Im pretty sure hot water bottles have been around since Noah flung a few animals onto a glorified punt. So with that in mind I set off on Saturday to get a hwb for Gus, the latest arrival. Why does a puppy need a hot water bottle. Same reason the bear needed the rabbit to wipe its arse! I arrived in one of the nations better known home ware / supermarket outlets, confident in the fact the finding and indeed purchasing a HWB should pose no problems. I couldnt have been more wrong if I thought first gear actually meant reverse! A nice foreign national, who had little english eventually brought me to the kitchen department. Who was I to say where the hot water bottles should be kept. Kitchen Department, Bedroom Dept who knows, but she obviously knew more than me. After a quick hike she produced a flask off the shelf. Now it had been some time since Ive seen a hot water bottle, but I was positive it didnt look like something my mother would bring to farren woods!

"Im new here, you'll have to ask one of my friends" was the reply I got after explaining how HWB's worked. So I wandered around looking for anyone that might be her friend. Alas none could be found, but I did find a supervisor who had to ask someone else. She informed me, and anyone else within a half mile radius that they didnt have hot water bottles in stock, as it wasnt winter. Who'd have though HWB's were seasonal. At least now I know to keep my eyes on the catwalks for the winter collections of hot water bottles. After what seemed like a year, she instructed me to go off to a chemist. 10 minutes later, search party returned from said chemists stock room clutching, as far as I was concerned after all this, the holy grail. €10 later, 2 days on, and the HWB has been used!

So for any of you contemplating purchasing a hot water bottle for a puppy, a calf or some sexual fetish, give it another few weeks....it'll be in season then!

Its only lunchtime Saturday, and its been a loooooooooonnnnnnnnggggg weekend so far. Ive rigged up a video sender with the video camera for late night observation purposes! For the pup.....of course!

New Arrival

Meet Gus (Inspired from Paul Seniors dog, Gus, in American Chopper) who arrived yesterday. Basically he needed a good home, so we took him in. Bilbo is a bit wary of the whole scenario, but he's coming around slowly. I spent the night on the chair, with the pup to make sure he settles in ok. Besides a bust back and a cranky mood Im here.

A 5 minute to midnight phonecall the other night ensured I didnt miss Steve Irwins Memorial in Australia Zoo, which was broadcast live on Animal Planet. It was extremely sad, with more than an occasional tear shed by yours truly. As daft as it might sound to some of you, Steve Irwins death has affected me in ways I didnt think possible. The show made its final goodbye to Stevo last night, amidst the Rupert McCall poem and John Spillanes - Im Moving On!

It was an honor to have Mick Lally and Mary McEvoy on the other night to boot! Miley and Biddy....well holy god! Any thoughs of going to the Everyman to check them out have been dashed due to the new arrival, but what harm!

My thoughts and prayers go out to Richard Hammond and his family. The Top Gear presenter was in a serious accident yesterday, while attempting to break the UK landspeed record. The rat tabloids as usual are playing the whole thing up with varying reports saying he's critical but omitting the word STABLE. From my understanding, Hamster is critical but stable and his condition improved overnight. Get well Hamster!

Theres tonnes of giveaways tonight to boot, as well as the usual madness. To be perfectly honest, Im not in a blogging mood the last few weeks, but and I say this AGAIN, normal service shall be back tomorrow or Monday!

For all you Stevo fans, heres a wallpaper compliments of Animal Planet! Click to enlarge and save as!

Myself and Daves brand new gig!!! Hopefully we'll get a few more offers!!!

Check it out here

The Crocodiles are Crying!

THE CROCODILES ARE CRYING

Endless visions fill my head – this man – as large as life
And instantly my heart mourns for his angels and his wife
Because the way I see Steve Irwin – just put everything aside
It comes back to his family – it comes back to his pride

His animals inclusive – Crikey – light the place with love!
Shine his star with everything he fought to rise above
The crazy-man of Khaki from the day he left the pouch
Living out his dream and in that classic ‘Stevo’ crouch

Exploding forth with character and redefining cheek
It’s one thing to be honoured as a champion unique
It’s one thing to have microphones and spotlight cameras shoved
It’s another to be taken in and genuinely loved

But that was where he had it right – I guess he always knew
From his fathers’ modest reptile park and then Australia Zoo
We cringed at times and shook our heads – but true to natures call
There was something very Irwin in the make up of us all

Yes the more I care to think of it – the more he had it right
If you’re going to make a difference – make it big and make it bright!
Yes - he was a lunatic! Yes - he went head first!
But he made the world feel happy with his energetic burst

