The English FA's "shortlist" for next Manager

The English FA's "shortlist" for next Manager

January productivity

Motto for 2012

So much for January blues! Coming home from home if you get my drift, as in coming from where I hail from in An Cheathrú Rua to my now home in Wexford on New Years Day was a four hour trip. We stopped only once to get some supplies for the journey and on we continued. My wife and I decided that the joke was over. The gluttony was going to stop and the monsters of selfishness would be tamed.

So we decided that we were going to get more active and cut back on what was swelling us up. No bread or bad carbs. No booze. No sweet stuff and more exercise. I am luckier in this department as I play soccer but my wife had to do it alone up until now. We have started attending spinning classes in the local public gym and they are great. I experienced spinning once before and I thought it was fantastic, really tough and I was a little worried Deborah would struggle because she was only building her fitness, but I was blown out of the water by her grit and determination. Check out this spinning class from somewhere in the UK. We are lucky, the class is small and the instructor is very good.

She was like a Tour de France cyclist going for the win on the Champs Elysee and at the end we were both pooped. 3 weeks on, we are improving and enjoying the class thoroughly and I hope we can keep it up. The "diet" if you'd call it that is easy too as Deborah is a brilliant cook and can make the most boring dish interesting.

I have always eaten and loved healthy food so I am just cutting back on the bad carbs and the beer really which is no harm at all. The body deserves a break from rich food and alcohol once and a while. Everything in moderation, even moderation.

We will down the health tools when we go to see Noel Gallagher in the O2 in February and there is talk of a trip to Liverpool for a match at the end of March but a good balance is the way to go. January is good so far. Productive in work. New projects on the horizon and there is definitely a stretch in the evening already, I don't care what anyone says.

Sadly, our cat Martin still hasn't come back. Reported sightings have proven to be false dawns but being the die hard optimist that I am, I still think he will come back to us....hopefully!

Keep it real.
The motto for 2012 - Has to be done!

Rís - Banna Ceoil agus eile

"Cén fhad a bhfuil sibh ar an mbóthar" a deir Máirtín Tom Sheáinín liom. "Ó fiche nóiméad don naoi ar maidin" a deir mé féin. Ár ndóigh bhí MTS ag caint faoin ghrúpa ach bhí fonn magadh orm féin. Ar an 29ú Nollaig 2011, chas Rís an chéad ceolchoirm mar bhanna iomlán sa Tobar ar an Spidéal. An mhaidin dár gcionn bhí muid ar chlár RnaG agus Máirtín Tom Sheáinín Mac Donnacha sa gcathaoir. Mar a dúirt Breandán, bhí muid ar an gcineál sceideal céanna le Justin Bieber an deireadh seachtaine úd. Living the dream!

Ní raibh i lathair ag an Tobar ach clann agus cairde mar gur b'sin an méid a bhí uainn a fheiceál ann. Déanann chuile bhanna a leitheidí nuair atá siad ag tabhairt faoi chamcuairt. An bhfuil muid ag tabhairt faoi chamcuairt? Níl fhios agam, cuir ceist ar Bhreandán ach séard atá fhios agam ná go raibh an-chraic againn agus go bhfuil muid ag súil leis an chéad gig eile.

Sí'n aidhm a leag Breadán síos an chéad lá riamh nuair a bhunaigh sé Rís ná gur ag cumadh amhráin nua-chumtha i nGaeilge a bheadh sé i ngach cineál genre. Tá mé féin, Shane agus PJ an-tsásta cúnamh a thabhairt leis seo frieisn. Sílim féin agus dhéarfainn go mbeadh na lads eile ar chomh intinn liom ná go bhfuil níos mó dó seo ag teastáil ón teanga agus dá mhéad duine a bhíonn ag scríobh, níl dabht ar bith ach gur chun maitheasa a rachaidh sé don teanga.

Sin é an mapa atá á leanacht againn agus le cúnamh Dé beidh 2012 torthúil ó thaobh amhráin nua de. Tá súil agam go mbeidh muid in ann roinnt ceolchoirmeacha a dhéanamh agus go mbeidh muid beagán níos eagraí ná mar a bhí muid sa Spidéal - ach ag an am céanna, tá rud éicint milis faoi a bheith ag seinm ar an imeall agus gan fios agat cá bhfuil tú ag dul. Ar feith píosa ar aon chuma.

Seo thíos píosa don cheolchoirm sin a luaigh mé agus an t-amhrán 'Tar ar Ais go Camus'

Coinnigh súil amach do Rís - beidh muid ag dul timpeall na tíre am eicint i mbliana!

Budget 2012

An t-Aire Airgeadais Michael Noonan

Roll up, roll up, thóig sé dhá lá orthu an cain fháisnéis seo a thabhairt dúinn. Bhí muid uilig ag súil leis ár ndóigh don chraic agus mar a léiríonn na staitisticí thíos, nach ann a bhí an spraoi. Ag éisteacht le milliúnaithe na craoltóra náisiúnta ag iarraidh ceisteanna chrua a chuir ar airí rialtais faoi árdaithe páigh srl agus ag tarraingt siar mar go mbeadh sé seafóideach acu siúd é sin a dhéanamh agus iadsan ar an méid céanna nó níos mó airgid agus atá Sarkozy, David Cameron agus Barack Obama curtha le chéile. Nach aisteach an saol é.



