HotPress Readers Poll

Looking at the HotPress Readers Poll, congratulations to RoySeven who reached number 9 in the Best Irish Group Category and number 8 in Best Irish Single Cetegory. And congrats goes to Eleanor McEvoy who reached number 7 in the Folk/ Trad/ Specialist category. Both acts performed on BalconyTV in the past. We salute them both. Apart from that BalconyTV is very disappointed we didn't get into the LOVE OF THE YEAR category which is made up with miscellaney including YouTube, Ipods, Music Ireland etc...

I dunno...maybe people just don't know about us...or maybe simply we're crap!!!

However we can't be that crap, as the Digital Media Awards are on tomorrow night...and BalconyTV is nominated in 3 categorys!!! Myself and Tom still need to arrange our black tie suits. I have no idea how its going to happen. Paulines pretty confident about what she's going to wear although she is a bit worried on the jacket front.

Myself and Tom are off to Big Bro auditions today. Can you believe that!!!!!!!!

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!!!!

Today something scary happened to BalconyTV...this note from YouTube...

"Dear Member:

This is to notify you that we have removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by Deep Focus claiming that this material is infringing:

SUPER JIMENEZ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM_0S4YEB4I

Please Note: Repeat incidents of copyright infringement will result in the deletion of your account and all videos uploaded to that account. In order to avoid future strikes against your account, please delete any videos to which you do not own the rights, and refrain from uploading additional videos that infringe on the copyrights of others. For more information about YouTube's copyright policy, please read the Copyright Tips guide."

Super Jimenez are a Dublin band...myspace to be found here....

http://www.myspace.com/superjimenez

And it seem their video has been blocked by these guys...

http://www.deep-focus.net

So......we are rather puzzled...

Tonsillitis!!!

So I have tonsillitis!!!!!!! And its not good. Why am I writing about this? I don't know...but I'm bloody ruddy miserable.

I'm taking a combo or lemsip/ paracetemol/ antibiotics and random other stuff that is probably giving me cancer in early life:-(

Pauline was very good yesterday though. She brought me home Soup and Yoplait Chocalate Yogurt. She served it all up to me...and I was incredibly moany.

Have you ever had Yoplait Chocalate Yogurt? It's very strange. It doesn't really taste like chocalate. It tastes like sour chocalate. It's bizarre. It's amazing people buy it. Although I must admit I've never met a human being ever who has expressed a like of Yoplait Chocalate Yogurt.

Ok enough of this grotesque blog entry...

I'm going to gurgle to salt water...
(As recommended by Pauline;-)

Its remarkable what people put up on YouTube...

And it seems theres alot more where that came from!!!

Diet of Worms

If your in the mood for some comedy tonight...some friends of ours...a comedy collective known as The Diet of Worms will be performing at Whelans tonight. Expect to see Pauline and Co. in the crowd!!!

Twill be very funny.
Heres a particularly Diet of Worms take on the Crystal Maze...

A couple of links

Love todays song. Really excellent.

Heres a link to all you ever wanted to know about Katherine Hepburn

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

And heres a good idea...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6285923.stm

Drinking Coffee

Absolutely bizarrely last nights dream had me in a secondary school...where I was was pretty much not getting any work done. I was with all the same people who were in my film school...and really strangely Russell Brand. Russell kept on dropping endless inuendos which I didn't understand.

Hmmmmm, yeah...

Pauline also loved Stranger Than Fiction...

And I saw Rocky Balboa yesterday...which was 100 percent trash...really very poor. But there is a bit about half way through...when the big music hits in...I defy you not to smile at the moment.

Its entertaining trash I guess. But it is trash. Who says trash?

I'm going to get a life.

Stranger than Clearwire

Check out Stranger Than Fiction folks. Tis very smart. Very good. Charming if you will. Perfectly formed. We are awaiting Paulines verdict...she saw it last night. Expect an update later with her review.

And may I also add that Clearwire is a crock of.....

Not very good. Our patience has gone.

Anyone out there want to provide BalconyTV with a reliable internet service.

3s A Charm

I dreamt all night about Shilpa Shetty and some old man who wouldn't let me help him...and subsequently fell and banged his head. Don't know what that means. If you know...put it on a postcard and send it to the usual address.
Has the whole world gone completly nuts regarding the Shilpa Big Brother bullying racist fiasco. I have admitted in the past that I am hooked on the show so I know what I'm talking about.
Anyone who I heard commenting on the show yesterday said they were appalled by the racism...but then when asked had they seen the show...said no.
It's impossible to judge comments made in the show...if you miss out on the context.

That aside...there is a crazy wind blowing outside right now. Its wistling through the apartment very loud. Car alarms are going off. Police sirens are going off. Lets hope the balcony doesnt get blown off its hinges.

