tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247700312024-03-07T08:15:33.502+00:00John The BadBring us his head... on a styrofoam plateJohn The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-48449667802331896762012-05-16T11:09:00.001+01:002012-05-16T11:09:08.351+01:00Removal of Occupy GalwayDear Galway City Councillors,<br /><br />I am writing as a citizen of Galway
to voice my disappointment and anger at the decision by Galway City
Council to remove the Occupy Galway camp. I have paid my household
charge and this is what I get. Eyre Square belongs to me and the rest
of the citizens of this city. In whose name was the camp removed?<br />
<br />I welcome the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race to Galway. I, like
many Galwegians, had a ball the last time the race was here and I am not
blind to the fact that the race brings in much revenue to the city.
And I sail and enjoy the water.<br />
<br />I also welcomed Occupy Galway to Eyre Square. I helped erect a tent
when they relocated the camp to facilitate the Christmas market. I am
not a member of the Occupy group but I recognise their aims.<br /><br />Nobody
in their right mind would deny that the world is riven with
inequality. It is obvious that the vast majority of the world's wealth
is still in the hands of the tiny minority. The Occupy Galway camp was a
protest against this injustice. By removing the camp, you councillors
have taken a stand for inequality, injustice and greed.<br />
<br />Galway is an awesome city. It is the sort of place where the
radical and the corporate meet. It is a city of culture and arts yet is
the party town for stags, hens and the Galway Races. Occupy Galway and
the Volvo Ocean Race are not mutually exclusive; there is room in the
civic space for the campaign for social justice <i>and</i> the
enterprise of business men and women of Galway to make a living. Yet by
removing the camp, the voices for equality are again sacrificed on the
altar of profit. The people are silenced while all the concerns of
business are met. This slew in favour of one side of the civic equation
only results in the alienation of the responsible citizen. One can't
help but wonder what President Higgins thinks.<br />
<br />
"The eyes of the world will be on Galway", say you councillors. Never
mind the eyes of the world, I truly doubt that they would have cared
about, or even noticed, the Occupy Galway camp. But you should mind the
eyes, hearts and minds of the people of your own city. You further
drive us into the arms of the far left with every conservative decision
you make.<br />
<br />I now ask each of you councillors to reply to my email and explain why this decision was taken and what your position is.<br /><br />Regards,<br />John Rogers.John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-2204545609363410422012-02-21T10:43:00.004+00:002012-02-21T10:49:18.997+00:00'King Alfred: A Mystery Play'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTTGnviyEh2k-zm0fCiF48p53pS2KrvFCZuH-BrrNz37RY_nUWeV6214xcmasnS91CgzJlp9xrxEEY7aVB5pAiHQIQvSphZvhULeqz3k88j-mMMf0I-rigaBfMoHL-_hI06Fw/s1600/1397full.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTTGnviyEh2k-zm0fCiF48p53pS2KrvFCZuH-BrrNz37RY_nUWeV6214xcmasnS91CgzJlp9xrxEEY7aVB5pAiHQIQvSphZvhULeqz3k88j-mMMf0I-rigaBfMoHL-_hI06Fw/s400/1397full.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711538971170063394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Side-Show Productions present<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;" class="im"><span style="font-size:6;"><i style="color:rgb(0,153,0)"><b>King Alfred: A Mystery Play</b></i></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> March 14th-16th<br />8:30pm<br />Studio THT Galway<br /><a href="http://tht.ie/1397/King-Alfred-:-A-Mystery-Play" target="_blank"><b>BOOK HERE</b></a><br /><br /></div>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-78041589953053407762011-11-20T17:41:00.004+00:002011-11-20T17:51:41.300+00:00A kiss without a moustache...... is like an egg without salt.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4IRGiEXcMHKpV5RvRMRnWXu6_cKXRChdR2zYn86u1aMN8qwytm4iNhpUb5XGkrvG5BkkZeK5m78O-eLc_ohrXaowGJ70uS0npV9TvSQ-tBpKhY_NmXwNKAbNXObrVbPC9j2F/s1600/Movember+2011-11-20.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4IRGiEXcMHKpV5RvRMRnWXu6_cKXRChdR2zYn86u1aMN8qwytm4iNhpUb5XGkrvG5BkkZeK5m78O-eLc_ohrXaowGJ70uS0npV9TvSQ-tBpKhY_NmXwNKAbNXObrVbPC9j2F/s400/Movember+2011-11-20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677134737256601874" border="0" /></a><br />It's November and I'm growing a mo. It's Movember and you can join in by sponsoring me. Go to http://mobro.co/JohnTheBad to donate, keep up to date on what's going on on my upper lip and find out more about this annual drive to fight the good fight and to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer.John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-73693667313009822332011-07-28T22:02:00.001+01:002011-07-28T22:02:58.395+01:00Crisis in the Horn of Africa, petition<p>Hi,</p> <p>Below is a petition to put pressure on World Leaders to act on famine in Somalia. Please sign. And spread the word.</p> <p>We now have a date and venue for our fund-/awareness-raiser for the Horn of Africa -- ARTS FOR AFRICA, Saturday 20th August at Nuns Island Theatre, Galway. Details as we get them.</p> <p>Regards,<br> John.</p> <p>--<br> Email: <a href="mailto:johnthebad@gmail.com">johnthebad@gmail.com</a><br> Phone: 00353-87-287-9131<br> Web: <a href="http://www.johnmrogers.co.nr">www.johnmrogers.co.nr</a><br> Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/johnthebad">twitter.com/johnthebad</a></p> <p>sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II</p> <p>---------- Forwarded message ----------<br> From: "Dau&apos;ud Ali, ONE.org" <<a href="mailto:one-help@list.one.org">one-help@list.one.org</a>><br> Date: Jul 28, 2011 3:46 p.m.<br> Subject: Crisis<br> To: "John Rogers" <<a href="mailto:johnthebad@gmail.com">johnthebad@gmail.com</a>></p> <p>Dear John,</p> <p>I am currently in Somalia with a relief organisation called Hijra, a partner of Oxfam, witnessing firsthand the heart breaking situation faced by nearly 12 million people, as the region suffers the consequences of one of the worst droughts in 60 years. Oxfam is doing all it can to provide clean lifesaving water to over 1.1 million people so far across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. But we are facing huge challenges and massive needs. We need to reach more people and can't do it alone.</p> <p>Last week, the United Nations declared famine in two regions here in Somalia. The UN have said if we don't act now famine could spread to the whole of southern Somalia within two months. It is vital that world leaders take action to ensure all immediate needs are met and long term solutions delivered. Yet despite the urgency of the situation, many governments are responding too slowly with funds to meet the needs of people affected. </p> <p>You are one of more than 40,000 people who have signed ONE's petition calling on governments to do more. Thank you. But we now need your help again to spread the campaign to as many people as possible.</p> <p>Please forward this petition on to people you know:</p> <p><a href="http://act.one.org/go/25?akid=2320.1091731.UG3-k4&t=2">http://act.one.org/go/25?akid=2320.1091731.UG3-k4&t=2</a></p> <p>While there is an immediate need for emergency aid, leaders cannot drop the ball on long term solutions as has too often happened in the past. This is why we need your help to spread the petition far and wide - to put pressure on governments to ease the crisis now and to get back on track with their promises to make long term investments in food and farming in Africa. Please share the petition right now:</p> <p><a href="http://act.one.org/go/25?akid=2320.1091731.UG3-k4&t=4">http://act.one.org/go/25?akid=2320.1091731.UG3-k4&t=4</a></p> <p>If enough of us speak out, we can help put pressure on leaders to act decisively – to stop starvation and its causes.