Midsummers Day has come and gone (it was quite a long day at Barcamp) and so just another time of year to realise that time is moving far too quickly. I read recently that the reason time appears to move so fast - that life rushes by, leaving us saying all too often “where does the time go?” - is that as we get older we experience fewer big events and significant milestones as we do when we are younger.
As children (I guess through to late-teens too) there is so much learning of the world and ourselves. Many of us continue to learn, even though the number of major events become more sporatic. It can be disheartening. And so it’s for this reason I keep my free time as eventful as possible, particularly weekends. Increasing memories, eliminating that feeling of...
I just can’t clear my mind. Lying there in the dark. I really really try.
Take last night for instance. I was in bed at 11:30pm - early for me. After tossing and turning for almost 2hrs; a constant stream of thoughts and ideas bouncing off each other, I eventually got up and had some Weetabix (which I hadn’t had already as I normally would as I wasn’t hungry) and a glass of orange juice (the greatest thirst quenching drink ever; 1 part orange to 4 parts water).
Then back to bed.
I began to think about darkness, space, stars, earth, google(!), blogs, updating my blog, photos, updating the photoblog, next location to take photographs. And so on.
This is what I have to put up with every single night. It doesn’t help this normally takes place after 1am.
Each and every...
It’s been a while since I went to a club and drank many alcoholic beverages into the early hours of the morning. Having had a taste of just that the other night, not so much in the alcohol consumption but in the atmosphere and drink consumed by the free spirits all around me - including the occasional fantastically attractive female.
Those nights are always nice. It’s fun to go a bit crazy every now and then, though right now it seems I’m not able to do it, or in the mood quite often. It feels great to be busy, sometimes it feels great to be tired, because it’s tiredness from doing what I love.
It’s the weekend. Go nuts!...
It's one of those times when life comes between me and my internet so I'll not be blogging for about a week or so; be good while I'm away!Full post & comments at...
For over 2 years I have used the most clichéd self-portrait of a photographer ever as my avatar for most sites online; my blog, myspace, facebook (until just recently), bebo, lastfm and a few others. Yeah that one with the camera at my face, taking a photograph of myself in the mirror. The one on the left was used from May 2005 until until April 2007 the one left, from then until today.
It isnt the most original photograph of a photographer, I know, though I didn’t want to risk taking one of me any other way. Since having that photo a few people have said that it’s a bit crap, and that as a photographer I should show some more ‘imagination’ by either using a photograph that I’m proud of, and also change the picture occasionally - or just use a better...
Here is the message I was greeted with via instant message when I arrived home yesterday evening:
J - im sitting here reading, and i quote “The fund has already started for my MACbook!”
J - DUDE
J - wtf?
J - wwwwwwwtttttttttffffffffffffff
J - tyin u up to a life of apple that. unservicable parts, overpriced hardware, increase in viruses due to the amount of wabs usin them
J - ur warrenty will die and it will die
J - within teh same week
J - guaranteed
J - where havvvvvv ur balls gone?
J - y dont u jst get a decent laptop?
J - same price bt with all the jazz of windows and actually feelin ur a part of wat urdoin
And so it seems some people aren’t so fond of the idea of me getting a Mac.
Is there any truth in what I’m being told?...
After six days without a functioning computer and having to enjoy a few home comforts as I stayed at my parents’ house in order to get work done on my Dad’s PC, I finally have my own back again.
Thankfully we have lots of spare parts from all the computers and upgrades my Dad and I have gone through over the years. After trying his graphics card followed by hard drive, we deduced that the problem was with the motherboard. With a couple of spares lying around we went for my old one. This board uses a different type of CPU but one was found. Hooked it all up and now I’m back online - a little less processing power than before, but hopefully not for long.
The fund has already started for my MACbook!...
Being a bit of a nerd as I am I have always enjoyed doing nerdy stuff on my PC, but the time has come where that seems pretty irrelevant. All I want is to be able to edit photographs, browse the net, watch movies and listen to music.
I have problems with my pc so often that now it its just not proving reliable enough right now when I really need it. I’m finding more and more than I actually want a Mac. I can barely believe I’m actually saying this.
