Wheres Eddie ?

This is how the Garda park, on the footpath and 2 wheels on double yellow lines and the other side of the car blocking the footpath.
They never get clamped.


Isn't this a beautiful house?

href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JY_9Pnqs9bU/S7POhsT7w7I/AAAAAAAACv0/3sMTREPcHRI/s1600/IMG_6531.JPG">
The conference center from the new bridge

A Russian lady contacted me today, she is looking for an Irish taxi driver called Eddie..( could that be him third one in on my list of followers?) She was having a row with her husband and then talked to the driver for a long time. That was sometime between the 18th and 21st of March. Does it ring a bell?
I will be putting up a notice in the Kesh with my contact number tomorrow.

Can you hear bells?

I feel like I have been mugged.
My licence is due for renewal so I booked into all the test centers. Then there is a scratch and a scuff mark on the car, so I went down to the local panel beater to have it touched up.
Now I thought it would be a 20 minute job but no at 4pm when I rang he told me he had beaten out the dent, filled it in and sanded it down and had given it a coat of primer, tomorrow undercoat and then finish it off..Call for it on Thursday morning.
Tues to Thursday off for nothing and God knows what is this going to cost?
I should have bought an aerosol from Garry behind Guinness !
Hindsight is 20/20 vision.
The laptop can be a bit absorbing so it was sitting beside me at the dinner table, I reached over for the salt and knocked the pint of milk right over the keypad.
I turned it upside and pulled out the plug...I shook it a few times and let it dry out. Then I rang a few people in the know..The best advice was take out the battery, which was out at the time anyhow and not to attempt to start it up until it was completely dry.
Then my friend rang me back...Milk, no you will have to clean the milk off it will start to rot and destroy all the contacts in the computer. So I found a place in Capel St. Hua Wei Pc Center. There is a Chinese vase center beside it with the most amazing pieces, thing is you would need a big house for most of the pieces.

On the rank the other day a driver told me he had been taken to court the week before and fined e400 His sin was to have been caught in the bus lane trying to get on to the rank. 2 wheels on the grass 2 in the bus lane.
He was never approached by a Garda, they caught him on camera as they drove past.
This is the piece I find appalling, he got no fine in the post and the first thing he heard was a summons to go to court. He told the Judge he never got a notification of the fine and the Judge said he didn't believe him, even if he swore on the bible.
He was going to fine him e500, but reduced it to e400.The driver told me that the hasstle of trying to make a living is killing him he is selling his taxi.

The same Judge fined a guy e1200 for walking his dog. Off the lead e400, having no muzzle on the dog e400 and having no dog licence e400..That Judge must have come from another planet for sure.

A taxi crashed into another taxi The Irish taxi driver got out and had words with the other driver who agreed to pay for the damage. The driver was not happy and called the police, strange to say they came. The driver who caused the accident had no drivers licence no PSV licence and the only ID he had was a refugee application number..The taxi was rented out so the Garda took away the roof sign and told the guy to come into the station tomorrow with correct documents and he could have the taxi sign back..Surley the car should have been taken away? without licences he would not be insured?
Driving a taxi without being vetted by the police, is not a good idea either.

The world has gone mad.

Bankers get into bed with developers who in turn lick the arses of politicians, then the building GAME explodes leaving debts of Billions !
And we pay.

Only a few would not see that the minister of finance at the time is now prime minister, the previous prime minister was Bertie Ahern before he took that post he was minister of finance... If this was America they would all be in San Quentin jail..
It is so annoying to me to find that every family in Ireland is now saddled with a e27,000 debt and no one is held accountable.
In fact all the guilty party's have feathered their nests very well. their assets have been transferred to wives and siblings.

I can still hear the party going on over the wall and I am as mad as hell..

Spring turns the clocks

Dolphin Hotel now a courthouse

"Talking heads"

Game birds personalised Nr Plate too

Remember the MiniMoke?



Changing the sign on the Westbury, the new one has LEDs so the bulbs can't blow

Today I was listening to the radio(as you do) and I heard the case of a young guy who has been on death row in Georgia for a long while. www.troyanthonydavis.org
Makes you think that your freedom and your health is all you have in this life and we take these things so much for granted all the time.
There was a lady at Judys wedding who spent 23 years in a Chinese prison because she was a Christian, the lady who told me this said that the woman is a living Saint. Prison here is a holiday camp compared to prison in China.


Looking through the blogs on the right hand side I was take by the Las Vegas blog, 2 good posts right there for sure.

Bloomfield Avenue (2 streets with the same name in Dublin) this one in the leafy subburbs of Donnybrook looks like a great spot to live in.
Recently beautiful appartmrnts have been built there.
Well a lady hailed me from there going to Eirne St. to collect back rests! So not being backwards about coming forwards I suggested that I should wait for her and bring her back again..You see when you engage a taxi the meter hits €4.10 so it was less expensive to hold on to me..So she told me that she was one of the victims of the Hep.C dissaster..Contaminated blood eas given to people and the people in charge knew that chances were that the blood was infected..In France the people in charge of the blood transfusion service went to jail..In Ireland they got a pay rise and a good fat pension. Not even a slap on the wrist.
She has been having trouble with the builder plumbing not right..So in the end she called in a master plumber to put things right. Missing valves and vents Pressure monitors put in the wrong way. Its all fixed now, but the property management team are a bunch of crooks...crooks appointed by the builder.
So the people who live there are between a rock and a hard place.

However a while ago a guy brought out a book explaining your rights and he also told how the tennants could sack the management company, I don't live in an appartment myself so I don't know any more about the book, it sounds like a must read for anyone who does.

Talking about radio I boughr an internet radio(iradio).For example the UK has 1,163 radio stations. Radio from any country in the world at a flick of a switch, who would have thought it? I had been listening to a radio station on the computer VOB fm voice of Barbados. Now I can head to any country in the world and pop straight to the station,
Driving a taxi in Dublin is like touring the world, but the world comes to you. You might not think it but I do like people, not the stupid or the drunk ones, but I like the rest. Now I can hop to Norway or Australia or even Vanatu and hear what kind of music they listen to. Pepoles lives follow many paths, there is a lot of knowledge to be gained from talking to your passingers, thats a dead cert.

I had Ronan Keatings wife in the car last week, a very sensable and fashonable lady she was. When you become really famous you need a partner who will anchor you..I knew I recognised her,but I was not sure so I said nothing, then I Googled her when I came home and there she was as large as life.

I don't know if I could handle fame. Sometimes someone might say "Are you the asshole that writes that stupid dublin taxi blog?"
Now that might lead to him becoming a pedestrian!

I don't know whats up with other taxi drivers,The accessory shop is selling a LED display which will carry a message of your choice. "For hire" or "A.port €5"
The for hire sign that I have pays for itself every few weeks. You only have to buy something like that once. Radio hire is a weekly affair.

When I was but just a lad Dave Allen was funny and he still is.
Thanks to you tube he lives on.
The odd thing about Dave Allen is that he died on the same day as Pope John Paul.


Tonight the clocks spring forward one hour.

British Summer time

A few years ago on a Sunday morning I pulledf up outside the Conrad Hilton hotel then a lady in a jeep pulled up and asked me for directions to Baggott St.
At the same time the concierge blew his whistle for me to come over. I gave the woman directions and the whistle blew a few more times...When I came over the guest just said Airport! in a disgruntled voice..
Things did nor appear to be going well between them, so I asked them if they would like to see some 1920s cars which were being used in a film shoot on Fitzwilliam Sq. As we approached it the "Lady" said.. "Driver do you think we are stupid? Drivin round th auses you is" Well I explained that this was directly on their route and I was not willing to drive down one way streets even for them.
So I turned on the radio and let them argue away.

When we arrived at the airport I said to the man,

"Hope you left enough time for your flight?

This change on the clocks has messed up my day."

"Whaz ya takin abad?"he said

"The clocks went forward an hour last night"

His face said it all.

Asshole.

I think of them every year at this time.

After the ball was over

2 Guys from Brazil advertising a special offer in Clontarf.


A head shop selling drugs which give you legal highs..I cannot buy asprin a perfectly safe drug, manufactured under the strictest conditions without a perscriptioin..yet they were selling drugs with labels which said "Not for human consumpion". Well they are closed now. The lease stated that it was a flower shop
, they broke the lease.

Novelty pants, kiss my ass in irish!


Leepracuns begarra.



St Patrick's day was fantastic, I didn't get to see the parade, but the weather could not have been better. There is a saying about March weather. "If March weather comes in like a lamb, then it will go out like a lion and vica verca".So there be storms a comin.
I was knackered after the Scotland match and what a night the Scots had !
Still the better side one on the day and a few changes could have swung the game,
I got a run to Skerries in north county Dublin with a tired Scotsman in the early morning €63...Just give me €60 I said...Here ya are matey handing me €70. I have always found the Scottish people very generous. Perhaps the mean Scot jokes were made up by the same guy who speaks about the stupid Kerryman.....Theres not many of them either.

The strike came and went, for myself I would not work,plenty of taxis did work though. I support it up to withdrawal of labour.
But blocking O'Connell St. or the M50 harms our cause.
I would like to see the provision of taxis to take people to hospitals, imagine having cancer and being told that you won't be brought to hospital..On 2 previous strikes I ferried patients to hospital free, told them to give the money to charity.
This kind of action does far more to help the cause than telling them that its tough, but we are on strike so you will have to walk.

Still the "Not an inch" mentality continues with the taxi regulator.
She must be an Orangeman...."Not an inch"

Where will it all end, more taxis per head of population than anywhere in the world and no one cares.

I was asked to go to Ikea.
Wow that is some place, it was like walking from the Spire to Terenure college.
It was only when someone beside me panicked and cried "Get me out of here" Then a pimply youth came over and showed us where the cut away passage was.
Then there I was at the exit after wasting 2 hours without the storage baskets that I had come for. But 10 minutes on their computer, saw me marching to Isle 27 location 16..
Never again.

Women love it though,

Funny thing I was in Woodies the DIY store looking for wall lamps.
As I was going out a well dressed lady walked out past the till and walked off with all her goods in her arms, nothing paid for! I went back in and told the manager, but he couldn't find the security man..."We will look at the security camera" said he...Could do a lot better me thinks.
Any time I go into Brown Thomas on Grafton St. the security walk so close to me that they nearly step on my heels. So I just turn around and buy the goods somewhere else. Shoplifters are well dressed people..People with loads of money often don't bother dressing up too well.
Today was a disaster work wise, I had to shop in Aldi but on the way I met a Blonde lady heading off to Brussels for the day, back tomorrow! She works for a waste management company, hazardous waste ...and business is booming.
So I popped into the Flyers Cafe where the drivers wait to collect their next fare.
I met Gerry there,he is Austrian, lived here for years. He looked a shadow of his former self, in fact I would reckon he has lost around 6 stone !
What happened? He fell off the work top in the kitchen and crushed his sternum (breastbone) banged his head and his heart stopped...later he went into renal failure!(kidney failure)
He has spent 6 months in hospital and he is having a lot of problems walking. He had to have his car adapted to drive with hand controls...Sweet Mother that's problems.

As a taxi driver you have 2 choices work or starve.

Get well soon mate.

I don't often venture out but David Norris that expert on James Joyce and great scholar was giving a talk. It was a fundraiser to bring children from Palestine to Ireland for a holiday. look here for information.
These children have never had a holiday and live lives in constant danger and fear.
Every child deserves a childhood.

He is a great wit and explains how the humblest of Dublin people can "correct" you and cut the legs from under your argument..I will go to some more of his talks, though he is retired now.


Still I bet you do not expect this ending to this video!


Blondes really are clever!
No I really mean that.
Except for MissSouth Carolina.

Behans Dublin

The newest Kid on the block opened this week. The Grand Canal Theatre.
The Bolshoi Ballet are leading the charge of what I hope will be good entertainment in its state of the art 2,000 seat venue.


Brendan Behans Dublin.
I have been trying to get a copy of this video for ages.
Here is part 3, if you go on to you tube you can get parts one and two..The actual film is much longer. Pity Brendan didn't give up the drink. The ruination of meanies the man and woman.
The commentary on this movie is Ray McNally. He was great as the Bull McCabe in the Abby theater.

So here we are a rugby weekend, this time hosting Scotland.
Trouble lies ahead as there is another mass meeting at the Coachman's pub on Saturday to discuss the looming strike on Monday.
How do you get a government to listen?

