Teddy Bear Machine
YOU know the teddy bear machines you get in amusement arcades? The ones where you direct a big metal grabber to pick up a toy and just as it is about to be deposited into the chute it drops and you end up putting in about ten pound more than the teddy bear is actually worth?
Well, for all you masochist's out there, you can now have your own mini version at home and fill it with sweets and play to your heart's content.
Drop a coin in the slot and fairground music begins playing. The music speeds up as you run out of time - if you manage to grab a sweet will you make it to the chute in time? A light sensor detects if you succeed - and the twinkly tune changes into a round of applause.
It takes real coins and it'll make a great piggy bank while you hone your skills.
Annoyingly addictive and available at www.gadgets.co.uk.
MEATLOAF
HE may be getting on in years, but Meatloaf remains one of the most charismatic figures in rock nd roll.
His Bat Out of Hell albums I, II and III are undoubtedly the most successful rock album series of all time. The trilogy has spawned classic hits such as It's All Coming Back to Me Now, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth, and I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That).
The rock legend is returning to the Odyssey Arena for one night only and tickets go on sale today, priced from £38 to £49.
Don't miss your chance to see the still-unique, still-audacious, and still-unequalled Meat Loaf fusion of operatic emotion, larger-than-life storytelling, jaw-dropping theatricality and raw rock-and-roll electricity. For more information, contact the Odyssey box office on 02890 739074.
PROSPERITY
RTE Two's drama Prosperity continues on Monday night and if you haven't picked up on yet, get watching.
Written by Mark O'Halloran and directed by Lenny Abrahamson, Prosperity follows the lives of four people living on the fringes of the Celtic Tiger.
Episode one focused on Stacy, a 17 year old single mother struggling to make ends meet in Dublin. Her mother is an alcoholic while the father of her child doesn't want to know.
Last Monday's episode followed young Gavin who is both bullied and a bully himself. Growing up on a housing estate in a Dublin suberb, it quickly becomes clear that the young tearaway is being left behind by society.
The two remaining episodes showcase the lives of both Georgie, who is struggling with a drink problem, and Pala, an African living in Dublin who finds herself increasingly isolated.
A fascinating and very realistic insight into the harsher side of Dublin life, Prosperity makes for unmissable television.
THE STORY OF THE POGUES
MENTION the Pogues and people immediately think that guy with no teeth who sang that Christmas song.
Fair enough. But one song doesn't make you arguably the most influential group ever to come out of Ireland.
From the Irish standards like the Auld Triangle to down right classics like Fairytale of New York, Shane and the boys are very much and deservingly so legends in their own lifetimes.
Carol Clerk's 'Kiss My Arse - The Story of the Pogues' is the latest effort to try and capture just where the band came from, how they impacted so positively on Thatcher's Britain and how, after falling around the world, how they have survived to tell the tale.
A cracking read for diehard fans and a dynamite introduction for new followers, The Story of the Pogues is a hilarious, moving and fitting tribute to the most death defying, life embracing group of all time.
It's out now priced £19.95 and would make a great Christmas present.
GOD GREW TIRED OF US
IN the late 1980s, 27,000 Sudanese 'lost boys'–some just toddlers–marched barefoot over thousands of miles of barren desert, seeking safe haven from the brutal civil war raging in their homeland. Half died from bombing raids and starvation; the others reside together in Kenya's Kakuna refugee camp, with few prospects. Recently, the USA invited some of the boys to settle in America.
Moving and uplifting, Christopher Quinn's God Grew Tired of Us follows three unforgettable young men–John, Daniel, and Panther–on their unbelievable adventures in a strange new world. Things are tough as the boys juggle multiple menial jobs; for the first time, they find themselves well fed, yet painfully isolated from the brotherly fellowship that once enabled their survival.
John, Daniel, and Panther–each charismatic and thoughtful–meet their challenges, fueled by a desire to help others. Though they were bred in unspeakably dehumanizing circumstances, their integrity and honor are impeccable, raising profound questions about the conditions necessary to create a civilized society.
RHYTHM OF THE DANCE
SINCE its debut performance in 1999, Rhythm of the Dance has heralded a new era in Irish entertainment playing to over three million fans in 33 countries worldwide. This two-hour dance and music extravaganza is an inspiring epic that relives the journey of the Irish Celts throughout history.
Richly costumed and representing a whole new concept in Irish entertainment, this spectacular production infuses the genuine spirit of our national dances, songs and storytelling, whilst combining modern influences like beat, jazz and Latin.
Featuring a wealth of talent, the show will be bringing the stage to life at the Millennium Forum this week.
Rhythm of the Dance literally kicked off last night (Wednesday) and will run till Saturday. Tickets are priced from 39.50 to £17.50. For more information, contact the Millennium Forum box office on 02871 264455.
