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Yearly Archives: 2017

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Okay, so First Dates is always a tad awkward, which is no surprise seeing as it involves Irish people trying to be cool on national television while their love lives hang in the balance.

Last night, we saw Eoin meet Katie for the first time, and he was definitely a little nervous.

Before arriving at the First Dates restaurant, Eoin had a little run in with an avian nemesis, causing him to be late for the date.

Eoin didn't hold back when reliving the tale, telling Katie that a bird had "shat" on him.

Probably not the best icebreaker but hey, at least he's honest.

And isn't that meant to be good luck?

Katie also seriously impressed us with her open discussion about her depression. 

Kudos Katie, kudos!

 

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After waiting for months to find out whether or not Longitude was actually happening, tickets are finally going on sale today. 

Tickets are on sale at 9am, and are available from Ticketmaster. 

Three-day weekend tickets are going for €189.50, with two-day tickets priced at €129.50.

Tickets for one of the days over the weekend of festivities are on sale for  €69.50. 

Stormzy and Picture This were announced as the Friday headliners yesterday, with The Weeknd taking the limelight on Saturday night. 

Mumford and Sons and Jack garret are rounding off the festival on Sunday. 

They will be joined by the likes of Skepta, Baaba Maal, Glass Animals, Lucy Rose and Catfish and the Bottlemen. 

We're so excited for this festival, see you all in the virtual queue. 

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If you live in Dublin, then you've definitely heard of Bunsen.

It's the delicious burger joint on Wexford Street that has a simple menu, but boy… does it deliver. Just look at that juiciness!

 

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Well, now it's not only going to be the Dubs that can enjoy these burgers on a daily basis because Bunsen is heading to Cork.

Opening this weekend, the Bunsen Facebook page announced that there will be free burgers for anyone who wants to join them.

The announcement is pretty scarce of information, but it looks like the restaurant will be situated on French Church Street.

Lads, you're going to love it.

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Oh, McDonald's. How did you get it so wrong?

As Paddy's Day is fast approaching, so is the release of the Maccy D's Shamrock Shake.

But, its new ad campaign basically has absolutely nothing to do with Ireland.

The video was released on Twitter and shows a man playing the Shamrock Shake as if he was playing on bagpipes.

Bagpipes are Scottish.

Then, Stonehenge appears on screen.

Stonehenge is in England.

Of course, there was outcry from Irish fans the minute it went up, and some of the backlash is brilliant:

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If you're like us then you're constantly forgetting where you put your keys in the morning.

Or you walk into a room to do something and then poof! You can't remember what that something was.

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If you're always misplacing things then listen up, because apparently we have an untapped memory reserve that we never use – and really should.

The ancient Greeks first touched on this and a recent study by Cell.com has proved that we can create a 'memory palace' for ourselves.

According to the research, tapping into your 'memory palace' requires you to create vivid images of the things you want to remember later.

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So, if you want to remember where you put your keys, visualise them on the kitchen table, so it'll be in your mind for when you want to find them. Make sense?

The study also revealed that if you use this method over 40 days, your brain activity will also increase. 

A few Sherlock Holmes vibes going on here…

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In this day and age, there's very few of us who aren't on social media.

Whether it's constantly checking Snapchat or updating your Instagram, it's fair to say a lot of us check our social media accounts daily.

Scratch that. A lot of us check our social media accounts hourly.

But is it ruining our friendships and making us lonely? I'm not so sure.

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A recent study carried out in the US claimed that we're on social media for at least two hours per day (which is probably fair), however, those two hours apparently double our chances of experiencing social isolation and low self-esteem.

When we're exposed to idealised representations of other people's lives, we feel envious and jealous, right?

And yeah, if one of your mates is living it up in New Zealand while you're slogging away at a 9-5 job, obviously you're going to wish you were on a sunny beach with a cocktail in hand.

But my point of view is; if we took social media away from the picture, and you met your friend for a coffee and she showed you pictures of her holiday, those envious feelings are still going to pop up.

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The research, which was carried out in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is saying that social media is the root of our social isolation, but I really don't think that's entirely true.

Another study by Drexel University found social media to actually be a pretty positive platform for people who have low self-esteem.

Those who might not be as confident to speak out in social situations, can interact with people online, which in turn made them more vocal in their day to day lives.

Researchers investigated the 'depression' hashtag on Instagram, and what they actually found was pretty inspiring.

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"Emotional support and esteem support, which includes comments such as, 'you are strong and beautiful', were the most popular comments among the 'depression' hashtag," which is pretty refreshing.

Numerous bloggers and social influencers are now coming forward to say that their lives aren't what you see on social media. Those pictures and statuses are only highlighting the good points, and while it may seem like everything is prefect – they go through tough times as well.

None of us are flawless, and we all project the best images of ourselves on social media.

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"The emotional support of trying to cheer someone up and provide support in the post or comment space could be viewed as a type of cognitive intervention (i.e., trying to help the person overcome negative thinking by developing positive thinking)," the study explained.

