Inside View from Ireland

Essential Rogue Squadron Jacket

I HAVE SPECIAL SPACE in my DVD collection for Star Wars, Star Trek and BSG. So it's only natural to have a special hook in the hallway for a Star Wars M65 Field Jacket.

I'm posting my thoughts here, along with a direct link to the Adidas selection, to prod family viewers towards a lovely Christmas idea. I've already asked my wife if she would like a matching jacket and she has declined. So I'm trying to determine if our four-year-old could fill out the smallest size and be the envy of her play school as she strides in with her Camo Jacket, complete with a four-star field commander cluster to keep her inner nerd warm toasty warm..

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wishlist

Just When You Thought the Water Was Safe

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT the water was safe, Air Swimmers floats a shark next to your face.

These RC fish would delight our three year old but I don't think we'll be able to get one of these $40 fish from M and M Toys before the end of September since they don't ship to Ireland. This may mean getting a few fairies to flit and fly around the birthday girl with their enchanted flapping wings. You can guide your fairy with a magic wand. As all good storytellers know, the deepest wish of any fairy is to inspire humans to take better care of the natural world. And each Flitter Fairy tries to bond with a human friend who shares her most important trait such as compassion, protection or inspiration. So before the end of September, we need to invite Eva, Daria and Alexa into our home to play the Snow Fairy Keeper contest, explore Faewick Forest and Kendlenook Village, and read the fairy book “Slightly Above Time” during the upcoming birthday party.

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Direct link to the Flitter Fairies and to the Air Swimmers video.

wishlist

I Want a Pink Bike

IF SHE COULD BLOG at two-and-a-half, Mia would be telling the world that she wants a pink bike. If she could read, Mia would see I've written about the joys of having a new bike. I'm shoveling a sample video clip onto my blog in the hopes that we can find a way to get her a 14" pink bike. We've bought her bicycle helmet already and have visited Worldwide Cycles to find a perfect match to her frame.

Mia Wants a Pink Bike

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Direct link to 22-second audio: http://www.insideview.ie/files/wants_pink_bike.mp3

Download the 3MB M4V file.

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Christmas in Ireland

IT'S THE SEASON FOR searching for photos related to Christmas in Ireland. I've five years of Christmas memories recorded on Typepad's servers, including some shots taken with a Nokia Bluetooth camera (see left), a Sony Clie and others snapped with several Fujifilm cameras. I shot the little people walking on Grafton Street one wet December day in 2003. Today, those same kids probably have cameraphones of their own. They take, save, and share Christmas pictures of their own. Years ago, I never thought that every phone would incorporate a camera. Now, it's paramount because sharing moments will always evoke visual memories.

After Cleaning

AFTER CLEANING A NEIGHBOUR'S swimming pool, I used to find all sorts of interesting things--like spiders and frogs and turtles. But not one on top of another like a guy found in Virginia recently.

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Photo from Wrenn.

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Open Cockpit Blades of Glory

SOME DAY BEFORE THE END OF THIS DECADE, I will strap myself under a spinning rotor in an open cockpit and go chasing clouds. In the open front cockpit of the MT-03 gyroplane, you can see cows swat flies and you can watch rivers flow underneath your feet. You can see those things clearly because you don't have to squint through goggles of worry about a front-mounted engine spitting oil into your eyes. Underneath your bum, you get the solid feel of a light plane made out of bits of wood glued together and covered with fabric that horses like to eat. This kind of flying is just like I did when I first slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced the sky on laughter-silvered wings. I like the MT-03 because it can land on a tennis court if you're good. And its footprint is less likely to sink into a wet Irish grass field. I'm saving my money for hours over Hampshire or for weekends at Wickenby Aerodrome.

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First, join the British Rotorcraft Association. Then visit Wickenby Aerodrome.

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Glow in the Dark Drummer

WE HAVE A DRUM kit in a dark room where this routine would work well. Enjoy!

Review of Spacious and Quiet Cork Airport Hotel

We found shelter from a gusty day, checking into the Cork International Airport Hotel for a lazy weekend. We cashed in some Christmas crackers for a short break to Cork, spending most of the money on after-Christmas sales. We didn't expect the first class room accommodation in the hotel but we got the special treatment when we arrived before a normal room was cleaned up. We didn't complain even though the minibar had no bottle opener. It turns out that the hotel has very clever bottle openers that you can see at the hotel bar and they go walking out the door when discovered inside minibars. There's a bakery on the premises and we enjoyed a bag full of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at 10PM in front a 42" television screen in our suite. Both dinner and breakfast were fine, with the most notable feature being the seating. We sat in airline seats, in part of a dissected aircraft fuselage, and I flicked through web pages on my Nokia phone while using the free wifi that extends all throughout the hotel. Kinda neat being able to do all those things, while enjoying food much better than you would find aboard Aer Lingus crossing the Atlantic. We'll be back to the hotel when departing on an early morning run from the airport to London within a few month's time. Being able to make that early morning connection will save our family more than €110 on a short trip to England, meaning we're able to get a hotel room for the savings we enjoy on the flight.

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Rated 4/5 on Jan 06 2008 on LouderVoice

travel

Squirrel Massage

WITH SEVERAL FRIENDS sending messages on Jaiku and Twitter that they're taking breaks to get facials, back rubs and stress-reduction treatments, I thought it's a good time to get a massage. So I headed over to a mini set of photos about the lunch time adventures of an urban squirrel named "Rufus."

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via b3ta board

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It's Fun To Stay At The

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via Outhouse Rag.