Is it your birthday today? Well if so you share it with Ricky the special-needs monkey!

The NZRU have just officially confirmed that the All Blacks will take on Munster as part of their end of season grand slam tour. The game will take place at Thomond Park, Limerick on Tuesday November 18th. The game will serve as the official reopening of Thomond Park as well as commemorating Munster’s famous 12-0 victory over the All Blacks 30 years ago, the only time an Irish team has beaten New Zealand.

The current Munster squad contains 3 New Zealanders - Doug Howlett, Rua Tipoki and Jeremy Manning.

Anybody got tickets?

ABs captain Richie McCaw on the announcement of Munster game (3 News)

Guillermo del toro

Originally uploaded by Foro Mexicano de la Cultura

Yeah, not content to having Peter Jackson living down the street from me, I will soon also be neighbour to Guillermo Del Toro! He’s moving to NZ for four years to film two Hobbit movies and will most likely live here on the Miramar Peninsula.

I’ve never actually met Peter Jackson though I believe he was in my place of work once when I wasn’t there. In fact even though there are always plenty of movie stars around this area, I’ve never actually seen any. Any that I knew anyway!

Mark Greaney is an amazing guitarist and fine lead singer with angst aplenty. Gavin Fox is a damn fine bass player. Binzer Brennan is possibly the Irish Jimmy Chamberlain. If you need to ask who Jimmy Chamberlain is then just go away.

Together they are Concerto For Constantine.

They are giving away their new single ‘Minsk’ for free via phantom.ie.

Go download it.

Well so the headline on the stuff website says, no mention of accent being a motive in the article though. 32 year old Robbie O’Brien, who has been on a touring holiday in New Zealand, was attacked in the West Coast town of Westport on his way home from a night out. He received injuries to his eye and lost a pair of glasses.

Article from stuff.co.nz

Article from 3news.co.nz

I’m not a very political type of person, I don’t have any affiliations either way and I tend to see the qualities in the person rather the policies when it comes to politicians.

I know Bertie Ahern has a lot of question marks hanging over his head when it comes to his personal finances in the 90’s but I also think Bertie Ahern has been a great leader and has done a lot of good things for Ireland. I know there’s a lot of stuff he and his governments haven’t done well, the health service being one example, and he has a lot of complete idiots in his cabinet (personally, Dick Roche, Micheal Martin and Noel Dempsey seem to be a little bit too thick and ignorant for my liking) , but, for Bertie,  the economy and the peace process are two areas he must be commended.

Will Ireland be a better governed country under Brian Cowen?

Would Ireland have been a better governed country under Enda Pat Kenny Rabbitte?

I think definitely not.

Maybe Brian Cowen will be a great Taoiseach. He may not be the prettiest face for the cameras but seems like a solid guy with a solid record. I wish him well. But I think Bertie’s resignation will be a shallow victory for those who’ve had the knives out for him, as I think the country as a whole will be a little bit worse off without him as chief.

Then again maybe I’m one of the silent majority of people he’s had fooled into thinking he’s a good leader.

Don’t worry I won’t be talking about politics here again - for a while anyway!

I’m not posting this here for any reason. I don’t need one.

One of the greatest songs of all time. THE greatest music video of all time.

(in my honest opinion)

Queens of the Stone Age and Smashing Pumpkins are playing in town tonight. I’m not there. Why? I’m broke. Even though tickets only cost $100. Why isn’t there a NZ version of the Celtic Tiger? Call it the Rabid Kiwi or something.

In New Zealand, they give you plastic bags with everything. Yes, I’m just buying a scratchcard but I would love a plastic bag for that, thanks. Result - I now need to build an extension to house my plastic bag collection.

In Ireland every plastic bag in the shop (that’s a dairy to you NZ people) or supermarket costs 22c (which goes towards environmental stuff like buying grass etc). Who wants to pay 22c for something they don’t need? Nobody, that’s who!

Winner: the environment.

Ireland 1 New Zealand 0

Try having a look at this after 18 pints of Guinness this Paddy’s Day!

http://www.drugs-plaza.com/pictures/wallpapers_with_drugs/animated-gifs/wos1.htm