Pete on the Street

Living in a dream

2008-03-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Aye, so there I was just hanging out with Fintan and Caroline in the hotel room. Nothing was really happeing, TV was on we were chatting. I got up to go into the toilet and the whole room began to spin a little, deadly stuff. Since there was nothing much happening and we were tired from our trip we decided to go to sleep, that's when the fun began.

It started off as a flow of water, the water was rainbow colours, splashing around inside my head and bouncing around the place. This quickly turned into a scene of vivid green grass and mad blue sky. It was quite like a pop up book colours.

Then the scene turned into a giant cardboard pocket watch, this opened and inside was a sea scene. Two boats bobbing back and forth, in between them a mermaid was skipping on the the sea backwards. Everything was weirdly happy.

I opened my eyes and the room was in darkness.
Where the fan was now was a giant flower being held by a girl who looked like she came from "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Trams went by outside and it sounded like Aliens were invading.

Closed my eyes again and this time I was hanging onto a multi coloured surfboard and was gonna go surfing around my imaginary world. I could visualise the voice in my head, it was a dog wearing a blue sweater but he had a head made from wicker.

Opened my eyes again and looked to where Fintan and Caroline were sleeping. Their bed wasn't there anymore. Instead they were sleeping on a 25 foot giant wearing a white shirt and trousers. I found it kinda strange he'd wear white as it'd get dirty. Then he turned hsi head and winked at me. I laughed....

Special Offer!!!

2008-02-27T06:28:00.000-08:00

What a deal! Only from Fast Fit in Dundrum.

bye bye Rallywagon

2008-02-27T06:18:00.001-08:00

Anyone who's been hanging around me recently has known of my great love hate relationship with my "rallywagon". The 2003 VW Polo I bought in November to master that art of driving. Alas I sold it and now it's no longer here with me.

From this angle the original owner hoped I wouldn't see that giant dent in the passenger front wheel arch, I didn't notice it for 4 months.

Clean and tidy as always, with my newly installed gear stick I took from a crashed car.

I feel sad and lost, like I've lost a buddy. Maybe if I bought a new car I'd feel better, especially that nice 2003 Toyota Corolla I had my eye on. But no, I've bought this instead

€75, which would be less than 2 weeks insurance for my old car. Good deal.

It nearly killed me to cycle it the one mile home today as I've not cycled since August. I'd better get fit soon!

Let's drink Milk

2008-02-27T06:13:00.001-08:00

At the recent Agricultural Science day they had a great idea to hold a milk drinking competition to raise a bit of cash for charity. Even though Barry isn't in Ag science and wouldn't really know the arse of a cow from the front he thought it'd be a good idea to enter. So we cheered him on!

Yum Yum, whole milk goodness.

Starting to struggle on the girly skimmed milk

5 and a half pints later Barry spews, covering most of his new teeshirt in milky boke.

This guy gives us real value for money as he erupts like no volcano!

Well done to Barry though for getting to five and a half pints, the winner only got seven. And it was all for charity!

Update

2007-11-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Well done. The girl with the top has finally chosen to change it after possibly reading the last article.

Just do it

2007-11-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

Could the girl in my accounting and leadership class please search for one of the below around her house. It's called a washing machine and it's something you can put your turquoise jumper into. I've noticed you've been wearing the exact same top for roughly three weeks now in all of our classes. Anyone else could get away with it, except you have a funny shaped head.

Please consider buying a new top as they're not that expensive. Centra also provide brown paper bags for the face problem.

Marketing Assignment

2007-10-10T02:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had to hand up a "consumer diary" for my Consumer and Buyer Behaviour class.
I thought I wrote quite the great piece but some of my friends questioned my professionalism and asked me not to submit it as it's not exactly what's considered university standard. Here's the article in whole. We had to write about products we like and dislike. Give me your opinion in the comment box.

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Aftershave
I like: Boss Bottled. It’s a subtle smell but seems to drive the girls wild. It smells quite fancy but wouldn’t be strong enough to cover up if you missed a few days showering. This costs about €50 a bottle which is pretty much average for a decent scent.

I hate: Lacoste Booster – Given to me as a present from some French girl about 5 years ago this is still almost 95% full. “Nasal Napalm” is what I’ve nicknamed this one. The pungent stench is difficult to tolerate and the wretching look on peoples’ faces is enough for me to learn my lesson. I left it in my bedroom back home so if any visitors decide to use my things they’ll be marked worse than any skunk. Lacoste is also a knacker brand which I wouldn’t’ be caught dead in, I guess this may also be a contributing factor.

