Goodbye to Beaut.ie

UPDATE: It's back! The site has been rescued! QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH MY HEART, GUYS. I've decided to leave this post here anyway though, as it's the only thing I've managed to write here since November. Just change the "sorely missed" bit to "continuing to be deadly".

It's a sad day for Irish blogging, as after eight sparkling years the truly excellent Beaut.ie is hanging up its dancing shoes and handing in its lipstick. I was lucky enough to contribute to the site for the last year and a half or so and absolutely loved being part of a team of such witty and wonderful women.


I had long been a fan of the site and like many others, it inspired my former blogmate Tess and I to start up our own little corner of the internet. When Aisling invited me to become part of the Beaut.ie team back in 2012, I was so taken aback that I actually replied asking whether I had gotten her email by accident, as I had never expected to become part of such a brilliant and beloved blog. Also because I'm pretty clueless about make-up and the one thing that I can actually do is an only slightly wobbly eyeliner flick.

Thankfully I wasn't emailed in error and got to write about everything from Youth Defence being dicks, to genderised toys being a load of bollocks, to stock photo models, period dramas, stupid sexy Halloween costumes and Justin Theroux looking like there'd be a smell of bins off him. I also got to use the phrase "rampaging cockmonster" in a post, which was fun.

While I'm sad that that the site is coming to an end, it's been an absolute blast and you couldn't ask for a more supportive and genuinely lovely, fun and often hilarious bunch of commenters. Beaut.ie will be sorely missed and I want to thank Aisling for having me and wish her and the rest of the crack team of kickass ladies all the luck in the world with their continuing adventures.

Shine on, you crazy diamonds.

Stop SOPA Ireland

An Open Letter to Sean Sherlock TD 
Courtesy of Boob.ie and Pop Culture Monster

Dear Mr Sherlock,

Further to the recent debate on January 31st at Dáil Éireann, we are presenting to you this letter as an appeal for you to reconsider your Statutory Instrument on Copyright in Ireland.

Before we go any further we are not what you have deemed us to be. We are not “keyboard warriors”, shouting blindly that any new proposed copyright law goes straight to the bin, because we don’t feel that way. We are concerned citizens of Ireland. And we feel we are not being treated as such.

Stating that the Statutory Instrument would be signed regardless of the 80,000 signatures from the general public in opposition and regardless of the issues and concerns voiced by your peers in office at today’s debate is demoralising. It forces us to believe that our voices, the voices of the people who put you where you are today, are not being heard. It forces us to believe that we are being ignored. It forces us to believe that you simply do not care. Surely the outcome of a Dáil debate, and subsequent vote, should determine whether or not the subject either goes forward for signing, back to the drawing board, or into the bin.

Let me assure you that we are all for protecting copyrighted material. We believe that all copyright holders should be compensated for the work and effort put into making their material. What we don’t believe in, however, is the manner in which this law is being proposed and put through. It’s undemocratic to believe using secondary legislation loopholes to push through a bill that is the best way to go about this.

We are not opposed to changing legislation. What we are opposed to is the vague wording of the legislation, leaving the net cast far too wide for interpretation and abuse.

As Junior Minister for Jobs, Enterprise, Innovation and Research it might be advisable, Mr Sherlock, to put some real research into a new law. Find out how to narrow it, so that situations where it is open to abuse cannot arise. You assured us today that despite the vague wording, it would not be abused. My question to you is, why word it so that it can be abused, and therefore have to assure us it will not? Why not rather reword it so that it cannot and therefore will not be abused?

And by doing so you might just implement a law that can be followed, enforced and adhered to in the manner for which it was intended. If that is achieved then perhaps it would help, instead of hinder (or indeed terminate) the creation of employment in this country. Particularly in a sector that is world renowned in providing highly qualified and innovative people.

There’s the word, Minister. Innovation. Let’s be innovative about this.

We are not calling for the copyright laws to remain the way they are, as they are presently being changed regardless of your Statutory Instrument. There is no point denying that the copyright laws currently in place have to change.

Simply stating that a party can apply for a court injunction if they feel an infringement has taken place will cause nothing more than a backlog in the courts, major costs to the tax payer and a fear that anyone with a blog, forum or website will be subject to attack from a party with deeper pockets.