Think of BA going on strike, Willie Walsh the chairman of BA nearly hated as much as Kathleen Doyle the taxi regulator.

And why? Because neither of them listen so thousands of people will miss hospital appointments and exams because of the lack of taxis.
As for BA they have already lost millions when people changed their travel arrangements.
No driver can afford to take the time off, but our backs are right to the wall.
Just a little common sense would have prevented the mess which will happen on Monday.

Happy St.Patricks day

To one and all I hope you had a great St.Patricks day.



I make no excuse for showing you this clip again.

The weather was fantastic.

Back to work..

Strike

Most of the dockers who went on strike for 26 weeks in Dublin never set foot inside the dock gates again.

As I write there is still no concrete news about the strike which is coming up soon.

Two things have surfaced.
One,George Hook the broadcaster has offered to act as a mediator between the two sides.
Two,the strike is to start the day after St.Patricks day not on the day.

As a self employed person I do not think it in any way a good idea to leave customers at the ranks who need to get to hospital appointments etc. The radio cab companies have a field day when we go on strike and the Scabs have a wonderful time laughing at us as they drive away with our customers.

Also the moment which was chosen was not good, the Dail is closed and our leaders off to bang the drum around the world,they are pathetic and in any decent society most of them would be locked up for fraud and misrepresentation.

But that is no reason to punish people trying to get to work or hospital.

Many exams are starting around now, The law society and the accountancy exams to name two.

The dockers in the Liverpool went on strike and never worked again.
Most of the dockers who went on strike for 26 weeks in Dublin never set foot inside the dock gates again.

I would suggest that you find out who represents you in the dail and let them know how you feel by letter.
For every driver who goes on strike there are 100 who will work.

We all have principles but we have debts as well.
Times are different but.
Kathleen, its goo to talk, and better to listen.

Taxi strike

I just looked at Roys Taxi blog and saw the worst news ever as far as the taxi industry is concerned.
Taxi strike to go forward on St.Patricks day.
This is one of the best days for taxis if not the very best day.

Our elected leaders have taken themselves off to Wasihinton and every other corner of the world to premote Ireland, while at home everything is going down the tubes.

Looks like we’ll be Sriking on St. Patricks Day!

Roy March 11th, 2010

I gather from the latest press release from the Irish Taxi Council that Taxis will be on strike from St. Patrick’s Day on……

As the Cabinet are all away on Trade missions for the St. Patrick’s day festivals around the world, there will be no resolution before the 7 day notice and therefore we will be “All Out” (AS IF!) on St. Patrick’s day, the following Rugby international weekend…….and beyond that ……………………………..possibly forever!

A return to Strumpet City? Talk about Turkeys voting for Christmas!

Here’s a copy of the Press release:

The Irish Taxi Council notes the the regulators response (taxiregulator.ie) to the recent protest held at its offices at Fitzwilliam sq over the last 2 days. In relation to legal action taken by the regulator, this is the limited response we can give. The ITC have now been told that no member of the organisation can be found within 30 yards of the regulators office, so anyone in Dublin taking a taxi to the vicinity of those offices better be sure that their driver is not an ITC member or supporter!

We wish to state clearly that the ITC will do its utmost, legally and morally, to vindicate any percieved wrongdoing by its four members concerned.

In the mean time the ITC has advised the Minister of Transport of the mandate recieved today from representatives nationwide and full time taxi drivers in Ireland, at a mass meeting in Swords Co Dublin to state the following demand:

That full time taxi drivers of Ireland demand that the 11 point plan of the Oireachtas joint transport committee, a duly elected body of the citizens of Ireland, be implemented in full within the next seven (7) days. Otherwise our mandate states we are to organise nationwide protest and disruption within the taxi industry for such a time until the demands of our members and all full time taxi drivers are met.

If the Minister does not wish to engage then the Taoiseasch should intervene and sort this mess out.

Spokesperson for the ITC, Frank Byrne, says “we would like to thank everyone who gave their support to the lads over the last few days. The public should be warned, this action will get far more serious very quickly if our issues are not addressed”.

To add insult to injury the boys who got the job of working on NAMA who were to start work on an agreed salery of €100,000 are now to get€170,000.

Not a bad pay rise from a country in trouble.

