Planet Benson

Finding Craggy Island

2008-03-21T21:19:00.003Z

Today, I visited the house used in the TV Series "Father Ted". The house is located in Kilnaboy, Co. Clare, Ireland and without a bit of local knowledge it is quite difficult to find. However, I managed to find it after and hour or so. I'll post the directions here for those of you who want to visit it. Please remember that a family actually lives in the house.

Take the R476 from Corrofin and head in the direction of Kilnaboy. Kilnaboy is a small village. Look out for an Eircom phonebox on the side of the road. Take the road directly opposite the phonebox. This road is signposted as "Kilnaboy Church and School". Follow this road for about 4 miles and the house is on the left. There is a crossroads just before the house and there is also a tourist information sign on the right.

I also have a placemark that you can download for your sat nav. You can download it from here.
The placemark was taken on a Garmin Nuvi 250. You will need PoiLoader to add this file to your system.

Alternatively you can add this file manually to your device. The following instructions are for a Garmin system.
1. Select "Where to?"
2. Scroll down to "Coordinates" and select it.
3. In the North Box type in 53° 00.582'
4. In the West Box type in 9° 01.798'
5. Then hit Next.
6. Then hit Save and give it a name.
7. This location will now appear in your favourites.

Alan

Andy McKee - Africa (Toto)

2007-10-16T17:31:00.001Z

This guy is something special!

Do you want money quickly?

2007-10-14T16:43:00.000Z

Are you a person who wants to get rich on the internet faster than anyone has done before? If so this article is not for you. If you want to make around €100 a week then this article is for you. It's simple if you know how. I have the guide that I used to make quite a lot of money from the Internet and I will offer it to people.

So how do I get it:

1. Search Google (I have a search box to the right if you want) and get the following information:

Date of Battle of Green Spring
Bill Gates Date of Birth
Year Porshce was founded

All the answers can be found on google (search box to the right if you want)

2. Post a comment to this post with the answers and your e-mail
3. I will send you the guide (Only the first 5 to post will get the guide)

Alan

Note the Comments will not appear on this blog and nor will your e-mail as spammers will harvest it if I let them through.

How Close have you come to Death

2007-10-14T09:46:00.000Z

Very Lucky People caught on Camera.

Iraqi Speed Bump

2007-10-14T09:42:00.001Z

Right I know you heard about this ages ago!

Do you Know?

2007-10-14T09:38:00.001Z

U2 Tower for Dublin

2007-10-13T23:43:00.001Z

Just found out the planned U2 Tower is going to be built by 2011. I have to say it looks pretty slick but real? I mean why is the computer generate image at night. Does it block out the sun? Does it produce its own ozone layer. It leads me to think that it maybe a repeat of the Ballymun fiasco years ago.

Shame about the ebook

2007-10-13T23:33:00.000Z

I bought my first ebook on eBay today and as I expected, was not happy. I had some money hanging in my Paypal account and needed to move it somewhere. I did a quick search on eBay and it all resulted in my purchase of make $24000 in 45 days. It didn't work but it only cost 91 cent so I'm not too pushed.

It basically told me what I and you already know in quite a long (idiot) format that made it seem comprehensive. The only benefit of my venture was realising how easy it is to write an ebook about anything and sell.

Alan

Mic or iPhone?

2007-07-02T12:02:00.000Z

He really should have made a better attempt!

Change the theme of my blog!

2007-07-02T11:46:00.000Z

I suppose I've been a stranger lately to the blogging seen. You may have noticed my digg.com posts as my alternative to originality. I changed the theme of my blog just to give a bit of refresh to the whole thing. Well, I'm going to Germany in two weeks for three weeks. The irony is I'm currently on the final stage of "Medal of Honour" but shall forget everything about it when I arrive in Deutschland.

Got my full licence the other day.

In other news;

I shall be changing to Ulster Bank today and leaving the retards at BOI to their own devices. For absolutely no reason at all they cut my Withdrawal limit to €100 per day. It is my money after all. I will not be purchasing the iPhone until the next version arrives. Possibly moving to 3 as they will have the iPhone subscriptions when the Europe launch occurs.

