December, 2008 | Damien Mulley

Archive for December, 2008

Dear 2008

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

Damien is Free

Thank you.

From the suckiest 2007 to the best year of my life. Some move! 2008 saw me finishing up in my day job and working for myself and being diagnosed with MS. No no, this was good. I got a tattoo with the word “Free” inked on my chest a few months ago just to remind myself of this year and what happened. MS was the best wake-up call ever. It made me realise life is short, most people are worth loving while a few aren’t worth your time at all. I’m caring more and I’m caring less. I’m working harder than ever and loving every single second of it. Work for me now is 7 days a week, 16 hours a day at times and it’s totally fun. Money and tangibles became even less important for me in 2008 than previously. I’m saying “ah well” more than ever before too because I’m taking risks and that’s a phrase you’ll say now and then after you take that risk.

I’ve lost some friends but I’ve gained tonnes more and am now not just surrounded but mobbed by amazing and inspiring people, many of them read and contribute to this blog. You all rock! I’ve got some plans for 2009 and 2010 and 2011 and 2012 as it happens but I don’t care too much if they work out or not. If they don’t: Ah well. The journey is the real fun and interesting bit.

I’ll enjoy being free next year too and whatever number of years after that. Thanks 2008. Thanks to everyone that took time out of their lives to read Mulley.net, to leave a comment (even if calling me an asshole) and to share their thoughts and opinions with me offline too. See you on the other side.

Posted in irishblogs, personal | 33 Comments »

Broadband in Ireland in 2009 – Could it get better?

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

Two things at the very end of 2008 could mean there is a little hope for better broadband conditions in Ireland come 2009.

ASUS eee PC
Photo owned by andrewjstevens (cc)

First, many operators seem hopeful that when it comes to selling broadband products over copper, it will now be easier and cheaper. This is to do with new pricing models for Local Loop Unbundling that ComReg (the patentedly useless telecoms regulator) brought out forcing eircom to remove what could be classed as getting hello money for moving a customer from one broadband service to another (despite there also being a connection and even a cancelation fee). This means there is more of an incentive by operators to offer good products that compete with each other. This pricing change should have happened about 7 years ago. If those telcos weren’t such wimps when it comes to the regulator maybe this would have happened sooner but despite all the private moaning about ComReg, they’re all afraid to say something about them in public. People too comfortable in their fucking jobs. The attitude would be different if they owned their telcos.

Unlike IrelandOffline, who thankfully are back. A more independent, nothing-to-lose by telling the naked truth group has always been needed in Irish telecoms and it’s great to see a group of dedicated people restart IrelandOffline. There is a huge amount of work to do and a massive amount of issues to tackle but at least their is now an identifiable voice for the masses. Hopefully we’ll see them meet with Eamon Ryan sooner rather than later and despite all the shit I give the man here, he is always open to listening to people and groups about broadband. Maybe they’ll get him to do something too though.

Posted in business, Eamon Ryan, irishblogs, technology | 1 Comment »

Be your own hero

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

Some thoughts as 2008 gently comes to a close. This is the sister post to And?

Why look up at sports gods, business giants or famous entertainers? Be your own hero. Expect excellence from yourself. Expect a high standard. What you expect of those giants, expect of yourself. Line yourself up for challenges and work really damned hard to make sure you carry them out and you won’t be disappointed even if you don’t manage to complete them. Why should a stranger get your adulation when you yoruself should get it? Love yourself. (Not in the making-you-go-blind-way) I see so many people reading business books and biographies of business people and hear them recounting to everyone how these business people are brilliant and worthy of praise. They are but feck that. Why not do and create and build and compete with them? It’s not a monopoly that they hold.

Be your own hero in 2009, you all deserve some adulation. You might be my hero for being your own hero. (Begin infinite loop)

And then there’s this:

Posted in business, irishblogs | 9 Comments »

Fluffy Links – Tuesday December 30th 2008

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

Congrats to Keith on his great gig in the East. Best of luck.