The Welsh are here

The Welsh are arriving for a brilliant sporting weekend.
They love singing and Rugby and digging coal from the ground!

Today the Gods smiled at me and sent me loads of work.
When it goes well it is wonderful.
First spin of the day took me from the Clontarf seafront to Harolds Cross, I turned around and 50 yards down the road I got a lift to Temple Rd from a girl on crutches. This is where the Brazilian embassy residence is. My passinger had a very slight accent, so I asked her where she came from"Harolds Cross" was her reply. Then your mother must have been from the country says I."Well I suppose so If you call France the country", Her accent was so slight that it was like as the slightest spice was added to your favourite dish, you know it is there but it is so slight that you cannot taste it. But you know that something is there and it is great.
We had a great conversation about how wonderful the food is in France.

Then a girl from Boston who used to work for Google but now is starting work with Facebook.This is the first year she has not had visitors from abroad for St.Patricks day. She also said that is a bigger day in New York or Boston.

It seemed like I was on a winning streak, I even got a run to the airport from a couple off to Switzerland for a weeks holidays.It is snowing in Switzerland.
When I was driving off from arrivals the Garda had 6 or more taxis penned in and they were looking at their papers and issuing tickets.
I hear that they have taken action with the drivers who are touting at Heuston station..About time too.

My last fare was a woman who was heading up to Moore St to do her shopping. She told me that she has cancer and that she feels the cold very badly.
I told her that today I have been lucky and to help her in her fight I would spread my good luck round and not charge her at all.
Poor old girl was insisting on paying me a tenner but I said that to take her money would sour my luck..So she promised to say a prayer for me and I will ask my God to look out for her too.

So take care of yoursellves and safe driving.

Meeting

Today the taxi drivers held a meeting to vent their anger at the Taxi regulator and the Government.

Meeting in Swords today



The Irish Taxi Council decided to use the conclusions set out in the Transport Committee’s report as their list of demands for the Taxi industry: (this I would fully endorse)

1. That legislation should be introduced immediately to provide for the introduction of a three year moratorium on the issue of taxi licenses with the exception of the provision of wheelchair accessible taxis.

2. That the Minister’s proposal to subsume the Taxi Regulation Commission into the Dublin Transportation Office be implemented immediately.

3. In view of the inadequacy of taxi ranks in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford the Committee proposes that the Taxi Regulator establish the number of extra taxi rank spaces to be provided in each city in 2009 and 2010 and require those additional taxi rank spaces to be provided by the relevant local authorities.

4. That the Garda authorities be given responsibility for enforcement of taxi driver licensing in association with the Taxi Regulator. That a senior Garda be assigned to this role in each Garda division in view of the fact that the Taxi Regulator has already stated that she does not have enough resources to monitor the situation properly (nine enforcers).

5. That insurance certificates be checked in real time to rule out the amount of fraudulent certificates being presented.

6. That the new national licensing system that was introduced in 2006 which gives each license holder a unique 5 digit license number should include the city of issue.

7. That an authorised company would supply the taxi / hackney plates and roof signs with a security code to ensure that they cannot be copied and that they should be supplied only by N.C.T. centres.

8. That new applicants be required to undergo tests equal to or exceeding the standard required to acquire an Irish driving license.

9. To further improve the standard of service delivered, new criteria should be implemented through the examination process that would include a formal interview and proficiency in Irish or English.

10. That taxi drivers who wish to relinquish their plates should be obliged to return them to the Taxi Regulator at the purchase price. This would eliminate the practice of reselling them through newspapers etc.

11. That in the future the practice of renting or leasing taxi licenses should be discontinued with the exception of car replacements.

This list which has been in the hands of the Minister since last July will be sent along with a 7 day strike notice tomorrow…..hopefully there will be a reaction this time.

I copied this from Roys Blog.

I thought that we lived in a democracy not a dictatorship,but things are coming to a head very fast now.

One person Quoted something which is very relevant.
A nation of sheep must be be governed by a pack of wolves eventaly.

Its time to stand up now.
I went on strike at Heuston a few times and did hospital runs for no charge while radio cars picked up fares around the corner, they have to look themselves in the mirror in the morning and say. "I did well yesterday while my colleagues fought for our rights."
I do not agree with blocking the Luas or the port.
But I do agree that the people we elected to represent us all must be made to listen to common sense.

