Nice chat with Ingrid Carlqvist, a popular Youtuber and writer from Sweden, to discuss what life is really like in her country. We go over the political landscape of Sweden, its immigration problems, no go areas, the Julian Assange sex case, Greta Thunberg, and what unites the Swedes, amongst other things.

Please check out Ingrid’s stuff:

Youtube: Ingrid and Maria: https://youtu.be/KD_TqGxKsQQ

Website:https://www.ingridochmaria.se

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ingridcarlqvist

https://vk.com/ingcarl

https://mewe.com/profile/5c7682506bab462a83cab389

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Rapperswil-Jona is a German speaking municipality, with a population of about 27,000, in the canton of St. Gallen in eastern Switzerland. Rapperswil and Jona, were actually separate municipalities until 2006, when they decided to come together in a bid to become more important in politics and society. The town is located on the shores of the beautiful Lake Zurich.

So the town is well known for its wooden pedestrian bridge between itself and the nearby village of Hurden. Built in 2001, crossing the Lake Zürich, the bridge symbolizes the fact that over the centuries locals have crossed between Lake Zurich and Obersee, mostly on boats, but also on a wooden bridge that was constructed by Count Rudolf IV the Wise and Duke of Austria. In 1358 this structure was a handy little earner as there was a toll set up on the bridge, that’s why he was considered a wise man! It is also important to acknowledge that there were other bridges from prehistory, and in the Roman times, so this crossing was and is of an important cultural and historical significance to the local area.  

The wooden bridge linked the two shores for over 500 years, it was renovated for the last time in 1847. Due to other means of transport and alternative routes the idea of the toll fell away. In 1873 the Swiss federal parliament approved the construction of a stone dam with railway tracks and a road and construction began two years later. This bridge is adjacent to the wooden bridge that we see today, so there are two bridges side by side. In 2001 the old wooden bridge was replaced with a more safer and more enjoyable pedestrian oak built bridge. So what we have today is the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland at 841 metres long. (2,759 ft), and is listed as a heritage site of national significance.

To get to the town is easy as it is well linked to Zurich by rail, with many trains to the city every hour, a 35 minute journey. If not in a rush, one can also get a boat from Zurich that stops in the town regularly throughout the day.

I found the town to be pretty pleasant, nice to walk around the Old Town on an early Sunday morning. Not too far from the train station, is the historic wooden bridge that got my attention and is stated as the number one thing to do in the town re TripAdvisor, to which I walked along to the end and back. There is a nature reserve around the bridge where one can see some birds and other wildlife. The views of the lake and the Alps in the distance are lovely, and the walk is nice enough, but to be honest it wasn’t anything particularly extraordinary.

Went up to the castle walls to have a wander. The second thing recommend to do in Rapperswil from TripAdvisor!  Didn’t go in, as I went to the castle in Thun and to be honest see one small castle you have seen them all, at least Swiss Castles, this isn’t Wales! So I ventured around the grounds. Built in the 13th Century by Count Rudolf II and his son Rudolf III von Rapperswil. The castle also has a Polish museum inside it which isn’t particularly clear to me why, but its there nevertheless! Ok I know that a Polish émigré, Count Wladyslaw Broel-Plater who purchased the Castle in 1870 and refurbished it, set up the museum, but why? To the south of the Castle is an old Vineyard, and to the north a small deer park. There is also a nice rose garden near the grounds. Either way the Castle, perched on a hill, is where you can get some decent views of the town and of Lake Zurich. 

Funny thing about Rapperswil is that, according to media tabloids, the place is heaving with Nazi’s, and that the town is where a group of neo-boys have settled in. A local tattoo parlour and the Boomerang bar, which I visited, is owned by a Neo Nazi. Can read it here. To be perfectly frank I couldn’t give a flying…….I dont care much for a persons politics when I sit down for a pint. Not that I am apolitical but it seems some people like to play a game where you have to choose from one bunch of cunts on the left to another bunch of cunts on the right, both equally statist. Well they can play that game, and the media, but as long as they serve me a cold one and don’t bother me, then jog on. 

Pub watch 

Nautical Pub

Address: Seequai 1, Rapperswil 8640

http://www.seerestaurant-steinbock.ch/Nautic-Pub/

Arriving early to the town, it was good to see at least one bar open on the promenade. Nice looking bar from the outside, ventured in to a very small bar.  A few people came in, looked like they were in town for some sort of sporting gig, so the small bar, with an interesting wooden and nautical themed decor, was actually quite busy. Ordered a Falken bier (from Schaffhausen), poured well and not too bad to drink for the first beer of the day. 

Is beside the much larger restaurant Steinbock, which owns the small bar.  It also has a terrace but the weather was not suitable to sit outside on this day.

A nice bar, cosy and very comfortable. Good friendly service, decent beer, and a nice start to the day. 

Boomerang Bar

Address: Stampfstrasse 78 , 8645 Jona

http://www.boomerangbar.ch/boomerang-jona.html

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Not too far from the Rapperswil-Jona ground is an Australian style bar. Yeah sure why not!

I was very surprised to see it nestled in the middle of an industrial estate, this bar looks a little out of place. I was wondering if it was even open as the surroundings looked a bit dead. 

Open it was, and it actually had a few punters in. 

It is a bar that obviously caters for large parties and music events as it is quite spacious and looks like a decent place for a gig. Had a big area reserved for smokers as well, at the side. 

Had all the typical Aussie paraphernalia one would expect and a crocodile hanging from the roof of the bar, yeah hats off to the interior designer as they really did a good job with getting the right mood for the bar.  

Ordered a Coopers Pale Ale, a popular beer from Adelaide, and it went down well, nice and cold. Served with a smile and also got a complimentary basket of popcorn. 

Was a nice place to relax before the big game, and happy to know that I didn’t have to walk to far to the match, with the ground just round the corner. Sweet. 

FC Rapperswil-Jona

Arena/Stadium: Stadion Grünfeld

Location: Blaubrunnenstrasse, 8645 Rapperswil-Jona

Capacity: 2,500

Manager: Urs Meier

Founded: 1928

League: Challenge League

Club home page 

sekretariat@fcrj.ch

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Founded in 1928 Fussball Club Rapperswil-Jona, the 2017/18 season sees the team play for the first time in the second highest league in Switzerland, the Challenge League, after winning promotion the year before in what was the clubs best achievement in its 90 year long history.