Will a website be taken down for linking to a video on YouTube if the copyright holder seeks an injunction against YouTube? With this new legislation amendment, linking to copyright infringement is no less a crime than handling a stolen television set.

Will a website be blocked for using a freely available picture? If the main social players on the internet such as Google and YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter decide not to get involved in such disputes, will it block their sites from being used by anyone in Ireland? Will it block our websites, blogs, forums and other media from partnering for advertising or linking within their platforms?

Or will they just write off their investment in this country and move their headquarters to a state that isn’t run by corporate lobbyists, taking their jobs with them?

The fallout from DELL leaving under the old government was devastating. The fallout from the potentially dangerous legislation you’re proposing to implement is inconceivable. No doubt, it would end with you and your party being disgraced.

Many websites are under threat from this new legislation. Young websites that were established by people trying to make a way for themselves; people hoping to gain employment in national or international media; and people hoping to become self-employed and self-reliant. Websites that at this time do not have advertising budgets and rely on the free media of Facebook, Twitter, and a host of other social networking websites.

You mentioned a national online forum today (boards.ie) who have stated that they will not be able to support themselves in legal fees should they be taken to court under your new legislation. It’s not just boards.ie who could be forced to shut down, give up and walk away or start from scratch. It’s potentially millions of website owners. With your new legislation, you are affecting millions of Internet users. You are threatening millions of people’s livelihoods and sources of income.

This legislation has to have its wording tightened, because to put it bluntly Minister, it feels like this is EMI using you to push this through. After all, Eircom currently blocks its customers from using The Pirate Bay. So targeting UPC is the next way to go, we suppose.

If the law is there to protect the big companies from losing revenue due to illegal downloading, then by all means state that outright in the wording of the legislation.

We implore you bring it back to the drawing board, research it and come up with something that is concise and not so wide open to interpretation.

What we need now is for you to wait, patiently. The new copyright laws are being drawn up. Wait for them. And integrate a narrower and more focused version of your Statutory Instrument that doesn’t curb and limit freedom on the Internet; that won’t force businesses to take themselves elsewhere; that won’t limit creativity; and that won’t give rights of censorship by large bull-headed businesses.

We who operate on the internet on a daily basis understand how it works. We understand what’s frowned upon and what is downright illegal.

We understand that most of those who create original content want credit over compensation. Those lobbying you for this law are only concerned with the compensation, and that’s business, that’s fair enough. It shouldn’t however, prevent the (largely) self policing internet from doing what it does best - providing a platform for millions to express creativity and even free advertising for the big businesses in some cases. (Surely they don’t want to have their cake and eat it too?)

It’s those who do not understand the differences that this law is required for. Sad that it’s the same people who were slow to understand and grasp how much the internet would change their business. Sad that instead of embracing it and trying to understand how to integrate it into their business, they want to try and stop it altogether.

The videogame industry is constantly coming up with ways to combat piracy, and they’re beginning to work. But EMI et al, don’t need us to point that out to them. After all, their material is licensed on thousands of video game titles worldwide.

Perhaps if the record companies were proactive in their fight against piracy they might just discover an innovative way of doing so themselves.

And there that word is again, Minister.

Minister, we are a group of concerned bloggers, writers, artists, columnists and professionals who understand the need for greater copyright protection, but are fearful of the cloak and dagger way you seem to be attempting to implement it.

Protection of the people is the job of the government, something our Taoiseach has no problem telling us when there’s more bad financial news on the way. Protecting business is another, and we get that.

It just needs to be handled a lot better than it has been.

In closing, Mr Sherlock, what we’re looking for is full disclosure and due process all the way. You and your colleagues in government were elected for change and this behaviour is something that reeks of your predecessors. What we want is protection for the small operator and not just for the big business, who can afford their protection regardless of the cost or effort.

We don’t expect you to answer or even acknowledge this letter Mr Sherlock, but we do call on you to acknowledge that there are people at your disposal who can help you with this law and legislation.

Please don’t do what we fear you’re doing, and run this through thinking you know what you’re at.

Sincerely,

Ireland’s Internet Community

Coming To A Doctor's Waiting Room Near YOU!

I get excited about lots of things. Like the fact that I'm going to see Raiders of the Lost Ark on Sunday in the IFI, or when they have Wispas in stock at the coffee dock in work. But right now I'm REALLY excited that I've been featured in this week's issue of Woman's Way, as they have most kindly decided to include me in their 12 New Faces for 2012 article.