You get what you allow.
45,000 X rays were not viewed by qualified staff over a 4 year period in the Tallagh hospital!!!!
People sent home with broken arms, tumors etc.
Yet staff in the hospital KNEW this was going on and said nothing.

So what do you want a n industry regulated with a bit of cop on or a dictatorship where the workers are killed with 1,000 knife cuts.

Strike day 2

Well it back to the future with regard to protesting.
This time the Irish Taxi Council mean business.



The Irish Taxi Council

Email: info@irishtaxicouncil.org

Ph: 087 1471818

Press Bulliten for immediate Release

09/03/10

The Irish Taxi Councils protest has now expanded to include the the withdrawal of taxi services from Dublin Airport,Dublin city ranks, Cork airport, services in Tralee,Killarney Waterford and most large towns and cities across Ireland.

The protest will end when the 2 ITC members who are peacefully protesting at the regulators office in Dublin are allowed to use a toilet, get some food and come off a forced hunger strike.

The drivers have not eaten or taken fluids or been allowed to use the bathroom for the last 19 hours
_____________________________________________________


Tomorrow there will be a meeting at noon in the Exhibition center beside the Coachmans Inn at the airport...So set your sat navs and come over.

All in all a tipping point has been reached.
Putting up the PSV licence fee from e4 for 10 years to e250 for 3 years and then raising the renewal cost of the plate to e1,000 per year.
Then bringing the max. age of vehicle run in time forward leaves many with nowhere to go.

Look if I bought a S class Merc with 20,000 miles on the clock(ex Archbishops car)..All the bells and whistles Air con etc. wouldn't it be better than a 3 year old City Cab which has been going 24/7 since new.If the car is inspected and declared sound AGE should not come into the equasion.

Strike on here

The ofice of the taxi regulator was occupied by 6 drivers concerned about the bringing forward of the 10 year rule and other issues.
Taxis are on strike in Foster Place, and O'Connell St.The strike is spreading althogh the press seems to be silent.
I suspect that O'Connell St will be blocked soon.

Wedding Bells

The wedding took place in St Andrews Church in Westland Rd of Miss Juhong Li (Judy)
And Mr Yurong Liu. So we all got dressed up and off we went.


We had two little flower girls .


And we had Judys Godmother who helped us to pay attention.



Then the procession arrived//

With a bride.


And a groom.








Catching the brides bouquet.








Judys sister tells us that ,in a phone call she thought this was getting serious.

Stuck under the bridge.

He couldn't get under the bridge and had to turn around.


A prison van heads for the courts.


Into the port, didn't know I was going so fast.

'Saturday night and I ant got no money"or so the song goes.
Well I am taking the night off, tired of working I have a wedding and a trip to the airport tomorrow.

Well all you lucky boys and girls have the Oscars to look forward to.
I had a guy in the car a few weeks ago said he was off to Hollywood, said he was an actor by the name of McCain without the i, so maybe he is McKane, or perhaps McCane. We had reached his stop by then. He said he would be on stage with Colin Farrell at the awards which were on when I was in Blackpool.
I cannot embed this so here is the link, the funniest acceptance speech of all time.
You know the Internet is killing TV. Instant access to news views and current topics.
Bookshops are hitting the wall now, I was in a bookstore who were selling 3 novels for e6 and a host of other books for e5 marked down from e20
I feel at present like I should "Go Walkabout" I am sick of the doom and gloom.

If you start work when you feel you are beaten, you ARE beaten before you begin.
Perhaps from tomorrow I should throw myself into life like Roberto.


The painting is coming on nicely, I should have all my work done in 2 weeks. The leak which caused the floor to swell has been fixed, the floor is back down, with the lino, so next week the hole in the ceiling has to be fixed. Never a dull moment eh !
This year The St.Patricks festival looks like it will be a good one.www.stpatricksfestival.ie is the website.
There are loads of visitors around and the weather has really picked up.
Remember boys and girls One side of Meririon Sq. will be closed off for the duration.For the funfair....And you won't be told until the traffic is gridlocked.

Had a run to Wheatfield prison this morning..I really don't have any real problems.