I think that at first, social media was (and partly still is) a platform to show off and boast, but it's changing into a place where people are becoming more real about their day to day lives and their struggles.

We all need to stop being so naive that everyone else's life is perfect, because just like our own, it's not.

Social media may be an enhancer, but it's not the root cause of isolation or loneliness.

However, if you need support, never be afraid to speak out. Check out this website for if you need any advice or someone to talk to.

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A debate on the Tuam babies scandal was scheduled to kick off at 10am this morning, however the debate was delayed as not enough TDs showed up for the meeting. 

Oireachtas rules state that 20 of the 158 elected TDs must be present for a debate to occur, meaning the meeting started behind schedule as the Dáil waited for others to show up. 

Once the debate began, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone issued an apology to the victims of the scandal, and told TDs she will consider including all residential Irish institutions in the current inquiry.

Twitter and Facebook users quickly became aware of the dwindled numbers of TDs present, and they definitely were not impressed by the government's percieved dismissive attitude towards the issue. 

Many Facebook users are demanding a list of the officials who did not show up to be published, so that they can officially complain to their elected representatives.

"Where can you see a list of those who did attend so we can email those from our constituency who are supposedly meant to be representing us who did not show up for this debate. I'm totally disgusted by this," said one. 

"What the hell needs to happen for them to turn up? A debate on cutting their expenses would have it jammed. Just furious."

"It's because they don't care! They don't care when it happened why would we think they care now! By the way they sleep very well at night in case anyone is interested," commented another outraged citizen,on a Facebook post about the debate.

"Aw well it's not as if it's water charges just dead babies, sure we wouldn't bother marching for that," said another. 

Katherine Zappone labelled the issue “a scandal of huge proportions.”

 

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Now don’t get us wrong: we don’t necessarily watch cooking channels on YouTube to learn how to make fancy dinners or crazy cakes – we just love the entertainment.

And we won't apologise for it, either.

If cooking shows float your boat, but complicated recipes aren't your thing, why not check out our favourite inspiration for whenever you just feel like drooling in front of your screen.

Donal Skehan

It would be impossible to not mention our beloved Donal Skehan.

Even though he recently moved to LA, the Irish food sensation remains our pride and joy. 

Sorted Food

These British guys are not only fun to watch, they are also really relatable and we feel like if they can do it, we can too! 

Cupcake Gemma

The creme of the buttercream!

When this British pastry extraordinaire teaches us how to make a breathtaking ombre cake, we almost believe we can do it. 

Hervé Cuisine

If you think French cooking is all fancy and nervewracking, have a look at Hervé Cuisine. From his Parisian kitchen, this cool guy cooks all sorts of sweet and savoury recipes, and makes it all look really easy-peasy.

And with English subtitles available, you don’t even have to pretend you remember anything from your Leaving Cert oral.

Everyday Food

Everyday Food editor, Sarah Carey, always comes up with easy-to-follow recipes that make us go “Defo could do this!”.

We particularly love the series called Kitchen Conundrums with Thomas Joseph, which breaks down all the crazy science behind cooking and baking. 

JessBeautician

As the name of her channel suggests it, Jess was primarily a beauty therapist but her food videos are so brilliant we are seriously considering going vegan. 

Well, you know, kinda…

MyCupcakeAddiction

If you have never heard of Elise Strachan, the genius mind behind MyCupcakeAddiction, prepare yourself to be seriously mind-blown.

This Aussie lady makes the most creative and colourful cakes that literally defy gravity. 

Bigger Bolder Baking
 
Gemma Stafford is an Irish professionally trained chef who now lives under the Santa Monica sun, in California.

Her recipes are mouth-watering and always have this wow factor that makes us seriously drool…

Peaceful Cuisine

Ryoya Takashima makes cooking videos that don’t use music and gives us true ASMR feel.

If you ever have a stress rush during the day, tune into his channel and enjoy the quietness of this Japanese kitchen…

Food Tube

Jamie Oliver doesn't need an introduction and his channel, featuring some brilliant guests, needs to be in our faves. 

 

 

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As the days are finally growing longer, and the clouds are now making way for the sun, it's time to say bye to woolly hats and hello S/S styles.

RI Plus has just launched its latest collection throughout Ireland and online, and we have to say, we're loving the cool and classic style the fashion power house has gone down.

With a nod to western trends, bold prints, and playful patterns, here are our top picks from the RI Plus SS17 line:

Plus Ashley ripped boyfriend jeans – €55

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Plus pink floral top – €45

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Plus black floral culotte jumpsuit – €65

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Plus red bardot maxi dress – €45

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Plus black and white check slip – €45

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Happy shopping ladies!

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We all get wrapped up in our favourite TV shows from time to time and wish that we could just lead all the characters in the right direction.

Unfortunately, that never happens, but with technology that Netflix is looking into, we might not be that far off from choosing our own TV show endings.

According to The Daily Mail, Netflix is reportedly looking into how to develop the user experience.

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It wants to allow viewers to have full interactive control of the shows they like, and let users guide the narrative the way they want it.

A source told the publication, "We're doing work on branch narratives so you are actually making choices as you watch.