Alan

Apple's Safari a Windows security risk?

2007-06-12T22:30:00.001Z

Already, security vulnerabilities have been revealed within just a few hours of release. So far we're seeing a handful of denial-of-service bugs and at least two issues with Apple's code that would allow remote execution by a rogue hosts. Besides, what better way to undermine an enemy than to present a concealed weapon in the form of a gift?

read more | digg story

I'd do it if I had that many

2007-05-06T17:22:00.000Z

Bertie on Dragon's Den

2007-05-06T13:35:00.001Z

Sport's Day

2007-05-02T21:41:00.000Z

Today we had sport's day in my school. Unfortunately (Fortunately) , I don't have any pictures of the day as I don't usually bring my camera into school. I spent the whole day taking the scores of the events and compiling them. Not a very nice job in the sweltering heat but it mainly consisted of me sitting all day in my seat. With nothing to eat. Except smelly feet, off the beat, on the street with my friend Pete (non-existent except for his poetic inspiration). Well I am going off the point a bit and I'll finish my story.

Well, what does "Sport's day" really mean? It is an undercover day held so teachers can take a day off without the students(most of them) knowing.

If you don't know what Sport's Day is your probably not from Ireland and really couldn't care. If you are one of these people why not read the article on "How to Correctly fit and Irish Turnip into a Matchbox"

Eyb

Alan

A picture tells

2007-04-22T13:25:00.000Z

a thousand words
A movie.. well lets say it keeps you on my blog a little longer!

For Sale on Ebay

2007-04-21T22:53:00.000Z

Here is some stuff I'm currently selling...

Planet Benson - Polo Shop

Alan

Poem

2007-04-15T22:25:00.000Z

I
am
not
a
poet.

It even rhymes
like chimes
in slime(s)
need toast

Alan

Croagh (Crow) Patrick

2007-04-12T22:19:00.000Z

3.25 hours is record time for me up and down a mountain. This time was spent taking photos at the top, taking photos of other people and asking people for directions to piss them off, plus joining a group of French tourists.

Here is my proof.

So what did you have for breakfast?

Alan

Achill!

2007-04-09T19:36:00.000Z

Today, I went to Achill. As far west as you can go (in Europe) with your clothes on or without visiting Kerry. I still believe one could fit the entire population of Ireland on Achill and still have room for more. I took a few pictures today. One I'm particularly proud of is my sepia image of Keel beach. I am using it as my desktop background. You can download the original image here
if you wish (big file). Apart from taking pictures the island lacks a lot. All the signs are in Irish and getting lost is almost inevitable if you can't speak it. Alternatives are to actually peel of the sticker covering the English name or not go to Achill in the first place. Keel is quiet a nice place with a hotel, a few pubs and shops and a golf course that comes very close to the road. I have just realised that this post is starting to sound like a travel guide. This was not my idea but sure you're still reading and I'm happy. We left the Island and headed back to Claremorris.

What the "hello" have I been doing?

2007-04-02T11:53:00.000Z

I'm lagging behind in updating my blogs which is lazy indeed. I am on holidays from school for the easter and I am planning on moving my blog to wordpress.

Discovery Channel The History Of Hacking

2007-03-18T23:05:00.000Z

This is what I've been watching on Youtube. Nice documentary, also merging into the computer invention era.

Here is the First Part of the Episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWLCM2GvjJg

Alan
(Currently Learning Photoshop)

Apple Time!

2007-03-15T23:07:00.000Z

I'm thinking seriously, for a change, about investing in a new laptop. I have decided that I will make the move to Apple becayse Vista is a waste of electricity. 1GB of Ram to run a stable version! The reasons really are a need and want for simplicity. I have read that the current version of the Mac Operating System could still be run on a Apple computer from 12 years ago without hassle. Try running Vista on a Windows 95 based computer and after all this wasted computer Microsoft still haven't got it right. Windows is just becoming a serious of warning messages to cover the tracks of bad design. Warning : "Bill Gates failed to design a secure kernel, please live with his mistakes by getting numerous warning boxes to keep you out of trouble". The one thing I will wait for is Leopard to release on the Mac. I will then buy one and move into a world of freedom and simplicity.

