Paul O'Flaherty

4 steps to the ultimate Google search

There’s nothing like a quick Google search for bringing information from all over the web to your eyeballs in an instant.  However as great as Google is, it doesn’t always give you the complete picture.

Help is at hand and with this collections of greasemonkey scripts and Firefox plugins, I’ll show you how to have the latest Twitter, Wikipedia, Flickr and YouTube results displayed every time you do a Google search.

Okay, first things first, scoot your ass on over to the Firefox addons page and download “CustomizeGoogle”.

CustomizeGoogle is one seriously cool extension that allows you to add a lot of extra information (like links to Yahoo, Ask.com, MSN etc) to the search results as well as allowing to to remove unwanted stuff like ads.

There are literally hundreds of options and tweaks for most of Google’s services available in this extension, but to be honest, unless you want to go turning off the ads on the sites then the extension is pretty much configured perfectly out of the box.

Next up you’ll want to download and install the Greasemonkey extension.

For those of you unfamiliar with Greasemonkey, the extension allows you to run small scripts (bits of code) automatically when you visit certain websites and can be used to do everything from tweaking the appearance of a site to adding new functionality.

Once you have Greasemonkey installed (and your browser restarted) you’ll be able to choose from literally 1000’s of available scripts over on UserScripts.org but today we’re only going to be looking at 2 of them.

First up is “Google Search Sidebar with YouTube, Wikipedia, Dictionary.com and Flickr Results”.

This über imaginatively named script does exactly what it says on the tin. Every time you do a search using Google the results will come up as usual but now you’ll also be treated to an extra sidebar on the right hand side displaying the associate Wikipedia entry, Flickr image and YouTube video results for that query as well as a Dictionary.com definition (if you happen to have used a single definable word).

To install the script simply click the big black “install” button on the top right of your screen and click install on the resulting Firefox popup. To test the script in action just head off and do a Google search..

Finally we want to install the equally functionally titled “Twitter Search Results on Google” script.

This little baby displays the 5 most recent Twitter search results for the query just above the Google search results, allowing you to have both real-time Twitter and indexed Google results on the same page. Awesome.

Again, install the script and head off and do a Google Search but before you hit that search button be prepared for the instant information overload you’re about to subject yourself to!!

(Massive thanks have to go to Sara for introducing me to the two Greasemonkey scripts mentioned in this post! Thanks darling!)

Maybe there was a gas leak during proof reading?

Browsing YouTube a while back I came across this little advert for Bord Gáis Energy (Irish Natural Gas suppliers) and their “Big Switch” campaign to have Irish households switch away from electricity supplier ESB.

Now, far be it from me to criticize anybody’s spelling (I am the king of typos) , but you’d think that after paying for the advertising that they’d at least spell “Energy” correctly… after all “energy” is their business!

Religion versus the Atheist

When I move to Alabama?

(via UPHAA.com)

Constipation doesn’t just affect the bowels…

It’s been reported that my ego is so big that doors have had to be widened to allow me to enter buildings, yet even with such an abundance of self belief I have to admit that I am far from perfect.

One of my biggest flaws (yes I am admitting that there is more than one) is that I tend to lock things away inside and not express it when I get angry, hurt or upset.

Now, from a business point of view that can be a very helpful trait. It allows you to deal with people on a level and even keel without getting emotional, however, from a personal point of view it can be disastrous.

Everybody needs to vent from time to time. You need to let your anger and frustrations out. You may need to shout and roar, to beat the living crap out of a punch bag (with someone you hates photograph stuck to it) or even go pounding the pavement for miles on end, but everybody needs a release.

It doesn’t matter if it’s you, me, your high school careers advisor or Ronald McDonald, we all need to blow off steam.

Yet, unfortunately blowing off steam is not enough. Releasing the energy associated with a frustration only temporarily fixes things. It’s like letting out some of the air from a constantly filling balloon. One day you won’t be able to let it out and the balloon will burst. Lessing the pressure has not made the problem go away.

