The say anything, what's on your mind thread

[osarusan]

We've all heard the term 'plastic supporter' or 'plastic fan', but Japanese team Omiya take it to a new level (http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/j-league-omiya-ardija-using-cardboard-fans/).

[BonnieShels]

I've told a lot a people a lot of things over here about me. But oddly, telling them that I'm leaving in 3 weeks is the toughest.

EDIT: Looking like 2 now! Eek!

[nigel-harps1954]

Superbly hungover today. It's absolutely awful.

[BonnieShels]

Air Canada are easily the worst airline ever. EVER! 3 weeks calling them nearly 10 hours cumulative on hold and still I haven't spoke to anyone. Even tweeting them is getting me no where.

[nigel-harps1954]

So I accepted an offer today to go back to college. Bit strange almost 5 years since I left college to go back, albeit an entirely different course this time. Looking forward to my attempts at a BA in Computing though.

[BonnieShels]

10 years since I last shuffled out of DIT. SO I'm bating you there. I look forward to our new found swattiness and march ever higher to our Doctorates.

[Eminence Grise]

It's not a march, Bonnie - it's a crawl punctuated with bouts of self-flagellation and piteous cries of 'what have I gotten myself into?' Mind you, you can probably get the odd hotel room upgrade if you book in as Dr Shels! Good luck being back in DIT. We're in different buildings, but you can still share in the chaos!!!

@Nigel - best of luck to you as well. I'm always half envious when I hear people are going back, but I swore after the last time there'd be no more. Ever.

[BonnieShels]

It's not a march, Bonnie - it's a crawl punctuated with bouts of self-flagellation and piteous cries of 'what have I gotten myself into?' Mind you, you can probably get the odd hotel room upgrade if you book in as Dr Shels! Good luck being back in DIT. We're in different buildings, but you can still share in the chaos!!!

@Nigel - best of luck to you as well. I'm always half envious when I hear people are going back, but I swore after the last time there'd be no more. Ever.


You'll be back. They all come back. It's taken me 10 years to head back but worth it in 4 it will be. No chance of me doing a doctorate until I'm near 50 I'd say. Masters maybe.

EG, you're in Aungier St eh? If only it was further down the line and we could walk merrily across the Grangegorman Quad laughing at the arts students who colonised the place first. I suppose it's apt that at St Brendan's they are the buffer zone.

[Eminence Grise]

Ah, Grangegorman. A (now retired) colleague once said that DIT had no need to apply for a change of purpose from the original planning permission! I'm 18 years on and off in Aungier St and I'm not sure if he was joking! It'll be a long time before we get moved to Grangegorman - still too many shiny new surfaces after the last refurb. You might be Dr Shels by the time that happens!

And I won't be heading back to study! Trust me on that. I've had enough for a lifetime. The next adventures in academia are finding research students to supervise (passing on the pain to the next generation!) and knocking something together for a UK publisher by next spring.

[BonnieShels]

Are faculty not allowed socialise with the scummy undergrads?

Judging by the Ditsu website I'm in a world of hell come Freshers week.

[Magicme]

Bonnie you are a young pup going back compared to me. I left college the first time 20 years ago and am now contemplating a 3rd year of college starting in October. Jaysus its great craic though.

[nigel-harps1954]

Tonight, I shall drink some locally brewed craft beers before playing a gig in town with a few other local original music bands in a small venue dedicated to local music, where I'll probably drink some more locally brewed beer. I'm good like that.

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t1.0-9/10527685_804059229612273_2334348579569254283_n.jpg

[nigel-harps1954]

Party off, Garth.


https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t1.0-9/10401375_693260114062813_690501125755116646_n.jpg

[Acornvilla]

After I quit my job there last month, I've been giving this art craic a bit more of a blast. I'm in a few exhibitions soon and have been taking new photos and making new drawings. Finally decided it was time to build myself a real website, and even made myself one of them facebook pages. If you'd like to have a look anybody and let me know what you think, please do!

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/barrymastersonart)
Website (http://www.barrymasterson.com/)

[DannyInvincible]

Fair play! Some lovely stuff there. Really like the photography.

[pineapple stu]

This (http://www.icu.ie/misc/games/live/tfd.htm) is worth dropping on if anyone's still up.