Sports Team
I like: The Irish Rugby Team. So they got their asses kicked by France, and then slaughtered and mailed home by Argentina. Ireland has a colourful team and watching a match by them won’t be like watching paint dry. Perhaps don’t bet the life savings on them anytime soon, but they should make a recovery soon.

I don’t like: Kerry GAA. Shower of fecking scumbags absolutly whooped Mayo’s ass in 2006. Beat the living daylights out of them and then spat on any self respect they had left. Dirty feckers, give the rest of us a chance eh?

Dishwashing Liquid
I like: Fairy Apple. This magic stuff not only cleans your dishes but leaves your hands all smelling fancy like you used one of those hand soap things. How amazing is that! Two for the price of one!

I don’t like: That St. Bernard stuff that looks like the old fairy bottle. This is the crap us students usually have to put up with, usually while cleaning our crusty dishes in icy cold water. That girl from the ad wouldn’t tolerate that, no sir. Last year a bottle lasted us the whole year, which pretty much describes the pig sty I lived in.

Clothing
I like: H&M. Pretty decent stuff here. I got kitted out with a shirt, few blazers and a cheap and cheerful suit for less than €400 when I was abroad. I could hardly carry all that stuff out but I was impressed. They have quirky bits and pieces that you’d not find in other places which is pretty nifty.

I don’t like: Topman. I worked here for about 4 months unloading the lorries. You get a real feel for the quality of stuff when they’re going through your hands being processed and prepared for sale. Poor quality stuff that wouldn’t really last many washings. Also what’s with the gothic crap they’ve been selling for over a year. It looks disgusting and should be banned. Overpriced crap.

Computer Manufacturer
I like (love?): Apple. HECK YEAH! I’ve had my little fella for nearly 2 years now and in that time it’s crashed about twice. Take that and put it in yer pipe Windows. These little guys are so lightweight you don’t feel it in your bag, unlike one of my old computers which resulted in visits to the chiropracter. Apples seem to keep on going when it comes to battery, up to 5 hours if you push it. They’re pretty much the perfect PC. Great for designing graphics and websites. Once you go mac, you’ll never go back. Too true!

I hate: Toshiba. Well contructed laptop they say, which is true, if you don’t have to carry it around. This fecker almost crucified me on my way into college. It should come with its own forklift. After about 2 weeks the battery pretty much croaked and all I could get was a miserable 45 minutes from it. Starting it up took pretty much forever, the lecture would be well started by the time I’d get anywhere near writing my notes. Such an awful experience.

Holiday Destinations
I like: Geneva. Ahh, walk through this place and you’ll feel aristocratic. The buildings are beautiful, the place is classy and relaxed. Pretty expensive though, but I guess that’s a necessary tax on keeping lager louts out. Strolling here is like having a little walk back in time.. If you can speak French it’s even better.

I don’t like: Bundoran. Granted I’ve never actually holidayed here, apart from that one night I woke up in some random hotel room, I guess that could count. This seems to be the destination for every “Nothern Knacker” the six counties has to offer. They come down looking for their “Maaagners and Fonta” and pretty much turn the place into Baghdad when the clubs close. Vomit pours down the street like rainwater and the busses can’t get us out fast enough. Thankfully once the summer season ends normality returns to this small coastal town.

Become a Daymaker

2007-07-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, David Wagner, owner of a popular Minneapolis hair salon had a regular customer drop by without an appointment. Luckily there was a spot available and he was able to style her hair as she asked. When he asked her about her plans for that night she said she just wanted to look and feel good. "I was in a great mood and I was really on," he recalled. "I gave her a great scalp massage and shampoo, and then styled her hair. We laughed and joked and had a lot of fun. When she left, she gave me a big hug that lasted just a little longer than usual."

A few days later David received a letter from this girl. In it she wrote how she had planned to commit suicide that day and wanted to have her hair styled for the funeral. Thanks to David's care and attention she felt that perhaps things could get better and sought professional help.

This experience changed David's life too, as a result of this he sought to treat every client like they were receiving their last haircut. He also goes out of his way to become a "Daymaker" and do little acts of kindness for friends and strangers alike.

