There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence transform a yellow spot into the sun.

Pablo Picasso
Spanish Cubist painter (1881 - 1973)

Strictly Come Dancing is down to ten couples after the Saturday and Sunday shows last weekend. Mark Foster has become the latest casualty and was knocked out in the Sunday dance off. Andrew Castle had a lucky escape as he was also in the bottom two. I think there was something up with Len Goodman on Saturday night he was quite mean to some of the contestants, particularly Tom. At times Craig seems almost cuddly compared to Len although he did give Christine three which seemed really awful.

I went to the Cork film festival recently and got to see some great films. ‘Brideshead Revisited’ was on in the Gate. This is a film version of the Evelyn Waugh book of the same name. It was a good film; I had only vague memories of the story from the television series years ago so it was very fresh for me. I also went to see ‘Choke’, which is an interesting story about sex addicts and mental patients which isn’t as mad as it seems but did have some good twists. The last film that I went to see was ‘Encounters at the End of the World’ which is a documentary film by Werner Herzog. The film is all about Antarctica and the fascinating and sometimes strange people that work there. Some of the diving footage was amazing and I’m still a bit upset about the little penguin that they showed heading off in the wrong direction who wouldn’t survive as a result. A bad sense of direction can be a dangerous thing!

Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn.

George Bernard Shaw, Back to Methuselah (1921) pt. 5
Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)

Recession – noun

A temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced.

DERIVATIVES – recessionary adjective.



Another definition and explanation of recession from investopedia:

A significant decline in activity across the economy, lasting longer than a few months. It is visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale-retail trade. The technical indicator of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth as measured by a country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Recession is a normal (albeit unpleasant) part of the business cycle; however, one-time crisis events can often trigger the onset of a recession. A recession generally lasts from six to 18 months. Interest rates usually fall in recessionary times to stimulate the economy by offering cheap rates at which to borrow money.

I went to see Mick Flannery play in the Lodge in Mallow recently. The Lodge is a great venue, not sure that the seating layout was the best on this occasion but other than that it’s a good place to go and see bands. Mick played a good selection of songs from his new album ‘White Lies’ and from his previous album ‘Evening Train’. I’m becoming quite addicted to his song ‘Safety Rope’ which is the first song on the new album. It’s great to hear his single ‘Tomorrow’s Paper’ being played regularly on the radio. I hope there will a couple of more single’s from this album too.

An economist is a man who states the obvious in terms of the incomprehensible.

Alfred A. Knopf

People sometimes confuse the words ‘arrogant and ‘confident’ and they have very different meanings!

Arrogant – adjective
Having an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.
DERIVATIVES - arrogance noun arrogantly adverb
ORIGIN – from Latin arrogare ‘claim for oneself’

Confident – adjective
1. Feeling confidence in oneself
2. Feeling certainty about something
DERIVATIVES – confidently adverb

You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality. You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex. You have a little bit of something to offer everyone... no wonder you're so popular. Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!). Deep down you are: Dependable and modest Your partying style: Understated and polite Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat

Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.

Bill Watterson, cartoonist, "Calvin and Hobbes"
US cartoonist (1958 - )

I know this is kind of mean but I’m glad that Gary Rhodes has been knocked out of the Strictly Come Dancing competition. I couldn’t watch him dancing without hiding behind a cushion. His dancing has the power to induce a full on cringe fest. I know he is a good chef but I have never seen anyone look so awkward and uncomfortable on the dance floor. One small part of me would like to have seen him do a ballroom dance just to see if that suited him better but I guess that opportunity is lost to us now.

On the other hand I thought Austin Healy’s jive was absolutely fabulous - he can really move! Plus the whole showing off the guns thing was hilarious. I’m not really a fan of big muscles but I can objectively observe that his are pretty good. :-) Click here to check out Austin in action.

I remember the first time that I saw BellX1 perform, it was in the Half Moon Club in Cork a few years ago. Brian Crosby wore a t-shirt that night with ‘Human beatbox’ written on the front of it and because we didn’t know his name he got referred to as human beatbox from then on. There is a nice message on the BellX1 website about Brian leaving and explaining that he is basically going to concentrate on more studio based work. Brian is quoted as saying

"It's been an extraordinary privilege to be in a band with your mates for more than 15 years. I'm really grateful for everything I got to do with Bell X1, for all the adventures we had and for the great support of our fans. It's been particularly wonderful to have connected with so many people and to have got to meet people all over the world doing what I love. I look forward to continue making those connections. At the same time I'll be applauding the boys continued success."

I don’t think BellX1 will be the same without Brian but I still look forward to their next album. Of course, I am a bit gutted that his last performance with the band will be on the 19th of October, exactly two days before I am due to go and see them in the Pav in Cork.

*This photograph was taken by the talented Donal from www.Donal.ie

Recapitulate – verb

Summarise and state again the main points of a speech, argument, etc.

- ORIGIN Latin recapitulare ‘go through heading by heading’, from capitulum ‘chapter’

Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I can’t believe that Anton has gotten knocked out early again. Will he ever get to dance in December? I felt bad for Gillian because she was really nervous and I think she danced quite well. She kind of lost it for the dance off which is exactly the way I would be in the same situation!

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a dynamic, vibrant person. You aren't afraid to pursue your passions. When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy. You tend to be afraid of change. You are never ready for things to be different. You find solitude to be the most comforting thing in the world. Being alone with your thoughts feels very peaceful. Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine. You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.