Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in rana_lindor's LiveJournal:

[ << Previous 20 ]

Monday, April 7th, 2008
12:48 pm	I Haz Job! Huzzah! My leet skillz haz bin rekognized and nice man haz give me Job! To the Tax Office, to see how much I can claw back from last year! (17 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, March 14th, 2008
3:46 pm	Cleaning out my closets... So, I set up my scanner and got ready to settle in for an afternoon of photo-scanning. When a casual search failed to turn up my shopping bag of photos I got a bit more serious, and now I'm committed to a full spring-clean. Every book I own is coming out of boxes, off shelves and out from under the bed and getting audited. A cull must be made! My emptied closets are being filled with clothes, and cds are being piled by the PC, they're next in line after the books. Anyone care to guess how many books I own? Current Mood: busy Current Music: Alien Ant Farm (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 9th, 2008
12:23 am	The 80's Many terrible things happened, one of which was Police Academy. Did you know Kim Cattrall was in Police Academy? While being subjected to yet another evening of visual-entertainment by my overly effeminate housemates I discovered this fact. And I have to say, she looks good wielding a shotgun. Then again, I am a sucker for a chick with a big gun. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
2:45 pm	E. Gary Gygax dies http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7278927.stm Met him once, and he didn't steal my pint. Obviously realised I had 8 ranks in Spot. :) While the hobby changed enormously from those early pseudo-wargames, I think we all owe a massive debt of gratitude to one of the guys who got it all started. Gary, on whatever Outer Plane you now inhabit, I hope you're resting easy. Current Mood: contemplative Current Music: In My Garage - Weezer (Comment on this)
Monday, February 25th, 2008
1:01 pm	I'm bad, I'm very very bad. :( It's all rustynails9's fault... I'm going to hell. But not till I die... Hmmm... living forever... Current Music: Faith No More (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 22nd, 2008
5:03 pm	Fear my Voodoo Magic! The Girv is dead! Long live Geordan! Girvan Dempsey is definitely out of the team for Saturday, having done his leg in training. Murphy comes in at fullback. Excellent, the XV is looking good now. Next, I sort out the bench. Where are my Horgan and Easterby dolls.... Current Mood: satisfied Current Music: Beastie Boys - Sabotage - Solid Gold Hits (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 21st, 2008
1:02 am	Wwwwwwwggggggggggggg!!! My excitement is uncontainable. Current Mood: ecstatic (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 15th, 2008
3:44 pm	For the edification of my Leinster brethren... Some of the following, (see goblin_insane's LJ and my comments) are being implemented in this years Super-14. I feel it's a positive step, and worth trying, although whether the rules will have the intended effect remains to be seen. A guide to the Stellenbosch Laws Rugby Union's law book extends to almost 150 pages, but the sport's governing body is keen to simplify things The IRB has been trialling a series of experimental laws at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Former Test match referee Paddy O'Brien - now the IRB's referee manager - is one of the brains behind the changes, along with former international coaches Rod Macqueen, Ian MacIntosh, Richie Dixon and Pierre Villepreux. Shaping rugby union's future CREATING SPACE: Concerned by an increasingly over-populated midfield area, the Stellenbosch laws require the backs to be at least 5m behind - rather than level with - the hindmost foot of the scrum. "At scrums, all non-participating players - except scrum-halves - must be at least 5m behind the number eight's feet," said O'Brien. "This gives much more room for the back lines and helps make for a more skillful handling game." THE BREAKDOWN: With more than 30 offences to consider, the referee's job at the breakdown (the battle for possession after a player is tackled) is extremely difficult. So the new laws propose the removal of many pages from the law book by allowing players to handle the ball in the ruck. "Everyone accepts it's a mess at the moment," said O'Brien. "Players - so long as they're onside, have entered from the back and are on their feet - can play the ball with their hands. "With these laws, players fight for the ball and the best man