The club play in red out of the Grünfeld stadium, a small ground with a capacity of 2,500, which was opened in 2014.  

To the game

FC Rapperswil-Jona 1 – 2 FC Vaduz

11.02.2018  • Stadion Grünfeld, Rapperswil-Jona

Mathys 27′ (Vaduz)
Konrad 47′ (Vaduz)
Elmer (FCRJ, Pen) 83′

Attendance: 780

Enjoyed my time at the match. Not a bad game, good atmosphere, beer and food was flowing, and the locals and staff were in fine spirits. The only thing that was a tad bit annoying was the weather! Game started of in decent, albeit wet, conditions, but by the second half snow was coming down heavy enough that by the end of the game I was well frozen.  

Vaduz started the game much better and scored after about half an hour, a well worked goal deservedly putting them in the front. Devic squaring the ball lovely for Mathys to easily slot home. 

After the break they got their second, and looked well in control of the game. Konrad close range. 

FC Rapperswil-Jona did have their moments, but the Vaduz goalkeeper was in fine form, pulling off a few good saves to keep Vaduz 2 up. 

But he couldn’t stop a penalty that was given to Rapperswil, for a hand ball. That resulted in the last few minutes with Vaduz hanging on, just about. Rapperswil had that golden chance to equalise but again the Vaduz goalkeeper,Peter Jehle, saved brilliantly to keep the three points for the visiting team.  

Enjoyable game, and fair play to both teams for that as the conditions were not suitable for good football so well done there. The better team won too, Vaduz just having that bit more quality.

I also would like to say that everyone associated with Rapperswil, from the ticket sellers, to the stewards and the guys and gals selling the beer/hot food were all extremely friendly and a credit to themselves and their town. Really great time and would love to return again sometime in the future, but perhaps on a hot summers day!!!

Overall

Enjoyed my short time in Rapperswil-Jona, a nice little town with its own character. The match and the football ground hop was good fun, the food and the beer was tops, and I will definitely be back in the near future. Nice one little Rapperswil-Jona!

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Group B Results and Final Placings

 Estrella Galicia (Spain): V : Casablanca (Morocco): 1-0
? (Iran): V : Super Bock (Portugal): 0-1
? (Iran): V : Estrella Galicia (Spain): 0-1
Gallas Cerveja (Portugal): V : Casablanca (Morocco): 1-0
Casablanca (Morocco): V : ? (Iran): 1-0
Estrella Galicia (Spain): V : Gallas Cerveja (Portugal) 0-1

PORTUGAL: 9  Qualify

SPAIN: 6 Qualify

……………………………………………………………………….

MOROCCO: 3

IRAN: 0

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Estrella Galicia (Spain): V : Casablanca (Morocco): 1-0

For the first time Casablanca actually didn’t taste too bad today, but smoother and more enjoyable than the other two days. Still hadn’t much in the way of actual taste though. For that reason I will give the win to Estrella Galicia, as I really enjoy this beer cold from the fridge, perfectly smooth, and the malts hitting the spot. Yeah one nil to Spain.  

? (Iran): V : Super Bock (Portugal): 0-1

SuperBock on its own, nice and smooth. No competition, so Portugal take top sport in my World Cup of Beer,  Group B.

? (Iran): V : Estrella Galicia (Spain): 0-1

Estrella with no competition, enjoyable enough cold on a hot summers day watching the football.

Gallas Cerveja (Portugal): V : Casablanca (Morocco): 1-0

Had a Gallas IPA, was ok, much better than the bland lager Casablanca that has proven to be a disappointment so far in the beer world cup, a bit like their football team to be honest!

Casablanca (Morocco): V : ? (Iran): 1-0

Unlike the football Casablanca won this one, just as well as it was pretty shitty, but with no competition from Iran, they take the win. 

Estrella Galicia (Spain): V : Gallas Cerveja (Portugal) 0-1 

Gallas Wit Cinco de Abril Versus Estrella Galicia. Although I enjoyed both beers, I will give this one to Gallas, as it was just that bit more fruity and tasteful.  1-0 to Portugal. 

                                  ……………………………………………………………………………………

Three nations here that I can play around with. Iran dont do beer, full stop, a big no, no! But interestingly Morocco do, a lager called Casablanca from, eh, Casablanca. While I got two standard beers from Spain and Portugal, football special Super Bock, and Estrella Galicia. But I also got some interesting Portuguese beers from Gallas Cerveja which might shake the group up. But lets see…….

Gallas Cerveja

Super Bock

Estrella Galicia 

Casablanca Beer

                        No beer, no fun from Iran, guess a good kebab will suffice though

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In South Africa they had the awful Vuvuzela’s and Shakira dancing with little black babies, ah the cute little things, but very little else. While in Brazil they not only had Shakira back but this time she brought a little dog with her, Pitbull. More dirge, and very little for me to signify a World Cup was in Brazil. (Edit I see it was Jennifer Lopez and not Shakira, my mistake not knowing the difference between the generic leggy Latino pop stars, me bad!) 

Still the best World cups for me in terms of atmosphere or world cup songs was the Korea/Japan event where the passion came from the stands, and the 1990’s when music was still something to behold. 

So will Russia be any different? You would like to think so, but this time round we are going to be treated to “Live It Up” by Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi. I know Will Smith, but had to Google the other two, an American rapper and an Albanian singer, great! Not only did they not get a Russian to headline, they also are singing in English. Why does everything have to be diluted into corporate nonsense? Will Smith! Really? And why always is it rap shite, ok granted footballers have generally bad taste in music, but why do the fans have to suffer?

So I probably wont be looking at the opening ceremony. The music might be trash, sorry, will be trash, and I couldn’t really stomach seeing the corporate in their suits guffawing in the prawn sandwich seats, while doing the two step to look down with the kids. 

But to be fair, generally opening ceremony’s be they in Olympics or World Cups are a bit dull. The best for me was definitely the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics. They had an open air concert, with a good combo of traditional and modern music. The worst was Beijing, everything was faked even the fireworks. Makes you wonder why they even bothered. 

