NiallOK’s Blog

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Those people in the bank who predict the future today decided that the future was bleaker than they thought, that the economy went wallop faster than they thought, that the situation is more worrying and drastic than they thought, and that our belts are going to have to tighten significantly as the world recession kicks in. Here’s looking forward (?) to working harder and spending less… I guess (especially now that Social Welfare aren’t going to help me with going back to college and I’ll have to work part time… bah!).

One of Bank of Ireland’s Economic Analysts (and if anyone should know, they should) said on the radio today that their original prediction of the economy enjoying a minimal 3% growth in 2008 has now been revised and they expect growth in 2008 to be approximately ZERO, with the potential for 1.5% growth in 2009. Along with that, they do still expect the cost of living to increase - with electricity bills jumping up by a quarter and other fuel bills going up significantly. Bleak times ahead, indeed. Sucks, doesn’t it?

I’m not one of those bloggers who writes every day whether he has something to say or not. I don’t compile lists of links to interesting sites (well, not any more) and I don’t tell people how to live their lives so I guess I’ve got less to say than some people do.

Also, I don’t dedicate as much time to the creative process of writing or graphic design as some people seem to do (and they’re bloody good at it), so I guess I only say something when I have something to say (and mostly not even that often)… which makes this post look a bit strange, I guess… as I’ve very little to talk about.

Life is gone a bit quiet for me at the moment. I’ve a new toy to play with (better get a few more gigs now) and I’m working away as a bar manager in a bar only 2 or 3 hundred yards from home (how handy is that?) and saving to go back to college. Still hoping some commercial radio station gives me the call in the meantime of course!

I guess I’ve lost most of whatever independence I had as since moving out of Dundalk (when my ex-fiancèe dumped me). I’ve been living with my family back in Dublin, mooching off their broadband, zoning out, drinking lots of beer (half considered doing what this guy is doing, but then thought again…), watching lots of telly, - working hard though and trying to get back on my feet financially - but, assuming I do go back to college, it looks like I’ll be living with them for some time yet,- probably for another year at least.

It’s just as well that they’re a great bunch of folks.

Anyway, as I’ve little or no more to say, here’s Soundgarden with their song “Nothing to Say”. Peace out, or something.

Had a few beers (well… five half-litres of Erdinger) and watched Bill Bailey’s “Part Troll” with the folks last night. Was one of the highlights of my week.

The other highlights were, I suppose, the two days where I was a substitute teacher in the primary school my dad works in, teaching 6th class one day and 5th class the other. Since I was young, I always had an interest in teaching - following in my dad’s footsteps, as it were. The job satisfaction is great, the money’s not bad and the holidays are only massive. It may indeed be an avenue I’ll investigate further.

Anyway, back to Bill Bailey, this is how the show finished, with him doing a German piss-take of the Hokey Cokey. He said it was a “lesser-known, lesser-performed track” by the eccentric German electronic music group, Kraftwerk.

My brother and I have the parents house to ourselves for the next 12 days or so. Neither of us are working right now. We’re pretty much sitting around the whole time, watching TV (again, lots of Scrubs), playing the Playstation 3, eating (LOTS of) toast, doing a bit of drinking and each of us constantly looking for the opportunity to respond to the other with “so’s your face” or some other such “witty” comment.

I managed to cook a full Sunday dinner for two yesterday - boiled ham and cabbage, mashed potatoes, gravy and… er… cocktail sausages. Might not seem like a massive achievement and I know it’s just a matter of lobbing everything in where it goes and timing it right… but hey, this is me here.

By the way, this picture is only here because I found it when I did a Google Images search for “I’m No Superman” while watching Scrubs. Yeah, that’s why.

So’s your face.

[EDIT]: By the way, here’s the clip from Scrubs: