App recommendation...Speedball 2.

Those of you with smartphones might play games on them. This might be a useful recommendation!

I remember fondly the first computer Dad bought for the house. It was a Commodore Amiga 500, and I can even remember the cartoon packaging it came in, complete with a "Simpsons" game and a "Captain Planet" game. There was a lot of great games enjoyed on that machine, and to be honest, there was some worthwhile typing and printing of letters as well.

One of the games I remembered recently was Speedball 2. This was a game by the Bitmap Brothers (remember others, like cadaver, gods, and magic pockets?), and it was (is?) great fun. A team of 9 robots and 3 subs (you'll need them when your players are knocked out) chasing a steel ball around a closed court. The ball could be electrified for harming your opponents, you scored as many points for knocking out an opposing player as for a goal, and there was no such thing as a yellow card system. Brutally simple, and great fun.

After every game you win some money which you can use to upgrade your players in the gym, or save up for higher quality players on the transfer market. This will be needed after you graduate to the next division!

Now it's released on the iOS for iPhones and iPods and presumably iPads as well! You can download it from the appstore, and it plays really well on the iPhone - one thumb to move and another to throw/tackle (or you can use the accelerometer and tilt the phone) is a joyous way to play. Download it and enjoy racking up 300-10 scores against the baddies!

A miscellany of reviews for your perusal

The first, in no particular order except this one, is a quick review of Ian Rankin's book, Hide and Seek. A continuation of the Rebus novels where a junkie death leads to yes, you guessed it, the dark underbelly of high flying Edinburgh society. Read and enjoy.

The second, being a review of the Eden Deli. You'll find this in Edenderry. A very tasty and indeed well-priced lunch (even if we timed it more like afternoon tea....) was enjoyed here on Saturday, but we barely had time to get there and back before M had to collect her sister and go on a road trip.

In third position, being another food type review. The Silken Thomas in Kildare was recently done up, and we made it there for grub on Sunday evening. We were going to go into their restaurant, Chapter 16, but decided bar food was the order of the evening and had a go at that menu instead. Well, I don't think I can tell you how much that was enjoyed. Great big tasty portions were served, from burgers, to mixed grills and cottage pie - every piled high plate was emptied greedily. Highly recommended for grub. (for 4 of us, starters, mains, 2 desserts, coffees, and a drink each - €100!!)

And in fourth, Zadie Smith's "On Beauty." Sometimes, you read a prize winning book and realise why it won. Other times, you win a prize-winning books shortlist competitor, and wonder what in the name of all things good in the world did the judges pick the winner for? I believe, and I may be wrong, that this book was a competitor of John Banville's "The Sea" in 2005 Booker prize. If so, why didn't it win? It's much more enjoyable, accessible, interesting, and engaging than "The Sea."

As the blurb says (and who am i to try to better blurb?) "Set in New England mainly and London partly, On Beauty concerns a pair of feuding families [...] and a clutch of doomed affairs. It puts low morals among high ideals and asks some searching questions about what life does to love...." It's well written and very engaging, and I recommend it above "The Sea" any day.

In other news, I brought the new (to me) car back to the dealer for NCTing today, and they gave me a loaner (not like some other dealers who charge for a replacement car). A 520i - armchair on wheels. Oh boy is it comfy!

Terry Pratchett. A brief Appreciation

I like Terry Pratchett. Well, I like his writing. It's funny. I just finished "Thud" and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It doesn't matter what the story is, to be honest, I unconditionally recommend it. Even if you don't like reading. But if you don't like reading, you won't be reading this, so my recommendation is in a sense compromised. Hmmm. Anyway, Thud is gud. Read it and enjoy it.

Also good are such meals as Shepherd's Pie. We ran over a shepherd earlier, and M said - well, that's dinner sorted.

Weekends feel a little longer when you go out on a Friday night, but Saturday can suffer. Yay back to work tomorrow. Catch you guys soon.

Quick post before I go!

Off to NYC in the morning. An Úll Mór, cheapaim go mbeidh sé go h-iontach!

In other news, disposable razors don't appear to be as good as the fancy 3, 4 or new ridiculous flavour 6-bladed razors. But while the price difference is tempting my chin complains of numerous nicks and whatnot. So, that's my useful recommendation for the week.

Any of you who don't look at my blog, and ask for news should look here in the first instance. Yes, that means you! You who aren't looking at my blog. (Brian apologises for a weak attempt at irony there).

I hope to have some fancy pictures of skyscrapers and bridges and subways and stuff in about 12 days' time! Until then, I bid you all good afternoon.