Category: Uncategorized

Today was Martin Luther King Junior’s birthday.  He was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement. As well as being a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

I reminded myself of his magnificence by watching his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech. On August 28^th in 1963 during the March on Washington he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States.

Last year’s George Floyd ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign in America reminds us that the struggle still exists.

My favorite line from his speech is ‘to be judged on the content of your character and not on the color of your skin’.

YouTube Video I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King. Jr HD (subtitled)

 

https://youtu.be/vP4iY1TtS3s

 

King was assassinated in 1968 and in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into Law where it was observed three years later.

We have come a long way in our attitude to racism in Ireland.  It is humbling to consider how our diaspora are welcomed all around the world and how it is important that we give this back to newcomers who choose Ireland as their home.

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

 

 

 

 

As I was performing a google search today, I was reminded of the comedy of Alan Partridge. The character was created in 1991 for BBC Radio 4 by Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci.

The show was a broadcasting spoof of English current affairs. Later, in 1992 Coogan and Iannucci hosted a spoof chat show spin off for Radio 4 ‘Knowing me, knowing you with Alan Partridge’. This beauty contest is particularly chuckle worthy.

 

Here is a selection of my favorite possible Alan Partridge TV programme ideas

https://youtu.be/X06g7_LHiGo

1. Hosteling with Chris Eubank
2. Arm wrestling with Chas and Dave
3. Changing lady shapes
4. Cooking in prison
5. A partridge amongst the pigeons
6. Monkey tennis

I would like to posit the following Television series ideas for your reviews and comments

1.   Inspector dog poop – A park warden doubles up as a dog poop sleuth tracking down the dogs and their owners that failed to pick up their dog’s poop.

 

2.  Chewing the cud and milking with cows – Watching cows eat grass and then enjoy a documentary examining the complexities of the milking industry.

3.  Not being serious with Siri – Chatting with SIRI whilst saying inappropriate things including espionage type parlance. Just to mess with its algorithms.

4.  Celebrities go shopping – Following celebrities whilst they go shopping to see what they buy.  Then asking them to shop in ALDI for a month to see their reaction.

 

Let me know what you think?

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

In April this year Father Ted will be 25 years old. The show was a defining moment in Ireland’s history in defining our attitude towards the Catholic Church.  It was a perfect religious satire. Exactly what we all needed desperately at the time.

To this day most Irish people can quote scenes from the series, including myself.   In 2019, Father Ted was ranked 2^nd to Fawlty Towers in a list of the greatest British sitcoms compiled by a panel of comedy experts for the Radio Times.

It was written by Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, both Irish, and appeared on Channel 4 for three series.   It was produced by Hat Trick productions, a British production company.  I particularly enjoy the following scene as it demonstrates my feelings towards our first Covid lockdown in March last year.

 

https://youtu.be/1NjISA-FIIA

 

The fact that it features one of my favorite comedians and one of my all-time favorite (most depressing) Radiohead songs is just an added bonus. ‘Exit music for a film’ (The end theme music – hence the name- for Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’) is a masterpiece.

This time last year I was not that worried about the virus but after a few more weeks I began to feel like Father Kevin.   Here’s hoping that over the coming months our spirits can be elevated with the onset of the vaccine.

 

Stay well and safe

Adele

WARNING- NFA- Not funny alert

I was listening to ‘When the music’s over’ by ‘The Doors’ today.  It is a newly uploaded video from the Hollywood bowl that is 52 years old. The National Independent Venue Association in the States uploaded the video to raise funds for artists struggling during the pandemic.

If you had never heard of ‘The Doors’ you could easily believe that the concert was filmed a few years ago. They were way ahead of their time.   But that’s me, I am bias.

It is such a cool name for a band also. I don’t think that ‘The Patio’ or ‘The Kitchen’ would have had the same ring to it.  I couldn’t help but believe it must have been written for Trump.  The italics are my take on the lyrics.

https://youtu.be/CKw9JA66H-A

 

When the Music’s over

 

When the music’s over
When the music’s over, yeah
When the music’s over
Turn out the lights
Turn out the lights
Turn out the lights
Yeah

Cancel my subscription to the resurrection (Insurrection).

