return to pearse

via the brilliant satirical cartoonist, Green Ink.

I’m still not sure if I believe it.

TCAL, the ever-reliable source for Internet time-wasting is no more.

I’m gonna have to work a lot harder to find quality stuff on the net now.

Much mourning and messages of condolences continue on the announcement post.

My contribution:

I didn’t see that one coming.

To be honest, it’s the only way TCAL could have gone, and a great to way to end it.

Now they’ll have to give you the obligatory “end of career better give him an Oscar” type Blog Award.

via TCAL:

Some Photos of it on Flickr too.

Saw this on TV a while ago, but just found it online today.

There’s also a ‘creak’ ad, but I prefer this one.

The agency is Dublin-based Chemistry, and the animation is by Head Gear of Toronto, directed by Julian Grey.

The always amazing zefrank talks about the web (I think)

PC World reports that

Microsoft, Google, [Yahoo, and Vodafone] will develop a code of conduct with a coalition of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to promote freedom of expression and privacy rights.

This seems to be quite related to these companies’ policies relating to censorship and monitoring of internet activities in China and similarly restrictive areas.

It’s good to see large corporations like these seriously considering their moral responsibilities and valuing peoples’ reservations about their conduct, and, as engadget reports, working with some very well supported and respected non-profit groups such as

the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, Business for Social Responsibility, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Human Rights Watch, and Reporters Without Borders.

Doubts have been expressed over how this code will be policed and enforced, but overall it looks like a step in the right direction.

If you’re looking for the more recent ‘Mr. Campbell’ Garda video, it’s here, but do feel free to have a look around here first

After the original Garda Communication post by gingerpixel, the hilarity that is two confused Gardaí went rocketing round the tinkerweb until the inevitable happened:

Animated by Ian Kenny, there is apparently a high-res non-YouTube version on his website, though I haven’t seen it as his server seems to have taken a pounding.

P.S. Whatever you do, don’t claim you did it. As Blogorrah points out, it could land you a €63,000 fine or 5 years in an overcrowded prison.

(via)

Wasting some time on YouTube recently, I got sucked into the adventure of following ‘related video’ links.

Started off with the excellent David O’Doherty:

(Other Recommended Songs)

Which led on to David Kitt:

Which led, via some Jape videos, to The Redneck Manifesto:

Also Recommended

After Christmas, my household (like many all over the world, I’m sure) was littered with DVD Box Sets of TV shows. Forget Lost, Prison Break, or any of that other shit, here’s some that are actually worth your time watching:

• M*A*S*H

I’ve seen the movie, and vaguely remember watching some of the shows years ago but it wasn’t until I got this for one of my brothers this Christmas that I realised how much funnier this show is than a lot of the crap on TV these days.
M*A*S*H fan site, the movie on IMDb,

• The O.C.

Shut up, it’s amazing. Not usually one for teen dramas (Yes, I am a heterosexual male), this series is saved by extremely attractive (though not particularly good) actors playing characters far younger than themselves, brilliant soundtrack (featuring plenty of Irish bands), brilliant photography, and the best storylines in the genre. Each episode works like an hour-long film in itself, and as part of a whole series.

Amazing as it was, it was never going to survive the death of Marissa.

Watch here

• Scrubs

Quite simply very funny. And in true cheesy voiceover “It was at this point I realised I was no longer a boy, I was a man” style, there’s always a valuable lesson learned just in time for the end of the show.

IMDb,

Watch here

• Teachers

Just none of the most recent series. Anything which still had Kurt & Brian (who bears a shocking resemblance to PE & Geography teacher at my school) in it, basically.

• Band of Brothers

  Far superior to Saving Private Ryan, and happily there’s 10 hours of it. Well worth the €50 or €60 it costs (though it’s easy for me to say that: I didn’t pay for it, my brother did)

  Watch here.

  The Panel

  The funniest show on Irish TV, and still no Box Set available.

  You’ll have to make do with this

  Your Turn

  What have I forgotten? Hit the comments with your suggestions.