Articles written by Sean McGoldrick

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About me - Sean McGoldrick

I'm a 31-year-old Irishman, living in Dublin, harbouring ambitions to do something different. I used to work in a call-centre. I quit in October 2007 to try to make a living as a blogger. Wish me luck!

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Entertainment > Music Business Music piracy: Is downloading music ethical?: 7 of 72
While downloading may well have an impact on royalty income for artists it is not unethical to do it. Listening to downloaded music may be similar to listening to a pirate radio station. The loss of royalties to the record label, and from there onto the artist, are compensated for by the increased recognition that the airplay... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Thanksgiving The history of Thanksgiving: 2 of 15
Thanksgiving is a festival celebrated in the United States on the 4th Thursday in November.The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in New England by the Pilgrims who had left Plymouth in England on September 6, 1620. Their first winter in the new world was a hard one. They arrived woefully unprepared for the difficulties that l... More..
Food & Drink > Food & Drink (Other) How recipes bring back memories: 4 of 21
Boxty on the griddle,Boxty in the pan,If you can't make boxty,You'll never get your manI have fond childhood memories of boxty. There are variations on the recipe for boxty and you will find that the word can be used for very different things. In my experience it is a thin pancake made from potatoes and flour and fried on a p... More..
Entertainment > TV News & Commentary Reactions to the Sopranos series finale: 5 of 21
From the beginning the Sopranos was a hit (no pun!) and it managed to maintain this momentum all the way through. It was a fascinating mixture of ordinary life, happy families, mundane existence and murder and violence. One moment we could be sympathizing with a character for having had an unhappy childhood or for feeling bet... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Personal Morals & Values Honesty is the best policy: 32 of 133
I have had honesty thrust upon me from an early age. I have my plain and simple parents to thank for that. But more than that I have my blushing cheeks to thank. Maybe I was too young when I heard about George Washington chopping down a tree but I believed the story and anytime I was tempted to lie I found my burning cheeks t... More..
Society & Lifestyle > European Culture Living and working in Dublin, Ireland: 1 of 4
I grew up in the west of Ireland, in the wild countryside, without running water or an indoor toilet, central heating, a telephone or a car, with public transport limited to one bus per week to the nearest big town which was thirteen miles away. The surprising thing is that I'm not ninety years old! I'm substantially younger.... More..
Pets & Animals > Rodents Owning a rat: Basics: 3 of 7
It's nearly worth having a pet rat just for the reaction it brings out in people when you tell them you have one. Rats are hugely disliked by almost everyone and have a reputation for being dirty, dangerous disease carriers. They have adapted to living in cities as well as humans and there may be more of them than there are o... More..
Food & Drink > Food & Drink (Other) Thoughts on food and beverages: 35 of 76
Spaghetti Bolognese had done many things for me over the years. It has been the main string to my culinary bow. I could always say I knew how to cook because I was able to make Spaghetti Bolognese. It has kept me alive and allowed me to vary my diet away from my usual staple foods of Chinese take-away, pizza and cereal.I've t... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Subcultures 'Street people' - Who are they?: 16 of 32
"We're not living in the real world"I was on the bus on the way home this evening. Everything was as usual. I was plugged into my MP3 player which was pumping out Blondie, minding my own business on the bus, staring out the window. Just before I reach home the traffic runs into a bottleneck which slows everything to a near st... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Money clips: 1 of 1
I never heard of a money clip until I saw one in an American movie. I think it was Die Hard. If it wasn't that specific film, it was something like it. The hero was a man of few words, strong, macho, quick-witted, ingenious and irrepressible. As a man of few words myself I liked to associate with the other descriptors as well... More..