Look! There I am!


In case anyone was wondering, the post about Obama is here and the mermaids one can be found here. I'm happy dancing in my chair right now. Woo!

Sure who will we get in trouble with? The Blog Police?

I may not have made it as a finalist in this year's Irish Blog Awards, but when yet another winner turned out not to be there on the night and Rick O'Shea was offering their big foam trophy to a crowd that remained seated, I skittered up to the stage to grab it. Fuck this, thought I, I'm having some manner of prize for myself. Although, after the ceremony bit the Bear did head for the stage and unattended glass trophies after saying "You deserve an award Kitty." If something is unclaimed and unguarded then it's not really stealing. Right?

I was the girl in the Minnie Mouse type dress, for those of you who were at the awards.

The Bear and myself had a ferocious amount of fun and it was brilliant meeting Eli Mordino, Hermia, notRuairi, White Rabbit and The Licentiate, to name a few. Jumping into a taxi to go back to a house with some of the above turned out to be an amazingly good call. There were card tricks, a mesmerising game with zombies in it and magic mind-reading a go-go. Let it be known that Nordies put on a damn entertaining show.

The next morning, whilst packing up our hangovers, the Bear noticed a crowd across the road from the hotel, staring up at the building. When you're staying in the most bombed hotel in Europe and a crowd of spectators are gathering below your eighth storey window, this might be a cause for concern.

The terrified blonde girl in a harness that appeared outside our window moments later solved the mystery right away though. For you see there was a group abseiling down the front of the Europa for charity that very morning.


I refrained from taking a picture of said terrified girl, for when I gave her a bemused smile, she looked less than impressed. She appeared to be somewhere between scared out of her wits and seething with anger for ever agreeing to the stunt and may have been likely to smash through our window and grab me by the throat. Or something less dramatic.

Seeing as this was the last year of the IBAs, I do hope that there'll be an alternative event of some description next year, as there are loads of bloggers I'd still love to meet. All we really need is an excuse for a massive piss-up, and ideally one with significantly less politics and martyrdom involved.

My Rocky Valentine

I know it was only a matter of months since the last time we spent an evening of mischief at the Rocky Horror Picture Show in The Sugar Club, nevertheless that's exactly where we we found ourselves last Saturday night, only this time it was Anti-Valentine's Delight flavour.

The bottom left picture shows the Bear kindly retying the knot on my corset which somehow came undone. Also, I had to get a picture of my eye make-up as it was my first proper attempt at that liquid eyeliner flicky thing and I was rather proud of the result.

There was much to-ing and fro-ing on my part beforehand, as I was finding it tremendously difficult to decide on a corset to wear. Granted, the red and black one was more in keeping with the Rocky Horror colour scheme, but the purple one meant I wouldn't have to keep readjusting myself all evening. Purple emerged victorious, as the question of boob-wrangling would inevitably have gotten more tiresome as the evening wore on.

All the usual mayhem applied, toast flying at the screen, an abundance of ass on show (man-ass included and impossible to tear your eyes away from, no matter how much you want to) water guns fired into the crowd, simulated sex onstage, you know yourself. The Bear and I each had a hip flask of rum stowed upon our respective persons and I can safely warn you beyond doubt that his 'n hers hip flasks will unquestionably be followed by his 'n hers headaches the next morning.

Well one of us got ripped off, that's for damn sure.

After the show, when the dancing had ensued (I say dancing, in my case I mean acting out as many lyrics as possible with increasingly erratic gesturing) I was approached by a foxy lady called Caroline with fire engine red hair and a top hat that I'm totally jealous of. Said lady made my night, as it turns out that she recognized me from this here blog and we had a great old chat about it, in between me not quite getting my head around the whole situation. She also informed me that Tura Satana died during the week, whose ridiculously colourful life I've previously blogged about. Maybe now a film will be made about her, because someone really needs to dammit. So to summarise: sexy fun, sneaky rum, Hi Caroline! and RIP Tura, you total badass.

Inside the Blogger's Studio

It's been quite some time since I took part in a meme, and when Hermia tagged me in her interview post thingamajig, well, I figured it'd be just plain rude not to. So allow me to partake in a bit of fluff as it were.

And so...to the questions!

