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Last week I was asked to recommend a local band, and believe me it is never an easy question. I love my music and I love my local music. There is just so much good music about this land that I have to think very hard before coming up with an answer. But there can only be one this time around.
The chosen band is Boathouse, a Belfast-based five-piece with a host of instruments including a shaker and glockenspiel.
Unfortunately, with the current lineup, they have no official releases other than the session which was broadcase on Across the Line for BBC Radio Ulster in June of this year. The three tracks ‘Johnny and Ruth Story’, ‘What I Remember’ and ‘Don’t Knock’ are rarely far from the currently playing song in my playlist.
The review was published today on the Music Blog over at Unrealitytv.co.uk. The blog, which was launched in August 2005 by Lisa McGarry, is perfect for those who need the latest gossip, opinion and news on the latest UK reality TV shows.
On the other hand, Gerard McGarry has been writing the music section of the blog since March 2007 and manages to update plenty of times a day with the latest news and updates to satisfy anyone’s music needs.
Together they make a great team!
So where did I leave off. Ah yes, day two in Boston, Massachusetts. Its hot, the sky is blue, decent people, a personal feel, easy to get around, lots of culture and a heck of a lot of history.
On this particular morning, I stopped at a little coffee shop for some coffee and a mousse - the most awesome moose ever! Then we headed to Harvard Square once more. On the ground I found a brilliant piece of art work that really touched me. Unfortunately I didn’t see the artist about.
From here we headed to Au Bon Pain, unknown to me at the time, but this was the site of one of the scenes of Good Will Hunting - but more on that a little later. As we sat eating out sandwiches, or sipping on sumptuous (yes I just used that word) soup, we were entertained by a busker who enjoyed singing off spontaneous songs about articles from free newspapers picked fresh from the various newspaper vending machines behind him. Some songs were terrible - though he knew it, more often they were so stupid that they were funny.
Just outside the seating area for Au Bon Pain are permanent chess tables and sitting either playing, or reading a newspaper, is the ‘Chessmaster.’ Murray Turnbull in a in the top 1% of chess players, as he says in his own words. A master indeed, he has been sitting here making his living since 1982 playing chess and offering lessons between seven days a week between May and October. Hear him tell his tale on YouTube.
After lunch I was excited to look around Harvard University. Walking through the yard we saw a large crowd sitting on the steps to the Memorial Church. It one of the student-led tours. We joined on. The next stop on the tour was the The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library. This is the main library of the university and was founded with the $3.5m given by Harry Elkins Widener’s mother to commemorate the life of the Harvard graduate and book collector who died in the Titanic disaster.
The next and final, and probably most interesting, stop on the tour was the Statue of John Harvard, or the Statue of Three Lies, as it is commonly known.
The inscription on the side of the statue reads “John Harvard, Founder, 1638.”
When the statue was created, by Daniel Chester French there were no known images of John Harvard, so a student named Sherman Hoar was chosen randomly by French and dressed in the style of the seventeenth century so he could model for the statue.
The university was founded in 1636, and not by John Harvard was only contributed to it; donated half of his estate and of his library of around 400 volumes.
For some odd (or maybe its more odd that so many people do exactly what their tour guide tells them) reason visitors and tourists rub the shoe of the statue for good luck. Although it seems that, almost as a rite of passage, it is tradition to urinate on the foot before graduating, leading to speculation as to the yellowy discolouration. Often in a drunken state in the early hours of the morning. It seems, if blog comments and message forums are to be believed, that there are students out there who actually have done this, or claim to. Besides finding it totally nasty, I can’t help but be impressed that they can reach.
The statue is more subject to various hacks (The word ‘hack’ at MIT usually refers to a clever, benign, and “ethical” prank or practical joke), including the recent Halo transformation to celebrate the release of the latest game.
It was only after asking our excellent tour guide about my favourite film Good Will Hunting, did I find out that no parts of the movie were filmed on campus. In fact, much of it was filmed in Toronto, Canada! According to our tour guide, no films are allowed to be filmed on campus, after the last production decided that the actual Harvard students didn’t look enough like real Harvard students, and so they were replaced with extras. Naturally, the university was not happy and filming has been banned.
The McLaurin Building, where Will (Matt Damon) works as a janitor is at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Also used in the movie is the Bow and Arrow Pub off Massachusetts Avenue, now gone, and Woody’s L Street Tavern, 658 E 8th St, which is still thriving and bringing further customers thanks to a sign stating its part in the film.
On our return to the great underground (harvard subway) we yet another busker. This time it was a cello. Only it was different. Not your typical classical pieces. This guy was playing Black Sabbath, and it sounded good.
This time we made our re-entry in Copley Square, in Back Bay, one of Bostons most upscale and desirable neighbourhoods. Here, we inadvertently found many more ‘attractions’ that I had originally noted. First, was the quite spectacular John Hancock Tower, or Hancock Place as it is officially named. Completed in 1976 it is the tallest building in Boston, the tallest building in New England, the 45th tallest building in the United States, and the 135th tallest building in the world.