As for music, surely the best ever was Pavarotti and his rendition of  “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini‘s Turandot. Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras, “The Three Tenors” of 1990, will linger long in the memory. 

Pavarotti with the best World Cup song EVER

The Open Ceremony, Russia, 2018? Nah, will pass. The football should be more than enough to get me in the mood. But if I did miss something be sure to tell me!

And the best World Cup Song representing a national team, definitely this one………………

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Small chat with Chris from the YouTube site “The Trucking and Beer Channel”

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Also my first effort at Goggle Hangout so be kind!!

Thanks to Tom for his patience and for sharing his beer thoughts and experiences

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We recently had the great pleasure to sit down over a coffee and have the chat with Liam McDermott, more commonly known as “Funzo“.

Funzo is a Dublin musician and/or band, considering who Liam is performing with! What started out as a 5 piece group has become a one man outfit that churns out a pleasant mix of soul, hip hop, rap, old school pop and even the odd ska tune. And more recently he has turned his hand at producing some comedy style political songs, that are quite catchy it has to be said!

Funzo has performed all over Ireland since 2009, most notably at some of Ireland’s premiere music festivals; Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Hard Working Class Heroes and Castle Palooza, and has received airplay on US radio and on national radio stations in Ireland; RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM, Today FM, FM 104, Newstalk, Dublin City FM and Phantom FM. Live television performances include ‘Ireland AM’ at TV3 and TG4.

Funzo’s debut single, ‘This Christmas’, was released in December 2010 and entered the Official Irish Charts as the highest independent entry on two consecutive weeks. As well as being a national radio hit in Ireland, the single received vast airplay in the US, being featured on radio stations in 25 different states. Funzo is also popular on Youtube/Facebook with his videos amassing well over 1 million hits and counting. 

His videos are excellent, and his songs are all heartfelt, well worth checking out. 

“First off, I have to ask you about the name Funzo, where did that come from?”

Oh the name…well do you know where it comes from?

“from the Simpsons, I think”

yeah its from the Simpsons, when Lisa had to pick a name for a toy, and she just went with the name “Funzo”, as she couldn’t think of anything else, which was a bit like me! So I just went with Funzo!

I know you are always asked this but how would you describe your music, because it is quite eclectic, you have the hip hop, some soul, poppy tunes and……. and I even found some Ska in there 

It is a mix of all my favorite types of music. Mainly ska, sixties pop and soul, and hip-hop. I also hate doing the same style over and over again, I do like to mix it up

So where did it all start for you?

I was always into music and growing up in Leixlip I got a piano from my parents, so you know listening to 60’s and 70’s music like the Beatles or Stevie Wonder, I just practiced those kind of songs on the piano and just built up a real love of music and then started singing along to them. This then got me into writing my own music. I used to record everything I sang and played on the piano and then I started entering them into competitions, and this is what got me a taste for the whole music scene, you know bands, writing music, playing to people, recording studios. it was all great fun 

One thing is the videos are excellent, very well produced, I know Jonathan Lambert does a lot of them, but how much of it is your idea or the director?

Its mostly from Jonathan, who is an excellent director and knows what he is doing, but I do throw some ideas in as well.

As I said, some of the videos are class, really well produced……..Dublin Tune with yourself and Nugget, Collie and Lazy Bones, brilliant, that and the song on the Luas that I cant remember ha…..,

Thanks, actually that song on the Luas, “Me and Her”, even though it is short it was one of the most difficult to film.

We set up early got all the props ready, had the direction, the tripod, and were ready…. then the Luas inspectors wouldn’t let us do the filming. Was annoying, we did shoot it eventually but it was hard as security kept moving us along from station to station, it was a bit of cat and mouse thing, but we got there in the end. 

Jonathan said it actually was one of his most difficult shoots, ha ha. But he was excellent, he adds things you’d never think about, small things, like the balloons at the start, the red rose, the newspaper……it was great fun to make and work with him.

I know you initially from the Irish rap and hip hop scene, you kept propping up on many videos on YouTube…..Class Az, Collie, Big Siyo, Nu Centz n all the rest, how did you get into that scene….

Hip hop and Rap music is what I really love listening to when I can and with the band I wanted to use some rappers with my music and so that’s how I got to know the guys on the scene. 

I know you have been on TV, the radio, etc but why is the rap and hiphop scene not as popular as it should be, you know the national media always have The Coronas or Hozier or some other wank like that on the airwaves, but these lads dont get the recognition they deserve. 

There us a lot of luck involved, and hip hop and rap is still a bit of a niche in Ireland but

they are all popular on YouTube, so I guess that is some kind of recognition and if it happens it happens, but yeah it can be frustrating at times.

Presently you have moved into another direction, musically, into politically motivated songs, all taking the pee and with a good healthy dose of humour, where did that all come from?

I just thought it was something I could do, I was getting sick that people couldn’t express their opinions without getting called a bigot or racist or something, when they are clearly not.

Well I like musicals, they are catchy, so the first song we did I just thought that the Mary Poppins tune, which everyone knows, that that tune would work well with a video, its not original but I put my own slant on the scene, and it is working out well as the video is very popular online, getting a load of views on YouTube.

You seem like a fairly positive happy go lucky person, do you ever get angry

No, I always try to keep everything positive, and my music and thoughts reflects that. 

Do you get a hard time for your views or your videos? 

No, never. 

Must people take it as humour , they dont take it too seriously

No one really gets angry, and the songs are always humorous so there is no need to get angry.

Sometimes there are a few things on Facebook but that I can handle.

But there was this one girl who got very personal with me and Leanne, she got very vicious and abusive, and brought up some really bad personal things that was uncalled for. 

But overall no never.

so are you in a crossroads now with the alt right thing and……..

ha you know alt-right is……

well I know that’s a catchall term, ha, sorry…..

It does come from somewhere specific and it is associated with white nationalism which I have no association with but now people throw alt right at anything, like Amy Schumer’s (American “comedian”)  Netflix specials, she was disappointed with the reviews and she said that the alt-right gave me bad one star reviews……alt-right just comes into her head……everyone’s alt-right, we did a song about that as well! So if you dont like someone just call them alt right!