There will be many things that I will miss about windows, but it will be a new fun experience. I will sit on patches of grass and find wireless connections and have lots of fun understanding how it all works, my iLife will be transformed.
I have used a few Macs recently, for short periods at a time, gradually coming to like them. My...
Surprise surprise,
My computer’s gone haywire once again.
Everything e’se has been called off. All money is going into the newly created ‘computer fund’ - motherboard, CPU, memory, new hard drive. Though I do want to go to Paris in the next few months. My plan of not drinking for the whole month of February will help.
==============================
The exhibition finished on Sunday. It shall be a three weeks that I won’t forget too easily. Ups and downs. But mostly ups. Fall-outs and bad reviews aside, I am very pleased to have had the opportunity and I enjoyed it.
Thanks to Sean Kelly, festival organiser, and everyone else involved in putting on such a great run of events. In my mind it was a great success. Having attended most days, I can say that there...
Every day things happen that only motivate me to continue doing what I love even more. Always taking the good with the bad, conflicts and friendships, knowing that the good is always much better than the bad.
This blog, for those unaware is for me to express myself through words, and pictures. The photographs have a back-story. I have a back-story. This is where I tell it.
I never said everything I write is the complete truth. Nothing should be taken that way without consulting me first. Sometimes things are embellished slightly.
This is my place to speak my truth - exaggerated or not. For further details on anything leave a comment or drop me a line at phil @ iced-coffee. com.
But I never lie....
It all becomes clear. It makes perfect sense now. The reason we make ‘new years resolutions’ is to try to prevent ourselves from recreating the events of Christmas which are still so fresh in our minds, if even just for a few weeks.
Christmas day was the usual quiet day at home with the family, a couple of beers, some wine over dinner followed by a movie - Garden State. Yes I don’t even watch T.V. at Christmas.
Each year, however, I look forward to Boxing Day more than the day preceding it. On this day my whole extended family goes to my Auntie and Uncle’s house; drink, eat, be merry and give out presents to each other. When I was younger I loved it for all the presents I would end up bringing home with me, but now that I’m older, and a little more mature, I...
So. It’s here. Christmas. You may be reading this on Christmas day. What are you doing on the Internet on Christmas day? Family sucks? Guess its the problem a lot of people have. Understandable. Boxing day? Again, why aren’t you opening all those boxes? Not believe in Christmas? Again, Family suck? It’s okay, I understand.
Yeah Christmas has come once again. It always comes quicker than expected. It’s really only in the last two or three years that I have begun to realise the real meaning of Christmas - though I can’t help but put a pause in that sentence and ask for a hands-up for all those who really celebrate Christmas today? Very few of you, I’m not entirely surprised. I’m not big fan of the real meaning behind Christmas, though I am a fan of...
of…
two female drummers in one night
two quite attractive drummers at that.
Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....
Having all of last week away from the horrid office workplace environment, I had to go back. I remember back in both primary and secondary school wishing that time would go so much faster. Now that there is no more school there just aren’t enough hours in the day for all the things I want to do.
I spent much of my week attempting to ‘get my life on track’ and be like those extremely organised people - by organising my bookmarks, firefox extensions, feed subscriptions and reading a few productivity websites such as the incredible Lifehacker, Lifehack. These sites always gets me motivated to start organising my normally very disorganised computer/hard drive/file system.
This problem stems from the fact that I have a few too many interests. Of course, having lots of...
Over the last few days my new shoes have started making a squelching/farting sound when I walk. Specifically, on the heel of my right shoe. My right foot is definitely bigger than the left and this is noticeable in such perfect fitting converse. But this squelching is irritating, almost to the point of embarrassing. It actually sounds like I farted if it happens in a room full of people which, depending on the company, isn’t always a good thing.
Anyone else’s shoes fart?
Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....
I’ve found that the only way to possibly get an early night on a Sunday is by not going to sleep on Saturday night. A little Tony Hawk’s Underground, some crap late night tv, then the whole of Weeds season one (great show!), some photo editing, an episode of Robot Chicken, and finally an episode of The Shield which I haven’t seen since I bought season one on dvd about three years ago. That just about took me through the night, with plenty of coffee of course - coffee makers rule!