Each one of us should try to become a daymaker in our everyday life. This may even be something small like smiling, looking someone in the eye and asking how their day is going. A short, brief conversation like this may be the only one that person has today. So let's make it count.

Even if you're having a stressful day yourself, by being happy and helpful you'll find your mood improve as you see the smiles on other people's faces. It's a feeling everyone can benefit from and doesn't cost a thing.

Small things matter

2007-07-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

These last few days I've been getting a bit stressed and making minor screw ups with cars. Nothing major mind. Take for instance yesterday I forgot to put a milage sticker on some dudes car to remind him when his next oil change was due. Normally I'd not be bothered at all when this happens as it's just a teeny slip and an insignificant part of the oil changing process.

Not so.

Today I got a call to call up to the office. Sitting in the tri-angle of doom were the owner, general manager and auto section manager. I was invited to take a seat and started with some general chit-chat to the owner about his recent trip to Greece. Then the serious business started.

"How do you feel you're getting on here Pete?" asked the owner.

"I feel I'm doing alright, I'm kinda new to all of this but overall I think it's going ok"

Turns out the customer who was cheated of his oil change sticker made a nasty phone call to the owner, yelling at him that he was charged for an oil change he never received. This guy was freaking out, and the only part of the oil change he didn't receive was a 1cent bit of printed paper.

The owner then gave me a grilling, asking me how often do I think I forget to add the stickers. To which I replied, possibly once a day. I then was given a lovely preaching to about the importance of stickers and how they're the only part of an oil change the customers can see.

From this experience I noticed three screw ups:

1. Don't forget the sticker.
Some people are completely fired up about the smallest thing. If this gent had come to me and asked about his oil change, or one of the service representatives, we could have spared him the time to track down the owner and yell.

2. Criticize in PRIVATE dammit!
It's basic training for every manager nowadays. If you have something bad to say, say it one to one. If it's good, do it publicly. People don't like giving or receiving criticism anyway, so why have an audience??? One little slip which made a big difference.
(In fairness to the general manager and the auto manager in this case they did try to point out my good points to the owner, which helped a little)

3. Start with good, then hit bad.
The owner of the company never once said anything good about my progress so far with the company. He asked me how I was doing and I had to give my own praise. This doesn't count! It would have taken him five seconds to say "Well Pete I hear you're coming along quite well with your job, but just a small point I'd like to catch you on..."

Missing these last two points made me walk into the room 5 foot 10, and walk out 5 inches. Don't be a twat and just pay attention to these small things and you'll be respected as a manager, and not hated as a dork.

Good words are powerful

2007-07-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

For three years my mother was a teacher in San Diego. One day she said noticed how little Timmy was making a good effort with this math homework and seemed to be making an impression. She said to him in passing "Well done Timmy, wait'll I see your mother next and I must tell her how well you're doing"

Later that day after school as my mother was about to walk home little Timmy runs up to her with a young woman being dragged behind him. "Teacher, teacher, here's mom, tell her what you said you would".

By this stage my mother had nearly forgotten what she said because she (like everyone else) had a busy day and plenty other things happened in between. But she told the mother how well he was doing in math and his behaviour was very good that week.

With that the mother broke down into tears.

"That's the first bit of good news I've heard about Timmy in weeks" she confessed. "I'd grown so frustrated with him I said I'd put him up for adoption if I heard any more bad news".

It's all very easy to brush off good behaviour and only notice the bad things.But people need recognition for a job well done too just as much as a bad one. Everyone is the same too. We all need to get some recognition of the good things as well as the bad. So try not to forget to mention a few good words to people in your daily life. Even if you think it goes unnoticed... it doesn't.

Playing Pool

2007-07-14T01:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had to learn how to play pool with Guatemalans.

They have no idea how to set up the table for a game of pool, so watching it is even funnier.

The guys paid their $1.50 for a play of pool and began banging the table to get their money out. I put their balls into the triangle and made some sense of the order.

Later I was asked to join them in play. I asked which balls were I supposed to aim for? I was told 2 (coloured) and 15 (striped) which was a confusing situation. So I pulled back and let them market me, without me paying money.

The ending on Guatemalan pool ends with the Green ball, not the black ball... the black ball comes second. Just be aware of that.

I'm in a Frat!!!!!