</p> <p>Thank you</p> <p>Dau'ud Ali<br> Hijra (partner organisation of Oxfam)</p> <p><a href="http://ONE.ORG">ONE.ORG</a> | PRIVACY | SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE | CONTACT US | ABOUT</p> John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-1487586682508959722011-03-10T12:47:00.001+00:002011-03-10T12:50:23.669+00:00'The Very Best of John Lennon' at the Town Hall StudioI'm delighted to say that <i>The Very Best of John Lennon</i> has been accepted onto the inaugural Town Hall Studio Project in May 2011. We'll be in the Studio from May 10th to 14th. This is part of an exciting new project at the Studio that will see a different show for each week in May and will include post show discussions, upcoming show trailers and weekly wrap parties at the Town Hall Bar...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.johnmrogers.co.nr/home/blog/theverybestofjohnlennonatthetownhallstudio"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Read full post here.</span></a>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-32868782883541648452011-03-10T12:44:00.001+00:002011-03-10T12:47:00.962+00:00My letter to the Irish Times editorA chara,<br /><br /><br />Brian Cowen's mantra must surely be, Fianna Fáil before country always. In a report in yesterday's paper (Friday 4th March 2011) he was asked about the timing of the release of the the independent review of the Department of Finance’s performance form 1999 to 2008 and why it was only published after the election. He said, "it is a question of dealing with the general election and not allowing a manipulative approach be taken towards it." In other words, the review was withheld until after the election so as to save Fianna Fail from further damage. Such irony in his use of the phrase...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.johnmrogers.co.nr//home/blog/mylettertotheirishtimeseditor"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Read full post here.</span></a>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-53718522695739430262011-02-23T01:20:00.000+00:002011-02-23T01:21:26.791+00:00To govern<meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <title></title> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 3.0 (Linux)"> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> </style> <p style="font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; "><i>To govern is to choose between disadvantages.</i> So read yesterday's Salthill Seapoint casino's quote-of-the-day. It's an apt quote (the internet attributes it to Charles De Gaulle) considering Friday's impending general election. Perhaps today's quote might read something like – “to vote is to choose between bad and worse.”</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; widows: 2; orphans: 2">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; widows: 2; orphans: 2"> <span ><span ><span >For the past few weeks, I've been hurling abuse at Fianna Fáil via Twitter, Facebook and the radio (I don't just scream at the wireless, sometimes I text in as well). Now I might have a higher than normal sense of self-importance (I actually expect someone might even be reading this blog) but I doubt my FF-abuse has done or will do much damage to the soldiers of destiny. Really I've been just venting. But I will get the opportunity come Friday to inflict some harm, however slight, by not giving Fianna Fáil a single preference.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; widows: 2; orphans: 2">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2"><span ><span ><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Here's another quote-of-the-day – </span></span></span><span ><i><span style="font-weight: normal">a wise man hates no-one</span></i></span><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"> – I read it once on a calendar. Hatred is stupid, dangerous and destructive. Most times it's the hater who gets hurt the most. Yet hate is also easy, seductive and (to me anyway) addictive. Boy do I love to hate. And man do I loathe Fianna Fáil. I hate them.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2"><span ><span ><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">I blame Fianna Fáil for the mess we're currently in as a nation. They lost us our economic sovereignty. They have left us in an almost comical position – we the taxpayers have bailed out the banks and yet many of us same taxpayers are still in debt to those same banks. As far as I can tell, there really is no immediate alternative to our deal with the ECB/IMF. Therefore we will have to accept severe cutbacks </span></span></span><span ><i><span style="font-weight: normal">as well as</span></i></span><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"> higher taxes in order to receive the ECB/IMF funding. I wish Sinn Féin and others were correct in their assertions that we can go it alone and tell the ECB/IMF to sod-off but Gerry Adams can't seem to tell us where the money will then come from to pay nurses, light streets, run buses and pay the countless other bills a nation has to pay. So it looks like we have no choice but to accept the harsh medicine that's coming our way. And that's what angers me the most – Fianna Fáil have left us with the choice between something bad and something worse.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2"><span ><span ><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">Another reason I despise Fianna Fáil is their ongoing refusal to truly accept their responsibility for this disaster. Cowen (remember him? He's our Taoiseach still) when he was ever asked about his party's unpopularity would answer that any party would be unpopular if they had to make the difficult choices his government were forced to make in order to save our economy from total annihilation. Martin as Fianna Fáil leader has continued this line since taking over. It galls me to hear it. It entirely misses the vital, salient and simple point that it was Fianna Fáil who caused the financial mess in the first place. Theirs is the party who were in power for almost fifteen years and it was Fianna Fáil ministers for finance and taoisigh who had political control of and responsibility for our economic policy. It was Fianna Fáil who slept while our regulators slept while the banks ran out of control. It was Fianna Fáil who allowed our economy to become almost entirely dependent on construction. It was Fianna Fáil who ignored the voices who called out, stop the madness. Were Fianna Fáil the only ones to make mistakes? No. Were Fianna Fáil the only party to be in power throughout </span></span></span><span ><i><span style="font-weight: normal">all</span></i></span><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal"> of this recklessness and waste? Yes. Have Fianna Fáil accepted the blame? Never. Whenever a Fianna Fáil member or spokesperson is actually forced to acknowledge these causes of our economic ruin, he or she invariably cites the downturn in the world economy and nimbly sidesteps Fianna Fáil culpability.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2"><span ><span ><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">A paraphrased quote – </span></span></span><span ><i><span style="font-weight: normal">I'm trying real hard Ringo not to hate</span></i></span><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2"><span ><span ><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">I hate Fianna Fáil but it is not good to hate. It's bad for my soul. So I will try not to hate. I will try to tolerate. I will try and acknowledge that not all of Fianna Fáil is to blame and Fianna Fáil is not to blame for all. Finally I will try and not get angry with those fellow citizens who will, despite all that's happened, vote Fianna Fáil come Friday.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; widows: 2; orphans: 2"><span ><span ><span ><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="font-weight: normal">But I will not be one of them.</span></span></span></span></span></p>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-88782986461686429592011-02-22T23:35:00.002+00:002011-02-22T23:39:54.589+00:00Dreams of LoveThis week I'm stage managing Side-Show Productions's <i>Dreams of Love</i>. I recommend you check it out.<div>