"All the content will be there, and then people will have to get through it in different ways. We'll see how it plays out. It's an experiment."

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The insider added, "We'll see if it gets much success. For creators, it's new territory."

It's not yet known whether the interactive experience will be rolled out on existing shows or if totally new ones will have to be commissioned, but we have to say, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

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Festival season is just around the corner, and Sea Sessions has just revealed their day-to-day line-up.

The chilled festival on Bundoran Beach released some of their line-up a few months back, but now the exact order of their headliners has been announced. 

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Sigma will DJ on the main stage on Friday, June 23, to kick off the festival with a buzz.

The Coronas will then head up the show on Saturday, June 24.

Rounding off the weekend is Primal Scream, who will close the festival on Sunday, June 25. 

The acts will be joined by fellow musicians All Tvvins,Foy Vance, Otherkin, Little Hours, Mr Scruff and Wyvern Lingo throughout the weekend. 

Tickets are currently available, with prices starting at €99.90 for three days or €124.90 for four nights camping.

Dust off those flower crowns…

Feature: Sea Sessions

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Look, it's far from easy to admit that your favourite way to unwind is by settling yourself in front of a grisly true crime documentary, but the sense of liberation that comes with finally doing it is fairly spectacular.

Yes, it's weird, yes it's mildly disturbing and yes, you've definitely wondered whether your macabre pastime would go against you if you ever found yourself in front of a judge, but hey you like what you like, and you no longer care who knows it.

And while most friends and family struggle to understand your fascination with the darkest recesses of the human psyche, you firmly believe your obsession with true crime will stand to you at some point in the future.

Here are just 13 things you'll know if true crime documentaries are your go-to watch.

1. You have, at times, surprised yourself by knowing the details of a murder which took place in Milwaukee in 1986.

Chances are you've stumbled upon a few documentaries detailing the same case, and you can't help it if the timeline of events has seared itself into your memory, right?

"Oh, I know this one! Your man from down the road did it, but framed his mate."

2. You generally can't stop yourself from researching everything about cases which piqued your attention.

When it comes to the more obscure cases, you end up feeling like an investigative journalist trawling the archives for more information on some homicidal lunatic from the States.

"There's very little on him on Wiki, but this local paper from small-town Idaho knows what's up. I should beef up this guy's online presence."

3. You have heard yourself rationalising your interest by leaning on the forensic side of things.

Throwing phrases like 'development in DNA testing' and 'cold case files' makes your fascination with the life and times of a serial killer sound a little more palatable.

"It's not that odd, really. I mostly focus on the police work involved."

4. You have had to stop yourself from sharing the more obscure details of a case for fear your colleagues will begin questioning your actions.

Everyone in the office watched How To Make a Murderer, but only you decided to spend hours online searching for that one piece of evidence that would set Steven Avery free.

"I'm telling you, lads. If someone would just listen to me."

5. You hate to admit it, but you actually have favourite true crime cases.

You know how despicable that sounds, but there are some serial killer cases which appeal to you more than others.

"I don't know what it is, but it was the perfect storyline… and yes, I know it's true and I'm going to hell."

6. You get a frisson of excitement when you spot a link before the narrator reveals the twist.

You get an inkling you're onto something, and can't help but throw it out there lest anyone think you're losing your touch.

"Hey, have you a second to talk? So, I was watching one of my docs, and I had the murderer in the frame before the first ad-break. Hello?"

7. You curse your fascination when you find yourself alone in certain situations.

It's all well and good when you're cosied up at home, but the moment you're by yourself your mind wanders to the unsolved murder of a person in Wyoming in 1977.

"Oh my God. I'm, literally going to star in my own murder doc."

8. Your most-listened to podcasts are true crime ones, and you can't help but imagine yourself behind that mike.

Secretly, you know that your fascination with crime would make for a compelling podcast, but your damn day job keeps getting in the way.

"Nobody would be able to tell the story of Ted Bundy like I would."

9.You feel awkward when you have to admit that while yes, you adore true crime, it's generally reserved for the more mysterious and grisly.

Bank heists and great train robberies don't exactly do it for you.

"Yeah, I know it happened in real life, but unfortunately I don't care right now."

10. You have endured comments that you're like those women who fall in love with death row prisoners.

While you're more than willing to put up with light mockery, that is one accusation you won't accept.

"I'm sorry, you've taken it too far this time."

11. Your friends consider you an oracle on all things crime-related.

You've had to suppress a surge of pride when friends come to you for the details on the latest high-profile crime case.

"Jesus, it's like they think I have an inside scoop! I'm literally famous."

12. You have urged your friends to join you in your pastime, but they struggle to share your enthusiasm.

They generally like to laugh during TV binges, and don't understand your desire to start goggle-eyed at court proceedings during a high-profile case from 1995.

"Give it a shot. You won't look back."

13. Secretly you know that if someone else actually enjoyed true crime as much as you, you'd be slightly alarmed.

But you're normal… you don't know that THEY are.

"I use it to turn off… they might use to switch on!"

 

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