Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Ms Theron....




I thought she might grab your attention alright!!

Now here's the deal. Last year I was nominated for a Meteor Award. I didn't win it. I was beaten by KC a former colleague from somewhere called Cork(?)....

Anyway, it's going to be highly embarrassing if I lose AGAIN........

So please please please please please (I am begging and making no attempts to hide it) vote for me using one of two options...

Log onto www.fm104.ie and vote online for free - you can do this once a day up until March 11th.

OR

text VOTE RDJ 4 to 085 7114444 and yes if you're on Meteor this is free!!


I would really appreciate it as the endless stick I will get in the office if I lose again is not worth talking about... :(


Thanks for reading,

Mark

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Mind yourself....lads....

Saturday morning for me started out at 9am - an early start but I didn't mind, I was hoping to find my next car.

I've loved cars since I was a kid. MKII Golf GTI, wow - I wasn't even into double digits and I knew that a GTI had darkened rear lights compared to a normal Golf, I was car mad.

I couldn't wait to get my licence, when I finally did I found the next hurdle to overcome - Irish car insurance. For me to be a named driver on a Fiesta back in 2001 I shelled out IR£3,000. It was worth every bit, the freedom it gave, my own wheels. Over the years I've learnt how to clean a car back to showroom condition. From a special sponge for my car, an alloy wheel brush, a chamois, tyre dressing and this was 'just' a Fiesta. But it was MY Fiesta.

Along the way I've had three VW Golf GTIs, two of them the excellent MKV, an Audi S3 MKII in stunning sprint blue and currently a BMW 335i coupe. This isn't me showing off, I don't drink a lot, I rarely go on holidays - my passion is cars and that's where my money goes. I dread to think how much depreciation it's cost me.

I decided over the last while to see if I could step into something that extra bit special and it led me to a lot of guys dream car - a Porsche. I booked a test drive with a Porsche dealer and I decided to see if I could find what I was looking for.

Unfortunately on Saturday during the test drive I learnt an important lesson - no matter what the car is, you've got to appreciate what the conditions are. The build quality of the Porsche is probably a strong reason while I'm here and alive but it doesn't matter what the car is, when you're heading for a tree, your fate flashes across you, it sounds like a cliche but you DO wonder will you see your family again, your loved ones, your friends... how is this going to end..WILL I be killed in the next few moments from impacting with a tree? Thankfully I didn't get to answer those questions and the car came to a halt albeit upside down, with the driver and myself hanging, glued to our seats by the seat belts. The frayed material on my jacket with an imprint from the belt shows how hard the tension of the belt was.

It's also not bullshit when people say everything happened in slow motion - it did.

I crawled out of the mangled car, my hand spewing blood, a car which five minutes previously hadn't got so much as a mark on it and the next sight I saw was the same one I've posted for you below. I can't describe the mixture of shock, disbelief, relief and just luck I felt looking at what was left of the Cayman.

It's safe to say someone was watching over me on Saturday.

I'm so grateful to a student nurse named Ciara who stopped close by a few minutes after the crash and helped me calm the bleeding, you'll make a fine nurse I've no doubt. The doctor in the Beacon hospital who helped make a traumatic shock and a painful procedure go as swiftly as possible.

On the way home a radio report said an Irish man in his 20s had been killed in a road accident in Australia after hitting a tree. It hit home as I looked down at my injured hand and realised once again how lucky I was to escape with the injuries I received.

The next day I learnt that the Irish man killed was barely in his 20s and the son of a fellow radio presenter, Lynsey Dolan from Country FM. I couldn't believe that while the accidents had been so similar I was so lucky, yet somebody's child had been taken from them tens of thousands of kilometers away. My thoughts are still with you.

If I can take one thing from this to give to others it's LADS you won't realise the consequences that road accidents have on people until you've been in one. Don't get yourself into a situation where you need to find out.

Take my word for it.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Wanna know who the Stig is? Read on...




Identity of Top Gear's The Stig revealed as Ben Collins

The Stig

Patrick Foster, Media Correspondent

To the viewers of Top Gear, he is part man, part machine, with veins that course with petrol. But the true substance of “the Stig”, the BBC programme’s so-called tame racing driver, was revealed yesterday to be somewhat more prosaic.

The identity of the character, who test-drives cars around the Top Gear track, was divulged at the weekend as Ben Collins, a Bristol-based former American speedway driver and stuntman who doubled for Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond film.