And finally...as you may know BalconyTV has been nominated for two Digital Media awards as I reported yesterday. Well I stand corrected. BalconyTV is infact nominated for 3 Digital Media awards!!! It appears we have also been shortlisted in the BEST MUSIC website category.

Go us!!!!

THE NOMINATIONS ARE IN

As you may or may not know...BalconyTV.Com has been nominated for two Digital Media Awards. We are nominated in the BEST ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT category and in the BLOGGING AWARD category:-)

So who are we up against...lets weigh up the opposition.

In the BEST ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT category we are up against...

BBC RADIO ULSTER
www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/radioulster/

How are we supposed to beat BBC RADIO ULSTER?!!! This has to be some kind of joke. I must say I am not too familiar with the site in particular, but if it is anything like the radio content on BBC.CO.UK then we are gonners. Is that how you spell gonners? BBC.CO.UK is in my mind the best website ever. So we are honoured to be alongside the beeb.

OVERHEARD IN DUBLIN
www.overheardindublin.com/

I can't believe I've never heard about this site. What a genius idea. Wish I thought of it. I was thinking we'd be a shoe in for originality...but I must think again. And think again I will.

PODCASTING IRELAND
www.podcastingireland.ie

Have been browsing this site recently. Its a dot IE. I hate dot IEs. Whats the point in being a dot IE. Your instantly limiting your audience. Is Mr. Zanzibar going to know to type dot IE when looking for a podcasting website in Ireland. (Please Please, dont write in saying thats racist...its not).

My Seinfeld routine needs help. Im jesting ofcoarse. The revolution will be podcasted!!!

3MOBILE
www.3ireland.ie

Another dot IE. And another company with buckets O Cash. We want some of your O Cash.

I have to be up for us or Overheard In Dublin in this category. Up the underdogs.

Moving on swiftly in this scattery post. We are also nominated in the BLOGGING category. Competition comes from...

BLOGORRAH
www.blogorrah.com

I confess I'm not to familiar with this one. But just taking a glance now I read that the site had 100,942 hits yesterday!!!! What the F*£k!!!!!!! Where have I been living? 100,942 hits!!!!! For fups sake. 'Frankly Disgusting' says the Sunday Independent about Blogorrah. I think I need to cancel the tux.

CLOUDLANDS
http://www.johnbreslin.com/blog/

Hmmmmm. I don't get it. I need to explore some more. Apparrently John Breslin is co-founder of boards.ie, Ireland's largest bulletin board community. He must be commended for that.

SANDWRITER
http://www.sandbunting.blogspot.com/

Again I'm unfimiliar with the work. But just give me a sec...Ill take a look...and give you my first impressions. Which we all know are so important...
First Impression in...and...eh...I dunno...I need to read more before I can pass such judgement.

Im up for anybody but Blogorrah. 100,942 hits!!! Get the boat!!!

(joking)(bitter)(choking)

Roll on February 1st. Wait a second...black tie!!!!!!! Uh...will need to dig out the Seoige and O Shea hodge podge suit now. I dont think this blog entry is doing us any favors. So I will stop.

Make me a brew

Brew from Blue Sun is back on BalconyTV today...(he was on just the other day). Alas loads of people have requested the video to be rescreened. So todays show is a repeat.
Funny world eh?!!!

OOOH AHHHH PAUL MCGRATH

Im reading the Paul McGrath book. Anybody not get it for Christmas?

Suffice to say it really is a terrific read. Im not so far into it...but there really hasn´t beem much football yet...so I think it would entertain most.

McGrath played in the first Ireland games I ever saw on the 1st of the 5th 1991. A 0-0 with Poland on a very sunny day at Lansdowne.

I kind of feel bad that I somewhat took Paul McGrath for granted at the time, but the truth was he really was on of the greatest players we ever had.

Myself and couple of friends recently put together a dream team of all time in the Globe with coasters and whatnot. McGrath was in there.

Whats the point of all this?..not alot...just a bit of nostalgia really.

There has not been many football loving musicians on the Balcony. When your young I think you either go down the football route or the alternative music route.

I went down the film route which I think is right down the middle.

Michael Hargan is a big Celtic fan. What team do you support if you performed on BalconyTV? Shout it out on the BalconyTV message board.

Heres to Paul McGrath. Lets be having you on the Balcony for a chant of oooh aaaah Paul McGrath.

Heres a clip of one of his best games against Italy in 1994. Unfortunatly it doesnt seem to show him in action...but a momory trip anyway. Somebody get posting Paul McGrath footage!!!

Big Brother

So sorry for no update on the site yesterday. Blogger had one of its increasingly rare outages...and if you don't know...blogger in an integral part of the BalconyTV.Com website. So when bloggers screwed...we're screwed.

