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connector.TV Movie Review: The Raid (2012)

Philip Bagnall — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:38:44 +0000

Director: Gareth Evans/100 mins/18

Rating: 4/5

The most memorable action films have wonderfully simple set-ups. Die Hard was one man against a dozen in a skyscraper. The Wild Bunch was a trigger-happy gang go for one last job. The Raid (winner of both audience and critics’ awards at the Dublin Film Festival back in February) is 20 cops, loads of criminals and a thirty-story tower block. Blend these simple ingredients with some lightning-paced chop-socky and you get a flick that is best described as batshit crazy, but in the best possible way.

The opening of The Raid sees Sergeant Rama (Iko Uwais) exercising, praying and kissing his pregnant wife goodbye before heading off to join his SWAT team on their latest mission. Yes, this is our hero. Clichés threaten The Raid frequently from the shadows, but they simply don’t matter. As soon as you start to think in any way deeply about the characters, Uwais and director Gareth Evans grab you by the neck and throttle your senses until you submit to the almighty chaos. The cops assemble around the 30-floor apartment block ruled by drug lord Tama (Ray Sahetapy) and then they breach the perimeter. Once the SWAT team get inside, mayhem ensues. Their initial plan to take the place quietly floor by floor goes awry, and seemingly countless henchmen come at them with guns, machetes and their fists. The police, though outnumbered, are forced to respond, and Rama is determined to get home alive by any means necessary.

From the moment the team enter the complex to the final few expository moments, The Raid is a breathless, delirious and uncompromising piece of action film that leaves so many other pretenders in the shade. Both cops and criminals are versed in Pencak Silat, an Indonesian martial art that is more brutal than balletic. Combined with knives and guns, it becomes a lethal force that pins people to the wall and audiences to their seats. A fight between Rama and gang members Andi (Donny Alamsyah) and Mad Dog (Yayan Ruihan) will leave you open-mouthed in disbelief. Before that, however, watch as Rama hacks, chops and slices his way through a huge cast list with bravura. Seriously, stay for the credits and see how many guards/fighters/attackers all succumb to Rama’s talents. Blood flows freely in the fight scenes, some of which result in images and moments you won’t forget. In moments of desperation, the characters in The Raid find unorthodox use for such things as broken doorposts, butter knives and fridges. You have been warned.

Director Evans, a Welsh emigré living in Jakarta, takes unashamed influence from all kinds of sources; from Bruce Lee to John Carpenter (think Assault on Precinct 13 across 30 floors), from Sammo Hung to Sam Peckinpah. Meanwhile, Uwais’ reflexes and boyish looks make him a bona fide action star. The Raid is not subtle, but it’s proud of its influences and unique in its storytelling, fevered and relentlessly energetic. The bloodshed of The Raid will send your blood pumping through your veins at light speed!

Exam Survival Guide

maevekavanagh — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:48:17 +0000

Exam season, dreaded by pretty much everyone, even the nerds… Pressure, stress, and the realization that you really should have attended your lectures. But fear not guys, I have some handy tips of the trade to get you through the next few weeks, and, hopefully come out with a result at the end of it

Revision – tools needed: flashcards, pens, lots of pens – assorted colours, highlighters, notepad, laptop. When starting off, I tend to highlight printed lecture notes or copy them from a laptop screen to a refill pad, make sure to actually read what you’re writing and not just do a rushed scribble. Make it aesthetically appealing to look at, personally, I hate/cant read pages full of blue or black biro, it just looks wrong. So funk it up, I like glittery gel pens, but they may not be to everyone’s liking The final day of study, try not to cover any new material, but to look back at what you have written, and make flash cards to jog your memory, they’re easy to glance at just before an exam too

Sleep – so there’s that recommendation of 8 hours sleep, from scientists, they kinda know what they’re talking about.. You really should try and get anough sleep so your body and brain have the physical and mental strength to continue on all throughout exams. The only time I haven’t gotten my 8 hours, or near enough to it during exams, was for a management accounting exam last year, I got 5 hours before that, and I crashed and burned afterwards. Don’t do it to yourself. Also, when studying, everyone finds their own rythym, some study better late into the night, others study better early in the morning, so work this out, and you can form a good sleeping pattern. Tip – studies show that the peak time for working with numbers is in the morning.

