The Importance of Being Idle

One of the things that I have always both hated and admired are people who can live by a 'routine' every single day of their lives. When I say people who live by routines, I mean the people who ritualistically wake up at the same time every day, go downstairs or down the hall, have a shower, go to the kitchen eat breakfast, brush their teeth, make coffee for their short commute to work with the same amount of milk and sugar. They go to work, greet the same people every morning, chat about the same things during their lunch break, usually eat the same food every lunchtime, go back to work, get in their car/train/bus, read the same paper. All this from Monday to Friday. These same people at the weekends, go to the same bar, drink the same drinks and socialise with the same people and talk about the same few things. What interests me about these people is that very few seem to read books, they watch TV though. The same programmes every day/week at the same time and god forbid they miss their scheduled programming at all...that would be a disaster. I personally cannot live by routines...while I may appear to, I have always flourished when being completely ambitionless for the day. If I sit down to go online, I usually have no agenda. I sit, think, write a little, check my messages and then procrastinate from living life by having a 'surf' of the wonders of the internet. More often than not, I find myself searching in job sections for that perfect career. The one where I can work from home at my computer and get paid handsomly.
Every no and then I sit back and think about this. Should one have goals in life? I maintain that I myself do indeed have goals. However, while I realise that some things are just not meant to be, for example, I know that I will probably never be a rockstar like I had planned when I was 16. Nor will I be that Pulitzer prize winning journalist (although I like to think one day that I could take a stab at it). When I think about all this I start to wonder, what is the point in having goals? And when we have goals, should they be "realistic"? If so, why? I doubt we need fear criticism ringing bells similar to John McEnroe's courtside lament; "You Cannot Be Serious?".
Last week, I met a girl who said to in some respect rocked my world. While not in a sexual way, although she was very attractive, she told me without provocation that she wanted to start a PhD in Biochemistry. Now, I know you are thinking "and?", but there is a reason for my being baffled. This was a girl of about 21 years old, who had studied endlessly throughout second level and had just completed a Bachelors Degree...she never lost focus. She went on to tell me that she has always wanted a career in academia, since she was 15. She said she was the youngest of 5, all of her brothers and sisters had been through University under the guidance of one parent. Now, while the achievement of this girl is in itself remarkable and incredibly admirable, what stuck me more was thinking afterwards "how was it for her mother?". Can you imagine being a single mother of 5, thats right, FIVE children? Getting up every morning, going to work. Then, coming home to cook your kids dinner and going back out to do a few more hours work whenever you can to earn a few quid to make Christmas or a birthday that little bit more special for your children.
This girl obviously get her 'routinism' and drive from her mother. She will undoubtedly go on to be amongst the best in her field of work.
A few days ago, I met the same girl again. she told me that she had just recieved a letter of acceptance from the University and was about to begin her PhD in September. They told her that she was going to recieve funding of €32,000 per year for three years and on top of that, her expenses e.g. accomodation and other living costs, would be covered. So basically, she would be getting paid €32k per year to study. However, her eyes were somewhat pinkish and watered. And she didn't seem to be too pleased with her accomplishment. She went on to say that her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer that morning just minutes before she heard the news about her daughters PhD acceptance.
What does one conclude when hearing a something like this? If we as humans have a purpose on this little planet of ours, IT can't be simply to work all of your life scraping by to make sure your kids have can do the same. While it is indeed crucial that we raise our children to be stand up individuals and hope that they have IT better than we did; that can't be IT? There must be...should be, a point in our lives when we can stop and look back at all the hard work we have done and say "now is MY time to enjoy IT". There must be a moment when we pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves on a job well done. Otherwise, what's the point? I am aware that this sounds extremely existential and very cynical, but I for one would not be satisfied with life if I had picked in the mine only to find a steel wall at the end. Some might say "that's life","the 'Lord' works in mysterious ways or even "Lifes a bitch". If life is a bitch, it should be adherent and us the dominators. We can't just let it pass us by and end it in regret.
I think about these things, and it reminds me of Jack Kerouac's book, "On The Road". He travels all over the United States with his friend Neal Cassady, living life to the fullest on a pocket full of lint and a head full of notions of experience. Not too long after the success of the book made him an icon, he succumb to alcoholism and eventually died from it. While many theorise that it was people getting his 'message' wrong, I believe that it was his anger of never truly experiencing IT. He had spoken about IT throughout the book and tell us that IT is out there and we have to grab IT by the horns and wrestle it to the ground and make IT ours. "We can't go any further. There is no more land", I would argue with this and say "Sure, there is no more land...let's get a boat and row to IT". I would hope that Kerouac would answer in the famous words uttered by the famous drug baron Howard Marks in his follow up book "Senor Nice", "Sure...I'll go to Panama".