2007-07-14T00:56:00.000-07:00

So tonight I was left to fend for myself and find my way home. I found my way to Washiington St where I found myself walking past many frat houses. Rather than just walk home I decided to join a frat and take part in their festivities.

Luckily for them I joined Sigma Kai, whatever that means, seems like a party bunch to me. We played beer pong for over an hour and messed about. Then we went to McDonalds and I tried to argue with this girl called Melissa that she had a shitty mountain bike, and should have a road bike. She called her friend Brad who told us to fuck off or else he'd beat us.

Melissa and Brad left, then my new frat mates decided to jump Brad for being a prick, so I left.

Then I went back and fell asleep, and enjoyed my day off... or hangover. I dunno.

2007-06-10T19:00:00.001-07:00

Guinness fueled fun!

2007-05-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'd been planning to head to Kerry for pretty much a month now, ever since I'd asked my uncle to head out for a trip with him. Then the folks rented a house and I was to stay with them. That was the plan until about 10am this morning when I got a phone call from mum saying they were all down with some illness and feeling pretty crap, getting sick and the like. It'd be best if I stayed away since I plan to be traveling soon and it'd not be nice to go ill.

Damn....

Quick change of plans I think I'll go to Donegal tomorrow, and I started making arrangements for that. So I was around in Aisling's apartment picking up some messages and suddenly a thought came to my head, "Let's go to the Guinness Brewery! Or Jameson!". Aisling came up with the idea to do a Viking Splash tour which sounded a kick ass idea since I've never been on one.

O'Connell Street

Tourist for the Day
No point in just doing a little tourist sight seeing trip without actually being a tourist, so we decided to become on. First port of call was for a pint of stout in Powerscourt Townhouse just off Grafton St. in Dublin 2. A tasty little pint it was which we enjoyed sitting outside under the umbrellas. Then we gawped around some expensive clothes shops and looked at some other things.

The tourists and their pints

From there we went near Christchurch in Dublin to collect the tickets for the tour. We had about 45 minutes to spare to we went to the Elephant and Castle pub in Temple bar, near Christchurch. We decided to give ourselves some Guinness mustaches but I got a little zealous and pretty much drenched my face in the stuff, even getting some up my nose which wasn't tasty.

Swimming in the Guinness

Vikings for an hour
The tour itself was mighty craic, we were told we were allowed to act as vikings and our enemies were those in the longboats called the open top tour busses. Viking roars were practices to scare the beejaysus outta passers by. One lad was filming a scene outside St. Patrick's cathedral and had nearly finished his shot when we let our mighty roar, ruining all his good work.

Two scary Vikings

The tour took us around by the River Liffey, past O'Connell St and past that Mickey Mouse College called Trinity! From there we went to Ringsend and rallied the beast of our amphi-vehicle into the Grand Canal Dock where we went along our merry way looking at the stuff around the dock. We even passed U2's recording studio.

U2's recording studio

The Grand Canal

The trip pottered along by Dail Eireann and St. Stephen's Green along to Dublin Castle. Just around the corner and our trip was ended.

Food of gastronomic proportions
Since we're tourists for the day (hey we've only been in Dublin 7 years collectively!) we had to try some of the local cuisine. So off we went to Leo Burdock's near Temple Bar for what I think are the finest chips in Dublin. I think they're cooked in lard rather than vegetable oil, so it makes them taste absolutely incredible. We feasted while sitting like beggars near Christchurch, occasionally throwing a hard bit at some pigeons. Damn flying rats.

More beer please, we're Irish.
Porterhouse Temple Bar was our next port of call. Aisling was getting a bit full of the Guinness so she opted for a gin and tonic. I had their pint of plain, which is quite a different to Guinness, I compare it to someone pouring a few drops of earwax into a pint of Guinness. But it's actually quite a nice pint, I recommend it. Takes a little while to get used to it. They also do amazing food there too but we were just after our fine potato based luncheon.

Porterhouse

When in Rome....
After Porterhouse we had to buy some postcards, which we did in the Temple Bar Trading Company. We asked the dude how much they'd be and he said €50 each, luckily for us his English wasn't great and he meant 50cent, which was a bit more affordable, Dublin prices aren't that bad yet!

From there we went to the new Topman in Grafton St. where Aisling bought my new socks because I'd forgotten my student card. I'd once worked for the manager in Jervis St. and if he saw me he'd probably charge me extra for the damn socks, two of us didn't get along (one of the few people I've ever fallen out with)

Getting fancy
The newly renovated Shelbourne Hotel was our next port of call. Unfortunately for them it was packed and we had to move along. Actually they were probably delighted seeing us in our casual clothes and runners.