Food – during exams, this is one of THE most important elements in life. You need to eat properly and look after yourself by getting essential nutrients. A high carb, high protein diet is advised for energy and strength. Oily fish provides Omega 3 – a ‘brain food’, so eat it! Chicken, pasta, green veg, peas/beans/lentils should all be included as regular food options. Every morning I have a fruit smoothie with tofu added to it for protein (Tofu is Soya bean curd – literally pure protein), if your not gone on this idea, try some protein powder instead. I’d also advises taking Vitamin C supplements to prevent getting run down.

Boosts – As a crazy healthy eater, this is my one fault, Lucozade… But, I’d only ever advise it when you really need a quick boost. You should be able to funstion with the correct amount of sleep and a balanced diet without energy drinks, but realistically, around exams, we all drink them. Berocca is a dissolveable tablet, orange flavoured, containing various vitamins as well as being a performance/energy boost. Lucozade is my energy mineral of choice, currently half price at Tesco, FYI…

Clothes – could possibly go against previous fashion blogs, but my recommendation here is to always wear cotton clothes anytime your sitting an exam. This fabric allows your skin to breathe/better air circulation helps remove and absorb body moisture(ie, when you don’t know an answer and your sweating under time pressure, cotton helps), its also a hypoallergenic/non-irritant, so for anyone whos skin gets a bit stressed, go for cotton. Wear something comfortable like a loose tracksuit.

Chewing gum – just a fun fact for you all, chewing gum is said to improve concentration during exams, so take some in with you. Remember, don’t chew loudly, it will really bug your neighbor!

Exercise – this should always be built into your lifestyle, so definitely don’t stop during exams! After a workout,you actually feel more energised, so its a great time to study. If you feel yourself getting tired/bored, go out for a walk, go for a swim, dance, whatever your into, just do it. It will waken you up (brain & body), and, its part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Keep fit!

Until next time,

Best of luck to everyone sitting any type of exams!

Maeve xx

Korean Food

OReillys Recipes — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:37:06 +0000

Korean Cuisine

This week I bring you a taste of the Orient, authentic cuisine from, Korean and

Indo-China. Ethnic cookery is immensely rich and varied, based on religious beliefs, geography, climate and availability of ingredients. If you travel the orient you will notice that as you come close to another countries border the dishes are an infusion of both countries, hence Chinese and Thai and Indian and Thai

Korean cooking methods are very similar to that of Japan’s with emphasis on visual presentation and flavour. Korean dishes however, use many spices and sugar to enhance their food, like Chinese cookery. Rice and soup are common at all meal times plus a choice of a couple of other dishes with dips and sauces. Many of the dishes tend to have a sweet flavour so desserts are rarely served; instead a selection of fresh fruits is readily available to refresh the palette.

Spices are available in most supermarkets, I bought mine from the Oriental Emporium opposite Jarvis Centre.

Chap-Chae (Vermicelli with Pork & Vegetables)

Ingredients Cooking Instructions

Portions 4

100 g                             Vermicelli
1                                 Courgette, topped and tailed
1                                 Red pepper, halved and seeded
150g                              Green cabbage
2 small                           Onions
4                                 Shiitake mushrooms
50g                               Bean sprouts
3 tbspn                           Vegetable oil
2                                 Garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped
600g                              Lean boneless pork (loin or fillet)
1tlbspn                           Five spice
3 tbspn                           Soy sauce
½ tspn                           Freshly ground pepper

Garnish:

4 spring onions

Preparation time 10 mins.

Cooking time Approx. 8 mins.

METHOD

1.	Roub the five spice all over the pork and dry roast in a hot oven 200C for 40 minutes, all to cool before using.
2.	Place the vermicelli in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 10 mins. Drain well. Cut into 5cm (2-inch) lengths.
3.	Finely shred the pork into 5cm (2-inch) lengths. Cut courgette, cabbage and pepper into 5cm (2-inch) lengths. Peel and thinly slice the onions. Cut each mushroom into 5-6 slices.
4.	Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Add the garlic and pork. Stir-fry for 5 mins. Or until the pork is cooked. Add the soy sauce and black pepper. Stir well. Add all the vegetables and vermicelli. Stir-fry for 2 mins. or until the carrot is tender but still crisp.
5.	Transfer to warm serving dish and sprinkle over the chopped spring onions.

