Will Knott

Well that’s what they look like. A colour picture, but looks black and white.

(Yup, I’m busy this week)
take care,
Will Knott

update : turns out that this is my 1,000th post

Dear Ms. Marianne Mikko Member of the European Parliment,

I’ve been reading reports that you have called for a registration of bloggers.

Given the importance of the Internet in Estonia, I suspect that you would get a lot of, er, assistance in answering an explanation of what you mean.
Or at least a high level of details on what you are actually requesting.

Most blog posts are highly personal by nature, be it personal observation, on the ground reporting of a war in their local neighbourhood, on the antics of their cat (depressing there are a lot of these) or the rote by which a blogger investigated the dealings of a disgraced public official.
They are closer to opinion pieces than investigative reporting.

There are also blogs which by their very nature need to be anonymous. Those detailing illegal activities by officials for instance. A registration of such a blogger is likely to lead to intimidation or death.

Do you wish to clarify your wording.
Say in a blog of your own for instance?

Yours sincerely,
Will Knott

http://WillKnott.ie

When I posted about the new Cork Marts building, Athame commented on what they were going to use to keep the place clean.

Well I think they are using scrubbers.

Boot scrubbers for when the not so finely turned wellington boot shows up. You can just make out the optical sensor at the top of the picture. I guess it works when the shadow of the farmer falls across its face. (Yes, it faces South).

take care,
Will

I’ve gone past the Cork Marts building as it was being built, and I called in to see if I could take a few shots. What I found is a modern building which can have a double life as a concert and conference venue (working around the mart days obviously). And given the fact that they are currently setting up building-wide wi-fi broadband, it might just be a suitable future BarCamp venue.

The marts themselves are just that. Marts. Three different livestock marts have closed and combined (literally) under the one roof.

The smallest of the three arenas is the Funcheon Arena which is the new home of the Mitchelstown mart. It deals exclusively with sheep and calves.

The next largest is the Owenacurra Arena which is the replacement for the Midleton Mart. If you haven’t guessed by now, the arenas are named after the rivers that run past the original marts. And I was told what this mart dealt with, but I can’t remember now (sorry).

Before I continue, I had better mention the paintings throughout the building. They are all by Brigid Shelly who is based near Ardmore.

The final and largest arena is the Blackwater Arena, which takes over from the near-by Fermoy cattle Mart.
This Arena is interesting for a few reasons. It’s the only wheelchair accessible arena in the building, and it changes.

The rails around the show area are removable, and a stage can be build over this area, allowing the auctioneers podium to become a stage. There is also a drop down screen for projections, and naturally a (presumable) good sound system for the auctioneer or presenter to use.

There are also the Corrin and Switzer Kingston conference rooms (currently empty and, lets face it, an empty carpeted conference room is less interesting a picture than the arenas) which can seat about 400. They have the projectors and flat screens to repeat the presentation throughout the large room. These flat screens, and the ones in the rest of the building are designed to show the agenda of sales in all the arenas (or in the other rooms) as required. The idea is to prevent missing the sale you’re interested in, but it could be used for a talk agenda at an unconference.

You might be wondering about the catwalks in the sign above. Well…


… the catwalks are the metal walkways above the animal pens where the sale stock can be viewed before the sale.
I can actually see events taking place here, but I doubt the tech geeks and nerds would be let play in there. But if there is a charity date auction… Oh never mind.

The building also has a number of (disturbingly sluice-able) breakout rooms. As well as full catering and bar facilities.

Well, that’s about it, but I’ll have to call in after the building opens to the punters, and the livestock.

take care,
Will Knott

All shots taken at the Lord Mayor’s Picnic in the Park, but some are weirder than others.

Given the copyright concerns, I don’t think I’m going to have a large number of Festival shots.

First off. A pair of men dressed in rubber

Since the entire event took place in a park with an open bank on to the River Lee (in places) there were search and rescue boats on stand-by (as well as an odd Hawaiian like boat where the punter rowed). I think that they ducked out to see the band.
At least I assume that they were with the boat.

And this squashed lady

is Svetlana Flamingo who seems to be made of rubber. She took on other amazing poses, but this is one of the few I can show.

Well,

she was exhausted by the end.

like me,
take care,
Will Knott

Two homes,

and both are locked up tight.

take care,
Will

I’m tired

and this is why.

I agreed to volunteer for the Cork Midsummer Festival before my course started (didn’t expect the call) and now I’m burning the candle not only at both ends, but in the middle too. Just hoping the first exams aren’t until the week after the festival

Caffeine is my friend.
Fiend?

take care,
Will

When you go off the beaten track; enjoy the view.

Take care,
Will Knott

(I really have to start writing posts again)

I meant it, always

take care,

Will Knott

This is Ocean, she is a Doodle.

Actually she is a goldendoodle. A what? A Goldendoodle is a cross between a poodle and a golden retriever. The dog is especially useful as they don’t shed. And this particular dog was being cuddled like a teddy bear by every child that came across her at the Picnic in the Park (she was very tired by the end of the evening).

She is also a working dog. A fully trained Guide Dog. And a cuddly one at that.

Why bring her up, well it’s a cute picture. And almost a cover star.

And it has nothing to do with naked people in Cork.

take care,
Will Knott