<br /></div><div>
<br /></div><div><meta equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; "><h4 style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font: normal normal bold 1.1em/normal Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: center; "><span ><span style="line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-weight: normal; ">Side-Show Productions presents</span></span></span></h4><div style="font-size: 13px; "><span ><span style="line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-weight: normal; ">
<br /></span></span></span></div><h4 style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font: normal normal bold 1.1em/normal Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: center; font-size: 13px; "><a name="TOC-Dreams-of-Love" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); text-decoration: none; "></a><a href="http://tht.ie/1188/Dreams-of-Love" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); text-decoration: none; "><span ><span style="line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; "><b><span style="font-size: xx-large; "><i>Dreams of Love</i></span></b></span></span></span></a></h4><div style="font-size: 13px; "><div style="text-align: center; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><b><span ><b><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; ">
<br /></span></b></span></b></p></div><div style="text-align: center; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><b><span ><b><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; ">Town Hall Studio, Galway; 8:30pm, Thur 24 to Sat 26 Feb; </span></b></span></b></p><b><span ><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><b><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><b><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span>Tickets €10/8 </span></span></b></p></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><b><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><b><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span><a href="http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency=GALWAYTOWNHALL&organ_val=27727&schedule=list&event_val=1567" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(59, 68, 143); text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; "><span style="display: inline-block; width: 95px; height: 18px; background-color: rgb(59, 68, 143); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center; padding-top: 2px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 2px; ">BOOK NOW</span></a></span></span></span></b></p></b></span></span></b></div></div></span></div>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-53155811035076957202011-02-22T23:14:00.001+00:002011-02-22T23:14:36.013+00:00The Very Best of John Lennon was very, very goodI was delighted at the response we got to <i>The Very Best of John Lennon</i>. Thank you everyone who came along to support us at the Project, all at TheatreClub and the Project for giving us the opportunity to perform and a big thanks from me to Waterdonkey for inviting me along in the first place.<br /><br />Fingers crossed that <i>TVBOJL</i> will return soon to a stage near you so if you missed out last week... watch this space.John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-31294987938821223972011-02-04T14:12:00.002+00:002011-02-04T14:15:00.981+00:00A Different Animal<meta equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">Hi all,</span><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">
<br /></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">see below for info on an award winning play, <i>A Different Animal</i>, coming to the studio next week. I haven't seen it myself but I'll be heading along.</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">
<br /></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">J.</div><div>
<br /><div><div><div><span><div><div><div><span><span><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; display: inline !important; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); "><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "></span></span></span></p><div><span><span><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">--</span></div></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></div></div></span></div></div></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span ><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; ">Won, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; ">Best Female Actress</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Special Mention, Writing</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; ">Nominated, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; ">Best Production</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" >Limerick Unfringed Festival 2011</span></i></span></div><div class="gmail_quote"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="blue"><div><p align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 19px; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="line-height: 40px; ">Wildebeest Theatre presents</span></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 19px; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="line-height: 48px; "><i><b>A Different Animal</b></i></span></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 19px; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; ">by Meadhbh Haicéid</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: center; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 19px; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; ">February 10<sup>th</sup> – 12<sup>th</sup>, 8.30pm</span></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 19px; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><b><span ><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; font-weight: bold; ">Town Hall Studio, Galway</span></span></b></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 19px; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; ">Tickets: €10/€8</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: center; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><u><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><a href="http://www.tht.ie/" target="_blank">http://www.tht.ie/</a></span></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: center; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><a href="http://wildebeesttheatrecompany.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://<wbr>wildebeesttheatrecompany.<wbr>blogspot.com/</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 0px; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><b><i><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; ">A Different Animal </span></span></i></b>is a new play written by Meadhbh Haicéid, and directed by Ciarda Bytyqi-Tobin. A young woman receives the strangest of visitors with the blue light of dusk. A bottle of wine is opened. Awkwardness turns to passionate fluency. Dusk lingers, unnaturally. And in the growing intimacy, something darker also stirs. Are they really who they say they are? Are they even who they think they are? And what, or who, will remain when dawn steals in?