[CARTOON] Toyota Gas Pedal Fix

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Dracula the Dubliner!

Dracula

As it’s doppelgänger week on Facebook I’ve chosen another Dubliner for my alter ego, Count Dracula! OK he was based on Vlad the Impaler in Wallachia (now Transylvania in Romania) but inspired by Irish writer Sheridan Le Fanu's 1871 "Carmilla", about a lesbian vampire who preys on a lonely young woman, Dubliner Abraham (Bram) Stoker was the author of the 1897 novel “Dracula.” Indeed, whilst Vlad did impale 25,000 Ottoman Turks defeated in battle (They were lowered onto a stake inserted in their rectum and left to die as they slowly slid down) the inspiration for the stake through the heart came from Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin. There suicides were interred in an unconsecrated vault outside the wall and a stake put through their heart to stop “the Devil claiming their soul.” That will teach them!

Although, loosely based on the macabre and cruel character of Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler, a 15th century prince of Wallachia in Transylvania, a region also renowned for stories of vampires and werewolves, Stoker had plenty of material to draw on from early and contemporary Irish history. The Great Famine (1845-47) and subsequent cholera outbreaks fuelled many stories of horror and of people being buried alive. In Celtic times storytellers were passed on of dreadful tales of the "undead", those who were destined to wander the earth forever seeking the blood of others. These ghouls were known to have had bad blood or droch fhola (pronounced as druc ula!).


Bram Stoker

There is another Dublin connection to classic gothic horror fiction with a strong Faustian theme. The birthplace of Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, is 15 Marino Crescent Dublin and when he and Oscar Wilde when young they were both in love with a girl who lived at another house in this short crescent on the Northside of Dublin. Oscar Wilde used the Crescent and the room in the garret as a setting of his only published novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” There are passages in this novel, which has a certain autobiographical content, which ring true today.

“Each class would have preached the importance of those virtues, for whose exercise there was no necessity in their own lives. The rich would have spoken on the value of thrift, and the idle grown eloquent over the dignity of labour.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula


Marino Crescent, Dublin

Ballymun Travelodge

Ballymun Travelodge



Not for the first time has the Celtic Sage modestly demonstrated his gift of prophecy! A couple of weeks ago I rounded off my review of Travelodge Dublin Airport (actually in Ballymun; see the review) by stating “In summary, nice building, poor management, woeful security, good value if you don’t get robbed.” I pointed out flaws with the security of the Car Park, and card controlled electronic security locks being out of order allowing access from the car park through the stairwell to all floors in the building.



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/01/tale-of-two-travelodges.html



I also pointed out that the CCTV & “security guard” in the car park were not effective. Well today’s Irish Independent carries a report of a €1m robbery in the middle of the night where a gang broke into a room. €1m is equal to £901k or £751k if you buy a gift card at Marks and Spencer!



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/01/its-not-fair-exchange-rate-its-rip-off.html



The paper reported a diamond dealer bravely tackled an armed gang as they robbed him of €1m worth of precious stones and jewellery as well as cash in his hotel bedroom early on the morning of the 29th January. Wholesale jeweller Noah Stefancki (64) was battered on the head with a hammer as he tackled one of the three raiders, but failed to prevent them taking his suitcase. Mr Stefancki told Gardai he had lost his life savings in the robbery of the jewels, which were not insured.





Gardai searching bins in one of the semi-derelict flat blocks behind the Travelodge



Russian-born Mr Stefancki, who lives and works in Southampton in England, is a regular visitor here and travels around the country for business deals with local jewellers. He booked a room in the Travelodge hotel in Ballymun after flying into Dublin Airport as he had stayed there previously and was known to some of the staff. Gardai believe he was the victim of opportunistic local criminals, who became aware that he was carrying a valuable haul in his suitcase, and kept watch on his movements until they established where he was staying. Officers suspect that the thugs did not anticipate such a major haul when they carried out the robbery. Publicity around the raid may now attract the attention of an organised crime gang boss, who could seek a slice of the proceeds.



Mr Stefancki was in his bedroom at around 12.15am when three masked raiders, armed with a gun and a hammer, forced their way in. He lunged at the closest member of the gang and attempted to stop him from grabbing the suitcase. But he was thumped twice on the head with the hammer and the gang escaped from the hotel on foot. They were pursued by Mr Stefancki on to Shangan Road but the three then turned into Coultry Road and escaped. There was no sign of any getaway car. Mr Stefancki immediately returned to the hotel and raised the alarm. After Gardai arrived at the scene, he was taken to the Mater Hospital for treatment for lacerations to his head. He was later discharged.