The name of the white-suited Stig, beloved of the show’s hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, has been an open secret within the motoring world for some years, but the media have refrained from publishing his name to uphold the spirit of the programme.

On Sunday, however, a newspaper outed Collins, 33, after following up a story in a Bristol newspaper about a man commissioning a photographic studio in the city to produce limited edition prints of the character.

The BBC has a policy of never commenting on the identity of the Stig, who has a cult following around the world. A spokesman for Top Gear said yesterday: “We never comment on speculation as to who or what the Stig is.” Collins was not available for comment.

Privately, staff at the corporation could not hide their frustration. “It’s bloody annoying,” one show insider said. “You wouldn’t write a piece saying that Santa didn’t exist.”

Collins has always denied being the Stig, fearing that he could face the sack if his identity was disclosed.

Perry McCarthy, a previous Stig who wore a black suit, was fired off the deck of a warship after revealing his role as the character in his autobiography. It is thought, however, that Collins will not face a similar fate.

The disclosure of the Stig’s identity came after an internet hunt by fans of the programme. One clip posted on YouTube shows the Stig talking with a Bristol accent to a television crew, before cutting to a clip showing Collins speaking in similar tones.

The driver has also featured as himself in episodes of the show, and a report in 2006 into Hammond’s near-death crash stated that Collins had briefed the host and “worked closely with Top Gear as a high-performance driver and consultant”.

Before starring in the programme he had a varied career that included a four-year stint in the Army, work as a television presenter and a job managing Hornby’s Scalextric brand.

After beginning in motor sport in 1994, he raced in Gran Turismo cars at Le Mans and in Formula Three. He now charges upwards of £1,000 for giving motivational speeches.

Top Gear is one of the BBC’s most viewed programmes, and has been screened in more than 100 countries. The most recent series finished in December and the show will return to the BBC in the summer.

The name Stig originates from Clarkson’s former school, Repton, and was the moniker by which new boys were always known. The cult surrounding the character has grown because he is routinely introduced on the show with a humorous reference to his alleged non-human faculties. Introductions include “Some say his voice can only be heard by cats”, and “Some say one of his eyes is a testicle”.

The speculation surrounding the identity of the driver has been so intense that it featured in the ten most-searched-for terms on the Ask.com internet search engine.

— Damon Hill, the former world champion of Formula One, has in the past been erroneously named as the Stig.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The view for today on the Roadhog!!

Don't forget I've got a pair of VIP Tickets to the Cheerios Childline gig to giveaway today!!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

You knew you grew up in Ireland in the 90s if....

1. You remember exactly where you where, who you were with and what you were wearing for THAT penalty. You even remember George Hamiltons commentary, 'A nation holds it's breath.' You possibly have a son named after Kevin Sheedy.

2. You liked Oasis or Blur. But not both, because that 'wasn't allowed'. Tipping your two heels confirmed it was not allowed.

3. You had a Megadrive or SNES. But not both, because that 'wasn't allowed' either.

4. You've only just turned thirty yet your doctor tells you that you have the wrists of a severely arthritic eighty year old thanks to days spent in the arcade on Street Fighter.

5. You had a crush on the youngest girl in Hanson.

6. MTV played music.

7. 'Talk to the hand coz the face ain't listenin' was an acceptable response to any question. As was 'it's a free country'. Finish off with 'Word to your mother'.

8. You have the complete series of Father Ted.

9. You had 'The Rachel' hairstyle if you were female, or one of many 'Beckhams' if you were male.

10. You can quote Pulp Fiction start to finish, you know who Kaiser Sosa is, and secretly Toy Story made it into your Top 5 films of all time.

11. Your old enough to recall a time when Boxing had a division called 'Heavyweight' and it was worth sitting up till four in the morning to watch.

12. You started to watch Tennis. Can't say I recall why.

13. Talk shows controlled TV. Ricki Lake , Sally Jessie, Geraldo, Oprah and of course.

14. You could wear your clothes back to front if you wished and it was 'cool' thanks to Kris Kross. 'Daddy Mac'll make ya Jump, Jump.'

15. You owned (or still own) any of the following: A carpet jacket, X-works jeans, eclipse jeans and/or a bubble jacket. For the female, you wore leggings/cycling shorts with long t-shirts and most likely had a pen pal.

