#removal companies dublin

[quickremoval]

Efficient Furniture Removals Services Dublin - Quick Removal

Discover professional furniture removals services in Dublin for seamless transitions to your new home. Expertise, efficiency, and tailored solutions ensure stress-free moves. Contact us today!

[manvandublin]

House Movers Dublin – Moving Always Requires Professional Help

People move to new homes or cities frequently these days, often in enormous numbers. Almost typically, the process is scheduled far in advance, giving plenty of time for careful preparation to relocate items inside the house or the house itself. House moving services are in high demand nationwide and are readily available.

Moving a property is a big job that necessitates expert assistance of House Movers Dublin at various points. The various equipment and tools required to transfer a house from one location to another are available to house movers.

The majority of removal company Dublin offer a range of additional services because relocating a property is a tiresome and laborious task. These businesses usually often offer helpful packing and preparation tips. People will deal with professional agents, seasoned packing and loading crews, and professionally trained contractors and staff while working with a house mover's company.

It's crucial to understand that while transferring a house, all of its contents must also be transferred safely. Packing and loading teams from house movers aid in planning the entire process. Modern packaging techniques reduce the risk of damage and preserve fragile goods. To be on the safe side, House Removals Dublin companies might even provide transportation insurance plans.

Most house moving services offer calculators to assist in estimating the weight of the shipment of goods. This is largely determined by the number of furnished rooms and extra rooms. Based on the data supplied by a homeowner, these calculators estimate the weight of the entire cargo.

As soon as one has the slightest thought of moving, it is important to start looking for a House Movers Dublin service. People will be able to perform market research and employ a cost-effective, reputable service as a result.

[your-nanas-house]

Soooo I was thinking Cillian X Fan! reader. He takes advantage of the fact that reader admires him sm and uses her for his pleasure…

I'm so so sorry, it took me so long but I was really really smitten with this idea! 🙇🏼‍♀️

Out with the dog

◇ Pairing: Dark!Cillian Murphy X younger fan!Reader

◇ Warnings: SMUT, Cilly is a perv and bit dark, DUBCON, manipulation, bit mean Cilly (?), oblivious fem reader, fluff, frustration and stress.

◇ Summary: Cillian has company during his daily walk with his dog, Scout.

◇ Note: Sorry for the mistakes and the English. I didn't proof read it... I mean I don't re-read my works normally but I just wanted to point it out this time in case I wrote some shit. Enjoy!!! Also thank you @kiss-me-cill-me for your advices and motivation! 🫶🏻

It wasn't at all what he was expecting when he left the house just to take the family dog for a walk.

The twisted thoughts and stress that had been troubling him all day had become even more insistent with the cool Dublin air and the fall of evening. His mind was really elsewhere when a soft and shy voice interrupted his trail of thoughts, making him realize that he was standing in the same spot, staring at nothing, since a while now.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to bother you but... I'm a huge fan of your work and—" the voice cracked softly, the younger girl that was standing in front of him looked quite nervous and shy which made him smile slightly.

"I-I-I... sorry, I shouldn't have interrupted you" she quickly apologized, her body telling him that she was going to just walk quickly off... too ashamed of the interaction to actually look him in the eyes again.

"Don't worry..." Cillian started, waiting for her name as he removed his sunglasses, flattering his eyes softly when the dim light hit him. She was very pretty and at least 10 years younger than him for sure, he thought while taking her in.

"Y/n!... Y/n" the young woman revealed nervously, her hands shaking awkwardly, a thing that Cillian noticed immediately and that made him smile a little as soon as she tried to hide it by grabbing into her bag... both hands holding the strap making his breath get bit heavier.

He sure was stressed and frustrated, he thought as his eyes remained on her smaller hands as they moved slightly while she talked... up and down, up and down.

Gosh, he really would have loved to have them wrapped around his cock like that, he was certain that those tiny pretty hands weren't that innocent for sure.

"Beautiful name" he commented with a tiny smile in an attempt to distract himself by his pervy intrusive thoughts. He really didn't need to deal with an article of some random magazine commenting on him walking around Dublin with a noticeable hard-on after talking with a younger woman.

She sure was a pretty thing though, from her hair to her eyes down to her breasts and— he needed to keep hold on himself. What gotten into him? He never objectified a woman like that... it wasn't like him.

He needed to keep going with his walk, clear his mind, regain back the control he usually had and—

"I was actually hoping for a bit of company... would you like to walk with me?... and my dog" the proposal slipped out of the older man unconsciously, as his gaze darkened slowly, his body reacting almost animalisticly... like a hungry predator ready to eat his prey.

Fuck, he cursed in his head, looking away as he waited for a reply from her... a poor way to distract himself from her innocent presence. Poor because the wind was apparently against him as well that evening... blowing her sweet scent towards him so that his nostrils could take her even more in.

The Irishman really hoped silently for her rejection peppered with some tender excuse that could have been true or could have been false... he didn't care much.

But of course, things hadn't been going the way he'd hoped all day so why be surprised when he got a shy yes instead of an embarrassed no.

He couldn't complain though, after the stressful week he had... bit of female company could have been the cure, maybe he was able to do some kind of conversation and focus his mind elsewhere and not on her body... but rather on her brain.

...

The soft breeze started to hit them harder, the walk was going well and the small talk was pretty enjoyable, they talked about lots... changing from deep to light, from silly to serious, from sad to happy.

Cillian was really enjoying her presence, her mature thoughts and her friendly personality. His stress and tension could have flown away if it was for her.... moving lips.

Soft looking, pinkish due to the lipstick she had on and very kissable... the actor could clearly imagine them wrapped around his cock. Wetting it all with her warm mouth as her lips would have painted his bases of that pink— pink, he repeated in his head as his Adam's apple bobbed. He needed to change topic quickly and stop focusing on her goddamn lips.

"What do you think of Barbenheimer?" The Irishman asked, slapping himself mentally for the question.

Just keep walking, Cillian, focus on walking... don't look at her... and her pretty blouse that was getting opened by the wind, exposing bit more of her neckline as it moved the fabric of her shirt as well. Damn wind.

He had reached a point where he couldn't even focus on her speaking, the feeling of being on the edge was getting harder as time passed... he was sure that a little push would have made him completely loose his rational thoughts. And then that's when Scout, his dog, decided to just sprint to reach something... making him loose the lazy grip he had on the leash and make the young woman run after him.

Cillian went quickly after them, his mind trying to stay in focus as he saw her skirt rise up at every bounce she did to snatch the leash for him before anything bad could happen. He was quite sure now that she was hiding a pretty revealing underwear under that modest outfit she was wearing.

"There you go, good boy" her soft voice praised as she kneeled down to pet the dog and take the leash, too busy snuggling with him to notice Cillian's gaze on her bouncing breasts.

She wasn't wearing a bra, he cursed under his breath again, his body too warm because of the jogging, his heart drumming harder against his chest as he tried to calm down and focusing on his breathing... and not her heavy.. panting and sexy one.

When the young woman stood back up and brushed her smaller hand against his to give him the leash... Cillian's self-control reached the end

"Thank you" he murmured in a more low tone as his body started to react at his impulses.

By the way her eyes kept shining as she looked at him, he knew that with a bit of pressure he could have made her do whatever he wanted... but was it really what he wanted? He pondered as his feet made him change the route he normally took when out with Scout, leading the oblivious young woman in a dark alley.

"I agree, things are pretty different nowadays" the older actor commented as he mentioned the conversation they were having, his heart beating even faster as he thought quickly of a plan.

Was he really going to take advantage of that kind fan of him? Was he really that desperate and frustrated?

Questions kept filling his head as his eyes remained on the wet street, lost in thoughts

"Do you do this path every day?" Y/n's voice interrupted the silence, making his baby blue eyes look back at her.

Yes, he was.

"Mhhm.. but I take usually the parallel street" he informed her while looking around to be sure that they were alone. The oblivious and curious look on her pretty face was making him harder than ever, making the uncomfortable feeling become a painful one now.

As soon as the Irishman was sure that there was Noone around he let go casually of the leash, whistling to order something to Scout who... after giving a look at his master headed in a run towards the beginning of the alley, sitting there as a guard. Watching around to warn Cillian if someone would have approached.