Canh Cua (Crab Soup)

Ingredients Cooking Instructions

1 kg                              Cooked crab, prepared
2½ litres                         Chicken stock, strained
6                                 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
100g                              Squash, cut into 2cm dice
250 g                             Fresh spinach leaves, washed
120 g                             Moolie (Japanese radish), peeled and coarsely grated
100 g                             Bamboo shoots, cut into thin strips
15 mls                            Vegetable oil
1 tbspn                           Cornflour
2                                 Egg whites
3-4 spring onions, finely shredded

Sprigs of fresh coriander
Portions 8-10 mins.
Cooking time 20 mins.

METHOD

Bring the chicken stock to the boil, skim any excess fat.

Loosely tear the spinach, into 5cm pieces.

Heat the oil in a wok or large heavy-based frying pan. Toss in the grated moolie, bamboo shoots, squash and sliced mushrooms. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered for 8-10 mins.

Just before serving, mix the cornflour to a smooth paste with a little cold water. Stir into the soup to thicken it.

Add the spinach and cook for a further minute. Add the prepared crabmeat to the soup; whisk in the egg whites to form white threads. Correct seasoning.

Serve hot, garnished with shredded spring onions and sprigs of coriander.

Rebel Pizza and the People Within the Business

andrewwalsh — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:41:57 +0000

Rebel Pizza is a pizzeria and quick food service provider that has been serving the North Kildare area for almost 10years. Located in Maynooth, County Kildare the pizzeria serves to many of the neighboring towns including Celbridge, Kilcock, Leixlip and Straffan. They provide fresh baked pizzas and pride themselves in their own fresh baked breads and sauces that are created in store. As is said before Rebel Pizza has been serving Maynooth and the surrounding area for close to 10years and in that time has not only managed to stay competitive but to establish itself as one of the mainstays for takeaway food within the town. The store is run by the manger John and there are six other employees that perform all sorts of tasks from the preparation of the pizza, to the cooking of it, to the delivery of the pizza itself. In his role as manager, John has to make sure the store runs as smoothly as possible. He controls the advertising and marketing of Rebel Pizza in and around the town and online through the pizzeria’s website. The other employees are extremely important to the store as well, with their hard work and efficiency being key to the success of the pizzeria. Their role is to ensure that from the time the dough is rolled to the time it arrives and the customer’s door the high standards of Rebel Pizza are maintained.

The Management at Phoenix Restaurant, NUI Maynooth

adamabyss — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:30:57 +0000

Linda Brophy is the General Manager at the Phoenix Restaurant, NUI Maynooth. Linda started her career in the catering industry as a Chef, attending DIT, Cathal Brugha Street to study Professional Cookery for 3 years.

Linda Brophy - General Manager at the Phoenix Restaurant

After qualifying she worked in various restaurants around the country which involved “long hours, split shifts and no life” before settling into industrial catering. Linda started working for Compass Catering in 1999 as a Chef and soon fell into a Supervisor’s role. It was from here that she became interested in Management and slowly moved up the ladder to her current position as General Manager.

Linda has now been working with Compass Group Ireland for 13 years; 12 years in the corporate giant, Microsoft and the past year here at NUI Maynooth. She has thoroughly enjoyed the working experience on-campus and the following statement sums it up in her own words:

“Life in Maynooth has been great, very different to the corporate world that I have been involved with for so long, but so much fun. The students are young, energetic and full of life. We are adapting everyday here to make sure we can give them the best food and service at competitive prices. Our first year on campus has gone well, but we still have lots to give. Watch out for next year’s new additions to the Phoenix. It will only get better!”

Anna Szyszkowska - Assistant Manager at the Phoenix Restaurant

Anna Szyszkowska is Linda’s “right hand woman” at Phoenix in the role of Assistant Manager. Anna moved from Poland to Ireland in September 2004 at the age of 18 and “from day one” she was working in the catering industry. As she recalls, she tried “every angle” in the business including cheffing, waitressing and bar work. In January 2006 she started working with Compass Group as a Supervisor, also at their Microsoft operation in Sandyford and subsequently got promoted to Assistant Manager under Linda who was the General Manager there at the time.