There in lies my major issue. For years upon years, I’ve been letting off a little steam and not dealing with the major issues that have been annoying me.

It’s an issues that with the help of someone dear to me I am learning to deal with and as such I’d like to share what I’ve learned with everybody else who may be put together in an emotionally similar manner to me.

The key to dealing with the issues lies not just in sneakily kicking the neighbors dog on the way past but in having someone to talk to. Trust me, nothing helps as much as talking the issue out with someone after you’ve blown off enough steam to approach the issue with a rational (or in my case semi-rational) mind.

We all know someone who we can talk to, the problem is that most of us are afraid to approach that person and talk to them.

You shouldn’t be afraid, most people are much more willing to listen and be receptive than you think.

It doesn’t matter who it is. It can be a family member, good friend, girlfriend, boyfriend or even someone from a help line if you feel bad enough.

Just talk to someone.

Trust me, not talking to someone is like not going to the bathroom for weeks on end. It doesn’t matter how hard you try to keep it in, it has to come out somewhere, and if you don’t let it out the resultant explosion could not only destroy something you care deeply about, but it could leave your world covered in shit!

Here we go again… More top down religious insanity

I’m not gay, despite popular rumor, nor do I harbor any animosity towards the practitioners of any particular religion. I am an atheist and would venture that one of the first things you have to admit while being a “practicing atheist” (now there’s a contradiction in terms) is that you may be wrong.

I have to admit to having a hard time admitting that I’m wrong and I suppose I should ‘fess up and let you know that there are really only three groups of people whom I harbor any kind of ill will towards: The leaders of hate groups, sheep shaggers (there’s a whole jealousy aspect involved there) and finally all those arrogant, ignorant, self important, trumped up little shits who hold themselves up as champions of the politically correct (PC) movement.

Trawling through the online version of the Indo today I cam across a piece by my new “man crush” about this ridiculous new resolution by the United Nations (UN = Universally Neutered?) to protect the “religious sensibilities” of all member states.

Quoting O’Doherty:

So, now it’s against the law to have a crack about religion? That is what the lunatics, despots and criminals who drive the United Nations would have us subjected to after Monday’s motion calling for all member states to enact a binding resolution “restricting people from ridiculing, defaming religion, specifically Islam”.

First I read it. Then I took a sip of coffee. Read it again, and proceed to rant and rave to myself about the idiocy of it all. (The ranting was all very intellectual, I assure you, but unfortunately there was nobody here to hear it.)

My first question is this, why the hell is Islam getting a specific mention here? Are they in someway special? Are they super sensitive? Is it the towel wraps or something – I never really thought they looked that cool! Do they spontaneously combust if you slag off their religion? Or does it have something to do with that sad asshole faction of the Muslim faith that go from commentary to arms and violence in less time than it takes me to order a pint of Guinness?

But I’m not picking on the Muslims.

I’m seething at the sheer ignorance and idiocy of the whole thing! According to this new resolution, this post would be breaking the law. My arms are outstretched – cuff me!!

Resolutions like this are the highest form of idiocy!

Let me make this very simple and very very clear.

I have a right to take the piss out of you. It’s called freedom of speech. I have the right to question your religion, I have the right to ridicule it, to make a joke of it and to tell you flat out that I don’t agree with you.

I was in Denmark for the whole Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoon controversy. I supported the Danish position that, quite frankly, creating cartoons of Muhammad was in fact displaying that Muslim faith had become integrated into Danish society. After all, they were just treating the Muslims they way they treated every other aspect of religious society, including their own predominant faith, but taking the piss out of it. You know, no special treatment, just abuse everybody equally!