Why did you create the blog?

Ah. Well, I actually didn't you see. My lovely friend TCup actually started it way back when, as she had been saying we should start a blog because we crack each other up. So Red Lemonade began life as a double act of sorts, with both myself and TCup talking shite. The name came from our initials, as in TK Red Lemonade.

What kind of blogs do you follow?

I actually follow a hape of blogs. (May or may not be the correct collective noun...) Well written personal blogs I suppose. The likes of The Spanish Exposition, Chancing My Arm, The Little Pinch of Salt, Radgery, Jennifer Alice In Wonderland are all entertaining reads. The Demure Lemur is also a brilliant writer but reading her blog in work at times borders on hazardous, as it can get rather sexy and as such distract you from work entirely for far more interesting thoughts. It's funny, smart and deliciously dirty. The Anti Room is a great read too. Oh and sharp, funny fashion blogs like What Will Wear Today? and The Stylebitches would be on the list too. Like I said, a hape.

Favourite make up brand?

Can't say I have one really, I wouldn't be that pushed either way once I'm not getting ripped off.

Favourite clothing brand?

Again, wouldn't have a huge preference but have found some deadly stuff in charity shops over the last while. Other than that, the usual suspects like A Wear, Topshop, Urban Outfitters (normally only when there's a sale on) and Forever 21 is a bit of alright as it happens.

Your indispensable make up product?

Eyeliner.

Favourite colour?

Purple.

Your perfume?

I have a bottle of Mademoiselle by Jean Paul Gaultier which I frequently forget about entirely.

Your favourite film?

As if anyone has just ONE favourite. Amelie, Some Like It Hot, Taken (go Liam Neeson, go!), Pulp Fiction, Elf, Shaun of the Dead, THE ROOM (it so very deserves uppercase), The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Enchanted, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Anchorman, Planet Terror, Death Proof, The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy and as of Monday, Machete.

What country would you like to visit and why?

Vietnam. Just so I could shout "You weren't THERE man!" at people who in fact, weren't.

Write the last question and answer it yourself: Favourite fictional character?

Jessica Beatrice Fletcher. Boom.

I hereby tag Emma of Fluff and Fripperies and The Incredible Mulq. Away with ye, ladies.

I'll Get Me Coat

A few weeks ago I was invited along to an A|Wear press day, as I occasionally manage to pass myself off as a fashion blogger of sorts somehow. Whilst having a nosy around their forthcoming Autumn stock, a certain coat reminded me of something. Last year I blogged about (read: got obsessed with) a coat that the ridetabulous Zooey Deschanel wore in Yes Man, how it turned out to be from a vintage shop and as such, disappointingly could not be had. Even now, I still get hits from people desperately Googling "zooey deschanel yes man navy coat", and my favourite search term so far:

"i want mother effing zooey deschanel navy freaking peacoat!"

So frustrated and yet too polite to even swear properly. Aw.

So, to the A|Wear coat at hand. Namely this navy and red schoolgirl coat, which is out now, costs €70 and really, seeing as Zooey's coat was a magical one-off, it's not an altogether bad substitute, no?

Amsterdammit

The Bear and I got back from Amsterdam yesterday, having survived seven days of Dutch shenanigans. The subsequent time has been spent in a heap on the couch, catching up on telly (Britain's Next Top Model, The IT Crowd and the really quite good nudey-fest Spartacus: Blood & Sand), other blogs and finishing the Steig Larsson books (which I am loving despite myself and my previous condecension for this idiot Girl Who Plays With Matches and Kicks Bees In The Face. I'm totally sold). Between that and being practically asleep at my desk for the most of the morning today, proper blogging will have to wait just a little longer. Soon my pretties. Soon.

Fighting On The Planet's Side

Dear God I'm much too hungover today to blog coherently. Also I somehow managed to bruise the palm of my hand. How does that even happen? A lot of fun was had last night though in celebration of Mazatron's birthday, what with the smuggling of Jameson into the pub (because it transpires that I'm actually a total knacker), trying to show T Cup how to Time Warp and conversations about how rubbish the "heart" power was in Captain Planet. Although the Bear later reminded me that there was an episode where they combined their powers without that irritating heart kid for some reason and as a result Captain Planet came out all mean and uncaring. So I suppose they did need him really. Anyway, hangover aside I will pull myself together just enough to say how much I love this ad for MAC's Viva Glam campaign with Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga. Of course, that's mostly due to the fact that it looks like it was shot in a cartoon bordello.