The insecure "security door" giving access to the Travelodge from the car park





The insecure underground car park



I had pointed out “However the big weakness is apparent when we came back that night and parked in the “secure” underground car park. We pressed the intercom at the car park entrance and without any conversation or checks we were let in. The car park is shared with apartment dwellers and retailers but there are plenty of clearly marked Travelodge spaces. You need to use your card key to access the hotel (and the lift and your room) but when we got to the “secure” doors they were “open” with the electronic lock disengaged so you could go straight in. Once in the lift lobby you could then access all the floors without a key by going up the stairwell. We spoke to the young receptionist the next morning she said the security lock was due to be repaired and had been out of action for weeks. She also said there was CCTV and there was a security guard in the car park. Well there may be CCTV but there is little point to it if there is nobody at reception to look at it. As for the “security guard” we saw what was happening when we were leaving the next day. There he was in an office in the car park chatting away to a friend and just opening the barrier without checking.”



Afterwards the hotel management commented on Trip Advisor;



“Management response from Lisa Walsh, Travelodge Group Revenue Manager

Jan 22, 2010

Hi there,

Thank you for taking the time to write your review. I would like to discuss these issues with you further as your comments disappoint us greatly.

I can assure you the under ground car park is secure – if the magnetic lock was off during the day it was for a maintenance purpose. It is always connected back up.

At this time I can only apologise for your bad experience & for any inconvenience caused.

Kindest Regards,

Lisa”



While proactive the main flaw in the response is that the security lock was not down during the day for maintenance but during the evening and according to the receptionist had been for weeks. It would be wrong to comment on a current criminal investigation but it will be interesting to see if the security flaws I pointed out were a factor in this robbery. As for Mr. Stefancki if I was a diamond dealer I would have stayed in a more central hotel with staff who had been there for ever like Buswells but I can see the attraction if he is travelling around of a hotel near the airport and the ring motorway around Dublin. It is not unusual as I found when I was with Irish revenue and called on manufacturing jewellers in Dublin for diamonds to be transported and dealt this way. Loose diamonds are kept in cloth rolls by grade and the value can be substantial. However if I was Noah Stefancki I would certainly be checking with my lawyer to see if any of the security defects the hotel was told about were a factor in this robbery?





One of the semi-derelict blocks of public housing behind Ballymun Travelodge

The finals at the Australia Open

 

Serena Williams winner of the Australia Open 2010. (Getty)

Serena Williams hitting back the ball to Justine Henin. (Reuters)

Former World No.1 from the previous generation Justine Henin holding on to her trophy. (Reuters)

Justine Henin stretching out to hit the ball. (Reuters)

Roger Federer in his swift move again. (Reuters)

Another cool move from the World No. 1 (Reuters)

Andy Murray running to reach for the ball. (Reuters)

The finals at the Australia Open were certainly exciting as giants pit against giants, the World No. 1 at the matches and both at the Women and Men finals, all players put up a great game. At the Women's final, former World No. 1 and current World No. 1 Justine Henin and Serena Williams respectively played against each other. Both showed great determination to win, serving strong and using wits forcing each other to go into errors. The score at the end of the two rounds were 6-4, 3-6 and the last match will be a deciding factor of who will be the winner.

Both have so much to prove, for Justine Henin she wants to prove that she still has it there and the current World No. 1 Serena Williams aim to have ther 12th grand slam titles to tie with all time tennis great Billie Jean King who was there at the match. At the last match Justine Henin seems to tire out a little and Serena Williams saw that and quickly strike to win the game. The finals score was 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

At the Men's final, Andy Murray have what he wanted by playing against the tennis great Roger Federer. He wanted to win the World No. 1 and be the first British player to win a grand slam after so long. But Roger Federer is not to be reckon with at all. He showed who he was and what he was made off. He served and strike back with cool moves and won 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11). He had managed to win this 16th grand slam titles once again showing he is one of the tennis great of all times. It was an interesting open tournament throughout with most of the top players at the game.

[CARTOON] Toyota Sticky Accelerator

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The semi-finals at the Australia Open

 

Defending champion Serena Williams doing a back hand. (EPA)

Serena Williams and Li Na shaking hand after the semi-finals. 

Former World No. 1 Justine Henin striking back. (Herald Sun)

When the two Chinese players Li Na and Zheng Jie made in to the semi-finals together winning other players like Maria Kirilenko, it was a great advancement made by the two tennis players so far in tennis history. The fans were elated and they were really proud of them. However at the semi-finals both met World No.1 players and they were too strong to defend this time. 

Defending champion Serena Williams eased past China's Li Na 7-6 7-6 to reach the final of the Australian Open and this will be her fifth title she will be bidding at Melbourne. Li Na put up a great challenge but Serena Williams' strong serves tired her. Justine Henin on the other hand had an easier game at the semi-finals winning Zheng Jie 6-1 6-0. She will be meeting the current World No. 1 at the final and this will be one match that many will be interested to watch.

Roger Federer had a tough game but he won Nikolay Davydenko 2-6 6-3 6-0 7-5. He had stopped the champion of the last two tournaments and will be advancing to the semi-finals. If he wins, he will be meeting Andy Murray where Andy Murray is wanting to play with the current World No. 1

[CARTOON] Apple iTampon

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