I mixed it with the cooler than thou types at Death Disco Galway last night. Shane McGowan didn't make it - 'lost in transit' apparently and Beep pretty much played exactly what you would expect any avergage joe with a fondness for the guitar music of 1967 - 1970 and 1977 - 1980 to play. Disappointing really, even if I did get to shake my bootie to 'Louie Louie' again. And then I had a god awful kebab....and woke up this morning with the table lamp in my bed..........

Now this is what I call a cultural artifact of great significance:- Ref. No 2 in EGM's 10 naughtiest games of all time. Uuuuuuggggh....

It seems that last Sunday there was a 'spate' of unbleeped swear words uttered on U.S. network TV. Surprise, surprise - but Irishmen were responsible for two of the three incidents.

I'm a bit late with this story but never mind. There was some serious angling done out of Clifden last October. Check out the 700lb bluefin tuna caught by local man Martin O'Malley. That's real Ernest Hemingway material.

The 100 Greatest Moments in Rock according to Entertainment Weekly.

Songs to listen to - Domino Records download page.

The latest Stephen king adaptation - Dreamcatcher. It'll be out in April. Will it be any good?

I'm not quite sure what the point of this is - Pretend you're a sperm. The Dutch can be a funny lot sometimes...

Sick and depraved - A Furniture P0rn Movie!

The best game ever. Via QBB.

The 100 Greatest Music Videos. The list includes my favourite video from last year - Royskopp's 'Remind Me' at no. 74.

My favourite headline of the day so far.

Oh look - It's the blog of UK music journo Simon Reynolds. If my memory serves me right, he used to write for Melody Maker back in the days when it was worth reading (i.e the late 80's) - or maybe it was the NME? or both? Anyway, these days, amongst other things, he's a regular contributor to Uncut - which happens to be the only magazine I buy on a regular basis.

Play Virtual Journalist.

I wondered, way back in October, what had happened to the expected follow up to 'Figure 8' from Elliott Smith. Now, Pitchfork has the answer (maybe).

This guy runs live music webcasts from his living room. Nice idea isn't it?

Here's something. The law of the playground: the least coherent encyclopaedia of playground insults on the internet.

The brilliantly poignant video for Johnny Cash's extraordinary version of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt'. Directed by Mark Romanek, I believe this is only the second proper video ever made for a Cash single. Via The Plastic Cat.

Frodo has failed. Don't bother with the third film.

Play at being Homer Simpson for a while - Nuclear Power Plant Simulator. This and the last link via 3 Bruces.

Gladiator Chicken strikes a blow against Mankind.

I never knew BP Fallon had a web page, but it appears he does. Anyway, I found this because he is behind the wonderful sounding 'Death Disco' which is coming to Galway on Jan 30th. No other than Shane MacGowan is guest DJ. I intend to be there.

A very cool ASCII Generator. Handy for doing nice mail signatures etc.

Interesting interactive psychological tests from the BBC.

This is very good news. Mark it up as a small credit on America's balance sheet of moral authority.

The Office Flirt Test. According to this, I'm a 'shark' - and I suppose the fact of the matter is I am.

Flakmag writes about Bono Vox.

A blog from Iraq of all places:- Where is Raed ?

According to the Galway Advertiser, Tuam town council are considering plans to put a roof over the town. Hopefully they'll do a right job and make it like the Domed City of Logan's Run. Then the next steps will be to enforce a strict lifespan of 30 years on all inhabitants and to make sure they are happy enough never to want to leave that beautiful place ever again.

Is there a point in Ireland beyond which Cordylines cannot grow? A visitor from London once remarked at the number of these around Galway. Apparently they are not so widespread in the U.K.. Maybe the thing is that they only grow well near the coast - as they are found up north too.

Incidentally this is my first ever horticultural post. Don't expect any more.

You have to hand it to the North Koreans and their style of diplomacy. Threatening war with the U.S over economic sanctions, accusing the Americans of being the biggest producer of weopons of mass destruction and telling the Japanese to sod off and mind their own business. Meanwhile the good folks in South Korea are fairly non-plussed with the whole thing, being more worried about the economic consequences of a war with Iraq.

The first erotic drink in the World? I can't see it taking market share from Guinness or even Coca Cola anytime soon so I think I'll give this business opportunity a miss.

Call that a bike? Now, this beast is a bike. Can you imagine the insurance premium on this baby?

The site for Kill Bill, Tarantino's new film - his 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. Ridiculous but very very cool.

I'm back and it's now 2003. Not a bad bit of a break for the holidays - some good relaxed afternoon drinking and a few busy and bumpy evening drinkings, Christmas day and the usual claustaphobia. I made sure not to watch any tv this year. Read a book about Richard I and one by William Goldman the screenwriter. Met up with old friends. Comforted my best friend who was dumped by a lousy bastard on Christmas day. Tore the arse out of New Years Eve - my roommate threatened to sleep in the car I was so scary after too many whiskeys - jeez it was only snoring (and some sleepwalking). Everybody is happy now. I think I've lost my touch with women...maybe I'll find a girlfriend I can tolerate for more than a few months. Debauchery isn't what it used to be. Remember how wonderful we all are. Oh, and this blog is not about me. So I'll stop here.