Some might say its pure laziness the way we talk as it sounds like we just don’t put the effort into saying the full word…like howya (how are you)…But is it just because we have so much to say in such little time we are forced to shorten our words?…Its almost like a secret Ballyfermot code if your not from ballyfermot you probably wont be able to understand….well maybe someone from Clondalkin or Tallaght would…but other than that its practically Egyptian.

Although it can often be the case of lengthening or varying our words by using other sayings…for example for hello: Wats d story…wats d crack…hows it goin…alrih…

And sometimes its just changing the whole word all together… like how we pronounce potato - bidata…house - gaf…scarleh/marleh-embarrassed…yiz ar-you(pl)..massive-beautiful,bags-trousers,cacks-underwear and everyone is supposed to know that when you say your “down d roid” that you mean your on the Ballyfermot road not just down the road from your house or on some random street.

Some might say its annoying but I think it’s nice to embrace the culture of the small area we live in. Love it or hate it but if you grow up here your sure as hell gona speak it.

So if your ever speaking to a person from the wonderful world of Ballyfermot and cannot understand what they’re saying, try to:

• Add various letters onto the end of the words
• Try to substitute an E to what you hear as A or O
• Say “wah” or “wah rye on abouh”
• Or leave me a comment for some translations

So if you can speak Ballyfermian think of it as an unrecognised talent and embrace your gift….Thank you…..(Fair play,talk chise)

God doesn’t think hes Bono…

A joke heard worldwide…..but why do so many people hate Bono for no good reason?

Today Bono’s name was mentioned and followed by a murmur of negative comments like “i hate him” and “absolute prick”. I stopped and wondered why there is such a negative stigma attached to this man who seemed to have achieved so much. Was it jealousy? a dislike for U2? or is there an actual reason to hate Bono?

Personally I don’t have a dislike for Bono… in fact I quite admire him. Yes I do agree that he has a certain arrogant air but if I had succeeded in bringing people together to help third world nations I would feel pretty good about myself too.

U2 are probably the most well known band in the world. With exceptional music and heartfelt lyrics its a band hard to forget. I think it is a huge achievement especially being from Ireland having such worldwide fame.

Having a traumatic childhood with his mother dying of a brain hemorrhage while he was 14 and an unhealthy relationship with his father shaped the contents of his lyrics. Bono has a reputation of being one of the worlds best performers with bursting energy and an amazing connection to his fans, even pulling them onstage.

Bono has been involved with numerous charity acts like campaigning with Greenpeace and amnesty international. One of his biggest achievements was organising the live 8 concert in 2005 alongside Bob Geldof, the aim of this to pressure world leaders to increase aid, cancel Third World debt and improve the terms of trade with the world’s poorest countries.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinions and maybe its just me surrounded by enemies of Bono but personally I can’t find a valid reason to dislike this man…….I actually can’t seem to find a reason not to love him….

So if you are one of these people who don’t like Bono and scowl at his name stop and ask yourself why do I hate Bono?…

Today i was devastated to find all of the photos in my camera had been deleted! I lent it to a certain person (who shall not be named for reasons of his own safety) and got it returned to me with all of my 527 pictures wiped, all of my memories erased just like that. Now I’m not here to say that you should not lend your camera out, this i lent to a person whom I would have trusted with my life (better re-think that), but to take care of your photos as these are precious moments you will never get back.

Personally I am one of those people who would dive out the next window rather than let anyone take a photo of me…my mother’s album consists of baby pictures and ones of a fuzzy shadow running away from the lens. However now I am begginning to regret taking a picture simply for the moment nothing else, even the ones with bad hair, no teeth and embarrassing clothing.

The best photo’s are the spontaneous ones,you known the ones where you look like a hyena laughing but these are of true memories..you cant look at a photo of you and your friend posing in front of the camera look back and say “remember the time we took that photo”…not something to be nostalgic about if you ask me.

So my message is to take more photo’s of the things and people special to you, take care of these paper memories…we cant predict what the future holds but we can surely have a way to laugh at the good times in our past…

I guarantee without the English explanation the majority of us Irish citizens would not be able to understand that sentence…to be honest I’d say there’s some grammar mistakes in there as well.

Irish is our native language, the language we would be speaking if we had not been colonised by the English. It is the official language of our country yet i don’t think I could find a single person who speaks only Irish.

Most people when they leave school, leave their language behind remembering only one saying “an bhfuil cead agam dul go dti an leitheris”…no translation needed.

I’m currently doing my leaving cert in higher level Irish and with about 7 in my class attempting the level i have to say we’re all struggling. If Irish had of been introduced to us at an early age it would be almost like a secound language…(maybe its too high hopes to have it as our primary language). I think it is a shame that we have no idea about our native tone.

Personally I find myself hating the language with great frustration as it is a highly complex language to understand, even in comparison to french which has many similarities to English. Irish in itself is a really unique language and I think every Irish person should have some knowledge of the language as little importance is put on the dialect today.

If Irish was common in our everyday language we would be more familiar with it. It is an insult to our tradition if we reject our native tone. Most other countries have their own language and keep English as a second language while being true to their own heritage.

Is brea linn na tire agus bheidh me ag caint a lan gaeilge…

People are talking about Christmas since the first of september (im sick of it already) and what are they asking  “what are you getting?”and “i want..”, no questions about how you will celebrate it or who you’ll be with.

I think the true meaning of Christmas is about being with the people you love friends,family and not what is under the tree. It seems greed and materialism has dominated every-one’s favourite holiday and turned it into a money competition. Not only does this greed take over the true meaning but puts pressure on financially challenged families, and lets face it it is a bit ridiculous stocking up on a years worth of food that won’t be eaten and thrown out on January 1st, personally I could put that money to better use. Don’t get me wrong i love presents at Christmas but as an old saying goes “it’s the thought that counts” when it comes to your big red parcel.

Christmas is most important to children but I think they should be thought what Christmas is really about instead of being spoilt with over the top gifts which will loose its vanity in a matter of days leaving your kids bored and your wallets empty…

So i ask that this Christmas we give up the most house lights competition and most expensive gifts we don’t really need and appreciate the things that money can’t buy…

Even though the bulk of us know deep down that horoscopes are actually a load of bull I think it is true to say that there is still something inside us that will look for that “special someone right in front of us” or go out buying the next lotto ticket or scratch card if we are told “luck will be in the finances”,when actually it causes a small dip in our pockets and a lowering of standards to the people we don’t find attractive!….at the end of the day i think its all down to hope,faith and reassurance that something good is coming our way….(also lets face it reading about your “fortune” is more interesting than reading about Brian Cowan’s latest financial irregularities)…..so just for fun here’s this weeks signs…..

There is some truth behind this statement. Nine-teen in every twenty males, and twenty-three out of every fourty-five females, have small scents of urine over there body, in various areas depending. This causes the animal to smell you, and this gives the animals a sense of danger, and they believe you are harmful to them. Thus causing them to attack, or run away. Usually you will either want to run, or stay, so they dont actually smell fear per say, but they smell the urnine, along with the mentality of being afraid, and the scent of adrenaline.

So yes, they can smell adrenaline, as well as urine, and your mentality.

Bottom line: Its ok to be a little scared of dogs…just make sure you don’t pee your pants! 

• Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10years to paint Mona Lisa’s lips.(dunno why, she barely even smiles)
• A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.(a must try!)
• By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can’t sink in quicksand (and you thought this list was completely useless.)
• Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!(handy tip)
•  Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.(oh the irony)
• Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It’s the same with apples(such a pity celery tastes so shit)
• It is physically impossibe for a human to lick their own elbow(please don’t try,seriously you can’t do it)