O'Donoghue's in Merrion Row was our next stop. It's a pub famous for traditional music, and now I plan to make it famous for a shite pint of Guinness. Seriously dudes, he finished off the pint about two seconds after putting it down to settle. A Guinness takes at least 90 seconds to settle properly, this one was left for about 10, and tasted pretty shite like it would from being butchered in such a manner. Cardinal Irish sin is that. Their beer garden is a pretty funky place though which was a bonus.

After that it was getting a bit late, so we went back to Belgrove and wrote out our postcards, writing exactly the same thing on both of them, har. Posting them was a laugh because the fellow who took our photo thought we were half cracked.

Posting the postcards

Diets pretty much went to shit today too, after a big feed of Guinness, chips, we later got pizza and had some other stuff too. But it's ok because we're on holiday in Dublin!

Les Schwab died

2007-05-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

So basically most people know I'm gonna be a tyre (tire in America) dealer when I (eventually) leave college. I've been to Manchester for the European expo and all that, it bores most people to tears so I don't mention it much.

But just two weeks ago I read a great book by a man called Les Schwab who had a chain of tyre outlets all across the west coast of America. It's a really good read for anyone who's interested in getting into any form of business.

He charges a bit more for his tyres, but staff get 50% of profits, and are generally incredibly well treated.

I just found out now he died a couple days ago, may he rest in peace.

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Taken from http://www.moderntiredealer.com
Tire industry icon Les Schwab dies at 89

May 18, 2007

Les Schwab, the founder of arguably the most respected independent tire store chain in the United States, has died. He was 89 when he passed away in Prineville, Ore., home of the headquarters of Les Schwab Tire Centers.

Schwab had been in declining health for many months.

In a prepared statement, the company said Les Schwab's family members will own the business. The family agreed that the best way to honor Les Schwab's memory is to continue to build the company's success the same way he did, by building trust with employees and customers.

After starting his company in 1952, Schwab built Les Schwab Tire Centers into one of Oregon's best-known businesses. The company and its 7,700 employees operate more than 410 stores throughout the western U.S.

"Les was not just a great businessman, he was a great man," says Phil Wick, chairman of Les Schwab Tire Centers. "There will never be another Les. He was a visionary, and all of us who worked with him will stay true to his vision of integrity, service and treating people right."

With the promotion of Dick Borgman to CEO, the company is positioned for future growth and expansion, according to Wick, who has reduced his work schedule. (Borgman previously held the position of president, Les Schwab Holding Co. Division.)

"Dick worked for 17 years with Les and myself and clearly understands the importance of our programs, employees and customers," says Wick.

"Les built one of the greatest companies, with some of the best employees, not just in the West, but in the world. He left us a remarkable legacy, and we are all committed to seeing that it thrives."

Les Schwab was born in Bend, Ore., in 1917, and graduated from Bend High School. (The dealership's new 120,000-square-foot corporate headquarters will be located in Bend. The company expects the building to be finished by the fall of 2008.)

Both of Schwab's parents died when he was 15 and still in high school. He supported himself by distributing the Oregon Journal newspaper and eventually controlled all nine routes in Bend.

He married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Harlan, shortly after graduating high school.

After working his way up at the Oregon Journal, he left to become circulation manager at The Bulletin in Bend.

He served in World War II with the Air Cadets.

In 1952, he bought OK Rubber Welders in Prineville, Ore. He started in a shack of a building, with no running water and no toilet. "I had one hired man, and the two of us were the total crew. So I learned the tire business from the bottom up," said Schwab.

Within one year, the company's sales grew from $32,000 to $150,000. In 2006, total retail sales passed the $1.6 billion mark.

It now offers customers a variety of products and services to meet their driving needs, including tires, chains, brakes, shocks, wheels, batteries and vehicle alignments. Its signature red and yellow signs stand over locations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada and Utah.

The company won acclaim for its unswerving attention to customer service. New customers -- and visiting tire dealers -- were often startled to see employees literally running up to greet them.

Schwab referred to his business approach as following the Golden Rule and always "treating people right." His message to employees was to take "pride in performance." He instituted a written warranty policy for customers under the motto "If We Can't Guarantee It, We Won't Sell It."

