Dear France, please stop being saps.

"Police said they were held ... for joining an unauthorised protest."

"Offenders face a fine of 150 euros (£133; $217) and a citizenship course."

"Critics of French President Nicolas Sarkozy say it suits him to play up the Muslim question because he is an unpopular president in need of an easy vote-winner."

Now, these quotes shouldn't come from France, but they do. Horrible, horrible saps, with their stupid, pointless, ridiculous, racist laws.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13031397

Grace's dating tips

Grace is my mate. She's a very mature six year old, and has just become a big sister. So it was time to discuss my love life with her. I told her I was single, and she said maybe I should get a boyfriend. I asked her how, and she said:

"Just ring up the boys, tell them you're at home, you're alone and you're lonely. Then ask them if they want to get married. Or go for a date."

I asked her if she would try it. She said no.

New Verse

Straight Outta Bayside, another crazy ass figure,

More puns I make, yo, my rep gets bigger,

I'm another bad motherfucker and you know this,

But those southside asses won't show this,

But I don't give a fuck, I'ma make my snaps,

If it's not from the headlines, from the raps,

Just like burglary the definition is jackin',

And when I'll illegally armed, it's called packin',

Click on a story, in a minute,

I find a good podcast, I go listen to it,

So if you're in the news, on the front page,

I'm a call you a bitch or a dirty ass ho,

You'll probably get mad like a skanger's supposed to,

But that shows me, you're composed to,

A crazy motherfucker from the street,

Attitude legit because I'm writing up shit,

My pals control the layout,

Everything's locked to baseline, that's the law,

B-E-A-N spells bean, but I'm raw,

See cos I'm the motherfuckin' sub,

The definition is clear, we'll probably go to the pub,

That's going to a places for some pints,

And once you've got the scoop, you're ass is published,

Look, you might take it as a trip,

But a girl like Bean is on the gangster tip,

Straight Outta Bayside...

Céad mile fáilte

On my way to college the other day, I saw a member of the Gardaí, who was alone guarding the Kildare Street entrance to Government buildings, being asked and obliging to take a photograph of a tourist outside the gates.

That'd never happen in many other places in the world. It made me proud to be Irish.

Brown Owl

When I was between the ages of about six and eleven, I was in the Brownies.

It is a wholesome organisation where little girls go to dress in yellow jumpers, wear small neckerchiefs with toggles and earn badges for learning to skip, helping your mam, etc.

Every Saturday morning we would meet in a Church hall and do various activities. Before the fun and games started, we would have to gather around in a circle, say a prayer and sing the songs of our Brownie sub-groups (I believe I was a Sprite).

The woman in charge of a Brownie pack is called Brown Owl. Our Brown Owl was a straight-talking woman with grey hair which was always in a very neat up-do done with what I can only imagine had dozens of clips holding it together, and she drove a red, sporty car.

One Saturday, before we sang our songs, our Brown Owl told us her thoughts on Dublin safety.

"Things just aren't the same these days, I never feel that safe when I'm by myself any more," she told our little group of uniformly dressed youngsters.

"You never know who you're going to run into. When I'm out driving in town I always carry a crow bar in the passenger seat next to me. You can never be too safe."

And then we proceeded to say the Our Father and my group sang, "Sprightly Sprites we're on our way, Play and laugh and help today."

Babies

My auntie had a baby today, which is brilliant. She very much deserves it and I'm delighted to have a new cousin.

But today I also found out that someone I know, a friend of a friend, might not ever be able to have children.

And I heard something about a Soviet nuclear bomb testing site in Kazakhstan, where some doctors suggest people shouldn't be allowed to have children for fear they are deformed.

Once I told my boyfriend that if I got pregnant it would probably be the best thing that ever happened to us. Which I still believe, even though I know it wouldn't be the best timing and we aren't even still together, which would make things even more difficult.

I also saw this ad today, which is pretty mental. Can't tell if it's real or not...

The issue of babies is very strange. Who should have them, who shouldn't, when should you, when shouldn't you, etc. I'd say there's no way of knowing the answer to any of these questions.

But I'm still VERY pleased for my aunt.

Marriage

Found myself listening to 'Band of Gold' by Diana Ross and the Supremes, looking up news on the royal engagement and then flicking through sites about wedding dresses.

I don't even have a boyfriend.

But on that note, isn't it weird how much the Irish don't like the royal family? I think my family's grand with it cos we're one part English and one part Protestant. But almost all my peers seem to think the whole royal thing is silly. Funny.