Send my credentials to the house of detention

I got some ( no) friends inside

The face in the mirror won’t stop ( his ego)

The girl in the window won’t drop ( Kamala Harris)

A feast of friends, alive she cried

Waitin’ for me

Outside

Before I sink

Into the big sleep

I want to hear

I want to hear

The scream of the butterfly (My presidency bye bye)

Come back, baby, back into my arms…

 

Oh, and I love when he belches.  But that’s just me being uncouth.

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

 

The following may offend. Or make you smile…. I do have a propensity for stories that are bawdy and ribald. I can’t help it. It’s an affliction.

A Danish cartoon for children about a man with a large penis has hit the world headlines for being insensitive. No shit Sherlock. Imagine Mr Bean and Superman morphed together with a giant penis that would get him into all sorts of scrapes.

However, the Danish cartoon character also performs rescue operations and overcomes adversity. It is aimed at four-to-eight-year Olds. The animators defend the show from criticism by emphasizing the fact that it is made for children and therefore cannot be contextualized through the eyes of adults.

Personally, I do not agree with this as I think sex education is hard enough to teach to young children without creating a cartoon character with a mammoth penis.

It did however remind me of one of my favorite characters in ‘VIZ magazine’- ‘Buster Gonad and his unfeasibly large testicles’.

The character Buster has been around a long time as he was created in the 90’s. The story goes that he was hit by cosmic rays which grew his testicles to such a size that he had to carry them around in a wheelbarrow.  This got him into all sorts of bother and embarrassing situations. However, the difference being that this comic and character is aimed at an adult audience and not at children.

The Guardian did reference a comment where there could just as easily been a character designed with a large vagina….    But I think we all know that the connotations for having a large one of these are entirely different to having a large penis. I seem to be on a bit of a roll here with my themes over the last couple of days.  Perhaps tomorrow I will be less distasteful. Although I can’t promise anything.

 

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

 

Velvet Strand aka Portmarnock Beach and the sea were beautiful yesterday. As always, it never fails to lift my spirits. People were in swimming, and shrieking with joy as they were doing so. It helps to stave off the cold as screeching loudly takes the attention away from freezing limbs.

Lambay Island is close by, and Howth, flanked by Ireland’s Eye is off in the not too far distance to complete the magnificent view.

Buzz and Finn were up to their usual antics. Finn running around like his ass was on fire and currying affectionate favors with every willing stranger.      Giving me bad press as it may appear he doesn’t get enough attention at home, when he is in fact a cuddle monster. Buzz was forever checking on my whereabouts and was never too far away. My furry security guard.

A seagull took a liking to me and was walking by my side for around 50 yards.    It was so cute and random. I could only imagine that an onlooker might think that it resembled me taking the sea gull for a walk. Or perhaps the other way around.

I was thinking the other day as I gazed at a pigeon that if class system did exist amongst birds that maybe the seagulls would be the royal navy and the pigeons would be the marines. I must give up this thinking lark during this lock down as it’s not doing me any favors.

 

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

 

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/594909/Baby-feet-legs-nap-penis

‘There’s really nothing quite so sweet as tiny little baby feet’.

The attached photo makes me smile. Anything smutty does. It is quite shocking at first, until you realize that it is a mother cradling a baby with the baby’s feet representing a rather questionable optical illusion.  It was quite the viral sensation back in 2015.   The poor mother must have been mortified when it was published. Although at least her identity is (almost) protected.

My most favorite viral sensation of 2020 was ‘Mabel and Olive’ by Andrew Cotter. Particularly ‘Game of Bones’ which was watched by over 2 million people, including many famous Hollywood celebrities. Such as Ryan Reynolds and Mark Hamill. The Times featured it on their front page.

https://youtu.be/f2BZNowCXws

I am not surprised as his dubbing is genius and his voice is like velvet. So much so, that he wrote a book which I received as a lovely gift for Christmas. It’s fascinating reading about the trajectory of a successful viral star. All his previous freelance sports commentary paled into insignificance as he voiced over the antics of his two beautiful dogs.

