The Plastic Cat has a new layout. Check it out, it looks good.

Have you ever pondered that age-old question? - Why do the bubbles in Guinness float down?

I nearly crashed the car last night after driving through a red light on the Headford Rd. roundabout at 2 in the morning after spending the whole weekend at work....there must be easier ways to earn an honest euro or two. Listening to 'Mum' - 'Finally we are no one'....a couple of interesting tracks - good but not great. Isn't that a melodica on track 7? Super.

I've just about time to let you know that Cat Power's new album 'You are Free' is brilliant - it's the best thing I've heard this year so far and is arguably her finest album yet.

Posting will be sporadic until work eases off - am up the walls at the moment.

Pixies for Peace to march in Galway this Friday. Apparently the group consists of "a formidable alliance of pixies, leprechauns, wood nymphs, zwerge, satyrs, cherubs, sídhe, mermaids, barmaids, bogles, deserting Valkries, sylkies, fairies, hobbits, na beansídhe I gcoinne cogar, and elves"....!

P0rn as Art. I love the titles of the paintings.

Paintings by a man who has spent more than 30 years in psychiatric care are to be shown at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin this week. What a wonderful story.

No joy. Our performance in the quiz was poor - worse than last year, even if the questions were easier. It's hard to compete with those record store clerk types who know the catalogue numbers of every record Rough Trade ever released. Still it was fun - and we'll be back next year God willing.

Last nights entertainment was the truly excellent Lunasa in the Roisin. Tonight's will be the annual Arts Fest Rock 'N Pop table quiz in the Warwick. Hopefully we'll finish better than last years fifth place.

Free book: 100 poets against the war. It includes a contribution from Galway poet Kevin Higgins.

Six ways to make a woman love you.

No, these people are not the cast of a new BBC comedy drama set in the some rural idyll. They are in fact, the five peace protestors who yesterday broke into a hanger at Shannon airport before unleashing their wrath upon a US Navy transport plane. They also built a 'peace shrine' and started work dismantling the runaway with pickaxes and lump hammers. It appears that the lonely Guard assigned to secure the hanger was powerless to stop them. Now the talk is of bringing in the Army (the Irish one) to prevent further breachs of security by the dreadlocked menace. One can only presume the local Gardai are too busy elsewhere to provide much assistance. Note to terrorists - do not get any ideas...contrary to appearances, Shannon is not an easy target, and anyway Ireland is a neutral country, isn't it?

Flak Magazine's favourite songs of 2002.