And what did we see from segments of the Muslim society (worldwide)? We were treated to displays of violence, hatred, anger, destruction and calls for the killing of innocent people. Let’s be honest, if you’re going to throw temper tantrums of that magnitude it proves three things:

1. That you have no sense of humor, at all! Whatsoever! Period!
2. That you are a fanatical bunch of lunatics who deserve to have the piss taken out of you.
3. That such behavior endorses the need for people to be able to defame and ridicule religion as it may be our only means of protecting and informing others about the dangerous nut job elements of various religions!

Religion has long been the tool of the conqueror and the dictator to control the week minded and uneducated masses in order to achieve their less than morally correct goals.

The ability to defame religion, to criticize it, to satirize it, it’s idols and leaders has been the means by which those with more than a few brain cells have protected and informed those who have been content to remain as sheep.

Removing the ability to speak out against religion in any form, be it Muslim, Christian, Hindu or the Flying Spaghetti Monster leaves everybody open to the abuses which are best perpetrated by people in the name of religion, and removes any ability we may have to speak out against those injustices.

This UN resolution is the modern day equivalent of gagging the alter boy and the handcuffing his hands behind his back (and it’s too cheap to even offer him a Mars bar afterwards).

Facebook thinks I’ve got boobs

Forget all the uproar about the Facebook redesign. It’s just not that important!

What I want to know is this: How is the platform which was able to magically deduce that I speak German now unable to tell what gender I am?

Why, oh great flying spaghetti monster is Facebook pushing an application at me asking “Which type of woman are you?”

Let me say this once and for all – “They’re pecs! Not frickin tits!”

Pontius Pilot and the Naildrivers

I’ve never heard these guys play, but with a name like "Pontius Pilot and the Naildrivers" they will definitely get a chance to play when I move to the bible belt in Alabama

What do Kermit the Frog and The Incredible Hulk have in common?

They may both be green, but neither of them are Irish.

God I’m sick of it! After years of living in other countries I am sick to the back teeth of “plastic paddies”.

You know the people I mean, those folks who have about as much Irish in them as a German sausage (which may have a better chance due to Irelands pork exports…).

People who come out of the woodwork as soon as they hear your accent and are suddenly Irish. People who on days like today (St. Patrick’s Day) are suddenly more Irish than us real biddies and paddies.

People who’s only relationship to Ireland may be that their grandfathers roommates dog once had a damaged testicle transplanted from a goat and the vet that performed the surgery had an Irish mistress.

Guys, I know St. Patrick’s Day is a great day for everyone to rejoice, have a great time and be happy, but you don’t have to be Irish to join in the fun. That’s the great thing about us we’ll party with just about anyone.

Be proud of WHO AND WHAT YOU are. Are you Sicilian, American, Australian, Marsian? Then that’s what you are!

If you’re in doubt look at that little line in your passport that says “Nationality”. It doesn’t say “Nationality: American (except on March 17th then Irish)”.

If you’ve got Irish heritage, that’s wonderful, tell me all about it, I’d love to know what part of Ireland your grandmothers family came from, but don’t insult my intelligence by trying to tell me that YOU are Irish.

If you can’t qualify to play for the Irish national football team them you are NOT Irish, you’ve got Irish heritage, which is great but YOU are not Irish! And lets be honest, with regards to the Irish soccer squad, calling most of them Irish is, at best, a tenuous stretch of the definition of being Irish.

Be proud of who you are and where you come from.

Be proud to be American or Australian.

Be proud to be a Muppet.

Accept who you are, embrace your Irish heritage if you wish, and then, come down the pub and share a song, a dance, a few pints and a lot of laughs with the rest of us.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Paddies reputation seeks asylum from Irish ignorance

The Irish are universally loved and our desire to protect that image is resulting in unnecessary hardship for our citizens.

WTF am I talking about? I’m talking about the current economic crisis in this country and the fact that at the minute we have lengthening dole queues, are facing higher taxes and looking at the possibility of social welfare benefits being slashed.

We’re looking at spending being slashed and cut backs happening left, right and center.