Employees were a crucial part of the Schwab story. Long before many other companies offered great perks, the company became known for its strong employee programs. Schwab instituted a profit sharing plan, employee retirement accounts, funding for education, health and dental care, and the payment of an annual dividend.

Through these programs, 50% of company profits are distributed to employees.

Les Schwab was a familiar sight in the media, appearing for many years in the company's radio and television commercials. But he never stopped crediting the people around him, saying "We created an excellent program for customers and an excellent program for employees, and they just took it from there."

Les Schwab Tire Centers was ranked the best passenger-vehicle and light-truck tire retailer in customer satisfaction for four years in a row, according to the J.D. Power and Associates Retailer Customer Satisfaction Study.

In 2000, Les Schwab was named Modern Tire Dealer's Tire Dealer of the Year.

Les Schwab often said, "There are three types of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask what happened." Les Schwab was a man who made things happen.

Funeral services will be private. Les Schwab's family has requested that cards and condolences be addressed to the Les Schwab Family, c/o Shirley Jacobs, PO Box 667, Prineville, Oregon 97754.

Cat!

2007-05-18T04:20:00.001-07:00

I'm not a mad fan of cats, but these are frikkin hilarious!

Cat listening to Stevie Wonder

Cat listening to house music

Cat listening to metal

Cat listening to hip hop

Cat listening to Gangsta Rap

Cat listening to techno (on ecstasy)

Too much caffeine!

2007-05-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a self confessed caffeine addict. A few days ago I forgot to have a coffee and for the whole day I felt queasy and tired. Sometimes at work I've been known to take two caffeine tablets followed by a quadruple espresso.

Today I think I over did it though. After getting only a few hours sleep I've had a regular cup of instant, two caffeine tablets and then drank about a pot of brewed coffee.

A few hours ago I tried to have a little sleep but my heart was pounding so much it was causing my headboard on the bed to rattle!

My friggin heart is still palpitating a little right now, I've the bloody jitters and I doubt I'll be sleeping anytime soon. Crap, is there such a thing that can absorb any caffeine in your system?

Pro-Plus - Taken off the market in the 1990s for a reason perhaps, but still almost a staple in Pete's diet.

Voting season!

2007-05-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's that time in half a decade again in Ireland to vote again, with the big date set for May 24th!

Feckin exams mean I'll have to be around Dublin, so I can't drop by the polling booth to get sorted out, so I had to register for my postal vote which I complete in a Garda Station and post to the returning officer.

Our ballot sheets show the candidate's name, picture, party, home address and occupation. I almost pissed myself laughing when I saw two of the candidates had classified themselves as "students" even though they look like raging alcoholics. Needless to say one of them is a member of those shower of hippies the Green Party who would take any reject of society on board in the hope of stealing a few votes from some of the serious parties.

Too much Guinness sir?

People bitch and moan about the current state of things in Ireland at the moment, and the "Bertiegate" Scandal is a pretty hot topic at the moment. All I can say to you moaners and bitchers is to shut your faces, you all claim politicians are corrupt but they're just human like you and I. If I was a politician and was going to allow some development to proceed anyway, I'd consider it a bonus if I got a little brown envelope in the post. These people dedicate their lives to running our country, getting us jobs, keeping our taxes low. You claim you'll vote some hippy party like Labour or god forbid the Greens, and then you'll piss and moan some more when you realise they've increased taxes to pay for your few extra hospital beds.

Anyhoo, that's my rant. I'm gonna head off now to visit my local gardaí and get this little voting matter put to bed. I'm not disclosing who exactly I'm voting for, but you can pretty much guess.

Good man Bertie, good for the country.

Manchester!

2007-05-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

About ten days ago I took a day trip over to Manchester for a trade show for the European tyre industry. Kinda strange reason to go but I might as well see if I can make a few contacts before I start up my own company. The reason I wanna get into tyres is a different story, but basically I've been considering it for about 2 years on and off now so I've decided to look into it further.

This is now a cinema and shopping centre.

Good name for a building

I don't really think much of Manchester as a city, it has a lot of old run down buildings and dirty streets. There are hardly any public bins anywhere and I had to walk about half a mile just to find one. When I arrived early in the morning the place stank of vomit from the previous night's partying that took place.

This is in the train station in the airport, great idea!

