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Elizabeth McNamara3rd Year Psychology and Sociology

Where did you buy your outfit?The jeans are from Penney’s and the I got the boots when I was on Erasmus in Sweden. I got the top in Swamp.

What’s your favourite shop?Penney’s!

What’s the most you ever spent on an item of clothing?€50 on these boots

What’s your biggest fashion mistake?Mismatching!

What’s your favourite item of clothing?The boots I’m wearing

Who’s your biggest style influence?Sarah Borrello

David McNamara3rd Year Construction Management

Where did you buy your outfit?Champion Sports

What’s your favourite shop?Jack & Jones

What’s the most you ever spent on an item of clothing?€90

What’s your biggest fashion mistake?Wearing a bra!

What’s your favourite item of clothing?This hat

Who’s your biggest style influence?Michael John O’Brien

****************STYLESPOTTERKaren Kiely

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The Good

The Bad

Aoife Breen

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The Ugly

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fear. It shows why and how America may have been involved in September 11th. It supports this thesis with engineering aspects of the attack and collapse of the Twin Tower, the attack on the Pentagon and the business links between U.S.A, George Bush and the Bin Laden family.

3. The 11th HourThis is a documentary film which is narrated by Leonardo Decaprio, but don’t let that put you off. The 11th Hour is one of the most accessible Environmental documentaries. It’s accurate, concise and most of all it offers hope for change and if we need anything it’s the hope and will for change. The simple fact is that if we stopped burning all carbon fuels today, right now, we have already done enough damage that the world temperature will rise by at least 2° Celsius by 2060. This means big changes. If it were to rise to 4° Celsius it means catastrophic change. If we keep going, this change will be irreversible in the conceivable future of mankind. If we continue, it will lead to the sixth great extinction on our planet: us.

4. Blood of the Irish - RTÉRan over two parts on RTÉ’s Blood of the Irish is entertaining and topical without being too heavy. It basically, using the latest DNA techniques and some 3,000 year old bones found in the Burren, develops a greater picture of who the “Irish” are. It throws up a lot of things that people won’t have realised and shows just how powerful ethnicity and pride in ones own roots can be. It also tells us who our closest relatives are so definitely worth a watch.

5. Root of all Evil - Richard Dawkins (author of The God Delusion)This is another religious one which goes through the old science and reason versus religion debate. An interesting one as it examines whether the end point of religion is fundamentalism, which divides rather than unities us, ultimately. Dawkins visits Holy sites like Lourdes and Israel. He visits fundamentalist Muslim and Christian groups. He visits schools that teach Noah’s Ark as part of their science lesson and asks whether we are losing sight of reason for Blind Faith. Great watching!

All these documentaries are available on Youtube except Blood of the Irish at RTE.ie.

Youtube epitomises something different in today’s world. It epitomises a freedom which can’t be availed of elsewhere. It stands in direct competition and contradiction to the multi national news corporations like Fox or Sky who dictate what we see and what we believe.What Youtube, and sites like it, does is bring what look to be unbelievable truths to us and allow them to gain access to our minds and critical thought; these thoughts could never have gained any credibility or reached people through other mediums. Not everything in the documentaries is always correct with some being more credible than others, but this is the way with all media. What these documentaries do though is show us that these things we take for granted as truth, are rarely what we have been led to believe..

1. Occupation 101This is probably the most topical of the moment. It begins with a quote from Steven Hawking who suggests that, “the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance....it is the illusion of knowledge”. It contends that what we believe to be happening in Israel and Palestine is an illusion and a complete dilution of fact. What we miss is the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the fact that this is an occupation, a foreign army controlling a territory and a people whom they have no right to control. This is a must watch.

2. Zeitgeist SeriesThis will be one of the most important documentaries you ever watch. It is a three-part documentary with each part taking on a different issue. The first examines the origins of religion and especially Judaic Christian faiths. It shows the links between astrology, ancient religions and present day religious beliefs. It shows the natural progressions of myths and legends to become something quite different which has been used for the control and manipulation of people. This one isn’t boring and is certainly not for those easily offended by the reality of religion. The second and most amazing issue outlined is the formation of our monetary systems. Where it comes from, who controls and benefits from it and why it leads to never-ending debt. It shows that power rests in the hands of a handful of wealthy families who exert influence over world governments. These families, who were referred to by the JFK in his famous speech about who controls America, are still present. This documentary goes a long way to explaining why the world and why our economic system is like it is, why inequality is endemic in the system and why those who control the system wish to keep it that way.. The third issue it tackles is the 9/11 attacks and it gives credible historical precedence and evidence that there was more to those attacks than a random act of terroism. It outlines historical instances where attack and perceived attack have mobilised people through

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If there is any home grown band that this merry isle can look forward to in 2009 it is the Villagers. It is the new project from Conor O’ Brien, formerly of the Immediate and who also played with Cathy Davey during her performance in the Jean Monnet before Christmas. This band have been causing quite a stir under the commercial radar for the last month or so the forthcoming release of a debut EP titled “Hollow Kind” will undoubtedly propel the band to some richly deserved acclaim.If one watched the latest offering from RTE’s “Other Voices” from Dingle one would have witnessed the band’s first television performance (and only sixth gig ever). It was a truly enthralling performance of a track titled ‘Pieces’. O’Brien lures his voice

gently into the opening, resonating echoes of heartbreak to eventually release a roaring finish in which himself and the band hammer down. Watching his performance evoked subtle reminders of the late Jeff Buckley. O’Brien’s voice seems to just envelop the peaks and troughs of the music effortlessly. His choice of lyrics gives his material a certain tenderness forcing listeners to fall to music’s mercy.Apart from the obvious choice (U2), Conor O’ Brien’s the Villagers should, and will, emit the sound of Irish music for the coming year.

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