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Written by Meadhbh Haicéid, directed by Ciarda Bytyqi-Tobin, and performed by Marie Boylan and Crissie O’Donovan. Design by Liam Quinn.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Wildebeest is a new Limerick-based theatre company with four core members; Priscilla Nic Chonmara, Meadhbh Haicéid, Marie Boylan and Liam Quinn. Three of these four young, experienced theatre practitioners first met through Limerick Youth Theatre some years ago. More recently, they have rejoined forces owing to a shared interest in creating new work fixed firmly in the present, looking to the future and aware of the past. <i><span style="font-style: italic; ">A Different Animal </span></i>is the company’s second production. Wildebeest Theatre Company’s first show, <i><span style="font-style: italic; ">The Real World</span></i> (written & directed by Meadhbh Haicéid), explored the darker side of the border between reality and fantasy through the displacement of two well-known characters from children’s literature. It was performed in the Backloft, Dublin, as part of the Summer Solstice Festival 2010, in Kelly’s Bar & Lounge, Galway, as part of the Lunchtime Theatre Series, and in the Theatre Tent of last summer’s Electric Picnic Music & Arts Festival. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">The company are excited to present a new show fresh from Limerick Unfringed, 2011.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><b><span ><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; "> </span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><b><span ><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; ">Meadhbh Haicéid </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB">is a graduate of the MA in Drama & Theatre Studies, NUIG (2008). She is a founding member of Wildebeest Theatre Company, with whom she wrote and directed <i><span style="font-style: italic; ">The Real World</span></i>, ’10. She received the Jerome Hynes Memorial Award ’08 for short play <i><span style="font-style: italic; ">The Fourth Wall. </span></i>Another short, <i><span style="font-style: italic; ">Making Babies</span></i>, was included in Múscailt ’08, produced by Fregoli Theatre Company (Galway) and included in ‘Slice’, a showcase of new work in Theatre 503, London, ’09. <i><span style="font-style: italic; ">To the Back of Beyond</span></i>, a play for children, was awarded second place in an international competition run by ‘Imaginosity’, ’09. Meadhbh is also a founding member of Waterdonkey Theatre Company (Galway), with whom she has devised, directed and performed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><b><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; ">Ciarda Bytyqi-Tobin</span></span></b> is a graduate of Theatre Studies in TCD and the MA in UCC. Since graduating Ciarda has directed a number of productions including; Stories, Lysistrata, The Beggars Opera & Romeo & Juliet (Limerick Youth Theatre), Midnight Court, Dracula, 100, Up From Their Knees & The Women (Teaspach), The Vagina Monologues (V-Day Ireland), The Midsummer Midnight Court & Walking Away (Adapt Services), rehearsed readings of Blood Wedding (Bottom Dog) and Dancing with the Devil (Siamsa Tire), Homo Fuge, Faustus, Suvi & Inverno & Duet (Amalgamotion) as well as making part of amalagmotion's series of interactive performance/installation pieces including; Propose, Thinksmith, Senseinsevin and Read to me, her play Fisherman’s Son was produced as part of The Theatre Hub. She has also curated for Mamuska Limerick and as part of Spirit Store project 09 and exhibited as part of the Art at Work project through Roscommon Arts Office. This is her first time working with Wildebeest Theatre Company.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><b><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; ">Marie Boylan</span></span></b> has a B.A. Hons Degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin. Credits include: ‘The Beggars Opera’, ‘In Rear View’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (The Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick), ‘The Trojan Women’, ‘Low in the Dark’, ‘The Government’ ‘Inspector’, ‘Exit the King’, ‘Oh What a Lovely War!’ (Samuel Beckett Theatre, Dublin) ‘Once a Catholic’, ‘Edenstown’, ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ (Players Theatre, Dublin), ‘Fish Sandy with Lovely Interludes’ (Project Cube, Dublin), ‘Elegies for Angels’, ‘Punks and Raging Queens’, ‘The Spelling of Coynes’ (The Loft Venue, Limerick) Marie won Best Supporting Actress (ISDA) for My Mother Said I Never Should, in 2007. She has also featured as ‘Sandra’ on RTE’s Killinaskully.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><b><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; ">Crissy O’ Donovan</span></span></b> has a BA Drama and Theatre from the University of Wales and continued her training at New York Film Academy NY. Credits include ‘Doris’, ‘My Mother Said...’ (Aberystwyth Arts Centre, UK) ‘Banshees’ (Cardiff Millenium Centre) ‘Dr Watson’, ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ (Spanish Tour), ‘Ann and Barry’ (Talking Shop - AbsolutFringe 09). ‘Kelly’, ‘Project Dating’ (Scarlet Exchange, The New Theatre) ‘Clara’, Conditioned (Morton-Media, Axis Theatre). ‘Ysabell’, Mort (Mimesis TheatreCo, Players Theatre) ‘Alma’, Strike!, (Strike Productions, Samuel Beckett Theatre), ‘Helen’, ‘Chaos Theory’ (The New Theatre). Crissy is one half of Mimesis Theatre Company.</p><p style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><a href="mailto:wildebeesttheatrecompany@gmail.com" target="_blank">
<br /></a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><a href="mailto:wildebeesttheatrecompany@gmail.com" target="_blank">wildebeesttheatrecompany@<wbr>gmail.com</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> </span></span></p></div><div style="font-size: small; font-family: arial; "><span ><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">
<br /></span></span></div></div></div></div>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-85126731627631403362011-01-31T17:21:00.001+00:002011-01-31T18:48:58.572+00:00The Real John Lennon<meta equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; font-size: small; "><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: normal; ">One of the videos the director gave me to watch is a documentary called the <i>The Real John Lennon</i> and it's very good. Have a look.</div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: normal; ">
<br /></div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: normal; "><div class="sites-embed-align-left-wrapping-off" style="display: block; clear: both; text-align: left; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; "><div class="sites-embed-border-on sites-embed" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); padding-bottom: 0px; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><h4 class="sites-embed-title" style="font-size: 13px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font: normal normal bold 1.1em/normal Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">The Real John Lennon</h4><div class="sites-embed-content sites-embed-type-youtube" style="text-align: left; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; background-image: none; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><object width="425" height="355"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X0uQlxCx89U?rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></div></div></div>