The problem is they do it so much with fascists, Nazi, bigot, Islamophobe, whatever phobe….they throw it out so much that they water down any actual issue that’s going on because there are people who think Hitler was cool and have swastika tattoos…. I mean call them a neo-Nazi and maybe challenge them or tackle their ideas or expose them or whatever you want to do but if you just call everyone a Nazi…..every politician you dont like, everyone who likes that politician that you dont like, a Nazi, then those Nazis are actually getting away with their actual dangerous ideology. 

So what kind of feedback have you been getting from the rest of the music scene, cause it is kind of unusual….

It is very unusual, ha. But you see like at every turn I am doing something that I haven’t done before but this wasn’t I need to do something different it was more of like …there is comedy here, this is a gold mine and the “phobia song” got such a good response. I have never seen shares like that, thousands and thousands of shares.

Well its a very catchy song!

It is, and I think people get that things are a bit mad with speech now, but yes I think the reaction has been deadly, but as I have said a few Irish people have gone on to me, you know I even got a message off a girl saying …I have seen you have clicked like on this particular speaker or You-tuber, can I ask why?…..em I enjoy their content, you know, how are you, you know I haven’t talked to you in 5 years!?….but its this kind of prying and this isn’t what everyone else does so why are you stepping outside the line? But I have been happy with it. 

So can I expect you to be on the Alex Jones channel anytime soon, or the Ben Shapiro show?

I’d be honoured! I think the guy is funny, he is a bit off at somethings, but…. 

Yeah that would be cool. I dont know if you know but I recently did a song on Ben Shaipiro and the Berkeley protest.

But with these lads you dont have to idolize them or think their perfect but you have to let them speak.

Yeah you kind of get something from everyone and you make up your own opinion.

Exactly. well that used to be the way it was!

How are your podcasts going, I was listening to them for a while but its hard to keep up with them?

Yeah we put out 7 or 8 but we were kind of unsettled again with the move to Santry, me and Leanne, but she said she wouldn’t mind doing them again

Great, I enjoyed them, always thought they were good fun, throwing minds together and having the chat, isn’t it?

Exactly!

I am a bit of a punk fan so I wonder when is the punk album?

Punk, ha, I am not so sure about that. Anyway there are no real punks left anymore, not true to themselves.

I guess you are right there. Ok Funzo thanks for the friendly chat, really appreciate it. 

No problem, just one thing, dont call me alt right! Ha!

Was nice to have a talk with Funzo, I appreciate that he was tired after a hard days work to come and have the chat with me. It is refreshing to see someone try something different on the Irish music scene, and not be afraid to express their opinions, or at least take the mick. And he is bloody good at what he does, which is always good! Anyway, if you cant take a joke then fuck it basically, surely that’s the best philosophy to life. 

I did a short and brief review of Funzo’s 4 albums. I am not a great music reviewer, maybe not even a good beer reviewer, but I gave it a try. Also a little difficult as Funzo has his fingers in oh so many pies….jazz, hip hop, rap, soul, pop, ska,……..

All 4 of Funzo’s albums are available to listen on Spotify, so go for it! 

Discography

Class A’z And Funzo: Twenty 13 – 2013

Teaming up with the great Class A’z (Terawrizt, Redzer, and sometimes Nucentz, Rawsoul, Siyo, and Rob Kelly), top dogs in the Irish hip hop and rap scene, Funzo provides the harmonies and rhymes to the collective. 

Straight in to the beats with “Take Forever”, a great build up to the album, Funzo with his singing, and Terawrizt and Redzer giving it welly, full of soul, good start. The next two songs, “Never let it go” and “No Matter” (with Rob Kelly) follow the same theme, good old skool rap, Irish style. 

“Gimme the Mic” is a change, a throwback to 70’s style funk and disco. Love this song, really catchy tune. With the rap, it works well, very good. A song to play before you hit the town, class.

Robyn Kavanagh guests in the song, “Survive”. Amazing vocals from Robyn, the boys chipping in with the raps, this album is moving along nicely. 

“Silly Games”, another change, this time in pace, fast tempo rap and harmonies. Love this song, you can feel that the raps are heartfelt. “In it to the death”, you know that this is not a game that the music is something important. This songs shows that. 

After that we get a couple of chilled out efforts “No One Knows” and “If Loving you is Wrong”, and we finish the album with what I consider the best song of the lot, “Here I am”. The final song is where the hip hop scene is at at the moment in Ireland. 

“They only want to play the Coronas now, But the radio wont play us so we wont be found, but I dont have time to mope around. See if the radio would play us then we’d run this town, but the radio wont play us so we’re underground. People pat you on the back at your album launch but they really only want to hear Rihanna songs”

It is a frustration I share, this grouping of artists should be way bigger than they are. I think perhaps its cause they are too opinionated (not a bad thing by the way) for the safe confines of radio and TV. The internet suits them better, fuck RTE and the rest. 

The Great Lonesome – 2014

This is Funzo’s first real tryout under his own steam, and what a treat it is.

From the start we get “Beginning of the End”, a short intro, but sets the mood that this is going to be one heck of a fun album. And it is. A lot of high tempo upbeat songs, with some references to 60’s pop and 50’s style dance hall numbers, a bit of soul and pop thrown in for good measure, all jazzed up for the modern audience.  At least that’s what I got!! 

The rapper Leiko makes a great guest appearance in “Take Sometime”, a great song with an even better video of Dublin. Check it out. The song finishes with the Discovery Gospel Choir rounding off the song. Beautiful.  “Never be like them“, is another hip hop style number where Funzo is telling it as it is, keeping it real!

“The Window Song” reminded me of the Kaiser Chiefs, a rockier tune, and again a positive happy go lucky tune. 

This is the album where we get the infamous “Me and Her” tune, AKA the Luas song, sounds like a musical. Fun song about unrequited love.

