Chavez - an interesting article

President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela recently subsidised cheaper bus fares for poor people in London. Now the man who was once removed from his post in a coup that lasted hours and was backed by the United States is pushing forward with the battle for the moral ground in the third world. The following article describes this interesting policy:

Natalie Obiko Pearson and Ian James, The Associated Press

CARACAS, VENEZUELA - Laid-off Brazilian factory workers have their jobs back, Nicaraguan farmers are getting low-interest loans, and Bolivian mayors can afford new health clinics, all thanks to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Bolstered by windfall oil profits, Chavez's government is now offering more direct state funding to Latin America and the Caribbean than the United States. A tally by The Associated Press shows Venezuela has pledged more than $8.8 billion in aid, financing and energy funding so far this year.

While the most recent figures available from Washington show $3 billion in U.S. grants and loans reached the region in 2005, it isn't known how much of the Venezuelan money has actually been delivered. And Chavez's spending abroad doesn't come close to the overall volume of U.S. private investment and trade in Latin America.

But in terms of direct government funding, the scale of Venezuela's commitments is unprecedented for a Latin American country.

Chavez's largesse tends to benefit left-leaning nations that support his vision of a Latin America with greater independence from the United States. But he denies the two countries are in a competition.

"We don't want to compete with anyone. I wish the United States were 100 times above us," Chavez told the AP in a recent interview. "But no, the U.S. government views the region in a marginal way. What they offer is a pittance sometimes, and with unacceptable pressures that at times countries can't accept."

U.S. aid tends to be low-profile, constrained by strict guidelines and often distributed through other institutions so that recipients may not know it's from the U.S. government. Venezuela offers money with few strings attached and a personal Chavez touch that aid experts say generates more good will dollar for dollar.

Clay Lowery, the U.S. Treasury Department's acting undersecretary for international affairs, argues that the U.S. plays a larger role than reflected in its aid figures.

The United States, for instance, drove Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank debt relief deals totaling $7.5 billion over the past three years in Latin America, he said.

"Who is the biggest financier of the IDB? The United States. Who is the biggest financier of the World Bank? The United States is. We don't count those," Lowery said. "We're basically engaged on a multilevel, multi-prong approach."

Still, as the Chavez effect gains ground, there are signs the U.S. is responding to the challenge.

The U.S. Navy medical ship Comfort is on a four-month, 12-country voyage to Latin American ports and has already treated more than 80,000 patients with free vaccinations, eye care, dental checkups and surgeries aboard the converted oil tanker.

Fone Jacker

There is a new show on E4 called Fone Jacker, its very funny. One of the funniest sketches I have seen is this one:



The best bit is him making the 'boop' sound. Hilarious!

Steevieg finishes Ironman

Well done to Steevieg who finished the Ironman in Frankfurt, Germany 2007 in 14h 18 min.

Greg LeMond

This is a really interesting story about Greg LeMond the triple winner of the Tour De France in an interview with Paul Kimmage in The Times (London). He talks about drug abuse in the sport and his own abuse as a child and how his demons helped him win the Tour.

Dance with the devil

I foudn this song on youtube, it's a song they used to play in the bar we went to in Kos when we holidayed there back in 2000. Some things have changed now including haircuts but this song is still rubbish!!

New Poem

Shrug a bug dog

Who ate a hog?

An old smelly frog

Jumped on a log

Splinter splinter turd face,

Only three toes,

Eat one,

Chop off his mop,

Dead.

Darfur - The US Agenda

http://www.321energy.com/editorials/engdahl/engdahl052207.html

This is a very interesting article which describes why the US is suddenly so interested in the people of Darfur as opposed to Rwanda or even Zimbabwe.

Spiderman 3

I watched this film last night and it is the gayest film since the gays invaded from the planet gay back in nineteen gayty gay!!!!

 

Whoever wrote the movie is either taking the p1ss or is a pure weirdo because some of it is absolutely ridiculous... "oh you'll always be my friend, my best friend"... I mean who says that, I know it is a film and is supposed to stretch the imagination but nobody is going to believe that, even kids cartoons are not that cheesy.

 

And as for the bit when Peter Parker/Spiderman becomes 'cool' and messes his hair, who is going to believe that either, seriously!!!! If someone was walking down the streets of New York like that they would probably be arrested or beaten up.