A glance at his black dog and he acted, not letting Y/n even questioning him before pressed his plumpy lips against hers as the dark swallowed them more now that her body was pressed against the cold and humid wall.

His big hands moved eargerly to her face and neck to keep her tilted like he wanted so to facilitate the kiss he was stealing.

Her neck was soft and tempting, he could easily leave a mark if he wanted but he didn't had so much time.. so he had to take things faster than he hoped.

As the kiss broke he inhaled deeply, letting his nose brush against hers as his thumbs caressed her skin... he didn't dare to open his eyes and meet her probably wide eyes and swollen lips... his cock was already throbbing and if he did that small action he was sure that the seed he was hoping to shoot in her would have just soiled his trousers.

"Damn, darling" Cillian cursed softly, licking his lips before diving down to kiss her neck while pressing his body against hers in an attempt of finding some friction and swallow her in his lust.. caging her body against the bricks even more.

"Do you want to help me, dear?" he asked softly, stroking her neck slowly as his piercing eyes now watched her carefully, noticing the glimpse of insecurity that was in her wide beautiful eyes

"Bet you want to, hm? Or I could just go to another fan of mine. Bet they would die to have a chance like this, darling... acting less ungrateful than you" he softly threatened in his low voice. His irish accent echoing in her head as he manipulated her young mind.

Of course she wanted to help him, he was her idol and favourite actor of all times... she couldn't really risk it and watch his disappointment towards her. She didn't wanted to be faced by his oh-so famous judgy face.

But the embarrassment and hesitance were there as well... she had a dignity and couldn't just allow him to use her like that, right?

Of course, it was something she dreamed about but was she really ready for that? She didn't even try casual sex in her lige yet. But she sure didn't want him to go to another fangirl and his intense gaze was like a poker face to her... so she was stuck on not knowing whatever he was telling the truth or not.

"I don't have the whole day, darling" Cillian's low voice commented as his gaze shifted towards the spot where his dog was still sitting.

Y/n glances at him again, gulping while trying to silence the battles in her head. She really didn't know what to do, what if it wasn't like he expected or if it would turn out to be a mistake.

"Ok!... Y-Yes, I-I want to help you, Mr. Murphy" Y/n stammered out when the actor started to move away from her.

Her heart beated hard against her chest, making her breath get caught in her throat as her hands started to sweat when he hummed and undoed his pants, pulling out his hard cock without hesitation or patience.

"That's a good girl, get on your knees" his low voice ordered before he moved slowly his tip against her lips, painting them with his pre-cum as he thrusted slightly forward to let them wrap around his red tip.

"That's it... suck" Cillian's voice ordered, allowing to be teased a bit before snapping his hips forward, making her hit her head against the wall and gag around his lenght. "Fuck, love" he cursed with a growl, letting her adjust to him before starting to fuck her mouth till he nearly reached his edge.

The actor's first intention was to just burry his cock deep in her throat and cum there but as his icy eyes wandered down to her kneeled form... and stopped on her clinging thighs the need to feel her young cunt around him became a must.

With a slow motion he moved away from her, letting her breath properly as she dried her spit while catching her breath. Tears already adorning her cheeks... she really was beautiful, the man repeated to himself as a mocking coo left him.

His big hands strokes the soft flesh of her cheeks as he made her get up so that he could smash his lips back against hers, forcing a hungry, toothy kiss that luckily slowed down when she reciprocated it.

Her bare leg was hooked up at his narrow hip, allowing his cock to brush her clothed folds with his help.

He was right... she really was wearing some thing revealing panties, arousing and innocent enough to make him just want to fuck her with them on. His thick finger made its way towards her entrance, curling around the fabric to move it with ease so that it was now half-hugging his lenght... allowing her folds to wet his cock while the panties squeezed it as he thrusted.

His leaking tip kept smearing his pre-cum on her spot skin and onto the fabric of her skirt each time it touched it. The hardness of it managed to gift some attention to her clit as well while his thrusts sped up.

Cillian could feel her juices dripping from his cock down to his balls and the underwear squeeze harder around him now that he was moving them in a difference pace.

It didn't took him much to reach his own peak, his body was quickly shaking and limp against her as his warm cum decorated her clothes. He was too desperate to care or to stop himself so that he could have used her pussy to pleasure him a bit more... not that he complained. He was fully satisfied, sweat was running down his forehead as he breathed heavily against her shoulder as he slowly got down his peak, his thrusts slowing down till he was too overstimulated to receive any further touch.

"Darling... can I keep your panties?... So that I can wash them and give them back to you clean, of course" Cillian casually asked, fixing her hair in a tender manner while brushing slowly his thumb on her swollen lips, watching her panting.

Guess the destiny decided for us... we will meet soon again, darling. Just to give you back your undergarments, of course, he thoughts as he tucked himself back and fixed his clothes, ready to continue the little walk they were having previously.

[bellaxgiornata]

Whatever You Want

Pairing: Michael Kinsella x Fem!Reader Word Count: 3.4k

Summary: You've been having a difficult year adjusting to your life in Dublin, struggling with a few things that you've kept hidden from Michael so as not to burden him further. Though when he comes home unexpectedly early from a family meeting, you realize he's been reading you better than you'd thought.

Warnings/Tags: light angst, emotional hurt/comfort, fluff, soft Michael

a/n: Just a short little comfort fic to wrap up my Comfort Fic Week! Always love me a soft Mikey. Feedback is always appreciated!

Grabbing one of Michael’s shirts from the laundry basket on the bed next to you, you proceeded to fold it, your eyes staring absently out of the bedroom window beside the bed. The sky was overcast today, gray clouds hanging low despite the fact that it wasn’t supposed to rain this morning. Somehow it seemed like the weather was reflecting your mood–or maybe amplifying it. 

Hands moving of their own accord, you neatly stacked the now folded shirt on top of the pile of Michael’s other shirts before reaching into the laundry basket and removing another one to fold. Your hands continued to move mechanically as you worked, folding clothing item after clothing item as you removed each one from the basket. 

Inevitably your mind began to wander.

Michael had already been gone by the time you'd awoken this morning. He had yet another family meeting to attend early today despite the fact that it was now Sunday. He'd been busy this entire past week taking care of a 'problem' with the family's supplier before spending the rest of the week cleaning up some issues on the business end of things. You’d barely seen him for days now, which wasn’t the usual between the two of you. And although he’d been excited to see you the handful of times you’d both run into each other at home this week, you had been distant. 

Admittedly you’d been struggling for this entire past year that you’d officially been living in Dublin. Struggling under the weight of your own family issues that you often kept from Michael–because he already had enough problems to deal with when it came to his family. You’d also been struggling under the pressures of things at work, forced into playing the mediator between the two owners of your company who fought with each other like actual children on a near daily basis. It had been wearing on you for months now, but you yet again never revealed any of this to Michael. He was busy enough as it was, and even though he was nothing but loving and attentive to you when he was home, you knew he had enough on his mind to worry about. So you always greeted him with a smile when you two were together, choosing to shove everything down, down, down until you couldn’t feel it for a bit.

But truthfully? You felt like you were drowning. You missed your family now that you were living abroad in Ireland so you could be with Michael; a feat accomplished with the help of his family–the one good thing they had managed to accomplish for you both when they had fast tracked your visa. But all the health complications back home had you missing your family even more. And you had quickly begun to hate your job with a passion ever since the owners had begun to bicker and fight, leaving you to solve the company's problems. And the office work you were doing wasn't even remotely your dream job, but you knew it wasn't realistic for you to quit just to pursue a dream.

The sound of the front door opening and closing downstairs met your ears, causing your hands to momentarily pause their movements, the shirt partially folded in between them. You could hear the sound of Michael downstairs, opening the closet door and putting away his jacket and shoes. Brows furrowing together, you wondered why he was home so soon.

“Where ya at, love?”

Michael’s voice rang out through the house, the sound of it drowning out the noise in your head–for now. Stacking another shirt of his onto the pile, you turned over your shoulder and called back to him.

“Upstairs, Mikey. Just doing the laundry.”