wins." COLLAPSING THE MAUL: A certain type of rugby fan gets very excited by the rolling maul, and for years collapsing it has led to an automatic penalty. But the Stellenbosch laws allow the defending team to stop the maul's progress by dragging the whole thing to the floor. "Some people will be horrified to hear this, but studies show it's not dangerous," said O'Brien. "Although the maul is a great part of the game, one of the problems is how to stop it legally. So we're saying the defending side can collapse it." DEFENSIVE KICKING: Being able to kick the ball out on the full - i.e. without bouncing - from inside your own 22m area is a long-standing rule and there is no change to this. But the Stellenbosch laws remove the option of a player passing the ball back inside the 22 for a team-mate to kick out on the full. "If you do kick the ball out without it bouncing in the field of play first, the line-out will be from where you kicked it with the other team throwing in," said O'Brien. "We just felt that this was a negative in the game and could be done any with." PENALTIES: Players can be punished by having a penalty awarded against them for numerous offences. The IRB wants to change the balance, so most 'technical' offences are penalised by free- kicks which are invariably run rather than kicked to touch. Players cannot go for goal from free-kicks. "With the exception of foul play (including deliberate/repetitive infringements), all penalties will be free-kicks," said O'Brien. "If, for example, a player breaks off the scrum, rather than a penalty that decides the match, it's a free-kick - we want players, not referees, deciding matches." CORNER FLAGS: Corner flags are located at the four corners of the pitch, where the touchline meets the try line. If a player knocks into the flag in the process of putting the ball down, the try is disallowed even if the player's feet and body are not in touch. So the new laws have removed the flag from the equation. "At the moment tries are being disallowed when the corner flag gets taken out, so we're saying just get rid of it," said O'Brien. LOOKING AHEAD: Following the Stellenbosch trial, the IRB are keen to take the experiment onto the next level. With a target of introducing the laws to the whole sport in 2008, the experiment will continue in Scotland's Super Cup competition - for Premiership teams like Boroughmuir and Watsonians - from January next year. "Ultimately, we want the game to be easier to play, coach, and referee - and easier for fans to watch," said O'Brien. http://www.yrs.co.uk/Stellenbosch_Laws.pdf See the PDF for Diagrams! :) Current Mood: quixotic Current Music: Faith No More - The Real Thing (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 11th, 2008
5:09 pm	Good News for Everyone! What's good for your hair and skin, and can cure the common cold??? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4703166.stm I don't know who's running the NHS these days but that's quality research... Current Music: MTV Mix-up (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 7th, 2008
4:04 pm	Ah, sure twas only the early head I was stamping on garda... So, Jerry is reprieved, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/irish/7231162.stm and will be back for Scotland, Wales and England. Nice one. Just sorting out my music drive and came across this playlist from our sophisticated party! :) Current Mood: restless Current Music: dontletmeatyourpc (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
3:23 pm	Thoughts on Irelands line-up vs France... and my musings on the future! Originally posted in response to http://goblin-insane.livejournal.com/65705.html?view=241833&style=mine#t241833 This is a start. It's closer to the team I would have picked last week. This gives me hope that Eddie will slowly evolve towards the team I want by the END of the 6 Nations. While I'm willing to tolerate for the moment, (too many changes not Eddies cup of tea) certain other players need to go. Like Shane Byrne and Reggie Corrigan before them, time is up for Mal O'Kelly and Easterby. Likewise Girvan Dempsey. Horan/Cian Healy, Jackman/Flannery and Hayes/Buckley is a front-row competition between players with something to contribute. Anyone else is a waste of space. Though I hear good things about Mike Ross at tighthead for Harlequins. A better option for Ireland A than Brian Young? Surely. Speaking of better options, Goblin you have to give up on O'Kelly and Cullen. I agree that the Irish pack badly needs leadership, and brains! But