Alan

Doc Brown's New Invention

2007-03-14T17:08:00.000Z

After Doc Brown turned a Delorean into a time machine, he started work on one of man's greatest achievements, becoming lazy. Wouldn't it be quicker and easier to do it manually? Youtube reveals all!

Are fingernails poisonous?

2007-03-12T16:39:00.000Z

Yes, I nail polish can be poisonous so that would suggest, for a woman at least, that indeed fingernails are poisonous

Sir James Dyson

2007-03-11T15:14:00.000Z

Sir James Dyson was a British inventor born on the 2nd May 1947. After just fixing my Dyson vacuum cleaner I felt it was only right to conduct a bit of research on the Dyson.

In the 1970s, Dyson originally had the idea of using cyclonic separation to invent a vacumm cleaner that wouldn't lose suction, at least not a lot of it. Using his wife's salary for funding. he launched the "G-Force" vacuum cleaner in 1983. It would only sell in Japan due to lack of interest from British companies. It retailed for £2000 (€2950) and it was bright pink in colour. He got his first patent in 1986.

After failing to sell his invention to the major manufacturers, Dyson set up his own manufacturing company. The product now outsells those of some of the companies that rejected his idea and has become one of the most popular brands in the United Kingdom. In early 2005 it was reported that Dyson cleaners had become the market leaders in the United States by value (though not by number of units sold).

It's biggest selling point after from the unique technology, was the fact that it didn't need its bag changed every month, simply because it didn't have one! Hence the slogan "Say goodbye to the bag."

Following his success the other major manufacturers began to market their own bagless vacuum cleaners. Dyson sued Hoover UK for patent infringement and won around $5 million in damages. His manufacturing plant moved from Malmesbury, Wiltshire in England, to Malaysia, for economic reasons and because of difficulty acquiring land for expansion. The company's headquarters and research facilities remain in Malmesbury.

Dyson later stated that due to the cost savings from transferring production to Malaysia he was able to invest in R&D at Malmesbury. Dyson employs more people in the UK than he did before the transfer of manufacturing to Malaysia.

In 2005 Dyson added the wheel ball from his Ballbarrow into a vacuum cleaner.

"Enjoy failure and learn from it. You can never learn from success." Sir James Dyson

Beat Soufflé

2007-03-10T00:54:00.000Z

I'm off to bed now after editing my website Ice Fusion F1. Corny Advertising i know. I must leave you with this youtube video.

Alan

First Bugatti Veyron to be wrecked on public roads.

2007-03-09T13:10:00.000Z

Yes, somebody has crashed the famous €1.3 million Bugatti Veyron. Most people will never get to drive or buy one of these sports cars. Sports Car Insurance companies would need to pay out quite a lot of money on a crashed Bugatti Veyron. The crash happened on the B375 in Surrey where the Veyron collided with a Vauxhall Astra in very wet conditions where the car may have aquaplaned/hydroplaned. You have got to feel sorry for the driver even though you probably don't!

Integrating Google Ads on your Website

2007-03-08T19:58:00.000Z

Integrating Google Adsense into your blog or website is a great way to make a small or large income to cover hosting/domain costs. I use the word integrating because these ads are like no other. Google allow you to customise the ads to suit your webpage so they are not ugly, flashy banners just images or text you decide. Google have taken these ads even further because not only are they not an eyesore but the ads they display are relevant to your blog or site content. For example if you integrate Google Ads into a blog or website about golf then Google will display golf ads. If you are interested then I suggest you sign up. The link is in my side bar under "Links"

Rock On!

2007-03-08T19:23:00.000Z

This is an old picture I took from my great archive of pictures. It is from the Transition Year School Tour to Strasbourg 2006. Here we entertain the locals at a party hosted especially for us (really for me).

I am on the left and Sean is on the right. The background Band Members are Niall on Bass and Roger Taylor's ex-boyfriend

Blogging a...

2007-03-08T18:57:00.000Z

Hobby, pastime, job, requirement?