Gaga looks gorgeous altogether and Lady Lauper seems to be just the right side of Photoshopped-ta-Jaysus in that she's more or less recognisable at least. Hot stuff.

So just because it's amazing, here's the opening and closing credits to Captain Planet. Unfortunately it turns out that it's impossible to find a version of the frankly FANTASTIC closing song that doesn't have some announcer fucknut talking over it. Nonetheless, I dare you to try NOT to sing along. It just can't be done.

Oh You Guys

I want one. I want one NOW.

Typing "nom nom nom" into Google Images is quite an experience actually, as in amongst the inevitable Lolcats and baby bunnies, there will also appear a picture of some ladies doing things to other ladies. Unexpected.

Anyway, why the NOMs you ask? Well I'll tell you...

Someone actually nominated us for Best Pop Culture Blog and (for some reason) Best Political Blog for the Irish Blog Awards!

Really?

Yes, really! The list of all the nominees is anseo.

To be honest I pretty much forgot all about the Blog Awards this year, but muchas gracias and a big lick up the side of yer face to whoever nominated us, you're deadly.

As for the rest of you. The door's thataway.

I keed, I keed. I think the Best Political Blog nomination was actually entered by mistake, since the most political it gets here on Red Lemonade is the state of Sweet Valley High book covers or a scathing review of Leap Year. But hey, we'll take a nomination where we can get it! And well done to all the other nominees. I guess. (Again, joking!)

Michael Caine Vs Horrible Skangers

Last night, the Bear and I decided on an impromptu cinema date, "sure we'll just show up and see what's starting around then" said I. Staring up at Cineworld's film listings, nothing was jumping out at us. 2012? No interest in seeing it. Jennifer's Body? I'm curious alright but not enough to risk a tenner. An Education? Bleh. Harry Brown? What's that? I don't believe I've heard of that one. A quick scan through the synopsis sorted it. We were both sold at the very mention of the word "vigilante". Sure who doesn't love a good vigilante, ass whooping, revenge movie? Taken, Payback, Death Wish, ALL SAVAGE.

This one is too, it's a bit like Gran Torino with a Landaaan accent and it's deadly. Everyone loves Michael Caine sure!

WINNER. SEE IT.

***

On a completely unrelated note, myself and Lady Tcup are reviewing that pinnacle of televisual reality, I'm A Celebrity Give Me A Job, over on Culch.ie

Do drop by!

Mind the Gap

It’s all been a bit quiet here in Lemonade Land, has it not? In case anyone was wondering, this is partly because I’ve gone and gotten myself a JOB. Imagine that! As soon as I did get it however, I promptly took two days off to go swanning around London with the Bear for an extra long long weekend, as you do. I got a brilliant picture of a squirrel, ate my body weight in Krispy Kreme doughnuts and had pistachio shells thrown at me by a rival table because our team were slightly cheating at a pub quiz. Douchebags. Also I got stung by Ryanair for €35 on the way over because my suitcase was an inch too big to fit into their poxy hand luggage frame. But more of that later. For now, it’s procrastination time in work already, and I’m googling Rocky Horror outfits in preparation for the Halloween show in Das Sugar Club tomorrow night.

Oh it’s on.

Hello Sailor!

On Saturday, I found myself charity shop shopping yet again, only this time in Dun Laoghaire with the Bear and the Dapper Man, our reasoning being that rich fuckers must have deadly stuff to give away. The Bear scored another fifteen or so videos, one of which was Animaniacs and I'm not ashamed to say I squeaked with excitement when I saw it.

But before that...

There was the dress...

What a dress...

And it was only €9 too...

And and and it has A BIG RED ANCHOR! Look!


Needless to say I love it to tiny pieces and think I might get one of those red underskirts to floof it out at the end. Which, I believe, is the technical term. Oh it's so much fun to twirl around in. Awesome-o. Two thousand. And fifty.

Sunday brought the First Anniversary of the Fashion Bloggers Brunch in the superswanky Harvey Nichols restaurant, and with it some savage goody bags and rather tasty and tiny food that made it quite easy for me to pretend I was a giant, féach ar seo!


