Tales from West Cork Ireland

How my Bewley's Explore Java Coffee has "Love Irish Food" Sticker

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Thu, 27 May 2010 08:18:00 +0000

I purchased the Bewley's Explore Java coffee purely because it was the strongest one of the two the local shop had -- both variations of Bewley's coffee. I laughed when I saw the 'Love Irish Food' sticker as I know it's because the product is processed in Ireland so it can use the sticker, but the irony of it is just too funny and points out what many people don't realise. So much of what is called an Irish product is only so because it was processed here -- like processed fish and other meats where the actual meat comes from another country but the product is processed here and gets to be 'Irish'.

From the Love Irish Food website, http://www.loveirishfood.ie/:

"The vision of Love Irish Food is to help you make informed choices about buying Irish manufactured food and drinks. Our overall aim is to safeguard the future of food and drink manufacturing in Ireland."

and

Love Irish Food Membership Criteria

What is an Irish Brand?

Made in Ireland using local ingredients where available...

Asking what is an Irish Brand is like asking what makes someone Irish, there are legal criteria and there are personal criteria. When making shopping choices, it's personal criteria that count.

It's nice to know when a product is Irish or not - especially for those that really want to support Irish businesses, but I think for many the point is to support local growers and smaller producers and not the bigger companies, Irish or not. So like with eggs, perhaps there should be a bit more information about 'how Irish' the product is. Are the ingredients', or at least main ingredients', origins in Ireland? If not, what is the Irish connection.

There is a debate as to whether this is honourable nationalism, good businesses -- or maybe bad business -- or outright exclusionism.

Does Fyffes put such stickers on the bananas? Like coffee, it's pretty obvious that they don't originate in Ireland -- and we have no choice but to purchase bananas that originate outside this country. I do think it's interesting that many of the bananas eaten in the world come via Ireland, because Fyffes is one the world's largest exporters of bananas. They important them into Ireland and export around the world. Click to see an interesting article on the banana trade and Fyffes involvement with the local unions. Love this article on Wiki Answers that states: "Believe it or not Ireland is the bigest exporter of bananas in the world. "

Explore Java may merit the 'Love Irish Food' sticker technically, but perhaps it is not the best product to use this sticker on because it's so obviously not Irish apart from the Bewley name!

What happens when you gather all the information available in the World in one place?

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 06:40:00 +0000

How many times has it happened to you?

You see a reference to something on the internet and then remember, "Hey, I was just thinking about that last night?" (or yesterday or last week...)

I'm not talking about trending news stories or commonly discussed items -- but something out of the blue, that you probably haven't thought about in ages, popping up coincidentally in two or more places in an unrelated manner.

Is it a coincidence? Or just logic?

Example One:

A.) Drew Barrymore has directed a movie "Whip It" -- the ads for it make it look really good to me. Anyway, I heard a radio review and it noted that it was about roller derby.

B.) Now I haven't heard about roller derby in ages. It made me think about one of my favourite movies as a kid - Kansas City Bomber. That movie starred Raquel Welch as a roller derby star. Jodie Foster is her daughter. It's fantastic 70's movies stuff.

C.) So I was thinking about Raquel Welch and how well she's aged and wondered if she was still acting and what she was up to -- but I didn't have time to look into this and that was that -- BUT...

D.) This morning I checked my daily email from Oprah. Please note I normally trash these WITHOUT reading them because I don't have time, but I noticed this one was about Oprah's favourite books, so I took a peak. At the bottom of the newsletter there's a heading "Celebrity Page Turners" and listed three books by celebs, the third "Bombshell Raquel Welch takes you Beyond the Cleavage"

SPOOKY! Isn't it?! Or is it?

Is it just that there is so much information on the internet and in traditional media that it's all bound to converge at certain points?

Is it because I am a media hound constantly on Twitter, listening to radio talk shows, reading Oprah newsletters, etc. that all this information is going to meet up all over the place?

Is it natural feminine intuition that leads me to follow information to these connections? (or a bit of noisiness and know-it-all-ness?)

