20 bliain ag fĂĄs – apparently.

This week was quiet hectic, kicking off with my 20 year school reunion on Friday. Yes I know I don’t think so either 😉 Although I did stay out until 4am I was sensible with the demon drink and felt fine for the next big do on Saturday. My father in law turned 80 last week so we all got together for food, drink, music and song. It was fabulous! But I really felt all the excesses for the rest of the week. Hmmm maybe it is 20 years since I was in school… Still haven’t learnt a thing about being sensible. Hurrah! Many of my in-laws are amazing musicians. Some of my readers will have heard them at our wedding no doubt. I think between my family, my in-laws and the Outlaws we probably cover the whole gamut of musical styles. So on Saturday, I sang my version of this amazing song, The Book of Love by the Magnetic Fields. It has a strong resonance for me because I first heard it on Valentine’s Day last year. This was an especially difficult time for my in-laws but I knew they would appreciate this song with its down-to-earth romanticism. It’s bitter sweet for me. Here is Peter Gabriel singing it live and lovely.

Music may be the food of love but we’re here to talk actual food so excuse the slight diversion but I like to share many things.

Friday

Lunch: Gnocchi with pesto – I needed a good carbie lunch that I knew they would eat as Fridays are shaping up to be a super busy afternoon too. Nipper 1.0 had his first choir practice in the city centre so I had to keep everyone going for that. To keep crankiness at bay I also brought along Babaduck’s Amazing Star bars (kind of swanky rocky road) and Wellington Splats (my squares that had gotten battered on their travels.)

Dinner: Pizza as usual. Well I went out for dinner with my old school chums. I had a delicious but very garlicky broccoli pasta dish in Marios in Ranelagh. I probably hadn’t been there for about 20 years either!

Saturday

Lunch: Bagels with choice of filling on the hoof before hitting the road.

Dinnner: Pops’ bash with goodies galore.

Sunday

Lunch: We weren’t 100% sure where we’d end up for lunch but due to certain so-called being incapacitated we left early-ish. We stopped en route to Dublin at The Tap, a place, I’ve been watching develop over the years driving up and down. The drive is too short to justify a stop but I was starving so we stopped off and had a lovely lunch. An unusual spot where the kids found much to amuse themselves. Apart from the too-tall glasses that restaurants seem to always give to kids and which they always then spill they were also very kid-friendly.

Dinner: Bolognese from the freezer. I love my freezer as I was now officially exhausted.

Monday

Lunch: Hot dogs which are one of the nippers’ absolute favourite lunch options. Why do I bother…?

Dinner: Chicken and couscous – this title doesn’t really do this amazing dish justice. I absolutely will post this recipe as it is a favourite with the family.

Tuesday

Lunch: Leftover chicken and couscous for some and I honestly can’t remember what the others had.

Dinner: Pasta with roasted brocolli – this was only grand. It was a bit dry so I ended up larruping olive oil on the finished dish thus over-riding any “skinniness”.

 Wednesday

Lunch: Whole wheat pasta with oven dried and garlic sauce

Dinner: Candied pork with sweet potato wedges and green beans

Thursday

Lunch: I had soup from the freezer. PB &J on the hoof for everyone else as we dashed about.

Dinner: Roast trout & little taters with carrots. This fish dish was a hit. I’m getting there!

Friday Pizza

Exercises, exercises, we must do our exercises

Now that I’m feeling a little more energetic I’ve been trying out a few exercises. A friend recommended this video which is good and totally do-able. The fact that another new mum recommended it is a bonus. Also note that the video is 9 mins long and after a 6 hour labour that’s like so easy, right?!

However I also really like this one because it allows me to exercise with Nipper 3.0 in the morning after we walk back from the school. It’s kind of difficult to do those push-ups with someone laughing in your face though!

As a friend on Twitter said you also want to be careful about the timing of your exercise with baby:


I’m also heading along to a kettle bells class which is run in a park nearby by a dad from the school. I’ll give it a go and take it very easy but I sat in on a class today and it looked like I should be able to manage it especially as the exercises built up in stages. I like to exercise in a class because I find it far more motivating. I had seen this class taking place on my way to and from work and the school. The fact that it takes place outdoors really appeals to me. I’ll let you know how I get on!

Nå déan olc

This is my column for the May 2010 edition of Beo! In it I write about YouTube which had recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. I write in particular about the issues around copyright, artists’ fees & privacy that YouTube has brought into focus in its short life.

BhĂ­ Ă­onadh orm nuair a chuala mĂ© an tseachtain seo chaite go raibh YouTube ag comĂłradh cĂșig bliana ar an bhfĂłd, fĂłd an idirlĂ­n! BhĂ­ ionadh orm toisc nach cuimhin liom, roimh YouTube,  cĂ©n ĂĄit a bhfuair mĂ© fĂ­seanna de chait ag canadh is cailĂ­nĂ­ beaga ag dĂ©anamh aithris ar BeyoncĂ© nĂł ataispeĂĄint de radharc as Return of the Jedi, frĂĄma ar frĂĄma, dĂ©anta le Lego. Is fĂ­or dĂłibhsean a deir go lĂ­ontar gach folĂșs!