You grabbed another pair of jeans from the basket, hearing the heavy and tired footfalls of Michael as he made his way up the stairs. As you sorted the pair of pants in your hands with the others, leaning across the bed to reach the pile, you heard Michael making his way across the bedroom before you felt him come up behind you. His arms were soon wrapping around your waist, his nose brushing back and forth against the side of your neck as he let out a pleased hum. 

“Missed ya, pet,” he murmured.

Straightening back up, your hands landed on his forearms, giving them a gentle squeeze before you unwrapped them from around you. You felt the way Michael stiffened against the back of you, his face soon drawing away from your neck. Glancing over your shoulder at him, you sent him a brief, tense smile. He took a step back, his eyes narrowing as he studied you.

“Wasn’t expecting to see you back this morning,” you said, turning back towards the bed and reaching a hand into the basket, pulling out another piece of clothing to fold. “The meeting go alright?”

“Yeah, it was grand,” Michael answered distractedly. “Ya alright, love?”

“Mhmm,” you hummed out. “Just trying to catch up on laundry. Figured you’d be gone most of the day. Knew you were low on fresh clothes with how busy you’ve been this week. Thought I’d take care of it for you today.”

“Pet, ya know I could’ve done the laundry myself later today,” he told you.

You neatly stacked yet another one of his shirts onto the pile beside you, nodding as you reached your hand into the basket. You drew out the last piece of clothing, about to fold it, but Michael pulled the pair of pants from your hands. 

“Hey, stop,” he said softly, catching your eye. “Is somethin’ wrong? Ya haven’t been acting like yourself all week.”

You bit back the urge to point out that he hadn’t actually seen you much this past week. Instead, you sent him another tense smile.

“I’m fine, Mikey,” you said, gesturing to the pants in his hands. “Now can I finish the laundry? I’ve got other things to take care of today.”

Michael drew the pants out of your reach, his dark brows knitting together. His lips thinned along his face as concern washed over his features.

“What other things have ya got to take care of?” he asked.

You sighed in irritation, crossing your arms over your chest in annoyance with how he was slowing down your list of chores and errands for the day. Michael certainly helped out with many things around the house, but usually when the Kinsellas came to him to solve a plethora of problems for them, you were left to pick up the slack. Which is exactly what had happened this week on top of everything else you’d been silently dealing with.

“The house needs to be cleaned, Mikey,” you pointed out. “And the kitchen is an absolute disaster. I haven’t even managed to finish working my way through all of the dishes from the other night when Jimmy and Viking decided to eat every last damned thing in the house. Which also means I need to pick up groceries from the market still, and I haven’t even had a chance to sit down to make the list. Not to mention, I still have another two loads of laundry to take care of, so can you please just let me finish?”

A frown pulled the corners of Michael’s lips down, his hazel eyes softening as they held yours. A second later he expelled a rough breath, his shoulders dropping at the movement. When he tossed the unfolded pair of pants onto the bed, your eyes widened in shock. Your mouth opened, ready to chastise him for being so uncharacteristically callous, but he’d so tenderly grabbed your hands and drew you towards himself that the gesture quickly left you stunned and speechless. All you could do was stare in confusion at him as he drew you into himself.

“Forget ‘bout all o' that today,” he told you. “I’ll handle it tomorrow. All of it, I promise.”

“But don’t you have things you need to do?” you asked.

Michael wrapped his arms around your shoulders, one of his hands gently guiding your head to rest against his chest. Reluctantly you allowed it, though you were tense in his embrace, your body unable to relax. You really needed to get these things done because you didn’t feel like grabbing groceries at the market after work tomorrow. 

“I’ll take the day off,” he replied. “Handle everythin’ at home. Even have dinner ready for us when ya finish work. Yeah?”

“Mikey, don’t promise me something that you can’t follow through on,” you warned him. “I know how your family is. I know they’re going to–”

“Hey, shh,” he hushed you, one of his hands soothingly running up and down your back. “I’ll tell ‘em no. Not to bother me tomorrow. Doesn’t matter what they say. Ya deserve some help ‘round here. Been takin’ care of everythin’ this past week–everythin’ this past year, really. And I wanna show ya that I appreciate it, love.”

“It’s not a big deal, I can handle it,” you told him, the lie almost automatic.

You felt him shift above you, resting his cheek against the top of your head. His hand continued to soothingly run the length of your back over and over, the calming feel of it slowly easing the tension in your muscles. 

“I can tell ya have been stressed, pet,” Michael murmured. “Can see it on your face. Somethin’s been goin’ on with ya. It has me worried.”

Nervously your tongue slipped out, wetting your lips. You couldn’t believe he’d picked up on anything being off with you. You thought you’d been hiding everything from him so well. And you certainly didn’t need him worrying about you, too.

“I’m fine,” you whispered.

“Don’t lie to me,” Michael said, voice firm but not angry. “I know ya too well, love. I know ya aren’t alright.”

Turning your head, you buried your face into Michael’s chest, breathing in the scent of him. He smelled faintly like his leather jacket and gasoline, probably from riding his motorcycle this morning to the family meeting. Just beneath the scent of both of those you could smell the bit of his soap that always seemed to linger on his skin. It was something with sandalwood–you knew that because the nights he’d be out working a job and not coming home to you, you’d purposely shower with his soap. Just to feel like he was still there in bed with you. You couldn’t fall asleep otherwise. 

“Tell ya what,” Michael said, breaking the silence that had fallen. “How ‘bout I take ya for coffee this mornin’? Your favorite shop. Then we can visit that little bookstore ya love so much. The one just on the corner? I’ll buy ya whatever ya want.”

A small smile slipped onto your lips and you reluctantly withdrew your face from where it had been buried against Michael’s chest, his own head withdrawing itself from the top of yours. Looking up at him, he was smiling warmly down at you, his eyes full of affection and love.

“Yeah?” you asked him softly.

“Buy ya the whole damn store if ya want,” he said, tone light and teasing as he grinned back at you. “And ya know I would, love. ‘S’not like I don’t have the money.”

“Okay,” you answered slowly, your attention shifting back to the laundry on the bed. “As long as you really will have time to take care of everything tomorrow though. Because I have to–”

Michael’s hand gently cupping your cheek and turning your face back towards him quickly quieted you. That warm smile was back on his face, the brightness of it reaching his eyes.

“Go get ready,” he ordered. “I’ll finish the rest of this. And the other stuff I’ll do tomorrow. Promise. Forget ‘bout it already, yeah? Just go take a few minutes for yourself.” His smile briefly faltered as he nervously added, “Then maybe afterwards ya can tell me ‘bout what’s been goin’ on? Ya keep lockin’ me out, pet, and I really wish ya would let me in. I want to help.”

“You just–just always have so much going on, Mikey,” you told him softly. “You don’t need my shit, too.”

“Hey,” he said firmly, his eyes narrowing as he lowered his face towards yours. “It isn’t shit, ya hear me? Ya matter to me. More than ya know. Don’t brush yourself off when it comes to me, love, alright? Talk to me. I’m beggin’ ya.”

Chewing the inside of your cheek, you slowly nodded. “Okay,” you agreed. “Later, I will.”

“Good,” he replied, gesturing his head towards the bathroom as a smile curved his lips upwards. “Now get your adorable arse ready. ‘Cause I wanna spoil my girl today. I’ll take care of the rest o’ the laundry.”

Feeling giddy at the prospect of having a day to spend where it was just you and Michael, grabbing coffee and buying books, you spun on your heel without further encouragement, hurrying your way to the bathroom to get ready.

°•°•°•°•°•°

You hummed out a curious noise, skimming over the summary on the back of the book in your hands for the second time. Behind you, you heard Michael huff out an amused, light laugh. The sound caught your attention and you looked up from the back cover, eyeing Michael’s smiling face curiously from his place beside you. He held up the small stack of books in his hands, gesturing his head towards the one you were still holding.

“Add it to the pile, love,” he urged. “Ya know ya want to. I can see it on your face with the way you’re lookin’ at it.”

Rolling your eyes you held out the book, a grin on your lips as you added it onto the stack Michael was holding. He shot you a flirtatious wink that only had you grinning wider, but when your eyes landed on the clock on the wall behind him, the grin faded. Surprise washed over you instead, a pang of guilt hitting you instantly.