Am I just so in tune with the psyches of the universe that I draw this information to come together?

I'd kinda like to think one of the latter two is the case, but as I am such a media hound and constantly juggling work, family and other interests; it is unlikely that I am that in tune with anything!

In the past these coincidences would happen from time to time, but lately it's happening more and more -- and very often related to information I pick up on Twitter.

Is it just that the people and media channels -- and the items posted that capture my interests -- are spot on with my tastes, past history, etc.?

That it's just inevitable that these connections occur?

Example Two:

A. Yesterday, I noticed a tweet from one of my 'friends' on Twitter - someone I've never actually met but chat with online occasionally, as is the case for most of my friends. She notes that she is waiting in the Driver's License office to renew her license. Now this is the kind of information that Twitter haters use to berate Twitter lovers with - inane daily occurrences; but this is what I think makes Twitter great:

Occurrences and activities in life that are common to most of us, interpreted in interesting or meaningful ways. Through sharing this information it brings us together, makes us feel normal and special at the same time.

B. OK, so we're back with my Twitter 'friend' waiting at the Driving License office and I'm thinking, "Poor girl, having to wait in a horrible place like that, for who knows how long. Can't you do that online? Why aren't they good for life? Wonder when my license is due for renewal?"

C. That same day when I return home from the office, the post is waiting inside my door and there's one envelope addressed to me, which is fairly rare - apart from bills and bank statements. Have you guessed it? It was a letter notifying me that my driving license is due for renewal!

Now THAT is spooky!!!

So is it just pure logic?

The internet has gathered data from billions of sources together in one place.

Now with all the social media networks online, it is also gathering all of our personal thoughts together in this one vast space, easy to access from your favourite browser!

Filter that information down to those people and things that you are most interested in and are most like you.

It appears to be a psychic phenomena, but in reality it is just life as it happens.

So join me in line at the Drivers License office via Twitter in the next couple of weeks - cos I don't want to do it all alone!

In Honour of the Woman in Technology I Nearly Am - My Ada Lovelace Pledge

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:42:00 +0000

OK, I've been struggling to come up with a subject for my Ada Lovelace Day blog post, but I couldn't get out of my mind that Ada Lovelace Day, today, 24th March, happens to be my mother's birthday. Emma Louise Kaufman Donnelly, known to most as Emmy Lou, is no longer with us, but she still inspires me because she taught me that I could do whatever I wanted to do with my life. I don't think she ever sat in front of a computer - can't even remember if she had a VCR - but she taught me to not be afraid of taking on the world.

Because I had really good grades in Math in high school, including a 100% on my Trig Regents, my mother tried to encourage me, in her very subtle way, to study Math in college. Maybe she could have been a bit more persuasive, but that wasn't her way. It was my life and I needed to decide these things for myself; and I chose a school with more of a focus on liberal arts and I kept changing my concentration but mainly I thought I wanted to be a writer of some sort. I never did make it as a writer (there's still time for me yet), but through the years I've held a number of really interesting and challenging jobs, many with some technical focus and sometimes in traditionally male dominated areas.

I won't recite my resume here, but through my life in making choices about my education and career, I had my mother's words and belief in me in the back of my mind. So maybe it's not the women in technology that we need to honour today, but the mother's of these women who gave them the strength to make choices that weren't always the mainstream way of doing things - in their choices in education, career, lifestyle, etc. In fact in the biography of Ada Lovelace at http://findingada.com/about/ it says "Ada had been taught mathematics from a very young age by her mother " Lovelace's mother, Anne Isabella Noel Byron, was called "Princess of Parallelograms" by her husband, poet Lord Byron.

So Happy Birthday Mom. I can only hope that I can inspire my daughter as well as you have inspired me!

