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Ouch…

In case you missed it, here’s Jeremy Paxman getting his ass handed to him on live television by Eurfyl ap Gwilym of Plaid Cymru. (Really gets going at about the 2:15 mark…) You’d almost feel sorry for the guy, were it not for the incredibly patronising introduction he had just given the Welsh politician.

“I’m joined now by Eurfyl ap Gwilym, who is Deputy Chairman of the Principality Building Society, in which august position he is also Plaid Cymru’s senior economic adviser…”

Last time I ever mention this idiot. I promise.

Last week I expressed surprise that Ian O’Doherty had not been taken to task over some really callous homophobic invective in a recent newspaper article. Now I’m a little wiser. Having a rational argument with O’Doherty, I realise, is like having a fist fight with a toddler. There is no glory in it.

Yesterday in the Indo, he fired back at me. Well to be fair, he first chipped in a really stellar (even by his own lofty standards) think-piece about bras, which concluded with the burning question: “After all, who wants to live in a world where chicks with massive hooters aren’t celebrated?” Then the gloves came off.

Though professing not to know me, nor to have any quarrel with what I had written about him, he referenced (apparently without irony) my supposed “bitterness” and “talentless outrage.” Really, in terms of the guy having a comically low self-awareness, he could only have topped that by singling out my drooping jowls and pass Leaving Cert standard English. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m Straight (1973)

Glenn Greenwald reads my blog

Look, I could try to contrive some clever ruse by which to casually drop this into the conversation. But we’d be here until Christmas. So I’ll come right out and say it. Glenn Greenwald linked to my blog yesterday. As T.S. Elliot once said, In your face, motherfuckers. Oh and Evan Dando? Consider yourself well and truly gazumped…

That experimental, all-sarcasm McFadden smackdown again

This article dates from my time as music columnist for Village magazine. My brief there was basically to write a column about alternative music that would appeal to people who didn’t care about alternative music. That proved somewhat of a challenge.

Someone (possibly Larry Ryan) challenged me to write a column that was completely sarcastic from start to finish and have it published. I succeeded, although my enthusiasm for the project clearly waned midway through. The last two paragraphs are copied almost verbatum from Westlife fansites. Read the rest of this article here.

It’s the same old song

Jesus, that was one miserable afternoon in Croke Park. Cork ran out easy winners over Mayo, by a score of 1-17 to 0-12. As I said on Twitter earlier, I’m thinking of switching allegiance to a less hopeless cause. A Boholla Olympic bid maybe?

There are doings afoot on the Irish property market!

A consortium of businessmen, headed by retired footballer Niall Quinn, have just announced plans for the construction of a New Jerusalem, where the righteous shall be exalted and where there shall be no more tears or sorrow, and no more pain. The upscale development, which analysts believe may presage the end of days and the second coming of Christ, will be located on the N4 just outside of Athlone… Read the rest of this article here.

This is (not supposed to be) funny

The dialogue at 0.55sec is just sublime…

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Oh God… It’s 3.30am. I’ve just transcribed about 2,000 words – roughly two thirds of the interview I did earlier this evening. It’s due in the morning. Went to the kitchen for a glass of milk. Came back. The computer is frozen. My work is not saved. I take a photo to remember it by. Bye bye…

Election Latest: Vote Yes for Cute Kittens

Aidan is buzzing. He’s like a kid in a toyshop. I, on the other hand, am just about keeping my excitement under wraps. We’re sitting in the first and, to my knowledge, only Dublin bar to offer the “unique” pull your own pint experience. Aidan thinks it’s amazing. Pulling our own pints. God above. What next?

I’m not quite so enthusiastic. I think its a gimmick. They’re making me do something that’s normally done for me by someone else? Yippee, when we’re finished here, can I clean the toilets? Read the rest of this article here.