In 2005, Anna enrolled at DIT, Cathal Brugha Street street on a 3 year part-time BA in Hotel and Restaurant Management. She graduated in 2008 with a distinction and a student excellence award.

Anna left Compass Group just after graduating college and worked as an Assistant Manager in Tenors Grill Room in Donnybrook (now closed). She remained there until January 2011 but then decided to go back to industrial catering because (in her own words) “the long hours and weekends in the restaurant were starting to bother” [her].

She returned to Compass as a supervisor of a small cafe situated at the Four Courts in Central Dublin, the Friary Cafe. In September 2011, she found an internal vacancy advertisement for a position at the Phoenix and decided to go for it because it was an opportunity to work with Linda again.

Anna is “very happy with the job” because she is “learning an awful lot”. She thinks that “every client base is different, the courts were very interesting” [but] “the college is completely different again so it keeps my job entertaining”.

Anna Szyszkowska busy working on the tills at Phoenix Restaurant

Aside from Linda and Anna there are no other management staff on-site at Phoenix.

The other staff include:

Head Chef – Andrew Fitzgerald.
Second Chef – Alan Kelleher.
Other Chefs – Anton, Ryan & Denise (and they also serve the food at lunch time).

In Linda’s words “These guys prepare all the food and treats on offer from the Phoenix”.

At Phoenix we can also find on duty:

Jana – the beautiful Coffee Barrista in the Costa Cafe.
Anne Marie and Catherine – the till operators who greet customers every day.
Joan, Adelaide & Donal – the servers who, according to Linda, “might give you an extra scoop of chips if you are nice to them”.
Daire & John – who keep the kitchen clean and the plates stocked up. They are not seen but are “crucial to the operation”.

In summary there is a total of 13 staff employed at Phoenix, expertly managed by Linda and Anna, providing an excellent array of services to the restaurant’s patrons.

NCBI Maynooth Key People by SocialMediaFightClub

anellinealon — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:38:18 +0000

Key People in National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) Maynooth

Audrey O Neill is the driving force behind the NCBI Maynooth charity shop in Maynooth Village. For the past three years she has been the manager. Her entire family has been involved with different charitable organisations. Audrey, along with three volunteers, ensure the shop runs efficiently. The volunteers Mairead, Mary and Hillary take it in shifts along with Audrey to run the shop six days a week. Des Kenny is the CEO of the organisation since 1986 and he is the main link to the NCBI headquarters on the Whitword Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. His right hand man is Paddy Byrne and he ensures that the shop is running effectively by inspecting the organisation every couple of months. Audrey’s working background is as an interior designer. She started from an early age doing the visual merchandising in Mrs Quinn’s shop in Celbridge for her mother as she was the manager there for many years. Her grandmother has also been involved with charities and was involved with the Lifeboat and Oxfam charities in Rathmines her entire life. Mary, one of the shop volunteers, is the direct link to the collection that takes place in Manor Mills once a month to ensure that the stock intake of clothes is always of excellent quality. Brian Friel is the financial controller and he deals with all the money that is accumulated within the shop from week to week. He has been in the position since 2007.

By SocialMediaFightClub 2012

Key people within Green’s Restuarant

deankenny — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:23:09 +0000

There is one key figure in the Green’s restaurant establishment, and that is the owner, the owner owns the restaurant outright and is always the general manager & supervisor. He keeps a constant state of awareness in regards to the running of the business and the every day goings on.
Green’s is a small restaurant with no sister restaurants therefore the owner is constantly on scene and doesn’t have to divide his time between Maynooth and another branch of Green’s restaurant elsewhere. this allows him to be very up to date, and allows him to spend more time with his staff and get to know them well, reflecting well in the performance of the staff as they are comfortable with the owner and strive to work harder for him as he is always there, and takes care of the place well.
this benefits the firm well as the staff instead of working for an owner whom they do not know and is never around, they work with the owner, and know him well, on a personal basis, this gives Green’s a more homely feel for the staff and it then reflects upon the customers and the staff feel more valued and are more comfortable within the work environment, meaning they are happier in the work place, and are then more friendly to the customers.

Key to success – The main stakeholders in The Coffey House

aideenleacy — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:58:22 +0000

Note: Group 1 originally set out to study the university for the mn319 assignment. As a result of communication issues, Group 1 has changed their chosen business to “The Coffey House”, an upcoming small restaurant/café in Naas, Co. Kildare.

