… starting last Wednesday really, when I parted company with my old Fiat barchetta (sic), and exchanged it for a newer and shinier but equally-yellow one. I’m not one to get sentimental about cars, but that one certainly accompanied me on its fair share of interesting trips both here and back in the UK where I originally bought it. I’ve even completed one entire (and two partial) house moves with it– only thing that just wouldn’t fit was my widescreen TV 🙂
Saturday afternoon saw Dublin’s decision to allow a loyalist parade march down O’Connell Street go predictably wrong, with the place “resembling Bahghdad” afterwards according to Julie, who’d gone shopping in town regardless and somehow managed to avoid the violence and bomb scares.
The evening saw Scotland’s rugby union revival continuing, this time beating England at their own game: rock-solid defence and accurate kicking. (Unfortunately Ireland won as well, so they’ll have the triple crown up for grabs when we visit Lansdowne Road in the next game, so they’ll probably be trying a bit harder.)
After that we wandered round the corner to the local pub for dinner, and who should wander in but an Taoiseach Bertie and his fancy-woman for a quiet pint. Which is just what they should be able to do, of course, but it’s hard to imagine Dubya or Tony B being afforded the same privilege.
And finally, this evening I’m off to this Apple Guitar Seminar in Dublin, which sounds kind of cool… I really haven’t made much use of GarageBand or Logic Express since I got my PowerBook last year, maybe this will give me some inspiration. If it’s successful, it might also inspire Apple to open one of their amazing Apple Stores in Dublin, too… it’s kind of sucky that they have no less than six in Britain, but none at all in Ireland (or indeed the rest of Europe, although Paris and Rome at least are scheduled to get one soon).
What is interesting is Republican Sinn Fein blame the (Irish) Government for the violence, because the Government approved the March. They seem to forget that in a real free Democracy people have a right to freely express their views (no matter how much we may disagree with them). Personally, I’d be more interested in see a march where all the victims of Northern Iron’s “troubles” are commemorated, not just those of Republican violence. I guess the Orange Men just keep forgetting that part of the reason for the troubles to begin with is because of the treatment of the Catholic/Republican/native-Irish/non-Scot-Irish/minority population of Northern Iron.
Apple do have a store squirrelled away on Kildare Street at the back of what used to be Compustore. I don’t know if counts as an all singing all dancing Apple Store but it does exist.
See the 4th picture:
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74507
A good reminder of what violence is good for.
And some interesting comments about the march and marcher
http://fdelondras.blogspot.com/2006/02/bring-ulster-back-to-dublin.html
@Alan: Yeah, those are what used to be called Apple Centres (possibly still are), basically just authorized Apple dealers. There’s a handful of those in Dublin and they’re better than nothing (most of the O2 shops sell a range of Apple stuff now as well), but they’re a far cry from the real thing with their Genius Bars etc… basically Apple design their retail stores like they design their Macs and iPods 🙂