this pair just aren't good enough. Behind POC and DOC there are a LOT of quality young locks. Frankly I wouldn't be looking at Mick O'Driscoll either, unless BOTH DOC and POC were out and I wanted a bit of experience alongside a young fella. Trevor Hogan, Donnchadh Ryan and Ryan Caldwell. These are all better options, who are better line-out options than Cullen and better around the field than O'Kelly. We may see Ryan vs Caldwell in the Munster-Ulster game. In the backrow Leamy/Wallace/Heaslip is a good combo, wouldn't mind seeing Jennings and Keogh get a look in here either. Roger Wilson too. Easterby, Johnny O'Connor and Gleeson to the scrapheap. Great opportunity for Kearney to nail the 11 shirt, or at least compete with Trimble for it. IMHO Shane Horgan is a 2 game a season player. He turns up for Munster and England, and that's not good enough. I'd rather Murphy, Bowe, or even Duffy, thanks. Luke Fitzgerald looks fantastic. This boy has TALENT and I think we have a potential superstar on our hands. He's playing mostly on the wing, he wants to play fullback. Eddie has played him in the centre. I think, down the line, he might be our best bet for out-half. To get him ready for that, I'd start giving him games at 12 and 15. The Centres are a big problem for Ireland. We used to be believers in the crash-ball merchant at 12, a big hitter who could make a target for the pack to get behind. I'm equally a fan of the "2nd 5/8ths" concept, where 12 is an auxilliary 10. (see the early careers of J. WIlkinson and D. Carter) With this kind of kicking, distributing 12 you want strike runners at 13 and 15 to feed off him. So I wouldn't wind an Irish backline of 9 Reddan 10 ROG 11 Kearney/Trimble 12 Paddy Wallace/Kearney/Fitzgerald/Murphy 13 BOD 14 Bowe/Murphy/Horgan/Fitzgerald 15 Fitzgerald/Murphy/Duffy Trimble is more of crashball option at 12, in which role I wouldn't mind seeing more of Darren Cave? (Comment on this)
Monday, February 4th, 2008
3:00 pm	Good News for the Ladies! Saw this article and decided to share! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7225828.stm (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008
3:40 pm	It's my birthday! Huzzah! As it wasn't at WarpCon I've sort of allowed it to sneak up on me. Turns out my family are coming to bring me for dinner tomorrow night. Thursday Club tonight in Henchy's. Maybe I'll have a quiet soiree over the weekend? Something classy and sophisticated, with cocktails? (Nagging sense of alcohol-suppressed memory trying to re-surface....) Yes, I'm sure that'll work out fine. So, my doctor tells me I have to quit smoking now if my lungs are going to recover fully. Also, I need to get a car, and drivers license. Gainful employment would be useful. What with the no-longer smoking or walking due to car, I'll need to start some kind of exercise regime. With optional violence. So rugby or martial arts I guess. Things to do in 2008! Current Mood: bouncy Current Music: Sinatra - It was a very good year (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
6:11 pm	Post-Cleaners Week 1 Last week was educational. We politely discontinued the weekly services of our cleaners. Then Mulkabu discovered that it IS possible to burn potatoes while attempting to boil them. I'm just sat down after the three of us have spent an hour cleaning the house, (the first of a new, weekly ritual) and I must say it's a sterling job. WarpCon XVIII was an epic. Despite my plans to take things nice and handy this year, Friday ended with the bright suggestion of 'Let's go to Gorbys!' after the Pub Quiz, and the weekend descended rapidly from there. Saturday was Club WarpCon and the longest journey from town to my house that I've ever taken. I'd forgotten just how long it takes Coffee_Lifeform to walk anywhere. :) Sunday was spent in the Old Bar, DOMINATING at D&D Mini's in an 8 player free-for-all. Some players would worry when they see the other 7 form a huddle while you're at the bar, I take it as a compliment. Let me summarise by saying, 80 points to the left, 80 points to the right, and my Cyclops did not think it too many. The Con was finished off with the best Royal Rumble in years, by the end of which I could no longer form audible speech. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, September 28th, 2006
