Boys will be boys. Update - just noticed I'm linking to the wrong photo (should be this). The caption still stands though.

Fluxblog has a new Sonic Youth MP3 up - "Mariah Carey and the Arthur Doyle Handcream". And in spite of it initially threatening to be one of those off the shelf Kim Gordon noise-rants, this one actually turns out great - the compelling chorus and menacing bassline might have something to do with that. I like.

There's something weird with the comments here - not all are showing up....hmm...suspicious.

I'm back, newly refreshed from my week in Donegal and Mayo. Unfortunately, I expect the feeling to last for all of a day while I go about trying to chip away at the mountain of work that awaits me this week.

Anyway - here's a fascinating link to the online 'Proceedings of the Old Bailey London 1674 to 1834'. Each case is a snapshot of somebody's personal tragedy - including this one relating to some poor unfortunate who paid the ultimate penalty for doing the unspeakable with a horse; (his defence was he was merely "making water"). Via Incoming Signals (no relation..).

George W like you've never seen him before.

You Can't Wear Nail Polish to a Surgery - a weblog by Music journalist Michaelangelo Matos. Check out his review of the new Cat Power album here.

Well folks, it is with regret that I have to inform you that there will be no further postings here until Monday 30th. I'm off for a week to one of the finest places on this good Earth - the Rosses in Donegal, the land of my mother's people.

Here's a great Dutch website packed to the gills with Realplayer streams (including some video) of concert and radio session recordings. It includes several recordings of sessions by the Portland songwriter M. Ward. Mr. Ward has in 'Transfiguration of Vincent' released one of the truly great records of the year. I know it's a cliche, but since I bought the record a month ago it has rarely left my cd player (unlike the transient attention given to the new White Stripes, Stephen Malkmus and Blur albums). Download the wonderous track 'Undertaker' from the Merge website.

Some people get excited about the strangest things ... here's a page dedicated to some wonderful buses spotted around Galway - yes you heard me right; buses. Note the 'scantily clad girl' in the photo of the blue double decker.

World's luckiest man wins the lottery. Amazing. Anyway, this story has taught me something .... never buy a used Wartburg car.

I mentioned last week that Maricopa County's Sherriff's office in Arizona (home of America's toughest Sherriff) boasts an online jail information system with mugshots of all recently arrested inmates. Well, coincidentally, it appears this same sherriff's office is in the news this week after their high profile arrest of the Catholic Bishop of Phoenix, Thomas J.O'Brien, on charges of leaving the scene of a crime. Unfortunately, his photo doesn't appear on the site yet; they probably need a day or two to update it.

A little animation showing Alexander the Great's path of conquest. Via Incoming Signals.

I know we're a day too late but here's the Ulysses for Dummies website anyway.

Time lapse Quicktime movie of the first 6 months of pregnancy. Pretty cool.

Yesterday evening, I saw a dolphin jump out of the water with a fish in it's mouth. And no, I didn't need to go to Seaworld to see this - It happened in Galway bay 100 yards off Silverstrand beach. The school of two adults and two or three juveniles must have chased a shoal of fish into the shallows off the shore. It was a wonderful sight which put the top hat on a splendid sunshine filled weekend in Galway.

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has fully functional online jail information system which includes mugshots of everyone booked into it. It even has a 'crime of the week' feature. Of course, it does disclaim that all 'pre-trial inmates are innocent before proven guilty'. (Although there's something about mugshots that makes everyone look guilty). Wouldn't it be great if had of these systems for the Mill Street station in Galway?

Barbra Streisand Sues to Suppress Free Speech Protection for the California Costal Records project website. Perhaps she thinks we're all as nosy as she is.

Indie MP3. A selection of indie tracks from the 80's. Includes classic blasts from the past such as The Weather Prophets 'I almost Prayed' and a demo of The Primitives 'Crash' and also a really shit early song from My Bloody Valentine. It's amazing how innocent it all sounds now.

This year's Galway arts festival programme has just been announced. I must say the music line up is disappointing, with a distinct singer-songwriter theme but not a lot of rock n' roll thrills promised this year . Having said that, Linton Kwesi Johnson should be a highlight while the Waterboys and Ron Sexsmith will certainly deliver value for money. Besides those gigs, I suspect the shows by Karan Casey and Erin McKeown could be something special.

Outside of music, the event which catches my eye is the multimedia presentation by acclaimed US cartoonist and fellow blogger Tom Tomorrow. It sounds like it could be a fun night.

Overall, I'm delighted to see less of an emphasis on the big-spectacle performace theatre which has dominated in previous years and which in my opinion has generally been crap. Indeed, the inclusion this year of a series of new locally produced productions is a very healthy development.

This is simply beautiful.

No social life? No life..period. Well if you live in Dublin you're in luck because there's a really interesting seminar in Trinity college next Friday night. It should provide enough material to keep you talking bollocks for months to come. Finish the night with a juicy burger and curry fries and you'll be sorted.

Good news for Neil Young fans. After years of waiting, his classic album 'On the Beach' is finally to be re-released on CD. Which means that this site will shortly be defunct. Incidentally, the album contains 'Ambulance Blues' which happens to be one of my favourite Neil Young songs and which is also - after 'Cortez the Killer' - one of only two Neil Young songs I can reliably remember the guitar chords for.

As expected the Springsteen gig was great, in spite of it being the first gig I have ever been at that not only started on time but started five minutes early! I missed the first few songs on account of me being across the road outside Paddy Cullens enjoying a pint - fully expecting it not to start until 8:00.

More seriously though, and luckily for the organisers that nobody was injured, for the RDS was filled far beyond what I had ever experienced before for an open-air gig - normally there is plenty room at the back of the concert space - in this case, however the organisers had literally filled the place to capacity allowing each punter what seemed like 2 sq. ft of standing room. It was a very dangerous situation at times, especially with the crush as people rushed to get into the gig after it had started early - and of course, there wasn't a steward to be seen.