Corniche de L'Estérel

Corniche de L'Estérel, originally uploaded by luiginter.

Brunate in fog .............

Brunate in fog ............., originally uploaded by ipaloni.

with free wi-fi

dog on cheesburger

, originally uploaded by albino_octopus.

This IS Snake-Eyes!

Link

Ireland's best hope for winning?

While I'm not originally from Cork I have lived there long enough to know who took the horse to France!

OK, that is a joke, one which I told in front of an Irish person and an Australian person recently. The Irish person got it straight away the the Aussie was lost. Rightly as it turned out as it requires the person to have grown up in Ireland watching those God damn Kerrygold ads for years (for the Aussies : "Don't eat the Dinosaur Daddy!", same thing or Americans "He likes it! Hey Mikey!").

As I have traveled I have found that some aspects of humour don't travel well. Many a time I was tripped up in the states when my patented sarcasm was not only not funny, but almost started a rows. Australia has been more forgiving thankfully probably because it's culture is largely influenced by the Irish who helped build it, but some times they can still get lost usually a glazed look staring back at me.

Which brings me back to Dustin the Turkey who, as expected, won the popular vote for the Eurovision song contest and is off to Serbia. Dustin is an institution in Ireland and is much loved , a whole generation of kids have grown up with Dustin much like the American who grew up with Barney. He has been releasing albums in Ireland for years, some times even duetting with Bob Geldof, Chris de Burg, Ronnie Drew and the Saw Doctors. His humour is cut very down the Irish centre line, "Where do you go to, you're Ugly", is one of my favourites. However like my experiences what works in Ireland may not work abroad.

Admittedly the Eurovision isn't what it used to be, gone are the quality days of Dana and Johnny Logan, we now have the likes of Lordi and Dana International (not that there is any thing wrong with that type of thing). One could be forgiven that any gimmick will do. However I don't think that Dustin will travel well this time, sorry Dustin, you are just not Zig and Zag. The strong Dublin accent and the hatred of all things culchie is lost on people who can't tell the different between the Irish and the English.

I wonder what the writers of Father Ted are thinking of all this. In the popular episode, A song for Europe, the Irish goal was to make sure Ireland would lose the Eurovision as they were broke from winning it too many time. It was funny because it almost seemed true. This time it is real so is it true?

Tommy Tiernan talks to Dennis Miller

Tommy Tiernan, originally uploaded by Onion Events NYC.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a interview with Tommy Tiernan on the Dennis Miller radio show this morning. It's awesome to see Tommy bring some of the more modern Irish humour to the world. I got his DVD, Jokerman, Christmas 2006, it was very interesting seeing him try and break America. It mirrored a little bit, I have to day, of my experience in America. Sometime people can't under stand a word you say, but think you're hilarious because you sound funny. The MP3 can be found at this link.

Dennis Miller, I find, is excellent when he interviews comedians. Both here and on his former HBO TV show, Dennis Miller Live, he wasn't afraid to let the other comedian take over and let them be the funny ones. Most interviewing comedians have a tendency to take over and try and be the funnier one, Miller sets them up and lets them run. Check out the podcast when he has Dana Carvey on, nothing short of brilliant!

Sorry

Sorry - On Australia Day, originally uploaded by spud murphy.