Passingers

George Carlyn MUST have been a taxi driver.
How else could he discribe my passinger last Saturday night.



So for all taxi drivers everywhere a big round of applause for George Carlyn RIP

Some people should give up living for lent.

St.Davids Day

I will always show a client the gates of Hearlic house..(You will find it in Hearlic Downs)A work of art me thinks.


This is my tax advisor Ken Dodd in the white suit.
He explains the difference between a Colt 45 and a P 45.Not much!


Snow on the Welsh hills.
Happy St.David's day for the 1st of March. Patron saint of the Welsh, see.

Did I tell you I came back from Blackpool by boat and car with Fred Corvenio who's family have been in Circus for over 700 years? Well that is as far as they have been able to go back.
Now that trip was much better than flying. No one asked to take away my water, or look into my shoes either.


Well Friday night was not hectic but Saturday was better. Beating the English at anything is a great plus, but doing it at rugby on their own country is even better.

I am a strange person when it comes to sport, I don't follow any sport. I used to follow horse racing until I found out how crooked a sport it was. I think of the lads playing football, with so much energy wouldn't they be better off cleaning windows or working in the fields.
So I hear that it is 2 weeks to the Cheltinham festival of racing...

Many Irish head off for the festival where they win,loose and spend small fortunes. One guy used to close his business and fly his staff to England every year. This was their Christmas treat, a great bonding exercise. But a few years ago there was a foot and mouth epidemic in England and livestock could not be moved so the Cheltinham festival was canceled.
So the boss of the company rang up the hotel where they had always stayed and asked for his deposit back. The manager told him that his deposit would not be refunded. The guy in Dublin tried make him to change his mind, to no avail. "Right so I will be sending over someone else to represent us"
What the manager didn't know was that the business man had a brother who was a priest in and inner city parish near Cheltinham.. He asked his brother who was a priest to round up 8 of the dirtiest winos he could find and bring them in a minibus to the hotel. The manager nearly had a heart atttack when he saw his guests and offered a full refund and a token from the hotel to compensate for his "mistake.

So the priest rang his brother back in Dublin. "What will I do with the money?"
"Bring them people off to get a good meal and give the rest to the poor of the parish"

He seems like a nice kind of a guy I wonder if they found a better hotel?, I am sure they did.

Like many stories I don't know if it was true I heard it on radio Merseyside, so it MUST be true. But there wouldn't be many good tales if they all had to be true.

I got an invitation to a wedding on Saturday. Judy one of my Chinese friends is tying the knot. Now this should be an interesting occasion..They have 3 priests lined up to tie the knot.
Yes I think I will go.

Michael Bubley tickets went on sale on Friday and sold out in 8 Min's something like 50,000 tickets...So the Aviva(Landsdowne Rd) stadium has got to be finished soon.
While I was having a nightcap the guy beside me in the pub told me that he would be arranging all the transport for the Michael Buble European tour!. He was flying over to London to arrange it all..We can all dream.

He is like a young Frank Sinatra, great timing and a great voice.


Seems like good fun was had by all in the making that video.

Story of my life
"I just haven't met you yet"

I have a theory about women who sit in the front seat.
Most girls sit in the back left seat, out of view from the rear view mirror, except. Australians, then Teachers, Doctors, Nurses and Phisios..The girl haughed out loud "I am a psychologist" She said.So we got on fine.
I had a Russian girl in the car going to the Russian embassy she was a baby doctor (Can't spell that Phedo word)She was getting her passport and her sons passport renewed.I was shocked when she told me that she was not working, such a waste of talent to have a well qualified person not working. She told me that her husband was teaching at a university and she thought that she could not get a work visa.
If you are reading this! Go for it girl we need good doctors.
Katie Melulas father is a Russian doctor working in Belfast.
She has agreat voice.


Just when I am on the subject of Katie Melula,I picked up a young girl with a really nice perm who had this old(er)guy with her. He wanted to buy cigarettes and while he was in the petrol station in Booterstown I had a conversation with the girl. The girl I reckoned would have been way out of her partners league and mine added together, but I later found out that she was Katie Melula and the guy was her manager.
He was in some famous group once.



Every taxi driver will tell you.
In a taxi,fame is nothing.

Its destinations we want, nothing more.
Manys the mile were done with Katie on the CD player.