Torchwood

Why does the BBc torture me so? Why are we still waiting to hear a release date for the season 3?I have a two predictions which I hope are wrong - first that either Gwen or Ianto must die and Jack must choose who he helps second that Ianto dies in a cement related incident! Teasers look gr8 - Gwen Jack Ianto with Rhys and PC Andy are a gr8 combo. I hope it starts after the apprentice finished or I'll be seriously moody.

Also pictures of John dressed as captain jack filming for Xmas was prob filming for Tonights The Night would love John or TW to be in Who again.

Boyzone Better 09 - oh Yes

Went to see Boyzone two nights in a row at the O2 this week. Retro-tastic- as ever I'm an avid believer in the "catch the consumer young" vein of thought and both nights proved I was no exception. Boyzone makes me happy and I have a few theories as to why! 

I always hated music as a child - I would kick and scream if the radio was on or God forbid that nasty Top of the Pops was switched on ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz even in College when I studied Radio I always took on talk radio projects and never did a music show once (no wait I did infact I did two The Specials and my own Classical Music hour? (yes indeed random memory) for the last broadcast but Graham picked the music so I don't think it counts) - in fact I was not allowed near the CD player because of my apparent bad taste in anything musical, my boyfriend owns ten guitars and I've never asked him to play a tune for me even watching x factor I make tea while they sing and come back in to see what Simon says. Music is plain not part of my life. (Film/TV I could happily make that the focal point of my life...)

So how did I start listening to Boyzone - Was it peer pressure? No it was my own need to fit in and belong to something (popular). I think I was in 4th or 5th class and everyone was gathered around a poster of Boyzone - of course I didn't know who they were too the sheer shock and horror of the girls in my class. Which one did I like? "Stephen?" ugh... I'd make an unapproved of choice but I was unfortuately the type of child who never backed down and prehaps it's still true today that I prefer to be different. So I had to do my research I wouldn't be caught out not being cool again (I would often be uncool again) - oh no not only would I know who they were I would soon in fact know everything about them, Boyzone Posters were placed on the inside of my wardrobe (I was not allowed posters on the wall incase I damage the paint - a rule I broke during my George Clonney phase), my diary had Boyzone sellotaped to it with I heart Stephen written everywhere and soon I would have over 90 Boyzone Pen Pals??? I loved swapping everything and anything about Boyzone and taping TV appearances kept me endlessly entertained but I rarely listened to my growing selection of Boyzone CD's/Tapes which sat beside my one other CD Michael Jackson Thriller. Being a Boyzone fan was rewarding enough without having to listen to their music as well. Of course the main hits I know but album tracks erm... It's nice to be part of something as a kid esp. if like me you lived in the bleedin' middle of no where (I'd of been really bored without 90 penpals keeping me busy)! It's a bit like a cult or hmmm is there a nicer way to put it - like supporting a football team. In fact in First Year of school I introduced myself as "I'm Sharon I like Boyzone and cats" on the first day. How I made friends I've no idea apart from Limerick people are very polite.

I don't think I'm really in love or ever was with Stephen Gately  but repetitation simply works. There is a reason your teacher makes you write "I will behave" a hundred times - I wrote I love Stephen Gately prob. a million times over a two year period no wonder when anyone mentions Boyzone I yelp "I love Stephen" I'm like a programmed robot - thanks Louis Walsh (oh what an advertising career he would of had - years wasted). Music, melody, repetition of course is linked with memory and while my fandom really doesn't reflect any music or even strike any memories Boyzone music does strike a lot of memories with my own family - crazy car rides to Dublin with my poor poor Father who was dragged to every concert even ones that weren't Boyzone like Childline or 5ive? generally with a gaggle of girls. (I've tried to make up for this in recent years by going to concerts he likes - how I'm going to sit through Simply Red I've no idea but he did it for me) the "find Sharon & set the tape to record" frantic moments when Boyzone ever appeared on TV and my family would jump off the couch and run about yelling so I wouldn't miss anything. I even used get phonecalls off friends "Network Two now now go go" and my Mother trying to get involved whenever I went to a concert getting me "an outfit" together whilst wisely steering me away from face-painting and cowboy hats! Every Christmas had a Boyzone theme to it new CDs, Videos, annuals, concert tickets - anything they could find. Worst for them I then couldn't wait to watch them so I'd bang on the video while everyone would be pretend it wasn't so bad even though they knew they were missing really good Christmas TV the only time of year RTE had anything to offer. 

