The Sigla Blog

If like me, you’ve been mostly burned so far at Cheltenham (what’s with all these 33-1 nags having the cheek to win?), there may soon be an alternative. According to Popbitch, there’s a new pig-racing craze in Russia - and it’s getting very serious.

“Piglets are being trained to run and swim by coaches
in Moscow as […]

Tracy Emin seems to think so. Tonight in ArtShock: What Price Art? Emin examines gender inequality in art and ponders why female artists can expect their work to sell for considerably less than their male counterparts. While, as the Guardian’s Saturday Guide listings state: “the issue of patriarchy is bandied around… Emin also wants to […]

If I haven’t put anyone off, Jay McInerney will be interviewed on Rattlebag today at 2.45pm.
I’m about to start Margaret Atwood’s new book of essays The Tent and the Canadian writer was interviewed on the same show last week. If , like me, you missed it, you can listen to the archived audio here:

I’m experiencing a touch of déjà vu as Fiona has resurrected the old Women and blogging chestnut. Many of the same questions have been raised, namely, why don’t more women blog?, Should we encourage more women to blog? Is there a perception that women ’soft’ blog? (ie blog about the domestic and personal) and if […]

I’ve recently been reading Jay McInerney’s new novel The Good Life and foundered a little. McInerney is probably best known for his novel Bright Lights, Big City, a coke-driven chronicle of 1980s New York but I last encountered him as a character in Brett Easton Ellis’ excellent fact within fiction novel of last year, Lunar […]

In recovery mode from the Blog Awards last night, I put on Crufts for Fred. He’s a keen TV viewer and things with dogs, horse-racing or animals doing the “funniest things” are his favourites. An improbably named Australian Shepard dog called Caitland Isle Take a Chance won Best in Show. I preferred The Guardian’s down […]

What can I say about last night’s Irish Blog Awards? I was delighted to win Best Arts and Culture blog. Thanks so much to Damien who organised the whole bash and John who sponsored the category. The Irish Times were there taking photos and John Ihle and Max from ENN did some interviews with winners. […]

Edna O’Brien has a wonderfully reflective piece on Samuel Beckett in today’s Guardian. She refers to Nino Frank’s description of the time Joyce visited Beckett in a Parisian hospital after Beckett had been stabbed by a pimp as that of “two Irishmen marinating in their respective silences.” However, it’s O’Brien’s own words that make the […]

When I heard that there was an advance evening screening of V for Vendetta, I asked Clare Daly of Warner Brothers if she might consider donating a couple of passes for tomorrow night’s Blog Awards. Fair play to her, she has stumped up a pile of tickets to add to Damien’s spot prize list.
I saw […]

The Dublin Guitar Quartet
Deleted Pieces ****
Despite the unassuming name, nothing about The Dublin Guitar Quartet is conventional. Favouring six, nine and eleven string acoustic guitars, this collection is not just about riffing and picking. Every piece rises and falls over segments that shift from ferociously dense to quietly scant without warning. Most of compositions […]

Currently listening to the new Morrissey album, which is really good and news reaches me from a diehard fan who has alerted me to an alarming fact. Rumours abound that Celebrity Big Brother friend of the animals Pete Burns is about to reveal an affair with Morrissey in his new autobiography, due to be published […]

Many thanks to Stellanova for reminding me of the Bill Napoli affair. The State Senator for South Dakota has outlined what he feels is “acceptable rape” in terms of exemptions for abortion in his home state.
Stellanova also reports that the ladies over at Smart Bitches are attempting to get a googlebomb off the ground linking […]