Cheannaigh Google an feidhmchlĂĄr grĂ©asĂĄin Ăłg seo mĂ­ Dheireadh FĂłmhair 2006. D’íoc siad $1.65 billiĂșn ar an gcomhlacht. TĂĄ fĂ­seĂĄn lucht a bhunaithe le feiceĂĄil, Chad Hurley agus Steve Chen, is iad ag fĂłgairt na nuachta seo le comhphobal YouTube. 

D’fhoilsigh Nicolas Carr ‘The Big Switch’ sa bhliain 2008, leabhair a rinne comĂłrtas idir stair na haibhlĂ©ise agus fĂĄs an idirlĂ­n. Mar chuid den phlĂ© ann, dĂ©anann sĂ© cur sĂ­os ar an bhfĂ­seĂĄn seo de Chad is Steve. TĂĄ gangaid i bhfocail Carr nuair a scrĂ­obhann sĂ© faoin mbealach a dtugann Chad “kings” ar YouTube is Google. Dar le Carr, ar nĂłs rĂ­ ar bith, ba chĂłir do Chad is do Steve a bheith nĂ­os umhaile os rud Ă© gurbh iad a “ndaorchlann“ a chur na corĂłnacha ar a gcloigne beannaithe. Murach pobal YouTube, (lena bhfuil siad ag gabhĂĄil buĂ­ochais sa bhfĂ­seĂĄn seo, dĂ©anta na fĂ­rinne), nĂ­ bheadh YouTube ar bith ann. An fhadhb atĂĄ ag Carr leis seo nĂĄ an easpa tuisceana, dar leis, a lĂ©irĂ­onn na rĂ­the Ăłga ar an gcaidreamh seo idir YouTube is a pobal. Is grĂĄin leis go bhfuil an bheirt seo ag gĂĄire faoi $1.65 billiĂșn a fhĂĄil de bharr oibre is cruthaitheachta daoine eile.

B’fhĂ©idir go bhfuil pointe aige. NĂ­ eisean amhĂĄin a bhĂ­ buartha faoin bpĂłsadh seo agus an sprĂ© a chuaigh leis. BhĂ­ ĂșinĂ©irĂ­ cearta fĂ­se buartha toisc fonn fadseasta Google eolas uile an domhain a chur ar fĂĄil do chĂĄch saor in aisce. Conas a chinnteofaĂ­ go bhfaigheadh siadsan gur leo cearta an ĂĄbhair Ă­ocaĂ­ocht ar na cearta cĂ©anna? Don duine aonair, don bhfĂłgraitheoir nĂł do mhargaitheoir nĂł rĂ©alta Ă©irĂ­theach, b’fhĂ©idir gur chuma, ach do na comhlachtaĂ­ ceoil, scannĂĄin is teilifĂ­se, ba dheacracht mhĂłr Ă©. Maireann ceist cĂłipchirt go dtĂ­ inniu fĂ©in gan aon rĂ©iteach ceart, nĂł i ndĂĄirĂ­re, rĂ©iteach sibhialta. Ar ndĂłigh nĂ­ YouTube amhĂĄin a chruthaigh nĂł a bhuanaigh an fhadhb ach, leis an tosaĂ­ocht a thugann Google do fhĂ­seĂĄin i dtorthaĂ­ cuardacha, is beag brabhsĂĄlaĂ­ idirlĂ­n nĂĄr bhain ĂșsĂĄid as YouTube.

Is Réidh le Cåch Stiall den Duine Eile

Ar bealach sin ceann de na fĂĄthanna a cheapaim go bhfuil pointe ag Nicholas Carr. TĂĄ cultĂșr cruthaithe ag teicneolaĂ­ocht atĂĄ ag dĂ©anamh dochar airgid dĂșinn ar fad dar liom. CultĂșr atĂĄ ag sĂșil le gach rud saor in aisce ach a ghlacann le fĂłgraĂ­ ar chuile rud faoin spĂ©ir. ThĂĄinig an t-idirlĂ­on cĂ©im ar chĂ©im as tograĂ­ taighde ag gabhĂĄil siar go lĂĄr an 20Ăș haois. BhĂ­ paisean, fiosrachas agus mĂłrtas acadĂșil ag baint leis an obair a ghin an t-idirlĂ­on is teicneolaĂ­ochtaĂ­ eile. Sa leabhar ‘Outliers’ le Malcolm Gladwell, cĂ­orann sĂ© an nĂłs go caithfear 10,000 uair a chur isteach in aon cheird chun teacht ar an saineolas, bĂ­odh sĂ© sin ar an ngiotar, an piano nĂł i sampla amhĂĄin atĂĄ aige, ag clĂĄrĂș rĂ­omhaire. Sa sampla aige, dĂ©anann sĂ© cur sĂ­os ar an mĂ©id ama a chaith Bill Gates Ăłg ag obair ar rĂ­omhaire. Mar chaitheamh aimsire, istoĂ­che, nĂł trĂĄthnĂłna DĂ© hAoine. Ar luaigh mĂ© go bhfuil duais don tĂ© a thagann anĂ­os le focal Gaeilge ar “nerd” dom?