<br /></div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: normal; ">
<br /></div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: normal; ">If you have any thoughts on this or on Lennon himself, I'll be glad to have them. Just add them below as comments or email me <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/rogersjohnm/contactdetails" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); text-decoration: none; ">here</a>.</div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: normal; ">
<br /></div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: normal; ">Later,</div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: normal; ">J.</div><div><div><div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; "><span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">
<br /></span></span></span></p></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 13px; "><div style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; "><span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">--</span></span></span></p></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; "><span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">
<br /></span></span></span></p></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; "><span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><meta equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; "></span></span></span></span></p><div style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; font-size: small; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><b>UPDATE</b></span></span></span></p></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; font-size: small; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Hmmm... now that I've watched more of this, I have to say that it's only ok rather than very good. It's an interesting biography of the man but there is no attempt at any investigation into Lennon's music and art. And it is very very biased against Yoko. I wonder was she asked to be involved.</span></span></span></p></span></span></span></span></span></div><p></p></span></span></div><div><span style="line-height: normal; ">
<br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 13px; "><div style="text-align: right; line-height: 16px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><b><span><span><span style="line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-weight: normal; ">
<br /></span></span></span></span></b></div><h4 style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font: normal normal bold 1.1em/normal Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: right; line-height: 16px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><a name="TOC-The-Very-Best-of-John-Lennon" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); text-decoration: none; "></a><b><span><a name="SafeHtmlFilter_SafeHtmlFilter_SafeHtmlFilter_TOC-The-Very-Best-of-John-Lennon" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); text-decoration: none; "></a><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/rogersjohnm/home/blog/theverybestofjohnlennon" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); text-decoration: none; "><span><span style="line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; "><b><span style="font-size: xx-large; "><i>The Very Best of John Lennon</i></span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></h4><div style="line-height: 16px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><div style="text-align: right; "><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><b><span><b><span><b><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; ">Project Arts Centre, Dublin; 7pm, 15 Feb 2011; </span></b></span></b></span></b></p><b><span><b><span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><b><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><b><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(107, 112, 102); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span>Tickets €10 </span></span></b></p></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "><b><p lang="en-IE" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: verdana; text-align: left; display: inline !important; "><b><span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; "><span style="display: inline-block; width: 95px; height: 18px; text-align: center; padding-top: 2px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 2px; text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; background-color: rgb(51, 255, 255); "><a href="http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency=PROJECTARTS&organ_val=25545&event_val=1875&schedule=list" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; ">BOOK NOW</a></span></span></span></b></p></b></span></span></b></span></b></div></div></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></div></div></div></span>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-14564656291288551212011-01-27T15:20:00.003+00:002011-01-27T15:24:05.647+00:00Bertie says bye!Ouch. The old Bert doesn't come out too well on this one.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Uh3YB0__96U" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-79679659738570492322011-01-25T18:44:00.000+00:002011-01-25T18:45:38.050+00:00Upgrading my websiteHi all. I am currently in the process of giving <a href="www.johnmrogers.co.nr">my website</a> a facelift. I've integrated my twitter feed and blog and I'll soon have videos and photos. I'm having fun (because I'm a bit of a geek) and I hope you will enjoy the look and content. If you're reading this, I thank you for walking the dog.John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-19151270529463666422011-01-25T13:38:00.000+00:002011-01-25T13:39:27.971+00:00The Very Best of John LennonWell Suantraí's latest production is on hold because I've been invited by Waterdonkey Theatre to join them in their brand new production <i>The Very Best of John Lennon</i>. Click <a href="http://www.projectartscentre.ie/programme/whats-on/1197-the-very-best-of-john-lennon">here</a> for more details. I hope to post videos and more from the process so keep an eye out!John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-71270822267721284142010-11-10T14:05:00.003+00:002010-11-10T14:11:34.523+00:00Please keep an eye out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7lkzS9StZ7DL33cyd0uCnHX6p7AC6VsQOc8q5s5vUXHdgXW8mQZeIK6k2UJXSKg2c4Zb9qda-N2DUHHh5J-8klZc8Ik4Dd03arVSCe8ld6BeIYLGdHgcK4mrpDFVNDtwtTr4/s1600/149053_453721028882_723073882_5576320_5118353_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7lkzS9StZ7DL33cyd0uCnHX6p7AC6VsQOc8q5s5vUXHdgXW8mQZeIK6k2UJXSKg2c4Zb9qda-N2DUHHh5J-8klZc8Ik4Dd03arVSCe8ld6BeIYLGdHgcK4mrpDFVNDtwtTr4/s400/149053_453721028882_723073882_5576320_5118353_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537923091111393570" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >
<br />My cousin Lorraine has had some bad news. The truck pictured above was stolen from her business. Lorraine says:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >
<br /></span></span></div><div><meta equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Can I ask you all to keep an eye out for it and ask your friends if they could do the same. Yellow IVECO 96 CN 2405, has our company logo on it. That is it in my profile picture. We can't work without it.</span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >
<br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Please everyone, keep an eye out and pass the word around.</span></span></span></span></div>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-29418578154315824122010-10-01T13:13:00.004+01:002010-10-01T13:32:16.077+01:00If Cowen were to go<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">According to IrishTimes.com (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/1001/breaking7.html">http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/1001/breaking7.html</a>):</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">"A substantial majority of voters would like to see Taoiseach Brian Cowen stepping down from his post before the next general election, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI."</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; font-size: medium;">A quick glance at the rest of the poll is confusing and I'm not sure I agree with how the pollsters phrased the questions. However, if this is how people feel, it flies in the face of opinion of most commentators who feel that the people would not accept a second change of Taoiseach without an election.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; font-size: medium;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px; font-size: medium;">I'm not sure how I feel myself. But I do fear that if Cowen were to go and say Lenihan took over without an election, this government's chances to survive would probably increase. And when the next election does then come around, Fianna Fáil could feasibly do quite well. They would sell themselves as the people who cleaned up the mess and with Lenihan as leader, they would claim innocence in making the mess in the first place -- <i>it wasn't us; it was Ahern, McCreevey, Cowen and the PD's who made the mistakes along with bad bankers and ineffective financial regulation. That's not us now; we're a different party.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">And it would work. Even if they didn't manage <i>another</i> return to power, Fianna Fáil would not be decimated. And that's my problem with a change in Taoiseach without an election. My vindictive, vengeful side wants to see the complete annihilation of Fianna Fáil for what they've done.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">So what does the rest of you think?</span></span></span></div><div>
<br /></div><meta equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-3397232320322887312010-05-24T19:07:00.002+01:002010-05-24T19:18:54.046+01:00Inconsistencies in terms of how we do standardised processes<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">Listening to today's New at One on Radio 1 today. The feature was about the number of children who have died whilst in state care for the past ten years. It seems the HSE have one figure (24 deaths) which doesn't add up to other estimates. Minister for Children or whatever his title, Andrews set up a review last March to find out the exact number. A newspaper yesterday reported that the number could be as high as 200, which is just horrific. According to the News at One, so far the HSE hasn't sent one file to the review team set up by Andrews. The assistant director for children and family services of the HSE, Phill Garland was on Morning Ireland and I will now attempt a transcription of what he said in relation to all this:</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><i>It is quite clear that we have deficits in our system. It is quite clear that we have inconsistencies in terms of how we do standardised processes. We are moving those issues forward in terms of our </i><span style="font-style: normal">[something incomprehensible to me] </span><i>programs consistency. The ombudsman's report absolutely highlighted the deficits. We need to address those and we are in the process of doing those.</i></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">What in the name of all that is wholesome does any of that mean? Mr. Garland should be given an award for his phenomenal, almost Joyce-like ability to communicate and convey absolutely nothing, while still using the English language. My favourite bit is, “it is quite clear that we have inconsistencies in terms of how we do standardised processes.”</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">In case RTÉ has done the man an injustice, I am going now to listen to his full interview from this morning's Morning Ireland.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal">You can listen to that here – <a href="http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2010/pc/pod-v-2405102ndhour37m14smorningireland.mp3">http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2010/pc/pod-v-2405102ndhour37m14smorningireland.mp3</a> – and today's News at One here – </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal"><a href="http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2010/pc/pod-v-24051012m39snewsatonea.mp3">http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2010/pc/pod-v-24051012m39snewsatonea.mp3</a>.</span></span></p>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-48147850399455240952010-05-08T17:16:00.002+01:002010-05-08T17:20:18.295+01:00Elevator Repair Service Internship Journal, Day ?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs_oaVMB5P4HJglKEBOJ9bZ680ISxPwD1IjdCxJz4wDpx5zyRiFxOcpeWKNIFNYN42vyRjGM69usmmYi3A_Bnt2RMvzngLc36UuBKZFfTo69HvVoayEuolFXD4NUsxrcHMHQ2/s1600/The+Sun+Also+Rises+rehearsal+02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs_oaVMB5P4HJglKEBOJ9bZ680ISxPwD1IjdCxJz4wDpx5zyRiFxOcpeWKNIFNYN42vyRjGM69usmmYi3A_Bnt2RMvzngLc36UuBKZFfTo69HvVoayEuolFXD4NUsxrcHMHQ2/s320/The+Sun+Also+Rises+rehearsal+02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468934735645843906" /></a><br />So much for posting my internship journal here. The past two weeks and a bit have been crazy busy; I've lots of work to be doing between ERS and my PDT essay.<div><br /></div><div>But I'll get back to speed here in the week ahead.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-13673793947020531742010-04-25T02:50:00.003+01:002010-04-25T04:07:27.583+01:00Elevator Repair Service Internship Journal, Day 1<p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It's coming on 9am on Saturday and I'm sitting having a coffee in a small coffee shop on E. 4<sup>th</sup> St. I'm supposed to be meeting Sarah Hughes of ERS at the New York Theater Workshop 4<sup>th</sup> St. Theater (E. 4<sup>th</sup> between 2<sup>nd</sup> Ave. & Bowery) but I'm 45 minutes early.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Today is day one of my internship.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is my second coffee of the day. I grabbed one in Brooklyn just before getting on the subway. It cost a dollar. My coffee here on 4<sup>th</sup> St. cost $1.75. That's a 75 cent charge for crossing the river into Manhattan.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Reading National Geographic on the way into the city on the N train (one of my favourite things to do in the world) I came across something that made me sad. And it made me think of my friend Trish and my classmate Sinéad. This issue (April 2010) of National Geographic is a special issue all about water. In an article titled “The Burden of Thirst” by Tina Rosenberg, the writer talks about “the vicious circle of inequality” in much of the developing world and in particular how the vital and laborious work of finding water is almost always done by the women. The bit that really got me was:</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Some women in Foro </i><span style="font-style: normal">[S.E Ethiopia] </span><i>came down to the river five times a day – with one or two trips devoted to getting water to make a beer-style home brew for their husbands. When I first came to Foro, some 60 men were sitting in the shade of a metal-roofed building, drinking and talking. It was midmorning. Women, says Binayo </i><span style="font-style: normal">[a local woman and mother]</span><i>, “never get five seconds to sit down and rest.