16. You owned a pair of Air-Max and/or Puma discs.

17. 20p got you far in the shop. 10p for a Mr. Frosty cool-pop (a Snow-time optional), a 5p packet of A-team crisps, two fruit salads, two apple jacks and a postman pat.

18. Your breath smelled of Frosties.

19. Bryan Adams was number one for about four years.

20. Helen Daniels was alive and well in Neighbours. As was Percy Sugden in Coronation Street

21. Saturday evening TV was worth watching: Catchphrase, Gladiators, Baywatch, Generation Game, You Bet, Big Break, Noels House Party and then Casualty. And shame on you, the answers 'holding down a job'.

22. You remember Sports Saturday on RTE, and now you're humming the tune of 'The Final Countdown'.

23. Your attic has a stash of old Shoot & Match Magazines. Or Smash Hits if you were that way inclined.

24. Sharkie & George were the crimebusters of the sea.

25. You still call Ant & Dec by PJ & Duncan.

26. You know the dance moves to Whigfields Saturday Night and the Macarena. You firmly believe Scatman John did a lot for the music industry.

27. Chris Evans was 'a madser'.

28. You want 'Rhythm is a Dancer' played at your funeral.

29. Your first mobile phone required you to carry around a backpack and your number is still 088.

30. You got your first DVD player.

31. You miss Sunday nights and 'Strike it Lucky' with Michael Barrymore, when he was straight & married.

32. Beverly Hills 90210 was reality TV. You watched California Dreaming, Pugwall & you know the theme tune to 'Saved by the Bell '.
You're singing it now.

33. You know what ALF stands for. And you've just realised how scarily he looks like that old guy who hosts the Rugby on RTE. Not George Hook, the other one.

34. A Snickers was a Marathon , Starbursts were Opal Fruits and you never did get your hands on them Lucky Charms.

35. You had to walk around and find your friends by yourself. You couldn't just text or ring them.

36. You wore a 'F*ck Schillaci' T-Shirt.

37. If you're a bloke, you secretly liked Take That. If you're a girl, you loved them. Either way, you cried when they broke up.

38. If you preferred East 17 you were 'a knacker'.

39. You camped out your back garden during the summer and had water fights because water was free.

40. You drank 'hooch' in the park.

41. You poured out some 'hooch' in the park when Biggie & Tupac died.

42. Mr. Motivator helped your mother loose five pounds.

43. Mr. Kipling helped her find it again.

44. Owning a CD player classed you as 'Posh'.

45. You remember when Victoria Beckham was just the skinny Spice Girl who never sings.

46. The names Paula, Charlo and John Paul could be used to slag off any dysfunctional family in your estate.

47. You played Pogs. For Keepsies.

48. Ireland won the Eurovision every year because Eastern Europe was collectively known as Russia . It was pimps.

49. You cheered on Michelle Smith in Atlanta

50. And you are of the opinion she couldn't have been lying, because swearing on a loved ones life without crossing any part of your body was a guarantee you were telling the truth.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Happy Birthday Jim!!

Well our Jim from the Strawberry turns 40 today... firstly, I thought he was 50. :)

Secondly, if he was ever wondering why he got the name Two Flutes then this should clear up the matter once and for all.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Duffy has just done a Judy Finnegan.....

This happened to Duffy at her gig in the Odyssey in Belfast last night... she waited til the end of the song to fix it!! Legend!!!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Which one then?!

So Claire and Lynsey from our Bugs want to know which of the two has the nicer bum....

Over to you :)

Friday, October 31, 2008

It's baaaaaaaaaaaack!



The Strawberry Alarm Clock Album is being launched next week on Friday November 7th. It will be available from HMV, Xtravision, Tesco, Celtic Note and Zavvi. All the proceeds raised from the album will go to FM104’s Help a Dublin Child Appeal for Temple Street Children’s University Hospital.

This year the album is a double CD album with an uncovered, unplugged CD and a comedy CD. We have some big names this year including Tom Baxter, Aslan, The Blizzards, The Coronas, Republic of Loose and lots more!

We are launching the album in Bewley’s, Grafton St on Saturday November 8th. The Strawberry Alarm Clock will broadcast live from 9am-12pm and we will have some special guests on the morning including Olympic Champion Darren Sutherland and PJ Gallagher. Bewley’s have kindly offered to donate all proceeds from their Grafton Street coffee sales to the charity.

Come down next Saturday and help us support a very worthy cause!!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Calling all Oasis fans !!!

