Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Irish Silver Surfer Awards 2009

Grandad August 20th, 2009

I just received an email.

I get quite a lot of emails, but seeing as my todger is quite long enough and since I discovered that Tanya from the Ukraine is an fact a trucker called Boris from Vladivostok, I don’t read most of them.

This one appealed to me though.

Apparently they [whoever ‘they’ are] are finally recognising that there is a group of us that is not obsessed with iPods and iPhones and the latest ‘celebrity’ scandal. I refer of course to the “Silver Surfer”.

Now, I’m not sure precisely what constitutes a Silver Surfer. I replied to the mail asking for clarification.

This is what I wrote -

Dear Pauline

Just out of interest [this is something that has been bugging me for a while] – what constitutes a Silver Surfer?
The subject has cropped up a few times in the past as to what constitutes a ’senior’ or ’silver’ in the Internet world. Is there an entry age? If I don’t qualify as a ‘Silver’ my image may take a severe battering [if the word gets out]. My beard is pure white and there are quite a few silver streaks in my hair if that is any help?

Grandad

She had written to me to tell me that this September, they are holding the “Irish Silver Surfer Web Awards 2009”. Great stuff!

The full gist of the mail is as follows:

Age Action Ireland is hosting a conference Imagine IT- A Celebration of Older People & Information Technology (IT) in Croke Park on Monday Sept 28^thfrom 10am to 4pm, the event will include the Irish Silver Surfer Awards 2009.

Your readers may be interested in nominating an older person they know who is an enthusiastic IT user? The awards will be for;

Silver Surfer of the Year – will be awarded to an older person who embraces IT for learning, leisure, pleasure of enterprise

IT volunteer(s) of the Year – will be awarded to an individual or groups of volunteers who prove support or encouragement to older IT learners

Most Dedicated IT Learner – will be awarded to an older person who have overcome challenges to become IT confident

Group Communicator – will be awarded to an older person who has used IT to communication with family, community or club

Passionate Hobbyist - will be awarded to an older person who uses IT to assist them in their hobby

Generous prizes of laptops and IT equipment. Closing date for nominations is 18^th September.

This is a fun event with an emphasis on challenging stereotypes about older people and IT. The conference has 3 sessions:

Try IT! – An interactive IT expo with demos of new products and IT applications

Celebrate IT! – National IT Awards

Promote IT! – Speakers from some of the best IT programmes for older people in Ireland and UK

Conference Cost €20 including lunch and refreshments.

Attached is some further information about conference and awards and also a nomination form.

For bookings or queries please contact myself Pauline Power email: ppower@ageaction.ie or Phone: 01 475 6989

Now this looks like my kind of fun. No loud music. No irritating young people. Just the soft click of Zimmer Frames and the occasional squeak of a wheelchair while us oldies get to know each other. I hope they have security guards to keep anyone out who is still in their first half century?

She attached a couple of posters too and an entry form.

There is Poster 1 and Poster 2 and [very important] a Nomination Form

So get in there. Nominate someone you know. If you have grand kids, leave ‘em behind and have some fun in Croke Park.

I’m still not sure if I qualify though.

She still hasn’t answered my mail.

-oOo-

Update.

She has answered my mail.

Anyone over 55?

Bloody hell!!

They’re letting kids in now.

Never judge a book by its cover

Grandad June 20th, 2009

I was going to write about something else today.

I changed my mind after reading this.

Move along please

Grandad October 24th, 2008

Our K8 has set up a new page on her site.

I want you to do three things.

Shift your arse over there and read it.

Pass on the word to all your friends [if any].

Digg the page or Stumble it, or whatever it is you do.

Go on then.

What are you waiting for?

GO!

Grandad is appealing

Grandad November 24th, 2007

I have a good friend called Jonathan.

I have known him for some years now.

On February 29th 1996 he and his wife had a baby son called Jack. A Leap Year Baby.

Sadly, Jack had severe problems almost from birth.

I quote from their website…

The senior pediatrician in the hospital was brutal but most honest. Asked for a route map of care for Jack once he left their intensive care unit, he made it clear that there were simply no services in Ireland available to a baby like Jack. Indeed he cautioned that inadvertently Jack’s needs would threaten the marriage and certainly damage the childhood of his healthy brothers and sister. To escape this trap he advised the only way out was to take him home, then get him admitted to one of the children’s hospitals, pack his little bag and take him to the hospital knowing that they were going to abandon him. Then and only then would the State have to take responsibility for him.

Jonathan and his wife Mary Ann, couldn’t just abandon Jack to the state, so they brought him home.

They had a terrible time with lack of sleep, and no help whatsoever. The state refused to grant any kind of aid. So they were left to cope by themselves.

Jack died after 22 months.

Most people would grieve and move on. But not Jonathan. He was determined that no other parents of severely disabled children should suffer like he and Mary Ann suffered. So he set up the Jack and Jill Foundation to provide respite care for other parents.

Since then, he has worked tirelessly. He always keeps a low profile, so few know his name. But the Jack and Jill Foundation goes from strength to strength, as sadly, its services are much in demand.

I have witnessed first-hand the work they do, and they are literally a lifeline for parents. They do fantastic work.

But unfortunately that work costs a lot, and they depend almost entirely on voluntary contributions and fundraising.

I do what I can for them, but I am asking you to do something for me….

Go and ask your parents for your inheritance now.
Go rob a bank.
Go mug a granny [but not a grandad].
‘Borrow’ someone’s credit card.
Be inventive

Make a donation.

Every little helps

I've been tagged again

Grandad November 11th, 2007

Our K8 has come up with a new meme.

And, bless her little cotton socks, she has passed it on to me.

She wants me to write a post that uses every tag. It’s all very well for her – she only has a few. I have loads. The cow!

Now I may be getting old but I find these difficult. I had a hard days blogging yesterday, as I had a good rant on a podcast to America. That was after I did my post on Cully and Sully.

So today I went for a ramble around the garden, trying to think of a topic. No go. There was no inspiration around the house either, and I’m damned if I’m going around the village or around the town for something so trivial.

Back in the 70’s life was a lot simpler. There were no computers or Internet, or even television so there were no memes. I had no irritating daughter in the family either. We found our pleasures in simple things. I remember learning to drive so we could go on holidays touring in the West, with no worries about flying and Global Warming. We had such simple sports as children in times past, like watching spiders spin their webs, and the designs they’d make. We’d go for rambles through the woods and have picnics of tea and spam sandwiches. We were a lot healthier for it.

Nowadays, work is the new religion and people have lost the use of their imagination. People only get worked up over celebrities and smoking out corrupt politicians. They panic over property prices and have lost sight of the soul of life.

No.

I can’t think of anything.

I elect not to do it.

I’m going to file this under Uncatagorised.

Maybe Sixty should have a bash at this?

Or how about Kirk at Just Thinkin’? I haven’t tagged him before.

And it’s a while since I annoyed Grannymar!!

tag-award