Louise Marie

In the year of our Lord of 2025, it shouldn't be this hard to convince door-to-door sales people for energy and broadband companies that I don't want to do these transactions unexpectedly on my doorstep.

Personal piece.

I recorded an interview with Anton Savage on @newstalkfm.bsky.social earlier about mental health.

Hopefully it helps someone.

link.goloudplayer.com/s/pN1nYkdR4oWY

Go outside today maybe.

think i'd find the island from lost actually quite relaxing

I hum to myself a lot these days, when I'm out and about. Like singing humming, in public, near strangers. I noticed it as I approached 50, and noticed it yesterday. I used to not do stuff like that. Now I do.

Feels good. 👍

Bill Murray holding a large modern phonograph up to his ear, as if listening, with his eyes closed. Text reads: "The Interview: Bill Murray Says He’s Not the Man He Used to Be" Photo by Philip Montgomery for The New York Times

Bill Murray’s characters often perform a balancing act between charm and callousness — a theme that also appears in the actor’s life offscreen. He recently reflected on past mistakes, confessed to acting like “a jerk” and discussed his latest film. Read or listen to The Interview. nyti.ms/43IInwk

michael stipe: nightswimming, deserves a quiet night
11 year old me, having my brain permanently rewired: it does

Michael Lowry, an Irish politician and former Communications Minister who resigned following irregularities in the awarding of a mobile phone licence.

Father Dick Byrne, a heel character in the 90s Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted.

I knew I recognised him.

Just fyi: A new book will make you feel better

Séamas O'Reilly: We need to stop lying about what makes lost boys such easy marks for cons Economically depressed young men are aggressively targeted with the oldest, most seductive pitch there is — money for nothing — by bad faith actors with enormous wealth

I wrote this on young men, and why we need to stop lying about why they're easy prey for reptiles like Andrew Tate.

www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...

Trump berates Zelensky, the leader of a democratic country courageously fighting Russian imperialism, while he allies himself with Putin, a dictator who started the bloodiest European war in 80 years.

Sorry, President Trump. We believe in democracy, not authoritarianism.

However, it’s no exaggeration to say that you provided the ultimate blueprint for success (in fact, it’s the understatement of the century). Thankee, sai.

This is really well stated. Art is a thought process not a straight jump from “idea” to “outcome”. It means you can’t outsource the hard bits (for instance to some weird tech bro’s algorithm) without losing something crucial

Today is 2025-02-23, the sun sets at 17:51:31 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 1 hour, 45 mins and 48 secs. #GrandStretch #SpringStretch

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Me: **reads the news**

Panel 1: humpback whale speaking to itself "hmm" Panel 2: close up of whale looking down Panel 3: vast blue ocean Panel 4: whale continues "I am so fucking lost"

#oldknees

Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter after seeing his own shadow.

‘Young men aren’t just b****rds running around on their bikes ... everyone has their own dreams’ A Dublin project explores how the world shapes young men by helping some of them to create ‘boys’ as they really see them

I wrote about "Boys in the Making" an exhibition by Dr Fiona Whelan and other artists in collaboration with boys and young men from youth projects and schools around Dublin. I really enjoyed meeting them - it's a very cool project www.irishtimes.com/culture/art/...

Small caricature of Bill Murray

This month's newsletter will be out on Friday morning featuring doodles and the usual nonsense, including an admirably tenuous link between this lad and Irish folklore. You can sign up for free here: www.ciaraioch.com/newsletter

Happy to find out that Babybel is actually a smaller version of a bigger cheese. Disappointed that the bigger cheese is also called Babybel and not bel

Saw someone upbraiding someone else for having a hobby while the world is on fire, and, my friends:

1. The world is ever on fire, this is today's conflagration;

2. If you don't find time for rest and joy the fire will consume you;

3. Don't let people shame you for being an entire human.

Today is 2024-12-15, the sun sets at 16:05:53 and the grand auld stretch tonight was 00 mins and 10 secs. #GrandStretch #TheGrandStretchIsBack

He's making a list
Of possible ways
Your maiden aunt died
In a topiary maze
Sherlock Holmes is coming to town

Patrick Freyne: I am becoming a demotivational speaker – let’s all have an averagely productive December I keep meeting people who are extremely burned out. I meet them so often that I’m beginning to think burnout is something that exists by design

I'm launching a new career as a demotivational speaker (thanks to everyone who got in touch this morning - it's nice to hear it strikes a chord) www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

Word of the day is ‘forswunk’ (13th century): exhausted by work.

I like to add ‘foreswunk’, exhausted before you even begin.

Best part of Christmas is seeing people I used to go to school with visiting home from cities and from abroad, with their Fancy Haircuts and Fashionable Clothes, as I, eternally local, frantically hobble past them dressed in potato skins, grunting wildly, a pig wriggling under each armpit

Actor Edward Norton on environmental activism: ‘If you find it inconvenient, I think that’s precisely the f**king point’ Norton might be best known for his blockbuster Hollywood roles, but the actor is also a committed environmentalist and successful entrepreneur

I interviewed the very interesting Edward Norton about environmentalism and running businesses and also acting which he does sometimes www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...