Win this next week on The Jam with me...

Seriously cool collectors item for Oasis fans.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008





Well it's good to be back on the air that's the first thing!!

The second is, I was off all last week as I was up in Belfast recording a brand new TV show for FM104's owners, UTV. It's called Live at the Limelight which is a rough and ready live music venue, but one that has played host to the likes of Oasis, Duffy and the Arctic Monkeys before they became household names...

The idea behind the show was to give new Irish bands a platform to play to a wider audience. There's no prizes, no judges, it's not a talent show.. it's just "here's my band, here's a song or two".

It'll be on UTV on Monday nights about 10.35 starting late Oct/Nov so keep an eye out for it and see if you can notice how nervous I was compared to doing what feels natural to me - radio!! :)

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Ever get really annoyed the way someone parks...??

http://www.youparklikeanasshole.com/notices/notice_1.pdf

Print this out and keep a few in the car... !!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

The East Link... slightly erect!!!

Saturday afternoon we got a text to say the East Link bridge was stuck ... it's hard to see but this is it!

Friday, September 12, 2008



http://ema.mtv.co.uk/vote/#

If you wanna vote for Rick Astley to win Best Act Ever on MTV... (there's actually a compaign for this!!) click above...

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

FM104's What's That Sound.....

It's worth nearly €3,000 and here is a list of the wrong guesses.........

Blow torch

Patio door sliding

Hot air balloon

Something dragging a box along the ground

kettle boiling

Rubbing foam on the ground

Sewing machine

Bleeding a radiator

Air con in a car

Bingo/lotto balls

Snooker/pool ball going down the pocket

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

The Jeremy Clarkson book of quotes...

Quotes from Jeremy Clarkson, writer and presenter of Top Gear


"I'm sorry, but having a DB9 on the drive and not driving it is a bit like
having Keira Knightley in your bed and sleeping on the couch."


"... the last time someone was as wrong as you, was when a politician
stepped off an aeroplane in 1939 waving a piece of paper in the air saying
there will be no war with Germany "


Illustrating the lack of power of a Boxster: "It couldn't pull a greased
stick out of a pig's bottom"


On the Vauxhall Vectra VXR: "there is a word to describe this car: it
begins with 's' and ends with 't' and it isn't soot


"The Suzuki Wagon R should be avoided like unprotected sex with an
Ethiopian transvestite"


"The air conditioning in a Lambos used to be an asthmatic sitting in the
dashboard blowing at you through a straw."


"Koenigsegg are saying that the CCX is more comfortable. More comfortable
than what... BEING STABBED?"


"This is the Renault Espace, probably the best of the people carriers. Not
that that's much to shout about. That's like saying 'Ooh good I've got
syphilis, the BEST of the sexually transmitted diseases.'"


"I don't understand bus lanes. Why do poor people have to get to places
quicker than I do?"


Clarkson's highway code on cyclists: "Trespassers in the motorcars domain,
they do not pay road tax and therefore have no right to be on the road,
some of them even believe they are going fast enough to not be an
obstruction. Run them down to prove them wrong."


" Britain 's nuclear submarines have been deemed unsafe...probably because
they don't have wheel-chair access."


On Mandela's claim that Cuba is a good advert for democracy: "Well Mr
Mandela why don't you go and ask one of the 12 year old Cuban prostitutes
which way her parents voted?"


"Now we get quite a lot of complaints that we don't feature enough
affordable cars on the show......so we'll kick off tonight with the
cheapest Ferrari of them all!"


On the Lotus Elise: "This car is more fun than the entire French air force
crashing into a firework factory."


"Sure it's quiet, for a diesel. But that's like being well-behaved...for a
murderer."


"I don't often agree with the RSPCA as I believe it is an animal's duty to
be on my plate at supper time."


"There are footballers wives that would be happy with this quality of
stitching... on their face."


"Much more of a hoot to drive than you might imagine. Think of it if you
like, as a librarian with a G-string under her tweed pants. I do, and it
helps."


"You cannot have this car with a diesel. Its like saying, I won't go to
Stringfellows tonight, I'll get my mum to give me a lap dance, she's a
woman!"


"Tonight, the new Viper, which is the American equivalent of a sports car...
in the same way, I guess, that George Bush is the equivalent of a
President."


On the Porsche Cayenne: "Honestly, I have seen more attractive gangrenous
wounds than this. It has the sex appeal of a camel with gingivitis."