Weekend TV Review Part 1 - Saturday 28 November

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:03:00 +0000

RTE1
For early risers a US TV drama overload:
7.55 Kojak
8.50 Falcon's Crest
1.55 Irish Eyes are Smiling http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036961/ - movie from 1944 about the life of the man who wrote song the film takes it's title from; with some vaguely familiar names in the case AND Anthony Quinn (maybe worth a watch to see what role he plays)
3.40 Welcome to Mooseport http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361925/ - "A US president (Gene Hackman) who has retired after two terms in office returns to his hometown of Mooseport, Maine and decides to run for Mayor against another local candidate (Ray Romano)." Ahhhh, I usually like Gene Hackman in all his movies and I like Ray Romano's sitcom, but I wonder what it will be like with the two of them together!

6.30 Spiderman Returns http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348150/ - from 2006, another take on the big man's story. May be worth just to see Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor

10.50 Punch Drunk Love http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272338/ - 2002, Adam Sandler and Emily Watson in a quirky love story with Sandler imploading as usual, but also fun to watch as usual. Not as classic as some of writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's other work: Magnolia and There Will Be Blood

1.30 In My Country (aka Country of My Skull) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349260/ - a 2004 film directed by John Boorman, which completely escaped my radar at the time, about a Washington Post report sent to South Africa to cover the Truth and Reconcilliation Trials with Samuel L. Jackson, Juliette Binoche and 'our' Brendan Gleeson as a notorious torturer.

3.10 D-Day http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412617/ - Drama Documentary

RTE 2

5pm The Sting http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070735/ - Classic! In case you don't know clever drama (and a good bit of humour) with Newman and Redford and excellent supporting cast.

12.10 Nurse Jackie - a second chance to catch one of my favourite current TV shows if you missed it earlier in the week (which I did)

1.40 Magicians http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0841027/ - 2007 movie with UK comedy duo Mitchell & Webb about rival magicians

TV3

The usual reality TV fix:

8pm XFactor

9.45 I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here

10.45 Xtra Factor

11.45 The Graham Norton Show with Shirley Bassey, Michael Sheen and Rhod Gilber (who?)

3.45 The Chronicles of Riddick http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0296572/ - 2004 Vin Diesel film that carries on from Pitch Black "All the power in the universe can't change destiny "

TG4

9.45pm Mercury Rising http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120749/ - from 1998 with Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin, and autistic boy and an unbreakable code.

11.45 Neelo - challenges the public to eat healthy. Neelo usually gives and interesting and amusing outlook into small pockets of life

12.34 True Blood - replay of this week's episode, which I also missed. Just hope I can stay awake this time!

BBC1

6.05pm Merlin - our family's favourite show

Channel4

1am Beyond the Sea http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363473/ - 2004 movie with Kevin Spacey as singer Bobby Darrin and Kate Bosworth as Sandra Dee. I wish I could get Channel 4 so I could watch this.

Once again, all information based on the RTE Guide and any error are not my responsibility.

What are you Thankful for Today?

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:59:00 +0000

Thanksgiving and Christmas are a bit sad for me as I get homesick being away from family and old friends. Thanksgiving sometimes less so because I nearly forget it with work and the regular routine of life here in Ireland where it isn't a holiday, but because we were only in the US last month, I'm feeling it more this year.

This year there is a lot to be miserable about: the recession, flooding, swine flu, etc. but this also means that for many who have escaped, or came through these things, that there is a lot to be thankful for. So I am asking all my friends; whether in the US or not; whether American, Irish, English or whatever nationality or religious beliefs, etc:

What is the one thing that you are most thankful today?
(Post a comment with your thoughts if you like.)

As I spent many, many lonely years in NYC and London thinking I'd be single for the rest of my life and had pretty much learned to be OK 'on my own' but there was still something missing, so I am MOST thankful today that I have met my soul mate who is a wonderful person and through meeting him we have a great life in Ireland with three beautiful children. (Is that enough nice adjectives for you?) Otherwise, there'd be no O'Mahony Donnelly, and that would be a huge loss to the world, right?

Weekend TV Review Part 2 - Sunday 22 November

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:25:00 +0000

RTE1
- 09.50 The Scarecrow & Mrs. King - if you need a fix of 80's US TV, this is for you.