In the song “Pop Secret”, I feel that Funzo is channeling his inner Paul McCartney. A really good pop song with a killer line

“I listen to a little bit of rock and a little bit of roll and a little bit of pop and a little bit of soul….I’m just a song writer…” 

A song that is so fun to listen to and stays in your head a good while after. Perfectly encapsulates Funzo’s style I think, a little bit of pop, a little bit of rock and a little bit of soul! Love it.

“Just a thought”, another love song with an equally great video.  Unlike “Me and Her”, Funzo is getting the girl in this song.  I also hear the Paul Macca influence here. Lovely easy listening song.

Quite a few love songs on the album. “We didnt waste it” on the piano, “Listen here” back with that gospel choir, “Never Win” and “Now I know” where Funzo lets his heart out, and “Amour Fou”. Yeah the album is a bit heavy loaded with love songs, but its an album well worth getting. Enjoyable and fun to listen to. I liked it a lot. 

Artificial High – 2015

An album made with producer Alan Newman. A very upbeat album, a lot of funk and some disco, a bit of soul, the expected rap numbers, and some melodies. That’s Funzo, a mixed bag of treats taking you in all musical directions.

“Like the beat” has sounds really like a Jackson Five number pumped up for today, very funky. 

“Dreamer Girl” is a quirky enough love song. Don’t know who the girl is, but its a song that really grows on you.  “1963”, sounded a lot like a Gorillaz number, that kind of style, think they call that trip hop!

Overall a good album that is a good at showcasing the varying musical styles of Mr Funzo.

Beggars & Choosers-2016

Funzo’s latest album is a little bit different to his last two. Much more rockier and with a lot more rap and hip hop this time.

“Look Around” a mish mash of sounds, again getting the Paul McCartney influence, a Wings type of song.  

Guest appearances this time from Reuben James on the jazzy number “She Loves me not”, Leanne in “Happy Face”, a happy song but anything but happy, Raptor B and Row B rapping it out in “Should all Know me by Now”. Great to hear NuCentz on the album, with Leiko again, on the song “Way Back”. Leanne makes two more appearances, “You really had me” a nice hip hop song, and “Pyjama Night” with Row B. Its good to hear other artists guesting on Funzo’s album, makes a change as it is usually the other way round! 

Its not all rap though, the song “Walk alone together” is a nice melancholic interlude in the album. Perfectly coming in the middle of the album. 

But the standout song for me is “Some People”, a ska/reggae style song that I just love. I think it just might be my overall favourite Funzo song of them all. Gets the rhymes and beats just perfect. BRILLIANT. Love it. 

An upbeat album, bit more modern styles here. Looking forward to the next album Funzo!

Check out Funzo!

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You are looking at the mirror and you dont like what you see? You need to lose the beer belly. Cut down on the food? But I love my steaks! Now you could give up beer, but that would be foolish. Why not try to join a gym? Nah, too expensive and full of posers. Play some five a side? Yes, but I dont want to completely kill myself, and I dont have the silky skills I once had which is so demoralizing. So there is nothing for it but to try a bit of jogging/running.

Doesn’t cost much to go running, a pair of old trainers and some shorts and that ACDC t shirt, if it still fits, and voila you are a mean running machine! You can also go running pretty much anywhere, within reason, and within your own set time. Also not only is running excellent for your health, it can also be quite meditative. Many a time after a hard day and feeling down that a good hard run has lifted the spirits. I run through a forested area at night, so I guess I am down and at one with nature, and all the teens smoking dope, it feels real good when its finished. A real high, a legal one.

So here are a few things that I do when I go for a training run or race.

Running Gear

Get yourself a comfortable pair of runners/trainers. Now I got an expensive pair and a cheap pair, and actually the cheap pair works best for me. It’s not flashy or has padded insoles but I feel comfortable in them and that’s what is important.  Remember you will be pounding on these trainers day in day out hour after hour, so you really need a good pair, so no fucking around on the running shoes. But the experts will tell you this and that, but just go with what you feel is good for you……..

Warm-Up!

Now I Know for lazy feckers, you perhaps might skip this, shure isn’t the race/run enough itself, but really a warm up works wonders for loosening the muscles pre run. A little stretch here and there and a warm jog just to make sure your muscles wont snap when you start, and that you have pre heated the engine.

Music/breathing!

I would definitely recommend not using music to help you go for a run. Yes its cool to listen to your fav bands as you do your job but you are not listening to your breathing, which will help you with your pace and technique and helps you to find your breathing rhythm, which over time can help you with pacing yourself and also in relaxation.

Breathing is important, and that’s why you have to listen to it. Breathing too much, spluttering and catching the breaths, then slow it down, relax, try to slow it down a little, and you would be surprised at the results. over time you can learn to handle it. Listening to your body is the only thing you should be hearing!

Water!

Drink lots of the the stuff! It helps you to re-hydrate! Drink water before, during (if you can) and after all runs. Try running dehydrated, its hard!

But its not just water, it is also good to drink isotonic sports and energy drinks…….like Lucozade or Gatorade for example. They have all the ingredients needed to give you that extra kick and help replenish any important minerals you might have lost.

Running styles

Try to lead forward with your chest and keep the upper body straight, which will ease the tension on your shoulders and neck and help you feel a little relaxed when running. Also try to pump up your arms forward and back, it usually works for me and helps to get me into some sort of rhythm.

On thing I like to do at times when I run is to set targets on the course, or time targets, and try my damnest to make them. if I am slow then I press ahead as fast as I can, and that can mean sometimes sprinting like mad to make the next target. This fast, slow, fast running is good for getting you slowly used to quick paces. The more you do the more you can increase the targets, the more you get used to running at a faster pace at a longer time. Also it breaks up the sometime monotony of running, which lets face it can get boring after a while.

As you get older I find it takes a good while for the body to warm up as you set out on your run. I am like an old car that starts its journey, spluttering and creaking, but what I find funny is that after about 5 or 6 minutes the body suddenly goes into autopilot and then I am completely fine. I can run for an hour after that without too much complication, as long as it is a steady pace. But apparently there is some science to this, as it takes six to 10 minutes and one degree in body temperature to push all the blood to the working muscles. Once that happens you will experience a light warm sweat and then the pace sets itself to autopilot.  So the thing is wait at least ten minutes before you decide to think “fuck this shit, I’m off to the pub!”, keep with it and low and behold you will get that steady run you set out to achieve from the beginning.