The Irish chess Grandmaster, Alex Baburin, is trying to set a new world record for blindfold simultaneous games. He's taking on 16 players (all of whom can see the board; he can't)

So far, after 6 hours of play, he has won 5, drawn 2 and lost 2. He needs a score of 12/16 to set a new world record, I think (a win is 1 point and a draw is ½).

Genuinely incredible that anyone can even think of achieving this feat.

[Charlie Darwin]

How the **** is he playing blindfolded, using echolocation?

[pineapple stu]

Keeping all the games in his head. Pure memory exercise.

[Charlie Darwin]

But how does he know where the other guy has moved?

[pineapple stu]

When he comes around to the board, his opponent makes his move on the board and calls it out.

[Charlie Darwin]

Ahh, I'm a gobsheen. That is masterful though. Grandmasterful even.

[osarusan]

Will there be a Simpsons-style 'checkmate, checkmate, checkmate' moment later in the event?

[Acornvilla]

He's a witch!!

[pineapple stu]

The wiki article on blindfold chess (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blindfold_chess) is quite interesting actually. Some of my favourite snippets -


Blindfold chess was considered miraculous for centuries

Harold James Ruthven Murray recorded another type of unseen chess: two Central Asian horsemen riding side by side playing chess by calling chess moves to each other without using a board or pieces.

Simultaneous blindfold exhibitions were officially banned in 1930 in the USSR as they were deemed to be a health hazard

[In 1943, Miguel Najdorf, one of the top players in the world at the time, played 40 players] in Rosario, Argentina [...] in an effort to gain sufficient publicity to communicate to his family that he was still alive, as he had remained in Argentina after travelling from his native Poland to compete in the 1939 Chess Olympiad

Also, turns out it wasn't a world record, but an Irish record attempt. Mea culpa! More info here (http://icu.ie/articles/display.php?id=445).

[BonnieShels]

Sitting in Ottawa airport... I'm coming home lads... waheyyyyyyyyyy!!!!

Get the kettle on.

[OwlsFan]

Will the bottom not be burnt out of it by the time you arrive?

[BonnieShels]

Well I would think they'd throw in more water now.

[Acornvilla]

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/best-99-arvagh-lures-them-in-1.1873547#.U9Cv6htNSM8.facebook

The quotes in this article are just great. The fact that I grew up down the road and know whose saying them helps. But you'll be hard pushed to find a more culchie Irish news story this week.

[BonnieShels]

Will September come already...

[nigel-harps1954]

https://vine.co/v/MEn2tnXTWKu

Former Finn Harps player and manager Anthony Gormans son Dale was tackled by an invisible man before being kicked in the head by an angry Mexican at the Milk Cup tonight while playing for Northern Ireland under-19s. Absolutely mental scenes here.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Can someone tell me why Talbot Street in Dublin is so unpleasant compared to some other nearby parts of the city? Any time I walk down there recently, going from Connolly Station to O'Connell Street, there's a glut of ASBO types, junkies, drunks and disappointed looking tourists (they don't bother me directly I mean, just noting it). I've been on the end of "hassling" behavior more than a few times in the last month going down there.

[Bosco]

Can someone tell me why Talbot Street in Dublin is so unpleasant compared to some other nearby parts of the city? Any time I walk down there recently, going from Connolly Station to O'Connell Street, there's a glut of ASBO types, junkies, drunks and disappointed looking tourists (they don't bother me directly I mean, just noting it). I've been on the end of "hassling" behavior more than a few times in the last month going down there.

People always seem to say that about Talbot street but I don't think its any different than a lot of the other streets in the inner city. I think people just notice it more because they have to use it a lot to get to Connolly or Busarus. It's certainly not a pleasant street but neither is lower abbey street or even O'Connell street after dark.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's just an area popular with dealers owing to the methadone clinics in the area. It's not a dangerous place at all.

[back of the net]

why did I end up working in finance !!!!!!


Anyone else work in finance and despise it?

[BonnieShels]

Ask Stutts...

I'm going back to study Geomatics...

I could have endlessly ended up as a govt serf.

[back of the net]

Geommatics - fair play lad - have you realised for awhile that u needed a career change or did you act on ur impulses immediately?