It is a sign of the times that with lock down comes increased creativity to stave off the frustration of having limited freedom. The number of hilarious memes that has been circulating since March 2020 has always given me reason to giggle, chuckle and on occasion, chortle.

 

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

I had the joy of an MRI this morning. To anyone who has not had the delight of being subjected to one, the following is the sound it makes.  For close to 35 minutes.

MRI Sound

https://youtu.be/MWE6B1hPNBA

As I was contained within the very claustrophobic white magnetic tube – MRI, stands for magnetic resonance imaging- I had the pleasure of imagining an entertaining (for me) alternative noise for the dreadful sounds I had to listen to. Please consider my desperate need for distraction during this time prior to reading the following.

As usual, the Muppets came to mind. Whenever I am in prime imagination mode, they often infiltrate my sub conscious. Namely ‘Animal’. – on drums

Animal from the Muppets

https://youtu.be/qisaGTajtvk

Then Fozzy bear on the synthesizer, and Kermit on the Kazoo. No video links for these, my sincerest apologies.

It was a long time to try and imagine away the awful noise.

Incidentally today is my 90^th day blogging continuously. Which I am thoroughly enjoying and I hope that you are too.

 

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

Choose life.

Choose a mask.

Choose social distancing.

Choose hand gel and hand sanitizer.

Choose Covid tracing.

Choose family/friend bubbles.

Choose Netflix.

 

I chose not to choose Jimmy Choos or stuff that promotes a non-circular economy.

I choose to write a blog.

Its aim being to make people smile.

To beguile.

For a moment. Not for a while.

To celebrate my crazy.

Eschew being lazy.

To celebrate what may be.

I may be right; I may be wrong.

Either way I sing my song.

Alone or when I need to belong.

What I say won’t change the world.

But it may make your stress unfurl.

 

 

I have watched the original trainspotting for what must be the tenth time. The opening scene where the characters are introduced to the ‘choose life’ monologue as voiced by Ewan McGregor is probably one of my favorite opening scenes of any movie.

ttps://youtu.be/RCxgqHqakXc

The soundtrack is off the scale brilliant also. Danny Boyle is a genius at choosing old school songs and new songs that complement each other. Every character is extraordinary and I loved when they re enacted the movie poster on Graham Norton for Trainspotting 2, twenty years after the original.

 

 

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

 

Today I went for a toe curlingly finger numbingly Icy swim. I rather stupidly decided to stay swimming in the water for five minutes. When I got out, I felt weird, kind of high with the cold. I can only guess because I had pushed my body to the extreme.

Driving home I noticed a fellow sea swimmer.  I could tell she was a serious sea swimmer as she was wearing a dry robe and getting out of her car with an orange inflated lifebuoy.

I immediately had ‘better swimmer than me’ envy.  As these are only used by real swimmers i.e. the swimmers that swim for out at sea and need the orange lifebuoy for identification if they ever get into trouble.

Smiling to myself I decided that I would get one of these. And ensure that I would always have it inflated to carry it with me down to the beach. Letting on that I was real swimmer. Then surreptitiously deflating it, saying it was punctured and excusing myself from a marathon swim.

It reminded me of somebody who used to come into our favorite pub in Ballinasloe. This was many moons ago when I was nurse training. He came in every weekend with all his biker friends joyfully brandishing his helmet beneath his armpit. Then placing it on the windowsill of the pub like a trophy to let everybody know that he had a motorbike. When in fact he had not he was merely just a passenger.

On arriving home, a scalding hot shower was in order and three layers of clothes to offset the impending hypothermia.  After 3 hours I was still frozen.  I turned on the TV.    And ‘Frozen’ was featured on SkyTV.  I thought ‘God, you are really having a laugh here ‘.  Eventually I got warm as Buzz and Finn are great furry alternatives to hot water bottles.

 

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele