After some shameless self promotion we’re up to 19 followers, a good number at this early stage.

I posted the idea in a few forums where likely EP goers hang out…

On the PROC.
On the Bodytonic Forum.
On Boards dot ie.
And on the EP forum itself.

…and it has to be said that reactions have been mixed. Some love the idea while others poo poo. Most of the poo poo’ing was on the Electric Picnic forum itself which might have more to do with the profile of user than anything else, I was even accused of working for twitter on said forum!

Anyway, we’ll plough on regardless.

Just to clarify a few things for people around the SMS aspect of all this.
When your Twitter account has been setup and you’re following electricpancake (and after electricpancake in return follows you) you can then decide which way you want to be updated on electricpancake twitters.

You can keep things entirely web based and just follow updates via your own Twitter profile or just by going to http://twitter.com/electricpancake in your browser.

You can setup twitter to send updates to your instant messenger client.

Or you you can set up mobile SMS updates. << Handy for us in field in Stradbally!!

Once you have your mobile setup (add device in settings) and you select to receive updates from electricpancake you’re on your way. “Twitter doesn’t charge anything for this, but be sure to know what your text plan looks like with your wireless carrier.”

You need never send an update to electricpancake and just opt to receive all the update goodness as it happens. You can even shut text messages from Twitter off at anytime by replying with “off” (and back on by sending “on”). You can also specify that it turn off automatically at night.

Full list of Twitter commands.

So there you are all set-up for receiving but what good is receiving without a little giving!! You can text in your updates to electricpancake by typing ‘D electricpancake’ and then your message to Twitter (+44 7624 801423). You would have already texted this Twitter number to verify your phone when setting it up as a update device.

If anyone has any question drop em in the comments and ill do my best to answer.

This may or may not catch on but I’ve set up a Twitter account ‘http://twitter.com/electricpancake‘ specifically for this years Electric Picnic.

The premise is simple:

‘Using Twitter as a way to keep Twitter users up to date on happenings before, during and after Electric Picnic 2008.’

…and who better to keep Twitter users up to date then other Twitter users!

This is how it works.

I’m assuming that you already have your own Twitter account setup, if not signing up is easy just go here >> twitter.com

1. First step is to follow http://twitter.com/electricpancake

2. electricpancake will then follow you*

3. Once electricpancake is following you, any Direct Message (e.g. D electricpancake I like Cake) you send to electricpancake will instantly be republished as a tweet on electricpancake itself.

4. Anyone following electricpancake will then each receive that tweet.

*In the process of setting up auto-follow which will mean anyone who follows electricpancake will instantly be followed in return. In the mean time it will have to be a daily run job so please be patient. I should have the auto-follow up and running by the end of the week.

Of the people, for the people and by the people.
electricpancake will not work as an Electric Picnic update service unless people send tweets to it. It all depends on getting a core of followers who are willing to contribute.

Likely tweets that i know i would be glad to receive:

- Traffic in Portlaoise is building up but moving
- Car park C is full
- Loads of space in red campsite down near the portaloos
- *artist* just coming on the main stage now
- Not letting any more people in to the **** Tent
- Bodytonic tent now! Place is rocking..
- Body & Soul looks like its closing shortly
- Party in car park C.. look for noisy blue van

…you get the idea.

Again this will only work if electricpancake gets enough followers wiling to contribute, so i guess we’ll just see how the it goes for now. Tweet or comment below…

Looks like my Bad Behavior plugin was blocking all comments!! My apologies people, i’ve disabled it now so all should be in order.

Meanwhile back at the Bat Cave…

Who do I think would kick ass?
“Firefox”

Created by Datepad

After many false dawns and promises of redesigns etc I’ve decided that things were actually pretty good as they were. Actually its been doing my nut in trying to get and modify a WP theme to a point that im happy for it to be the new face of AGH. So I’ve decided to carry on using the existing light theme for now. I had to rip out all plugins and update my WP and DB but things seem to be hanging together a bit better now. As you may have noticed some of the nifty features are no more but it was a them or better performance and load time. I’ll look at getting some of them back up and running over the next few weeks.

Thanks for sticking out the rough times people but with things a bit more settled now AGH should be back with more Where in the World Wednesdays, more Friday Caption Competitions, more Reign of Terror letters, more Dingle for your Dangle, more Sport, more gigs, more giving out..especially more giving out….

Ive also tentatively dipped my toe into the world of Twitter.
Will the AGH twitter take over from the AGH blog?
Who knows!!

http://twitter.com/achgohairithe

Ach go háirithe has gone old school….as you may have noticed. I’m cleaning house and putting a new look and feel together so forgive the temporary old school look.

I need to clean up my plugins and make sure the new theme and WP version works before releasing it to you the public. So sorry again about the false dawns of the past few months but rest assured that re-design is well under way and once i’ve deployed i will be back posting like its 2006!

The Admin

Well it was going to take something pretty big to get me out of retirement but out of retirement I am, thanks to the second series of No Bearla. Our self congratulating smug bobble headed friend, aka Manchán Magan, is back on our screens and going on tonight’s show we can expect more of the same same…but different.

Bobble Head’s objective was clear right from the start and though he seems to be approaching it from a different angle the tune is the very same as last year. This Mark Thomas wannabe had some shocking insights for us in tonight’s show i.e. mostly JF’s work in and frequent St Stephens Shopping Centre, 80% of sitting TD’s are 100% useless and teenagers know more about the Simpsons than they know about Peig.

I can’t believe TG4 commissioned a second series but commission it they did and as long as Bobble Head keeps beating the same old drum ill keep posting on it.

Manchán - Loves the smell of his own farts

No Eejits!
Ich bin ein Ápa - No Béarla (Episode 2)
TCAL
MetaFilter
Smiling under Buses
Manchán

The Irish Blog Awards are currently taking nominations for this years awards. So why not nominate your favorite blog, thats me, in one of the categories below. Lets see if we can go one better than the short list this year!!

Click here to nominate AGH.

* Best Blog
* Best Blog Post
* Most Humorous Post
* Best Personal Blog
* Best Use of the Irish Language in a Blog
* Best Designed Blog
* Best Specialist Blog
* Best Newcomer (when does one cease to be a newcomer??)

Just a little refresher on the most popular posts on AGH in the past year.
- ROT updates
- The Kerry Animal
- A Story About Brothers
- We love Irish we do…
- Ireland’s most expensive…petrol station
- GAA Manager 2008
- Sean Og O’Hailpin - Pitch Man
- Corcaigh Abú!
- Google Fight The Election
- How Gay Can You Go?
- England ‘B’ team make Super 8 round of Cricket World Cup
- Snail Mail
- Wir Müssen Die Taxisfahrer Ausrotten!!
- Mí-ádh ag na Oscars
- Possibly the greatest performance by any team wearing green in any sport ever?
- Rialú na Cruine : World domination

Or you can just wander the halls of AGH by going to a Random AGH Page.

Full list of categories after the more (more…)

Tá roinnt deisiú agus athchóiriú a dhéanamh ar Ach go háirithe faoi lathair.
Beidh leagan 2008 do AGH á sheoladh i dtreo deire mí Feabhra.

Ach go háirithe is currently undergoing a major revamp.
2008 re-launch is scheduled for mid to late February, but please check back regularly as an early re-launch is quite possible.

In the mean time you can re-live the past year and a half of AGH by following this link to a Random AGH Page.

The Admin.

I have to apologies for the lack of postage on AGH of late. And whats been keeping me away you may ask? Well, a new job thats what;a new job with rather strict Internet policies!! But once im on top of things there AGH will be back in business.

I was also thinking of re-vamping AGH, looks wise………….needed? not needed?

Locals burning their English-Irish Dictionaries

I flagged this yonks ago as being a possible flash point, and true to form the plebs in Dingle are again revolting! This time they seem to think their kids will be at a disadvantage as the only secondary education available in the town is the all Irish Pobal Scoil Chorca Dhuibhne. Muppets! One solution to the impasse may be if they load their fat fucking kids into buses and ship them into Tralee for a good English education. Failing that, maybe we should consider cutting Dingle out of the Gaeltacht all together.

Breaking News
Belfast Telegraph

It appears that there’s a bit of fuss over this take on the Haka apparently advertising a bakery of the year competition in New Zealand. Rumors that a second ad depicting two Gingerbread men spear tackling a mince pie had to be pulled are as yet unsubstantiated!

To whom it may concern:

I’m writing to you with a quick question. Is it true that you have dropped or intend to drop the Irish version of your company name? i.e. drop the Bus Átha Cliath from your logos etc?