Next was the The Boston Public Library; the first publicly supported municipal library in the United States, the first large library open to the public in the United States, and the first public library to allow people to borrow books and other materials and take them home to read and use. The library was officially established in Boston by a city ordinance in 1852. The building, however, was designed in 1888 and opened to the public in 1895.
Facing the Library is Trinity Church, making up part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
From here we walked to The Public Garden, another location from Good Will Hunting. Although we didn’t see swans, as are spotted in the movie, we saw squirrels. Amazing, tame, squirrels. In fact, it was something I noticed all around Boston, that squirrels can be seen everywhere, even crossing the road. And so, here are the photographs. Wild, Wild SEX!
The horny critters were lovin’ it!
And so that will be all for today. I hope you have enjoyed this odd mix of history, geography, arts, culture and biology. There will of course be more at the weekend.
Sorry if you’re just here for the wild sex, as promised yesterday. Just one more day to wait.
I am in no way sick of my photos of the US and trying to relive in my mind the experiences and get them down on paper (virtual paper). Though it has meant that I have slightly neglected other photographs and projects I have been working on since my return. This entry will be as a brief overview of what i’ve been up to the last 3 or so weeks since my return.
The first few days were spent at my parent’s house as I tried to overcome the jet lag and get at least one decent nights sleep. Then I lost my sought-after BT9 postcode as I to my wonderful new house with my wonderful house-mates, who had been residing here for 3 weeks before my arrival and made things look pretty
It wasn’t long before I was back in a bar among live music. I discovered that while I was away BruisedFruit had been at it again. They have started a new weekly live music night called Free The Noise in the Rotterdam Bar - and its free (see what they did there!).
The following day I moved house. Its great!
It wasn’t until six days later that I went to another gig. Instead, taking a little time to be with nature…
The next gig, however, was to be something quite exciting. Three highly recommended bands in one night. How I cope I will never know. General Fiasco, Cutaways and Skruff.
Then just two days later I was blown away again by one of the best bands in Northern Ireland right now; Swanee River. Though even before that was Soundstone, with their very sexy, very topless lead singer, and good music.
Then September was over, though not before a family party with free drink - of course. On the first day of the new month I was back at the Rotterdam, this time for something a little different. Kitty and the Can Openers played a split set, between them was a comedy act called Creem Nuts - Dave, Johnny and Ray, or The Trio as we used to call them - and Geoff Gatt, then more Kitty and the Can Openers.
Two days later I was back at the Rotterdam, after getting some snaps of Gabriel who has started an African Music School in the Oh Yeah centre in Gordon Street.
The lineup for this week’s Free the Noise was excellent. Three acoustic singers. Three very different voices. Dee McKendry, Donal Scullion and dAVID dRYDEN.
Thursday 4th October was the unofficial launch night of Oxjam, a month of 15 gigs, 40+ bands and much money to be raised for Oxfam Ireland.
I personally hope to get to as many of the gigs as possible as there are just so many great bands playing. I also want to see the film Black Gold, although I was told recently that although it does a good job of putting across what goes on in the coffee trade and the “unbalanced struggling between poor coffee farmers in Ethiopia and greedy multinational coffee companies to do “fair trade,” it’s a crap film. Though I guess thats not really what its about - rather, about the message it gives to viewers. It is being shown in Common Grounds Café on 12th October.
On the unofficial launch, there were three acoustic acts, Dee McKendry, Amy McGarrigle and Mary’s Great Idea - complete with new member, Curly Chris on bass.
Finally Friday, time to chill out. After work I took the camera around the city centre while there was still light and that awesome sky.
Of course it just wouldn’t be right if my safety was not threatened by spides even just once. As I was taking the shot of the Millfield campus of the Belfast Metropolitan College, below, I heard, before I saw, a can of pepsi (I hate pepsi!) which I had seen this youth drinking just seconds before it had been hurled across the rush-hour traffic to the traffic island I was standing on. Thankfully it missed me, and the camera.
That brings us to Saturday 6th October. The last ever Iconoclastic gig. There was a tear in my eye. However, Paul knows how to go out in style and did just that at the end iof the set; smashing a pretty green guitar.
Then there was dancing. Too much dancing. I even had to offer money to stop girls dancing around me!
Finally, yesterday. Woody Guthrie 40th Anniversary tribute day in The Empire. Beginning at 3pm, through to 9pm there was great folk/country music, including covers of Woody songs. Artists performing included Bap Kennedy, Juliet Turner, Arty McGlynn & Nollaig Casey, Brian Houston, Broken String Bluegrass Band, The Delawares, Chad Dughi (USA), and Maeve Dunphy. All proceeds of the day were collected for Huntington’s Disease Association (NI). A long, though thoroughly successful day. Big up to Errol Walsh for organising it all.
