Did you draw doodles when you were younger? March 30, 2006
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I was never particularly good at drawing when I was younger. Matchstick men and women was about the height of it. But take a look at the art of Akiane Kramarik and you’ll see the work of an 11 year old prodigy. Even the sketches from when she was 4 are just amazing.
To have talent like that is truly a blessing.
What is the Secret? March 29, 2006
Posted by wicklow in General Chatter.1 comment so far
I’m a sucker for advertising sometimes. I am also curious and like to see how products are marketed. About 6 or 7 months ago you might remember that one of Alexa’s ‘Shakers and Movers’ was a site called http://www.what-is-the-secret.com
A very slick video on the site encouraged me to sign up to the email and be notified of updates. It was a long time coming but the Secret was revealed on the 23rd March.
I paid my $$ by Paypal to view the movie and I have to say I was blown away by it. I had an inkling of what the secret was. I always thought the stuff this video covered was airy fairy nonsense. But I now really believe there is more to it than meets the eye. I proved to myself that it works the day after I watched the film. I was taken aback and really couldn’t believe it. So I tried something else the next day and proved to myself that it works. I am no longer a sceptic about what the secret is.
Now, I’m not going to go along with the premise of the movie and tell you it is a deep hidden secret. It wasn’t just uncovered after being hidden for donkeys years. No, that was the marketing. I’ve been reading books and systems for years that cover pretty much what the secret does. The key difference now is that things have finally clicked. I ‘get it’ and can see how it can and does work.
I am deliberately not revealing what the secret is as I don’t want to spoil it for you. It’s $4.95 to watch online. It’s basically a no-brainer. Go online, pay the entrance fee, open your mind and watch the film. I think you might be surprised.
Gaybo, road safety and taking the pledge March 27, 2006
Posted by wicklow in Uncategorized.9 comments
The news that Gay Byrne is the new chairman of the Road Safety Authority is to be welcomed. He has a high profile and is a straight talker and takes no nonsense. This was evidenced in the press conference when he said he would walk away from the chairmanship if he felt he was being messed about.It was refreshing to see someone sit beside a government minister and publicly state “mess with me and you’ll regret it”. This is exactly the sort of approach needed.
But what exactly can be done to improve road safety. Enforcement is one way of course, but ultimately the responsibility for road safety rests with each one of us. It’s not just motorists, but every road user.
I had an idea some time ago and I have sent it to the new chairman to see if he thinks it’s as good an idea as I do.
The idea is called Roadpledge.
Basically, motorists and other road users will be encouraged to sign a pledge that says “I pledge to be responsibile in my driving. I pledge to maintain the speed limit. I pledge to show consideration to other road users. I pledge to make Irish roads the safest in the world. Signed ….. “ or some words to that effect.
All those who make the pledge either online or in person (at say a County Council office) will receive a sticker to display on their car, bike or for pedestrians a badge could be made available too.
Seeing all the pledge logos on the roads will be an immediate sign of change for good. Making a pledge and signing your name to it is like writing down a goal. A written goal is more powerful than simply thinking about something.
Displaying the pledge sticker is also a visual reminder every day when you step into your car that you have made a promise to your fellow Irishmen, women and children that your driving will be 100% safe.
That’s it in a nutshell. Comments and feedback welcome
Jammie dodgers March 26, 2006
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No, I’m not talking about the biscuits that were responsible for Kelly Osbourne being at least 2 stone overweight. I’m talking about morning “rush hour” traffic and the breed of driver who constantly dodges from lane to lane (mostly without indicating), in the belief they are making quicker progress in traffic.
Seriously, are these people really so desperate to get to the next set of traffic lights 30 seconds earlier than me that they will flash me out of the “fast lane”. Top Gear did one of their funny features a few years ago on this very subject. One of the boys drove constant speed and stayed in one lane. The other kept changing lanes and tried to make better progress in traffic.
I think it was Jeremy Clarkson who stayed in lane. And guess what, he ended up about 2 minutes behind the lane dodger.
Bottom line is. If you’re doing a commute in Ireland – take it from one who has done the commute along the N11 for close on 15 years. The best possible way to get to your destination is stick on the radio, settle in and stick to your lane and mind the speed limit. That way, you’ll keep your hair longer and your blood pressure lower.
Cadbury’s Dream March 26, 2006
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Why bother with these sweets in the box of Hero’s chocolates? 80% of people despise white chocolate (disclaimer:samples study was quite small) so why do Cadbury bother at all.
Put more Twirls or Crunchies in please.
Celebrity jigs and reels with Marty and George March 26, 2006
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I definitely must try harder to keep my blog updated. I’m concentrating so much on the Wicklow News blog that I hardly get a chance to wander over here and post.
I caught the tail end of RTE’s new Sunday night show, Celebrity Jigs and Reels. It’s presented by Marty Whelan who can do this sort of thing in his sleep – he’s such a pro that I doubt his heart rate barely goes above 70 doing it. He does seem like an odd choice as presenter.
Given that the slot it occupies is the same as You’re a Star which finished a few weeks ago, a more youthful presenter would have carried many that watched that programme. Since it is primarily teenagers that vote in these type of shows, I’m surprised once of the RTE2 children’s TV presenters didn’t get picked.
The panel seems like a decent line up. George Hook for comedy, Jean Butler for expertise in Dancing and just being a beauty to behold on screen, Colin Dunne – dancing expertise and I didn’t catch the name of the last guy but I presume he’s going to provide the Simon Cowell bitchiness.
No doubt the TV critics in the newspapers and magazines will lash this programme to high heaven. It will be accused of being a ripoff of similar programmes in the UK. They would be right in saying that, but who cares? It’s for charity and will provide a bit of Sunday evening cheer and bring us all in nicely to the first signs of summer when the show winds up on April 30th.
Let’s hope that the bulk of money from text messages and phone calls DOES go to charity and that O2/Vodafone/Meteor and Three are donating their profits too.
It’s blogtastic! March 8, 2006
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This is the incredible first post of my personal blog. Haven’t much to say right now as I basically setup the wordpress.com blog account so I could get an api key to install Akisment on news.wicklow.com as spam comments are hitting the site at a rate of knots I’m surprised with.