“Why didn’t you tell me we’d been here for over two hours already?” you exclaimed, wide eyes landing back on Michael. “I’m so sorry, Mikey. I didn’t mean to be here so long!”

Michael only laughed, shaking his head back at you. “Pet, I told ya this mornin’ like I told ya over coffee before we came here–take as much time here as ya want. Buy whatever ya want. I’ve seen how much ya have been workin’ your arse off at that office this year. I know ya haven’t been goin’ shoppin’ or out to dinners with your friends as much lately.” Something like guilt spread across his face as he continued. “And I–I know I haven’t been ‘round as much the past few months, what with everythin’ goin’ on with the family. But I wanna change that. Startin’ today. Besides,” he said, suddenly looking a little shy, “I could honestly spend my day watchin’ the way ya wander ‘round in a bookstore. The way your face lights up when ya find a book–" he paused, that shy smile still on his mouth directed at you, "–the only other time ya look like that is when you’re lookin’ at me," he finished softly. 

“Because you make me happy,” you told him, the grin returning to your lips.

“I know,” he replied with a nod.

“And coffee also makes me happy,” you added before gesturing a hand at the shelf beside you. “So do books. Best way to relieve stress is with a good book and some coffee.”

Michael chuckled, nodding his head even more as his own smile widened. "Exactly why I suggested gettin' coffee before buyin' books, love." 

The corner of his lips twitched before his expression changed to something serious, his lips thinning as he shifted his weight back and forth on his feet, looking like he wanted to say something else. You hadn’t missed the shift in his mood as you curiously eyed him in return, wondering what was now suddenly on his mind.

"How has work been?" he asked carefully. "Ya seem stressed more than usual lately. Been worried 'bout ya."

Expelling a sigh at the topic change, you turned and made your way out of the aisle of books you both were in, searching for another one in particular as you mulled over his question. Michael followed closely behind you, still carrying the stack of your books in his arms as he walked.

"It's been difficult this year," you admitted slowly, eyes scanning the aisles as you looked at the different genre signs hanging above them. "I can't stand it lately, if I'm being honest," you finally confessed. "My bosses literally bicker in every meeting I have with them and I'm always trapped playing their mediator, always left cleaning up the company problems they don’t even deal with." Hands curling into fists at your sides, you could feel your irritation returning at the thought of work tomorrow. "They don't even talk about work most of the time anymore, either. I swear, they're going to run their business into the ground if they keep it up."

"Then quit."

You abruptly stopped in front of the aisle you'd been looking for at his blunt suggestion.  Turning swiftly on your heel, you looked back at Michael in confusion and shock. 

" Quit ?" you asked him in disbelief. 

He shrugged easily. "Yeah," he answered. "Quit. You've always hated it there and now it's upsettin' ya. So quit. 'S'not like ya need the money. Ya know I'll take care of ya."

"Mikey," you said, pulling a face, "I'm not going to just sit at home and be some–" you waved a hand through the air, "–trophy wife. Or–or girlfriend or whatever," you awkwardly added when Michael’s smile grew at your word choice. "I like feeling productive."

"Your choice, love, but I happen to think ya would make a fine trophy wife," he playfully teased, shooting you another wink. "But ya know I've got ya. So quit. Find somethin' ya like. Because I know that's not what you're passionate 'bout."

With a huff you turned, focusing back on the aisle before you. You stepped into it, eyeing the books on the shelves as you looked for one in particular. 

"Say it like it's that easy," you muttered, eyes scanning the various titles.

"It is," Michael pressed. "Give 'em your notice tomorrow. Quit. Do what you're passionate about. Because I know you've been dying to do photography instead. And you're damn good at it, love. And I know ya been dyin' to work for yourself.”

Chewing your lip, you let his suggestion settle in your mind. He was right, you did want to do photography. You'd been talking about it since you'd first met him. And you had been dying to work for yourself, especially with how your bosses had been this past year. It would be nice to do something you were actually passionate about, and you did know that Michael would take care of you while you started up the business–he'd already told you he wanted to marry you. He certainly wasn’t planning to go anywhere.

You hummed out a noise, your hand reaching out and pulling the book you'd been looking for off of the shelf. "Alright," you told him, turning around and placing the book on the stack in his hands. "I'll quit tomorrow," you told him. "You're right, photography is my passion. And if you're going to push me–"

"I absolutely insist ya do, love," he cut you off.

"Alright," you repeated, nodding your head. "I'll do it."

Michael's smile grew even wider, the warmth of it reaching his eyes as they fondly gazed back at you. You couldn’t fight the smile on your own face knowing that you’d never get over how lucky you were to have met him–or how handsome he looked when he smiled at you like that. 

Eventually Michael's eyes curiously glanced down to the book you'd so quickly placed onto the pile he was carrying. A look of confusion crossed his face, brows drawing together as he looked back up at you.

"One Hundred Years of Solitude?" he asked.

"Yeah," you said, your smile turning cheeky as you made your way out of the aisle and over towards the register. "It's for you. About time you read something that wasn't a Steinbeck, babe."

[eretzyisrael]

Good News From Israel

Israel's Good News Newsletter to 26th May 24

In the 26th May 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

Israeli technology helps Irish doctors early-diagnose potentially fatal diseases.

Another female designer of Israeli missile defense systems.

200 Israeli hi-tech engineers donate their time to develop life-saving solutions.

An Israeli startup removes a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO2.

The first Israeli auto-industry company to set up a factory in India.

A world record is broken during an Israeli soccer match.

2000-year-old Jewish emblems discovered in a Palestinian-Arab village.

Read More: Good News From Israel

One of the traditional International ways to show respect to someone is to remove your hat on greeting them. So the expression "Hats off to Israel" is very appropriate for those who appreciate what Israel has contributed to the world. 

In this week's Positive newsletter are reminders to the President of Ireland that Israeli technology is saving many lives in a Dublin hospital. The President of Brazil should note that an Israeli blood testing machine is early diagnosing fatal diseases in his country.  And the President of Syria need only ask his Israeli neighbor to treat his wife with one of Israel's many remedies for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Meanwhile the UN, ICJ and ICC should bare their heads in shame, knowing that Israeli companies last week announced new treatments for liver cancer, electronic patches to kill bacteria infections, electromagnetic brain rehabilitation after strokes, implants to repair the spine, and remote medical diagnostics in thousands of schools.

Then there are the Israeli innovations for ultra-fast charging of electric vehicles, real-time CCTV security systems, lab alternatives to overfishing, and the removal of a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide.

The photo (TY Sharon) shows the respect to Israel given by the many International military officers who attended the Diplomatic reception at the Jerusalem residence of the President of Israel on Israel's Independence Day.  Their message was certainly "Hats Off" to Israel!

[mariacallous]

Ten years ago, a flood of gamers attacked developers Zoë Quinn and Brianna Wu and media critic Anita Sarkeesian. The three were part of a growing chorus of people calling for a more inclusive culture within video games. The attackers doxxed and harassed their targets, doing all they could to stifle the women’s efforts. The incident, which became known as Gamergate, illuminated the toxicity women faced in gaming spaces and beyond.

Eventually, the harassment faded from the news, but its residue was never fully removed from the internet and public life.

Gamergate articulated a particular kind of aggrieved masculinity, an anger at losing the power of being the target audience. Since 2014, it has shaped everything from the men's rights movement to the current iteration of the GOP, outlining what it means to be a man in certain corners of the internet.

In many ways, says Adrienne Massanari, an associate professor at American University’s school of communications, Gamergate presaged a broader reaction on the right toward real changes happening in American society. Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon latched onto this in 2015, harnessing the power of committed online fandoms to bolster Trump’s campaign.

Within the community, Gamergate seemingly bifurcated men into distinct camps. Men who came to Sarkeesian’s defense, for example, were dubbed “white knights” and simps. Meanwhile, the people doing the harassing saw themselves as trying to protect the space from the “outside” influences of “social justice warriors,” who threatened to take away the elements that—they felt—made games fun.

