The Healing Power of Pong

I saw this man sitting grumpily in a corner testing out his Wi-Fi in a Belfast Cafe.  As long as he was on-line I pointed him to 'Letter to America'; specifically this post:

Drama - Thy Name is Pong

and had him try this on-line version of the game.  See how it cheered him up!  Yet another example of the healing power of Pong.

UPDATE - Wednesday, 5th April: In the comment section of this post Dave informs us that this mystery pong player is in fact the composer Brian Irvine. 

Now, I'm not au fait enough with the Northern Irish music scene to be able to judge the quality of Dave's comment that Brian is Northern Ireland's 'greatest living composer' but I tell ya his music does, in fact, ROCK.  Here's his website:

Brian Irvine

Go the the Music Section of the website where's there's a whole load of fantastic MP3s to play and tracks to purchase via PayPal.

Drama - Thy Name is Pong

Always on the look-out for things to discuss on the Podcast Dear Listener, tonight I attended the 5th World Pong Championships held at the John Hewitt Pub here in Belfast.

Created by Daniel Jewesbury, Richard West and Stephen Hackett in association with Cinilingus and the Belfast Film Festival, the tournament truly showcased the top talent of Pong playing here in Northern Ireland.

Here's Daniel and Richard getting G'd-up for the event.  I love the Pong Prize perched between them.

Here's the console that the ultimate test of skill and endurance, Pong, will be played on.

Not knowing anybody at the John Hewitt I looked around for who I could befriend, sit down and chat with.

Oh yeah, that's my guy.

Turns out this guy's name is - I shit you not -  S. 'Biggy' Bigmore.  Sometimes I really do love living in Belfast. 

The ladies love Biggy.  Turns out he's done some acting.  If I do another show for the Beeb I'm definitely casting this guy.

Here's his mate Barry.  Barry's not the kinda guy you want to get into a bar fight with.

They had a big screen rigged up so you could watch the Pong live.

Here's two of the near-semi-finalists battling it out.  Trust me Dear Listener these photos do not convey the sheer tension and excitement that permeated the John Hewitt tonight.

What mysteries does the Pong Prize conceal?

They also had a camera and projector set up so you could watch the players' reactions as they battled each other; how cool is that!

Hey, she looks cute - wonder if I should hit on her?

Oh shit.

I'd better leave the table quickly before Barry kicks my ass.

These guys are going at it hardcore.  The lady is a bride to be out on a hen-night and is wearing two illuminated dildos on her head.  This would seem to be a clever strategy to distract the opponent - but he's a barman here at the John Hewitt and is used to this kind of thing.

The barman triumphs.

He displays the fruit of his winnings.

I go over to Barry to make up.

By the way - he has a grip of iron.

A competitor focuses before a big match.

I don't know who these guys were but they looked kinda shifty; they didn't budge from this spot for an hour.  Part of the infamous Belfast Pong Mafia perhaps?

It begins.  The crowd starts to rhythmically chant.

Richard tries to calm the crowd down.  Things could get ugly.

The referee here has a nice, open going manner - but don't it let fool you.  In all matters of Pong his word is law.

Oh my god!  An upset!

The Organisers wish everyone well and send them into the night.

I had a great time Dear Listener and I'd tell you the name of the ultimate winner of the evening but I didn't make a note of it.

Tired and quiet frankly drained from all the Pong excitement I wandered out of the John Hewitt around Midnight - the streets were deserted except for these guys. 

I said fuck-it and joined them for a drink at a pub round the corner...but that's a story for another time - talk to ya on this weekend's podcast Dear Listener.

No Alibis Revisited

As seen in this post:

Narnia Fever - Catch It! Part 2

we here at LTA love the bookstore No Alibis.  It's always filled with interesting characters - I'd like to think this guy is Ireland's greatest living poet.

Sean here regaled me with scabrous stories of Cuban school-children and the jokes they tell.  In this photo he's telling a particularly funny joke about Bill Clinton and Fidel Castro.