A world so large and loyal that it’s hard to comprehend
I doubt we truly count the warmth until life meets an end
To count it now I say a prayer with words of inspiration
May the spotlight shine forever on his dream for conservation

…My daughter broke the news to me – my six year old in tears
It was like she’d just turned old enough to show her honest fears
I tried to make some sense of it but whilst her Dad was trying
His little girl explained it best…she said “The crocodiles are crying”

Their best mate’s up in heaven now – the crocs up there are smiling!
And as sure as flowers, poems and cards and memories are piling
As sure as we’ll continue with the trademarks of his spiel
Of all the tributes worthy – he was rough…but he was real

As sure as ‘Crikey!’ fills the sky
I think we’ll miss ya Steve…goodbye

RUPERT McCALL 2006.

What a weekend Im after putting down! Was at the afters of a wedding in Macroom on Saturday night, and for once I wasnt driving and for the remainder of the weekend I spent my time driving around Oahu, Hawaii. What was I doing there I here you ask? Racing, breaking the speed limit, test driving a few exotic cars such as an Ferrari Enzo or a Pagani Zonda, doing a few courier runs and believe it or not saving. Yup, saved long and hard and Im now the proud owner of a Ford GT (tuned to Level 3) that will eat the road up to the tune of 200+ mph! Test Drive Unlimited on the Xbox 360 has ruined my weekend. Its the first game in a long time, that I just cant put down. The smart folks at Atari have more or less recreated Oahu digitally! Not to mention that loads of other drivers are running (or driving even) riot around the Island on Xbox live, at the same time!

Thats about it for blogging today, but check out the show later for an absolute tonne of giveaways, amongst the usual bedlam, and you psychic for this evening will be Elizabeth Joyce!

An interesting night last night, to say the least. Junior Cert night seemed to go off pretty well for the alot of teens, but of course there is the absolute scumbag shitheads that ruin it for everyone else. Its these idiots that are getting the rest of the teen crew a bad name! Fellas running around the place with belts wrapped around their fist, gangs tearing up and down Pana with bottles, bars and an assortment of weapons, girls trying to do as much damage to one another with their SHOES, Guards been bit, windows being put in, car alarms going, people falling onto cars and puking their lungs up on their girlfriend while trying to drop the hand, stabbings, bottlings...the list goes on and on! While I accept that out of the thousands of teenagers that were in the city last night, it was only a few hundred that caused the bulk of the mayhem. For anyone to think this is just an average night in the city, they would really want their heads tested! Within in 30 seconds of Eimear being on the air, a bottle came within mm's of doing some damage to her. In fairness she stuck it out and alot of people commended her on her bravery! As this was going on, all I could do was look at Dave in disbelief. The amount of eye witness's that called in last night was huge, with people describing the madness that was unfolding! By midnight, most of it had subsided, well bar an 11 year old getting assaulted in Burger King and gangs hanging around waiting to dish out some revenge on earlier beatings!

Fairplay to the Gardai, The Ambulance Service and The Fire Brigade last night. These people have far more important things to be doing, than trying to protect the city and its residents from absolute maggots!

I'll follow up on the whole thing tonight!

And SNATCH are back, to lighten the mood before the weekend ;)

Well looks like the Ferrari Enzo I was going to put a fiver on, on Ebay has gone up a few quid. Check the link below to see the current bid, but as of this morning its after tipping a tonne.....a tonne thousand to be a bit more specific. While the reserve has not been met, its still cheaper than your average house. Afterall, what would you get for less than a 100k these days. Some bread maybe, some milk or some day time landline to mobile calls.

I was in Limerick on Sunday for the Custom and Performance Car show, hence a few photos further down the page. I was only their an hour, but it was enjoyable none the less. For anyone that has any shortcomings about the car enthusiast scene, they should take a trip to one of these shows. Its a family day out, with no BS. Even my better half changed her opinion on the whole scene after she witnessed how well behaved and organised the whole thing was!

By now Im sure all the Junior Certs have got their results, and some have ended up in a ditch with aload of cheap booze! If your a Junior Cert, and are able to read this...please take it handy. Dont mix the drinks, have something to eat and keep yer wits about you! The show will be live on the streets later on this evening, as JC night 2006 unfolds. The blog shall return to normal over the next few days, as Im aware its slipped in the last few updates. Maybe its something to do with my health kick, being kicked into the river!

Full blog update coming soon..but in the meantime...anyone fancy a Ferrari Enzo?
Starting @ 99p

I was going to bid a fiver, and possibly win it in 9 days time, but I dont fancy getting another mortgage to run it! Still though.....

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DSC02677
Originally uploaded by vicbarry.