2:51 pm	Fah!!! I remember when this was all fields!! Ultimate Gamer!! GM says drop 2d10, aanndd... you roll 88% ! What, are you a first generation gamer? Did you own the brown box?! Whatever you do in your spare time, gaming seems to be your job. Either you looked up the answers or you're the best of the best, the type that makes other gamers strive to know more. Just don't let the knowledge overwhelm the newbies, it tends to push them from the hobby. We all bow before you. You are the living nat 20, congradulations. I'm going to flee the scene now ;) My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on dice Link: The Real Gamers use Dice Test written by luminasita on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 19th, 2006
4:37 pm	Arrrrrr My pirate name is: Captain Roger Bonney Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr! Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com. part of the fidius.org network (Comment on this)
Friday, August 25th, 2006
9:54 pm	Cursed, I tells ya! OK, my LJ is cursed. After my last entry I came down with tonsillitis again, laid low for the second time in ten years! Fortunately after the last time, (10 days of feverish delirium, ending when rescued by my mother, who called to see where I'd vanished to and promptly took me to a doctor who gave me miracle-drugs, yay!) I knew the signs, so went immediately to Doctor, and am now mostly recovered thanks to joys of modern medicine. (Details of the last time need not be supplied, suffice it to say... Me. "What's that black stuff?" Doctor. "Blood." ) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, August 21st, 2006
11:25 am	Flags of Convenience? Been a while... Fate, it turns out, has a particular nasty streak towards those who tempt it. Lesson learned, say nothing to no-one until the ink is dry. Anyway, out of a combination of superstition and being too busy, I have avoided LJ. So, what has caused me to return? I have become aware of the increasing numbers amongst us who fly flags of sporting convenience. Those whose team seems more determined by chance of success than true alliegance. We will not speak of Chelsea fans, too distasteful. The matter which concerns me right now is all those Kerry people who emerge from the woodwork at these times... The matter was brought to my attention by the recent declaration ofgoblin_insane</span>, well-known Leinsterman and proclaimer of the superiority of all things Dublin, that he is in fact from Kerry. A 'bogger' to use his own phrase. You can imagine my surprise. What strange inadequacies are here revealed? What twisted motivation could create such a caricature of a self-loathing individual? The worst zealot is the convert, they say, as he wishes to show by his efforts that he never was that thing which he was before conversion, which he now scorns and repudiates. Apostasy is a serious charge in many religions, (not all), carrying the death penalty in some. We no longer hold to the Old Testament, we no longer take an eye for eye. However, in this particular case, I am willing to cast the first stone. Heads up Goblin! :D PS You others, you know who you are! And so do we. Learn from the fate of the Goblin, repent, or be outed! The Peoples Revolutionary Committee will sit in judgement before the year is out... Current Mood: weird Current Music: None, I'm working! (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006
8:38 am	And lo, the seventh seal was opened... This is my last day working in Ringaskiddy. My last day of rising at 6:00am to get the 6:55am bus to get to work at 7:35am for my job which starts at 8:30am and finishes at 5:30pm. Often I snuck out 5 minutes early so as to get the 5:35pm back to town, getting there for 6:10pm, as the next bus was 6:20pm and slow, getting into town around 7:30pm. That all seems really time-obsessed and kind of anal doesn't it? And if you know me, in particular if you've ever arranged to meet me, you'll know that I find it... trying, to keep track of time. :) So tomorrow I start my new job, at 9:00am, and I can walk there in half-an-hour from home. Finish at 5:00pm in town by ten past. Awesome. And it's a six-month contract, for about 20% more that I was on before. In other words, a real, grown-up job. We shall now pause while those who have passed out from shock are revived. ... I dunno, what next? Will Doc grow hair? Will Neary go on a diet? Will Alex admit that he puked in the teapot? Repent sinners! The End Times are Nigh! ;) (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, April 21st, 2006
2:01 pm	Lies, all lies... You Are 84% Evil You're the most evil person you know. The devil is even a little scared of you! How Evil Are You? Current Mood: nostalgic Current Music: Screaming victims (14 Comments |Comment on this)