I have not been a blogger for a long time. I started my first blog about 2 years ago and lost interest (not inspiration). I suppose time and priorities didn't allow for regular posting and I shut the blog down. A shame really because now this month, yes March 2007 I have opened a new blog Planet Benson, one which I believe I can commit to. It got me thinking why do people blog? I don't mean what they write about as the topics are vast but why they commit themselves to it. Money cannot easily be ruled out as a factor because very many blogs can generate huge income for people who advertise wisely and certain blogs that become extremely popular. Yet, not every blog becomes popular, nor is the author trying desparately to promote it. They have a small ring of followers/readers that promotion is not required as the target audience is small. This can be said about intellectual blogs. They are not there, well at least not entirely there for the wealth. These people post regularly and are the kind of people that are still reading to this point in my blog. Blogging takes on a very politcal opinonated rule as a voice on the internet. I'm not saying that politicians will become bloggers but the intellectual, established and commited posters will have a say across the internet. When I post to my blog I think of who will read and yes of the money I will earn but also who will comment reply and maybe subscribe to my blog. When I e-mail and talk to people on the net I post my blog address as a profile for me. Not some shabby bebo page or msn profile that the most if us could write in about 10 minutes but a definite guide to me. A blog says much more about people than what one would think. Yes, post are of vast topics but the variety and orginality can always be linked back to the author and tells much more about an author that shabby profiles will never tell

Alan

Lazy

2007-03-07T16:35:00.000Z

Lately I have become very lazy with this block by using the copy and paste function to display Youtube videos on my blog. I suppose I see it that if a picture says a 1000 words a video must say 1000 x # of Frames. I did plan on writing as oppose to video blogging but time was scarce and inspiration was on holidays. Still is as this ironic post shows my lack of inspiration and my creativity with my faults.

St. Patrick's Day is coming (March 17th) and we in Ireland most prepare a float for the world famous Claremorris parade. The theme this year is boy racers and because six 5th year students, including me, are invloved in the Formula one in Schools competition, the parade is perfect for our promotion. Team Ice Fusion

Having said that the Claremorris parade can be watched on webcam thanks to Claremorris man Michael Hambly at Mayo Ireland Web Design

Alan

I want one of these for my Birthday

2007-03-06T00:09:00.000Z

This takes balls!

2007-03-05T16:29:00.001Z

New York Webcam - Does it make you a hobo?

2007-03-04T20:17:00.000Z

The NY Webcam on the Sidebar ----->>>
is from Earthcam.com. It's one of their streaming cams that is very interesting. I usually count the taxis or watch the hobos or watch the hobos count the taxis or watch the hobos who count taxis get into a taxi while another hobo who counts the taxis counts the hobos who watch the taxis entering taxis.

Punctuation Lesson 1
Punctuation, helps the idiots keep up.

Alan

Freebies Really?

2007-03-04T20:06:00.000Z

I have not addicted but very attracted to Internet freebies. Freebies or Free Product Samples are offered by companies in hope that after testing the sample you will purchase more of the product. This is clearly exploitable and there are entire threads dedicated to them where people just spend the day (or most of it) swarming the internet for free stuff then posting it for others to avail of. I have two favourite threads (the only two I know of really) They are

Bargain Alerts @ Boards.ie (Sticky at the Top of Forum) - Here
Freebies Thread @ Money Saving Expert (British website) - Here

I wouldn't recommend signing up for everyone as there is a 35% success rate. So hold back until others have had success.

I have actually gone off these freebies as I realise the time I waste on them and the free stuff is mainly binned. At least I put it in the recycling bin.

"Thanks Martin for buckets of wasted time surfing the freebies thread!" Alan Benson

Alan

Beer Launcher

2007-03-03T22:09:00.000Z

Beer launching fridge

A US inventor has come up with a fridge that throws cold cans of beer to lazy drinkers.

John Cornwell spent £1,500 creating the Beer Launching Fridge, reports the Mirror.

And his invention is attracting lots of interest since videos of it in action were posted on www.metacafe.com.

The fridge is activated by a remote control which sets off a lift mechanism in the fridge.

The lift delivers the can to an electronic catapult, which rotates until it is lined up with its thirsty target.

It then hurls the beer up to 10ft to the drinker. It can hold a full 24-can crate - 10 beers in its magazine and 14 more in reserve.