So, for now...

Social Networking...Is privacy becoming a thing of the past?

Yesterday, as I was checking my e-mail before the 'great post-last exam session' with my now former colleagues, I saw a message that caught my eye. I couldn't recall recieving one like this before. It was an update from YouTube.com, telling me that "friends" of mine had updated ther profiles and added videos to their pages. While the e-mail itself was not of much interest, what was, was thinking about the likes of Bebo, MySpace, Uber and even Facebook. It seems as though, the more that one participates in these websites, the more they give up their privacy. By adding pictures of last weeks drinking session, or making arrangements to meet friends via wall posts, it seems that 'privacy' and the idea of having a 'private life' is becoming a distant memory.
In many ways, the same can be said for mobile phones. While I myself am quite, and sadly, reliant on my mobile as a means of contacting people, I am aware that by having the blasted thing in my pocket, I am unable to truly release. Think back say, 10 or 15 years ago, when hardy anyone had a phone. Wasn't that fun? Being able to go for a walk and know that the longer you are away from people the more privacy you had. Is it just me, or does going to meet someone in person seem like a chore nowadays? We can always just message eachother on Bebo/Facebook...or at a stretch, call on the phone. Sadly, this is the attitude that many people are unknowingly adopting.
I spoke to a friend the other day, in person no less, who said to me that he "couldn't be bothered to call his friends to invite them to his birthday celebrations", instead he planned to send a 'thread' on Facebook and that way they could tick the appropriate box on the invite. He said that going to all the hassle of ringing people was a pain in the ass. I though to myself, "how ridiculous". We are not becoming a world when even calling someone is deemed an effort!
What baffles me more, is trying to predict how we will communicate in the future. Will we just not talk to eachother anymore, thus rendering language futile? Maybe people won't leave their homes; satellite link-ups at weddings, funerals and child-births? Indeed the information superhighway is a long and interesting road however, is where it appears to be leading that nice of a place? I don't think so.

While I certainly don't enjoy social networking sites, I hypocritically possess several pages on different networks. There are indeed benefits; messaging distant relatives, playhing stupid games etc. One thing about these sites, is that I realise they are incredibly dangerous. I read an article posted on Kevin Smiths blog about a girl in the United States who committed suicide due to taunting and bullying she recieved on MySpace. To synosise, Megan Meier, a 16 year old from Florida, after months of pleading with her parents, was allowed to register a MySpace account. Her parents didn't want her to have one because they felt that she would become vulnerable to creeps of the internet. Anyway, While on MySpace she became friends with a boy and after a while the boy started telling her that he had heard that she was a horrible person and that she would be better off dead. She took that literally and commited suicide in her bedroom by hanging herself in her wardrobe. After weeks of investigation her parents recieved an anonymous phonecall from a girl who informed them that the boy never actually existed. Instead the parents of a friend of Megan's had set up the account because they wanted to "have fun" with Megan, who had recently 'de-friended' their daughter. Can you imagine that? How sick does someone have to be to do this? While we can expect kids to do things like this, we can hardly fathom the idea that an adult, let alone two - parents, would do this to a young girl and her family.
This isn't the only example, there are dozens of examples of internet-bullying related suicides as well as suicide pacts that have emerged in the news as a result of Social Networking. More recently in Wales, several teenagers killed themselves as part of a suicide pact they started for kicks it seems.
I suppose in many ways that these serve as cases-in-point regarding the privacy/safety demise brought on by the internet. Social Networking is a revolution which can't be taken lightly. It has more or less killed them both. I realise that I am being a hypocrite and that my having social networking spaces on various sites exhibits how I, myself, have been sucked into the realm of the internet buzz. However, I think that while these sites are useful, they are dangerous in ways that we can only just imagine. The perverse nature of these sites, while not necessarily repulsive, is indeed a shocking at times. What will be interesting, as I said before, will be seeing what the future has in store for the world of G-Rated exhibitionism.

Well, that's all for now. Remember to check out the 1 Second Film website. Nirvan Mullick has contacted me and has said that all of you who participate will get producer credits during the 90 minute post-movie end credits/making of documentary and also they are planning to set up Imdb profiles, however, I am not sure how they are planning to do it. I assume they will have a 1 Second Film page and list off the producers appropriately. Check It Out!!
Also, for those of you who are, like me, avid film buffs, if you haven't seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall, do just that. Russell Brand is excellent in it but sadly, his script could have been expanded.
And finally, speaking of Russell Brand, download the podcast on the BBC Radio 2 Website. It is hysterical, and for the neigh-sayers who dislike Russell's on-stage persona, you will change your minds about him, I guarantee it.