- 14.30 A Grandpa for Christmas http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0950740/ - a US TV movie from 2007 with Ernest Borgnine (he's still around?) and a number of US sitcom greats which will probably be watchable if you are ready to get into the Christmas spirit.

- 21.30 Battle of the Sexes http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/battle_of_the_sexes.html - new RTE Factual show with Miriam O'Callaghan hosting a group of women discussing relationships between men and women in Ireland today. Next week Ray D'Arcy works the other angle with a group of men. I easily dismiss some of these home made shows and this topic seems very old fashioned, but it may turn out to be interesting, especially with Miriam involved. I just wonder if it will cover less traditional relationships, particularly gay relationships.

- 22.30 Would You Believe http://www.rte.ie/tv/wouldyoubelieve/ - RTE series that looks at the spiritual side of news, current events and human interest stories and often gets down to the bottom of the issues involved. This week show is about businessman Jerry Shanahan, from Cork, who was accused of corporate fraud in the US.

- 23.50 Tempo http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307553/ - "direct to DVD (and Irish TV) thriller" from 2003 with Melanie Griffith and Rachel Leigh Cooke about art and jewelery theft and a love triangle in Paris.

- 01.20 Sweet Liberty http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092035/ - 1986 movie written, directed and starring Alan Alda with good back up from Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins and Michelle Pfeiffer. "Hollywood comes to town" to make a movie of a book about the American Revolution that was written by the main character. It's a funny look at the movie industry.

RTE2

- 21.00 Cliffhanger http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106582/ - 1993 movie with Sly Stallone which I've never watched thinking that Stallone would be not be convincing as a mountain climber (though I love the first Rocky movie and he was very good in "Cop Land"). With director Renny Harlin, who has made some watchable action films, this may be worth taking in if you aren't interested in what's going on in the jungle on TV3 tonight.

TV3

- 20.00 XFactor - Results show with performances by Susan Boyle and Mariah Carey. I've got money riding on the results now, so even more interested in the outcome.

- 21.00 I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here

Weekend TV Review Part 1 - Saturday 21 November

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:16:00 +0000

With all of this bad weather many people will be turning to the telly for entertainment. Here's the first part of my review of what's on this weekend on Irish television (and some UK channels, but I don't have SKY so won't be going there).

Saturday 21 November:

RTE1
- 12.25 The Cosby Show - one of my all time favourites, always good for a laugh and suitable for all the family

- 13.55 The Black Shield of Falworth http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046789/ - I've not seen this, but a 1954 medieval drama with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh has got to be worth checking out. Could it be that Jamie Leigh was conceived on this set ;-)

- 18.39 Santa Clause 2 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304669/ - Why are they showing 2 before the original? I like to watch things in sequence. Think this is the one where he is at the North Pole and has to sort out his bold son back in the real world as well as find a Mrs. Claus. Good for the kids, but I thought the third one with Martin Short as Jack Front and Anne Margaret as sexy mother-in-law was much funnier.

- 22.05 Spanglish http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371246/ - I avoided this when it was first out, but with director James L Brooks (Terms of Endearment and As Good as it Gets - two of my favs ) it's bound to be engaging and with Adam Sandler it's bound to be funny on some level

- 01.25 The Verdit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096061/ - classic drama directed by master Sidney Lumet with Paul Newman and gorgeous Charlotte Rampling - one of my favourites worth taping or put on SKY+

- 03.40 Scrooged http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096061/ - I don't remember if this is really good, but I am a big Bill Murray fan so think this would be worth showing at a more reasonable hour closer to Christmas. What are RTE progarammers thinking?

RTE2
- Unstoppable http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349889/ - action movie with Wesley Snipes. "The deranged military and former CIA agent Dean Cage is in a rehab program, trying to forget the traumatic loss of his best friend Scott in Bosnia" I've not seen this, but it might be good if you are into this sort of movie.