Boyzone is a massive part of my childhood - my comfort blanket - and lucky I'd a great secure loving childhood so it's still a great comfort if  I'm having a bad day and being that I live far away from home and can't curl up with Mom on the couch while she tells me how great I am - I can instead go home make a face at Chris that maybe only him or my Mother would understand, go to the top of my wardrobe grab my dusty Boyzone videos, pop them in (our video recorder was bought and placed in the bedroom with this purpose in mind) get into bed, curl up in a ball and revert to a child like state (if I'm a deep deep depression I have to listen to Shooting Star on dubbling speed). It only ever happens once or twice a year maybe it'll increase with the recession I don't know.  By the end of the video I'm in a different place stress free, worry free and completely relaxed. It's like if I'm sick I need Lucozade - nothing else will console me simply because my Dad always brought home Lucozade when I was sick of course it tasted better then and came in the cool glass bottles. 

Of course not all my Boyzone memories are good - their last single "Everyday I Love You" I found in the bargain bin in Golden Disc's in Limerick a week or so after the release I was so ashamed I bought them all. I just couldn't leave them in the bargain bin - it was insulting? Ronan's speech at the The Point in 2000- the last concert before the break up - he said they weren't splitting up. HE LIED. 

The reunion came as a life saver last year. I hated my job - every second every minute was horrfic and damaging to my mind and soul after a year and a half there I was not myself. The RDS concert (which I needed to get my head straight and revert to normality) was the weekend I left there to go work where I am now which is a shiny happy place except on copy deadline day. Boyzone are back and things are Better which is in fact the name of their new tour which is well worth seeing. I have! 

The ugly face of humanity on Radio 1/Newstalk

I could barely listen to the radio as I travelled to work this morning. First a Newstalk interview with a Nun from Cori who bless her just didn't seem to get it. She didn't seem to understand why they were coming across so cold and uncaring, why their promise to "find the best and most appropriate ways forward" was taken as cop out rather than an offer of support. Maybe thats what the problem is with the modern church - too much has happened for us to believe they are putting us before themselves. There is no trust to take them at face value or even to believe they mean they are sorry. Two kinds of people living such different lives of course we are finding it hard to understand each other or to communiate affectively. Our lack of faith? Their lack of comprehension? The topic of the interview of course was compensation and what worries me most is - Are we more worried that we are wasting tax payers money? That we feel the Church could foot the bill? So we can free up some cash? rather than out of actual concern for the victims? We are accusing the Church of greed but aren't we guilty of the same sin? Shouldn't we be more concerned about holding the people not the Church accountable for their actions and abuse of power? If I go on a killing spree tomorrow I would be responsible for my actions - my parents wouldn't be hauled in and questioned about how I was raised? My employer wouldn't be blamed because for the pressures or conditions of my job, they definately wouldn't try and shield me from the law. I only would be accountable and dealt with accordingly in fact fairly. A month or so back a girl who falsely accused a man of a sexual assault a few years back came forward and confessed it was a lie. She didn't know why she did it, she was just a child - she just... did? That takes courage, taking responsibity for a horrible lie that ruined someone's life but she had the strength to attempt to try and change it. Where are the Priests, Nuns and workers who committed these abuses? Hiding behind the likes of decent, caring and hard working Priests, Nuns and care givers. More fool them for letting them hide there. Why don't these people come forward, confess, take their punishment and give their victims some piece of mind? Well... they have no doubt confessed their sins to their own counsel and await judgement but not from me or you. Will they go to left hand side of the Lord or the right? Will preaching the good name of the Lord cancel out the endless lifes ruined? Unfortunately, there can be no resolution that can simply make it better for the vicitims. It's too late - resigned to the history books as a lesson learnt or a blackened page to skipped over? I can't help but notice History has a terrible habit of repeating itself. 

Second - (oh yes I'm not finshed yet) the horrific murder of the social worker Kevin McDaid in Coleraine. The accounts of his wife and son are terrifying. How can a team winning a match in the Scottish league cause 40 people to hop into their cars to look for trouble? First of all the Scottish league is rubbish (name three other teams in the division?) - if you like football follow either a local team/league or bloody good one you'll enjoying watching. I don't get the whole Celtic has Irish roots so we should support them and you can't like Rangers because they have protestant roots shite. There are no doubt hundreds of crappy sports club around the world with Irish roots I don't feel the need to support them all and hate their rivals for no particular reason. How many Irish Man U fans have roots in the north of England? I'm a Liverpool fan my best mate is a Man U fan? So whats the issue with Celtic and Rangers? Nothing - absolutely nothing. It's a sham, a vehicle, a cover and a poor excuse. How stupid do you have to be to feel you can celebrate a match win with a murder? Not stupid - no it's in fact evil. But it's ignorance thats leads you to that point. Or in fact the sheep or ignorant people are sent off filled with some kind of empty rage no doubt stemming from their own insecurities or faults while some one else slightly cleverier pulls the strings. Carefully manipulating the worst kind of people. The sheep will be picked up, jailed, released while these people are still peddling their hatred to further generations, posioning them with pointless hatred for their own gain.

