Bum Wines. Is there an export version of Wild Irish Rose?

Wouldn't you have trouble bringing this MP3 player onto a plane?

Which Country Is Next? Ireland ranks in 20th place along with the Mugabe's Zimbabwe...

This town is going to pot. Some gurriers tried to steal a car from outside our house a few days ago. They were foiled by a couple of lads from the house across the road who chased them down the street with hurleys. You wouldn't mind but the car isn't much more than a banger - obviously easy to break into and to start and good for 30 minutes of joyriding craic. But without that little car the owner wouldn't be able to work and it's not that she can afford the time or money to be fixing windows. Scumbags.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA. So to mark the occasion, here's a link to a guide on how to extract DNA from anything living, using kitchen equipment and materials. Have fun!

Sinead O'Connor announces retirement. This may be fake, but if true it's a shame. Whatever one may think of her, Sinead has consistently been one of the most interesting personalities on the music scene for the last 15 or so years.

Eighteen Haunted Web Cams.

WORLDPROCESSOR.

Bible Sex Stories. All old testament as far as I can tell.

Councillor Frank Durcan (aka. 'The Maggot') has sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions alleging 'fraud and collusion' in local authorities in Co. Mayo. Now we all know that, unfortunately dodgy dealings are a fact of life amongst planning authories in Ireland, so it's good to see someone within the system take action to expose it. However, I have to question Cllr. Durcans motives or agenda here. Apparently he indicated that "house prices had risen by 100 per cent during the past twelve months due to overpricing by contractors and a shortfall in land being provided by local authorities to develop property". Assuming he's referring to Castlebar, my understanding is that the housing shortage has arisen because the council is not authorising any new housing developments until the town sewerage scheme which is currently extremely overloaded has been extended. Stating that prices have increased by 100% is a bit of an exageration though - but since Cllr. Durcan's runs one of the larger auctioneering businesses in the town, maybe he knows better than I do.

This guy reckons Swervedriver's 1993 album 'Mezcal Head' is more satisfying than MBV's Loveless. I bought the album on the same day as I bought The Smashing Pumpkin's 'Siamese Dream' and I must say that while it features two or three very good tracks it's hardly worthy of mention in the same breath as MBV's classic. Still, he's entitled to his opinion and he does make a good case for it.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - A bit like 'A Beautiful mind' with gameshows instead of mathematics, fantasy instead of insanity and sex instead of sums. Good but not great, it has Clooney in a tash, a script by Charlie 'Adaptation' Kaufman and the horrendous big gob of the insufferable Julia Roberts - what do people see in her?

Behind the scenes of that amazing new Honda Accord ad. Via Plasticcat.

Five Favourite Pop Music Rumours.

Michaelangelo Matos reports on the fun time he had at what sounds like a Music Critics love-in.

Interesting. It appears that Uday Hussein's email address is udaysaddamhussein@yahoo.com. I must add him to my Yahoo messenger 'friends' list.

Here's a PopMatters interview with the Sawdoctors - aka Ireland's answer to Slade.

Chistopher Allbritton's reports in his weblog prove that Iraq is still a very dangerous place for jounalists.

The Cliche Finder.

While taking a stroll on Nimmo's pier last week, I spotted a group of 5 or 6 large fish swimming just off the edge of the pier heading in the direction the docks. Each was about 1.5 m - 2m long and swimming maybe 2 m below the surface. They were quite unlike any fish I had seen around the docks before and while I originally thought that they must be very large Grey Mullet I now suspect that it could have been a school of Harbour Porpoises. What else could they be?

I picked up this album for €10 at the weekend. A bargain if ever there was one.

Getting back to sexy album covers - check out the fantastic album artwork in the catalogue for Naked Music Recordings.

This summer sees the return of the legendary Lisdoonvarna Festival. I think I'll go - I won't get too excited about seeing Crusty Hoor but the line-up also includes the Frames, Bonnie Prince Billy and my favourite contemporary uncategorisable band of the moment - 'The Microphones' (whose last brilliant album seemed as far as I can tell to be based around the concept of climbing a mountain while stoked to the gills on acid. Anyway, I'll go with 4 or 5 friends, we'll take some tents and a supply of beer and it'll be brilliant.

retroCRUSH: The Sexiest Album Covers of All Time.

Well worth reading. Back In Iraq 2.0: Independent journalism from the Northern front.

Flak Magazine: .."world events have ordained Three Kings as the most important American movie of the past decade."

Another side of TV war reportage. Listen to the second clip. The guy is in the middle of a war zone. He's attempting to deliver a report on the death of two journalists yesterday yet his biggest concern seem to be with his hair. Is this show business or what?

Pitchfork gives Evan Dando's new record 3.6 out of 10. Whatever, I like it and it's good to have him back.

I had a few bob on the winner of the Grand National on Saturday so to celebrate here's a steeplechase game.

A brand new meme? "Baghdad Bob" Now Official Term. Seriously, they should spare the guy and give him his own Letterman type show on the Fox network. It'd be huge.

Indymedia report on the antiwar protests at Hillsborough. Sounds like the extensive security around the town rendered the protest a bit of a damp squib.

Casualties of war. BBC producer Stuart Hughes suffered a leg injury last week after stepping on a anti-personal mine while working in Northern Iraq. Tragically, his cameraman Kaveh Golestan was killed in the same incident. Read Stuart's blog here. Surgeons are due to amputate his damaged foot today:-

"The saddest thing is that I have five perfectly perky toes held in place with a meccano set of pins and bolts but, in medical terms, that’s not enough to save my ballrooom dancing career. Like a killer virus, the landmine has done what it’s designed to do with perfect precision. I feel no bitterness but I hope whoever manufactures the things is pleased with their handiwork."

Every home should have one.

See the satellite phone number on this leaflet ? What would happen if you rang it?

I had an anxiety dream last night. I was playing in a rugby match - anxious because I have never played the game before and to tell the truth I cannot even say I know all the rules ...I mean what exactly is a 'knock on'?

While buying stuff on Saturday, my path crossed with one of these guys. They played Pacino's last Friday nite and I'm sorry I missed it. How come I didn't know about the "Things your Missing" tour? Probably because I don't regularly read this or this.

Ahem...Heather Loves Bill.

Is 'Werewolves of London' not the best movie theme song ever? What's better? Maybe the theme from M.A.S.H?

A new blog for me: Hipster Detritus. Check it out - he's just started running a list of his 100 favourite singles of all time.

Trés amusing - The Poetry of D.H. Rumsfeld.

On Saturday I picked up this, this, and this at the secondhand wonderland that is Bell Book and Candle...and today I received this in the post.....so tell me why do I feel unfulfilled?

Not one April Fool joke yesterday. It must be the war I suppose. Ho hum.