So TeenCamp is on January 17th in Dublin in Filmbase. Why not go along? If you’re a teen and want to do a talk or see a talk then go

Me talking shite about Twitter.

Frank’s suggestions for running a business in 2009.

Two more twitter accounts to alert you about bargains in Ireland. IrishConsumer and PriceAlerts

So I attended the first Team Tommy event Sunday and Monday, held at Castle Collison. It was a hoot and then some. Various people argue Tommy wasn’t shotgunning cans of Heino but I dunno… You had to be there I suppose. It was cool that he lined up a jazz trio too with a cool drummer. Total lie. I may be black and proud but I have no rhythm at all.

Bloody brilliant deals with Expedia to lots of places. See this Boards.ie thread about it.

Except the machine was to the left, not the right. They swap the machines every so often. That’s being too environmentally friendly.

Via Una Santogold – Lights Out

Posted in Fluffy, irishblogs | 2 Comments »

Fluffy Links – Monday December 29th 2008

Monday, December 29th, 2008

From the iFood lads, Food and Fizz.

New blog from Matthew. Pavelware.

Nice gift ideas for the nerd. For next year.

Buzzwords of 2008.

Art of the Title. Brilliant blog breaking down the opening credits of movies. Lovely screenshots and history.

This is what we do to the rest of the world with our junk.

Here’s a blueprint to save the newspaper industry.

Twitter sells paintings. Irish context.

Twitter helps local politicians too.

Zombies and the food triangle.

Live iPhone apps so you can play each other or do other fun things.

Slaves in advertising. A series.

Simply not the best:

Posted in Fluffy, irishblogs | Comments Off on Fluffy Links – Monday December 29th 2008

Maybe they should be called YellowSnow.ie?

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

Director of communications company tells me about C U Next Tuesday on Twitter and how that bad word is in my Twitter profile url and it’s obscene. I act shocked and confused. What ever does she mean? The penny eventually drops and old-skool type deleting of the mess happens (Aside: Oh yes and after finding out Rupert Murdoch owns Facebook, she deleted her profile):

Director of Yellowstone.ie telling Damien what C U Next Tuesday really means

So after that, she deletes all those messages to me as if it didn’t happen. Liam makes a comment and she thanks him for his support:

Liam is thanked for his support

He says he didn’t support her. She deletes that message but they still show up in the Twitter timeline.

So the nuclear option is taken, the whole Twitter account is wiped. I’ll leave it to Liam for his take:

Liam's take

There’s a case study in this on how NOT to engage with an online community. I dunno what rule number it is but Rule No. Yellow is: Don’t join an online community and tell them how they should behave on their space especially if done in your language not theirs. Understanding a community takes time, you need immersion. If someone has Cuntfuckistan as their URL then there’s a strong chance it was put their on purpose. It’s not like I bent down to tie my lace and someone changed my profile URL.

Posted in business, funny, irishblogs | 14 Comments »

Fluffy Links – Sunday December 28th 2008

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

Another Collison is online and blogging. Lily Collison is here. Two potential Best Newcomers at the Blog Awards.

Bit late to this but holy fuck, there’s Irish craftsmanship right there!

Colm Brophy gets Obamaified and shows you how to do the same.

Via Alexia. Someone got a tat saying they love Helvetica. Now I have a tattoo that has Helvetica font but crikey, I wouldn’t declare my love for a person on my skin, let alone a font.

Nice t-shirt from James.

Congrats to SCC English for winning Best Group Blog at the eddies.

Jason talks Declarations and Mary-Lou McFootinMouth.

Haydn on the privileges of communication.

Backtype. Time to stalk.

Innocent?

Innocent when you dream maybe?

Posted in Fluffy, irishblogs | 4 Comments »

I just like the hook

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

Don’t worry. Real blogging is back soon where I’ll be using the C word (Cork), the N word (National Broadband Scheme), the F word (Food), the R word (Regulator) and other fun words like dollop. Isn’t dollop a really interesting sounding word? Say it slow. Say it fast.

Posted in irishblogs, music | 2 Comments »