Also worth to note and kind of obvious, but dont go like the clappers at the start. Go slow, pace yourself, be relaxed, note your distance, and try to enjoy the race if you can.

The fast finish!

Don’t go mad at the start, or perhaps the middle, but always keep something in the tank for the end. This takes practice over time. on any run you do, try and leave something in the legs just to finish the last few stretches fast. Try running quickly over the last 5 minutes flat out of you can, to build up your technique. Pushing yourself like this will show what you can and cant do on a  finishing strait, and you might be surprised that runners generally always have something left, even if they aware not aware of it.

Track and record your running

I use Noom Coach to keep abreast of my daily calorie count, and it also records any running you do, which frees of some space for more food! Freeletics is good too, for tracking some exercise and also for runs, and it is great for breaking down your run in terms of speed, pace and average times. Of course they are many more specific apps, more particular for actual running, like RunKeeper or MapMyRun. Its good to keep track of your progress,or lack of it.

Running with a hangover

I might have been still a little drunk when I started the race, but trust me I was all sober when I finished!

So as Basel had won the championship the night before I went out to celebrate. And celebrate I did, 6 beers and two shots later I think I got home around 3 or 4.

Amazingly I managed to get up early for the train to Zug, which was leaving at about 6.30…….so safe to say I was in not the best state of mind for a mountain run. I was simply dying on the train, sweating buckets and so, so tired…..and the head……oh dear.

So what does a hangover do to your body and what affects would it have on your morning run/jog or in my case slow walk and crawl (up that “Cunt of a mountain!”).

Well for a start you will be severely dehydrated, have low blood sugar and low energy levels……your performance will be affected that’s for sure, the alcohol, that is more than likely still in your system, will slow you down big time. But there is no need to kill yourself, the fact you are running so soon after a great night out is an accomplishment enough, no need to try and break any records or get a high placing. I walked 4 out of the 6K, ran the first and last 1k, happy in the knowledge that I was the fastest drunk on the course, for sure!

So what can you do to limit the pain……well as I have mentioned a few times already…..drink lots of water, try to drink a bucket load of water as soon as you get up…..or even before you go to bed, (but that’s not going to happen, eh!). Remember it takes a lot of water to purge all that lovely alcohol you had the night before.

Also try and get some grub inside you, might hold some of the beer together that’s sloshing round your stomach.  Normally an Irish/British style breakfast would do just the business in a situation like this, but remember you also have to shit that out…….so something small but useful…..an omelette is good as eggs are excellent for refueling. Also a smoothie with some bananas should be efficient enough.

I mentioned shitting, disgusting I know, but it has to be done before the race no matter what, because believe me you dont want to be half way round the course holding your arse cheeks together, lol.

Are there any positives about running with a hangover? Yes there are…..for one it should sweat out all the beer you had the night before…..It also has the effect that by the end of the run or race you should have completely sobered up, or at least feel less shitty. The endorphins and the fresh healthy air, and the sense of accomplishment makes you feel like a champ. To celebrate I’d recommend having a few beers to let it all sink in, but perhaps not repeat it again the next morning so soon!

But be aware doing too much of this can be very harmful to your health. As alcohol is a strong diuretic, depleting your water volume, it means that your heart has to beat faster and harder to get the blood pumping round your body.  Anything that puts a serious strain on your heart is best avoided to be honest.

Running when drunk

But what about running while actually drunk, never mind about the sleeping bit or the inbetween bit, but just drink up and run? Running while pished as a fart. Is it possible to do?

I have often done it myself while going home. The trams are stopped at about 3 or 4, and any extra change I have had after the night of boozing went on the kebab and not on a taxi,  so its a long walk, but fuck that….I have often just did a jog with some short sprints here and there to make that long walk a little shorter.

Of course it does depend on how drunk you are. If you are pretty legless I dont think running will be good for you, as you might just run straight into a ditch or a road sign and end up doing some damage to yourself and your ego.

I also have to mention that there are a few races where drinking is acceptable. We have the hash runs that are popular in cities around the world, and where the running is not competitive and drinking is encouraged after the event, or at times during the run!

There is also the Beer Mile, where each competitor drinks four cans of beer (minimum 5%) and runs four laps on a track. Yeah, 4 beers, fuck off. Could you be bothered for fucks sake. More like ten beers a few shots of the spirit of your choice, and a kebab and then a mountain run, now that is a fucking race. Amateurs!! 

Of course I prefer the more traditional beer crawl, where competitors run, walk, or crawl from pub to pub. I am pretty good at this one and it requires no running gear, race times, or training per say!

The actual damn race (The Zugerberg Classic)

Zug, in the canton of Zug, central Switzerland, is a very beautiful town with its amazing views of the lake, lake Zug that is!

The town is quite wealthy with its population of about 30,000 people enjoying its nice low tax policy and the offer of plenty of work in the towns many multi national high end industries.

It has a very lovely old town, and the view of the lake and the nearby mountain ranges on the promenade is pretty cool. All in all its a bloody nice town.

This is all fine, as long as we dont mention that massacre that happened back in 2001, where some nutjob shot and killed 15 people including himself in the cantonal parliament of Zug. And they say the Swiss are responsible with their guns……

Getting to the city is easy enough, its near Zurich via both rail network and motorway, about 30 minutes journey for both.

So in any case, I was there for the race, the The Zugerberg Classic, a race that takes place every year, usually sometime at the start of May, for runners and mountain bikers from the old city of Zug right upto the top of a small mountain! The running distance is six kilometers (6.2 km to be exact) with a height difference of 540 m and the mountain biker for a distance of 25 km with an altitude of 1000 m. The race is open to clubs, children and teenagers, men and women, right up to old folks who are on their last legs.

For more information, see zugerberg-classic.ch

So to the actual race then.

Well there are two races to report. The one where I had the hangover, as mentioned, and where I came near the end……..

And the race the year after, where I didn’t have a hangover, albeit was tired after a Gaelic football blitz the day before, but ran in a much quicker fashion, that it to say there were enough people behind me to save embarrassment.