TV3

- 20.00 XFactor http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=thexfactor -I know it's not for everyone, but we will be glued to this. Find out how to vote from Ireland at http://www.irishvotes.com/ (doesn't work for me via SKYPE)

- 21.20 I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=imacelebritygetmeoutofhere . You can also vote from Ireland via http://www.irishvotes.com/ Looking forward to seeing Katie and Kim downing kangaroo testicle, crocodille willy, etc. and what other rubbish will be coming out of Kim and Joe's mouths.

- 23.20 Graham Norton Show - when the Irish, who don't have BBC, get to see the previous week's show. Rod Stewart and Dawn French are the guests.

- 03.35 Constantine http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360486/ - with Keanu Reeves as a supernatural detective. You either love him or hate him. I can't help myself, but actually I've not seen this one and if it was on at a reasonable time and there was nothing else to watch, I'd check it out.

TG4

- 13.30 The Dukes of Hazzard - enough said

- 22.30 Rumour Has It http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398375/ - surprised to see this on TG4 - Kevin Costner and Jennifer Aniston and another great director - Rob Reiner (Spinal Tap, Misery & First Wives Club? - though I loved him first as Meathead on All in the Family) and I love Shirley McLaine (but won't be watching this if the kids are still up).

- 00.50 True Blood - what I have been waiting for since I missed the regular showing on Monday night. My new favourite TV drama (esp. since I finished our box set of Weeds Season 1)

BBC1

- 18.05 Merlin - a must see in our household (we catch in on RTEPlayer)

(We don't get the UK channels in on our TV, so only catch a few things we really like online.)

Please comment if you have any other suggestions on this weekend's TV.

Schedule based on http://www.rteguide.ie and may not be accurate, as is sometimes the case.

Color me

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Pink - not just for girly girls.

Pink. A few weeks ago I never would have said pink or imagined that I should wear pink, but thanks to my 6 year old daughter I've started wearing more pink and she's right: it looks good on me, gives colour to my face and cheers me up -- and ofter cheers up the others around me too!

I wish I'd been a child of the 1940s

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:21:00 +0000

Ok, it was a terribly hard time, with World War II going on, but it was a time of big change socially and technically -- and you can't beat the music, movies and styles of the time. Maybe I'm looking at it with rose coloured glasses because that's when my mom came of age.

Pink Ribbon Walk in Clonakilty to Benefit Action Breast Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Action Breast Cancer NEEDS YOU to take part in Clonakilty’s inaugural

PINK RIBBON WALK

WHEN?
Bank Holiday Monday 26th October 2009

WHERE?
Meet at Fernhill House Hotel Clonakilty @ 11am - Depart 11.30
Walk the 4 mile round trip then
Return to Hotel for “Pink Refreshments”

Suggested €10.00 entry fee (or personal donation of choice)
FREE t-shirt and refreshments on completion!

FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
We’d love this to become an annual event where family and friends come together to show solidarity and support for anyone who has been affected in anyway by breast cancer.

Wear The Pink With Pride

Kindly Sponsored by Mike & Teresa O’Neill Fernhill House Hotel

Grace Hopper: Pioneer in Computer Science - My Ada Lovelace Day Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:52:00 +0000

I struggled a bit looking for a topic for my Ada Lovelace Day pledge blog post to be about a woman in technology that I admire. I could not think of anyone off the top of my head and some quick searches didn't bring up anything that I thought suitable. But as it came down to Ada Lovelace Day, the push was on to get off my bum and do some digging. One name caught my eye and was then again suggested by one of my friends on Twitter: Grace Hopper.

It's surprising that as a woman on the edge of IT for many years that I hadn't heard of Grace Hopper, as she developed the first compiler for a computer programming language. Yes a woman was the a real pioneer in this field. It's not a real surprise when you look at her strong academic career in Mathematics and Physics: BA (Phi Beta Kappa) from Vassar and Masters and PhD from Yale -- all in the late 1920's and early 30's/

During World War II, Hopper joined the Naval Reserves and went on to graduate first in her class at the officer training school. In the Naval Reserves she served on the staff of the Mark I, the first large-scale automatic digital computer in the US. In 1949 she took a job at Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation as a senior mathematician and joined the team developing the UNIVAC I, the first commercial computer produced in the US. in the early 50's the company was taken over by Remington Rand and this is where Hopper worked on her original compiler. According to Wikipedia: "COBOL was defined by the CODASYL committee which extended Hopper's FLOW-MATIC language with some ideas from the IBM equivalent, the COMTRAN. However, it was her idea that programs could be written in a language that was close to English rather than in machine code or languages close to machine code (such as assembly language), which is how it was normally done at that time. It is fair to say that COBOL was based very much on her philosophy." (Seems typical to me that a woman would aim to have the programming language closer to English and more human friendly.)