The reason for this seemingly weekly lapse of insanit is quite logical really. On a Friday and Saturday night I rarely go to sleep at a time that would be deemed reasonable for most days of the week, this brings disastrous results. Namely, that I rarely get out of bed before 12 noon or 1pm on a...
That is, according to a study by three doctors in KS Hegde Medical Academy in Mangalore, India. The study asks: “Are lung cancers triggered by stopping smoking?”
So basically they took 312 lung cancer patients they treated during a four-year period of which 182 recently quit. They had all been smoking for more than 25 years. Theres more to it I’m sure, but the bottom line is 58% of patients had quit yet they still got lung cancer.
“A biological mechanism that protects smokers against cancer, that gets exercised and strengthened by years of diligent, heavy smoking. As in habitual marathon running, the body becomes accustomed to suffering grievous damage, and develops habitual ways to fix up whatever breaks down. The smoker’s body becomes a sort of lean,...
So where did I leave off. Ah yes, day two in Boston, Massachusetts. Its hot, the sky is blue, decent people, a personal feel, easy to get around, lots of culture and a heck of a lot of history.
On this particular morning, I stopped at a little coffee shop for some coffee and a mousse - the most awesome moose ever! Then we headed to Harvard Square once more. On the ground I found a brilliant piece of art work that really touched me. Unfortunately I didn’t see the artist about.
From here we headed to Au Bon Pain, unknown to me at the time, but this was the site of one of the scenes of Good Will Hunting - but more on that a little later. As we sat eating out sandwiches, or sipping on sumptuous (yes I just used that word) soup, we were entertained by a busker who enjoyed singing off...
Sorry if you’re just here for the wild sex, as promised yesterday. Just one more day to wait.
I am in no way sick of my photos of the US and trying to relive in my mind the experiences and get them down on paper (virtual paper). Though it has meant that I have slightly neglected other photographs and projects I have been working on since my return. This entry will be as a brief overview of what i’ve been up to the last 2 or so weeks since my return.
The first few days were spent at my parent’s house as I tried to overcome the jet lag and get at least one decent nights sleep. Then I lost my sought-after BT9 postcode as I to my wonderful new house with my wonderful house-mates, who had been residing here for 3 weeks before my arrival and made things look pretty
It...
Before heading to Boston we spent the day doing a little more of the usual. Ronan went to church, while I had a pint of Harp (bad idea).
After the very nasty pint I sat on the church steps and watched people for a while. I could do this for hours, especially in this jungle of a city.
Shortly after a few more slices of pizza we headed to the New York City Library where I registered for Internet Access - I even got my photo taken. A queue system is run for access to the global datasphere, we didn’t have time to wait.
Back to the hostel, collect our belongings, then to Port Authority bus terminal. We arrived 10 minutes early for our 9pm bus to Boston, but there was no bus. It had left without us as it was full. In line we stood and sat for 2 hrs until the next bus which would bring...
As previously mentioned, this time in New York City was about being a little more of a tourist than a crazy party animal drinking like the world was crumbling around me, celebrating my 20th birthday and enjoying too much the fact that I was actually getting away with drinking in the first place.
This time it was all about capturing everything. In many ways I am glad that I got to enjoy the States last time without the camera, just to relax and not constantly worrying about getting the photograph, but to enjoy it. I had an idea of what to expect.
On day 2 Ronan and I went to the ‘Top of the Rock‘; the observation deck on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors of the GE Building. We went in the pitch black of night, we were the last lift-load of people to hit the top, with limited time...
I think I’ve just about gotten over the jet lag. It’s bee a tiring few days since i got home at about 6pm last Sunday after 18 or so ours of traveling; trains, planes and buses. I can definitely see how the novelty of traveling can wear of quickly.
I am back, but never the same. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to write an entry before I left as I had planned, but with packing for moving house and packing for going away I just didn’t get a chance. So for those of you who don’t know I was in the United States of America for three weeks from 25th Aug until 16th Sept. And the reason I haven’t written about it until now is quite similar, I have been moving into the new house and unpacking.
Two years since my first life-changing adventure State-side, my...
Where to begin…
Well right now im in sunny, extremely humid, Florida. I’ve seen the sand, the sea, the sun, got sunburnt (on my feet!), seen an awesome thunderstorm, been to the Wal-Mart Superstore, watched the sweat drip down my face like rainwater and tomorrow I’m going to see some alligators!