</i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">That drives me nuts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding-top: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0.07cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">Life's synchronicity came into play as I read these articles about water shortage the world over. I was listening to the new album from Gorillaz on my headphones when, on the last track – </span><i>Pirate Jet</i><span style="font-style: normal"> – Albarn sings:</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>It's all good news now </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Because we left the taps </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Running </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>For a hundred years </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>So drink into the drink </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i> </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>A plastic cup of drink </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Drink with a couple </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Of people </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>The plastic creating people </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i> </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Still connected </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>To the moment </i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>It began.</i></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding-top: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0.07cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">It's now 18:56 and on the train back out to my brother's house in Brooklyn.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">I saw a lot today. What a lucky man I am. Sarah brought me into the rehearsal room and I was introduced to the director, John Collins and three male actors whose name currently escape me. I was made feel very welcome. I sat down and watched. Later I followed lines for the actors. After lunch, most of the rest of the cast arrived.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">ERS are currently working on Hemingway's The</span><i> Sun Also Rises</i><span style="font-style: normal"> or </span><i>Fiesta</i><span style="font-style: normal">. They seem to be adopting the script as they go along. It's exhilarating to watch. The book is dialogue-heavy so it lends well to what they are doing. One actor plays the narrator, Jake, the rest play a variety of characters. Narration is kept to a minimum. Music runs throughout. As do sound effects. There is a gorgeous, slightly zany feel to all this. The atmosphere in the rehearsal room is fun and relaxed. Collins and Hughes keep a loose hold on proceedings and the actors play off each other and everyone else (myself included).</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">I love the sound effects. They're used for background chatter and music in Parisian restaurants; the pouring of drinks (this happens a lot); clinking of glasses; cars; trains; fish jumping in a river. The music is loud and the actors sometimes struggle to be heard over the din. But the sound effects are never apologised for. I love it.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">Some of the sound effects are plain daft. Everyone also uses the Sound Bar to augment the multitude of running in-jokes and gags amongst the ensemble so it is sometimes hard to tell if a sound cue is for the play or just for the crack.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">And apparently (I don't have all this down yet) the sound technician who was absent today is an actor who also plays the character of Cohn. ERS are showing their Wooster Group roots here; they are bot so much showing us behind the curtain but ripping the curtain to bits.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">There is great cultural plundering and mishmashing happening here. Some youTube clip (I assume that's what it was; I only heard the audio) of some wrestler called Nature Bit is a favourite of the ensemble. In particular his crazy whoops that crack everyone up (it is quite funny) and so are mimicked by the actors whenever they start some heavy drinking scenes.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">Hemingway's book is set ion Europe in the 20's. ERS's play is set in no particular place and at no particular time. Neither are the people onstage necessarily the characters from the book. Who are they? Where are they? When is this? I ask Collins and he says, “that's what I'm finding out.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">The set consists of loads of chairs and four long tables. And two Sound Bars. I think this is how it'll be on the night.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">I'm reading the book right now, had started it in Dublin Airport on Thursday. It all feels more alive to me now.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">I have questions from today but I didn't feel quite secure enough yet to ask them. The big question was in relation to what I see to be a difference in how the actors are performing their roles.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">The actor playing Jake for example often runs through his lines at a rate of knots. This may be just how he was treating today's rehearsal. Or it may be that this is what works for this type of theatre. And it does work. I don't for a moment imagine him as Jake. He's himself, playing the persona of Jake.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">But then, the girl playing the character of Brett is playing her for keeps. I forget who she is and see only the character. And she does this very well – she is an excellent actress and then some. However, the two different approaches jar.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">Like I said, I don't yet feel comfortable asking a question about this. Well, not yet.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; border-top: none; border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding-top: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0.07cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal">So that was day 1.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-right: 2.06cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal"><br /></p>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-3060995400879625602010-04-22T07:36:00.004+01:002010-04-23T17:33:45.771+01:00Elevator Repair Service Internship JournalWell I'm on my way ... I hope.<br /><br />I'm on the Citylink bus, just arriving into Dublin. I fly out today, assuming no more volcanic nonsense. I was supposed to start my internship with ERS last Monday but have lost a week. I start Monday coming.<br /><br />Part of the internship is keeping of a journal. It'll be interesting to see if I can post all of this journal here while remaining honest.<br /><br />Let's see.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzCR-QF9YAfe3XUfQe6vKo9vn6mKHeJQLTozWTkDk1y_Y6sJX0HVOuyizIW05Nkiw7X4wl2xly3TwY' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-71895247008460616982009-08-24T12:45:00.000+01:002009-08-24T12:46:26.096+01:00My email to the Iona InstituteHi there,<br /><br />"Heterosexual and homosexual couples cannot be equated and it makes no sense to treat them in the same way."