“Even though we know that a bunch of people play games, [the men involved in Gamergate] saw themselves as being the target demographic for games. When that started to shift, the reaction was, of course, anger,” says Massanari. “Now that’s reflected, refracted, and amplified by Trumpism and that kind of far-right strain of Republicanism reacting to demographic and societal shifts toward a more egalitarian society.”

This same kind of anger and resistance can be seen now in figures like J.D. Vance and Elon Musk, who both decry “woke-ism” in politics and culture broadly. In interviews, Musk has said that he was motivated to purchase X, formerly Twitter, to fight the “woke mind virus” that he says is destroying civilization. The Heritage Foundation’s political road map Project 2025 repeatedly mentions “woke” progressivism as a threat that must be eliminated, particularly by doing away with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in government spaces.

This connection comes full circle in what’s become “Gamergate 2.0,” a backlash to inclusion efforts where “DEI” is now a catchphrase. Ten years ago, gamers pushed back against critics like Sarkeesian for pointing out that many female characters in games were nothing more than tropes. In 2024, the campaigns are against video game consulting companies such as Sweet Baby for performing what some gamers believe is “forced diversification.” No matter the rallying cry, the reason is the same: Being upset that the characters in video games no longer represent your interests.

While the politics of masculine grievance aren’t exactly new, says Patrick Rafail, professor of sociology at Tulane University, “the mainstreaming of it is.”

Although Gamergate came out of a relatively niche subculture, its elements can now be found in influencers like Andrew Tate who have popularized “these very simplistic, archetypal, stereotypical extremes” of masculinity, says Debbie Ging, professor of digital media and gender at Dublin City University. A new era of podcasting, coupled with a rise in short-form video platforms like TikTok, “which are heavily algorithm-driven,” have been significant drivers of this form of rhetoric, Ging says.

Current influencers provide a sort of blueprint for a post-Gamergate masculinity, one that still contains some of the movement’s toxic ideas, repackaged to be more initially appealing. “These ‘manfluencers’ propagate a lot of the same kind of red-pill ideas, the same kind of theories from evolutionary psychology. But what they have kind of moved toward is a greater focus on financial advice, motivation, mental health,” Ging says. This kind of content is ultimately “focused on how to maintain your masculine status.”

The more mainstream topics peddled by these influencers—and a need for community—continue to pull young men in, says Andrew Reiner, a lecturer at Towson University and the author of Better Boys, Better Men: The New Masculinity That Creates Greater Courage and Emotional Resiliency.

“It's not like a lot of these guys start out on the far right saying, ‘All this has happened to me and these people on the left here are to blame,’” Reiner says. “It’s not that extreme. In the beginning, a lot of these guys are saying, ‘I’m struggling, I’m looking for support, and I don’t really know where to turn.’”

Part of that desire for community is what makes gaming or influencer fandom both deeply attractive and such a powerful breeding ground for groups that rely on masculine grievance. Male-dominated online communities, like gaming or right-wing spaces, can often be characterized by trash-talking and one-upmanship, “because that's the only way young men have been acculturated into being able to talk with their peers,” Massanari adds. That same behavior can easily spill over into harassment, partly because it’s about maintaining that masculine status.

As influencer culture and political culture become ever more intertwined, it should be no surprise that the desire to maintain masculine status—and anger at its decline—can be found in many of the ways the right codes itself. After the attempted assassination of Trump last month, a photo of the former president, fist in the air in front of an American flag, went viral. Even Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the moment “badass” in an interview with Bloomberg. Speaking at the National Conservatism Conference in June, author and professor David Azerrad called Trump “undeniably manly.”

And while politics and fandom have always had an overlap (e.g., Brat Summer), Massanari says Trump and the new right represent a whole different scale. “Gamergate was really focused on fandom communities,” says Massanari. “If you think about Trump, Trump is nothing if not a fandom community. When I watched any of the [Republican National Convention] stuff, I was struck by thinking, ‘All this could be like a bunch of Taylor Swift fans.’”

Jessica O’Donnell, author of Gamergate and Anti-Feminism in the Digital Age, warns that while the ideas of Gamergate may live on in the far right and the GOP, the aggressive, harassing fandom behaviors are not limited to a political party. As some online spaces, such as Reddit, have become more friendly to far-left politics, which can have its own form of aggressive promoters (see: dirtbag left), O’Donnell says Gamergaters have followed along.

“I think a lot of people who were involved in Gamergate, you see now having more of a sort of radical leftist kind of ideology, because they’ve seen that’s where they’re going to get more clout,” she says. “It’s more about picking the winning team, rather than the team to win.” In other words, Gamergate was the internet—and it’s everywhere now.

[coochiequeens]

'It stains your brain': How social media algorithms show violence to boys." Make no mistake boys and young men were disgusting before they had access to smart phones but this and parents not willing to admit there's an issue are creating a whole new problem.

Cai says violent and disturbing material appeared on his feeds "out of nowhere"

By Marianna Spring BBC Panorama

It was 2022 and Cai, then 16, was scrolling on his phone. He says one of the first videos he saw on his social media feeds was of a cute dog. But then, it all took a turn.

He says “out of nowhere” he was recommended videos of someone being hit by a car, a monologue from an influencer sharing misogynistic views, and clips of violent fights. He found himself asking - why me?

Over in Dublin, Andrew Kaung was working as an analyst on user safety at TikTok, a role he held for 19 months from December 2020 to June 2022.

He says he and a colleague decided to examine what users in the UK were being recommended by the app’s algorithms, including some 16-year-olds. Not long before, he had worked for rival company Meta, which owns Instagram - another of the sites Cai uses.

When Andrew looked at the TikTok content, he was alarmed to find how some teenage boys were being shown posts featuring violence and pornography, and promoting misogynistic views, he tells BBC Panorama. He says, in general, teenage girls were recommended very different content based on their interests.

TikTok and other social media companies use AI tools to remove the vast majority of harmful content and to flag other content for review by human moderators, regardless of the number of views they have had. But the AI tools cannot identify everything.

Andrew Kaung says that during the time he worked at TikTok, all videos that were not removed or flagged to human moderators by AI - or reported by other users to moderators - would only then be reviewed again manually if they reached a certain threshold.

He says at one point this was set to 10,000 views or more. He feared this meant some younger users were being exposed to harmful videos. Most major social media companies allow people aged 13 or above to sign up.

TikTok says 99% of content it removes for violating its rules is taken down by AI or human moderators before it reaches 10,000 views. It also says it undertakes proactive investigations on videos with fewer than this number of views.

Andrew Kaung says he raised concerns that teenage boys were being pushed violent, misogynistic content

When he worked at Meta between 2019 and December 2020, Andrew Kaung says there was a different problem. He says that, while the majority of videos were removed or flagged to moderators by AI tools, the site relied on users to report other videos once they had already seen them.

He says he raised concerns while at both companies, but was met mainly with inaction because, he says, of fears about the amount of work involved or the cost. He says subsequently some improvements were made at TikTok and Meta, but he says younger users, such as Cai, were left at risk in the meantime.

Several former employees from the social media companies have told the BBC Andrew Kaung’s concerns were consistent with their own knowledge and experience.

Algorithms from all the major social media companies have been recommending harmful content to children, even if unintentionally, UK regulator Ofcom tells the BBC.

“Companies have been turning a blind eye and have been treating children as they treat adults,” says Almudena Lara, Ofcom's online safety policy development director.

'My friend needed a reality check'

TikTok told the BBC it has “industry-leading” safety settings for teens and employs more than 40,000 people working to keep users safe. It said this year alone it expects to invest “more than $2bn (£1.5bn) on safety”, and of the content it removes for breaking its rules it finds 98% proactively.

Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, says it has more than 50 different tools, resources and features to give teens “positive and age-appropriate experiences”.

Cai told the BBC he tried to use one of Instagram’s tools and a similar one on TikTok to say he was not interested in violent or misogynistic content - but he says he continued to be recommended it.

He is interested in UFC - the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He also found himself watching videos from controversial influencers when they were sent his way, but he says he did not want to be recommended this more extreme content.

“You get the picture in your head and you can't get it out. [It] stains your brain. And so you think about it for the rest of the day,” he says.

Girls he knows who are the same age have been recommended videos about topics such as music and make-up rather than violence, he says.

Cai says one of his friends became drawn into content from a controversial influencer

Meanwhile Cai, now 18, says he is still being pushed violent and misogynistic content on both Instagram and TikTok.

When we scroll through his Instagram Reels, they include an image making light of domestic violence. It shows two characters side by side, one of whom has bruises, with the caption: “My Love Language”. Another shows a person being run over by a lorry.

Cai says he has noticed that videos with millions of likes can be persuasive to other young men his age.

For example, he says one of his friends became drawn into content from a controversial influencer - and started to adopt misogynistic views.

His friend “took it too far”, Cai says. “He started saying things about women. It’s like you have to give your friend a reality check.”

Cai says he has commented on posts to say that he doesn’t like them, and when he has accidentally liked videos, he has tried to undo it, hoping it will reset the algorithms. But he says he has ended up with more videos taking over his feeds.

Ofcom says social media companies recommend harmful content to children, even if unintentionally

So, how do TikTok’s algorithms actually work?

According to Andrew Kaung, the algorithms' fuel is engagement, regardless of whether the engagement is positive or negative. That could explain in part why Cai’s efforts to manipulate the algorithms weren’t working.

The first step for users is to specify some likes and interests when they sign up. Andrew says some of the content initially served up by the algorithms to, say, a 16-year-old, is based on the preferences they give and the preferences of other users of a similar age in a similar location.

According to TikTok, the algorithms are not informed by a user’s gender. But Andrew says the interests teenagers express when they sign up often have the effect of dividing them up along gender lines.

The former TikTok employee says some 16-year-old boys could be exposed to violent content “right away”, because other teenage users with similar preferences have expressed an interest in this type of content - even if that just means spending more time on a video that grabs their attention for that little bit longer.

The interests indicated by many teenage girls in profiles he examined - “pop singers, songs, make-up” - meant they were not recommended this violent content, he says.

He says the algorithms use “reinforcement learning” - a method where AI systems learn by trial and error - and train themselves to detect behaviour towards different videos.

Andrew Kaung says they are designed to maximise engagement by showing you videos they expect you to spend longer watching, comment on, or like - all to keep you coming back for more.

The algorithm recommending content to TikTok's “For You Page”, he says, does not always differentiate between harmful and non-harmful content.

According to Andrew, one of the problems he identified when he worked at TikTok was that the teams involved in training and coding that algorithm did not always know the exact nature of the videos it was recommending.

“They see the number of viewers, the age, the trend, that sort of very abstract data. They wouldn't necessarily be actually exposed to the content,” the former TikTok analyst tells me.

That was why, in 2022, he and a colleague decided to take a look at what kinds of videos were being recommended to a range of users, including some 16-year-olds.

He says they were concerned about violent and harmful content being served to some teenagers, and proposed to TikTok that it should update its moderation system.

They wanted TikTok to clearly label videos so everyone working there could see why they were harmful - extreme violence, abuse, pornography and so on - and to hire more moderators who specialised in these different areas. Andrew says their suggestions were rejected at that time.

TikTok says it had specialist moderators at the time and, as the platform has grown, it has continued to hire more. It also said it separated out different types of harmful content - into what it calls queues - for moderators.

'Asking a tiger not to eat you'

Andrew Kaung says that from the inside of TikTok and Meta it felt really difficult to make the changes he thought were necessary.

“We are asking a private company whose interest is to promote their products to moderate themselves, which is like asking a tiger not to eat you,” he says.

He also says he thinks children’s and teenagers’ lives would be better if they stopped using their smartphones.

But for Cai, banning phones or social media for teenagers is not the solution. His phone is integral to his life - a really important way of chatting to friends, navigating when he is out and about, and paying for stuff.

Instead, he wants the social media companies to listen more to what teenagers don’t want to see. He wants the firms to make the tools that let users indicate their preferences more effective.

“I feel like social media companies don't respect your opinion, as long as it makes them money,” Cai tells me.

In the UK, a new law will force social media firms to verify children’s ages and stop the sites recommending porn or other harmful content to young people. UK media regulator Ofcom is in charge of enforcing it.

Almudena Lara, Ofcom's online safety policy development director, says that while harmful content that predominantly affects young women - such as videos promoting eating disorders and self-harm - have rightly been in the spotlight, the algorithmic pathways driving hate and violence to mainly teenage boys and young men have received less attention.

“It tends to be a minority of [children] that get exposed to the most harmful content. But we know, however, that once you are exposed to that harmful content, it becomes unavoidable,” says Ms Lara.

Ofcom says it can fine companies and could bring criminal prosecutions if they do not do enough, but the measures will not come in to force until 2025.

TikTok says it uses “innovative technology” and provides “industry-leading” safety and privacy settings for teens, including systems to block content that may not be suitable, and that it does not allow extreme violence or misogyny.

Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, says it has more than “50 different tools, resources and features” to give teens “positive and age-appropriate experiences”. According to Meta, it seeks feedback from its own teams and potential policy changes go through robust process.

[yessoupy]

harry, i love u. (part 1)

but more to the point, i love my harriatrics.

i am home, emotionally exhausted, physically ill, and still awaiting my delayed luggage to be delivered, but here is my slane and wembley 1+2+3 review.

i spent a few days roaming around counties clare and galway prior to linking up with the ladies in dublin for slane. straight off the plane i hired a car and drove to the west. i needed to kill some more time before checking into my airbnb so i hit the cliffs of moher (again) because it was SUNNY and DRY. it turns out, the west is/was in a drought. dust everywhere.

my airbnb this time around was in fanore. perfect for one person and a nice location for what i like to do. my next day i took the doolin ferry to inishmore and rented an e-bike. rode around the island, had a lovely lunch of a salad and a coke, and hiked up to dun aonghase where it was WINDY and i almost lost my tourist hat but i have catlike reflexes. view from the fort:

aran goat cheese salad:

kilmurvey beach, where i did not get in but will next time for sure:

on my final full day, i went to the doolin cave to see the third-largest stalactite in the world. the scale is hard to convey in a picture:

it was really cool! literally and figuratively. also a pleasant 95% humidity which i needed because it was SO DRY the whole time i was there.

on saturday morning i lit out from the west and dropped my car off at the airport, then got a taxi to the hotel to meet up for the rest of my harries for breakfast. @papiermachecat did a great job of summarizing that except she left me out, which i'm not bitter about at all. lol.

marathon did a great job of organizing all of us to get to and from slane. here is an employee manning the coach pickup:

here's mitch opening!

annie mac in the "rain"!

wet leg!

inhaler!

and our boy!

it's hard to convey the size of the crowd. i took some pictures, but i'm sure you've seen overhead shots that are much better. knowing about the historical nature of slane shows ... i'm so glad i got to be there with some of my very best fandom friends. also, much like the men of easy company would say, "at least it's not bastogne" whenever they had a cold winter, after every trek home post-show we can all say "at least it's not slane."

the day after the show, @chasm2018, @aggresivelyfriendly, and i walked around dublin. we had dinner at the bank which was cool, and i got some very good fish and chips:

dublin put on a show for us, sunny and warm:

we tried to find ice cream and failed:

but eventually ended up at instagrammable cloud nine and it was very good, will try the gelato in july. no pics, because ice cream.

one environmentally regrettable thing about the impact of the 2021 grammy outfit are the molting boas. here is the day-after shot of where the coaches let us off in dublin:

after a final breakfast at our hotel (my eggs florentine below), we took a (delayed) flight to london.

my relationship with london is .... like yes, there are cool old buildings but i hate the monarchy? the one thing i wanted to do in london besides see harry was go to the british museum, which we did on our off-day. anyway. @chasm2018 and i stayed at an airbnb in fitzrovia. we had a late lunch/early dinner at wahaca (yes i know) which was surprisingly good! the rainbow bowl:

(i took a lot of food pictures for my dad and sisters, so this is what you get too i guess.)

me in front of wembley!

wembley 1 saw us in bishopsgate, which was a much smaller pod than at slane. @chasm2018 and i helped to remove an interloper (some guy who was being obnoxious and bragging about sneaking into the pod who didn't end up having a ticket at all?). look don't brag about sneaking in AND be obnoxious.

harry was incredible, of course, and when i have the energy to go through the pictures on my camera (this is ALL from my phone) i will share those with you.

london was done up for pride month:

on wednesday, @chasm2018 and i got bottomless chai (chocolate chai pictured) at dishoom and gorged on indian food.

also apparently that night (or the next? idk) my platonic baseball soulmate spent 3 hours behind olivia in line for that restaurant. she was offered a pass to go to the front of the line but refused it! what a woman.

idk what this was but it looked neat and that far building looks suspiciously like the dorm in maynooth that looks like a prison on the inside.

for wednesday's show i had seats with my friend from the leadership conference i do in ireland, so i entered separately and hanging out by the red zone was this guy

our boy was ALSO great during night 2, from the seats:

he played love of my life and i just love YELLING that at him!!!! from the seats I got a better idea of just how fucking massive the crowd is, and how full of love the stadium is when he plays. more of that later.

post-show activities included leftover indian (wow was it spicier) and harry talking to zane lowe about absolutely nothing.

thursday we had afternoon tea at the savoy (fucking delicious) with @accidentalharrie and went to the british museum to see things stolen from other places. this included THE rosetta stone (wild) and bits of the parthenon.

i really do love a greek vase!!! they can be so funny, like this one with drunk satyrs:

on the reverse is a .... kylix-stand?

she!

by friday, the hay fever had put me into quite a state. i was a bit of a drag!! we walked around the tower of london and westminster abbey. goddddddd i hate tourists so much.

here's white tower, the oldest bit of the tower of london, built by william the conqueror. my 27th great grandfather invaded england with william, so we're like family. lol.

notice not a cloud in the sky. so much sun and no rain which means .... every bit of pollen was in the air, wreaking havoc.

and i'm out of room for photos, so hang on for part 2.

[movingcompanydublin]

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[petermorwood]

This sort of domestic enchantment works for us, to say nothing of the advantages of having plenty of cold iron about the house when living in rural Ireland.

It’s good for old-fashioned, historical and fantasy cookery. What did you THINK I meant...? :->

*****

Neither @dduane​ nor I inherited any cast-ironware *, though she brought a Wagner Ware (company closed 1999) skillet over with her from the USA. 

In the 37 years since then we've bought a goodly amount of our own and, since a lot of it is enamelled, seasoning is much less of an issue. However this casserole and platter were both raw iron, so got the full treatment.

The resulting finish is a treat for the eye and a pleasure to use. 

* I do have a stoneware crock / casserole / bean-pot / whatever, which goes back to my maternal great-gran. By my reckoning that makes it over 150 years old... 

...and it's still in use (here for smoked pork & beans, yum...)

There are any amount of recipes online for Baked Beans, Boston Baked Beans etc. etc. so I won’t give links, but this is the one from that cookbook in the photo, "The Pauper's Cookbook" by Jocasta Innes.

This recipe is a classic of American domestic cookery and the inspiration, I imagine, of the ubiquitous baked beans.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound haricot (navy) beans

½  pound streaky pork (salt or otherwise)

1 large onion

2 tablespoonful black treacle.

1 dessertspoonful spoonful brown sugar

1 dessertspoonful powdered mustard

1 teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce

Salt & Pepper

METHOD

Soak the beans overnight.

Cook for 1½  to 2 hours in the water they were soaked in, then strain the beans and keep the water.

Cut the streaky pork into chunks, removing any rind.

Peel and slice the onion.

Heat the bean water and stir into it the treacle, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

Mix up the beans, pork and onion in a casserole, pour over the seasoned bean water and add extra hot water if necessary to come just over the top of the beans.

Cover and bake in a moderate oven (350°F, 180°C, gas mark 4) for about an hour * or until the beans are soft. During this time, if the beans seem to be getting too dry, add more hot water.

This is a rich sweetish dish and goes best with an uncloying vegetable such as spring greens, spinach or braised celery.

* IMO “about an hour” is a very, very short time to bake beans. We usually give them three or four hours at about 160°C / 320°F, and I’ve seen online recipes with times of “eight hours” (definitely check several times for dryness!) and “overnight, very low”.

In both cases very low would mean 120°C / 250°F , and even then we’d need to check for drying-out, because we can’t turn off the fan in our oven. Since checking wouldn’t happen with an overnight cooking, in that instance I’d seal the lid tight with foil or even flour-and-water dough. If there was still too much liquid when opened, another hour with the lid off should fix it. I get a feeling it’s very difficult to overcook this.

*****

The last time we made it, we used smoked pork belly from a Polish supermarket (Polonez, 49-50 Mary Street, Dublin) and it was OUTSTANDING.

It’s overdue for a remake - we’ve got smoked pork belly in the freezer and dried beans in the cupboard - but this time I’ll try it in our DuvHay box...

...which is a haybox I made from an insulated meat-delivery box and an old duvet, hence the silly name - which doesn’t detract from the box working as intended, to an excellent degree.

The dish in these pics was a stew of shin beef, smoked bacon, onions, carrots, herbs and red wine; it went into the box still bubbling, was wrapped and closed up, and left to its own devices from about 8-ish PM Friday until 6-ish PM Saturday.

22 hours later, when it came out, the meat was fork-tender, the flavours had combined wonderfully, and even though it hadn’t put a penny on our electricity bill since leaving the cooker, it was still hot enough to eat without reheating.

Protracted cooking without power consumption, what’s not to like?

I’m definitely going to try this method for the pork and beans, and then several other low-cook-slow-cook one-pots because, as I’ve said often, Thyme can be bought in a jar, but time can’t... :->

*****

For reference, the commercial Wonderbag works on the same principal and - though I doubt it can match our 22-hour insulation - it’s a bag not a box, so is more easily stored (squashy) despite apparently being the size of a well-grown small child (not squashy *).

* At least not without effort, some serious folding or as the cereal ad says, “Snap, Crackle and Pop” and possibly a dressing à la sauce Robert. See “Sleeping Beauty” - not the Disney one - for more details. 

Even Maleficent didn’t go that far.

It’s a good sauce, though, suitable for pork. 

Short, not long.

Is it me or does the way we treat cast-iron cookware almost come across like we’re talking about ancestral enchanted swords or something?

‘Twas my grandmother’s pan, ‘fore she passed it to my father; and my father’s pan before mine; and now you, my daughter, shall have it by your side as you go off to make your way in the world. Just remember, never wash it with soap, nor scrub too hard when you rinse it, lest you erode its protective sheen – you can apply a new enchantment, but it will lose all the power it has gained over the years from its use by our bloodline, and also it’s sort of a pain in the ass.

[ear-wax-removal-dublin15-blog]

Ear Wax Removal Kildare | Hearing Test Dublin | Ear Wax Removal Near Me

Professional assistance is closer than you would believe if hearing issues or earwax accumulation are interfering with your daily life. For skilled treatment, residents of Dublin and Kildare may rely on reliable companies like O'Grady Hearing Treatment Services. They distinguish themselves as leaders in auditory health throughout Ireland by providing customized hearing aid solutions, thorough hearing examinations, and specialized earwax removal. O'Grady's experience guarantees that you'll be in good hands whether you're looking for proactive hearing care or relief from discomfort.

[gardendirectandtreecare]

Common Hedge Species in Dublin and How to Care for Them

Hedges are a versatile and essential element for many Dublin gardens. It creates intrigue in the garden, for biodiversity, a wind break or noise cancellation and even simply for design and aesthetic purposes. Also, it increases the value of your property by adding to the overall look and feel of your outdoor space. 

However, taking proper care of your hedges requires experience, knowledge and techniques. For tasks like pruning, shaping and removing hedges effectively while maintaining its aesthetic feel, it is smart to hire experienced hedge cutting services Dublin like Garden Direct and Tree Care. Obviously, a little nick or cut here may make you feel you have done the job right! But think about it – is it enough to ensure its optimal health?

