Hillary and Obama have parity in white misogynist support

http://thescoundrel.wordpress.com/2008/01/28/obama-secures-the-drunken-misogynist-vote/

Update 6th Feb: Despite the Kennedy support for Obama, Hillary won Massachusetts.

2008 seed order

With last year's distractions, moving house etc, my tomato growing was a bit of a disaster. I just left the plants in 6" pots, didn't pot them on, and didn't set up the automated irrigation system that had worked so well in 2006. Hopefully this year will be different. I've already ordered and received seeds from Thompson & Morgan, and am just waiting for the Dobies' seeds to arrive. Here's the list, more than likely I've ordered too many (so tempting), but as usual I'll give most of the tomato, and chili, plants away to nearest and dearest etc. Now just need to bite my lip, hang on, and not sow too early, mid-March should be time enough.

DOBIES:

Tomato Incas F1
Tomato Sultana
Capsicum Bulgarian Carrot (Chili)
Capsicum Joe's Long F1 (Chili)
Calendula Daisy May
Calendula Apricot Tart
Nasturtium Dwarf Jewel Mixture
Nasturtium Paintbox Mixed
Nasturtium Gleam Hybrids


T&M:

Pepper : Chili : Meek and Mild (Poblana type - Mildly Hot)
Pepper : Chili/Hot : Inferno F1 (Moderately Hot)
Tomato : Ildi
Tomato : Ruby F1 Hybrid
Tomato : Tommy Toe
Tomato : Suncherry Premium F1 Hybrid

Review of Bandon Acupuncture Clinic

Bandon Acupuncture Clinic

"Excellent local massage therapist"

Last week, for the first time, I was looking for a massage specifically to tackle my knotted shoulders. Recommended by a Bandon local, I booked a session with Chantal Riordan of the Bandon Acupuncture Clinic (023-44186). Before you start bringing to mind a sterile, clinical environment think more of a comfortable family home with a dedicated treatment room.

Chantal, a french woman living in Ireland for many years, took my details and we chatted for a while before starting the session proper. The next hour was a pretty even balance of relaxation and pain (if you like that sort of thing!). She recommended I breath out whenever it really hurt, which did help a little. Grapeseed oil was used, which is scentless and, unlike the various spas I've been to, I emerged neither perfumed nor covered in an oil slick.

I'm sure one session hasn't sorted me out, and I probably didn't help by hefting sacks of bark mulch on Sunday. I'll definitely return in a couple of weeks. 65 euro for approx an hour.

Rated 4/5 on Jan 21 2008
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Review Tags: acupuncture, bandon, massage

Vote for gay marriage

LGBT Noise is asking people to vote in Irish Times online poll in the Head2Head section (from Mon 14th):

Just a reminder to vote for gay civil marriage in the Irish Times online poll in the Head2Head section. Follow this link. Please do also leave comments with your views on the gay civil marriage debate - this is a great chance to make our point! Results of the poll and some comments will be published in the Irish Times next Monday (21st Jan). Happy Voting! The Noise Team.

New Music

Recently I decided to expand my musical horizons and took inspiration from blogs I’ve been reading. I went a bit mad online last week and received these CDs in the post yesterday.

The National – Boxer. Sinead Gleeson’s no. 2 album of 2007 and on red’s top 10 list too. The first couple of tracks sound promising already.

Grinderman – eponymous. Nick Cave’s latest. Heard this first on Tom Dunne a few months ago, the No Pussy Blues track makes me smile.

Kings of Leon – Because Of The Times. Have been meaning to get this for months.

Panda Bear - Person Pitch. One of the Animal Collective gang.

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver. Recommended all over the place last year.

Fight Like Apes – David Carradine is a bounty hunter … (EP). Una gave them loads of mentions last year. Had the EP on a loop in the car on the way to work this morning. Do You Karate? definitely sounds familiar. Love it.

Should keep me busy for a while. Expect some mini reviews soon on LouderVoice.

Hillary election material

For U.S. election junkies, if you're looking for any Hillary/Democratic party bumper stickers etc you can get them at DemStore.com.

Review of Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility

"Stylish BBC period drama"

Another BBC costume drama, and a Jane Austen one to boot, but this time with the not so distant memory of the 1995 highly regarded Ang Lee / Emma Thompson adaptation. Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret are the daughters of Mr. Dashwood by his second wife. They have an older half-brother, John, who inherits the family estate when their father dies. The Dashwood women are out on their ear to a country cottage while John Dashwood and his wife take possession of the house and estate. Fortunately, a distant relative offers to rent the women a cottage on his property. The story centres on Elinor and Marianne’s romantic hopes and entanglements and how each woman’s character equips her to meet the challenges along the way.

The production values are excellent and the acting is top notch, I just haven’t warmed to it as much as I have to other similar adaptations. It could be the Marianne character, even in the book I found her impulsive romanticism (sensibility) irritating. (Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion have always been my favourite Austen books, I think I’ve read Sense and Sensibility only once).

In this television version the sisters are portrayed as physical, as well as temperamental, contrasts. Hattie Morahan, as Elinor, is clear-eyed and pale-skinned, her hair sleek and easily managed; Charity Wakefield, Marianne, has the sallow skin, sensuous features, and unruly curls of a more impulsive nature.

The always watchable Janet McTeer puts in a solid performance as Mrs Dashwood and Claire Skinner relishes her role as the vain, mean spirited wife of John Dashwood.

The neighbouring Middleton family, headed by Sir John Middleton (Mark Williams), provide light relief. Sir John and his mother-in-law are warm, well-meaning people who’d like to see the Dashwood girls happily married off, but they’re embarrassingly indiscreet in their comments and observations.

Episode 3 of 3 will be on BBC1 this Sunday, 13th Jan. Will the shy honourable Edward declare his love for Elinor? Will Marianne find happiness with the caddish Willoughby or will Colonel Brandon’s steadfastness and integrity win her over? Tune in next time.

Rated 4/5 on Jan 08 2008
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Review Tags: jane austen adaptations, literature, period drama, tv

Review of www.iwantoneofthose.com

http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/

"Don't touch with a barge pole"

I ordered a little doodah at the end of Nov for my Kris Kindle pick in work. No sign of it arriving in time, so just got him a backup pressie which was probably appreciated more than the original gift would have been.
Anyway, before christmas got an e-mail from IWOOT.com saying they wouldn't be able to deliver the item before the 25th, but would deliver the rest of the order. A package arrived by courier yesterday (2nd Jan) which contained a packet of 4 AA batteries, are they taking the widdle? Today I checked my Visa account to realise they've charged me 17.29 euro for the batteries and P&P - wankers. E-mails have been sent, but I have low expectations.

Rated 1/5 on Jan 03 2008
Vote on famron's Reviews at LouderVoice

Review Tags: con, rip off