NiallOK’s Blog

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Yes… well I mean “shot” in the photographic sense.

Today, a large number of local Gardaí were on hand for photo-shoots and interiviews and to give out a few hundred leaflets in the streets of Swords in Co. Dublin. The reason behind it is their ongoing investigation into the attack which took place in the early hours of last Sunday morning in Jacko Park in the town, during which a 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted leaving her with serious head and facial injuries. Crimestoppers are offering a €10,000 reward to track down the culprit - who is aged between 18 and 25 years of age, is 5ft 5ins to 5ft 8ins in height, has dark hair and sallow skin, and was wearing a black baseball cap and a black zipped hoodie at the time. Plenty of media people were present, with newspaper photographers, TV3 reporters and an interviewer from FM104 (the girl in black with the red mic) all there when I was passing.

More info from the Irish times, here. Hopefully something good will come from this and Gardaí will get some solid leads and find the asshole in question. Swords Gardaí can be contacted at 01-666 4700 or via the free Garda Confidential Number 1-800-666-111.

This is Australian singer, Gabriella Cilmi. Not a bad looking young woman, I think you’ll agree. I believe her second name is pronounced “Kill Me” - which seems kind-of appropriate as I can’t get her song “Sweet About Me” out of my head, and it tends to drive me a bit nutty.

Oh, and what about that band all the radio stations seem to be banking on right now, - the Ting Tings? They get a lot of airplay and are seen as ‘quirky’ and ‘eclectic’ and perhaps even ‘the new CSS‘! (I’ve read that the new CSS album, “Donkey” isn’t all that great in fairness). They create some supremely head-wrecking tracks too (ever get “That’s not my Name”, or it’s B-Side “Great DJ” - the song used on the RTÉ 2fm TV ads - stuck in your head?).

Their new single “Shut up and Let Me Go” sort of epitomises their style - a repetitive pouty, shouty, grouchy female lead “telling it like it is” over an electro-rock/pop backing with a cheeky feel to it… like a modern day Transvision Vamp (well… ALMOST), except again, it has that insidious beat and infectious lyrics that grab hold of your mind and set up residence there, like a fungus on a tree, getting - as I say - stuck in your head. I’m not saying it’s BAD, per se- it’s fairly simple music, stripped back to it’s basics in some ways, … but it CAN be head-wrecking, and it’s difficult to explain why.

Actually, is it a sign of a good song when it’s stuck in your head, or just a sign of a “so bad it’s good” song, cleverly constructed in such a way that you can’t help but hum it and keep having it repeat on you like a bad cup of tea? I’m tending to lean towards the second definition/explanation to be honest.

These are the thoughts that occupy my mind when I wake up too early… must stop doing that.

By all means, draw your own conclusions, - but it would seem to me that Jim Corr, guitarist with Dundalk based band “The Corrs”, has far too much time, money and Internet access on his hands.

In a radio interview on Today FM’s “The Last Word” yesterday, he went on a well rehearsed rant about the Lisbon Treaty and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Apparently, he got on the air thanks to his buddy Tony Fenton (pictured with him here).

During his rant, he claimed that:

The Bush administration, with the help of the intelligence community - the CIA, etc., carried out the atrocities in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania

Explosives were planted in the WTC towers in order to ensure that they “collapsed neatly into their own footprint”

Rudolph Guiliani, then mayor of New York, covered it up by shipping evidence (including steel from the towers) abroad

None of the hi-jackers were actually on the airline passenger manifests and at least eight are still alive and free today

We are headed towards a “new world order” culminating in a single world government which he said would be a “scientific dictatorship” - starting with Mexico, Canada and the US merging (and using one currency, the “Amero“) - and those later merging with Europe and Asia.

It all smacks quite clearly of some very well known conspiracy theories which have been circulating on the Internet for the past 6 years (including one in a Google Video which he referenced) - most of which a lot of us have heard (and laughed at, in fairness) before and most if not all of which have been comprehensively debunked.

Oh!- and he also claimed, in a roundabout way, that the Lisbon Treaty will mean the eventual introduction of the death penalty in the E.U.

They’re also talking about this on boards.ie and Damien blogged about this earlier today (but the YouTube video he referenced doesn’t have the full interview)…

So here’s the full interview now:

Oh and Jim’s not alone either…! Won’t we all be kicking ourselves if 10 or 20 years down the line, he’s found out to have been correct all along? Ray D’Arcy said on air today that if that does happen, he’ll publicly apologise to Jim Corr for not believing him but added that he didn’t think at that stage anyone would care about the Louth man’s opinion.

Do we care now? Whatever about Jim’s “sensational” outburst - everyone should get themselves properly informed - there’s only two weeks left before the country goes to the polls in the Lisbon Treaty Referendum.

I’m a fan of good radio and good radio presenters, and I was appalled to see that RTÉ 2FM DJ Nikki Hayes was hospitalised after being attacked by a stalker.

Nikki presents the “All Request Lunch” show, weekdays from 12-2pm on the national station but Jenny Greene had been filling in for her recently, while she recovered.

Well today - a month after the incident, and after much speculation (including the rumour that RTÉ had let her go), she returned to the national airwaves with her popular show straight after the mid-day news. It would seem she’s recovered fully and is eager to put the horrible incident as far behind her as possible.

It’s great to hear her back and I’m glad that these rumours turned out to be just that. Fair play to ya, Nikki!

“Top Chumps” card image from IrishElection.com

Put this together in 10 mins this morning. Broadcasted it about 10 mins ago (3:25pm) on The Afternoon Show.

(inspired by these stories on Damien Mulley’s blog).

PS: If you listen to this blog entry (using the Listen Now button above), it pronounces “Taoiseach” as “Tah-zeech”. For those not in the know, the correct pronunciation is more like “Tee-shuck”.