse de famille, pas d'histoire pour faire dormir les enfants,
Pas d'histoire pour faire rêver les grands.

Il ne soufflait mot de la Nouvelle Vague,
Et de tout ce qu'on voyait avant
Mais parlait du Louvre comme d'un truc intéressant.

On ne disait rien sur Michel Sardou
Mais on devait aimer Julien Clerc
On m'a parlé d'un concert.

Sinon je ne sais rien des pauvres,
Je ne sais rien des restes d'aristocrates,
Je ne sais rien des gauchistes,
Je ne sais rien des nouveaux riches,
On ne parlait pas de catho, ni de juifs,
Ni d'arabes.
Il n'y avait pas de chinois.
Elle trouvait que les noirs sentaient
Elle n'aimait pas les odeurs
Lui, lui s'en foutait.

The 3 A's of Awesome

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:59:21 GMT

Apart from [Spoiler: a bit where he says thank you to his parents...Ugh...

This is a pretty cool talk...

I tend to agree with his thesis, lol...

Bye for now,

Maebh, xxx

Sat, 29 May 2010 23:50:15 GMT

I think eircom's decision to block internet users who download too much is extrememly short-sighted. (For those who don't know, Eircom is Ireland's largest phone and internet provider. They still, however, refuse to roll out actual broadband, and this country sorely lacks in a)internet uptake and b)fast internet connections. That's a whole different issue, though.) Basically, they're saying all downloading is illegal, and that the music film and publishing industries' rights fall higher than those of your average citizen to use and peruse the largest resource of information known to man.

Their decision is short-sighted for two main reasons. Firstly, they will not continue to be Ireland's main provider of internet access for much longer if they treat their customers with such disdain. To say to users "No, you cannot do something you want to with our service despite it having no legal repercussions for us, and despite the fact that it may in fact not be illegal, (or be provable that you are the culprit in the case of illegal downloading) and we are going to tell you what's ostensibly best for you, but actually best for us." is patronising, and downright rude.

Secondly, the creative industries mentioned above are going to have to, sooner rather than later, realise that in fact they have to stop copyrighting so much. Their desire to cling to an old fashioned model of "We are creators, we own our creations, you merely lease them from us and we have complete control over the entertainment media you consume" is losing sight of the fact that more money is made by non-copyrighted creative industries.

We are, whether you like it or not, entering an age where everything, and I mean everything, is digitised. Not only is it digitised and thus easy to share with people, but those who take an interest in the digital side of things are more interested in new things. They watch more films, the buy more music, they read more books. And sometimes, if they try something for free, illegally, online, they go to a shop (online or the high street) and they buy a physical copy for themselves.

The downloaders, in short, are the copyrighter's biggest customers. Punishing them will only incline them to steal more material. Maybe it's a little childish, but it's perfectly true.

So, in short, I believe Eircom should not do something so daft as to stop their biggest users from giving them money. They also should not try to second-guess who is going to win this battle. Because it won't be the big companies. Hollywood and Sony and the large publishers will have to, eventually, bow to their audiences. Their audiences demand easier access to media; they will have to provide it at better rates than they currently do.

If you don't believe me that creative industries make more money when they take copyrighting out of the equation, watch this video:

Anyway, just wanted to rant about that....

Bye for now,

Maebh, xxx

[Edit, for those of you getting an advert for "3" or some such other "mobile broadband" provider, I strongly implore you to actually research this technology, and see how much Ireland is being shafted when it comes to internet provision. I don't endorse the fact that my blog has these ads, and I am vehemently against their products being labeled "broadband" at all.
Just wanted to say that....]

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:33:58 GMT

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1863#comic

HAH!

Round Two -

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:32:05 GMT

Our dTaoiseach,

Art in Dáil Eireann,

Biffo be thy name.

Thy NAMA done,

Thy bailouts come,

In AIB, as it is in Anglo.

Give us this day our daily news,

And forgive us our skepticism,

While we still blame you for ruining our country,

And lead us out of this bankruptcy,

If you possibly can,

For thine is the cutbacks and credit and control.

Amen.

Booklovers...

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:08:46 GMT

Watch this...

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

It amused me greatly...

Bye for now,

Maebh, xxx

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:42:26 GMT

I always thought I'd be a great Christian if I wasn't such a fierce atheist...

WTF?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:17:17 GMT

Tech Support: “Alright sir, I looked at your computer and it looks like you need to reinstall your office software before we can proceed.”

Customer: “Oh, okay.”

TS: “Can you show me where your software installation CDs are?”

Customer: “My what?”

TS: “The CDs that your office software came on when you first bought them.”

Customer: “Oh, I threw those out.”

TS: “Why? Was there something wrong with them?”

Customer: “No, of course not. I installed the software and then threw out the empty discs.”

Found on http://notalwaysright.com

I have a new blog!

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:26:10 GMT

It's not a blog-blog, not a replacement-for-this-one-blog, it's a different blog altogether. I got the idea a few weeks ago and I've only got around to setting it up tonight.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know, it's at newstomakeyousmile.wordpress.com.

All will be explained there, I suppose,

Anyway,

Tarrah for now,
Maebh, xxx

Yes, I'm alive.....

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:10:27 GMT

I went to Galway yesterday, to the Galway food and wine show...Big adventure to Salthill all by myself...
Full of poncy ponces, especially the french dude hawking wine...With his ridiculously teensy glasses, and his poncy suit...
And everyone who wasn't a ponce was just there to quaff as much free wine as they could (they were out of luck at the Olio & Farina stand, lol, they were frigging charging for their tasting!)
But it was quite fun, actually.
I liked the part in the cafe when a guy was told there was no pork on, and he replied "What, no bacon?" to be told, erm, no. Then he paused and said, "Okay, so can I have ham then?" to be told, erm, no, ham's pork too, dude....
And the pissed guy at the cooking demo, who hogged all the samples...Even to the point of excluding his wife...lol..
And the drunk old lady was quite funny too, she seemed to be everywhere! And leaning over asking me questions in whispers everybody could hear, lol. "What's this?!?" (pointing at the chorizo) "But I thought we weren't to eat any sausages!" (spitting it back into the bowl) "Oh, it's just Irish pork! Oh that's okay then!" (picking it back out of the bowl, putting it back in her mouth, then deciding she just didn't like it and putting it back in the bowl)....
Irish peoples are mad....

And no, we can't eat any pork. Because some company that makes feed for animals decided it didn't want to follow rules set out in 1979 cuz it didn't feel like it. So now lots of people are really pissed off, and rightly so.

Anyway, gotta go tidy,
Bye for now,
Maebh, xxx

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:39:07 GMT

I live in a castle. Tee hee.

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:59:49 GMT

Eek, I'm 20 in a week!
Going to Amsterdam to celebrate and see my lovely brother, should be funzors..
Aaaaand...that's about it.

Regarding Doctor Who....

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:41:59 GMT

FINALLY Donna's gone!

I mean, if she'd stayed as the new timelord/human smart person it would've been okay, but she apparently couldn't (even though the other doctor could...what's with that?) ....
So, the temp from Chiswick is offed, and can't even remember her awfulness.
I want it back though. I want it back!

Anyway, apart from that I'm playing lots of Warcraft with Jay, and I'm off to Mayo for two weeks in an hour or so.

Just thought I'd post for once, lol...

Bye for now,
Maebh, xxx

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:46:14 GMT

ERASERHEAD IN PHILOSOPHY!
I love University.

The skyways

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:40:08 GMT

NaNoWriMo! I forgot about it again! I may have to hole myself up and actually attempt it this year. I have a snippet of an idea.

Apart from that, UCD's a bollox, and I'm not quite sick but I don't feel well either...

I need to go to history..

Bye for now,
Maebh, xxx

I miss the interweb

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:21:19 GMT

I'm sick.

I've been sick for weeks.

Gah.

I hate the 'flu. I hate the wench who passed it on to me. I hate that my damned immune system has been so weak since the start of term and I hate that this "clean slate" and "fresh start" with college is so far entailing missing about half my lectures and having to procure doctor's notes. *sigh*
Despite my good intentions, I'm becoming a little swamped by it all.