Key Person one: James Coffey

A keen worker with a flare for hospitality, Mr Coffey began his career with a BSc in Hospitality Management. Fresh out of college, Mr Coffey was taken on by a local cafe in Naas known as “The Tea Gardens”. Spending five years there, Mr Coffey gained valuable contacts with suppliers, was sent on coffee making courses and was given a flare for management when he was appointed supervisor at the age of twenty five. Five years after this, Mr Coffey moved to London and was picked up my leading restaurant franchise “Garfunkel’s”. Mr Coffey spent eight years there before coming home in August 2011. His plans to open up his own café/restaurant commenced in October 2011 and Mr Coffey hopes to open for business on July 12th.

Mr Coffey will be the sole owner and manager of a sole trade buisness. He will over see all financial documentation, not unlike his previous job as manager in Garfunkel’s. He will be in charge of rosters, daily labour sheets, any customer complaints, timesheets, cash drops etc.

Key Person: Kate Coffey, is the wife of James Coffey and will be the assistant manager of “The Coffey House”. With a degree in Business and Management, Kate will be the cafe manager when Mr Coffey is not around and she will be based mostly in the kitchen preparing food.

Who are Mizzoni Pizza and Pasta Co.?

elainecrowe — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:12:45 +0000

Mizzoni pizzeria dates back to 1959 when husband and wife Ral and Patricia Mizzoni moved to Ireland and set up a fast food outlet in Inchicore, Co. Dublin. In 1965 the family moved its business to Rathgar and opened Ireland’s first pizzeria 11 years later.

This restaurant was so revolutionary for this country that Mizzoni’s imported Irelands first pizza oven. This is a family run business. Family members have being involved for generations and this is perhaps one of the reasons that the values of the Mizzoni pizzeria have not changed over the years.

Ral felt that the quality of ingredients and foods should come before the cost of using them. This means that only ingredients of the highest quality are used to create its dishes. Mizzoni promises that its food is and never will be frozen. This is an important principle in a modern and health conscious society.

Mizzoni’s became a very popular franchise with over 28 stores being opened across the country. Throughout these developments Ral meant sure that it stayed a family run business that focused on the quality of food. In 2008, the business was said to have being up for sale and that Dominos pizza would be buying it. However Mizzoni’s remains a family run pizza company who currently have 33 stores open nationwide. Family members are often working within these restaurants such as Mizzoni in Athlone being co owned and ran by Thomas Kelly and Lorenzo Mizzoni.

Ral Mizzoni succeeded in bringing this traditional Italian cuisine to Ireland and that is why it is one of Irelands best loved Pizzerias. Not only did Ral bring this Italian staple into Ireland’s heart, he also brought the strong family values of Italian culture as well.

Maynooth Jewellers & Antiques – Key People in the Business

darylconnolly — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:35 +0000

Maynooth Jewellers is owned and managed by Ger and Hugh Cash. The wife and husband duo set up the business in 1986 and have worked hard ever since to make sure that the business remains profitable. The result is that Maynooth Jewellers has become a highly reputable business within the community and is associated with high quality and well known brands.

Ger Cash is central figure within the business. Her role as Store Manager and Sales Manager are key positions within the business. Ger works very hard in securing the latest and most up-to-date pieces of jewellery and always makes sure that the business is supplying high quality items to their customers. Examples of brands which Ger has procured for the jewellers include Paul Costelloe, Seiko, Waterford Crystal and Tipperary Glass.

Hugh Cash is Maynooth Jewellers Financial Manager. Hugh’s main role is to keep account of the business’s book keeping transactions. He also assesses the viability of introducing new brands to the stores product range and calculates break even points in order to distinguish potential profit levels. He relates the information to Ger when negotiation with suppliers regards price is necessary.

Ger and Hugh’s son Alex also holds a key position within the business. Alex is the Information Technology Manager and ensures maintenance of all electrical equipment. Alex’s role involves the implementation and updating all of the online resources and sources of media used by Maynooth Jewellers. However, Alex is currently self employed and therefore cannot commit fully to his work with Maynooth Jewellers. We suggest that Ger appoint one of the sale assistants to head all online campaigns.

www.socialmedia.ie

http://maynoothjewellers.town.ie/home