For some the situation looks extremely bleak, but there is a certain portion of people in this country for whom the state provided everything they need from clothes to catered food, secured accommodation that is cleaned and maintained by staff, satellite tv and all the creature comforts and on top of that, a 20 something euro allowance a week.

I am of course talking about asylum seekers.

Not once since this whole economic crisis has started have I heard the mutterings of anyone in the Irish media suggest we send them all home and save the country millions upon millions every week!

I mean c’mon folks… Charity begins at home and all that!

Can we really make Irish families suffer when many of the people currently in the asylum program have already been denied but are still here because their appeals are dragging on for years? Why are all the so called asylum seekers who are here purely for economic reasons still benefiting from our state which is itself in an economic crisis?

Don’t get  me wrong, I have NOTHING against the asylum seekers themselves. I happen to work in an asylum center and if anyone pays attention to what I am saying I would very likely be out of a job.

But lets be honest, with people talking about the reintroduction of 3rd level education fees, a move which will surely damage out country even more in the long run, we continue to give these people what we do not have.

Some would call it charity, I would say “fuck off – charity to others begins once we’ve managed to look after the populace of our own nation”.

If individuals want to donate their money to any of the, I’ll go with, hundreds of existing charities which help people in other countries then have at it. I hope it gives you “happy joy joy” feelings when you sleep at night.

But, to have the government spend my tax money on what are essentially charity cases when the Irish population is suffering is just plain retarded. (And that brings to mind the cut backs on special education needs…)

Why is this situation continuing? I can think of but one reason?

As always, the politicians in this country are afraid of looking bad. They are afraid that someone will play the racism card.

So afraid are we of our reputation being tarnished, so afraid are we of looking bad in the eyes of the international community, so afraid are we that someone might think bad of the “Top o’ the mornin to ya” Paddies that we put our nations future and children at risk just to look good.

Well to hell with that, I’m wondering why this hasn’t been said yet?

I know I’d be out of a job if what I’m saying was listened to, but when you look at the country as a whole does that really matter from an economic point of view.

I’m wondering how long before sentiment similar to mine will be expressed once social welfare payments get cut back?

Out of seclusion

I’ve been in self imposed blog seclusion since November last year with a measly single update to announce the moving of my blog to this new domain.

I’ve been wanting desperately to roar and destroy the silence, however, the more I stayed silent about certain matters the harder and harder I have found it to express myself.

Look at this site as it stands, it’s incomplete. Yet incomplete as it is, it stands as a monument to the frustration that has been the past couple of months as I’ve literally worked my ass off (the weighing scales will agree) in order to achieve certain goals in my life (more on those at a future date).

It also and perhaps, more importantly, stands as a monument to what happens when one thought, or aspect of your life is requiring your silence. That aspect becomes overwhelming, the desire, no the need, to write about it precludes all else and soon you find yourself unable and unwilling to write about anything as that aspect becomes more and more consuming.

For those who don’t already know, that aspect has been my relationship with Sara, or perhaps more specifically the situation surrounding her divorce. My need to keep quiet, out of respect for Sara and perhaps legal necessity has quite frankly made me almost completely remove myself from the blogosphere and social media in general.

I’ve kept my twitter account active and am feeding it into various other services via Ping.fm, but beyond that, I have essentially become mute online.

No longer.

This site isn’t finished, but my desire to write again has grown to such an extent that being unable to do so has started to affect my happiness.

The effect it’s had on me has been pointed out by others and I’ve agreed, but not done anything about it, as I’ve been trying to remain separated, at least online, from certain aspects of our (mine and Saras) respective and joint situations.

Yet the time has come that I must once again start putting fingers to keyboard (and soon voice to microphone) and start saying exactly what this opinionated old fart thinks before I blow a gasket and my graying head explodes in a technicolor display of blood and brain matter.

To those of you who have stayed subscribed during my exile, thank you! It means a lot to me that you’ve left me subscribed in your readers.

To those of you who are reading me for the first time, be warned – my archives are not indicative of what you will find here from now on.

The filter has been removed.