Right, I'm outta here

Sarah Marshall not easily forgotten...

On the eve of my final BA exam, I did what every studious individual does...I procrastinated!. By about midday, as you might expect, my tobacco supply was running at a level less than sufficient, but alas, I hadn't the necessary motivation to nip down the shop and buy a packet of my beloved B&H (other ciggies are available). So, I was in desperate need to take my mind off of my favorite vice. I decided to watch a movie, this was under the impression that I would eventually feel the guilt of loitering my chair and bedroom and go for a short stroll to an siopa, therefore I watched a film. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, to be precise. To be honest, I enjoy Nick Stoller's films, but was unsure as to how the acting talents of Russell Brand would fit Stoller's genre of cinema. Needless to say, I was baffled like you would imagine a swan would be after laying a strikingly large egg. The movie started out somwehat forward, less than 6 minutes into the film and we had already seen a happy Peter (Jason Segel) turn into a fully frontal nude and broken hearted shell of a man as well as this we saw Aldios Snow's Infant Sorrow hit video "We've got to do something", despite this, the movie looked like a bit of a bomb. Without ruining the movie for anyone, I would simply say that the film, in retrospect, was probably the best comedy to have been released so far this year. Segel and Mila Kunis were especially funny whereas Kristen Bell was a little hollow. Although, one can only suspect that this was how Stoller had planned.

The real pleasant surprises came from the somewhat minor roles of Jonah Hill (who plays a waiter in worship of Snow and becomes the most amazingly funny suck up I have ever witnessed) and Russell Brand. In fairness, Brand in many respects steals the show. While Segel, the lead actor was, as one might expect, brilliant, Brand was beyond superb. His delivery of lines and famous nomenclature left me in awe of the endless talents this man seems to possess. For those who have seen the film, I am sure you will agree that the catchphrase for the summer shall be "I was going to do it, but then I just kept on living my life" , I find it a line that will remain as one of the great Stoller classic phrases...you know what i'm talking about. Most of the truly funny stuff that occurs in the film is very subtle, however one does not need to watch this film twice to be rendered hysterical at times.
Since I finished watching this movie, I have spoken with three friends, all avid moviegoers, who all agree that potentially this film could become a cult classic in the ranks of There's Something About Mary and Superbad. While Segel and Hill will undoubtedly be seen in the near future in other movies from their repertior, Brand will hopefully not allow the glitz of Hollywood suck him into second rate gratuitous comic roles such as the path that Ben Stiller has fallen down. Let's hope he sticks to his newly grown roots and capitalises on his ability to make quirky so-called post-teen grossout comedies as appealling as ever.

Say "YES!" to the Lisbon Treaty; Why should you?