One thing Manchester does have is some nice old buildings, but many of them look a wreck. This is the Library

Here's the convention centre where the tyre expo was held

Maybe if there's a group of people going over to party and go clubbing it'd be a good fun city to hang out in. My neighbour went a few days after me and had himself a great time, so maybe I need a second visit to decide.

Pete's A-bomb

2007-05-12T04:53:00.000-07:00

I've now invented my very own shot which I call "Pete's A-bomb" and if you make one too I expect you to keep my name in it. When you drink it you'll see why I call it that. It burns down and BOOM there's a little fire in your stomach, it also looks kinda nuclear.

To make:
Float a Mickey Finns Blue on top of a 3/4 shot of Green Absinthe, you'd expect it to be blue on top and green on bottom, but instead this is what it looks like.

Pretty nifty I think. I advise no more than 2 in one night, less if you're having other drinks. This seems to make most people vomit later on in the night, so be warned!

Are you a dumb American?

2007-04-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not! So please take this test and see if we can be friends?

You Are a Smart American

You know a lot about US history, and you're opinions are probably well informed.
Congratulations on bucking stereotypes. Now go show some foreigners how smart Americans can be.

Are You a Dumb American?

You're how old???

2007-04-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Call me sinister, but whenever I'm in a bad mood at work nothing cheers me up like kicking a few D4 kids outta the bar, especially if they've the cheek to give me guff and answer back.

You can always tell the lads because they think once they get their first Tommy Hilfiger jumper they're legally allowed to drink in pubs... fools. This combined with their ironed jeans and perfect shoes really makes them stand out more than anything.

Tonight I had my most fun eviction, the stereotype as described as above came in and the conversation went like this:

Pete: Howya lads, what can I do for ya?
D4 child: Hoi, can Oi loike get a point of ken and eh, a point of Coors Light?
Pete: Surely, can I see some ID there please?
D4: Here you go. (And he hands me a "European Student ID" fake as fuck!)
Pete: Right, that's great and yourself sir?
(D4 number 2 hands me his)
Pete: Ok lads, I can't take these
D4: Why not? These are the student cards UCD gave us.
Pete (Angry now): Are you taking the piss or wha?
D4: No really, UCD gave us these cards when we joined.
Pete: Lads, I go to UCD... get out.
The two lads piss off with their tails between their legs, and I'm laughing because I'm not a fan of snot nose little gits like them.

The European Student ID, one of the many IDs NOT acceptable in Kiely's.

Only after did I find out that I'm allowed to actually confiscate their little crappy IDs, but the other bar staff told me not to bother. I think if I ever work behind a bar in Ireland again I'll start collecting them from little gits like the lads above, they'd look really great next to my postcards on my bedroom wall. Pity tomorrow is my last night in the pub, but I realllly hope I manage to get one, just to start the collection off!

In Donegal we don't usually bother IDing people, because the pubs are normally so quiet all customers are appreciated. I never really bothered either myself because I've been working as a barman since I was 15, which is 3 years shy of the legal limit even in Ireland, so even if someone was too young to drink, most of the time they were still older than me anyway, so it'd be too weird to kick them out.

Maybe I'm just on the slow road to becoming a grumpy old man and need to find a new method of enjoying myself! But for the moment I'll enjoy it.

If you can, toucan!

2007-04-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Last night myself, Pete Stan, Laure and Anyssa went to McSorleys in Ranelagh for a Guinness North Star promotion, but the hoors ran it early so we missed out on winning some teeshirts and entry into a big competition for a €20,000 holiday, dangit.

Pete Stan, Anyssa and Laure

That didn't stop us staying for the evening and having a mighty time though. A few other lads from my class turned up too after seeing my bebo message so there was a right few around the place.

Pint Evolution

This vagrant came up to me and started playing the harmonica when I was outside on my way to the drink link. He played some country and western songs, and the theme music to some old tv shows, very entertaining. Then he introduced himself as Jimmy Wall "The Mucky Kid". In 1968 in Ireland there was a song called that which went like "Oh you are a mucky kid, dirty as a dustbin lid". My father used say that to me when I was younger so I recognised it. He then started bitching that he only got £5 (punts) for it at the time, but I think he got a good deal, all he did was be dirty!