We have a proven track record of quality tree care services in Dublin, positive customer reviews, and a commitment to our unrelenting workmanship. Along with hedge-cutting services, our professionals will also help you with tree pruning, removal, stump grinding and garden clearance. Read more

For more information,

Contact Us:

Location: 1 Avila Park, Finglas West, Dublin, D11 R2C9, Ireland

Visit Us: www.gardendirecttreecare.com

Email: sales@gardendirecttreecare.com

Phone No: 852 155 425

Social Profiles:

https://www.facebook.com/gardendirectandtreecare https://www.instagram.com/gardendirectandtreecare/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/garden-direct-and-tree-care/

[systemtek]

Urgent blood samples are now being transported by electric drones in a medical delivery service which aims to improve patient care by speeding up testing turnaround times. The service involves delivering blood samples for patients undergoing surgery who are at high risk of complications from bleeding disorders. Moving samples between Synnovis’ lab at Guy’s Hospital and the lab at St Thomas’ Hospital in London can take more than half an hour by road but takes less than two minutes by drone. This enables quicker analysis, helping to efficiently determine whether patients are safe to undergo surgery or be discharged. Blood samples are currently delivered by van and motorbike couriers. Alongside the efficiency advantages, switching to drone deliveries will have significant environmental benefits by removing carbon emissions and reducing traffic congestion. Lightweight commercial drones can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 99% compared to non-electric cars and reduce transportation electricity needed compared to electric delivery vans. The six-month operation is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority, which has granted the airspace approval, and NATS, the air traffic management service, is ensuring the service operates safely alongside crewed aircraft. It has been organised as a partnership between Guy’s and St Thomas’; Apian, a healthcare logistics company founded by NHS doctors; and Wing, a global drone delivery company that is part of Google’s parent company, Alphabet. This is a landmark first for the NHS in London. Apian and Wing have previously partnered on medical drone delivery in Dublin, Ireland, and Apian has trialled medical drone deliveries in rural areas of the UK. The six-month trial could serve as the foundation of a healthcare drone distribution network for the NHS across London. Lawrence Tallon, Deputy Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “This drone trial to deliver blood samples should speed up test results for some of our most vulnerable patients, ensuring they have the very best care. It combines innovations in healthcare with sustainability to give us an NHS fit for the future.” Alexander Trewby, CEO and Co-Founder of Apian, commented: "Cities like London face a unique challenge: built vertically but relying on 2D roads, they’re choked by polluting congestion. Apian’s ambition is to create an autonomous delivery network operating at NHS scale, moving physical items as productively as the internet moves information. Kudos to Guy’s and St Thomas’ and the Civil Aviation Authority for leading the way. If we can pioneer drone delivery here, we can do it anywhere!" Courtney Johnk, Global Partnerships and Healthcare at Wing, said: “We’re pleased to be fully operational in central London, delivering patient blood samples by Wing drones on-demand on weekdays. The efficiencies gained for patient care by transporting multiple samples by air as needed, rather than through ground traffic, are already becoming clear. It’s exciting to see drone delivery is now integrated as a regular part of healthcare logistics at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.” Professor Dominic Harrington, Chief Scientific Officer, Synnovis, said: "Tens of thousands of essential patient samples are analysed by pathology laboratories across London each week. Reducing the time it takes to transport these samples means results are available more quickly to inform best possible patient care. We’re excited to be working with Apian on this pioneering project and look forward to seeing where this can go next.” Image & Story via - Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Read the full article

[vanquest]

Why Should You Hire a Man with a Van for Your Move?

Moving to a new home or office in Dublin can feel overwhelming. Packing up all your belongings, finding transport, and managing the logistics of a move is often a significant challenge. If hiring a big moving company feels too expensive or complicated, a great alternative is hiring a man with a van. This service is famous for being affordable, flexible, and easy to book. In this guide, we'll explain why hiring a man with a van in Dublin is an intelligent choice, what services they offer, how to pick the right one, and tips for a smooth moving day.

What is a Man with a Van?

A man with a van service usually includes one or two movers and a van to transport your belongings. It's ideal for small moves like apartments, single rooms, or furniture delivery. This option offers a personal touch, often cheaper than large moving companies.

Why Choose a Man with a Van in Dublin?

1. Affordable Prices

A man with a van is usually much cheaper than a complete moving service. Since they operate with smaller teams, their prices are lower, making them a good option for budget-conscious movers.

2. Flexible and Convenient

Man with a van services are known for their flexible schedules. Many will work around your timing, even if you're moving on short notice. This flexibility is perfect if you have a tight schedule.

3. Personalized Service

With a man with a van, you're likely dealing directly with the people handling your move. It often results in a friendlier, more personalized service.

4. Perfect for Small Moves

If you're not moving a large household, a man with a van is ideal. You won't pay for extra space or services you don't need, saving time and money.

5. Easy Navigation in Dublin

Dublin's narrow streets and busy neighbourhoods can make it hard for large moving trucks. Men with van services typically use smaller vehicles, which can easily fit into tight spots, allowing quicker drop-offs and pickups.

Services Offered by a Man with a Van in Dublin

Man with a van service in Dublin offers a range of options to meet different needs, including:

Small Home Moves: Great for studio apartments, single rooms, or small apartments.

Office Moves: Ideal for relocating a small office or a few pieces of office equipment.

Furniture Delivery: Many use these services to transport new furniture from stores to their homes.

Single-Item Moves: Perfect for heavy or bulky items like washing machines, pianos, or oversized chairs.

Packing Help: Some companies offer packing services to ensure your items are safe during the move.

Junk Removal: If you have items you want to dispose of before or after a move, many services offer junk removal.

How to Choose the Best Man with a Van in Dublin

Finding a reliable man with a van is essential for a stress-free move. Here's what to look for:

1. Check Reviews

Read online reviews to understand the company's reliability and service quality. Ask friends or family for recommendations as well.

2. Compare Prices

Contact a few services and ask for quotes to compare. Explain what you need to get accurate pricing, as some services may charge more for extra stops or packing assistance.

3. Confirm Insurance

Make sure the provider has Insurance to cover any damages. It protects you in case anything is accidentally damaged during the move.

4. Check Van Size

Make sure the van is big enough for your items. It's essential to ask about the size and capacity of the van to ensure everything fits.

5. Clear Terms

Look for clear policies on cancellations, rescheduling, and extra charges. Having these details upfront prevents misunderstandings on a moving day.

Moving Tips for a Smooth Experience

To make your moving day as smooth as possible, follow these simple tips:

1. Plan Ahead

Once you've booked your man with a van, get organized. Pack your items, label boxes, and set fragile items aside to avoid last-minute stress.

2. Arrange Parking

Make sure there's Parking for the van near your home. It can save time and make the process smoother in busy Dublin areas.

3. Declutter

Before the move, get rid of items you no longer need. This makes packing easier and reduces the number of things to transport.

4. Be Ready When They Arrive

To make the most of your time with the movers, have everything packed and ready to go when they arrive. It keeps the process quick and efficient.

5. Keep in Touch

Have your phone nearby to stay in communication with your movers. This way, any last-minute details can be easily handled.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How much does hiring a man with a van in Dublin cost to hire?

Costs vary, depending on the size of the move, distance, and any extra services like packing. Prices usually start around €50, but always ask for a quote.

Q: How long does a man with a van move take?

It depends on the size of the load and the distance. A small move within Dublin may take 1-3 hours, but more significant moves can take longer.

Q: Does the service include Insurance?

Some companies include Insurance, but others do not. Always check if Insurance is provided to protect your belongings.

Q: Can I book a man with a van last minute?

Yes, many services allow same-day or next-day bookings. However, booking in advance is best, especially during busy times.

Q: Do they help with packing?

Some services offer packing help for an extra fee. Be sure to ask if this is available when booking.

Q: Will they move heavy furniture?

Yes, they usually move heavy furniture, but it's a good idea to mention any large items when booking to ensure they're prepared.

Conclusion

Hiring a man with a van in Dublin is an intelligent choice for anyone looking for a budget-friendly, convenient, and reliable moving option. It's ideal for smaller moves, where you don't need a large moving truck or a big crew. With affordable rates, personalized service, and the ability to access tight spaces in Dublin, a man with a van can make your move smooth and stress-free.

If you're relocating a few items, furniture, or your entire apartment, a man with a van offers flexibility and ease that's hard to beat. When moving, consider this convenient service to make your day as easy as possible!