John, 22, who has just graduated from university in North Carolina, said: "The idea was conceived when I was sitting on the sofa having a few beers.

"I thought, 'What if instead of me going to get the beer, the beer came to me?'

"About three months later I have a fully automated, remote-controlled, catapulting, beer-launching mini-fridge.

"There is a slight danger of being hit in the head with a flying can but this danger decreases the more you use it."

FROM ANANOVA

Aldi vs Dell

2007-03-03T22:03:00.000Z

Or this one?

Oxegen Tickets

2007-03-03T20:52:00.000Z

I'm one of the people that didn't buy oxegen tickets this year. I wasn't going to go anyway but buying them means that I could have sold them on eBay.

Look

Early Days yet but still an excuse to post!

Aldi Laptop

2007-03-03T20:46:00.000Z

Well I can't decide whether to buy or not. Aldi Ireland are selling a laptop for 799.99 this Thursday (8th March). The brand is MEDION but that doesn't bother me. The spec is pretty good with a Dual Core (Intel) CPU, 120GB Hard Drive and 1GB Ram.

I am the kinda person that watches offers go by and then wonder why I didn't buy them. It's not that easy at the time!

The Best Pool Trick Shot Video Ever?

2007-03-03T18:22:00.000Z

I'm serious.

Don't like your laptop?

2007-03-03T18:06:00.000Z

What other things can be done with it besides reading my blog?

If you liked the video then join the club
March 24th 2007 - Shutdown Day

Planet Benson Font

2007-03-03T14:56:00.001Z

The Planet Benson Font.
Please download it and use it.
It may change your life. If not well..

Download

Theres not much to be said about talking throught your arse.

Alan

Ice Fusion in Ge Mit

2007-03-03T14:42:00.000Z

Ice Fusion F1 at the F1 in Schools Regional Final in GMIT (prononuced Ge Mit), Galway

EYP - The European Youth Parliament

2007-03-03T14:13:00.000Z

I spent the last weekend of my School Holidays at the EYP Ireland Conference in Galway. I took part in it last year and went this year "for the craic". I failed (volunatrily) last year to contribute to the Parliament. I said nothing and listened as opinons swarmed around me most of which I agreed with. I was in TY and in hibernation from study. This year I planned to actually do something and did a bit of research, namely one page of shillage, that would get me by. The weekend was fun and as was the hostel where we discussed the chances of meeting Bertie frying pancakes. At about 3 in the morning we saw this drunk guy walking along the street in what we called pendulum fashion. He was propelled by his own weight and we figured that he would not be able to stop on arrival at his house.

Some facts:

1. The eldery couple on the 3rd floor did not exist.
2. There was more pasta cooked over the 23-25 February period than in the summer of 1999 Italy.
3. Claire cannot cook.
4. Anna can't fight.
5. Ken was pregnant

The Sunday evening ended like a 5 year olds birthday party where people just left early until only the real people where left. We wankered off at about 5 and went the the bus station and observed drunk people talking to vending machines and one guy convinced that Elvis got on the train to Cork

P.S. Nuts and B**ox are the same thing

Alan

Ironic Google Images

2007-03-03T00:25:00.000Z

Safesearch off:

1. Bertie Ahern - Still learning
2. Woodie - Bored as a Forest Worker
3. Horizontal Line - No Comment

I will add as I find.

Fás Opportunities 2007 - They made me do it!

2007-03-02T22:32:00.000Z

Today, my school friends and I went to the Fás Opportunites 2007 in Dublin, Ireland. Basically it is where you go to find out info about colleges you may wish to go to after secondary school. But I decided that collecting free merchandise was more appealing. I have quite a collection of pens, keyrings and other shite that I am willing to part with. Offers to me please. Fas is an employment agency in Ireland that will give the most desperate a job. Fas stands for Fart and Shillage and really is the bee neez of Ireland. I hope not to pursue a career under there guidance as the results are hazy (not existent). I must finish now by neutralising my criticism for such a society and avoid complaint letters. I hope tommorow I will realise that blogging is still more important than life and return with more guidance.

Alan