<Dom> hmm - that clip indeed was a bit on the "angsty" side, what Toibin did there, but some hard-core Irish accent, I discovered.

But you were quite critical of Amy Walker's performance, eh? Well many are, and many disagree, also... Point being that - as she said - "I copy the accent from a select few PEOPLE, not of a whole state or CITY" - and she has a valid point; there is already so much diversity within a semi large town, let alone a country.

"Where did it go boys, that laughter!"

<Dom> Mightily impressive by Niall Toibin, actually, the intensity that bounces off the screen, mainly through his voice and dialect. And in a mere 90 secs clip...

Impossible to imitate, too, even with countless hours of practice...

Which is telling it like it is, I guess. When artists used human models and actually depicted stuff, the rear end was a perennial favorite. And now that conceptual art is in vogue, talking through it is popular.

"For ten long years he wandered
Til his legs were worn away
Then he bummed around from town to town ..."

One of my favorites was his role as Tom Cruise's father in Ron Howard's 'Oirish' melodrama, <Far and Away>. Shot in Ireland and Oklahoma (the Irish assumed it was all about emigrants, while the Jan Kees figured it was about immigrants) ... big difference, many crossed wires, and Nic Kidman being voice-coached in an accent (contemporary posh south Dublin) that didn't exist when the film was set.

During the Irish shoot I was whisked off by limo to meet Howard, Cruise and Nic Kidman (I musta been *somebody* back then, but I don't remember who). I recall a brief uneasy moment after the formalities where I stood chatting with Cruise and Kidman, and it was obvious that both Nic and I were taller than Tom, and he didn't much like it. Gosh, we coulda been flirtin' or somethin' unscientological, clear out of his line of sight. But we weren't.

Toibin's character was 'the Da' - pure stage Irish stereotype. He somehow hammed it up in such a way as to deeply impress the Americans with the money, while subverting the character for clued-in viewers: a twinkle in the eye that said "I'm nobody's <Da> ... I'm an <actor>".

If I'd known that she'd get bored with the demented pipsqueak I might have tried flirting for real. Not that I ever 'got anywhere' with movie stars, apart from: an intense hug from Liza Minnelli (me and everyone else within hugshot), and an equally intense but even more bizarre conversation about golf with Anne Archer. Yep, golf. Which I don't play. But when the star leads, I follow ...

As for the consultation game, it sounds attractive -- but I'd really better not. I've had to drop out of a bunch of real-world club games due in the next few months. I'm pretty busy with RL stuff, and at totally unpredictable times ... it's very difficult right now to say whether I'll be free for anything, and plans get changed rapidly.

Too *bleedin rapid*, in fact. I'm putting chess on hold until a weekend tournament in Jan/Feb ... and popping briefly in here when I can.

"Vast chess expertise", eh? I'm flattered. Were you perchance an <imperial flunkey> or a <professional schmoozer> in an earlier life? It's clearly been heavily diluted by your current tell-it-like-it-is and watch-the-buggers-squirm attitude, but it's lurking there in the deep background.

Blier also made Les Valseuses, effectively Depardieu's breakthrough film in the 70s. Very black comedy - makes noir seem like a whiter shade of pale.

BTW, that laugh in Teeth also reminds me of one of my ongoing bugbears, my objection to 'LOL'. I don't mind in the slightest when somebody makes a real joke or says something that's actually funny, and LOL is a mark of appreciation. But, looking over the posts here and elsewhere, the vast majority of LOLs occur in a very different context -- more sneering and sadistic. A sort of childish expression of idiot contempt.

In kibitzes, you get stuff as banal as "thats a dumb move LOL" (so? what's to laugh at? why should an error induce a belly laugh? would anyone do that while watching a live game in the real world?) - which is just part of the distancing, alienating, dehumanizing side of the Nutterweb.

I thought it was tasteful at least...

Anyway, sorry you can't play <Dom> but feel free to jump in if you find the time!

The hotel had just installed an electronic display above the, ahem, fountains - a very flashy and high-tech innovation in those days, allowing the guests to follow their stock portfolios while peeing, making money and water at the same time.

All three of us stared at this electronic monstrosity for a few seconds. Then I said aloud "But, uh, what is it *for*?" ... and the guy on my left, I think it was Billy Zane, replied "It's to stop us looking at one another's dicks, dummy".

And that was the end of the conversation. I didn't look down at any point, just washed my hands carefully and left.

More bad news, I'm afraid.

<Frogspawn> has been voted <Number One Best Web page> on the Net by the <Blogosphere>.

Oh wait that's good news actually.

I guess I'm just used to reading bad news all the time.

Congratulations!!

Bad news! The <nosher-miles obituary> brouhaha has reached fever pitch.

<Boomie> has actually changed the Wikipedia entry to state that the "obituary" was a HOAX!!

On the plus side, thanks to <Boomie> I realized I could become a member of Wikipedia as well.

I have just altered the Wiki entry on <Ireland> to say that it was founded by <DomDaniel- King of the Leprachauns>.

I hope that's OK with you.

Leprechaun society has been organized along broadly democratic lines since the Lep Revolution in 1702 -- we teamed up with the Lepers, the Leapers, the Springers, the Cobblers, the Rainbow-makers' Guild, the buck-nekkid buck-leppers, the Misers (who never paid their subscription, despite those pots of gold), the Old Crocks, the Led Zeppelins, and the Lepidopterists.

Therefore there is no longer a 'king' of the Leprechauns, except during our annual chess festival when volunteers play the parts of kings, queens, pawns, etc.

My actual title is President-for-Life.

Let's give the old bat a break!!

I'm still around, btw, just haven't had much time for any kind of chess input/output lately. Got a club game on Friday, though, which will be my first outing since the Galway expedition. Them were the days.

I only just now caught up with the last round of the olympiad. I see Bulgaria would have come 2nd under the old points system, but languish in 14th place under match points. Maybe they have something in their favour after all.

This is not to be construed as a comment on Bulgarians. I'd have said the same thing if the British Virgin Islanders had won. Go, Captain Hook. Nice win, Mr Lettsome.