BUDGET 2012 DAY TWO
Income tax: No increase
VAT: Raised by 2% to 23%
Universal Social Charge: Exemption raised to €10,000 - this affects 330,000 people
Carbon Tax: Increased from €15 per tonne to €20 per tonne
This means:
1.4c increase on Petrol
1.6c increase on Diesel
€17.32 increase on Fuel Oil (to rise in May)
€14.46 increase on Natural Gas (to rise in May)
No Carbon Tax on solid fuels
Cigarettes: 25c increase on pack of 20
Alcohol: No change in excise duty
Legislation planned on low-cost alcohol
Motor Tax: Changes to apply from 1 January
Band A up €56 to €160
Band B up €69 to €225
Band C up €28 to €330
Mortgage Interest Relief:
30% for first-time buyers between 2004 and 2008
25% for first-time buyers in 2012
15% for non-first time buyers
€100 Household Charge: Waived for those on mortgage interest supplement and those in unfinished housing estates
Stamp Duty
No change to stamp duty on residential property
Commercial property rate lowered from 6% to 2%
Farming
Lower commercial stamp duty rate will also apply to farmland
50% stock relief on registered farm partnerships
100% rate for certain young trained farmers
Incentives for timely transfer of farms before the current owners reach the age of 66
Capital Gains Tax incentive: Applies to property bought by end 2013 and kept for 7 years
Capital Acquisitions Tax: Up from 25% to 30%
Capital Gains Tax: Up from 25% to 30%
DIRT: Up from 27% to 30%
Corporate Tax Rate: To remain at 12.5%
Corporate tax: Exemption for start-ups extended
Research & Development
€100,000 of expenditure can be used as tax credit
Companies can use R&D credits to reward key employees
GDP: 1.3% growth forecast in 2012
Special Assignee Relief Programme: Initiative to attract key staff
50% Employer PRSI pension relief abolished
Approved Retirement Funds: Tax up 1% to 6% on transfer of funds
Gambling: Legislation planned on internet betting

An t-Aire Brendan Howlin

Random Post ~ Merkel, Mackerel and Martin

Merkel is fast becoming like the most annoying control freak teacher in school. I like Mackerel and little Martin the cat is great craic. End note. 

Euro 2012 - Here we come!

All the goals from first game

Landsdowne road will be packed to capacity tonight for the first time in it's second coming for an International soccer match. If you haven't been living under a rock since last Friday then you'll be aware of the reason behind this outpouring of celebration and mass hysteria. Irish fans must have spilled onto the Old town square in Tallinn last Friday night in a dreamlike state after their team had beaten the home side by four goals to all but see the Republic of Ireland in a major competition since World Cup 2002.

Robbie Keane goal 2002 v Germany

God, that is a long time and to think Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Shay Given and Richard Dunne were in or around the same age as Séamus Coleman and James McCarthy now back then. Keane remarked this week that when he was 21/22 he thought that he would be playing for ever and that he probably didn't appreciate what they had achieved in Japan. Now, he is writing the final chapter in his highly successful international career. And according to Ronnie Whelan who played and scored in Euro '88, every player wants to keep going as long as he cans until someone in a suit tells him it's all over.

Last Friday Keane scored his 52nd and 53rd goal keeping him on top of the all time Irish and British Isles international scorers list. His club situation caused him many troubles for the guts of three years and it was kind of fitting that he had to go to Hollywood to make his comeback. Poor old Bruce Arena asked him to come back to L.A early to prepare for this weekend's MLS Cup final. In short, Keane said NO!

Trapattoni will also be delighted with the way things have worked out. Not least because he will pocket a bonus of  €1.7 million for getting his side into Euro 2012 but also because he will have proven his doubters wrong, and there have been many. Leaving Red Bull Salzburg to take over from Steve Staunton would have been a big gamble for the 'Silver Fox' due to the fact that the Irish side were in free fall and seemed as likely to qualify for a major championship as Alex Reid does of completing a cryptic crossword puzzle.

But here we are on the brink of greatness again, well a major championship anyway. Ireland don't play champagne football but there is an honesty that you just can't help getting behind. Like the fat kid at school who tries and tries everyday to keep up with the talented kids playing football and nine times out of ten he will fail, but that little guy will keep plugging away until he gets a result. 

Mick Byrne is funny in this video at about 40'sec

Yes, very drôle but the analogy is imaginable and a bit funny so I'm letting myself away with it. I vaguely remember Euro '88 but I do remember being completely excited at my family's reaction to the Houghton goal v England. Our uncle Cóilín used to come over to our house for the matches and he was always very impressed with Ruud Gullit. He used to call him 'an capall' or horse because he looked and was that strong on the ball. Mick McCarthy's long throw also captured the imagination as did Ronnie Whelan's strike off the shin and Mick Byrne's need to kiss Jack Charlton at any opportunity. 

Although Ireland didn't get out of the group in '88 they did more for the country than any so-called boom could. Kids were out playing football on the streets and everyone went around with a smile on their face. The boys in green have given us what the rugby team did a few short months ago - a good feeling about being Irish again. Hopefully we will win again tonight and we can look forward to the sunshine of Euro 2012 as we scrape through the dark nights of winter. Will we ever see the day when an all Ireland team come together and take on the rest of the world? Only time will tell.

And for what it's worth, my prediction tonight Éire 2 Eesti 0.

Highway to Heaven

Anyone who grew up in the '80's will remember 'Highway to Heaven', the classic Michael Landon series that saw an angel on probation down on earth. But I came across these outtakes the other day that made me see the show in a whole new brilliant light. Take a look!