It’s just I heard this as a rumour some weeks ago but dismissed as being just that, a rumour. However, I’ve come to notice that any of the new buses or buses with new paint jobs are indeed bereft of the words ‘Bus Átha Cliath’! Was this a commercial decision and if so on what grounds would dropping Irish from your logo etc improve the commercial viability of the company? Or was it simply a decision some bright spark came up with in there to save on paint?

Dublin Bus : Serving the entire community………me hole!

Regards
********

Update (04.10.07):
Aonghus from Smaointe Fánacha Aonghusa has also put his shoulder to the wheel on this issue. He delves deeper into the issue and rightly identified that they as a state body may be in breach of the Official Languages Act, 2003! Wouldn’t that be a kicker!! Anyway, here’s the email Aonghus sent Bus Átha Cliath:

Dear Sir or Madam,
I am a regular passenger on your services.

it appears that you are no longer using the name “Bus Átha Cliath” on the livery of your buses, or indeed on your website http://www.dublinbus.ie/.

I note that the links to your sister companies on that site are to “Iarnród Éireann” and “Bus Éireann”.

Since you are subject to the provisions of the Official Languages Act, 2003, you would seem to be in breach of your statutory duties.

http://www.coimisineir.ie/index.php?page=reachtuil&tid=11&lang=english

“Public bodies have a duty of ensuring, when any information is being provided to the public through the postal system or by electronic means, that such communication is provided in Irish or bilingually. Section 9 (3)”

While the regulations regarding signage, notices, stationery headings and oral announcements (live or recorded) have not yet been published, it seems to me that you will be in contravention of the regulations if the current draft regulations come into force substantially unaltered.

is mise le meas
Aonghus Ó hAlmhain

Less of an update, more of a recap. One of the first targets for the ROT was Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE), Ireland’s’ national broadcaster. So with ROT activity at a minimum recently i decided to go back over the early stuff. For inspiration?? maybe. For shits and giggles?? Definitely! There are 20 instalments in this series so here are some of the highlights from the ROT vs RTE campaign.

To: Complaints Dept, Subject: Six-One News
Dear RTE,

Would it be possible to move the ‘Six One’ news to a later slot, ‘Six Forty Three’ perhaps, as I rarely make it home from work before half six.

Yours in anticipation
***
Reply > From: ****, RTÉ Information Officer

Dear Ms. O’Connor

Thank you for your e-mail. I regret to inform you that
RTÉ has no plans to change the timing of either the Six
One or the Nine O’Clock news bulletins.

Best regards
*****
RTÉ Information Officer

To: Complaints Dept, Subject: Fair City
Dear RTE,

Any Chance youd cancel it ……………….
I’ll pay (name your price)

Much obliged
*****
Reply > From: *****, RTÉ Information Officer

Dear Ms. O’Connor

No amount of money would induce us to spoil the
enjoyment of over 600,000 viewers, for financial
gain.

Is your remote control missing?

******
RTÉ Information Officer

To: Complaints Dept, Subject: Reality TV

Dear RTE,

Any truth to the rumour that RTE’s next big celebrity reality TV show involves the of putting of Pat Kenny, Twink, Brendan o Carroll and that boob-job trollop off you’re a star into a burlap sack with 12 cats?

This is a show that I know id watch plus it would see my TV licence fee put to good use.

Yours truly,
*****

Reply > From: ****, RTÉ Information Officer

Hi *****,

Got to say that you’re first on board with that
particular rumour, but I’ll run it past the relevant
commissioning editor in case it has merit.
I’m inclined to think however, that the DSPCA might
veto cats being put in bags - burlap or otherwise.

Best regards
****
RTÉ Information Officer

(more…)

A rather topical FCC this week! Use the comment link below to add your captions etc…

Watch till the end. Quality…

Oh and FYI, the recent comments view on the side bar seems to have gone missing thanks to my last worpress update. Im working on a fix as we speak…

SUPPORT THE IRISH LANGUAGE ACT

Dé Sathairn 29ú Meán Fomhair 2007 / Saturday 29th September 2007
Lá spraoi do theaghlaigh saor in aisce / Family fun day

1.00pm – 4.00pm

Ceardlainn ceoil / Scéalaíochta / Ceardaíochta Spraoi / Plé ar Achtanna Teangaidh

CEOLCHOIRM le
Julie Fowlis agus Éamon Doorley (5.00pm -7.00pm)
-tícéidí de dhíth, ar fáil ó POBAL @ 90438132

HALLA COIS CLADAIGH (Waterfront Hall)
BÉAL FEIRSTE

AGH Events Calendar

Nuff said!