 In between these two horror stories were countless other stories as bad. I should have switched to Spin 1038 it would of set me up better for the day but sometimes you should look at the terrible face of humamity and ask questions. I've no answers though and I can't see anyone else with any either.  

Irish Blogs

Great Cause - Stuart Mangan Trust

Stuart Mangan Trust 

On Saturday April 5th 2008, a simple tackle in a club rugby game in London left Stuart Mangan, a graduate of Rockwell College and UCC, aged just 24, with a devastating spinal injury. In global terms, Stuart’s injury is the most catastrophic rugby injury seen in recent years. Categorized as C1 Complete, he is completely paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. Stuart will require 24-hour medical care for the rest of his life.

Dr Fred Middleton of The Royal National Orthopedic Hospital at Stanmore, London says of Stuart: “The level of Stuart's injury at the top of the spinal cord eliminates all voluntary movement in the limbs and trunk including the muscle of breathing. This is the worst cord injury which can occur in sport" Stuart’s life and that of his parents and brothers changed utterly on that fateful day. Physically, Stuart is now dependant for his every basic need, in sharp contrast to how he lived his life before the accident. A talented sportsman with an exciting career ahead in banking, Stuart loved to travel and speaks five languages

In coming to terms with his horrific injury, Stuart has managed to show incredible courage. He is determined to deal positively with his drastically altered circumstances. How can you help ? Stuart’s care will cost millions and quite simply his future is in all our hands. He and his family have been inundated with messages of good will, many wondering just how they can help Stuart deal with the days and years ahead. A fundraising campaign- The Stuart Mangan Appeal - has been launched and each contribution, no matter the size, will help enormously in ensuring Stuart enjoys the best possible quality of life. In this context, an Irish trust fund has been established with the responsibility of managing Stuart’s needs in terms of housing, living, equipment and medical care.

To support Penny who's raising funds visit 

http://www.mycharity.ie/event/penny_grays_event/

Why sometimes being Irish is a little bit Irish?

I had a great holiday - wrecked now - covered in cats as was the recovery plan! But bubbling away the past few days has been the down side of a 199 euro get away to the sun. Now I'm going to have a quick moan before I sleep or prehaps upload my holiday pic's as I'm a bit past sleeping. I've nothing against letting loose on holidays I've been piss your pants/ puke in your handbag drunk on ocassion well not quite but you know what I mean... but I couldn't help but be slightly/hugely embrassed by my fellow Irish men and woman in the apartments I stayed at. Now I don't have kids, don't want kids and won't say I know a whole lot about kids but I would of thought the dog on street might know some simple keep your kids alive and well basics. 1. Sun screen of a high factor re-applied through out the day? Nope - some kids were plain tango'd by the last day. 2. Don't leave your toddler unattended by the pool esp. the deep end? Nope - sure they'd be grand. 3. Don't let your kid have what ever they want from the Pool Bar? No one thought hours of sugary drinks and snacks would cause chaos... 4. Have we all not been plagued and upset by information on Madeline McCann's kidnapping that we know leaving the kids alone in a room with the door open so they can wander to the pool and bar if bored might be slightly dangerous? Nope a few hours in the pub are more important.

Now I fully accept kids are annoying - I would find it hard to pay them 100% attention when all I wanted was to relax prehaps for the first time in 5 years esp. when there is a bit of sun however... tough. We bring em along you better be up for the challenge. If you know you're going to tempted to ignore your kids as much as you like them don't bring them. My Aunt came up with a great idea - country cousins and city cousins. When she wanted a sun break she shipped her kids out to the countryside to us and my parents shipped us off to the city (its actually a small town but we thought it was massive) when they had things they wanted to do. Parents deserve a break after all. However bringing your kids on holidays and not having their well being top of your list is unforgivable. Being distracted by the quest for a perfect tan or the need to get pissed doesn't cut it. None of the kids (who must of been taken out of school for these holidays) suffered luckily nothing more than tooth decay and skin damage so I am clugging like a mother hen for no reason but these are lessons best not learnt the hard way.

Oh yeah my "NO MORE ANIMALS" buzz was busted and may include a stray dog story! Haven't been blogging at all - fell down stairs and hurt my foot so was a moany arse for the whole of April I literally became the anti=christ! I did twitter a lot about the HSE and how much I resent them but thats it. Had a lot of funny crutch incidents - in a way it was a bit of a wake up call - down side limping like a mo foo!!!

Appartently?

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a
Healthy Reinventing Self-Knower