There was also the choice of a Champagne Bellini or Bloody Mary on entry, which got me all excited as I'd never tried a Bloody Mary before and in my excitement I somehow managed to forget that I don't actually like tomato...or tabasco. I was reminded pretty sharply after the first taste though. Lesson learned.

Tan Lines O'Clock

Well I've been back since Sunday night, but what with all the sleeping and unpacking and um...catching up with the Bear and sleeping some more, I'm only getting around to my poor neglected half of the blog now. I'm sorry little blog, don't look at me like that, here have a Jaffa Cake...better now?

So the month that was Summer School was truly one of scandal, scoring, cross dressing, cheese factories, sombrero eating, rum drinking and the odd hospital visit thrown in too for the craic. But more of that later. For the moment you'll just have to be happy with these pictures of me very nearly getting thrown into the swimming pool by a priest, a monk and the school doctor's nephew. Cheeky bastards.


The only reason I didn't end up with my new spotty gúna soaked in chlorine was because they had forgotten the key for the gate into the pool. Even then I was lucky though, since they've been known to pitch previous victims over the railings and then into the water, so all in all a broken button on my dress wasn't too bad an outcome I guess.

And For My Next Trick...

Ta-daah! At the suggestion of Miss Lottie, behold my newly assembled *extra deep* bookcase. Thing of beauty, ain't she?

(Also, like Tcup said, I promise I'll return to proper non-lazy blogging soon. Ish. Really.)

I Hate Packing I Do

This week, I have been mostly putting off packing up my shit for the impending move of house to lovely shiny Rathmines. I did have fun procrastinating though, attending an extras casting for The Tudors with the Bear (who looks so much the part already I was surprised they didn't create a character for him on the spot and give him his own tavern to run), getting sunburned in the Botanic Gardens while making daisy chains and resurrecting my addiction to cheesy breadsticks from Lidl (try them, go on, I dare you not to finish the box in one sitting. And dunked in Philadelphia? Dear GOD it's like cheesey crunchy heroin.) But the move is nigh, and so the house has mostly been looking like this of late:


Behold the sitting room and my room. Yes, that is a garden gnome. His name is Gerald. So I'm blaming the prior house hunt and subsequent packing for my shameful neglect of the blog lately. Also I was busy working my mad haggling skillz on the letting agent after viewing our new house. A decent house in Rathmines with two bathrooms and three double bedrooms for €1400 a month was pretty good but we reckoned we could chance an aul haggle. But only after I rang my Dad to find out what the hell to say, naturally. And so unfolds a dramatic reconstruction:

Me: Hi, Letting Agent Man (names have been changed), we really like the house and we'd be very interested in taking it. The thing is, we've been looking at places in that area around the €1200 mark, and really that's what would suit us at the moment.

Him: Hmm, okay.

Me: So do you think you could put it to your client?

Him: I'll have to give him a call, I'll get back to you at 2.15.

3.00 rolls around. I've probably called Dad again in the meantime to cover what I should say for every possible outcome.

Him: Right, I've spoken to the landlord and the lowest he's willing to go is €1300.

Me: (In my head: CHA CHING! Fecking deadly!) Okay, I see. Well I'll have to talk to the other girls and I'll give you a call back.

Hooray! So we took it and now myself and Tcup are moving in with our lovely friend Marzipan and everything's going to be so great in lovely Rathmines, not least because there's a deadly bakery around the corner from the house that sell proper fancy buns with mad coloured icing. I think every day will be Cake Day for a while. Or at least until I end up spending all my dole money on cupcakes. SWEET.

Oh and this is my box o'DVDs. Seeing as I'm a nosy bint, I thought some other nosy people might like to try to make out what movies are in the bosca. There's no porn there though.

Diagnosis Awesome

For some reason I tend to end up being hungover at the Fashion Bloggers Brunches, and last Saturday was no exception. Although tasty bruschetta, Pollo Pesto and magical lemon and strawberry gelato brought me back around, as did the swanky swag bag of Benefit goodies and blogger banter. Score! Annmarie has the scoop and the photos, and ta very much to the Fresh Prince of Kildare for the spin back!