The Lisbon Treaty has come under much scrutiny over the last few months; despite the lack of media attention it should have recieved in the months running up to the upcoming referendum in June. The lack of attention, one could suggest, is due to the Referendum Commission we have here in Ireland; which states that advertising of a referendum can only be undertaken by the State 4 weeks prior to an referendum - this of course is ridiculous - if the issue were something more threatening to the so-called secular state we live in e.g. homosexual marriage, abortion, divorce...there would surely be ample television and radio commentary as well as government 'information seminars' occuring for up to a year before the referendum.
Despite this setback, many people feel that sovereighty and the 'Irish Identity' are at risk and that if we were to vote Yes to the treaty that we would further diminish our nation which we fought so hard for. For the nay-sayers, sorry, but this is not the case. You need to remember that Ireland joined the EU (EC/EEC) in 1973, along with Greece etc. When we did this, we automatically gave away the most sovereignty and independence we were ever going to give. The ridiculous thing is, is that many of the people standing on their soap boxes 'telling' you, not asking you, to say NO, don't actualy know the full implications of the Lisbon Treaty. They argue that Ireland's role in EU desicion making will be further diminished because of our small population size, this is incorrect. The Lisbon Treaty stipulates many things, the least being an increase in the already significant democratic deficit. Ireland's role, like the role of all EU member states will change slightly. The European Commission will decrease from 27 members to 18 members, but on a rotation basis. That is, each country will have representation but in a cycle. ALL members of the EU will forsake a role in the commission for a term. It will allow for every country, even those newer states like Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, to have an equal say in the decions made by the EU. Nay-sayers also say that the voting process in the EU will change for the worse and that the role of the Irish people will shrink...simply untrue; the Lisbon Treaty clearly indicates that the role of National governments will increase, in fact, they will be consulted about policy before it even reached the consideration of the European Commission and theCouncil of Ministers. This is a good thing! Why? Because it means that if a country's people do not like the proposed law, it will be rethought and resubmitted to the National governments for reconsideration. Our role as people and members of the EU will be increased. As well as this, the double-majority or QMV will be used in more areas of the EU decision making process, this means that no longer will big powerhouses such as Germany, the UK, France, be able to implement their agendas. Decisions will be absed on a large majority. Therefore, in order for a decision to be made,at least 65% of votes must be in favour of change. The Veto is slowly being disposed of, which is better because although it will mean that there will be some decisions that Ireland won't like, it also means that in order for drastic change to be made, it will only occur if represented by the combined interests of all member states.
Perhaps the biggest argument regarding the Lisbon Treaty is the establishment of an EU External Relations Force...In otherwords, an EU military. People object to this in Ireland because they believe that it will jeopardize Ireland's neutrality. If you believe this, you are quite simply an idiot! If you believe this, you really don't understand Ireland's neutrality stance or the implications of the Lisbon Treaty. We can only enter into battle/war under 2 (TWO) conditions. The first being if Ireland came under attack. The second reason goes a little like this...Here in Ireland we have what is called a Triple-Lock system regarding our neutrality. In otherwords, Ireland CANNOT enter the theatre of war without the joint-agreement of the Irish Government, the Oireachtais and the United Nations. Therefore, if the EUEAF were to send troops into Turkey for example, they could not recruit Irish soldiers without an agreement from all three of the aforementioned bodies. Also, the Lisbon Treaty states VERY clearly, that NO country will be obliged to participate in EU External Relations Force activity. There is NO way Ireland can be forced to lift it's neutral perspective whatsoever. Simply NONE. So, if you hear someone say "The Lisbon Treaty is BAD because it means that there will be an EU army and Ireland will have to participate", do yourself and them a favour and slap them on the back of the head and say "READ THE FUCKING PROPOSAL YOU MORON!" because they are wrong. There are lots of other proposals in the Lisbon Treaty (12 all together) but these are the ones that people say jeopardize Ireland's sovereignty and neutrality. Whatever the outcome of the Referendum, and whatever your vote may be, don't be a fool. If you Vote "NO" because you think the apparently bad Lisbon Treaty threatens Ireland, you are stupid. If you have other reasons, please share them with me. If you Vote "YES", nice one!

Anyway, that's all for now.
Voting "YES",

The One Second Film (http://the1secondfilm.com)

THE ONE SECOND FILM

While perusing the web; imdb, facebook, bebo, wikipedia and youtube to mention a few, I ended up on the biography page of one Jonah Hill (the chubby dude from Superbad). I reached the 'Filmography' section to find that he was involved in a project called the "1 Second Film"...like I was, you are probably thinking "what the fuck is that?"...I checked it out.
When I went to www.the1secondfilm.com, I saw that this film was a novel incarnation. The idea is that the movie itself would last 1 second but the credits would last up to 90 minutes. The reason behind this is that it is not sponsored as 99% of films by a studio, it is in aid of Charity and the producers (those who fund the movie) are a huge list of contributors. The best parts; anyone can participate and you will get credited as a producer...therefore, if the film were to win say....an Oscar, or a BAFTA, or a Sundance Award or even the Palme dOr at Cannes for production, you the producer would get credited and subsequently be legally entitled to credit yourself with an award nod or win. So what's the catch? There is none...the director and organisers of the film are promising full credentials for every single contributor and you will get a credit for as little as $1/€0.65ish and the amount you can donate/invest, I understand is unlimited. If there is a catch, it is that all profits, that is 100% (minus the overheads, of course).
There are three different levels of donation; $1 - $9.99 gets you Associate Producer Credits, $10 - $99.99 gets you (1st) Producer Credits (these are the ones who get the Oscars, when you see them announce "And the Oscar for Best Production of a Motion Picture goes too..."), and finally for $100+ you will recieve Executive Producer Credits (Again, like (1st) Producer Credits, you would technically win the Oscar too).

So, in tribute to my own ego, I decided to donate $19.84 (in line with the year of my birth and obviously the greatest year ever) and will be credited with Producer creditentials during the end credits of the movie...Imagine, me, a producer of a Independant/potentially Hollywood movie...it's pretty cool. Anyway, if you decide to take a look at the site, type "one (or 1) second film" in the search bar and click "I'm feeling lucky", you will be taken directly to the site. I know about 10 people in the University here who have already joined and I think it is a cool opportunity to do something nice (even though you can spend less than a packet of chewing gum) and boost your ego or whatever floats your boat.

That's all for now,
Peace,


Once again the website is: http://www.the1secondfilm.com - Please check it out and please take part, it's an opportunity NOT to be missed!

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