 

Even the action was ruined by the silly English reporter who's lines were obviously scraped off the bottom of a barrel from 1923 or the sign that read "Spiderman come and get us"... sorry to ruin this film on anyone but they already wrecked it themselves. I thought Spiderman 2 was bad but this takes the rabbit!

 

How can this be the biggest grossing movie weekend in US history?

The Killers, RDS Dublin 27/02/07

Brandon Flowers is a handsome lad, his dress sense is original and awesome in my opinion. The stage decor was cool, kind of a cross between Moulin Rouge and Las Vegas cabaret. The lighting was awesome, lots of gold, silver, red and green.

The Killers are an awesome band, their music is great but my word are they bad live. They played all their hits and some others, one song that I never heard before that sounded like a mix between a 90's rave and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. So far, so good.

However, not once did they add anything extra to any of their songs, there was nothing special about this as a live performance as opposed to just listening to them on my iPod.

Brandon Flowers has no stage presence at all, no charisma and nothing that makes him, as the lead singer of the band, say to the audience 'I own you'.

Overall it was good to see them but not for €60 and I would give it a 3/5 rating.

Sparkle

The final film screen at the Dublin Film Festival last night was Sparkle, a British movie. It was really good. A nice movie, Amanda Ryan and Shaun Evans play their parts really well and Bob Hoskins is great as the lonely old man.

The storyline is awesome and throws up some surprises along the way. The writers have just the right mix of comedy, emotional catalyst and character empathy to give the movie a lot of credibility as well as enjoyment.

Looking forward to seeing it on general release.

Sorry???

Do you know what I hate? Like I mean really really HATE!!! People who say sorry when they get into a lift that you just got out of, like they whisper it. I think it is only an Irish thing, they do it in doorways too. What are they apologising for? That they were waiting for a lift???? That they are sorry for being outside the lift when you were leaving… what what what???? Don't say sorry.

Another thing... people who answer the phone and say "you have the wrong telephone number", who says 'telephone' anymore? especially in that context?!?!?!?!

David Brent Dance

Tizer did the David Brent, of The Office fame, dance at a wedding in October 2006.

The Matrix

I watched The Matrix last night for the first time. As a scientist and science fiction fan I found the concept to be interesting and a good take on the robots take over the earth in the future or the life we live is all a dream theme that we’ve seen in Terminator and Total Recall before. What I didn’t like about it was the dialogue, a little bit too nerdy for me. Its like the people who wrote it are 100% geekazoid and actually believe in the story that they have written. Apart from that the producers, directors and special effects people have done an awesome job and overall I liked it.

Rating 3.5/5

Matrix Reloaded:
This was pretty rubbish for the first half but I said I would give it a chance. Then the second half, apart from some of the dialogue again, was excellent. The action scenes were pretty damn good and made it worthwhile.

Rating 3/5

UCD Library

Back in UCD when we were studying in the library we used to entertain ourselves with the following activities:

- Waiting for people to leave their desk and then drawing giant cartoon penises on their notes, sometimes on the notes of their neighbours with arrows pointing at that person and a note saying "i like you"

- Waiting for someone to leave their desk, then going to the biggest books of the library, huge atlases and encyclopedias and placing them in a massive pile on that persons desk

- Hiding behind the panelled walls in the library and waiting for someone to walk by. As they walk by start whispering "Help me" from behind the wall and scratch on it if that doesn't get their attention. Keep doing this until someone realises that you're behind the wall and then when they open the wall walk out and say thanks

I realised some of these after talking to Smithers last week in a bar in Dublin. I'll add to these as I remember them

Oh yeah, one other thing we spent most of our time doing was walking around checking out the hot chicks...

Photo of me and Smithers and some of the other Science lads

Amelie

Amelie

Amelie is my new favourite film. I watched it last night and even though I shouldn't really have liked it, I did. It is so simple a story with such real characters, this is what makes it.

The movie is timeless. Audrey Tattou who plays Amelie is perfect with her huge brown eyes and white skin, it suits the character perfectly.

I would recommend you rent/buy it and watch it.

Airport - A Poem

I’m bored off my face
Such a slow pace
Stupid people are they
Put your fukcin belt in the x-ray!

Retards all around
Spent a few pound
Its only 5 quid
Don’t bring your liquid!

Hot chick in the q
What does she do?
Her eyes fall on me
Nothing will be

East European muppet
Smells like dead rabbit
Get rid of the BO
Use some deo!

If I won an election
I’d create an injection
Makes babies dream
And not fukcin scream!

Clublurpety Doo - New Quiz Show!

