The new google

My sister sent me this email a few weeks ago, thanks sis, and here it is:

Bet you all use Google every day. Now here's a great thing - 'Blackle' - the eco friendly Google.

When your screen is white - an empty word page, or the Google page, your computer monitor consumes 74 watts, and when it's black it consumes only 59 watts.

Mark Ontkush wrote an article about the energy saving that would be achieved if Google had a black screen, taking in account the huge number of page views, according to his calculations, 750 mega watts/hour per year would be saved.

In a response to this article Google created a black version of its search engine, called Blackle, with the exact same functions as the white version, but with lower energy consumption. Check out www.blackle.com

Worth using from now on!

R2D2

In a break from our normal programming.... Here is a paper cutout of R2D2 from star wars, just in case any of you need to decorate your trash can or tuba bell.....

Fionn & Fionn

Many of you out where may be wondering why I called my second dog 'Fionn' and not other popular names like 'rover', 'ninja warrior, slayer of samuri heathens' and 'mattie kielly', well here is the evidence. Admire the synergy of form between the two, the uncanny resembalance, the near perfect bagpipe technique and the full body hair. Also, its a way for the people over here to learn how to pronouce Fionn's name befrore he gets here.

The Hounds

Now that Reilly (the worlds most photographed dog) has a partner I shall include Fionn all future Reilly-Cam's

Zombie Dog!!!

Here is George in the bar getting a lean off our zombie dog Reilly.

Golfing: Ozzie Style

Here is mom tee-ing off at a local golf club (notice the roo's in the background)

Here is mom on the green (again notice the passive roo's)

And here they are again. George even hit one by accident and it didnt even budge.....and they say cork people are laid back.......

Kings Park

Here is an interesting (winter) shot of a rotunda in kings park where Jane and I are getting married.

Here is Mom and me hanging out under a tree just upstream from that spot.

Follow the yellow brick road

Here is a shot from a rehersal last week for our Wizard of Oz gig. Its a school production so some parts are pretty ropey, we have no conductor, all we get is a start time and a date, NO downbeats throughout the entire 52 peices, AND i am the only violin so it requires a LOT of guesswork and blind faith to come in at FULL volume with the tune, man i wish i was the viola on this gig!

Mr Charles McCarthy Music Tutor

Oh yes, it has begun, i even have my own room in my tuesday school with 40 violins and 10 cellos on the shelf, too bad I only have 6 students.......

Dog Beach

Heres a quick phot of Fionn freaking out amongst the seaweed on the dog beach up near where mom is staying

Staff Appreciation Night

We play in a a few different bars here in perth, so the other night we decided to get the staff we liked from our favourite pub(JB O Reillys) over for a party. It has been the first all irish party we have had since being here (no australians) so true to form the police were called and nobody remembers getting home (including me and I was AT home)

Usual service will resume shortly

Hi Guys

Sorry about the lack of updates lately, i have been really busy lately with a combination of things. I have started a new job (well a few new jobs) as a violin teacher in a few schools about perth, I am doing quite a lot of gigs, and my mom is visiting so pretty much any time i am not working or walking the dogs I am with mom, all of which you can see by clicking here . Ill do my best to have more frequent updates. Above is a really arty shot of Fionn's nose.

More Mom Updates

Here is mom with the dogs out in the bar. More updates can be seen here

Mom arrives in perth

Well it starts again, here i am robbing photos from my moms blog for a month. George and herself arrived in the sunshine state of Western Australia 2 nights ago and are just about over the jet lag. Here we are sitting outside her holiday home by the beach.

And here we are on the beach going for a paddle

And after dinner we all went for some ice cream

Toasty winters...

Look what we won the other day, yes its one of those fancy gas patio heaters, we won it in a dog food competition. Thats Denis, Janes dad to teh right and that container in the background is 20 litres of my latest brew fermenting.

Best seats in the house

Jane and I were guests of Baz Halpin the other night at the burswood dome. Thats Baz to the left operating all the lights on stage, it was an amazing production and we met some fantastic people backstage and afterwards in the bar.

Worst blog-punchline ever

Have a look at this TYRED dog we saw today out on our walk......

Man-Do-Lin

Yup, i caved under the pressure of my contemporarys of irish music and veered to the dark side and bought a mandolin. No idea of how to play the thing and the only advantage i have is that its tuned (not that i tune stuff any more now that im a full time muso...) the same as a violin BUT with one pretty major advantage, in most songs we play you can maintain a full verse with left hand pizz which free's up teh right hand for a bit of guinness application to the mouth. I had my first gig on it tonight and twas pretty funny.

This years quota has arrived

The mother performed above and beyond the call of duty the other day and took it upon herself to ship over 60 packets of chipsticks! We had a bit of a late night last night and all i wanted for breakfast this morning was a sweet sweet packet of the good stuff to sooth my beer abused body, not 5 minutes later this box got dropped off at the door. Amazing! Thanks mom!!!!!

Party Night

Barry and his work pals came over last night to experience a bit of ozzie culture (with an irish twist). The evening consisted of tim-tam slams followed by a tasting platter of kangaroo steak and ended up with games of jenga, some freestyle interprative dance and a bit few jigs and reels on the ol fiddle and all, twas great craic. The picture below is from the end of the night when all had gome home and it says it all really.