Arrrr pinteys

After the pub we went to Luigis chipper, but the prick charges €2.30 for chips and €4.40 for cheesy chips! He still gets a great trade from drunk people though. But no matter how drunk I could ever get, I don't think I'd be able to understand how cheese costs €1.10, so I stuck to the old plain chips and requested a "death amount" of vinegar and salt. If you ask for that amount they know to put plenty on, and a feast was to behold.

I'm joinging the RA!

2007-04-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my interview to become an RA (Residential Assistant) in one of the UCD residences next year. As an RA you have to stay on campus at certain times and make sure everything goes swimmingly. Their offices stay open until 2am and you work in teams of 3. It'll be a handy chance to perhaps get some study done in my third year but the job itself is no real joke.

Every year there are about 5 attempted suicides on the residences you gotta be aware of, looking after a few thousand students you'll also come across some nice accidents so you can't be squeamish. Thankfully first aid training is provided.

You may also have to work through Christmas Day or New Year's Eve, although not both.

Mervile Residences

Instead of getting paid you get your room and electricity for free, which in itself it worth about €4,000 which is a pretty nifty saving. It'll also be handy for my new job which I've lined up in the second hand bookshop on campus.

The annoying thing about it is they insist you beign training for the job on the 27th August so it'll mean my J1 trip will get cut by about 2 weeks, and I'll have to pay to change my flights.

For the interview they asked a few questions about what I studied and stuff. The administrator recognised me from somewhere but he couldn't put his finger on it, we think it may be from the cafe I work in.

Then I had to sell myself to the job, that was deadly because I can pretty much sell myself better than any whore. I told em I'm well able to handle drunks and wouldn't get all excited or agitated if I came across a dead person. I dropped that in because one RA a few years ago had to check out a bedroom at a mother's request, only to find the student dead in the bed.

Then they asked which residence I'd like to live in, I said Roebuck because it's quite the palace, if not Belgrove. So hopefully I'll get sorted out, living on campus is really the way to go for college craic, fun and convenience.

Tequila Sunrise

2007-04-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely my cocktail knowledge is increasing, although by most American standard I'd probably be still at "spaz" level, here's how to make a tequila sunrise.

Ingredients:
Tequila
Orange Juice
Grenadine Syrup

How to:
Pour the tequila and orange juice into glass over ice. Add the grenadine, which will sink to the bottom. Do not stir.

Peteapalooza

2007-04-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

I need a venue and some ideas for this event of epic proportions. Drop a comment for your ideas.

Don't eat fast food!

2007-04-19T03:12:00.000-07:00

I've often joked to my mates not to eat in the fast food place where I work in, but now I'm serious. DON'T EAT THERE GUYS!!!!! Jeez can you not take a hint when I tell you that even I don't eat there, so you shouldn't either. Here's why;

1. Health Reasons
Everything in the place is cheap and cheerful for students. That also applies to their cooking methods. Each morning a batch of burgers are put on the hot plate and cooked, then they're popped into the fridge for the rest of the day. Whenever you order a burger it's thrown into the deep fat fryer so it cooks really quickly. This stuff is full of grease and is in no way good for your health.

EVERYTHING is deep fried there too, burgers, sausages, chips, veggie burgers, chicken and bacon because it's so fast.

Life of a Frog

2. Dirt
Now this doesn't happen too often, but don't get me wrong on this. If something falls on the floor it won't be thrown out and wasted. The guy I work with occasionally drops a nice piece of chicken, burger or bread on the ground, it'll be put aside until the current people in the queue are gone and don't notice him dust it off and throw it back on the pile. Not that it really matters because since it's deep fried anyway it'll be cleaned from the heat.

3. Where's that from?
Yesterday I was there when the delivery arrived. Their supplier is a reputable firm, but it kinda made me question. Why the heck is this chicken from Thailand? How can it be cheaper to ship a chicken from across the world to Ireland when we've thousands of chickens in farms just down the road. Also the fact it took 2 months transit time from the Thai factory to our chipper makes me kinda wonder is it that healthy?

Irish Black Russian

2007-04-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Of course we have to do everything differently here in Ireland, and drinks aren't excluded from those. Last night I drank some pretty wicked Black Russians, and here's how they're made.

2 shots of Vodka
1 Shot of Kahlua
Mix them with ice and pour into glass.
Add a dash of Guinness draught into the mix.
Top up with coke.

They'll take a few sips to get used to, but once you do I think you'll agree they're quite the tasty little number.