Later Hopper returned to the Naval Reserves and continued to work on development and standards and eventually achieved the rank of Captain. Later she was awarded the rank of Commodore by special Presidential appointment. Commodore was later renamed Rear Admiral, Lower Half.

She spent her final years as a senior consultant to Digital Equipment Corporation, where she travelled widely lecturing on the early days of computing and her career.

In 1996 the US Navy launched USS Hopper (DDG-70), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, nicknamed "Amazing Grace" in her honour.

Hopper once said, "If you do something once, people will call it an accident. If you do it twice, they call it a coincidence. But do it a third time and you've just proven a natural law!" http://www.hopper.navy.mil

When I was struggling in high school to decide what to select as a major in college, my mother said, "Something to do with math, there aren't many girls in Math" and I had done very well in match in high school, but I wanted to be a writer or a filmmaker. Many, many times in the years since I have wished that I had gone into math and computer science, as that is the industry that I later found myself involved in - one way or another. Perhaps if I had read about Grace Hopper in high school, I would have gone that way.

Visit the Grace Murray Hopper page in Wikipedia from more details on her life, career and honours received.

How to Woo a Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:51:00 +0000

Second post from my lenten pledge -- first based on a suggested topic, but I've taken on this challenge.

When dealing with "suitors" (in the days before I was an old, married lady), I've always had a pretty strong bullshit detector and with the first sign of false intentions I was out of there! So we'll start with that:

- Be honest and be yourself, as much as you actually know yourself. Don't try to be what you think she wants in a man, because if that works in the beginning, it won't work for long. Unless you are looking for a ditzy, shallow girl, then go ahead and tell her anything you want. A substantial woman will appreciate you for your flaws as much as for your good points.

- Engage in two way conversations; asking questions to find out about her interests, her life and who she really is and balance it out with information on you -- not just listing off like a CV, but follow the conversation and see if it takes you where you both want to go. Really listen to what she has to say and remember for future reference and perhaps some opportunities for nice surprises.

- Be a gentlemen. Now I've said 'be yourself' and that may not really be who you think you are, but there's nothing wrong with being considerate and caring. If you think it may not be you, try it out, you may find you like it. If not, you may be limiting the type of woman that is really for you. I've always considered myself liberated and open my own doors, pay for my share of dinner, etc. but there's nothing like having someone do things for you for a change.

- Appreciate the real lady in her. Maybe she's not the type that's always in full make up, high heels, etc. but inside we are all a bit of sugar and spice and a bit of romance and appreciation can go very far.

- Get to know her friends and family -- not in a plotting kind of way, but in a I'm interested in you and want to know more way. You'll get insight into her and it will also give you more information on whether this is a person that you may want to go further with.

- Find an opportunity to give a small but relevant gift. Is it around the holidays or her birthday (often awkward as you don't know what's expected early on in a relationship) or is there another occasion that would merit a gift (i.e. promotion, house warming, etc.)? Present her with a thoughtful gift -- get ideas from all the listening you've been doing about what she's interested in. (My husband and I still joke about the first time we spoke and he bought me a pack of honey roasted nuts.)

Most of all, be sure that this is someone that you really do want to woo. You can see from the points above that it takes time and effort and you shouldn't lower your expections. Women have girlfriends to talk to and ladies magazines to read about this sort of thing, but men usually have to deal with their this sort of emotional stuff on their own. I'm sure that a lot of you men out there settle for second best just to have someone in your life. (I'm talking about something different than a one night stand, and if you are one of those dogs just looking to get a woman in bed than I hope you find a woman just like yourself or I know a website where you can get yourself a useful little doll.)