This Friday the store is hosting an event in support of the Ulster Wildlife Trust and WWF - if you're in the area why not attend?  It's for a good cause and looks fun.

Dave Torrans will always offer ya a cup of coffee and interesting conversation.  Here Dave and Sean are discussing Shanghai Detective Fiction.

The walls of No Alibis are covered with cool posters like the one above. 

It makes me wonder about the function of Detective Fiction - perhaps there's a subtext in the books that says that actually life by its very nature is mystery and that really we know nothing - and, more importantly, if all secrets are revealed we are nothing. 

The Detective is only alive when this mystery is unknown - when it's solved it's all over and there's nothing left - we have to close the book and the characters cease being until the next mystery comes up.

And so we leave No Alibis Dear Listener...

...why not visit when you're in town.  You'll be entertained and safe - Columbo watches over the store like a Guardian Angel.

Cheery Strikers

It seems like there's a strike at least once a week here in the heart of Belfast's Red-Light District.  I like these guys cause they're so cheery; Official NIPSA Website

sCrAmBlEd? HaCkz!

Sven König is having fun with technology, (via Metafilter).
Watch the Video (YouTube)
Sven's Site

Belfast Film Festival

Hey there folks, the Belfast Film Festival is in full swing.  So if you're in Northern Ireland this week why not head over to the Queen's Film Theatre and check out some flicks. 

If you need an added incentive head over to speak to Film Fest Programmer Michael and check out his tattoos.

P.S.  Enjoyed The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada at the Festival - all was going well until this guy yelled at me for talking during the END CREDITS - dude, it's the END CREDITS - lighten up. 

Actually, he turned out to be cool and bought me a mineral water afterwards so my talking during the movie was not in vain.

Letter to America Memorabilia Auction

As detailed in this weeks' podcast:

Letter to America - A Future Foretold

the Irish Podcast 'Letter to America' is getting a new iPod with Video and hence is selling its dedicated Nano - purchased during the production of the first episode this player has only been used to listen to the show once edited to check for errors.

Nano Being Auctioned Here

This iPod Nano will be a future collector's item assuming Jett Loe and Wayne Ordinary American actually get famous and then die in a hellish fireball while performing some sort of bizarre aerial stunt.

The Nano is in fine condition with www.lettertoamerica.blogs.com etched on the back.

The winner of the auction will receive a special personalised message from Wayne and Jett stored as a data file on the Nano as well as a Certificate of Authenticity.

And if this thing only goes for 20 quid then we know no one cares - but that's OK cause we do the show out of LOVE Dear Listener.

Also being auctioned is the original Letter to America camera that was damaged in this incident:

Ladies and Gentlemen, I Give You Nature

Robert at Black and Lizars get couldn't get it working again:

I'm Afraid There Was Nothing We Could Do

and so it has been replaced by an FZ7 - but if you are some sort of technical wiz, (who can defeat Corrosion - our most deadly enemy), or need the accessories this would be suitable.

Camera Being Auctioned Here

Good luck and happy bidding!

Letter to America - A Future Foretold

Oh Sweet Mystery of Life, It's Letter to America - A Future Foretold!

In which Wayne Ordinary American gets a special call, Phil inquires after Aine Chambers, Keith Law takes you to the River of Love, Martha makes a decision and Jett Loe has a premonition of death.

All this and more on your Irish Northern Irish "I Live My Life As A Novel So You Don't Have To" Podcast.

Message to Jean Kohnen

Hey Jean - what the heck happened to this - it was done so long ago I still had hair.

Northern Ireland Loafing

For reasons that I will explain in this weeks' podcast I found myself in Derry Derry Londonderry this week.  I took the photo above of what are obviously some sort of Alien Monitoring devices that are planted throughout the town.

Here's some more office workers taking a smoke break in Belfast.  I like the woman who's holding up the New York Review of Books to hide her face.

Jimmy Porter over at Desolation Row asks 'how I do it' re:  taking photos of the locals.  One tip is to be really quick - this can be a problem of course - notice the crappy composition in the shot above re:  the woman's shoes being cut off in the frame.