Race one/Severe Hangover 2016

As I mentioned I had a lot to drink the night before (6 beers, two shots), only a few hours sleep and was sweating buckets and dehydrated. But I didn’t want to disappoint a friend who was waiting for me at the station, as we were doing the race together. he wasn’t out the night before though.

Didn’t know what to expect really, as it was my first race in years and with the hangover my mind wasn’t straight. But start we did, near the end mind, and after about 500 metres I was beginning to notice that this seems to be a bit hilly!!! Told my running mate to go and run his own race as I didn’t want to drag him down to my level, and off he went in the distance. There was no let up in the height, up and up it went, so after the first 1K decided to speed walk it, thinking I could run any flat bits in between. Thing was there were no flats bits not until the last 1K, so I basically walked most of it. Children past me by, old people with walking sticks smiling and waving out walking me, one guy with a plastic leg fucking passed me, then a Japanese lady who had a trainer caught me……..Jesus I looked around and there was only me and this old fella with his shorts pulled right up his arse, fuck……but I beat him in the last straight, but it was close! I wasn’t going to come last. I later found out that there were a few Indians (not the native kind), about 5 or 6 who also walked it and were even slower than me…….jesus, they must have had a dodgy curry the night before!  Anyway I did it and it took me a while to recover from it. My time was a very unimpressive 56.10 (5 people behind me!) 

Race two/Not hungover but tired 2017

On Sunday May the 7th Sunday, 2017, I had paid my CHF 25.- entry fee online, registered and got my starting number good and early,  I was on a mission to beat my previous time. Got there early enough, unlike the previous year. Registered early for the 9.20 start time.

This time I did a warm up, a good warm up and I have to say it made a good difference as it got the air pumping into my lungs and around the body, so much so that the start of the race wasn’t as frightful as the previous year. 

Also I had the advantage of actually knowing the course, or at least having an idea of how painful it was, so I knew there was a killer in the middle and that near the end there was a few high hills to get over, but also that the last 1K was flattish and down, or at least not up! Funnily enough I wasn’t as fast as I expected on the last 1k,  I had really nothing to give, everything was gone in the engine.  

I tell you how high we were up in that all entrants have a free pass on the mountain funicular (cable railway) train back down to the edge of the town, which is great cause I didn’t fancy walking back down. 

After the race all the competitors and organizers get together in the big hall to wind down, eat some food freshly cooked on the BBQ, have a chat, and relax. 

So I hung around eagerly awaiting the results, very curious to know how much I had knocked off my previous time. I came in at 49.31, bettering my PB by about 6 and a half minutes which was ok I guess, and this time a good amount of slow bastards behind me, about 24. Suckers!!!

I have to say all in all the race is a well organised event, and I will be back again in 2018 to further eat away at my PB! If you want to see how fit and healthy you are then there is no doubt this is the race to do! Definitely! Roll on Zugerberg Death Run 2018

Race three: UPDATE 2018 RESULT!

Did the Zugerberg Run again, third time out. Unfortunately, as before,  I didn’t get a good nights sleep as I went to see some friends play (Uncle Bard & The Dirty Bastards and Keltikon) in a Celtic Punk Concert the night before and didn’t get home till 1:30 after drinking about 7 pints. Concert was good fun and good to see some old friends again.

Nevertheless I got up early and travelled to Zug, there good and early. Had many toilet breaks as I had drank some Guinness the night before!

Ran and it felt terrible, much worse than last year. Didn’t feel comfortable throughout the race, and walked quite a good bit of the course. So was really surprised then to know that my time was 45.46, a good 3 minutes 45 minutes quicker than my previous years run, so yes a new PB! And this time there were 44 people behind me!

So what I can take from this is that despite an awful run I am getting quicker and fitter. And who knows what I could run in the Zugerberg run if I ever get the fucking chance to have a good rest the day and night before!!!

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https://www.brewdog.com/item/6/BrewDog/5AM-Saint.html

Brewed by BrewDog
Style: American red ale/Amber Ale
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Brewdog. The whipper snappers from Scotland that have set the craft beer world alight. Started in April 2007 by two good friends James Watt and Martin Dickie, BrewDog is a British multinational brewery and pub chain based in Ellon, Scotland.

Bored with the usual industrial brewed lagers and stuffy ales all around them, they decided to start brewing their own beers catering to their own tastes. Sure why not. Both only 24 at the time, they leased a building in Fraserburgh, got a bank loan and started producing some pretty strong but exciting brews. 

Starting small, they brewed very tiny batches, filled bottles by hand and sold their beers at local markets and out of the back of their beat up old Skoda pickup.

By 2008 they got more money from the bank which was used to further invest in the beers with a bottling machine and more tanks purchased. They then went straight for the kill by producing a particularly strong beer, “Tokyo”, with 18.2% alcohol, which unsurprisingly created a shit storm in the media and in the drinks industry. The Portman Group, the trade group body responsible for drinks producers in the UK and for regulating the industry, banned a lot of their initial beers, but they could still export to Sweden, Japan and America.  As you can imagine all this hoo-ha resulted in increased sales and massive public exposure for the new Brewery.

In 2009 their Punk Indian Pale Ale was popular on the craft beer scene not just in the UK but also in Scandinavia, and getting major supermarket chain Tesco to stock it was a great coup for the young company at the time. They also created the Tactical Nuclear Penguin with a 32% alcohol content which at that time was the strongest beer in the world but it was their share issue that really caught the headlines. Offering people an opportunity to buy into the company via online, with 1300 initially investing in their share venture, later to become over 10,000! This and their various other crowd funding platforms have made the company very wealthy indeed. 

In 2010, BrewDog opened their first bar, in nearby Aberdeen. More bars followed in Scotland and in England and eventually to include establishments in Stockholm, São Paulo, Florence, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Tokyo . It was also in 2010 that their signature beer Hardcore IPA got the gold medal at the World Beer Cup in the Imperial IPA category which was some achievement for a very young brewery not long in operation.

It was also along this time that they had a running battle with a German brewery, Schorschbräu, to see who could come up with the strongest beer in the world. Brewdog produced Sink the Bismark ,a beer with 41%  alcohol to take the crown of the worlds strongest beer, from Schorschbräu, who had produced a 40% ABV version of their Schorschbock.