But other than that, life is just swell ^__^

Here endeth the "I'm not dead" entry

Bye for now,
Maebh, xxx

Blah blah blah

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:58:29 GMT

No phone and no interet makes Maebh go MAD!

Got three minutes left online...Had one hour in the last week...

But seriously, I have nothing to blog about anyway. I'm still in Achill. Still with the parents. Still with no means of transport or real communication with the outside world. No job and no people.
But it's all good. I'm trying to write and failing miserably.
I'm re-reading old favourite books.
And I'm mulling and musing over lots of memories from the last year. I seem to have internalised a rather sensible voice. I'm thinking it's probably a mix of friends and exes who gave me advice over the last few months. I don't really know how to say that clearer but aaaanyway....

It's raining. It's pouring. It's boring. It's bemusing. I can't understand why anyone would want to live here. I'm baffled by my parents. I'm longing for real conversation.

And there aren't any jugglers.

Bye for now,
Maebh, xxx

Ugh....

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:19:21 GMT

I would actually love to read all you journals, but I can't. I read the last couple of days, but I'm completely behind. So, especially real people, sorry if I have no idea what's going on in your life. Blame my parents, I'm blaming them for everything these days.

Okay, so I'm still in Mayo. (Well, I'm in Galway very briefly right now). My typing's gone to hell from lack of use, my stuff is all in Dublin. I could keep whining but I don't want to use up any more money on this godforsaken computer in this internet cafe.

Anyway, just wanted to reassure people I'm still alive.

Just about.

Bella had babies, Sam's jealous. There were six but now there are three and I think some drowning was involved. *cyber vomit at the idea of killing puppies*

Erm...not much else, really. I'm gonna be in Achill til mid August, methinks. I'm getting a job in a callcentre (no one say it's the devil's work, I already know this and I'm going up the walls with nothing to do, so just don't say anything)...
But I'll be up 'n' down to Baile Atha Cliath as soon as I get the money.

Now, my most pressing matter is which pub to go have a quiet pint in while I wait for my dad to stop idolising planes in Salthill, and whether or not to buy a graphic novel of Lucifer Morningstar....

Bye for now,
Maebh, xxx

Meaningless Meme...

Sat, 19 May 2007 03:45:52 GMT

You Are 52% Pure

You're not so innocent... in fact, you're quite unpure.
You have seen and experience a lot. And you're no worse for the wear!

The 100 Question Purity Test

But at least the music I'm listening to is great. The Mighty Stef.
Sounds very Nick Cave-ish. Must research this more thoroughly...

Nicked from punkgeezer

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:57:37 GMT

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Wed, 16 May 2007 07:06:30 GMT

One should be able to see this on my userinfo. I can't. I don't even know if there's anything showing here.

I hate computers.

Books, books, booksbooksbooks....

Wed, 16 May 2007 05:38:44 GMT

Looking up Amazon' suggested reading, because I need something to read. I was putting in books I liked and seeing what they came up with.
I've found a few I like.
But I HATE Publisher's Weekly reviews. I might have written down a few more titles to look out for while shopping later (I'm going in to town to buy some new books, gonna make it a habit methinks, because I've been sorely neglecting my reading as of late) if they hadn't completely ruined the entire plot of every fucking book I looked at.
Every single Publisher's Weekly review is a spoiler.

So, just my two cents, but I suggest never even glancing at one of their reviews. Unless you like knowing what happens at the end of a novel.

Oh, and does anyone have any suggestions for a ripping yarn I can really get into?

Books I've liked in the last year include:
The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, by G.W. Dalhquist
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
And lots of Sandman...And Pratchett...

Anything you can think of would be much appreciated..

Bye for now,
Maebh, xxx

Sat, 12 May 2007 07:24:09 GMT

"Sometimes I think the government should stop all taxes but up the price of cigarettes to $185 a pack. Now, smokers, you may think this is unfair, but think about it. The government would cure cancer, cuz they'd have to keep the smokers alive..."

~Chris Bliss...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm still awake. Haven't slept. Don't care.

Bye for now,
Maebh, xxx

Watch this, if you've nothin' better to be doing for five minutes..

Fri, 11 May 2007 17:52:13 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM