As I still haven't got my ADSL installed yet (tomorrow I hope - the modem's "in the post") I haven't been on since I left work on Friday, so here's what happened in Ulster while I was playing Resident Evil 4 (GameCube)*, buying Mortal Kombat Deception** and spending a quiet Saturday night watching Kill Bill, Vol 1 and The Great Escape...

Reg Empey elected new UUP leader
I must admit I was a tired bored with the whole 'campaign'. I don't see Empey changing things much (I hope I'm wrong) and the only candidate who seemed markedly different was likely to lead the party much closer to the DUP, which I don't think I'd want (esepcially not considering rubbish like this). That said, Empey has already set his sights on making the party a home for younger people and members of ethnic minorities in Ulster.

Whiterock Orange Order parade postponed
Apparently tensions were running high in north Belfast following violence from republican protestors at last week's Tour of the North parade. The Sunday Life this week ran with a sensationalist story about loyalist gunmen being "minutes away" from breaking their ceasefires had the police blocked the Whiterock parade. How much of this is true and how much is tabloid 'artistic licence' I don't know. The Orange Order decided to postpone the parade to avoid any trouble, while hundreds of people on the Shankill cheered on marchers at a protest march in support of the Whiterock Orangemen. Some carried a banner featuring the slogan "Equal Access to Shared Space." Catchy, no?

and last but not least...

Ulster Girl with funny name joins Big Brother
Belfast woman Orlaith McAllister (that's Orla to the rest of us) was sent into a secret room of the Big Brother house over the weekend wearing nothing but a (tasteful) figleaf bikini. Apparently some of her family felt slightly disappointed their girl would stoop to the level of appearing on Big Brother.

To be fair, she looked reasonably well, but I get the impression that should I catch her on the show in the next few weeks I will be led to cringe and possibly to throw things at my TV. Given 1 minute to find items from the house to take into the room she'd spend the coming days locked in, she spent the whole time searching fruitlessly for toothpaste (apparently didn't think it might be in the bathroom). Her Bio on one of the Big Brother shows said little more than "claims to have snogged Callum Best." Well there's an achievement. Her sister Bronagh didn't do her any favours either, going on Big Brother's Little Brother to tell anyone watching what a 'girly girl' (read airhead) her sister was, and how she was so into her makeup and tan. Should make riveting telly.

Orlaith was runner-up in 1999's Miss Northern Ireland, beaten by everyone's favourite law graduate and model turned Blue Peter presenter, Zoe Salmon.

* I got my own copy of Resident Evil 4 from Amazon.co.uk

** HMV link isn't a commission one, I just thought £7.99 was a great deal!