Get your Rebel desktop wallpaper here.

Hey hey…its Friday. I know i used this picture in the crap post below about the Kerry animals, but i couldn’t let it through my hands without banging it up on the FCC.

You can leave your comments and captions by clicking on the comments link below. Have a great weekend.

Every September, hundreds (sometimes thousands but this is rare) of Kerry Animals form a mega-herd and make their way northwards to the metropolis of Dublin. Each year when the mega herd arrives on the outskirts and in the centre of Dublin city, visitors and locals alike look on in astonishment at the their backward ways and struggle to understand their thick unintelligible accents. Scientists have long studied the migratory habits of the Kerry Animal but the details of this remarkable transeprovincial migration are only now emerging from a study using electronic tracking tags to follow individual Kerry Animals.

The Kerry Animal’s Migratory Path

The migration period can last up to 2 days but many make the migratory round trip in one day (the shortest know cycle for any migratory mammal). The reasons behind this are varied but fear of built up areas, a dislike for spending money and a distinct fear of modern appliances are the main reasons behind the Ryanair-esque turnaround time.

Of course the journey is not without its dangers. One scientist recounts the scene last year as part of the mega-herd traverses the Blackwater River. “..this morning, we witnessed up to 5000 Kerry Animals of all shapes and sizes at the same crossing, however, six of them became breakfast for the hungry crocodiles and another 15 drowned in the chaotic crossing. The majority of the herds are now on the eastern side of the Blackwater River, but there are several herds that are still enjoying the lush green grasses on the western side of the river and will need to soon make the fearsome crossing as well.” Out of an estimated 20,000 strong herd, last year only 15,000 actually made it to the intended destination of Dublin.

Dublin authorities have set-up a new unit especially trained in Animal control techniques to deal with this almost yearly invasion. Each unit member has been issued with bear mace and trained in special negotiation tactics as well as the latest crowd/herd control techniques.

A Dublin Garda struggles to control a Kerry native (2005)

The herd leaves just as quickly as it arrived, leaving a trail of tinfoil and tae bags in their wake. But be warned, approach these animals with caution. They have been know to bite, buck and spit when they get confused or feel threatened.

A Kerry Animal Viciously Bites Cork Footballing Great Brendan Jer O Sullivan’s Finger

O’Donoghues of Suffolk Street, yes folks the pub formerly known as Thing Moate is now charging €1.60 for a dash of blackcurrant! Not a glass or a bottle of blackcurrant but a dash of blackcurrant. You know a dash, a dash ladies might get with their pint to take the edge off! I mean i saw him put the dash in the pint and that’s what it was, a dash, a drop, no more!! But i still get charged €1.60 for the privilege!!! I mean a litre bottle of the stuff cant cost much more than €1.60, if even!!!! So what’s the mark-up on a bottle of blackcurrant cordial in this place??

I was aggrieved to such an extent by this heinous assault on my pocket that i felt compelled to write to the proprietors. Click more to see the letter…

Update 12.09.07: The person i originally contacted in relation to this, no longer works for or has any connection with the establishment in question. Contact details for the present management may not be easy to find so in the mean time I’ve registered my complaint with the National Consumer Agency. (consumerconnect.ie)

Update 20.09.07: The NCA got back to me today, pretty fast in getting back to me it has to be said, but it doesnt make for pleasant reading.

Dear Mr ******

Thank you for contacting the National Consumer Agency (NCA) with your query and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to you.

According to your email you feel that a particular bar charges an excessive amount for dashes of cordial.

For a considerable number of years now it has been settled policy that maximum prices are not set for either goods or services. This effectively means that there is no price control in Ireland and apart from certain limited areas where price display orders are in force. Government policy in relation to prices is one of encouragement of competition; price transparency; and the promotion of greater price awareness among consumers.

Under the Retail Price (Beverages in Licensed Premises) Display Order, to assist customers in comparing drink prices, licensed premises are required to display the price of 16 beverages at the entrance to bars and lounges. In addition they are required to have a comprehensive list of drink prices on display. If a licensed premises’ policy is to increase prices after a certain time (e.g. after 11pm) then the price on display should be amended to reflect the price that is being charged. Our Commercial Practices Division investigates breaches of the legislation.

We hope you have found this information useful and if you have any further consumer related queries you can contact us on 1890 432 432.

Yours sincerely

Jack Griffin
National Consumer Agency

Original letter after the more…
(more…)