All posts by Steph

Random

Ticketmaster usability flaw?

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I arrived at the Ticketmaster website this morning to try get me some Nick Cave tickets. This gig was selling really fast so add that frantic rush to it’s 9am and I haven’t had any coffee yet. Where did I automatically start clicking to select my tickets? Why the first ticket type option of course.

“There are currently no tickets available for this event.” Or something to that effect is presented. WHAT?! It’s sold out alerady?! I was repeatedly bashing away at the site in hope for another 5 mins before I realised I was selecting Wheelchair Attendant tickets and not the usual Full Price option, which is at the bottom.

Ticketmaster.ie
Ticketmaster.ie

Between that and the CAPTCHA and MasterCard SecureCode hurdles, I’m worn out. Am I the only one who thinks this form is really badly laid out? No offence to wheelchair users and their attendants but they are in the minority of customers at this point of sale. Or maybe I’m just a bit thick.

I got my tickets in the end. If you’re a wheelchair attendant who was trying to get a ticket, hope you had better luck than I.

Thoughts

Time

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While on the bus home, the chatter on Twitter about the 09.09.09.09.09 timestamp home sparked a memory of a blog post I had read. It was on Darragh’s blog, on 08.08.08 (and probably at 8.08am too knowing him) looking back on the year that had passed. I hope he doesn’t mind be borrowing the idea as a mould for a post that I’ve had lying around the nether regions of my head for a while.

So where was I this time last year?

Ouch
Ouch

This time last year I was living in the apartment I’m now looking across the rooftops at. Luckily, this apartment was quite compact and all on a single level as I tore ligaments in my left ankle and was resigned to crutches for about 3 weeks, unable to stand or walk on it. It was horrendous for someone as independent in mind as I am. But it helped me learn a lot of things about myself and people close to me at the time that I thought I could rely on so not all bad :)

I had time booked off work to (finally) take a holiday for the first time in nearly a year but had to leave booking it till the last minute as I wasn’t too hot on the idea of spending a holiday abroad on sticks. Thankfully it all worked out and I got to book a trip to France sans crutches where my long-held romantic notions of the country were confirmed. The food, the wine, the landscape and cityscape of Lyon and the Rhone Valley, the lifestyle, the attitudes. I loved it. Lesson learned: holidays are really good for you.

In summary, things were pretty good – nice new place to live, job I loved, had started learning to drive and in the full of my health (well, from the knees up anyway!).

And this year?

Right now, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m thankfully still in the job I love, in the full of my health, living in a lovelier (and cheaper!) new place with a great family and group of friends around me none of which I’ll ever take for granted. And I’ve found my best friend.

So, where were you this time last year?

Events, Reviews

La Clique at Absolut Fringe – go see it!

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Despite being someone who has barely dipped her toe in the Fringe waters before this year, the name “La Clique” was familiar to me from hearing people rave about it and talking about booking their tickets weeks in advance to ensure they didn’t miss a performance.

The English Gents
The English Gents

So what’s all the fuss about? I went along to the opening night last night and I can safely say I have not seen a show as spectacularly entertaining or breathtaking in my life. And I can’t wait to go back for more.

To me, La Clique is a marvellous mixture of traditional and contemporary circus performance, music and comedy with a sexy, energetic twist. With the gorgeous velvety surroundings of the Spiegeltent, it felt at times like I was caught up in a scene from Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge :)

I don’t want to give anything away as the surprise and (at times) shock factor is all part of what makes the show so entertaining. At the very least it’s a showcase of some truly amazing talents and a visual feast.

Bath Boy
Bath Boy

I laughed till I cried, I squirmed, I gasped, I sang, I danced, I whooped and hollered and left the Speigeltent simply buzzing. If you only go to one Fringe show this year, go and see La Clique. I’m going back for more before it ends on Sunday 20th. If you go tonight, you’ll get a lovely 20% off. And if I haven’t convinced you then maybe Darragh will.

News

Point Blank, Red Hot & Brass – Absolut Fringe 09 is on!

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I had the pleasure of seeing two fantastic shows on Saturday night as part of the opening weekend of Absolut Fringe 09 – Point Blank at the Project Arts Centre and Red Hot & Brass at the ever lovely Spiegeltent. The two shows were poles apart in pretty much every way but that’s the beauty of Fringe!

Point Blank

A remarkable show centred around 19 year old Nada and her quest to find the path in life she wants to take. She travels taking photos of complete strangers observing them often for days to see what they do and if this might be the life for her. I’ve put a review up on Culch.ie and highly recommend you go check this out if you can.

Red Hot & Brass
 Red Hot Brass solo! @dublinfringe
Well it pretty much does exactly what it says on the tin – they were hot, sassy and very much brassy! I haven’t danced as much in a long time and they had everyone in the Speigeltent on their feet on Saturday night – a fantastic start to fortnight of some hopefully equally brilliant performances.

Check out www.fringefest.com for a look at what’s on over the next 2 weeks. See you out there!