Ba thogra ollscoile Google a chruthaigh Larry Page is Sergey Brin mar chuid de chĂ©im dhochtĂșireachta. NĂ­ dĂłigh liom go raibh siad ag smaoineamh ar ghnĂ©ithe cosĂșil le ‘paid search’ nuair a chaith siad snab an choinnill airneĂĄin i Stanford.  BhĂ­ an bheirt acu paiseanta faoina n-ĂĄbhar ach nĂ­ raibh siad ag sĂșil go nginfeadh a gcuid oibre ceann de na comhlachtaĂ­ is tĂĄbhachtaĂ­ sa 20Ăș haois. ÉascaĂ­onn na teicneolaĂ­ochtaĂ­ seo scaipeadh an ĂĄbhair ach nĂ­l sĂ© soilĂ©ir go gcruthaĂ­onn siad saol nĂ­os cĂłire ina bhfuil an saibhreas a thuilltear roinnte ar chĂĄch a chruthaigh an saibhreas cĂ©anna.

RĂ© Mheath an PhrĂ­obhĂĄideachais

Tharraing YouTube solas ar ceisteanna i leith prĂ­obhĂĄideachais freisin mar, cosĂșil le teicneolaĂ­ocht uile GreasĂĄn 2.0, tĂĄ gnĂ©ithe sĂłisialta ag baint le YouTube. Is fĂ©idir lĂ­onra a chruthĂș air, trĂĄcht a scrĂ­obh faoi fhĂ­seĂĄin agus sĂ­ntiĂșs a ghlacadh le hĂșsĂĄideoirĂ­ ar leith. BĂ­ cinnte go bhfuil Google ag bailiĂș an eolais seo ar fad. An buntĂĄiste nĂĄ go bhfeicfidh tĂș fĂ­seĂĄin nua atĂĄ cosĂșil leis an ĂĄbhar a thaitin leat cheana. An mĂ­bhuntĂĄiste nĂĄ nĂ­ fios duit an bhfanfaidh na tĂ©armaĂ­ is na coinnĂ­ollacha mar a gcĂ©anna i gcĂłnaĂ­. Ach do na dĂșchasaigh digiteacha, is rĂ©idh a roinnfidh siad mianta agus sainroghanna pearsanta leo chun greim a fhĂĄil ar an tairiscint is nuĂĄlaĂ­.

Ach le fĂ­seĂĄin, tĂĄ priobhĂĄideachas de shaghas eile i gceist. Nuair a tharraingĂ­tear fĂ­s cĂ© leis an fhĂ­seĂĄn sin? An leis an tĂ© atĂĄ ann nĂł an leis an tĂ© a tharraing Ă© an fĂ­seĂĄn? CĂĄs amhĂĄin atĂĄ an-chĂĄiliĂșil ar YouTube agus a luaigh an t-Ășdar Daniel J Solove ina leabhar ‘The Future of Reputation: gossip,rumor & privacy on the internet’ (ar fĂĄil ar lĂ­ne) nĂĄ cĂĄs an ‘Star Wars Kid’. Rinne dĂ©agĂłir fĂ­s de fĂ©in ag troid le “light saber” mar dhea. NĂ­ raibh sĂ© rĂł-scafĂĄnta ar a chosa, bhĂ­ sĂ© ramhar, rinne sĂ© gleo aisteach. ThĂĄinig gasĂșir eile sa scoil ar an tĂ©ip is chuir siad ar lĂ­ne Ă©. Is Ă© ceann de na fĂ­seanna is mĂł splĂ©achadh ar YouTube Ă©, ach nĂ­or chuardaigh sĂ© an clĂș seo. D’fhĂĄg sĂ© scoil de dheasca na maistĂ­neachta a tharla chuile lĂĄ ann agus tĂĄ sĂ© faoi chĂșram sĂ­ciatrach. Shocraigh a thuismitheoirĂ­ cĂĄs dlĂ­ a troid le tuismitheoirĂ­ na ndĂ©agĂłirĂ­ a chur an fĂ­seĂĄn ar lĂ­ne. CĂ© go raibh mĂ© ĂĄbalta teacht ar an uafĂĄs ĂĄbhair ina leith, nĂ­ raibh mĂ© ĂĄbalta teacht ar oiread is focal amhĂĄin Ăł Google fĂ©in i leith an scĂ©il seo. BhĂ­ siad sĂĄsta an t-ardĂĄn a thabhairt dĂłibh siĂșd a bhĂ­ ag magadh faoin gceatĂĄn bocht seo, ach an dĂłigh leat go gcreideann seisean, nĂł a mhuintir atĂĄ ag tacĂș leis, mana Google, “Do no evil.”