It’s hard to know where to start retelling the story of being on such a great holiday for the last two weeks. I love it out here and I keep coming back. I love the madness of New York City, I love how chilled out Boston is in comparison, I love that my friends in Rhode Island have deers that visit their garden, how pleasant the people are with their “have a nice day” and “how are you” whenever you make a purchase.
Second time around and everything is...
What a relaxing weekend. Much of my time was spent at the parents house, chillin’
When there is a purpose for taking photographs it always makes it so much easier. Especially when my purpose is to show to people who have [probably] never been to Ireland. I try to think like this most of the time but it can be hard. To start to look at things a lot differently, through the eyes of someone who has never seen it before.
When I got back from the USA 2 years ago I did see everything differently. Looking forward to the day my friends would come to visit, I ended up seeing so much that they would find interesting. Through understanding that so much of what we take for granted is so unique to us comes the ability to see things in a different light and capture them.
So this afternoon I set...
Why is it that when my bank calls me they insist that I attempt my ‘password’ at least twice. I don’t generally forget passwords, the sort that I type, but those crap ones that have to be spoken over the phone I always forget. I put it down to the fact that it will always be completely different from any of my typical passwords for the obvious reason that it will be spoken and anyone may hear it. For this reason I try to make it something I will remember, though it definitely doesn’t help that it would only be every 6 months or so that I need to use it…
They called yesterday.
“Could you give the first and last letters of your password please” said the voice.
“No, sorry, I never remember it.”
“I’m sorry I’m going to...
Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....
Friday was, as is the norm, not without plenty of drink and photos to go with it. A truth revealing, thought provoking, musical night; of course I slept on the sofa again.
Before the afternoon arrived, I found myself at home, watching Heros; my latest obsession. Tonight I finished watching episode 12. Over the next few days I plan to get through the following 11 episodes, completing the first series, and all that has been aired so far.
The highlight of the day, however, was the Italian BMT I had in Subway.
My brother and father recently discovered a love for a fairly unusual hobby: archery. I have never seen either of them play before, so today I went along to watch my father taking part in a competition, which he didn’t win in the end.
Whilst there, we found some very tasty...
Theres that buzz, the inability to think about anything else, wanting to do lots of nice things; trips to the beach, sip cocktails - its all there, but i’ll be damned if it ever did any good.
My search for a Summer Girl has been going a little better than originally expected - all that’s needed is sun, ice cream and Botanic Gardens - and time is running out. Summer is running out! Its been quite a shite summer too in terms of the weather. Alas, it is not yet over.
16 days until my trip to the States then 3 weeks of bliss, mayhem and madness, and I still haven’t done any preparation. One thing I have to do is start and finish a presentation on Ireland for Amy’s class of 10-12 year olds, I must dispel any beliefs in rainbows, gold, fairies, leprechauns, endless...
Girls give me spots. Fact! Over the weekend a grew two new spots on my chin. I think it happened a few weeks ago too… to a slightly lesser degree. I didn’t have a spot on my left arm either which, if its actually a a spot rather than a pink mark that fades them pressed, is spot number 5. So nothing major, but spots all the same. Worse than the spots, is my lack of judging the right moment for, just about anything. But lets not go into that.
Almost worse than all that is the simple rule; never cry infront of a girl - holy shit why did I think Garden State would be a good idea. Thankfully my rubbing my eyes was taken as me being tired. It was 3am so that was believable. Maybe Good Will Hunting isn’t such a good choice for a future similar situation, I think it’ll be...
What craziness. An awesomely fun-filled birthday weekend that was.
Saturday night was spent in Lavery’s Bunker enjoying the music as part of the Curfew Festival which ran from Friday until Sunday.
It was after this that the fun really started. Having slept on a friend’s sofa, I awoke and left the house at 6:30am. On my walk home I met a girl who was locked out of her house, she asked to borrow my phone to insert her sim card so that she could call the people in the house to get inside. There was a party going on. I was invited in and led towards the whiskey.
After 2 hrs two police officers came into the room (for the second time that night as I discovered). as we were calmly watching Smallville (which I don’t like). One of these police officers was very mean and was...