<br /><br />So says Dr John Murray, a spokesman for your group, according to today's Irish Times. I'm afraid I disagree with Dr Murray. Hetero- and homosexual couples can be equated. I, and many others, equate them all the time. My gay friends who are in relationships are quite the same as my straight friends in relationships. They have all one thing in common -- love.<br /><br />How bad for your institute to allow your fears and prejudices cloud your judgement and vision. You are Christians. Think what Christ would think of your lack of charity and understanding to your gay brothers and sisters.<br /><br />Regards,<br />John Rogers.John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-40165561509985853902009-07-16T20:07:00.004+01:002009-08-10T17:02:27.147+01:00Science, religion, GodBelow is a comment I made on this article in The Irish Times --<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0716/1224250761194.html"> http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0716/1224250761194.html</a>.<br /><br />I find a discrepancy between reading Dawkins (when I read "The God Delusion" I found myself agreeing with most of it) and watching or listening to the man (I find him a little too aggressive and he may need to lighten up).<br /><br />Personally, I am a religious atheist, with a splash of paganism! Or as a friend once said when he was asked what religion he belonged to, "I'm an atheist, thank God."<br /><br />Seriously though, I wouldn't call myself an atheist for two reasons: 1. I don't like defining myself by what I am not; 2. I can't say for certain that God doesn't exist (especially when you start considering all the possible definitions of God). Is there an all-knowing supreme being who sits in judgement in heaven? I don't know but I doubt it greatly. Do I believe in the inter-connectivity of all things in the universe, living, dead or neither? Of course I do. Is that God? I dunnu -- that's up to you.<br /><br />I love that question posed earlier -- "what is the scientific proof that only what is empirically verifiable is true?" Right now, and probably for all time, there is no such scientific proof but that is not to say that some time in the future, we won't come up with one.<br /><br />Science came about from trying to figure stuff out. So did religion. A good scientist admits that he/she doesn't know all the answers and admits that it may be impossible to ever do so -- there will always be another question. A good religious person admits he/she may well be wrong -- to do otherwise is to lose your humility; the cornerstone of faith. Bad science believes in the power of rationality alone and sees faith as the enemy. Bad religion believes in the power of faith alone and forgets the importance of doubt and asking questions. These two fundamental mindsets sit at either end of the spectrum. All of us sit somewhere in between, usually favouring one pole to the other. We all use faith and instinct and rational thinking at the same time.<br /><br />I am starting to realise that true science and true religion are the very same thing. Religion does not need a god.John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-89552994418890850062009-07-09T13:30:00.002+01:002009-07-09T13:38:02.871+01:00Playspace is back, baby!Playspace comes to Galway -- running every second Wednesday from 7 to 9pm at the Galway Social Space. Our next session is Wednesday coming, 15 July...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ionia Ní Chróinín will facilitate -- she will give us "a basic introduction to voice work from breathing to floor work to simple projection."</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;">As ever, Playspace is open to all so don't be afraid to bring a friend and please spread the word to anyone who may be interested. As ever, Playspace is free but any contributions to the Social Space are appreciated.</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you have any questions, email me, johnthebad@gmail.com or call me, 087 287 9131.</span>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-59763070807385331382009-06-29T12:56:00.007+01:002009-06-29T15:14:14.243+01:00'The Hangover' and why women aren't any fun, unless they're hookers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoW61NY4G-7XFXK08KFn7wzV-GTLMZ27a-mj4r1rPqKRlF-Gam7kr46gE6ggjPK_UiVL6p5upFJr0m0HNEwahsZGOXnMGHZjxVDozymBcgINuCu0csWdeAafOBQT9OG5utesH/s1600-h/MV5BMTc4Njc0MTM0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjE5NDY1Mg@@._V1._SX600_SY400_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoW61NY4G-7XFXK08KFn7wzV-GTLMZ27a-mj4r1rPqKRlF-Gam7kr46gE6ggjPK_UiVL6p5upFJr0m0HNEwahsZGOXnMGHZjxVDozymBcgINuCu0csWdeAafOBQT9OG5utesH/s320/MV5BMTc4Njc0MTM0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjE5NDY1Mg@@._V1._SX600_SY400_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352749748633797058" border="0" /></a>Oh boys oh boys. Little wonder men have a bad rep when you see a movie like 'The Hangover'. This film plays all the greatest hits -- misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia. And it's not all that funny either.<br /><br />Now everyone's raving about this film (4 from 5 in The Irish Times!) so my friend Miriam and I wonder if it was just us who, for whatever reason, didn't get it when we saw it last night. You, Reader, may enjoy it wholeheartedly. Comedies, more than any other genre, suffer from hype. I often find that a comedy that is recommended to me by everyone will fail to live up to expectations when I get round to seeing it. And the opposite applies. I saw 'Little Miss Sunshine' before it became a huge hit and loved it. Some friends of mine, after finally seeing it on video, wondered what all the fuss was about.<br /><br />But I can only go on what I saw last night and the impression it left me with. 'The Hangover' has some good moments but not once did I have that laughing-so-hard-I-seriously-might-puke feeling. It's slow and plodding and makes a meal out of some quite origional setups. So a mediocre comedy then?<br /><br />Worse -- it managed to piss me off. All the men are adolescent boys (what happened to real men on screen? Clint's character in 'Gran Turino' would've chewed these hoopleheads up and the fucking tiger while he was at it). The women are worse. They are either one of the following:<br /><br />shrews<br />princesses<br />tarts with hearts of gold.<br /><br />I'll readily admit, I'd forgive the purile nature if the flick was fecking funny but....<br /><br />I'll give 'The Hangover' two serious kudos; it looks great and the soundtrack isn't bad. But this is meant to be a comedy. I don't know, maybe I'm becoming a bit of a dry-arse, as we'd say in Mohill.John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24770031.post-80090549066716435032009-06-26T20:05:00.001+01:002009-06-26T20:06:36.934+01:00Drama workshop<span style="font-size:85%;">I'm running a very rudimentary drama workshop on Wednesday coming (1st July) in the Galway Social Space from 7 to 9pm. It's open to everyone and anyone, regardless of experience or background. Also, if you wish to bring a friend, please do. I only ask that you try and make it on time.<br /><br />This workshop is to see if we can get an actors' studio up and running in Galway. It's free but any contributions to the Social Space will be appreciated.<br /><br />If you have any questions, email me or call me on 087 287 931.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:6;" >Drama workshop</span><br /><br />Wednesday 1st July 2009<br />from 7 to 9pm<br /><br />Galway Social Space<br />Middle St.<br />Galway<br /><br />Tel. 087 287 9131<br />Email johnthebad@gmail.com<br /><br /></span>John The Badhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722781748846452878noreply@blogger.com0