To Whom it Concerns

As an editor, the following is definitely my favourite sort of correspondence. Nothing brightens our day like some harsh but fair constructive criticism. I was not the recipient of this email, but it has fallen into my hands through other channels. I may post the reply tomorrow. Names withheld.

From: someone@somewhere.ie
Subject: your shit publication
To: apublication@somewhereelse.ie

Dear Sir, Madam or to whom ever the fuck it may concern.

“Buzzards” by Someone is maybe the best poem written in this shit country since the second coming. John Bancille has described it as “the unofficial anthem of the recession” and Coetzee as “fucking epic”
Clearly you haven’t a clue about what constitutes great literature. Think of it as when whoever it was didn’t want to publish Kafka. Or when they decided not to turn Nic Cave’s script for Gladiator 2 into a movie.
When I am published, rich and famous I, and not you, will be the one laughing. Thats if I haven’t already set fire to your homes and raped your loved ones in the meanwhile.

In faith,

My giant cock

Movies in the Park

If Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county council can do one thing right it’s showing films. In the park. Amazing. Presume they’ll be doing this through the summer with intervals.

And the festival of world cultures is not to be sniffed at either of course.

http://www.dlrevents.ie/movies1_09.html

Today I got my boyz noise ticket.

And spent the rest of my time on the dart/Shankill/the Four Courts/eating takeaway.

House is self-indulgent tripe.

I may not get through the series.

Way back when musical lists

As today is shaping up to be ridiculously packed, I’m going to get my thing in early. Like many of my ideas, this idea has been plucked from elsewhere, given a dusting down, maybe some new shoes, and shamelessly passed off as my own.

Actually, credits go to thosegeese.wordpress.com, though I’m sure he did not single handedly invent the concept of a list.

My favourite albums when I was 14

• Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt (before Gwen changed)
• The Bends, Radiohead (still good)
• Californiacation, RHCP (feels like summer)
• Dave Fanning’s Festival Sounds, various artists. This was free with the Sunday World (a classic)
• Beautiful, Garbage (I thought she was soo pretty)
• Wave of Mutilation, Pixies (it’s a Best Of… I don’t care)

I also made a lot of mix CDs back in the day, one of which I recently found. It dates from when I was about 14/15, and was actually part of a pair… a diptych if you will. One was for super happy days and the other was for sad gloomy days.

Unfortunately, the happy CD has been lost to the mists of time, but in case you would like to make your very own copy of the CD for gloomy days, here’s the playing order. If I recall, though the song choice was perhaps less than inspired, it was a good break-up soundtrack and well suited to all manner of downbeat glumness.

CD for gloomy days

1. Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You — Led Zeppelin
2. The Bitter End — Placebo
3. Under the Bridge — RHCP
4. Helena (acoustic) — Maria Doyle Kennedy
5. Don’t Speak — No Doubt
6. Drugs Don’t Work — The Verve
7. haha, Everybody Hurts — REM
8. Pyramid Song — Radiohead
9. My Baby Shot Me Down — Nancy Sinatra
10. Don’t Cry — Guns ‘n’ Roses
11. Cup of Coffee — Garbage
12. Pennyroyal Tea — Nirvana
13. Mad World — Gary Jules
14. Street Spirit — Radiohead
15. Hallelujah — Jeff Buckley
16. Yesterday — The Beatles
17. Motorcycle Emptiness — Manic Street Preachers
18. Video Killed the Radio Star — The Buggles (cos you gotta end on a high)