If you know what you are looking for in the woman in your life, it'll be easier to find her -- and woo her.

Good luck lads, and I'd love to hear how it goes for you. Post your comments and ideas here!

Keep Rick O'Shea and Nikki Hayes Talking

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:53:00 +0000

Cut backs at RTE have resulted in the bosses cutting down on the number of producers on their radio shows and this has hit the 2FM afternoon shows of Rick O'Shea and Nikki Hayes. This means that these shows will no longer have any non-music features (interviews with celebs, movie reviews, etc.) that set these shows apart from just listening to your iPods.

There is a new Group on Facebook put together to show support for these two radio shows and keep them talking like they should be. Join the If It's Not Broken Don't Fix It Keep Rick O'Shea and Nikki Hayes Talking group.

It's time to fight these semi-state bodies that make such drastic changes without considering what we, the people, the consumer, really want.

Why Do They Think You Want/Need 'A New You'?

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:21:00 +0000

Funny, yesterday I saw an ad for Pilates classes in the local paper and it was titled 'A New U' Pilates classes and it freaked me out a bit. You come across the phrase 'A New You' - or more cutely, 'A New U' - especially as a woman, but I never had such a negative reaction. Now I have seen it a couple more times, perhaps as it's just after new year: There was an article in the Irish Examiner weekend section about make up with the phrase 'create a brand new makeup bag for a brand new you' and Avon has a line of cosmetics for us older women called 'Anew'.

Are women these days really looking for 'a new you' or is this just a kind of copycat copywriting going on in the media, more in focus now because of the time of year? Whatever it is, it is bugging me. It's not giving women the credit they deserve, in thinking that the 'current you' isn't good enough.

I've been into 'self help' for awhile (from reading The Road Less Travelled to attending meditation classes at the London Buddhist Centre to joining every community group going, etc.) and there have been many times when I may have thought I needed 'a new me', but I have come to realise that there is just 'me' -- the me that's here now and I may be happy with me at the moment or not, but that's something I need to deal with. Maybe a pilates class or new makeup will help me feel better and be more open to getting to terms with 'me', but I would run away from anything titled 'A New You'.

Perhaps all the various books read, classes attended and therapy tried has brought me to this thinking or perhaps it was just going to happen after a good number of years of living, but each person just has to find it for herself.

Lately I have been spending a lot of time on Facebook and have reconnected with childhood friends and that has been the best feeling ever -- getting in touch with the 'old me' has been great -- and so I am attempting to just bring it all together and be happy with the 'Real Me'.

Telephone Credit Card Scam Passing off as VISA or MasterCard

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:49:00 +0000

Just received this email from a client. Sometimes these emails are hoaxes and someone is sitting somewhere pleased that they've wasted a lot of people's time, but just in case this is real I thought it was worth posting. Because VISA and MasterCard are so widely used this is very possible.

This one is pretty slick since they provide you with all the information, except the one piece they want.

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.

One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard".

The scam works like this: Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Yo ur card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank) did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketing company based in London?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from £297 to £497, just under the £500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of you r card (0800-VISA) and ask for Security.

You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works the caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card." He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers." There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say, "No," the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of £497.99 was charged to our card.

Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them.

Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued=2 0the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.

Beverly Cooper Flynn and the State of Things in Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:50:00 +0000

I've stopped worrying about what Mayo TD Beverly Cooper Flynn does -- even though it seems completely out of order that she should still get a €40,000 grant per year for being an Independent when she isn't any more. If her constituents voted her in after her previous problems with setting up illegitimate offshore accounts, fallout with FF, etc.; why should I care?! I bet she could do anything and they'd still vote her back in. Well, she does say she is using the money for the good of her constituents -- like doing up her offices. (http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0105/flynnb.html)

This is probably just the tip of the iceburg -- start chipping away at these things and we'll see why the country has such a big tax deficit (€8.1bn - http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0105/economy.html).