I turned 35 this year and finally decided enough is enough - cant f**king handle this Finance **** and the vast amount of d*ckheads that work in it
Only problem is Im undecided as to what I want my new career to be

Stutts ......u in finance?

[tetsujin1979]

had to explain to the girl sitting next to me in work who Johnny Marr is.
Then I had to explain who the Smiths are (were?)
Then I had to explain who Morrissey is.
and she's the same age as me?!

[nigel-harps1954]

had to explain to the girl sitting next to me in work who Johnny Marr is.
Then I had to explain who the Smiths are (were?)
Then I had to explain who Morrissey is.
and she's the same age as me?!


Did you slap her in the face, with your foot?

[osarusan]

Did you tell her that to die by her side would be a terrible way to die?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Got MRI back today. Partially torn meniscus in knee from a kickabout a few months ago. No football for a while. Doc's aren't sure about surgical option because of the length of time since injury, might just have to do lots of physio. Anyone on here ever have an injury like that?

[tetsujin1979]

Did you slap her in the face, with your foot?
eh, no.


Did you tell her that to die by her side would be a terrible way to die?
I sent her the video for "There is a light that never goes out", and she said "oh, I used to live in Manchester, I know that place"

To be fair, she did grow up in Mauritius, but still??

[BonnieShels]

Geommatics - fair play lad - have you realised for awhile that u needed a career change or did you act on ur impulses immediately?

I turned 35 this year and finally decided enough is enough - cant f**king handle this Finance **** and the vast amount of d*ckheads that work in it
Only problem is Im undecided as to what I want my new career to be

Stutts ......u in finance?

It was on my mind. 5 and a half years of govt work and no prospect of promotions and I had enough.

Wanted to do Geography but Geomatics is more practical and there is next to 100% job prospects for surveyors and analysts.

No brainer really. Took me a while to make the decision but once I knew what I wanted to do then it was easy.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

It's gotta be this one I know it is, I know it is.

That ad with that sh*t song is doing my head in.

[DannyInvincible]

Over here, I've often struggled to get that lovely traditional Irish wheaten bread that is so readily available at home - all I've ever come across is the terribly bland Paul Rankin branded stoneground stuff - so myself and my girlfriend decided we'd make some for ourselves this eve. She's been converted to the stuff ever since I once brought two loaves of wheaten bread from the Sperrin mountains back on a flight to Manchester in my hand luggage. It's all I could fit! For our first attempt, all went very well. I hadn't realised the whole process would be so straightforward and cost-friendly, though, so we'll certainly be making a lot more in future; that's for sure.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/poguemahone85/IMG-20140811-WA0006_zpsf615604c.jpeg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/poguemahone85/IMG-20140811-WA0014_zpsaf5a3d2c.jpeg

The bread went down a treat with a bit of peppered smoked salmon on top and a nice, cold pint of Guinness.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/poguemahone85/IMG-20140811-WA0016_zps529ff57b.jpeg

Ah, I've missed the taste of home!

[back of the net]

It was on my mind. 5 and a half years of govt work and no prospect of promotions and I had enough.

Wanted to do Geography but Geomatics is more practical and there is next to 100% job prospects for surveyors and analysts.

No brainer really. Took me a while to make the decision but once I knew what I wanted to do then it was easy.


Yeah pretty much the same for me in finance lad - on top of that is that daily dealing with the severe amount of utter w&nkers that work in it

In the process of deciding what I want to do - have a few ideas but nothing concrete

The salary drop doesn't bother me as I don't have a mortgage or any dependents - just looking to get into something that stops me from wishing my week away and enjoying it

[BonnieShels]

Well... the toughest part is realising and accepting that you need a change. From here on in it's easy street.

[osarusan]

Today's headline from Japan:

Wakayama man arrested for attaching underwear to cars of women he doesn’t know

[Mr A]

Japan. All credit to them. At the end of the day they do weird better than anyone else.

[Eminence Grise]

How did he do manage it? Were the cars hotwired or, eh, underwired? Has he hired good briefs for his legal defence? He's clearly a basque-et case! Though it could be a storm in a D-cup.

[Mr A]

Knickers.