The rest of the weekend was taken up by watching the Blues Brothers, (for the first time no less. It's amazing.) the Eurovision, (although I missed Dita performing with the German entry. Raging.) and discovering a feature length episode of Diagnosis Murder that had MATLOCK in it. I kinda fell asleep during it though, but was kindly woken up by the Bear's housemate to catch the very end which featured Matlock and Dick Van Dyke singing a duet with a ukelale to kids in a hospital. Naturally.

Pick Me(me)

After Googling meme to find some clever picture or other for this post, it turns out that there's some bird in America called Meme Roth. She doesn't like fat kids. Or something.


Anyway, to the matter at hand. This meme has made it's way to Lemonade Dearg, courtesy of Sir Maxi after whoring itself around practically every other blog going. But since I like it when the other kids invite me to play, here we go.

1. Put the link of the person who tagged you on your blog.
2. Write the rules.
3. Mention 6 things or habits of no real importance about you.
4. Tag 6 persons adding their links directly.
5. Alert the persons that you tagged them.

1) I can pop my bellybutton inside out.

2) I was on Echo Island when I was in 6th class and helped to win a computer for my primary school. Dara O'Briain got into a big argument with a producer right next to little eleven year old me because he helped me with the answer. I had buck teeth and wore a lumberjack shirt. Maybe it was out of pity.

3) I'm amazingly good at hula hooping on the Wii Fit but absolutely hopeless at it in real life.

4) On a random Saturday in Cork I was pulled out of a crowd to stand on a half naked Canadian man lying on a bed of nails.

5) The first boy I ever shifted turned out to be gay two weeks later. Not entirely certain how much I had to do with that particular realisation.

6) I quite enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Apart from Fuckface LaBoeuf, naturally.

Seeing as the whole world and it's ma have done this by now, I'm not tagging anyone, apart from YOU; person who might read this and has a blog and is as yet untagged. Go nuts.

And yes Maxi, of course myself and T Cup have sexy feet. In fact T has possibly the wiggliest of toes you ever will see.

Update
Here are my own six (tcup)

1) (this ones for you maxi) i can separate out my toes and wiggle my little toe at you!!
2) I have been going out with the same boy for nearly 7 years
3) I wanted to join the army and had all the forms etc but missed the deadline and then instead i went to college in cit to be a designer! some chalk & cheese anyone?
4) My dream job is to work in television even if it involves making the tea!! and i make a cracking cup!
5) I can also bend my fingers to a 90 degree angle from the back of my hand!
6) I read richard hammonds book about his crash!

Faster, Pussycats

Quite some time ago, I posted about the kick-ass ball of deadly that is Tura Satana. I love reading up on brazen, crazy girls like her with an amazing life story that would make a much better Hollywood film than the endless unimaginative stream of remakes and sequels hitting the cinemas in the last few years. Girls that go against the grain of whatever society they lived in at the time and did their own damn thing are just fascinating to me. When I come across women like this, I sort of collect them in my head and look them up from time to time to find out more about them and their lives. Anyway my point is that I think I might do a series of posts about these ladies, even just as a way to take the list out of my head and make it real and to do something with all the interesting bits and pieces about them. I was going to post something about one of them today, but I might keep her till next week, now it's taken me this long to introduce the idea. If I do actually follow through on this, it will probably just be a whenever I feel like it thing or something that'll pop up when I can't think of anything else to blog about, cos I'm lazy like that. Suggestions for naming the series are welcome, alliteration would be nice so help me out!

Oh vodka, why you mock me?

Good Idea
Abandoning Saturday's mission to discover all manner of vintage bargains due to rain, wind and shite weather in general and spending most of the day holed up in Ron Black's horsing into pints with Tcup and Miss Dizzle.

Still a Good Idea at the Time
Continuing the session till 4 in the morning in Rathmines, (ie Toast) with T and Marzipan and getting demented courtesy of a heap of vodka and the odd jaegerbomb. There were balloons. I think.

Bad Idea
Getting shitfaced the night before a fancy brunch with lovely fellow bloggers (see below) and having to hide the DT shakes, not to mention The Fear, whilst acting like a lady.

We also had to overcome the feeling that we were total frauds being there and would get rumbled and told to get the hell out of Dodge because we're not REALLY proper fashion bloggers. Although we do blog about fashion it's not our man subject matter. But we weren't. And everyone was sound and lovely. Yay!

In other news...
I've been going with Himself for 6 months since last Friday.
Imagine that!
(And it's 18 days to Paris! Woo!)