Yes they did..... and so did I

Ok I know old news and you are sick of it....
But I'm not and its my blog so ....tough.

I LOVE this video... its playing in a loop on my iTouch and in my head.
Wil-i-am - Yes we can



I have been allowing myself the luxury to go back over some of my favourite Obama speeches, without the fear of the "Hope reality check" being cashed. In so doing I have realised what I see of myself in Obama, and it is the reflection of your best self in someone that attracts you to them.

I find parts of myself in his ideals and theory's. Like Obama I was raised in what would be termed a broken home, my mother could not give me money or status, but like Barack's family gave him, she gave me love, education and hope; the hope that I would be able to make my life better.
His speech in Wisconsin in February, held the main ideal I was given from my mother in terms of self belief, of course she didn't use words like this (these are Obamas words), but none the less this was her sentiment.

Nothing will happen unless you begin to hope, and by hope I mean imagining, fighting for and working for what did not seem possible in the first place. Things wont change if we wait for some other person, or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for.

This sense that I would have to make it for myself, that I should study and work and get a good job, because I was the only thing that would pay my bills, and give myself the life my mother never had the chance to have.

I remember very clearly the talk she had with me, after a parent teacher meeting when I was about 12, telling me in her own words that I had to do this, not for her or the teachers or my friends, but because I was the person that could change my life. No one was going to drag me along, I had to get up and do this. And if I didn't want it for myself, if I couldn't dream of it for myself and work for it for myself, then no one could help me.

Its partly that drive, to give myself as many opportunities as I can handle that landed me here.
I knew that my industry was looking weak in Ireland and that I wasn't likely to get a good job in the sector by sitting around. And when I had almost begun to lose hope in finding anything, this appeared concrete, but it meant a risk and several losses and way more permutations than my brain could reason out.

So I hoped for the best, and thought if I work at it I can make it happen.

There are many days ............ and then I think, Yes I Can.

So in the words of the man least likely to become president elect of the USA, be the change you want to see in the world. Its only when you dare to hope that you can make something good happen.

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There will be a catch up post soon and a New York post, with photos (my girlfriends photos that is)

Elf

Google Goggles

And why not!

This is just class, and if I wasn't numerically dyslexic it might even work for me.

Google - Mail Goggles

I have sent a few mails late at night after a few drinkies...
Thankfully I haven't made and total cockups yet.... but it is likely!

I love the fact that its time sensitive too...
as my mate Mick said, obviously comes from the Dublin Office. :)

**EDIT** Only realised now that OF COURSE Lexia had this first

Also.... Stephen Fry on Twitter
*gulp* *faint*

Too Cool!

Going to NYC on Sunday for a week.... hoping to get
A: prepaid sim there to use my 3G phone for websurfing there
B: an Itouch!! *further drooling*

Please if you have recommendations, of restaurants, bars, sights, places in NYC I'd love to hear them! :)
Will be trying out Lottie's list here too :)

Have the Avenue Q tickets
Have a cool hotel on Central Park South (with Central Park View)
Have to meet boss man for lunch on the Tuesday (free fancy meal)
Have tickets to David Letterman (thanks to NY office)

What else should I do?

Cccchangees!!!

Anyway, quick post to mark the first day in a world sans Alliance Atlantis my Alma Mater (really it was) of 7 yrs.
Yesterday the Dublin office, the last office to bear the name Alliance Atlantis on its doors, closed for the last time.














Anyway, as I am an elf that's opposed to change, this makes me sad.
Somehow the fact that there were still staff (Al and Lisa) there seemed to take the edge off the pain. I know its just an office and just a company, that in the end didn't care about us. But it was so much more than that for me.

My university experience sucked hairy monkeys balls, and really that office and the mayhem and friendship that occurred behind its creaky, sticky brown doors replaced that magnificently. Except it was better as I was earning money!! :)

Anyway, thought I might post one or two of the shots from that era, now passed!

So long my old friend.

Just Say Aaaarrrgh!

Saw this on The National Lottie - its excellent! (both this entry and the blog in general)

Go check out the blog, click on the image to go to the entry!

Thanks Lottie. :)

One right for everyone in the audience...

Saw this on one of my favorite blogs - Damien Mulley

I had heard Conor and his mum's on Plank Kenny's radio show earlier this summer and meant to get to the blog. Damien reminded me of the blog in this post about it.

Please tune in to Plank Kenny, this Friday night or just get your parents to do it.
Then keep the conversation going, let your aunt and uncle, your neighbors, your flatmate, your colleague know about it and get them talking too.

Children of Gay Parents should not have different rights to those born in heterosexual families.

I intend on having children with my partner in the next few years and I want to ensure that the living beings we bring into the world will not have lesser rights, or be treated as though my partner is a "kindly stranger" to them. She will be their mother in every respect that I will, having (I hope you are reading this my love) gotten up for night time feeds, changed and winded, pushed them on swings and played endless games of star wars and bratz.

Our children will have two loving and dedicated parents, two parents I hope will be as good at the job as Conor's parents are (just read this letter to see the guy they raised)

Anyway, please tune in ... and pass the word along, and if you feel like doing more please read here, lots of options to make yourself heard and to help give Conor and his family as much support as possible. They are giving up so much of their anonymity and privacy to make a difference to ensure our country recognises all its citizens fully and fairly.

I'd like to thank you Conor and your brother and parents. :)

Just Keep Swimming......

Read this First...

When I read this post (link up there), of donkeys years ago, last year to be exact I shivered, perhaps you did too.

The reason I shivered is because something like this happened to me too.....

I was the typical "troubled teen" in school, always looking for a reason to be different, as if I didn't have enough reasons.

Home life was rubbish and my Dad was ill, he has been a sufferer of manic depression since 23 (before I arrived). I use the word suffer deliberately as he does suffer, and he makes sure everyone around him does too.

Things came to a head for me when I was 16. I could no longer take the weight of a grown manic man's problems on my teenage shoulders. I had enough of my own, my sexuality, my general difference, my lack of confidence, my lack of trust, my list was, it seemed, endless.

I thought about death and I planned for it, and I executed it, would have succeeded too.... except someone found me (I'm sure I wanted to be found really)

My "John" is that 16 yr old,

In the days and months after, I mourned her.

She died without my ever getting to talk to her, and from that waste of life I got the strength to stand up for myself.

To keep swimming.......

Its not always easy to keep my head above water, but every hour I manage it I am glad.

This life affords me such wonderful experiences (and some pretty shit ones too) but that empty joyless fearfull parallel life that could have been has given me reason to be very grateful for her passing.

Comic Timing....

My better half's best mate Maeve's online comic's been Long-Listed for the Irish Web Awards!

I'm so happy for her, her comic is sheer genius and I really look forward to Friday morning reading!

So apart from it being on my blogroll, in my Twitter feed and on my facebook, and its not like she needs the hits (just over 3,000 hits since Feb) here is another shameless plug.

http://flatmatesthecomic.com/

Read it NOW!

The Fall of Civilisation.... Or a new Dawn?

Starbucks takes the NS to Centraal, Utrecht & Leiden

more here....

cc bernie hou 2005