Thats quite vulgar language actually...

I'd say I'm getting it from watching Big Brother...or Big Bruvaaaaaaaa...

Which I'm completly addicted to now. I do have a gripe though...I'm sick of saying that I watch it to people...and in return getting the look up to the sky superiority look...followed by 'Oh I don't watch that'.

Get the boat. While I must say that I avoid most parts of the reality TV world....(eh except for the odd X Factor (Go on Simon)...and the odd Hells Kitchen (Go on Gordon(Although he played for Rangers you know!?))...the fact is that Celebrity Big Brother is mind numbingly entertaining...in hour long highlights package format ofcoarse.

And Face is in it from the A-Team. How could anyone not want to watch that?

With all the Big Brother stuff in mind...myself and Tom think we are going to have a crack at the Big Brother auditions at the end of the month.

Both Pauline and Tom were murmuring about proper TV careers as presenters yesterday (which offended me no end)...so this could be Toms way in. I think hes got Big Bruva written all over him. Before you know it...he'll be gone for the BalconyTV screens and instead presenting one of those late night dodgy UTV phone in game shows.

Speaking of Face and general 80s nostalgia...this next video is arguably the best thing ever.

No seriously...listen to the lyrics!!!

Clever clever

I've just noticed that YouTube is keeping a blog...

www.youtube.com/blog

I think this is a really good move on their behalf. If only all major companies were so clever. Alas they are not. I think YouTube are stealing from teh blog idea from us. Have I mentioned that this blog has been nominated for a Digital Media Award.

Oh...I did.

I'll shut up now so.

ALL ABOUT VINCE

Vincent McKeever is on todays BalconyTV. For those who dont remember...Vincent was on one of our very first shows...here it is if you haven't seen it yet. Is it seen it? Or saw it? Hmmmm...

Hollywood...ba ba ba ba ba ba ba...Hollywood...

It seems BalconyTV.Com has been nominated of Best Entertainment Website along with Best Blog at the Digital Media Awards to be held next month.

Just had to tell you all. Congrats to all the bands, acts, performers and to Pauline and Tom for making BalconyTV one of the most entertaining websites in all of Ireland.

In other news...Michael O' Leary needs to get his head out of his...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6233019.stm

And Pauline wanted this added to the blog...cos she loves cereal...

'We top the table when it comes to chomping breakfast cereal

IRISH people eat more breakfast cereal than any other race on earth.

Some 95pc of Irish households buy cereal regularly, meaning shoppers take 36 million trips down the cereal aisle every year.

Research has shown the market is worth EUR180m a year and is growing annually by 5.4pc. The study findings from the market research company AC Nielsen show that children's cereals - such as Coco Pops and Cheerios - are most popular, with a 26.5pc share of the market.

Adults' cereals, including Weetabix and Special K, account for 16.3pc of the market while corn cereals account for 14.9pc.

But cereal bars also have a surprisingly large share at 12.4pc.

Corn Flakes remain the most popular breakfast meal with Irish families with a 12.4pc share of the market, with Weetabix the second favourite. Special K, Rice Krispies and Coco Pops make up the rest of the top five brands.'

LINKS AND VIDS

Howya all...

Sorry for the non post yesterday...didn't feel like it. Not good enough. I know.

Anyway Pauline was all about the recommendations yesterday. She likes this website alot....

www.videojug.com

And then I would suggest listening to this very good interview with MIchael Franti...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6719589

And then Pauline found this excellent U2 video from the Hawaii gig...



Tomorrow yall.

DAY 2 IN 2007

Our mission today will be to take down the Christmas decorations on the main page of the site.

Hmmmmm...Christmas is over...

Incase anyone didn't catch our New Years Special...here it is again. In it Tom shouts out the names of all our MySpace friends...all 560 of them. Quite a tricky show actually. We had to print out all the names from the MySpace list...which doesn't work out properly. You only get half names and you have to fill in the blanks. It was head wrecking.

Another complication was that Toms read of all the names ran to about 12 minutes...but as you may or may not know...YouTube shows must run to 10 minutes max...so I had to edit out some of Toms waffling at the top and the bottom of the show...and his page turns.

Its already been pointed out that Tom got many names wrong...and missed out on the odd one. Proving he's not perfect.

Tune in Next New Year...for corrections!!!

Happy New Year Folks and Happy Back Log!!!

Sorry about the lack of show yesterday. For some reason YouTube is not working so well right now. So yesterdays show...our New Years Eve show is today...and hopefully...(touch the wooden desk I'm sitting at)...hopefully ou very special New Years Day show is tomorrow.

Ahem.

Alright...

Ok. Happy New Year!!!!