Its been a hectic few weeks, but I just can’t get enough of it. There is just one thing I would like to ask of you. I need to get my website (www.philokanephotography.com) up and running, and I’m not happy with how it looks at the minute. Unfortunately I cannot design websites and so I need the help of someone who can. I will be willing to offer a monetary reward for the best designed website, if necessary!
Thanks for reading :)
I’m still here! - You can’t shut me down!
Microsoft threatens Mac! (via Lex Ferenda)
Something old that I rediscovered. A Painting a Day
Quote of the Day: “We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over.” - Aneurin Bevan
Jett Loe was caught in Adelaide Street by the Irish News TV crew recently and questioned on the size zero problem.
Got a fear of flying? The Man in Seat Sixty-One has all the answers to getting around and keeping your feet on the ground.
Get your very own “Spock” Spacesuit. This one is currently going for $30 on ebay.
The Belfast Festival has been saved! For one more year at least
Sick of spam? Well some BBC presenters are sick of shit mail
Dream PC display or what! I so want one.
So everyone knows by now that Britney Spears shaved her head at the weekend. Personally I think there is no problem with it. Does someone have to have some sort of health problem, mental or otherwise, to do something like that. A little unexpected, but c’mon leave her alone.
[youtube]IsyWlcQAy-Q[/youtube]
Too tired to do anything else - so heres some youtube videos I’ve seen lately
This one has been doing the rounds on the blogosphere over the last week or so - but it’s so good, everyone must see it to get a greater understanding of the interweb.
[youtube]6gmP4nk0EOE[/youtube]
This is why I don’t do stupid things
[youtube]Qi-mDUx7v5Y[/youtube]
Now I do want an iPhone
[youtube]1xXNoB3t8vM[/youtube]
There is only so much hatred one can contain for this sort of thing
[youtube]SCDimUAxnCM[/youtube]
Microsoft Windows Errors - in Haiku
Yesterday it worked.
Today it is not working.
Windows is like that.Program aborting:
Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.
A collection of handwritten ‘ToDo’ lists
World Freehand Circle Drawing Champion
[youtube]eAhfZUZiwSE[/youtube]
This is unbelievable! A car drawn in MSPaint - great choice of backing track.
[youtube]ElrldD02if0[/youtube]
Its been a crazy weekend surfing the blogosphere.
I do enjoy the occasional few days when I end up spending far too much time online. Quite literally staying up all night, eventually going to sleep at 7 or 8am. It is very satisfying to learn so much so quickly. I don’t think there is anything right now that has me feeling super confused about the workings of wordpress. Okay, so I still know very very little about it all and php still scares me - but I certainly feel more confident in using it.
In other news…
What Happens Now is a great site, providing information on preparing and dealing with “life’s changes and challenges.” They deal with many issues and how to deal with their consequences. These range from accidents, fires, theft, theft, theft, travel. Other sections include life stages (birth, weddings, deaths), and natural disasters. Something like this should definitely be applied to the UK/Ireland.
Jake Gyllenhaal hosted the Saturday Night Live show on NBC at the weekend - and was extremely funny. Check out this clip [youtube]
Ever imagined the cast of Futurama as anime characters? I’ve never been a fan of anime - but this is just awesome!
![furturama anime [deviantart]](http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/fs15/300W/f/2007/006/0/3/Super_Happy_Fun_Futurama_Show_by_spacecoyote.jpg "furturama anime [deviantart]")
>Futurama: Super Happy Fun Show by *spacecoyote on deviantARTOr how about insane-looking Simpsons cast?
This turned out to be quite the success story for Deviantart user Spacecoyote who has been given a job working on a short anime Simpsons comic and may potentially work for 20th Century Fox on the relaunch of Futurama.
For some reason I didn’t think Apple’s iPhone would actually be worth all the fuss of the last couple of days. But then I saw this, and now I want one too!
The Folks at Mozilla had a meeting about Firefox 3 - Here are some of the planned features
Somebody had a hell of a lot of time on their hands
Meet Summer, she’s a rocket scientist - no no, really!
Microsoft to offer free telephone support to testers. What does that say for the demand for telephone support?
Wouldn’t this be going against the values set by the BBC if they started to use ads such as the example shown here, particularly the one that says they are to be independent and impartial ["Trust is the foundation of the BBC: we are independent, impartial and honest"].
John Lennon would not want to contact those who are just out to make money from him like this!
In the future…
Aeroplanes will no longer be a comfortable journey. We will be herded on and off like animals on Noah’s Arc.
How could anyone hate George Bush. We need this man. For nothing else but comedy value of course. He has decided to talk about new technology, something he should refrain from uttering too often. On this occasion he says “I’ll be plugged into an iPod,” Bush said. “A lot of the reason the iPod exists is because of federal research dollars.” Wonder how long it will take for him to work it out. Maybe the iTod would suit him better.
Final thought…
Is it a bad thing that I see the word ‘Geek’ instead of ‘Greek’ while reading the news?