In Limerick we * do * Christmas trees

Putting a Christmas tree of lightbulbs on a river is very Limerick. Love it. And it grew this year to pip all other trees in height. Hmm…

Coca-Cola Cake

As promised, the recipe for Coca-Cola cake.

Ingredients

4 ½ oz (125g) of self-raising flour
6 oz (160g) of caster sugar
3 heaped dessertspoons of cocoa
4 ½ oz (125g) of margarine (or butter for richness)
4 fl oz (125ml) of Coca-Cola
2 fl oz (60ml) of milk
1 medium egg, beaten

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Sift the cocoa and flour [...]

Today is World Mental Health Day, time to reach out

Today is World Mental Health Day, a time to reflect on invisible illnesses that affect tens of thousands of Irish people every year. Bipolar disorder, food disorders, schizophrenia, depression (incl. post-partum) - common illnesses that sit under the surface of our society. Ireland isn’t there yet when it comes to openly discussing them, there’s plenty [...]

Happy Sunday Cooking

It’s criminal to be this excited about new foodie gadgets right?

Is there room in your pencil case for me?

Photo owned by gahdjun (cc)
On Thursday morning, childish things will be put aside for the last time. Well, for someone I love. You see, my sister is starting college. Orientation marks the beginning of a right of passage for her. College is something she will ace. Every challenge that she sets her heart to, she knocks [...]

Irish Rail endorses same-sex discrimination?

I’m shocked to read that institutional same-sex discrimination is rife in Irish Rail over at Suzy’s. She has a snap of a confidential document (posted in a place where the public can view it) spelling out in no uncertain terms that same-sex couples are to be refused free travel even though they possess the necessary [...]

99 Musings

Thinking a lot about growing lately. Mindless musing snippets:

Friends like stones: They hit you hard when you deserve it and give you a place to rest when you need it. Their understanding doesn’t change. Working on being a stone. You deserve a friendstone.
Forgiveness: Redemption is a very powerful thing. It can change a spark into [...]

Foodie Qualms

We all have our personal qualms, don’t we? Some of us can’t sit in rooms with open doors and others find even numbers just plain wrong. For me, I’ve got some foodie issues. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Marzipan, Bovril, Marmite, pesto and mushrooms are the Devil’s food and must be avoided at all [...]

Monday start with the Boards

Boards of Canada ‘Dayvan Cowboy’
It’s impossible to have a blue Monday when you start with the Boards of Canada. Happy Ambient Monday.

Osama Loves

Know an Osama? Does he love stuff? Channel 4 are looking for Osamas that love things as part of their Osama Loves drive. Here’s the blurb:

Help us find 500 Osamas in just 50 days
Not everyone called Osama wants to cause havoc. Osama Loves is a mission to discover the sunnier side of Islam.
Farrah and Masood [...]

Day in the life of a devadasi

William Dalrymple writes on the lives of devadasis or sex workers in India in the latest issue of the New Yorker. It’s one of the most interesting and poignant articles I’ve ever read in the magazine. The easy realism in the piece is astounding.
On the public humiliation the women faced:
Long before the glasses of hot [...]

Every day matters

This is a difficult post to write. In the last couple of months two people close to me have contracted cancer. One a couple of months ago, another just found out this week. People that you would never suspect. Strong vigourous people; full of energy. Cancer eats the good and bad equally. It doesn’t care.
Being [...]

Holidaysing..

My last big break from work was at Christmas time and just last week I got itchy holiday feet syndrome. Oh, yes I do need a holiday. I deserve it. I’m not a 2-week in Ibiza kinda girl.
Here are places on my wishlist:

Driving the California Pacific coast from San Diego to San Francisco. Takes three [...]

RIP Randy Pausch

Eminent Computer Science professor, Randy Pausch passed away last night. He was a researcher in Human Computer Interaction and Design at Carnegie Mellon University, but is most famous for his ‘Last Lecture’ given to CMU on hearing he had terminal cancer. It’s an inspiring lecture.
I red-linked this ages ago and I’m sure that the world [...]

A hundred blue and yellow tears…

Photo owned by f59t8y (cc)
Delays on the work to the M50 are likely to delay to opening of Ikea’s planned landmark store in Ballymun to the tune of several months. It looks like a classic case of a clash between Swedish efficiency and bad Irish execution on planning and construction. From today’s Irish Times:
The [...]

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