It was just two years ago they were giving away money with the SSIAs. No matter what FF does or doesn't do the Irish people keep them in government. Is it just that there are no good alternatives (none really stand out) or that the people are so enamored with the past glory of FF?

Waterford Wedgewood is going into receivership. Lots of job losses. Very bad news for SE Ireland. The company is in debt for €400m; so this is going to have a huge impact. There were cutbacks in the not so distant past, so perhaps the 2,700 employees in Ireland and the UK who will lose their jobs now, may have had some warning that things could go this way. (http://www.rte.ie/business/2009/0105/waterford.html)

One thing about this economic crisis -- it truly is a soap opera that keeps us watching and wondering how things are going to come out. This is all news out just today -- a busy news day with everyone getting back to work and looking for lots of problems and issues to report on!

Watching New Year's Eve Around the World

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:21:00 +0000

Last year we watched the New Year's Eve countdown on TV watching 'boy' band Take That in concert in London. Irish TV's shows are usually pretty boring! So I am missing Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, etc. I've been searching for something online to make up for it. So far I have found some sites with webcams:
- Earthcam (Moscow is the first place to celebrate on this site; in about 40 minutes) - http://newyears.earthcam.com/ts/index.html?currentcam=multiview
- Google Maps Mania (list of streaming cams in a couple places) - http://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-years-mashups-on-google-maps.html
- Fisgonia (Google map showing webcams around the world) http://www.fisgonia.com/

We probably won't stay up to follow the celebrations in Times Square, but it looks like there are a lot of fun events to watch on Earthcam.

Wherever you are have a great time tonight and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2009!

PS - What's your most memborable New Year's Eve? I've had a few good ones: Times Square, Edinburgh, etc. Most memorable: 1984 I worked with a friend who was catering a Manhattan Transfer concert at Radio City Music Hall. It was great to be behind the scenes at that great venue. The best we had worked at. They gave out great gifts to the audience, like Orwell's book, and we were able to grab a few. Always civic minded, I had donated blood earlier that day and caught the bus up to Radio City. We were in the kitchen preparing the food. As usual we had a few drinks and next thing I new I was lying on the floor and my head really hurt. My friend Marcia was standing standing over me, "Why didn't you tell me you had just given blood! You shouldn't be drinking!" I sat on a window ledge, hoping that I hadn't got a concusion, and looked up to see a group of tourists staring at me. They were on the backstage tour and apparantly I was one of the attractions! We finished up preparations in time to enjoy the concert and the countdown onstage.

Recall of all Irish Pork Products

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Donnelly) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:31:00 +0000

Wow, it was strange at Dunnes stores today. In the aisle that's usually full of sausages, rashers (aka bacon), etc. there were only a couple packages of turkey rashers and sausages. On the side there was a selection of chorizo and German salamis. Last night it was announced that contaminated feed was given to pigs on a number of farms in Ireland and that products with Irish pork products on offer since September could contain traces of a chemical dioxin.

"Minister for Food Trevor Sargent has said identifying the source of contamination of Irish pork with a chemical dioxin would have been quicker if dioxin monitoring equipment had been available here instead of having to send samples to England for testing." (source: RTE)

Sandwich ham is one of the few things one of my sons will eat, so he and my daughter have had ham at least 5 times a week since that time. We have had pork chops at least once a week. On weekends we enjoy our sausages for breakfast.

In the past few months I have been going for cheaper, store brand sliced ham and pork (apart from sausages where I go for the better quality), but I think this incident really shows why it's best to buy locally produced products that you can trace.

I recently had a diet made up for me and I was told no pig meat and, as I was also told no poultry, was finding it really hard to avoid having pork at least once a week. This could be a higher force telling me I should have stuck to the diet!

Other effects: Pizza parlours can't offer pork toppings! Oh no, no meat feast!!! (unless you go to Godfather's or Domino's because they use toppins sourced outside of Ireland).

Click here for RTE's guide on the Irish pork recall.