Clublurpety Doo
Clublurpety Doo
Clublurpety Doo!!

And here is your host Doktor Fat Face McNiceBarnet and Stupid Moustache...

Welcome on the show tonight. I'd like to welcome our guests, Sinky & Katie (nice baps), Steevieg & Frankie (nice baps) and Daz & Brian De Head.
Question 1: What is the capital of Bizmania?...
Blurp!
Ah that was Fraser on the blurper first... yes Fraser
"Hamish!"
I'm afraid that's wrong, anyone else like to hazard a guess?
Blurp!
Ah Daz, what is your answer?... going to confer with Brian then? Oops looks like he rolled off the counter there.
"Buzzmar"
Yes that's the correct answer, 10 points.
Steevieg and Frankie can you stop kissing please? Thanks.
Ok, question 2: How many retards does it take to eat a badger?
Steevieg, you have an answer?
"I think that the transconglomeration of the outer perturbation of the molecular donkey face is something that I disagree with. Frankie, shut up! I am talking!!!! The capitilisation of the badger culture began back in 1888........
- two hours later -
... and so I guess probably 2"
ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......... Sorry are you finished, no I'm afraid the answer is not 2 but thanks for your essay. Daz?
"Eh I once saw a cabbage eat an upsidedown chair, it was only one cabbage so I guess 4"
The correct answer...

Welcome back to the second half of the show. The current scores are:
Daz & Brian in the lead with 20 points
Sinky & Katie in second place with 10 points (bonus points of 5 per bap)
Steevieg & Frankie in last place with -5 points (cos he is a j3w!)
This is fastest finger first, I'd like you to nominate one person from each team. Ok... Frank, Fraser and.... Brian. Ok Brian, you know you don't actually have any fingers? No, I'm not being racist. No, I have nothing against bodiless people. Ok, fair enough.
Question 1: "What..."
BLURP!
Brian... well I don't know how you did that but what is your answer?
"Rabbit rabbit rabbit rabbit"
Yes, that's correct. The question was going to be what is the starting line of the famous hit song by The Retarded Pencil Frogs called I Live in a Pint of Aids Juice Halfway to the Moon, that's the correct answer.
Question 2: "Where..."
BLURP!
Daz, what is the answer?
"France"
No, I'm afraid that's wrong. No, it is wrong I have the answer here. What do you mean you don't accept that, you don't even know the question? The question was where is the planet Lambda? Its not right. What do you mean you're not playing any more? You are top scorer. You don't care, you won anyway? Ok...
BLURP!
Sinky, what is the answer?
"HAMISH!"
No, sorry, wrong answer. Frankie?
"Eh... I'm caught in a trap, I can't go on...." BANG!
Sorry, Steevieg had to shoot him, he was going to start singing.
The winner is Brian & Steevie, and all expenses holiday paid to the Retard Camp in Uzbekistan where you will be given 50 bullets to kill as many as you can.

Countries I have visited!

I used to think it was a lot until I did this...


create your own visited country map

This makes I think 38 countries. I added two more at the end of 2006, Romania and Finland. To be added in 2007 are Iceland, India and maybe China. If I did Russia that would colour most of the map in.

Who is Brian De Head?

It is not known where and when Brian De Head was born or raised. But he was born with a body.

Recent evidence suggests that he chopped off his body after training for the Moon Marathon which is an event where one runs a marathon across the Moon. Apparently his body was screaming so he chopped it off.

Since then he has moved to a new home inside the stomach of an ostrich where he lives.

He is great fun apparently. In a recent trip to Las Vegas he was seen bobbing in the pool to impress chicks.

Chicks is a touchy subject, he was dumped by the love of his life, Margaret because she said he had no heart which is harsh but true as he has no body.

Brian came with us skiing in Chile before Frankie Ding Dong arrived, fell off his skis and rolled all the way to Santiago. Nearly died but was ok cos he had a helmet on so only hurt his jaw. We left him in the hospital where he ended up marrying a girl with no arms and no legs... but she was still too much for him!

He came to Tenerife with me and I've seen a lot of him in Oslo too. Steevieg brought him to a few places I am sure and once got in a fight with him. That was ugly!

There are no known photos of Brian.

Good Things About Norway

I was asked if there was anything good about Norway... I will add more if I discover them

1. Brunettes with arctic blue eyes

2. Hemsedal at Easter, the craziest party you will ever go to... well, its up there anyway and Norwegian people are mental after a beer or two!

3. Long days in summer