Not long after they produced arguably their most controversial brew The End of History, a 55% abv Belgian ale, which was to be stronger than most whiskies, vodkas and gins. The name was a reference to Francis Fukuyama and his long since discredited book “The End of History. Was this to be the end of beer as we know it? Only 11 of the beers were for sale, and the beer came packaged inside a small stuffed animal, seven stoats, four grey squirrels, and costing between £500 and £700 each, not a beer then for the ordinary skin down the pub. Naturally animal rights groups were up in arms, but the stunt did the intended trick, getting the brewery unlimited coverage in the national press. To be fair to the boys, the animals were roadkill so I dont necessarily feel the outrage there, but I do think it was well naff and corny as a publicity stunt, a really cheap gimmick.   

Here was their promotional gibberish highlighting the beer as a “an audacious blend of eccentricity, artistry and rebellion”, and that the distinctive bottles were “disrupting conventions and breaking taboos – just like the beer they hold within them”. Really, what cunts talk like that, eh? LOL

But this is their style. Among other stunts they have pulled include driving a tank down Camden High Street, brewing beer at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean as you do, projecting the naked images of its two founders onto the Houses of Parliament; dropping stuffed cats from a helicopter onto the City of London;  and especially for the royal wedding of 2011 of William and kate they produced a beer called “Royal Virility Performance” ,a beer containing natural aphrodisiacs such as “herbal Viagra”, chocolate and horny goat weed, or so they said!

Today Brewdog is an internationally recognized beer brand, while also winning a tonne of awards and prizes for their beers. They produce roughly over 65 different beers shipping to over 55 countries worldwide,producing bottled and canned beers in a variety of styles such as ale, stout, India pale ale (IPA) and lager, some of which are also available in keg containers.
The bottled beers are distributed to British supermarkets and exported worldwide.

Its really hard to know what to think of Brewdog. They call themselves and their operation postpunk and that they are redefining what it means to drink beer, “to revolutionize the British beer industry, and redefine British beer-drinking culture”, etc etc, but they dont half talk a lot of pretentious hipster wank. Easy known that one of the guys father was in the oil industry. Common working class fellas they are not. But I guess Punk itself, apart from the Sex Pistols, was also a bit too middle class to be really as edgy as they’d like to portray. Give me heavy metal any day of the week!

Also a lot of their stunts are very silly and juvenile, and might appeal to people who live sheltered lives but its not classic or cool. A bit like Ryanair or Paddypower in their advertising, trying too hard to be cool, yet their product is still shite! For example this is from one of their advertising slogans on a beer “let the sharp bitter finish rip you straight to the tits” That’s childish stuff. I mean Scotland produced Robbie Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Robbie burns for fucks sake, so try better than that. 

This is how they describe themselves so you be the judge. They call themselves a “post-punk, apocalyptic, motherfucker of a craft brewery” and rallying it s supporters, “This is the revolution – so help me Dog,” and “Changing the world, one glass at a time.”  “We bleed craft beer,” “We blow shit up, and “Without us, we are nothing. We are BrewDog.” Yeah, that’s great, now can you give me a fucking pint please love!

Was in there BrewDog bar in Manchester, and although the draught beer was good, the place was a kip. Fuck me, it was all over the place, was like an office, people talking and acting like dickheads, with angry staff and modern decor that didn’t really work. You know its a shit bar when you see people playing fucking snakes and ladders, that’s giving up for fucks sake! But let me put my disclaimer out there, I’m not hip enough for these kind of places.

But hell they are popular, they have their own TV show called Brew Dogs in the States, and they are opening bars all over the place and producing new beers all the time, exporting to 50 countries or more, so what do i know then, eh?

I have to be fair to them though, there beers certainly seem exciting using a wide array of mad and exotic ingredients from chilli, honey, chocolate, hemp, and mustard to name but a few. They also do know their stuff, winning many numerous beer awards for their produce. If they just kept to the beers and enough with the other shite, please! 

Review: 330ml Bottle of BrewDog 5 A.M. Saint: ABV: 5%

This is what is said in their description of this beer

“5am Saint is The Holy Grail of red ales. At BrewDog we are on a mission to open as many people’s eyes as possible. Cast away any aspersions and let the crook of BrewDog be your guide in a whirlwind of conformity and mediocrity. Once this ruby liquid forms a foamy halo around your glass, you’ll never want to look back”

That’s a load of bollix, isn’t it!! 

Anyway 5AM Saint is the five malts and hops used to produce a beer at 5% ABV, and can be drank at 5.am to start the day off.  In the hops Nelson Sauvin, Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial and Ahtanum were used. The malt, Maris otter, Caramalt, Munich malt, Crystal and Dark Crystal Malt.

Comes in a typical BrewDog design. The label decked out in a strong red, with usual style of distinctive lettering and logo. I do like their labels and bottle layout, its eye catching and colourful. 

On pour got a nice big decent sized frothy head, pouring a deep ruby reddish coloured beer, dark red/purple, Not much carbonation, very slight amount. Head dies a little but maintains throughout which is good. Some good lacing present.  Looks ok, nothing special.

Loved the smell, a really nice aroma. Got a hint of fruit…..grapefruits and blackberries. Lovely,, lovely smell. Malty and fruity aromas but not overpowering, just right.

So what about the taste, any good?

Well certainly very hoppy and strong in taste, a lot of flavours on the old taste buds, but nothing that would be extraordinary 

Very typical of the craft beer style beers, overloaded with hops. Also got a lot of the sweet malts. 

Can taste the fruits, grapefruits and berries 

Is a slow burner and was slowly getting to appreciate it in the end. It certainly is a very tasty beer and its ok if this is your kind of thing, but I like my traditional red ales, and I do drink them a lot when I’m home in the old country, but this is no where that level. Also nothing to compete with Sierra Nevada efforts. A tad bit disappointing truth be told considering how much hype surrounds their beers. 

A bit of a dry bitter finish to the beer. Definitely wasn’t sessionable for me. Ok, if you like this sort of shite, I don’t!! Truth be told it is very bland and nothing new or exciting.

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